I do believe what we have here is a “failure to communicate” on this week’s episode. It is not just the distance between Mars and Earth that Tekkadan has to struggle with, it is also the fact they’re still fairly innocent about the world. Oh don’t get me wrong, their lives sucked before they started wearing the big boy pants, yet this impacting line by Takaki defines what I believe will be a prevailing arc this season:
“What will happen if we can’t even trust family?”
Ah, it is nice to finally have something to talk about now. By the skin of their teeth, Tekkadan captures the leader of the Dawn Horizon Corps, and routs the attempt by the WDoJ/Arianrhod from stealing their ‘kill’ so to speak. This is a sound victory on Tekkadan’s part, since the inclusion of a third party in the previous episode’s affairs heightens the tension. This is most manifest in Julieta, who not only gives Mika a workout in terms of combat skills, but also comes off (in my mind), as a female version of him: eccentric to a fault, and fiercely loyal to her superior like Mika is to Orga. Whether this will change any dynamic between him, Kudelia, and Atra in the case he ever meets her is still up in the air, but I cannot help but see some similarities to them based on their disposition in combat.
After two episodes of build up, we have our first full on space battle with Tekkadan facing off against the Dawn Horizon Corps. True to Gundam form, things are not what they appear, and Tekkadan has to fight at a disadvantage.
Yeah, that’s pretty much it.
Not gonna lie, I am REALLY hard pressed to talk about anything this week. It is not that there is anything TOO bad about this episode, but there’s nothing new to discuss. After my gush over Hush last week, he is summarily sidelined for plot purposes as the old boys of Tekkadan sally forth. Understandable, but it is still disappointing. The big non-mecha highlight is the conversation between Orga and Maccy’s subordinate, Isurugi. It provides a nice set up to the battle, never mind the various machinations each side (or at least Maccy-nations for one) has in store, but other than that nothing much can be said. Heck to even say the battles are nice is to state the obvious, and Tekkadan as always is doing the best it can given the circumstances.
Just like the second episode of the first season, the opening ends with a successful rout of enemy forces by Mika and the Barbatos…
…And just like the second episode of the first season, the rest of the episode is dedicated to prep work for the next phase in our players’ games. On one hand it is kinda boring treading familiar territory, but on the other it is kindof necessary and has enough differences to warrant this retreading of old ground. One half-hour after all isn’t enough for a massive cast like this animu has, so I should probably give it a pass for now. Besides, it allows us one instance of foreboding that may colour erryboddy in this show:
Wow. It’s been a year hasn’t it? These upstart rapscallions, once on the verge of utter defeat, now are the biggest names in both the regular and black market. Unlike the last serial Gundam series that had two seasons (Gundam 00), Iron-Blooded Orphans kicks off without any big down note where our heroes are in a lesser position of power than before. After the well-deserved victory they scored last season, they need this moment to shine, and shine they did.
I anticipated a few weeks ago privately that the premiere will be somewhat of a retread of the first episode except Tekkadan is running the show. Sure enough, this is the case. It is not a bad thing, since the time and emotional investment you may have given is not wasted. Set in about I wager six months to a year after the finale, Tekkadan is not just the military adviser to an Arbrau headed by Makanai, but a full-fledged member of the Teiwaz Group. Meanwhile, Kudelia has learned to multitask and founded another enterprise in half metals with the aptly named: Admoss Company. Like the first episode, this one focuses on just establishing their world amidst the backdrop of the bigger one. The series where its first season gives us war as seen from the underclass becomes a series where its second season may give us war… as seen from the upstart lower-middle class. It is refreshing to also see how their actions also brought about unintended consequences. Upstart bunch of kids beating hoity-toity Gjallarhorn now incentivizes upstart groups of people to start utilizing them, Human Debris, and even mobile suits in their quest for either independence from Gjallarhorn or for more power.
Immediately as the preview for this episode took place in Episode 24, the only thing I can think of was: “Is this gonna end up like Gundam 00 Season 1?” After fighting for so long, is Tekkadan going to end their first season (or possibly series) at a tactical disadvantage? Are they gonna end with costly losses not just in their ranks and fail their mission to get Kudelia and Makanai to the Edmonton Parliament? How grimmy grimdark will the series conclude after killing off Biscuit and making it look like Tekkadan’s Edmonton attack would become a suicide run and/or a pyrrhic victory?
Like Carta in the last episode, we are not allowed any time to prepare for this final battle on the streets of Edmonton. As the episode opens it has already been three days since Tekkadan’s arrival, and their forces are being stretched to the brink. All they have left to them is an iron resolve to see it through, their mobile suits, and whatever last minute cunning’s available to rout a very strong defense game from Gjallarhorn.
It’s all English literature up in here. Take a dash of Tennyson with this final push like the Charge of the Light Brigade, and then pour in a bit of Kipling as well to spice it up. What part of this episode is full of Kipling? Well… All of Tekkadan are risking everything they’ve got in this game of pitch and toss, and if they fail and go back to their beginnings (or die); they won’t breathe a word about their loss. Imprudent as they seem to be given their youthful status, they’re being men about it in as best a way possible. You are both saddened and ennobled by their gumption at this final stretch. Our family has come a long way, even if the destination and objective may not end up in the most optimal of outcomes.
…Cuz she G-Wrekettsu’d herself with her actions today.
What I anticipated would be a fairly intense battle between Tekkadan and Carta’s remaining forces plus Galli-Galli and Ein turns out to be a big one-sided beatdown. Mirroring the third episode of the series, the third to last episode has a Gjallarhorn soldier seeking a fight with Tekkadan. However, whereas Crank sought them out to mitigate and/or stop any further slaughter, Carta has an honour issue. Yet due to her killing of Biscuit, nevermind the fact she is wasting Tekkadan’s time, she isn’t allowed to indulge in that battle to reclaim it. Instead she’s annihilated by Mika who cares not one whit for her feels. It’s kinda sad… but kinda deserved since she warrants no sympathy in their regard. It is only by the timely rescue by Galli-Galli in a revamped Kimaris that she lives… Maybe? Her eyes somewhat glaze over in her final scene, so it is hard to tell if she died really. It’s kinda Ein all over again.
In an episode where it could’ve been all about how everybody mourns Biscuit, the show eschews a kind of tragedy voyeurism in showcasing their emotional turmoil. This is reflected within the show through Yukinojo advising Merribit not to distract them, and let them hash it out on their own. Tis a different reality than my expectation somebody like Mika is gonna need a hugout because of last week’s death.
What is shown instead is TWICE as better as any of my predictions of Mika’s character. He isn’t the Simon or Brandon Heat I anticipated he would be, and his fealty to Orga continues its reveal of not being a thoughtless endeavour. More importantly, his confrontation with Orga at the end unveils how he KNOWS his influence on Orga as an individual, leveraging the most important promise of show to pull the guy out of his funk. In short, Mika forces Orga to be cool. Yeah, it could be said this kind of psychological play by Mika could be used negatively, but then again, this is Mika. His intervention is timely too, for I believe this is the first time since the second half began him and Orga had a meaningful moment together. With Biscuit gone, Orga might need that sturdy foundation who is Mikazuki Augus.
SPOILERS AHOY!
It seems wholly fitting I named the title of my article last week as the “Wrong Kind of Soggy Biscuit.” Cuz it turns out the reason it was all soggy was because of all the blood.
Now we are at the major flashpoint for Tekkadan, and like Fumitan’s death for Kudelia, Biscuit’s death for our wayward heroes will shake the foundation to their very core and (most definitely) renew their conviction. It’s a remarkably well-done death and uses the old cadences of how important characters in Gundam die to great effect. You know the one, either last episode or episodes before the character is at a physical or moral impasse regarding current events, then the episode spends its time focusing on the character, showing him eager to set things right and help his comrades. Then the moment happens, and they’re revealed to be in a position of great distress, the shock comes and you’re wondering if that person will survive. Biscuit takes a blow from Carta Issue in order to defend Orga, and his final scenes are him pinned to the wreck of a mobile worker. I’m thinking, “Nooooo, it can’t be. But at least it’s only his legs. Maybe he’ll be in a wheelchair—“
