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Mobile Suit Gundam: Iron-Blooded Orphans Season 2 Episode 16 – Third Pit Stop on the Road to Renewed Strength and Promise [SPOILERS]

SPOILERS

You know an episode has it in for its protagonists if a catharsis one has been hoping for such a very long time does not come to fruition. Yes, Iok is not dead yet. In fact he is as alive and chipper as his usual annoying self is, and thus we all must wait once more for his demise. The only consolation we can seize from this is Rustal is rather blasé about this whole thing, and did not adulate the slightest bit towards Iok’s decision.

Sadly, the aforementioned is one of only two consolations to seize from this week. It is not enough for Gjallarhorn to have the bodies of Naze and Amida, it is Jasley fishing for outrage from the remaining Turbines and Tekkadan during the funeral. McMurdo remains steadfast in his respect for Naze, but now that he’s gone, Jasley is more open in his ambitions to wipe Tekkadan out. It is not shocking in any way, but it is good to see it finally coming to fruition after being already established so long ago… read more

Juu-kuchiby Juu-kuchi•
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Mobile Suit Gundam: Iron-Blooded Orphans Season 2 Episode 15 – Turbine Muyo!

I found out what the show was clogging the turbines with for this episode…

…It was using soggy biscuits.

UNEXPECTEDLY, as if the last episode did not imply it in any way, shape, or form that something would happen, we finally get our first few major deaths of the season. Yeah, maybe Aston’s death is kinda tragic, but we only knew him for about seven episodes and were more inclined to feel bad for Takaki. Here? We have some Season 1 veterans biting the dust: Naze and Amida. The entire situation they are in is rather predictable, but as always it is the execution that matters and this episode does it so darn well. read more

Juu-kuchiby Juu-kuchi•
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Open Letter To Netflix: Please Release Anime Episodes On A Weekly Basis

Dear Netflix,

Like many anime fans, I was completely blown away by 2013’s Little Witch Academia, which was made by Studio Trigger for the Young Animator Training Project’s Anime Mirai showcase. Fan enthusiasm was so high that when a sequel was announced later that same year, a Kickstarter campaign launched to fund its extension to 50 minutes met its $150,000 goal within hours, and eventually raised a total of over $625,000. Clearly fans around the world were extremely passionate about this franchise. read more

neontasterby neontaster•
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Mobile Suit Gundam: Iron-blooded Orphans Season 2 Episode 14 – Clogging the Turbine(s)

After two weeks of hiatus, Mobile Suit Gundam: Iron-Blooded Orphans finally returns to the airwaves. Like the first season, the start of the second half begins on a rather dour note, and Tekkadan is once again at the center of it all as the world tries to overwhelm them.

The events at this juncture however seems to hit a more personal level than the events of Dort ever did, despite the immense effects it had on Kudelia and Biscuit. The Turbine transplants at Tekkadan (Lafter, Azee, and Echo), after stating it so many times in this series that they would, finally depart to rejoin Naze and the rest of the Turbines. The opening scene is a good way to see them off, and you can tell how the departure is quite sad for all of them. The real crux of the farewell’s emotional pathos comes from a personal scene between Akihiro and Lafter. The latter doesn’t confess her feelings to the former, but you can tell how much has changed since their first encounter. Once the most ardent opponents now are the most bosom of buddies. Funny really since I keep falling into the enemy/rival romance trope in this show, for I thought Lafter and Mika might be something, and now it’s Julieta and Mika. Yet I like these developments better. I guess that’s why I don’t write for animu. read more

Juu-kuchiby Juu-kuchi•
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State of the Hanger: My model collection as 2016 comes to a close

[flickr-photo:id=32016457125,size=z]

To wrap up 2016 I want to take few minutes and share some details about my plamo/hobby collection, which is predominantly Gunpla based. I’ve had quite a few folks ask me for info about my collection, and display set up, but have been lacking any single place to point them. Before I start I’d like to thank all of the builders out there who whose simple and complex works have pushed my builds further and driven the Layman’s Gunpla Guide. In particular I’d like to thank those on r/Gunpla and (the now renamed) Gundam Complex on Facebook. Of course a shoutout to the place I’m most guilty about being absent from, Gundam Australia. Over all, the Gunpla and plamo communities are some of the best hobby groups out there.  read more

Falldogby Falldog••0
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Otaku Evolution Episode 82 – Year End English Dub Review III

It’s the last episode of the year as I look at the English dubs of the anime I’ve covered since the mid season episode. I examine dubs by Funimation, Manga Entertainment, Animaze, Central Park Media, ADV, and others! Which will I praise? Which will I burn? And what’s the deal with that refrigerator, how did that close seemingly on its own (shut up is how)? It’s time to wrap things up for a while, and stay tuned for more in the new year.

Oh, also, there’s a bit at the end.

English dubs covered in this episode: read more

Penguin Truthby Penguin Truth•
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Mobile Suit Gundam: Iron-Blooded Orphans Season 2 Episode 13 – Breakdown (Breakdown!)

A quote attributed to John Randolph of Roanoke, a Virginian congressman from the days of American yore, notes this:

“Providence moves slowly, but the Devil always hurries.”

I know it’s pretty obvious this theme of the consequences and enmity raised by rushed ambitions is a major part of this show’s second season, but hot damn does it take a new turn here. The episode does something different once more, and instead of the entire first half being dedicated to Mika taking down the Mobile Armour then second half dealing with the immediate fall out, it is relegated to a flashback from one month ago the story’s time. I remember I said they shouldn’t overdo the time skips for the show, yet here it is again, and RIGHT AFTER I noted my uncertainty on whether the show is taking too long to get to the point. read more

Juu-kuchiby Juu-kuchi•
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Mobile Suit Gundam: Iron-Blooded Orphans Season 2 Episode 12 – Mika’s Choice

This series is currently a bit of a tease and I am unsure if this is a good thing or a bad thing. It almost seems as if Mika, Akihiro, and the rest of Tekkadan would really go full force against the Mobile Armour in an arena-like battle this episode, nevermind Macky and Isurugi against Vidar/Galli-Galli. Yet nope, Tekkadan is relegated to strategery once again this episode, thanks to an unanticipated safety precaution in the Gundam Frames, and Vidar instead leaves, delaying the face off against Macky for another time, but not without making his existence known to him. In fact the true final battle with the Mobile Armour will take place next week, alongside the results of its fallout. read more

Juu-kuchiby Juu-kuchi•
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Otaku Evolution Episode 81 – Otaku Evolution Christmas Grab Bag

Otaku Evolution Episode 81 – Otaku Evolution Christmas Grab Bag from mtpenguin on Vimeo.

For those who’ve been following the show, my Christmas episodes are usually the videos I put the most effort into. This year, lacking a single, sufficiently Christmas-y anime to review itself, I decided to pick a few episodes of different anime that take place on and/or around Christmas. Lupin The Third, Case Closed, and Super Dimensional Fortress Macross are the subject of my holiday hand wringing. Don’t forget to check out the new Lucky Squid Studios commercial included! read more

Penguin Truthby Penguin Truth•
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Mobile Suit Gundam Iron-Blooded Orphans Season 2 Episode 11 – MAGA

Before I allow you all to kick my ass for such an article title, that’s shorthand for:

Mobile
Armours’re
Great
Again

When was the last time a massive mobile suit/mobile armour in a Gundam series generated such a sense of ominous dread? I mean yeah, Build Fighters had the Giant Zaku, but nobody was gonna die from that; Gundam SEED Destiny had an alright thing going with the Destroy before it became a mass-produced grunt unit alongside other Earth Alliance MAs; Ein was only fine in the first season of this; and Gundam Age. read more

Juu-kuchiby Juu-kuchi•