Gundam Build Fighters

It's worth noting that the old version of the system is called "Gunpla Duel", not "Gunpla Battle" like in GBF and Try, so it's not actually the same system. It's currently unclear whether Gunpla Duel was the successor to Gunpla Battle or whether it's a seperate timeline and Gunpla Duel is just the Build Divers equivalent of Gunpla Battle.

As far as Sarah, they really need to do something with her besides "generic moe waif". Her doing things like immediately identifying someone's real-life identity based on their GBN avatar is wearing thin. They need to tell us her deal ASAP, before begrudging apathy about her evolves into active dislike.

She's hit active dislike for me. She makes the main trio look like not walking clichés in comparison, which is impressive because they might be the most stereotypical trio I've seen in an anime in a decade or so.

As for the episode... I liked that it's going somewhere. Even if that somewhere is "children harass an adult until he plays with them." Secret longing to return to Gunpla or not, I would rather hate having a bunch of children stalking me. Glad they got called out on it, at least. Sorta, at least. "At least your hearts are in the right place"? Seriously? They want a strong guy to add to their team for a game. I'd posit that later on their hearts make it to the right place, but they were harassing him for outright selfish reasons.

Always fun seeing an animated Astray, and Spiegel actually using its Core Lander (considering my love of Core Fighters is quite well documented).

To be fair, they were inadvertently helping Nanami break Koichi out of what looked like depression.

That's not really fair, though. It's Right for the Wrong Reasons. Their hearts weren't in the right place, they were harassing the guy to join their guild because they selfishly wanted his power. Now, you could say Nanami's heart was in the right place by giving them his info (and their hearts were definitely in the right place at the end) but theirs were not at the beginning.

edited 9th May '18 1:53:08 PM by Larkmarn

I'm pretty vague on how old he's supposed to be, honestly.

Older than Nanami, and he isn't in school but it seems he's expected to work so I assume at least 18, if not older. At the hilariously lowest he'd be 16 (if Nanami is 15, the minimum age to work, and he's only a year older), but that would require a ridiculously unlikely series of timing and he certainly wasn't 12 in those flashbacks.

edited 10th May '18 8:59:38 AM by Larkmarn

Older than Nanami, who seems to be a reasonably experienced paid worker in a country with strict child labour laws. So I’d guess twenty minimum.

I actually did watch Episode 6, it's just that I somehow have no time to talk about it. Even then, it won't be all that much.

Also, I was sick days ago.

Episode 6:

So, we're introduced with Koichi. I intially assumed he's a high schooler, but Koichi is Nanami's elder sister (who's an adult). Also, 6 episodes in and we still don't get to know Sarah all that much. The closest thing we know about her is she's a Moe Mysterious Waif.

There's also the GBD equivalent of Gunpla Battle projector, which has since been discontinued in favor of MMORPG in this universe, as of right now, it only serves as a background information...

... and why is Sarah rank D when she doesn't have a Gunpla?

There's not much else for me to say, really. :/

Episode 7:

...Okay, what is going on with Magee's butt?!

I noticed that the series has been picking up its pace quite well, nice. The episode introduces 00 Build Ace, Momokapool, and Galbaldy Rebake. I do like how bulky Galbaldy is.

Oh yeah, they suddenly met Ayame and ask her to join their force which she did.

So Build Divers have their first fight with Ronmel's rookie squad. And I gonna say, it does a way better job at handling multiple MS battle than Try did. Try just try their best to get rid of as many MS as possible outside of a few instances, and some of the battles drag way too long (coughsxdxggundamxcough).

Overall, it's a Growing the Beard moment for Gundam Build Divers.

His butt is magificent that's whats going on.

And holy crap, actual teamwork!

So we actually got our first team battle in Gundam Build Fighters: Team Battles! In the.... seventh episode in. Well, better late than never, I guess.

Kind of a mixed bag, overall. They avoided the basic pitfalls of "enthusiastic but inexperienced team put no thought into anything", which was nice. Actual teamwork was nice too — I appreciate that they avoided the Try problem of having everything 3 vs 3 match immediately turn into three separate 1 vs 1 matches. That said, I would have liked to see them struggle a little. This was the first time they've ever fought as a team, and they pretty much curbstomped the opposition. It would have been nice if they took some hits and maybe had one or two members knocked out before they pushed through and won.

In other news, Sarah is still a Mysterious Waif. We get it. Either do something with it or shut up about it, please.

There were some stuff like fetch quests that you can presumably complete without the mecha itself so she manages just by catching a ride with the boys.

So next episode is the Beargguy episode, eh?

As if there wasn't already too much cuteness in this Gundam show between Momo's Kapool and Ayame's SD. Just once I'd like to see a female battler that doesn't have some ultra-feminine Gunpla just because she's a girl.

Still, pretty good showing for their first battle. I'm chalking most of that up to Koichi's planning though. And Momoka only winning through sheer luck.

Rommel's expressions throughout the battle were a treat.

If they can keep up this level of fight choreography throughout, this show might end up being good. I'm kinda worried that they used up all their creativity on this one and it'll be generic battles the rest of the way until maybe the finale.

PS. I didn't see The Immortal Colasour anywhere. Where is he hiding this time?

edited 15th May '18 6:55:51 PM by DarkHunter

Yeah they made a big point that you can be part of GBN without owning a gunpla even.

But only as a Haro....

At 11:46-ish. He's in the lower-left corner.

edited 15th May '18 7:15:13 PM by RocketDude

As a guest. You could probably make a proper account and still not have a gunpla.

Begun watching the new series, intro is interesting.

Also was that a Mass Production Mobile suit with a Red shoulder and a kinetic weapon?

I believe you're referring to Grimoire.

I looked it up and yes I am.

Wow that is a very deliberate Scopedog Reference.

Yeah Rommel is ferret Chirico, but with comedy.

You know what... I'm fine with this actually.

Know what? I liked this episode.

Choreography was good and it didn't feel super forced "we won our first fight because we're super special main characters." They did legit planning, and they had two ringers in the form of KO-1, who was 8th in the world in either GP Duel or GPN (they never really specify) and Ayame, who has enough points to have her own special attack. Mind you, I'm okay with it since Rommel's plan was to be a squad of ringers, too. Shame literally everything about Rommel's men was woefully incompetent.

Loving the Galbaldy Rebake, despite not caring for the Gabaldy.

What if Sarah is like Aura?

edited 18th May '18 12:32:22 AM by Ookamikun

That is the current theory. Something I called on episode 1.

I mean, literally everyone did. It's so bleedingly obvious that it has to be a red herring.

Everything about Divers is played so astoundingly straight that I feel like there has to be some kind of shift down the line.