Mobile Suit Gundam: Iron-Blooded Orphans

I heard of it too but never bothered much since I read Thunderbolt (its animated adaptation at the moment is basically a serious version of an Abridged Series, making the manga a better experience), I think it's largely the same with some changes, but don't take my word for it.

edited 16th Feb '16 3:55:36 AM by YoKab

On this week's episode!

So it appears Ein is not 100% dead. If there is a surgery scene where they put him the Alaya-Vijnana system I am sure as all hell going to cover my eyes.

And Buscuit's brother... Killed himself.

The next episode preview was kind of funny since Carta was narrating it really fast.

Nice episode.

• Eating fish probably would be disgusting for people who have never seen one before.
• Makanai's a shit.
• I'm 99% sure that Einborg will be the final boss.
• Poor Savarin
• And it looks like Carta's going to be a causing some problems. I hope that she survives the upcoming fight: I don't want her to be a minor villain.

Ein lives! But wasn't Arayashiki supposed to only work on people that were still growing?

Takaki is better, I see

Did Eco ever show up before?

Huh, you'd think they'd have brought fish to Mars

This prejudice has backstory, I see

Unusually, Makanai's name is entirely Japanese. Maybe cultures are purer on Earth?

Thing went well on Dort! Which is bad for the bloc that owns it, so everyone else is happy. That's hilarious

Next we get to see how the genderbent Mashymre fights

No one appreciates Atra. Turns out Kudelia did do some good after all. Sucks for Savarin though. Biscuit must be paranoid about his sisters now. Makanai sure isn't acting like he has no power. Time to see some more ground combat.

Yeah, I don't trust this guy at all.

Oh dear, Ein is breaking up Chocolate Mackey's harem. Follow your heart Gali Gali! Earth tech must be able to make the AV surgery work on adults. Or it's possible if the subject has extensive cyberization.

So is Echo supposed to be the Turbine's engineer? I feel like she should have been introduced when Gusion was being remodeled. Since, well, she says that she's the one who did it.

Weekly reminder that Atra is the harem queen

Wait, the revolution actually worked? Awesome! RIP in peace Biscuit's bro.

And land battles return! Next week!

edited 21st Feb '16 1:12:00 PM by TheAirman

Eco's been around for a while doing technical stuff on the Hammerhead. She just wasn't an especially prominent character until now.

Really? I hadn't noticed her at all.

She shows up quite a bit - she was the one who went 'what a delicious name!' when introduced to Biscuit, for instance.

Really? Wow. Normally I'm good at noticing recurring smaller characters.

Aww, I hoped Ein would stay dead. Gali Gali still on with his prejudice against cyber implants. Which turns out was spread by Gjallarhorn to solidify their power. Jackasses.

Tekkadan reaction to a fish was hilarious.

Turns out Kudelia did accomplish something good already. And everyone basically laughing at African Union now.

I don't understand the political situation here. Makanai is an exile but if he manages to get back they'll elect him the prime minister? He has no powers but could rescind Oceania protection at a moment notice? Something doesn't add up.

Atra fully evolved into Kudelia's new maid. Also a good showing of discrepancy of income, since Kudelia's family apparently could afford to import fish from Earth. And Mikazuki offering her some Mars palms instead.

Orga has no intention of turning back, but Biscuit is scared now. Well, it looks like they won't have a choice, since the incompetent brigade is coming over.

Assuming Makanai isn't completely lying through his teeth, I'm guessing that while he himself might be in exile, he has enough money and friends that he is still a major influence.

edited 21st Feb '16 1:16:28 PM by TheAirman

I took it as Makanai has no official power: it sounds like his political opponents have exiled him, but he may still command a fair amount of support from the populace. Thus his power lies in his influence on those who do have official power.

I don't get why people like Carta. She rubs me the wrong way, and has grated on my nerves since she appeared. I'm really hoping she doesn't end up a recurring character, but the writers seem to be setting her up to be such.

Biscuit's concerns are justified, but Orga has a point too. Honestly, I'm not sure which one I would support in their situation, but I'm leaning towards Orga. Despite his ambition, he seems to have a more realistic appraisal of the situation, at least for the moment. Biscuit's just received some bad news anyway, so I'm not sure I'd trust his judgement at the moment.

edited 21st Feb '16 1:20:53 PM by DarkHunter

Finally got to watch the episode. And again another good episode! IBO is just doing all the right things to keep the series consistently good.

I'm serious though, have we ever had a episode where people felt it was "bad" instead of just "decent"?

And hey Cybernetics!

Carta is just lovably pathetic. She tries so hard to be this scary badass (and totally not just an insecure teenage girl with a planet-sized crush and a job that's way too big for her, honest), it's hard not to root for her. Kind of like Haman's plight in UC Gundam, but more funny and less tragic (so far).

Plus, Mika tends to ensure that if an antagonist does exit the show, it's in an eye-wateringly unpleasant and messy way, and the poor lady doesn't deserve that.

They just gave her a figurehead position at a front where they didn't expect any action in the foreseeable future. She's getting way over her head with this. I just hope she lives through it.

Regarding Carta, I think it's just her attitude. She demands respect that she hasn't earned, and treats everyone around her like crap. Characters acting like they're better than everyone else by virtue of their birth is a particular Berserk Button for me. In light of that, I find it extremely difficult to be sympathetic to Carta.

McGillis and Gaelio don't bother me nearly as much in contrast: they're both reasonably competent, they are trying to reform Gjallarhorn (I have my doubts as to whether it's purely for their own gain or whether it's for everyone's, but it's certainly true that the organization as it currently exists is corrupt as all hell, so their self-awareness of this fact does them some credit), and they are polite and respectful even when interacting with the "lower classes". I don't like Gjallarhorn, but those two have at least some respectable qualities about them. Carta has none.

edited 21st Feb '16 3:42:50 PM by DarkHunter

I get the feeling that Carta's gonna get some Break the Haughty to become worthy of a recurring character.

I also like how desperate Ein's situation is treated as, and the idea that he'd become some monster with Cybernetics.

I think that the thing about Carta is that literally nobody who's actually met her takes her seriously (even her harem laugh behind her back), and her abrasive attitude is less a result of genuine entitlement and more an obvious cover for her gigantic insecurities. A Break the Haughty moment would be less a case of teaching her how the world works, and more a case of removing the coping mechanisms she uses to deal with the world.

Despite showing lot off silliness if her opponent were anyone less competent than Orga she would handle that and she is still major threat even now.

Thinking about it a bit, there being an S2 is looking increasingly likely. We're still doing world-building with five episodes left and there's a lot of plot threads to tie up. Season finale is likely to be the first real battle of the revolution. Ein will probably be the "boss". Might use a mobile armor! We'll probably get a good idea of what Macky is actually up to, and I suspect that it'll involve killing Gali Gali. I feel like Carta will survive and end up in a fairly different role for S2

I really hope Season 2 is good. Gundam hasn't had a good history with Season 2s has it?

The only one that I know of has been 00, which is more of a Tough Act to Follow than actual Sequelitis. From what I understand, the second Gundam Build Fighters took place in the same setting as the first, but it had a new story, so I'm not sure that I would count it as a second season.

Yeah, even on the wiki, it says that 00 is the only one to get a season 2. However, I'm still gushing over last episode. And the award for best atmospheric reentry goes to Mikazuki Augus!

Also, those were mechanical legs? I thought they were just boots!

Surfing on the broken enemy machine? Badass.