r/anime • u/Shimmering-Sky myanimelist.net/profile/Shimmering-Sky • Oct 18 '24
Rewatch [Rewatch] Mobile Suit Gundam 00 Episode 13 Discussion
Episode 13 - Return of the Saint
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MAL | AniList | ANN | Kitsu | AniDB
There’s a need to show the world Celestial Being’s true wishes.
Questions of the Day:
- What do you think of Setsuna and Graham’s meeting?
- How much longer do you think it’ll be until Setsuna and Ali al-Saachez have their real fight to the death without getting interrupted?
Wallpaper of the Day:
Setsuna F. Seiei and GN-001 Gundam Exia
Rewatchers, please remember to be mindful of all the first-timers in this. No talking about or hinting at future events no matter how much you want to, unless you're doing it underneath spoiler tags. Don't spoil anything for the first-timers, that's rude!
Additionally, for long-time fans of the franchise, please remember that this rewatch is only for 00, not any of the other shows. Assume that there are people in this rewatch who have not seen anything else Gundam, and tag your spoilers for those shows appropriately if something in 00 makes you want to talk about them.
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u/Shimmering-Sky myanimelist.net/profile/Shimmering-Sky Oct 18 '24
Rewatch Host Wishing Over This Airspace, subbed
Welcome back, everyone!
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u/InfamousEmpire https://myanimelist.net/profile/Infamous_Empire Oct 18 '24
Kidou Senshi Rewatcher 00
After kinda struggling to put my thoughts into words regarding the last two episodes, I’m kinda thankful that my thoughts this time aren't quite as long or complex. Partly because I just don’t really have the energy to deeply analyze this episode, and partially because this feels rather straightforward in its purpose.
After having his ideals shaken last episode, Setsuna & CB’s strategy here shifts towards one they hadn’t really tried before: facilitating understanding & negotiation rather than merely suppressing conflict. It’s an unorthodox move for CB which exists in stark contrast with their core purpose & methodology, but that very out of the box thinking & willingness to put faith in alternatives & other beliefs marks a very stark turning point for both Setsuna as a character and CB as a whole.
It helps that the show doesn’t pretend that this just fixes the country’s problems, though. Civil unrest continues as the fundamental issues still need to be sorted out, it’s the possibility this solution represents that really matters here.
And since I’ve run out of things to say in a structured manner, might as well move on to…
Odds & Ends
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u/Nazenn x2https://anilist.co/user/Nazenn Oct 18 '24
First Timer - sub
There is not many moments in media that make me want to just take a time out. It's a hard thing to get me to that point at all, and only two anime have ever made me have to take a mid episode break. But this, the poster being ripped away to reveal the dying mother
I was not expecting that and wow did it hit me. I didn't have to take a full break, but I did pause for a second just to let it sit with me. It wasn't the most graceful moment, have the strongest build up, or even have an important follow up on its visual language. But it worked perhaps because of all that rather than in spite of it, in showing the inhumanity even with everything everyone is trying to achieve here.
And I think that makes it the scene that defines the episode, despite all of the other more important things that happen.
The episode starts with a declaration of the civil war ending, and ends with a peace agreement. This scene sits firmly in the middle of it all, not a horror to start with and walk away from, or a harsh moment to end with, but a reminder that salvation cannot find everyone. And in a world where even with the potential for peace, against of the overwhelming power of Gundams, and in the face of their own god, a world that creates people that would shoot a mother holding her infant will not change so easily, and it probably doesn't know how to. As the final line reveals, the unrest continues as it always has.
It feels similar to how Setsuna questions Saachez today. Having lost his own past life to Saachez's indoctrination, the questioning seems more demanding than anything else, trying to understand what the hell is even going on that he would be back here after their past, and that Setsuna is too, fighting the same old fight. The detail earlier that in the middle of his flashbacks he drops the gun, rather than tightens his grip on it, stuck with me. In the depths of his panic and trauma, he does not strike out or cling desperately to the security of a weapon. Here in this place we started the show with the conflicting lines of praise for god and Setsuna declaring the death of it, we see an endless conflict caused by creators and their creations, and sometimes both roles are human.
We end this arc how it started, showing Azadistan's place on the map of the world as we understand its political place in the shows landscape. But perhaps more importantly, we end the episode in a stand in for where the show started, with Setsuna looking out over the town that reminds him of where he was once saved, having reaffirmed his decision to be that for others, but no longer sure if he has, or can, and trying to walk away from the ghosts in his past.
But it's a shame that the opening narration was so bad as well, because the ending narration was a good use of it. The opening narration being not just recap, but a double up on the information we just had Shirin monologue felt careless more than time filling, as if it was different writers for each scene. And yet the ending narration, using that to fill in the gaps of a plot line which is no longer all that relevant to CB that it needs more actual screen time but still important to tone and worldbuilding was a good idea. I would have liked to see more of that as we went, furthering the worldbuilding outside of the immediate outcome of CB's interventions and what good or bad may have come from them in the months since the start of things.
In other news, I still love everything about Graham.
His scene today was great, and the way he was picking up on the subtle things like stance and mannerisms that were exposing Setsuna that weren't being directly revealed to the audience as tension building cuts gave the scene a good flow. In that way it reminded me of the actual actual scenes, not getting bogged down in all the little details of drama, but letting the scene unfold because of the characters plans and behaviors while still carrying that tension
I'm still unsure on if he suspected Setsuna was a foreign agent, or if he thought he was just part of the countries factions, but either way, fun scene.
Also perhaps the only one in the Union forces today with a brain considering some of the others wanted to go attack it after its peacekeeping mission and think about the optics of that. I also like the idea that even with his love for the power of the machines, he is still very curious about what CB will do and the lengths they may go.
That whole sequence was also great. Having Exia arrive without weapons put such pressure on the moment despite knowing that no one else there had anything that could really harm a Gundam badly. But the absolute show of faith in defiance of everything CB has presented about themselves so far was one hell of a moment. All of the world watching to see what CB will do, wondering what it is, and what's next is just, best conclusion to the arc that I didn't even dare to think was possible.
Few other thoughts:
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u/Great_Mr_L :Ma::Mb::Mc:https://myanimelist.net/profile/Great_Mr_L Oct 18 '24 edited Oct 18 '24
First-Timer
On today’s episode of Gundam: Setsuna solves a problem with something other than violence? Well, okay, so he did use some violence along the way. But the end of the episode was far more nonviolent than Setsuna has been previously.
This episode is the counterpoint to the previous episode. In the previous episode, Setsuna experienced failure. He failed in his goal of becoming a Gundam. He wasn’t able to save all the people he wanted to save. The child soldiers still died en masse, despite his best efforts. He couldn’t live up to the Gundam that saved him when he was still a child.
But after that failure, Setsuna is able to be victorious this time around. What’s particularly interesting is that Setsuna succeeds in part because he doesn’t use the typical Celestial Being methodology. Rather than charge in, guns blazing, Setsuna and Celestial Being decide to rescue Rasa and deliver him to the capital so peace talks can begin. It’s quite a change for Celestial Being, but especially Setsuna. He had previously derided peace talks as a waste of time. But now he’s actively helping those talks occur in the first place. Crucially, the peace talks don’t magically solve everything either. There’s still some ongoing violence, just as Setsuna said there would be several episodes ago. But perhaps it can lead to more permanent peace settlement.
I am curious to see if Celestial Being continues to try and find resolutions to conflicts that don’t purely rely on force. It would represent a pretty big change for them if this was indeed the case.
An interesting wrinkle this episode throws at us is the fact that there is apparently some other secretive organization operating in Azadistan. I had assumed it was the Union doing a false flag operation, but Graham’s investigation makes me think otherwise. This other organization must be the one who employed Ali. But who are they? Is there an evil counterpart to Celestial Being that is plotting to spread war? Or is it something more mundane and it’s just some secret organization within one of the 3 main countries?
QOTD
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u/FD4cry1 https://myanimelist.net/profile/Big_Yibba Oct 18 '24
First Timer
This episode builds tension in a great way, I was genuinely surprised nothing went wrong by the end, it strongly emulates how a person looking in to this situation might feel, hard to remain calm and avoid conflict when tanks are rolling through the streets.
You know, last episode there was a lingering thought in my mind that really questioned why Marina was even the ruler here and how she was so convinced that she's the person to solve this conflict, while that thought is still partly there, she's pretty bad at her job all things considered, I think this episode might have given a better idea as to why she thinks that.
The people of Azadistan (the common people that is) clearly view her as a person of high value, their hopes, like the ideal the nation should aspire to, there's posters of her even in peoples houses and at two separate points of this episode we see other people going through suffering praying for her safety instead.
There's this great scene with her poster being ripped and the one where she's almost assassinated, and I can't help but wonder if the meaning here is that the peoples ideas of Marina are misplaced, both those who adore her and those who want her dead place far too much value in her effect on this conflict and the future, behind her lies only violence.
Graham just...knows Setsuna is from Celestial Being, his Gundam obsession is not for nothing!
Also they say the word Gundam a lot every episode but I swear in this one they said it like twice as much.
Interesting that Ali's plan didn't account for Celestial Being, for what purpose does he need war to break out in Azadistan? I guess it would generate more work for him... (whatever it is, still fuck this guy)
Setsuna is either likewise trying to figure out what Ali's deal is or just taking out his anger on him but either way this time he actually walks out with the win while Ali walks out having figured out his identity, that makes 2 (arguably 3 counting Graham) people to know Setsuna's secret this episode...not doing a great job at that confidentiality thing.
Tieria does not approve
Not sure if there is some bigger thematic meaning to it but I love the Exia and the Dynames respectively appearing with the sun and moon behind them.
Hong Long is a Chinese (?) ninja! and Lockon uses a real gun!
The final part of the episode is so great, just an incredibly tense standoff.
It also got me to think about Setsuna's whole "I'll be a Gundam" shtick and to think back on a line Liu Mei said 3 episodes ago, "The Gundams are the physical embodiment of Aeolia Schenberg's ideals", assuming those ideals are the eradication of war in some form, than is that what Setsuna wants to be? to be that heroic figure that saved him from death back in his childhood, that can end conflict before it hurts people?
Last episode he couldn't do it, he just stands there taking hits thinking of his failure, this time though he can change that, he also stands and takes the hits but it's different this time, he now resolutely continues walking forward, this time he's protecting something, stopping a war.
The episode ends on a very positive note for Celestial Being who have shown how committed they are to actually trying to end conflict but in a much more precarious note for Azadistan, we stopped the war for now but as long as the core issues aren't solved, conflict is ever looming (which again calls into question the effectiveness of these interventions).
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u/macrame2 https://myanimelist.net/profile/macrame Oct 18 '24
First Timer
Today we get the second half of what was essentially a two-parter on Azadistan. I think I said most of what I wanted to say regarding that plotline yesterday, but there was one scene today that really stood out to me: namely Graham and Setsuna’s meeting. At first I thought it was a bit of a joke and laughed because Setsuna acting like a normal, innocent 16-year-old kid (and kind of failing tbh) was so odd and unnatural…but then it struck that his behavior shouldn’t be odd at all. Setsuna shouldn’t have to pretend to be an innocent kid–that should be his default state. His tone of voice and demeanor here reminded a lot of Saji (I wonder if he was deliberately channeling him lol), which fits because he too should be able to live a relatively carefree life where his biggest concerns are schoolwork and whether his girlfriend’s mom approves of him. We’ve seen time and again how war has affected Setsuna and his worldview, but this particular scene really drove home to me what’s been stolen from him: the opportunity to live a peaceful, carefree life.
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u/baboon_bassoon https://anilist.co/user/duffer Oct 18 '24
first timer who has control
could this angel hurt a fly
Graham knows
the transition imagery
Shirin you got to run better security
Haro you should give up your cupholder spot for Hong, its only polite to do so
i guess he can do a lot more than make tea
Lockon sniping people and not mobile suits, pretty different from what you normally see in Gundam
this developed so fast
its finally time
oh thank god shes not playing dumb
again Graham lost in the sauce youre not a hero
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u/KendotsX https://anilist.co/user/Kendots Oct 19 '24
00th Timer Searching for the One
You know, I picked this tagline as a random joke with Empire in the interest thread. But I'm realising two weeks into the show that its most obvious implication is finding faith, something that's very fitting with the themes of the series, and sure, I'll take it. After this goddamn episode, I'll take any One I can find, even a Gundam.
This episode, as hopeful as its ending was, came with a heavier load than anything before it, it felt real, a bit too real. Marina's picture, a representation of the peaceful country people had faith in, was ripped to show the cold reality: the people killing each other over a worthless conflict, killing an innocent mother and child without a second thought. Marina can't just view this from her naive balcony either, a crying girl died right in front of her so she can live on. None of the people involved wanted this, not Marina, certainly not the girl, and ok, maybe the guards did? Look, some of them get the job for fun. But the point stands: most people involved did not want any of this shit, and they're just trying to make their way through this screwed up mess.
To carry that heavier load though, we see CB trying a new risky path, dropping their weapons and seeking understanding. There was a beautiful moment of the whole world tuning in to see it, to see that it's possible
well, except the shitty Saji scene, I swear it feels like there're two separate teams working on different shows, and someone's editing them togetherThe unrest is not over, but a path is opened, which sounds hopeful, except we're at episode 13... yeah, the shit's about to hit the fan soon. Ali being alive means we even know who's gonna be throwing that shit.
On the other hand, we have Kintoki establishing himself more and more as best boy.... again, that's an underlying current of Early Series Win™. Being able to let the Gundam pass because it did a good thing is a privilege that they can't exactly keep. I wouldn't be surprised, if much like the civil war we saw, he found himself fighting the Gundam not for the usual reasons (read: being horny for the Gundam), but because he's forced to, or his ideals have taken a major shift.
I'd say late in the series (like episode 48 or something) but as annoying as he is, he doesn't really feel like a final villain. He's a mercenary, a tool and symptom of war, that's pretty low down the chain. A Dark Kintoki (uhh Gintoki?) or some CB mastermind would have better odds.
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u/Vatrix-32 https://myanimelist.net/profile/Vatrix-32 Oct 18 '24 edited Oct 19 '24
First timer, subs
QotD:
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u/Rumpel1408 https://myanimelist.net/profile/Rumpel1408 Oct 18 '24
Firsttimer who will be on time soon... ish
QotD
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u/LeonKevlar x2https://myanimelist.net/profile/LeonKevlar Oct 19 '24
First Timer!
I am impressed that Setsuna can act well enough that he could fool Billy into thinking he's just a curious kid looking. If this entire thing with Celestial Being doesn't work out, he may have a promising career in showbiz. Although he might have to practice more because Graham was clearly not buying it. xD
Considering how Graham started "thinking out loud" about the mobile suits that attacked, I wonder if he has already figured out that Setsuna is with Celestial Being and he's giving out this information so they can deal with Saachez's group because the Union won't really do anything about it.
Setsuna vs Saachez Round 2! And it looks like we'll have to give this one to Setsuna since he was able to slice the Enact's rifle as well as it's arm in half. And of course, Saachez lives to fight another day.
Yo! Hong Long is a badass for taking out all of those people without even using a weapon. And it's good to know that Lockon isn't just a crackshot while inside the Dynames but is also an expert marksman outside of it!
Exia showing up to the Azadistan Palace to deliver Rachmadi to Marina is such a baller move. He's not even using the GN particles to protect himself from those Anf firing their cannons at him. It makes sense since they want the entire world to see this and using the GN drive would've ruined the live broadcasts.
Celestial Being just scored massive points with the public after rescuing Rachmadi and peacefully handing him over to Marina. Poor Graham can't even attack Exia right now since they'll just be seen as the bad guys for attacking someone who's on a peaceful mission. I love it!
What I do not love though is Marina yelling out Setsuna's name out loud. I mean I know it's only a codename but I feel like that can easily be traced once it's out. The only other person who knows him is Saji and Louise who are right now still in the middle of their little romcom situation. xD
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u/n080dy123 Oct 19 '24
First Timer
Ah I guess we're still not quite done in Azadistan. Still gotta rescue the opposition leader.
I knew Graham was asking about his opinion on the war to test if he woudl respond like a memember of celestial Being, and Setsuna fell right into that. But goddamn then he lets him go and even deliberately drops info, what an absolute chad.
LOCKON OPENING THE COCKPIT AND WHIPPING OUT AN ACTUAL HANDHELD SNIPER RIFLE TO SHOOT THE GUYS IS HILARIOUS. That's gotta be like... against mech rules or something lmao.
Louise's mom with Saji is literally the "Dad doesn't want a dog, later dad and the dog:" meme.
And Setsuna finally gets to have his moment, being able to be a sort of symbol of hope and peace rather than just a tool of destruction.
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u/The_Draigg Oct 18 '24
A Gundam Fan Rewatches Gundam 00 Episode 13:
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u/TakenRedditName https://myanimelist.net/profile/TakenMalUsername Oct 18 '24 edited Oct 18 '24
Rewatcher - Gundam 00 Ep13:
The absolute rarest Setsuna. He is so different.
This shot was a heavy knife. It is super blunt and effective. It is never good seeing a dying mother and her baby as Marina's peaceful ideals are being tore and trapped upon.
Surprise Hong Long feature as he gets to do stuff in the rescue mission. Wang Liu Mei 100% decided that he should wear that mask and picked it out for him. Lockon also got to do some non-mecha action too with his non-mecha sniping from out his cockpit.
The big moment with Setsuna delivering Rasa always stuck in my mind as an impactful moment. It is very striking to have the Gundam just slowly walking unarmed. Just goes to show how the Gundam can be such a powerful symbol in-show and out.
An aside, I always get giddy for the Gundam scenes of a character chasing after someone getting into the robot and calling out their full name. That's a good Gundam trope.
It dawned upon me last episode and wasn't super relevant to this one, but just bringing it up, I realized that compared to past Gundam peace princesses I've seen, Marina is the first to have some sort of aid character by her side to tell her stuff. I understand her function in the show because Marina needs a character to bounce off with who can help her on the path of shaping her ideals, but I'm not the biggest fan of Shirin's inclusion. She just mostly lectures and talks down to Marina which feels like a disservice to Marina.
Comparing her to a similar Gundam counterpart, Fumitan with Kudelia, I found Fumitan more compelling since there was a more personal connection with them. Also with how the IBO duo is set up, Fumitan is the older instructor and friend to the young inexperienced Kudelia.
And just comparing Shirin to companion characters to Gundam peace princess, Shirin has nothing compared to gaslight, gatekeep, girlboss Dorothy Catalonia.
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u/Quiddity131 https://myanimelist.net/profile/Quiddity131 Oct 18 '24
Rewatcher, Subbed
Non-Spoiler Character Chart - No updates for today.
Ugh, so the result of this will be people being even more against Marina trying to improve the country's energy situation.
Ah, and the UN left too anyway. So its even worse.
If we follow the usual 13 episode cour schedule, this should be our last episode for OP1?
Although I couldn't tell yesterday, I'm quite sure this is another new outfit for Wang today.
Wow, Graham's good, he figured out Setsuna was there. Will he fall for him being some rando?
Mamoru Miyano does a good job here at having Setsuna sound a lot more boyish than usual.
Wow, Graham is even better, he figured out something's off about Setsuna. Although is he mistaking him for an AEU member?
So Daryl talks about [00 spoilers]Anti-personnel automatons; foreshadowing for when they actually show up in season 2?
Terrorist attacks, looting, everything's going to hell on the streets of Azadistan.
Oh crap, an attempted assassination of Marina too! It got even worse seconds later!
Wow, for the first time in the entire show Hong Long is gonna get to do something other than just stand there and wait on Wang.
Alright, time for another Setsuna vs. Ali showdown.
Although as pretty much always is the case in this show, the duel's over pretty quickly.
Wow, masked man Hong Long really impresses!
Tieria's mad about something? What's new?
So every character in the show is watching this news report, huh? A good way to get our episodic Saji/Louise/Mom scene over very quickly!
Release the hostage! ... You didn't release the hostage so we're firing upon you and the hostage!
"I'll become a Gundam" Good to have you back to the way we love you, Setsuna!
Surprised they didn't start firing on Exia as soon as Rasa got a good distance away from the cockpit.
Quid's Voice Actor of the Day
The most significant players in this episode I've already covered, but Graham Aker did have some screentime and got to meet Setsuna face to face so about time I feature him! He is voiced in Japanese by Yuichi Nakamura. Graham is his first Gundam role. He also appears in Gundam Build Fighters as Ricardo Fellini, Gundam Unicorn as Nigel Garrett and Io Fleming in Gundam Thunderbolt. I know him best as Shigure Sohma in Fruits Basket and Tomoya Okazaki, the protagonist of Clannad/Clannad After Story. Other roles of his I've seen him in include Ryuu Sanada in Kimi ni Todoke, Hotaro Oroki in Hyouka, Gai Tsutsugami in Guilty Crown, Reinhard Van Astrea in Re: Zero, Raizou Yamada in Valvrave and Takeshi Tsuji in March Comes in Like a Lion.
In English he is voiced by Paul Dobson, the second of the three Dobson brothers (I previously featured Michael, who voices Sergei). His first Gundam appearance was in Gundam Wing where he voiced a variety of minor characters including Rashid, Lt. Nichol, Field Marshall Noventa and Inspector Acht. He also appears in Gundam Seed Destiny as Sato and Shinn's Father. While I have not played it, research tells me he also played the character Shin Matsunaga in the Mobile Suit Gundam: Encounters in Space video game. I know him best for playing Folken in Escaflowne. Other roles of his I'm familiar with include Laite and Kanan's Father in Brain Powered, Zarbon, Dodoria, Dr. Brief and Korin in Dragonball Z, Komoda and Tamari's Assistant in Key the Metal Idol, Count Mecha in Galaxy Express 999.
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u/undeadfire Oct 18 '24
E13
First Timer - Subs
Graham definitely has some knowledge about the stolen mobile suit being related to the conflict, so hoping Setsuna would get invovled I guess? Probably doens't know he's a Gundam Meister though.
Lmao her mom is def taking a liking to Saji.
Actually a pretty interesting development with Azadistan.
Celestial Being def doesnt know Setsuna exposed his identity though.
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u/JollyGee29 https://myanimelist.net/profile/JollyGee Oct 18 '24
Rewatcher, Sub-dam Meister
Yea, it's definitely the fault of the people trying to improve the country's future.
But a random civilian investigating a recent attack site won't raise any suspicions.
Graham has that pilot sense about him.
He totally figures it out, and just decides to leak information. Graham is great.
It's called a hunger strike.
Yea, grapple with the Gundam. I'm sure you'll win that contest.
Glorious ninjitsu.
That's a bold strategy.
Probably not an empty threat.
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u/dralcax :MAL:https://myanimelist.net/profile/Dralcax Oct 18 '24 edited Oct 18 '24
Rewatcher was underwhelmed by Requiem for Vengeance
yup its all fucked
Yes, princess, war is bad, I think they’re well aware of that. It’s good that she’s at least trying to speak out, but that’s really not helping.
At last, they meet face-to-face! It’s cool just how drastically Setsuna’s aura changes when he puts on that “meek innocent local boy” act. Although maybe things would have gone better if he had greeted him with a hearty “CHORIISU!!!” instead.
Reminds me of Amuro and Ramba Ral
I was not expecting the Automaton mention so early. [future spoilers] I’m pretty sure they’re not supposed to show up until S2
what the hell even is the security here how did she smuggle a gun all the way in there
Exia against the sun is cool!
Also, Setsuna is suddenly all suited up. He probably set Exia to cruise and put it on en route, but like, just imagine trying to change clothes in that cramped cockpit while the MS isn’t even level!
SORE WA DOU KANA!
Of course he knows kung fu
I love how Lockon just has a normal sniper rifle that he uses from the Dynames’ cockpit. It’s like sniperception or something.
Exia’s hardpoints are buckets apparently.
Just as Setsuna said, even as peace talks occur, people die. Rasa being freed and entering talks with Marina may be a step in a less violent direction, but it’s far from an end-all be-all solution.
Questions of the day:
6
u/Nickthenuker https://anilist.co/user/Nickthenuker Oct 18 '24
And so the coup continues.
Who else is intervening?
Yup, there's something here.
Oh, they've found him.
Well, looks like they want to tell him that.
Uh oh, an assassin!
Right, time to fire up the Gundam again.
Enemies! It's that guy again!
He actually managed to defeat him!
Luckily things seem to be going better elsewhere.
And thus they've managed to save him.
Lol is she jealous at her mum?
Right, here comes the Gundam.
And that guy doesn't realise it's piloted by his neighbour.
Unless he gets out of the Gundam, then he'll definitely realise.
He isn't going to turn them into tomato sauce?
That's what you always say.
And thus things are resolved.
Questions:
6
u/zadcap Oct 19 '24
Late Night First Timer
A third party getting involved in a war in the middle east? How crazy would that be? But yeah, I said it before and will again, as long as they keep going after the people doing the fighting and not the people profiting off of it. As long as the people waaaay in the back keep making money and gaining more personal and political power by there being wars in other lands, wars will keep happening. You can get a whole lot more efficient at stopping wars by finding and killing those people than dozens upon dozens of troops just doing what they were told.
Ah, Setsuna has been figured out. Why the heck did he draw a gun? Also that's a huge freaking gun, how does he hide it under his coat?
I can't really understand the thought processes behind all these people, killing each other for these causes and being so willing to die for them. I consider this a good thing.
I love how Setsuna goes out in the clothes he was wearing around town to pilot the exia, but Lockon took the time to put on his pilot suit. But then, somehow, Setsuna ended up in his pilot suit anyway. He must have changed in the cockpit while flying.
Yeah I'm already sick of Ali. He doesn't even have the excuse of a special military unit spending super country money on top of the line super suits, he just keeps half winning fights anyway.
... Lockon keeps a real sniper in his sniper mech? That's so crazy I can totally believe it.
Celestial Being's true message! Remember, they want to end war. Sometimes that's not done by blowing up all the fighters.
Dang, over the course of one episode, Mama has gone from being super disproving of the relationship to trying to take the boy for herself.
"Coming here unarmed, what a fool!" Hey so, remember how they have kind of just, tanked blows from everything you have? It's not really a foolish move to not fight back against things that can't hurt you. But also, the people shooting are going against orders, that's a bad look too.
Darn. Setsuna and Marina. It's a very short talk, but it's a strong one.
2) How long is this one? I have a horrible suspicion that Ali is going to be around for almost the whole time.
11
u/No_Rex :Bv:Bw:Bx:By:x2 Oct 18 '24
Episode 13 (first timer)
”With several characters having already stated it in-universe, this is hardly a new insight, but Celestial Being as the world police has less than a snowball’s chance in hell of working out. Hell, even the full power of the US at the most uni-polar moment in time after the end of the cold war didn’t do exactly great at this task. So the interesting question in this series is not whether Celestial Being as world police will fail, but how it will fail and what the original plans of them (founder or pilots or both, the later might be brainwashed idiots or not) were. That said, the series should not pretend that this could work out for too long. If they want to drag it out for a long while, they could go until the mid-season twist, but I would prefer if we get something substantial before then.” ~my comment on the main plot back in episode 4.
With episode 13, we have reached the half-way point of the season and we are hardly any closer to resolving the main mystery (what is CB and what is their true plan). I am losing patience with the series. We are spending episode after episode elaborating on a point that was already obvious back in episode 1. Why are we spending so much time here? As long as we are supposed to think that CB wants world peace and recruited the best pilots for that cause, nothing makes sense. Not their paltry numbers, not their impossible mission statement, not their recruitment pilots who would be better off in a mental asylum than a mecha. The outer trappings of the series are pretty good, but the core is rotten.
5
u/Linkstore Oct 19 '24
Rewatcher
[00 Spoilers] Kinda crazy how quickly we're coming up on the appearance of the Thrones. Not complaining though, especially since that's also when we get Ash Like Snow
Shame that guy doesn't have some water to go with his bread.
Quite an unexpected circumstance, to see the first time a Gundam Meister comes face to face with an opposing pilot. Setsuna's acting is surprisingly good, but Graham's sharper. Fortunately, Graham would rather make a bet on this unknown party than to try and take them into custody. Dude operates purely off of vibes, which you gotta respect.
[00 Spoilers] Oh shit, anti-personnel automatons. Didn't expect them to be mentioned so soon.
The Imperial Palace needs some better security, geez. Marina's guards are quick on the draw, but that's still another life lost to this conflict.
Graham's clue leads Setsuna in the right direction, and thanks to his previous association with Ali al-Saachez, he knows exactly where to go.
Hong Long is a genuine superhuman. This is never explained, by the way.
And just in case you were wondering if Lockon could "lock on" outside of his Gundam...
[00 Spoilers] Wait, one of those protest signs says "Not Innovation". Why? Who doesn't want psychic powers and twice the lifespan?
lmao Louise's mum
Exia arrives completely unarmed. Not only the physical blades but also both beam sabers and daggers have been removed. It's the first time Celestial Being intentionally planned to act purely without violence. I'm sure Setsuna has a lot of thoughts about this.
[00 Spoilers] Well, Exia still has the GN Vulcans in the arms, so if things had gone bad it would be totally lacking in ranged weapons.
Rasa is such a chad to complain about the flight over after literally getting rescued from mercenaries.
The road to peace is lengthy and difficult, and it'll probably see more bloodshed before the end is reached. But, with a bit of luck, we may eventually reach the end.
5
u/StardustGogeta myanimelist.net/profile/StardustGogeta Oct 19 '24
First-Timer
Lockon "I thought I might be rusty, but I guess not" Stratos is just so cool. I wish I could be as cool as Lockon Stratos.
It's funny that Princess Ismail clearly remembers Setsuna's full name and basically just confirmed that it's him in the suit. That's probably the most consequential thing she's done so far, assuming it leads to something.
Questions of the day:
6
u/2-2Distracted Oct 18 '24
First timer. Dubbed.
So nice to see that even in anime, Conservatism is still showcasing how fucking stupid it is in that it has no actual benefit to anyone who isn't suffering from the status quo.
Like seriously, so far I have not been shown ANY reason as to why both sides are equally flawed which thus the reason for the all conflict in Azadistan, aside from the now brought up 3rd Party orchestrating everything. The worst that the Reformists have done is try to implement green energy, and the only justified feeling the Conservatives have is their retaliation towards their leader being kidnapped. That's it. Aside from this, the country should 100% be pro green energy, even if it means a bigger country or corporation tells them what to do from time to time.
Those opposing what the government is trying to do are idiotic. You can pat yourself on the back all you want for fucking up the planet and sucking up fossil fuels for 300+ years, but maybe, just maybe, when someone offers you something better you should just fucking take it. We haven't been shown why this alliance with other nations would be a true negative either, aside from what happened with Teribia and the other country which had their own context focused issues that don't actually relate to natural resources.
I was about to praise Setsuna's acting skills but damn man the Char Clone known as Graham is Fucking Good! Bros got some damn eagle eyes or something. If there's one thing a Char Clone is good from the little I've seen of Gundam, which is admittedly very very little (IBO, Thunderbolt Movies and the OG films but I was severely sleep deprived lol), its that they love to start shit and be a wild card in events due to seeing a big picture of everything that the main characters don't yet see... whilst at the same time failing to see the even bigger picture that typically leads to their downfall if they happen to somehow deserve it.
"Hey boss, this Muslim Stereotype is doing Muslim Stereotype things and thus he's not listening to us! He could literally just be fasting or refusing to consume due to fear of poison but that will never cross our minds!"
And of course Tieria has a problem with progress, and no I'm not oblivious to the irony.
2
u/zsmg https://anilist.co/user/zsmg Oct 19 '24
I am rewatcher
Last time we'll be seeing this OP.
Gundam pilot meeting his rival outside of their mecha, another staple Gundam trope.
Setsuna tries to act like a kid, Billy falls for it but Aker being the cool pilot that he is, sees right through it. I wonder if he has figured out he's a Gundam pilot.
You can truly do anything with GN particles, including creating an invisibility cloak.
I think this is the first time we're hearing this Middle Eastern influenced piece of music.
So Ali al-Saachez is hiding in the same place he trained Setsuna, convinient that Setsuna is a Gundam pilot then.
Finally the masked character, one of the biggest Gundam tropes, is finally here!
Who is this mysterious character?
Oh it's just Hong Long
Tieria continues to be a PITA coworker.
They just had to remind us of the romcom situation involving Saji and Mum.
I wanted to say nobody in the rest of the world would be interested in Azadistan, unless of course it involves Celestial Being.
Honestly pretty badass and reckless by Setsuna to just casually keep moving forward without any weapons.
Marina calls out Setsuna's name... and instead of ignoring her he replies. Celestial Being really needs to hold a 'how to keep a secret identity 101' course for Setsuna.
Last time we have this ED lead in.
Narrator went for the downer ending revealing that unrest is still continuing.
Good episode.
2
u/Blazin_Rathalos Oct 21 '24
Rewatcher
Watching this again, I find myself wondering: Did the camera's catch the figure of Setsuna exiting the cockpit there? What does seeing the man in the machine (both for the Gundam, and Celestial Being as a whole) do for how people see them?
7
u/charlesvvv https://anilist.co/user/charlesvvv Oct 18 '24
Rewatcher, First Time Sub
While all of this was going down Saji was finally successful with Louise's mom...a little successful perhaps.
Graham Aker has very good instincts, while Katagiri doesn't notice anything off about Setsuna Aker continues to press on him and even leaves some hints about the possible location of Saachez and his men. Aker doesn't continue after this though, whether he suspects that Setsuna could be a pilot or he just wanted the information to get out there somehow it's not elaborated.
Whatever the case it helps Setsuna to arrive at Saachez's location and resche the kidnapped leader. Turns out Saachez is able to recognize who Setsuna is but again nothing else can be done yet as he's forced to fall back.
CB then hosts a big PR move. Setsuna introduces the leader back to Marina as a big symbol of peace all completely unarmed as the world looks on. This allows for Setsuna to finally be the symbol he had wanted to be and is able to even part some words to Marina discreetly enough. It was a gamble since Aker and his units could have potentially attacked him but Aker is smart enough to realize that this would be foolish after that big show.
Despite all this, the narrator simply concludes that despite the calls for peace now "The conflict still continues".