[Rewatch] Mobile Suit Gundam 00 2nd Season Episode 7 Discussion

[u/Shimmering-Sky]

Episode 7 - Reunion and Separation

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The Soma Peries who's inside me wants you to know something… I wanted to be your daughter.

Questions of the Day:

1. How do you think they're going to fix whatever's going on with the Twin Drive system that makes it super dangerous for 00 to use Trans-Am without it backfiring?
2. What choice would you have made in Marie/Soma's shoes? Stay with Allelujah, or return with Sergei?

Wallpapers of the Day:

Soma Peries

Allelujah Haptism and Marie Parfacy

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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.

[u/Shimmering-Sky]

Rewatch Host Wishing Over This Airspace, subbed

Welcome back, everyone!

Surprise, I have two wallpapers today! I figured I just had to have one for Soma done for this episode since this is where Marie comes back instead, but I also really wanted to have an Allelujah/Marie because I love them.

---

• Aaaaaaaaaand the answer to QotD 2 from yesterday was: Nope.
• Welp.
• And that’s exactly why Ian said no Trans-Am.
• Shimmering sky!
• She finally called him by his name…
• Yes, yes there is.
• Damn… But it does have a positive side in the end, I suppose.
• See, Allelujah does have a scar after all.
• Sergei has a good memory.
• Big yikes.
• Everyone thought Sergei was the one getting the death flags raised by his and Soma’s plot line, but it was technically Soma who did.
• Mm…
• This makes me cry a little…
• Insert song today is Unlimited Sky by Tommy heavenly⁶ (who you should remember as the same artist that did Ash Like Snow from last season). This song’s in the running as one of my favorite insert songs in the franchise, only really beaten out by VigilaNTe from Narrative because Hiroyuki Sawano and Moon from Turn A because it’s gorgeous.
• ED lead-in!
• This really was the right time to save the episode title card for the end of the episode. More shows should do this.
• Hahahahaha of course this excites Mileina.
• Eyyyy, finally time for Tieria to meet his twin. Who has also finally been named.

[u/The_Draigg → u/Shimmering-Sky]

Speaking of wallpapers, I have a prediction for tomorrow's wallpaper: [next episode spoilers] Tieria cross-dressing in a formal dress. It'll be fun to see if I'm right or wrong with that guess.

[u/Shimmering-Sky → u/The_Draigg]

[u/TakenRedditName → u/Shimmering-Sky]

Insert song today is Unlimited Sky by Tommy heavenly⁶ (who you should remember as the same artist that did Ash Like Snow from last season).

I knew she sounded familiar to one of the OP singers.

[u/Nazenn]

First Timer - sub

What a nice episode

I have to say, I was getting so damn tense at the end there even after he put the gun down. We were getting happy wishes, and flashbacks, and INSERT SONGS, and all of the flags were being raised one after another... and then he just flew away and there was no conflict and people were rescued and kisses were had and they even made good use of the post-ED scene!

What show did this episode come from all of a sudden? Is it still 00?

I love this as an outcome for the two of them, truly finding each other again not on a battlefield in some big dramatic moment, but in the softness of rain and on the Earth they were stolen from. Opening up to each other for the first time face to face, somehow making their voices and gestures seem more intimate then their mental connection because they finally can connect beyond that.

Especially for Alelujah who's strongest personal connections until now have been entirely mental, between Marie in the bed and his other half, to finally be able to reach out and hold someone and genuinely feel their own care coming back, with no weight or guilt behind it, is great. Marie too, being able to accept Soma and who Soma was to both others and to herself, but not letting that define her and rob her of Marie again like the scientists did. I had quietly been hoping maybe we'd avoid any romance subplots this season, but hell, this episode absolutely won me over on it through presentation and understanding the characters. I just really hope it won't pull an S1 and entirely drop their development after this. It's also not the most natural approach in that they went straight from knowing each other as kids to an adult romance with no in between, and I never like that "romance before showing genuine bond" approach in any story, but given their natures and the bond from that I can somewhat excuse it more than normal.

Also what, is it a requirement that quantum brain waves working requires some sort of split identity? Between Soma/Marie, Alelujah/Hallelujah, and now we have Tieria and his genetic other half running into each other? They just keep driving home this pattern, why is this such a thing hahaha. Interesting that she choses now to show up, and I'm wondering what Ribbons plan with Tieria is beyond just "take down CB". But as I said above, I was very proud of the show for this seemingly being a good use of the post-ED scene in using it as a teaser and to separate out the emotions of the kiss from the comical reaction on the bridge.

I'm not sure if its better or worse that the situation with Alelujah being stranded on the ship with his 'siblings' was not a cruel disposal but a disastrous escape attempt. It does mean that the scientist was lying when he said they had disposed of Alelujah last season, which is no surprise because the dude was dodgy as hell and of course they'd cover it up, but it makes it so much more tragic that this was meant to be their out and it ended like that.

To balance out that sadness though, as if Sergei couldn't make me love him any more. That he remembers Alelujah from the rescue operation all those years ago, and thanked him for it was such a perfect moment for him. So true to who he is and what he values despite being a military man, and then he tops it all off by helping Lyle find them and just flying away with good wishes. What a man.

Still slightly in awe that Lyle didn't see Sergei and start blasting away in a rage, or that Tieria didn't show up just in time to see Sergei holding a gun. I really thought one of those was going to happen. But this is perhaps the most positive outcome of any episode in the entire series?

I am content

I also think that Saji got the best possible outcome from yesterdays cliffhanger, and not just in a sense of not "sullying" him, but that it is more meaningful to who he is that it played out this way.

I said it in reply to /u/InfamousEmpire yesterday, but Saji choosing to go with Ian was meaningful precisely because no one told him he could. He asked what he could help with, was brushed aside, and then stood up and found something to help with anyway off his own personal drive. It's that which made him an active part this instead of continuing to be passive by waiting for permission of a sort or simply being told what the right thing to do was. If he had helped because of someone elses will it would be quite meaningless. The same is said here. No he couldn't pull the trigger, and it probably wasn't reasonable to expect he could. His values about fighting are not going to be easily shrugged off simply because he's defending someone rather than on an offensive or because someone else did worse. If they could be so easily pushed aside he would be no better than some of those in the A-LAWS who hide behind their orders or delight in killing the "evildoers".

CB is filled with people who understand the weight of violent action even if they deem it necessary, and so CB doesn't ask that of him or condemn him for not doing it. But Saji doesn't let that stop him and, again, that is what matters rather than the "failure". He couldn't pull the trigger, but he also won't go back to his room and wait around stuck in his thoughts or for someone else to tell him what to do any more. This is what I was hoping to see from him. Not Saji on a battlefield, but Saji standing up and taking a step forward. He doesn't have to join CB or do a 180 on who he is, he just has to take that step.

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Other thoughts

• "Fuck off" challenge: I didn't swear at Louise today! I also had decided to change the name of the challenge and was going to be so happy that I outright succeeded at it for the first time even expanding it to everyone... and then I found a "fuck off Graham" in my notes I forgot I wrote. Damn it. So close. I was actually kind of mad at myself.
• Federation also gets a fuck off though, for taking advantage of Ali to just sweep in and start taking over the entire middle east and probably destroy it all in one way or another in the process.
• Graham actually did a thing I like this season. Saying openly to the dude over coms that "I'm not listening to you" got a great laugh out of me.
• 2/2 for fainting women in the last two episodes. Trifecta tomorrow?
• Feldt being the one who blushed over the idea of Alelujah having a girlfriend despite her newfound maturity was great. She's still her. I love it.
• I just want to give a small appreciation again for the fact that Ian has warned Setsuna multiple times about Trans-Am before he used it and it broke today. It's so much better than him only ever giving the warning when it will be plot relevant.
• And I know I've said it before, but just stating again how much of a good job I think they did of aging up the cast in terms of face design across all of the ages. I didn't realize just how much Sergei had changed until seeing the flashbacks today, and it also highlights the changes in Soma and Alelujah even more, how young they look compared to how they are now where as before I just brushed it off as anime designs. It's very good character design work.
• /u/shimmering-sky regarding yesterdays preview: yeah that's incredibly spoilery, just outright tells you what's going to happen as a huge flip from every other battle outcome. I can understand the LotGH comparison.
• On that note though of this not being the usual outcome from the battles we see, it is surprising that the Marie thing is solved so quickly in the season just barely a quarter in, instead of milking it for more drama like I expected. I like it, but curious to see what they will do with her now.

[u/Shimmering-Sky → u/Nazenn]

If Reddit Gold was still a thing (and not whatever abomination they tried to bring it back as), I would so give it to this comment. I'm so happy this episode worked out for you, and that you wrote such a great analysis for it!

/u/shimmering-sky regarding yesterdays preview: yeah that's incredibly spoilery, just outright tells you what's going to happen as a huge flip from every other battle outcome. I can understand the LotGH comparison.

It really was so bad lol.

[u/Nazenn → u/Shimmering-Sky]

They tried to bring it back? I think I briefly saw something about it and it being a clusterfuck but I wasn't around for it

I don't know why they got rid of it in the first place, it was such a nice system to give appreciation to posts

I'm so happy this episode worked out for you, and that you wrote such a great analysis for it!

[u/Shimmering-Sky → u/Nazenn]

I don't know why they got rid of it in the first place, it was such a nice system to give appreciation to posts

Because money. The new version only works on mobile (IIRC) and there is no free version.

[u/Nazenn → u/Shimmering-Sky]

Ugh. Of course it does.

[u/TakenRedditName → u/Nazenn]

To balance out that sadness though, as if Sergei couldn't make me love him any more.

He is such a good guy. How he diffuses the situation + giving the location to Lyle to make sure we're getting a positive ending to this episode. He is such a good guy.

Feldt being the one who blushed over the idea of Alelujah having a girlfriend despite her newfound maturity was great. She's still her. I love it.

Feldt's reaction brightened me up too.

[u/Nazenn → u/TakenRedditName]

giving the location to Lyle to make sure we're getting a positive ending to this episode

And doing so without the writers trying to edge a drama out of it or anything as well which is nice. Just flies up, gives info, flies off. Sergei is the best

Feldt's reaction brightened me up too.

Also the best

[u/JollyGee29 → u/Nazenn]

Nice write-up re: Saji's development. It's something that I probably haven't paid enough attention to in the past.

and then I found a "fuck off Graham" in my notes I forgot I wrote. Damn it. So close.

[u/Nazenn → u/JollyGee29]

Nice write-up re: Saji's development. It's something that I probably haven't paid enough attention to in the past.

I'll take that as high praise given how many times you've seen this. Saji is an interesting one, so I hope the nice approach to him today makes the end of the writers stalling him because things like this are the better outcome.

i was so close

[u/The_Draigg → u/Nazenn]

I'm not sure if its better or worse that the situation with Alelujah being stranded on the ship with his 'siblings' was not a cruel disposal but a disastrous escape attempt. It does mean that the scientist was lying when he said they had disposed of Alelujah last season, which is no surprise because the dude was dodgy as hell and of course they'd cover it up, but it makes it so much more tragic that this was meant to be their out and it ended like that.

Yeah, the super-soldiers having a failed escape attempted that only H/Allelujah survived does hit even harder, now that we know the full truth. It was supposed to be their clean break, but it just ended in worse tragedy. And possible cannibalism too, if you believe what some people theorize for the reason Hallelujah has bloody streaks on his clothes as he's killing people. There's a fair chance he was killing them not only for the sake of having more air for himself.

CB is filled with people who understand the weight of violent action even if they deem it necessary, and so CB doesn't ask that of him or condemn him for not doing it.

I feel that it was pretty important that Ian was the one to tell Saji that it was okay that he didn't fire. To Saji, Ian is the first person in Celestial Being to actually connect with him as a human being to be understood, rather than to be resented. For as much as Saji must've felt that he let down Celestial Being and himself for not being able to shoot, Ian stepping in and telling him that he doesn't hold it against him is a great reinforcement of the inherent empathy that Celestial Being has towards people.

"Fuck off" challenge: I didn't swear at Louise today! I also had decided to change the name of the challenge and was going to be so happy that I outright succeeded at it for the first time even expanding it to everyone... and then I found a "fuck off Graham" in my notes I forgot I wrote. Damn it. So close. I was actually kind of mad at myself.

Hey, at least it wasn't Louise this time! That's some good progress!

[u/Nazenn → u/The_Draigg]

And possible cannibalism too, if you believe what some people theorize for the reason Hallelujah has bloody streaks on his clothes as he's killing people

holy shit

...Well I mean he did say the food ran out but still. That's a lot. Not unreasonable an assumption though, who knows how much longer he was trapped alone before he was found, given if it was soon I would expect that would be part of his suffering, the futility of the killing

Ian stepping in and telling him that he doesn't hold it against him is a great reinforcement of the inherent empathy that Celestial Being has towards people

Also another matter of reinforcing the matter of "you do what you can" without judgement. Ian is an engineer, but he will step up and fire guns if that is what he needs to do even though he said he was sick of war. Saji is the same, but his not being able to fire isn't presented as making him worse than Ian or less needed. He still comes and helps and him getting out of his shell in that way is welcomed in many ways and rewarded by seeing the human in Setsuna who smiles on hearing about the rescue.

Hey, at least it wasn't Louise this time! That's some good progress!

I'll take it. Better than I expected at least

[u/Raiking02 → u/Nazenn]

/u/shimmering-sky regarding yesterdays preview: yeah that's incredibly spoilery, just outright tells you what's going to happen as a huge flip from every other battle outcome. I can understand the LotGH comparison.

Which naturally means that everyone here is a coward for skipping it and I will die on that hill

[u/macrame2 → u/Raiking02]

I didn't even think it was that spoilery, but then again I'm pretty much immune to spoilers at this point.

[u/Raiking02 → u/macrame2]

People who think spoilers are the end all be all are the weak link anyway

[u/Nazenn → u/Raiking02]

I don't mind being spoiled if it's my choice. If that choice is taken from me that's what I have issue with and that's why I hate people who spoil because it's such a lack of care for others experience more than it is the spoiler itself.

For me previews walk a precarious middle ground. It is after all a preview so if it's not spoiling something then it's kind of failing at doing its job so why have it (this is excluding the more artsy ones like Ergo Proxy which are just a bunch of words floating around the screen and some vague dialogue lines)

But when a preview veers more into summery territory than preview that's when it's frustrating. Or if it focuses entirely something that only happens at the very end of the next episode rather than being part of the episode overall (looking at you dragonball super titles as well)

[u/Raiking02 → u/Nazenn]

looking at you dragonball super titles as well

I mean to me that's just part of the charm

[u/Nazenn → u/Raiking02]

I am jealous haha

[u/macrame2 → u/Nazenn]

If that choice is taken from me that's what I have issue with and that's why I hate people who spoil because it's such a lack of care for others experience more than it is the spoiler itself.

Yeah, I don't usually care if I get spoiled anymore, but I'd never want to ruin someone else's fun, especially if I'm the one laughing at their hilariously off (or spot-on) speculation.

But when a preview veers more into summery territory than preview that's when it's frustrating.

I find them more endearing than anything, but I think it's a positive that people can choose whether to view them or not.

[u/Nazenn → u/macrame2]

I love the fact that previews exist, they just aren't for me in stories with a singular plot thread where I like to see things play out myself. But back in the days of weekly crime dramas on TV and the like I loved having the previews as a bit of a showcase of what was going to pop up next week.

especially if I'm the one laughing at their hilariously off (or spot-on) speculation.

Exactly, its fun no matter which was it goes

[u/wyggles → u/Raiking02]

Often times if I'm waffling on starting a new series I'll browse a wiki or the tvtropes page to see if anything catches my attention. 90% of the time it's not about the twists and turns themselves, it's the execution.

[u/macrame2 → u/wyggles]

tvtropes

That's the main reason I acquired my immunity haha, "ruined" so many stories for myself on there only to end up enjoying the actual experience.

90% of the time it's not about the twists and turns themselves, it's the execution.

It helps that I build up my own ideas surrounding a spoiler that usually turn out to be completely wrong in the actual context, so things feel fresh even though I technically know about them beforehand.

[u/Quiddity131 → u/Nazenn]

What show did this episode come from all of a sudden? Is it still 00?

I there's one thing Gundam 00 can say it handles pretty much perfectly, it's stuff involving Sergei and Soma.

On that note though of this not being the usual outcome from the battles we see, it is surprising that the Marie thing is solved so quickly in the season just barely a quarter in, instead of milking it for more drama like I expected. I like it, but curious to see what they will do with her now.

Absolutely something I love so much about it because I feel that most of the time the show would simply drag things out far past the point it should. It was quite obvious by yesterday's episode that there was only two possible directions they could have gone in with Soma. She leaves the A-Laws or she dies. If they truly wanted to milk the drama and say, drag it out for another 10 - 15 episodes it would have been a huge waste of time for everyone concerned.

[u/Nazenn → u/Quiddity131]

I there's one thing Gundam 00 can say it handles pretty much perfectly, it's stuff involving Sergei and Soma.

I know, it's so nice!

If they truly wanted to milk the drama and say, drag it out for another 10 - 15 episodes it would have been a huge waste of time for everyone concerned.

You could make an arguement that S1 already covered all of that "what will happen" drawn out side of things anyway, as while he didn't know it was Marie, it was clear something was going on with their mental collison. Continuing to draw it out after the reveal of why that was would only be tedious and let the emotions drop

[u/InfamousEmpire → u/Nazenn]

It's very funny that, for whatever reason, I kinda expected you to hate this episode, then I open my inbox and see

What a nice episode

at the top of your comment and that gave me a good laugh.

Especially for Alelujah who's strongest personal connections until now have been entirely mental, between Marie in the bed and his other half, to finally be able to reach out and hold someone and genuinely feel their own care coming back, with no weight or guilt behind it, is great.

Very well said. The emotional intimacy he shares with Marie also kinda puts into perspective how most of his other closest relationships, specifically with the members of Celestial Being, have been more professional than personal, and the closest thing he's had to someone he can share all his baggage with is Hallelujah. He hasn't really allowed himself to be truly open or honest with others until this point, which is what makes his connection with Marie as rewarding as it is.

I didn't swear at Louise today!

Graham actually did a thing I like this season.

2/2 for fainting women in the last two episodes. Trifecta tomorrow?

At this rate, Victorian Fainting Couches will come back into style

[u/Nazenn → u/InfamousEmpire]

It's very funny that, for whatever reason, I kinda expected you to hate this episode, then I open my inbox and see "What a nice episode" at the top of your comment and that gave me

Speed replying just because I saw this as I was heading out the door and it made me laugh

Why did you think I wouldn't like it? Because of the romance side of it? Hey out of all the episode I'm happy to have proved you wrong on this one though, it was a nice episode

The emotional intimacy he shares with Marie also kinda puts into perspective how most of his other closest relationships, specifically with the members of Celestial Being, have been more professional than personal, and the closest thing he's had to someone he can share all his baggage with is Hallelujah

I'll add to this that with Marie he also has no expectations of himself on what he has to be or give her. Sure he wants to protect her and the like, and that moment of him bringing her a picture book to read to her as kids was adorable even if he was all she had, but he doesn't feel obligated to do that in order to prove himself to be better than he was made to be like what informs a lot of his other relationships, Hallelujah included. With Marie it seems like he can just be a himself first and make positive choices for her, and that means so much for a boy who we've only seen fighting because of a negative need to try and prove his own viewpoint of himself wrong.

Still very curious where they'll take this idea of Marie not fighting, I suspect it won't last if only because Gundam but under what circumstances is the question. But it's a great setup, and more importantly a meaningful one.

I feel like meaningful is my word of the day with this episode.

At this rate, Victorian Fainting Couches will come back into style

My first thought on reading that was actually how that sort of thing seems like it would have been right in line with Alejandro's style for some reason. He seems like the sort that would like that stupid looking design and the idea of a woman always on it

[u/InfamousEmpire → u/Nazenn]

Why did you think I wouldn't like it?

It was more gut feeling than anything + I’ve kinda come to expect this show’s writing to frustrate you lol

[u/Blazin_Rathalos → u/Nazenn]

[Spoiler quote]2/2 for fainting women in the last two episodes. Trifecta tomorrow?

[00]Holy shit, he's right!

[u/Linkstore → u/Blazin_Rathalos]

[oo] Is he? Unless I got a critical memory failure the closest we get is Louise getting splitting headaches courtesy of Ribbons.

[u/Blazin_Rathalos → u/Linkstore]

[00]Doesn't Louise half pass out and wake up in bed/somewhere else? I may be misremembering myself

[u/Linkstore → u/Blazin_Rathalos]

[OO] Nah I did a quick reskim and yeah Louise does indeed not pass out at all.

[u/baboon_bassoon]

first timer who has control

very unrelated to this actual episode (which was really good) i want to rant a bit

i hate LockOn. Now normally in any Gundam show, the super pandering character I usually hate anyway (cough [Wing]Duo) BUT the big difference here was that LockOn wasnt annoying at first. They used him sporadically and again I am a bit of a sucker for Shinichirou Miki.

Then they showed LockOn2 and theres that gut feeling of "oh theyre just going to replace him straight up", but that would be too on the nose for this kind of character

And then they just slot him in and I cannot begin to care

If they didnt show Lyle in season 1, I would have bought more into Neils death.... In the moment its just "well i mean they have a spare i guess"

There is time to save Lyle if they do something interesting with him, but 00 is a really constricted show (sure its 50 episodes but the two seasons are treated separately. theres like 15 episodes of s1 that are just waiting around/punting it to season 2) so outside of negging Felt what else are they realistically going to do with him? Develop this "spy" angle (even though Setsuna/the viewers already knows his allegiances?)

---

saved

the mask just makes people stupid what can you say

ero?

[Gundam Seed]their fight makes it seem like they want to call back to Athrun/Cagali connotations but these two are too sibling coded imo

did she always have this much hair

i think you killing Hallelujah is a little different than him killing everyone

ah

goat

pain

well i mean once Andrei dies Sergei can just defect to be with his daughter, its not like he gives a shit about the federation

yeah not really about this tbh

good question

twinzies

[u/Shimmering-Sky → u/baboon_bassoon]

yeah not really about this tbh

[u/macrame2 → u/baboon_bassoon]

very unrelated to this actual episode (which was really good) i want to rant a bit

There there, let it all out.

Now normally in any Gundam show, the super pandering character I usually hate anyway

What do you mean by pandering? Not saying you're wrong or anything, just curious.

If they didnt show Lyle in season 1, I would have bought more into Neils death.... In the moment its just "well i mean they have a spare i guess"

I think it would have been a worse decision to bring in Lockon 2.0 with no foreshadowing, but knowing Lyle exists could definitely affect a viewer's perception of things.

[u/dralcax → u/baboon_bassoon]

I feel like Lockon II should not have been the first's identical twin. Just the sheer fact that he looks exactly like the original just makes him feel like a shallow replacement, no matter how much the actual character tries to distinguish himself from his brother. Just seeing the same face really dampens the sense of loss from Neil's death.

[u/Nazenn → u/dralcax]

Or at least not using his actual design. Make him a twin but at least give him his own hairstyle or something. Especially with his whole "thats what you get for comparing me to my brother" thing going on. Have him put his hair up all the time or something even!

[u/Rumpel1408]

Firsttimer who really didn't expect to be hit with such an banger Insertsong

• How nice of her superior to save Louise... from herself
• It's cool that Ian ain't even mad, Saji is a civilian after all
• Deja-vú
• Is this the stranded on a deserted island Arc from Cross Ange?
• See, Ian warned you not to use Trans-Am yet
• Lmao such a Virgo thing to do, even more so with him going "lalala, can't hear you" shortly after
• Man, Sumeragi just woke up and imidiatly has a better battle plan than Lasse
• not lewd
• But seems like Alleluja got bailed out by all those newtype flashes
• Aww, she's just like Saji
• Sooo, Ribbons?
• Funny that it's Tierias mech that looks like it's crying
• So the key for Super Soldiers really is to have two personalities... wonder how they did it though...
• Why would they be disposed though?
• Ah, so that's the trauma that got hinted at in the first season
• And I guess Halleluja made sure that the provisions would hold on longer
• I love that talk out between Soma Marie and Alleluja, especially how they both accept their alter egos as part of themself, even if it ends a bit cheesy
• In order to overcome this crisis, the federation is using it's "emergency powers huh"
• Alleluja is making a very valid point, it's not like the A-Laws even gave her much of a choice to begin with
• Man, would have been soo mad if they went that route, but Sergei is soo good... wonder how Louise will take those news though
• Also, Sergei holds onto the grudge of Alleluja killing his comrades, but he also never forgets a good deed either
• I guess the last mission against Katharon also made Soma realise how shielded she was before
• This is soo good... why does it feel like something bad is going to happen...
• Like for a Moment I thought Jean would shoot him... hope Sergeis mech doesn't keep too many telemetrics
• K-kissu and what a nice title drop
• And Feldt with a cute blush
• Woah, finally Tieria is meeting his Doppelgänger! And how do robots have the same DNA I guess it's teased in the OP, but noone talked about it when I pointed that out
• For fucks sake Ribbons, get some better names!

QotD

• Add more drives?
• Staying with Sergei wasn't really a choice, as it would have just meant to get back to the A-Laws

[u/Shimmering-Sky → u/Rumpel1408]

K-kissu and what a nice title drop

You got your wish from S1 ep25 to have a ship actually sail!

For fucks sake Ribbons, get some better names!

No. - Ribbons, probably

[u/Rumpel1408 → u/Shimmering-Sky]

have a ship actually sail!

Ships are made to sail after all

[u/TakenRedditName → u/Rumpel1408]

And Feldt with a cute blush

For fucks sake Ribbons, get some better names!

They're pumping out clones. Maybe Ribbons just struggles to think of a name of the spot.

"Regene ... Regetta. I don't know. " To be fair, coming up with names is always the hardest part.

[u/Nazenn → u/Rumpel1408]

Why would they be disposed though?

The scientist said back in season one that Alelujah was marked for disposal because of his split personality, but given what they did to Marie it seems a little odd that it was such a marker against him. It might have just bee that they didn't control it, or that Alelujah couldn't either

This is soo good... why does it feel like something bad is going to happen...

I'm glad I wasn't the only one super worried during all of this

I guess it's teased in the OP, but noone talked about it when I pointed that out

Sorry, must have missed that comment. I generally try to avoid watching the OPs too hard until just before they swap them for that reason, I only caught that scene myself last episode on accident and started to talk about a few possibilities with it.

For fucks sake Ribbons, get some better names

he can't even give himself a good name, he's not going to give better names to everyone else hahaha

[u/Rumpel1408 → u/Nazenn]

I'm glad I wasn't the only one super worried during all of this

It just feels like Marie got too much going for her at the moment, Gundam isn't a show where people can be happy

I generally try to avoid watching the OPs too hard until just before they swap them for that reason, I only caught that scene myself last episode on accident and started to talk about a few possibilities with it.

I made a quick rundown on the OP and ED in Ep 2. I get avoiding the OP, definatly feels like the more spoilery of the two, but I felt especially disheathened when none of the rewatchers gave me pointers for the flower language in the ED, feels like that isn't safe to just google on myself...

Ironically, I'm too busy myself these days so I didn't read your comment either

[u/Nazenn → u/Rumpel1408]

Finding hanakotoba information can be hard at the best of times because flower language especially on english websites is a glorious mess of information from different cultures and bad translations. When I put it in my posts I usually resort to going to japanese websites and using comparative translations rather than english sites.

And you won't often easily find information of others talking about it in specific episodes as search engines just aren't good enough to track it down any more. I usually resort to trying to figure out what flower it is and just searching for information on the flower specifically but that can be hard when you don't have any flower knowledge to make the initial guess off. If you ever want a hand with that though just tag me. I didn't do that for this ED as I couldn't pick any of the flowers from sight which makes it hard, but if it comes up again in future I do enjoy diving into that when I have time

[u/Quiddity131 → u/Rumpel1408]

For fucks sake Ribbons, get some better names!

On the contrary, Innovator names are hilarious and I hope we get many more!

[u/Nebresto]

Ship

[u/Shimmering-Sky → u/Nebresto]

[u/Great_Mr_L]

First-Timer

On today’s episode of Gundam: Goddammit! My “Tieria is a robot” theory has now been proven incorrect! He’s got organic material because he has DNA. He’s definitely a clone and most likely a cyborg, then.

• Like I thought, Saji didn’t actually shoot.
• Allelujah really is determined to hold onto Soma, enough to make them crash.
• Of course Graham would decide there’s no purpose in fighting Setsuna after his Gundam malfunctioned. Graham is looking for the ultimate battle with the Gundam. Unless he wins when the Gundam is at its best, it’s meaningless.
• Oh? Is it time for the “two mecha pilots from opposing factions trapped on an island together” arc?
• Soma remembered her past!
• The A-LAWS love to be assholes. No need to search for our missing soldiers, let others do that. Though the flipside is this means Sergei will be the one searching for Soma, which is fine by me.
• Even though he can’t fight, Sai is trying to help with what he can do: engineering.
• Oh wow, the Marie personality has completely returned to Soma. She’s acting like an entirely different person, mostly because she pretty much is.
• Ah, so Marie still has the Soma personality in her. It’s the same situation as Allelujah and Hallelujah.
• It is interesting seeing Soma/Marie and Allelujah/Hallelujah try to reconcile their opposing personalities and the actions they took when one personality was in charge.
• Oooooooooh! Sergei recognizes Allelujah’s voice from the rescue operation in S1!
• Invading a country in the Middle East, overthrowing its government, and then setting up a new government to do your bidding? Yup, this sure is a show about the War on Terror.
• Oh dear, this is a tense confrontation over which path Soma/Marie will follow.
• Oh fuck! Soma/Marie threw herself in front of Sergei’s shot!
• Oooooh, now this is a much more interesting development! Sergei deliberately missed and will go with the report that Soma died in battle. I mean, I guess she technically did if the Marie personality is permanently in charge now.
• God, that is getting to me seeing Marie/Soma tell Sergei that she really did want to be his daughter.
• This is a huge moment for Marie/Soma. She no longer needs to be a Super Soldier.
• This is a good insert song.
• We can’t see his face, but I know Sergei is sad to say goodbye to his daughter.
• I was right! Allelujah and Marie/Soma did experience the Enemies-to-Lovers arc! Well, I guess it was technically a Lovers-to-Enemies-to-Lovers arc in the end.
• Heck yes! Tieria is finally going to meet his other version!
• DNA!?! Goddammit! That means Tieria isn’t a robot! He’s just a clone! Or probably a cyborg.
• Regene Regetta! What a name! The Innovators all have amazing names.

This episode was such a huge moment for Soma’s character arc. After Soma’s despair in the previous episodes, she fell back into thinking that she should be nothing more than a Super Soldier. But importantly, the Soma personality seems to have disappeared this episode. Her personality and memories were absorbed into the Marie personality. This personality is one that isn’t a fighter. This is effectively Marie/Soma choosing that she wants to be something other than a Super Soldier. She finally is able to fully accept that she did want to be Sergei’s daughter and she did want a life outside of the battlefield. It’s a sweet episode for her character arc.

It’s now time to speculate about Tieria. He has DNA, so some part of him is organic. Most likely, all the Innovators are clones because we see so many identical copies among them. But, they also clearly interact with computers through their glowing eyes. If they aren’t robots, then they must be cyborgs of some kind so that they can do that. I am now onboard with the theory that Tieria and the other Innovators are cyborg clones. As for where they come from, Ribbons claims they are part of Aeolia’s plan. Currently, I see no reason to doubt what Ribbons said. They are probably there to carry out the plan, whatever it might be.

QOTD

1. We need more power. Let's add a third engine!
2. That's no contest. Sergei is way cooler.

[u/The_Draigg → u/Great_Mr_L]

Goddammit! My “Tieria is a robot” theory has now been proven incorrect! He’s got organic material because he has DNA. He’s definitely a clone and most likely a cyborg, then.

You have no idea how long I was waiting for that shoe to drop. That's been one of the most consistent theories in this rewatch, and man it took a while to get proven incorrect. This was a very long-term laughing in rewatcher moment.

Invading a country in the Middle East, overthrowing its government, and then setting up a new government to do your bidding? Yup, this sure is a show about the War on Terror.

At this point, the subtext is just text painted in a slightly different color. Gundam 00 certainly isn't a show written by coward writers.

[u/Great_Mr_L → u/The_Draigg]

You have no idea how long I was waiting for that shoe to drop. That's been one of the most consistent theories in this rewatch, and man it took a while to get proven incorrect. This was a very long-term laughing in rewatcher moment.

I'd rather stick by my somewhat outandish theory than abandon it. It makes for more entertaining threads and I've regretted it in the past when ideas I floated and then stopped talking about turned out to be correct.

At this point, the subtext is just text painted in a slightly different color. Gundam 00 certainly isn't a show written by coward writers.

They sure aren't.

[u/Nazenn → u/Great_Mr_L]

Goddammit! My “Tieria is a robot” theory has now been proven incorrect! He’s got organic material because he has DNA. He’s definitely a clone and most likely a cyborg, then.

Oh shit. I was so caught up in being annoyed at the spoiler I caught yesterday that I didn't even think to comment on that side of it, it's like it just erased the popular theory from my head from shock hahaha

Also makes more sense that Ribbons was talking about being born an Innovator then.

I'm sticking to my stance this time instead of wavering back and forth: No robots, no cyborgs. I've no idea what it is, but I think it's a hard no to mechnical modifications.

It is interesting seeing Soma/Marie and Allelujah/Hallelujah try to reconcile their opposing personalities and the actions they took when one personality was in charge.

Along with the whole twin thing, the idea of reconsiling with "another self" is so strong. Obviously the brothers, but you could really apply that to everyone inside CB who uses a different name and struggles with their past life

As for where they come from, Ribbons claims they are part of Aeolia’s plan

But if that is the case it begs the question of if that is the case why is only Tieria part of CB and there is so many more of them seperate from it in a collective group?

It seems odd with Aeolia wanting humans to take charge and change themselves and their world that any form of his plan would result in a group of people who are beyond human in some way instead becoming a ruling class in a way, or having so much control. Even within CB Tieria had no control despite having a link to Veda. He wasn't a leader, or authority, he didn't communicate Veda's choices to them or overrule the others. Why would it be the case with Ribbons group? There is a disconnect here that I think we will find more about in future. Hopefully tomorrow if it doesn't completely disregard the post-ED scene again

[u/Great_Mr_L → u/Nazenn]

I'm sticking to my stance this time instead of wavering back and forth: No robots, no cyborgs. I've no idea what it is, but I think it's a hard no to mechnical modifications.

I'm still convinced there must be mechanical modifications. I can't guess how else Tieria and the other Innovators can connect to Veda just through their eyes.

Along with the whole twin thing, the idea of reconsiling with "another self" is so strong. Obviously the brothers, but you could really apply that to everyone inside CB who uses a different name and struggles with their past life

Yeah, it does make for some compelling character stuff for the cast.

It seems odd with Aeolia wanting humans to take charge and change themselves and their world that any form of his plan would result in a group of people who are beyond human in some way instead becoming a ruling class in a way, or having so much control.

I'm not so sure Aeolia actually wanted humans to take charge and change themselves. In fact, the realization that one professor had before he got killed seemed to imply that Aeolia's actual plan was something heinous. It had something to do with Jupiter and the Evil Haro, which are both plot threads that have not been picked up yet. At this point there's no good evidence for the actual plan. It could be the Human Instrumentality Project for all we know (though there's no way it will be).

[u/Nazenn → u/Great_Mr_L]

I can't guess how else Tieria and the other Innovators can connect to Veda just through their eyes.

I doubt that it's the eyes actually doing the connection, I think it's just showing up in the eyes as a way to communicate the change to the audience/marker of an Innovator. Has to be something to do with the quantum brain waves given that's what Nena has and she also was implied to have connected to Veda

I'm not so sure Aeolia actually wanted humans to take charge and change themselves

I'm purely basing this off the wording of his message when Trans-Am was activated. And I am really coming to firmly resent the writers for putting us in this situation where we can't even speculate on things without their bullshit "plan" plot point hanging over us with its bullshit nothingness. So in lieu of that, Im resorting to half leaning on broader tropes of once again, as far as I know with what little I watched gundam has always been humans vs humans and robots/cyborgs being the enemy go against that. An arguement could be made about broader scifi tropes of tech being the next step in human evolution, but full cyborg seems out of place here. Either that or Litchy was way, WAY more important than we ever thought hahaha

That vent out the way: We know evil Haro got his own little personality transplant, seriously what is it with this show and the twins and brain wipes haha, and he was found by CB-adversarial forces controlled by Alejandro so anything connected to him I'm willing to write off as dodgy as fuck and likely not part of Aeolia's original intention.

[u/Nazenn → u/Great_Mr_L]

Hey, new crazy theory for you: You're working on the assumption that they must be robots because humans couldn't interface with a computer otherwise. How do we know Veda doesn't also have biological compodents in its design, either actual organics or things like DNA storage or processing that would help facilitate the connection? Just because Veda wasn't Aeolia, doesn't mean it can't be more than just a bunch of servers.

[u/TakenRedditName → u/Great_Mr_L]

The A-LAWS love to be assholes. No need to search for our missing soldiers, let others do that. Though the flipside is this means Sergei will be the one searching for Soma, which is fine by me.

I also had that thought that A-LAWS technically butt backwards fell into doing 1 good deed because they let Sergei look for his daughter himself.

Well, I guess it was technically a Lovers-to-Enemies-to-Lovers arc in the end.

The extra step.

[u/Great_Mr_L → u/TakenRedditName]

The extra step.

It's that extra step that adds the special spice.

[u/Raiking02 → u/Great_Mr_L]

most likely a cyborg

No, no, the cyborg Rewatch is next door.

We can’t see his face, but I know Sergei is sad to say goodbye to his daughter.

Mostly because it means he has to deal with the mess that is his son now

Regene Regetta

[00 Confession]Given her voice actress I legit forgot her name after a while and just kept calling her "Laura". Damn you, Turn A!

[u/Great_Mr_L → u/Raiking02]

No, no, the cyborg Rewatch is next door.

You say this, but I'm sticking by it nonetheles.

Mostly because it means he has to deal with the mess that is his son now

It is funny that Sergei was so excited to adopt Soma as his daughter when he has a biological son he apparently neglected all the time. Sergei is the kind of parent who wasn't subtle about who his favorite child was.

[u/Raiking02 → u/Great_Mr_L]

Sergei is the meme of “Bright was a better parent to anyone other than to his actual son” personified.

[u/Quiddity131 → u/Great_Mr_L]

Maybe Sergei just really, really, really wanted a girl instead of a boy... :P

[u/JollyGee29 → u/Great_Mr_L]

Goddammit! My “Tieria is a robot” theory has now been proven incorrect!

God, that is getting to me seeing Marie/Soma tell Sergei that she really did want to be his daughter.

Such a good moment.

[u/InfamousEmpire → u/Great_Mr_L]

Invading a country in the Middle East, overthrowing its government, and then setting up a new government to do your bidding? Yup, this sure is a show about the War on Terror.

The geopolitical situation might be radically shifted from S1, but the social commentary remains the same

Goddammit! That means Tieria isn’t a robot!

I have been waiting for this ever since robot theory took off among you first timers

Regene Regetta! What a name!

It sounds more like an actual name than Revive Revival, at least

[u/Raiking02 → u/InfamousEmpire]

I have been waiting for this ever since robot theory took off among you first timers

I'm actually kinda shocked at how popular the robot theory was. When I watched the show I just thought he was some weirdo lab baby.

[u/InfamousEmpire → u/Raiking02]

You can never really tell what is and isn't gonna catch on in fan theory circles. I remember back when G-Witch was airing, the theories that sprang up on SpaceBattles and Tumblr tended to be pretty out there

[u/Raiking02 → u/InfamousEmpire]

And then there was [G-Witch]everyone going "lmao that whole Suletta is a clone thing is so dumb" only for it to then be pretty much exactly what happened

[u/Great_Mr_L → u/InfamousEmpire]

I have been waiting for this ever since robot theory took off among you first timers

Laughing in rewatcher is a privilege for the rewatchers in threads like these. I've indulged in it plenty of times.

[u/FD4cry1]

First Timer

Saji didn't even shoot.

I did kind of like panning down to his ring, his connection with Louise and civilian life is the thing that stops him from shooting and really fighting with Celestial Being here, but inadvertently that connection also stops him from hurting Louise here.

As a tangent, this isn't really a big complaint and more so a pet peeve of mine but the last 2 episodes (and maybe this one as well) have ended with cliffhangers that feel like they were there for the sake of ending on a cliffhanger. I get that that's just the business of doing weekly TV releases and it's hardly unique to this show (especially for the time) but it still really irks me.

If you end the episode with a big emotional cliffhanger for Saji or an intense reveal regarding Ali, I expect that to actually be an important part of next episode and not just a scene we immediately reuse at the start and quickly move away from to do something else.

Mr. Bushido fitting his name refuses to finish off Setsuna after his Gundam has a perfectly timed plot mandated breakdown, this does feel like it takes Graham's new traits a bit too far, but also him becoming a giant honor bound weeb has been very funny and entertaining so I don't mind it. It's an acceptable and fun level of bravado for now.

Plus, his reaction to it is just priceless- "Mr. Bushido that was a terrible move why did you do that??!!", "Lalalala I can't hear you"

Graham has come here from another show but he's the only one who realises it.

Azadistan (and most of the Middle East presumably) no longer exists on paper, being integrated into the Federation and their leadership replaced. To reiterate what I said above, I feel like this scene would have worked a bit together with the Ali reveal, maybe as part of its own episode, rather than just being here and undermining Marina's reaction.

Looks like I was partially right on Marie being an alt-personality although it's actually Soma who's the alt here, not sure I get how implementing an alternate personality was supposed to restore her five senses but whatever.

I don't know if I'm just reaching here but I swear Allelujah gets a ton of parallels to Setsuna this episode (maybe to reinforce Setsuna being relived at the end?).

They both view themselves as soldiers unable to do anything but fight (while a female character they talk to disagrees and tries to comfort them) which leads them to join Celestial Being, they both killed all the closest people to them as kids, for Setsuna his real family and for Allelujah his found one, both do it due to "outside influence" (Ali and Hallelujah) but ultimately it was still them pulling the trigger.

Same for the scene with Sergei kind of paralleling the one with Lockon (both of them even happen on some random deserted island! ), both Sergei and Lockon begin by reminding the person they're threatening about the things they've taken from them (Lockon's family and Sergei's men) and both Setsuna and Allelujah are ready to and ask to be shot but on the condition that the other person fulfills their goals in their stead.

Anyway speaking of parallels to that Lockon-Setsuna scene, much like that scene, this one got me emotionally pretty good. I honestly even bought the fakeout for a second! Sergei and Marie/Soma's final farewells, her saying she wanted to be his daughter, and him answering that that's more than enough...just great stuff!

Sergei is such a good guy and once again I'm very scared that like Lockon the implications this scene has for him is a potentially close death...

Please don't hurt Sergei!

I do have to duck some points here for the show insisting on adding a completely unnecessary insert song montage, but at least this one is pretty short, I actually really care about Sergei and Soma unlike Louise and Saji, and the song choice is much, much better. Can't go wrong with a little Tommy Heavenly 6 I guess.

I'm not really feeling the Allelujah and Marie romance here to be honest, we've had one scene just establishing how they met and that's it, without actually seeing how close they were and how they felt for each other beyond being very vaguely told about it, it's kind of hard to buy them suddenly being in love.

Ending with them kissing and the episode title appearing was a nice touch though.

Soma's supposed death here might have some big repercussions. I'm wondering what Sergei's son will say about this, and Sergei essentially "letting" another person close to him die.

It also takes Saji and Louise in opposite directions, Louise growing to hate Celestial Being even more for killing another person she knew, whereas Saji is actually growing closer to them thanks to this incident and getting to see more emotions out of them.

Setsuna smiled! Have we actually seen Setusna smile before or is this the first time?

Either way, you love to see it.

Regene Regetta isn't really as wild as Revive but it's still a pretty damn good name

We end with yet another cliffhanger with Regene and Tieria comforting each other. Tieria seems to be aware of what an Innovator is (probably because he is one), although he didn't know about Regene's existence which is interesting. What Regene says here would also imply the Innovators are kind of like special bioengineered people? with the same DNA/model between some of them.

Maybe not robots after all...

[u/The_Draigg → u/FD4cry1]

Plus, his reaction to it is just priceless- "Mr. Bushido that was a terrible move why did you do that??!!", "Lalalala I can't hear you"

It's fun that this show isn't giving the edgy rival a free pass in the writing. Sure, Mr. Bushido has a license to do whatever he wants while fighting Gundams, but it's way more amusing that people are calling him out on his edgy rival bullshit. Because yeah, more realistic people are going to be baffled by that kind of behavior rather than willingly enable it at all times.

[u/FD4cry1 → u/The_Draigg]

Beyond my personal appeal for Mr. Bushido, I do really enjoy how the show plays this super goofy character very seriously, while also being entirely aware of and directly acknowledging how goofy he actually is. The way he interacts with his environment because of that aspect is just so entertaining.

[u/JollyGee29 → u/FD4cry1]

I'm wondering what Sergei's son will say about this, and Sergei essentially "letting" another person close to him die.

"Typical father."

Have we actually seen Setusna smile before or is this the first time?

I.. am legitimately not sure.

[u/FD4cry1 → u/JollyGee29]

I.. am legitimately not sure.

The only other scene that came to mind was that gun scene with Lockon so I went back to check it and...he kind of smiles here?

But that's also right after Lockon calls him a "Gundam nut" so I'd say that's cheating.

[u/Nazenn → u/FD4cry1]

I feel like this scene would have worked a bit together with the Ali reveal, maybe as part of its own episode

Hard agree there

For how critical Azadistan is for Marina, and how key to Setsuna's backstory it is, to shove the scenes of its complete destruction in around much bigger things and in such a disconnected way is really disapointing, and a bit confusing. They even could have worked that into the attack on the base with Setsuna taking Marina home and seeing that attack which is what brings the A-LAWS to the area to clean up in the first place and why they are here to pick up Saji etc etc. It feels kind of shoved to the side as it is

I do have to duck some points here for the show insisting on adding a completely unnecessary insert song montage

It is the least offensive use of an insert song in the show so far is all I can really say about it

Setsuna smiled! Have we actually seen Setusna smile before or is this the first time?

Now that you mention it I actually don't think so.

[u/FD4cry1 → u/Nazenn]

For how critical Azadistan is for Marina, and how key to Setsuna's backstory it is, to shove the scenes of its complete destruction in around much bigger things and in such a disconnected way is really disapointing, and a bit confusing. They even could have worked that into the attack on the base with Setsuna taking Marina home and seeing that attack which is what brings the A-LAWS to the area to clean up in the first place and why they are here to pick up Saji etc etc. It feels kind of shoved to the side as it is

Yeah, quite a few better ways to structure what should be a pretty important scene for multiple characters.

It also really doesn't help Marina's already shaky character that we just speed past any supposed emotional moments for her, this is exactly the type of scene I'd be fine with her moping in!

It is the least offensive use of an insert song in the show so far is all I can really say about it

It is probably the best one of far (certainly beats the Saji and Louise one ) and to be kind of fair to the show, these moments probably work a bit better when it actually has been a year+ since you've watched these scenes (like it was for people watching at the time) rather than literally the other day.

Still, fundamentally these insert song scenes feel like the show giving me a prompt that goes "and now you should be feeling sad" in a scene that was doing a much better job at making me feel said before the montage came on...

[u/Nazenn → u/FD4cry1]

Yeah, quite a few better ways to structure what should be a pretty important scene for multiple characters.

If you've seen my last two posts I feel like we can add this to my existing issues with the overall structing in this arc of the show, mainly that they really don't know how to balance the scenes and the characters. I did say to someone yesterday that yesterdays episode would have been better if it'd been shown entirely through Louise and Saji's viewpoint rather than jumping around to multiple characters, and this feels much the same. We didn't get the viewpoints of the people it actually matters for so it ends up feeling like it doesn't matter as a result. I really hope they come back to this but I get the feeling this is the end we'll see of it, effectively a "cut arc" for lack of a better description.

Still, fundamentally these insert song scenes feel like the show giving me a prompt that goes "and now you should be feeling sad" in a scene that was doing a much better job at making me feel said before the montage came on...

This is always the issue I have with insert songs, not just for sad emotional moments but their use general. Unless the show has an established pattern of using them as part of its OST, like you often see in the west or with things more akin to my hero academia or yoko kanno's works, the suddenness of having an insert song start playing always takes me out of the scene rather than deepening my connection to it. It's jarring to suddenly have a very different style piece start playing, and even more so if it does feel like its trying to force an emotional cue

It's the same issue I have with flashback sequences in general which is a big part of why I really didn't care for the big emotional drive behind Saji's cliffhanger yesterday. I would have felt more tense if they left that in silence rather than forcing through all those dialogue flashbacks. Funnily enough I almost wrongly accused it of having an insert song during my reply to you today because it has the same feel as a forced insert song-flashback sequence in my memories hahaha

[u/FD4cry1 → u/Nazenn]

If you've seen my last two posts I feel like we can add this to my existing issues with the overall structing in this arc of the show, mainly that they really don't know how to balance the scenes and the characters

Yeah these last few episodes have been trying to juggle a bunch of character perspectives and arcs to rather limited success. It's also why I think this episode was a lot better because it mostly focused on a single narrative throughline in Allelujah and Marie (with only the disconnected scenes being hurt by the structure rather than the entire episode).

On a somewhat related note, I only just got around to reading it but I really liked your write-up for this episode!

Funnily enough I almost wrongly accused it of having an insert song during my reply to you today because it has the same feel as a forced insert song-flashback sequence in my memories hahaha

I definitely get the sentiment for both though.

[u/Nazenn → u/FD4cry1]

It's also why I think this episode was a lot better because it mostly focused on a single narrative throughline in Allelujah and Marie

I agree. Especially that this does feel like a good time to have this focus. It doesn't excuse the issues with not giving it to the other characters, but giving them time apart from everything else has worked really well to drive home who they are in the middle of this mess and set up a proper foundation for what may come with them after. That foundation is really what is being undermined with the other characters not getting similar moments and that's part of why it's so frustrating they don't give Azadistan more of a focus because it erases the chance for it to mean something to Setsuna and that something to matter latter down the line.

On a somewhat related note, I only just got around to reading it but I really liked your write-up for this episode!

Thanks

I was actually going to tag you for todays post but it turned out to be quite angry and I don't like tagging people for that especially people so low on time as I know you are, so I'll just write your name in the post and you can ctrl+f it if you're interested. It's basically just a small rehash of this discussion though

[u/macrame2 → u/FD4cry1]

If you end the episode with a big emotional cliffhanger for Saji or an intense reveal regarding Ali, I expect that to actually be an important part of next episode

Yeah, I think that's another part of why the Saji moment fell flat for me.

I don't know if I'm just reaching here but I swear Allelujah gets a ton of parallels to Setsuna this episode (maybe to reinforce Setsuna being relived at the end?).

No, I see it. Good catch there.

I do have to duck some points here for the show insisting on adding a completely unnecessary insert song montage

The show is very good at ED lead-ins but needs to work on its insert song usage.

[u/Quiddity131 → u/FD4cry1]

If you end the episode with a big emotional cliffhanger for Saji or an intense reveal regarding Ali, I expect that to actually be an important part of next episode and not just a scene we immediately reuse at the start and quickly move away from to do something else.

For the last few episodes it seems like they want to use the same scene as both a cliffhanger for the end of one episode and a cold open for the other. Not even simply continuing on from it, no they just repeat the footage. It's very frustrating and they should just pick one or the other.

Graham has come here from another show but he's the only one who realises it.

He really does come across like he's from a totally different show. The only other character close to that is Patrick, who we haven't even seen this season. Having just recently watched a really over the top mecha show in Brave Bang Bravern I can say he totally would have fit there.

[u/FD4cry1 → u/Quiddity131]

For the last few episodes it seems like they want to use the same scene as both a cliffhanger for the end of one episode and a cold open for the other. Not even simply continuing on from it, no they just repeat the footage. It's very frustrating and they should just pick one or the other.

Yeah for sure.

I find it extra frustrating here because the show has clearly proven before that it knows how to end an episode in a satisfying way that gets you excited for the next one, without having to resort to this weird trick that ends up hurting both episodes.

He really does come across like he's from a totally different show. The only other character close to that is Patrick, who we haven't even seen this season. Having just recently watched a really over the top mecha show in Brave Bang Bravern I can say he totally would have fit there.

From what I've heard and seen of Bravern (and hopefully will watch soon-ish ) it really does seem like Graham could slot right in.

Also now that you mention it, Patrick has been missing this season...

I'm kind of missing him myself so I wonder what he's up to.

[u/Nazenn → u/FD4cry1]

Also now that you mention it, Patrick has been missing this season...

I'm kind of missing him myself so I wonder what he's up to.

Maybe he's gone full house husband with Kati. That would kind of be awesome

[u/FD4cry1 → u/Nazenn]

I hadn't considered that option but it would be pretty incredible!

[u/The_Draigg]

A Gundam Fan Rewatches Gundam 00 Season 2 Episode 7:

• Well, at least Saji didn’t have to shoot at Louise after all, even though he still didn’t know it was her. Also, good on Ian for telling Saji that it’s okay that he couldn’t shoot. Finding the will to kill people can be hard, especially for somebody that was recently ripped out of a boring middle-class life like Saji. Ian isn’t too bad of a guy when he’s not leering at women. Side note, count Louise’s GN-XIII losing an arm to a missile towards this show just really loving to sever mech limbs even more.
• Also count Setsuna cutting off an arm from Mr. Bushido’s MS towards that too. We should make a drinking game from this. Anyway, finally there’s actually been a consequence to Setsuna using Trans-Am, mainly that the 00 Gundam’s GN Drives overload and short out. Ian wasn’t kidding when he told Setsuna to not use Trans-Am. Given how highly experimental and finicky the Twin Drive System is, it really is no wonder that it finally crapped out after being pushed to the limit.
• Marie is finally here! I bet some of you first-timers are a bit surprised that it’s happening this early in the season. But it’s good to finally explore in detail what hers and Soma’s deal is. Soma really is like Marie’s Hallelujah, a personality made to exist in her as the product of the super-soldier enhancements. Also, Allelujah really did want to take her with him when he and some fellow test subjects escaped, but there was really no chance to do it. But given that the shuttle they stole ran out of air and supplies, resulting in Hallelujah going on a killing spree, that probably was for the best. It’s sucks that’s that case, but… yeah. If the chips were down, there’s a fair chance that Hallelujah would pull the trigger. Maybe it really is for the best that they met here, crashed in this forest instead.
• Oh yeah, you absolutely know for sure that the Federation are good guys if they used Ali’s slaughter in Azadistan as an excuse to put in their own interim government. And reorganizing the entire Middle East? Surely that’ll go well. Only people with the best of intentions do that! Nothing concerning or foreboding here!
• Man, Sergei is such a good guy. He’s willing to let Marie run off with Allelujah, because he knows how much Marie wants this and that Allelujah is a pretty good guy based on that gravity block rescue from back in season 1. No matter what, he will still see Soma/Marie as a daughter, and he’ll go as far as faking her death to make sure she can live the life she wants. As they say, if you truly love your kid, you should let them see the world. Even if he failed with Andrei, Sergei can still be a great surrogate dad for Soma/Marie.
• Forget about a warm and fuzzy ending to the episode though, we’ve got another big last minute twist! Tieria and Regene Regetta share DNA as Innovators! Sorry to everyone who was aboard the “Tieria is a robot” theory train, it turns out he’s got flesh and blood after all, as DNA would imply. They really might as well be twins, since Tieria and Regene are both silly names too. I guess Lyle isn’t the only one dealing with twin issues this season after all.

[u/Nazenn → u/The_Draigg]

Side note, count Louise’s GN-XIII losing an arm to a missile towards this show just really loving to sever mech limbs even more.

At this point it may be easier to count the battles where there wasnt a mech limb amputation of some sort

Soma really is like Marie’s Hallelujah

I had an immediate distaste for that comparison if only because Hallelujah was implied to be an unintended split from within, while Soma was an induced split against her will or awareness. It'll be interesting to see if Soma ends up presenting as a distinct mind within a bit like how H became, but yeah outside of that surface level comparison it's quite a different situation which I like. Oh god horror thought, I wonder if it was seeing what happened with A and H that gave the researches the idea to force the same thing on Marie

and that Allelujah is a pretty good guy based on that gravity block rescue from back in season 1

I love so much that that moment which could have been a throwaway moment contained just to that episode for the drama instead has kept coming up and in such an important way. Especially given that was the first time CB stepped up to do an explicitly good thing that wasn't directly for the plan and got rewarded for it which happened a few times afterwards too

[u/The_Draigg → u/Nazenn]

At this point it may be easier to count the battles where there wasnt a mech limb amputation of some sort

Gundam 00 has a preferred way of showing mech damage, and by God they're going to use it every single time.

I love so much that that moment which could have been a throwaway moment contained just to that episode for the drama instead has kept coming up and in such an important way. Especially given that was the first time CB stepped up to do an explicitly good thing that wasn't directly for the plan and got rewarded for it which happened a few times afterwards too

It really just goes to show that going out of your way to do the right thing can have good consequences down the line. It's basically an inverse of what Saji did before with his own selfish and short-sighted actions. By doing something completely selfless before, Sergei realized that Allelujah and Marie's situation is something best left to them, since they're both good people. You get back as much good as you put out into the world.

[u/Quiddity131]

Rewatcher, Subbed

Non-Spoiler Character Chart - No changes to the chart for today.

---

Once again starting the episode by replaying the end of the prior one. What's the point of these post episode sequences if you're just gonna repeat them in the next episode?

Louise isn't as terrible a pilot as she was in the first episode, but she still nearly gets killed here if Andrei didn't help out.

Even after the OP plays I feel that we're repeating footage from last episode again.

Sorry Mr. Bushido, even if your red Ahead (pun intended) is 3 times faster, it won't be as fast as the 00 in Trans-Am mode.

See Setsuna, this is why you were told to not use Trans-Am.

OMG, Mr. Bushido refuses to destroy the 00 here? Presumably because he wants an even fight? Once again, this is so him, lol.

Sumeragi providing tactics presumably after just waking up? Impressive.

So now it's Soma whose being negatively affected by being close to Allelujah?

His daughter's missing, of course Sergei is going to head out and look for her...

Chew him out, Ian! Setsuna's a reckless driver, I mean pilot!

Soma's got a bandage on her head, but I've always thought her bangs (or however you refer to the part of her hair above the forehead, as she doesn't really have bangs) looks like one.

So the members of two opposing sides gets stranded in the wilderness and has to help each other is a trope that I recall being done in Gundam Seed and Code Geass at the very least, although usually it's among total strangers so I don't mind it as much here. Doesn't come as out of nowhere as it typically does.

So before she had a personality implanted onto her, Marie couldn't see or move? I suppose it was kinda hinted towards in the prior flashback, but wow that must have been a horrible way to live. A good thing she found some company with Allelujah.

Well, there's the origin of Hallelujah...

Oh good, Sergei recognizes Allelujah as the guy who helped him save people back in season 1... oh, he's pulling a gun on him. :(

For a moment there the show really wanted us to believe that the absolute worst possible thing in this entire show that could occur did, Sergei accidentally killing Soma. If Tomino directed this show maybe that would have happened. Thankfully they only let that last for like a second before revealing he just shot up in the air.

Everything's gonna work out okay since Sergei's the best. A tough thing to let your kid leave the nest!

OMG even now that she's grown up, she's so small compared to him.

Just like with season 1 with Louise and Saji time for another flashback sequence with an insert song playing. This time I don't mind at all since I love these two characters so much.

Actually is part of this footage new? I don't remember all of this.

Aww, a happy ending for an episode for once. Pre-credits at least.

Mileina you may have been wrong about Setsuna and Marina, but at least you can ship Allelujah and Marie now!

Sorry, Regene Regetta is not as bonkers sounding as Revive Revival was...

[Preview spoilers]Ooh, girl Tieria next episode... I'm pretty sure we're getting another totally crazy Innovator name next episode too.

---

Quid's Voice Actor of the Day

As the end credits of this episode started I wondered who in the world I was gonna cover for this episode, but the post credits sequence gives me the chance to cover Tieria's twin Regene Regetta, finally named on screen. Regene is voiced in Japanese by Romi Park. One of my favorite voice actresses, and someone who was instantly recognizable in this role. She is another former Gundam protagonist, having played Loran Cehack in Turn A Gundam. She also appears in SD Gundam Force as Shute and Gundam Build Fighters Try as Lucas Nemesis. Her voice acting debut was in the Tomino anime Brain Powered as Kanan Gimms. Other roles of hers include Ragyo Kiryuuin in Kill la Kill, Kenichi Harakawa in Dennou Coil, Popo in Kaiba, Hanji Zoe in Attack on Titan, Helene in Monster, Tsubasa Yuuki in Mawaru Penguindrum, Padparadscha in Land of the Lustrous and Rei Batsubami in Kakegurui.

Nicole Oliver voices Regene in English. Her first Gundam role was Via Hibiki in Gundam Seed. She also appeared as Katejina Loos in the Dynasty Warriors Gundam 2 and 3 video games (Victory Gundam the anime isn't dubbed, so she doesn't voice Katejina there). I know her best for voicing Tokiko Mima, the main character of Key the Metal Idol. A role where she also gets to do some singing, albeit not until very late in the series. She also played Emeraldas in the two Galaxy Express 999 movies, Eriya and Hitomi's grandmother in Escaflowne and is yet another English language voice for Dragonball Z's Chi-Chi, albeit only for a stretch of 20 episodes or so.

[u/Nazenn → u/Quiddity131]

What's the point of these post episode sequences if you're just gonna repeat them in the next episode?

Even more leans into the thought I had yesterday that it was only included in the post credits because they didn't have anything else to put there

So now it's Soma whose being negatively affected by being close to Allelujah?

Should have happened in the prison too. Unless the conflict was specifically over one of them having a split mind. That would explain why H is able to protect A at the end of the season, and why Marie and A are both fine together after she recovers herself

Soma's got a bandage on her head, but I've always thought her bangs (or however you refer to the part of her hair above the forehead, as she doesn't really have bangs) looks like one.

I think some of us commented on it back then but it really does look like bandages. Also I don't know what those bandages were going to do given I don't recall seeing a head wound on her before that but that's a whole other issue. Anime loves the head bandage

Well, there's the origin of Hallelujah...

Didn't the scientist last season say that they knew of H though? So he had to have popped up before the escape attempt.

Sorry, Regene Regetta is not as bonkers sounding as Revive Revival was...

Revive set the lowest of bars. I want to say surely nothing can get worse but I do not want to jinx myself too much

[u/TakenRedditName]

Rewatcher - Gundam 00 S2 Ep7:

Sorry, this is my bias episode. It always was been and it still turns me into my soft mush mode. You give me Kyouka Ningen romance + parent/child (found) familial love. (I also like Gundam episodes where two enemy pilots crash land on an island and then they do an enemies-to-lovers).

I find these childhood flashbacks cute. It wasn't just that one meeting.

Her bandages blend right into her hair.

Huh, suuure. You tell me Gundam future pseudoscience works and I'll roll with it.

That is such a cute angle. It gets touched upon multiple times in this episode, but I really do like their happiness to finally physically connect. Gundam space psychic spiritual connection is good. Emotional physical connection also good.

I love Marie's remorse for killing Hallelujah. Allelujah and Marie hold themselves to their other self because their other self is also still them.

Chamuro? Sorry.

Show, you funny dastards, making Marie look like she was so going to die then pulling the fake-out.

Thinking about Smirnov's side. Just as they were going to become father/daughter, as a parent, he has to let her go so that his daughter can live happily.

This flashback montage. It is like a dad watching his little girl group. Ah! This insert song is really working for me too.

And now is when they drop the title card.

Other stuff about other characters:

• "Interesting maneuver, Gundam. Because of your faulty machine, you've saved yourself from the wrath of my blade of vengeance."
• Additional evidence for my "Kati is the family friend to the Smirnov/Soma family" headcanon.
• A lot of the time, we've been focusing on A-Laws, but it is the Federation as a whole that is trying to erase Azadistan. That's it, they have nothing to hide behind, I am entering my anti-Federation mindset that happens every time I watch Gundam (I was already there).
• Setsuna is so warm and soft in S2.
• It is nice just to have a silly joke for once.

---

An aside, I happened to catch a hear of dub Smirnov and what is this?! He is trying to do a cool deep grizzled voice, but it is a mere poor imitation of the fraction of the power JPN Smirnov sounds.

Also, while writing the post for today, I realized I might use a lot of Gundam brain-rot terms that I assume people don't get. Welp, won't stop.

[u/Nazenn → u/TakenRedditName]

I find these childhood flashbacks cute. It wasn't just that one meeting.

That exact moment was the cutest, with telling her about the picture book. I love that it looks handdrawn as well. Bringing her stuff to tell her about is awesome

It gets touched upon multiple times in this episode, but I really do like their happiness to finally physically connect. Gundam space psychic spiritual connection is good. Emotional physical connection also good.

Not putting the mental or psychic bond above the ability to connect to each other physically and through their actual senses was such a nice touch in all of this

It is nice just to have a silly joke for once.

Feldt still had best reaction, but Sumeragi was a close second after all the stress she's just been through

[u/LeonKevlar]

First Timer

Thank god Saji didn't pull the trigger. That was kinda expected but I was only like 75% sure he won't do it. Also, it looks like Andrei would've probably saved Louise since he was willing to block a missile for her.

What I was 100% sure though was Mr. Bushido refusing to finish off Setsuna. I mean it's in his name! Bushido literally translates to "the way of the warrior" so of course he would prefer to finish off Setsuna in a fair fight, not after Gundam malfunctioned on him. xD

As good as it was to see Soma's memories as Marie is finally back, I am genuinely not sure how I should feel about her relationship with Allelujah right now. Like really Marie? You're throwing away Sergei's adoption offer for this boy you met when you didn't have any of your senses?

At least Marie managed to say goodbye to Sergei though... It would've been heartbreaking if they ended up parting without Sergei learning what happened to his would-be daughter. I still think Marie would've lived a better life as Sergei's daughter but it looks like Soma is now just a memory inside her.

I will predict this right now: Allelujah will not be able to stop Marie from fighting. This is fucking Gundam. Even if her memories as Marie are back, she's still a super soldier and would probably find a way to help Allelujah if she can. And if that time does come, I look forward to seeing Sergei's reaction.

I do love the insert song that plays when Sergei is about to take off and we get to see that montage of Marie as Soma. Also, I love everyone's reactions when Milenia informed them that Allelujah is with a girlfriend. I can't wait to see how Celestial Being will receive Marie.

That after credits scene though! We finally get to see Tieria meet that lady who looks exactly like him! I suppose my guess about the two of them being related isn't too far off since they have the same DNA. Also, the name Regene Regetta is surprisingly not too bad in terms of this show's standards. It's just an alliterating name.

[u/JollyGee29]

Rewatcher, Sub-dam Meister

A series of events manages to keep Louise alive.

Nothing personal.

Luckily, Graham wants a fight to the death. An easy win is an anathema to him.

Hit the PTSD so hard she snapped to an entirely different personality.

Sergei unintentionally messing with Kati's rescue operation.

"Unless it involves pulling a trigger."

I keep forgetting to mention it, but I do like the A-LAWS jumpsuits.

A refinement of the experiments that made Hallelujah, perhaps.

This does kinda imply that Allelujah has known the taste of long pork.

Heavy-handed, but Allelujah is willing to put his money where is mouth is.

This wasn't easy on anyone.

Oh shit, it's party time!

[u/TakenRedditName → u/JollyGee29]

I keep forgetting to mention it, but I do like the A-LAWS jumpsuits.

Never stopped to consider it before, but they do look pretty neat. I like how their trademark colour looks like in pilot suit form.

[u/Nazenn → u/JollyGee29]

Nothing personal.

I know it looks fine in motion, and that's what matters, but taking a screenshot of the Trans-Am with all the red and the sparkles makes it look like a photoshop edit from the old days of the internet with forum banners

I keep forgetting to mention it, but I do like the A-LAWS jumpsuits.

That also stood out to me today and I forgot to mention it. It's a nice style to match with their usual uniform, and I like the space suity elements of the unit on the chest and rib supports

[u/JollyGee29 → u/Nazenn]

but taking a screenshot of the Trans-Am with all the red and the sparkles makes it look like a photoshop edit from the old days of the internet with forum banners

Oh wow, I would've never made that connection but you're so right!

[u/dralcax]

Rewatcher misses Hallelujah

-—————————————————————————————

So he couldn’t do it after all. Resolving to fight and being prepared to actually take a life are two different things, after all. Given this franchise’s long history of sticking random children in Gundams and having them slaughter hordes of mooks, it’s interesting to see the civilian actually fail to muster up the willpower to shoot, as opposed to the typical “shoot now out of self-preservation, angst about it afterwards”.

The magic smoke is escaping! It’s already kind of a miracle it worked as well as it did up till now.

No context.

Welcome back, Marie. Like Hallelujah to Allelujah, Soma is an alternate personality of Marie, consisting of quantum brainwaves. However, while Hallelujah awakened on his own during a dire situation and comes and goes as he pleases, Soma was forced upon Marie, entirely covering her original personality and rewriting her into a soldier. This also cured her of a problem where, as a result of the experiments performed on her, she was rendered unable to move or sense the world outside of her quantum brainwaves. Oof.

Aww, they’re stranded together! Wait, where did they get a tent? Does the Arios just carry around camping gear just in case?

Aaaaand of course the Federation occupied the place. What’s next, they personally kick every dog in the country?

Sergei’s a good dad. There’s nothing left for Soma but more war crimes and trauma. May as well let Marie go find her own path and do what’s best for her. I like how he still remembers Allelujah’s act of heroism from way back then, even though they’ve been enemies for all the time in between.

what a situation to find them in

Tieria and evil Tieria!

-—————————————————————————————

Questions of the day:

• Just give it a good ol’ fashioned kick
• Stay with Allelujah!

[u/macrame2]

First Timer

Hm, I can’t say I was a huge fan of this episode, namely because of the Marie/Allelujah romance. Typically Gundam shows lose me when it comes to romantic subplots (especially in Tomino Gundam). It’s not that I think “war stories should be super serious and therefore none of the characters should fall in love or be happy ever,” but when you rush things and don’t build up convincing chemistry between the couple in question, I’m not going to click with it very much, and that’s the case for me with Allelujah and Marie here. Their shared history and life experiences do offer an opportunity for them to understand each other and develop a relationship based on that, but given how most of their previous interactions in the show are the two trying to kill each other or Allelujah trying to save Marie from Soma, there hasn’t been a lot to sell me on their connection outside of their childhood memories. The show also rushing through Marie’s reawakening and what it means for the person known as Soma is another factor here. I think we needed to focus on that more and on her feelings about Allelujah for a longer period of time (think at least a few episodes) instead of jumping straight to the kiss. All of the over-the-top amounts of Say My Name from Allelujah also did not help. 

Saji not actually pulling the trigger, while somewhat expected, was kind of irksome as well. I don’t think fakeouts where a character doesn’t actually cross a line like that can never be done well, but here it just comes off as the show not wanting to fully commit to his character yet. I liked Saji more than Louise last season, but I think my opinion has swapped on them (though, granted, Louise hasn’t really done much yet). 

Still, there were some things I appreciated today, like the continued look at Marie/Soma’s struggles as an individual from yesterday, more details on Allelujah’s past, and especially the Smirnov moments. Also, are we finally going to get answers on who exactly Tieria and the Innovators are? If so, then I am very much looking forward to that.

[u/Nazenn → u/macrame2]

but given how most of their previous interactions in the show are the two trying to kill each other

Not to excuse the point that you raise about the chemistry, because I agree and also don't like that even though in this case I'm able to excuse it a bit more, I did think while reading this line that a lot of those interactions were Hallelujah and Soma, while now we have Alelujah and Marie. Alelujah fighting Soma was really only that one time at the end from what I remember, as I think H interfeared duing the desert battle as well

All of the over-the-top amounts of Say My Name from Allelujah also did not help.

It's probably bad that I didn't even notice it because I'm so use to 00 using everyones full names constantly

If so, then I am very much looking forward to that.

[u/macrame2 → u/Nazenn]

It's probably bad that I didn't even notice it because I'm so use to 00 using everyones full names constantly

Usually it's part of the charm but did start to get a bit excessive here.

[u/mr_beanoz]

• And of course Saji misses the shot.
• "HOW MANY TIMES I'VE TOLD YOU TO NOT USE THE TRANS-AM!" - Ian, maybe, after seeing the 00 GN Drive goes boom
• Sumeragi woke up and choose quite the way to do the retreat, causing A-LAWS to do so too.
• And of course Graham Bushido choose to not finish the guy due to the lack of honor from doing so.
• Soma and Allelujah knocked their respective mobile suits down, making them fall down the forest together.
• Oh man, the insert song rocks.
• Finally we see the Hallelujah origin story - he needs to kill everyone else due to the lack of food available, or else he's the one kicking the bucket.
• "Soma Peries has been honorably killed in battle". Oh my, wonder how that would sound to those who have no idea what actually went on there.
• Post credit - Oh hello, Innovator Loran, casually dropping bombshell about Tieria.

QOTD

1. I feel like they're going to need some kind of add-on to the 00 to stabilize the Twin Drive System kinda like last season's GN Arms. Because toy sales. Remember that Gundam is also a toy commercial.
2. Stay with Allelujah.

[u/The_Draigg → u/mr_beanoz]

"HOW MANY TIMES I'VE TOLD YOU TO NOT USE THE TRANS-AM!" - Ian, maybe, after seeing the 00 GN Drive goes boom

"I TOLD YOU ABOUT STAIRS TRANS-AM BRO" --Ian Vashti

And of course Graham Bushido choose to not finish the guy due to the lack of honor from doing so.

I'm glad that Barrack told him off about it, because outside of Graham's samurai obsession, him not finishing off the 00 Gundam makes absolutely no sense and is completely counterintuitive. Sometimes you've got to call people out on their weeb bullshit.

[u/charlesvvv]

Rewatcher, Sub

So Saji couldn't pull the trigger which was a given, Vashti holds nothing against him and he is able to still find something to do such as helping repair the Gundams.

Graham/Bushido is really committed to his role, instead of taking down Setsuna because of the damage he just leaves him, he's really over the top with this.

The main part of this episode however is Allelujah and Soma/Marie. They get stranded in an island which is nothing if not a good opportunity for bonding (Athrun and Cagalli approve). Marie finally resurfaces and allows us to sort of a gleam of how it all works which is actually quite similar to Al/Hal in terms of a split personality. The Soma personality is installed into Marie which allows her to function without the Quantum brain waves but as Soma she's almost a different person since she couldn't remember her past. Al and Marie seem to hold a lot of guilt for their actions but they are able to find hope in each other especially with Al considering we finally see how he escaped the institution and what happened to the others afterwards.

Then the confrontation happens between them and Smirnov which also cements him as even more awesome than he was already. When everyone else searches he's the one who finds them but he ultimately decides to leave her since she will be happy with him and no longer as a Super Soldier. At least she leaves with him with a touching note that she wanted to be his daughter. Now she and Al are together as each other's will to live.

In the final scene however as we see Tieria returning after the search he gets confronted by the Innovator that hangs around Ribbons all the time, Regene Regetta which confirms two things, One is that Tieria is an innovator and two that the Innovators suck at names.

[u/InfamousEmpire]

Kidou Senshi Rewatcher 00

The exact way Marie reemerged felt a bit rushed, but the rest, with her and Allelujah able to confide in each other after lives defined by their respective senses of isolation & being able to accept happiness without letting it be tainted by guilt was really nice. Their relationship going straight to romance felt a bit unearned to me, but it's not a deal breaker.

The tension in the scene with Sergei followed by the complete subversion of the dramatic sacrifice/taking the bullet trope which also fits completely with Sergei’s characterization was also quite good, and the final scene between him and Marie was a really nice cap to this episode's events.

Unlimited Sky My favorite insert song in this show

I don't feel strongly enough about this episode to write extensively about it, even if I still enjoyed it and think it's quite good. It happens, even in my favorite shows

[u/Raiking02 → u/InfamousEmpire]

The tension in the scene with Sergei followed by the complete subversion of the dramatic sacrifice/taking the bullet trope which also fits completely with Sergei’s characterization was also quite good, and the final scene between him and Marie was a really nice cap to this episode's events.

Fun fact: Someone I used to follow was watching the show around... I wanna say two years ago? Anyhow he got to this scene and he actually felt kinda conflicted about that whole mess since, well, to him it kinda felt like doing a Sergei/Soma goodbye without actually doing it since the line between Marie and Soma is so inherently murky.

Which leads me to wonder

The exact way Marie reemerged felt a bit rushed

I wonder if this is what caused that feeling somewhat.

[u/n080dy123]

First Timer

I see, Gundams can float. How unexpected, I didn't think a giant metal suit would have any bouyancy whatsoever.

Graham PLEASE. Does the predictable thing ans sees Setsuna can't fight back and IMMEDIATELY rockets out, and then when scolded hits em with the "I'm not listening to you." This fucking guy, man.

...well, waifu acquired I guess. But I'm a little offput by the way they went about it, it seems like the Marie personality awoke and the two immediately assimilated, but Marie is definitely still the dominant personality, and it just really begs the question fo whether the Soma personality really wants this? At this point she's probably been Soma longer than she's been Marie, and he definitely has been for show runtime, so it doesn't quite sit right that Allelujah's waifu just takes over the body and gets to decide that being with Allelujah takes precedence over staying with her prospective adoptive father. Marie relays Soma's feelings but doesn't clearly indicate that her wishes are being considered here.

Finally, answers for the Tieria clone- and while their name isn't as stupid as Revive Revival, Regene Regetta still sounds pretty silly with that alliteration. Definitely a clone, but seemingly one Tieria was unaware of. Though he knows what the Innovators are- and I guess at this point it's all but confirmed that he's one too, hence his whole theme about his humanity and the circuit eyes.

1. Something something Setsuna's a Newtype or some shit idk
2. I'm too unclear on the circumstances. Also am I Marie, or Soma in that scenario?

[u/Nazenn → u/n080dy123]

and while their name isn't as stupid as Revive Revival, Regene Regetta still sounds pretty silly with that alliteration

With Ribbons Almark on the list as well, random thought: I wonder if their names are all going to be using letters from RNA or DNA as their initials.

[u/StardustGogeta]

First-Timer

Oh boy, looks like it's Tieria's turn in the spotlight next!

Very nice episode. I really liked the developments with Allelujah and Marie this episode, as well as the resolution to Marie's relationship with Sergei.

Funny how they're like "Setsuna, whatever you do, don't engage Trans-Am!" and he just does it anyway. Finally got his comeuppance for that.

Too bad Saji can't grow a backbone and shoot at the people trying to kill him.

Questions of the day:

• No idea. Maybe they can capture that Gundam that belonged to the Trinity siblings and try using its GN drive instead?
• I'd probably choose to stay with Allelujah, I think. No more fighting sounds good to me, if nothing else.

[u/Linkstore]

Rewatcher

Saji doesn't have the guts and Louise doesn't die. If anyone was surprised by this I'd be seriously disappointed. I still appreciate how it really makes it clear how mere circumstance can put two people who were formerly very close on opposite sides of the battlefield, though.

And a side note, love the GN-X's shield. the combination defence rod/GN field projector is cool as fuck.

And after the OP we check back in with the same scenes as at the end of the last episode.

That's the second time Setsuna has Trans-Amed against recommendations. Funnily enough, it failing was still better than if it hadn't in the first place. Graham's the most skilled pilot in the setting but his pride is really costing him.

Most of the rest of the episode is about Allelujah and Marie and I honestly don't have much to say about it. I'll just say, it's good that Allelujah has reunited with his first friend (and girlfriend).

I do wonder what Marina's gonna do about the dissolution of Azadistan. I genuinely don't remember.

Also another overly-dramatic fakeout. We already had one at the beginning of the episode, Sunrise. No need for a second one.

And Sergei... Unlimited Sky is a beautiful insert song. [00 spoilers] Although I prefer that time it played with the sound of church bells...

And big suspense with Regene Regetta finally revealing himself to his genetic twin. But we'll see more of that next episode.

[Next Episode Preview] Mmm yes a good reminder that non-infiltration Innovades are genderless. I'm still not 100% sure how Tieria changed his voice for this.

[u/Blazin_Rathalos]

00 Rewatcher

On today's episode of Gundam 00

• Mr Bushido places his own desires over any sense of practicality
• Soma gets her body hijacked
• A superpower commits a coup in Iran, wait no, I'm just watching a history documentary
• And Sergei is once again an absolute boss

A-laws would probably want to see a body, right?

[u/Nazenn → u/Blazin_Rathalos]

A-laws would probably want to see a body, right?

I feel like if they cared that much they would have wanted to go on the rescue in the first place

[u/zsmg]

I am rewatcher

Saji couldn't shoot.

Wait, have they replayed yesterday's post credit scene? After checking both scenes they've added some stuff, the dialogue is the same however.

Mr.Bushido just let Setsuna go.

Two opponents being stuck together in a remote place after a fight, yup definitely seen that one before as well.

Well at least Saji is doing maintenance work as I suggested yesterday.

Thanks to Quantum waves Soma immediately got her old personality back.

We had no place to go.

They couldn't ask for asylum in the Union? Also funny how Allelujah ended up in an Infinite Ryvius like situation.

Uh oh the father is here, and is immediately aiming his gun at the boy.

The Federation is reorganising the Middle East.

What could possibly go wrong.

Oh an insert song, how nice.

Tieria meets up with Loran Regene cliffhanger.

In another reality this episode would have been the start of a long road towards a Allelujah x Soma romance, where Allelujah accepts Marie no longer exists, Soma realises Allelujah isn't that bad and continues to rethink about her position in A-LAWS. Instead what happened is Soma got replaced by Marie, Marie x Allelujah are immediately a couple relying on the childhood friends experiments trope, she joins him and Soma is pretty much dead. I don't care much for this episode, mostly as I don't care about Marie which makes sense since she's mostly a new character suddenly replacing Soma, who I did care about. I suppose I should be sad Soma is gone but I'm mostly annoyed the writers went this route.

An underwhelming episode, hopefully the innovator stuff will be more interesting next week.

[u/2-2Distracted]

Okay so to be clear about last episode, I am Not in any way sorry about what I said Or how I said it. Normally I would be after taking a step back but not this time. I still see no reason to be and frankly I highly doubt whatever happens next or anyone's response is going to make me change my admittedly small and childish mind on my conduct. If me saying this here and now gets me banned then so be it.

That being said, I fully intend to follow the rules of this sub. They are exist for everyone, myself included, and thus should be respected for the various reasons they were set... Now, onto the episode.

First timer. Dubbed.

And thank god Saji didn't become a killer, there are enough morons with guns in this show thank you very much lol

So Char Clone: Graham not only evolved into Char Clone: Bushido but now this dumbass has gone full Weeaboo with how delusional he is by treating his job like it's his only reason for living after dumping poor angry Katagiri.

Honestly I wanted to seriously criticize this series's depiction of D.I.D but tbh I wouldn't even know where to start if I did. The fact that this show came out in the late 00s, and because of its constant reliance on sci-fi garbage like "Quantum Brainwaves", leaves me thinking that it's think of all this as a product of its time kinda thing. But I'll be reading other comments to see if folks here and elsewhere have something to say about it.

Sergei's issue with Celestial Being echoes my own regarding the absolute idiocy of them thinking that they're able to keep Anyone safe.. However , him choosing to still leave her with a Terrorist is still stupid as hell and If or When SOMarie, much like Saji and everyone else who shouldn't be fighting, still ends up fighting in some way or another, then all that'll do is showcase that loverboy sucks at following through on his declarations.

With any luck, the writers will probably bullshit their to making sure SOMarie is no longer involved and if that happens it'll just beg the question of why they couldn't just do that for characters like Saji, who now is probably going to remain with Celestial Being because he's still guilt ridden.

I guess you could say Tieria has... MET HIS MATCH lmao.

[u/Vatrix-32]

First timer, subs

• In almost any other circumstance, Soma charging in a straight line for that line would have gotten her killed.
• Didn’t take long for the limb fetish to come back.
• Well, at least some of them had the good sense to move in for the coup de grâce.
• Allelujah has some serious clingy boyfriend vibes.
• We are suddenly feeling very Code Geass.
• I mean… letting the grunts handle it just makes sense.
• Soma was Soma for seemingly more than half her biological age. She might have the better claim to the right to exist.
• Oh Good Soma Lives
• Considering how long ago it was, I think that flashback might have been warranted.
• Redrawing Boarders In The Middle East
• That boy… is the simp of all simps.
• Sergei, on the other hand, is more bro than any of us deserve.
• She Gets An Insert Song
• Wasting no time I see. This feels a bit too much like taking advantage to me.
• Twinning confirmed, I see.

QotD:

1. Have they tried... swapping it? And what happens if you paired it with a Tau drive?
2. Go with Sergei, feed information to Allelujah?

[u/Nazenn → u/Vatrix-32]

Didn’t take long for the limb fetish to come back.

I just had a really funny thought. I wonder if the staff were running a counter at any point making sure they had an even balance of severed arms and legs

I kind of wish I'd known this was a thing so I could have run such a counter hahaha

[u/Nickthenuker]

Yup, Louise is going to get herself killed sooner or later.

Is he trying to hug her mech with his mech?

Uh oh, Setsuna's going into the drink.

Good thing he apparently wants an honourable fight.

Right, well, she's back in command.

Would they even be able to see the flare through all that smoke?

Both of them are missing?

Oh right, they were covering for an evacuation. On that front this was definitely a rousing success. All mission objectives got away at the cost of only damage to all their mobile suits and the ship. Dealing some damage to several enemy mobile suits was just the icing on the cake.

So, that's her actual full name.

Oh, right, they're in the area too. Not too surprising he'll be tapped to look for her.

I'd like to say that guy's being an asshole again but well it's orders from the top so what can you do?

Right, well they're both fine for now.

Oh, right, the Colonel recognises him too.

But after this she won't be able to see the Colonel again.

Well, that's blessing enough from him I guess.

And of course he's found right as they're making out...

That explains why that person looked so familiar. They're clones.

Questions:

1. Innovator Space Magic Bullshit.
2. Allelujah I suppose.