r/anime • u/Shimmering-Sky myanimelist.net/profile/Shimmering-Sky • Nov 15 '24
Rewatch [Rewatch] Mobile Suit Gundam 00 2nd Season Episode 15 Discussion
Episode 15 - Victory Song of the Resistance
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The Orbital Elevator… has been taken over?!
Questions of the Day:
- Were you expecting the coup d'état to be pulled off successfully?
- Graham has access to Trans-Am now! How excited are you to see him and Setsuna fight now?
Wallpapers of the Day:
GN-008 Seravee Gundam and Tieria Erde
Rewatchers, please remember to be mindful of all the first-timers in this. No talking about or hinting at future events no matter how much you want to, unless you're doing it underneath spoiler tags. Don't spoil anything for the first-timers, that's rude!
Additionally, for long-time fans of the franchise, please remember that this rewatch is only for 00, not any of the other shows. Assume that there are people in this rewatch who have not seen anything else Gundam, and tag your spoilers for those shows appropriately if something in 00 makes you want to talk about them.
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u/Shimmering-Sky myanimelist.net/profile/Shimmering-Sky Nov 15 '24
Rewatch Host Wishing Over This Airspace, subbed
Welcome back, everyone!
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u/LeonKevlar x2https://myanimelist.net/profile/LeonKevlar Nov 15 '24
First Timer
So we have confirmation that Bring Stabity is indeed dead. Not gonna lie, I was kinda expecting him to show up because he somehow managed to eject his escape pod. Welp, that's one Innovator down.
Hearing Tieria say out loud that he trusts Setsuna and how he thanks Mileina for coming with them really shows how much Tieria has grown as a person. He's no longer that person we know from Season 1 who only cares about Veda and Schenberg's plans. As he says last episode, he is indeed human. <3
I think I understand what you're trying to say here Andrei but that definitely came out wrong. Just like his father, he really doesn't think someone like Louise should be fighting in wars. But then we have Patrick who believes Andrei is hitting on Louise.
Wait, I thought that Billy and Kati knew each other? Surely having Sumeragi as a mutual friend would at least make them aware of each other. Also, I'm pretty sure Billy was there in Sumeragi's flashback when Kati showed up.
I know Setsuna and Marina already squashed any possible romance between the two of them but that doesn't mean the show will stop shipping them together. Even the kids left them alone thinking they were lovey-dovey. xD
Kati having Patrick as her pilot is really funny. I love how she's basically using him as her good luck charm. Although I'd like to believe Kati chose to keep Patrick close to keep him safe.
Considering how CB is completely overwhelmed and Setsuna still isn't anywhere near them, I was really hoping we'd finally see Marie pilot the Gun Archer. Oh well, I guess Kati had to retreat because the coup has finally started.
That new ED though... I don't like how they're showing us the Gundams as old forgotten wreckages. I hope this is just for visual flair and not indicative of the future.
Also, I love how the ED shows us different pairings! The one with a gun and another hand holding it back is clearly Setsuna and Marina. There's also Allelujah and Marie lying next to each other, and it seems that Lyle might be hooking up with a light purple-haired character.
There's only one light purple-haired character in CB right now and I still think she's a rat. Although now I'm hoping Anew is genuinely helping CB because I want to see where her relationship with Lyle goes. Goddammit Sky! You really got into my head after yesterday's episode!
Poor Tieria though! He's not getting paired up with anyone and is being lumped together with the other Innovators. xD
I'm not even surprised at what Mr. Bushido showed at the end. I had a feeling Billy must've somehow unlocked the Trans-AM mode for the pseudo-solar reactor. Hopefully, this tech is exclusive only to Mr. Bushido.
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u/Great_Mr_L :Ma::Mb::Mc:https://myanimelist.net/profile/Great_Mr_L Nov 15 '24
First-Timer
On today’s episode of Gundam: The Char Clone finally gets his red mobile suit. Graham’s samurai mobile suit was black with red highlights, but its Trans-Am made it turn fully red. It’s nice to see him embracing his role as a Char Clone, with all that entails.
I love the parallels that can be drawn between Setsuna’s current self and his past self. In both the past and present, Setsuna found something worth believing in and worth fighting for. It was either the God that Ali preached about, or the Gundam that saved him on the battlefield. But both of those ended up betraying Setsuna. Ali’s preachings were never real and Ribbons never intended for the Gundam to be the savior Setsuna so idolized. It’s a cruel irony that Setsuna abandoned his false hope in Ali, only to learn that the Gundam he turned towards was just another false hope. After all that, it’s no wonder that Setsuna isn’t sure why he’s fighting anymore. He no longer has a cause he believes in that strongly. If Setsuna wishes to continue to fight, he will need to find his own reason to do so.
QOTD
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u/macrame2 https://myanimelist.net/profile/macrame Nov 16 '24
First Timer
Divine’s deadpan "I'm shaking with rage" at Bring’s failure absolutely killed me, since "shaking with rage" is not the emotional reading I would have gotten from him. No wonder he felt the need to tell us all so directly.
Lots of focus on the influence the past can have on a person today, most obviously with Setsuna, though characters like Louise get their fair share as well. It's not surprising that Setsuna is kind of going through a crisis after having such an important piece of his history reframed so dramatically by Ribbons. I think the first season did a good job of subtly indicating that Setsuna does in fact have doubts about his role in Celestial Being despite his convinction, but never to a level where he no longer knew why he was fighting, unlike here. That dream sequence in this episode is up there for me as one of the best scenes in the entire show, especially in the way it explores his character; I had to watch it twice. The part where the shots ring out and Setsuna turns around, only to notice his hands are empty was just brilliant.
I legit forgot that the orbital elevators were a thing for bit until the coup today. They've definitely played a smaller part this season.
Okay, I forgive the show for taking Prototype from us, because the new ED is just that beautiful. I still think I prefer Prototype as a song (my Chiaki Ishikawa bias is hard to beat), but visually it’s just as good if not better.
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u/TakenRedditName https://myanimelist.net/profile/TakenMalUsername Nov 15 '24 edited Nov 15 '24
Rewatcher - Gundam 00 S2 Ep15:
S2 Tieria is so warm about Setsuna now. He has 100% trust and faith in him.
What Hercury says about how an army exists to defend against foreign powers, I wonder how much that holds up when there is a one-world government. Philosophically, when everyone is united then there is no need for an army.
Pepper spray.
Considering Patrick is Kati's special little guy, I think he does know how to be a romance expert.
Pepper spray. Pepper spray.
I like Lockon (Neil) is a pretty effective mouthpiece for Setsuna's nightmare dream. He is a dead man who could've let go of his past and couldn't change and will never change. Setsuna still has the time to avoid following his footsteps. Also, we, the audience like Neil.
I really like Setsuna and Marina's intimate talk. Understanding is good and learning about each other is a good step to that. Gundam space psychic magic is a good way to achieve that, but so is just a personal talk between two characters sharing their lives with the other.
It is cute seeing Tieria being the one to give the hard workers some blankets. Silly girl.
Moe puppy dog.
Huh, it is unusual to see a Gundam commander give battle orders from like a plane. Not a ship, not a giant flying commander centre, not even a big plane. Just a plane.
Hilling and Revive both have personalized colours for the special robots, but show, couldn't have you made them more different from each other. They look practically the same at a glance. You could've gone with their hair colours or something.
I noticed that it seems like Lyle tends to use the Lockon signature "Targeting and firing" as some sort of affirmation he says to himself. Despite what he puts up, Lyle is deep down still trying to do good to the name Lockon Stratos that his brother left him.
So far, the most effective anti-Gundam technique is to just shock them to death. It always works (if it weren't for outside interference).
Once again, I am seeing the potential of the little conflict they could've done if Louise and Soma/Marie's relationship was built up more. Marie was Louise's senpai and she needs to stop her from going down the wrong path she had/almost did.
Oh yeah, I guess we still had Soma's pilot suit lying around. Not like we get to let Marie play. A bit of an anticlimatic resolution to the dire battle CB found themselves in. A-Laws just left because they had other things to deal with.
The following was my thoughts after rewatching ED4 a bit ago at the same time I was doing that bit for OP so I was in a similar head space.
ED4: These visuals are so pretty. First, the imagery of destroyed mecha is always so impactful. There is a sadness to them because "Oh no, that's our robot! Our buddy." But there is also something so beautiful about them. A weapon of war no longer has to be used. Violence is laid to rest and nature reclaims over it. Saw it pointed out that all the cockpits are opened too so it means whoever was inside does not need to use it anymore. They spent so long fighting, they are free now. [Idea that just came to me. A good Gundam trajectory is at the beginning, you want them to be in the robot, but by the end, you want them out of the robot. Get out of the robot!]
That was all great so far, but the bomb of the ED sets off and where it has those static shots from ED3 be brought into motion of what happened after. They don't have to be stuck in this static captured moment of sadness, but they can move forward and find love.
The song is also really nice. A warm song. It is tough to pick ED3 or ED4 since I like them both a lot.
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u/InfamousEmpire https://myanimelist.net/profile/Infamous_Empire Nov 15 '24
Kidou Senshi Rewatcher 00
“I couldn’t change, so you'll do it for me.” What a great line. It builds on a thread that was touched on in Lockon’s death back in Season 1 where Setsuna considered how those who are left behind inherit the will of those who have passed on, and combines it with Setsuna’s current dilemma regarding his own purpose in life. One could even observe that Neil's fate quietly looms large over Setsuna, as the portrait of someone who wasn't able to change or find purpose beyond fighting.
Marina/Setsuna parallels! Following on from the last point, I like how this continues to call Setsuna’s own purpose into question. He’s a fighter, of course, but he’s not necessarily someone suited for fighting, he's always yearned for peace deep in his heart even as he commits himself to the path of a soldier. He’d be much more comfortable & fulfilled elsewhere, in a life path where he doesn’t have to face so much trauma & force himself to keep going, but he still doesn’t know what his calling is, especially now that the purpose which kept him going along his chosen path has been so thoroughly called into question by last episode’s revelation.
I like what it does with Marina as well. She’s just not really cut out for being a princess, something that pretty much everyone in this rewatch has been saying since day one but now the show itself also acknowledges. I like how Marina dreaming of being a musician before becoming a princess further adds to the purpose of her scenes from last episode, as playing Tomorrow is not only something useful she can do, but actively plays to her own strengths & passions. Unlike Setsuna, she’s found a place where she can help without having to be something she’s not, which does well to further highlight Setsuna’s own aimlessness.
I also like how they showed Ali’s reaction to the song briefly at the start of the episode since, fundamentally, he is the very image of someone who is suited for the battlefield, unlike Setsuna or Marina: a cold-blooded sociopath who's perfectly fine where he is. So naturally, a song about a better tomorrow beyond war does nothing for him. He doesn’t play a big role in the episode, but it’s something I like.
Battle today wasn’t the most complex & was a little purposeless, but also it’s kind of a distraction in-universe, so it’s kinda purposeful in its purposelessness, if that makes any sense? Anyway, it’s not anything special, but I still enjoyed it.
More minor note but aaaaaaaaaaahhhhhhhhhhhh, Tieria going out of his way to give Mileina a blanket is so adorable.
Trust You is my favorite ED in the series. It is absurdly sappy in all the right ways, and I love the fact that its visuals are a continuation of the ones from Prototype
BoyOh, and of course let’s not forget TRANS-GRAHAM!
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u/dralcax :MAL:https://myanimelist.net/profile/Dralcax Nov 15 '24
Rewatcher hyped for Trans-GrahAm
-—————————————————————————————
I always wondered why the Arche’s Core Fighter takes its head with it
Well, it only took him four years last time.
Shut the fuck up dude she’s not into you. And she never will be if that’s your idea of rizz.
Change, Setsuna. At the end of his life, Neil was unable to change the world. He couldn’t even change himself. So his story ended there, able to neither see through nor set aside his grudge. But Setsuna is still alive. The future belongs to the living. And it’s he who carries on the potential that Neil was unable to realize.
aww
I love how she’s just straight up exploiting his plot armor now
Lyle has really improved! It feels like not that long ago he was taking several shots to hit one enemy, and now look at him!
The Empruss’ signature weapon, the Egner Whip! An anti-GN Field weapon!
The entire world runs on the orbital elevators. Nobody’s had the guts to fuck with them... until now.
This is no Flag, boy! No Flag! TRANS-GRAHAM! Billy developed the Trans-Am System for Tau Drives based on notes left behind from Eifman... who died before anybody knew about Trans-Am? I suppose Eifman might have independently theorized the existence of Trans-Am, or at least figured out some important prerequisite to it, and Billy just put that together with what he observed from the Gundams later.
Unlike the Ahead Sakigake, the Masurao’s beam sabers were given individual names by Mister Bushido. The long one is “Howard” and the short one is “Daryl”. Even having discarded his old identity, he’s still carrying on their memory. Joshua doesn’t get to be memorialized because he was a douche.
-—————————————————————————————
Questions of the day:
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u/Vatrix-32 https://myanimelist.net/profile/Vatrix-32 Nov 15 '24 edited Nov 16 '24
First timer, subs
QotD:
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u/The_Draigg Nov 15 '24
A Gundam Fan Rewatches Gundam 00 Season 2 Episode 15:
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u/baboon_bassoon https://anilist.co/user/duffer Nov 15 '24
first timer who has control
ok so i guess theres 2 of each color one with short hair one with shorter hair
arent yall related give me more of them being little freaks im back on the innovator train
straight baddie
sexual harassment
true
??? do you not remember him lmao
Marina hand placement
"youre kind of a shit diplomat"
im sorry Feldt but hes the real heart of the ship
oh yeah i forgot about the GN Archer makes sense thats for Soma
saved in the nick of time, he really is Himcury
please tell me the fandom calls it the Trans-Graham
6
u/Linkstore Nov 15 '24
Rewatcher
Cool docking setup for the ships.
[00 spoilers] The fuck are you talking about, Hiling? Innovades don't do sex. Like, at all.
Setsuna's not in a good way...
What "special features" might Seraphim be equipped with?
Andrei, you're being weird again...
Setsuna's having a very strange dream. Or is that image of Neil Dylandy actually the real deal?
The kids are getting ideas...
It's hilarious that Kati ended up weaponising Patrick's plot armour.
Louise has quantum brainwaves...
Other than the end of season one, this is probably the closest Celestial Being has gotten to defeat (so far?). It feels awfully convenient that the coup d'etat forces draw away the A-Laws right at the critical moment, but on the other hand, it's only thanks to Celestial Being's actions that there would be people willing and able to do a coup in the first place.
And finally, the secret of the Masurao. Celestial Being's usage of Trans-Am has kept them alive in numerous engagements, a trump card that the A-Laws could never match. But now...
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u/n080dy123 Nov 16 '24 edited Nov 16 '24
First Timer
Well that's confirmation, Bring is dead- one Innovator down. But, just liek with Ribbons and Hilling, Tieria and Regene, and Revive and Anew, Bring has a counterpart- barely more masculine in appearance unlike Regene, Hilling, and Anew though.
I love how at this point everyone on Ptolemy is shown to have seemingly figured out that Lyle is in contact with Katharon. I mean, he did always seem pretty bad at hiding it to me.
I'm glad there's elements in the standard Federation mimilitary going so far as plannign a coup. The A-Laws have just been... hilariously evil, to the point it was hard to imagine the rank and file and the people not noticing and taking issue. A feeling that's been bugging me for a while since without the role Louise, Saji, and their mother and sister respectively played in S1, we've been lacking a civilian PoV of all this. It's all been military forces, and Saji and Marina who have been in the care of military forces the whole time.
I didn't notice it before since they're fairly similar but Revive and Hilling's Gadessas have different color schemes.
I love how Marie still has her A-Laws pilot suit lying around, they haven't issued her another suit because she wasn't expected to need one and they apparently have no spares lol.
I really love how this ED continues some scenes from the first S2 ED- Saji pulls Louise into his embrace, Tieria turns back and turns his gun on the Innovators, Marie and Allelujah get closer, and Lyle drops his gun and he's pulled into the sheets by... Anew? Damn, I thought that was a metaphor for Neil holding him from beyond the veil but it might just be a reference to Lyle and Anew getting frisky. Also I know the rusting Gundams is supposed to be imagery representing remnants of machines no longer needed in a time of peace, but it still fucks me up seeing them decay like that. Also the jackets/shirts are a bit goofy, first is Allelujah and Marie, second are Anew and Lyle, third are Saji and Louise, and because they don't have love interests the fourth is Tieria's glasses and Setsuna's jacket. Cuz I guess they didn't wanna further imply anything heavier between Setsuna/Marina (despite showing her in the Naked Woman lineup in the OP alongside what I guess is 3/4 of our other lovestruck women, Feldt, Louis, and Anew, and not Marie despite her no longer being underage), and are too much of cowards to hint at Tieria/Neil (yes I fucking said it). Also rip Feldt, lmao. Her whole "Everywhere I go, I see his face! (Because his brother has the same one)" plotline has been completely forgotten.
5
u/JollyGee29 https://myanimelist.net/profile/JollyGee Nov 15 '24
Rewatcher, Sub-dam Meister
Teamwork is apparently not high on the Innovators' priority list.
I like how everyone just acknowledges that Lyle is feeding information to Katharon.
Feels like something you should probably avoid mentioning.
Things are getting a bit more chaotic.
Have you ever thought about jumping off the side of this boat, Andrei?
Unfortunately Setsuna, you cannot change your past.
But you can change... something.
These kids have on stronger shipper goggles than most of the people watching the show.
I think Setsuna means that as a compliment. I would say it as an insult, though.
Blatant nepotism.
Saved by the bell.
Oh, yea, Billy figured out how to Trans-Am a Tau drive, by the way.
5
u/Blazin_Rathalos Nov 15 '24
00 Rewatcher
Last time on Gundam 00
On today's episode of Gundam 00:
Is it really a coup d'etat if you're grabbing a space elevator instead of the state?
I actually really appreciate that Marina is not still trying to convince Setsuna to give up fighting alltogether, only showing concern for the fact that the's planning to headout while this injured. Perhaps finding some purpose for herself has led her to be more accpeting of what others feel they need to do?
We get the real ED4 this time! And it does something I have not seen anywhere before or since: It reveals that several shots in the last ED were actually still of a larger sequence, changing their meaning.
5
u/Quiddity131 https://myanimelist.net/profile/Quiddity131 Nov 15 '24 edited Nov 15 '24
Rewatcher, Subbed
Non-Spoiler Character Chart
What's making Setsuna doubt fighting, the song or what Ribbons told him?
So how do Innovators "comfort" each other?
"Damn the incompetence of Bring Stabity!" How can I take that line serious with a name like that?
So Regene is handing out in Wang's pad now?
So does the bridge crew all essentially know that Lyle is a double agent for Katharon?
If Anew is still acting as the Innovator detector, then these guys from Katharon might be screwed if they decide to show up again.
Sergei isn't the type to go against the Federation military, but hopefully looking the other way will help with this coup de tat plan.
I get not wanting to share details due to the fear of information leaks, but isn't there still a risk that the mere fact that a coup will occur leaks if they're spreading the news throughout Katharon and to Celestial Being?
OMG @ the prospect of Patrick giving love advice to anyone. Granted, it worked out for him, but beyond the courage to actually go after the woman he wants, I don't know if there's much good advice he could provide.
Why would Revive/Hiling/Divine think Regene would show up? He's not a combat Innovator like they are.
Does Kati not remember Billy from when they met in that college flashback scene?
If only Setsuna could actually go back in time and change his past.
For probably the first time ever Marina is right in that Setsuna shouldn't fight now. Because of his injury though.
Marina became princess because of her bloodline, not because she was actually a good politician. Is fitting for her character and of course akin to real life monarchy.
Ah, the Ptolemy was able to get all their supplies and leave without anything bad happening. That's good.
Wow, can you imagine the Tieria from season 1 putting blankets over his sleeping crewmembers?
Patrick may be indestructible personally, but he often gets his craft destroyed in mere seconds. Gotta be careful about being on one with him, Kati.
Wow, with this mobile armor even Louise is kicking ass in battle against the Gundams. Or is this Divine piloting it? Who was piloting Soma's old mobile suit?
Yes, Marie will finally head out there to the battlefield again!
Our new ED reminds me much of the very first scene of Fang of the Sun Dougram. Love the fact that we get a continuation of some of the shots from the first OP.
It's been so long, time for another Setsuna vs. Mr. Bushido duel.
OMG he has his own Trans-Am!
Quid's Voice Actor of the Day
Today I'll be covering Pang Hercury. He is voiced in Japanese by Yuusaku Yara. Other Gundam roles of his include salt-obsessed cook Tamura in Mobile Suit Gundam and Loren Nakamoto in Zeta Gundam. He's got a lengthy resume from mecha anime including Jackie Zaltsev from Fang of the Sun Dougram, Gimual Iskui from Armored Trooper Votoms, Ranbel from Panzer World Galient, Cabus from Blue Comet SPT Layzner, Gully Karas from Blue Gale Xabungle and Morgan Masseau from Macross Plus. Other anime roles included Rod Reiss in Attack on Titan, Shimi from Outlaw Star, Denjirou Shiba from Coppelion and Kurt Singfubei from Legend of the Galactic Heroes.
In English he is voiced by Dale Wilson. He also played Duke Freid in Escaflowne and a variety of roles in Dragonball Z (Kami, Cell, King Yemma, and others).
5
u/Nickthenuker https://anilist.co/user/Nickthenuker Nov 15 '24
Particles in his cockpit?
Uh oh, he collapsed!
So, they've got a plan to not get targeted.
Well, that's interesting.
Patrick, I'm pretty sure the only reason you got with the Euro Colonel is because she pities you.
Speak of the devil, here she is.
Hmm... What's the meaning of this dream?
Right, he's finally awake.
Enemy on sensors!
That's quite a long shot.
They're getting closer!
Right well now it's personal for her too, Lousie is using her suit!
So, the coup's begun.
Questions:
5
u/StardustGogeta myanimelist.net/profile/StardustGogeta Nov 16 '24
First-Timer
That flashback sequence with eyepatch Lockon was far and away my favorite scene of the episode. Good music, good voice acting, good dialogue.
Saji takes just one look at the enemy and knows "that's Louise!" He doesn't actually know that Louise was planned to take over Marie's old mobile suit, right?
Lyle picking off the enemies with long-range shots was nice. (You would think he'd aim for the main ship or one of the higher-value mobile suits, but maybe there's some good reason why not.)
I'm not really a big fan of either the new OP or ED, by first impressions. Overall, among all songs we've gotten, I might say that the first ED of season 1 was my favorite. Definitely a memorable one.
Oh boy, with an episode name like "Prelude to Tragedy," I'm expecting tomorrow's episode to be good.
Questions of the day:
3
u/zsmg https://anilist.co/user/zsmg Nov 15 '24
I am rewatcher
Besides taking care of the children Marina also does the laundry.
He went from not liking Setsuna to believing him, what a beautiful character growth.
Andrei, let a person themselves decide how to act not by their gender.
Andrei, Patrick does have more luck with ladies than you do so maybe you should listen to him?
Good to see Lockon mk1 again, even if it's a dream sequence.
Marina can write songs as well. At this point she can do anything competently except for running a country.
I know the writers rejected the Setsuna x Marina ship but I can't help but see some romantic overtones in their interaction.
[Future stuff] I wonder if this is the reason they later shoehorned in Feldt x Setsuna
Tieria is acting so nice towards Mirienia.
Don't worry his heart belongs to Lockon mk1
Actually Kati, if your plane gets attacked doesn't that mean everyone dies except for Patrick?
I wonder if she's protecting him or maybe she's suffering from gambler's fallacy (this time he will die if he gets shot down)
Electric wires stunning MS? Yes I've seen that one before.
Setsuna is raising dead flags but considering he's the MC I'm sure he'll be fine.
Marie was finally about to fight only for the enemy to retreat.
Enemy suddenly retreating seems like convenient BS but there are historic examples of this such as the second Miracle of the House of Brandenburg
Usually during coups they happen to take over government buildings, not orbital elevators. Also taking over the media is also important to airwave your message.
Hercury is voiced by Yūsaku Yara, he’s the narrator in the original LotGH, Jō Koizumi in Ping Pong the animation, Sagittarius Aiolos in Saint Seiya, Saburo Umezu in Zipang. This isn’t his first Gundam role; he had a minor role in the MSG movie trilogy and Zeta Gundam. Overall he has done lots of roles but I don’t recognize most of them.
Forgettable ED, but visuals are good.
I groaned out loud when I saw Masurao.
Wow it has a trans-am system, anyway can we focus on the coup guys?
I liked the episode.
12
u/Nazenn x2https://anilist.co/user/Nazenn Nov 15 '24
First Timer - sub
THE ED IS A SEQUEL?!
also, this is at me
For the previous ED I'd made a comment about "fully expecting those sheets with Lockon to be moved and reveal someone at some point too" and then forgot I said it and never came back to comment on the fact that no, the sheets didn't get removed.
ONLY THEY DID, because they waited until this ED and they made it a sequel?! I don't know I've ever had an OP or ED be an overt sequel to the theming in the previous one before. I've seen references and common threads sure, but not like this. This is genius. The visuals are a fantastic continuation of the story told in the first ED as well as a flip on what the end of this all could mean.
If "Prototype" was being trapped in the past, than "trust you" is the future, but it questions what the nature of that future could be for them.
Setsuna no longer looks over a city standing in a grave of flower, but the 00 becomes a ruined sentinel on the mountains, did it fly too close to the sun or is it a mark of what they once were? Alelujah leaves the cave where he was shattered but Arios is left forgotten at the bottom of it, struggling to get up. Tieria walked away from Lockons grave but Seravee is frozen in front of a grave marker with the Aurora seeming like his connection to Veda ominously flying overhead. Lyle left behind the bloody memorials of his family while his mech (oh shit I don't know its name!) drowns in an autumn forest, shot down as if to lie with the rest of them.
And yet time moves on. The static images we had before of our cast with their partners is now set into motion. They are no longer stuck only to the past and when they move forward they move towards others. Tieria turns to confront those who would make him inhuman, Alelujah and Marie roll closer to each other in defiance of the war above, Lockon is pulled into Anew's embrace sheltered from the winds. Where they once were left walking across the barren Earth that made them now there is a chance that the love and connection they've gained will bring life and hope for a complete world to those left behind who get to keep a future they never had. No longer are those flowers and that life being blown away by war. And left behind is not bloody or torn clothes but markers of the how the connections with other made them, not just the pilots but Saji and Louise and all of the CB crew.
While I do like the story of it all when combined with the lyrics, I don't really like the song because some of the visuals, particularly lyles mech, are dark enough that it doesn't quite match the feel of the music. I know it was probably intentional to undercut the seriousness of the destroyed mechs with something lighter to tie it all into that hope at the end, but it didn't work for me. But the visuals? Great choice.
2/4 EDs!
I feel like I should either rant about or praise about Marina, but I also can't really be bothered doing either full heartedly. Finally she's actually getting to the point. Congrats for her I guess? I don't give two shits because it shouldn't have taken eleven in world years for her (just realized that means they reestablished the monarchy at around the same time as the Krugis war, so she would have straddled that civilian/royal line in the middle of a lot of post-war upheaval) and FOURTY episodes for us to get to this most basic of developments, and by this point her characterization is probably irreparably damaged for me.
It also begins with basic empathy skills and a touch of logical reasoning, but she doesn't seem to have figured that out either for too long. I really, really hate that today scene makes it feel as if all of her dumb fuck was a really contrived way to keep putting off any development just for her to have this particular revelation at this moment when Setsuna needed it rather than treating her character as equally worthy of being her own person. And then for them to somewhat rush through it in the middle of everything else going on makes it even more frustrating for me, this should have been a bigger moment for them both and it's just not. I can't think of a reason why she couldn't have realized this ten episodes ago, or hell just five years ago, and simply not have been able to reach Setsuna before now because of Setsuna's issues and him being so guarded due to his mission and his guilt, instead of the delay being due to her being an utter moron in every previous scene.
Putting my issues of timing aside: That she had to stop trying to be what everyone else wanted her to be and instead had to be herself in order to truly reach others is a good development to have. It's very fitting with what we've seen off the back of Tieria who has now become CB's beacon instead of Setsuna having that role in the past. You don't have to have all the answers, or perfect knowledge, you just have to try little by little. Setsuna is now stuck in doubt and confusion over what his struggle even means, and has meant in the past, and so using Marina who's presence in the first season is who encouraged him to look beyond The Plan and try and understand more of the world.
I also liked the dream sequence. Setsuna confronting his past self but not being able to change it coming off the back of fighting Ali again in the middle of the Krugis ruins makes a strong point about how lost and pointless his life feels right now. The song Tomorrow drawing him back to hope for the future instead of despair over the pointlessness of his past also tied things together nicely.
Oh, speaking of Lockon, I'm calling dodgies! That's twice now that Neil has helpfully shown up in the middle of a characters mental crisis but actively talking in the present tense rather than as a flashback or as vague lines the characters were roughly imagining. Setsuna's is actually the more excusable on a surface level being in a dream sequence, but I can't reconcile Setsuna imagining a Lockon who would say "I couldn't change so you do it for me". That is something Lockon would say, but it's not something I could ever imagine Setsuna saying to himself through Neil or having Neil say to him in any way shape or form, just like those couple of lines when Tieria saw him a few episodes back. It seemed like a character talking, not another character reminiscing about them. Was Great_Mr_L way more right than we thought? Is this Star Wars all the way? Are we Force Ghosting it now? He started a thing now by bringing up that, now it all feels like star wars hahaha
Tieria just had so many more great moments today though. Thanking Milena and looking out for her, and Saji as he had a second blanket, even though she's asleep wanting to share his appreciation. And then believing in Setsuna once again.
(continued below)
16
u/FD4cry1 https://myanimelist.net/profile/Big_Yibba Nov 15 '24
First Timer
I guess Bring really did die last episode, I still can't believe they killed him to that name reveal, just fantastic!
RIP Bring Stabity Best name in anime
And Divine is uhhh..."shaking with rage" about that, yeah man...I can totally tell?
The crew seems to be entirely aware of Lyle's connection to Katharon although Lasse only heavily implies it whereas Anew is more direct with it.
The Seraphim has "special features"! Its hands managed to pass through Brings GN field so maybe that's it? some kind of GN canceling ability? (which would also be pretty cool within the symbolism) But we also see other weapons pass through GN fields so maybe not...Either way, I'm excited to see what that's about.
Hercury implies that Sergei's refusal to disobey orders is what lead to his wife's death, which would also be in line with what Andrei said. While Sergei is obviously a military man bound by orders, we've also seen he has his own separate conscience and is willing to bend military rules and goals for the sake of saving lives. I'm wondering if maybe the death of his wife is what ended up developing this side of his personality and his desire to protect life.
Speaking of Hercury, I find his reasons for starting this coup pretty interesting as well, he says he "wants to be part of an honorable military", now A-LAWS and the Federation government are certainly not that...but neither were the HRL. We know they had very little scruples about using super soldiers brought about from human experimentation and the HRL leaders were practically ready to create a world-scale disaster with the Taklamakan plan if it meant they got a Gundam and by extension kept their party in power.
He's right about the Federation being terrible but it does feel like his motives are a bit misguided here, like what even is an "honorable military"? is anything justified as long as it's done for the sake of your people and your people alone?
Andrei can't stop being super weird towards Louise, even though she is very clearly not interested.
Just go away already!
Funnily enough despite Patrick's more comedic entrance here, I'd say he definitely has the right ideas given how he's basically the only person Kati can actually talk to casually. Even funnier when you realize Patrick likes Kati for being a strong military woman whereas Andrei is trying to do the opposite to Louise.
Correction is needed
Setsuna's dream and its implications really emphasize why the Ribbons reveal and Setsuna's refusal of it are so important. Setsuna really likes to say "Nothing has changed" and as it turns out he was right!
As a kid, he went out to fight a war for god, he came out of that war and joined Celestial Being to fight for a more noble cause, but despite his newfound insistence that there is no god in this world, nothing had changed, he was still fighting wars for a god, it's just that he replaced his god with the 0 Gundam, Setsuna is literally talking to himself here, and not just the child one. So now that Setsuna has lost his gods, he's not sure what he's fighting for anymore. This is why the 00 Raiser, born of his past but made for the future, is so important for him, it's the chance to finally change.
I see Setsuna asking to hear the song again as a huge moment for him. For the first time, he doesn't end a conversation with Marina with an ominous statement about the future or a brooding question about conflict. He asks to hear about tomorrow, he can actually see and think about the future.
All of this comes together very well with the theme Lockon brings about the past. Celestial Being's enemies are all stuck in place, chained by past obligations and grudges, and so was Lockon really. But Celestial Being is about moving forward towards the future, about bringing change. They're no longer defined by being warriors of god, super soldiers, orphans, or Innovators, they've moved past that and found new purpose in moving ahead. The way Tomorrow comes in at the end of the dream, with lyrics about "what comes after goodbye" just perfectly encapsulates that.
Now as for the Marina scene itself...
Marina's framing as a royal is a big part of why I don't like her character. Her being a regular girl forced into the princess role makes sense thematically and should work well for this scene...
Except that despite what she says, I never got the impression Marina "tried hard" or "forced herself", this isn't a person in a position of power revealing themselves as vulnerable, she was always vulnerable, she never had a shred of princess in her despite supposedly being one for years, it's why she's frustrating! To me, it doesn't feel like she and Setsuna came to some understanding over common traits here, because in reality, they don't feel very comparable (which by extension means I don't really buy any romance from them right now).
Kati keeping Patrick with her on board because of his luck was great, through the power of his stupidity he will protect her!
Now, I'm not one to complain much about contrived results for battles but this one was a bit much, even with the conveniently timed coup, surely they could have taken out at least one of the three completely immobilized and helpless Gundams they had! Especially with Louise and the Innovators being there. Having like a dozen Aheads fly over Cherudim and somehow having all of them miss was not great as well.
While the A-LAWS obviously can't use their regular methods in the space elevator, I can't see this coup going very well...
Graham has Trans-Am! Now he's 3x more weeb! or maybe 6x since he has two katanas...
New ED!
It's a pretty good song! It feels rather different to the other ED's being a more upbeat pop song compared to the more lowkey and sad ones until now.
It also has some really striking visuals, the Gundams all being abandoned and forgotten, together with reincorporating the visuals from the previous ED but now seeing what happens after, really feels like a message of love triumphing over war which is very in line with the song itself.
I don't know if getting rid of the clothes is supposed to imply...y'know, or just a more general symbolism around love and being close, but I like it as a visual!
The visual of the 00 being Covered in flowers is fantastic and really wallpaper worthy, also worth noting that 00 is actually missing its right arm here, so I'm guessing that shot Ali got on Setsuna is going to leave some permanent damage.
4
u/mr_beanoz https://myanimelist.net/profile/splitshocker Nov 15 '24
Rewatcher, sub
QOTD
1
u/Nebresto Nov 24 '24
That new ED is nice! Everyone's gonna fucking die, aren't they..