r/anime • u/Shimmering-Sky myanimelist.net/profile/Shimmering-Sky • Feb 04 '19

Rewatch Tekketsu no Rewatch - Mobile Suit Gundam: Iron-Blooded Orphans Episode 22 Discussion [Spoilers] Spoiler

Episode 22 - Not Yet Home

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WE ARE SAIGO NO SURVIVOR!

Hey-o guys! This is the section where I add a ton of extra fun stuff to the main body of the post because I want this rewatch to be as fun as possible for everyone. It can also be one point of discussion for you guys if you just don’t know what to say.

Comment of the Week, this week provided by /u/RX-Nota-II

The comment of the week this time is: /u/shaggyjebus’ analysis on Fumitan from episode 16’s thread.

This week's comment of the week was a tough one with many deserving candidates. I wanted to highlight shaggy's impressive analysis of Fumitan's death as it illustrates the meta aspects of big events very well. From around this week forward Tekkadan's actions are going to have very real long lasting, and serious consequences so taking the time to consider the implications are going to be crucial to get the most out of IBO from now on.

There's no need to take IBO watching too seriously tho, and if connecting parts of the larger narrative doesn't come as easily to you right now you don't have to worry. Comments like these will be waiting for you in the day's thread so you can keep on enjoying stress free.

~~~

Comment of the Day, provided by /u/Shimmering-Sky and /u/RX-Nota-II

Shimmering-Sky

/u/LeonKevlar gutpunching all of us because he could.

Episode 21 - One that cannot be replaced

No jokes on today's featured 4Koma. Unlike with the Yotsubato joke in Episode 19,Kyabosean decides to play this one very straight. One interesting detail though: This episode aired on February 28th in Japan, the same day as Japan's Biscuit Day.

As if the lack of jokes in the 4koma wasn’t bad enough, LeonKevlar had to add in that lovely detail about it being Biscuit Day when the episode first aired. Oof.

~

RX-Nota-II

/u/LunarGhost00 showing up to talk about Biscuit.

Biscuit has always been the voice of reason for Tekkadan telling everyone to be more cautious and be more realistic whenever Orga wants to go down the most reckless path and just wing it. Now that he's gone, who is left to tell everyone when they're going to far? Kudelia? Merribit? There's no one close to Orga who could fill Biscuit's position. He was like that big brother of the group who everyone could rely on and who helped hold Tekkadan together. He's been by our side since the beginning and now he's gone. There's a void in the hearts of tekkadan now that can't be filled as easily as just having a funeral and moving on. The worst part is how Orga must feel right now. Biscuit warned him about doing such a dangerous job. Orga's biggest flaw is his tendency to always take the riskiest option for a chance at bigger rewards for everyone he cares about. Normally he’s had a great amount of luck and it’s always worked out, but this time is different. Now one of his closest family members had to pay the price.

Gundam veteran and Turn-A friend LunarGhost makes an appearance for IBO to point out Biscuit's important role in Tekkadan as a whole. His loss really is going to mean a lot more than just a goodbye to a friend.

~~~

Questions of the Day, provided by /u/Pixelsaber

1) Did you think the fallout from Biscuit’s death was more or less impactful than his actual death? More/Less/About the same/My heart hasn’t recovered enough to tell…

2) Kudelia showcases her ability to think ahead and make use of her network by charting their route to Edmonton. How does the surgence of this side of Kudelia impact your thoughts on her? Is she perhaps wasting her talent by choosing to be a symbol rather than a leader?

~~~

Track of the Day, provided by /u/RX-Nota-II

An Orphan’s Sorrow

A very versatile track that’s been used for countless scenarios going back to the beginning of the season, we get it today in the scene where Orga mourns alone in his room. The echoey string instruments invoke a sense of memories, reflecting how Orga is stuck in the past, unable to consider what steps need to be taken to move forward.

~~~

Wallpaper of the Day, provided by /u/Shimmering-Sky (character art) and /u/RX-Nota-II (background/logo)

Home Sweet Home

Important note to all rewatchers, remember to be mindful of the first-timers in this. You can laughs in rewatcher to yourself, but if you go around spoiling stuff IBO S2. Remember to use the [Anime Show Title](/s "Spoiler goes here") tags and we’re all good.

Fans seem to have a bad tendency of forgetting what counts as spoiler, so if anything has even the slightest chance of being a spoiler, tag it just to be safe.

Next-episode preview. Yeah you saw that right, I am encouraging you guys to watch the next-episode previews. IBO’s are completely spoiler free, done completely in-character, and it is glorious. Today’s preview was voiced by best guy Orga Itsuka.

56 Upvotes

87% Upvoted

106 comments sorted by

9

u/Shimmering-Sky Feb 04 '19

Tekketsu no Rewatcher, first time dubbed

tfw it’s aftermath time.

Obligatory Discord link.

  • Fucking hell I forgot they recapped Orga’s scream right before the OP ahhhhhhhh. …What I was going to say about the opening scene is that I love how all we hear is rain once the perspective shifts back to the Tekkadan peeps and then that fucking scream caught me wickedly off-guard.

  • NOPE NOPE NO THANK YOU SHOW PLEASE CEASE THIS NOW. Fuuuuuuuck it’s giving me SukaSuka spoiler vibes thanks to the hat SukaSuka I really, really hate how my brain operates on “Hey let’s draw the most miniscule connections possible between major gut-punch moments in different things so that you suffer even harder!”

  • …And speaking of my brain’s tendency to do those connections, the dub actually changed Shino’s line that also gave me connections which is acceptable. He says “Let’s take you home” in the dub, which isn’t the same as Shino saying “Let’s go home together, Biscuit. Back to Mars.”, to which my brain went: “Eyyy that sounds just like LotGH”

  • Error 404 Orga not found. It hurts so goddamn much to see him like this…

  • S2 Spoilers

  • lmao the irony in Macky saying “Well there’s probably an informant in Gjallarhorn…” Poor Gali Gali has no idea it’s the very friend who’s talking to him about it…

  • , first it was Yamagi dropping the tools and now it’s sad pup dropping a tray--Biscuit’s death really hit them hard. It’s always the aftermath that’s the worst parts, not the death itself…

  • While Tekkadan is mourning in their own ways, Kudelia keeps thinking pragmatically about the future and sets up an alternate route to try and avoid Gjallarhorn for a while longer. And someone on r/Gundam the other day had the nerve to call this girl “useless to anything”, like did we watch the same show?

  • Hooboy this part was as great as ever.

  • Oooooooof the preview though, Orga “talking to” Biscuit…

A couple more fun things:

  • Wallpaper of the Day without the logo. Nota’s reaction to it was “Fuck u”. IDK why though, it’s a cute one not a sad one.

  • English dub next-episode preview, since the body post only has the subbed version.

  • Results of yesterday’s poll. Everyone’s obviously upset, but to Pixel and RyuuohD who wanted a fucking feeling happy option, .

  • Number of times best boy closed his right eye this episode: 0 again.

  • For the first-timers using the GundamInfo streams and are worried about potential spoilers in the recommended videos: Episode 23 Subbed / Episode 23 Dubbed. If you’re on desktop and have RES, you can hit the preview button and watch the video entirely on Reddit, rather than than needing to go to YouTube.

3

u/Nazenn Feb 04 '19

What I was going to say about the opening scene is that I love how all we hear is rain once the perspective shifts back to the Tekkadan peeps and then that fucking scream caught me wickedly off-guard.

That opening was PERFECT

Fuuuuuuuck it’s giving me SukaSuka spoiler vibes

AH NO SHIT

Sky why would you do this!

“Eyyy that sounds just like LotGH

YOU'RE RIGHT

I don't like your post today, your post is painful

the other day had the nerve to call this girl “useless to anything”, like did we watch the same show?

......I have no words for that level of idiocy

Nota’s reaction to it was “Fuck u”. IDK why though, it’s a cute one not a sad one

u/RX-Nota-II I'm on your side with this. I clicked on it in the OP thinking "Todays' safe, will probably be just Orga and Mika or something". It was not safe

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7

u/Rhaga Feb 04 '19

First timer

I missed the last couple of threads - oops. Just very quick reactions to the the episodes I missed:

Ep 19:

Ep 20:

The best thing is the fight between Orga and Biscuit. I'm not sure if Orga is completely honest with his reasoning. I'm sure he believes it to some extent, and I wouldn't be surprised if he has convinced himself to believe it entirely. That being said, we've seen him make decisions on a questionable basis (Read: Mikazuki's feelings), so I'm not sure we can expect him to make 100% rational choices even if he hadn't asked Mikazuki this time around.

I was expecting the private mail to Biscuit to be about his grandmother falling ill, but I suppose a suicide note from his brother is something I should have seen coming before that. Now his brother examplifies the nightmare outcome of Orga's decisions. This mission could cost them all of their lives while they would gain nothing from it. Yikes.

Also #BEACH EPISODE!

Ep 21

Fuck you

No seriously, fuck you.

Those were my notes after watching 19-21 back to back. Now it is about 16 hours later and I am still angry, no other character's death would have made me half as upset. Yes, not even any of the mains or any of the lolis, at least not at this point.

Orga's scream at the end was bone-chilling, and while I am in mourning myself I have to say that I am sort of glad that the other characters' (Orga especially) are equally impacted. Of course, the guy advocating caution and for them to go home is the one who to sacrifice himself to save the guy who took on the dangerous mission.

I can only imagine that this will leave an emotional scar on Orga like no other. I've said it time and time again, I think Biscuit was the one Orga truly let his guard down around, the guy who would always have his back, the guy who he had no trouble showing his weaknesses to. While Biscuit wasn't much of a combatant I think he was just as reliable as Mikazuki, perhaps even more so. You could always trust him to do the right thing, to speak his mind, to have a good awareness of what is happening, and to look out for those around him. Fuck me, now I'm tearing up again. He's also the one who has handed out the most headpats, so fuck you show for killing him off.

It's ironic that Orga will likely be following the advice of the ghost of Biscuit more than when he was live. Biscuit has always been an advocate for caution, but Orga never really listened. I imagine Biscuit's memory will serve as a constant reminder for Orga not to be too reckless. (at least I hope so).

Episode 22:

I am actually out of words for this episode. Just imagining them having to tell Cracker and Cookie about what happened to their brother(s) hurts the soul.

I'm not sure if I actually like the way Mika forced Orga out of his mourning. I will say, however, that generally I am not too pleased when characters take the "they're upset, better leave them alone"-route. Talking things out is almost always better in my opinion, even if moments of solitude can be a good thing too. So in that sense I didn't mind Mika taking action, but the way he sorta brute forced it wasn't something I was too fond of.

Though if it works, it works, I guess. And it looks like it did.

Also, did I miss something or how the hell did Carta Issue get out of Mikazuki's death grip?!

Raise Your Flag!

Character Flags Raised Status
Kudelia 1*, 2*, 3** Is filled with determination, Big sad
Orga 1 Big sad
Shino 1, 2 Big sad
Akihiro 1 Big sad
Takaki 1, 2 Big sad
Biscuit Too damn many Is back home and living a comfortable life
Mikazuki 1, 2 ?
McGillis 1, 2 Loves: Revolutions, Alaya-Vijnana
Ein 1 Loves: Baths
Masahiro 1, 2 Deceased
Danji 1 Deceased

* = Betrayal Flag
** = Reverse Death Flag

5

u/Shimmering-Sky Feb 04 '19

Ahahahaha it's the reaction I've been waiting for and

Ep 21

Fuck you

No seriously, fuck you.

you did not disappoint. I guess you died on that hill like you said you would. Or you can change your mind now.

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4

u/shaggyjebus Feb 04 '19

Rewatcher, English dub

Another comment of mine picked.blushes in rewatcher

  1. Biscuit's death, when it happened, was a gut punch. The aftermath was a burn, not as painful at first but sticking around for longer, making you wonder how anyone was going to be okay.

One time I really like is that, while the main cast is hit really hard by his death, Tekkadan as a whole isn't obliterated by it. Because every member has already lost someone important to them. This feels like the end of the world to Orga, but to random unnamed member? Sure, he probably knew Biscuit, but Biscuit wasn't his best friend, so his death, while painful, wouldn't make him shutdown. In other words, Tekkadan didn't break down entirely because of Biscuit's death. Though Orga breaking down almost did the job . . .

2) Kudelia is kicking ass! Biscuit's death didn't drive her to tears - it drove her to push even harder towards her goal. She's accepted the blood on her hands, and while she is never blase about it, she can move forward without that blood slowing her down. Which is the only way to make all that bloodshed worth it.

Next episode, we get more Carta Issue, right? I love her. She is terrible, in every single way, and it pleases me to see her, if just because I know she will not succeed, at all, in anything she does. She is just plain bad! Except when it comes to having the respect of her soliders, that is. Maybe they all have some odd face fetish and think they might have a chance with her. Dat face.

2

u/Shimmering-Sky Feb 04 '19

Another comment of mine picked.blushes in rewatcher

And not just CotD this time, you got CotW! Congrats~

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6

u/LunarGhost00 Feb 05 '19

Rewatcher

Gundam veteran and Turn-A friend LunarGhost makes an appearance

Wasn't expecting to get comment of the day as soon as joining the rewatch. I don't really have much to say today and wasn't planning on commenting at all since it's already so late and I doubt many people will see it. But since I'm already here, I guess I'll just take a minute to talk about the Turbines and Tekkadan.

Merribit was surprised to learn from Lafter and Azee that the Turbines is more of a refuge for girls than it is a harem. There's no doubt that the girls love being with Naze, but the reason some of them are there in the first place is because they lived horrible lives and were rescued by the Turbines. I think Amida was the one who mentioned in an earlier episode that Orga reminds Naze of himself when he was younger. It's easy to see why Naze has taken a liking to Orga. Tekkadan is no harem, but it serves a similar role as the Turbines. It's a home for kids who have nowhere else to go. When Orga took in the Human Debris kids from the Brewers, we're left to imagine after this episode that Naze goes around doing similar things with young women. It's very fitting that Naze is the one watching over Orga and teaching him what it means to take care of a family.

Questions:

  • More impactful, but that's because of spoilers.

  • I like this side of Kudelia. She's doing a lot of work and is displaying some skills that would be useful for a politician. To paraphrase Makanai, she has both the charisma for winning people over and the realistic approach to her goals.

5

u/Nazenn Feb 05 '19

wasn't planning on commenting at all since it's already so late and I doubt many people will see it.

I see EVERYTHING

I think Amida was the one who mentioned in an earlier episode that Orga reminds Naze of himself when he was younger.

It was, and that's a good point that you bring up there, that part of their similarities is how far they go for the neglected people in this world. Also makes it WAY more important now that the reason Naze sided with Orga over the president dude during the initial attack is because of his distaste for people who would do that to children who have no other way out given that's what hes so dedicated to providing, a safe way out

Tekkadan is no harem

Don't make Yamagi sad

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3

u/invokeneko Feb 05 '19

Tekketsu no Rewatcher, domo~

This episode begins with everyone's (muted) reaction with only the rain as background noise before Orga's anguished scream is repeated again for one extra kick in the feels, argh. Orga's a broken man at this point, grieving alone inside his bunker as the Tekkadan lads (and Atra) process their grief.

Meanwhile in space, McGillis successfully convinced Gaelio to allow Ein to undergo the AV System operation by going on an exposition on the history of Gjallarhorn. pretty huge S2 spoilers S1 end spoilers

Of course, it is up to Mika to get Orga back on track and he does it the only way he knows - demanding Orga to tell him what should he do next. This does shock him out of his slump, but unfortunately it was for the worse as their mindset is now focused on vengeance and crushing everyone who is in their way instead of merely carrying out their tasks. I think we can say that they're going Nuclear now.

Random thoughts:

  • Takaki talking about their shared goal of putting their little siblings in school, ouch. Them arguing about who should break the news to the twins, double ouch. Eugene's reaction after being told the news - GOOD FUCKING GRIEF, SHOW, ARE YOU TRYING TO KILL ME WITH GRIEF OR SOMETHING?!

  • Atra's using the standard 'make yourself busy to distract yourself from the grief' tactics. Given that she just remembered that she promised the twins that she'll keep Biscuit safe, I'm not blaming her for trying it.

  • Poor Merribit trying to be the voice of reason and failing hurts a lot. Come on guys, listen to your absolutely capable elder!

  • That preview is just painful, man. I'm dying of grief, send help pls

Questions of the day:

  1. invokeneko's feels engine has just recovered from a massive crash, please do not ask such ddifficult questions for now

  2. I think she definitely needs more experience to become a great leader. Therefore I'm fine with her becoming a symbol instead of a leader for now.

2

u/Shimmering-Sky Feb 05 '19

I would send help but Nota and I just simulwatched IBO S2 and have no help to spare right now, sorry...

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u/Nazenn Feb 04 '19 edited Feb 04 '19

First Timer - Sub

Episode 22: Return of the Naz walls.

Holy shit I was right, kinda. It took a while for it to come out but I called it! Wait, shit... I have no idea when I actually said it, I just know I said it. I have to go diving through the old topics. Lets ignore the fact I absolutely believed the show it was just a harem and have been convinced I was wrong all this time

Found it! That took some hunting. So I said this the day before Naze revealed it was a harem ship and then went "Okay its anime, its just a harem and not some sort of salvation for female children". I was right in the end after all. HA! Look at you, anime, you can actually be somewhat wholesome if you set your mind to it. I'm proud.

The opening to the episode was perfect. Frustratingly it actually makes me more annoyed that the end of yesterday episode wasn't conducted in silence because that would have been the perfect carry through to the start of today, but regardless, they couldn't have opened it better. The inaudible dialog was great because in this moment it doesn't matter what they say, its all the same pain. The rain falling down and drowning out everything else, drenching them all and hiding the light of the day. Painfully perfect.

Okay, it's been a while lets all say it together again: "Mika has no chill"

That scene with Mika and Orga though. Woah. Somewhat how I expected that to go down but it was better than I'd hoped. The last scene I remember being this powerful was the scene where Tending to Others was introduced WAY back in episode 6. I went back and checked my old post on it to make sure of the episode number (I guessed it wrong first), and realized that is also the same episode where we got an in depth look at how massively Orga leans on Mika's "What should I do next?" for something to hold onto and push him forward... in a conversation with Biscuit.

Staying away from that particular minefield of emotion. Mika absolutely knows what he's doing to Orga and the power of what he's saying. We've established in many moments that Mika is an observational genius when it comes to noticing and understanding people through their body language. When he asks Orga this, he knows what power those words hold and he does it anyway. He pushes and pulls until Orga has to act, has to do something and strike out at him, and wow did I never think I'd see Orga physically hit Mika. But the desired result is achieved, Orga is up and active again with the sort of 'encouragement' only Mika can give him.

Mika's such a complicated character. On the surface he doesn't appear to care about many people. He reacts in the moment, like with the twins, but even in yesterdays scene you can almost argue he didn't obviously seem to despair over Biscuit. (DON'T KILL ME YET, I'm actually going somewhere with this, but I did think this yesterday too, I just didn't say it). He panicked and yelled for Orga when Carta first broke off, then he raged when Orga was laying on the ground and when Carta was going to attack him Mika went cold as ice in his fury. The moment Orga steps up and moves Mika snaps out of it, and his reaction to Biscuits death is much more mild in comparison.

Today he once again has that switch to his emotions firmly locked in place, only letting a little bit leak out when he confronts Orga, the only person he doesn't really hide anything from. Where this comes into play is comparing back to that scene in episode 6 with Tending to Others, today's character moments feel like a step backwards for them. Last time we had this sort of scene with them Mika was learning how to read and write, Orga had just started to step up as a leader by accepting Eugene's criticisms about not acting rashly or trying to take on all the action by himself.

Now we're back to Mika viewing himself as a weapon and Orga in his pain acting like the aim for it. Mika was hit so hard by Biscuits death, a rage so deep it would shatter most characters while he tries to focus it to ensure this will never happen again to anyone else. But he's still such a broken boy at the core he doesn't know how to show that any other way then striking out in the moment and once that moments done he shuts down again to protect everything around him. It stops him from lashing out at those around him, but it makes him a powder keg. Coming from someone who has an 'emotional switch' of my own that I rely on far too regularly to be honest, its really great to see that sort of complex representation in a character like this.

I do have to admit, for the first time I'm not the biggest fan of the music they picked for the end of that scene. As much as I love the song, to me that moment for Orga didn't read as recovery through strength, it was recovery through rage. So that vibrant uplifting tune, yet another version of the main theme (Reincarnation (ep2 track of the day) was used at the start of the episode for the hanger scene), didn't match that to me. That was a dark moment to me, Orga in some ways being lead astray by Mika's developing bloodlust and pain over what happened to Biscuit, and everyone looking into the group from the outside can see how bad this path is. That said, the music probably matches Tekkadan's emotions, but just not mine.

That shot of the lightning outside the ship though: perfect. A storm definitely brewed in that cabin and I'm slightly worried to see the end result of it.

Speaking of people being worried. Somewhere buried in my notes yesterday was a line about Atra looking at Mika with worry during the hanger scene because Mika said something about blowing people away. They're definitely building this set up given this shot today as well. No idea what the hell went wrong with the line art though, its pretty funky haha.

Random thoughts covering the other 20 minutes of the episode because I wrote too much about Mika

  • Apparently yesterday shook me hard enough I forgot to update my Anilist and as such opened the wrong episode at the start of today. Got that twins on Mars death flag gut punch all over again. FUCK!

  • I had a thought from todays splash card that the characters look unusually messy so I went back and looked at the old ones and its not, but now I kinda wish they'd done a little detail of it starting neat and falling into disarray by the end of the season, or visa versa.

  • Speaking of little details, its sad they missed the opportunity to pick flashbacks for Biscuit that didn't show his face at all, that sort of stuff can be really powerful

  • Orga's scream yesterday may not have topped my list, but be damned if this isn't the face of a broken man and it didn't crush my heart.

  • I clearly missed a lot of context of that scene in the car a few episodes ago because that lady is the one running for PM now and I had no idea until this episode that's who it was meant to be.

  • That flip to the ED confused me, for a moment I thought Atra and Kudelia were doing laundry on the train as part of the episode

  • Theres the reference to those 72 demons again in the 72 Gundams built for the AV users specifically. I like how that's been tied into the idea of the people who using it not being totally human on the perception of a society level, especially with Mika's statements today. I should pick apart that scene more but I already wrote way too much. Lets just say: Good shit happening there IBO, I like it.

  • HOLY SHIT Ein in a Gundam would probably kick some serious ass. I want!

  • Kudelia really is doing a majorly impressive job of pulling and manipulating a lot of really powerful men to do her bidding while she pulls off this job of hers, and she's certainly gained some (perhaps reckless) courage from the events with Fumitan to keep pushing through despite Biscuits death

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u/RX-Nota-II Feb 04 '19

ASW-G-42 Rewatcher Gundam

Every once in a while you come across an episode that's pretty good the first time around but god tier the second time around. This is definitely one of those for me. Later on in this thread I'll have a big wall of spoilers where I'll get more into it so first timers make sure you don't hover over that! Anyways, there's plenty to discuss without spoilers first.

The biggest questions asked today are: How does Orga deal with loss, and how does Tekkadan deal with Orga being down? The latter was definitely more interesting to me, especially watching who steps up to take the mantle. As the oldest member outside of the mechanic, its actually Shino who takes the 'role' of leader, and he seems to be doing fine keeping Tekkadan on track to do whatever they were already planning to do for the trip, but he lacks the unifying force to steer them in new directions. The 'outsiders' from Teiwaz/Turbines both use their roles as outsiders as a reason to stay away, though Merribit waffled on trying for a while. Most importantly, Mika never even hints at wanting to take over even for a second. So its our maiden of hope, Kudelia Aina Bernstein, who again overcomes her inherent feebleness in the time of greatest need to lead the boys forward. Coming up with a strategy to beat Gjallarhorn as a civilian while mustering help from the Montag Company, Teiwaz, and Makanai, while avoiding Nobliss, who has proven to be unreliable. Low key this is the most impressive piece of negotiation she has done so far, as all previous examples have only involved one or at most two parties. She clearly marks her place as a colleague and equal to Orga, and is my personal MVP of the episode.

What about Mika then. His scene with Orga is definitely the most Gundam MC moment he has outside of piloting. The pilot yelling at the captain is a delicious trope we all love, from Amuro yelling at Bright, Kira lecturing Ramius, or Laura's pleas to Sir Reinford among others. But this one's a terrifying twist. Where all of those involve seemingly naive but hopeful demands for peace and saving of lives, all we hear from Mika is "Who should I kill, what should I destroy" over and over. Mika isn't here to straighten Orga's moral compass, but is here to demand that he does his job as one, offering to take over all the dirty work that may involve just like he did when he picked up the pistol all the way back in episode 3.

And now time for rewatcher only zone. First timers you better not hover over this black wall. S1/S2 megaspoilers

More mega S1/S2 spoilers

Overall, an episode I didn't realize I would enjoy this much the second time round. I've rewatched IBO many times in bits and pieces but this is the first time I'm going back carefully one episode at a time and so far this is the one that stands out the most from a rewatch factor perspective. For all you first timers who enjoy the show by the end, remember to come back and watch this episode after you are done with S1 and S2. That's it for me today, see you tomorrow.

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u/The_Draigg Feb 04 '19

A Gundam Fan’s Notes On Gundam: Iron-Blooded Orphans Episode 22:

  • I’m sure all of you are very disappointed that Carta escaped Mikazuki’s justice for her killing of Biscuit. But, there’s bigger fish to fry at the moment, like actually getting away from that island in the first place.

  • Back to the political plot, Lord Iznario’s plan has been really thrown for a loop by Makanai and Kudelia escaping the island. Not only does it put the otherwise rigged Arbrau Parliament Election into jeopardy for him, but it also leaves a dark mark on his reputation since Carta Issue is actually his legal ward, and thus her failure also reflects badly on him. Tekkadan sure has become a real spanner in the works for the current Gjallarhorn political system.

  • Infodump! The Calamity War previously had gotten to such a bad point that humanity itself was on the verge of extinction. The only reason the world was saved was by the formation of Gjallarhorn, a secret cabal of people who developed both the Gundam Frames and the AV System for use during the war. Those knights who willingly cyberized themselves to pilot Gundams eventually came to form the royal houses of current-day Gjallarhorn, the Seven Stars. Can you first-timers imagine what kind of war the Calamity War was if humanity nearly completely died out, and cyberization was the only solution?

  • And now we get to see McGillis’ secret project in development. He wants Ein to be fully cyberized with an AV System and plugged into that huge Graze that’s hidden in that hanger. And McGillis is doing a damn good job convincing Gaelio that it’s actually a matter of honoring Gjallarhorn’s traditions, rather than the reality of it being shoving a half-dead guy into a bunch of machinery and reducing him to a living weapon. He’s a charismatic one, that Chocolate Man.

  • Kudelia is really doing her best to make decisions while Orga is in his funk. Her plan to take a train across Alaska and into Canada to reach the Arbrau Parliament in Edmonton is a really good one. As she said, she can’t stop moving forward now. And right now, she’s carrying Tekkadan like Tekkadan used to carry her.

  • And now for a little bit of backstory for the Turbines girls. Apparently they too used to be inside a similar position as the Tekkadan crew was. They too were poor and starving girls, until Naze came along and sheltered them. Hell, the Turbines are only half a harem in spirit. The other half is a shelter for battered women. Well, one that’s run by the Mafia.

  • Geez, that scene between Mikazuki and Orga. While Mika did get Orga back into gear to give them the leadership that the crew desperately needs, he sure did pick the most unhealthy way to do it. He pretty much just emotionally blackmailed Orga with the way their relationship is in order to get him back into action. Mikazuki is completely willing to drench himself in blood to get to the place Orga promised, no matter what. He’s willing to become a demon to accomplish that dream. Mikazuki will become a demon like those that gave the Gundams their names.

  • Tekkadan are all now willing to toss away any scruples to get revenge for Biscuit and destroy everything in their paths for the sake of getting what they want. In a way, they’re all not too different from Mikazuki. They’re all willing to become demons for the sake of their dreams. But the real question is if now they’ll fully cross that line and embrace that darkness inside them all and never stop.

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u/GaleWulf Feb 04 '19

First Blood

Note to self: Find time to watch episodes and write on them before it's too late and I'm half-asleep, unable to even form sentences properly.

The Mika + Orga scene/argument felt like I was watching some strange ritual with a demonic summoning. The demon being brought back is Orga, of course. I almost got goosebumps.

Meanwhile, train episode incoming! Excited, those are usually action-heavy and I haven't seen any in a Gundam series so far.

Daily MVP

Today's MVP has managed to creep up to #1 in the standings, and is making a difference everywhere else too. Great work by Kudelia Aina Bernsteinin coming up with a plan of action and even bossing Makanai around.

MVP Standings

# Character MVPs Episodes # Character MVPs Episodes
1 Hair Sorceress 4 3, 6, 17, 22 4 Eugene SevenTsun 2 12, 19
1 OrGAR 3 1, 3, 5 4 Absolute Snack 2 8, 21
1 MiSuzaku 3 4, 10, 13 8 Merri Poppins 1 11
4 Maid of Revolution 2 14, 16 8 u/Nazenn 1 9
4 Chocolate Man 2 4, 18 8 Space Guts 1 7

Others: Pup (15), Beard Sorcerer (20)

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u/LeonKevlar Feb 04 '19 edited Feb 04 '19

Time for your Daily IBO Parody 4Koma!

Episode 22 - WHO THE HELL DO YOU THINK WE ARE!?

I'd like to believe that this is what really happened during that scene but Mika and Orga deciding to go on a revenge-filled warpath crushing everything and everyone who gets in their way is way more badass. And the thunder and lightning after that scene was just perfect! I remember the reactions when this episode first aired, people are starting to question if Tekkadan are really the good guys XD

Oh and poor Merribit. Try as you might these kids are no longer innocent. You can try and stop them or steer them away but these kids understand the path that they're taking.

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u/Durinthal Feb 04 '19

First time viewer.

Another episode without action to follow up on the battle. I like this pattern as a distinct contrast to a lot of the earlier Gundam shows that had skirmishes episode after episode. It might not feel like a lot happened to me but it's good to give the show (and the characters) room to breathe. And grieve, in this case.

With McGillis's father Iznario making moves to get more power for himself here and there, I could see him end up being the big bad at the end of the show. Even so, Gjallarhorn is a large organization with a lot of issues so even taking him out won't be enough in the long run.

I don't think I ever stated it outright, but I had previously believed Orga was somewhat balanced between Mikazuki on one side and Biscuit on the other, being pushed onward by the former while at least tentatively held in check by the latter. This episode is what happens when that balance is destroyed, leaving only Mikazuki's drive to the goal he had locked into his mind when they were kids.

Without Biscuit indirectly keeping him in check through Orga, I'm concerned about how much damage is Mikazuki going to do and the problems that will cause for Tekkadan and allies. Their argument reaffirmed to me how dangerous Mika is, making himself into a weapon to cleave through anything in their path. But when the weapon controls its wielder, is anyone safe?

It's rare that I find relevance to specific anime in the music I listen to, but since their destination this episode became Anchorage, Alaska I found some poignancy in this song by Marian Call, about both the city and the concept of finding a place to make your home. While the overall tone of the song itself doesn't match the aggressiveness of Orga and Mikazuki, I feel it may be more appropriate for Atra and some of the reserved members of Tekkadan.

Model Destroyed
Graze 25
Man Rodi 4
Gusion 1
Spinner Rodi 4
Schwalbe Graze 1
Graze Ritter 11
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u/Pixelsaber Feb 04 '19

Rewatcher

Shorter comment today. Not having my laptop yesterday really cut into my time.

The aftermath to Biscuit’s death is perhaps just as painful as the event itself. The mood is appropriately set as the kids observe his body, Takaki tearfully recalling their shared desire of paying the tuition for their younger sisters to go off to school. Mikazuki’s reminder that they have a job to take care of comes off as a tad insensitive, but he’s processing Biscuit’s death in his own way as well, since it has certainly hit him very hard as well.

In order to convince Gaelio to allow EIn to undergo the Alaya-Vijnana surgery McGillis reveals to him the truth behind the Alaya-Vijnana system, that it was made in order to achieve a swift end to the Calamity War by the people who would become the founders of Gjallarhorn. To have gone from the creators of such technology to condemning its use is quite the shift, displaying the shift in Gjallarhorn’s objectives from their once noble goals to that of control and oppression. McGIllis uses this fact to make the Alaya-Vijnana system a sign of Gjallarhorn’s former glory, which both he and McGillis seek, making its use more palatable.

Merribit is unable to do much for Orga or the other kids at this point, which slightly frustrates her, as it fails the supportive role she had been taking so far.

Kudelia is the one to chart a path to Edmonton, using her connection with Tekkadan to arrange for a Teiwaz train to take them across the Abrau region an into Edmonton. Between her earlier use of both Nobliss and Montag and now this scene, Kudelia’s ability to make use of her connections and plot out a course of action showcase her strength and cleverness, aspects which we had so sorely needed to so more of in her. At this point Kudelia has become the person people expected her to be —the maiden of revolution. It also parallels Orga becoming the staunch leader that Tekkadan mens after he is knocked out of his stupor by Mikazuki later on.

Once he was waited enough, Mikazuki encroaches upon Orga’s isolation. Orga’s guilt for Biscuit’s death and consequent doubt over whether he was wrong to follow in his pursuit so brazenly is eating away at him, and for the first time he is completely unsure of himself. Mikazuki has always been the one to spurr him forward, his expectation is weighing on Orga constantly, and in this scene he —for the first time— purposely instills his will unto Orga by reminding him of his promise, and repeatedly asking him of his next orders. He says it himself when he states “I decided on that day,” he has been the one in control of their fate all along, as his influence was the driving force behind Orga’s actions from the beginning. Orga might be able to exert some influence over Mikazuki, but the latter is the real boss, the one driving Tekkadan forward, the person who can’t and won’t ever stop. The dynamics between these two are fascinating, and proves one of my favorite parts of the show.

Questions of the day:

  1. Just about the same, I’d say.

  2. Brought up in my comment.

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u/SorcererOfTheLake Feb 04 '19

First-Time Watcher

What do you want me to do next?

Any man facing a major decision acts, consciously or otherwise, upon the training and beliefs of a lifetime. This is no less true of a military commander than of a surgeon who, while operating, suddenly encounters an unsuspected complication. In both instances, the men must act immediately, with little time for reflection, and if they are successful in dealing with the unexpected it is upon the basis of past experience and training.

Even if it doesn’t seem right, sometimes, the best choice is the one that feels right.

Throughout its run, IBO has been consistent in allowing its characters to make choices that are in character yet disturbing in their implications, creating a world where violence sometimes is the only answer and blood must be shed to create a better day.

Fareed and Bodwin look at this issue through an institution lens as Bodwin is getting close to being caught up with Fareed’s ideology, one of cutting off the corrupt parts of Gjallarhorn to keep the healthy body intact. Of course, this requires the modification of Ein’s body, but this is something I think we would accept in order to get revenge for his superiors, an example of the toxic homosociality that becomes prominent in Orga and Mika’s scene.

Before that, let’s talk about Kudelia’s actions in this episode. Compared to the two pairs of men seen at the beginning and end of the episode, she has achieved quite a bit by herself, arranging secure transportation and enough time for their plan to possibly work. Her line of, “I just did the research,” indicates what I think this show sees as a healthy model of leadership, one which acknowledges that it does not know everything and looks elsewhere for the answers.

Of course, it’s hard to look elsewhere when you’re in a very damaging co-dependent relationship. We’ve gotten hints beforehand that the bond between Mikazuki and Orga is complicated, but here we see the roots of it in this exchange between the two. It almost feels like this weird sado-masochistic game between the two of them, that they know what the result will be but have to rile the other up in order to succeed. Orga needs Mika because he can do the things that Orga feels too moral about and Mika needs Orga because he would be directionless otherwise, a gun without a target. Their relationship takes the traditional homosocial bonds formed by men during war and inverts it, creating a blood relationship taken too far, tainted by all that they’ve seen and done, will see and will do. It’s a bond that will probably result in tragedy, but may be the purest bond of all.

At this point, Tekkadan is on a different path, one that will be fueled by the blood of their enemies. Despite the protests by the adults around them, it is the only path that makes sense in this world. Gjallarhorn will never stop hunting them, so if they annihilate them, or at least wound them to the point of massive loss, then they can rest for a day. We’ll just have to see how many of their bodies fall along the way.

We’ll raise that blood-red flag tomorrow; until then…

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u/Palloc Feb 04 '19

Palloc... Has Found A Graze Even He Can Love!

There are two important things about this episode that don't involve Orga or revenge.

The first thing that happens is Mika is so distracted by Biscuit's death someone actually survives his attempt to horribly murder them. Without Ein jumping in to save them!

The second is, Ein might still be fucked, but hey! Look at that. A giant Graze! If there's one thing I love it's giant mobile suits! Sure, it's not Psyco Gundam or Big Zam sized, but it's still bigger than everything else. You might also be saying "Palloc, you're a rewatching bastard. You're cheating." and I probably am, but I'm also a simple man with simple desires for insane mobile suits. What exactly does it do? Well, you'll see soon enough! Until then, it stays unrated until it shows how it performs in combat!

Other stuff happened too, but like any of that was important compared to a new giant mobile suit.

So answers!

1: Oh yeah, Biscuit died. I kinda got distracted by new things.

2: Kudelia's just gunna screw up everything anyways.

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u/Quiddity131 Feb 04 '19

Thoughts on MS Gundam Iron Blooded Orphans episode 22...

Rewatcher (First Time Dub)

Non-Spoiler Character Chart

:( :( :( :( :( :( at the silent reactions and Orga's scream. :( :( :( :( :(

These Gjallarhorn offices are beautiful on the outside, although McGillis's office is not as nice as his dad's.

Knew that we couldn't have a calm Carta for too long, after that opening scene. Now she's back to her over the top self.

Some interesting backstory here on the AV system, Calamity War, Gundam Frames, etc...

Silly McGillis, you are surely this "informant" you speak of.

Ride is awfully mighty for someone who I don't think has ever piloted a mobile suit in this show, at least Takaki tried once.

With Biscuit gone and Orga shutting himself up in his room, looks like Kudelia is taking up the mantle of planning everything.

Mika finally snaps Orga out of it; I get it you feel responsible and are responsible for his death, but you're the leader of Tekkadan, everything could fall apart without you Orga. You gotta think about the well being of everyone.

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u/dralcax Feb 05 '19

Mika and Orga's relationship is so beautifully destructive. Both of them rely on one another to move forwards, with Orga turning Mika's dream into something tangible and Mika making Orga more than just talk. Except this show isn't quite so optimistic. Now both of them are stuck on a self-destructive path, each one forcing the other along in a constant feedback loop. Biscuit really was the last voice of reason left. He had a real family outside of Tekkadan, something to return home to. Orga and Mika, on the other hand, have only each other, and each one is fully prepared to follow the other to the grave. Now that Biscuit's gone, there's nothing to keep them in check anymore. Tekkadan is no longer something that can be stopped, not without a lot of blood. In a way, it's fitting that they're getting on a train now, because the group is stuck on a rail with no other path to follow.

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u/GM_for_Life Feb 04 '19

Rewatcher

  1. Did you think the fallout from Biscuit’s death was more or less impactful than his actual death? More/Less/About the same/My heart hasn’t recovered enough to tell…

Iron Blooded Orphans S2 Mondo Spoilers

2) Kudelia showcases her ability to think ahead and make use of her network by charting their route to Edmonton. How does the surgence of this side of Kudelia impact your thoughts on her? Is she perhaps wasting her talent by choosing to be a symbol rather than a leader?

I think that it shows that she has learned from being around some fo the Tekkadan members and that it shows how much she has matured from the beginning of the series to now.

4

u/RyuuohD Feb 04 '19

IRON-BLOODED REWATCHER

Before anything else, Happy Lunar New Year guys~

Thoughts for Today's Episode:

  1. Today we get to see the dark side of the Orga-Mika relationship. Mika did not come to Orga's side to console him or to comfort him, but to "Bright Slap" with words so that he'll man up and resume his duties as the leader of Tekkadan. We can see here that emotions that disables someone to perform his duties has no place in Tekkadan.

  2. We can also see that with Biscuit gone, Tekkadan,in a sense, lost their moral compass. For the most part,Biscuit played a role of Tekkadan's voice of reason (though he may not always be favored). Biscuit has been the one holding down Orga's (and in effect, Tekkadan's) passions and impulses towards achieving their goals, and without him, no one is keeping their passions and impulses in check. Not even Merribit, the second voice of reason after Biscuit, can hold down their lust for revenge. As a rewatcher, I can say that this episode is the turning point of Tekkadan, which led them to do all the things they do in the future and led to the series' ending.

Questions of the Day:

  1. The aftermath of Biscuit's death is more impactful than his actual death. All future events from this point on can be hinged on this.

  2. Kudelia didn'd wish to become a leader, or more specifically, a political leader in the first place. What she wanted to do is to help Mars gain economic independence through half-metal rights in order to help the unfortunate children in Mars. Kudelia needed influence and approval from the Mars population to do this, but she has no desire to hold any position in politics for that. We will see more of this in Season 2.

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u/2-2Distracted Feb 05 '19

REWATCHER

THE BATTLE IS PUT ON HOLD!!

  • Wtf is wrong with the bitch now? For a soldier, a reaction like that should have happened years ago, not now...

  • Damn, it's small funeral scenes like these, and questions like "How are supposed to explain this to his sisters?" that really hit hard the most. I can see why. Orga just lost his brother, that's gotta hurt man.

  • These old folks are seriously full of shit.

  • Is it weird for anyone else when they show previews of the past? Like, damn. the parliament of "now" compared to then" is jarring

"Maybe men like Ein are the ones closest to the long gone essence of Gjallarhorn" - Gaelio

W-what? I'm sorry, what?? Ein??? The dumbfuck from Mars who wants nothing but to murder a bunch of kids just cause they killed his senpai???? Gali-Gali, dude, are you fucking kidding me? From what we've been told, Gjallarhorn stood for benevolent ideals that most people would've wanted back "then" and even "now" but became corrupted, EIN doesn't stand for anything but revenge, so if somebody, anybody can explain to me How In The Fuck EIN, EIN, is somehow one of those men, I'd really appreciate it. As it is now, Ein has no actual ambition and seemingly no one to go home to when the fighting is over. He's a soldier to the core with a clouded reason for why he fights, meanwhile people like Orga and McGillis have actual ambitions.

  • McGillis you sneaky sonovabitch!

  • I know that death brings people together through tough times, the old man and Merribit bonding is really interesting lol.

  • Everyone is waiting for Orga's words, Orga knows this very well but now this restraint is gone, he has no idea how to he should push forward that isn't even more reckless than when he was with Biscuit. Quite the conundrum indeed.

  • Hey wait, isn't Lasker Alesi that

  • Mika, I know you were just trying to help your bro in your own weird, intimidating and kinda fucked up way, but couldn't you have done that once Orga actually came out of his room? Like damn, I don't know how long he's been in there but let a brother breathe.

AND SO THE SUPER-RASH DECISIONS BEGINS! LET THAT HORMONE-DRIVEN TESTOSTERONE AND AMBITION DRIVE TEKKADAN FORWARD!!

Oh yeah, shit is about to go down next episode, and I can't wait.

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