Outlaw Star Part 4 Episode 15-18

(Originally Written January 26, 2015)

Just when life seemed to be getting good for Gene and his crew on Hei Fong, dark forces come crashing down on top of them.  The crew of the Outlaw Star finds itself fighting on two fronts against two forces who will stop at nothing to claim Melfina and the Outlaw Star.  And if the McDougall’s weren’t trouble enough, the Kei Pirates top leader is sending his elite squad after them as well…foes so powerful that even Aisha and Suzuka’s help may not be enough to stop them.  The toughest fight of Gene Starwinds life is about to begin…will his luck hold out?

I have to say, the more I think about them the more I really enjoyed this weeks batch of episodes.  The series has been ok with some flaws but man did this week feel like potential was being met in full.  There are gripes here and there but nothing that didn’t make me think less about this show being on fire this week.

Let’s start with the Anten Seven.  Seven seems to be a popular number in Anime, no doubt helped greatly by a certain Japanese masterpiece featuring Seven Samuari lol.  And this band seems poised to deliver some good challenge.  Shimi, or Lei Long, was a good start, managing to beat the living hell out of Gene, Jim, and even Suzuka and Aisha.  His episode had a lot of dark overtones to it, even Gene having a nightmare about his own demise…and man could that have come true in more ways, not just losing his life but seeing his friends die around him one by one.  It was heavy stuff but it’s always a relief to see everyone alright in the end.  Bonus points given to Suzuka for blaming her defeat on Aisha’s terrible cooking.  However, while the second featured member Hiraga was fierce, she was a bit more comical in her appearance, wanting to put off her killing of Gene to prove she’s the strongest woman in the universe in a tournament (more on that in a moment).  It definitely cut into the foreboding feel of this lethal group of assassins.  Will the others be more like Shimi, ruthless with a bit of dark wisdom or like Hiraga, powerful but a bit more on the zany side?  Time will tell as we’re two members down and five to go.

The McDougall Brothers popped back up as well and we got to know a bit more about them this week, more so with Harry though Ron did finally reveal himself to Gene.  Speaking of Ron, he seems poised to give Gene some real trouble since he is packing the same special Caster Gun as Mr. Starwing…though Gene’s is cooler in my honest opinion.  Harry, on the other hand, continued his tough guy look that quickly turned to infancy when he didn’t get his way.  Made him annoying when he tried to rationalize his actions towards Melfina as love when he was being so dark and even knocked her out when she would go with him.  He’s just asking for an ass kicking and he did get it a little bit when a scared Melfina managed to short out his arm when Harry tried to hack into the ship.  We also got a bit of Blade Runner action with Harry and Melfina as we learned they may be one in the same being, hence how Harry could hack their ship Ghost in the Shell style.  Will his claims of Melfina’s inevitable abandonment by Gene convince her to go her own way?  And what does Gene feel for Melfina anyway?  One could say he was being a bit colder to her than usual, trying to force a kiss on her when he thought he was going to die the next day.  I think Gene does truly care for her but something else is going on in his head that he isn’t sharing with her.

Even the filler stories this week were pretty entertaining.  The trip to the water planet for buried treasure was tight and intense and with the old man leading the crew, gave us a nice look into what Gene could end up as in the future…just with more of his body and friends intact.  Then there’s the tournament for the title of the Strongest Woman in the Universe.  This got some good laughs as we got to see Gene dressed up to infiltrate the tournament on a job for Fred Lau (and immediately assume the job was initially to sleep with Fred after a long pause which I did crack up at for some reason, timing I guess).  We also got to see Aisha suit up and hop in the ring and eventually get a well deserved action scene with Hiraga with a Catrl Cartrl vs a Werewolf.  It was so great Gene even decided he would lighten up on Aisha since she showed just how bad ass she could be.  And to top it all off, Fred actually came through for Gene and sent the crew and the series back into space to go look for the Galactic Layline.

The road to get to this point may have been a bit shaky at times but everything played it’s purpose well this week and now it think we’re about to get into some better territory.  The action, story, drama and humor were perfectly balanced this week.  Some characters could use more ironing out but there’s time for that.  For now, the Outlaw Star is heading back into space and we’re strapped in for a wild ride.

Outlaw Star Part 3 Episode 10-14

(Originally Written January 19, 2015)

Gene and company arrive in the Hei Fong system for the annual Hei Fong space race.  Fame, fortune and a chance to promote their name are all on the line.  But this is the life of Gene Starwind, when is a race ever a simple race?  The McDougall Brothers, who may or may not have been responsible for the death of Gene’s father, are in the race as well.  And it looks like one way or another they’re going to make Gene’s life hell more than they already have.

Space races, aliens of a bizzare kind (and that’s saying a lot) and a little bit of a nod to a couple of classic action flicks took up a great deal of the Outlaw Star action this week.  But in another odd twists, the main story seemed to suffer from lack of unmet potential while the side quests proved to be pretty entertaining.

At the end of last week’s set of episodes we were teased with a highly anticipated galactic event known as the Heifong Space Race.  Gene saw this less as an opportunity to promote the name of Starwind and Hawking Enterprises and more as a chance to go after the McDougall Brothers, who had supposedly entered the race.  With that added bit of personal drama you had to have a feeling that it might’ve been the only aspect of the race the series would focus on.  Space racing seemed like a pretty fun concept for Outlaw Star, especially if there happened to be other Grappler Ships involved.  But to be honest I would have liked to have seen some more intense competition between ships rather than outracing the elements of space as the Outlaw Star seemed to do.  Save for a tiny bit of unseen action against the El Dorado, we nary saw any other ships going head to head to get to certain checkpoints.  That being said, the Outlaw Star itself was in top form racing through the Ether stream and avoiding a gravity wave. 

The reappearance of the McDougall Brothers was another nice moment this week.  Their short summary in one of the episode prologues built them up big, the baddest of the bad asses who took everything and left nothing for others, including life.  It was a little funny to learn that the youngest is nothing more than a psychotic cry baby who bitches and moans when he doesn’t get his way or even gets grazed.  But further intriguing was his ability to hack into the Outlaw Star.  Chilling as it was to see Melfina almost abused by the attack, it raises all kinds of questions as to what Harry McDougall actually is.  His brother Ron, even showed a bit of a softer side when it came to caring for his brother.  They trust only each other and im sure we’ll see more of that deadly side to Ron like when he killed Hilda a couple weeks back soon when there two show up again.

The side stories were a lot stronger this week on the show as the crew adjusted to new life on Hei Fong.  The first episode was smart to split up everyones stories but slowly tie them together at the end in a very humorous finale, complete with poor Melfina being forced to smash a would be powerful cactus plant (yes I did just type that) simply because wasn’t affected by his mind control.  Final Countdown was a bit stronger with some nice nods to some classic action films like Speed and Die Hard.  Robbery disguised as terrorism and a bomb on the verge of detonation if even slightly interfered with push a trapped Gene, Melfina and especially Jim to their limits.  But the awesome stuff was saved for Suzuka and Aisha.  Suzuka’s screentime during the space race was shortened due to her lack of interest in participating, also a bit smart since she got a lot of screen time last week when she was introduced…though we did get to see her in a swimsuit for a brief moment, cutie hehe.  Aisha meanwhile has joined up with the crew and together with Suzuka, they cleaned house against a group of thieves who stood no chance against a bad ass samurai and a ferocious cat girl.

Some things could have been done much better this week.  The Space Race was full of missed opportunities in exchange for a would be tighter focus.  But some fun was had planet side and the cast is definitely gelling well together, almost getting to the point where it’s ok to call them the Anime equivalent of the Guardians of the Galaxy.  But if next weeks preview is any indication, the crew of the Outlaw Star is about to be put through the ringer when the pirates return stronger than ever…and I cant wait to see em duke it out again.

Outlaw Star Part 2 Episode 6-9

(Originally Written January 12, 2015)

With Hilda dead and the Outlaw Star now in his possession, Gene returns to Sentinel III to plan his next move.  But securing weapons and supplies for his new ship will be the last of Gene’s worries.  Not only is a beautiful assassin trying to kill his benefactor (who is not so subtley in love with him) but there are more pirates heading his way, seeking to claim the XGP (Outlaw Star) at any cost.  There’s no time to wait and action must be taken.  The time has come for Gene to accept his destiny and blast off into space…preferably with his ship and crew in one piece.

Talk about hitting the ground running for the crew of the Outlaw Star.  Gene, Jim and Melfina barely had time to settle back into life on Sentinel before life got hectic again.  But then again that’s one thing I have to give this show credit for, trying it’s best to keep the momentum going without getting the show to dull in the lull.  And for the most part this week it did just that.

Most of the credit can go to the series scene stealing newcomer, Suzuka.  Beautiful, polite and deadly all at the same time, her skill in combat may have left a lot to be desired after her first showdown with Gene but she more than made up for it in later episodes.  Taking down hulking giant and even mechs with a tough wooden sword makes her worthy of the title of bad ass.  And while the outcome of her duel with Gene could be seen as a bit silly, it was fun to see our hero have some fun at her expense while also opening her eyes a bit to his code and how she should not be so bound by pride when it comes to living her life.  It’s great that she’ll be joining the team as that extra bit of muscle and zen beauty.  We also got to meet Fred Lou, who adds a bit of uncomfortable humor to the mix with his fixation on Gene and even Jim (creeeeepy).  The Toonami airing definitely had to tone down his hitting on Gene and truth be told they did that pretty well even if you could read between the lines, cudos to Cartoon Network on that one. 

I briefly touched on it with Suzuka but the action scenes really stood out this week.  Not only did we get to see Gene single handedly take on a squad of Ninja Assassins, but we also got a great taste of pure grappler combat.  Watching those ships move, take pot shot and even throwing punches at each other was stellar.  The animation and movement may not have been Macross level but it was still grand nonetheless.  And again, Koh Otani’s score, even if it is a reused track from a previous episode, worked magically here.

And while the villains were a bit more fierce and scary and less one note than last weeks batch, the filler this week was the not so great element of this set.  Watching Gene and Jim actually bicker was nice but it could’ve worked itself into something bigger.  I don’t know, going after a cyborg killer just didn’t seem too fun…even if Gene blew him to kingdom come in laid back Gene Starwind style.  Really this episode was unneeded set up for a more interesting premise: the Space Race and the return of the MacDougall Brothers.  Now that seems like a good follow up to the opening arc.

Outlaw Star Part 1 Episode 1-5

(Originally Written January 5, 2015)

Gene Starwind is a jack of all trades: bounty hunter, pilot, ladies man, fighter…with dreams of heading off into space with his own ship and crew.  That dream comes to him in a massive sucker punch when he and his partner Jim take on an assignment for a woman who isn’t what she seems.  Now on the run with an outlaw and a mysterious girl in a suitcase, chased by pirates with mystical abilities, Gene sets off into space to find a special ship…and with it his destiny.  That is if the pirates, rival outlaws, machine ninjas and a very beautiful but pissed off cat girl don’t kill him first.

Outlaw Star, one of the shows I throw in with the golden age of Cartoon Network’s Toonami block.  While it was probably never as successful as Toonami’s big jugernauts Dragon Ball Z and Gundam Wing, Outlaw Star was still a fun show, even if it had to be insanely edited and toned down to fit the sort of kid friendly block.  So how does this show hold up years later and unedited?  As we kick off Anime Corner 2015, we’re going to get an answer to that and so far, it’s off to a great start.

The series doesn’t really waste any time jumping into things.  This universe feels like a universe, ginormous and grand, even if we only visit a couple of places in the first five episodes.  There’s life out here, hustling, bustling, dangerous and wondrous.  Unlike Cowboy Bebop though, this feels more like a straight sci fi setting rather than a more modern day with technological advances.  The best way to look at the universe of Outlaw Star, and possibly even the story when everything is in place, is more akin to Guardians of the Galaxy, some nice cities on worlds and asteroids while others are more down and dirty and fitting for the lower tier scum of the universe.  Add in a fantastic score by Koh Otani (Gundam Wing, Gundam Wing: Endless Waltz) filled with wonder and excitement and you’ve got a great setting ready to explore.

Speaking of Guardians, our Star Lord, if you could call him that, for this series is Gene Starwind.  Tall, ripped, a bit messy albeit cool hairdo and scars all about him, Gene is the kind of guy girls would gush over.  His confidence is second to none and he stares danger down without much thought of a negative outcome.  Gene definitely has some internal scars to as we learn a bit about his dark past and the loss of his father to space but by end of Episode 5 it looks like he may be starting to put that behind him and look forward.  To top it all off, he’s got what still remains today one of my top weapons in all of Anime, the Caster Gun.  Not much has been revealed about this gift from the Gods but it was stop the Tao Pirates in their tracks when normal bullets and even missiles don’t count.  As such, it’s ammo is rare which means it shouldn’t be used like a normal pistol, giving it an edge but also not treated as an always easy way out.

Gene’s supporting cast is pretty cool if not as cool as he is.  Jim and girl of mystery Melfina add a bit of unexpected cute element to the series.  Meanwhile Hilda, the woman who gets Gene into this mess to begin with, makes a great impression with coldness, beauty and bad assery.  I am kind of curious about whether or not she and Gene actually got it on during their time together but that’s a mystery the series will tease about without answering im sure.  It is a shame that Hilda bit the dust so soon.  I don’t think killing her off was probably the best move but im betting it will give Gene some deeper resolve to deal with his personal torments and finish Hilda’s quest in her stead.  We also get another fun character in the form of Aisha Clan-Clan, a pretty Catrl Catrl (humanoid cat people basically) who’s after Gene and the treasure he seeks to get back into high standings with her people.  Aisha looks clumsy and arrogant but has the fight to back up her talk and I’m sure we’ll be seeing her again soon.

If I did have one nitpick about this opening it’s the villains.  The Tao Pirates chasing Hilda are so one note it becomes annoying.  Every scene they pop up in is pretty much, “Damn you Hilda.  You won’t escape Hilda.  TAO SPELL. Damn you Hilda”.  Rinse, dry, repeat.  It’s so grating in fact that when they are betrayed by other series villains The MacDougall Brothers, big brother Harry giving a very menacing first impression, you’re happy they’ve been dealt with to make way for more dangerous company for Gene to face.

I also have to wonder how the hell Toonami got away with showing as much of this series as they did.  Outlaw Star boasts a lot of violence, sex and language and even some nudity to make it the Anime equivalent of Heavy Metal.  It had to be censored quite a bit (Gene’s language nullified, no blood, black bars over Melfina’s naughty bits when she’s in the central tube of the Outlaw Star).  Even Hilda’s suicide was edited out to make it look like she just fell to her death rather than take the more defiant never go down without a fight approach.  There’s even an episode down the line that was cut from the Toonami run entirely and never shown on television because of the vast amount of FAN SERVICE…but we’ll get to that later.  It’s just boggles me sometimes to think about.

But I’m not complaining overall.  Were it not for Toonami I would never have heard about this series and gotten into it.  It’s good to be back watching it again.  And I hope through these reviews some people can track it down and find a classic waiting for a new generation of Anime Otaku to see a great that paved the way for others to come.

Special Post-Countdown to Otakon 2015

(Note: In lew of the lack of a brand new review or any review of any kind over the next couple of days…plus Otakon is only a few hours away, please enjoy this little special segment as I look back on one of the biggest and best things to happen to my enjoyment of Anime.  Take care and see you guys next week.)

Otakon-a Anime convention that has been held annually in Baltimore, Maryland for the better part of 20 years.  It is a celebration of both Anime and Japanese culture as a whole.  Held over a 3-4 day period (if you count pre registration pick up day as I do), Otakon sports a wide variety of activities and events ranging from premiere screenings to industry panels to workshops and fan driven educational panels.  There are also dozens of cosplay opportunities, with photoshoots being held not just within the Baltimore Convention Center but also in the area of Baltimore’s Inner Harbor.  I’ve been attending this convention since 2010 and have seen it grow to the point where after next year, 2016, the convention will be moving to a larger space in Washington DC as it has finally outgrown the internal capacity of the BCC at over 35,000 attendees.

So with another Otakon just around the corner figured it would be a good opportunity to go back and review the cons before it and give you my thoughts and feelings on each.  Plus ive been to enough that I can rank them from least favorite to most favorite (though I have enjoyed them all).  So here you go, the countdown to Otakon 2015 begins here with a look back at The Road So Far (you may play Carry On My Wayward Son as you read if you get the reference). 

 

5. Otakon 2012

This year was a little rough to be honest.  I mean sure there were plenty of great moments but 2012 had to follow an absolutely amazing 2011 (which ill get to later)…and that just didn’t happen.  One part of this year being a bit of a letdown was that it was my first year going to a con alone.  I’d had asked around but everyone was either busy or just not willing to give Otakon a chance and that hurt a little bit.  For me part of the overall experience is sharing it with others, especially friends and when they cant come with, it’s a huge letdown.  Well there was that and the feeling that it just wasn’t as fun as 2011, not as great a selections of guests and what not.  However, 2012 did have some great moments as aforementioned.  This was my first year staying at a hotel and DAMN WAS IT AMAZING!!!!  There was also my first Otaku Idol experience and a couple of fun fan parody and even…after hours late night panels, that were quite fun.  But the best moment was at the end, when I got a shot with guys dressed as Kenshin Himura and Spike Spiegel, two of my biggest Anime heroes.  And as I offered to shake their hands, Spike shook his head, “This is Otakon dude, we hug here…”  I wanted to cry…even if it wasn’t as good as previous years, there no other place I’d rather be.

 

 

4. Otakon 2014

If I were to think about it, im kind of surprised I didn’t rank this Otakon at the bottom of the list.  This con was plagued by technical glitches that made the picking up of Pre Reg materials on Thursday almost impossible, leaving more than the usual thousands to stand in line in the summer heat on Friday to get inside.  Spirits were down and anger was like a dark cloud over this convention.  Even I felt the weight of a weekend in desperate need of saving.  So why isn’t this at the bottom of my list?  It sounds pretty negative compared to 2012.  Well, many of the people I met the previous year in 2013 returned and when I was around them, I didn’t feel the loneliness I felt in 2012 not even a little bit.  The guest list was also stronger as I got to hear Dante Basco speak and got to meet Katie Griffith, the voice actress of one of my favorite Anime Heroines, Sailor Mars.  Plus I got to see the Abridged Panel Hosts stand up for the fans when they were given a smaller room than expected.  There was a cloud over Otakon in 2014, but there was still enough peeking through to make me smile.

 

 

 

 

 

3. Otakon 2010

My first con was one of the most memorable experiences of my entire life.  Stepping into the Baltimore Convention Center and seeing an ocean of fans, cosplayers, anime enthusiasts and did I mention cosplay?  And just when I thought moving through the halls was challenge enough, I had to sit down for a little bit after being so overwhelmed by the Dealer’s Room, filled with all the Anime swag I could ever wish for.  Plus the screenings, the Hilton hotel, Evangelion ReDeath the Abridged Anime Panel and meeting LittleKuriboh (Yu Gi Oh The Abridged Series)  and meeting a voice actress (who I had no idea who she even was at the time) Cristina Vee…this event changed my life forever.  So why is it not number one on the list?  Well there are a couple of personal reasons but one I don’t mind revealing…better cons were just over the horizon. 

 

 

2. Otakon 2013

This was a huge rebound from 2012.  Taking an extra day off to enjoy Pre Reg Day (albeit getting soaked in the rain) was also worth it.  This was the convention where I met more people than ever before and learned to enjoy the company of strangers with whom I would form life long bonds with over the course of four days.  But everything else was bigger than the previous year: the Voice Actors (Crispin MotherF***ING Freeman and Vic Minogna), the screenings (Evangelion 3.0: You Can (Not) Redo and Rurouni Kenshin), the photoshoots (I broke 2012’s photo record by well over 400 pics taken for myself…holy shit) and I even got to stay at the Hilton and literally ride the elevator down to the con floor and step right into the action.  But the biggest plus this year was the friendships I formed and I still keep in touch with several people from this year today.  Their love of Anime and acceptance of my personal quirks made me feel so happy.  This was one con I didn’t want to end and it was a nigh unbearable wait for 2014 so I could see all of those people again.

 

1. Otakon 2011

The Godfather has The Godfather Part II, Terminator has Terminator 2, Star Wars has The Empire Strikes Back, Otakon 2010…has Otakon 2011: the sequel that surpassed the original in every way, shape and form.  This was due in no small part to the superstar guests they rolled out this year: Lisa Ortiz (Lina from Slayers), the cast of the huge hit K ON (Cristina Vee, Stephanie Shae, Shelby Lindley and Cassandrea Lee) and probably most importantly…JOHNNY YONG BOSCH!!!!...and HIS BAND!!!!.  That’s right, the former Power Ranger turned A List Anime voice actor turned musician arrived with his band, Eyeshine, a proceeded to kick all kinds of ass.  The couple of concerts I went to featuring them were incredible and even tear worthy at one particular moment.  But that wasn’t all.  Meeting JYB and his Band was an amazing moment in time.  But also meeting Lisa Ortiz, Cristina Vee and the KON cast, the charming Tom Wayland, these guys are super stars in my circles and their friendly and inviting personalities are evidence of that.  I also got to meet some people I still keep in touch with today who introduced me to KON and the KON Concert.  By all rights, this is a show I should not have liked.  It’s four high school girls in a music club getting into schenanigans.  No giant robots and nothing blows up.  But guess what? Those two new friends and that concert made me a believer, so much I got the cast to sign a poster and a Vol.1 DVD I purchased at the Dealer’s Room.  You could almost say with this much joy, this was the peak of Otakon for me (2012 definitley couldn’t live up to it) but 2013’s success shows me otherwise as it came close to matching the fun of this year.  2011 solidified that this was the place for me to be every late summer of the year.

Will 2015 be able to topple 2011?  Otakon 2015 starts in TODAY.  If you’re going I hope you can enjoy it as much as I do.

 

Mobile Suit Gundam 00 S2 Part 8 Episodes 23-25

The battle to reclaim VEDA and stop the Innovators begins.  With the world now in their corner, Celestial Being launches it’s desperate and possibly final operation.  Win or loss, neither will come without significant cost.  It all comes down to Setsuna and his latent Innovator abilities.  Will he accept who he is destined to become and change the world to save his family?  The age of the Innovators has begun, but is it Setsuna F. Seiei or Ribbons Almark who will set the right path for the future of humanity?

I’m just going to come right out and say it, I love this ending…it’s got some story issues and creative choices that feel like a bit of a cop out but even so, I enjoy the heck out of it.  And after 50 episodes of varying degrees of success, can you ask for a better feeling watching a finale?

Endings can vary when it comes to Gundam shows.  They can end on a somber even downright depressing note like Gundam 0080, Zeta Gundam or Victory Gundam.  OR it can have a more optimistic and hopeful one like Gundam Wing, Char’s Counterattack or even the original Mobile Suit Gundam.  And actually, much like Gundam 00 has shared plenty of similarities with the Universal Century saga, we got a lot of nods to the MSG finale, even the “almost” everyone surviving ending.  It didn’t look good for Celestial Being with everyone seemingly set to meet their end.  Hell even Patrick apparently bit the dust…sacrificing himself to protect Mannequin cause he’s THE MAN like that.  But much like Gundam’s legendary Newtype Amuro Ray, once Setsuna tapped into his true destiny of being humanities first Innovator, everything started to turn up sunny.  Everyone could listen to each others thoughts and do a lot of forgiving, or at least start the path towards it.

Setsuna’s revitalizing of the Gundam Team also allowed Lock On and Alleluia to get a nice second wind of pure kick assery and take it to the Innovators, er sorry Innovates one more time.  After basically having nothing to do but shout “Marie” for most of this season, Alleluia managed to get arguably the best line of the series for me, just in it’s delivery alone by his psychotic other half, “You’re all so dependent on VEDA.  You don’t have what it takes to beat us anymore!!!”  Hell yes, a fitting way to start the destruction of the bad guys.

And talk about fan service nods to Mobile Suit Gundam.  It wasn’t hard to figure out the design of O Gundam is an almost exact replica of the original RX-78 Gundam.  But it was sure freaking cool to see if face off with Setsuna’s first Gundam, Gundam Exia back in action.  A bit of old vs. new but still entertaining and well done nonetheless.  Set to the backdrop of Marina’s song, Setsuna and Ribbons had their final battle and went out in style, not a bad way to end the events building up to this point.

It all does feel a bit like too good to be true that almost everyone got off scot free save for Ribbons and his Innovates.  I also would have liked it if Setsuna had shown a bit more anger losing Tierria, the two of whom probably had the best bonding developments in the series.  And even Tierria isn’t entirely gone as he now merges with VEDA.  Even Lasse, if you remember he was even on this show, survived his life threatening injuries.  And yes, Saji and Louise found each other and made peace after all the crap they went through.  But you know what?  I’m ok with that.  It was still an edge of your seat nail bitter and I just wanted to see Ribbons finally get what was coming to him. 

Plus my man Patrick survives to marry Mannequin…WOOOO HOOOO!!!

One sort of out there nitpick.  While this is the end of war against the Innovates, it’s not the end of Gundam 00.  We know that Setsuna will keep fighting with his crew if need be and the world is moving towards a better unification.  But we also got that haunting final post credits image of something pulsating within Jupiter.  What will happen when “the dialogues that are to come” finally occur?  Does this mean we’ll see something never before attempted in Gundam franchise history?

Well…I’ll say yes to the fact that there is a sequel movie, Mobile Suit Gundam 00 The Movie: A Wakening of the Trailblazer and while I have seen it, I don’t own it and it’s been a while so I wont be covering it anytime soon.  You’ll just have to wait and see if I ever get to it.  But for now, this is the end of Gundam 00.

What are my final thoughts?  Well flaws with many of the characters, motivations and plot usefulness aside, it’s a pretty solid entry in the Gundam legacy.  It’s animation is pretty crisp, the soundtrack is amazing, the action is fast paced and doesn’t rely on armies of thousands to up the ante that much.  And the characters for the most part are pretty memorable.  Setsuna, Tierria and both Lock On’s (Neil and Lyle) were all fleshed out and given moments to shine and evolve as the story progressed.  This did mean that 4^th meister Alleluia had his story wrapped up quickly and his role on the show reduced in both seasons.  And I’ll admit, I kind of wished Saji would have gotten a Gundam as I saw him as the fifth pilot of the Gundam Wing inspired group.  Wouldve been cool to see him forced to use something he despised for so long to accomplish his dreams.  BUT STILL, I’d say that if you were looking for a good jump on point to the Gundam franchise…start with the original Mobile Suit Gundam.  But 00 is just as good a place to look at as well.  00 may have scents of past entries but it never seeks to perfectly copy them but evolve them in their own way with new spins and new perspectives…something Mobile Suit Gundam is more than up to the task of doing as it  as it keeps…well how does Setsuna put it?  Oh right, “SLASHING THROUGH TO THE FUTURE!!!”

8.5/10

Off to Otakon and taking a bit of a break from new reviews for next week.  Might have an Otakon piece late tomorrow but next Tuesday the classic reviews recommence with Outlaw Star.  And check back two Mondays from now our next new review of RWBY Vol.2

 

 

Mobile Suit Gundam 00 S2 Part 7 Episodes 20-22

The capture of an Innovator and the reveal of a traitor in their midst sets the stage for Celestial Being’s final battle.  Ribbons is set to make his final move against the Gundams and is even getting his own house in order by ensuring all old rivalries are settled amongst his troops.  Will Louise find peace in settling the score with the woman who killed her parents?  And when faced with a kill he cannot carry out, will Lock On be able to forgive Setsuna for saving his life?  Love, loss and vengeance collide as the final chapter begins.

I wonder if on some sort of subconscious level, this show has listened to my many complaints.  As much as I do love Gundam 00, many of the characters seem shoed in, pointless and just there to give a Gundam series it’s usual large sized cast.  I say this because in this set, a bit of house cleaning was seen.  Sure it wasn’t a Yoshiyuki “Kill em All” Tomino sized clean up, but still some characters I have not been able to stand throughout this series either got killed or put in their place big time.

As much as I never really cared for Anew Returner, I have to admit, her death was handled pretty well.  I say this more for the fact that most of her romance with Lock On was seen more or less off screen, only popping up in tiny bits until we saw some big developments last time.  I never really saw her importance beyond being the inevitable traitor for the Innovators.  But Lyle losing her was something felt deep.  His wailing and beating up Setsuna for being the one to kill her while the others stood by at a loss for words was probably one of the best scenes this show has done yet.  We all knew, even Lock On and Setsuna sort of agreed on how this tragedy would end…but that still didn’t mean there wouldn’t be cries of sorrow at the end.

Next we saw the deaths of Wang Liu Mei and Nena Trinity…in the same episode.  Oh man, I know we are usually supposed to feel something for the deaths of characters, like I said about Anew above.  But Wang Liu Mei and Nena’s ends had been a long time coming.  Neither had done much this season, hell Nena did practically nothing except pop up and growl for a second from time to time.  We did get a little more about Liu Mei’s motivations for being so despicable in her actions this season but it’s too little too late to care.  As for Nena, how fitting is it that is wasn’t Sachez that killed her, but Louise?  It was good to see Nena get what was coming to her for all her attitude and bloodshed…even if it meant making Louise worse for it.  Boy does Saji have his work cut out for him if he runs into her again.

Last we got to Mr. Busido BS himself, Graham Acker.  Even after Setsuna pulled him into that weird “all thoughts are one” realm, Graham still wants the victory he’s been denied against the Gundams since this series began.  Thankfully, Setsuna is looking at bigger pictures and tuned out Graham’s crap, kicked his ass and then left him there to ponder how he should fight for his own future instead of just looking for an excuse to die.  So does this mean Graham is finally done on this series?  Considering Celestial Being has one final battle with the Innovators and A-Laws to get to, less distraction and annoyance is a must and Graham Acker has been both of those this season.  So yeah, hopefully he just floats there in space for a bit. 

Speaking of “all thoughts are one” how cool and yet so creepy was it to see the Innovator eye glow in Setsuna’s eyes when the power went out?

I’ve gotta say, I haven’t really been paying attention to the character of Regene Regetta.  His plan to overthrow Ribbions and take over the plan to control the future of humanity has kind of been an after thought to me.  Is he a good guy, a bad guy, someone who just wants to screw around for his own amusement?  Ok so that last bit may not be a good definition of his character.  But his motivations for screwing with Ribbions included revealing himself to Tierria way back and giving the location of VEDA to Celestial Being.  I guess at the end of the day he’s just fed up with Ribbons’ elitist crap…cause he finally put a bullet in the creeps skull.  I’d say im curious how this will change things going into the Series Finale…but we saw Ribbons in a preview for the next episode so yeah.

And you read that right.  Next time, the Series Finale of Gundam 00, the long journey is almost over.

Side Note: I’m pretty proud of myself for keeping up with reviews this consistently for this long series.  And right now, im on track to deliver the final part of Gundam 00 on Wednesday, the day before I head to Otakon.  I may do some side features on that in the next couple of days.  But I will reveal that I’ll be taking a week off from the Anime Corner due to Otakon taking up most of my time.  I may continue with Classic Reviews starting next Tuesday but I’ll hold off on a brand new review until Monday after next, just need a little bit of a break.  Thanks for the understanding and for enjoying the Gundam 00 reviews so far.  Let’s see if I can finish them strong.

Mobile Suit Gundam 00 S2 Part 6 Episodes 17-19

The A-Laws do the unthinkable and the Orbital Elevator over Africa is destroyed.  As the destruction threatens the Earth’s surface: the Regular Federation forces, Katharon and Celestial Being all join forces to save the planet from devestation.  Will this end in unification or more heartbreak?  As the world heads towards a reformation in the wake of this crisis, bold moves are being made by those behind the scenes to usher in a new era for humanity.  Others seek to settle old scores once and for all.  And in the middle of it all, Setsuna F Seiei must confront his own destiny and become something long foretold by Aeolia Schenberg.

Pardon me but…it need to be said, “They finally, really did it.  YOU MANIACS!!!! YOU BLEW IT UP!!! AHHH DAMN YOU!!! GOD DAMN YOU ALL TO HELL!!!!”

For those of you unaware of your scifi that line was uttered by the late Charlton Heston at the mid warping conclusion of the original Planet of the Apes.  Why open with this quote when there’s a lot to talk about? (when is there not)  Well that’s because we got one amazing opening sequence this set with the A-Laws blowing up the orbital elevator and letting the pieces large and small, fall where they may…that is scope and direness upped to the nth degree.

Talk about World Unification 2.0.  It seems like almost everyone except for A-Laws was aiding in the effort to keep the debris damage to a minimum.  Even Soma, er Marie, er…nah im still gonna call her Soma, got out there to help, charging in with Arios’s Gun Archer back up fighter.  It seemed like the day was saved…and then Andre went and killed his Dad Sergei cause he’s given us no reason to believe he thinks beyond his own “im better than my dad attitude” that and his creepy crush on Louise.  Sergei is going to be missed and you felt for Soma losing the only parent she’s ever had in her life.  Soma Smirnov would be one very attractive name, Sergei’s notion not mine and not in a creepy way.

The four month jump in time didn’t feel much like four months…more like four days.  I mean yeah the elevator disaster was cleared up and the world is united under A-Laws, I guess those are big developments.  But looking at Celestial Being itself, it just feels like nothing drastic has changed from the last battle.  Soma’s still pissed and Alleluia’s screaming for her to listen to him…pretty much exactly what he’s been reduced to since he found her.  Anew and Lock On hooked up…ok I guess, ive got something about that ill go over in a second.  Saji’s seeming to level out, kind of surprising, but I guess he had to at some point.

I did like that we finally got more insight into why Wang Liu Mei has been playing both sides this season…she wants to become an Innovator.  Interesting, so they don’t have to just be digital enhanced, eternal youth, tank bred (?) individuals, you can become an Innovator as a human?  That seems to be Ribbons mindset in regards to Setsuna and his developing capabilities.  Ah, the Newtype references hard at work.  So Liu Mei has sought to attain this next level of humanity, but Ribbons says it’s impossible and eventually she’ll grow old, her beauty will fade and she will die.  Yeah I’m kind of torn between hating the bad guys and enjoying it when they put some of my least favorite characters in their place.  First it was Ribbons slapping Liu Mei in anger and now him telling her she’ll never get her way.  The world kind of sucks for the would be spy of Celestial Being, especially now that Nena Trinity is getting off the bench to do something this season and has her mistress dead in her sights.

Oh and Anew’s a traitor…what a shock.  The only reason I’m willing to lighten up a bit on this poor surprise is Lock On actually taking notice of the little things.  His being with Anew is making him less blind to what she could be…scratch that, he knows what Anew is and guess what, he doesn’t care.  Lock On is still determined to be with her and keep her safe…wont lie, that’s awesome.  He may not be exactly like his brother, but Lyle “Lock On” Delandy has definitely taken the awesome character points this round. 

And is that poor Graham Acker pouting in the distance cause a Gundam doesn’t want to come fight him?  Yes, yes it is. 

Believe it or not, only two more parts to go before we close out this long experience.  Anew’s got her gun ready for a betrayal and you can bet this probably wont end well for anyone.

Mobile Suit Gundam 00 S2 Part 5 Episodes 14-16

The destruction of the Memento Mori is short lived as the Innovators attack Celestial Being at their weakest and send them crashing to Earth.  Setsuna tries to catch up but ends up lured into a confrontation with the one who saved his life as a boy, Ribbons Almark.  But as a confrontation grows and forces gather to eliminate Celestial Being once and for all, a new development emerges to potentially throw the Federation government into chaos.  The Federation turns to Sergei Smirnov to resolve this new conflict…never letting on that they might have their own far more destructive solution to this little uprising.

Well, that’s one way to kick off the second half.  Ian waking up from his injuries last set and discovering there’s a hole in Ptolemios with a full mountain view produced the right reaction…what the hell happened?  

Setsuna’s search for the Earth stuck Ptolemios led to some strong story for our lead Gundam pilot.  First, he met Ribbons face to face and discovered this glowey eyed, green hair menace is in fact the pilot of the Gundam that saved Setsuna’s life as a child during the war in Krugess.  Thankfully this didn’t shake Setsuna’s resolve and even with a bullet in his arm, he took on Ali Al Sachez with 00 and kicked his ass.  However, the 00’s Trans Am allowed Setsuna to hear something unexpected…a song that soothed him.  Turns out Marina and the children she’s been fostering have written a song of peace and it’s kind of cute and catchy and capable of piercing Setsuna’s heart.  It made a knocked out Setsuna look into his past and tryto stop his child self from killing his parents only for the ghost of Neil “Lock On” Delandy to remind him the past is the past, the future is what matters.  This also allowed Setsuna and Marina to bond and grow closer while Setsuna healed up.  Even if the kids are mistaken about their “Lovey Dovey” ness, it’s a beautiful relationship those two have.

The song of peace isn’t new to the Gundam mythology.  Now it might not have the same effect as scaring aliens as in the original Macross saga (that or it being sung by a horribly voiced singer), but Marina’s song “Tomorrow” is just as important.  She wrote it based on the wishes of the children, all of which involve some form of peaceful activity like playing or eating dinner.  Marina even admits to Setsuna that she’d always wanted to be a singer…something he supports for her (GASP).  Could Marina end up being to Gundam 00 what Lacus Clyne and Meer Campbell were for Gundam Seed and Gundam Seed Destiny, songstresses of the war time?  As far as role go, I agree with Setsuna, it does seem like a better suited role for Marina than being a diplomat.

Speaking of being a diplomat, Sergei was called back to action when a military unit led by an old friend of his finally had enough of the A-Laws crap and decided to stand against them.  Id say this was about time as I cant believe the A-Laws would be allowed to do so much and without a lot of backlash from the main military forces like Sergei.  Luckily, Sergei wasn’t as gullible as his superior wanted him to be.  He knew going up there meant that the A-Laws already had a plan in motion.  And thankfully he isn’t the only one seeing sense as Mannequin notices some irregularities from the plans to deal with this.  So why don’t these two side with Celestial Being or even start their own team for the purpose of finding peace their own way and stopping the A-Laws? Maybe that’s yet to come.

Sumeragi’s former would be flame, Billy, seemed to care less about the events at hand so long as Celestial Being was dealt with, still sore about the woman he loved playing him for information last season.  But sadly, Graham Bushido Douchebag also made a return this week to challenge an injured Setsuna.  Graham’s selfishness his a new low as he gave little than two cares about the coup d’etat at hand.  All he wants is Setsuna and his Gundam.  So what he can pull off Trans-Am with his new mobile suit, Graham’s idiot level keeps rising with every appearance and I firmly believe that if the A-Laws do what I think theyre going to do next time…Graham would just let it happen so long as he can get his Gundam defeat in…what…an…A-Hole.

At least the Innovators finally took some losses this time…from one of their own as Tierria got bad ass MVP of the set shouting his humanity to the world and unleashing his Gundam’s secondary form to destroy his opponents.  If the Innovators believe themselves immortal, Tierrie Erde put that name to the test…and they failed.

Look to the skies, something big is hitting Gundam 00 next time and it looks like it could change everything. 

Mobile Suit Gundam 00 S2 Part 4 Episodes 11-13

The A-Laws and Celestial Being unveil their greatest weapons: The Memento Mori and the Gundam 00 Raiser.  As the Innovators lend their support to the A-Laws, a new battle rages as Celestial Being races to destroy the A-Laws super space laser before it causes anymore damage.  Loyalties are pushed further when Saji and Louise cross paths on the battlefield, threatening to destroy what little love they have left.  And when the Memento Mori fires again, will Sergei be able to stand on the sidelines any longer as the senseless slaughter continues?

We got a pretty straightforward set of episodes this time to round out the first half of Season Two, complete with a nail biting desperate mission. 

So the Double O Gundam is now complete and man is it awesome…but maybe a little too awesome.  On the one hand, the Trans-Am makes this thing practically unstoppable and unmatched in battle and it’s super speed is very reminiscent of the F91 Gundams After Image move, moving so fast it leaves second long copies in it’s place to throw off an enemy.  But a Gundam that can perform a Dragon Ball Z teleportation move?  Now that might be stretching it even for me.  It did surprise Ribbons though, who called it Quantizing.  This also resulted in Wang Liu Mei getting slapped by a furious and confused Ribbons…wont lie I smiled at that.  Wang Liu Mei’s back and forth has made such an act from anyone a long time coming.  But this should hopefully get it through her “the world needs to change no matter what” skull and convince her she’s backing the wrong horse…for reasons beyond my comprehension.

It was also cool to see a nod to the Newtype effect that was the core subject of the Universal Century saga of Mobile Suit Gundam.  Connecting minds across space and allowing them to understand each other was a common goal of the Newtype movement.  But of course the first time we see this effect in action, Saji and Louise have to be involved.  While I commend Gundam 00 on giving these two a much needed kick in the pants when it came to their stories…they’ve somehow gotten worse.  Saji hasn’t learned a thing since being stuck with Celestial Being and Louise has kind of just been sidelined waiting for something to do besides shiver and scream at Gundams from her cockpit.  Well this is the first time they meet up and rather than try to get in a brief explanation of their situations…they just sit there for several seconds and ask what the other is doing there.  Ok, it’s weird hearing thoughts but how about a quick explanation from Saji to Louise telling her he’s kind of just stuck with Celestial Being instead of part of the organization?  Ha, that would mean Saji would be doing something useful.  Now Louise has shut Saji out of her life for good, committing herself fully to A-Laws while Saji just goes to cry in the corner some more and curse Setsuna.  These two were supposed to be an ironic part of the story for showing the hell of war for innocent bystanders and I suppose it’s working…doesn’t mean I think Saji and Louise have gotten any more tolerable and probably wont before series end. Setsuna is a true friend through all of this.  Anyone else would have tossed Saji out the airlock by this point but Setsuna is determined to help him win Louise back somehow…helluva heart that kid has.

Right, so the A-Laws have a Death Star…or a Colony Laser…or just a giant Space Laser, whatever, it can blow up nations with the push of a button and it was up to Celestial Being to shut it down.  It was a pretty straight forward race to the end to deal with this new threat.  It was gutsy pulling off such a quick strike but speed and coordination were of the essence and Sumergai came through putting all four Gundams to excellent use, Lock On even scoring a Death Star exhaust port style finishing shot on the station to take it out.  This also resulted in the loss of Mannequin’s shadow, Rint, but I doubt anyone will miss him.  So it ended up being a pretty big win for Celestial Being.

Again though, ive gotta point out Anew Returner.  It’s way too obvious that if she’s not an Innovator then she’s a mole waiting to be activated.  Whenever someone asks, “How did the A-Laws know where we were so quickly?” I just shake my head.  Seriously, no one notices she spaces out occasionally, that sets off no bells of things not being a coincidence?  I think I this close to adding her to the list of infuriating characters of Gundam 00 along with Saji, Louise and Graham.

Halfway done with the Second Season and 3/4 of the way through all of Gundam 00.  And seeing how this is Gundam, you know things are bound to get bigger and heavier in the second half so stick around.

Mobile Suit Gundam 00 S2 Part 3 Episodes 8-10

The true enemy has revealed itself: The Innovators.  Behind the shadows manipulating the A-Laws and twisting Aeolia Schenberg’s plan in their own direction, these ageless, VEDA powered beings are confident they can succeed in their chaotic plans to become the next step in human evolution.  Will Tierria’s connection to them drive him away from his humanity or strengthen his bond with the Meisters?  And with tensions rising in the Middle East following the fall of Azadistan, the A-Laws unleash a new weapon to cement their own hold on power over the world.

I know there’s a bit to cover this time round but…yeah Tierria in a dress…im still trying not to laugh oh man. 

So if I have this down correctly…Aeolia Schenberg has some really interesting foresight.  We finally got the full scope of his original plan, though this does come from Ribbons so I’d take it with a grain of salt for now: 1. Send Gundams to attack and unify the world.  2. Establish a united peacekeeping force.  3. Send Humanity into space and finally prepare for the dialogues to come.  That last bit is something we’ve heard before, “the dialogues to come.”  It’s cryptic but it involves something in spa…no…they couldn’t be going there could they?  I mean it’s nothing Gundam’s attempted before, would 00 be so bold?  I think im getting ahead of myself so let’s table this for now and backtrack to the rest of the info gleamed from this set.

Aeolia’s plan sounds an awful lot like Char Aznable’s plan in Char’s Counterattack.  Char’s methods may not have been the most peaceful but he did want all of humanity to press on into space where’s its future seemed to be waiting, something Aeolia’s plan hints at greatly.  While it lacks a planet killing asteroid, there’s plenty of violence needed at least for the world unification part.  Establishing the A-Laws sounds like it would be part of the plan but nowhere near as bad as it has come to be.  And now the A-Laws have a super laser they can fire from space, resulting in a semi Star Wars nod with Soma and Alleluia sensing a thousand voices crying out in terror before being suddenly silenced.  The A-Laws aren’t so much about protecting humanity as they are shaking their big power stick around. 

And what of the Innovators?  Well they’re a bunch of multi colored haired superior A-Holes much like the A-Laws except with a bit more…stuffiness?  Tierria was very much in their vein at the beginning of the series.  But thanks to his bond with Neil and Setsuna, he’s changed for the better.  Yet he hasn’t told anyone about his connection to them yet.  He wants to tell Setsuna but is afraid to.  Does he think the crew will turn on him if they find out his true origins, that he might be an enemy?  I think Tierria’s too far along to even think about that.  They’ve all come from different walks but Celestial Being is a family and Tierria’s just as important.  Hopefully he comes clean soon.  Speaking of family, probably one of the best laughs this set came from the introduction of Ian’s wife Linda.  Saji and Alleluia’s brief exchange took it, “Whoa she’s young.” “There’d ought to be a law.”

The final piece of the 00 was revealed as well, the O Raiser.  They have been building this piece of equipment up big the last couple of episodes.  Ian even claims it will basically be the Gundam to end all Gundams…so it kind of sucks we never saw it in action.  I will admit, it’s start up sequence cut together with the A-Laws unleashing their Memento Mori Super Last from space was well done.  We got a show of fear from the power of the enemy and at the same time, a light of hope from a fully powered 00 Gundam.  Darkness and light, two perfect examples there for us all to see.

Speaking of light, PATRICK BACK!!! And it’s about damn time.  Possibly my favorite moment right off the bat was the return of my favorite secondary character and he hasn’t lost his touch.  Even better are his reasons for coming into the A-Laws fold: to protect Kati Mannequin…awwww way to go Colasour the Indestructible and don’t think I didn’t see Kati smile a bit there, she’s happy he’s back just like I am.  And cudos to Mannequin realizing that Celestial Beings commander is her former friend, Lisa Kujo aka Sumeragi Lee Noriega.  It opened up a bit about the tactical forecasters dark past, a mistake that cost Sumeragi the love of her life and a promising military career.  Will Mannequin knowing Sumeragi is her enemy change the way she conducts operations?  I doubt it as the A-Law posting aside, Mannequin is sworn to her duties and will see them through…albeit a bit more humanely.  Should prove some interesting battles to come when two great military minds clash knowing who their opponent its.

I should end with one irksome note…Anew Returner.  Shouldn’t that name or even her look have set off some red flags with Tierria?  The Innovators have similar names and looks so…I guess it’s safe to assume we might have a spy within Celestial Being and they don’t even know it.  If the writers wanted to make it a bit more mysterious then maybe…a more common hair color I guess…idk.  It could come back to bite everyone but frankly I cant wait to see the 00 Raiser in action next time.