Not that G Gundam has stopped being fun…but man is it continuing to get dark. It looks like Domon’s fights across the world against awesome fighters of the week are coming to an abrupt ending as the main story caught up with us. And while it seldom made an appearance outside of flashbacks, the Devil Gundams fingerprints were all over this recent chain of events…though it has a surprising new spokesperson now.
Yes, the looming threat of the Devil Gundam became more evident by the time Domon and Rain got to Shinjuku. The city was demolished, people were living in terror and Mobile Suits were barely holding on against waves of evil cannon fodder…er the Devil Gundams Dark Army. All didn’t seem lost though. G Gundam might be dipping into the more mature and serious storytelling tropes of the franchise but it has always been about excess and no one is better at showing that off than the Undefeated of the East, Master Asia. He’s loud, he’s powerful, he will speak in riddles and laugh like he has no cares in the world…so you know about half of what Domon is. Master Asia’s arrival brought back the headscratchingly entertaining spectacle with Gundams that can pull off Street Fighter moves…like turning your Gundam into a cannon ball so another can launch it into a field of enemies and come out the other side unscathed. Yes I know I said things got dark but that didn’t mean things couldn’t be a little fun, right? After all, this is G Gundam, not Victory Gundam.
I get that Domon’s Dad had good intentions in mind for the “Ultimate Gundam” before it became the Devil Gundam. But come on, the second you talk about replication and Dark Gundam Cells overtaking human bodies and reanimating the dead and you have to wonder how long it was before Kyoji decided to turn it into a weapon of mass destruction. It’s almost like T Virus meets Skynet. Thankfully it looks like it’s effects can be reversed before a certain point of no return. Rain was able to save her former love and thankfully Domon was nice enough to spare his life so she could do so. It’s nice to see that as narrowminded as Domon can be, he doesn’t mind helping Rain out when it really counts. But Rain’s Ex wasn’t the only one possessed by DG Cells. Chibodee, Sai Saici, George and Argo all returned, corrupted by the Devil Gundam and with evil happiness fought Domon in and out of their Gundams. It’s easy to forget that these guys were chosen to pilot Gundams for a reason. They’re all extremely skilled fighters and teamed up and souped up on DG Cells, they did a good job of kicking Domon’s ass.
Yeah this was not a good couple of days for Domon. His new friends were in enemy hands and worse yet, turns out MASTER ASIA IS THE ENEMY!!!! Ok, this needs to be handled with care. Asia is all about spectacle and being a bad ass with his fists, letting them do most of the talking…kind of. To see his former master join his brother in betraying him for a hulking demon Gundam is definitely gonna leave a mark on Domon going forward. What’s worse is that Master Asia got a upgraded Gundam…that looks like the kind Dracula would pilot. Kidding, it’s the Master Gundam and it was able to nearly nullify Domon’s Shining Finger without a lot of effort. Had it not been for the intervention of the rest of the Shuffle Alliance, it might’ve been the end for our hero.
Ah yes, the Shuffle Alliance, we barely knew thee. It’s a little disappointing to see these self proclaimed bad asses show up and quickly get killed off, albeit through a very noble sacrifice. But their story went by way too fast. Apparently, their crests, modeled after playing cards like Domons: Black Joker, Ace of Clubs, Queen of Spades, Jack of Diamonds, King of Hearts, are all passed down to fighters who have partaken in various wars across history and even save the world. Heck, this recent roster even approved of the Gundam Fight because it beats the alternative of armies slaughtering each other in war. Looks like Domon, Chibodee, Sai Saici, George and Argo are the next in line to carry on their legacy. I still think this should have happened way later on in the series after it was earned by the others. G Gundam’s done a good job of acknowledging and exploring the long history of the Gundam Fight tournament and losing the Shuffle Alliance so early feels like a lost opportunity to see more. Maybe we might later on in the series, who knows.
If one character was definitely given some great material this time, it was Rain. Not only did she stand up to Domon and protect her Ex when Domon wanted to pummel him on account of “he’s infected with DG Cells SO WHERE’D HE SEE MY BROTHER!!!???”, but she also got to suit up and take the Shining Gundam for a spin in battle. I haven’t exactly talked much about the Mobile Trace System but it requires a lengthy and rather painful sequence where skin tight latex or something is wrapped all around you. It didn’t look any less painful for Rain, though her pilot outfit is one of the cutest in the franchise. She even got to help Domon drive away the Master Gundam with their combined Shining Finger attack (she just put his hand over his to boost it’s power). Between this and helping the support crews of the other fighters escape captivity, Rain was definitely showing she’s just as worthy to be in this fight as punch and scowl at everything that moves Domon.
Friday, we’ll return to the battle and maybe it’ll be time for the infamous Devil Gundam to finally appear. The question is, will Kyoji show up as well or is Master Asia destined to be the demonic Mobile Suit’s new spokesperson going forward…it’s size does match his ego. We’ll find out Friday when Mobile Fighter G Gundam continues.
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