Now that is what I call a good finale. The stakes were the highest they’ve ever been. Everyone was at risk of dying. You even had a giant death weapon descending on the planet that needed to be stopped somehow. It’s been a bit of a rocky road but I can say for sure, the finale of Mobile Suit Victory Gundam was not its weakest part, in fact it was probably the strongest act of the whole series. True, this came at a pretty hefty cost for the good guys. And as a, so far, final note on this far into the Universal Century, Victory Gundam ends on a sad but oddly optimistic note. What do I mean by that? Well, the finale awaits us.
Kill Em All Tomino Mode was in full effect as the final five episodes saw the deaths of more than a dozen mainstay characters and not a single one was miniscule…except maybe the Shrike Team but honestly after Junko I couldn’t tell you who was left of the original team. The entire Zanscare hierarchy was wiped out, including Maria who tried to atone for the calamity she had brought about. Much of the League Militaire we’d begun this journey with bought it as well. Leonid, Romero and Otis, the three old engineers with hearts of gold; Captain Gomez and even the cowardly Jinn Jahannan all went out in a blaze of glory aiding the kids they come to admire. Even Cronicle, one of the more likeable of the baddies, succumbed to his own madness and finally fell to his eternal rival Uso. Considering their shared close connection with Shakti, I couldn’t help but think of a famous line from Star Trek, “In another reality, I might’ve called you friend.” Every death was heavy, particularly when it was a loss for the good guys. None came as heavy as Uso losing his “big brother” Odelo, just when you thought all the kids might make it out of this…cause most of them did. I’m surprised Marbet survived the finale but I guess killing off a pregnant character would’ve been crossing a line. After all, this was a dark finale with thousands of casualties (those poor Psychickers) but it needed some light to go with it too.
To my surprise, Shakti actually did something useful in the finale: using Angel Halo to disperse and break apart while occasionally using it to boost the morale of the good guys and even save some nearly dead Zanscare troops. In a way, these feelings spread about were more or less what Maria had wanted Angel Halo to spread in the first place. I’m just glad Shakti got to do something and do something right, this was the first time in the entire show I didn’t really have anything to nag her about (more than I can say for Shinn Asuka in Gundam Seed Destiny). Presumably, Shakti’s heart and influence even pushed Karl, the most adorable baby Newtype you’ll ever meet, to take his first steps and cry his first words, “Shakti, come home.” Kids been to hell and back in this show but dammit, he loves his crazy as hell foster Mom. I think even Haro got a boost from the hope of the heroes as he was able to remote pilot the V2 and save Uso from Katejina. Yeah I think Victory Gundam’s Haro might be my favorite model in the franchise, it’s official.
Where the finale was at its weakest, besides losing characters I felt next to no connection (sorry Shrike Team), it was Katejina. Both she and Cronicle were out of the show for a while before the finale. So I feel like we missed out on some important developments like her rise through the ranks and her increased Mobile Suit piloting capability. I never really got her character arc beyond that of a spoiled brat who lost everything, blamed the wrong people and slowly became so wacked out by the world that she thought she could control everything around her, even the hearts of men who fell for her…huh, guess that’s something when you write it all down like that. Still, Katejina’s whole transformation from spoiled rich girl to insane antagonist never clicked with me. She just changed as the plot demanded. I will say, her selfishness was rewarded in spades. Like Marbet, I didn’t expect Katejina to survive the final battle. But unlike Marbet, Katejina doesn’t get a happy ending. She now wanders the region as a blind girl with no memory, a far cry from the menace she became. I’d say Shakti shouldn’t waste tears on this revelation. But even though I’m not a fan, Shakti’s heart is much bigger than Katejina’s ever will be.
And so, the book closes on Mobile Suit Victory Gundam, the last full length Gundam TV Series to be set in the Universal Century. How was it? Well, the beginning was rough: starting the show out of order and not filling in all of the background that was needed to understand what was going on. Shakti was a continual pain in the ass (so was Katejina) and I never really warmed to the Mobile Suit designs of the series, save for the unique Gedlav and Einerad and the Victory 2 Gundam. What helped Victory Gundam stand out was its commitment to its darker tone and the cast. Uso Evin is one of my favorite Gundam leads and man did he have a rough go of things being the youngest to ever pilot the Mobile Suit. Often tested, rarely broken, Uso pressed through and his courage and skill inspired everyone around him, especially the older members of the League Militaire like Marbet and Gomez. His fellow youths were all great as well, in particular the comical but brotherly Odelo. The true MVPs of the cast have to be the characters I thought would annoy the hell out of me: Flanders, Karl and Haro. As I said, this Haro is my favorite in the franchise. Flanders proved pretty reliable and wasn’t just another dog to have around for the sake of it. Karl evolved from crying over Shakti’s poor parenting to an adorable reminder of what everyone was fighting for and his ever developing Newtype intuition was fascinating to observe…and he’s just a baby. Kids definitely gonna be the ultimate survivor when he gets older. The Zanscare Empire proved pretty terrifying with their indiscriminate attacks on military and civilian targets and the crazier their members became, the more you felt the good guys were really in danger. Sometimes the violence was a bit much but it was effective. And yes, I know Yoshiyuki Tomino was going through a depression working on this show but I still think it turned out over all well enough.
My final score for Mobile Suit Victory Gundam is…7/10. Some characters are tough to deal with and the beginning suffers from a restructured start and early pacing issues. But a compelling lead, some gruesome action and a story about hope in the darkest of times helped keep this Gundam title soaring when it felt like it could collapse in on itself. It might not overall be the strongest of the Universal Century offerings. But as a final note on the era, at least this far into its timeline, it’s an intense and attention grabbing ride.
With a day trip to Otakon coming this weekend, I’m taking a short break over the next few days. While I might plan out some bonus features in the meantime, the Gundam Anime Corner heads back to its old schedule with one review a week starting Monday, August 16, with Vandread: The Second Stage. And there’s more Gundam to come later this year. Check back this Christmas with the ultimate marathon as I review Mobile Suit Zeta Gundam (and the 20th Anniversary A New Translation films) and Mobile Suit Gundam ZZ in GUNDAM MONTH MARK V-THE GAUNTLET PART II. See ya in a week (or less) everyone and thanks for joining me for this years Extended Series Review, right here at the Gundam Anime Corner.
No comments:
Post a Comment