Mobile Suit Gundam: Iron Blooded Orphans Part 10 Episodes 46-50

The Coup d’etat has failed and now Tekkadan and McGillis have been forced back to Mars with a price on their heads.  For years, Orga has worked hard and sacrificed much to deliver on a promise he made to Mikazuki.  With the full might of Gjallarhorn bearing down upon them, it seems like this is the end of the road for Mika, Orga and what’s left of their rag tag soldiers of fortune.  But Tekkadan hasn’t built their legend on being weak.  If this is to be their end…they aren’t going to make it easy and no mattern what, they’ll make sure it costs Gjallarhorn dearly.

As I headed into the final five episodes of Iron Blooded Orphans, I prepared myself for the worst.  All the odds had been stacked against Tekkadan and the many mistakes Orga and McGillis had made along the way were finally coming back to bite everyone in the ass.  From a certain point of view, I was fully expecting an End of Evangelion level slaughter of the main cast at the hands of Gjallarhorn and fully expected the antagonists to triumph (not using Villains and I’ll explain why later).  Well, I was only a little right.  The losses Tekkadan suffered in the final battle were big, even if it did end up being a few members in the end.  But it wasn’t the ending I expected.  Inspite of the hardships and loss, Tekkadan still achived their main goal.  So yeah, not quite the total downer ending that Zeta Gundam was.  Let’s start wrapping this one up.
 

T5W#359-Top 5 Gundam Characters I Absolutely Hate (Part 4)

As we close in on the end of Gundam Month Mark VI-The Undiscovered Country, I’ve finally reached a point more than 20 years in the making: covering a massive bulk of the entire Gundam franchise (9 of which I’ve spent looking at on this blog).  Having bounced back and forth between several different timelines, I’ve seen legends rise and fall, characters who have defined the Gundam franchise for me, true heroes and even some stand out villains.  However, I predicted last Christmas I’d reach a point where I would type up another Top 5 Gundam Characters I Absolutely Hate list…and now that Iron Blooded Orphans is almost in the bag, we’ve reached that point.  Behold, another five Gundam characters who made my viewing experiences (even the good ones) a pain in the ass.  Oh and if you’ve missed out on any of the other lists in this little recurring T5W series, you can check them out below before you check out the Top 5 Gundam Characters I Absolutely Hate (Part 4).

 
T5W#46-Top 5 Gundam Characters I Absolutely Hate
http://gundamanimeblog.blogspot.com/2016/06/t5w46-top-5-gundam-characters-i.html
 
T5W#295-Top 5 Gundam Characters I Absolutely Hate (Part 2)
http://gundamanimeblog.blogspot.com/2021/04/t5w295-top-5-gundam-characters-i.html
 
T5W#332-Top 5 Gundam Characters I Absolutely Hate (Part 3)
http://gundamanimeblog.blogspot.com/2021/12/t5w332-top-5-gundam-characters-i.html

Mobile Suit Gundam: Iron Blooded Orphans Part 9 Episodes 41-45

The time of revolution is at hand.  As Tekkadan seeks revenge against the man who crushed Naze and the Turbines, McGillis finally enacts his Coup d’etat on Earth against Gjallarhorn and the Seven Stars.  With all ties to Teiwaz cut, Orga goes all in to assist McGillis, who seems so assured of his victory.  However, that’s when an old friend returns to challenge McGillis’ claim and reveal his crimes to the world.  The tide is changing and with it comes a storm even Orga, Mikazuki and Tekkadan cant stand against.  Is this the beginning of the end?

 
So…yeah…Tekkadan’s in trouble, like big trouble…like come the finale we’re looking at a Zeta or Victory Gundam level body count for the central cast.  Everything I kind of predicted for this pivotal set came to pass.  While I’m glad the boys did get revenge for Naze, Amida and Lafter, they’re still in way too deep thanks to Orga blindly thinking McGillis could make good on any of his lofty promises.  Actually, if it weren’t for the fact that we have five episodes left to go, the end of this set couldve been the end of the series.  Makes me wonder if an even crueler fate awaits Orga, Mika and the others once they get their asses back to Mars.
 

Mobile Suit Gundam: Iron Blooded Orphans Part 8 Episodes 36-40

A dangerous relic from the Calamity War has been unearthed: The Mobile Armor Hashmal.  Too late, it’s revealed why this dangerous weapon should have been left deactivated and now Mars will feel its wrath.  In the wake of this disaster, Tekkadan finds itself on even shakier ground with Teiwaz, and Jasley Donomikols finally uses the instability to make his move to eliminate Tekkadan and the Turbins all at once.  With Naze forced to make a critical decision regarding his beloved group, will Orga be forced to watch his “brother” die to ensure Tekkadans future is still a possibility?

 
Mobile Suit Gundam: Iron Blooded Orphans is a show that isn’t holding back when it comes to Gundam’s core message, “War is Hell.”  Whether its against a mammoth and cool looking Mobile Armor or against the unrelenting might of Gjallarhorn’s twisted subordinates, the good guys took some major loses in this set.  One of these loses was so impactful that I did something I haven’t done with a Gundam story in a long, long time…I cried.  Yeah, I joined the Turbines and Tekkadan in shedding some tears for some good friends.  For a show that I think has been a little unfocused at times, or took its time figuring out what it wanted to aim for as a story goal, that’s amazing.
 

Mobile Suit Gundam: Iron Blooded Orphans Part 7 Episodes 31-35

An act of terrorism leads to war between two of Earth’s factions: Arbrau and the Strategic Alliance Union (SAU).  With Chad and Makinai both in intensive care, Takaki is left in charge of Tekkadan’s Earth branch and must lead his young recruits team into battle on Arbrau’s behalf.  Little do they know, Takaki and his men are merely puppets being guided by unseen forces that seek to undo all the work Tekkadan and McGillis Fareed have accomplished up to this point.  And while he rushes to save his friends on Earth, Orga learns that there are even those within Teiwaz itself whose jealousy could mean the end of Tekkadan’s status as a prominent force on Mars.

While this set of episodes felt like a step from the last, I have to say, I’m a little worried about Iron Blooded Orphans.  By the end of this set, the endgame might very well be mapped out for both Tekkadan and McGillis main goals, where they both wish to be when all is said and done.  And yet, for all the good character works that’s done with the supporting cast, I cant help but feel Orga and McGillis are being blinded by foolish ambitions.  This goes double for Orga because if he’s gung ho about McGillis’ offer, Mika and the others are going to follow him without question, not knowing what kind of a hell storm they’ve just walked into.  I wonder if this could have been avoided if Biscuit was still around.