Gundam Thread

[Vic Boss 612]

>2021

>Not having a Gundam thread

 

What in the shit

 

Anyways, just finished simul-watching Hathaway's Flash Movie 1. Very Tomino. Intense politics while being bombarded with whacko names like "boozlecau" and "quikiram" and you think you caught the important words and their meanings but you might not've. Mecha battle animation was cool (though a bit dark) and the food-eating animation was also top-notch

 

I'd forgotten that Hathaway was Mafty but they didn't exactly go out of their way to shockingly drop it on you. I think I'd read a plot synopsis of Hathaway's Flash years go so I remember bits and pieces, but no future spoils plz. lols that Bright would raise the next potential Char Aznable after he spent so much of his career stopping him

 

Also Kenneth and Hathaway are probably harder for each other than either of them are for Gigi

 

Delicious flashbacks to Amuro, Quess and once in awhile mentioning Char.

[dr. b 492]

Thanks for the reminder, I still haven't watched the first Hathaway movie... maybe tonight!

 

I wonder if/when we'll get another new TV series. It's been years now since IBO ended, which I enjoyed a lot. I'd like to see another totally new series. I guess they're still working on the G-Reco movies right now, and of course Hathaway. It would be nice if they have something planned for when all those movies are done.

[Vic Boss 612]

Economics of it are tricky, I guess. Mecha's not as popular as it used to be and new serious Gundams are expensive to make (everything after IBO was a movie or an ONA with a handful of episodes and a high budget), and they can just make those Gundam Build or Gunpla animes instead with kids playing with Gundam toys and sell more shit that way.

[dr. b 492]

The first Gundam Build Fighters series was actually quite solid overall. Some classic moments in there. Some people look at it (and the sequel series) as just a big ad for Gunpla... and I guess there's some truth to it... but Build Fighters, to me at least, felt like a tribute to all things Gundam. I think it's worth a look for any Gundam fan. Stop after that first series though. Build Fighters Try was OK-ish I guess, but it was a drop off and then it only got worse from there. I think I made it through Build Fighters Divers but quit on Re:Rise...

[Revolver 27]

I’m reading the Origins manga right now and enjoying that for the most part. I’ve also seen the first five or so episodes of the original anime and I’ve seen most of Wing. Enjoyed both. Like the OG anime more. Wing had some good ideas that didn’t get executed very well. Definitely a universe I could start to jump into.

[Lucy 108]

Gundam Hathaway 1 was pretty good! Production values were high and the characters were interesting, and the Sawano Hiroyuki soundtrack was impeccable. 

[dr. b 492]

8 minutes ago, Revolver said:

I’m reading the Origins manga right now and enjoying that for the most part. I’ve also seen the first five or so episodes of the original anime and I’ve seen most of Wing. Enjoyed both. Like the OG anime more. Wing had some good ideas that didn’t get executed very well. Definitely a universe I could start to jump into.

Gundam Wing holds a special place in my heart no matter what, but… really it’s not even close to the best of what the Gundam universe has to offer (IMO). You should definitely finish watching the original series. And then move along to Zeta, etc.

[Lucy 108]

9 hours ago, Revolver said:

I’m reading the Origins manga right now and enjoying that for the most part. I’ve also seen the first five or so episodes of the original anime and I’ve seen most of Wing. Enjoyed both. Like the OG anime more. Wing had some good ideas that didn’t get executed very well. Definitely a universe I could start to jump into.

 

Ma guided me through the OG Gundam universe, it's great The later non-OG series like Wing are good, too, but there's a reason Universal Century OG Gundam has staying power! I have a big soft spot for Wing too as it was My First Gundam.

 

The dark horse of the franchise that you should also check out is G Gundam, which is ridiculous and I love it; it's essentially about Gundam pit fighting with a heavy wrestling influence, and some really cheesy drama thrown in!

[dr. b 492]

Finally got around to Hathaway this weekend. I agree, very Tomino. I enjoyed it quite a bit. It was perhaps a bit light on the mecha, so I hope there will be more battles in the upcoming movies. 

[Vic Boss 612]

The Witch From Mercury Prologue

 

Rembrandt of the Cathedral and Setsuna F. Seiei about to get FUCKED UP by angry birthday girl using BITS

[Lucy 108]

Gundam Witch Prologue:
 

Spoiler

This really set the stage for the series, I love having that little flash of backstory!

 

Gundam Witch Episode 1:
 

Spoiler

YOOOO SHE'S USING A DIFFERENT NAME TO IN THE PROLOGUE

AND SHE'S ADORABLE

 

AND THIS IS GOD DAMNED UTENA WITH MECHS

 

[dr. b 492]

Watched the Prologue again tonight before episode 1. Fantastic stuff.

 

Bit of an weird mood shift going from one setting to the other, but that's OK. This school has weird rules!  It seemed pretty obvious to me that Eri was going to end up dueling that loser, but even if it was a bit predictable, it was very satisfying to see her trash him  

 

I am so hyped for this series! Even if it wasn't great, I'd be watching a new Gundam pretty much no matter what, but so far I think this is fantastic and I can't wait to see more.

[Lucy 108]

Gundam Witch Prologue -> Episode 1

 

Spoiler

I really liked the tone shift tbh; it really emphasised what's been going on in the background, and made Eri/Suletta using a different name even more of an oh moment! Can't wait to see how this past affects her experience at this school, and exactly how hard they're going to lean into the Utena references

 

[Lucy 108]

Doubleposting because I found out something interesting and funny:

 

Gundam Witch Episode 1

 

Spoiler

The guy in charge of script and series composition for Gundam Witch, Okouchi Ichiro, wrote two official Utena novels back in the day. This is ABSOLUTELY intentional.

Here is also an image comparing key matches in the two first episodes:

 

 

[Anelle 794]

We watched prologue and ep 1 of Witch tonight and at the end of ep 1 I screeched THIS IS MORE GAY THAN I HOPED ALREADY

[Vic Boss 612]

The Witch From Mercury My Gundam Academia E1

 

 

 

- "Mom, I finally got to school" instead of "Mom, I finally killed the shit out of the guys who killed my father." Well, okay

- My Gundam Academia

- Is her name "Slut"

- I swear that's just the Japanese adding vowels like they always do to every English word and they're saying "Slut Mercury"

- Oh no, Suletta, so Sult

- Ayyyyy, Rembrandt, this will not end well

- I like how the generic mobile suits look a little Zaku-like

- Official duel? UNDEFEATED OF THE EAST

- Shaddiq aka Chad Dick aka CHAD THUNDERCOCK IS IN THE HOUSE

- Peil Technologies apparently didn't handle the technology of botox lip filler all that well

- Pffft, I'd be like "Your mom made a tomato, my mom made THIS *Gundam busts in like the kool-aid man*

- Hey Witch From Mercury, challenge him to a duel

- This is how dueling literally works in the Pokemon anime right now

- Stole her mobile suit

- BITS

- Congratulations, you're the ace of the known universe now

- And set to be married

- What if she starts dueling for the hand of other girls and gets a waifu harem "I guess you're pretty conservative out here"
 

 

 

Kinda hoping the setting changes in the near future or this is just a seasonal arc or something, Gay Highschool isn't really the first, second or fourth thing when I think Gundam (definitely the third thing because of Wing and 00 though, SO NOT ENTIRELY OUT OF POCKET)

[Vic Boss 612]

Mercury E2

 

- Suspicion of being a Gundam

- So they call people who can use the Gund-Arm format "Witches"?

- A "Witch Trial" eh?

- Huh, so it wasn't just a childish escape plan, she actually did hire people to try to run for it

- Sounds like she's getting kidnapped by terrorists though

- Ohohohohohooooooooo we gots us a Char mask supporting the Witch From Mercury

- So the robo-arm pretty much shows that Lady Prospera is Mom, right?

- And they just let her walk in and savage Delling in front of the board of directors of space wall street, nice

- Oops, dueling rules

[dr. b 492]

#2

 

If Lady Prospera ain't mum then I'm very lost right now  

Delling is a shithead. Miorine though...  You tell him!!! 

The term "Spacian" is throwing me off a bit... I can't recall, do they use that in any other Gundam series? My brain wants to see/hear "Spacenoid" instead
 

[dr. b 492]

#3

So, I can't help but wonder as I watch these episodes: When is it going to get serious? I'm enjoying it well enough, but what I really want is more of what the prologue had going on. In any case, nice to see Eri get another W in the duel. It's going to take more than some dirty tricks to get the better of her.

[Vic Boss 612]

Witch 3

 

- What a wholesome witch

- Even though he's a shitbag, I do like how he at least seems to want to win the duel under his own power

- The fucking DISRESPECT when she's not worried about being his opponent 

- She's already cracking Guel's shitbag exterior

- Darilbalde's a pretty sweet Char suit

- Yo, he's got beam sabre bits

- Water degrades beam weapons, nice

- The real Guel vs Suletta duel was fucking sweet

- Mio-Mio

- Marriage proposal

- So I guess all that Guel wanted was for someone to acknowledge him as a warrior?

- Harem Time

[Anelle 794]

witch ep 3

 

Spoiler

I had this ep lightly spoiled for me via a japanese artist retweeting some fan art featuring both Miorine and Guel doing a classic rival pose, both of them in wedding dresses.

 

A+ would get spoiled this way again

 

[dr. b 492]

#4

 

Got a glimpse into (IMO) the more interesting stuff part-way through the episode, but I wasn't too interested by the exam. It was very cool to see Chuhu slug those Spacian saboteurs at the end of the episode though, and of course it was lovely to see them let Eri join Earth house. Nika's the best 

[dr. b 492]

I kind of forgot about Gundam the last few weekends...  Caught up now!

 

#5 and #6

Episode 6 might have been the best one yet since the prologue. Keep moving in this direction!

Too bad for Guel, pretty crummy treatment from his dad.

Also, Elan. Talk about a tough situation. Poor guy  

Eri of course doesn't have it easy either, always getting herself into very difficult situations.

The duel was great stuff  

[Vic Boss 612]

Episode 6 was the best one so far

 

Back to freaky human experimentation, rich people doing shitty things, some pseudo-newtype shit (the way Suletta asks the bits to work for her and how Elan saw a bunch of laughing bright children when they were flying around. That's the stuff

[dr. b 492]

On 11/12/2022 at 3:19 AM, Vic Boss said:

Episode 6 was the best one so far

 

 

Sad to see no new episode this week though...  

[dr. b 492]

So, uh... remember how episode 6 was great? 7 and 8, not so great IMO  

[dr. b 492]

 

I fell behind on Gundam. Sad to say that I haven’t really been looking forward to it each week. Caught up to the end of episode 10 now and I’m saving episode 11 to watch next weekend before 12 releases. 

[dr. b 492]

 

Well, that was a very strong ending to the first part of the show..! It's kind of infuriating for me how inconsistent it's been, but the good parts tend to be very good. Even the dumb school stuff and duels suck me in eventually. You can't help but want to cheer for Suletta.

 

Episode #12

Awesome stuff, start to finish. Perhaps even better than the prologue episode! Forget about duels. This was the real deal.

Guel killing his dad was kind of predictable as that scene was building up, but I thought it was very impactful anyways.

Miorine's situation with her dad was interesting too. Like, obviously she's not going to leave him for dad, and as much as she doesn't like what he does, he's still her dad and all that. But her insistence on trying to save him was a little surprising and touching to see.

Suletta's situation is of course very tragic too. It ain't easy being a Gundam pilot. I'm beginning to think her mum is quite a terrible person...  And the after credits scene was a heartbreaker

 

Now I find myself really looking forward to Part 2 in the Spring. Please don't be a disappointment..!

[Anelle 794]

holy shit, we finally got the chance to sit down and watch ep 12

 

Spoiler

we both YELPED at the after credits scene. I NEED MORE NOW AAAAAAAAAAUGH

 

[dr. b 492]

Great to have Suletta back in my life  

Kind of lame to start the episode with dumb duel stuff after all the excitement of episode 12… But things heated up closer to the end.

The new girls are terrible but maybe they’ll be okay in the end.

Poor Nika

[dr. b 492]

The second season of Witch from Mercury has been nuts  I hope you're all still watching Anelle, Lucy, and Ma.

 

I guess it was naive of me to just assume from the start that Suletta was Eri. But people change names in Gundam, that's just a normal thing  The revelations about Eri and Aerial were pretty mind-blowing for a doofus like me

Suletta's mum is messed up...  

And the most recent episode (17) was absolutely tragic. Poor Suletta

[dr. b 492]

It's over  

 

After how up-and-down the first half was for me, I was a bit surprised how much I got into the second part of the series. Night and day difference. I didn't love everything about the ending... but this was still a very strong series in the end.

 

@Anelle @Lucy @Vic Boss where'd you go

[Anelle 794]

Sorry for disappearing, I've had some MAJOR chronic pain flares this year so I've been so out of touch with things!

 

Lucy and I screeched at each other after the finale, and I think our biggest complaint was that there was a lot of things that needed a bit more breathing room, or even just MORE of, but in the end it was still solid and a total treat to watch. I personally very very much want like... a special OVA giving us some story about Miorine's mother, because she sounds like a fascinating character from the bits of info we get on her! What was her goal with Quiet Zero? What else did she do? FUCKIN' TELL ME AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA

 

Lee kept telling me he wanted more gundams in space fighting and less school but once the second half moved to gundams in space fighting he wasn't as into it??? He still gave it a thumbs up in the end.

 

I would like to see more in this timeline, I think. I'm not overly familiar with the majority of Gundam stuff but I think this was an interesting new branch.

[dr. b 492]

Sorry to hear about the pain situation  Hope you're doing better these days.

 

I agree that some things needed more breathing room, more time. A lot happened in this series. Particularly the second half. I am also curious about Miorine's mum. Part of me likes the open-ended-ness of that, where we can all use our imaginations to fill in the blanks. But if there was a special or OVA that fleshed that out, I'd totally be up for watching it  

 

I totally agree with Lee re: the first half. I wanted less school and more big robots in space. I thought the second half of the series was FANTASTIC overall!  

 

Outside of a special or OVA, I wouldn't mind just leaving this timeline alone, one series and done. This was a very good series. If they continue the timeline somehow, I'll definitely still watch; I guess I'd just be a bit worried that a sequel or prequel series doesn't live up to this one and then kind of taints the whole thing for me. Though they managed to get to 50 episodes total with Iron-Blooded Orphans, which I remember liking a lot, so maybe there is more room to work with this timeline yet.