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Season 2 Epsiode 25 (Episode 50) - Rebirth
Here we are at the end of the road as this is the last episode of Gundam 00. It’s been quite the ride with mostly highs but some lows as we went along with the story of these Gundams and those who pilot them. And now on with the show and the final episode…
We pick up right where we left off with Setsuna in the 00-Raiser ready to combat Ribbons and his mobile suit, The Ribbons Cannon, as we also learn during their conversation that Ribbons has a bit of a god complex. Just a little bit. We learn that Ribbons sees humans as lower beings and that understanding is not possible as he must rule order them in order to force the unification and peace on the world. We hit the opening credits as Setsuna vows to remove Ribbons distortion from the world as they charge at each other.
We’re back and it’s over to the Ptolemaios as Veda contacts the crew to let them know what’s going on and that Ribbon’s Ms is not connected to Veda in any way. Lasse enters the bridge and says they should head out to support Setsuna. We then see Marie in the sickbay of the ship while Sumeragi asks Allelujah to head out as well, to which he complies while we see in the hanger Lockon getting the same message via haro. We then go back to Setsuna as he continues to dodge the long range attacks from the Ribbons Cannon. Setsuna finally gets close enough for his close range attack but he gets knocked away as we see Ribbon’s unit transformer into a more Gundam like form that also uses Twin Gn-Drives. I figured that was coming given Ribbons obsession with the twin Gn drive system. We also see that Ribbons can turn around and use the other form from its back to fight at long range. Perhaps they should have called it the Janus Gundam? During this fire we see the 00-Raiser take some damage with one of its legs being blown away by a blast. Things look to be worse for Setsuna as Ribbons also damages one of the 00-Raiser’s swords in an exchange as well. The odds really start to stack against him as he gets grazes by a blast from Revive’s Gadessa as he and Hilling Care are joining into the fight.
Just as it looks like they have Setsuna done for we see a Shield bit block the shot as Lockon and Allelujah arrive on the scene to even the odds. As we watch the Arios fly by we hear a familiar laugh as we know see that Hallelujah is back on the scene as he engages Hilling and her Garazzo and starts to show what the Arios is truly capable of as he quickly picks her apart. Meanwhile we see Lockon and the damaged Cherudim fight Revive and his Gadessa and uses his speed to avoid the shots and take out the Gadessa’s long range beam cannon. Back with the Arios as we see it finally use the claw attack it has in its flight mode to grab hold of Hilling’s unit and destroy it. Bye bye Hilling Care. Ribbons sees this and launches his Gn fangs to attack not only Setsuna but the Arios as well and cripples it taking Allelujah/Hallelujah out of the fight.
Setsuna takes out the fangs that were attacking him as the Ptolemaios arrives on the scene and starts firing on Ribbon’s and his Mobile Suit. They don’t stay in the fight for long as Ribbons turns and fires his mega-beam cannon to disable the ship. Sumeragi orders the ship to fire it’s smokescreen in order to help Setsuna be able to get close to fight. It does help but not enough as Ribbons sees him moving it and launches his Fangs that damage the 00-Raiser but that doesn’t stop its charge as it flies in and takes off one of Ribbons’s Ms’ arms. Back with Lockon as he continues his fight as he uses a 1 second trans-am to fly around Revive’s unit and use its final shot to destroy it. That actually looks a lot cooler on the screen than I described it. Back with the Ptolemaios as Feldt gives us an update that it’s down to Ribbon’s unit as far as the enemy goes as Sumeragi tells Ian to send out the “R2” as we go back to Setsuna and Ribbons fight.
Ribbons tells Setsuna that his power only comes from the original GN drive and that he wants it back. Ribbons then gets a vision of Tieria telling him that it’s up to the Innovades to help humanity and not lead them but Ribbons refuses to listen claiming that he is superior to humans as he takes his unit to Trans-Am mode. Setsuna, seeing this as seeing that the 00-Raiser’s particles have recharged does the same as the fight really speeds up with his units taking hits and damage – including losing the head of the 00-Raiser. We see Setsuna finally get close to land a severe blow to Ribbons as Ribbons manages to cut off the arm with the 0-Gundams GN drive off as there is an explosion.
We then see Ribbons flying off in his cripple unit carrying the 0-Gundam’s GN drive with it. He realizes that his unit is more damaged than he first thought but then sees the 0-Gundam floating in space. Over to Setsuna as we he spots something flying towards him and is shocked what it is but before we can see it we see Ribbons in the 0-Gundam with the Gn-Drive attached as he flies off to finish off Setsuna. There’s just something right about having Amuro’s VA in the Rx-78 lookalike. He reaches the 00-Raiser wreckage and realizes that the other Gn-Drive is missing and then spots an incoming object which we see is Setsuna and the rebuilt Exia Gundam. Ok, that’s unexpected.
They begin their final battle (with the 0-Gundam using the same poses as the Rx-78) we hear Marina’s song as well as we get a voice over from her of a letter she is writing to Setsuna. Nice throw back to season one and his letter to her. The letter basically details her feelings about him and the situation as she notes that they are in the same in their wish for peace despite taking different paths. She also wonders if he’ll ever find happiness even if his way achieves the peace he desires. She finishes off by noting that she hopes and prays that in the end he will find true happiness one day. The fight itself between the Gundams is pretty intense as both units do some serious damage against each other. They stand apart from each other for one final faceoff as we see the Exia rush and stab the 0-Gundam with its Gn Blade causing it to explode and send the Exia floating into space. I have to say, that was a nice fight as it was neat seeing and rx-78 lookalike facing down a new generations Gundam, especially with this being the 30th anniversary and all.
We now goto Marina as we see her finish said letter in the rebuilt palace in Azadistan as she is about to make a speech to her people. The credits start to role as we learn via her speech that her country got the help to rebuild from the Earth Federation and she hopes that all countries in the Middle East will get the same help that they did. We then head over to a hospital and see Saji and a recovering Louise and learn via Saji’s musing that Louise’s cell damage was stopped and he wonders if it was Setsuna’s GN particle burst that did it. However, he’s just happy that now she’s right there with him as we see them watching the broadcast with the new federation president at the UN. We then see that the new federation will be made up of people from all parts of the world, including those of the katharon movement as we see Claus and Shirin there. We listen to part of the new president’s speech as she notes that the A-Laws have been dismantled as we also see that Homer Katagiri took his own life as she also goes on about helping all nations around the world and trying to bring everyone into the federation. It should be noted that during these scenes there are several people who look like former Innovators (a Anew stick outs along with a ribbons and Divine) so be it be hinting on something or just a joke/animation mistake who knows.
Louise asks Saji what will happen now and he replies that they can’t just be unaware of the world anymore and that they need to change and think about the world especially if they want true peace. We then head over to Andrei who is talking with Kati (who was promoted to Brigadier General) via a communication and asks her what to do about Celestial being. She says that while they did help in removing the A-Laws they are still a possible threat and that they will be dealt with if they cause any trouble again. Patrick then enters the room (what? I thought he was dead) and tell her that it’s time as she gets up in a dress as it turns out they’re at a church for their wedding. Well, at least they got a happy ending. Back over to Andrei as he vows to live on as a better soldier and try to live up to the examples that both his father and mother were to him and I could care less. He’s still a dick. Another scene change as we see Billy in a lab working away on his computer with a new updated picture of him and Sumeragi beside him with Graham watching in the background. Ok, that was pointless other than showing that Graham was still alive.
Over to Lockon now as he’s visiting the graves of his family as well as the newly placed headstone beside it for Anew and he says he now understands his role and he’s fully ready to live up to and accept that he is now Lockon Stratos a Gundam Meister of Celestial Being. We then head over to Allelujah as he’s walking with Marie down a path and he talks about how he must one day atone for the sins he’s committed as well as do some soul searching about himself. Up in space as we hear from Tieria how he’ll now live on as a part of Veda watching over the world, waiting for the day when he and Veda can help Humanity head to the stars.
We then head back to Saji as he notes that things will change but if there are mistakes and wars break out again then “the” will rise again as we cut over the Ptolemaios heading up into space as Setsuna notes “there’s still work to be done” as we see Marina back in Azadistan looking up into the sky and watching the ship fly up and we then see the planet Jupiter with a message “The Childhood of Humankind ends” followed by the message that in 2010 there will be a Gundam 00 movie.
Nimrod’s Thoughts: So that’s it. The series is now in the books but let’s talk about the specific episode first before I talk about the series as a whole. This episode gave me the same feeling as the final for Battlestar Galactica in that the writers had the battle all planned out but then realized that they couldn’t figure out how to do a happy ending or an ending to tie everything up. Maybe it was because the movie is coming but so much was left up in the air such as what happening to Marina’s song? What about Graham? What about Setsuna’s relationship with Marina? The hinted/implied one with Feldt? How did Patrick survive? So many questions that shouldn’t be left open like this even if there’s a movie coming. So pretty much the episode was good for the final battle part, with the sweet Exia vs 0-Gundam fight, but the rest just seemed like the writers copped out because they knew a movie was coming.
As for the series itself I quite enjoyed it. A nice change of pace as it combined and brought in many themes from the previous series but at the same time making itself stand out. The writers of Gundam Seed could learn something from this. The second season is definitely not as good as the first as it does pull the series down a bit but in the end it’s still very good to watch and definitely one of the series I’d recommend to someone who is looking for a Gundam series to watch.
And with that I wish to thank everyone who followed along the series with my recaps and thank those who gave their feedback to my scribbling. As well, I want to thank everyone who shared their thoughts on the forum each week about the series and the many fun debates that grew out of everyone’s own opinions on the show.
