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Episode 1 - The Savior, Gundam
New Gundam series – will it stand up with the greats or falls with those we try to forget. Guess it’s time to find out.
We start off with an attack as we see dragon like mechas causing destruction everywhere. We then see a little kid (flit) running towards his mother who is trapped under some burning debris. Despite Flit’s efforts to try and free her she knows she’s done and gives him something that looks like a cell phone before telling him to run away and that said device has something that will help in the future. She’s then engulfed in fire and we learn that it was a dream from Flit’s past as we hit the opening credits.
We’re back and we see that Flit is a combo of Amuro and Kamille with his tinkering with things, a haro and living on his own. In the background there’s a report discussing the attack of the UE, that’s short for “Unknown Enemy”, which attacked a colony 14 years ago to which we guess he’s a survivor of. We see the Kamille like rage in flit for the first time but that’s stopped by his friend Frau, err….Emily, knocking at the door and informing him he’s like while doing the stereotypical girl scolding that they do in these animes. As the pair is running to get to school we see him meet up with the military commander on the way and discuss the plans they have for the mobile suit testing today. Huh? How old is this kid? Is he Wesley Crusher or something? We also learn he’s involved in the testing on the new “Gundam”.
On the way Haro nearly gets run down by a mobile suit piloted by Emily’s grandfather that happened to have one of the Gundam’s arm attached to it. So much for the top secret designs if people can just take parts to goof around with. We then pull out and see that all along we’re in a colony as we also get another look into Flit’s past as the Gundam represents more to his family as a warrior passed down through the generations along with that his family (the Asuno’s) are known for being creators of mobile suits. At this point I would start saying “Gary-Stu” for Flit but let’s give it a bit more before saying something I can’t take back. Anyway, Flit gets to his school and one of his pals tells him about hearing of an attack on another colony while saying he’s not worried because they never attack highly populated areas. Words of doom there tubby.
As class starts we see Flit has more Kamille in him as he bemoans his teacher and the class for not taking the Ue threat seriously. After he gets yells at and told he’s full of it we go outside the colony and see three dragon like mobile suits enter the colony. If you haven’t figured it out yet this is so far a by the numbers first episode for a Gundam series.
Back inside as Flit and Emily are talking and Flit explains why he cares so much about the UE, they attacked his home colony, and he shows Emily the device his mother gave him that he knows will help in the future. Turns out said device had plans for new mobile suits to help everyone – the Gundam. So this is more super robot then real robot? The UE suits then begin their attack on the colony as Flit runs off to get to the Gundam.
Inside the main military base as they begin to mobilize but so far they’re forces and units don’t stand up against the enemy suits. Even the GM like unit, called a “Genoace”, doesn’t stand much of a chance as we also see Flit’s Kamile like rage build as he sees what’s going on around him. Emily’s grandfather appears and gets them into a hanger where he happened to have the Gundam stashed and ready to go.
With all this going on Flit makes the decision to use the Gundam as the vet pilot Largan arrives ready to pilot it but the old coot won’t allow it and makes Largan go out on the Genoace instead. Umm…didn’t he see what happened to the last one? Largan doesn’t even get out of the hanger as the enemy was ready for him and shoots his MS’ legs from under him. Making the usual dramatic decision, Flit races off to pilot the Gundam himself and begins the startup process to take the prototype unit into battle. As the others hurry off to the shelter we learn that Emily has had a hidden crush on Flit as she silently wishes him well into battle.
Back at the military base they learn the Gundam has gone into battle with Flit as its pilot and they agree? The hell? Yup, definitely super robot. Especially with everyone seemingly putting their hopes and dreams into the Gundam.
Flit exits the hanger and sees the destruction around him and one of the Ue suits immediately starts firing but the Gundam is undamaged. Flit then picks up a gun from the Genoace but it does nothing so in an effort to find a weapon on the Gundam, though he should know since he helped design the bloody thing, he goes for the built-in beam daggers and defeats the UE unit. However, the other two units appear and one starts to scan the Gundam while the other unit destroys what’s left of the downed unit and then retreats.
The episode ends, everyone is marveling the Gundam but the joy is short lived as the enemy suits begin to attack the outside of the colony as the end credits come up.
Nimrod’s Thoughts: All my ribbing aside this episode wasn’t completely terrible. It wasn’t the kiddie aimed fest that we all feared it to be. It wasn’t good and it’s really nothing we haven’t seen Gundam-wise in the past. Still, at least Flit isn’t crying every time he does something so there’s hope. As I pointed out, this feels more like a super robot show then your tradition Gundam real robot type of anime and maybe that’s a good thing.
