#Gundam Zagan

[gremoria411]

A twofer today, just some general impressions on the ASW-G-16 Gundam Zepar (left) and the AWS-G-61 Gundam Zagan. I still haven’t watched Urdr hunt unfortunately, so I’ll be mostly talking about Zagan’s design, as opposed to anything that goes on in-series.

Another reason I’m pairing these together is because they’re both Post Disaster Gundam units, that have a two-syllable name beginning with a Z and a serial number that has a 6 in it. I’ve been able to remember them by the fact that the Zepar is Zippy. And that the Zagan has nothing to do with Carl Sagan.

Moving on from naming conventions, what do I think of them? Starting with the Zagan, I like the weight it brings to the table, it feels like it could compete with other heavyweights without much difficulty, essentially functioning as a giant can-opener to the mobile armours. It should be noted that with the possible exception of Agnika Kaeru himself, the Issues were the most prolific killer of Mobile Armours during the Calamity War. Presumably some of that was by dint of its pilot, but the Zagan cannot be discounted. It’s possible the apparent focus on defence aided in its survivability, enabling it to cope with battles of attrition better, functioning as an anvil to the other Gundam Frames’ hammer. It’s also possible that it’s missing some armament, since the hands are free. I know there’s precedent for knuckledusters in IBO, but it only being armed with the shields feels a little odd.

The design specifically reminds me of the Gremory (most likely the armour) and the Abyss Gundam from Seed Destiny (colouration and bulk, though I always remember it bigger than it actually is)

The Zepar I have considerably less to say on - it’s a nice design, agile and suited to closing the distance and stabbing things, but I do want to talk about it in relation to House Kujan, Specifically Iok Kujan.

Iok is……hm. He’s essentially a perfect example of somebody you don’t want in command. He’s a twit, and furthermore, he’s a dangerous twit, since his actions have a tendency to backfire on literally everyone besides himself. But let’s walk back a little. Who is Iok in relation to the story?

Iok Kujan is the heir to House Kujan of Gjallarhorn’s Seven Stars, the Seven Noble Families that wield the most power in Gjallarhorn, as McGillis, Gaelio, Carta and Rustal are to each of their houses (and of course Nemo, Elek and Gargin, but they’re less focused on). He only ascended to the position fairly recently, but everyone has high hopes for him since his late father was beloved.

Unfortunately, he’s really bad at it. He’s reckless, callous of those he’s fighting against and is absolutely unable to recognise his own failures.

@wordsandrobots has done an excellent analysis on Iok which I’m just going to link to here, since it’s very good:

But the crux of Iok is that he represents a great many of the failings of nobility - he’s incompetent, he’s unqualified and he displays a lack of care for how his actions effect others - not out of malice, but out of stupidity. He is a walking talking, killing example of how promoting based on blood rather than ability is such a poor idea.

But then look at the Zepar. Look at how it stands, how it moves. There’s a poise to it, an elegance, a sense of nobility. It’s armed with a sword and shield - simple, yes, but something that focuses on defence, on protection. Even the way it fights seems to be in pushing the enemy away from something, protecting it. So I would say that if Iok is representative of the realities of nobility - the incompetence and disregard for others, then the Zepar is the romanticisation of it - of a noble, red-armoured knight who would protect the people. It also represents how far the Kujan family has come since the Calamity War - Once a great and loved pilot who fought at the frontlines using a Gundam Frame, to a lacking and foolish one who fights from the rear and has to be bailed out at the cost of his subordinates lives. (I know Iok’s father didn’t pilot the Zepar, but it ties in with the theme of Iok being the end result of a lineage, rather than the beginnings).

It also draws attention to the Gjallarhorn’s meritocratic roots - Embrilla Kujan was able to slay multiple mobile armours using this machine, whereas Iok is too blinded by his own self-importance to recognise the threat that they pose, to the point he severely underestimates what it will take to kill one.

[wordsandrobots]

Huh. Actually -- since I'm stuff home sick and my brain refuses to shut up and let me sleep -- apropos of reblogging @superhelltubedotsys' post citing Barbatos Lupus Rex's status as a werewolf Gundam, I'm now thinking about the significance that has within Iron-Blooded Orphans (some spoilers follow).

Because Barbatos the demon has no association with wolves in the Ars Goetia. The nearest applicable part is "He giveth understanding of the singing of Birds, and of the Voices of other creatures, such as the barking of Dogs", which is fitting for Mikazuki and plays into the comparison between mobile armour Hashmal and a bird, but pointedly does not imply 'appears as a giant fuck-off wolf monster with a knife-tail'. That description would seem more appropriately applied to Amon, the immediately prior demon, number seven: "He appeareth like a Wolf with a Serpent’s tail, vomiting out of his mouth flames of fire . . ."

But of course, Gundam Barbatos' steady revision towards the Lupus Rex form is a drift away from its initial design. Exactly how much influence the Ars Goetia descriptions had on the Gundam project and how much they were just used as a naming convention is a little up in the air. Some do seem to be applicable (Zagan being a 'bull with gryphon wings', Flauros switching between the forms of a leopard and a man, etc.). Others . . . well, Bael is supposed to appear as either a toad, a cat, or a man, or all three at once, and while that has some applicability to McGillis' whole deal, it's not really a match for Gundam Bael's angelic form. Nor do the Gundam's abilities evoke demon!Bael's power to render someone invisible. However, I think we can safely conclude that, in-universe at least, the goetic demons are only pertinent to the Gundams' initial appearances and capabilities.

Barbatos' revisions throughout Season 1 are instead a gradual cannibalisation of various different sources of technology and weapons to get it back into fighting shape (Teiwaz technically restores it to its original appearance, but that doesn't last past the Dort arc; thereafter, we're back to bolting on any spare armour going). Barbatos Lupus then represents a significant step towards redefining it in line with the Chief's goal of creating an 'ultimate' version based on Mika's battle data, with Barbatos Lupus Rex being the end-point for that progression.

Put simply, Barbatos gradually becomes more and more tailored to Mikazuki, specifically. To digress for a moment, this forms a big part of my reasoning that Mika being able to use the katana properly at the climax of Season 1 represents the influence of Barbatos' original pilot; after this, he ditches that kind of weapon entirely. Even while fighting Hashmal, he reaches for the biggest club available (technically, a broad-sword, but so ridiculously huge nobody could call it a precision weapon). It's another interesting detail that Mika can't beat Ein in their final face-off by fighting like himself, which comes back around again as the back half of Season 2 kicks into gear.

Anyway, my point is this: being a werewolf is not inherently part of Barbatos' deal. Rather it represents Mikazuki's growing influence -- as you might thematically expect for a union with a character named after the moon (crescent moon, specifically, though I can't imagine the association wasn't intended given Tekkadan are wolf-coded in the text). And that's fascinating because as I've written about before, Barbatos and Mikazuki are the most blatant example of a devil's bargain in the show. The kid literally sells and arm and a leg (and an eye) for the power Barbatos can give him. And yet, the bestial aspects Barbatos takes on are rooted in Mika.

There's an echo of Gundam Wing's 'Gundams are a curse' refrain in IBO. These machines bring bad luck to everyone who pilots them, as a function of representing humanity subsumed by war. The inherent gamble of the Alaya-Vijnana, the overwhelming nature of the conflict they were built to end, the fact Gundams are never sufficient on their own to change the world -- it forms an unspoken counter-argument to McGillis' zealous faith in their status as symbols of transformation that is actually very in keeping with the demonological tradition from which they take their names. What they offer is costly and potentially damning, while also largely illusory when it comes to anything other than utter destruction. Indeed, Mikazuki is a living testament to how 'cursed' their pilots are.

It just happens that he was able to curse Barbatos back.

Because that's what Barbatos Lupus Rex is, isn't it? Put side by side with its original form, this is a clear degradation of a proud warrior into a savage beast. The same design elements persist, of course, yet by the end, it's near impossible to picture Barbatos as an elegant fighter making precision strikes with a honed sword. It has become a true berserker, tearing into its opponents with teeth and claws (well, claws and knife tail). As Tekkadan in general tend to, Mikazuki strips away the affectations of nobility and 'honourable' warfare in favour of brutal reality.

The detail of the Lupus Rex form merging parts of a mobile armour into a Gundam only heightens this. Weapons are weapons, whoever they serve and whatever guise they wear. Mikazuki is always honest about that. His awed response to Hashmal is of a piece with how easily he fits within Barbatos. He sees himself as equivalent to them -- has, in fact, constructed his entire identity around being so.

Thus, the lycanthropy he inflicts on Barbatos is of a kind that merely reveals the truth lurking under the skin. It was always an instrument of devastation. Now it looks the part.

[gremoria411]

*The following is both a spoiler for Gundam Iron Blooded Orphans Urdr Hunt, and my immediate reaction while watching it*

ZAGAN NO YOU WERE SO COOL

[gremoria411]

Gundam Iron Blooded Orphans Urdr Hunt Masterpost - Part 1

Alright, I’ve finally finished watching Gundam Iron Blooded Orphans Urdr Hunt, however when putting together this post I didn’t quite realise the scale of it until I was almost finished. As such I’ll be splitting it into three (ish) main posts - This one will be discussing the Ending, a little bit on Londo Bron, and the Zagan. The second post will be my thoughts on Cyclase Mayer and Gjallarhorn, and the last post will be my thoughts on Wistario and the rest of the cast. I’m also planning to do both a post on the series mechanics (in which I’ll talk about the mobile suits and mobile armours) and a character piece on Londo Bron at some point in the future. It just felt a little too long to be just one post, even for me.

Overall, I enjoyed Gundam Urdr Hunt. That said I’m glad I waited to watch it until now, because I think if I’d watched it without the promise of the movie on the horizon, I would have found the ending disappointing. But we’ll get to that. I’m largely going to be referring to my prior post, but I’ll be covering a lot of the same points. Though some of these I noted down as I was watching, so it might be a little more disjointed than usual.

We’ll get to the ending Immediately, as it happens. As I said, I found it overall a good show. The ending, well, it isn’t really an ending. It’s sort of a “the adventure continues”. Katya is recovered and Wistario goes around and thanks all the other Urdr Hunt Participants (except Cyclase) then returns to Radonitsa Colony on Venus. It feels more like the culmination of an Arc than a conclusion to the series, which I guess it is. But Gundam’s never been a series that has arcs so it’s a little odd. All that said, this is where i feel Urdr Hunt’s nature as a video game works against it, since most of the story prior to this has been “gathering the party”, with the Mobile Armour (Nerimiah) functioning as the final boss. I think the movie’s a way to give it a proper conclusion that isn’t tied down to the needs of a videogame.

But the battle at Ratatoskr I do have one criticism of - Wistario races to reach the shuttle, but it’s struck by lightning and explodes. Agonising moments pass, as Wistario thinks he’s failed, then Katya appears from the explosion. Putting aside the fact that we knew damn well she was gonna survive, fuck those Gjallarhorn Pilots, am I right? Also, she survives an explosion in just a normal suit? No shrapnel or explosive force? It feels more annoying because she could have just been in a casket or escape pod or something, but no, magic explosion. I don’t know, it just seems odd, like there’s so many other ways that it could’ve gone that would’ve made more sense.

I like how we get that view into Gjallarhorn with Mcgillis, Okina Uroka and Isurugi. It’s nice to see an internal view on how that all went down (even though I’m sure Uroka is seething on the inside). It’s also very interesting how Uroka just straight up doesn’t answer Mcgillis’ direct question. Way to tip off you have something to hide, my guy.

In brief, the ending’s just alright, there’s stuff I liked (Gjallarhorn), stuff I didn’t (Magic Explosion) and stuff I’m middling on (Nerimiah). I’m glad that there’s a movie coming so it can have a proper conclusion.

However, I do have plenty of other things to say, so let’s get to those;

Londo Bron is an idiot and I love him

I’ll be doing a proper post on him at some point later, but I’m so very happy for his inclusion in the series. He’s basically one of Carta’s former subordinates, her ex-“knight” if you will and I absolutely love the character dynamic this brings to the table. If I didn’t already love the Zagan, he would have definitely made me look at it fondly.

Speaking of, the Gundam Zagan. I’ve already talked about it just from a design perspective prior, but it’s an absolute juggernaut in this. It carves through three Grazes with ease, and is the only enemy in the series to seriously give Wistario a run for his money. It does all this, with a pilot without Alaya-Vijinana. I don’t doubt that other skilled pilots like Londo Brom exist in post disaster, but the Issues certainly weren’t head of the Seven Stars for nothing. It would have been sufficient as a final boss in my mind, but I really can’t find flaw with it. (I might do a proper post on the series mechanics too)

It’s possible that it’s stored in Ratatoskr as a last resort if Nerimiah was to escape. I’m genuinely unsure as to why anyone would willingly preserve a mobile armour, especially (presumably) Arzona Issue, but at least Zagan’s inclusion as part of the prison shows some foresight.

I really hope it’s able to be salvaged though, mostly because if it appears in something else, we might get a HG kit of it. (Also it bothers me a little that Londo Bron essentially wrecked a relic of the Calamity War in its first sortie in 300 years against Wistario. Kinda feels like I’m watching someone use an antique vase to bludgeon a child to death).

[wordsandrobots]

Ah, so the Issue Gundam is another of the freaks. Excellent.

ASW-G-61 Zagan, it would seem.

A 'bull with griffon's wings'. Which in this case also turn into crab claws.

What fun.

[wordsandrobots]

Has it been two weeks already? It would seem so, because here's @trafalgarlog's next round of Urdr Hunt fansubs!

This time, Katya is thoroughly fed up with everything, Londo Bron's quest to restore the honour of the Issue Family takes a shocking turn, and Cyclase . . . ? Well, Cyclase has really done it now.

Hajiroboshi  (Part 1, Part 2)

Departure (Part 1, Part 2)

598 (Part 1, Part 2)

Corridor of Betrayal (Part 1, Part 2)

Holder of the Ring (Part 1, Part 2)  

Unexpected Encounter (Part 1, Part 2)

Venus’ Worth (Part 1, Part 2)

Brothers’ Ship (Part 1, Part 2)

Horn and Flower’s Shadow (Part 1, Part 2)

Family Bonds (Part 1, Part 2)

Beyond Outstretched Hands (Part 1, Part 2)

Flashing Sky (Part 1, Part 2)

With probably only three episodes left (in six parts), it's perhaps no wonder that we open on a rather apocalyptic scene: the giant microwave power transmission station, Ratatoskr, hanging in space surrounded by asteroids and lit by lightning. Aboard a launch moving through this extremely hazardous area, Londo Bron cheerfully informs Katya that there's something he wants to show her.

Further up the microwave beam, the Erda II is rocked by a lightning strike. Via a comm channel Mendou explains that Ratatoskr uses Ahab reactors as part of a power generation system, with Parstai noting that its still-active beam is electrifying the nearby dust and debris, hence the storm.

(I'm going to be quite grumpy later on so I want to say here that I really love this; it's exactly the kind of Calamity War leftover I like, hinting at a far more obviously 'advanced' society that once conquered the solar system. Presumably this was how a lot of space-based human settlements were powered, possibly via bouncing the beam between relay points. And now it's just . . . there, abandoned and not even turned off.)

Wistario spots lights up and ahead and Sinister zooms in to show Cyclase's Halfbeaks launching mobile suits. It's clear the gang has arrived in the very nick of time.

With Korunaru cautioning them to be careful, Wistario and Range head out to intercept their old nemesis.

Said nemesis is ostensibly here to take out Londo and retrieve Katya on Lord Okina's orders. He has a squad of standard Issue Grazes on hand, as well as Tagging's Scharfrichter -- inside which Batch has hitched a somewhat cramped ride (the Gundam Wiki still lists her as Bana but I'm switching to TrafalgarLog's version for now).

Batch is the first to spot the Afam Equipment forces approaching from the rear. Cyclase divides his forces, sending some of the Grazes to take care of Asmoday and Hajiroboshi while he continues to the station.

Range is not impressed with the mook welcoming committee and is all for cutting through them in one go, but this proves unnecessary. 598 leads Foundling's Monkey Rodis to take care of the Gjallarhorn mobile suits, freeing the other two to get a-heroing.

Aboard Ratatoskr, Londo leads Katya to a massive set of doors, explaining that with Carta's death, she is the only person who's allowed to open them. Even he has never seen inside. Mutely, Katya goes along with him and the doors slide aside to reveal. of course, Gundam Zagan -- the mobile suit used by Arzona Issue, founder of the Issue Family.

(I *think* this is the first explicit in-story statement to the effect that the Seven Star families began with the Gundam pilots. This has always been the heavy implication, but previously there was wiggle room to suppose they came out of pre-existing nobility. However, this more firmly indicates that the heraldry we've seen on the other Urdr Hunt waypoints dates from after the War was over.)

Anyway, yes, that's six of the Seven Star Gundams named and numbered, and apparently the Issues disdained to lock it away in the vault on Vingolf but rather left it stored up here. Londo asks Katya to give him permission to use Zagan to usher her into her rightful place as head of the family. She tells him to do whatever he wants, which is not really the full-throated blessing he takes it as.

His good mood is spoiled regardless as a soldier rushes up to inform him of Cyclase's unit's arrival. Moreover (the man adds, soto-voice), Wistario is right behind.

Overhearing, Katya silently implores Wistario to let her be. She's decided the blood of the Issues makes her too much trouble for her friends.

Batch informs Cyclase that Wistario and Range are approaching, while at the same time, Katya's launch is starting back for Londo's ship. He sends the remaining three Grazes to fetch Katya then heads in another direction, drawing a vengeful Range after him.

The Gjallarhorn mobile suits arrive at the exit from Ratatoskr right as the launch emerges, trapping it in the docking tunnel. Katya spots Hajiroboshi heading towards them but her craft is nearly grabbed by the lead Graze.

Just in time, however, Londo leaps into action, using Zagan to shield her and then unfolding the Gundam's wings into giant crab claws with which to utterly pulverise his unlucky enemies. It's a pretty thorough demonstration of the power of a Gundam frame, as he rapidly kills the entire squad, even spin-punching one of them clean through the wall of the tunnel before kicking it into space.

Wistario catches the disabled 'suit as it comes flying out and throws it aside. Zagan emerges from the smoke and it's a face-off, Londo offering him one last chance to withdraw, Wistario determined to rescue his would-be fiance. Naturally neither will back down. And the battle is on!

Things don't go great for our Wiz at first. But 598's mob quickly join in and their combined strength turns the tide. Plus, 598 has a cunning plan to use the environment against Londo . . .

Londo himself realises he cannot't control Zagan as well as Arzona did (because, of course, he doesn't have an Alaya-Vijnana system), but ploughs on, insisting it's Katya's will to stay with the Issues. Wistario retorts that people like him forced her to be somewhere she doesn't want to be.

Some more smack is talked and blows exchanged, and things do not look rosy for our good captain. With ye traditional 'there should not be that many electrical arcs in a cockpit' visuals, he rallies for one last effort, rushing Wistario headlong, breaking Hajiroboshi's crest with a well-aimed claw.

But Wiz has whatever operational weirdness is going on to give him A-V level moves and he drives his giant chain-sword-thingy in hard, smashing one of Zagan's wings off. Infuriated, Londo drags his Gundam directly along the blade, smashing Wistario off his feet.

As a panicked 598 rushes to help, Londo rips loose his remaining wing and prepares to impale Wistario with the claw, insisting that he'll protect Katya.

Unfortunately, that's when physics catches up to the situation and, um, you know that thing about holding up a long metal object in the middle of a thunderstorm? Yeah. Yeeeeeah.

598 is able to whisk Wistario out of danger at the last second but Zagan takes the full force of a lightning strike. While I wouldn't entirely rule out a well-timed revival later, it sure does look like Londo just got thoroughly toasted.

There's no time to dwell on his fate, however, as Katya still needs saving and, perhaps more pressingly, Cyclase is Up To Something.

Inside Ratatoskr, Batch slips out of Tagging's mobile suit to go do stuff while Cyclase turns to face the 'fly buzzing in his ear'. Range has caught up with them and is here to take revenge for Andy and Bito's deaths. Cue the soundtrack switching to 'In a Fury' and our resident would-be-godking meeting Range's anger with icy sarcasm.

As the fight ensures, Cyclase asks Range why he thinks this place was designated a sanctuary and people kept away? Range of course doesn't give a fuck, but that doesn't stop Cyclase elaborating that it is a cage. The lightning is not intended to repel intruders; rather it is meant to keep something inside.

(I'll give you three guesses and the first two don't count.)

Honestly, Cyclase is having a moment here and very little of what Range is shouting at him is getting through. It's like how Gaelio spends the back half of Season 2 yelling for attention only, unlike McGillis, Cyclase genuinely does not care, at all.

Just then the ground shakes. Batch, it seems, has done her work well (Tagging assures Cyclase they are very good at what they do). As Range looks on in disbelief, Cyclase declares that his freedom is about to begin.

Over on the Erda II, Dexter informs everyone that the microwave output from the station is increasing, bringing with it more violent lightning flashes. Nobody has any idea what's going on -- and to add to the confusion, the Urdr Hunt ring picks that moment to light up.

It appears to be reading data, as it has at every other waypoint. Parstai and Mendou report the same thing. This is the sixth point, despite no instructions having been received from 'N' to direct them there. Ratatoskr is the Issue's entry on this magical mystery tour and this proves the data wasn't put here by 'N' but rather, has lain there for 300 years.

If that's the case, Korunaru asks, why is the ring only responding now? Mendou's first thought is that it's because they've gotten closer -- but sadly it would seem it's nothing so mundane.

As Londo's forces hurry the launch over to their Halfbeak, ahead of Wistario and 598's pursuit, cracks start appearing in a nearby asteroid (one of those visibly tethered to Ratatoskr's core), closely followed by an absolutely gigantic blast of energy. The biggest beam weapon we've yet seen in IBO canon slams into the Halfbeak before deflecting off to slice a massive gash through the rock. Everyone scatters as something emerges from the rubble, loosing off dozens of the most adorable little guys imaginable.

Just look at them! I can only assume Dr Robotnik had a hand in designing this particular batch of plumas.

Because, oh yes, as Mendou realises to his utter horror, what's happening here is that a mobile armour has just reactivated and broken out of its prison within the Issue Family's sanctuary.

Oh, and it's the size of a battlecruiser.

OK, so first off, somebody has clearly been hitting the Gundam 79 juice. I see distinct traces of Elmeth in this thing, and in general it's aesthetics trend 'rockets and ray-guns' ala the Universal Century's Zeon stylings. Quite a departure from what we've seen before. I think I'll need to see it in action before I decide if I like it or not.

Secondly, Gundam Zagan makes quite the impression, albeit a surprisingly brief one. It's definitely in the 'freak' section of the number sequence (61) and showcases a lot of impressively brutal potential the leaves little doubt as to how the Issues ended up with the top seat at the table. Additionally, its proportions are distinctly broader compared to normal, hinting at the same adjustment of the frame that we see in Gusion's first in-series appearance. Nice to see that's not just a one-off.

Thirdly, everything has gone distinctly endgamey. Londo is off the board, Range is throwing himself bodily at his collection of death-flags, and Cyclase has begun his apotheosis (I do have a few notes regarding step #1). Even if this isn't quite the home stretch of the story, it's certainly got that 'exciting climax' feeling.

And here's the point where I grumble because bringing the Calamity War stuff this far to the forefront really doesn't do anything for me.

I feel bad for picking on this because I understand why you'd want it from a game mechanic point of view. The mobile armours are boss material, through and through, with very impressive visuals. However, this marks two activations in the months prior to Hashmal waking up on Mars (possibly two and a half, depending on how we count Mendou's encounter with plumas in the ice field), which seems excessive. Obviously this is going to be parcelled off from the main IBO plot such that nobody will look like a complete moron for being poleaxed when the world's most deadly Porygon tries to wipe Chryse off the map (except Iok who is, well, Iok). But it still feels like it should be a mite harder to trip over a mobile armour, even accounting for Gjallarhorn forgetting its original purpose.

It's also playing into my firm conviction that any hypothetical Calamity War prequel series would be 'standard Gundam fare' in ways Iron-Blooded Orphans largely eschews. Neither the show nor the Moon Steel manga deal with global wars or threats to the entirety of humanity. Hashmal is the outlier in that regard, deliberately out of context for the story. Mostly, the focus remains relatively small-scale and the mecha battles aren't solutions to the problems the story presents so much as messy, cruel consequences of an unjust system.

The mobile armours, by contrast, are robot monsters from the dawn of time that 100% need to die for the sake of the human race. I'm not opposed to that as a story hook in general, but it's less interesting compared to the things IBO has done before. Maybe it'll shake out into something engaging with Cyclase as a human component to the threat but I don't think I'll hold my breath on that: he's been a fairly straightforward sort of antagonist so far.

[gremoria411]

Damn, I really like the idea of “N” being Nemo Baklazan, particularly since we now know there’s a movie in the works - There’s likely going to be a couple of new mobile suits for that, like the custom Reginlaze from the trailer, and Gundam’s are normally a pretty safe bet for this sort of thing. Furthermore, I think the only Seven Stars missing from points on the Urdr Hunt were the Baklazan’s and……. The Fareed’s, I think? (It goes Elion, Falk, Bauduin, Kujan, then skips one to go to Issue, right?)

What’s also interesting is that the Baklazan Family Gundam is the only remaining Seven Stars Gundam Frame we haven’t seen yet, almost like it’s going to play a part in something.

There is also the point of it being missing from Vingolf, but a) it’s *possible* that that is an animation error and b) it seems that the Issue Family Gundam, the Zagan, is kept in Ratatoskr, so there’s no garuntee that every Seven Stars Gundam is stored in Vingolf (maybe the Issue’s had special privileges, being the head of the Seven Stars and all).

But I do like the idea of the other two Seven Stars Families having stuff going on.

(Also, props for describing Range as “kind of a chump” because that is an excellent description and I love it)

Thoughts on the Urdr Hunt (Eps 1-5)

As of writing, five episodes (each in two parts) of the Iron-Blooded Orphans tie-in game campaign ‘Urdr Hunt’ have been released on the Iron-Blooded Orphans G App. This is currently only available in Japan; I’ve been watching it subbed by Youtuber Trafalgar Log. I thought I’d summarise my impressions so far, since we’ve now had every character who shows up in the opening sequence appear at least once. Spoilers etc below.

Keep reading

[liamthestickyclone]

I honestly love both of their designs, but I think I prefer Zagan more.

I also think that Zagan proves my theory of “The later the Gundam is, the more likely it is to have Mobile Armour parts with it.”

The big shields on Zagan look like either wings or some sort of shields that were used by a Mobile Armour.

Honestly, I’m a bit curious about how the other later Gundams will look

A twofer today, just some general impressions on the ASW-G-16 Gundam Zepar (left) and the AWS-G-61 Gundam Zagan. I still haven’t watched Urdr hunt unfortunately, so I’ll be mostly talking about Zagan’s design, as opposed to anything that goes on in-series.

Another reason I’m pairing these together is because they’re both Post Disaster Gundam units, that have a two-syllable name beginning with a Z and a serial number that has a 6 in it. I’ve been able to remember them by the fact that the Zepar is Zippy. And that the Zagan has nothing to do with Carl Sagan.

Moving on from naming conventions, what do I think of them? Starting with the Zagan, I like the weight it brings to the table, it feels like it could compete with other heavyweights without much difficulty, essentially functioning as a giant can-opener to the mobile armours. It should be noted that with the possible exception of Agnika Kaeru himself, the Issues were the most prolific killer of Mobile Armours during the Calamity War. Presumably some of that was by dint of its pilot, but the Zagan cannot be discounted. It’s possible the apparent focus on defence aided in its survivability, enabling it to cope with battles of attrition better, functioning as an anvil to the other Gundam Frames’ hammer. It’s also possible that it’s missing some armament, since the hands are free. I know there’s precedent for knuckledusters in IBO, but it only being armed with the shields feels a little odd.

The design specifically reminds me of the Gremory (most likely the armour) and the Abyss Gundam from Seed Destiny (colouration and bulk, though I always remember it bigger than it actually is)

The Zepar I have considerably less to say on - it’s a nice design, agile and suited to closing the distance and stabbing things, but I do want to talk about it in relation to House Kujan, Specifically Iok Kujan.

Iok is……hm. He’s essentially a perfect example of somebody you don’t want in command. He’s a twit, and furthermore, he’s a dangerous twit, since his actions have a tendency to backfire on literally everyone besides himself. But let’s walk back a little. Who is Iok in relation to the story?

Iok Kujan is the heir to House Kujan of Gjallarhorn’s Seven Stars, the Seven Noble Families that wield the most power in Gjallarhorn, as McGillis, Gaelio, Carta and Rustal are to each of their houses (and of course Nemo, Elek and Gargin, but they’re less focused on). He only ascended to the position fairly recently, but everyone has high hopes for him since his late father was beloved.

Unfortunately, he’s really bad at it. He’s reckless, callous of those he’s fighting against and is absolutely unable to recognise his own failures.

@wordsandrobots has done an excellent analysis on Iok which I’m just going to link to here, since it’s very good:

But the crux of Iok is that he represents a great many of the failings of nobility - he’s incompetent, he’s unqualified and he displays a lack of care for how his actions effect others - not out of malice, but out of stupidity. He is a walking talking, killing example of how promoting based on blood rather than ability is such a poor idea.

But then look at the Zepar. Look at how it stands, how it moves. There’s a poise to it, an elegance, a sense of nobility. It’s armed with a sword and shield - simple, yes, but something that focuses on defence, on protection. Even the way it fights seems to be in pushing the enemy away from something, protecting it. So I would say that if Iok is representative of the realities of nobility - the incompetence and disregard for others, then the Zepar is the romanticisation of it - of a noble, red-armoured knight who would protect the people. It also represents how far the Kujan family has come since the Calamity War - Once a great and loved pilot who fought at the frontlines using a Gundam Frame, to a lacking and foolish one who fights from the rear and has to be bailed out at the cost of his subordinates lives. (I know Iok’s father didn’t pilot the Zepar, but it ties in with the theme of Iok being the end result of a lineage, rather than the beginnings).

It also draws attention to the Gjallarhorn’s meritocratic roots - Embrilla Kujan was able to slay multiple mobile armours using this machine, whereas Iok is too blinded by his own self-importance to recognise the threat that they pose, to the point he severely underestimates what it will take to kill one.