#Gundam Zeta Define

[slowlysointernet]

Here's 'Char' not thinking or caring about his sister🙄.

Mobile Suit Zeta Gundam (Episode 8):

Mobile Suit Zeta Define(Chapter 15);

Mobile Suit Z-Gundam Game:

Illustration by Hiroyuki Kitazume:

Mobile Suit Gundam Char's Counterattack Beltorchika's Children:

Mobile Suit Gundam High-Streamer:

If you have any media literacy you would have noticed that these moments are put in deliberately and not by accident. 'Char' doesn't have a photo in his keep of anyone else other than his sister. Why do you think that is?

'Char' seldom mentions either of his parents, yet their shadows loom over him and just because a character doesn't outright state something to the audience in an obvious way doesn't mean that said character doesn't care about X,Y and Z.

If Gundam fans actually read/ watched the source material with their eyes and brains open and not with their own narcissistic self projections or endless memes then we wouldn't have this problem of media literacy being so dogshit.

[balrog-slayer66]

Zeta Gundam Define by Hiroyuki Kitazume

[bunabi]

Bro are you stupid or just racist

Well-meaning or ill-intended at least I don't hide on anon lol

I'm always open with my beliefs because I believe in them. I've never been in anyone's inbox on anonymous picking fights I wouldn't pursue publicly. That's rat behavior.

Try it sometime! Tell all your friends about me!

[gremoria411]

Next up from SD Gundam G Generation:

The AMX-001 Prototype Qubeley. Originally designed as the MSN-008 during the waning days of the one year war, it was one of several units that were eventually completed at Axis. It was designed to be a direct successor to the MAN-08 Elmeth (MAN: Mobile Armour Newtype to MSN: Mobile Suit Newtype), best known for its use by Lahlah Sune, the Ghost of Solomon. Though the psycommu system was largely miniaturised, the Prototype Qubeley was still a large mobile suit, being roughly 25 metres tall. For reference, the RX-78 Gundam stood at roughly 18 meters tall, and the Qubeley itself, which succeeded the Prototype, was only 18.9 meters tall.

Armaments wise, the Prototype Qubeley was armed with two beam sabers built into the hands, analogous to those on the regular Qubeley. However, though powerful, they are not removable like the later model, nor can they double as beam guns. Perhaps in recognition of this, it was also armed with Vulcan guns, mounted on the chest, presumably to dissuade enemies from getting close. Instead of the aforementioned beam guns, the Prototype Qubeley had a set of Mega Particle Cannons mounted in the forearms, which were wired directly to the suits reactor, giving them high output. Interestingly, in order to fire these weapons, the hand would fold away and the arm would split in half to form a firing channel. Lastly, it was armed with psycommu system with which it controlled its funnels, which are miniaturised from the Elmeth’s Bits in both form and function. (It appears in Mobile Suit Zeta Gundam Define (below) with a funnel design similar to that of the Qubeley, but in the original game, Sd Gundam G Generation F, they appear as smaller versions of the Elmeth’s). Interestingly, the rear of the Prototype Qubeley where the Funnels are stored does resemble a smaller Elmeth.

(Piloted by Haman, obviously)

Design-wise, really good. The powder blue and yellow and red really make it pop, and it certainly feels Zeonic, with its slim, mono-eyed head and little crown. I like its bulk, since it’s a transition between the round Elmenth to the elegant Qubeley, so it being a little ungainly fits very well, and yet all the spikes and pointy bits give it a good silhouette. My only criticism is that I can’t for the life of me figure out where its waist goes. The above-left picture of it from Z-Define just looks too hunched to me, but its official art makes its body look rather squat, atop its long and graceful legs. (Also, despite what you may think, that large yellow part just in front of the arm isn’t the mega particle cannon, it’s just the side of the chest). In a nutshell, it’s a nice design, I just wish we had more art of it, so it was a little clearer how it all fits together.

Also, wasn’t really sure where to put this, but that red and yellow panelled area on the side of the head? That apparently flashes in a rainbow when it’s charging it’s mega particle cannons, which is just a neat detail.

(Feel free to throw any more art of this thing at me, I know there’s a Gundam War Card design for it I haven’t seen)

[oldfriendsseniortwittersanctuary]

I just realized this, but it is so funny that Bright does not know that Quattro is Char until episode 30-whatever, when Haman Karn drops that tidbit. Like, Kamille rolls his eyes at the reveal but Bright and Reccoa didn't know! If I were Bright I'd be a little bit pissed. Are you telling me one of the guys I trust my life to used to try and kill me and everyone I knew weekly? And you didn't care to let me know?

[ornerycrab]

If cool could be defined by audio visual signals alone its the beginning part of the second zeta gundam opening where the gundam mk II gets blasted by rockets and flies out of the smoke before the song begins

[peterrrei]

i've been listening to your charmuro playlist a lot (i follow you on twitter lol, idk if you posted it here) and i was wondering if you'd want to elaborate on any of your choices...all the sad young men is one that caught me off guard but also makes so much sense to me

hi there! sorry for the very late reply! but oh my god. thank you for sending me this ask because it gave me enough motivation to write down some notes about my playlist and order it a bit because — its a lot LOL

first of all i would like to mention that yes, it’s a charmuro playlist, but you cannot take lalah out of charmuro ♡ so i’ve added songs that somehow fit her point of view, or hint at her presence. i love lalah so much and it makes me sad when people take her out of char and amuro’s relationship or minimize the impact that she had on both of them. (but don’t ask me to define whatever those three had going on because i don’t know. it’s vague. vague is okay in my mind but i would love to make people see my vision. in a few years i will maybe find the words to describe it)

ANYWAY THE PLAYLIST! i’m sorting it in a kind of chronological way, but it gets vague and blurry sometimes because i also think it’s important for a playlist to flow well (and to have songs that i actually like listening to! and it vagueness works for gundam....)

some examples:

∙ 1979 by the smashing pumpkins this song is really great because it truly is an anthem of a new young generation, which is a focal point of gundam! the pain and angst and comfort of late teenagehood/early adulthood ♡

On a live wire right up off the street You and I should meet <-( a jolt of electricity is the kind of feeling i can imagine newtypes feel when they connect with each other) June bug skipping like a stone With the headlights pointed at the dawn We were sure we'd never see an end to it all <- buggy stuck in the mud scene my beloved ♡

∙ familiar feeling by moloko i wasn’t even looking for charmuro coded songs when i found this band! but my delusional heart can see charmuro where the normal person can’t <3 anyway this is definitely a zeta song. i have in illustration in mind for the charmuro zine i’m very slowly drawing/writing that is completely based off their reunion in zeta and this song.

Nothing can come close Nothing can come close Nothing can come close

I never doubted it What's for you will not pass you by I never questioned it It was decided before I asked why It's all there ever was And it's all there ever will be How could you have questioned us? It's yourself you deceive

Nothing can come close To this familiar feeling We say it all without Ever speaking

god this song is so so so perfect and really encapsulates the hings about gundam that i love: vagueness, intense human emotions, sharing these emotions, identity and masked identity, love. perfection

Hush now No need to say the words At first sight you perfectly heard Love in all its entirety Is no less than we deserve I saw, your face Some place I felt this feeling before Is it deja vu? Do I somehow know you? <- this this this! adrenaline still filling the air after battle, amuro sits on the mechanical hand of a Gundam. he hasn’t seen one in over eight years. he has called for him before even realizing he opened his mouth to speak. char. amuro. who are you? do i know you? what is this feeling? have i felt this before?

∙ all the sad young men by spector you said it caught you off guard but it makes sense and i agree! i had the same thought process. it’s a song ive listened to many many times but it occurred to me that it fits charmuro only recently! well-- maybe it’s more of a generic gundam feeling. i am also working on a “generic gundam feelings” playlist.. it’s still private though. it’s called anime ja nai :’)

And no, nothing ever really started with a kiss &lt;- YEAH

I don't wanna make love I don't wanna make plans I don't want anyone to wanna hold my hand <- i don’t know if this makes me think more of char or amuro. and because of that it’s perfect

It begins in the places that we leave behind Every year that goes by a little less future on our minds These girls like to pretend they can't feel anything anymore (...........gundam women..........) Boys break like promises, but only behind closed doors (gundam men.......................)

∙ raise me up by hercules and love affair including an explanation of why i think this song is charmuro is difficult. it just is to me. just like truefalse/fakereal by the same band

My secret love Keeps me awake at night My secret love of the man My secret fight They put you down They pushed your face down They fucked you aver and around You kissed the ground You're the one I waited for your return I slept with rocks I slept with stones Stone was my home Energy Life danced right out of me When my father busted you free He also killed me <- kinda makes me think of zeon daikun dooming amuro ray to have an intense yaoi thing with his son. lol Oh raise me up To dance upon your head Oh raise me up To dance in the holes of your head <- !! Oh raise me up To dance in the cavities of Your eyes <- and this!!!!! i need more of this!!!!!!

∙ a beginner’s guide to destroying the moon by foster the people this song was suggested to me by my discover weekly and the lyrics instantly made me think of char and amuro. cca feelings

I can't blame you I can't save you But I will try for you and I For you and I, I won't find out All the dirty little things that you've done But I will try For you and I, I will breathe in All the truth I can stomach If it keeps you alive <-amuro (I would break you Before I let you fall into the blind For you and I) <- char We've changed the dreamers and the Preachers and the wise men on the hill To concrete stepping smilers terrified to lose their power and control We've been crying for a leader to speak like the old prophets The blood of the forgotten wasn't Spilled without a purpose, or was it? And now, I'm staring at the moon Wondering why the bottom fell out

and again:

To smash the wall of apathy Stop your self-importance And lift the weight off somebody else Yeah, you'll never be whole Yeah, you'll never be whole Until you lose control <- this is directed at both of them

∙ i might be wrong by radiohead major cca charmulalah feelings here...

I might be wrong I could have sworn I saw a light coming on I used to think There was no future left at all I used to think <- char (Open up, begin again Let's go down the waterfall Think about the good times and never look back Never look back) <- lalah What would I do? <- char What would I do? <- amuro If I did not have you? <- ooooooh yes! your lives were irreparably changed the day char stepped on side 7 in 0079 ∙ bleed by george clanton charmuro in its messiness, ugliness and intensity. i absolutely love the progression in the song. starting slow until it builds up to the explosion of kaleidoscopic sounds (that is not a proper way to describe a sound right? but i wouldn’t describe it any other way <3)

Someone else can make you happy Someone else can show you a good time A good time Someone else can say "I'm Sorry" Someone else can fight and tell you lies But not like I do Not like me Someone else can bite until you bleed Make you bleed Not like I do Not like me

∙ the man who sold the world (sung by midge ure. i just like that version better, sounds so ethereal. plus im a metal gear fan lmao) this song really evokes the change between masks char went through. amuro — there to see them all

Although I wasn't there He said I was his friend Which came as a surprise I spoke into his eyes I thought you died alone A long long time ago

Oh no, not me We never lost control You're face to face With the man who sold the world

(I gazed a gazely stare We walked a million hills I must have died alone A long, long time ago)

∙ day by bill callahan this is maybe one of the cheesiest songs in the playlist but i just love it so much. and. i mean. what is gundam without cheesiness? to me this songs feels a lot like a conversation between cca char and amuro. the kind of disdain towards the humanity that has reduced earth to such a wasteland planet vs the hope that humanity is indeed good and we must strive toward the light, even though it is so hard

Some people are a sickness on this land They're killing, they're taking They're stealing whatever they can Anything, anything, anything That is not bolted down Your life, your money, your heart, your faith, your bike

and then again:

Some would ask What are we to do With a world that crumbles to the touch? A world that spins and dies where it stands Like trying ain't enough?

but listen to me:

To family is all you can do And strive toward the light It's as dark as night Strive toward the light I know it's as dark as night I know it's as dark as night

It is day though

∙ la vita fa schifo by le feste antonacci umm haha italian moment. this playlist should have more italian moments and i am working on that. anyway the lyrics to this song is just life sucks life sucks life sucks life suckssss in various dramatic intonations. life did kinda suck for char and amuro right? lmao. i am the kinda person that says oh well la vita fa schifo over the smallest problems. i just thought it would be funny to think about char and amuro dying and both being like. well. la vita fa schifo. what the fuck was everyone’s problem.

∙ l’amour toujours by gigi d’agostino NOW HEAR ME OUT. this started as a meme between me and my partner. of putting this song over the credits of very dramatic movies. it’s because it was the credit song of uncut gems, it really stunned us the first time we finished that movie bc we joke about that song so much, it’s basically italy’s national anthem. so we joked about char’s counterattack ending and instead of beyond the time, l’amour toujours starts playing. po poporopo poporopo po poro po po poroporopo. but then also— you know what? the lyrics fits charmuro too. LMAO (delusional) I still believe in your eyes I just don't care what you have done in your life Baby, I'll always be here by your side Don't leave me waiting too long, Please come byI still believe in your eyes There is no choice, I belong to your life Because I will live to love you someday You'll be my baby and we'll fly away And I'll fly with you, I'll fly with you, I'll fly with you

basically the credits song of my playlist :')

um okay haha! i think i will stop for now bc this is a lot... thank you again for this ask!

[the-stray-liger]

I'm legit afraid for Guel's life right now. I wouldn't put it past the writers to kill him off next episode so no survivors can leak the fact that Delling apparently has mercs with Gundams on his payroll now.

If they decide to kill Guel after introducing him as one of Suletta's antagonists, right in the middle of him going through interesting character developement in whcih he's learning to live without the pride that defined him until the moment everything was taken away from him I'll actually fucking kill msyelf. I'm putting my life on the line for Bob

What I'm hoping for is that they don't recognize him as Guel because he decided to call himself Bob and let him go as a simple worker and he somehow finds his way back to Asticassia to warn someone

I am super curious about Delling's gundam mercenaries tho?? I love this series because when we think we know everyone and everything that's going on it throws another bone to flavor the soup. It somehow reminds me a little bit about Zeta and ZZ because of it, the fun never stops AND it's significantly less misogynistic (for now)!

[bairusong23conceptart]

Academic Blog #5

Design Sketch of AMX-004 Qubeley

This is another of my favorite designs in Gundam Series. It used to be the reason why I was addicted using Pink for some color schemes.

The AMX-004 Qubeley, with its design by Mamoru Nagano, excels in both conceptual and hard-surface design aspects. In concept, the Qubeley's organic, rounded form is a departure from the traditional mech design, offering a fresh perspective in the Gundam universe. This design choice not only sets it apart visually but also conceptually symbolizes the advanced technology and elite status of its pilot. Compared to the design of Hildolfr which is mentioned before, and as a perfect representative example of pragmatism in hard-surface designs, this of my favorite designs has been to another whole new extreme of a style.

In terms of hard-surface design, the Qubeley's sleek, curved surfaces challenge the norm of rigid, angular mech structures. These smooth surfaces are not just aesthetically pleasing but also imply a level of technological sophistication. The large shoulder binders, a defining feature, cleverly serve dual purposes: as a striking visual element and functional storage for the Qubeley's weaponry. Even though it originates from a war-themed science fiction work, the design of the Qubeley significantly downplays the presence of weaponry, making it hard to notice its armaments from the design alone. Considering that this design is associated with a noble female leader character in the series, such a choice becomes more reasonable and accentuates its characteristics. And butterflies could be the biggest inspiration of the design, which is totally an unaggressive gentle theme to be picked for a war machine.

Moreover, the color scheme of the Qubeley, primarily white and pink, defies the conventional military palette, reinforcing its uniqueness and the high status of its character in the series.

Qubeley stands out for its innovative approach to mech design, seamlessly blending artistic flair with functional hard-surface elements, making it a noteworthy and memorable design in the realm of Mobile Suits.

References

Mobile Suit Zeta Gundam (1985) Directed by Y. Tomino. [TV Series]. Bandai Namco Filmworks Inc.

Mobile Suit Gundam ZZ (1986) Directed by Y. Tomino. [TV Series]. Bandai Namco Filmworks Inc.

[gatormeister]

First time watching Gundam Wing thread

Two episodes down before heading to bed and… Well I’ll be honest I have no idea what to think. I’m watching the dub even though it’s not considered to have aged well just for convenience, and it is very strange. Everyone seems to talk in a whisper. I switched to the sub for a scene in episode two just to see how it faired, and it seemed about on par with ZZ and Turn A in quality, which were pretty good.

But the voices are the least of my concerns, the dialogue feels so bizarre. I don’t even mean like the random “I’ll kill you,” Heero gives Relena in episode one after she tries to invite him to her party. I mean the way people seem to talk as though they aren’t an active member of the scene, especially Relena. Two people will be speaking, but they’ll each go on as though all they need to do is say their inner monologue out loud while doing things, and that counts as having a conversation.

Beyond that oddity, the only initial hook for the viewer seems to be, “The Earth Alliance is bad, Gundams are on Earth now, what are the pilots’ missions,” and, “Man that Heero pilot guy sure does seem to like killing people, making threats against strangers, and just being generally rude to everyone he meets in the most dramatic fashion. Isn’t that great?” And aside from those two things, I really have no idea what’s going on. Zechs and the Oz group are trying to take over the alliance or something like that, so that’s three, but it hasn’t been shown in much detail at all yet.

Overall, not the strongest start. I’d actually say Double Zeta had a stronger opening hook in its episodes than Wing. Double Zeta had some severe tonal whiplash coming out of Zeta, but it was still very expressive and engaging thanks to Neo Zeon having already been established as a threat in the previous series, and Judau having a very strong personality from the get go. I imagine Heero will become more defined whenever he becomes a proper POV character rather than viewing him through Zechs and Relena’s eyes, but I’ll have to wait and see.

If you were to ask me how I’d rank this compared to the opening episodes/scenes from the Gundam shows and movies I’ve already seen, I’d have to put these first two episodes at the bottom of the list. Which is a damn shame, because I love the look of the mobile suits, and was really excited to finally get to watching it. That said I have hope it will pick up for me as it goes on. Nothing ever becomes well liked for no reason. Divisive as the show seems to be online, I know that Gundam Wing still has a lot of fans who love it. So here’s hoping I can get a bit of that enjoyment too.

[wordsandrobots]

It does a much better job of sustaining momentum than Zeta does.

Zeta has a good start and final episode, with some decent set-pieces and emotional moments in between. But I don't think it manages to string them together especially competently. The plot threads founder and flap, not so much coming together as being abruptly dropped and then picked up again, episodes later.

ZZ manages to avoid that, in large part, simply by having a wider stable of characters. This is one of the places where the exaggerated, more comedic bent really helps: nobody is being aloof and mysterious or working slowly through half-stated feelings. We learn very quickly who everybody is, so they can swap in and out of focus relatively easily.

But more importantly, because there *are* more characters, each with solidly defined traits, there can be more arcs and hooks to keep things moving from one section to the next. Mashymre's nonsense feeds into Chara's, which feeds into Gottin becoming the main villain for a while, and meanwhile Glemy's progression is off to the side, in conversation with Haman's manoeuvring, setting up Elpeo Ple's development and continuing Leina's predicament, ensuring Judau's reason for fighting doesn't drop out of sight, which itself feeds into Bright fraying at the edges and drags the rest of the gang along with them, prompting more Beecha/Mondo hi-jinks, Roux's simmering irritation, Qum and Shinta actually getting stuff to do etc, etc.

Oddly, I don't think the original Gundam anime is bad at this either. ZZ is much better and I think that speaks to increasing skill on the part of the writing and direction, but also probably to coming from a slightly better place than Zeta. Certainly, ZZ is having much more fun as a show -- not just the (variable) comedy but artistically and set-piece wise. We're back in the realm of a bunch of random Zeon soldiers sticking bombs to the Gundam as the set-up for an episode. That helps sustain continuous interest in ways I don't think its predecessor managed.

I'm about halfway through ZZ. Would y'all kill me if I said that I think it's a better show than Zeta?

[slowlysointernet]

One of the complaints i see people have of Zeta Define is that it's different and changes things from the Zeta tv show and to be honest i don't understand this complaint?

Why would Kitazume, who worked on the Zeta show, do Zeta all over again in manga form? What would be the point if copying and pasting the same scenes and the same dialogues and the same dynamics in manga form? Are you naysayer's stupid or what?

The who point is of Zeta Define is that it's mainly from the viewpoint of Quattro and for Kitazume to do something different and new. For example Kamille knowing that Quattro is Char and that Char is really Casval and that he was taking revenge on the Zabi's doesn't make sense if you think about it. No one should know that Char wanted to take revenge on the Zabi's and it makes his speech in Dakar anticlimactic. Kitazume knows this, so he rectifies that error in the manga which is why it worked for me.

If people dont like Zeta Define for say the art or the focus on Quattro or whatever that's fine but bashing it for not being like the Zeta tv show is stupid.

Anyway the link down below is an interesting Q&A between Kitazume and Ikeda about the intention behind Zeta Define.

[gundamfight]

[brainmachinebroke]

Federation vs. Zeon! The game that defined my childhood, and one of the first video games I ever played.

I prefer its sequel tho, gundam vs. zeta gundam... More suits to fight >:)

anyone else have the Gundam vs Zeon PS2 game?

this shit was cool AF in 2002. especially since Toonami only played the original Gundam series once.

[jakka-ningen]

This is my second post in the "jakka-ningen reads Zeta Define" series, covering volume 2. I have a lot more to say this volume, as there are lots of divergences from the anime from this point out.

Right from the beginning of volume 2, we have Char showing off in the Gundam Mk-II. Bright is impressed with his ability to adapt to a new suit right away, to which one of the bridge crew responds...

Guy: He's just the showy sort, that Red-- (realizes what he's saying, to whom) re, re...

Bright: ...?

"Quattro" is a master of disguise, truly.

While convincing Bright to captain the Argama, he just takes more and more stabs at trying to figure out the secrets of Quattro Bajeena, and the crew is like, "iono, it's a mystery."

Fa's parents apparently work for the colony construction company. This is a little interesting, because that was the cover Amuro's dad was using while working on the Gundam.

Henken: Hey, Bright is real curious about you.

Char: Yeah, he knows me. I'll figure out something or other to do about it.

Henken: See that you do. I'll leave it to you, then!

...Does literally everyone know? I figured everyone kind of knew, and were just humoring Char, but it seems that Char himself is aware that everyone knows. I thought Char believed that he was being Very Sneaky. The idea that everyone knows behind his back is immensely funnier. But, oh well.

Char: [...], Kamille-kun.

Kamille: Why not just call me by my full name? You've already researched me and found out who my parents are, I'm sure.

Roberto: As expected from a Newtype, what good intuition!

Kamille: Don't call me that, either!

We get some cuteness from angry Kamille here after all. I was wondering if his personality would be completely docile now. I'm pleased. You still have to punch Char in the face later, so keep up being angry, kid!

After telling Fa that he can't find out about her parents’ whereabouts or well-being because the security of their workplace is too tough to crack, Char asks Kamille if he wants to know about his parents.

"I'm fine without knowing. Parents like those can end up however they end up..." Kamille's discomfort with his parents survived, anyhow.

Awkward flirting is awkward here with Reccoa and "Quattro."

Char: Kamille seems like the type to get nervous easily. Could you keep an eye on him?

Reccoa: Sure. But, you know, it's been half a year since we met. You should keep an eye on me, too, Taii.

Char: *flicks her forehead*

Reccoa: Geez!

You might just want to give up on him right now, Reccoa, lol.

This Reccoa is such a good big sister to Kamille. I can't imagine this Reccoa going off with Scirocco later. This Reccoa seems cool. I'm gonna feel doubly betrayed when she switches sides.

Char, alone, thinking: I took down six battleships at Loum, but couldn't sink the White Base. Its crew were also said to just be a bunch of conscripts. ... It's only natural that Bright Noa is suspicious of the Red Comet.

What I really want, and what no adaptation will give me, is Char actually considering the fact that he was fighting children the whole time lol. This is as close as we've gotten to that.

Me, browsing Twitter all month last month: Why are so many people shipping Char and Bright?? What in the text even supports that??

Zeta Define: Yo.

After all, they get riveting dialogue, like...

Char: Yes, Bright. I am a CHAR.

Bright: Wat.

(That's not how it went. lol)

Char: Did my sister tell you anything?

Bright: She said you're a demon child (literal).

(Context: it's a phrase that means "a child not resembling their parents")

I forget how that line was officially translated. I think they went with "disgrace."

Char: (in uncharacteristically fancy Japanese, probably because he's literally thinking about when he was a political bouya) She may be my own sister, but that's difficult to hear. (Back to normal Japanese) But it's true that the person I was back then was someone she could think about that way.

Without being able to ignore the question of whether Degwin Zabi had assassinated our father before, under the pretense of acting accordance with my father's ideals, establishing a dictatorship, there was no way I could have forgiven the Zabi family.

However, when I encountered the White Base and Gundam, I was forced to change my plans.

After the war, thanks to remaining away from the Earth Sphere for a bit, I was able to clear my head and reassess myself. I realized how petty I had been up to that point.

Bright: So what is it you're trying to do now?

Char: The Zabi family, which, rather than being destroyed, is being bound by an armistice agreement, and the Earth Federation, who were forced into war by the Zabi family... Between that Federation and all Spacenoids, a feeling of distrust has been born.

The actual situation and the goals of the AEUG are exactly as you discussed with [Blex]. (In other words, he's assuring Bright that the AEUG isn't a cover operation for his personal agenda.)

I want to act on behalf of the Spacenoids, who have come to be despised, not in order to gain power or set up a dictatorship, but in service of my father's ideals, realizing political autonomy for all Spacenoids.

Bright: Are those your true feelings on the matter?

Char: If they weren't, I wouldn't be talking to you like this. *DRAMATICALLY REMOVES SUNGLASSES* (lol)

As the rival who formerly caused the White Base so much distress, I believe I understand your competence better than anyone else. Right now I'm not fighting for my personal grudges, but for all Spacenoids. It's my hope that we can both throw away our differences in the past and fully cooperate.

Bright: I'll believe in you, based on those words.

Char: *surprised Pikachu face*

Char: If you agree that easily, I'm the one who will have a hard time believing you.

At this point, Bright is like, "It's not like we didn't have our own circumstances behind the scenes of the OYW. ... Hearing you talk like this reminds me of how hard-headed I was back then."

Somewhere, Amuro gets a sudden chill down his spine.

"Char probably rethought his whole life while at Axis" is one of the conclusions I had come to, but which wasn't spelled out anywhere. The manga seems to agree with me.

Meanwhile, at the docking bay, Astionage calls out Kamille as having stolen his dad's files on the Gundam for his own reading pleasure (explaining how he was able to pilot it), and he denies it, flustered.

Kamille, why are you denying it? You didn't want them calling you "Newtype" in the last chapter. Just tell them you had prior knowledge; they don't care if you stole from your dad, lol.

AAAAAH! So cute!! They're taking about specs and how they feel about the handling of the various suits, and we get this scene:

Char: <something or other about the Mk-II>

Kamille: In that way, as well, you're saying the Rick Dias is the better machine?

Char: You're actually pretty proud of the Mk-II, aren't you? You said that you hate your parents, but really, you respect them in your own way.

Kamille: (uncomfortable) That's not really what I meant...

Char: It's not a bad thing, to be proud of your parents. You should be more honest about your feelings.

Kamille: 😕

Honestly, there's a lot more "time" felt between Kamille coming aboard the Argama and when his parents are held captive. He's already being treated as a member of the crew. He's accepted that position emotionally, as well. The adults treat him as a peer. It's a very different vibe from the anime.

Char: <discussing tactics> ...But I only ever faced one pilot who could pull that off.

Kamille: Did you defeat him?

Char: If I had been shot down by him wouldn't be alive. However, I wasn't able to win against him.

[...]

Kamille: I don't even believe there *was* such a pilot.

Char: There are many unimaginable things in this world that actually exist.

(lol)

[...]

Char: Do you think you can utilize 100% of the Mk-II's capabilities?

Kamille: Quattro-taii, I'm not... I'm not even a pilot, so...

Char: Oh... That's right...

(He forgot.)

Although I said that it felt like more time had passed aboard the Argama, it feels just as fast as it did in the anime on the Titans' side. Kamille's parents are called in by Bask. He tells them that Kamille is the AEUG's hostage, which, regardless of the actual facts, considering he's a minor, is kind of true. It's not not true.

Freaking, his mom is like, "sorry our son caused all that trouble the other day." His dad seems concerned about getting in trouble, himself. What are your priorities here?? Are you just going to defer to Bask because he's your superior without considering what's going on with your kid?? Franklin and Hilda Bidan might not be able to do a lot directly to help their son, but I feel like they should be doing something. Aaaaaaah

Aaaaah, I hate it. I hate it here. I agree with Kamille. About them in general. 🙃

Bask is being pretty clever here. He's telling Kamille's parents that Bright, who had been working with the AEUG all along in secret, stole their son as a hostage. The AEUG's goal in this scenario would be to try and get the Bidans, who designed the Mk-II, to supply them with information on how to develop and manufacture more Mk-II units.

After this discussion with the Bidans, Bask calls up Jamitov, and they discuss how they had lured the AEUG over by leaking information on the Mk-II tests. They intended to sortie against them and then follow them back to their warship. However, they seem to have underestimated the ability of Reccoa & co's sabotage, as well as the pilots' skill.

Still, the fact that they got the AEUG to show up and instigate a fight inside a "civilian" colony is enough to use as propaganda against the AEUG as terrorists. (Remember that Green Oasis is still crawling with civilians, which is why the citizens hated the Titans to begin with, for overrunning a civilian colony with dangerous test sites.)

(Around that time, on Earth, at an airport)

Mirai, to her children: Here you go! These are your tickets!

Hathaway: Mom, our names are wrong on these.

Mirai: Quiet down now. It's fine.

Hathaway: We can't go back to our old house anymore?

Mirai: That's right... I had a really bad feeling about it, so...

MIRAI YASHIMA: STEALTH NEWTYPE

Mirai gets the actually useful powers. Amuro gets OP beastmode, but only when he's paying attention to what's around him, Char gets tactical genius and the ability to sense hostility, Sayla gets a headache whenever her brother is nearby, and Mirai can sense her husband in space and tell when danger is on the horizon.

I know which one I'd choose, as a non-combatant, lol.

We're back on the Argama, and I think Kitazume must have really liked when both Amuro and Kamille had those moments of yelling at people to use their own words instead of someone else's, lol.

"Quattro" is like, "Reccoa, thanks for looking after Kamille, he's calmed down a lot! Could you also convince him of something for me?"

So, Reccoa goes to see Kamille, who's trying to do something requiring security clearance he doesn't have, and is like, "well, if your status aboard the Argama was a little higher, you'd have access to that." Kamille asks what she means, and she says that he could, for instance, become a pilot for them.

Kamille: That's crazy!

Reccoa: You can keep a secret, right?

Kamille: Y-- yeah...

Reccoa: Quattro-taii said that, "Kamille has such a good intuition for piloting mobile suits that he could even become a pilot who surpasses Amuro Ray."

Kamille: He must've been joking. He didn't say anything like that to me directly.

Reccoa: He seems not to have told you because you need to grow a bit first. I'm also hopeful that I can see your actual performance with my own eyes.

Kamille: 😳

Reccoa: You seem to have piloted the Mk-II on Green Noa 1 to protect Bright-taisa, but were you really satisfied (just piloting to that extent)?

Kamille: Huh?

Reccoa: Even while we're sitting here, there are people out there being targeted by the Titans. Just because those people aren't in front of you right now, can you say that you don't feel anything for them?

Kamille: Well, I've never even tried thinking about it from that angle...

Reccoa: Kamille! You have the strength to protect others the way you protected Bright-taisa! I wouldn't say this to someone who doesn't have that sort of ability.

This is so manipulative. Kamille is going to be so pissed at both Reccoa and "Quattro" if he finds out about it.

This is an interesting potential method for the manga to rile up the protagonist, who started off a lot more docile in the beginning. I also think it's a different take on Char, who, for all of his manipulativeness in First, felt like a straightforward guy in the Zeta anime.

It's funny that he's going this far to convince a teenager, but Kamille is a strong Newtype, so... Anyway, a bunch of adults manipulating a kid like this is a very direct way to criticize our "good guys."

We're back with the Titans, and... I really don't care about them. I'm sorry. Jerid gets told off by Raira Raira. It goes about the same way it did in the anime, as far as I can tell while skimming.

As an aside, I fully realize that Raira’s name has a different, standard romanization. I just don't care. Tomino named a character "Raira Raira," and I will never recover. All I can think of is this song, every time: YOUTUBE LINK, BECAUSE THE RIGHTSHOLDERS HAVE DECIDED NOT TO LET ME EMBED THE VIDEO LIKE A REASONABLE PERSON. ANYWAY, THE BLUE HEARTS ARE GREAT AND YOU SHOULD LISTEN TO THEM.

Reccoa and Char discuss their mental manipulation of a 17 year old kid.

Reccoa: I don't mind going on dangerous infiltration missions, but I don't like the idea of swaying the heart of an innocent boy, dragging him into a war.

Char: We can't let Titans do whatever they want to the Earth. You should be aware that we can't afford to lose. Don't cling to to your personal feelings on the matter, Reccoa.

Reccoa: Yes sir...

Well, Reccoa feels bad about it. Char is a pragmatist. But, based on an earlier discussion between them, it's obvious Reccoa is doing this for him, not for the AEUG.

There's an incoming fleet of enemy MS immediately after this scene. Char stops Blex in the middle of giving sortie orders, and Blex is like, "sure, you're good at war; let's hear your opinion," to which Char is like, "let's send the kid (who still hasn't agreed to be a pilot) out to fight them." Everyone else is like, "what the hell, man, that's one hell of an interview process," to which Char responds, "It's to see if he really is a Newtype."

Char. WTH. If he's not...?

I know you know he is, but. Seriously.

Bright: I agree with Quattro.

DO YOU NOW!?

Bright: I sense something in Kamille that points to Amuro Ray.

...Bright... Your judgment is both good and terrible...

While the adults are fighting, Kamille barges in and tells them to stop arguing.

Kamille: I've never thought that I might be a Newtype. But I can't forgive the Titans. I'm not saying I'm capable of piloting it well, but please lend me the Mk-II!

Compared to Amuro, whose line was something like, "I'm not saying I'm capable of it, but I'll do it," while spitefully looking at 19 year-old Bright, Kamille is very shounen protagonist here. I think the parallel in lines is intentional.

Still, I prefer "repeatedly steals the Gundam; insists he isn't interested in the politics of war; just kind of fell into his position as pilot" Kamille. As a former terrible kid, I love terrible kids, lol.

Either way, my opinion isn’t important. What’s important is that older brother Char looks proud. (lol)

There's a minor kerfuffle where the bridge crew is like, "this kid won't fit into an adult size normal suit. We can't, in good faith, send him out without one." (I imagine Char is wondering, "why not; I did that all the time when I was only a little older...")

It turns out, Reccoa has a suit that "a certain person" ordered for her, but she was mistakenly sent a men's suit, made for her height, instead of a woman's one.

Kamille is momentarily... jealous? of whoever "a certain person" is, but Reccoa bulldozes past that point and warns him that the enemy won't go easy on him because he's a kid. Kamille is like, "I'm no longer a child!" (I suppose we all feel that way at 17...)

Reccoa tells him to come back safely with her suit, which is cute. She may be trying to charm a kid using femininity, but I can't actually hate her.

We go over to the Titans again, and I'm gonna go off-topic for a hot moment here and talk about the Zeta anime, because this dialogue between Jerid and Raira Raira has reminded me of something.

Raira is set up as a member of the regular EFSF (as opposed to Titans), and, at least in the TV version, as she died, she talked about the difference between Oldtypes and Newtypes. She described the antipathy felt by Oldtypes towards Newtypes as being a subconscious and automatic response to realizing that your way of thinking is outdated.

This is interesting specifically because she was in a position where she was mentoring Jerid the whole time. "There's a difference between compensating and coping." She was someone who was portrayed as flexible in her thinking, which a trait Tomino generally reserved for Spacenoids, meanwhile having most Earthnoids be more rigid and likely to play things safe.

So for her to think this, to my mind, sets apart Newtypes on another level even from Spacenoids in general, in terms of their way of thinking (not just their space psychic powers). And (if I'm allowed to think metatextually about Tomino's goals as a writer) also might be a warning to progressively-minded adults that the future really does belong to the next generation.

...I really can't tell if I'm analyzing Gundam from a neutral(ish) perspective or just making things up that agree with my own sensibilities sometimes. It may just be that Tomino is good at writing lines that get people thinking, but don't commit to actually explaining anything.

...But anyway, that long aside is over. Let's get back to summarizing this manga! (lol)

Things are looking bad for the Mont Blanc, which, if you recall, gets blown up during a fight much later in the plot of the anime. The captain erases the main databanks in the ship's computers so the enemy won't get specs on their suits if they're captured. He has the crew evacuate and starts a countdown to self-destruct the ship. As he’s doing this, Raira manages to infiltrate the bridge and holds them at gunpoint.

The Mont Blanc captain gets in a good line against Raira here: "Without even knowing the true nature of the Titans, dogs like you who wag their tails obediently could never understand (the value of the AEUG)!"

As an adult, hearing that kind of thing makes me think they have both swallowed propoganda, however. Maybe I'm too jaded for shounen stories, in general, actually, lol.

Kamille shows up with his own gun and holds up Raira. For her part, Raira is surprised the AEUG would go so far as to employ children. As she throws away her gun, Kamille is distracted by the fact that her normal suit is from the EFSF and not Titans, and she takes advantage of his momentary confusion to kick the gun out of his hands.

While Kamille is sent floating around by his inertia in zero-gravity, Raira retreats, saying, "Kid! Next time we meet, you'd better shoot me quickly without hesitating!"

Kamille thinks, "She could have shot me then. What's she doing letting me go!?"

Meanwhile, Raira's inner dialogue: "Shooting a kid would leave a bad taste in my mouth."

Anyway, the crew of the Mont Blanc continues evacuating. Char grabs Kamille and they're probably headed back into MS fights.

After regrouping, Raira and Jerid have a chat, where instead of Jerid being like, "I must kill that teenager and avenge my pride," we get "I must recapture the Mk-II and avenge my pride," which is slightly less unsavory, lol.

As they get back to the battle, Char's like, "Kamille, you deliberately disobeyed me," and Kamille is like, "I have no memory of joining the military. Or are you going to hold a civilian to military standards?"

You should really have a long chat with Amuro when we get to that part of the plot, Kamille, lol.

I like that anime Kamille was like, "I don't care about this war, Titans, the AEUG, or any of that! Char Aznable can suck it; our situations with our parents are totally different; I just wanted a normal, loving family!" And he was sort of half-willingly made a pilot because what else is he good at and where else is he gonna go? And then got slapped around for not following military protocol.

Meanwhile, manga Kamille is smiling, being like, "golly gee willikers, you're not going to hold me to military regulations, are you, Lt. Quattro?" (lol)

We move over to the Titans' side, where Raira Raira is taking a shower, with that little face syphon thing protecting her from inhaling water. I'm guessing it also supplies oxygen when the water is sucked out of the shower.

As the fanservice continues, we get her inner monologue on the unfair tactics used by the Titans. She specifically notes that war necessitates a divorce from morals to some extent, and that soldiers just do what the "erai-san-tachi" tell them to do. (That's like, "bigwigs," but the phrasing here in Japanese is odd. It makes it obvious that she doesn't respect them, or that she thinks they're full of themselves.)

Apparently Raira joined the EFSF specifically because she couldn't forgive Zeon for the OYW. We don't get to see Earthnoids who are upset about that very often in the anime, which I feel is a bit of an oversight. After all, from the average Earthling's perspective, there was vague unrest in space, then suddenly colonies started falling out of the sky. I'd be pretty upset, too.

Jerid comes in, and he and Raira have the same discussion they did in the anime, where Jerid asks for mentoring and says he wants to be in charge of Titans one day. The only difference here seems to be that Raira trusts him not to turn around enough to take off her robe and go about getting dressed with him in the room. That, and she also brings up the fact that they've most likely been fighting the toughest members of the AEUG. ("That red MS is definitely their ace.") Jerid has done well just to stay alive, by that reasoning.

Blex, Bright, Char, and the Mont Blanc's captain (whose name I have forgotten, lol) sit around discussing whether Kamille is a Newtype. Despite the kid not actually engaging in combat, the Mont Blanc captain thinks he qualifies because he knew to go rescue the MB's crew from Raira.

Honestly, this makes me think that any number of coincidences could stand as proof of psychic space powers to these people.

While they move on to discussing tactics, Kamille is in his room considering his own mortality and whether or not he could shoot another living person. Fa walks in, and apparently she's decided to take the Fraw Bow approach to wartime fashion by grabbing an oversized uniform and turning it into a dress.

Fa: Why didn't you tell me you were going out to fight?! I was worried for you!!

Kamille: Do I have to tell you every time I do anything?

Fa: You're not even a soldier! There's no reason for you to be in a MS fight! You're going out of your way to endanger yourself...!

Kamille: Did you forget what they did to you at their headquarters?!

Fa: !!

Kamille joined the AEUG to protect Fa's honor. That's... This is a very different Kamille Bidan, lol.

Of course, he immediately says, "even if it wasn't you and Capt. Bright," but I'm not sure I believe him. If he really is that easily moved to help others, then this truly isn't even close to the same character.

Manga Kamille is very much a "hero" type. Comparatively, anime Kamille had to come around to hating the Titans enough to want to keep fighting them. He was very human, and he was very much a kid.

He learned about their punitive measures against Fa's family, he witnessed a failed colony drop, he learned about the Colony 30 incident, he saw them firsthand try to gas a colony, he saw what they did to Jaburo, to Hong Kong, to Four, to Rosammy... He went through a lot, and each incremental step convinced him a little more that he had to keep fighting. It also ate away at him, that there's not much he could do other than fight.

I love Kamille. I'm worried that the version in this manga will be less fully realized in favor of focusing on the adults.

Anyway, we move on to a scene where two said adults, Bright and Char, discuss Kamille, Newtypes, and the disappearance of Amuro Ray.

Bright: Why are you so particular about recruiting Kamille, Quattro-taii?

Char: Because I can feel the limits of my own abilities.

Bright: Limits... You mean, as a Newtype?

Char: I don't mind if you think of it in that sense. To be honest, with the way Amuro Ray was fighting at the end of the OYW, there wasn't much I could do against him. If the Titans were to have a powerful Newtype like Amuro Ray amongst them...

Bright: That's why you're trying to convince Kamille.

Char: That's right. For the AEUG, which has less overall battle strength than the Titans, to win, we need pilots with strong Newtype abilities... (Note that this might not be plural, but... I think he might already be thinking of convincing Amuro later.)

Bright: Still, the Federation military is outwardly denying the existence of Newtypes. So, hopefully your fears are unfounded.

Char: I hope so, but... I've also received intelligence that there's been ongoing research in artificially creating Newtypes (within the Federation).

Bright: I didn't know anything about that.

Char: Since they've gone to the trouble to hide the existence of the Newtype, Amuro Ray, we can't assume they're actually denying the existence of Newtypes (internally within the organization). As the former commander of the White Base, do you know anything about what happened to Amuro after that, Bright-taisa?

Bright: I wasn't made aware of anything. If only we were able to get Amuro to join the AEUG...

Char: Gaining his cooperation after he finds out I've joined is another matter entirely, though.

Bright: Is there some issue between you and Amuro (which would get in the way of that?)

Char: Well, I mean...

BRIGHT! Just because you're inexplicably cool with him, why are you assuming any other WB member would feel the same?? Especially Amuro, even if you don't consider the situation with Lalah.

Bright: Was there something between you two, other than what happened on the battleground?

So, my knowledge of kanji is quite poor, and I often have to look words up. I just. Let me stress the importance of using multiple dictionaries. Not only do you get more accurate results, you also get more hilarious results.

The word Bright uses, asking if there's "something" between Char and Amuro... Google thinks this is a good guess at what it could mean...

それは、それは、ごちそうさまでした。

(Thank you for the feast.)

...Anyway, even the English word has an innocuous meaning, so let's set that aside for now (lol).

Char: That's a personal matter.

Yes, especially depending on which reading of that word we're using here.

Bright makes a suspicious face. Char's like, "I'm saying we can't count on his involvement." Bright says that there is one thing he's aware of, and the scene cuts out to the Titans' side of the plot.

Kakricorn has Emma hold the elevator for him. They discuss an upcoming deployment, which Kakricorn is excited about. "I'll finally be able to bury that eyesore, Bright."

Emma asks him why he's acting like this, and Kakricorn replies that it's normal to be fired up during an all-out war. Emma insists that they're not past the point where the two sides could talk things out.

Kakricorn: Someone like you, recommended to this unit by the upper branches, could never understand how I feel.

Emma: What do you mean?

Kakricorn: I'm being made to take the blame for the theft of the Mk-II. There's nothing left for me after that. If I don't prove myself during this operation, I may even be demoted from Titans. That's why, no matter what I'm ordered to do, I'll prove that I can do it.

These kinds of worries didn't make sense to me as a child. "Why not get another job, then?" But in specializations like military work, or in civilian sectors where everyone knows everyone else, reputation is more important than ability.

...This is the second time I've sympathized with Kakricorn while reading this manga. Am I going to end up being a Kakricorn fan??

Franklin Bidan shows up, demanding to know why he's being forcibly taken aboard the Alexandria. He asks to speak with Bask immediately, but is told that Bask will inform him of the details later.

Overhearing this, Emma asks Kakricorn about what's going on. Kakricorn informs her about Franklin's status as an MS engineer and that he's the father of the "brat who stole the Mk-II."

A grunt reports to Bask that Kamille's dad is aboard the Alexandria and his mom is on the Sichuan. Emma, noticing that Bask is nearby, anyway, decides to ask him for a heart-to-heart.

Emma: There are those amongst the Titans who misunderstand the way we should be doing things. We've been exercising excessive authority since the other day. I thought I might ask you if you could to stop them directly (from continuing in this way).

Bask: You're the one who's got the wrong idea about the Titans, Emma-chuui. Titans is an organization where anything is permitted as long as it doesn't go against direct orders. That's why we've been given certain privileges (within the EFF).

Bask asks if this is about Kakricorn, and Emma reluctantly admits that yes, it is. Bask defends Kakricorn's actions, stating that Kakricorn saw through Bright's lack of loyalty. "If he'd just killed him, the AEUG wouldn't have gotten him!!"

Bask declares that "In order to save something much larger, sometimes smaller sacrifices are necessary," and states that they're trying to protect none other than the Earth itself. Emma is forced to agree to this, as Bask's underling. But she's definitely not happy about it.

Meanwhile, the Titans say they're protecting the Earth, the AEUG say they're protecting the Earth... One means "the government/citizens" and the other means "the planet," I suppose.

This adaptation actually hasn't gotten into the whole "the AEUG think everyone should emigrate to space" thing, though. So far we've only heard about their objectives with regards to protecting the rights of current Spacenoids.

Onboard the Bosnia, Jamaican explains their next mission, and Jerid suggests Raira be in charge of the MS squadron. When asked why he thinks so, as she's not Titans, Jerid points out that she's more qualified than him by far.

Later, one of her peers from the normal EFSF asks her how she managed to get "that greenhorn" (Jerid) under her thumb, and she responds with what I think is a double-entendre. (lol)

The volume ends with Paptimus Scirocco, of all people, looking out over the Earth Sphere.

Scirocco: It's been five years since I was in the Earth Sphere. The Earth is as breathtaking as ever, but something seems to have changed since before I departed, hasn't it?

I wrote significantly more about volume 2, but there were also significantly more changes. Having learned that Char is meant to be the protagonist, I understand why we have a much more straightforward Kamille. However, I still prefer my terrible boy from the anime, lol.

I'll get to volume 3 at some point~ I have to go buy it first, lol. I read the first two volumes in a single week, but I'm not sure I'll keep up that pace going forward.

[gundamexplored]

The Red Comet’s Rick Dias

from Zeta Gundam Define manga

by Hiroyuki Kitazume