#maruba arkay

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Maruba Arkay WILL pay!

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Human Debris Masterpost (11/?)

After somewhat longer than I’d been intending, I’m back with the next post, after which I will likely go watch another episode or two in hopes of having a follow-up soon!  In the meantime, though, I misstated last time that the Earth arc was over; turns out we have one last wind-down there before we move into the Hashmal arc...

EPISODE THIRTY-THREE — Sovereign of Mars

In the continuing saga of my being delighted by Makanai and Chad, Chad is literally the first person Makanai asks about when Kudelia, visiting him in an unreasonably gorgeous hospital room, tells him that Tekkadan will be withdrawing from Earth.  He even says that he’s heard Chad’s already out of the hospital, suggesting Kudelia is not the first person he’s asked for information about the young man—he quips that it’d be bad for his conscience if such a young man died protecting someone of his age.  We will continue to see this gratitude play out over the course of the season, both in some small nods and some very big ones indeed.  Keep an eye out!

On that note, though, we cut over to the young man himself, sitting by himself and looking over a data slate.  

Immediately, Akihiro and Lafter arrive, and Akihiro guesses in one try that Chad is looking over a list of the fallen.  As Chad blames his shortcomings for the (not inconsiderable) length of the list, Akihiro tries to tell him that it isn’t his fault, to which Chad breathes out an uneven breath and shakes his head, but doesn’t argue the point, instead commenting that this must be how Orga feels all the time.   

The sharp-eyed may notice something on the data slate that the show has avoided telling us up to this point—that Aston has taken Akihiro’s last name, Altland.  Hold that thought for just a sec.

Chad folds in on himself, saying that he hates every second of still being alive, that it would be much better to step forward and take the hit himself.  What they tell him after this—and what is there to tell him, really?—we don’t see, as Akihiro and Lafter take their leave.  

Lafter comments in this scene that she didn’t know Aston had shared Akihiro’s last name, to which Akihiro replies that a lot of the Brewers’ kids didn’t have last names when they came into Tekkadan’s care, but that “they” had taken good care of Masahiro. He doesn’t mention Derma here, but we will, much later, find out that he has the last name as well; Akihiro gave it to the last two surviving members of Masahiro’s unit.  

This is extremely touching, but also makes me wonder about our own Tekkadan trio’s last names. Were they captured at an old enough age that they remembered their surnames, or is it just a difference between CGS and the Brewers?  Perhaps the bosses still used full names at CGS for, oh, scheduling rotations or rollcalls, whereas the Brewers just threw children into combat as necessary with no more attention paid to it than that?  Or perhaps Maruba Arkay was more careful with his record-keeping than Brooke Kabayan?  

In any case, Akihiro says that he wishes he’d talked to Aston more when he had the chance; that it’s too late after someone’s died.  Remember this line for later, because it’ll come up again, and it’ll be a heartbreaker.  

After some politicking elsewhere, we return to Takaki and Fuuka’s apartment, where Fuuka is staring sadly at the photo of the two of them with Aston.  She asks if he remembers when they took it.

It was, we find, the day they’d randomly decided on for Aston’s birthday.  Fuuka made “a great feast”—for context, I invite you to look at the cake and two modest side dishes on display in the photo—and Aston talked more than usual.  I like to think they had to rope a neighbor into taking this picture, explaining Aston’s deeply discomfited expression and unwillingness to look at the camera.  

Otherwise, this scene largely exists to shed some more light on Takaki’s conflict about what to do next with his life, so we’ll move on.  

We find Chad and Akihiro in a group chat about Tekkadan’s next move, as Orga relays the terms of the deal McGillis is offering them—that whole “King of Mars” business that will prove to be so very costly for everyone involved.  As Eugene asks what that’s even supposed to mean, Chad fills in that king ‘means someone important, right,’ illustrating very succinctly for us how woefully little these young man know about history.  A shame, really, as some time spent with a history book might have provided enough examples of downfalls-brought-on-by-hubris that some of what’s to follow could have been avoided.

Like Mikazuki and Eugene, Chad and Akihiro are both cool to go with whatever Orga decides.  Chad, at this point, is likely just so ready to be out of a leadership position, and Akihiro has never really second-guessed Orga ever since watching him get the Third Division out of that elephant vs. ant situation with Gjallarhorn back in the CGS days.  No surprises here.  

Takaki, on the other hand, is getting out while he can.  He cites Fuuka’s happiness, and the happiness they have now, as things they’d be throwing away chasing an even bigger reward; he knows more people will die in pursuit of that golden ending, and he just can’t take risks like that, that gamble with his kid sister’s happiness.  Akihiro, who, you’ll recall, has talked with Takaki before about younger siblings and how important they are, looks like he knows exactly how Takaki’s feeling here.  He probably would have even if Takaki hadn’t spelled everything out, of course, but Takaki’s honest and earnest that way.  

Chad, curiously, seems more reluctant to let Takaki go, protesting when Orga accepts Takaki’s resignation.  I can’t imagine he begrudges Takaki his decision, but I wonder if he worries?  We were told, way back when, that people like the orphans of Tekkadan can’t get good, safe, reliable jobs, which is the whole reason they work as child soldiers to begin with.  Perhaps he’s concerned that, in choosing the happiness Takaki has now, Takaki is losing the very means he has to maintain that happiness?

As if to confirm this, we find them afterwards walking down the hallway, with Chad reassuring Takaki that Orga will try to find Takaki a good job on Earth.  (And man, I don’t know if it’s Orga or Kudelia or what, but given that we find Takaki later working for Makanai, someone sure came through on this.)  

Takaki apologizes about leaving, but Chad tells him not to, that the Earth Branch was saved thanks to him (a very generous assessment) and that they’ll always be family, even apart. This is a very sweet thing to say, but a dangerous one as well, if you look at this series through the lens of the many, many yakuza/mafia story tropes it’s been playing with since Day One. Mikazuki, perhaps a bit more aware of this, coldly rejects this, and tells them that Takaki’s only family is Fuuka now, so he doesn’t have to worry about Tekkadan anymore.  

Akihiro tells them not to mind Mika’s brusqueness, that he’s doing it to be kind, and reiterates the message—that Takaki shouldn’t worry about Tekkadan’s fate from here on out, and should instead concentrate on living his life with his sister.  He also thanks him for being friends with Aston, because Akihiro is resolved to remind us at every turn that his life is an unending parade of tragic loss, which has in turn made him extraordinarily sensitive to the value of camaraderie.  

After ducking back in on Makanai and Kudelia, we have one last scene that is just determined to completely break my heart: Akihiro and Chad surveying the paltry few crates containing the personal effects of the dead Earth Branch members, and talking about places to belong.

Specifically, Chad says that Earth was like a second home for them.  A strange thing, he thinks, since when he was Human Debris, he didn’t think there was a place for him anywhere—much less two places.  

Indeed, if you consider a stray comment from one of the Earth Branch kids some time ago, that people in Edmonton were happy to see them, it’s very possible that Arbrau might have been a more welcoming home than Chryse.  I remember reading a staff interview once, about how the person in question thought of Tekkadan as people who spent their lives at work.  You can see the truth of that observation in this: while it may or may not be the case that some members of Tekkadan have apartments or houses to go back to, the only ones who we ever explicitly see go home are Biscuit and Takaki—the only two members who are willing to leave Tekkadan to protect the happiness they already have.

Even if it was just for a short while, I’m so glad the Earth Branch kids, and Chad in particular, had a shot at knowing there was someplace else that would welcome them home.

As if to accentuate that his time in the spotlight is done, Chad gets the preview text this episode. He notes that to protect the place he belongs, he’ll have to start training again when he gets back to Mars, and calls to Akihiro let him do sit-ups with him.  (Truly, Akihiro’s exercise regimen is a black hole from which no character even tangentially related to him can escape.)

EPISODE THIRTY-FOUR — Vidar Rising

After several episodes away from home, we finally return to Mars, and with it, Derma is onscreen again, standing with Yukinojo watching a Landman Rodi get lowered into the hangar.

He asks if there’s been a pilot decided yet, to which the old man replies that of the three Rodis that made it back, Chad will have one, but the others haven’t been assigned yet. Derma asks, politely but very directly, to be able to use it, and Yukinojo, a bit surprised, notes that it’s a machine salvaged from the Brewers, and probably tied to bad memories.

Derma acknowledges that to Human Debris like him, the Rodis were basically coffins.  However, if Aston piloted one on Earth (died in one on Earth), then he’ll do the same.  Derma, just to be clear, is now the only surviving member of what was originally a tight-knit group of five.  I’m altogether certain the kid is dragging around a death wish the size of Jupiter by this point, and just…  Thank god he managed to connect with Dante, because I think he would otherwise be far too depressing a character to even think about.

Speaking of the devil, Dante appears to point out that Akihiro figured Derma would say something like that, and already arranged it (Mikazuki is not the only person who can cut seniority lines for personal protégés, it seems).  He says that he’ll pilot the third, and exhorts Derma that they’ll show the world what former Human Debris can do—Derma, of course, had not used any such past-tense phrasing about himself a moment ago.  He agrees, though, soft and emphatic.

Meanwhile…

Keeping true to his words in last episode’s trailer, Chad is out training (read: keeping just ahead of Hush, despite being in a much lower end machine).  This is the very first time the audience has seen him in a mobile suit, and he’s looking happier than we’ve seen him in ages, rowdy and competitive, like he’s had a huge weight lifted off his shoulders.  Lafter and Azee observe as much themselves; that Chad is unusually “amped up” after the bad time he had on Earth.  

He’s still in good spirits a few scenes later, when he runs into Yukinojo back in the base.  The old man compliments him for getting stronger on Earth, which, as he generally does, Chad downplays, saying it’s thanks to Yukinojo’s good maintenance.  Yukinojo gives him a good friendly slap on the arm for this show of modesty, and says they’ll be counting on him, presumably a fairly standard, “Welcome to your mecha piloting gig,” phrase.

He notices something weird, though, sniffing at the air.  Shortly afterwards, he interrupts a cute OT3 sequence between Mikazuki, Kudelia, and Atra to worriedly insist that something is going on with the old man, because he doesn’t smell anymore.

This leads to the revelation that Merribit and Yukinojo are dating, hence the old man keeping more on top of his hygiene.  Chad—had not yet heard the news.  

(I’m so sad we don’t get a real reaction image out of this, by the way, just a camera-pan-up-while-yelling-happens gag.)

Outside, Akihiro is critiquing Ride’s exercise regimen, in that it doesn’t have enough food in it, and Ride tries to be mature (he has to lead the young kids now, with Takaki gone) in the same sentence as he says something childish (he skipped dinner because he doesn’t like the bean stew they were serving).  Akihiro jokingly chides him (a true rarity) that wanting to be strong is all the more reason not to be a picky eater, and I sit here wondering if he remembers that fish he turned his nose up at back in the first season.  

Chad comes running up to ask if Akihiro had heard about the whole Old Man/Merribit dating thing, only to get a nonplussed, “Uh, yeah, duh?” reaction from Ride, and the observation that it happened when he was away on Earth from Akihiro.  

Chad demands to know why no one told him, prompting Akihiro to ask, in confusion, why anyone would, leading to the above delightful teary-eyed face, and the helpless, muted question of, “Hey, we’re on the same team, right?”

Pretty much everyone at the time this episode aired took this display to mean that Chad had been harboring a crush on Merribit, and I’m inclined to agree.  Firstly, because it’s the reading that makes the most sense of behavior that would seem really out of type otherwise.  Secondly, because it means that if you believe, as I do, that Chad and Yamagi have got something going on in the epilogue, his earlier crush on Merribit suggests that Chad has a type: Yamagi and Merribit share a lot of traits, though Merribit has definitely grown more into them.  Both blonde, both dedicated and soft-spoken, both coolly professional, and both with a not-very-deeply-buried sarcastic streak that gets more biting the more worried they get.  It’s a really great bit of continuity, I think.  

And that is the last of the red stripes we get this episode—finally, a short write-up!—so lets move on to the next one. 

EPISODE THIRTY-FIVE — Awakening Calamity

After some unusually ominous opening narration and a duck-in to Saisei, we return to Eugene giving the sub-leader types some progress reports and instructions. Looking at who’s in the room suggests that Chad has landed himself something of a leader position since he got back—we have the head mechanic, the Teiwaz liason, the captain of the Muscle Squad, the captain of the Shooting Star Squad, and Chad.  I don’t remember him having a particular group under him, but if he gets a squad name, I look forward to hearing it!

(He is still a bit hung-up on the news about the adults dating.)

Later on in the cafeteria, we find some discussion of pay raises.  Shino, as was ever his wont, wants to go celebrate with girls, inviting Eugene and Chad along with him.  Eugene, having had some time to think on it since that first night out at Saisei way back in season one, refuses, citing some very smooth-sounding talk of not being able to buy love with money.  Chad immediately asks Merribit if this is true, and when she confirms, says he’ll pass as well.  I cannot quite decide if I think it’s cute that he wants a real relationship or depressing that he had to double-check on the possibility of buying it.  Either way, I hope Merribit is being paid extra for the amount of babysitting she does with these boys.  (Akihiro is in this scene, but does not deign to participate in the nonsense.)

The next sequence, taking place in Kudelia’s office, starts out with some delightful OT3-building (Kudelia is handling Atra and Mikazuki’s money!), but derails somewhat when we find out that she is doing this for Ride and Akihiro as well, and is open to doing so for Hush if he’d like her to.  The scene focuses more on the general inability of Mars’ disadvantaged children to handle money, but it’s interesting to note that Akihiro specifically has left his funds in Kudelia’s hands.  Chalk it up to one of many, many conversations I wish we could have seen.

Returning to Tekkadan, we have a brief comic interlude of Chad puzzling over a shift in relationship dynamics between Shino and Zack, but don’t get to find out what went on with The Girls last night, as Eugene comes in with some assignments.  

The main pilot trio (Mika, Akihiro, and Shino), as well as Chad, Hush and Zack, will be guarding Orga and his guest (McGillis, not in his Montag persona for once) during the latter’s visit.  By this point, we can see that Chad is well nestled back in with the main fighting force, rather than stuck on a ship’s helm or on a different planet entirely, and it’s nice to think he’s getting some legit camaraderie back in his life.

McGillis takes a second to greet the other members of Tekkadan after shaking hands with Orga. Shino is the only one to verbally respond, while Akihiro makes a sound of acknowledgement and bows his head; Chad notices the latter, and hurriedly echos it.  I wonder if the etiquette levels with Gjallarhorn are very different compared to what Chad dealt with on Earth?  Or perhaps he just trusts Akihiro’s cues more than his own experience?  

Akihiro drives the car on the way out to the mine as McGillis and Isurugi explain a bit about what they’re expecting to find there.  This prompts Chad to ask if they shouldn’t be bringing some mobile suits as well, if the thing at the excavation site is so dangerous.  McGillis drops the information that no, mobile suits might awaken the mobile armor, as they’re archenemies.  As he’s been eyeballing Mikazuki all episode, he adds that Mikazuki’s Gundam must have fought mobile armors as well, three hundred years ago.

This attracts a bit of Akihiro’s attention, as the other Gundam pilot in the car, and he wonders what sort of monsters these mobile armors are, that mobile suits were made just to fight them.  (And he has plenty of reason to wonder, seeing as his own Gusion is strong enough to crush lesser suits with ease and totally shrug off point-blank self-destruct explosions.)   

McGillis doesn’t use the words Artificial Intelligence here, but says the mobile armor thinks by itself and fights automatically.  Probably drawing on both his experience as a ship pilot and his close friendship with a hacker, Chad asks how that’s possible.  McGillis mostly dodges the question, just explaining that the capacity to fight on its own is why it could be so destructive, back in its heyday.  

(Akihiro and Chad, left with the car.)  

As Iok shows up, here to ruin everything (as was ever his wont), Orga runs up, yelling at Chad to call Eugene and get him to send mobile suits out—Chad has in fact already got headphones on before Orga’s even started talking, because Chad knows a bomb about to go off when he damn well sees one.  

It is too late to prevent the doom, though, as, with a fluid rippling of lights that looks it belongs to a different show entirely, a back-up chorus the likes of which we won’t hear again until Bael, and a sound effect like absolutely nothing else in the series, the mobile armor awakens.  

And we will come back to this before too long, hopefully, with what I anticipate to be somewhat shorter posts, as the series is now well and truly past focusing on the Human Debris cast as Human Debris.  I don’t doubt I’ll still find some stuff to ramble about, but things should speed up from here on out.  Thanks for reading!

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#機動戦士ガンダム鉄血のオルフェンズ #機動戦士ガンダム #鉄血のオルフェンズ #Gundam #ガンダム #MobileSuitGundamIronBloodedOrphans #MobileSuitGundamBloodedOrphansOfIronBlood #MobileSuitGundam #BloodedOrphansOfIronBlood #Gundam #KingDevinJoseph #キングデビンジョセフ #おたく #Otaku #オタク #GotoJobin #後藤Jobin #デヴィンジョセフ王 #Weeb #WeebDar #王デヴィンジョセフ 1. Malba ArKay マルバ・アーケイ MARUBA ARKAY CV: Katsuhisa takarame The president of CGS. It is compulsory for the boys who belong to the operation of the system that is regarded as dangerous. The popularity is thin. 2. Maruba Arkei MARUBA ARKAY CV: Takarazuka Katsutoshi 宝亀 克寿 President of CGS. It is obligated to the boys who belong to the Aori-Kai System, which is considered dangerous. People are thin. https://www.instagram.com/p/BvqBxnaFEKT/?utm_source=ig_tumblr_share&igshid=1usdcddur9oth

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Maruba Arkay

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Series : Mobile Suit Gundam - Iron-Blooded Orphans (Episode 1-25)

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