Gundam AGE – 02

Aloi-“So that’s were we store all of the orange juice huh?”

Remember when I said we wouldn’t be doing AGE weekly? Well, it looks like I’ve told a lie. Gomen! Fosh & I are also blogging Guilty Crown together, so we was like, “hey, why not add another mecha show to the list, eh?” And thus, we’re here talking Gundam AGE 2.

Gundam AGE is back to invade Metanorn with good old mecha battles in space!! After that first episode I have officially found myself a bit hooked, sure the characters are strange looking but I think that is such a minor thing now for me. On wards to episode two tag review with Jrow! I hope you enjoy this review of episode two.Plot continues after the UE attacked the colony! This attack puts all of our military friends into escape mode! As they plan to use the center of the colony to evacuate and escape. Flint in the meantime uses his Gundam to get aboard the special ship called the DIVA, on the way he picks up a mysterious girl named Yurin this girl appears to have a hidden power allowing her to “predict” events and Flint has his first space battle after receiving a beam rifle from the AGE system.

I think this ship needs more red don’t you think?

We start off with bridge crew as they plan out their secret escape plans! Wait you mean this colony will actually survive?! NO WAY! Well it appears they have a way to save everyone by pulling out the core of the colony with a special multicolored ship. Yeah that ship looks like it came out of a happy meal…all those colors, but truthfully the Diva was made for the Gundam AGE that it has the same exact color scheme. So Flint has to reach the Diva before everyone gets “sucked” out of the massive hole in the freaking colony wall. Flint dodges an argument with Emily and does Gundam related stuff, like picking up chicks off the street thankfully this girl Yurin is his own age so it’s all good…Right?

Yurin-“Giant pedo alert! Help me!!”                        Flint-“WHERE OMG SAVE ME TOO!”

Yeaaaahhh boy! Flint picking up chicks.

While everyone scrambles to safety, Grudech Arynor aka guy with the blue hat and wears glasses indoors is up to some dirty tricks! He basically kidnaps the real crew of the Diva and plans to play the role of new captain. Sneaky! Dude but hey we always need an interesting character to “watch” out for, I imagine he is doing this for money, power or something for the UE? Possibly doing a trade to the UE? Giving them the AGE system…Oh and Emily and Dike also saw Grudech so there’s that…

T-pain getting highjacked! NOT COOL Grudech!

Now in the future! Air typing replaces air guitar.

Random guy- “I swear there is a yellow squid attached to my skull…”

Meanwhile Flint is walking SLOWLY to the Diva! I think he could have at least jumped or ran his way there? But he meets an interesting girl named Yurin who looks a bit like Hinata from Naruto. This girl has some strange skill to detect or predict things that eventually happen to them, she ends up helping Flint find his way outside to where he literary runs right into the enemy head first.  Grudech arrives on the Diva and orders them to head out leaving the AGE behind, seems like someone is in a hurry huh? Well Emily’s grandpa activates the AGE Builder system; this giant egg like device can create special weapons and armor for Flint to use with his Gundam. Flint gains a new beam rifle and one shots the UE machine! However Yurin “detects” another stronger unit headed right for them and the colony ending our second episode.

Flint-“Damn I think that guy is angry! We just woke him up from his nap.”

Emily will kill him later while he sleeps.

Flint-“Whoa THAT WAS AWESOME!”                               Yurin-“Oooooh pretty….”

Extra Gun-damn goodness

Pilot- “Where do you want the giant space sausages placed sir?”

Emily is going to join the Gundam basketball squad just you wait.

Grudech- “Why do you get to sit so high above me? Let’s trade seats NOW.”   

Good luck next week Flint! You have your first boss battle soon!

End thoughts

Yurin’s precognitive ability made me think Newtype right away, though I don’t think the general lot of Newtypes have ever shown a capability to instinctively know where to go and when to wait for something to happen. She reminded some of Lalah Sune from MSG who, in addition to being a Newtype, had an spiritual awareness about her. Yurin might show Newtype tendencies later on, but she is certainly an interesting find for Flit in the middle of a ravaged highway and could butt in between Flit & Emily’s potential love story. In Gundam, you can’t have two girls, and the series likes to make sure of it by killing off one of them. Will Flit see one of them killed before his very eyes?

Millais’s thought about why UE didn’t just attack the power plants makes me wonder what exactly the UE want out of all this. Do they know something about Gundam? Do they know or have some kind of connection to Yurin? UE’s introduction left for the slim possibility that it’s an alien form, but let’s not kid ourselves; the UE is likely an advanced form of human (i.e. Coordinators from Seed/Destiny) that are there for a little more than just a “Kill the Galaxy” tour. Speaking of the other characters, Bruzar’s white lie and his surprise at being able to keep a straight face was a cool way to handle a guy basically assigning himself a suicide mission, and Grodek seems to have his own motives and using some power play to take control of the Diva ship.

I love the idea of the AGE Builder being able to make new weapons in a matter of minutes. It’s a convenient way to help Flit out when he’s in a pinch and the CG wasn’t looking all that great, but the possibilities of weaponry could be plenty for it. In addition to the idea of it making something like a trident for Gundam (though I don’t think it’d actually make that), I’d like to see it be a part of plot. Have episodes where the crew is looking for parts for the AGE, and as they get deeper into the caves, unique story elements start to unfold. It could be how the Titus & Spallow forms of the Gundam are made.

Well this wasn’t the most exciting episode for AGE but hey the series did just start, I did enjoy how we got a small peek into a possible new villain with Grudech! Then again I bet there were fans of Gundam that saw that coming a mile away or not really? I remember thinking a while back, where is our usual masked guy at that appears in every Gundam anime?! Well I suppose Grudech might be the closest guy for that role. I am very curious as to why he is doing all of this sneaky stuff, I wonder if he has a deal with the UE to deliver the AGE to the enemy? Either way I am sure it all relates to the power of the Gundam AGE! Grudech will probably try to steal the Gundam later on.

Now for Flint picking up that Yurin chick which I died laughing when she saw it blow up that street sign and then caused her to run away, well in her defense she probably was like OH FUUUUU GIANT ROBOT!! I do not want to die this early damn it! LOLOL ah well Flint gained a new friend or possible love interest? Well it is a way to early to start pairing up characters. Back to Yurin! I wonder what kind of Gundam related power she has going on, call her what you want coordinator, New-type or physic girl! Whatever she really is I can bet that her ability will come in handy for future battles for Flint.

Now for that Age builder system! Whoa I have to say that was really interesting how they set that up for Flint, well I don’t think it’s all that original, they had a similar set up like that on Destiny well all of those weapons and armor upgrades were all premade. But I liked how different that was even the animation for that whole scene was nice it felt like they were building it right from an actual model kit. I didn’t really have any huge complaints with this second episode, well maybe just one! That design for the Diva looked a bit strange to me and I really hope it doesn’t like transform into a big ass Gundam or become some type of “armor” later on.

Preview

Yurin-“Hey! Can I pull the trigger this time? please?!”

Flint faces off against a new UE enemy! A grey looking mecha dragon, at least you have Yurin with you Flint! Time get her to use those power of hers.