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Gundam Thunderbolt

I watched Gundam Thunderbolt Episode 7 earlier and I have to say it keeps getting better and better. We finally got to see what Darryl has been up to and it’s simply heartbreaking. If you haven’t watched the episode yet, what are you waiting for? Spoilers are going to follow.

Love

I always found Darryl Lorenz to be the weaker of the two protagonists, until this episode. We see that while Io is flashier and an all-around cool guy, Darryl plays the calmer more technical role. Their personalities are even reflected in their choice of music. Io loves chaotic jazz while Darryl is into smoother pop songs. I know it was shown in the first season, but seeing it again just makes the point pop in my mind even more.

Part of what makes Darryl so interesting is his love for Karla and having her regressing to a little girl just complicates it all. Oh, she also sees him as her dad. Talk about messed up chances.

Io also got his share of emotions. His playful banter with Bianca was cute and they’re so alike it’s ridiculous. It wasn’t just good feelings though. Seeing Claudia again was a punch to the gut. I’m a bit confused as to how exactly she managed to survive but I’m sure it’ll all be explained in due time.

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Before we proceed anywhere else, I have to stop and just mention the music played. It’s such a detached mood to what is shown on the screen but I love it. It creates this dissonance and makes us think that maybe everything is going to be alright, even though we know it probably won’t. The songs are really good though and I especially liked that intro scene between Darryl and Karla. Everything’s so upbeat only for us to find out that Karla is mentally damaged. Great.

As that one soldier dude told Darryl though, maybe it’s best for everyone involved for Karla’s memories never to come back.

It wouldn’t be a Gundam show if everything went according to plan though, would it?

Guerilla tactics

It amazes me how much story is crammed into 20 minutes. I thought this would deal only with Darryl’s relationship with Karla but they somehow threw in a spy rescue operation in the mix.

Part of what makes the mobile suits scene stand out so much to me is the technology used. We actually get to see how things actually work.

There were a lot of great moments, some of which were the South Seas Alliance showing their weapons. Amalgamations of broken Zeon and Earth Federation machines makes them seem like more of a living dead division than the actual group. It was great seeing them come in on motorcycles and cars and shooting rockets at the Zeon Acguys.

The SSA is so basic, it’s scary.

The standout moment was when the Newtype jingle rang for Billy Hickam moments before the enemies showed up. The kid is kind of rude but those Newtype abilities more than make up for it.

High hopes

To conclude this episode was great and I can’t wait for the finale next month. If there’s one thing to complain about with Thunderbolt, it’s how few episodes there are. On my last review, I said the wait was bearable but I lied. Let’s just see where Darryl, Io, Bianca, Claudia, and everyone else end up.