Mobile Suit Gundam Tekketsu no Orphans
Status: Another must watch series
Current Episode Count: 11 episodes
If you liked Gurren Lagann, you're going to most likely enjoy this new entry into the Gundam series. There are a lot of parallels between the two, just with most of the humor from Gurren Lagann cut out in favor of the typical Gundam drama and suspense. There are plenty of things to praise about the series so far and a few things to pick at, but the first thing I want to talk about are the characters of the series. One reason why I loved Gurren Lagann so much (and I'm sure most people are the same) is that the characters were all so loveable and unique. Gundam plays the character game in a similar fashion. Every character grows on you to the point where every battle becomes a tug of war on your heart strings and you're just praying that they won't die. With its strong characters, it's also very easy to overlook some of the weaker points of the show, namely plot.
The plot, while having points that should be praised, also has its faults. First let's start with what should be praised, which is the pacing of everything. This season of Gundam is running for 25 episodes meaning that it has 25 episodes to get its viewers interested and invested in the universe. If you're already a Gundam fan, that shouldn't be too hard, but if you're not, then it might be harder. I'll admit, I'm not a huge Gundam fan, but I'm already fairly interested in the show. Seeing the characters grow from basically being child soldiers/slaves to becoming their own paramilitaristic group is very entertaining especially since it's easy to identify their cause as righteous. It's also very impressive at just how easy it is to understand what their world is like. Though the scope is much larger, it still feels very easy to pick up on their social system.
What I dislike though has to do with character progression/growth. There are some characters who use certain events and tragedies to change as people and then there are others who just kind of change because of something a bit more insignificant. I'm not too hung up on the cause for their maturation, but how it's dealt with, who they become, and how that affects the show's environment. While character development is without a doubt something beneficial to a show, if done poorly, it will backfire. This series seems to have that problem and that does not bode well for it. However, it is still only eleven episodes in, so it's too early to judge it on that.
Let's get to the more fun stuff, the animation and sound. In my heart, the best space battles will always be Macross, but Gundam is always up there as well and this season is no different. The battles, though relatively short, are always done in a very clean and action-packed way making clarity just as strong as the thrill. There haven't been any noticeable drops in quality so far, leaving me with high expectations for the rest of the series.
Next up is the sound. The BGMs are amazing, the opening is great, and the ending is also great. I get hyped anytime I hear music coming from the anime. In contrast, voice acting is overall what you would expect. I don't think there are really any standout performances, but that does not mean in any way that the performances are poor. In fact, I'd say they're above average, but still not at the level of the music in the series. I'm seriously ready to buy this soundtrack.
So, should you watch this Gundam? I say, yes. Unless you don't like the mecha/shounen genre, I don't see why you shouldn't watch it. It's definitely one of the better series of the season and I'm looking forward to watching the rest of the show.
You can watch Mobile Suit Gundam Iron-Blooded Orphans on Daisuki here
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