Mobile Suit Gundam: Iron-Blooded Orphans

Episode 11

I've mentioned previously that every episode of Mobile Suit Gundam: Iron-Blooded Orphans seems to have an overarching theme, but this one did not, which was unsettling. A theme paralleling various issues that several characters are experiencing can add a comforting sense of dramatic cohesion and remind us that Iron-Blooded Orphans is a story with writers overseeing its journey. But as we wrap up the first half of this 25-episode series, we seem to be hurtling toward something big and uncontrollable without a positive outcome.

The invisible hand of the storyteller was most present in the first scene, in which Akihiro struggles to save Takaki and comes face to face with his long lost brother. Akihiro brought up his brother unexpectedly last episode, and I misinterpreted this as a death flag when Takaki was really the one in real danger. “Maybe I'm being punished,” Akihiro thinks when he confronts the person he wanted to protect in an enemy mobile suit. (And an adorable suit at that, as Lafter observes! The Man Rodi machines look a lot like Turn A Gundam's rotund Kapools.) When he confesses his problem to Orga, Tekkadan vows to help Akihiro get his brother back. These two scenes bookend the confusion of this episode, feigning a cohesive story where there isn't one yet. This story is being told in bits and pieces, a few vital details at a time, and I can't always tell what to take away from them. For example, I knew that Akihiro taking Takaki on patrol would lead to a bad outcome, but I assumed Akihiro, not Takaki, would be the one who got hurt.

Fortunately, Merribit is there to save Takaki's life. Her capability makes both Kudelia and Orga doubt themselves—and this is not the first time I've found parallels between Kudelia and Orga's struggles. Both of them have a lot on their shoulders and don't feel qualified to deal with it. Orga's lack of confidence is especially present this episode. You can see it in the initial battle scene, where he is doubly stressed because he not only has to resolve the situation, but also keep his crew's morale high in the process. He gets a blow to his pride when Merribit scolds him for running a spaceship without a ship's doctor. The remark bothers him so much that he brings it up to Naze soon after—which only serves to get him scolded once again. Meanwhile, Kudelia contrasts Merribit's resourcefulness with her own lack of skills. It makes me worry that Kudelia is about to do something drastic because she feels so ineffective right now.

Fareed and McGillis are certainly ready for Kudelia to make her move, discussing her on Earth with a chessboard metaphor, while Fareed's sister/McGillis's underage fiance serves tea. What an uncomfortable development, to think that even after humans have colonized Mars, preteen girls are still getting married off to secure political alliances! Almiria has a cute character design similar to Atra's, but her presence is a grim reminder of the way this show's world takes advantage of children. You could put a parallel between her plight and that of Akihiro's brother, as kids who are only used to get grownups closer to their own goals.

This episode also featured a Gundam battle, but it didn't give me the satisfaction that these beautifully animated fights usually do because some of its combatants are there only reluctantly. The world of Mobile Suit Gundam: Iron-Blooded Orphans is deeply unfair, and its cruelness is especially reserved for children. It's hard to tell how all the pieces fit together from here, convincing me to prepare for the worst.

Rating: B+

Mobile Suit Gundam: Iron-Blooded Orphans is available streaming at Daisuki.net and Funimation.com.

Lauren writes about anime and journalism at Otaku Journalist.