So, been watching that new Gundam, Iron Blooded Orphans. Generally pretty fun stuff. Main highs so far is the main pilot, who a few people have tried to psych out by trying to convince him he's turning into a cold blooded killer. If he's feeling talkative, that ploy has him agree they may have a point before killing them, and usually he doesn't bother saying anything. Also, it passes the Weber Test in a few different ways, which is always nice. The core cast is also pretty good. I mean, the core of it is the brotherhood of the main unit, and specifically of Orga and Mikazaki (the captain and the pilot) who compliment each other nicely. But the female lead makes a good case that, despite not being front and center promotionally, or ever doing anything combat related, she may actually be the main character. I mean, without her, there isn't really a plot. She changes the most from a fairly meaty character arc, and you can clearly see how her behaveour, posture, and position in this military organization changes from beginning to end of the first major arc. Some of the major echos you get later on call back to her actions early on, and at the end of it, the main resolution is as much her conviction and her words as it is the fighting prowess of Mikazaki and the boys of Tekkadan.
Of course, having finished the first main arc, I am left with one overwhealming thought. You can sum the whole thing up by saying it's just one perilous and roundabout trip from Mars to Edmonton. At least the vast forests of Edmonton got proper billing. I can only imagine how this has been received by the Gundam fans in Calgary.
