Review by Chris

August 12, 2001

The PCST planes carrying Uso and the other members of the Camion transport continue on their course for Arti Gibraltar. Two Zanscare Overhead Hawk spy planes approach and want to examine the planes. The Shrike Team moves their Gun-EZ's to the other wing of the plane to balance the plane and hide. Uso creates a distraction by suddenly appearing out of nowhere and attacking the PCST plane. Gomez hams things up and says he hopes the League Militaire doesn't attack them. Uso makes several passes and then attacks the Overhead Hawks. The Overhead Hawks run out of ammo, and the pilots decide to retreat. The PCST planes get away, and Uso chases off the Overhead Hawks. He flies along the coast and is amazed when he sees the ocean for the first time. He lands near a house with a pile of junk and meets an old man named Rob Oreskes, who confuses Uso for someone named Nichol. They hide the Core Fighter and head for a nearby town. The Shrike Team creates a landing strip for the transport planes and hides them. Odelo and Warren help Junko with parts, and Shakti wants to find Uso. Suzy wants to get some food in the town, and Odelo, Warren and Shakti decide to join her. The Overhead Hawk pilots return to base and are surprised to see Fuala dressed like a man and on a motorcycle. She tells them to go about their mission and drives off. Rob arrives at the town and drops Uso off at the library Odelo and the others enter town and begin to scout it out for food. Shakti wants to look for Uso and figures he'll be wherever there are books. They find Uso in the library, where he was hoping to find some information on Arti Gibraltar. Suzy runs after a woman she thinks is her sister, but it is actually Fuala. Uso apologizes and says Suzy was confused. Fuala thinks it must be nice to live with friends, but she says this town is a bad choice because it has been noticed by BESPA and is no longer safe. She goes into a bar, and they decide to follow her in.

Inside the bar, Fuala buys herself a beer and gives Suzy a chocolate drink. She pays the bartender with a BESPA voucher, and he tells her to leave as soon as she's done drinking. As she drinks her beer, she thinks about the problems with the guillotine and Pippiniden. Uso goes inside the bar to get some milk for Karlmann and finds Odelo and Warren eating with Fuala. Odelo introduces him to Fuala, and the bartender gives him Karlmann's milk. When he goes back outside, he is shocked to see BESPA's Guillotine Unit drive by and set up the guillotine in the middle of the town. Everyone gathers around the guillotine and is surprised to see it. Rob starts throwing fish at the soldiers, and they begin to fire into the crowd. Uso comes to his rescue with the hovercraft and they escape. They drive away and are chased by BESPA soldiers. Rob doesn't want Uso to die with him, so he jumps off of the hovercraft and is shot to death. Uso is shocked by his death and sheds some tears. He quickly drives back to Rob's house to retrieve his Core and Top Fighter. Once in the air, he returns to the town and destroys the guillotine. As Uso flies over the town, he is attacked by three of Pippiniden's Tomliats. Fuala drives through the woods and boards the Recarl, where Metchet reports that the League Militaire has been spotted nearby. One of the Tomliats sneaks up behind Uso and tries to slice into him with a beam tomahawk. Marbet and Oliver soon join the battle to help Uso, which makes him think he can win now. Uso attacks the Tomliats with his beam rifle and saber, but he loses his rifle. The Recarl joins the battle as well, and Fuala has Metchet attack Uso. He uses the beam saber and flies underneath the Recarl to destroy its main cannon. Fuala orders Metchet to retreat and head back for the base. Marbet and Oliver congratulate Uso on doing a good job in the fight.

Ah, the wonders of the Tomino Principle of Character Development. What is it, you ask? Well, it's something that is characteristic to every Gundam series directed by Tomino. For a character to develop, they must suffer. The best way they can suffer is to kill people around them in great numbers. It started last episode with the death of Helen, and it continues here with the death of Rob. With each death, Uso's hatred of Zanscare increases, as does his commitment with the League Militaire. Before he was just fighting to protect himself and Shakti, but now he has a reason to stay in the fight. Also, what is up with Fuala in this episode? She dresses like a man and buys chocolate drinks for kids. This weird behavior is very unlike her. And just where did Cronicle disappear to?

Overall Rating: 3.5 out of 5 stars

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