Review by Chris

May 22, 2001

Shakti thinks about Uso using the Victory Gundam and how she has been carrying baby Karlmann since Uso returned from Woowig. She believes that Uso changed after seeing horrible things in Woowig. As the Yellowjacket Team ruthlessly slaughters the citizens of Woowig, Uso rushes to the city by running through the forest. As Uso watches the destruction, he doesn't understand why it has to happen. He enters the city and is immediately shot at by League Militaire rebels. Uso tries to explain that he's not part of BESPA, but all the people attacking him are blown up by a Zolo belonging to an officer named Lyole Sabat. Sabat calls the Shokew thinking Cronicle is inside, but he becomes suspicious when no one answers. Uso attacks Sabat with his beam saber, and Sabat calls for the bottom limb to combine into mobile suit form. Sabat thinks he'll be greatly rewarded for bringing back the Shokew, so he attacks Uso. A dying League Militaire rebel presses a button and causes a building to explode near Uso. Uso escapes and uses the loudspeaker to ask where Katejina's house is. Her father sees him fly over and tells her that BESPA has saved them. She can't believe he made a deal with BESPA, and he justifies the slaughter of the civilians by saying it's only being done to stop the League Militaire's plans. She says that mother has been gone for days, and her father slaps her. He tries to apologize, but she runs off. A Zolo pilot named Chris begins killing more people running on the streets, and Katejina barely escapes. Katejina asks the League Militaire for help, and nearby a woman is killed running away with her baby Karlmann. Uso attacks the Zolo and slams it into the ground. When Chris ejects, he is immediately shot and killed by League Militaire soldiers. Uso is shocked, and the League Militaire is surprised that a kid was piloting the Shokew. A meeting is held, and they decide to continue fighting until the Federation comes to save them. Sabat thinks the League Militaire might have a secret base, so he orders his men to completely destroy the city.

After destroying Woowig, Sabat's Zolos take off in helicopter mode and leave. In the forest, Gary fights off vicious wolves and finds Cronicle. He is mad because of Cronicle's mistake, and Cronicle accuses Gary of abandoning him. Elsewhere, Uso, Katejina and Karlmann crawl through the rubble of Woowig to get out of the city. Uso is shocked when he sees a bloody corpse. He breaks open a passageway and finds an old subway. At the Largane base, Fuala tells Cronicle that he should follow the original plan and return to space. He is angry that Sabat's men haven't brought back the Shokew, and Fuala tells him she assigned that task and the capture of the Core Fighter to Sabat. Uso and Katejina emerge from the rubble, and he carries Katejina and Karlmann in the Shokew's hand. At Kassarelia, Shakti assumes Uso is back when she hears beam rotors and runs outside. The noise is actually from a Zolo piloted by Nick, one of Sabat's men. Nick spots Shakti and Odelo, and Sabat orders him to question them. Nick lands near them and tells them to stop running. Sabat blocks off their escape route as well. Uso lands nearby to drop off Katejina and Karlmann. He takes off and attacks Nick and Sabat, telling them that Kassarelia is not their land. They return the attack, and Odelo and Shakti run away to tell Marbet and the others. In the air, Sabat uses his beam saber to destroy the Shokew's beam rifle. As Uso runs through the forest, Marbet drives the truck containing the Victory Gundam's Top Fighter around. The fight returns to the air, and Nick grapples Uso so that Sabat can kill him with the beam saber. As Sabat moves in, Marbet fires the Victory Gundam's beam rifle as a ground turret. Uso uses the opportunity to slice into Nick's Zolo with his beam rotor. Sabat is hit by the beam rifle and is forced to eject his bottom terminal and escape. After landing, Uso thanks Marbet for the cover fire, and Shakti wonders what they will do now.

More of the background story behind episode 1 starts to become clear now. It looks like the League Militaire isn't quite ready yet to begin using the Victory Gundam against the Yellowjacket Team, and Uso is the only one standing in their way. He's starting to see how horrible war can be as he watches innocent civilians die in Woowig. The survivors seem to think that the Federation is going to come and save them, but I doubt that will happen. If in the present we can quickly respond to an attack anywhere, why is the Federation doing nothing in the future with its advanced technology? Well, Gundam history has shown us that the Federation only cares about protecting itself, and its citizens aren't of much concern to them. This is seen time and again in almost every series.

Overall Rating: 4 out of 5 stars

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