Review by Chris

Original Review: August 20, 2000
New Review: May 22, 2004

At sea, Ennil watches a demonstration of the custom built mobile armor Esperansa. Arms dealer Lumark Kaoto offers her a special price because she's a pilot, but she tells him that she gave up piloting mobile suits. Ennil then pilots her boat into a marina at Saints Island and is met by her boyfriend Miles Goodman. He asks her what her answer is to his question and tells her he doesn't care about her past. He then gets a call about an unidentified ship entering the warning zone, so he leaves to inspect it. He takes a boat out to where the Freeden is stopped and meets with Jamil. He explains to Jamil that combat is forbidden within the buoyed area and gives him paperwork to fill out. He asks to inspect the ship, and Sala gives him a tour. As they walk down a hallway, Toniya pops out of the bathroom wearing only a towel. Miles is embarrassed, but Toniya calls him a lecher. After docking at the port, the crew leaves in jeeps to shop in the city. Sala decides to stay on board and is disappointed Roybea didn't try harder to get her to go with him. Garrod asks Tiffa what they should do, but stowaway Kid answers. As Garrod chokes Kid, the jeep goes out of control and nearly crashes into a palm tree. In the lounge, Toniya asks Sala if she's going to make a move on Jamil since they'll be alone together. Sala says she doesn't think she will because she's a shy woman. Techcs walks in to practice pool, and Sala tells Toniya that now they really can't be alone. Toniya goes out into the city to buy supplies and some personal items. She at first decides against buying a dress on impulsive, but she quickly gives in and decides to purchase it. When she goes inside the store to buy it, she finds that Ennil is already trying it on. Toniya leaves the store disappointed, but Ennil offers to sell it to her on the street. Toniya is thankful and decides to buy her lunch. Elsewhere, Kid and Tiffa buy ice cream while Garrod is forced to carry all their bags. Ennil tells Toniya about the trouble she had because she was rejected by a younger man and the hatred she feels for him. Toniya understands, and Ennil says that even now she could lose control if she were to run into the man who rejected her.

On the Freeden, Jamil and Sala supervise the final loading of supplies. Kid returns to the ship, and Sala asks him why he came back early. He says he wanted to hang around in the city longer, but he thinks Garrod would've killed him if he stayed with them. Witz and Roybea decide to party in the city, and they are both surprised when they see Toniya in her sexy new dress. They ask her if she has a date, but she only answers with 'no comment'. Toniya drives into the city to stop at Ennil's bar, the Lilac. Elsewhere, Garrod sits with Tiffa in a park and tries to put his arm around her shoulder. She asks him if anything is wrong, and he suggests they go out for dinner. Toniya and Ennil sit down for a drink, and Ennil tells Toniya that Miles proposed to her. She says that he's a nice guy and he's serious about her, but she feels something is missing. She tells Toniya that she has a past as a mobile suit pilot that she feels she has to keep from Miles. Garrod and Tiffa spot the Lilac bar and decide to eat there, but he is nearly run over by a car while attempting to cross the street. After finally reaching the Lilac, he's disappointed when he reads a sign saying the bar is reserved for the evening. Tiffa suggests they find another restaurant, and they leave. Ennil doesn't know what to do about Miles, and Toniya asks her if she wants to come with them on the ship. Miles comes into the bar and asks Ennil for her answer when he recognizes Toniya from the Freeden. When Ennil hears that name, she runs out of the bar. She drives to the port and spots the Freeden docked there. Miles calls Ennil's cell phone repeatedly, but she doesn't answer. The next day, Toniya waits for Ennil by the gangway at the dock and finally boards the ship. Garrod asks her what she's doing, and Tiffa tells her that she's not coming. Toniya tells Garrod she's waiting for Ennil, and he's shocked when he hears her name. The Freeden sets sail and heads for the open sea. The Esperansa appears in front of them, and Jamil orders the Gundams to scramble. The Esperansa flies by the Gundams and dodges fire from Roybea's Gundam Leopard. The Esperansa then comes towards the Freeden head on and stops in front of the bridge. Tiffa tells Toniya that Ennil is inside the Esperansa. Ennil sees Toniya on her camera and flies away.

As a contrast to the last big battle episode, this time we get an all character development episode, mostly about Toniya and Ennil. It seems that Ennil isn't really evil at all, but just confused. When she tells Toniya that she was hurt by someone who wouldn't accept her feelings, she was referring to Garrod. So when she was seducing him in episode 8, it was honest, and not a ploy to get the Gundam X like he assumed. It should be noted that her bar Lilac is most likely named after the SRA's Operation Lilac that her father and Nomoa Long were involved in. Garrod also continues to blunder in his attempts to romance Tiffa, but he seems to be doing a bit better. There's also a bit about Sala and her feelings for Jamil, along with her recognition that Roybea has some attraction to her. Near the end, I was worried that Ennil had returned to her old ways, but she instead retreated. Will she abandon her comfortable new life to fill her obsessive need to kill Garrod? Perhaps it's a cautionary tale to Miles about what he can expect if he ever breaks up with her.

Overall Rating: 4 out of 5 stars

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