The combined Diva-Zalam-Euba forces head into space to meet the incoming UE attack force. Largan launches in his Genoace, followed by Woolf in the G-Exes, who gets message from Millais to be careful. Flit then launches in the AGE-1 Normal, and Vargas wonders if the new weapon being constructed by the AGE Builder will be ready in time. Millais reports that the UE force consists of around 30 mobile suits, along with the Fa Bose ship that Flit and Woolf encountered earlier. The Diva fires multiple anti-beam dispersal shells, which cause the incoming attack from the mother ship to be deflected. As a Gafran approaches, Ract orders the first line of Xenos and Zilas to open fire. The Gafran easily destroys several Zilas, and as Boyage orders the first line to fall back, Woolf destroys the Gafran. Zilas distract a Gafran from the rear while Flit destroys it, and he’s amazed to see the Zalam and Euba working together. Woolf tells Flit that they’re veteran fighters and are performing better than he expected. He tells Flit that the Zalam and Euba will draw the UE’s fire while the two of them take out the UE suits. The Diva then receives a message from Big Ring that their request for reinforcements can’t be fulfilled because there are no EFF units near Fardain. Millais wonders who sent that request, and Adams admits that he did. He says that a soldier’s job is to protect civilians, and that it’s obvious to request reinforcements if a colony is in danger. Adams tells Grodek that he understands his need for revenge, but as a soldier he has to do what’s best. Boyage attacks a Gafran with his Gala, and Flit destroys it from behind. Flit then has a strange sensation that something is coming, and the Zedas launches from the mothership and starts attacking the Zalam and Euba. Using its high mobility, the Zedas tricks a Zila and Xeno pilot into accidentally shoot each other. Angered by each other’s actions, they ignore the Zedas and start fighting with each other. Adams dismisses them as goons, but Millais says that the UE are deliberately trying to cause friendly fire. Boyage and Ract tell the arguing pilots to calm down and not allow the UE to deceive them. The Zila pilot tosses a grenade at the Xeno, and Flit puts himself between them and asks that they stop fighting. The Zedas then slams into Flit from the rear, and he sees an image in his head of Desil. As before, the Zedas moves too quickly to be hit by the DODS rifle, and it uses its sword to slice Flit’s shield in half. Flit wonders if Desil is piloting the Zedas, and it smashes into him again. The pilot of a crippled Zila asks for mercy, but a Baqto attacks and destroys him anyway. Boyage rushes in to attack the Baqto, but it destroys his mace and fires its chest cannon at point blank range, setting off an explosion.
The tide turns in the favor of the UE, and Millais reports to Grodek that the Zalam and Euba lines are falling part. The Zedas attacks Flit again, and his attacks still can’t connect. An injured Boyage wakes up inside his heavily damaged Gala and addresses the Zalam and Euba forces, saying that they’re fighting an enemy that threatens humanity. Boyage speeds toward the UE mothership and is blocked by a Baqto, but a Zila pilot knocks it aside at the cost of his own life. Boyage’s two lackeys then fly in behind Boyage to support him. Boyage calls Ract and asks him if he thinks it’s possible to have a time of peace without factional strife, and Ract answers that this isn’t the time for that. Boyage demands an answer, and Ract says that he doesn’t know, but he wants to see it. One of the lackeys is killed, and Boyage says Flit taught them something. Boyage puts Ract in command of the Zalam, and his other lackey is killed. Boyage then calls Flit and speaks to him before smashing into the UE mothership. However, his suicide attack has no effect. Flit recalls Boyage’s last words to him that he might be able to change the world. He starts wildly attacking the Zedas, and Vargas calls with news that the Spallow parts are ready. Flit tells Vargas to send out the new parts because he doesn’t have time to return to the ship. Woolf steps in and attacks the Zedas as a distraction to give Flit enough time to reequip. Flit docks with the parts module, and the AGE-1 Normal’s arms and legs are replaced with the Spallow parts. Woolf keeps up his attack on the Zedas, but Flit rushes in with the Gundam Spallow and attacks with his Shiguru blade. Vargas explains to Emily and Dique that unlike the Titus, the Spallow emphasizes speed. Flit attacks with his needle gun and uses his blade to cut the Zedas’ sword in two. With the extra thrusters on his arms, Flit slices into the Zedas and severs one of its arms and legs, forcing it to retreat. Ract orders everyone to press the attack, and the UE forces retreat. Later, Ract calls Grodek and formally declares that the Zalam-Euba alliance will participate in Operation Ambat Capture. He says that after Boyage’s funeral, they’ll catch up with the Diva at Minsry. Grodek addresses the crew and tells them they have to each decide if they’re going to come with him. He asks Adams what he’s going to do, and Adams says he’s coming along. Flit declares that they’ll defeat the UE so that more colonies aren’t destroyed. Flit speaks privately with Grodek and tells him about his suspicion that Desil is the Zedas’ pilot. Grodek speculates that the UE look human and tells Flit that though they might look human, they aren’t. Flit says humans wouldn’t do to each other what the UE did to Boyage. After trashing his room in a temper tantrum, Desil gets a call from Yark asking him not to waste valuable mobile suits. Desil smashes the picture frame communicator and says he’s stronger than this. In the mobile suit, Woolf asks Vargas why they’re heading to Minsry since it’ll take two weeks to get there. Vargas explains that Minsry is the only colony near Ambat without an EFF garrison, so Grodek doesn’t want their interference. Grodek gives the order to depart, and the Diva leaves Fardain’s airspace.
After six episodes, the Diva is finally leaving Fardain. This comes after the first large scale battle in this series. I was wondering why Grodek would want a bunch of useless mobile suits coming along, but we see his strategy: use them as distractions so that Flit and Woolf can destroy the UE. The strategy works well for a bit, until the Zedas launches and joins the fight. I thought it was pretty clever of the Zedas to try to force the Zalam and Euba to fight each other, probably in the hopes of triggering a larger fight with the new allies turning on each other. Boyage gets a fake out death and reappears only to die again after saying manly things. While his death was certainly valiant, it accomplished absolutely nothing, much like Oliver Inoue’s suicide attack in Victory Gundam. The Gundam Spallow makes its debut here, and it finally provides Flit with the right equipment to counter the high mobility of the Zedas. The extra arm thrusters give the Spallow’s blade an extra punch, although I’m not sure how effective the knee needle guns are. Forcing the UE to retreat must be a big morale boost for Zalam-Euba alliance, and Desil responds to his loss with a temper tantrum. Yark asks him not to waste valuable mobile suits that were hard to acquire, which raises more questions about who these EDEN people are and what their connection is to the UE. I suspect we’ll be getting an answer about that soon enough.
Gundam AGE Info
Director(s):
Susumu Yamaguchi (TV)
Shinya Watada (OVA)
Writer(s):
Akihiro Hino
Kazuho Hyodo
Noboru Kimura
Rika Nakase
Yoichi Kato
Mechanical Designer(s):
Kanetake Ebikawa
Kenji Teraoka
Junya Ishigaki
Character Designer(s):
Takuzo Nagano
Michinori Chiba
Musical Composer:
Kei Yoshikawa
Airdates:
Japan 10.09.2011 – 09.23.2012
Format:
49 episodes; 1 compilation OVA
Video Release (OVA):
Japan 07.26.2013
U.S. 07.03.2018
MAHQ is now officially on Bluesky: https://bsky.app/profile/mahqdotnet.bsky.social.
Our future on this cursed app is unclear, but expect more posts over there.
Cutaway diagram of the VF-1J Valkyrie Fighter Mode from “This is Animation Special: Macross Plus”(1995). Larger versions on my DA profile:
https://www.deviantart.com/marchly/art/Macross-VF-1J-Valkyrie-Cutaway-Diagram-detailed-973372931
https://www.deviantart.com/marchly/art/Macross-VF-1J-Valkyrie-Cutaway-Diagram-clean-973371729
Art by Kiyomi Tanaka. Original concept by unknown Macross fan. Image built by me
#Gundamn278; Next Episode! With our special guest, Sophia, we finally tackle the second half of the latest chapter of the #Gundam Franchise; #WitchFromMercury! Join us live on 07/20/2023 @ 10:15 p EDT! #MAHQ #Mecha #Anime #Podcast #G_Witch
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