The Luna base deploys more cannons that open fire on the incoming EFF assault force. The AGE-FX, Clanche Custom and a force of Adele Mk-IIs land on the surface and speed along it until they come under attack from several Danazines. Seric destroys a Danazine, while Kio slices apart another with his C-Funnels and spares the pilot. He then takes down another Danazine, and Seric wonders if he intends to keep fighting like this forever. Kio thinks to himself that they should be able to understand each other and recalls his experiences with Ezelcant, Dean and Lu. On the Diva, Natora follows Flit’s suggestion to ask the Amadeus to hurry up with its mobile suit deployment. The ship’s sensors then pick up the approaching Baronoke, and Asemu calls Flit to say they’re cutting in. Flit tells Asemu he’s interfering with the operation and should leave, but Asemu counters that he’s a pirate and refuses to comply. A Dorado L and Reganner are destroyed during a firefight, and Simmons can’t believe the EFF has come so far. Zeheart sees that the Gundam has evolved again, and Simmons comments that the pilot appears to be a powerful X-Rounder. Zeheart decides to launch, but Girard asks if she can take down the Gundam because she’s always wanted to fight one. Zeheart says he’ll defeat the Gundam, and Girard asks if he doesn’t want the glory of the kill going to a defector. Zeheart tells her she has her own role, but she says if it looks like he can’t handle it, she’ll step in. Fram has an X-Rounder vision of Zeheart being killed in battle and follows after him. She tells him she’s having a bad feeling and says he can’t die. Zeheart asks if it’s because she’s not done testing him and says he knows that she’s Dole’s litter sister and has her own objective. Fram admits that she intended to kill Zeheart if he proved to be a man who disposed of his subordinates like tools. Zeheart says he’s never forgotten the comrades who have fought alongside him, and Fram asks why he let her stay close if he know she might kill him. Zeheart answers that she’s useful and he has need of her. Kio disables a Dorado L, and a Clanche is destroyed by enemy fire. Kio listens to radio chatter and says he wants to end things quickly to limit casualties. Raddock tells Asemu that it looks like the EFF will win the battle, but Asemu thinks the Vagan must be planning something. Zeheart tells a technician to set the Ghirarga‘s X-Transmitter to maximum because he’ll need as many bits as possible to fight the Gundam. Fram offers to provide Zeheart support by launching in the Fawn Farsia. She says she doesn’t have much piloting experience, but her X-Rounder powers should be enough. She tells Zeheart that if she’s being a hindrance he can leave her behind. Zeheart then launches in the Ghirarga, followed by Fram’s Fawn Farsia. Kio takes down another Dorado L, but his rifle’s energy is running low. He has an X-Rounder reaction and spots Zeheart and Fram approaching.
Fram and Zeheart launch their bits, and Kio tosses aside his rifle. He dodges some of the bits, but Zeheart kicks him. Fram deploys her bits and beam whip to attack Kio and put him on the defensive. Zeheart didn’t know she could fight like that, and he turns his attention to the Abis team as they approach. Kio uses his C-Funnels to create a defensive energy barrier, but it dissipates before hitting Fram. Kio tells her they should stop fighting and that there must be a way they can understand each other. Fram becomes angry and tells Kio it’s too late for that before renewing her attack. Kio says they should stop fighting and talk about what to do next, and Fram asks him if he knows how many sacrifices have been made in the war. She says there’s no way they can sit down and talk, and Kio counters that they have to stop fighting so that those sacrifices weren’t in vain. Fram says that won’t pay for the lives of the dead and slams into Kio. She hits him with more bit attacks and the whip, causing him to crash into the Moon’s surface. Asemu appears in the AGE-2 Dark Hound and tells Kio to not let Fram drag him into her pace. Fram decides to fall back, but Asemu and Kio give chase. The Abis team continues to fight Zeheart, and Zeheart senses Fram’s approach. He spots the AGE-2 Dark Hound and immediately attacks because he knows Asemu is the pilot. The two struggle with each other and crash into the Moon’s surface. Zeheart vows that he’ll defeat Asemu for Vagan’s future, and Asemu asks Zeheart if he knows what Ezelcant’s true goal is. He says that Kio heard about it all from Ezelcant personally, and the Vagans are all being deceived. Zeheart dismisses the accusation and says he’s fighting for Ezelcant’s sake and will never listen to Asemu’s words again. Zeheart deploys his bits and splits his spear in half to fight Asemu at close range. Reinforcement Adele Mk-II units arrive, but they’re destroyed by the bits from Girard’s Thielva.
The attack on the Moon continues, but not much progress is made. Kio is still slicing and dicing mobile suits to spare the pilots, but now he’s taken his naivete to an entirely new level. It’s not enough for him to spare enemy pilots – now he’s talking to them in the middle of battle and trying to get them to stop fighting. He spends the whole episode going on and on about “understanding,” a silly notion when you’re fighting against people who fanatically support a madman and don’t even know quite how mad his plan is. I was right about Fram being Dole’s little sister, but it’s not as though that was any great piece of detective work. I’m not sure why the Vagans would bother making an upgraded version of the 50-year-old Farsia, but yet again it’s a feminine looking mobile suit piloted by a girl. Asemu and Zeheart fight each other again after 25 years, but I’m not quite sure where Zeheart’s animosity comes from. The last time they were together, they cooperated to save Earth, and Zeheart risked his life to save Asemu’s. Given that Zeheart has spent the last 25 years in cold sleep, I don’t see where he would build up the anger that he shows toward Asemu. This episode is also littered with entirely pointless flashbacks – aside from some being too long, they’re also about things we just saw no more than three episodes ago. It’s not quite as bad as the ridiculous amount of flashbacks in SEED and DESTINY, but it’s still useless padding. The episode ends with the traitorous Girard joining the fight, and I’m curious to see what her skills are.
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
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