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Gundam AGE Ep. 6: Light and Shadow of Fardain

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Summary

Emily runs into Flit at Fardain’s port, where he’s using Haro to examine the combat data from when Desil stole the AGE-1 Normal the day before. He wonders who Desil is, and Emily says she can’t believe a little kid piloted a Gundam. Flit comments that Desil was more impressive than him, and Emily gives Flit a ticket for a flight to Tordia in five days. He then tells her that he’s not going to Tordia. On the Diva‘s bridge, Grodek thinks back to the last time he saw his wife and daughter before leaving for work. A co-worker then broke the news to Grodek that Angel, where his family lived, was under attack. Millais snaps Grodek back to the present and tells him he should get some rest, but he decides to leave instead. In the hangar, Vargas explains to Largan the armor upgrades he’s made to his Genoace. Woolf then announces he’s going to leave for a bit and takes off in his Genoace Custom. Emily asks Flit what he means, and he explains that he’s going to stay on the Diva as a volunteer for the EFF. Emily tells Flit he isn’t obligated to fight, but he says he has to do something about the UE and try to save people. She says he might die, but he answers that he’s already made up his mind. She then tells Flit he selfishly decided that on his own and runs away. Elsewhere, Woolf lands at the Madorna Workshop space station and meets with its owner, mobile suit mechanic Mukured Madorna. Madorna asks Woolf if he’s bored with his current mobile suit, and Woolf explains that he’s seen one that has sparked his imagination. Madorna’s wife Lalaparly greets Woolf, and he shows Madorna a picture of the AGE-1 Normal, which Madorna immediately recognizes as a legendary mobile suit that fought in prior wars. Madorna wants to see the Gundam, but Woolf says he has a job for Madorna: make a suit better than a Gundam. Flit and Haro run through the streets of Fardain and search for Emily. Flit wonders where she might’ve gone, but Haro spots her by a street corner. Flit tells Emily they have to go back because they’re not allowed outside, and she says Flit doesn’t know how she feels. Their conversation is interrupted when several Zila and Xeno mobile suits appear in the streets and open fire on each other. Flit and Emily try to seek shelter, but protective walls rise from the ground and cover every building. Emily wonders if it’s the UE, but Flit tells her it isn’t. A man opens an underground grate and tells Flit and Emily to come with him. After reaching the underground, the man introduces himself as Iwark Bria and explains that they’re in the gap between Fardain’s inner and outer walls. Iwark leads them through a shantytown where they meet his daughter, a young girl named Riria. Riria proudly shows off a bag of scrap metal she’s found, which she says will be enough to buy dinner.

Iwark takes Flit and Emily to his home and gives them coffee. Riria asks where Emily is from, and Emily answers that she’s from Nora. Iwark suspected that they weren’t locals, and Flit explains that Nora was destroyed by the UE. Iwark asks Riria to go play in the next room, and she’s instantly enchanted by Haro. Iwark explains that he found Riria abandoned and raised her as his own daughter. Flit asks if those mobile suit battles happen a lot, and Iwark says that they’re a leftover from the Colony Nation Wars. Long ago, the colonies divided into two factions, the Zalam Union and Euba Alliance, and went to war. Decades later, the fighting ended, but due to the massive damage, people decided to abandon mobile suits as part of the Silver Chalice Treaty. Flit asks why there’s still fighting, and Iwark says memories written in blood aren’t easily forgotten. He says there’s no point to the battles, and people on the surface bicker over their ideologies. Elsewhere, dressed as a civilian and using the alias “Eric Sterner,” Grodek meets with an arms dealer named Don Boyage. Grodek pulls off the trenchcoat, revealing his EFF uniform, and declares that he’s come to make a deal. Grodek wants to buy four warships, but Boyage feigns ignorance and asks Grodek to leave. Grodek offers to give Boyage access to the military weapons database Folder EZ7 in exchange for the ships. Boyage calls Grodek crooked, but Grodek retorts that he doesn’t want to hear that from a pig who stuffs himself by starting useless battles in the name of old nations. Boyage agrees to the deal and asks Grodek to come to his mansion. As they drive away, another battle breaks out between the Zalam and Euba. The underground area shakes as a result of the battle, and Iwark notices that Riria is gone. Iwark rushes outside and says that Riria probably went above ground, so he intends to save her. He gets into his construction mobile suit Desperado and is joined by Flit and Emily in its cramped cockpit. Elsewhere, Boyage and Grodek reach the mansion. Iwark spots Riria, and she gets knocked out when the area behind her explodes. Iwark leaves Riria with Flit and Emily because he intends to make the others pay. Flit thinks about the devastation he’s witnessed and contacts Vargas with the AGE device. He says there’s a battle in the Altarka area and that he needs the Gundam. Iwark tackles a Zila to the ground and rams his heat shovel through its head. He then picks up its machine gun and opens fire on the Zilas and Xenos. When it runs out of ammo, he rushes in to fight with his heat pickaxe. Vargas pulls up with the Gundam’s trailer, and Flit hops into the cockpit. Iwark tries to toss his pickaxe, but his Desperado is disabled. Flit tells Iwark that he can’t win in that suit and jumps in front of it to block an attack. Iwark doesn’t want to leave, and Flit asks him if he wants Riria to be alone. Iwark then jumps out of the Desperado just before it explodes. Flit realizes he can’t use the DODS rifle in the city and runs away. Adams and Millais watch the battle on TV and are shocked to see the Gundam there. Boyage asks Grodek what his intentions are, and Grodek answers that he wants to destroy a UE stronghold. The enemy mobile suits back off, and Flit is suddenly attacked by a UE Baqto. The Baqto charges with its beam saber and pushes Flit back. Flit fires the DODS rifle, but the Baqto deflects with its forearm and causes the beam to damage the protective walls. As Flit wonders what he should do, he pulls out his beam saber to defend against the Baqto. He’s pushed back, and the Baqto suddenly vanishes. The Zalam suits return and tell Flit he’s under arrest for destroying their city. Flit tries to explain that it was the UE’s fault and that he was trying to protect the city.

Commentary

This episode explains some background information about the AG world, but it’s not without problems. As soon as Riria vanished, it was obvious that she would get caught in a mobile suit battle on the surface. I can understand that Don Boyage is profiteering from the Zalam and Euba fighting, but why do they fight in the middle of the city when Fardain is so big? They also use what must be the worst mobile suits ever, as they stand there shooting at each other and cause no damage. We learn that a war between colonies was ended by a treaty that banned mobile suits, but that treaty must be useless if everyone has mobile suits. Adams and Millais are shocked to see the Gundam fighting in the city, so how did they not notice Vargas leaving the ship with the Gundam’s trailer? I can see why Flit was caught off guard by the Baqto, but he could’ve easily disabled those garbage suits that were attacking him. Also, by what authority do the Zalam claim to be able to arrest Flit by? Whatever’s going on, it’s clear that someone in Fardain must have some connection to the UE, given the Gafran infiltration last episode and the Baqto’s appearance this time. It was a little convenient that the attacking mobile suits vanished just before the Baqto appeared and returned right after it vanished, so these Zalam probably know something. On another note, Emily finally confronts Flit with her concern that he’s going to die in battle, but naturally it has no effect since he’s dedicated himself to saving people.

Overall Rating
3/5

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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