The AGE-1 Normal is detained, and Flit is taken to Boyage’s mansion. Boyage comments that Flit has some nerve to cause so much damage in Zalam territory, but Flit counters that he was fighting because the UE appeared. Boyage asks who Flit is since he appeared out of nowhere, and Grodek walks into the room and states that Flit is one of his pilots. Flit wonders what Grodek is doing there. Underground, Emily bandages Riria’s cuts and asks Iwark why Flit was detained. Iwark explains that the city is within Zalam territory, and they’re probably worried that letting an outsider get away with something will give the Euba the wrong idea. Vargas asks what the local EFF is doing, and Iwark explains that they turn a blind eye to the Zalam and Euba. Emily says Flit has nothing to do with them and wants to get Flit with the trailer, but Vargas tells her they can’t go in the trailer. She intends to go by herself, but Vargas stops her and says he’s coming along. Iwark offers to let them use his truck, and Emily rushes outside as Riria sneaks off. Back at the mansion, Grodek and Boyage eat a meal with real steak, but Flit refuses to join in. He asks Boyage to let him go, but Boyage answers if he does that so quickly, the Euba will underestimate him. Flit doesn’t want to sit around and wait because the UE could attack again, but Boyage answers that if they’re lucky, Euba territory will be hit. Flit asks Boyage why he’s dragging out a war that ended long ago, and Boyage answers that as long as the others call themselves Euba, he has to fight them as Zalam. Flit says that doesn’t make sense, and Boyage explains that he’s defending the Zalam name like his ancestors did. Boyage then asks Flit to give him the Gundam so that he can defeat the Euba, and he tells Grodek that he’ll give him warships in exchange for the Gundam. Grodek refuses and says he’s already laid out his conditions, and when Boyage offers money on top of that, Flit declares the Gundam isn’t for sale. Boyage looks at biographical files for Grodek and Flit and sees they both lost their families to the UE. Boyage says Flit was lecturing him about dragging out the wars of the past, but they’re the same. Elsewhere, Vargas and Emily drive through the city, and Emily worries about Flit. Vargas swerves to avoid hitting a cat, and when they hear a noise they realize that Riria snuck onto the truck. She says she hates the constant fighting, and several junkyard kids see Riria and decide to come along. At the mansion, Flit asks Grodek about the warships, and Grodek explains that he needs them to destroy the UE’s nest. Flit asks why they don’t get a fleet from the EFF, and Grodek tells him the military in its current state can’t fight the UE. If it could, Nora wouldn’t have been destroyed. Grodek says they’re comrades and puts out his hand, asking Flit to join him. Just then, Emily uses a loudspeaker and demands Flit’s release, followed by Riria and the junkyard kids. A grenade is lobbed into the mansion’s front gate, and several Euba Xenos appear, led by Ract Elfamel’s Elmeda.
Ract issues a challenge to Boyage, and his Xenos open fire and advance. Boyage and his two lackeys suit up and prepare to launch in their mobile suits. A Zila slams into the Elmeda, and a Xeno tosses a grenade in Emily’s direction, but Flit jumps in at the last second with the AGE-1 Normal and blocks the explosion. Grodek tells Vargas that the city is too far, so for now they’ll take the kids to the Diva. A Zila charges toward Ract, but he beheads it with his heat sword. Boyage then attacks Ract with his Gala‘s mace and knocks him down. Boyage says he’ll deal with Ract personally and charges forward, but Ract trips him. Boyage charges again, but Ract jumps over him and trips over a pool. As he falls backward, Flit grabs him and repels Boyage’s attack. Flit asks them why they’re fighting and says the old wars don’t matter anymore. Boyage accuses Flit of dragging past fights into the present, and Ract says Flit doesn’t understand. Flit says he doesn’t understand their history of pointless fighting when they live in the same colony. A Baqto and two Gafrans appear in the sky, and the Baqto breaks off to attack the truck. Grodek calls the Diva and orders the launch of the Genoace. Boyage and Ract tell Flit not to interfere and each declare that their own faction will beat the UE. Flit activates his thrusters to do a speed run across the land and crash into the Baqto. He fires several shots from his DODS rifle, but the Baqto again deflects them. He tries to pull out his beam saber, but the Baqto knocks him back and damages his shoulder. As the truck approaches the spaceport elevator, Largan exits the elevator in his Genoace. Largan jumps in and opens fire on the Baqto, although his beam spray gun has no effect. He tells Flit to get back to the ship because the AGE System is creating a new weapon. Largan then rushes in and attacks with his heat stick, and Flit heads back to the ship. On the Diva‘s bridge, Millais informs Grodek that 90 percent of the Zalam and Euba suits have been disabled, and the Gundam is being refit. Flit asks Vargas where the new weapon is, and Vargas directs his attention to a new set of heavy arms and legs. Largan continues to attack the Baqto, but it grabs him and prepares to fire its chest cannon at point blank range. Just then, Flit appears in the Gundam AGE-1 Titus and knocks away the Baqto.
The conflict in Fardain between the Euba and Zalam continues in this episode, and I can’t emphasize enough how moronic these two factions are. Whatever their quarrel was in the past, it’s degenerated into nothing more than a gang fight for names and territory. I could see how that would work if it wasn’t for the fact that everyone on both sides is a complete idiot. I was also surprised by Boyage’s complete indifference to the UE threat, and his attempt to say that Flit is the same as him. That’s just objectively untrue – Boyage is fighting in the name of a war that ended long ago, while Flit is fighting to protect people from a very current threat. Interestingly, the Zalam logo looks very similar to the ZAFT logo from SEED. I’m not surprised that Riria snuck along with Emily and Vargas, as she has a habit of sticking her nose in trouble. It was interesting to see Grodek make his appeal to Flit, mainly because their interaction up to now has been limited. Despite Flit’s hesitance, he and Grodek are quite similar and are both fighting for the same purpose. I have to give Largan some credit for managing to survive in his obsolete Genoace and always getting the short end of the stick. Thankfully, he’s saved by the last second tease of the AGE-1 Titus making its debut.
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
Live Stream: https://youtube.com/live/fqw4pnuOYF4?feature=share
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