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Gundam Build Divers Ep. 12: Shining Wings

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Summary

Tsukasa tells Riku that he’s going to destroy GBN, which he sees as a deeply flawed world where only appearances matter. Outside, Rommel tells the Build Divers that they can’t contact the assault team due to Break Decal bugs. Inside, Tigerwolf and Shahryar rendezvous with Kyoya. Tsukasa tells Riku that GBN is a travesty and that he’s never experienced the true weight of Gunpla Battle. Sarah asks Tsukasa why he’s crying, and he asks what she knows. Kyoya, Shahryar and Tigerwolf enter the room, and Kyoya asks what Tsukasa’s motives are. Tigerwolf tackles Tsukasa and discovers that he was just a guest Diver purple Haro disguised as a human. The resource satellite then breaks in half as Tsukasa emerges in an oversized Big-Zam powered by Break Decals. Tsukasa fires the mega particle cannons, which unleash splitting beams that take out multiple Divers. Sarah feels sick after Tsukasa activates more Break Decals, which allows him to take control of the Mass-Divers. The sky breaks open after another attack, and the Game Master calls Kyoya with news that the lightning is infiltrating the Main Program and erasing server data. The bugs are spreading at a rapid pace to other servers, and he says if it keeps going, GBN will collapse entirely. Tsukasa cheers on for the end of GBN, which he calls a world of lies and a false Eden.

Tsukasa admits that he would’ve been happy just destroying the one server, but he didn’t expect the bugs from the Break Decals to have such wide-ranging effects. He says that GBN is just a fragile playground and fake battlefield. Emilia examines the bugs and determines that all the Mass-Diver units are amplifying the Big-Zam’s signal, thus spreading the bugs. A Mass-Diver’s Gunpla attacks Magee’s Gundam Love Phantom, and the Mass-Diver pleads with Magee that the Gunpla is moving on its own. Tigerwolf states that all of GBN will collapse while they’re dealing with small fry Mass-Divers, so Kyoya and Rommel move in to attack the Big-Zam. Riku follows them and says that he also wants to protect GBN. Members of Avalon and the 7th Panzer Division join the effort and provide cover for Kyoya and Rommel. Tsukasa fires a massive blast from the large mega particle cannon, and Emilia takes damage pushing the 00 Diver Ace out of the way. Ayame tries to get the damaged RX-Zeromaru to move and is rescued by Koichi, Yukki and Momo. Tsukasa fires a nail claw at Riku, but Karuna attacks it instead. Rommel and Kyoya try to use physical attacks to get past the I-field, but their weapons shatter on impact. As Tsukasa laughs, Kyoya tells everyone not to give up, because the hope they have gives them a possibility of victory. Riku declares that he wants to protect GBN because it’s precious to everyone, and the 00 Diver Ace starts to glow white. Sarah tells him that the Gunpla is reacting to him and wants to release its power. Riku then activates Trans-Am and dodges attacks from the claws. His swords are destroyed while trying to cut the Big-Zam, and the rest of the Coalition joins the attack. Sarah tells Riku that she doesn’t want to give up either and wants to be with everyone forever. The 00 Diver Ace’s GN Drives then crack open and create massive green wings of light that deflect the Big-Zam’s beams. Tsukasa doesn’t understand what’s happening, and the spreading light restores controls to the Mass-Divers and fixes the cracks in the sky. The Game Master calls Kyoya and tells him that all the bugs across GBN are fading away. Tigerwolf uses Ryukorodo on the now vulnerable Big-Zam and damages it, followed by Shahryar’s Ptolemaios Arms. Kyoya generates a massive sword to cut into the Big-Zam, while Riku finishes it off with his wings of light. The Game Master tells Kyoya that the bugs are gone, and Kyoya announces the mission’s end to the Coalition. The rest of the Build Divers ask Riku and Sarah if they’re ok, and she hugs him and laughs.

Commentary

The threat of the Break Decals ends with this episode, which has that final battle feel of a series finale, except that we’re only at about the halfway point of this show. Tsukasa makes his big play to destroy GBN, cackling the whole time and spouting edgy nonsense about it being a fake battlefield, a fake Eden and whatever other ridiculousness comes to mind. He takes to battle with a Big-Zam loaded up with Break Decals that make it gigantic and impervious to attacks. By taking control of the Mass-Divers, he spreads bugs to the point that it will eventually destroy GBN. However, everything is saved by random wings of light generated by the 00 Diver Ace. How is this even possible? That’s a mystery for another day, but something so major just randomly appearing here with no explanation as the conclusion of the battle is poor storytelling. And it all turns back to a problem with this series from its start: Sarah. How can she tell how Gunpla feel? Why does Tsukasa’s villainy make her sick? How does she know that Riku’s Gunpla has a mysterious power it wants to release. Most importantly, why are none of her friends asking all these questions themselves? With all these questions in the air, this episode ends inconclusively and feels like an unearned victory for the Coalition.

Overall Rating
2.5/5

Gundam Build Divers Info

Director:
Shinya Watada

Writer:
Noboru Kimura

Mechanical Designer(s):
Kunio Okawara
Kanetake Ebikawa
Junya Ishigaki
Junichi Akutsu
Kenji Teraoka
Ippei Gyoubu
Naohiro Washio
Takayuki Yanase

Character Designer:
Shuri Toida

Musical Composer:
Hideakira Kimura

Format:
1 episode (prologue), 25 episodes (TV)

Airdates:
Japan 04.03.2018 – 09.25.2018
Streaming 04.03.2018 – 09.25.2018

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