IdeonReviews

Ideon Ep. 36: Farewell, Solo Ship

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Summary

A soldier from the Earth military argues with Bes about how many of Solo Ship crew can fit aboard one of their ships. Cosmo sets a bomb on the Solo Ship deck. One of the crew starts losing it and drifts off the ship. Cosmo heads out to save him. Members of the Solo Ship crew head onto a Crap shuttle. Meanwhile the Scarabelli and its accompanying crafts approach the Solo Ship. Marshall’s assistant Miraclin is surprised that the crew is actually actually going to abandon the solo Ship. The two of them head over to the Solo Ship on a Cutlet. Bes guides Marshall through the Solo Ship where they have placed many bombs in order to self destruct it. Marshall says they should bring it back to Earth but Bes and Cosmo feel that its too powerful, especially after the incident with Night Star. Bes says they will find a new planet to settle on. Marshall tells Bes they’ll tell the Earth that the Solo Ship was destroyed by a Buff Clan attack. On the Buff Clan ship Sades Zan commander Galbaba Gra shows a video of his girlfriend Miya Isaac to the crew. The Solo Ship crew looks at the Solo Ship and Ideon as they depart on the Crap. Suddenly the Scarabelli‘s forces start heading towards the Solo Ship. Cosmo and the others head to the gun turrets aboard the Crap. Marshall orders his forces to board the Solo Ship and remove the bombs. A number of Puffer crafts are launched with soldiers aboard. The Crap fires at the Puffers as it heads back towards the Solo Ship. The Earth military soldiers start heading onto the Solo Ship. Suddenly Galbaba’s ships emerge from Null Space right above the Solo Ship and immediately start sending out their own forces. The Scarabelli sends out Cutlet crafts to take on the Buff Clan. Cosmo and Kasha volunteer to return to the Solo Ship so they can disarm the bombs. The Crap moves closer to the Solo Ship. Bes announces to everyone that they are to re-board the Solo Ship, and disarm the bombs. The Scarabelli‘s crafts are easily destroyed by the Buff Clan forces.

The Crap reaches the Solo Ship and many members of the crew fly over in their space suits. The Crap is immediately struck by the Buff Clan and is forced to turn away from the Solo Ship. Cosmo and Deck decide to head to the Ideon. Joliver leads a group inside the Solo Ship to disarm the bombs. They meet up with members of the Earth military who are also trying to disarm the bombs. Galbaba tells his forces to focus on the Scarabelli and seize the Solo Ship. Cosmo and Deck get aboard the Ideon, where the Ideon gauge immediately goes off. A Ganga Lubu Libu appears above the Ideon and attacks it. Gije manages to stop one of the bombs, but they are unable to stop the rest of the bombs in time. All of the bombs go off, but barely anything happens as the Ide creates a barrier that seals in the blasts. The Ideon battles the Buff Clan’s Gangu Lubu Libus and using the Ideon swords has a lot of success. The Scarabelli is completely destroyed. Bes and Hatari move the Crap under the Solo Ship. Joliver, Sheryl and Karala make it to the bridge of the Solo Ship and send out the Ideon Gun. The Ideon grabs ahold of the Ideon Gun. The Solo Ship enters a short DS Drive while the Ideon Gun fires, vaporizing all of the Buff Clan ships. Later back aboard the Solo Ship the crew knows that they wouldn’t even be able to kill themselves because the Ide would prevent it. Sheryl thinks the Ide called the Buff Clan in to force them back onto the Solo Ship. Harulu is contacted about the destruction of the advance fleet.

Commentary

An interesting and original idea appears in this episode when the Solo Ship crew actually abandons it and the Ideon, willing to depart the battlefield entirely and settle peacefully somewhere else. I don’t think I’ve ever seen something like that in a mecha show before. Unfortunately for them this doesn’t happen as both the Earth Union Military and Buff Clan try to get their hands on the Solo Ship and Ideon. As we’re approaching the end of the series signs of things being rushed show, we’re put right in the middle of things at the start of the episode with no build up whatsoever of our heroes decision to leave the Solo Ship and Ideon. And the fight to take them back happens mere seconds after it looks like everything has ended peacefully. Marshall Franklin meets his end, as does Galbaba Gra who doesn’t even last a single episode. The Ide continues to act on its own and actually saves the Solo Ship from complete destruction. The crew also seems to think that the Ide actually drew the Buff Clan to their location in the first place in order to prevent them from leaving. Even though they hate fighting and want to leave the battlefield entirely, our heroes have no choice but to continue on. And yes, the ship the Solo Ship crew temporarily boards is indeed called Crap.

Overall Rating
3/5

Ideon Info

Director(s):
Yoshiyuki Tomino
Toshifumi Takizawa (movie 2)

Writer(s):
Sukehiro Tomita
Ken’ichi Matsuzaki
Yuuji Watanabe
Hiroyasu Yamaura
Arata Koga

Mechanical Designer(s):
Submarine
Kunio Okawara

Character Designer:
Tomonori Kogawa

Musical Composer:
Koichi Sugiyama

Format:
39 episodes; 2 movies

Airdates:
Japan 05.08.1980 – 01.30.1981

Theatrical Release:
Japan 07.10.1982 – 08.10.1982

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