Arthur Rank and Kashim King talk with Biram, who is electronically reporting to them. Kashim questions him on the state of their armed forces and recent Innocent domes being destroyed. Kashim plans to send him information on armies the Innocent have had in the past. Arthur says he doesn’t want to use large armed forces. Arthur asks Biram to get in contact with him if he is with Jiron. Meanwhile Jiron continues to pursue Fatman, who is heading off on his own in a Walker Machine. Both soon fall into the water on a frozen lake. As a Salt landship approaches the Iron Gear, Rag happily calls out to Katakam and he jumps over. The men on his landship eagerly call out his name although Kotsett, looking from above dismisses him. Chill spots Jiron returning with Fatman. Katakam and Jiron quickly get in an argument and Fatman also gets upset. Katakam shows everyone a map including Delivery Point H where they believe Elchi to be. Rag argues with Jiron, thinking he is putting saving Elchi ahead of the Iron Gear/Salt’s plans. Fatman angrily tears up the map and Jiron claims his loyalty is to the Iron Gear‘s true captain. Elchi. Katakam decides that they should avoid any infighting and they’ll come up with a plan after Birin returns from reconnaissance. Kotsett throws a wrench at Fatman and pushes him to protect the Iron Gear since it belongs to Elchi. Birin and a couple of Salt members look from afar as many Breakers and Walker Machines gather by a cave possessed by the Innocent. This includes an Iron Gear-like landship. They head back to the Iron Gear. Birin taunts Jiron over his obsession with Elchi. Inside the cave a large number of Breakers have gathered. Dowas angrily yells at two of them who are sitting off by the side. These same two men later start beating up an Innocent member, mad that he is ordering them around without experience. This continues to cause Dowas to threaten them. A female breaker, Caron Cal, walks out and is accompanied by many other female Breakers. Biram comes down to greet her, saying to rest for now but he’ll have some work for her soon. Many of the male Breakers chase after them. Dowas doesn’t know much about leading an army but Biram tells him to have faith in what Kashim is telling them and he’ll send him over some research. Back on the Iron Gear Birin tells Katakam and the others about those gathering at Point H. Katakam thinks they are planning for a large scale battle. Fatman quickly rushes off towards the Walker Machine deck and tries to get on a Xabungle until Katakam arrives, pointing a gun at him, telling both him and Jiron to abide by his plan.
Dowas comes to see Biram while he is eating, asking him if it is really alright to give Caron a landship. Biram thinks Elchi needs some more training, and he had made Caron a promise. He tells Dowas to have Timp or Horla help her out if he’s that worried. Later, an Innocent provides Timp a map showing where the Iron Gear is. Timp complains about not getting new Walker Machines he had requested and accidentally burns the map with his cigar. Timp complains about Biram being pushy. He accidentally burns his foot. Later, after complaining some more, Timp’s assistant wonders if they haven’t provided more supplies because of how busy they are getting preparations for other Breakers. Timp accidentally burns his hair. Back on the Iron Gear, Jiron and Katakam argue as the ship comes under attack. Jiron wants to head out to Point H but Katakam wants him to stay back, planning on having the Iron Gear hold back the Innocent’s patrol so he can have Salt infiltrate Point H at which point they can rescue Elchi. Jiron tells him to catch up once he’s beaten Timp and leaves the bridge. Katakam leaves the bridge too, leaving things in Rag’s hands. Katakam returns to one of his landships, leading the way. Timp leads his landship, arguing with his assistant as he is holding back, preserving ammunition. He still hopes to show Biram and Dowas that he’s doing his job so he can get more supplies. Dyke and another Iron Gear crew member wonder if Timp is out of ammo and attack him. Kotsett yells down to Dyke not to waste ammo. Fatman tries to start the engine of a Xabungle but instead jumps into the Gallier‘s cockpit as Jiron takes off. Timp complains about how intense the Iron Gear‘s attack is on them despite him not pushing hard in this battle. He decides to retreat. Realizing this, Jiron wants to head to Point H. Meanwhile Caron looks at things from her landship, planning on leaving the Walker Machines to the men. She views this as a chance to prove themselves to Biram. Katakam sends out more of his Walker Machines but one of his landships takes a blow. Jiron spots them from a far in the Gallier. Fatman doesn’t want him to go but Jiron pushes that he has to go rescue them. Rag heads out on a Xabungle. Two of the Breakers start arguing with each other while in their Walker Machine, leading to their quick defeat. Jiron arrives in the Gallier. The Gallier is able to quickly defeat a number of the enemy Walker Machines, causing Caron to flee. Rag argues with Katakam after the retreat, and Jiron joins in. Katakam starts questioning if the Iron Gear was defeated and they ran away, but instead realizes it was because he defeated Timp so quickly. Katakam thinks Jiron didn’t follow the plan and calls him Melon Amos. Jiron angrily says he doesn’t want to see him again and will rescue Elchi on his own. Later, Fatman once again gathers some of Elchi’s clothes in a suitcase and flees. He runs into the Gallier outside, but Jiron accepts him on board and they head off together.
This felt much like a moving the chess pieces episode to me, and unfortunately was one I wasn’t all too interested in. It seems largely dedicated to building up the scale of the conflict. On the Innocent side, under the direction of Kashim King, Biram and Dowas are growing the size of their forces and recruiting even more Breakers. There seems to be some internal disagreement within the Innocent between Kashim, who favors a larger army, and Arthur, who doesn’t want to go that far. Nonetheless, some of the inexperience of the Innocent with battling shows. On our hero’s side of things, it seems more of the same. Jiron and Katakam continue to argue, and Jiron and Fatman continue to be dedicated to saving Elchi above all else. It was pretty funny to see Katakam call Jiron “Melon Amos;” I assume because of the melon-shape of his head (which we even temporarily see transposed over him). I enjoyed hearing an insert song from Mio, which I believe is the same song used back in episode 25. Anyway, beyond that, not much here to interest me this time.
Xabungle Info
Director:
Yoshiyuki Tomino
Writer(s):
Tsunehisa Ito
Fuyunori Gobu
Soji Yoshikawa
Yoshihisa Araki
Mechanical Designer(s):
Kunio Okawara
Yutaka Izubuchi
Tomonori Kogawa
Yoshiaki Akutagawa
Yoshiyuki Tomino
Character Designer:
Tomonori Kogawa
Musical Composer:
Koji Makaino
Format:
50 episodes; 1 compilation movie
Airdates:
Japan 02.06.1982 – 01.29.1983
Theatrical Release:
Japan 07.09.1983
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