ReviewsXabungle

Xabungle Ep. 50: Everybody, Run!

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Summary

Jiron proclaims that their forces will split up into three groups. Rag will lead the Iron Gear on the left flank, Salt will provide support from the sides and the rest of the Walker Machines will lead an attack from the front. Medick says there should be some Innocent who don’t follow Kashim at Point X and they shouldn’t kill them all. Timp looks at the group through his binoculars, angry that Jiron was able to gather such forces. He angrily contacts Biram over the lack of supplies provided. Biram claims Timp and Horla failed and they will defeat the Iron Gear with missiles. Jiron nervously announces to the Innocent domes that anyone who doesn’t want to fight them should evacuate the domes and Dr. Manet’s group can work on ways to ensure they can live outside the domes. Horla is angry at Jiron acting heroically instead of him. Kashim tells Biram to launch a counterattack and shut Jiron up. A large number of planes and crafts depart from the Innocent domes. Kashim’s forces immediately start firing at them. Jiron and everyone else head out. Elchi is determined to take out Kashim herself. The Gallier and Xabungle head off the Iron Gear deck to take part in the attack. Timp’s forces send out their Dorans. The fighting quickly becomes fierce. Jiron tells Elchi to head back but she refuses and the two continue forward. Horla is angry at not being able to take part. Timp’s forces fight with those from the Iron Gear and Salt. Biram fires off more missiles at Timp’s urging. One of the missiles ends up striking Timp’s Gibros landship. Timp argues with Biram and says he is going to pull back. Kashim also contacts Biram, who fights back, telling him if he’s not going to do anything himself he should at least pick up a gun. Kashim, Timp and Biram continue to argue. Jiron’s forces further their advance. Timp plans to flee at an opportune moment. Chill requests more help from Rag. Rag tells Kotsett to use the Iron Gear‘s secret technique and it transforms into Walker Machine mode. Rag tells him to pull off a super jump which he does. Timp gets frightened at seeing the Iron Gear jump around and get closer. Timp wants to retreat to the dome but Giro says they aren’t allowed back in. The Iron Gear smashes its foot right through one of the Innocent domes. Timp’s Gibros landship takes numerous hits and he takes off to head out on a Brockary Walker Machine. Jiron orders their forces to head into Point X. Chill notices many of their enemies, those who were being paid to fight, fleeing. Timp suddenly appears in his Brockary and starts kicking around Fatman’s Walker Machine. Giro wants to retreat but Timp refuses. Rag provides support with the Iron Gear. Elchi tells Jiron she’ll leave this battle to him as she heads to take on Kashim. The Gallier knocks the Brockary down a cliff. The Xabungle tears its way further into the dome. Biram nervously calls out for Biram but receives no response. We see Biram fleeing through the halls of the dome with two assistants.

Biram is found by Elchi in her Xabungle and he claims to only have been following Kashim’s orders. Kashim proclaims he’ll blow him up along with Elchi as he readies some missiles to launch. Biram and his colleagues flee as Kashim fires off the missiles. Kashim maniacally laughs. One of the giant missiles starts toppling over and crushes Kashim and Biram. The resulting explosion blinds Elchi. Fatman leaps his way towards the Xabungle and pushes it out of the way just in time, but he is also caught up in the blast. Blue stones fly out from the explosion and Rag tells their forces to continue forward and capture Point X. Elchi walks around in the Xabungle and realizes she’s blind. She falls out of the Xabungle as it topples over, hoping there’s still some Innocent around who can help her. Timp shows up in the Brockary and says he’s going to put her out of her misery. Jiron shows up in the Gallier and Timp threatens Elchi. He says he will trade him Elchi for the Iron Gear and the ability to escape. Elchi tells Jiron not to listen to him; he is the man who killed his parents after all. Maria, Birin, and the Sand Rats show up with some Salt forces and fire upon the Brockary. Timp proclaims they’ll meet again and flees the Brockary. Everyone cheers on their victory outside of Horla, who is angry at not being able to take part. Rag and Blume beat on Giro. Elchi asks where Fatman is; all they’ve found is his hat. Jiron and the others realize Elchi’s blind. Elchi cries over Fatman’s death. That evening, the forces of Salt and the Iron Gear celebrate outside. Chill tells Dyke and the others that Elchi is gone and Jiron has gone to look for her. Rag says Elchi left as she doesn’t want to be a hindrance for them. Rag and Chill argue and Chill goes to hug Lovely Rose after Rag slaps her. Rag is depressed over Jiron and calls him an idiot. Elchi wanders off in the Xabungle, claiming she’ll be a burden on everyone. The Xabungle stalls and she wonders if it has run out of gas or if there’s a problem with the plug. Wolves start howling in the distance and Elchi starts crying for Jiron. Jiron proclaims he is here and approaches on the Gallier. Elchi tries to restart the Xabungle and heads off in it. Eventually the Xabungle trips and Elchi flies out of the cockpit. Jiron dives with the Gallier and is able to catch her. Jiron tells her he can act as her eyes and arms. Jiron asks Elchi if she hates him, or those from the Iron Gear and she says no. He says it is decided. Elchi says she feels bad for Rag, but he says Rag is a strong woman. The two kiss. Jiron runs back with Elchi in his arms and everyone else runs towards them. A figure from the far distance quickly catches up with them, revealed to be Fatman, still alive after all. Fatman takes Elchi right out of Jiron’s arms and everyone runs together. We see Horla, Geraba and Timp also join in. We see images of various characters throughout the show also appear on screen and wave goodbye.

Commentary

Xabungle ends as expected, as our heroes prevail and are able to defeat Kashim King once and for all. A show that has often eschewed Tomino’s tendency to kill off large amounts of his cast continues here as Kashim and Biram are the only characters to die. Fatman appears to die, but then shows up unharmed at the end. The final battle was a pretty exciting one, even if most of it was predictable. I did enjoy the Iron Gear going back into Walker Machine mode and jumping around. The power of the Iron Gear‘s Walker Machine mode really was underutilized during the show. The one big surprise is Elchi going blind, a rather sad end for a character who didn’t really deserve it as she was able to be redeemed and reverted back to her normal self by the end of the show. It’s a stark contrast to a character who suffers a similar fate in Tomino’s later show Victory Gundam who totally deserved it. Elchi’s blindness sets up Jiron being able to take care of her and the two ending up together, although the show was already heading in that direction. It was nice to see the two have their first kiss. Timp Sharon lives on, as do Horla and Geraba who are repeatedly used in a funny scene (with the exact same animation used over and over) with Horla mad at not being able to take part in the final battle. The episode ends with much of our cast running (a fitting title for the final episode I suppose) and a montage of characters from throughout the series, both living and dead, waving goodbye. In terms of overall thoughts on the show, Xabungle is a fun ride and a good contrast to most of Tomino’s other works. The storyline never gets as in-depth as I would have liked, but it is able to provide some good humor throughout as well as about as much fourth wall breaking as I’ve ever seen in an anime. If one wants to see how Tomino tackles a comedy, it is a good show to check out.

Overall Rating
4.5/5

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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