Gundam 00 Season 2 Episode 12

[masamuneehs]

I am not going to address the most obvious, disappointing element of this episode. it in no way merits any comment.

Sergei... questioning his duty... If he wasn't so remarkably committed I'd be clamoring about how he'll be with CB soon... maybe it'll just wait until the last battle... or before they have him do something stupidly heroic before getting waxed...

Enjoyed the animation in the first part of the episode. Actually felt like a space battle, not just a series of mini-duels.

Saji and Louise is, without a doubt, the single most compelling aspect of this series for me. Yes, this coming from the same guy who ranted about them all last season. I was absolutely shocked when he decided not to take the 00 Riser.

Andrei is creepy, but I can see how he just unconsciouly let the sight of Louise's suffering stoke his feelings for her and made him want to console her (even if it was insulting what he said). That guy is such a sacrificial lamb in waiting it's not even funny.

Ribbons. You still the man. Although I can't help but feel that he's losing his grip quicker and quicker. Something about Regene makes me think he might end up on the short end of the stick in an ironically similair way to how Alejandro went last season.

I really enjoyed the scene with Setsuna and Saji talking after the battle, and then New Lockon coming in. These characters actually do something for me. Which is amazing considering the massive amount of silly techno model kit hawking going on around them.

The title for the next episode says "the mission to capture Memento Mori". Also, the Innovators are ordered to "capture" the 00 Gundam? I can see three reasons why the Innovators are about to screw their last chance to destroy CB by trying just to capture the 00 (1. they're anime villains, thus covetous beyond logic 2. Ribbons has some major envy issues going on whenever Aeolia's secrets are involved 3. It would probably really enhance their final plan blah blah blah). But I can't for the life of me, figure out what it says that CB is going to try to capture Memento Mori... That just makes no sense at all.

edit to below-
Go play with your model kits, nerd

[Ryllharu]

@Yuki:
I love how that gif captures her surprise that a backhand is ready to connect to her face a split-second before impact.

Sergei... questioning his duty... If he wasn't so remarkably committed I'd be clamoring about how he'll be with CB soon... maybe it'll just wait until the last battle... or before they have him do something stupidly heroic before getting waxed...

Saji and Louise is, without a doubt, the single most compelling aspect of this series for me. Yes, this coming from the same guy who ranted about them all last season. I was absolutely shocked when he decided not to take the 00 Riser.

Andrei is creepy, but I can see how he just unconsciouly let the sight of Louise's suffering stoke his feelings for her and made him want to console her (even if it was insulting what he said). That guy is such a sacrificial lamb in waiting it's not even funny.

The title for the next episode says "the mission to capture Memento Mori". Also, the Innovators are ordered to "capture" the 00 Gundam? I can see three reasons why the Innovators are about to screw their last chance to destroy CB by trying just to capture the 00 (1. they're anime villains, thus covetous beyond logic 2. Ribbons has some major envy issues going on whenever Aeolia's secrets are involved 3. It would probably really enhance their final plan blah blah blah).

Concerning Sergei, his loyalty to the Regular Federation Army is what makes him so much more admirable. He still believes the idea of the Federation was correct, and I'm pretty certain too now with this gag order that he will do something about it. Though I do think it is more likely that he will leak the information and get court martialed rather than go rogue. If only he knew a conscientious reporter...oh wait, Ali stabbed her years ago. Maybe Sergei will even get executed for it (God I hope not), awakening Soma again to have her revenge.

I still don't know, at this point it seems like Saji and Louise's happy reunion will not ever come. Unless she finally gets it beaten into her head that Nena was the one to actually kill her family, and particularly not because of anything idealogically, but because she was bored and pissed she had to work that day. Andrei would certainly be killed to save her stupid ass, but quite frankly, he looks like the most viable candidate for pairing. She loathes Saji with her entire being right now.

In addition, it isn't like Louise is all that shitty a pilot considering she was a spoiled aerospace engineering student four years ago. She's at least up to the level of the mediocre Meistars (everyone except Al/Hal and maybe Tieria). She's improved a tremendous amount since the beginning of the show. It really doesn't look like there will be too many opportunities for Andrei to push her mobile suit out of the way, excepting some Trans-Am Gundam Hax Action.


As for capturing the 00, it is definitely the second one. Remember how utterly pissed off Ribbons and Alejandro were when they found out Aeolia locked them out of the highest levels of Veda? Ribbons takes personal offense every time Regene reminds him of it. Ribbons and the rest of the Innovators consider themselves to be above humanity, as self proclaimed future leaders, and they supposedly have total and complete access to Veda. The same reason Tieria was all stuck up about it last season before he got completely locked out. Whenever Ribbons finds out there was something kept from him (not necessarily the rest of the Innovators) he gets super pissed, as we saw with him losing it and slapping the shit out of Wang Liu Mei.