The Gunpla Academy makes their grand entrance!
What They Say:
“Magnificent Shia”
Minato Sakai and his teammates from Tendaiji Academy, representing Osaka, easily make it through the first round of the tournament thanks to the overwhelming power of their unique Gunpla, the Tryon 3. Other rivals that Sekai and his comrades met at the Nielsen Labs, such as the Gabai Institute from Kagoshima and the Toritsu Academy from Niigata, likewise survive the first round. As the tournament enters its second round, the top-seeded Gunpla Academy finally enters battle. The Gunpla Academy’s third fighter is Shia Kijima, the girl who taught Sekai how to repair the Build Burning. The attention of the whole venue is focused on the Gunpla Academy as it battles Honmoku Academy, representing Kanagawa. But its team leader, Wilfrid Kijima, orders Shia to sortie alone as a penalty for waiting until the very last minute to complete her Gunpla. Now Shia’s G-Portent must confront Honmoku Academy on its own.
The Review:
Content: (please note that content portions of a review may contain spoilers)
I can say with absolute confidence that anyone Team Try Fighters fights in the later rounds—or even in the next round—will not be won easily. They’re going to have to use strategy and fight together to overcome the obviously more powerful foes.
First, there’s the Tryon 3, piloted by Minato Sakai of Build Busters, which combines from three gunpla. Yuuma posits that it would only serve to weaken the structural integrity of the gunpla if they combine like that, but they pick up an easy victory as a dark horse candidate.
Second, there’s Team White Wolf, who was antagonizing Team Try Fighters at the training camp. Against a stealthy team in their house, they won. They can see through deception easily and can fight one-on-one with the best of them.
Third, there’s Team SD-R, who only pilot SD gunpla and are all related. Triplets! They use the similar stealthy tactics as the team White Wolf was fighting, but to much greater success. It’d be interesting to see White Wolf take on SD-R.
Fourth and finally is the Gunpla Academy. The very same team that has the gunpla that almost ruined Yuuma’s battle career and the gunpla that defeated Sekai in resounding fashion. If this show isn’t building up to a confrontation between Team Try Fighters and the Gunpla Academy, then I don’t know what it’s doing.
With five big teams named and at least eight left in the tournament, we’re sure to see some really interesting matchups coming up soon. The big test is still how Team Try Fighters will work together. I may have been overzealous emphasizing teamwork when strategy should be paramount. Three one-on-one fights may very well be the best answer, but that’s yet to be seen against an especially strong opponent. Misdirection and stratagem will likely win future matches. But Gundam Build Fighters isn’t always about that. It’s about the fun.
In Summary:
This was a transition match, giving Team Try Fighters a much needed rest in the middle of a high-octane tournament. They didn’t fight, but it was hardly without excitement. The big players were revealed in this episode and now we know who to look out for in the coming episodes. Gundam Build Fighters Try, like its predecessor, has 25 episodes, so there’s nine more to sort everything out. This tournament is only going to get hotter and I’m not talking about Sekai’s special move.
Grade: B
Streamed By: YouTube
Equipment: PS3, LG 47LB5800 47” 1080p LED TV, LG NB3530A Sound Bar
