The sounds of the reaper is jazz.
What They Say:
Federation troops and Zeon forces carry out a fierce battle in the Thunderbolt Sector in what was once Side 4 “Mua”. The Thunderbolt Sector is a shoal zone composed of the debris of destroyed space colonies, named for the electrical discharges from the metal debris. MS pilot Io Flemming is among the Federation soldiers who are dispatched to the area, where Zeon sniper Daryl Lorenz awaits them on the battlefield.
The Review:
Content: (please note that content portions of a review may contain spoilers)
Mobile Suit Gundam has had a rocky outing recently. Barring the Iron Blooded Orphans series, Mobile Suit Gundam seems to have an alternation between success and disappointment for fans of the series. It is with Thunderbolt that we may start seeing a string of successes that improve and progress the franchise rather than hinder it.
Gundam Thunderbolt has our main character Io Flemming facing the in the Thunderbolt Sector. The Thunderbolt Sector is a ruthless zone, where if the lightning doesn’t destroy you, an enemy pilot will. That said enemy pilot, Zeon’s ace sniper Daryl Lorenz. Will Flemming be able to take out Lorenz and win the Thunderbolt sector for the Earth Federation? While this question will be answered throughout the series, the question of is this Gundam action packed, the answer is yes.
The action in this episode feels impeccable. The movement of the mobile suits seems to feel fluid for their types. We then seed this fluidity in action as each scenes feels well crafted with each shot and blast feeling just as important as the last. Each impact of the sniper shots feels realistic and even gut wrenching as you see the Earth Federation forces having to deal with an ace sniper in the Thunderbolt sector. While this action is great, it will be interesting to see how Io Flemming will be interpreted by the crowd.
Io Flemming will be a polarizable figure for Gundam. Smooth, confident suave, all of these characterize Flemming. Unlike previous pilots in many mech shows, Flemming shows a confidence of a mature pilot, understanding how to find his opponents, get under their skin, and take them out when they’ve cracked. This aspect clearly shows up when he gets to one of the snipers in the Thunderbolt zone, find their location and killing them before taking a Zaku out for the Earth Federation. All of these aspects lead up to him becoming a hero that peoplo would admire, if it weren’t for that said confidence coming off as arrogance.
The problem is that for all of said confidence and swagger, Flemming also comes off as a jerk. His lack of empathy for his lost comrades feels cold. He presses himself on his superior, kissing her and walks away as if it’s nothing. It comes off as controlling and creepy. His calculating manner seems almost on a supervillainous level, forcing his superiors to give him a Gundan since he ranks the highest and is the most skilled pilot out of the group. It will take time to see if this attitude adjusts for the season. One thing that doesn’t need adjusting is the music.
A quick note about the music, it’s great for a Gundam series. As fans of sci-fi can atttest with Cowboy Bebop, space and jazz can work wonders. Gundam Thunderbolt is no different. The jazz tones as the mobile suits go across the Thunderbolt Sector works wonders bringing us closer to the action while sounding well. Using the music, it works to contrast the themes between two pilots as Flemming tells Lorenz that his calling card is jazz. We will see how the series continues to integrate music as a theme for the series.
In Summary:
Gundam Thunderbolt is off to an interesting start. Nice music and great action, this episode shows a side of the Universal Century rarely displayed. While the jury will be out on Io Flemming, the jury will find Gundam Thunderbolt guilty of great jazz music. It finally feels that the Gundam franchise is waking up from mediocrity and this episode seems to be one of the alarms that may wake up this anime property giant.
Grade: B+
Streamed By: Youtube
Review Equipment:
MacBook Pro (Retina, 13-inch, Mid 2014) on OSX 10.10.5 Yosemitie with Google Chrome 47.0.2526.10
