Puppets dancing on a lonely string.
What They Say:
Episode #31 “SILENT WAR”
A conflict between the rival economic blocs Arbrau and SAU breaks out as their armies clash on the Balfour Plain. Tekkadan also joins the battle under the command of Galan Mossa, but its members become exhausted as the war of attrition continues day after day.
The Review
Content: (please note that content portions of a review may contain spoilers)
It’s very interesting that this episode begins in medias res. We don’t see the beginning of the actual conflict between Arbrau and SAU. Two forces that are new to warfare after having been under the thumb of Gjallarhorn become mired in a drawn-out battle.
Galan, the bearded tactician, has created the stalemate to essentially make McGillis and his faction look bad. That’s the only motivation here. It’s Rustal playing games with the lives of some PMC kids and greenhorn security forces. Which is why we’ve skipped the build up and the majority of the conflict, this wasn’t meant to be anything big, but for our boys, it’s life or death.
Tekkadan wasn’t built to survive a siege, they are all about quick, decisive fights. The fact that Takaki cannot realize that Galan doesn’t have Tekkadan’s best interests in mind is infuriating. Beyond infuriating, it’s outright stupidity. Galan’s kept the kids fighting and exhausted so that he can take control of the chain of command. The fact that Takaki is simply too young and has no experience commanding troops should have had him sitting the conflict out. He’s made the stupid mistake to put his trust in a guy that he just met even though everything in everyone’s mind is screaming that something isn’t right.
So why the hell is Takaki ignoring his gut instinct? Well, Aston has to take some of the blame. He’s been supporting Takaki emotionally this entire time because Takaki is such a damn optimist. Takaki’s misplaced faith has already resulted in losses for Tekkadan and a demoralized force. It’s easy to point out what Takaki should have done, but at this point the damage is deep. Hopefully, when everything comes to a halt there’s something left of the earth Tekkadan branch to salvage.
Also, why is it no one knows what’s going on with Chad… except Takaki’s sister? Is communication truly this abysmal in their world that no one can make a phone call?
Meanwhile, even McGillis is getting played! He sits back and tries to figure out how to solve the dispute with politics and eventually just jumps in his mobile suit. Galan calls out the Tekkadan kids against McGillis, maybe not realizing that McGillis is on Tekkadan’s side. The question is will McGillis realize what’s up and be able to stop the fight, or will the space kiddos get there and finish it first? So, it’s time to take bets. Who’s not coming back after the next episode? Takaki or Aston? Maybe both.
In Summary:
Tekkadan’s earth branch was a mistake. Stretching the organization this thin has resulted in a green group being placed at the frontline of what might be the next world war. They’re being used as sacrificial pawns for multiple sides, same as it ever was. Orga would like to think that he can trust those he put in place on earth to do the right thing but by the time his backup arrives it’s unlikely that any of his trusted kids will be left. Everything comes back to Gjallarhorn, and the sooner that everyone realizes it the quicker Tekkadan can get out of this mess. However, I get the feeling that it’s going to be a long game of cat and mouse before alliances begin to sour.
Episode Grade: B –
Streamed by: Daisuki, Crunchyroll, Youtube, and Gundam.info in select regions.
