Mobile Suit GUNDAM: Iron Blooded Orphans

Zach Goodier

It’s been a while since we had a solid Gundam series, but Iron Blooded Orphans (IBO) is the current story involving one of the oldest and greatest mecha franchises. Our story begins on Mars, where kids Mikazuki (Mika) and Orga, as they struggle to survive as kids are frequently used for labor, as well as expendable soldiers on the battlefields between mercenaries, corporations, as well as other groups. As their crew is hired to escort a young lady, Kudelia Aina Bernstein, to earth. Kudelia is an aristocrat who seeks Martian economic independence from earth. It is because of earth’s control that Mar’s economy has tanked, and the use of children as expendable labor/soldiers is just one of many results of this hardship. However, there are opposing interests, and one group in particular, Gjallarhorn, is determined to ensure she never succeeds. In the resulting conflict, Mika has to activate the power source for the company base, a Gundam, waiting to be awakened from centuries of slumber.

Peace has made the Gundams useless, so most have been re-purposed.

This story had me hooked right off the bat, it does a great job of showing you the desperation of life for these people, and how the children are starting out at rock-bottom. However, things start to change quickly as Gjallarhorn’s attack sends most of the bosses fleeing, leaving the kids to fend for themselves. It is then that the plot starts to roll forward, and the kids go from being little more than slaves to taking charge and facing a fearsome enemy. The desperation comes across well, and it helps show how tough of a journey this will be. The kids, who form a new group called Tekkadan, struggle to survive on their own, as they form alliances, and prepare for the long journey ahead to get Kudelia to earth.

The action is very well done, with battles feeling both large in scale, yet focused and personal as these characters fight it out. Mobile suits are great to look at, and mobile workers and other craft all have roles to play in the battles, so it never feels just about the mechs themselves, but the larger battle. Weapons range from the expected rifles and what-not, to axes, swords, and other melee weapons.

Orga ends up being the fearless leader, but he does face doubts and tough decisions that make this show feel more grown up than older series in the franchise.

Only a couple gundams have surfaced, being relics that have been salvaged or adapted for current service. Mika’s was powering his company’s base, while others have apparently being retrofitted with things like heavy armor. It does feel somewhat far-fetched to be using weapons that are centuries old in current combat, but I can move past it, since they have almost all be retrofitted and adapted for modern combat. It also makes sense that they are still relevant considering there haven’t been any real wars since they were in service, with most units being designed to be cheaper for mass-production, and not requiring much innovation to the old designs.

Action scenes aim for quality over quantity, which pays off big time.

The characters really do well, for the most part. Mika is a bit of a “blank-slate,” but that actually is his character, since he mostly seems to have shut off his own emotions with the hard life he’s led. Other characters are more lively, with Orga being a standout. He eventually takes charge of the group, and his boldness and confidence really set him apart, even as he doubts himself. All of the characters contribute to the group in some way, even if they struggle in doing it. It all makes the whole team seem interesting, without one person being the sole focus of all of our expectations.

These two are being set up as the main adversaries.

This is a great, gritty show for mecha fans, and a nice breath of fresh air for Gundam as a franchise. It feels deep, and shows more of the character’s struggles over just having mecha combat non-stop. That might turn some people off, but the end result for me was that the fights felt important, and the suspense was always palpable. This show is much more exciting than other recent Gundam entries for me, because it can keep that suspense rolling throughout. This show has a lot of promise, and if they can keep the pace up, this could go down as one of the great Gundam series of all time.

Good:

-Interesting and deep cast that keeps everyone feeling relevant to the story.

-Solid action that is filled with suspense.

-A tough setting where you truly feel the struggle to survive.

Bad:

-Mika might seem too bland for some viewers, but I do think there will be more on him later in the series.

-Nit-picking, but old (centuries old) Gundams being immensely superior to modern mobile suits can push the suspension of disbelief. I can roll with it, but it does seem questionable.

Scully Rating: 8.5 out of 10