Gundam Build Fighters Try

Episode 9

For any old school Gundam fan, the title of Gundam Build Fighters Try episode nine was as big a spoiler as you could get: “Showdown at Solomon.” In the original Mobile Suit Gundam, Solomon was an asteroid fortress controlled by Zeon. The Battle of Solomon was a turning point in the One Year War in which the Federation began to gain on Zeon. It's also famous as the battle in which Sleggar Law heroically lost his life. Nobody actually dies in Gunpla battling, but I've already drawn the parallel between Suga Akira and Sleggar Law and you can fill in the rest.

In other words, Fumina, Yuuma, and Sekai's plot armor is unbreakable. We know that if they don't win this final battle for the championship, they're out of commission for the year. We know they're going to win, but with opponents this tough, the real question is, “How?”

This episode hit the Gundam Build Fighters sweet spot, with approximately half the time spent on character development, and the latter half spent on a nail-bitingly suspenseful battle. Even when we realize Team Try Fighters has to win or the show is over, this episode did a great job of building tension in a battle that delivered one twist after another.

Usually in battle shows, including many Gundam shows, once an enemy is defeated we never really see them again. Gundam Build Fighters Try, on the other hand, keeps characters around long after they've left the battlefield. This episode occurred in the wake of Gyanko's devastating episode eight loss, yet kept her around for further character development so we could see how she reacts and recovers. Even Shimon, episode seven's defeated opponent, was back as an ally this time. Most significantly, an old friend from last season is back with a speaking role this time around, and you'll have to watch to find out who!

There's a lot of tension coming into the battle. We know that Suga hails from the Gunpla Academy, which won the championship last year. We're pretty upset with Yomi, who has quite a mouth on her when she's not stuffing it with food, and even with the captain, who is using Minato Sakai's—Yuuma's Gunpla builder rival's—model in the tournament. And of course, there's Suga's lingering words to Sekai from episode eight, warning him that Sekai's mixed martial arts won't work on him. In other words, all of Team Try Fighters' secret weapons—from Yuuma's master building to Sekai's martial arts—are useless here.

That said, the shocking evolution that Team Try Fighters undergoes is met with a pretty cheesy reaction—no fewer than 10 seconds of shocked silence and audience shots in inverted black-and-white. Don't worry, you will be surprised. You don't need the Gundam Build Fighters directors telling when when and where have this reaction.

It was to Gundam Build Fighters season one's great advantage that the creators figured out a way to have Sei and Reiji occasionally lose but still make it to the final round of the tournament. The suspense was real—we truly didn't know how each battle would end. Gundam Build Fighters Try does a good job of putting the odds against our heroes, but “how will they win?” is simply not as gripping as “will they win?” When we know they have to advance or their story ends, each episode is a spoiler from the start.

Rating: B+

Gundam Build Fighters Try is currently streaming on Gundam.info.

Lauren writes about anime and journalism at Otaku Journalist.