Mobile Suit Gundam: Iron-Blooded Orphans

Episode 21

Today on Mobile Suit Gundam: Iron-Blooded Orphans, we raised not one, not two, but three big red flags and there was no turning back after that. On that same note, please turn back now if you don't want to be totally spoiled for this week's episode. While I can review most episodes without giving away their most significant plot points, this wasn't one of them. It was a wild ride of an episode with an abrupt, emotional finish, and I couldn't take my eyes off the screen.

What was it about Biscuit that made this fandom so certain he wasn't long for this world? Before the anime even aired, there was a parody account labeling him “future dead guy.” But this episode, there was no denying it any longer. Red flag number one—focusing on Cookie and Cracker and how much they miss Biscuit and can't wait for his return. Red flag number two—Orga and Biscuit choosing to resolve their issues after the battle. That's a textbook sign that one of them isn't going to survive until then. Red flag number three—Orga bemoaning to a very comforting Merribit that he didn't tell Biscuit how important he was to Tekkadan. Merribit says not to worry, “you'll have many more chances to say it,” and there's the clincher, folks.

There was no way Biscuit was going to get out of this one alive, and the delivery was about as subtle as a ton of bricks. Honestly, in a landscape of too-subtle anime plots that seem to demand that I have a degree in cinematic foreshadowing, I liked this. It gave me an entire episode to process Biscuit's death before it even happened. I saw the mobile worker as very symbolic of Biscuit's plight. As he struggles to crawl out from under its massive weight muttering, “I can't die here,” we see how futile his plight really is. This death has been foreshadowed for months.

Up until that tragic end, this episode was extremely tense, but tentatively amazing for Tekkadan. I've been looking forward to an Earthside smackdown, curious to see how Alaya-Vijnana users would adapt to it. Apparently it wasn't an issue to begin with, once Akihiro corrected his aim using instinct alone. When the Orphans are good, they're really good. Gjallarhorn may say “those Martian rats know no theory of battle,” and Carta can cry that they have no manners when Akihiro shoots one of her suits during her choreographed introduction, but Tekkadan's use of guerilla tactics against an outdated old guard is incredibly astute. They have surprise on their side, from Akihiro's mobile suit's extra set of arms to Shion's land mines. This battle had incredible energy and tension to it, and with each success better than the last, I was waiting for the other shoe to drop. And boy, did it drop.

“Orphans, tears.” The ending song has never been so fitting. One thing that's certain is the Tekkadan dynamic is going to change drastically without their softspoken tactician around. Mika's never looked so dangerous as when Carta decided to target his childhood friends, to the point that I almost feel bad for her now. Oh, and one last thing: Happy Biscuit Day! There was no mistake about the timing of this episode, that's for sure.

Rating: A

Mobile Suit Gundam: Iron-Blooded Orphans is available streaming at Daisuki.net and Funimation.com.

Lauren writes about anime and journalism at Otaku Journalist.