Gundam Build Fighters Try

Episode 6

Gundam Build Fighters Try has the additional burden over its predecessor of starring three, not two main characters and convincing us to care about them equally. With this in mind, it's not surprising that previous episodes have tended to center more on one character than the others—usually firebrand Sekai. This week, however, was Fumina's time to shine.

What's a better strategy? Focusing on bringing your enemies down, or focusing on boosting your allies up? This episode was all about reading people. While this week's Gunpla battle opponent, Seirin Technical College, build a strategy based on Team Try Fighters' perceived strengths and weaknesses, so did Fumina—for her own team.

Team Try Fighters has had some serious issues. Sekai and Yuuma have been constantly butting heads. It wouldn't kill them to be civil, especially now that these middle schoolers are fighting a college-age Gunpla team! (It makes you wonder what other kinds of matchups the Under 19 division has, maybe a kindergartner fighting a highschooler?)

In lieu of couples' therapy, Fumina has found a shortcut. It turns out her secret ability is to bring out her teammates' abilities through collaboration.

Seirin seriously underestimated Fumina, saying, “it's just an SD Gundam. A nobody.” And if I admit it to myself, I underestimated her, too. Fumina is caring and motherly toward her teammates, and in recent episodes she's discussed building a support Gunpla. I wondered if she'd have a more passive role while Sekai and Yuuma save day after day.

It turns out, Fumina did build a support mecha, but it's not off to the sidelines. In fact, it's the centerpiece of her entire team, able to bring out Sekai and Yuuma's greatest strengths in a way that also forces them to work together for a change. Seirin thought it could read Team Try Fighters, but nobody knows a team better than itself. It should be noted that Try Fighters didn't even watch any Seirin battle footage—they went in blind, trusting in their collaboration instead of trying to understand the enemy's tactics.

Not that this was a 100% good idea. This week's battle was a nail-biter, with lots of unpredictability and suspense. I reviewed the last episode poorly mainly because battling is such a huge part of Gundam Build Fighters and I found the battle lacking. I was certain Try Fighters would win. This time, however, will keep you guessing. From interesting mecha to unprecedented techniques, I really didn't know what was going to happen here.

Of course, no opponent is completely unlikable on this lighthearted show. This episode saw increased character development for Yuuma's Osaka rival Sakai (not Sekai), as well as the lovely and perfect Gyanko. Like its predecessor, Try is accumulating a stable of colorful recurring rivals with interesting shticks, although it was hard to tell at first.

This episode was a character study within a character study, as Fumina observed her teammates until she found a way to fix her problems, while the audience observed Fumina's genius for finding a way to do so. Gundam Build Fighters Try works better as a character drama than a toy commercial, and shows its brilliance when it focuses on people and relationships first.

Rating: A

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

Lauren writes about anime and journalism at Otaku Journalist.