English Dub Review: Mobile Suit Gundam Iron-Blooded Orphans “Their Place”

Tonight, we dine in hell.

OVERVIEW (SPOILERS)

Zack’s group manages to breach the tunnel, securing an exit. Up on the surface, things aren’t as hopeful, as troops rush past scrapped Mobile Suits and their dead pilots, including Hush. The remaining Tekkadan pilots are still being picked off one by one when word comes in about the escape route. Mikazuki and Akihiro hold the line while Eugene and Dante take the remaining forces back to lead the rest to Chryse. All that’s left is to blow the base and run for it, but Eugene hopes the two will catch up once everyone else is on the other side.

The Gundams tear up the battlefield, shocking the soldiers who thought the fight was already over. For a moment, things seem to be looking up. Then, in an all too familiar move, the troops begin retreating. From orbit, Rustal gives the order. Rationalizing that someone who managed to defeat a Mobile Armor cannot possibly be human, the Dainsleif fires. Like the Sword of Damocles, the shots fall from the sky, demolish the ground, and gravely injure Mika and Akihiro. From the meeting point, Chad recalls that news reports had stopped earlier that day, likely to keep attention away from using this sort of illegal weapon.

Mika, on the border of life and death, recalls the day he met Orga and was “given his life.” The heavily damaged Barbatos lurches back to life, followed by the Gusion, which freaks out the remaining troops. So, who else should try to bring back morale than SUPER GENIUS IOK, leading the charge right into Akihiro. Their fight is…rather pitiful, actually, with Iok basically just kicking around the wrecked Gusion. That is, until he mentions his name, which Akihiro recognizes as the man who killed the Turbines. Mustering his remaining strength, he manages to grab his giant pincers and crush the scumbag with his last breath, even as other Kujan goons continue to lay into him. Remarking at how holding out this long gave him this opportunity, Akihiro passes away.

Also at death’s door, Mika manages to trigger the same burst of power from Barbatos that it had against the Mobile Armor. I guess when it’s life or death, possibly losing the rest of your limbs isn’t so bad, especially with the massacre he pulls off, and even that’s only stopped by Julieta’s arrival, though she’s at a loss for what reason he could still have for fighting to these lengths. Whether to hide their role as shields for the rest of Tekkadan OR because he’s lost so much blood and brain cells he can’t think, Mika contemplates whether his life ever had any meaning. Maybe it was all pointless to fight this long, and maybe they’ll never find the place they were looking for, but they still had to try. When things started, they had nothing, even less than nothing for some. But now, they have more than they can possibly hold. Maybe that was the place they were looking for. A place they could belong.

Julieta makes the final strike. Mikazuki dies, his Gundam’s head used as a trophy to signify the end of the battle.

Years later, Atra narrates how the world changed after the matter resolved. The events were designated “The McGillis Fareed Incident”, and used as a way for Gjallerhorn to regain the public’s trust after generations of gradual discontentment. The Seven Stars were dissolved, replaced with a democratically elected leader, and Rustal Elion ushering in this new era by finally giving Mars its independence, with Kudelia taking the seat of the Martian Union’s first chairperson. An order of fair and just treatment for all was put in place, ironically allowing McGillis’ true dream to come true even after his death and by the hands of his greatest enemy. Though Atra sadly notes that Tekkadan’s involvement, all the blood and sweat, and tears, will likely be forgotten by the public in order to facilitate this brave new world.

Rustal and Kudelia meet at Makanai Memorial Hall to sign the Human Debris Abolishment treaty, another way of hopefully keeping kids from becoming soldiers like Akihiro, Chad, and so many others. After the signing, the two finally get a chance to properly meet, as well as vaguely talk about how they used to be on opposite sides. Juleita, apparently completely incapable of understanding subtlety or nuance, wonders why Rustal would allow Kudelia to hold her current position, but Gaelio essentially tells her it’s all for the common good of Rustal’s plan for the world, especially one that Julieta might be running herself one day. Though she does now realize that Tekkadan weren’t the demons they were thought to be in the end, more humans who only knew how to fight for survival, and Gaelio theorizes that may have been why they were so feared, or why he could never truly understand McGillis. Also, ship teasing.

At Makanai’s grave, we learn Takaki is on his way to being a member of parliament, Chad, Danta, and Derma have been working at the Admoss Company, Yukinojo and Meribitt have had a couple kids, while Eugene has been Kudelia’s assistant, though they still never know if they might be found out as former members of Tekkadan at any time. Ride and the other kids seem to be still bitter about things, and end up hunting down and killing Nobliss Gordon in Orga’s name, and on the toilet no less. But everyone else at least seems to move forward in their own way, and that’s the best they can do.

Finally, Kudelia arrives at the farm to find a grown-up Atra and her son, Akatsuki, who’s the spitting image of his dad. Mikazuki may be gone, but the world he helped make is wonderful. He and the rest of the fallen may be forgotten, but their mark will be forever.

OUR TAKE

I’M NOT CRYING, YOU’RE CRYING.

But yeah, I’m not gonna lie, I spoiled myself on this a while ago. My curiosity got the better of me (also burned me for Infinity War, but that’s another story). Still, though, me knowing these events shouldn’t impact how I view them critically, so I’ll do my best.

Bittersweet is the word of the day here. Not only do we have to see even more gruesome deaths, even that of the main pilot, but we also have to see the antagonist rule the world now. Though the slightly more depressing thought is if people like Mika, Akihiro, or Orga could’ve even properly survived in a world without fighting, something they were molded from childhood to do, or if this was possibly the best way for them to go out on their own terms. And at least you can say that Orga, Akihiro and some of the others didn’t have anything left to lose, but Mika had a kid on the way that he’ll never get to meet (though Atra seemed to have made peace with that).

Though there is the “sweet” side to that matter as well. Mars finally has its independence, something Kudelia had been fighting for since the start of the series. The archaic system of Gjallerhorn that was so focused on bloodlines and nobility has been torn down, something McGillis caused so much damage and died himself to even attempt bringing about. Human Debris have been abolished, likely preventing most, if not all, children born into this world to be able to live normal lives as people with rights, things people like Akihiro and other Tekkadan members weren’t so lucky with. It’s sad to say, given that we followed and hung in with them for so long, but the world may be better off without Tekkadan.

It’s a pretty emotionally exhausting end to the story, all things considered, but I can’t say it wasn’t earned. As a finale, this is pretty mixed in tone, but a pretty fitting conclusion to the events we’ve been following. There’s only so much I can say about just this ending, so I look forward to the season review next week as we tie it all together and put these orphans to bed.