Gundam 00, episode 35.
--What's this? Me actually watching a 00 episode on time? I know, I know, shocker.
--Tiny Sumeragi (well, Leesa) is so adorable. But I continue to wish the writers actually knew how to portray characters as brilliant as opposed to just, oh, telling us that they are.
--This is just making Sumeragi/Kati more canon. It so is.
--Kati isn't just Sumeragi's college friend, she's her role model and hero. I have a new OTP.
--And Kati likes "Leesa" too! They are so gay for each other.
--And present-day Sumeragi is so devastated by it. This might actually make me like her more as a character. Because I'm easy that way.
--Boring Katharon talk is boring, at least until Shirin does something.
--Once again, Marina has nothing to do but sit and stare at happy orphans playing. Can someone please give her something to do? This is just sad.
--...that was an interesting exchange. "It's okay for you to remain as you are now and do nothing. I will fight." Maybe the fear that Shirin is giving up on her will finally spur Marina to do something. That would be delicious OTP fodder for me.
--"An unpleasant after-taste"? That's a hell of a way to put it, Kati.
--Ooh, we get to see some of Kati's own issues? That would be nice.
--D'awww, Patrick makes lunch for her.
--You know, I would prefer that Marie make herself useful in a way other than having mysterious-waif-style psychic premonitions.
--Huh. Tieria hasn't told the rest of the Ptolemaios crew the full details of the Innovators yet, has he?
--...and he in fact notes this to himself and wonders about it. Hmm.
--Oh snap, a secret lair inside an asteroid. Have the remains of Celestial Being considered taking up a new career as supervillains? They're about as competent sometimes.
--Linda is so adorable. Just look at those glasses! I might even have to start liking Mileina for her sake.
--Aw yeah, new female Innovator. Now, to ship her with Tieria or with Feldt? Decisions, decisions.
--Of course, since she's from China-tan, she's probably some kind of spy. Dammit. Oh, well, I guess that was a given with the "Innovator who isn't Tieria" thing. At least she's a cute spy.
--And she's all sweet and innocent, so when she turns out to be a devious badass it'll be great.
--Marina, the fact that your opinion on war matches that of a five-year-old is not necessarily a good thing...and hey, maybe that's what they're driving at here.
--Hmm...maybe instead they're driving at "there are ways to confront war and help defeat it without just fighting back." It is interesting to see a conversation between Saji and Marie. I would be okay with it if Saji turns out to be the one who eschews fighting and finds another way, because yay, gender role reversal.
--Okay, seriously, affirming that Marie's motivations rest solely with Allelujah? Not cool. As much as they used to be my OTP, now I kind of want her to become Saji and Louise's bodyguard and OT3 with them instead.
--Patrick and Kati, still so adorable together.
--Sweet, Nena meeting Ali will be badass--augh why did my MKV cut off there!
--Okay, there, fixed.
--It is so Ali for him to just walk up to her after all that.
--And now he's hitting on her. Probably just to piss her off.
--I predict that by the end of the show, at least 90% of the full cast will have a reason to want to kill Ali.
--Memento Mori: because all Gundam series need a ridiculous superweapon to piss people off!
--Technobabble technobabble technobabble oh snap.
--Fuck yeah potential for deliciously fucked-up Hallelujah-Soma interactions next episode. And maybe she'll get her agency back now that she's been reminded that there were people in her life other than Allelujah!
So, while I'm on the subject but finished with the episode, let me list a few things I really want to see before the series is over.
--A goddamn reason, theme- and story-wise, for Lyle being there. We all know that the real reason is "so Sunrise can keep marketing similar action figures and official art"--but they've manipulated product sales before without being complete idiots about it. Use him to make an interesting point about identity. It wouldn't be that hard; there was a running theme in S1 of all of the Meisters having something wrong with their sense of self, and Tieria's been reflecting on it a bit lately. Have a mission get fucked up because he couldn't take the stress of being expected to be someone else, or if you must paint him as a poor innocent, have the others screw up because they were expecting something different from him. Just...something.
--Character development and personality for Marina. It's a little late for me to get really interested in her, but right now it's just sad how boring she is compared to the other characters. She needs to start doing something soon.
--Marie needs to do something, and it needs to be something active. Specifically: she needs to start fighting again, while also dealing with the fact that she'll be fighting against her former comrades. Normally I don't feel that a character (of either gender) has to start fighting again, but in this particular case, if she doesn't, the gender issues will be just too gross.
--Ideally, we need to see more of Soma as well. I want what was once my OTP to redeem itself by being an adorable yet still-fucked-up OT4 where they both have issues but work through them together, with motivations other than each other. The last bit of this episode gives me hope for this.
--They need to stop ignoring Feldt. I know, I know, she's a minor character. I don't care. They gave her such awesome development last season--they should make use of it now. I want her to have at least one scene where she kicks ass, and preferably more.
--I want to see more genderfuckery with the Innovators. Indulge me.
--Tiny Sumeragi (well, Leesa) is so adorable. But I continue to wish the writers actually knew how to portray characters as brilliant as opposed to just, oh, telling us that they are.
--This is just making Sumeragi/Kati more canon. It so is.
--Kati isn't just Sumeragi's college friend, she's her role model and hero. I have a new OTP.
--And Kati likes "Leesa" too! They are so gay for each other.
--And present-day Sumeragi is so devastated by it. This might actually make me like her more as a character. Because I'm easy that way.
--Boring Katharon talk is boring, at least until Shirin does something.
--Once again, Marina has nothing to do but sit and stare at happy orphans playing. Can someone please give her something to do? This is just sad.
--...that was an interesting exchange. "It's okay for you to remain as you are now and do nothing. I will fight." Maybe the fear that Shirin is giving up on her will finally spur Marina to do something. That would be delicious OTP fodder for me.
--"An unpleasant after-taste"? That's a hell of a way to put it, Kati.
--Ooh, we get to see some of Kati's own issues? That would be nice.
--D'awww, Patrick makes lunch for her.
--You know, I would prefer that Marie make herself useful in a way other than having mysterious-waif-style psychic premonitions.
--Huh. Tieria hasn't told the rest of the Ptolemaios crew the full details of the Innovators yet, has he?
--...and he in fact notes this to himself and wonders about it. Hmm.
--Oh snap, a secret lair inside an asteroid. Have the remains of Celestial Being considered taking up a new career as supervillains? They're about as competent sometimes.
--Linda is so adorable. Just look at those glasses! I might even have to start liking Mileina for her sake.
--Aw yeah, new female Innovator. Now, to ship her with Tieria or with Feldt? Decisions, decisions.
--Of course, since she's from China-tan, she's probably some kind of spy. Dammit. Oh, well, I guess that was a given with the "Innovator who isn't Tieria" thing. At least she's a cute spy.
--And she's all sweet and innocent, so when she turns out to be a devious badass it'll be great.
--Marina, the fact that your opinion on war matches that of a five-year-old is not necessarily a good thing...and hey, maybe that's what they're driving at here.
--Hmm...maybe instead they're driving at "there are ways to confront war and help defeat it without just fighting back." It is interesting to see a conversation between Saji and Marie. I would be okay with it if Saji turns out to be the one who eschews fighting and finds another way, because yay, gender role reversal.
--Okay, seriously, affirming that Marie's motivations rest solely with Allelujah? Not cool. As much as they used to be my OTP, now I kind of want her to become Saji and Louise's bodyguard and OT3 with them instead.
--Patrick and Kati, still so adorable together.
--Sweet, Nena meeting Ali will be badass--augh why did my MKV cut off there!
--Okay, there, fixed.
--It is so Ali for him to just walk up to her after all that.
--And now he's hitting on her. Probably just to piss her off.
--I predict that by the end of the show, at least 90% of the full cast will have a reason to want to kill Ali.
--Memento Mori: because all Gundam series need a ridiculous superweapon to piss people off!
--Technobabble technobabble technobabble oh snap.
--Fuck yeah potential for deliciously fucked-up Hallelujah-Soma interactions next episode. And maybe she'll get her agency back now that she's been reminded that there were people in her life other than Allelujah!
So, while I'm on the subject but finished with the episode, let me list a few things I really want to see before the series is over.
--A goddamn reason, theme- and story-wise, for Lyle being there. We all know that the real reason is "so Sunrise can keep marketing similar action figures and official art"--but they've manipulated product sales before without being complete idiots about it. Use him to make an interesting point about identity. It wouldn't be that hard; there was a running theme in S1 of all of the Meisters having something wrong with their sense of self, and Tieria's been reflecting on it a bit lately. Have a mission get fucked up because he couldn't take the stress of being expected to be someone else, or if you must paint him as a poor innocent, have the others screw up because they were expecting something different from him. Just...something.
--Character development and personality for Marina. It's a little late for me to get really interested in her, but right now it's just sad how boring she is compared to the other characters. She needs to start doing something soon.
--Marie needs to do something, and it needs to be something active. Specifically: she needs to start fighting again, while also dealing with the fact that she'll be fighting against her former comrades. Normally I don't feel that a character (of either gender) has to start fighting again, but in this particular case, if she doesn't, the gender issues will be just too gross.
--Ideally, we need to see more of Soma as well. I want what was once my OTP to redeem itself by being an adorable yet still-fucked-up OT4 where they both have issues but work through them together, with motivations other than each other. The last bit of this episode gives me hope for this.
--They need to stop ignoring Feldt. I know, I know, she's a minor character. I don't care. They gave her such awesome development last season--they should make use of it now. I want her to have at least one scene where she kicks ass, and preferably more.
--I want to see more genderfuckery with the Innovators. Indulge me.