Gundam Build Fighters Ep 15
This episode could only be summed up in two words. Those words are, "MANLY TEARS!". This episode was full of manliness, to the point where I'm back to square one, on who is Graham Aker's true successor. Tatsuya hasn't been himself, lately, and Kampher's fighting isn't sexy at all. On the other hand, when he's able to fight, without restraint, he's completely awesome. Ricardo, however, really impressed me, today.
Okay, here's the thing about Ricardo. Up until now, we haven't actually seen a true fight out of him, and I always assumed they were saving it for something big. This episode was that something big. While he tends to act like a skirt-chasing dork, most of the time, I've always seen Ricardo as a badass mentor type. I'm not even sure if Reiji had seen his true strength, and they've been having practice battles for quite a while, now. Well, if he didn't, he sure as heck saw it, today.
So, Sei and Reiji were pitted against Ricardo, after getting knocked down to 17th place, after last week's racing shenanigans. (And thank you, Reiji, for scaring the shit out of Mr. Manchild.) Part of the first half deals with the issue of whether Ricardo would throw the match, or go ahead and hit them with everything he's got. I, for one, am glad that he decided to go with the latter option. I know what it's like, when people throw matches, just to make you feel better, and it's actually quite an insult to my pride. I don't like it, when people hold back, just because I'm weaker. I'd rather learn, adapt, and grow stronger, rather than just have a win served to me on a silver platter.
Anyhow, the whole second half, we get treated to one hell of a battle. You can just feel the testosterone levels rising, throughout the whole match. Plus, we get a little insight on Ricardo's past with his Wing Fenice. Fenice is his pride and joy, since he built it, when he was a kid. Every time Fenice got damaged, he'd find some way to repair it, and adapt to it's style. So, much like Graham and his love for the Flag, Ricardo's love for Fenice is real.
During the battle, we also get some nice choreography, from both Gundams. I'm pretty sure you all noticed, but when Fenice did that dive and slam move on Star Build Strike, I immediately said, "I WANT TO EMBRACE YOU, GUNDAM!". lol When they ended up with a canyon terrain, I actually wondered if they would pull that, especially with Kuroda being the head writer. Sei and Reiji had some pretty slick moves, too, such as Sei taking a page from CCA Amuro. (Along with Ral mentioning Sei's familiarity with the Gundam canons, to further drive that point.)
The real surprise is, while I was fully expecting Ricardo to lose, the end result was a tie. Both machines had gotten the absolute shit beaten out of each other, but the good thing about this show is that Gunpla can always be easily repaired. So, Sei and Reiji have advanced to the finals, and it was through a battle that they could both be proud of. Knowing Reiji, he wouldn't have it any other way.
As for some of the little moments...
-I like that Ral has been patrolling the arena, to make sure there aren't any more Gunpla Mafia guys running around. Ramba Ral will not tolerate any sort of underhanded bullshit!
-I'm slowly starting to warm up to the idea of Ricardo/Mihoshi. I'm still not very keen on Mihoshi, due to being a cheating phoney (And because Aoi Yuki's voice makes my ears bleed.), but maybe Ricardo and the boys are getting her to like Gundam. However, I did like how she and Ricardo had something of an adult chat, at the bar, the night before the match.
-I'm still having trouble finding anything likable about Nils. So, him getting told by Tatsuya felt pretty good. I know they're building him up to being that irritating know-it-all guy, who doesn't know how to have fun, but eventually discovers the secret to it. And I do want him to end up battling Ricardo, but I really don't want Ricardo to lose, either. I, personally, think that Nils is going to need to be taken off his pedestal, in order to learn anything about having fun. Of course, I'm fully expecting Ricardo to give him a huge, manly speech about passion, mid-battle, and Nils taps into his hidden potential and destroys Fenice, but Ricardo also has to avenge Greco. Besides, he can try finding the secret to Plavsky Particles, even without being in the tournament. He can just stick around and find it, if he wants to.
-For that matter, I've been getting some amusement and annoyance from the whole generation gap thing, that's been going on. I get that this is an empowering shounen anime for kids, but being an adult, it kinda grates on my nerves, at the same time. It's like, all the kids know how to wield Plavsky Particle hax, but the adults all stick to good old-fashioned strategy and guts. That was something that I really got, with the match, today. Sei may be smart enough to know how to use the particles, but Ricardo's strength all came from himself. It just kinda made the whole particle-bending thing look like a handicap. It may be smart to use the Plavsky Particles, but I still think of it as a handicap.
-With that said, I'm really sad that Mao will be the first rival out of the tournament. I get that he's more of a Builder, than a Fighter, and that's probably what'll do him in. Still, I've adored the heck out of Mao, since he first showed up. He'll definitely stick around, though. Having Mao around usually tends to make the atmosphere even more lively.
Next week: Sei's dad comes back, from wherever the heck he's been, and Rinko's more than just excited about it. You could say, "Love Hotel"? :P
Okay, here's the thing about Ricardo. Up until now, we haven't actually seen a true fight out of him, and I always assumed they were saving it for something big. This episode was that something big. While he tends to act like a skirt-chasing dork, most of the time, I've always seen Ricardo as a badass mentor type. I'm not even sure if Reiji had seen his true strength, and they've been having practice battles for quite a while, now. Well, if he didn't, he sure as heck saw it, today.
So, Sei and Reiji were pitted against Ricardo, after getting knocked down to 17th place, after last week's racing shenanigans. (And thank you, Reiji, for scaring the shit out of Mr. Manchild.) Part of the first half deals with the issue of whether Ricardo would throw the match, or go ahead and hit them with everything he's got. I, for one, am glad that he decided to go with the latter option. I know what it's like, when people throw matches, just to make you feel better, and it's actually quite an insult to my pride. I don't like it, when people hold back, just because I'm weaker. I'd rather learn, adapt, and grow stronger, rather than just have a win served to me on a silver platter.
Anyhow, the whole second half, we get treated to one hell of a battle. You can just feel the testosterone levels rising, throughout the whole match. Plus, we get a little insight on Ricardo's past with his Wing Fenice. Fenice is his pride and joy, since he built it, when he was a kid. Every time Fenice got damaged, he'd find some way to repair it, and adapt to it's style. So, much like Graham and his love for the Flag, Ricardo's love for Fenice is real.
During the battle, we also get some nice choreography, from both Gundams. I'm pretty sure you all noticed, but when Fenice did that dive and slam move on Star Build Strike, I immediately said, "I WANT TO EMBRACE YOU, GUNDAM!". lol When they ended up with a canyon terrain, I actually wondered if they would pull that, especially with Kuroda being the head writer. Sei and Reiji had some pretty slick moves, too, such as Sei taking a page from CCA Amuro. (Along with Ral mentioning Sei's familiarity with the Gundam canons, to further drive that point.)
The real surprise is, while I was fully expecting Ricardo to lose, the end result was a tie. Both machines had gotten the absolute shit beaten out of each other, but the good thing about this show is that Gunpla can always be easily repaired. So, Sei and Reiji have advanced to the finals, and it was through a battle that they could both be proud of. Knowing Reiji, he wouldn't have it any other way.
As for some of the little moments...
-I like that Ral has been patrolling the arena, to make sure there aren't any more Gunpla Mafia guys running around. Ramba Ral will not tolerate any sort of underhanded bullshit!
-I'm slowly starting to warm up to the idea of Ricardo/Mihoshi. I'm still not very keen on Mihoshi, due to being a cheating phoney (And because Aoi Yuki's voice makes my ears bleed.), but maybe Ricardo and the boys are getting her to like Gundam. However, I did like how she and Ricardo had something of an adult chat, at the bar, the night before the match.
-I'm still having trouble finding anything likable about Nils. So, him getting told by Tatsuya felt pretty good. I know they're building him up to being that irritating know-it-all guy, who doesn't know how to have fun, but eventually discovers the secret to it. And I do want him to end up battling Ricardo, but I really don't want Ricardo to lose, either. I, personally, think that Nils is going to need to be taken off his pedestal, in order to learn anything about having fun. Of course, I'm fully expecting Ricardo to give him a huge, manly speech about passion, mid-battle, and Nils taps into his hidden potential and destroys Fenice, but Ricardo also has to avenge Greco. Besides, he can try finding the secret to Plavsky Particles, even without being in the tournament. He can just stick around and find it, if he wants to.
-For that matter, I've been getting some amusement and annoyance from the whole generation gap thing, that's been going on. I get that this is an empowering shounen anime for kids, but being an adult, it kinda grates on my nerves, at the same time. It's like, all the kids know how to wield Plavsky Particle hax, but the adults all stick to good old-fashioned strategy and guts. That was something that I really got, with the match, today. Sei may be smart enough to know how to use the particles, but Ricardo's strength all came from himself. It just kinda made the whole particle-bending thing look like a handicap. It may be smart to use the Plavsky Particles, but I still think of it as a handicap.
-With that said, I'm really sad that Mao will be the first rival out of the tournament. I get that he's more of a Builder, than a Fighter, and that's probably what'll do him in. Still, I've adored the heck out of Mao, since he first showed up. He'll definitely stick around, though. Having Mao around usually tends to make the atmosphere even more lively.
Next week: Sei's dad comes back, from wherever the heck he's been, and Rinko's more than just excited about it. You could say, "Love Hotel"? :P