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Part 3
Now we are at the end of Igloo so to keep it simple let’s see if the series goes out with a bang or goes quietly into that good night with a whimper.
We start off being given the date, UC 0079.12.31, with the Zeon preparing to make their last stand at A-Baoa-Qu. We also get spliced in clips from the end of last episode with Monique breaking down at the loss of her younger brother and Oliver wondering what the giant machine he’s seeing in his screen as we’re taking to the opening credits.
We’re back and we now get to see what the machine that Oliver saw in his monitor – the Mobile Armor Big Rang. Basically it’s a quickly Bigro and dreadnaught ship put together in order to have an armed rearming and refueling station for the Mobile Pod Oggo forces in the last battle with the federation. Oliver is aboard said machine and he’s outraged at this since the Bigro wasn’t designed of intended for this sort of purpose. Back on the Jotunheim’s bridge as Kuspen enters and announces that with this new Mobile Armor their unit can now fulfill their mission to defend field E.
Out in space a mobile suit squad is guarding field N when they come under sneak attack by the federation while at the same time a federation strike force attacks field S. I have to say, it’s neat watching all the various units move in CGI and all. Back on the Jotunheim as they get a message that they are to engage the enemy forces as soon as possible and defend field E. While making this grand speech Kuspen does that strange thing with his one gloved hand that’s really freaky. While they move towards the field they argue and discuss who should pilot the Big Rang and the captain, in place of Monique, assigns Oliver as the test pilot for the new Mobile Armor – much to Oliver’s obvious shock as well as that of the rest of the crew. Kuspen approves of this as he’s curious what Oliver’s skills could be as a pilot. Oliver is still shocked when he then gets a static filled transmission from Monique letting him know what the basic message is but you can tell she’s not all there since her hair is down and covering her eyes. She then addresses him by name and not ranks telling him that if he sees her brother that he should say hi for her. Oooo…..she expects him to die.
We got back to the ongoing battle as we get some nice Zaku vs GM action. Of course things are not going good for the Zeon forces as we watch the Jotunheim move into position as we see part of its job is to act as a carrier for the Oggo’s in their defense of field E. Just before the drop takes place the captain gives the basic “don’t die” speech as the Oggo’s are dropped and get the jump on the Federation fleet in the area. Suddenly, new federation ships appear but the Big Rang shows up in time and manages to take then out much to Oliver’s surprise that he hit them. Oliver says that he know understands as a person in the cockpit what those he sent out on the previous tests felt as test pilots as he flies off in the big Rang to begin it’s part in this battle.
Back with the main battle as the Zeon forces are losing more and more ground and the remaining troops are falling into chaos as the chain of command is broken. Back with Oliver as we see him reach the frontlines of field E and he begins to provide cover and attack the Federations forces. For a non-combat pilot he’s not too bad. At a point where there’s a pause in the battle the federation pilots notice Oliver’s unit and mistake it as being something else or more specifically someone else since its red in color and retreat from the area. It is during this pause we get to see the Big Rang begin its purpose as a means of rearming the Oggo’s units in the area. While this is happening we see the Jotunheim perform rescue operations as they pick up the surviving Zeon troops in the area. They then get a signal of a friendly fleet approaching and Kuspen wonders if it’s reinforcements but the captain notes that ten minutes ago communications with A-Baoa-Qu were cut off as we see the Federation forces pounding the space fortress. The Jotunheim then gets an emergency transmission from command noting the battle is all but over and that all forces should stop fighting as act as they see fit. Kuspen is of course in full disbelief over this and doesn’t understand the order that was given and refuses to believe that the Zeon forces are defeated. The captain theorizes that they can hold their field for 30 minutes while the fleet escapes but Kuspen refuses to do that and pulls a gun on the Captain ordering him to prepare his mobile suit for launch only to have one pulled on him by a returning Monique who notes that he (Kuspen) is disobeying orders.
Back with Oliver as we see him and the squad of Oggo’s surrounded by Federation Gm’s and Balls with the Feddie pilots feeling they have an easy kill now as they start attacking despite the orders to stop fighting. Oliver starts to fight back but he’s grossly outnumbered until we see that Monique and Kuspen arrive in their respective mobile Suits and Kuspen now agrees with the captains plan to hold the field while their remaining forces try and escape. Back on the Jotunheim we watch as Kuspen is killed while trying to protect a crippled Oggo as Oliver sends a transmission saying they will be sending video of their final fight and that they have to record it. We watch as the Big Rang is slowly picked apart while fighting along with Monique in her Zudah trying to fight off the Federation forces. The battle goes on with Monique’s Zudah losing an arm as the video cuts out when the Big Rang is destroyed and it appears that Oliver is killed with it.
We’re then taken back to the Jotunheim as we see the final ship escaping and the captain giving the order to head to Side 3 as well. Just as they are about to leave Oggo’s units start to fly from behind and the captain realizes that it’s the survivors of those of the front lines as we see more units flying towards the ship including Monique’s beat up Zudah and in its hand Oliver May who must have gotten out of the Big Rang somehow as the credits begin to roll and that’s the end.
Nimrod’s Thoughts: As for as the episode goes it wasn’t really much of a bang but it didn’t go in a whimper either. There just wasn’t much to it that would make you get into it. The fighting was fast and flashy but in the end it seemed more “let’s have one final fight and get Oliver directly involved”. We also missed out of a chance for having form Crazy Monique action as she pulled herself together in the end to go out and help Oliver. It could have been better but all in all I’ve seen worse.
As for this batch of episodes as a whole it started out as the normal with the first episode but after that it kinda fell apart. I liked the idea and the general plot and all and I think with better writing or a better longer and more than 3-6 episodes there could be something good here. I personally didn’t mind the characters as they were all generally different from what we usually get in Gundam so even though it’s doubtful maybe one day we’ll see a return of the crew of the Jotunheim. One thing that Igloo did do right is show that it is possible for a full CGI Gundam series to exist – as long as the writing and story is there. All sizzle and no steak is nice but in the long run won’t work.
