Gundam Iron Blooded Orphans Ep 6

Well I have to say, I was caught off-guard when they dropped the info dump about the Calamity War! So much information, I am sure many people lost track of half or more already- and I know for sure I would have been in the same boat had I not been taking meticulous notes! So let’s dive right into it!

The Calamity War took place 300 years ago. It was a massive war in which the infamous Alaya-Vijnana was developed to maximize the ability of the Mobile Suits, or so they say. During this time, there were seventy-two machines with the Gundam Frame, otherwise known as Gundam. Barbados is one of the seventy-two relics. These mobile suits were so powerful, they could destroy Earth (and by the sound of it- it is almost certain they were the ones responsible for destroying the Moon).

In the Calamity War, the subdivided nations of Earth were united into four economic blocs. Following that, the Outer Spheres like Mars and Jupiter, were divided among the economic blocs and governed by them. In other words, Mars and Jupiter had no say in anything, instead they are being controlled by four different blocs. The conflict brewed after the Chryse Autonomous Region came under Arbrau, one of the four economic blocs, because of the unfair Trans-Planetary Economic Pack from the pioneer days, and people were unjustly exploited for many of years. This is why Kudelia is fighting for their right to economically independent. The reason why she is traveling to Earth is specifically because the leader of Arbrau, Togonosuke Makanai agreed for the first time to hold talks regarding this issue.

In order words, it is not just Mars who lacks economic independence and are being abused by Earth’s four blocs, but it sounds like Jupiter is on the same boat as well. But we shouldn’t jump the gun just yet as we don’t know of their present circumstances. The only thing we do know about Jupiter is that its the planet where Teiwaz, (who has a reputation as a mafia group) resides and Orga is looking into requesting them to be their guide to Earth.  But with Jupiter added to the mix of the on-going conflict, it certainly opens up opportunities for Tekkadan to form a new and hopefully more loyal alliance.

But with Earth having the four economic blocs in power over Mars and Jupiter, it only increases my concern of their overall opinion of Mars and Jupiter. It would be wrong to assume this early on based on the overall Gjallarhorn’s response to the uprising that the majority of those who reside on Earth (more specifically those in political power) simply do not care about the Martians freedom because it is all about the money. I don’t know how often or how many times Kudelia has been to Earth to serve as an advocate, but given how she is now a target to be captured or assassinated, her going and being on Earth means there is no safe ground, regardless of her family’s strong connections. Who knows, the worse case could be that the offer she has received is a farce, and it is a set up to silence her for once and for all.

It made my heart melt when Kudelia offered to teach Mika how to read and write, along with the other children who overheard the offer. It was ridiculously adorable to watch the kids have a lot of pride over having neater handwriting than Mika. Their first lesson was to learn how to write their own name, and that was a special achievement. They were all enthusiastic for their first lesson, including Mika who was interested because he has a goal in mind. His goal is to be able to not only read the mechanic manual, but many books about vegetables. As it turns out- I hit the bull’s-eye- it is his dream is to have his own farm like Grandma Sakura. Ugh my heart! Nothing would make me happier to see Tekkadan have a happy ending, and by that, I mean having most of the group survive the treacherous journey for their freedom.

I seriously can’t get enough of Orga’s and Mika’s bromance. They are the ultimate bros. But most importantly, we learned about the pressure Orga has on his shoulders. The pressure of Mika’s eyes always on him, just waiting for the next mission. Biscuit called out on Orga being a bit to hasty by willing to take the dangerous path by trying to recruit Teiwa as their guide, as oppose to playing safe. But Orga explains he feels the need to be bold and to be the coolest so that he doesn’t betray Mika’s eyes. This is particularly important because this also contributes to the unwavering confidence Mika has in him. So far he has never questioned him, or any of his decisions. It will make me curious to see whether or not as Mika learns how to read and write to form his own opinion and share that with Orga, much like how Biscuit offers his feedback when he is uncertain whether or not Orga is making the right call. But of course, if Mika were to at any point start to doubt and lose confidence in Orga’s decisions, everything will fall apart. So hopefully, it won’t lead to catastrophic results.

Lastly, both the audience and Tekkadan were greeted with a surprise message from none other than Muraba himself. He sent them a call, crying out to give back his Will-O’-The-Wisp ship, which Tekkadan has taken into their own hands.  He was not happy with how they have stolen and damaged his beloved ship. It appears he might be affiliated and/or is with Teiwa. If this turns out to be the case, he might be the connection they were looking for. But before they can seize the opportunity, they are going to have to duke it out, and unfortunately Barbados is not in good condition to go out there and fight. If anything, if they can benefit this potential alliance, they will be able to learn how to properly maintain Barbados since Tekkadan’s mechanic team is struggling due to being very unfamiliar with such an old relic.