I haven't watched a Gundam show in a while. And by "a while" I mean at least 10 years. I got tired of the repetitive action scenes, cookie-cutter characters, and plots that were just an excuse for conflict. I dismissed new titles with fancy words like "Unicorn" and "F91" attached to them as essentially Barbie getting a new hat. But, there was something about "Iron Blooded Orphans" that just was very compelling. I gave it a watch and I am so glad I did as this is one of the better Anime shows I have watched recently, Gundam or not.
Story-wise it's pretty simple, child slaves on Mars in the distant future rise up and take over the business they were once beholden to as property. "Human Debris" is the term they use here. These children have been modified with technology so that education and training is not necessary, just plug them in and they know what to do. This instantly makes the cast of young protagonists easy to get behind. How can you not root for enslaved children to win? The plot is a bit weighed down by politics, sub plots, and many factions in what feels like a jigsaw puzzle of a story at times. I actually went out of my way to learn many names of governments and factions that ended up playing little to no role in the plot itself. Don't trouble yourself too hard with these details. The meat of the plot is the kids and their fight to survive the war they have set themselves up for by standing up. This is not war in the sense of excuses to have battles, comment on how awful it is, then experience no loss as many of these shows often do, this treats battle for what it is- hell. Casualties are suffered and comrades are mourned on both sides with a gritty emphasis placed on the youth of the fallen. I finished a few episodes with a depressed feeling. The Gundam itself is almost an afterthought!
The plot is helped along with a colorful cast of characters. There is no main character to be sure, but a central core four. Starting with the pilot of the primary mech, Mikazuki. In past shows, this kid would be the focus of the show 90% of the time. But, he is so subdued that it would be hard to just concentrate on him. He seems almost boring at first, but you learn very quickly that it's just one layer to what may be the most complex character in franchise history. A devoted, loyal, and courageous fighter but also a stone cold killer. Capable of compassion and tenderness, but also a lust for blood. Mikazuki follows the orders of Orga, the leader of the kids, Orga serves as military commander, business manager, big brother, and in many ways father to children he leads, putting a lot of weight on his shoulders while still managing to keep an ever present spike on the tip of his hair. That thing could put someone's eye out! Hair do aside, Orga generates a lot of sympathy from the responsibility he holds. He must give orders that may result in the deaths of those who are- not just employees and soldiers- but family members. A position he struggles with at times, but succeeds in ultimately. Then there is Kudelia, the leading lady, I think she is where the show fails the most in characters. Serving as the "only hope" character, she is generic in that she wants equality for an oppressed people, while detesting violence. She hires the band of child soldiers to escort her to Earth to meet with "X" government to discuss "Y" trade laws, but also hates all the bloodshed she causes by embarking on this journey. Thankfully she accepts it as a necessary evil to accomplish a greater good, but otherwise serves only as a stereotypical princess and love interest for Mikazuki. Finally there is McGillis, the resident Char Aznable type, who serves as antagonist and anti-hero. I won't give too much away, but he is a man with plans of his own while serving Gjallahorn, the main bad guys in pretentiously over-the-top uniforms to match their snobby personalities, making them as easy to hate as the kids are easy to root for. The rest make up a strong supporting cast, including a guy who dresses like a pimp and has a bad-ass ship crewed by his harem of hot wives earning him the award of "Luckiest Man In Space".
The cast of mechs in this is a good one, too. The primary Gundam "Barbatos" is interesting in that it has very little in terms of fire power, but makes up it melee. Most of the mechs in this show rely on some form of hand-to-hand combat weapon as their primary piece, making it short on sweet, sweet, 'spolsion porn yet gnarly in the way they show the carnage and brutality of each impact, fluids (blood and oil) spew frequently, with a lot agonizing scenes of machines being torn apart methodically along with their helpless pilots. This was the first show I have seen that took the glamour away from being a Gundam pilot and equates it more like being a medieval era knight. The battle scenes are some of the finest I have seen in almost any Anime, and the art and effects showcased in the them is the best I have seen in a Gundam series. Speaking of art, the character designs themselves are very bright and colorful, contrasting the dark atmosphere they live in, and hearken back to the days of the original series. They even have one of the male characters pilot a bright pink mobile suit. Real men wear pink. Just ask Vegeta. I found the music be to only above average with some good opening and closing themes to start with, "Raise Your Flag" by Man With A Mission served as a good tune to get the blood pumping for an episode and "Orphans no Namida" by Misia as a more bluesy and sullen closing theme that is catchy and fits the often sad endings to many episodes. The Sub vs. Dub battle here is no contest in my opinion, the Japanese cast destroys the English one in terms of quality of performance and fit. There is also a slight emphasis on the fact they speak Japanese, so accuracy plays a part as well. Go Sub or go home.
This is a gritty experience from start to finish, yes the cast is primarily young children, but they are not innocent. They are products of the environment they were raised in. Each day is a fight to survive, not just for their own future, but for the ones who died fighting for that future. The show succeeds brilliantly in it's mix of emotional moments and awesome fight scenes so that it feels like a complete experience. The season ends well with a sense of closure, but still leaves plenty open for Season 2 which I eagerly look forward to. I would dare call this show a masterpiece if it were not for some episodes that dragged too long with politics and a few side characters that were introduced suddenly and forced to develop too quickly (looking at you, Carta Issue). I enjoyed this show immensely and recommend it to Anime fans in general as a great intro to the Gundam franchise and a very good series regardless. 9/10. Check it out. Cheers!
