The Official Gundam Unicorn Anime Thread Mk V

[HellCat]

I find the contrast between him and Banagher over Mineva to be one of the most interesting points of episode 5. Banagher is willing to follow her and support her in what she truely wants to do, a choice she's been denied most of her life. Riddhe instead wants to think for her, ignoring her opinions whilst bellowing "Shut up and be my tiny adorable wife!" If that's Riddhe's idea of a relationship, he deserves to lose out.

[Kratos]

I think the bigger issue is that there is no other good reason other than getting jilted by Mineva. None of what is implied by the show as to what the Laplace box was merits that kind of grimdark emo. There wasn't even any substantial relevation on what the Laplace box in the OVA to infer its significants other than the general OH IT COULD DESTROY THE FEDERATION AND START WARS.

Well, yes, his reactions have been a bit excessive, but I would say that the Box's contents merit his "grimdark emo" reaction more than being rejected by Mineva. The show constantly implies that the Box could lead to a great deal of upheaval, and Riddhe clearly wants to prevent that. I mean, we know he does, he says so himself. He does want to protect Mineva, and I don't mean to imply that him being jilted had nothing to do with his character shift, but I don't see what you find so unbelievable about his political motivations. Remember, Riddhe didn't initially want to marry Mineva - that wasn't the plan. He just went to his dad as a way to help somebody that he clearly saw a bit of himself in, and when he found it that he brought her into even greater danger, he came up with the marriage on the spot as a way of getting her out of the hornet's nest that he put her in the midst of. He does it after he found out what the Box is, too, so I don't think that's totally unrelated either - maybe he figured it would be a good way to keep Zeon away from the Box (Mineva would just as soon let it stay buried, after all).

My point is, Riddhe being "in love" with Mineva makes a lot less sense than him kinda liking her and having other motivations. He obviously has delusions of grandeur, as we see in his conversation with Bright in episode 4. Protect the girl, save the world, be a hero. That's all Riddhe wants, but he doesn't realize how in over his head he truly is. He's a pilot, and this is a conflict of Newtypes and psycoframes and grudges decades old. Riddhe doesn't (and can't) understand, which actually makes him a pretty great thematic anatagonist. As Banagher becomes more sure of his role and more stable, Riddhe becomes more unhinged and more chaotic a character. It's an interesting parallel development, which Hellcat summed up pretty nicely. Except:

Riddhe instead wants to think for her, ignoring her opinions whilst bellowing "Shut up and be my tiny adorable wife!" If that's Riddhe's idea of a relationship, he deserves to lose out.

He definitely wants to think for her, but like I said, I don't think he seriously wants a relationship. I mean, it's obviously his idea of one and what any girl lucky enough to end up with him would be in for, I just don't think that the relationship aspect is really what his conflict with Banagher is over. There's probably jealousy there, but it's less of a big deal than most people make it out to be, I think.

Now, I don't think this development has been executed with complete perfection, and his reactions (particularly in episode 5, I found) can come across as a bit narmy. But I think it deserves a bit more credit than many are giving it.

[HellCat]

Mineva is perhaps the icing on the cake. Both Banagher and Riddhe have been smitten with her from the moment they saw her, Banagher willing to go on the run with her and Riddhe offering to bend military rules and compare her to a famous actress. It then goes deeper with the fact both males are born of cursed bloodlines and Riddhe decides that because of Mineva's similar circumstances that deepens things between them. When he hugs her in episode 4 the size difference makes it look more like an uncle hugging a niece and I think that was intentional on the staff's part to highlight "No...this will not work". I forget who said it but I think 'Riddhe thinks he's the hero of the story' is the perfect way to look at it. He thinks he's saving her from a conspiracy that could topple the world and a nutcase in a Gundam that wants to see it.

[J-Lead]

I forget who said it but I think 'Riddhe thinks he's the hero of the story' is the perfect way to look at it. He thinks he's saving her from a conspiracy that could topple the world and a nutcase in a Gundam that wants to see it.

That would be me. But yeah, in a roundabout way, I think Riddhe sees himself as the hero of his own story, and Mineva as some sort of endgame prize after he saves the day from the evil Zeon terrorists threatening the world. Finding out about his family's history and that feeling of helplessness he developed in regards to the big corrupt picture was quite a jarring blow to his self-perception, as well as the way he looks at the Federation system he supposedly protects and serves. This drove him to further desire to protect Mineva from not only the Zeon burden, but also the conspiracy between the Vist Foundation and the Feds (at least he can still be the hero in that regard, right?) Basically, that feeling of helplessness probably accelerated his feelings for Mineva, to the point where she was all he had left; the last barrier between his wounded, conflicted ego and a self-destructive path. Her rejecting his protection (I dig ya Riddhe, but mmmm...dat ionosphere) in favor of Banagher was pretty much the last straw for him. With nothing left, he developed a hatred for Banagher and the Unicorn, which he sees as the source of this mess and his frustration, too angry to realize that Banagher, in fact, holds the power to change the system he has grown to distrust. Marida (who was supposed to be his ally, according to the mission scenario) tearing his prized MS to pieces was just an additional punch in the balls.

So while his belief that protecting the Federation is rather sensible from a logical standpoint, given that he sees no preferable alternatives, his descent into anger is a result of immaturity on his part, and the fact that he's not as well-adjusted as his actions up until that point would have you believe. It's a result of his self-image and his heroic perception of his efforts suddenly crumbling in light of cold, difficult facts. Mineva leaving him was just the event that made the truth of his circumstances become harshly clear.

Mind you, this has actually made me like Riddhe a lot more. A thing that makes Unicorn stand out from most Gundam shows is how multifaceted a lot of the characters can be, and Riddhe is a shining example of this.

Riddhe's character has received an uncustomary amount of work in my opinion. Already in the end of ep 4 I liked him and his slow slide into potential antagonist territory. I think Dark Duel quoted him levelling up in jackassitry in ep 5, but for me his idea of maintaining a system, even a broken one if the alternative is potential anarchy, makes sense as a motivation. He is a conservative in a way, and sees, as quite a few UC/CE/AU characters have astutely noted, the Gundams as overpowered killing machines that throw the world out of whack. Yeah, sure, they are vehicles of change, but if you see that change as worse to the status quo... Besides, getting dinged up by the Banshee and getting jilted were nice bonuses for Riddhe to drawn on to make him an antagonist. I assume he will be one; I have tried not to get spoiled before seeing an ep.

I think the biggest issue with Riddhe is that everybody's assuming that he becomes a jackass because he gets jilted by Mineva, and only because of that, but here's the thing - I don't think Ronan was entirely correct about his son having "fallen" for her. It's true: if Riddhe and Mineva were a romantic subplot, then it would be a very rushed, half-arsed, and poorly-written one. But it's not really a subplot at all. His character isn't being written from the perspective that most people seem to think it is.

I can't really comment on this myself but supposedly the novels go into their relationship in much further detail.

[flamingtroll]

So in other words, an emo Jerid. That's my main beef with Riddhe as a character. Fukui made him an inferior counterpart of Banagher, despite also framing him as his equal counterpart. He is supposed to be the lion and being generally viewed as pathetic, immature and petty does not make him a good lion. The character transistion is choppy at best. It's not like he was unaware of the corruption that occurs in the Fed. He still believes that it is a system that can still correct itself as mentioned in episode 2. In the novel there was this little side arc where Riddhe tried to sneak Banagher and Co. out of Nahel Argama realizing the gravity of their mission to retrieve the Laplace Box (i.e the hush-hush nature of it, the Black Ops being on board and such) and that they won't be able to easily go back to their previous lives after being a part of it. So at least we know that he is someone that knows a thing or two about the real world. From what little is revealed about the box thus far, it's hard to convince the audience that there is a necessity for this kind of soul shattering despair. At best, the audience can only take it in good faith that it is something that important and suspend their disbelief until it's revealed. I am unconvinced too that even the higher up players like Martha and Full Frontal with the whole Laplace Box deal don't even have the slightest idea of what it is other than the fact that it's important because they think everyone else think so and say so.

[Antares]

For me the first paragraph of J-Lead's explanation expressed all that I tried to say and more. The point about losing the Delta Plus to Banhsee (a Gundam) fits the bill. I can only hope the following eps reflect this development.

To me that makes sense, and I also find Riddhe's character relatable in that sense. I agree that he might be immature, but pathetic he is not when compared to some other Gundam protagonists/antagonists.

Also, one correction to flamingtroll:

He still believes that it is a system that can still correct itself as mentioned in episode 2.

But in ep 5 he has come to realize he is wrong. He knows the system is faulty, but it's still something that protects the world from utter chaos. If it cannot be changed, then it should at least be protected. In this you'd be surprised to find how many people complain about the current state of events, but all in all hope that the next day will be much like the previous one. For those people actions bringing about forced changed (like arguably Banagher might) are seen as acts of violence against their self-determination (which they pretend to have).

For the record, my only wish on the contents (metaphysical or otherwise) of Laplace's Box is that it does not contain a magical rainbow of world peace. Just about anything else I can deal with.

[Arbiter GUNDAM]

For the record, my only wish on the contents (metaphysical or otherwise) of Laplace's Box is that it does not contain a magical rainbow of world peace. Just about anything else I can deal with.

That is one thing it is not.

[Dark Duel]

Laplace's Box is quite unremarkable in and of itself, actually. It's the implications of its content that are...troublesome for the Federation.

[EscapeArtist]

So upon a rewatch, here was something I noticed. In the brief flashback where Zinnerman shows Marida his daughter's photo, Zinnerman and Marida are in the church in Palau. I thought that was a cool detail and adds some significance to Marida bringing Banagher there in episode 2.

[Angelo Sauper]

For the record, my only wish on the contents (metaphysical or otherwise) of Laplace's Box is that it does not contain a magical rainbow of world peace. Just about anything else I can deal with.

Doesn't seem like rainbows of peace would be able to help Neo Zeon start a new war to topple the federation.

[Antares]

With Gundam you never know.
As mentioned, it seems to me that for Neo Zeons and Feddies alike all they imagine the Box to contain is more relevant to them, as opposed to what the Box actually contains. I was afraid that in the end the contents of the Box is some kind of magical can't-we-all-just-get-along sort of magic rainbow (G'00 did it! ) as a "surprise" to all sides.

[Arbiter GUNDAM]

The prologue in episode 1 actually gives a pretty big hint as to what the box is.

[Dark Duel]

Yeah. "Pretty big hint" is kind of an understatement, actually.
But anyway, in between trips down nostalgia lane caused by a belated B-Day present from a buddy living out of town who sent me the complete series for one of the cartoons I deeply enjoyed watching back when I was in middle school/high school, I rewatched the last episode.
And frankly, the more I see it, the more Riddhe irritates me.
I mean, on the one hand, some of the things he says make sense. But on the other, it's like he's got this hero complex where he wants to be a big shot and that plus his fixation on Mineva is kind of grating on my nerves.
I mean, Mineva is her own person with her own goals, and he simply refuses to accept that. Or at least that's how it came across to me in this episode.
Plus, I watch the episodes dubbed when I get the Blu-Rays, and it may seem kinda weird, but the fact he's voiced by Yuri Lowenthal just kind of makes it even more annoying IMO.

[angelwingzero]

For the record, my only wish on the contents (metaphysical or otherwise) of Laplace's Box is that it does not contain a magical rainbow of world peace. Just about anything else I can deal with.

Definitely not rainbows, seeing as how F91, Crossbone, and Victory go down.

[HellCat]

Plus, I watch the episodes dubbed when I get the Blu-Rays, and it may seem kinda weird, but the fact he's voiced by Yuri Lowenthal just kind of makes it even more annoying IMO.

I remember Lowenthal complaining at cons that he'd wanted to dub a Gundam show but was very dissapointed he finally got the chance to as Bakunetsumaru, happily playing up the 'Gundam Babies' thing for the crowd.

Well, Lowenthal, you got what you wanted. Enjoy your role...as UC's biggest tool, ha ha!

[daigundam lagaan]

I hate how Bandai was extremely inconsistent with the dubs. For years we called her Puru, now it's pronounced "Ple." Is it me or is their inconsistency getting worse and worse? Don't get me wrong, I still like the Dubs, but it would have been nice to have Hasan, Bright, and Kai to have some of their old VA's back.

[HellCat]

I was annoyed they didn't pay the dub actors to record for DWG 3. The result being that there, teenage Banagher sounds like a guy in his mid 30s. I know in the past things have prevented us having VA consistency but if you're having the OVA dubbed at the same time you know a game featuring the same characters is being released, why not pay a bit extra for some additional sessions?

[Kratos]

At risk of starting this nonsense debate up again, it was only ever "Puru" in the fandom and in DWG. Unicorn is the first time there has ever been an actual, official word on it.

A friend of mine is playing DWG3, and yeah, some of the voice differences are jarring. I imagine that the game dubbing and anime dubbing were totally separate efforts though, and that the game just didn't have the budget for it (or something? there's probably somebody more knowledgeable about this stuff on here).

Also related to dubs, man am I ever not a fan of Bright's dubbed voice in Unicorn. I can't pinpoint exactly why I hate it, but I'm going with that it sounds too young for who his character is in this series.

[Chris]

I hate how Bandai was extremely inconsistent with the dubs. For years we called her Puru, now it's pronounced "Ple." Is it me or is their inconsistency getting worse and worse? Don't get me wrong, I still like the Dubs, but it would have been nice to have Hasan, Bright, and Kai to have some of their old VA's back.

And there's where you're wrong, because "we" is fans, not Sunrise. Her name is a play on an old Japanese hentai manga called Lemon People. Sound out the pronunciation of L People -> Elpeo Ple and you'll see how it works. There is no inconsistency about this issue. As for the others, you're not going to see those voice actors come back because most of those guys are in Canada and Unicorn is dubbed in New York.

[HellCat]

Thing is, the Dynasty Warriors Gundam series are officially licensed games which even try to reuse the voice casting of the featured series. So if they offered a spelling before Unicorn started, it's actually a valid point to ask why Unicorn then completely ignored that spelling in favour of a different one.

The only real counter is to mention that the DWG games seem riddled with errors and inconsistencies. DWG 2 seems to think Cecily was Seabook's sister, 3 renames the Quin Mantha to Queen Mansa, etc. Regardless they're still officially licensed games so surely at some point they were checked over.