The Official Gundam AGE Anime Thread AGE-7

[Destiny_Gundam]

The only overtly 'kiddy' aspect of AGE is the information corner at the end of each episode. Everything else about the show is typical Gundam stuff.

[kayone73]

Since we getting near the end, How many character deaths do you'll think Age's finale will have?

I think for good storytelling purposes, one of the Three (Flit, Asemu, Kio) should die at the end. I don't particularly care which, but with Kio being the idealistic peacemaker, his death would be most fitting, but having crusty old Flit dying (but not in anger against the Vagan, but perhaps sacrificing himself to protect a Vagan foe) would be interesting as well.

Asemu getting killed off would be the safest and easiest choice for the writers.

[Kenji]

Flit's mom burned, pretty much right in front of us.

Not exactly kiddy fare. At least, not unless the show intends to implicate the Inferior Race for the burning of all our righteous mothers.

I guess to clear up what I was asking: SEED, Destiny, and 00 S2 are all fairly popular in Japan (or, at least, popular enough to be called "popular," which may well pale before Auld UC, but still...). Personally, I consider all three of those to be weak entries in Gundam, so I can't really suss out how AGE is apparently failing in the eyes of the Japanese audience.

[Destiny_Gundam]

Like I said, Japanese kid shows have different standards. Kamen Rider Den-O, probably the most comedy based installment in the franchise, had a bat monster, on a quest to grant some kid's wish of finding the keychain his mom gave him before she died, attacked any person with a keychain. The first of which was a woman walking in a busy street. The bat monster swooped down, snatched the woman up, stole her key chain and then dropped her to the street below. Suffice it to say that she didn't walk away from it. This was EPISODE ONE.

And Jesus Christ Kamen Rider Hibiki! Every second episode had some random people get devoured by a monster. You didn't see anything but you heard things.

I don't even know where to start with 555...

So yeah, Japanese kid shows can have some dark crap in it.

As for the ending, no one needs to die (except Ezelcant, I guess). Gundam X made out just fine with everyone surviving.

[YazanGable]

Flit's mom burned, pretty much right in front of us.

Not exactly kiddy fare. At least, not unless the show intends to implicate the Inferior Race for the burning of all our righteous mothers.

Perhaps not by the western standard of 'kiddie', but let's look at some other kid-oriented robot shows for a minute:

Mazinger Z was handed down to Kouji by his grandfather as he lay dying trapped under debris

The first episode of Getter Robo saw Professor Saotome's son killed

Zambot 3... ... ...Zambot 3 prettymuch says it all. The Vagans look like rank amateurs when compared to the actions carried out by Gaizok

Nowdays, meanwhile, Danball Senki has toys being used as weapons of terrorism to assassinate leaders.

For Japanese kids entertainment, this is par for the course.

[HellCat]

I have to wonder if the creators of these more toyetic shows just decide to run with it because of how ridiculously important the shows have to make a toy seem. To give a Gundam example, there was an arcade game where kids used SD figures of MS to summon them for battle. The manga to support this went the typical route, including the lead antagonist having once been a respectable scientist who was driven crazy by his desire to own the most powerful figurine.

[Zeino]

Since we getting near the end, How many character deaths do you'll think Age's finale will have?

I think for good storytelling purposes, one of the Three (Flit, Asemu, Kio) should die at the end. I don't particularly care which, but with Kio being the idealistic peacemaker, his death would be most fitting, but having crusty old Flit dying (but not in anger against the Vagan, but perhaps sacrificing himself to protect a Vagan foe) would be interesting as well.

Asemu getting killed off would be the safest and easiest choice for the writers.

Flit's the only logical choice. He was born the day the war with the Vagan begun and it's only fitting if he dies the day it ends. I can see him getting a redemption equals death scene as he's realizes how far he's strayed from his childhood dream of being a saviour and then sacrifices his life to take out Ezelcant's doomsday weapon or something.

[Outlaw]

...Edit: http://age-game.channel.or.jp/movie/pv2.php...

Awww... come on... Really!? Just... gah!
Great! Now I'm going to have to buy that!
I hate you right now Duel.

[nacho-wan]

No protagonist is going to die. Period. The writers don't have the balls to pull that one on this show.

[DuelGundam2099]

They have yet to kill anyone loyal to the Earth Federation save for whatshername Obright liked.

[Arbiter GUNDAM]

Ok, now that we're on a new thread, I'll make some comments.

First, I find it somewhat strange that Gerard Spriggan is actually a woman. When she was first mentioned, I automatically assumed that she was a he. Why shouldn't I? Gerard is, after all a male name, derived the original germanic Gerhard. There is no female equivalent, at least none that i could find. I'm thinking that the Japanese just don't care anymore. I mean they couldn't even spell Sharon Apple correctly in The False Songstress.

Asemu's ultimate reason for playing pirate is probably the dumbest thing I've heard since Ezelcant's not-Destiny Plan. He's going to steal from and attack both sides to keep any side from gaining a huge advantage? Dude, one side gaining a massive tactical advantage over the other is how you WIN a war quickly. If he really wants to protect his family, then defeat the Vagans, don't fanny about. And before anyone says, "well what has the Federation done to deserve to win?" Well, they're not the ones with the not-Destiny Plan to cull humanity, are they?

Thank heavens Kio's Kira strategy actually makes more sense in this incarnation. Still he's pretty naive, trying to talk down soldiers who are fanatically devoted to a madman, when they don't even know what his real plans are. I have to wonder if they ever will find out. Like Chris said in his review, Kio knew who they were before and had no problem shooting them down before he met a sick little girl. Maybe AGE is trying to subtly hint as to reasons why you SHOULDN'T let a little kid pilot a Gundam?

As for this past episode... why are they wasting time on Zeheart, or rather, why should they waste time on Zeheart? The guy's as interesting as a 2x4 and now they want to flare up the rivalry between him and Asem again? Maybe Ezelcant brainwashed him with his AG Newtype powers? Speaking of that, I thought those were supposed to be all hyper instincts and a regression instead of evolution. I wouldn't really consider telepathy and precognition to be in the regression category, but that's just me.

And the Fawnfarsia? Did they have to homage the Nobel Gundam with a bright pink MS holding a magic wand? On the upside, as someone else pointed out, its been a long time since we've had a remote weapons battle in Gundam. Since CCA? Oh and I did like the part where Asem basically told Flit to bugger off.

I'm out.

[Chris]

They have yet to kill anyone loyal to the Earth Federation save for whatshername Obright liked.

Grodek, Bruzar and Woolf would probably like to talk to you about that, but they can't because they're dead.

[Kuruni]

So yeah, Japanese kid shows can have some dark crap in it.

Graphical referrence, this is how Amazon kill Monster of the Week in his series.

[Destiny_Gundam]

No protagonist is going to die. Period. The writers don't have the balls to pull that one on this show.

Because only dirty rotten cowards want their main characters to live!

Seriously, there's nothing particularly ballsy about killing off characters and just because a creative team refrains from doing so doesn't make the work have any less merit. Hell, the only Gundam series to kill off their protagonist was Char's Counter Attack. I guess no Gundam writer has ever had balls (Morisawa goes without saying).

[Kuruni]

Depend on your opinion about who count as protagonist, 0080.

Also IGLOO2 part 1. Still, it's minority.

[HellCat]

Asemu's ultimate reason for playing pirate is probably the dumbest thing I've heard since Ezelcant's not-Destiny Plan. He's going to steal from and attack both sides to keep any side from gaining a huge advantage? Dude, one side gaining a massive tactical advantage over the other is how you WIN a war quickly. If he really wants to protect his family, then defeat the Vagans, don't fanny about. And before anyone says, "well what has the Federation done to deserve to win?" Well, they're not the ones with the not-Destiny Plan to cull humanity, are they?
:

I think it kind of makes sense and is consistent with the theme of Asemu's arc. There, Asemu was trying desperately to become this incredible X-Rounder who would outshine Flit and as we learn in Kio's arc, Flit has been hoping one of his successors would become the 'saviour' that he couldn't. By the end Asemu learns that if he can't achieve this impossible dream, he can still be Asemu Asuno the reality. In that respect what he's doing matches up; he can't be this great superhuman that can end the war but he can at least try to limit the damage, especially now he's seen both sides are as bad as each other. It might be foolish but it's basically all that's in his power to do given he's clearly not going to join Vagan and he knows Flit is too stubborn to see the Federation for the rot that it is.

[Destiny_Gundam]

I have no problems with Asemu's methods either. Since peace isn't likely and one side being wiped out isn't good, at least he'll make it so they can do little more than throw rocks at each other.

[Chris]

I have no problems with Asemu's methods either. Since peace isn't likely and one side being wiped out isn't good, at least he'll make it so they can do little more than throw rocks at each other.

Why would one side being wiped out be bad if one side is the implacable aggressor? Also, your analogy doesn't hold at all, because nothing Asemu has done has prevented the Vagans from seizing the Moon, destroying Big Ring and invading Earth. Just on Earth alone, we've seen them wreck cities and deliberately kill civilians for no reason. Asemu's one little ship hasn't stopped any of that.

[Destiny_Gundam]

Because genocide is never a good thing.

Also I didn't say Asemu was doing a good job of it

[Chris]

Because genocide is never a good thing.

I have no problem with all the Vagans being killed. Flit may be a psycho now, but the Vagan are even worse.