We’re three weeks in to our Summer TV Binge which means that I’m looking at the third episode of Mobile Suit Gundam: “Vote To Attack!” With the survivors of Side 7 loaded up onto the White Base and heading for the Luna II base, they must face the decision whether to use an opportunity to launch a surprise attack against Char’s Musai.
So, without any further ado, let’s take a look at our Five Thoughts on Mobile Suit Gundam‘s “Vote To Attack!” Will you survive?
1.The Refugees Of Side 7
One of the things I really appreciate about this show so far is that they’re not just ignoring the citizens of Side 7 that are on the White Base. I feel like it would have been so easy to focus on Amuro and the gang that that the rest of the refugees just faded into the background. Instead, this show puts in a measured effort to make the audience remember the refugees who are now living in the White Base. In fact, this episode specifically opens with Bright and Sayla tending to them and passing around rations before transitioning into the main plot of the episode.
There’s a real focus on sequentialism in these episode, focusing on the evacuation of Side 7 in real time and allowing each episode to present a slice of time in that evacuation. These people aren’t suddenly fine now they’ve been moved onto the White Base and must now deal with the reality of having that many people on one ship before the episode throws another challenge at them.
2. A More Determined Amuro
After Bright chewed him out at the end of the last episode, Amuro has retreated back into himself and we see more of the boy we saw at the beginning of the first episode. He focuses on the repair and maintenance of Gundam, but he does with a lack of care for himself in the process. He barely eats or sleeps and Fraw Bow, even though she has others she needs to take care of now, still needs to mother him in keeping himself health.
It’s an interesting arc because Amuro yelled at his own dad in the first episode for caring more about Mobile Suits than the lives of others, but Amuro clearly cares more about Gundam than his own life.
I wonder if that’ll come back to haunt him…
3. Democracy In Action
I mentioned it last week, but I love how the kids on the White Base have stepped up into the operating positions while the crew is injured. This episode, it lead to a really interesting decision I would not have seen coming. There’s no military hierarchy here, Bright can’t order a crew of civilians and refugees to risk their lives on an attack. Instead, the episode turns its focus to the rest of the White Base as their vote on whether to pre-emptively strike against Char’s ship.
It’s an interesting notion and puts forward the idea that for the White Base to put the lives of its inhabitants on the line, they all need to agree to it. This is a ship full of civilians and kids, they’re refugees with very little supplies, Bright can’t just blindly throw them into a battle without a majority vote. Again, it’s a kind of measured, mature storytelling that’s really surprised me so far.
4. A Surprise Attack
This episode is really the first time we get to see an all out battle between Federation and Zeon forces. Sure, it’s a sneak attack and puts Zeon on the back foot, but the first episode was an ambush by Zakus and was barely fought back by Amuro at the last second and the second episode was barely a skirmish that showed how powerful Gundam was compared to ordinary Zakus.
Here, though, we see the intricacies of space combat as Amuro has to angle his attack so as to attack Char’s ship with the sun behind him, hiding his ambush from them. Amuro takes the fight to the Zeon forces, attacking Char’s ship from within the glare of the sun. It’s all very Star Wars-y as an almost undetectable small fighter manages to attack a larger force through an ambush. I know that’s an established military tactic and whatnot, but I can’t help but see a show in 1979 wear that kind of influence on its sleeve.
Continued below5. Gundam Vs. The Red Comet
It’s only been three episodes and we already have a head-to-head conflict between Char and Amuro. It’s interesting because Char is clearly the better trained fighter, but Amuro has the more advanced Mobile Suit. Even with the foreshadowing of Amuro’s natural gifts as a pilot, they’re somewhat evenly matched in a roundabout sense. Training beats technology this round as Char easily gets the upper hand on Amuro, but the ambush on his Musai by the White Base keeps him from actively defeating the Gundam.
They’re both left to fight another day and I cannot wait to see how this rivalry develops over the course of the series and beyond.
