[SPLIT LIP]

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Originally Posted by Den-O

As for this trash pile? I expect more of the same as season 1. Jut generic by the book stuff. Cardboard characters, bland Mobile Suits, you know, the whole package.

Heh, bland mobile suits, as opposed to the literally, even in-universe, retreading of old designs in BF. And, as such, BF has no consistent aesthetic, and most of the redesigns are worse than the originals, being more generic super-robot styled. Find me anything in Gundam, or anywhere really, that looks like the Barbatos.

"Cardboard characters" you mean like Mika "Who do you want me to kill next?" sociopath who's slowly losing his humanity the more he pilots the Gundam? (and as of season 1, has even had some of his body taken by it) Even before that he unflinchingly executed two people, who had caused so many casualties, in a hostile takeover. Or McCharcolate "I have lived my entire life in anger, but through all the lies I've told, you were my only friend" or how the first developed member of the villain faction we ever met wasn't even villainous, and how the main characters in said faction believe it is too corrupt and seek to overthrow it.

The only flat characters in the whole show are the background characters like the extra Tekkadan kids. Every prominent character has something going on. Orga alone has to juggle being the stoic, infallible leader while in reality he himself is being guided by Mika. He opposes the world order not just by actively participating in the fight for equality, but even on a smaller scale defies conventions and stands by his goals even if it's inconvenient, or difficult. And if it gets too difficult, that's what Mika's for. My favourite part of the show is when Orga, depressed over the death of a friend and not wanting to continue leadership, is literally strongarmed by Mika into being leader agin. Like he grabs him by the collar, put shim on his knees and stares him in the face, telling him to lead. They're like a binary system, each start orbitting the other.

Also, by-the-book stuff doesn't usually open the series with a child murdering a person for money because they're too poor and live in such a neglected, apathetic society to feed themselves any other way. Likewise it usually doesn't have the heroes, as mentioned above, execute people who do bad things instead of be the better man and let them get away with it to do ti again. I'd actually say IBO is almost the exact opposite of by-the-books. Morally unconventional as my friend put it. Hell, it doesn't even fancy itself a toy shill, despite having a toyline where the Gundam undergoes upgrade after upgrade, they're be episodes at a time where no Mobile Suits appear, and certain upgrades are so brief and context-specific it almost defies the marketting's attempts at commercializing it.

I guess you prefer actual kids games as opposed to, like, genuine conflict and mortal situations. Blatant, generic Saturday morning messages of teamwork and perserverence alongside shameless toy shilling are more interesting than the deconstruction and tests of said messages, I suppose.

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Originally Posted by Dr Kain

I think you got your trailers mixed up. You were bashing the IBO one while praising the Beyblade Gundam one.

I've watched what has aired on Toonami so far for IBO and I don't see anything wrong with it. It's nice to see Gundam do something completely different for a change. We haven't had that since Turn A.

Yup. IBO is very different, with a great world aesthetic. It's a very unflattering, brutal world and everything from the MS designs to the chocie to avoid beam weapons to the style of combat work around this hard-edged, actually gritty undertone. It's a lived-in, grungey world

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Originally Posted by ZeoRangerV

Eh, debatable. The tone is certainly lighter but the whole show is one big nostalgia bait that thrives off wider franchise references.

Just because it's nostalgia-driven doesn't mean it's not also for kids.

Every design that homages a past MS or series is just another cool design for kids to buy.

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Originally Posted by Powerman293

Kudelia looks older, so this jump has to at least be a few years. But Mikazuki looks exactly the same from when we last saw him. Is that theory about the 3 whiskers of Alya Vijana impeding his growth affecting his aging too? But Orga doesn't look to different either.

Orga and Mika don't look different because their development was likely skewed by their incredibly hard lives. They already matured quicker, wheras Kudelia hasn't, and is growing up normal speed. It's also entirely possible she jus look older because of her outfit, hairstyle, and/or the way she happens to be drawn there. The younger kids definitely appear older.

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Barbatos Lupus is badass. I know it's just form 4 with some extra siky bits, red shoulders and a bat but god lord this suit looks awesome.

I don't like the red shoulders. The red parts should be white, and the white Tekkadan logos should be red for proper balance IMO. The colours feel more haphazard, and I don't like the big skirts or blue detail in the central crest, would like it to be white or grey.

Otherwise? Yeah, it's just form 4 but spiked up, which is just fine by me. The extra large beard ties nicely into it's namesake, and the cricket-bat is sweet but kinda undermines Mika's development with the katana by mastering such a difficult weapon by giving himself more and more to the Gundam. I also miss the giant maces, but I'm sure Barbatos will pick another up. It's just Mika's thing.

I will say, though, I feel like design undercust a lot of Barbatos' internal aethetics. While it continues teh deisgn evolution from scrawny and delapidated to brutish and demonic, I miss the pink symbols it had indicating some sort of unique brand or logo. Plus, the gold vents now no longer make a continuous "stack" up the body. The HG I feel also doesn't capture the aggressiveness of the show design. (which TBF, the old Barbatos models weren't as aggressive, either, but the gap was smaller)

It doesn't look bad, I just don't think it's as good as before. Just seems to have gone a bit too far detail-wise.

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Originally Posted by Talisman

It occured to me last night that there tends to be a glaring omission from most MS armories, and it's a fairly simple one.

Flamethrowers.

Effective against other MS? Maybe, certainly not a plotanium-armored Gundam. Effective in space? Absolutely not. But against infantry, especially early on in a war?

The psychological impact would be more devastating than an artillery strike. Just imagine a battlefield, thick with smoke and fire, and massive war machines striding about it, incinerating all in their path with jets of white fire, glassing the earth, liquefying armor, erasing infantry.

*ahem* I've been reading too much Tiberium Wars.

Flamethrowers are kinda useless with the advent of beam weapons. They're just as effective, but less unpredictable, easier to use, and more efficient. As for intimidation, a giant robot kinda has that covered by itself.

Plus, very few MSs have dedicated anti-infantry weapons. There are examples, but typically MSs fight other MSs.