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Season 1 finale: Wheee! It was good!

For those that decided to sit on the fence and prefer watching a show after it’s over… do go on: it’s a good Gundam show.

And now for spoilers. Random thoughts as usual:

• McGillis, you cold scheming bastard… in the end my theory that he was cybermodded remained just that, and he might have pushed for the EinZilla to further the ban on cyber implants… but we’ll see. McGillis might become the next season’s Big Antagonist: who knows.
• As I expected, the Barbatos lost pieces left and right during its final battle: are those in the preview/announce image new rounded shoulders?
• Surprise! Less death than we thought! I’m glad most of the kids made it, even if banged up: who really died, in the end? Biscuit for sure, but none of the other named characters during the last battle, right?
• Again, nice touch about Mika’s eye and hand still working when he’s connected to the Alaya-Vijnana system.
• The new Abrau president… he seems like a son of a bitch honestly: he got what he wanted from the whole situation, and has been good on his word with Tekkadan, but… we’ll see: he comes off as a double dealing bastard. Maybe it’s just the politician vibe :)
• Orga continues to be earnest and warm and did not let the role of the leader corrupt him. Good.
• A nice tiny touch: Carta’s mother’s wig.
• Old-man Kassapa and Ms. Stapleton continue to be some of the rare non-terrible adults in the show (and in the whole wider Gundam franchise really) in ways that I liked: Kassapa tries to help the kids, and be of support, but recognizes they are a mercurial force that he has no authority on. Ms. Stapleton tries to be the voice of reason… but sometimes just can’t grasp what the kids feel, because their life experiences were so different. And that (and seeing what the Tekkadan kids go through) saddens her.
• Oh, almost forgetting… Amida patting super-stoic-Azee on the head (and her blushing a tiny bit): cute :) I want to see the sidestory that tells us how she got the full-body scar though: the lady is badass.
• The future: Gjallarhorn power seems to have waned a lot. The outer spheres are militarizing to be more independent (and to fill the gap left by Gjallarhorn and stake their positions in the new balance). In all this, the Big Men pulling strings will make a lot of money… and there is definitely fodder for a new unstable situation for the next season.

Final thoughts: it was a good show. Family, the one that you make and decide to be part of. Responsibility and caring for one another. Privilege, naivete, growing-up and taking responsibility. But also… Social Justice Mecha. Well done.