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A character development episode… Lots of talking, reflecting, choosing the next step, for several characters.

I know I already mentioned several times how I like that the show takes the time to do this kind of intermissions in the action.

Akihiro: ah, so it was an even deeper connection… I was literally correct in the comment to ep 32; he had basically adopted Aston as a brother.

More Akihiro: he talks more, showing empathy and understanding, he’s the big brother for a lot of the younger Tekkadan kids. And clearly his softer side inside the muscly tough external shell has impressed Lafter ^__^

McGillis. We got confirmation, he was not related at all to the Fareed family, and we saw he was beaten as a kid. Probably a poor kid from the slums of Mars, possibly just saved from being picked for the mercenary corps. We really don’t know yet if he does’t have an Alaya-Vijnana, honestly. But who knows why he was adopted. And this episode furthered the impressions from the last: he has some greater vision. In Rustal’s flashback he says “Bael”… probably an alternate spelling for Baal.

I would be delighted to discover that’s the name of the huge bull-like model just announced at the Gunpla Expo in Japan. But why does the kid know about it? A mystery :)

Julieta: now we know why she grew up as a sociopath and thought so highly of Galan. She probably even knew it was a fake name, because she calls him only the “bearded gentleman” (also out of respect, I’m sure).

Masked Man. Oh for fuck’s sake Gaelio, you kept Ein’s brain inside the Vidar? That’s sick. And the Vidar will be terrifying if that’s true. Looking forward to seeing it fight. The models look mighty slick, too.

Takaki. The whole scene of Takaki choosing to leave, of Orga “discharging him honorably”, even Mika and Akihiro’s words saying goodbye to him… another moving moment. Very well played. Takaki was at a crossroad, and he chose peace. Well done young man.

Chad. His remark about not having a place before… Now he has two. Nice.

Orga, the next King of Mars. Assuming McGillis is honest in his offer (and he looks like it)… that’s orders of magnitude more dangerous games! But I understand Orga taking the gamble: he’s now seeing the vague possibility of an endgame that is not “eternal war” for the Tekkadan kids.

Kudelia will follow them… to be close to her native Mars, to follow the path of history… and to keep being part of Tekkadan’s extended family.

It looks like Orga would cede the ruling powers to her, if they won, but that would not make any sense if she had become the next head of Abrau.

Hell, for a “downtime” episode a ton of stuff happened.