Following a tragic episode 8, episode 9 is a breather for much of its runtime as the characters deal with the aftermath of the fight that saw a lot of Asticassia students killed. But as always, the quietness don’t stay for long, and we find ourselves seeing the beginning of the series’s climax.
Consequences
Ever since her disastrous peacekeeping mission on Earth, Miorine has changed so much that we can barely recognize her in this episode aside from her physical appearance. Gone is the confident and blunt individual we saw in season and even for the first half of season 2. In its place is a poor girl barely holding it together, particularly her sanity, especially now that she’s the President of the largest space conglomerate.
And yet, Miorine has also learned much from her harrowing experiences. This is evident during her conversations with Sarius, who is willing to be the scapegoat for the entire situation in space and on Earth. In a way, this is his own atonement for keeping the status quo that led to Shaddiq’s actions, showing that Sarius is not really an awful person.
But Miorine no longer wants to sacrifice, a hard lesson she has learned. And this is really a good growth for her, especially when we consider her earlier conversation with Shaddiq and she admits that though their methods are different, their goals are very much the same; that is, changing the stagnant status quo.
Unfortunately, they will get what they both want in the most horrifying way through a certain masked Witch.
Quiet Zero
With all the chaos going on, it is no surprise that there will be turncoats within the Benerit Group. Unsurprisingly, Peil Technologies is the first one to separate from the group and ally itself with the Space Assembly League.
Of course, this is only natural. Aside from the fact that Peil is simply flocking to the same birds with the same feathers, there is really no reason to stay on the losing side. Benerit is now helmed by an inexperienced 16-year-old girl with a gradually breaking mental state, and Grassley no longer has power given the actions of Shaddiq. Jeturk, obviously, has lost its influence ever since Vim’s death.
And yet, Peil might have just joined an even worse side. The SAL may be like a space council and definitely has enough manpower for a military intervention, but neither they nor anyone else really holds a candle to the worse enemies in the series.
The Samayas.
Ever since Quiet Zero was first mentioned, we haven’t really seen what it was or even its capabilities. All we know is that Notrette Rembran was already working on it before her death, and Delling simply took over with Elnora’s help. And that Eri would be the main component behind its success.
Thus, it comes as a total shock when it is finally revealed that Quiet Zero is a massive space fortress—a tradition in most Gundam shows. And perhaps the next few minutes of total carnage and destruction is already expected given what it is, but what truly makes this horrifying is the fact that, at this point, Eri is unstoppable as she could control any system with Permet, which is practically everything.
And Elnora? She’s simply there, watching as her daughter commits genocide all for the sake of creating a better world. It is no wonder that Miorine finally tethers on the edge of despair. After all, she did cause all of this by going with Elnora’s plans. Worse yet, even Lauda is now out for her blood.
Decision
Last episode’s attack has wrought irreparable damage to Asticassia. Though the entire school itself could be eventually rebuilt, the lives of its students have been changed forever, especially a critically injured Petra who may or may not survive the coming days. The school grounds have become both a graveyard and refugee camp—a sight not too different from those of Earth, the very place whose people are shunned by Spacians.
And yet amidst that darkness is the light of hope: Suletta and Earth House. Unlike most, they are trying to help in any way they could, even to those who have harassed them in the past. The development for these characters are simply amazing, particularly for Martin, Nika, and Chuchu. But the most emphasis obviously falls on Suletta.
Much like Miorine, the girl has changed so much, and for the better. Suletta is an incredibly strong character, and though she has an excellent circle of friends, the fact that she remains positive despite all the tragedy she has witnessed speaks volumes about her strength.
And that strength is apparently needed as Belmeria and Gaston, Feng Jun’s colleague, recruit Suletta into a daring and dangerous mission: to stop Elnora and Eri’s plans using a monster of a Gundam, the Calibarn, which has no filters against data storm.
It is worth noting that even though Belmeria has voiced her opposition to Suletta piloting it, Nika has no problem calling the woman out for her hypocrisy. After all, Bel had worked with Peil Technologies to further her own gains. And yet this only makes Belmeria a really tragic character filled with guilt and remorse.
Nevertheless, it is clear that Suletta will do anything to save Miorine—even if it might cost her her own life. But as expected, she wouldn’t do this alone. Earth House is ready to join her, as well as Elan 5.
Conclusion
Episode 9 gives a nice balance of action and story progression while setting up the final act of the series. And with only three episodes left, we should expect more explosive twists and epic fight scenes; after all, a Gundam wouldn’t be complete without an emotional finale.
Episode score: 9/10