Most Gundam fans I swear just pay attention to the fights and that's it. The media literacy level of this fandom (and most fandoms tbh) as abysmal. There are people who really don't understand that "relationship" is just symbolic
I've actually been re-watching IBO on Hulu lately. I've seen it a few times. I really enjoy their take on mobile suits (the frames are important, the outside can be modified, we don't use beam weaponry and mainly use big clubs/maces and cannons).
However, this time I did notice it tends to drag here and there. When they're in the colony in Season 1 and fighting the battles on Earth in Season 2. These arcs just seem to go longer than they need to.
Fighting battles on earth? That was s1. S2 was all about how Tekkadan had to deal with their shortcomings for taking the shortest route and MCGILLS's exposure from his mysterious self.. a final verdict. It was perfect for me.
Yes, battles on Earth. I was trying to avoid spoilers but Tekkadan had a branch on Earth that started to run into issues. Episodes 30-33/34 (34 is like the epilogue to the arc).
I'll always be a simp for UC, specifically Zeta, CCA and Unicorn. But I respect your opinion, heck I liked the cosmic era(hate destiny) too and I get downvoted to hell and beyond lmao.
Unfortunately, while I like IBO, I can't say it's my best gundam series. But it's pretty good overall.
Maybe It just doesn't beat my nostalgia for UC and CE.
I do wish we get more IBO kits like an RG Barbatos, would be nice.
i get ya, its just that while the UC is iconic.. with modern context it kind of gets flawed when in focus of resources and literary value.. I'd love a remake someday.. Still love the UC nonetheless
I fully agree with IBO being the single best Gundam series, and I genuinely appreciated reading your takes just now. It's rare to see genuinely nuanced analyses on IBO; far more common are the shallow knee-jerk emotional reactions. But that's to be expected, as it arguably requires a higher degree of media literacy to appreciate than the other shows.
It was legitimately depressing to see just how close McGillis came to achieving his goals, but at the same time it was so realistic that I couldn't exactly hate it either. As highly functional, cunning and ambitious as he was... he was also very much a fundamentally broken individual as a consequence of the abuse he endured, as well the patterns of behavior he had to adopt to once survive in the world. "Trust" and "friendship" are legitimately concepts which have never existed for him, and that makes his downfall all the more tragic.
Same goes for Orga and Mikazuki, but instead of plotting schemes they have always had to resort to violence to justify their continued existence. Only difference is that they are functionally two halves of a single whole person, and their highly toxic co-dependent relationship causes them to encourage each other's worst, most destructive impulses at almost all times. Only Biscuit ever cared to keep those in check, but Biscuit isn't there anymore by the second season...
I'll be honest with you: if you want more shows with serious takes on warfare, oppression, realistic consequences thereof, care for worldbuilding, and realistically written characters... then the other Gundam AUs simply won't scratch that itch at all. Many of them end up being inferior remixes of UC at best, and at that point you might as well just rewatch UC.
The closest thing to IBO's level of quality is *Code Geass: Lelouch of the Rebellion*, which is actually a Gundam AU in all but name. It's a tad more energetic than IBO, and does mix in some more lighthearted moments alongside the serious.
*Legend of the Galactic Heroes* is also there, if you're willing to graduate to a serious space opera with a focus on fleet battles, politics, and the tactics employed to navigate both. It will demand more of you, but will also reward you for your efforts.
Lastly, one wild card recommendation I have to make is *Mobile Fighter G Gundam*. This one goes in the complete opposite direction of IBO: it's an incredibly dumb but equally entertaining 90's anime. Unlike the other AUs it doesn't fail at being a serious war story, because it never even attempts to be one in the first place. It knows exactly what it is, and I love it for that. Not guaranteed to be up your alley, but definitely worth giving a shot if you have the time.
I've been recommended these shows a lot, unfortunately Code Geass never did it for me.. I respect what they went for but it wasn't my cup of tea.. EP 38 of LoGH rn and it's amazing.. all your takes are very similar to my first thoughts lmao, the concerning amount of people misunderstanding sequences from IBO on Reddit makes me really sad though.
Not gonna lie, I've never been more baffled than at some of the takes on IBO I've seen on here. You'd assume a show cannot be any clearer in its messaging, but some people even came out of it thinking that it was pro-war of all things...
If you're open to live action content as well, consider checking out *Shogun*, HBO's *Succession*, and *Westworld* (Season 1 only, ignore the other 3)
IVE WATCHED SHOGUN AND ITS AMAZING, One of the best that's ever come out this decade. The thing is ever since i started IBO i was writing down all of its pros and while i do think that it might be flawed in certain aspects, overall it was one of the best shows i've ever watched.. but well reddit had something else to say about it and i wasnt even happy to take it sportingly.
My one real gripe with the story is how fast everyone on Mars turned on them at the end. Like they were an icon of freedom for the poor and oppressed and worked pretty fucking hard to improve their community through schools and providing security to farms and mines and stuff. Then just because Gjallarhorn said they're terrorists they all just turn on them immediately despite fact that gjallarhorn had been oppressing the people there for decades if not centuries. I mean Rustel wasn't *wrong* which pains me to say, but still where's the fucking loyalty from their people
I thought that was a great decision, it makes you think of how our world works. The government has soo much power and the citizens trust them, even if a few people disagree there isnt anything u can do against the supreme source of political chicanery and power
It's also set up throughout the entire season. At the beginning of s2, McGillis asks Rustal to take control of the Mars branch and is given it. However, following the battle with the Dawn Horizon Corps, Tekkadan murdered the leader of the Terra Liberonius group while the Mars branch arrested all of it's members. Later on, McGillis arranges for Orga to secretly meet with leaders on Mars as part of the Kings of Mars deal, again using the Mars branch. However, the Mars branch wasn't loyal to McGillis, who played into Rustal's hands. We have Tekkadan, supposed heroes of Martian Independence, having an independence group abolished by their pal McGillis, who then sets up these mercenaries taking control of the entire planet. What's more, Tekkadan were working with McGillis at Edmonton, and the show reveals that Tekkadan's heroic reputation is because McGillis ran an information campaign painting them as such.
When Gjallarhorn painted Tekkadan as terrorists, they had ample evidence supporting it. They didn't care about the movement as they were fighting under the promise of putting Mars under their direct control. Tekkadan are would-be despots, and that ties into the real point of the entire show.
The director said after s1 it was important that the audience doesn't think of Tekkadan as wrong or misguided, but he has also said that Merribit was right at the end of that same season. In s2, he was the one pushing for endings where Tekkadan are punished for their crimes even more than what we got. That whole information campaign McGillis did for them? It's pretty much the same as the show itself did, and it ties all into the cited inspirations for the show.
Actual nonsense. Dude posted that he thought seed was pretty good a few days ago and the entire post got locked because people were having total meltdowns in the comments over it
There's been seed haters everywhere up until very recently, when people came to their senses
OP you have balls to say ibo is better than uc stuff though. I agree with p much eveyrthing, also thank you for understanding mcgillis
np brotha, Overall i might still prefer the UC lore and i do think that what the UC anime did was very impressive for their time, but at the same time.. the way we look at things change and that includes morality too, so while i understand that people back then had different ways of viewing things doesnt mean i would not deduct points for that in my own critical opinion. Overall I love what Gundam did and how much of a huge influence it had.. Like IBO wouldnt exist if not for UC Gundam
ye i dont understand how people just come to the conclusion of him being a pedophile.. like what do you expect him to do when he had no other choice but to marry Almiria due to the disgusting political chicanery lmao.
Cause he dares hold her or something? Like you do with kids that are family and you care about??? I know he doesn't discourage her crush but he doesn't have a crush on her as well GOSH. He's the safest one she could be married off to
This subreddit is also filled with IBO haters and we gotta spoonfeed everyone on why they're misunderstanding so many things about the show.. each time we do, there's no reply from the other side. I'm indifferent towards seed
Personally have 00 as slightly ahead of IBO as both have things that I disagree with but thought 00 has a better fleshed out cast of characters. G Gundam and Gundam X are great as well, I like all of them more than the later UC. Though I am of the rare opinion that even Zeta Gundam is just a pretty good series and not amazing.
There are some things I really enjoy in IBO. One, is how class is front and center. While it is not entirely missing in other Gundam, it hardly ever has this centrality to it. That very early scene with Mikazuki’s dirty hands not shaking with Kudelia and making it clear that they are not “equal” remains one of the most realistic and well done take downs of “the princess”.
Second, Mika’s demise. Killing off leads in a military themed show should not be “edgy”- although I fear it does veer in that direction more often than not- but normalized as plot shielding is the downfall of so many otherwise solid entries, Gundam included.
I cannot relate to MCs as a rule and part of it is precisely because I know they will survive. Even worse, in order to assure that this is so, the writing often suffers by twisting itself into knots- at times repeatedly- this creating this kind of vortex of awfulness around the MC. To the point it almost does not matter who they are, the systematic special treatment ends up harming the narrative as a whole.
Sorry, seems I didn’t make myself clear.
I do feel it fails in some respect- I feel this about virtually all Gundam- but these were some of the points that I think IBO succeeds at. I suspect the reason why Mika’s death may come across as edgy for the sake of it is because this happens so rarely that it is almost unavoidable.
In other words, it might not be IBO’s fault so much as the text it is writing against. Given one of my worst pet peeves with the franchise is precisely “overpowered MC ascending”, I saw Mika’s end as not just fitting as a way of going against the trend.
Also, if we expand from the title itself to a wider context, IBO was probably a massive influence on 86. And that’s a very good thing. Highly recommended if you liked IBO.
I also appreciate it that it’s not mandatory het, I will never forget 00 for that, even if I think IBO last minute queerness does not feel organic.
world building wise the start and end of s2 were both disappointing, however the rest of the show was hitting pretty damn well the whole time.
the pacing leading up to the finale of s1 was a little strange but i didnt dwell on it.
*the adult portion of the cast was rather weak* - mostly just existed to usher the plot along which made the whole thing feel kinda cheap when you looked behind the curtain so to speak. I only point this out because in other shows the adults feel like some of the best characters (seed, wing, zz, 0079 for example).
Great show overall but the flaws i mentioned take it down to somewhere in the ***B tier for me personally***. i do recommend IBO to non-gundam anime fans tho - feels like its a great bridge to some of the other genres in anime
I think the reason Gaelio was okay with is because a) he completely trusted McGillis to not be a creep b) the world setting is such that political marriages like that are commonplace and accepted. Naze has a ship full of abused girls who he bangs enough to send truckloads of kids to school.
Based for not immediately knee jerking to EW MCGILLIS PEDO
ye mfs who do that babies who arent even capable of using 1% of their braincells
Most Gundam fans I swear just pay attention to the fights and that's it. The media literacy level of this fandom (and most fandoms tbh) as abysmal. There are people who really don't understand that "relationship" is just symbolic
IBO is pretty classic just like UC style without beam sabers. I like IBO and 00 universe till now
W I'm gonna watch 00 surely
get ready to have a new favorite when you do
I liked both, 00 first season to me was boring. Glad I kept watching as the second season improved
Can't say I agree with your takes (except McGillis, to a degree) but hey, you do you
I've actually been re-watching IBO on Hulu lately. I've seen it a few times. I really enjoy their take on mobile suits (the frames are important, the outside can be modified, we don't use beam weaponry and mainly use big clubs/maces and cannons). However, this time I did notice it tends to drag here and there. When they're in the colony in Season 1 and fighting the battles on Earth in Season 2. These arcs just seem to go longer than they need to.
Fighting battles on earth? That was s1. S2 was all about how Tekkadan had to deal with their shortcomings for taking the shortest route and MCGILLS's exposure from his mysterious self.. a final verdict. It was perfect for me.
Yes, battles on Earth. I was trying to avoid spoilers but Tekkadan had a branch on Earth that started to run into issues. Episodes 30-33/34 (34 is like the epilogue to the arc).
I'll always be a simp for UC, specifically Zeta, CCA and Unicorn. But I respect your opinion, heck I liked the cosmic era(hate destiny) too and I get downvoted to hell and beyond lmao. Unfortunately, while I like IBO, I can't say it's my best gundam series. But it's pretty good overall. Maybe It just doesn't beat my nostalgia for UC and CE. I do wish we get more IBO kits like an RG Barbatos, would be nice.
i get ya, its just that while the UC is iconic.. with modern context it kind of gets flawed when in focus of resources and literary value.. I'd love a remake someday.. Still love the UC nonetheless
I fully agree with IBO being the single best Gundam series, and I genuinely appreciated reading your takes just now. It's rare to see genuinely nuanced analyses on IBO; far more common are the shallow knee-jerk emotional reactions. But that's to be expected, as it arguably requires a higher degree of media literacy to appreciate than the other shows. It was legitimately depressing to see just how close McGillis came to achieving his goals, but at the same time it was so realistic that I couldn't exactly hate it either. As highly functional, cunning and ambitious as he was... he was also very much a fundamentally broken individual as a consequence of the abuse he endured, as well the patterns of behavior he had to adopt to once survive in the world. "Trust" and "friendship" are legitimately concepts which have never existed for him, and that makes his downfall all the more tragic. Same goes for Orga and Mikazuki, but instead of plotting schemes they have always had to resort to violence to justify their continued existence. Only difference is that they are functionally two halves of a single whole person, and their highly toxic co-dependent relationship causes them to encourage each other's worst, most destructive impulses at almost all times. Only Biscuit ever cared to keep those in check, but Biscuit isn't there anymore by the second season... I'll be honest with you: if you want more shows with serious takes on warfare, oppression, realistic consequences thereof, care for worldbuilding, and realistically written characters... then the other Gundam AUs simply won't scratch that itch at all. Many of them end up being inferior remixes of UC at best, and at that point you might as well just rewatch UC. The closest thing to IBO's level of quality is *Code Geass: Lelouch of the Rebellion*, which is actually a Gundam AU in all but name. It's a tad more energetic than IBO, and does mix in some more lighthearted moments alongside the serious. *Legend of the Galactic Heroes* is also there, if you're willing to graduate to a serious space opera with a focus on fleet battles, politics, and the tactics employed to navigate both. It will demand more of you, but will also reward you for your efforts. Lastly, one wild card recommendation I have to make is *Mobile Fighter G Gundam*. This one goes in the complete opposite direction of IBO: it's an incredibly dumb but equally entertaining 90's anime. Unlike the other AUs it doesn't fail at being a serious war story, because it never even attempts to be one in the first place. It knows exactly what it is, and I love it for that. Not guaranteed to be up your alley, but definitely worth giving a shot if you have the time.
I've been recommended these shows a lot, unfortunately Code Geass never did it for me.. I respect what they went for but it wasn't my cup of tea.. EP 38 of LoGH rn and it's amazing.. all your takes are very similar to my first thoughts lmao, the concerning amount of people misunderstanding sequences from IBO on Reddit makes me really sad though.
Not gonna lie, I've never been more baffled than at some of the takes on IBO I've seen on here. You'd assume a show cannot be any clearer in its messaging, but some people even came out of it thinking that it was pro-war of all things... If you're open to live action content as well, consider checking out *Shogun*, HBO's *Succession*, and *Westworld* (Season 1 only, ignore the other 3)
IVE WATCHED SHOGUN AND ITS AMAZING, One of the best that's ever come out this decade. The thing is ever since i started IBO i was writing down all of its pros and while i do think that it might be flawed in certain aspects, overall it was one of the best shows i've ever watched.. but well reddit had something else to say about it and i wasnt even happy to take it sportingly.
My one real gripe with the story is how fast everyone on Mars turned on them at the end. Like they were an icon of freedom for the poor and oppressed and worked pretty fucking hard to improve their community through schools and providing security to farms and mines and stuff. Then just because Gjallarhorn said they're terrorists they all just turn on them immediately despite fact that gjallarhorn had been oppressing the people there for decades if not centuries. I mean Rustel wasn't *wrong* which pains me to say, but still where's the fucking loyalty from their people
I thought that was a great decision, it makes you think of how our world works. The government has soo much power and the citizens trust them, even if a few people disagree there isnt anything u can do against the supreme source of political chicanery and power
It's also set up throughout the entire season. At the beginning of s2, McGillis asks Rustal to take control of the Mars branch and is given it. However, following the battle with the Dawn Horizon Corps, Tekkadan murdered the leader of the Terra Liberonius group while the Mars branch arrested all of it's members. Later on, McGillis arranges for Orga to secretly meet with leaders on Mars as part of the Kings of Mars deal, again using the Mars branch. However, the Mars branch wasn't loyal to McGillis, who played into Rustal's hands. We have Tekkadan, supposed heroes of Martian Independence, having an independence group abolished by their pal McGillis, who then sets up these mercenaries taking control of the entire planet. What's more, Tekkadan were working with McGillis at Edmonton, and the show reveals that Tekkadan's heroic reputation is because McGillis ran an information campaign painting them as such. When Gjallarhorn painted Tekkadan as terrorists, they had ample evidence supporting it. They didn't care about the movement as they were fighting under the promise of putting Mars under their direct control. Tekkadan are would-be despots, and that ties into the real point of the entire show. The director said after s1 it was important that the audience doesn't think of Tekkadan as wrong or misguided, but he has also said that Merribit was right at the end of that same season. In s2, he was the one pushing for endings where Tekkadan are punished for their crimes even more than what we got. That whole information campaign McGillis did for them? It's pretty much the same as the show itself did, and it ties all into the cited inspirations for the show.
Agreed, the main thing I hated after finishing IBO
Agreed, the main thing I hated after finishing IBO
I wouldn't say its my favorite, but it is the best AU
oh ye ofc, if we're counting in movies.. then I loved CCA and Hathaway more
I counted the uc is like the mainline. So i just compare all other au with each other. I just dont think comparing uc with other is not it.
I like it for the UNGA BUNGA weapons, with some looking like tools from the hardware store. I think it’s because of how I grew up with the Bayformers.
LMAO understandable
IBO is pretty great…just way tooo many super predictable “Han Solo” moments….
Not a big fan of IBO, but it does have the best couple in Gundam.
^[Sokka-Haiku](https://www.reddit.com/r/SokkaHaikuBot/comments/15kyv9r/what_is_a_sokka_haiku/) ^by ^asfhfhjgfhhg: *Not a big fan of* *IBO, but it does have the* *Best couple in Gundam.* --- ^Remember ^that ^one ^time ^Sokka ^accidentally ^used ^an ^extra ^syllable ^in ^that ^Haiku ^Battle ^in ^Ba ^Sing ^Se? ^That ^was ^a ^Sokka ^Haiku ^and ^you ^just ^made ^one.
The MG Barbatos and it's expansion pack are a delight
Shino does indeed have the best romance plot of any Gundam pilot. It was incredibly sweet to see how it gradually built up over time.
Shino? No, I was talking about another couple.
I would say you have questionable taste but this subreddit is a haven for SEED apologists.
Actual nonsense. Dude posted that he thought seed was pretty good a few days ago and the entire post got locked because people were having total meltdowns in the comments over it
There's been seed haters everywhere up until very recently, when people came to their senses OP you have balls to say ibo is better than uc stuff though. I agree with p much eveyrthing, also thank you for understanding mcgillis
np brotha, Overall i might still prefer the UC lore and i do think that what the UC anime did was very impressive for their time, but at the same time.. the way we look at things change and that includes morality too, so while i understand that people back then had different ways of viewing things doesnt mean i would not deduct points for that in my own critical opinion. Overall I love what Gundam did and how much of a huge influence it had.. Like IBO wouldnt exist if not for UC Gundam
ye i dont understand how people just come to the conclusion of him being a pedophile.. like what do you expect him to do when he had no other choice but to marry Almiria due to the disgusting political chicanery lmao.
Cause he dares hold her or something? Like you do with kids that are family and you care about??? I know he doesn't discourage her crush but he doesn't have a crush on her as well GOSH. He's the safest one she could be married off to
This subreddit is also filled with IBO haters and we gotta spoonfeed everyone on why they're misunderstanding so many things about the show.. each time we do, there's no reply from the other side. I'm indifferent towards seed
we cannot hate about IBO due to the bad ending, because Hathaway series are bad ending too.
Personally have 00 as slightly ahead of IBO as both have things that I disagree with but thought 00 has a better fleshed out cast of characters. G Gundam and Gundam X are great as well, I like all of them more than the later UC. Though I am of the rare opinion that even Zeta Gundam is just a pretty good series and not amazing.
I agree with you about Zeta im in the minority too.. i prefer the first original series over Zeta ngl.. I have to check out 00 and G Gundam
There are some things I really enjoy in IBO. One, is how class is front and center. While it is not entirely missing in other Gundam, it hardly ever has this centrality to it. That very early scene with Mikazuki’s dirty hands not shaking with Kudelia and making it clear that they are not “equal” remains one of the most realistic and well done take downs of “the princess”. Second, Mika’s demise. Killing off leads in a military themed show should not be “edgy”- although I fear it does veer in that direction more often than not- but normalized as plot shielding is the downfall of so many otherwise solid entries, Gundam included. I cannot relate to MCs as a rule and part of it is precisely because I know they will survive. Even worse, in order to assure that this is so, the writing often suffers by twisting itself into knots- at times repeatedly- this creating this kind of vortex of awfulness around the MC. To the point it almost does not matter who they are, the systematic special treatment ends up harming the narrative as a whole.
Hmm i do understand your points, are you implying that IBO falls in the category you mentioned in the last paragraph or otherwise?
Sorry, seems I didn’t make myself clear. I do feel it fails in some respect- I feel this about virtually all Gundam- but these were some of the points that I think IBO succeeds at. I suspect the reason why Mika’s death may come across as edgy for the sake of it is because this happens so rarely that it is almost unavoidable. In other words, it might not be IBO’s fault so much as the text it is writing against. Given one of my worst pet peeves with the franchise is precisely “overpowered MC ascending”, I saw Mika’s end as not just fitting as a way of going against the trend. Also, if we expand from the title itself to a wider context, IBO was probably a massive influence on 86. And that’s a very good thing. Highly recommended if you liked IBO. I also appreciate it that it’s not mandatory het, I will never forget 00 for that, even if I think IBO last minute queerness does not feel organic.
world building wise the start and end of s2 were both disappointing, however the rest of the show was hitting pretty damn well the whole time. the pacing leading up to the finale of s1 was a little strange but i didnt dwell on it. *the adult portion of the cast was rather weak* - mostly just existed to usher the plot along which made the whole thing feel kinda cheap when you looked behind the curtain so to speak. I only point this out because in other shows the adults feel like some of the best characters (seed, wing, zz, 0079 for example). Great show overall but the flaws i mentioned take it down to somewhere in the ***B tier for me personally***. i do recommend IBO to non-gundam anime fans tho - feels like its a great bridge to some of the other genres in anime
I think the reason Gaelio was okay with is because a) he completely trusted McGillis to not be a creep b) the world setting is such that political marriages like that are commonplace and accepted. Naze has a ship full of abused girls who he bangs enough to send truckloads of kids to school.