Mobile Suit Gundam: Iron Blooded Orphans - The Idiot Plot Done Right

[@BigMicahC]

Hey! If this is the first you're seeing of my channel, don't forget to subscribe!

[@Forsakenruler]

Did you know the mc made his kid inside the gundam cause he couldn’t move the right side of his body

[@gundam5281]

Your point about the impact of Biscuit's death is something almost everyone misses, that is the most crucial about the series. Good Job pointing it out.

[@MarloSoBalJr]

You'd gradually see it as the story carries on that Biscuit was the alternative voice to Tekkadan/CGS. Orga need someone to be a "no" man. Eugene was the only other one but even he didn't have enough will to tell Orga otherwise. Being rational was where Biscuit made an impact. Once he died, Orga's fate was inevitable

[@azrael1045]

They use kinetic weapons instead of Beam Weapons in IBO because Nano-limonite armor makes beam weapons virtually useless. Yes some tech was moved backwards since the Calamity War but they can still make and produce nano-limonite armor, my understanding is that it's what they "paint" things in

[@lunerblade13]

Also who wants to be using beam weapons in light of the slaughter committed by the mobile armors. This is a society that looks down upon augmentation for the same reason so beam weaponry is as easily off the table.

[@cephery8482]

Yeah the setting is deceptively high tech. They spent all these years in relative peace trying to hold back weapons development, but the armour progressed at the standard pace. The reason theres so much close close quarters combat is cause fighting from range can’t accomplish anything. Even the bigger guns running around are almost useless at significant range, only the warship mounted canons have a chance. So of course they have to end up beating each other to a pulp. When the armour becomes impenetrable the frame theyre mounted on becomes the weakness, one exploited by crashing rather than piercing force.

[@VejmR]

@@cephery8482 but isnt the armor pirced tho by swords

[@cephery8482]

@@VejmR rarely, stuff like the valkyria buster sword peirces hashmal but that thing is the size of a mobile suit, and a few graze aces manage to lodge in places but badbatos has to target the gaps in gusions armour and graze ein needed the full AV synch and ein to actually walk into it to be able to peirce.

[@AzraelAstray]

Screw lasers in gundam! Mobile suits get obliterated in pieces! Its better to be like that

[@dontmatter966]

One of my favorite facts about this show is that the original draft had EVERY named character die at some point, and someone in corporate said "Bruh we don't mind dark but that's a bit much"

[@officialFredDurstfanclub]

Yeah the head writer wanted them to live and the director wanted them to all die but since no one could chose an ending they decided to cope out and that’s why at the ending, most of them die but then Rustal does what they were trying to do anyway, so it all works out? They lose but they also win? I’d rather they actually killed everyone off instead of pussying out at the last second for some victory by default.

[@dish7877]

i feel like its not just not dark to kill everyone, but less impactful. Like i get the futility of war, but in a fiction, it would feel just as disconnected to the messages as if everyone lived

[@zillagrilla315]

@@officialFredDurstfanclub Rustal main goal was to keep Ghajhorn in power. Mcgillas had many sympathizers within the organization. So, to prevent another Civil War, so policy changes. As for Orga, Mika, and Akihiro, death is symbolic. Those three were never really meant for a life of peace.

[@Salvatorez1980]

Damn for gundam standards it was too dark 😂

[@XenoJehuty84]

@@officialFredDurstfanclub To be clear the director wanted them all dead in Season 01, and the head writer had to fight against that, and honestly she was right to do so. I read the original draft, it was TOO bleak. Season 02's ending was the compromise basically if a bit shoddily done IMHO.

[@quinnheppe2959]

The fact it takes some of the ideas of the kids trying to fix something the adults are too stubborn to change, and turning it on its head because the kids have no idea what they are doing. With them being child soldiers, it makes sense the only thing they know how to do is fight for someone else's cause. With no real brain behind their operation, they just go into everything half cocked and make it out by the skin of their teeth or just because they have a gundam or two around. It starts with them having the best of intentions, but slowly losing themselves in the war they unintentionally helped cause.

[@badfoody]

the saddest part is that, if they didn't ally with Mcgillis they could have just chilled in Mars and died older men

[@green_creeper288]

Another thing that helps convey the "idiot plot" is something the story tells you immediately. These are children. They can be as mature as they want but they're still emotionally stunted and partially traumatized children.

[@Creske_Spellweaver]

this right here. too many people like to call orga an "idiot" just flat out disrespecting him he did the best he could for tekkedan giving them a life they never wouldve had otherwise a kind life with food in their belly and in turn those kids wanting to protect and keep their newfound life and humanity(im pretty sure) would gladly give their lives in battle 10x over because what tekkedan gave them was worth that much too them. these were starving homeless "uneducated" children and because of their sacrifices they changed things in their universe for the better. also id gladly discuss orga more and about his decisions towards the later half of the series wasnt dumb but more so of him having so few options and resources to fall back on due to them being targeted and sabotaged by other forces at work.

[@matteste]

That same point also works with McGillis in that he is basically a child that never really grew up. He is still stuck in those fantasies he clung onto as a youth, fantasies that does not translate to the real world.

[@Creske_Spellweaver]

@@matteste its all he had to latch on too he was r*ped and abused the entirety of his childhood

[@draketheduelist]

​@@matteste To be fair, those fantasies McGillis clung to were probably just a tiny bit of hope to take his mind off getting violated by his stepfather repeatedly. It's like Gjallarhorn made a rod for their own back, and then they got to break that rod and walk off completely free of consequences that they absolutely deserved. It's still well-told and makes logical sense... mostly... but it's _monstrously_ unsatisfying to see Gjallarhorn get to willingly dissolve itself on its own terms, rather than getting smeared by Barbatos' mace.

[@nurlindafsihotang49]

@@matteste with that fantasy, McGillis could stopped himself from slit his throat, mate.

[@angepange4942]

In season 2, Zack spends the whole season saying all of the things Biscuit would have said, but no one who should listen does so because not only is he new, but also because he comes off as a coward. Only old man Yukinojo listens. Not only that, he encourages him to never stop thinking, even saying that Orga could use advice like that, the kind of advice he used to get when Biscuit was around.

[@jude0985]

It's also fair to mention that Biscuit actually has a 2nd class background means he went to school before working in SGC unlike Orga n Mika

[@uandresbrito5685]

Just reinforcing that he was the smart guy that knew the underdogs couldn't always play risky. Orga couldn't understand that and... Well.

[@draketheduelist]

I don't think I'd call Orga stupid necessarily. He's clearly a brilliant tactician who can make the most of a really rotten situation, as proven by how Tekkaden didn't get smoked in some six-episode miniseries. If anything, it's the difference between tactics (which he has) and strategy (which he doesn't). And yeah, no doubt, McGillis was definitely gonna' do something shady once he'd smeared Rustal across the stars. Someone like McGillis doesn't stop just because of a little thing like winning. (The only thing that _stopped_ him dead in his tracks was Hashmal, a threat so out of scope that he had to put every single processor core into beating it for the sake of his own survival, even if it meant teaming up with mortal enemies. It'd be like if Char Aznable teamed up with the Zabi family because the _Tyranids_ were on the way.) And Tekkaden was to deal with him in due time. I'm not sure what happened though, but for whatever reason, that's not how it played out. It felt rushed, frustrated, strapped for cash, denied a third season, drunk on subversium... I dunno. It didn't work for me. Before I dig into problems, let me first clarify that this is _not_ a Seed-Destiny-level narrative disaster. Not by a million miles. IBO is great. The ingredients were all there, and for most of the run were utilized masterfully. You felt good when you were supposed to, bad when you were supposed to, amused, shocked, surprised, sad, angry, and it was a helluva ride. It just didn't stick the landing (like, say, G Gundam; for the record, I consider it and ReRise two of the best entries in the franchise). And I'm still not entirely sure whether or not I think that's actually worse than a Seed or a Destiny. I'm _tempted_ to say no because the Cosmic Era was overall moronic, disgusting and cheap, while Post Disaster just had a few holes that were _very_ easy to spackle over with a little more effort. Allow me to elaborate. Especially relevant to the whole "legend" thing is that there are heavy implications that the legend of Agnika Kaeru and the Bael is based on _some_ degree of half-remembered truth that got lost in translation. The legend of Bael, as we're told it, is that Bael has a part of Agnika Kaeru's soul in it. Because of this, only one whom Kaeru approves of can pilot it, thus making said pilot heir apparent to Kaeru's wishes and functional heir to Gjallarhorn, legitimizing said pilot and trumping even the highest-ranked leaders of the organization. Now, we know the gundams in this universe have a degree of independent willpower, as shown with Barbatos a few times. In fact, because of Vidar and Ein, we know that human minds can in some way interface with these suits and become part of their AI permanently somehow. Was it _any_ stretch to think that Agnika Kaeru did something similar with Gundam Bael? Because that's where I thought it was going. It's not that the legend is a _complete_ lie. Only a half-truth told by those who didn't fully grasp the mechanics. Not to mention McGillis wasn't the only one clinging to legend. Kudelia kept going on and on about her whole schtick as the Maiden of Victory, whom we know _nothing_ about at all, but she didn't get punished despite an utter dearth of evidence that the Maiden of Victory existed. Not even her name. At least Agnika Kaeru _definitely_ existed (either that or there's more layers of conspiracy here than in Wing...), given we have his suit, the organization he founded, and the mobile armors that he supposedly defeated _also_ factually existed and were beaten by somebody. (Come to think of it, McGillis was about the only one who knew what the deal with Hashmal was, presumably because the mobile armors _also_ showed up in legend. History: 1, Myth: 0...) At a point, it was even stated that Gjallarhorn's original seniority rankings were based on the original founders' respective mobile armor body counts. Why is it so commonly suggested that Agnika Kaeru wasn't real? If he actually did exist, and the legends surrounding him were, in fact, an exaggeration or embellishment... who _was_ Agnika Kaeru really? The only side we hear from regarding Kaeru is McGillis. If he's wrong, what was the truth? If McGillis is detached from reality, what is the reality? This is IBO's fatally compromising misstep that dashes the entire series at the eleventh hour. The right answer to this question might even legitimize Rustal Elion (to a degree; let's not go crazy...) as an agent of a larger-scoped pragmatism if nothing else. Y'know what would've been a neat twist? If in the end, Agnika Kaeru _was_ the Maiden of Victory. The historical Kaeru was actually a woman the whole time (possibly concealing her gender, what with all the medieval motifs of the setting probably rendering it not _terribly_ woman-friendly), and between McGillis and Kudelia, you would get the whole complete story of the life of the historical pilot of Bael. It would make sense for a warrior like McGillis (a powerless victim) to focus on her power, while Kudelia (a girl with a heart for the less fortunate) focused on her role as a savior, but it was just the two sides of a whole person. Kaeru might even thematically find resonance in Orga and Mikazuki: one a protector, and the other a destroyer. The legendary hero has bloody hands in both eras. History doesn't fit cleanly into good or bad worldviews. It simply is what it is. And _that's_ pretty damn Gundam.

[@MrTigracho]

Would be a good plot for the a Prequel of IBO. Sunrise could do OVAS about the life of Agnika Kaeru. Her Childhood, her teenager years, adulthood, and death. And we get to see the brutality of the Calamity War

[@Sorain1]

"It'd be like if Char Aznable teamed up with the Zabi family because the Tyranids were on the way." Well great, now I want to see that... That being said, I think you've got a solid read on things here. It would wrap up the themes efficiently.

[@geraldkitchen4733]

Thank u someone said it

[@calmcat8073]

Starting the series I was hoping they would turn Kudelia into this Joan of Arc kinda chacter, but no, instead almost everyone fucking dies 😭

[@dominiczafico7285]

That's one of the dark points of IBO tho, history for people in power is just a foundation someone can use for their own gain. But that can also be opposite, history can just be a story old people tell children to bedtime.

[@mikek191]

I liked the series. Agree with everyone you said. It took me a while to get through the first part of season 2, but it picks up. As season 2 went on, I’ve never been so surprised by character deaths, repeatedly. Ending was rough to watch. My only critique is that there was some unnecessary child bride thing going on with mcgillis.

[@zenzenitha]

Imo it's a foreshadowing of he become his own devil. He was implied to be groomed before and after he was adopted. With Armilia he saw himself in her, partially using her and genuinely want her to be happy.

[@zerenixcezerix1448]

That's very fair I just see it as a quick way to show how power hungry Mcgillis' father is and how manipulative Mcgillis himself is as I don't believe he ever had any romantic feelings for her but has convinced her that he does with nothing but words , there's also the fact that he probably pities her mostly in the second season after he killed her brother, that doubling as a reminder to him he killed the one person he considered a friend (according to his words)

[@benji45645]

I think the child bride thing actually had some use in the series, and I was surprised with how wholesome it was in season 1 (haven't seen s2 yet). But within the series it shows how children in this world really are little more than chattel, regardless of status. The boys got sold off to or were essentially indentured to CGS, the workers in dort were traded between companies, and even kudelia and mcgillis' bride were forced as pawns into some bigger corrupt family politics. Basically it doesn't matter where you come from or where you are, until you force people to take you seriously a la Tekkadan, you are a child and you have no say in what will be done to you. Imo it made the world that much sadder and more hopeless, which Gundam seems to love to do in all its more mature shows.

[@nadimamin6642]

I do think there is the added element that McGillis has the child bride that he genuinely cares for, not just because he sees himself in her as a child pawn, but he also never grew up himself. He's fixated on the past that has scarred him. He's a man child because of it, which is why season 2 sees him chase after a fairytale, the fairytale that got him through the dark times of his childhood.

[@evanmccloud3126]

It's the only thing I don't like about it

[@JustSomeGuy]

This is one of my favorite Gundam series, especially because it shows the "heroes" becoming "villains" and having to face real-world repercussions for their decisions.

[@DEATHRAGE157]

Some guy, tekkadan was aways the villains, we just forgot, a mercenary company that uses child soldiers and human slaves that allied themselves with a revolutionary and a dictator, yeah, they were aways villains.

[@Creske_Spellweaver]

@@DEATHRAGE157 i disagree, they were slaves and child soldiers that sought after a better life

[@DEATHRAGE157]

@@Creske_Spellweaver morally they could be right(not if you were on the side of all those people and soldiers that got killed by tekkadan), but lawfully? Hell no, Tekkadan in my eyes worked as a gang, im from Brazil im not unfamiliar with armed militias, and the same way tekkadan formed and was operated align with those militias, so i would still firmly say that Tekkadan were the bad guy, and to twist the knive into the gut of your argument, the reason of why tekkadan got their faces kicked in, on the second season was because the amount of their sins was so great that they literally not only lost their "hero status", but even their plot armor.

[@Creske_Spellweaver]

@@DEATHRAGE157 but they won in the end? yeah sure mika orga and others died for it but a lot of them survived and now live in a better world hell even takaki is next in line to be a big political figurehead what they fought for was not in vain. also no one had plot armour in this show it was actually very grounded and realistic in terms of real world military tactics what rustal did with using the illegal weapons and twisting the media happens everyday. but it was a good show and had a happy ending

[@Creske_Spellweaver]

also orga mcgillis and rustal were morally grey neither good nor bad all trying to bring about change in their own ways ends justifies the means kinda deal they all did shady things but for good reasons rustal was just better at it hes been in the game far longer

[@Copefiend]

One of the things I love about IBO's narrative is that it's a thematic inverse of the archetypes and tropes that we know and love about Gundam. Mikazuki is an almost 1 to 1 inversion of Amuro, Orga is an inversion of Bright Noa, Kudelia is Relena Peacecraft from Wing if she was more politically effective (and less brain damaged), Gjallarhorn is essentially the Titans from Zeta if they had more competent leadership and some measure of introspection. Hell, even McGillis's betrayal of Gaelio is an inversion of Char betraying Garma Zabi, and Season 2 is a glimpse into what if Garma had survived Char's betrayal, even donning the "Char" mask himself.

[@purplehaze4942]

Mikazuki: **Takes out fleets of Gjallarhorn soldiers** Julieta: I am Rustal's sword, I am Rustal's shield.

[@badfoody]

"The place where we belong." IBO was so different. it showed an anime that wasn't about an infallible hero or an adventure it's about a bunch of mercenaries trying to find their place in the world. and in today's hyper consumerist world. that should speak to everyone. we are all looking for our place i also love how the true MC isn't Mikazuki. it's really Tekkadan as a whole check out the book, The Starving Vulture. might have something similar bout mercenaries and stuff

[@DEATHRAGE157]

Barbados Lupus Rex, Barbatos the wolf king, that will aways hunt alone, it flies with loss underneath its wings, the demon of mars is still fighting in mars to this day.

[@broodwars64]

One of the central ideas of the show I really enjoyed was that the central characters are constantly searching for a place they belong, to create a place they could call home. The series finale makes it clear that these child soldiers could, indeed, create a better world, but in the end there was no place in that better world for them. And so they get wiped out. The only survivors of the ending massacre were those characters who never took up a gun, and even some if them were forever scarred and unable to let the past go. I don't know if I'll ever watch IBO again since that 2nd season is just so slow and brutal, but I think its ending gets short changed by the fanbase.

[@quaveonjack7727]

Now you are right omg thanks bro I don’t know what that guy was talking about in the video but thanks bro

[@FaultyStar274]

This series was actually my introduction to the franchise. Tbh I prefer both this storytelling and art style over most of the other MSG series. That being said, it has open my eyes to its amazing plots.

[@azrael1045]

I really hope they put out a standard 2 season follow up to this series called something like IBO: The Calamity War

[@Necromancyyy]

I would love to see The Calamity War

[@Maribro4]

@@Necromancyyy agreed. Every time they brought it up in the show it interested me because it sounded like such an unbelievable conflict. And seeing a SINGLE Mobile Armor and what it could do just made me want to see the war they were causing in full

[@christianvirtudazo3106]

​@@Maribro4 The potential of having a terminator's Skynet in a Gundam series sounds interesting enough to the point the humans made their own inner demons into actual demons in a form of a Gundam against the Angels ot Extinction

[@dlytle1990]

This show is the definition of making bad emotional decisions that have hard consequences.

[@TheSonOfTheDragon]

I really enjoyed Iron Blooded Orphans. It's a well done underdog story, it's fucking brutal (especially with non beam weapons), and I love when the stuck-up gjallarhorn get curbstomped.

[@mk6315]

If it wasn’t for the Dainsleif they would have turned gjallarhorn inside out

[@alexkogan9755]

I loved Orga and a lot of the other characters in IBO, so it killed me when he and several of the others started getting taken out after Biscuit.

[@tomzeeb_]

The reason why Orga was so inexperienced made sense though. He had no prior education or anything like that + his character at times made it come off as if he was a young guy trying to make a world for himself. I think Erwin is a great example of a leader who knew what he was doing. He was a noble man and thought as far ahead as he could, taking every step very carefully. I just find it really cool how the contrast is between those two different characters just by experience.

[@otakusage123]

IBO is my personal favorite gundam series! Can’t recommend it highly enough

[@H250V]

I still need to finish this series but - in spite of how dark it seemed - I was honestly liking how it seemed more...grounded I guess it's the term. (Also, maybe it's just me, but you mentioning how this is basically the Anti-Gurren Lagaan is kind of funny to me considering I see Mikazuki and Orga as the Simon and Kamina of this series...especially Orga)

[@MrBryu]

The way I see it they were orphans who didn’t wanna be mistreated any longer…. And they stood up to those that made life bad for them…

[@EatWave]

1:23 I would say "Do not forget about Taiyou no Kiba Dagram" but very few people are probably even aware of the series to begin with let alone see it as a possible inspiration for elements of Iron Blooded Orphans.

[@mee7er]

You have to remember Orga is barely an adult with little to no education or life experience before he was thrown into a position of leadership with extremely high stakes. We as viewers are also more privy to the true motives of characters Orga wouldn’t be to as well.

[@UrbanS_69]

Big fan of IBO here. Kind of rekindled my love of Gundam and got me back to building Gunpla after probably 15 years without building one.

[@BigMicahC]

Nice. I actually have a Master Grade Barbatos on my desk.

[@UrbanS_69]

@@BigMicahC Definitely one on my wish list. Built every version of the HG Barbatos and the FM Lupus Rex so far, along with a lot of the Graze variations and other grunts. Few other series handle articulation as well as IBO kits do.

[@porkflaps4717]

Man, you picked a great time to come back because the models just keep getting better. Even if I don't watch another Gundam series again I'm going to keep getting kits because they're better than they've ever been and climbing.

[@hobbytales6800]

In Orga’s defense, McGillis was already aiding Tekkadan since Season 1, and the core members figured out it was him as soon as they met. There was in fact time for Orga to cozy up to McGillis.

[@whateverman187]

I think it's more of a tragic story of being "locked in" to a harsh path, for several connected reasons: traumatic past + survival mentality + loyalty to the dead + insufficient self reflection when it matters. Then you are predictable like the scorpion that will sting, because it is its nature. Tekkadan had a pattern it could not escape, and that ultimately sealed its fate.

[@zerenixcezerix1448]

Ibo is my favourite show full stop and I love seeing all the different themes people take from it in vids like this or the comments section under it! My favourite theme being that of the strong bonds of Tekkadan only being possible through the tough conditions they were formed from I think it's really interesting to see Akihiro in particular and his struggles with his idea of being human debris to a part of a family and seeing the contrast with other human debris like the initial intro of the Brewer boys like Aston and Derma often times the connection between the characters make slow bits still enjoyable for me or even make for my favourite moments of the show like Orga finding Ride saving sweets for when the younger children get upset little moments like that are just what make this show something I personally love. Great job on the vid I totally agree with the perspective of Orga being a well intentioned idiot and I like your way of warning for spoilers!

[@redeyez1697]

One of the many lessons IBO teaches is to be wary of men with ambition. Their dream might not be your own and you might have more eniemes than you originally had. Stay safe out there and follow your own dreams

[@Razkunn]

Honestly, it's one of my favorite anime of all time - it's a story of orphaned and hurt children fighting against adults. The victories are heartwarming, but the losses are much more logical and sensible. McGillis's attraction to Tekkadan comes from the fact, that he was just like them - raised in "nobility", but a hurt and damaged child nonetheless, who clung on to a fairy tale legend he read in his darkest moments and kept inside him into adulthood - without growing up. Tekkadan are amazing in their own rights, with the adult characters reacting properly to the wanton insanity of the Children who because of their upbringing have a twisted look on life. It's a beautiful story, and the last fight is one of my favorites, that I'll come back to periodically with tears in my eyes. Great review, glad to see some people on the internet giving some love to this series.

[@carefree4all1]

IBO shows why blindly following the orders of the ones you trust without question is the wrong way of thinking. (Mikazuki and the the rest of Tekkadan) It also shows that those blinded by ambition are more likely to make mistakes. (McGillis and Orga)

[@EmotionalSupportCube]

there is even a whole arc devoted to this concept, even within tekkadan with galan mossa at its core. lol

[@mrbransformer4184]

Started watching this show with my son today, WOW! It’s the best Gundam show I’ve seen in a while!

[@jessmith7324]

I liked how they chose to balance out the ending of the series as bitter sweet victory: that in the end, the majority of Tekkadan did survice, laws got changed, and some revenge was had. So it wasnt a complete heart buster for me, that said yea I wanted gallahorn to really eat it. And whats painful about it, and what would undo not only the ending but also this and simialr videos like it, is that there was one point where Tekkadan could have had the win with the surprise sniper shot that got fucked at the very last second. It was the equivalent of a similar scene in gundam 00 season 2 with lockon stratus. That for me made this brutal: to have victory literally snatched away at the last second and because of that I really felt that guys pain as he was screaming in dispair before he died.

[@redeyez1697]

Mika shouldve killed julietta during shino's sniper attempt but he was playing around with her the whole time not taking her as a serious threat until she was able to launch that projectile right when Shino pulled the trigger. That was a painful outcome

[@therealphil93]

Ibo inspired my book and I still enjoy it to this day!

[@zakblade]

Just like what Naze said, Orga look like he doesn't even care where or why he want to go there, somewhere, where he think they truly belong. He just want to be THERE as soon as possible with no clear answers. After biscuit death, Orga doesn't really know what to do and how to do thing anymore. Cause the VOICE OF REASON (biscuit) is gone😢

[@anferneemandy]

I was pretty intrigued with Anika kairu they should come out with a Mobile suit Gundam story on him during a disaster time period kind of like a prequel to iron blood orphans

[@MrTigracho]

A precuel of IBO, settled during the calamity wars would amazing.

[@mujiha]

This was my first Gundam show. I really enjoyed. I agree with every thing that you said. My only criticism is that you can feel the hand of the writers in the way that Tekkadan was defeated. I don’t mind them losing, but the way in which they lose was really contrived. For instance, I don’t believe in Julieta being able to hold off one Alaya Vijnana-enhanced pilot in a GUNDAM - the main character Gundam no less - while still having the time and skill to perfectly throw a spear across space, to disrupt the firing sequence of a SECOND Gundam, that is also piloted by an AV enhanced human. I would like to believe that it was the writers trying to convey that in something as unpredictable as war, a gust of luck can be the difference between a glorious victory and a brutal defeat. Except Mikazuki has been shown to be a brutally effective pilot. He fight like an animal, yet for some reason he never let loose when fighting against Julieta in the final battle. They never did a good job of showing us how this young lady, prodigy pilot or no, can keep up with or even hold off the pilot and Gundam who single-handedly defeated a Mobile Armor

[@erubin100]

Wow...I was on the fence for so long, but your spoilers have actually convinced me to watch this series!

[@PabloChaconGaming]

Great Review and well spoken, I loved this series and i did shed a tear.

[@nachonachoman]

IBO is actually the one Gundam series that follows the Greek theory of tragedy, that disaster is caused by ones fatal flaw. A fatal flaw is both the thing that makes us admire the character and the thing that undoes them. If you think about all the other Gundam series, specifically the tomino ones, bad random things just happen to the characters. Like zetas ending is just people dying randomly from motivations that appear randomly. It does not make for good tragedy. IBO showed you from season 1, Orga's ambition and Tekkadans inability to lie low. They always have to keep moving forward. It helps them climb to respectability in season 1 but leads to their downfall in season 2.

[@thenew4559]

Tragedy is really underrated in modern entertainment. We need more compelling tragedies; everything is either always happily ever after or pointlessly dark just to be edgy.

[@MillywiggZ]

The whiplash from finishing this and going into ‘Witch of Mercury’ was quite something.

[@erickinsey7268]

I disagree orga was not a idiot he was a teenage emancipated slave doing the best he could . Tekkadan was on a suicidal mission from the beginning. The only way they stood a chance is from the relationships they established during the series. The story is a about sacrifice at the expense of survival. Tekkadan opted to die men instead of living as debris. Mars got a chance space children got a chance based on the strategy of orga and the muscle mikazuki

[@uandresbrito5685]

He is definitely not an idiot, but he is very naive and emotional, hurrying to things he doesn't need to so he could look cool and get his fellas more happiness. Tekkadan definitely had many options in season 2, but they chose the hard way.

[@karmaaq5972]

I never had a problem with season 2 I loved the ending. People forget most of the Tekkaden crew were children/ young adolescents, of course their actions and decisions were idiotic.

[@domrrrrr]

I think the story works well based on the circumstances they are in the devide within the orbits and the people who has power over them and the people affected by those and it really shows how those different sides strive for what they see as correct and I feel like that reflects really well in reality in this world and our world right and wrong is purely circumstantial the question of who is in right don’t really matter morality is not an option when ur trying to achieve some grand goal where basically everyone is out for blood “for what they think is good”

[@capriumnoir6426]

When initially watching season 2 I knew what they were doing was stupid and wrong, it pissed off even more when Iok, Julieta, just won't die then the Flauros missing *the shot* But at the end it hit me Plot armor is only for the heroes of the story, and at the end Tekkadan was still the protaginist of the story but by no means longer the heroes.

[@Hard_Boiled_Entertainment]

That's good. If the characters' idiocy is SET UP, and isn't forced in To Serve The Plot, that's acceptable. If they're set up as characters who would know better, then the idiocy is a contrivance, and completely unacceptable.

[@archiiebarrett]

Truth is, Gillis and the kids are not "wrong", they're simply too immature to understand that in order to defeat the corruption they both stand against in different forms, they can't rely on things like idealistic tropes or brute strength to conquer it for good. Which is a great point to be made based on who the characters are, orphans with little wisdom, but a lot of knowledge, very typical among young people in the real world, ideologues. Their failures in the end actually prove their points well, and are warranted, but come at the ultimate price, something they suspected, but didn't want to believe. They "made a deal with the devil" it's the theme. It isn't a story of good vs evil, it's a story that proves evil exists everywhere, even among those who believe they're justified.

[@Alleged_Insanity]

If I’m being honest, Iron Blooded Orphans is one of, if not my all time favorite anime series ever, not only out of Mecha franchises, as I love Evangelion, but the action anime genre entirely. I feel like the reason most people like Gundam is because a lot of the shows and movie that are produced often give a perfect balance of real life scenarios, as well as mecha action. But the reason most people didn’t like IBO is because the second season shows Tekkaden (sorry if I spelled that wrong) progressing full as a military association, instead of just escorts who had to secure the package like in the first season, it shows more action because it shows them progressing as a military group. Which is personally why I love this series most, because of all the unique Gundams, as well as a lot more action, because let’s be honest, the reason most of us watch Gundam, is because we want to watch giant robots absolutely destroy each other.

[@masterzero8561]

10:41 those are fighting words.

[@DG-td9tn]

Indeed

[@BiggestSniff]

i binged it while working on a personal project. it was my first gundam series and honestly that comparison at the end to gurren lagan helped me appreciate the ending lol

[@playtym2893]

Its gritty, its deep, and damn is that one hell of a pilot. The heroes and villains become blurred and it is good.

[@goji-0045]

Have you watched gundam thunderbolt?

[@playtym2893]

@@goji-0045 on my list but no, working my through the start of gundam

[@Amp1tude]

yeah the heavy military drama made me tune out a bunch of times too you are right about that

[@VidelxSpopovich]

For me it was the annoying characters constantly shouting and being obnoxious. Also the show is REALLY tropey.

[@crocidile90]

I watched it and the ONLY thing I wished they did was not make McGillis's Galahorn rival such a...... black hearted hero. I know that it is suppose to break tropes but, even when it is them, the Galahorn gang, their ring leader still did the villian-esque prep speech to his inner circle in private which bumbed me out abit. It would have been an even bigger subversion if he at least mentioned the McGillis was his equal yet opposite (as both want [kind of] the same thing but, have different approaches) and gave some respect to Tekaden (at least to himself) so that it isn't just smarter villain that then 180 to hero because.... optics (which I can appreciate given how the final battle had that dumbass douche getting crushed in his own mech) because Galahorn effectively died. This feeling about the ending I had is the same with Upgrade, sure I don't like it but, I am self aware enough that that was the only realistic/logical conclusion. Though the comms mogul getting Mafia'd on the toilet by the Remnants of Tekadan was cathartic to say the least.

[@echoecho3155]

Glad to see someone else enjoyed IBO Season 2. I've heard a lot people compare IBO Season 2 to 00 season 2, but I don't see it. 00's second season still feels like it comes out of nowhere. It trades what made the first season interesting-the geopoliticking, the multiple political blocs, the relatively hard science (yes, even S1's GN particles) and coping with Celestial Being's contradictory motives-for a pretty standard super robot plot with definite good guys, definite bad guys, all the space magic you could ever want. It's interesting and has its moments, but I still much prefer Season 1. Season 2 basically feels like a different show. The characters even go from wearing normal plainclothes to Voltron uniforms. In IBO, you have a logical conclusion to what's been going on so far. The characters, no longer the underdogs but a responsible member of an organized criminal empire and a tributary of one of Gjallarhorn's main leaders, have to deal with the consequences of their actions. The scheming was always a part of IBO season 1, but it was in the background. It shifts to the forefront because now the characters are a part of that scheming, and it makes for a different formula than the first season. It remains interesting through and through, and we still get amazing combat, culminating in that final battle at Chryse, which is one of my favorite moments in all of Gundam.

[@komodokisaragi9398]

Uma keep it a thousand with u, Season 2 was the most Gangsta Gundam ever got for me, i think that may be the reason i loved it so much

[@bruhdashno]

when i first look at the tumbnail, i thought someone give bad review of IBO, end up when i watched, it's just overall great and character problem. good to see new people watch IBO over the years.

[@Rey_anims]

the impact of biscuit death is like pablo accountant death, sometime nobody reslize how big is it after everything fell

[@thelast4646]

this one few anime for me actually preferred the dub then Japanese Subs.

[@rhizonhaze5597]

Iron Blooded Orphans will be in my top 5 favorite Gundam series I've ever seen. Unfortunately, I will never watch it again unless they make a sequel to the series. That ending was so damn painful. It took me weeks to come to terms with it. I wanted Rustal and Julieta to die! Hopefully Ride, Akatsuki and Tekadan descendants make that a reality 😔

[@Maribro4]

Same here. Rustal is a repeated war criminal and he didn’t deserve the victory and glory he received. I could accept most of the bittersweet ending but Rustal not only surviving but getting everything he wanted in the end is something that just drives me up the wall

[@officialFredDurstfanclub]

They’re never making a sequel because it absolutely bombed in Japan and it’s regarded as an absolute joke in most parts of Asia. It was barely pulling in 2% viewing figures for a majority of the run which for Gundam is atrocious, all the kits except for Barbatos sold terribly (Stores in Hong Kong literally stopped selling kits because they couldn’t get rid of their Bael stock, no one wanted it). All it’s remember for in Asia now is Orga’s ridiculous over the top death. It’s never gonna happen

[@rhizonhaze5597]

@@officialFredDurstfanclub Wow...did not know that. Thanks for the info!

[@CHAOSANDCLOUDS]

One of the best gundam series for a while

[@DespicableMal]

Admittedly McGillis had a point, gjallarhorn was corrupt and had out lived its usefulness in the form it had existed in. And we see that in the show. Rustal does end up reforming gjallarhorn and the way it interacts with governments, but he is clearly a bad person, just one that realizes his and gjallarhorns time is coming to an end as the premier authority in the solar system.

[@inuclearpickle8628]

I love ibo but boi season 2 is pain that can make ya cry

[@Archlight37jayytee230]

I'm going to be honest I didn't like the show at first I didn't like barbatos at all but then I kept watching and it grew on me and now it's one of my favorite out of any series.

[@ghost_breezy8749]

The funny thing is nazee even said that whole head first attitude was gonna eventually get them into a lot of trouble. A lot of characters who really thought deeply about it hinted at this

[@reicherwallace6774]

To be fair to Ourga, he like basically every tekkaden member minus some outliers are extremely uneducated. He's actually decently smart and quick on the uptake but because he lacks a lot of education he doesn't understand politics nor military strategies beyond basic tricks and ambush tactics.

[@Gavin-l6f]

I actually loved the second season just as much as the first one season one showed the underdogs being able to get through the problems by sheer determination and risky plays and the. Just as they're getting larger and stronger that same strategy doesn't work anymore because the actions taken were risky they were something that could always fail that they weren't invincible

[@benparker1822]

Seeing IBO dubbed helped me like Mika as a character better, because I could see him emote, rather than having my eyes glued to the subtitles to read what was being said.

[@needsmoretacos4807]

I'm definitely an outlier. I was lukewarm on s1 but really loved season 2

[@parker_chess]

Highly enjoyed Iron Blooded Orphans from start to finish. Season two was stronger than the first season because stakes became so much higher and you never knew who would die off. Mikazuki's final stand was epic.The ending was satisfying and real.

[@MarloSoBalJr]

The more I rewatch IBO, the more I wish Biscuit survived but his death is bigger to the plot anyone could imagine. You need a rational & alternative voice to deter irrationality (i.e.: "Orga"). Things would have gone completely different Tekkadan, but... war-torn kids birthed on the battlefield live & die fighting. This show is a lot more deep than it gets credit for.

[@awesomeswifter1138]

you had me till you said you hate gurren lagann

[@SomeD00D01]

Beautiful video but question what was that song you used in the end of the video

[@theprimordialbean2155]

Remember the irony of how Tekkaden, whose goal was end the use of child soldiers, ended up proving how useful child soldiers could be through their own success on the battlefield. Orga’s ambition was his undoing. Because he could never stop and only charged straight ahead, he sent countless children under his command, who he swore to protect, straight to their deaths. While Orga is a man of incredibly noble intent, his impatience and ambition cost him everything.

[@vivkesh6513]

It was one of the best gundam series hands down

[@jalen2024]

i think this is the perfect example of “you don’t have to reinvent the wheel for that mf to roll” There’s nothing truly unique about this show yet it hit all its marks (kind of like Demon Slayer and JJK). Didn’t try to be different from everything you’ve ever seen, rather just a refined compilation of all the best parts. def recommend

[@sdbzfan1]

Ive never seen someone hate Gurren Lagann, I can only sit in disbelief, and I love Season 2 of IBO but I love all of mecha

[@CoreVin975]

I have never heard a rational argument for why Rustal, Gaileo, Julieta, and the Arianrod fleet are even close to being heroic. And I have hardly ever heard a rational argument for why Tekkaden are in any way worse than Rustal and his forces, or the entirety of Gjallarhorn combine, or that they are villainous.

[@chickencheater1430]

This is why I call Ibo a master piece in storytelling and in anime, and to me their aren't many masterpieces of storytelling out there

[@fluffdafire157]

It's one of my favourite gundam series as it was a nice change of pace for the morale and story I usually heard

[@riczonjosephcuadra9201]

Its heart breaking but beautiful... The characters are natural and kick ass in their roles to be likeable and that's what i love in the story. And everything is here, you have business, political, friendship, love, trust, betrayal and it is well expressed in this series especially military cheating 😂

[@Jaymix07]

Man this was the best

[@AgeOfRamp]

One thing people also neglect is that the orphans become the antagonist in tbd second season and lose the plot armor of the protagonist

[@22Dooms]

Biscuit is the heart of the group. Nuff said!!

[@McGruder25]

Is it weird I love Both Gurren Lagann and IBO specifically because they're two entirely different answers to the same theme and each one I respectively love depending on my mood?

[@scarletrain6757]

The KZbinr Boofire made the point that IBO took the formula of what a gundam show is, and turns it on its head to tell a different angle of the same story

[@SixerMason]

I think describing the characters as idiots is far too base and reductive, it's more accurate to call them naive, they're idealists driven by the abuse/pain they've suffered. I like the whole show although I don't like how Gaelio and Julieta act in the final battle especially after certain things happen, it's like the writer forgot that things happening in front of them should effect them, instead they essentially just shrug and move on like nothing happened.

[@HNXMedia]

I loved the series. Mainly because in reality a "rag tag group of rebels" will always lose against a real military industrial organization (I'm looking at you G Lucas).

[@dragonjaj]

Honestly ibo is one of the top 5 best gundams what i dont get is how 00 is so trash and so loved

[@rodneymwetwa8733]

Ngl, this series made me cry. It deserved more

[@fluffywolfo3663]

I’d say calling Orga an idiot is half correct, maybe 75% correct - he’s usually great at moment to moment decisions. Usually. The idiocy comes cause he’s just not good at the long term consequences, or moments where there are no good moment to moment decisions.

[@Lawliet117]

kind of a flip on the gundam idea in general, the gundams are devils and those that use them cannot see past their tactical capability and ultimately lose to simple strategy and someone doing what it takes to just win, and not getting lost in the fantasy and spectacle of gundams, their legends, or their tactical capabilities.

[@anthonyjordanmoviesandmore2470]

In Orgas defense McGillis is a master manipulator

[@handheldgeneration6909]

I really hope they make prequel,where we can see all 72 mobile suit that fight in calamity era

[@nickwhite6249]

Need to watch the anime

[@johnathonlee7053]

I think the use of physical weaponry instead of beam weaponry was cool. It stands out and shows the raw strength that these frames have. With the other Gundam series it’s just implied that of course the mobile suits are strong, it’s a giant robot. But in IBO, you see these things wielding giant swords, guns with physical bullets, and even Barbatos with a mace that’s bigger then it is (when fully extended). Sure they won’t win any battles outside of their universe, they are still very unique and I love it.

[@mitchellalexander9162]

BUT MUH NANOLAMINATE ARMOR!

[@Youngjusticeful]

I love this show so much because everything that it bring to the anime community. I love the ending because of how much I ask myself ¿How many different endings it could have? I love discussing this show my friends because everyone has different opinions. I get so passionate talking about the show.

[@arx3516]

You have to take Gurren Lagann for what it is, a light hearted, dumbed down, silly parody of Getter Robo. And it's amazing how the original feels like a deconstruction of its parody.

[@fuzzlewuzzle9388]

The funny thing is that they originally were going kill off all of Tekkadan. The ending we got was much brighter than intended.