Kidou Senshi Gundam: Tekketsu no Orphans

The Gundam franchise is a massive universe. As another installment, there can be a lot of optimism for Iron-Blooded Orphans. I have to admit, getting into this show at first made me nervous. Some of the recent Gundam related series such as Gundam AGE and Gundam: G no Reconguista received very mixed reception. Furthermore, Iron-Blooded Orphans is spearheaded by Mari Okada, a director who is well-known for adding in melodrama into the story. But for this show, I can safely say that it’s definitely something worth investing time into whether you’re a fan of Gundam or not.

For timeline purposes, the show takes place after the ... Calamity War, a war between Earth and Outer colonies. Actually, make that 300+ years. A major conflict involves Mars and its city Chryse. The people there seek independence from the government and make their own lives into something better. A young Martian woman named Kudelia Aina Bernstein hopes to secure independence. Her role in the story becomes more complicated as she gets involved with a group known as the Tekkadan, whom is entrusted to protect her life. So begins this story that leads politics, warfare, and a world of internal conflicts. As the show’s catch phrase, this is “the sustenance of life is on the battlefield."

In context, the show is a war story but also deals with a variety of real life issues. From poverty to child soldiers and imperialism, the show really offers a lot of insightful concepts. There’s even themes of experimentation as certain characters are fit with the Alaya-Vijnana System (Whiskers) to enhance their fighting abilities. Still, the show constructs a story that expands beyond just fighting a war for independence but also takes a look at the interpersonal conflicts of people in its universe. At the heart of it, we have members of the Tekkadan. Led by Orga Itsuka, the show capitalizes on their role to protect Aina. Their ace pilot, Mikazuki Augus (also known as Mika) pilots the mysterious mobile suit known as Barbartos. Throughout the show, we see his piloting and combat skills including his role to fight off Gjallarhorn, an Earth Military organization set up to capture Aina. Tekkadan also consists of other members including Biscuit Griffin (a strategist), Eugene Stark (former leader of the third army’s division), Norba Shino, Akihiro Atland, Atra Mixta, among others. What’s interesting about this group is that although they all come from different backgrounds, they are all united with similar purposes and treats each other like family. The family theme extends to not just the group but also Aina as she gets to know more of its core members. With such a colorful cast of characters, the show really can be appreciated for its characterization.

A good part of the story involves the journey Aina and Tekkadan takes in order to reach their goals. Part of it feels like a cat-and-mouse story while other parts are calmer with even has a feel of slice of life. In addition, the show also introduces others factions, some who later become valuable ally of Tekkadan while others are against them. Now I have to admit though, the story itself may feel like it has some pacing problems. A few of the episodes are non-combat related and some lacks development with the overall presentation of the story. However, it also emphasizes on the characters because they really are something special. The director and producers are aiming high for with this TV show so everything constructed has a purpose. The main characters has an iron will with their goals so a few of the episodes examines at their personal lives. Throughout their on-screen roles and background storytelling, we learn more about them especially Mika. He is an orphan with poor social skills but learns throughout the show with help from Aina. There’s a change about his character through his acquaintance with her as he becomes more casual and more interested in his own future. Their relationship even has a taste of romance in it as time goes on and this doesn’t seem like a surprise. Aina’s a kind woman who cares about others’ well-being above her own. She is also a good role model for the children through her ways of teaching them how to write, in particular Mika. This opens up his interest to forging his own future someday. Similarly, Mika’s relationship with Orga is strong. Their friendship has already been established during their childhood and it’s evident that the two would risk their lives to protect each other and their goals. Now I don’t expect everyone to like Aina’s role in the story. Despite her aristocratic status and selfless nature, she is still a bit naïve at times. And furthermore, her insecurity to provide help during crucial moments of fighting can be a bit irritating. Because of the nature of the show, expect other characters to relive moments from the past that resurfaces in the present storyline. A prime example is Akihiro as he deals with a blast from the past. On the other hand, there are also lighthearted relationships such as Mika and Atra. Some may see her involvement with him to almost be part of a love triangle. However, don’t expect this show to be a love story. It’s still an iron-blooded war tale. In retrospect, the show really has an iron blood with its story and characters.

When looking at the themes of the show, it’s easy to notice how much it has relations with the past, present, and future. The poverty of the past influences people to try and find a better future for themselves. The present has an emphasis on neo-colonism as we see advanced civilizations expand through funding and technology. For the future, Aina’s ambition to seek independence is a hopeful vision for her people. This is a bit contrast with Gjallarhorn. In essence, they are a military organization who seeks peace but pursuits them with violence means. Some of its core members such as McGillis Fareed, Gaelio Bauduin, Ein Dalton, and among others has their own ideologies. But one thing they seem to all share is strengthening their nation’s own relations and wealth. On the other hand, there’s also Teiwaz, a business conglomerate. Their relationship with Tekkadan also a similarity about family as their representative member forges a pact with Orga. The amount of relationships in this show is really special and something to take by heart. Whether you agree with their goals or ambitions, it’s important to understand why they fight. And this show is pretty damn good at making its point about that.


Produced by Sunrise, the show’s visual quality is a unique piece of work. Michinori Chiba is in charge of the character designs but visually looks a bit different compared to some of Gundam’s previous predecessors. I guess it feels like a fusion of Gundam 00 and Gundam AGE as the characters looks both childish and mature the same time. This is especially true with characters like Mika and Biscuit. Orga on the other hand has the look of a mature commander. Aina has more of the look of an aristocrat but can also look like a simple lady when she needs to be. Character visuals aren’t the only thing interesting about the artwork though. The universe of the show has colonies that shows wealth with its rich technology and weapons of war As such, it brings legitimacy to their statuses. From the mysterious Barbados to Teiwaz’s Saisei, everything looks crisp and establishes the studio’s effort to craft them as technological innovations. This is further enhanced by the solid action with a great amount of effort during fight scenes. Be amazed. This is a show that can be will leave strong memories even with its action.

At first, I wasn’t much of a fan of the music or soundtrack. But after watching a good amount of the show, it’s definitely something to take in by heart. Masaru Yokoyama clearly invested a good amount of effort into producing the music for various scenarios in the show. From melancholic moments to intense combat oriented moments waged in space, it has everything that a mecha fan can wish for. The OP song “Raise Your Flag” is also a way that symbolizes the fight for independence especially with its catchy tone and choreography. And finally, voice mannerism is impressive. Characters such as Orga shows their commanding presence while Mika is known for his cold personality.

Iron-Blooded Orphans is definitely a show to invest time in. Whether you’re a veteran or a causal viewer, the experience after watching this show will be memorable for its story, characters, themes, world-building, and powerful action. Characters’ actions all have purpose and the show offers a balanced way to showcase their motivations. I don’t expect everyone to like all the characters as some may find them less likeable than others. Still, this show is not to be underestimated and is a triumphant one at that. Watch it with an open mind and you’ll see why.

Kidou Senshi Gundam: Tekketsu no Orphans/機動戦士ガンダム 鉄血のオルフェンズ Review

Story (7/10) Good
More Specifically (7.75/10) Good+

The story for Mobile Suit Gundam: Iron-Blooded Orphans like majority of the gundam plots attempts to juggle two main plots at the same time. One being about the characters and their goals they want to achieve and the second being the political side of things and they intertwine with each other. One would say if you want to follow the Gundam story plot formula both of these story plots need to be present and as synced with each other as you can possibly get. Like majority of Gundam alternate universes this universe ... does indeed have a just a little bit more focused on the character side of things (which there's nothing wrong with that). The political side of things (kind of like Gundam Wing's and Gundam 00) can be a little be hard to follow if one is not paying full attention during the political scenes. I personally think it wasn't too hard to follow but I can't say I understand majority of what was going down during the political scenes and that's kind of the thing that may turn off a lot of people because it did with previous Gundam series. Luckily in my personal opinion even with it's political influence side of things Tekketsu no Orphans' character is something that should keep most people a bay because the are good ones.


Art and Animation (8.75/10) Very Good

The art and animation in Tekketsu no Orphans was for the most part very good. I couldn't give this second a 9 because there were obviously some art style derps here and there when it came to characters only slightly in the background and the actually mech fights some Mech designs looked a teensy bit whanky at times but the scenes they were focused on and polished out are what is keeping it at a high 8 for me. Another thing I appreciate is that it is hand drawn, not a lot of mech anime comes out these days and when they do most of the time it is all CG. And I don't mind CG mechs trust I'm not one of those people to complain about CG mech (I love CG in Gundam Unicorn and The Origin). And I think CG on Mechs is the only thing that looks acceptable to an extent when it comes to putting anything CG in an anime. BUT I do appreciate to a well hand drawn mech anime because that's how it all started and what I'm used to. And I'm sure all the scenes that I felt could have looked better WILL look better in the retail blu-ray release... one would assume and hope.


Sound (10/10) Masterpiece

The sound does not disappoint in any category and that's usually the case when it comes to Gundam. Voice acting (JP), BGM, both openings and endings are all outstanding.


Characters (8/10) Very Good

The characters like I said in the story category are very good and what will keep newcomers to Gundam staying and watching. Although there are not a TON of characters that this applies to the ones that it does like our MC Mikazuki Augus is definitely a character that I've heard nothing but positive things from. He's not like your typical whiny pilot that we've seen in the past. He's more in the category of Heero Yuy and Setsuna F. Seiei but calling him a clone of either of the two is definitely not what I'm saying either. Because honestly I think from a character standpoint Mikazuki is a better and more interesting character than both Heero and Setsuna combine. Yes he has traits from both of them but he also has his own flair of insanity which comes out in the heat of battle. I haven't seen a main gundam pilot with such a personality trait yet the closest I can think of is Haptism Allelujah but he's not an MC. They are either on the whiny, calm or dull for the most part so to see this definitely sparks things up. Majority of the other characters are very good and like Gundam tradition we have character deaths we didn't want but expect. I knew a hand full of people where going to die not because of the countless death flags we've been given throughout the anime but because it's basically tradition at this point.


Enjoyment (8/10) Very Good

I'm a Gundam fan if you couldn't tell I love majority of the series and I'm not your average anime fan that despises all mech anime expect Code Geass and Gurren Laggan. Some might say I give Gundam a little bit too much credit but that's all opinions and a discussion for another time. Going into Tekketsu no Orphans sadly I was already ready to like it because like I said it's Gundam. You have to really fuck up on some Reconguista type shit for me not to like you and it's definitely no where near as bad as that trash. Tekketsu no Orphans brings us a nice 8th MS Team vibe to the series. And I doubt a lot of people realize this but there was absolutely no beam sabers or laser guns in the series (as far as season 1 is concerned). Impressive because a lot of Gundam anime and other mech anime kind of have that as the requirement in their anime and it cool to see a series were as of season 1 is concern does not exist, it was enjoyable to watch the mech fights, characterization with the combination of outstanding BGM this series brought to the table.


Overall (8/10) Very Good
More Specifically (8.50/10) Very Good+

Tekketsu no Orphans in my opinion delivered what it was suppose to which was a good spin off adaptation to the Gundam series and can be recommended proudly when the franchise Gundam is brought up in conversation. Tekketsu no Orphans had people worried not only because the series before it Reconguista was trash but because the Main Director Episode Director, and Storyboard creator Nagai Tatsuyuki had his hands on it and people were extremely worried that this was going to flop because of his past works. It even had me a bit worried when I heard that. But that wasn't the case as Tekketsu no Orphans in my opinion is a successful and very good alternate universe to the Gundam franchise. And with the announcement of the english dub a couple of months ago I hope Toonami grabs it and airs it on there so that the western toonami viewers can possibly get into the Gundam series like what happened back int the good ole Gundam Wing days.

I have seen Gundam Seed, Gundam Seed Destiny and 00 S1 and S2, all twice.

I just finished season 1 of Iron Blooded Orphans and I can safely say that if this didn't have the Gundam branding on it, it wouldn't have a season 2, and would likely be rated somewhere on MAL within the 5-6 range.

This is a terrible mecha show, and it's quite clear how this was an original anime with no manga, light novel, game or even previous anime to base this off - it never would have been published. To say that the story is, uhhhh, confusing, is putting it mildly.

SPOILERS AHEAD

I ... won't be using the characters' names unless I can remember them. This is my first review on MAL, and I'm writing this because, well, this show sucks. Star Driver is better, and hoo boy, that show ain't great. This makes Code Geass look like FMAB - that's how low the bar for writing is.

Dialogue - I honestly had a hard time telling whether main character's lines were poorly translated or just written strangely, but you find out that he's a mid level functioning autist with almost certainly missing brain tissue/it's not connected in the same way. However, the show doesn't tell you this until episode 20, where main character says to leader guy "Who do we kill? How many do we kill?", when leader guy should've been getting laid by the blonde short haired advisor lady at the time, but was instead sulking.

In typical Gundam fashion, whenever there's a flashback or an old man talking or a new character being introduced, you get about 2-5 minutes of clumsy exposition, except unlike in Gundam Seed or 00, you just get told about "corruption" or "influence" or "politics", which I will call "white people bullshit" from here on out.

Characters -

Forgettable at best, nobody gets laid, apparently the creator hates women so you spend most of the time watching women get beat up/killed in battle, preparing food, fretting over things, hating other women, used as prostitutes, or wearing tank tops. Also you’re going to see kids get beat to the point where blood comes out of their mouths. A lot. Happens to malnourished main character crushing girl (who gets written into literally being in the kitchen) during a pointless filler sideplot, main leader guy, main character guy, every slave kid, etc.

I like quiet tomboys, and so when short white haired girl gets killed in episode 25 by bullshit big bad mech literally 1 shot bonking her mech on the head (when everyone else gets at least 4 hits+a stab wound), apparently someone else on the writers room must've revolted because it turns out she only fake died, and she was resting on a pillow later that episode and gets flirted with offscreen during episode 24ish..

I literally do not know the names of any of the Earth related people, and it didn't matter. I didn't realize there was Gjjalarhonk Mars and Gagdererureirhonkhonk Earth until episode 4, because nobody tells you anything about there being a political difference, the uniforms are just different but EVERYONE'S uniforms are different, so clearly the character designers had _no_ idea what people should look like for the first 5 episodes.

To everyone else's reviews mentioning character development, I don't know what they're smoking. Examples include, in no particular order:

1) Blonde earth dude that had an arc, and then disappears, comes back looking like the long haired ZAFT guy from Gundam Seed Destiny, and then once he kills some purple dude that turns out to be his half brother (episode 24ish, it's clumsily exposited) because his red eye makeup half sister was killed (that had a crush on him or something - the stair exposition blushing scene around ep 23 is weird).

Note - crazy lady with red eye makeup and wing short hair should've died on the island after Biscuit dies, she doesn't because the writers forgot to have the "Save me, [name]" thing make sense (he's not there on the island because they forgot to put him there).

2) Blonde dude has a purple haired bodyguard(?), half brother(?, I forget) that main character straight up nearly chokes to death (and should've) in the Gundam "chance encounter between enemies" bingo card meme that Gundam Seed, Destiny and 00 all have. And then purple guy has a lackey that gets magically revived into a Gundam WH40k dreadnought thing and becomes the series ending big baddie, and main character essentially forces himself to have a LITERAL stroke to beat.

3) Blonde guy from #1 has a purple haired 9 year old fiance, and her age, along with her appearance as a small 9 year old girl, is brought up MULTIPLE times, complete with about 20 minutes total of screentime for her. There is a scene where she _literally_ says to him "the other women want to dance with you, and they have things that I don't" - she's referring to boobs and ass, and the anime literally shows you the bodies of the women that want to dance with him, in tight dresses. Why was this scene in there? I'm gonna guess the creator has some kind of pedophilia grooming fetish. It's like 5 minutes of "content". It's disgusting.

4) Creators/character designers/somebody clearly noted that having a show full of dudes wasn't ideal, so to pad out the female soldiers, there's a dude with a literal harem of women that he's effectively adopted, if he likes them enough or they find him. Note: all of the women on this guy's ship are stereotypical anime pinup girls. No flat chests, no short girls, no fat girls, no glasses.

I mention the fat part because Biscuit is _clearly_ fat (his brother even calls him “big”), even though the show beats you over the head (like many of the children get visibly and repeatedly beaten in this show) that these orphans don't have enough to eat. Apparently Biscuit’s magical power was large fat cells.

5) First and second episode feature a hamfisted attempt at exposition to explain that the main characters are slaves owned by a corporation. Around episode 3, there's a rebellion that is caused to make the main characters have agency (which conveniently happens as the events of the show happen, and apparently have never happened before), and they end up killing only like 2 of the 20+ guys that beat the shit out of them for years as they get their freedom because otherwise it'd be 25 episodes of seeing children die in mobile suits and getting beaten when they're not dying.

6) An asshole with a literal Hitler mustache is part of the opening slavery group (that runs away and leaves the kids to die in eps 1+2) that lives after the rebellion and becomes blonde guy's "right hand man". No, I'm not making that up. Main character literally has the 20 or so slave masters in a room, with a loaded gun, only kills two of them.

7) Show has a _nasty_ tendency of making characters do 180 degree changes in their personality. Examples include the blonde with the ridiculous ankle length hair (no, she never cuts it, silly viewer, helmets have a hair compartment),

her maid (who I swear was from Gundam 00 as that show's princess' attendant),

the blonde advisor lady grows a conscious about children fighting in wars (after 20+ years of seeing and LITERALLY being around them),

Biscuit after his brother dies (until the writers realized he was the smartest person, and the main characters are so stupid that they couldn't deal with the island ambush around episode 23 without him),

Biscuit's brother finally grows a spine and kills himself after he sees that Gadgerhernia kills people in the street through a smoke screen. When other reviewers are talking about “character development”, they’re either including this or forgetting completely about it.

Pink hair in front of his eyes leader guy gets somewhat developed (he feels loss over Biscuit), nobody else “develops”, they just change abruptly.

8) Show has another nasty tendency - there are at least three examples of people with Stockholm Syndrome/Uncle Tom tropes that hurt the main characters - Biscuit's brother, the slave kids that panic during their freeing and shoot their liberators, and some random guy’s brother that was also a part of that gets smashed by a comically large hammer into an asteroid.

9) Considering the design of the slave boys and their abuser, who has probably the best designed suit in the show, with a Blastoise/underwater Gundam Seed mobile armor like design, the abuser blonde guy has piercings and all of the slave boys are malnourished, although there was NOT a scene where the blonde leader guy is raping the boys, but there are no women on board that ship, and the blonde guy’s boss has a literal pig face straight out of Spirited Away’s buffet scene.

Art -

I dunno who they hired as the art director, but he probably got work at Queen Bee after doing this, because this is probably right up there with Mobile Suit Gundam in terms of animation. When GoGoGargleHurk shoots people through the smoke screen on the colony during the uprising, there look to be at least 70 people in the crowd. After the shooting, maybe 15, and of course, main blonde character survives without a scratch.

Show has no CG. It should’ve had at least Gundam 00’s ship animations, and it certainly doesn’t have Unicorn’s fluidity or polish on the BD release.

Physics -

Unlike Gundam Seed’s explanations of sand particle size and water combat and space, physics goes out the window. Thrusters have the same effect in space as they do in atmosphere, whether it’s Mars’ created air (never explained), or Earths’ normal air. When the people that are _literally_ born in space or on Mars go to Earth, they have no trouble walking on Earth’s higher gravity, and there’s no ill effects like imbalance, muscle distrophy or spinal collapse.

Main character literally uses another mech to do the Gundam dangerous reentry meme, except the other mech is fine.

Ahab generators make about as much sense as Mobile Suit Gundam’s magnitoskiski particles. Apparently they stop LCD screens from working, along with all radio signals, which is explained why big bad mech rampages through downtown Edmonton. No radiation, though. Somehow. Also the mobile armors and Gundams are unaffected and people can literally stand around and watch them fight with no ill effects. Somehow.

The gundam pilots have literally superhuman reaction speeds, but even for the show, and assuming that the show is done in real time, the main character is routinely reacting with maybe like 1-10 frames of delay. When big bad shows up, there’s literally no lag, so main character causes himself to have a seizure and slashes an arm off with a random samurai sword that was left on the island 3 episodes before. No, I’m not kidding. Note that main character was previously using basically a large bat/hammer thing on said island fight from three episodes previously. Where Biscuit dies and main character lets red eye makeup lady get away.

When main character is going against the blonde pierced slavedriver guy and his tough mech, he shoots a cannon straight at him, and then says “that armor is tough”. Note: we’ve seen these cannons shoot through ship hulls and cause explosions, this doesn’t even leave a scratch, and apparently the animators and sound designers didn’t animate it to be a glancing shot or even a ricochet. It’s a 300mm smoothbore gun, BTW, according to the wiki. That’s like a battleship cannon, twice the diameter as the standard 155mm field artillery used today.

Also blonde pierced slavedriver guy spins around with his comically large hammer and uses his thrusters, and somehow does a perfect ice skating spin, despite that _not_ being how physics works in space.

Worldbuilding -

Why does Mars matter? Apparently because you can make money from farming. And exploiting labor. And half-metal. What labor? How many people are on Mars? What farming exports are there? You want answers? Like from episode 6 of Gundam Unicorn? Silly viewer, you can’t read, like most of the characters in this show, so you don’t get answers. Or something like that. But biofuel exists. That’s what the corn’s for. The martian corn. Also, apparently the writers had never heard of seaweed, anaerobic digestion, growing mushrooms or natural gas or wood engines.

Oh, and half-metal? Who knows what that stuff is.

Why don’t they use robots for stuff? Oh, because 300 years after the unexplained and unflashbacked “Calamity War”, robots or surgical implants were evil or something. Oh, and the Gundams work just fine after 300 years. And they have spare parts. A _lot_ of spare parts. And all of the Gundam parts from 300 years ago were interchangeable with each other.

Oh, but they have John Deere combines from 2010. And those don’t count as robots, apparently. Don’t look at me, I didn’t write this crap.

Surgery with putting in a nodule into the brain stem at the base of the neck and then 1-3 modules into the spine around the shoulder blades? Apparently that can be done by some illiterate people. With no knowledge of surgery, and no antiseptic mentioned.. And a needle, even though the spinal implants are like the size of a Bic lighter, each. And they’re implanted under the skin. Somehow.

The show ends with them moving an old man into Edmonton Canada from Anchorage Alaska (kinda wish the Cyclops system fried everyone), so that he can be voted on as prime minister. Apparently voting must be done in person, with all possible leaders in physical attendance in a particular room. To say that the plot point is white people bullshit is putting it mildly. Oh, and there’s a battle of the Volga river kinda thing going on literally 2 miles away, but they don’t cancel the vote. No, they’re in a normal judicial court building, not a bunker, in an active war zone, why do you ask?

3/10, the terrible writing, dialogue and characters reminds me of the later seasons of RWBY.

Mobile Suit Gundam: Iron-Blooded Orphans is an original series not based on any other work like manga, novel or a game. It's quite a rare to see original anime these days and most of them are poorly made. But this one may surprise you.

An easy-to-follow story with flow and focus, exciting space combats, strong both male and female characters, some well-placed plot twists and a little bit of romance and comedy just to spice things up. But above all this story present the human side of characters while not neglecting the plot. We can see strong friendships, trust, how they all deal with tragic ... deaths of their families, friends and comrades, how they try to find their place in this messed up world and not losing hope. Not very original but interesting to watch. Animation is also very smooth and nice.

Downside is that the story was rushed. Especially in the last few episodes. There was that “last battle” where they all went on a shooting rampage and all was over just in one episode. I felt like the main message was lost. Not to mention some of the so called good guys turned bad all off a sudden, like McGillis. Also one of the main characters Orga went downhill from a strong confident leader to someone who doesn’t think rationally and makes rush decisions. The political background of the story was a little bit confusing too and hard to follow. And some of the dialogues were just meaningless and boring.

To sum up, this anime has big potential and the story is not about typical battle of good vs. evil. More like a fight to make things better. If you ignore some minor flaws in concept of characters, parts of the plot which are not clearly explained and rushed ending it’s really fun to watch. So give it a try.

[This is my 7th edit because all I say is still not enough to keep praising this series] As a big-time Gundam fan and Gunpla builder, I gotta say that Iron-Blooded Orphans (IBO) is my all-time favorite Gundam, and my all-time favorite anime (I've watched it 3 times already). Please, do yourself a favor, and even if you never watched Gundam or are not a fan of the mecha genre, watch IBO, you must, just must. I`ll tell you why!

Story: Let me start by saying this is the most adult Gundam of all series. This show is meant to make you think about war, ... poverty, despair, violence, and human rights. This is a show to make you see how disgraced people found a way to survive. IBO, by far, is the most emotional Gundam in the franchise. It is surreal how the writers could be so good in this series.
The story of the first season is slow-building. You can`t expect the mecha action to start right away. For a while, you will get more of the character's stories, motivations, dramas, interests, and backstories. And that's why IBO is the greatest of all Gundam series. The motivation is deep and emotional, full of meaning and sensible moments, but without the shonen drama! The characters have real-life motivation, trying to find their place in the world and when the action starts, you will be way more driven to see the outcome, you will learn to care for these characters in ways no other Gundam made me do. They are full of personalities, and their motivation is real-world-like. The plot is interesting, with a different background than the regular Gundam anime. The plot is set with a different motivation, diverging from the classic Earth vs Space backstory that all Gundam try to achieve. In general is more about companies, war merchants, corrupt institutions, and economic motivations than anything else. Even the story of the mechas is more in-depth than any other because the reason the Gundams were created is awesome. It's just a masterpiece of a story. The only people that the story won't reach are those who are on this only for the action. Nevertheless, for those, I say: Don`t worry, when the action starts, you will get VERY satisfied since Mika and Barbatos are the most badass fighters in Gundam history (yes, way more badass than Setsuna from 00). And the second season is pure action. Finally, I must say that IBO is the most adult Gundam ever, with hard scenes and adult themes, which makes it even more enjoyable and puts some distance from all other Gundam series.

Art and Sound: Outstanding. I`ll only highlight the OST, which has the most awesome battle music from the franchise: Crescent Moon. Additionally, all three opening songs are amazing. I actually never devote myself to talking about music, but IBO also stands out in this aspect. I have watched this show 3 times already, and the second time, I notice that the opening songs align with the events of their seasons. Although you might think that's obvious, it is not straightforward as it seems. Even if you listen to them, you will only UNDERSTAND them after advancing in the story. And, well, this is beyond awesome.

Characters: As I mentioned above, character design and development is the major strong point of IBO. ALL OF THEM GET DEVELOPED. You won`t see the same thing that happens in other Gundam (I am looking at you 00), in which some characters never get the spotlight. They all do, they all have feelings, motivations, and opinions of their one. You will see their past, and their struggle (WHICH IS REAL) and you will get emotionally attached to them. They say deep stuff, do incredible feats, and have more complex philosophies. The writers and directors were superb in this Gundam, which I found amazing. They had the ability to make a show with dozens of characters to follow but were able to develop all of them. Orga is the best character of the Gundam franchise for me, and Mika, although having not much within him, is the best Gundam pilot in the history of Gundam. He is straight out savage and is not one single moment you will see him doubting his actions. No shonen dumb doubts about the war and "which is the right thing" with Mika. Mika sees the enemy of his friends and family, and he goes for the throat. All secondary characters like Biscuit, Akihiro, Dante, Eugene, Ride, etc are developed well. I must also highlight something: I could not find a true antagonist here. IBO plays in the grey area, such as in the real world, so all of them are right and wrong at some point, even the protagonists. And, be shocked people, the girl-politician (that almost all Gundam have at some point) has a great development. She is indeed relevant to the plot and to the events surrounding her, and her development is the best one for a politically-centered character in the franchise. Even the antagonists have some serious philosophies and real backgrounds that put distance between all other antagonists in the Gundam verse. I`ll never find all the right words to describe how amazingly written the characters in IBO were. The characters will almost feel like family at the end of the show. Finally, let me add that the relationship between the two major protagonists (Orga and Mika) is something that no other Gundam ever did. Actually, is something that I haven't seen in another anime, not like that.

Mechas: Barbatos, the main Gundam, became my favorite Gundam in terms of design. Calm down now, let me explain. I build Gunplas, so far I`ve built a lot of them. Although Barbatos follows some of the same formulae, he is the only feral-looking Gundam. He actually looks like a savage Gundam, which is consistent with Mika's fighting style. Never before, and never again, some Gundam looked like Barbatos. The Graize models (your standard NPC-Mobile Suits) have also good designs, very distant from the Zaku/Tieren types. You will see some other MS, with not much to discuss, but Gusion Rebake is one nice Gundam as well, but it has some mechanics stolen from Seravee (Gundam 00). The amazing part of the mechas is also their backstory. On a final note, I would like to mention that the Gundam in IBO is, as well as their characters, the most "real-mecha" of the entire franchise. They break more often, they don`t use light-sabers, they use real weapons, like giant swords and axes. Hence, the fighting scenes are way more brutal.

Trivia: after watching the first season, look at Goetic mythology.

Overall: Best Gundam in the series for me, with AMAZING, AWESOME, COLOSSAL character development. You will be cheering for Tekkadan the whole series and caring for their members in a way no other Gundam did. This is my favorite anime of all time because it was able to make me more emotional than any other anime, movie, book, or manga in my life (and, damn, I am the type of guy that never cries). Even if you are not a mecha fan, IBO is still for you. At the end of this show, Tekakdan will feel like family.

Quick Thought:
It's a fairly enjoyable action anime.

Story:
The story is mainly about Tekkadan and their escort mission. There's some political subplots as well, but they weren't developed enough to be interesting. It's a pretty simple story overall, which is fine considering the action is the main draw. Pacing is steady from start to finish, not much filler slowing it down. There are other minor issues though, one being it's liberal use of death flags which made an already basic story more predictable. Romance was an awkward point as well, but these moments are minimal thankfully. The ending was fine; it concluded the main plot well ... enough.

Art:
I think the art was decent overall. Character designs were a bit inconsistent; there's a weird mix of realistic looking characters and more stylized characters. It did at least make the characters easy to recognize. Most of the ships and gundams looked fine. There was one scenet I can recall where the framerate dropped pretty heavily, but the CGI was serviceable otherwise.

Sound:
The voice acting itself was good, but I thought a few voices didn't fit their characters very well. It made some characters like Atra seem way younger than they actually were. I don't remember much background music, but the music that was there fit well enough.

Characters:
There are a ton of characters in this show, and as a result, they generally feel one-dimensional. Not much in the way of development either; I think Kudelia saw reasonable growth but the rest of the main cast remained the same for the whole season.

Not only is this the worst Gundam anime, it's one of the worst anime of all time. In this review I'll be talking about both seasons. There will be some spoilers. Im going to have to include some of them to truly prove how terrible this anime is.

So the very first reason why this anime is terrible, the characters. The only character I actually enjoyed was McGillis Fareed. I will say that he was an enjoyable character to watch since he was so mysterious. Other than that, all of the other charactets are bad. Since the moment I started this I knew the characters would ... be terrible. This anime has such a large cast of characters, and that is a problem. Since there are so many characters, barely any of them had character development at all. Almost every single character is one dimensional, and that is absolutely terrible. The thing is, I wouldn't have too much of a problem with the very minor characters not getting any character development. The problem is that the main character (Mikazuki) gets absolutely no significant character development throughout the entire series. Like seriously, he hasn't had a significant change in his character since episode 1. The other character, Orga Itsuka is just as bad. Now I'm going to have to include a spoiler, so if you arent caught up you might want to exit this review. There is a character that goes by the name of Shino. He sacrificed himself in an attempt to kill the enemy leader in episode 45. Once he fails, Orga Itsuka tells tells everyone to go back and rescue Shino. This is just one of the many examples of extremely bad writing. He has been leading all of the orphans for such a long time yet his leadership skills didn't develop at all. That was his moment to shine and actually develop as a character, but they fucked it up. He could've actually started acting more like a leader but he didn't. Once again ladies and gentleman, this is onle one of the many examples I have for this review. It's already bad enough that most characters don't get developed, but if the main two characters never had any significant character development, then that is an absolute problem for the story. My next point is that this many episodes in this anime have no story progression whatsoever, specifically the first season. All they fucking did was fight battle after battle until they escorted that one girl to earth. The plot of this anime is somewhat similar to the plot in Jojos Bizarre adventure part 3. The main cast of characters just had the goal of arriving to a destination. This was really bad in the case of this anime, since a shit ton of episodes had no story progression at all. What made Jojos Bizarre Adventure part 3 at least interesting was the battles. Each battle was a masterpiece in my eyes. It was so much of a pain to even get through part 1 of this shitty anime because it's extremely slow paced.

The animation and sound are really the only good things about this anime. The openings and some of the fight scenes are pretty damn good. I won't talk much about this anyways. The good animation and fight scenes wont redeem the bad writing that this show has.

This anime has many useless characters that contribute absolutely nothing for the story. An example of a useless character would be Atra Mixta. This character was absolutely useless. She was simply just a one dimensional character that did nothing but flirt with Mikazuki (which is very cringe since she appears to be an 8 year old). This also brings me to my next point, the romance in this anime is done horribly. It's extremely bad. It just turned somewhat into a harem with Kudelia and Atra (the worst characters in the story). It was so poorly done because there was so much build up between Mikazuki and Kudelia's relationship, but then he just ends up with the girl that appears to be 8 years old. Not only this, but the romance is just extremely cringey. It makes it even worse because the characters have minimal to none character development. The romance between Akihiro and Lafter was terrible. All of that build up just so she can get shot by a RANDOM person? That's extremely bad writing. This also brings me to my next point, the way the characters die in the end was EXTREMELY bad, especially in the case of Orga Itsuka. He just randomly gets shot by a random person! That's the absolute worst way to kill off a protagonist. If you're still reading this review, I want you to do something. Think of a long running anime that you really like. How the fuck would you feel if the main characters just gets killed by a random person that shot him. It's fucking pathetic isn't it? Instead of making him die in a badass way like Shino, the directors decide to get him killed like that. That's extremely bad writing. This anime pretty much did the same thing Akame Ga Kill did, killing of characters in the dumbest of ways. What makes it so bad is that the characters have zero depth to them, so us as the audience really couldn't care less if they die.

So here is an overall summary of my review

Animation: 8/10
Sound: 8/10
Characters: 0/10
Plot: 0/10
Writing: 0/10
Enjoyment: 2/10

Overall: 2/10

IF THIS ANIME IS NOT THAT GREAT IT WOULDN'T HAVE A 2ND SEASON...THIS IS THE ONLY ANIME I ENCOUNTERED TO END IN THE SAME YEAR AND START THE 2ND SEASON AT THE SAME YEAR...

well if your a realist dont watch anime...especially if your not into gundams...

to the person who says that the characters are uneducated kid, you are stupid...u didnt read what yukino ojisan said...some kids know how to read some are not thats why they are in combat like the main character mikazuki...he also explain why an uneducated kid like mikazuki can control barbatos is because of alayana system that he has.... the characters ... who can read are the human debris thats why they are in control of the ships and akihiro can control a graze before he gets his second gundam.... they get their fighting experience because they are orphans who are used as a tool in combat... that's why Orga is not in the main control of the ship he's in command of the ship

the title is MOBILE SUIT GUNDAM IRON BLOODED ORPHANS that means its about orphans who struggle to fight for their group using gundams... the story is great and it was really heart breaking for me to see how they struggle to live and protect their found family....

IT IS A BEAUTIFUL STORYLINE, CHARACTERS AND SOUND...I REALLY ENJOYED IT A LOT...MY HEART BEATS FAST EVERY TIME I SEE THEM IN COMBAT...IT FEELS LIKE I'M ONE OF THE GIRLS WHO WISHES FOR THEM TO LIVE BECAUSE THEY DESERVE TO LIVE...

THANK YOU FOR THE CREATORS OF THIS ANIME!!!!!!!!!! THANK YOU FOR THE HARD WORK!!!!!!!!!

First off, I have to say that i dropped this series after the first couple of episodes. I didn't like Mika, I thought he'd be a stereotypical stoic character, but he's MUCH more of an interesting character than I had previously believed.

Story: 9- The story is fairly simple, but how it is handled is done masterfully. Very few shows have me hooked and can keep my attention for the majority of the series.

Characters: 10- First off, Mika isn't the only main character, because, at least in my opinion, Orga is also the main character. EVERY character is interesting, besides maybe Ein, and not one of ... them is disposable, and not one death goes unnoticed. Mika seemed like an annoying stoic character at first, but whats so interesting about his is that you don't really know him. He isn't a personable character, but he is certainly one that cares about his comrades, but at times you may feel that he is a sociopath.

Overall/Enjoyment: 10- This is a fantastic and consistently excellent show, one that should be watched and appreciated more than most. It isn't filled with fan service or annoying romance. It's a realist story about child soldiers that isn't made to make you cry, but to give you hope and spirit.

Gundam: Iron Blooded Orphans is another Gundam series set in an alternate timeline, this one being the Post Disaster timeline. Set in a future where hostilities between human settlers on Mars and the Earth Sphere are escalating due to Earth's influence on Martian affairs through the private military organization Gjallarhorn, the series is prominently focused on a private Martian military group called Tekkadan who are given the job of protecting Kudelia Aina Bernstein, the young daughter of a Martian political family who seeks to travel to Earth to persuade the Earth Sphere government to grant independence to Martian settlers and inform them of Gjallarhorn's corruption. ... As Tekkadan make their journey to Earth while protecting Kudelia, they are continuously hunted down by Gjallarhorn forces seeking to prevent Kudelia from making it to Earth.

Iron Blooded Orphans has many of the typical elements you would find from a Gundam series. There are escalating conflicts between Earth and space residents, prejudice felt from those having unique abilities of some sort (Alaya-Vijnana implanted pilots in place of Newtypes), a strong willed young woman seeking to settle conflicts between the opposing sides, a high death count, corrupt individuals on the opposing side taking advantage of hostilities for their personal gain, and a young man piloting the highly powerful Gundam mecha used throughout the series. While drawing from these elements, Iron Blooded Orphans actually uses them to create its own unique plot and character developments and give it its own unique identity.

A strong element that Iron Blooded Orphans offers up is exploring the problems faced by child soldiers through the fighting they undergo. This gets prominent focus through Mikazuki's character as due to his upbringing as a child soldier, he is psychologically unstable from his inability to properly express his emotions and deal with social situations outside of military settings. The boy will usually find himself giving into berserk rages while in battle, is completely merciless to enemy forces and has difficulty properly expressing emotions; traits that he is well aware of internally throughout the series. His interactions with Kudelia at varying points in the series lead Mikazuki to get some gradual developments in improving his social skills and empathy toward others. Besides Mikazuki, the series also explores the good deal of abuse that child soldiers are subjected to through military factions like the Brewers as the children are subjected to fear and abuse, as well as being forced into getting the risky Alaya Vijnana implants used to empower the mobile suits they pilot.

Iron Blooded Orphans plays up on many of the strengths that make Universal Century titles like Gundam Unicorn and Zeta Gundam worthwhile and memorable titles in the Gundam franchise. The series explores the conflict between Tekkadan and Gjallarhorn from the perspectives of both sides as viewers get introduced to characters among both sides that have a good deal of depth in their motivations and personalities, making the majority of characters among both factions relatable to the audience. Some of the characters find their personal beliefs challenged from confronting the harsh realities of war, this prominently shown through Kudelia's exposure to the escalation in Earth and Mars' hostilities toward one another and Tekkadan's continued struggles against Gjallarhorn. Besides the mentioned child soldiers, the series is also not afraid to show how brutal and harsh war can be with major characters being killed off, the morality of some characters deteriorating from dealing with war's brutality and influential figures among Gjallarhorn exploiting said hostilities for their personal gain.

The series does have its occasional bumps in quality though, mostly stemming from the typical flaws of Gundam titles. Mikazuki is mostly unstoppable as the pilot of Gundam Barbatos, killing any kind of suspense for whether or not he survives any battles throughout the series. Some characters in the series are portrayed to be rather shallow and are over-the-top in their villainy, notable case being Kudel Cadel of the Brewers. Also, the series doesn't escape the occasional annoying habit of having mobile suit pilots angrily yelling out ideologies and motives at their enemies during heated battles that are found from a number of past Gundam titles.

Visually, Gundam: Iron-Blooded Orphans is easily one of the better quality titles released this past year. The series sports a great amount of visual detail put into the designs of its scenery, character and mecha designs; accompanied with a bright color palette. The mecha designs mostly borrow off of visual details used from past Gundam titles, including Barbatos maintaining the classic Gundam appearance. Mecha battle scenes offer up the animated highlight of the series as battles between Tekkadan and enemy forces take place in a variety of locations throughout the series that include space colonies, space, reentry into Earth and on the Earth itself. The fight scenes are mostly fluid, have great choreography and the variety of locations offer diversity in the ways that mecha battles are fought throughout the series.

Overall, Iron Blooded Orphans is easily among the best alternate continuity titles that you can find within the Gundam franchise. Offering up all the strengths of the Gundam franchise with its own spin on them and having a strong focus on the effects that war has on child soldiers, Iron Blooded Orphans is a definite recommendation for seasoned Gundam fans or those looking for a worthwhile mecha title to get into without having to delve too deep into the convoluted continuities of the Gundam franchise.

First, i'm going to be honest that i have never watched Gundam before. i have played the game with my cousin or friends a few time in the past but i don't really know much about Gundam. So after i saw this adaptation, i wasn't really interested in it, but because of the popularity, i got curious and i tried to watch it and! i was expecting something like Aldnoah Zero but WOW! it was beyond my expectation. Well, personally, i prefer Aldnoah Zero, but this anime is great too in my opinion. The brotherhood is real!!!

I don't really know much about the story but ... it started with a bunch of kids who was being slaved in some company. They got attacked but an organitation or a goverment in the first episode, and that's how everything begins. and i think it's pretty similiar to Aldnoah Zero, the story i mean. The Princess wants revolution. yeah... pretty same, but the difference is the Character Relationship. i had to choose Aldnoah Zero or This series based on the Character Relationship, i would choose Gundam. I really like the brotherhood relationship. A bunch of kids who are not supposed to be holding a gun or so whatever it is, they were fighting together with the princess. with them to fight besied the princess, their relationship got bigger and bigger, into some point which they can even sacrifice themselve for their own goals, for their own friends. i seriously like that.

From the story or the plot, i don't really understand it, but overall i can still understand the plot and the story, but if they connected with the past, i'm out, because this is the very first gundam series which i have ever watched.

The soundtrack.... NO MORE WORDS!!! Man With Misson sing the OP and Kalafina sing the ED song. with that, they created a really unique atmosphere. NO MORE WORDS FROM ME!!! GREAT!!!

I think i don't need to say it again about how good the character to me. Botherhood relationship, that is the most thing which i like from this series. The princess personality was great too. probably she will be the second one which i like. She is so brave and kind. "The Revolution Maiden" that is her role in this series and i really like her role. when she made her desicion, MAN! HER DETERMINATION!!!i liked her more than before. she was so cool at that time.

The animation was really great too in my opinon, esepcialy when it comes to Mika in Action. really badass AF!!!.

Overall it was a really great series in my opinion. really like the unique felling too which i felt in the whole series. it was an enjoyable and great series with all of that rage in the action too. GREAT!!! 9/10.

Sorry for bad english.
Hope my review can be helpful to you all.
Thanks. Have a nice day

Gundam has always been a franchise that focused on the horrors of war. It is the nightmare of existence, the human race being in a state of perpetual conflict. Throughout the franchise's history, the effects of war have been tackled from a variety of different angles. From those with autism (kamille) to brown skinned traps (Loran) but there has never been a Gundam entry that focused specifically on child warfare. The real world is rife with conflict, and in lesser developed countries, children are on the frontline. There is a saying that in war the truth dies first. This is true but there is another ... important piece missing from that saying, innocence is also the first to die. Mobile Suit Gundam Iron Blooded Orphans is the first in the franchise that focuses on a child army and the effects that war has on children. My initial hype for the premise led me to believe this show was going to be something very special. However, in actuality the gravitas of the subject was much too heavy for famed melodrama/romance writer, Mari Okada, to handle competently. Although this series spans 50 episodes, you leave with the feeling that the show was never finished.

It is 300 years after the calamity war, a conflict that utterly decimated human civilization and led to the death of billions of people. The effects of that war are still seen in the destitute conditions that our protagonists live in. Iron Blooded Orphans focuses on a group of rambunctious youths who work in a mining facility on Mars. These children were either abandoned at a young age or forced to work to pay off their family's debts. The conditions at the mining facility are brutal; the adults verbally abuse the children and beat them if they do not perform adequately. It isn't uncommon for kids to fall dead from exhaustion. The tone is well set in the beginning episodes. This changes when the mining facility is contracted to protect (for some reason) a young politician, Kudelia Aina Bernstein, who seeks to rid both Mars and Earth of economic inequality and exploitation. Unbeknownst to the kids, her life is threatened by forces who want to maintain the status quo. These people are gjallarhorn, a paramilitary organization created to prevent conflict and corrupt politicians. These kids, while mining, find an ancient Gundam frame, a mobile suit model that helped to end the calamity war. After finding the Gundam, the children become embroiled in war much bigger than themselves with their freedom and the fate of humanity rides on the success of the newly formed army, Tekkadan.

Iron Blooded orphans are divided up into several arcs with the overarching conflict of the show holding everything in place. The quality of these arcs is consistent in their mediocrity. Rarely are there any episodes which make good use of the darkness of the subject matter. There is always a feeling of levity in contrast to the direness of their circumstances. The arcs revolve around a conflict that focuses on a specific character. So the quality of the character writing directly impacts the strength of that arc. Sadly, the characters are milquetoast to say the least.

Iron Blooded Orphans has a rather large cast of characters with Tekkadan, the child army, having about 10 or so important characters and Gjallahorn having about 3 or 4. The front men of Tekkadan, Orga and Mika are the weakest protagonists in the Gundam franchise. Orga in particular is a very forgettable character. He is tasked with being the Leader of Tekkadan meaning he has to make difficult decisions that could get him or his comrades killed in battle. Although this is a reoccurring issue throughout IBO, these scenarios seldom leave any emotional impact. Orga is just boring. He can be confident when he has to be, but other than those moments he is so indecisive. IBO fails to delve deeper into the psychology of leader struggling to make decisions. Mobile Suit Gundam Thunderbolt is a show that in merely four episodes, we can see the internal struggle of being a leader where Claudia, a fleet ship captain knowingly has to send untrained children to their deaths for the sake of the Federation. She breakdown and does drugs to cope with her guilt. There are no moments that are as nearly as impactful as that in IBO with Orga. He lacks any defining character traits that put him beyond that mold of characters of the same archetype. Every arc that he is the focal point of struggled to hold me interest merely because he is not compelling enough to be a main character.

His counterpart, Mikazuki Augus is a case of wasted potential. He behaves in a sociopathic manner. Mikazuki has no problem killing entire groups of people if it for his comrades or Orga specifically. However, the relationship that he has with Orga is never sufficiently elaborated upon so I could never understand why their bond is so close. This is especially frustrating when the entire cast get some flashback episode while the faces of Iron Blooded Orphans, Mika and Orga, never do. It feels as though the writers did not know how to making their backstory tragic enough so opted out of trying to explain it.

Despite the breadth of the cast, there are very few characters worth mentioning. We have Akihiro Atland, whom I affectionately call “Space Guts” due to his brooding aura and character design. He would have to be my favorite character out of the bunch. His backstory, where he was given up by his family to slavers to pay off their debts gave him and other like him the title of “human debris”. I would argue that the show would have been a lot better if there was a singular focus on Akihiro and others like him since they have the most interesting backstory and their stories parallel those in the real world. But, like many other characters, after Akihiro’s character arc was finished, he never got any more focus. His character remained unexplored which upset me because they could have taken him down a lot of interesting character routes. Mcgillis Fareed or “The loli lover char” could have been better if he was fleshed out more beyond his initial charm and cunning. And then we have the quintessential loli character, Atra, who is best girl.

This is where the show feeling “not finished” comes in because characters are never explored efficiently. Mari Okada is not talented enough to write a varied cast like Yoshiyuki Tomino is. She does not know how to juggle subplots and can only focus on one thing at a time. This also ties in with the show’s issue with world building. The lore of the world is not sufficiently fleshed out, meaning there are a lot of gaps in the history of the show. For example, we do not know the philosophy of Gjallahorn nor why the calamity war occurred. These things are mere afterthoughts and you know the same amount of information from the beginning to the end. The Gundam franchise, more specifically Tomino’s Gundam, had a big emphasis on political philosophy. The series were a dialogue between fascism, monarchism, and democracy. Iron Blood Orphans is brain dead in this department. The underlying philosophy of the show is literally “muh equality” with no deeper examination of why equality is good or how to realistically achieve it. Apparently, all you need in the world of IBO is naïve idealism and you can accomplish anything.

Iron Blooded Orphans is a show that I was desperately hoping to be good, considering that good entries in the Gundam franchise are far too few and between nowadays. Sadly, Mari Okada was not up to the task of living up to Tomino’s legacy. She should stick to her melodrama and leave war to someone who has the talent to survive it.

Mobile suit gundam iron blooded orphans takes place in another alternate universe of gundam. Where kids are mercenary's and shit and the story is they have toget this princess girl to earth. See the problem with this series is that it just isn't intriguing and that it literalsly shouts at you throughout the whole eries. When characters and children die WAR IS BAD CHILDREN SOLIDERS SEE HOW HORRIBLE IS THAT where l really did not care most of the characters feel like they came out of a michael bay film.

The art and sound are alright the show looks decent and the ... music isn't really amazing except for the opening and ending. The show can be pretty enjoyable if you want to lose brain cells its not the worst au gundam in the world but it certainly isn't a good gundam series.



P.s shitty review to do when l am hung over as fuck

Before I get into the review this is the first Gundam series I have watched. I have watched a few mech series in the past none of them being Gundam. In all honesty I watched the series because I liked the opening by Man With A Mission "Raise Your Flag". In the end its probably my most liked series featuring Mechs.

Story 10/10

The story is about a group of child soldiers wanting to make the company they create become big. To make their company big they take a very hard first job that will either destroy their company or make it. Their job ... is to guide a politician to earth who is being targeted by a corrupt military group with a lot of power. The story except the beginning and end follows this pattern, main characters plan their next move and interact with each other for one episode, go into a huge Mech battle in the following episode. The story does not let up on entertainment and the episodes that don't focus on battles aren't boring to watch as the characters interactions can be quite entertaining. If you are into interesting characters getting into epic mechs for 20 minute fights than this is a show for you.

Art 9/10

At first I did not think I would not like the art very much as it is different to other anime I have watched in the past where characters are drawn very smoothly. The character designs seem plain at first but you get used to them as the anime progresses. the backgrounds and environments drawn look nice while the mechs themselves which are 2d look amazing and are drawn masterfully.

Sound 10/10

Like I said in my intro I mainly watched this anime because of the opening. Other songs in the ost where good especially the fight theme as well as sound effects produced by the mechs.

Character 10/10

At first I was thinking the characters would be bland in boring throughout the series based on the first episode. However every second episode they focus on developing characters even minor ones and some of the enemys. The characters with the highest role stay interesting gaining development through their actions. Minor characters such as members of the crew who are not fighting on the front lines (because not everyone can have a mech) get some character development. The enemys are characters you dont want to win but halve who are main character level in development gain your pity when they are defeated.

Enjoyment 10/10

I got really into this show and I am very sad to see it gone. I will probably watch more Gundam in the future.

Overall 10/10

This anime is fantastic. I have always been a fan of the "Mecha" genre. Over recent years though I had become quite tired of Gundam. It became repetitive and the universe honestly became quite dull and filled with a pattern that was honestly lacking.

That being said "Iron Blood Orphans" has been a pleasure to watch. The animation is slick. The movement of the "Mechs and Gundams" really creates an interesting sense of combat and fluidity which changes depending on environment. It has a style which blends well with the stories and personality of the pilots without going to overboard or in depth. The ... close combat style of fighting allowed for some brilliant exchanges and animation as well. It also added a level of belivabiltiy to the combat for me as ammunition is not infinite and close quarters battles can and will result. The animation was well done overall and blends well with the story.

The story is brutal, engaging, and surprisingly relevant. They may hold to some common archetypes, yet do a solid job of creating an interesting variation with them. This "child soldier" aspect is a very difficult premise to work with. In "Iron Blood Orphans" however it helps explain and lend credence to young people being capable of outstanding fighting prowess. The character backstories aren't very in depth, but it works for creating the feel these children are "disposable," a trait very common in real life child soldiers. I feel that simple fact helps bring a sense of authenticity to a universe that is often lacking in that department. The revolution of mars over earth theme is a fairly common story in the Gundam universe. I just found myself not caring very much as this plot just felt very organic to the premise of "revolution." It wasn't to outlandish or over the top, it felt grounded in some form of reality, even if based in the future.

My only gripe comes from wishing their was more. Occasionally things feel like they are being rushed because of episode constraints, etc. I would really like to see how far they could take this premise- and how it will not only effect the characters but the universe in which they inhabit.

If I were to sum "Iron Blood Orphans" up in a few lines, I would say, "it proves you can teach an old dog new tricks that are both stunning and enjoyable."

SPOILER WARNING!!!!

This is will be my first sh*tty review, so If you don't like it, don't READ IT. Thank You.

Watched All episodes of Gundam IBO, and... I'm disappointed of this. That ending... Isn't even an ending @-@

The only good parts of this anime is their mechs and their fights, and Badass Mikazuki "Killer Machine" Augus. The plot of first part was better than the second one, honestly. McGillis and Gaelio relationship are only the best point out there.

The bad parts is the charas design that really weird and more akin to AGE rejected designs than 00, too much "QUALITY" animations and terrible pacing (3-4 episodes ... only sleeper talking without actions). I think Okada isn't the writer that anyone hopes to be and she ruined everything on second half. Characterization error can be seen at last episodes (24-25) and it's really terrible.

At least their music is decent. The OP 1 music is very great anyway

But... It's just an reverse "engineered" ripoff of Aldnoah.Zero...

At least its still slightly better than AGE and G-Wrecko shit. I considering to watch 2nd season or not.

But still, my fav Gundam series is SEED (but Destiny is just decent for me but still my fav), 00, Unicorn, and Build Fighters (Minus Try-ain Wreck).

I give this show 6/10 for me.

And that's my opinion about the IBO, feel agree or disagree anyway...

Welcome to my first Shitty Review
.
This anime has me a bit disappointed, I was in for something amazing given how massive the "Mobile Suit Gundam" industry is. (Maybe shouldn't have started with this one, that one's on me).

Honestly I found this anime's plot be to very weak , it doesn't draw you in at all or keep you grasping for more. It can be very predictable and cliche at times especially when it comes to the theme on 'family'.

The aesthetic is alright but the music during fight scenes lacks punch. I feel like this story has alot of potential. All in all the anime is ... " O K" I guess but its not the re-watching type for sure.

Mobile Suit Gundam: Iron-Blooded Orphans (Hence forth referred to as IBO) is another addition to the Gundam universe. It has many of the themes and plots that surround Gundam. It has politics, mechas, explosions, and questions about humans and differing beliefs. IBO is a nice addition to the franchise, just that. While the topic it chooses to explore involve exploitation of children, workers rights, and the unification of different factions, it falls short of actually fully exploring everything in detail.

IBO asks a lot of questions to the viewer, but it doesn't actually make the viewer think too much about the reasons of a character's action, ... aside from the "this is the morally correct decision to make" or "for my comrades." While these are commendable reasons, they don't create a very good character that is strong and communicable. The strongest and most charismatic character in the show is Kudelia Bernstein (that's even stretching it), she has a huge objective, but limited drive to actually achieve it. She does everything in her own power and with the power of others to try and help the people of Mars, but she herself is completely dull in every sense of the imagination. Her lines are predictable and do not inspire any sort of fire to burn within me to try and relate, or sympathize with her cause; however I have to note that even her character development was lacking.

None of the characters really had their pasts fully explored and the circumstances they were thrown in seemed irreverent to the characters. No one had to true determination and drive to succeed their pitiful existence, and to soar into a better life. They sort of just dragged themselves nonchalantly, and fumbled around with Orga, acting as a mediocre leader. The most memorable charcter besides Kuedliam, is Carta, because she was the only one that really had any background reasons for her actions, her love and adoration for McGillis, and her warped personality. Everyone else? Who? Exactly.

Well, these days Art and Sound are so standard that sometimes it takes something truly unique to break the current, and present something amazing. This is not one of those animes. It is a meat and potato, good consistent art, with a decent and good soundtrack. Orphans no Namida does get a note for bringing back that amazing soul/jazz vibe back into the anime scene.

Overall, not a bad anime. Amazing and truly unique? Nope. It was overambitious and reaching for too many things, and while taking that risk fell short of being extraordinary. This show definitely needed to be stretched out to 50 episodes with the pacing it was using, and with a second season I expect it to get better.

Iron-Blooded Orphans (IBO) is the most recent installment in the Mobile Suit Gundam Universe, but avoids the tired and stale aspects of the more recent predecessors. IBO paints the disturbing reality that child soldiers face in a war torn era - it is a provocative yet grief-stricken series that highlights everything wrong with placing a gun in a child's hands. While the story itself is a highlight of the series, IBO's most glaring problem is in character development where it is hard to support the convictions on many of the characters due to incomplete background knowledge of their circumstances.

{Story} - IBO's story is most certainly ... its strongest point. There is never a dull episode and the pacing is consistent and engaging throughout the 25 episode series. The heart-wrenching stories of child soldiers fighting for what they believe is the only way they can live will keep you rooting for characters beyond the main characters and the overarching story is fulfilling.

{Art} - As with nearly all Gundam series, the art is very good. With that said, there is nothing in IBO that makes it stand-out from the rest of the Gundam universe.

{Sound} - Similarly to IBO's art, the sound in IBO is very good and on par with most Gundam series. The opening and ending songs are all very catchy and will likely find their way onto your anime playlist (if you're into that sort of thing).

{Character} - Character development in IBO is where I found the series to fall flat. I really never understood or believed the rationality behind some of the main characters motivations - particularly Mikazuki. While there is an announced season 2 on its way where their background may be expanded upon - until then I found their lack of backstory to be a glaring issue as I never felt connected to anyone except for Orga.

{Enjoyment} - As I mentioned earlier, the series never had a dull moment. Even the slower paced episodes had interesting and important elements that kept the story flowing and keeping the viewers interest. As long as you're into the mecha genre, you'll be entertained the whole way.

{Overall} - Overall I gave IBO an 8/10. The overarching story and subject matter was excellent and would have earned a solid 9/10 if not for a severe lack of character development and background information. Hopefully this will be remedied in the upcoming season 2 in the Fall of 2016! The series is definitely worth watching and my favorite Gundam series since Seed.

They misspell tomato on the wall of the cafeteria in episode 18. There, I saved you from watching the series.... kidding.

This series seems to annoy hardcore Gundam fans, so if you are one of those people... don't watch Iron-Blooded Orphans. But if you just enjoy the mech genre in general, this series could be right up your alley. Spoiler-free below.

Story - 7
With less politics and more focus on the conditions of people (namely people oppressed by Gjallarhorn, people from different planets, people without a planet) Iron-Blooded Orphans is pretty tame compared to other Gundam shows, but still has good fight sequences and a decent story ... line. They convey some darker themes, bloody action, and sadly some slice of life (filler is filler regardless of the show) but not enough to turn me away at any particular episode.

Art - 7
I'm not too sold on the animation, as it seems to be a bit soft and rounder (aesthetically) than past Gundam series, but it's by no means poorly done. I'm a fan of everything being hand drawn.

Sound - 8
Good sound tracks, decent FX, and enjoyable VA.

Character - 6
They have a pretty big cast, but only 4-6 of them are important in each episode. Development is lacking, but considering they are mostly children who were former slaves I can't really be too hard on it since they all have a similar backstory. They could use more diversity here and the use of backstory/flashbacks would have helped fill out the main characters better. They do however have some nice character growth for a few of the cast. Unfortunately, there are usually character deaths in fighting/war anime so be prepared for the possibility of losing a character you like.

Enjoyment - 8
When you put the simple story, next to a giant robot; then add some action and a few plot twists here and there it makes for an easy watch. You don't have to think too much to enjoy this and IMO the lack of too many overbearing themes (religion, convoluted politics, culture saturation) makes this a good starter show for people who want to get into mech anime.

Overall - 8
A score of 8 is what MAL says is "very good" which is how I would describe this show. It's not a masterpiece and not mediocre, so its got to be somewhere in between. Also, give the show a few episodes and make your own decisions, I know I'd have missed out on several anime if I had only watched the first few episodes.