Mobile Suit Gundam: Iron-Blooded Orphans

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Alternative Titles

English: Mobile Suit Gundam: Iron-Blooded Orphans

Synonyms: Kidou Senshi Gundam: Tekketsu no Orphans, G-Tekketsu

Japanese: 機動戦士ガンダム鉄血のオルフェンズ

Information

Type: TV

Episodes: 25

Status: Finished Airing

Aired: Oct 4, 2015 to Mar 27, 2016

Premiered: Fall 2015

Broadcast: Sundays at 17:00 (JST)

Producers: Sotsu, Asatsu DK, Mainichi Broadcasting System

Licensors: Funimation

Studios: Sunrise

Source: Original

Genres: Action, Drama, Mecha, Sci-Fi, Space

Duration: 24 min. per ep.

Rating: R - 17+ (violence & profanity)

Statistics

Score: 8.02¹ (scored by 54,470 users)

¹ indicates a weighted score. Please note that 'Not yet aired' titles are excluded.

Ranked: #550²

² based on the top anime page. Please note that 'Not yet aired' and 'R18+' titles are excluded.

Popularity: #869

Members: 113,437

Favorites: 1,409

8.02

Ranked #550Popularity #869Members 113,437

Fall 2015TVSunrise

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Episodes: /25

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Synopsis

Over three hundred years have passed since the Calamity War, the great conflict between Earth and its outer space colonies. Now Earth is ruled over by four economic blocs, and the military organization Gjallarhorn is responsible for keeping the peace. Mars, on the other hand, depends heavily on Earth's economy.

Horrified by the appalling living conditions that Mars' inhabitants have to bear, Kudelia Aina Bernstein, a young aristocrat from the Chryse Autonomous Region, gets involved in the Red Planet's independence movement. She hires the services of a local company, Chryse Guard Security (CGS), to escort her on the journey to Earth to negotiate economic conditions with the earthly bloc that controls the region. The Third Army Division—consisting of Mikazuki Augus, Orga Itsuka, and many other child soldiers—are chosen to protect her.

When Gjallarhorn attacks the CGS facilities to assassinate the young revolutionary threatening their interests, Orga and his comrades must not let the attackers accomplish their goal—in fact, Gjallarhorn's actions might turn out to be the unintentional catalyst that leads the children to be the forgers of their own destiny.

[Written by MAL Rewrite]

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Related Anime

Adaptation:	Kidou Senshi Gundam: Tekketsu no Orphans
Other:	Mobile Suit Gundam
Sequel:	Mobile Suit Gundam: Iron-Blooded Orphans 2nd Season, Mobile Suit Gundam: Iron-Blooded Orphans - Urðr Hunt

More characters
Characters & Voice Actors

Augus, Mikazuki

Main

Kawanishi, Kengo
Japanese

Itsuka, Orga

Main

Hosoya, Yoshimasa
Japanese

Bernstein, Kudelia Aina

Main

Terasaki, Yuka
Japanese

Fareed, McGillis

Supporting

Sakurai, Takahiro
Japanese

Mixta, Atra

Supporting

Kanemoto, Hisako
Japanese

Frankland, Lafter

Supporting

Hikasa, Yoko
Japanese

Bauduin, Gaelio

Supporting

Matsukaze, Masaya
Japanese

Altland, Akihiro

Supporting

Takumi, Yasuaki
Japanese

Shino, Norba

Supporting

Murata, Taishi
Japanese

Turbine, Naze

Supporting

Toriumi, Kousuke
Japanese

More staff
Staff

Nagai, Tatsuyuki

Director, Episode Director, Storyboard

Aketagawa, Jin

Sound Director

Yamato, Naomichi

Episode Director

Okada, Mari

Script, Series Composition

Edit Opening Theme

#1: "Raise your flag" by MAN WITH A MISSION (eps 2-13)
#2: "Survivor" by BLUE ENCOUNT (eps 14-25)

Edit Ending Theme

#1: "Raise your flag" by MAN WITH A MISSION (ep 1)
#2: "Orphans no Namida (オルフェンズの涙)" by MISIA (eps 2-13, 21)
#3: "Steel: Tekketsu no Kizuna (STEEL-鉄血の絆-)" by TRUE (eps 14-18, 20, 22-25)
#4: "Senka no Tomoshibi (戦火の灯火)" by Yuko Suzuhana (ep 19)

More reviewsReviews

Mar 27, 2016

25 of 25 episodes seen

Overall Rating: 8

Stark700 (All reviews)

155 people found this review helpful

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.

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Mar 27, 2016

25 of 25 episodes seen

Overall Rating: 8

Rikuson1 (All reviews)

98 people found this review helpful

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 read more

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Mar 28, 2016

25 of 25 episodes seen

Overall Rating: 7

plisetskytrash (All reviews)

47 people found this review helpful

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 read more

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Jul 21, 2018

25 of 25 episodes seen

Overall Rating: 2

Edg3Sama (All reviews)

10 people found this review helpful

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

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