It’s no secret that I am a huge Gundam fan. While I haven’t watched EVERY anime incarnation, I’ve watched my fair share of Gundam shows. Mobile Suit Gundam: Iron-Blooded Orphans is a series I reluctantly gave a try, yes I said reluctantly and I am sure you are wondering why.
More of the same Gundam or something new?
Just from the trailers and the plotย synopsis, I became conflicted. I immediately started thinking; “here we go again, another child suddenly acquiring a giant robotic killing machine, space colonies hating planet Earth, a beautiful princess and some shady guy in the background pulling the strings who may or may not wear a mask. On the other side, I was thinking this series seems quite mature, touches on some mature topics and if I can ignore some aspects of the plot and annoying characters I might like this series.
10 episodes in and I have watched more episodes of Mobile Suit Gundam: Iron-Blooded Orphans that I thought I would have and want to see more so I guess it has been interesting enough to keep me hooked.
Plot synopsis
Poverty runs rampant on the surface of Mars and jobs are scarce due to the stranglehold Gjallarhorn, a military faction established by Earth, has on the economy. In an effort to grant her Martian city its independence, Princess Kudelia Aina Bernstein requests that she be escorted to Earth by Chryse Guard Security (CGS)’s Third Group. However, CGS comes under attack by Gjallarhorn in an attempt to prevent Mars’s movement towards independence, and Kudelia and her group are abandoned. The Third Group, comprised of child soldiers led by Orga Itsuka, starts a rebellion against the adults who had left them behind.
Have you been watching Mobile Suit Gundam: Iron-Blooded Orphans? Thinking about it? Let me know via twitter @Jamaipanese.
Funny enough I discovered this series by accident on Crunchyroll. There is the element of a bunch of kids with high powered mechs taking on trained adults and winning, however it is way more mature in presentation only. Honestly, it just feels like a gritty update.
“A gritty update to the same old Gundam formula” Thats a good summary