Gundam Age Episode 40 A Small Review

Gundam Age Episode 40 begins a month after the previous episode. A massive Federation fleet is approaching the moon. Vagan forces have taken over the lunar base and the fleet plans to retake it. The Abis team is the first to launch. Kio think to himself that he can hear the suffering of the Vagan. And he will use his new Gundam to fight in his own way to end the war. 


Seric Abis launches first from the Diva. Followed by Kio….In The Gundam Age-FX. 

We flash back to a month earlier. The Pirate crew is celebrating the successful rescue of Kio from the Vagan. While Asemu and Kio have a heart felt reunion. Kio explains to his father what Ezelcant told him of his plans. Which makes Asemu believe that Ezelcant is quit clearly mad. Asemu says that the relations between Earth and the Vagan have gone past the point of no return, but he will continue to fight to protect what is precious to him. 


We find Wendy and the children on a space station in Earth Orbit. Their parents have come to collect them and she is saying her goodbyes. The Children say how they want to go with Wendy and the Diva but Wendy explains how it would be to dangerous. As the children leave Wendy begins to cry. 


Asemu’s pirate ship docks at the space station and Kio enters a observation lounge. He finds his Aunt, Wendy, and his mother there. A moment later Asemu enters. And a stunned Romary crying with joy embraces her long lost husband. 


On the Diva Wootbit and Rody have what’s left of the Age-3 in the ships hangar. Wootbit says who difficult it will be to repair the Gundam because of the extensive damage. A near frame up rebuilt. Rody says they are not going to rebuild it. He had the Age-3 plugged into the Age-Builder and it is designing a whole new Gundam based on the combat data it received from its time in Vagan hands. 


Flit and Asemu are in a office talking. Asemu explains why he became a pirate. He tells Flit that he had been badly injured in a battle and Pirates saved him. He lived on their ship while he recovered. During that time he came to a realization. Fighting for either side of the war was the wrong choice. He became a pirate, stealing materials from both sides, in order to keep a check on the escalation of the war. His goal was to leave both sides at a stalemate in order to prevent major casualties and battles from happening. Flit is obviously not pleased with this. He calls Asemu naïve and tells him that only though destroying the Vagan can they bring peace. Asemu tells Flit he has different ideas about how to fight and will fight in his own way. He walks out leaving flit standing there glaring. 


Asemu and Kio say goodbye as he boards his ship promising to see each other again. Romary and Uona watching from the observation deck as it pulls away from the space station. 


Down on Earth at a federation facility. Flit waits for Kio as doctors look him over. Flit explains to Kio when he comes out that they had to be sure the Vagan hadn’t done anything to his body and that the Mars Rays didn’t effect him. As they are leaving Kio says to Flit that he doesn’t think the Vagan are as evil as flit has left him to believe. Flit slams on the breaks and says that no matter their reasons the Vagan have taken to many precious things from them. Kio tells him that the Vagan are suffering to and that they should stop fighting. Flit asks him what the Vagan filled his head with. And Kio explains what happened while he was on Second Moon. Flit tells Kio that Ezelcant is a mad tyrant and anyone who follows him is a enemy to be defeated. Kio doesn’t like what he hears … 


A mission is being planed. Flit and several of the fleet captains are called in and told of the operation to retake the lunar base. 


On the Diva Kio heads to the hangar bay. Called by Rody, he is introduced to the Gundam Age-FX.
Rody explains it has been designed to be light and fast. It has C-Funnels designed to be small pursuit units controlled by a X-Rounder. He also explains that the FX in the name means “Follow X-Rounder” which means it is meant to be piloted by a X-Rounder and is the Ultimate Gundam. Kio asks if this Gundam can target just one part of a Mobile Suit and Rody says it can if the pilot in it is skilled enough. Kio thinks to himself that with this Gundam he can achieve what he is trying to do. 


Back in the present Kio and the Abis team are to be the first on the ground. They are to secure a landing site. As they descend Vagan units engage them. One of the Vagan suits fires its Chest Cannon at the Diva but the beam is stopped dead by the Age-FX. Kio then fires his own bean weapon and blows the legs off that same Vagan unit. He then speeds past his on team and cuts the head off the remainder of the suit. Catching he and flying away before the suit explodes. The pilot climbs out and Kio tells him to send out a SoS so he can be picked up. Kio then deploys all his funnels. He uses them to cut the heads off of several other Vagan suits and even uses them to protect one of the severed heads from a blast from a federation suit. Kio says the enemy are Human to and he will fight in his own way. 


On the Diva Flit orders Captain Einus to prepare the Plasma Driver Missile. She tells him she is uneasy about the weapon as it isn’t approved for regular use, and asks why they were able to depart with it installed. Flit tells her that Commander-In-Chief Algreus gave his permission. Captain Einus is shocked by this and asks if Flit plans on destroying the entire base. Flit says he has followed standard procedures and if she doubts she can check. Flit thinks to himself that he will exterminate every last Vagan even if he has to do it himself. 


Back in the battle the Vagan launch several large missiles at the Fleet. The Abis team isn’t able to shoot them down but Kio intercepts them with his Funnels. He then decapitates several more Vagan suits. Seric realizes that Kio is fighting with out killing anyone. 


Asemu and his Pirates enter the battle area. Asemu explains that if they don’t help the Federation retake the Lunar Base it will disrupt the balance of power and allow the Vagan to move troops and materials to Earth easily. 


Inside the Lunar base Zeheart is over seeing the battle. He see’s Asemu’s ship and thinks to himself thar Asemu should have remained hidden. He is informed the Federation Mobile Suits are with in the range of the automated defense system and orders it activated. 


On Mars Ezelcant apparently quite ill enters a room with a pod inside. In the pod is a person who he says he will leave the finishing touches to. 




Over all this was a great episode. My only real complaints comes from the scenes with Flit and Asemu. Here the creators had a chance to include some information from the Manga that is out about Asemu’s early days with the pirates. Even a few Animated scenes to be showed as flashback while Asemu explained a little more of what happened would have been nice. Also little to almost no time was given over to Asemu reuniting with Romary. I understand the series only has 9 or so episodes left. However rushing by good points where there can be character development is highly disappointing. 


Kio in this episode was a large LARGE call back to Kira from Gundam Seed in its later days. His new No Kill policy along with the Zen like control he has over the Age-FX sing back to those final Seed episodes clearly. Gundam over its long history has always had a Anti-war more Understanding tone to it. So I can understand using that trope here. I just honestly wish they would try to hide some of these reused plots and devices a little more. To often in this series things like this appear and feel not as much as a homage to something but a cut and past from a previous series. 


The Action I will admit I enjoyed. The combat scenes with Kio were energetic and exciting and hade my jaw on the floor for the first couple of minutes. Highly worth it being shoved into the shows final minutes. 

See You Next Week! Same Wolf Time! Same Wolf Channel!