Mobile Suit Gundam: Iron-Blooded Orphans 1:
So I was probably one of the most critical of Okada when this was announced (and even before that), yet I have to say that this was a great first impression. This is a very strong opening episode, one which presents a very interesting take on Gundam. It sort of feels to me like the Gundam that never really existed yet we all remember existing when we haven't seen it for awhile (with a more serious and grounded take on war, etc), but it's pretty exciting, and I could see this show turning out well if they can keep up the quality of the first episode. Of course, there have been plenty of Gundam shows to have strong openings and then promptly fall apart, so this could all be moot within a few weeks, but I'm feeling really good about the show just based on this episode.
The biggest potential pitfall I see right now is that, like most mecha shows in the post-Code Geass era, there are way too many characters, most of whom see interchangeable. There's no real need to introduce us to so many characters right off the bat. This was a big problem that Code Geass had, and ever since then it feels like mecha shows just keep getting larger and large cast sizes, in an effort to have every single possible character design appear somewhere in the show because they'll be someone's weird favorite.
The episode also has some very gorgeous shots. There are some lovely backgrounds, and some great details during certain moments. It's a pretty good opening from a visual point of view, and hopefully we can keep that up, rather than falling into second half of Destiny territory. The music is also pretty effective during some key scenes.
So far, I'm very happy to have been wrong about this show. I really hope that they can keep up the quality of the first episode over the course of the series. Who knows, maybe Gundam was Okada's true calling all along?
