Wow. That was... a really good episode. There was action and stuff, but the dialogue was probably some of the best stuff in the series so far. People always give Kuroda shit for all the -bad- stuff he writes, but when he gets to be on point, FUCK he is on point. Everything leading up to this battle has been about people making bad decisions, the philosophy of law and order, and the question of whether Tekkadan is a heroic faction or just trapped in a cycle of terrible war with no real hope for redemption. I think this episode answers a lot of those questions from the perspective of the people making the show, based on what they chose to show.
Yes, Tekkadan are probably "better" people in the ultimate moral question compared to Rustal. They believe in friendship, honor, trust, and a better future. But it also doesn't matter because Rustal is the more pragmatic man who seems more than morality - he sees order itself. Things have to be structured in such a way to justify them, even if it is manipulated. He is a bastard, but if he can get out of the fight alive, he also needs to be able to justify his actions and have the legal advantage. That is "how Rustal fights".
But most important of all is probably the moment at the end that everything leads to. It's a typical Gundam hero moment. The super weapon is foreshadowed. The attack is a last ditch strategy that has to succeed. Most people expect Shino to maybe die doing it, but it still has to succeed. If it doesn't maybe it's because something better and stronger comes along and everyone has to combine their forces to defeat him. But no. That's not what happened. Because in war that's not what happens. Not only does the plan fail, like it did for the Turbines, but it failed because Barbatos hasn't killed a scrub-tier mid-boss fast enough. Her strategy wasn't to beat Mika, just to delay him, distract him, and when she saw the opportunity in the end she decided to intercept. It ruins everything and makes Shino's death totally pointless. But it also underlines what IBO is about. There are no winners here. In the end there will be no winners either. Only perhaps survivors.
Yes, Tekkadan are probably "better" people in the ultimate moral question compared to Rustal. They believe in friendship, honor, trust, and a better future. But it also doesn't matter because Rustal is the more pragmatic man who seems more than morality - he sees order itself. Things have to be structured in such a way to justify them, even if it is manipulated. He is a bastard, but if he can get out of the fight alive, he also needs to be able to justify his actions and have the legal advantage. That is "how Rustal fights".
But most important of all is probably the moment at the end that everything leads to. It's a typical Gundam hero moment. The super weapon is foreshadowed. The attack is a last ditch strategy that has to succeed. Most people expect Shino to maybe die doing it, but it still has to succeed. If it doesn't maybe it's because something better and stronger comes along and everyone has to combine their forces to defeat him. But no. That's not what happened. Because in war that's not what happens. Not only does the plan fail, like it did for the Turbines, but it failed because Barbatos hasn't killed a scrub-tier mid-boss fast enough. Her strategy wasn't to beat Mika, just to delay him, distract him, and when she saw the opportunity in the end she decided to intercept. It ruins everything and makes Shino's death totally pointless. But it also underlines what IBO is about. There are no winners here. In the end there will be no winners either. Only perhaps survivors.
