Gundam Build Fighters Episode 19
What They Say:
The next opponent for the Sei and Reiji team is Nils Nielsen, the young prodigy known as the Early Genius. His Sengoku Astray, which uses an arsenal of weapons and techniques based on Plavsky particles, is definitely a tough enemy. On the eve of the battle, Nils contacts Sei and Reiji and tells them he wants to ask them about something. If they tell him, he is willing to withdraw from the battle.
The Review:
Content: (please note that content portions of a review may contain spoilers)
Gundam Build Fighters worked some really strong and atmospheric material in terms of the battle in the previous episode and that eclipsed all else. Which isn’t a bad thing since “all else” was some light and fluffy character material for the good guy kids that are involved in all of this and what it means. That has its place and is obviously definitely useful, but it was completely overshadowed by the fight that ensued and the visual beauty of a street by street fight with snipers and more as the adults got out there and played, even if the brothers are a bit flamboyant. That’s going to be balanced a bit here as we get the youthful side which has its own bit of calm and collected as well, kicking off with Nils progressing along smoothly with his place in the grand scheme of the World Tournament.
Because of the way Nils is making such solid progress, he’s getting approached with a sponsorship that is certainly curious as they aren’t asking for anything but must have larger plans for him by getting him on their side. Nils is one that has a careful approach to things and sees the way people are taking positions like a real combatant would in everyday life. His acceptance is based on what he needs though and with that company operating with Plavsky particles for their weapons, allows him access to things he needs. The first half works around all this material nicely as we see how others are viewing Nils and his potential while tossing in a few bits of humor along the way with others since Nils has such an interest in Sei and Reiji as opponents on his way towards his own larger goal.
When the two have some dialogue together, we get more clues about what he’s after when it comes to the Plavsky particles and that sets the stage for their fight in the tournament that dominates the second half. They get a very, very appealing visual stage with it going with a classic Japanese city structure as they fight along the rooftops with a deep red sunset behind them. The match is pretty intense but it takes the surprising turn along the way for a repair moment that each side gets to work through. Nils takes it really personally with his Astray being damaged, but you see how Sei is just intent on really doing things quick and moving on in a positive way. Both get lots of positive vibes though from the audience, which is very good to see. There’s no real “bad guy” here, just competitors. The battle is pretty good though, even if it ends predictably, since even if this is a Gundam show, it’s aimed more at the younger set and friendship is something to definitely have as a part of both winning and losing.
In Summary:
Gundam Build Fighters is once again teasing some minor threads here for the larger story but it manages to keep its eyes focused on the core aspect. And that’s the Tournament, which admittedly might drive me nuts in some other shows but is coming across as pretty well executed here. It has a decent formula of character material in the first half and action in the second, but both also have their threads that are blended across both while working with the generic concepts of friendship, proper competition and behaviors thereof. It’s not mindbogglingly original or anything, but it’s well executed and it has a deep well to pull from for Gundam fans with the Gunpla kits that are being used. That’s a gloss-over point for me, being a fan but not deeply interested in the various models, but you can definitely appreciate the visuals and technicality of it all here.
Grade: B
Streamed By: Official Gundam YouTube Channel
Review Equipment:
Sony KDL70R550A 70″ LED 1080P HDTV, Apple TV via HDMI set to 1080p, Onkyo TX-SR605 Receiver and Panasonic SB-TP20S Multi-Channel Speaker System With 100-Watt Subwoofer.