#GundamAGE ep20: Zeheart is still an awesome pilot, and a terrible commander. #anime 

Well that was a fun episode. I would hardly say much moved forward.
It was more a case of more possibilities and options being put on the
table. It's an episode seasoned with some good Gundam-style space
acrtion and sprinkled with a bit of the show's penchant for terrible
tactics and strategies. I suppose that's something I've learned to
accept.

It's easy to become a fan of Zeheart's especially when he does stuff
like taking his mobile suit for a test drive in an asteroid field to
test its capabilities. Sure, it's incredibly dangerous and I can't
see it being something that a commander of an invasion force should be
doing, but then again I found myself complaining about the military
hairstyles in this show so obviously I take this show too seriously
sometimes.

The scene is there to establish clearly the fact that Zeheart is a
poor match for chariot of war. The mobile suit can't keep up with him
and his special abilities, and therefore certainly can't keep up with
Asemu's new AGE-2 Gundam. Something that's crucial if they're ever
going to break through the Federation forces to Earth. Personally, I
think if the machine is that crucial to the cause then they should
think about merely luring it away to a kill zone, but a new mobile
suit doesn't hurt those plans either.

After the plans for the next operation and his new mobile suit are
established we get to reacquaint ourselves with our old little child
soldier friend Desil. Not a child anymore, not cute anymore and
certainly looking a lot more douchebaggy (or is it douchebaggEy?). I
think I predicted in my little Check-in Station guest post on We
Remember Love that he'd probably be an interesting and hateful
loser-villain. The Gundam universe could certainly use more Jerid's.
But for now he's just a petty a-hole who has yet to prove himself in
this age. The only thing I'm certain of with him at this point is
that his hitlist is one that will only grow. Obviously he has Flit
and now Zeheart in his sights, I'm sure Asemu will be joining it soon
as well.

Now then, about thost tactics... the Diva takes the long course to Big
Ring through a shoal zone (asteroid field) in the hopes that they can
confuse, and avoid the Vagan forces. Well Zeheart sees right through
that (Char, Athrun, and Rau would be proud of that clear thinking),
and is sitting in the zone with his units and new mobile suit waiting.
That's what the Feddies get for trying to be "cute". Now they're in
an inhospitable combat area and they're not very close to Big Ring at
the moment.

I'm getting excited for these space battles and their deployments of
this squadron under Woolf's command. Part of it is the combat
sprinkled with highlight moments from Asemu, the other part is just
having an awesome sempai character like Woolf commanding the battle
field. I know Mu la Flaga from Gundam SEED was a pretty awesome
sempai, but Woolf is really starting to give him a run for his money.
Plus Woolf has the added blessing of not fighting under a handicap for
half the series.

Things are going pretty well and it looks like the battle will be
slowly won if things are left up Woolf and Asemu. But this isn't the
Woolf squadron versus a squadron of grunts. Zeheart makes a nice
debut (with his new "amplification mask".. cute) with his new red
mobile suit, that of course goes THREE TIMES FASTER THAN NORMAL!
*ahem* And he pops up out of the floating asteroid field like he's
about about mechanically rape Asemu's AGE-2. Surprisingly, I was more
looking forward to seeing Woolf in his G-Bouncer take on Zeheart than
Asemu, probably because I know it would be a better match up, minus
the SEED style angst. Too damn bad for me, that wasn't happening.

What ends up happening is still a pretty entertaining fight. Zeheart
seems to be using his Newtype (yes, I'm stubborn) abilities at an
incredible rate. He eventually gets the upper hand through sheer
power of all things, pushing the AGE-2 back and then checkmating the
young hotshot with a FLAMING RED COMET KICK! That was spectacular
stuff!

Now I can either say it's fortunate or too bad that he ended up
sparing Asemu's life and mortally wounding his pride. Asemu probably
won't realize this for awhile, but Zeheart is just as foolish and
naive as he is. The sole goal of that mission was to take out the AGE
system embedded in the AGE-2 and that DID NOT happen! Some of his
fellow soldiers died and he doesn't even have the guts to attempt to
finish the job. It makes me wonder about his future as commander of
this invasion force. I don't believe for a moment that changing sides
is in his future, but this can't possibly continue.

Overall, a good episode. For a old Gundam fan like me there was
plenty of action and there were plenty of references for me to grasp
onto and enjoy. The action was good, there was minimal angst
involved, and the show continues to build on itself (which I suppose
is the whole point with the show's overall concept of evolving
machines and a conflict last over the "ages"). My hopes are that this
show doesn't stagnate too much on this episodic space battle routine,
and that we get to see more Desil and more hate involved in this
conflict. Gundam AGE's first age made the mistake of ramping up too
quickly, but too late to its fierce intensity. That made ride a
little jarring, though still fun. I see AGE maturing a bit in this
age and hope for a more even tone.