It's a . . . Gundam?

Gundam fans are notoriously hard to please. They want each new Gundam show to be fresh and different from the original while still feeling like a Gundam show. Pretty vague, right? Since the original Universal Century Gundam was a fairly complex story that worked on many levels, though, fans disagree over what exactly should and shouldn't be carried over to the next spin-off universe. Politics? Wacky hijinks? Complex characters? Hell, what should the robots even look like? Inevitable profits aside, it's a no-win situation for Sunrise executives. But with the currently-airing Iron-Blooded Orphans, I think they might have achieved the impossible in creating the least-Gundam Gundam show yet, but in the best way possible.

The quick-and-dirty version of this story goes something like this: humanity has migrated to space, but is still ruled by the Earth-centered government. Mars in particular wants independence, with young noblewoman Kudelia the symbolic spokesperson for that viewpoint. She attempts travel to Earth in hopes of negotiations, hiring a mercenary group for escort, but various factions see this as a threat to their interests and attack. Amid and because of the resulting chaos, the war-orphans-turned-enhanced-child-soldiers used as disposable pawns by the mercenaries rebel against their superiors. Led by Orga and Mikazuki, they then take control of the mercenary group, dubbing it Tekkadan, and attempt to navigate the ins and outs of running a dangerous business among treacherous political waters, all the while trying to get Kudelia to Earth.

Plot-wise it all sounds pretty standard, but this show makes its first risky move with its handling of the Gundam Barbados itself, a well-designed, spear-wielding mecha left over from a war in ages past.

We barely ever see it.

Yes, the franchise-leaving robot, as well as all lesser machines, has barely a handful of appearances over the first thirteen episodes. There's no impassioned monologues from anyone about how cool and important the Gundam is, what it stands for, or how they must find the heart of the Gundam. Just a casual mention of a repair or upgrade is all we hear of the machine. Rarely do we glimpse it outside the few combat scenes, which incidentally, are much better-animated and rely heavier on actual tactics than your typical Gundam show. For a franchise that depends so much on selling the idea of mecha so they can sell the actual toys of them, that takes some serious balls.

So, if it isn't even covertly about the robots, what exactly is Iron-Blooded Orphans about? In a word, family.

Sure, a simple and obvious concept, given that there are orphans here. The trope of loners without blood relatives forming a makeshift family with each other is a stale one at best, but it's actually done pretty well here through efficient use of the characters; that is, we're shown everyone's perspective on family through their background. Tekkadan leader Orga initially thinks only of his group's safety and wellbeing, and jumps to sacrifice himself for them at every opportunity, which is exactly what he did when under the thumb of the self-interested mercenaries. He learns through interactions with Naze Turbine's . . . unconventional family that this close-minded attitude could endanger his comrades, and being open to outside help and ideas will probably make them all live longer. Other characters struggle with high-born parents for whom politics may be more important than one's own kin, or with siblings who directly threaten their makeshift family's safety. All this is put forth via the characters' natural interactions rather than explanatory dialogue, another relative rarity in the Gundam universe.

Mind you, there are plenty of weaknesses to be found. All that focus on family leads not only to the aforementioned sparse fights, but also to a slow pace in general. Some characters are dead weight, doing nothing except offering a different perspective. They may have larger roles later, and the plot may gradually be building up to some grand statement about its themes, but I'll definitely feel cheated if all this waiting and character-building doesn't lead into an above-average finale. The relative lack of robots may be a minus for some, and the lack of good villains even more so; all bad guys with, one exception, are cartoonishly evil and don't last more than a few episodes. Said exception, while somewhat interesting and complex, has thus far done almost nothing and has no serious quarrel with our protagonists. It sounds crass of me, but sometimes you need a pretty boy to put on a dumb mask and start shooting things.

I still think the show is worth recommending. Sure, it's not the slam-bang action show, or complex meditation on war some of us may have hoped for. But it is a very focused show that follows a sympathetic, evolving group of characters without using action as a crutch. More impressively, it stands alone from the Gundam franchise, moreso than any spinoff I've seen to date. In my book, those two things are cause for celebration.