![\"Gundam](\"http:\/\/www.darkmirage.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2007\/10\/20_gundam00_ep3a.jpg\")
<\/p>\nEpisode 3 just aired in Japan about four hours ago. It mainly focuses on plot development and background information, so there isn’t much fighting going on, despite what the end of episode 2 might have led you to believe.<\/p>\n
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Still, I find it to be quite an interesting episode that reveals yet more tenderizing politics from the world of Gundam 00<\/strong> which I like to read too much into.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n Anyway the highly anticipated fight scene between Setsuna’s Exia<\/a> and Acre’s Flag<\/a> turns out to be nothing but a cock tease and ends before the opening credits even started to roll. LOL.<\/p>\n Intelligence agencies of various countries scramble to locate Celestial Being by looking for clues in Aeolia Schenberg’s past records without much success.<\/p>\n Celestial Being launches its third mission: destroying causes for conflicts such as mineral mines maintained by militias (alliteration ahoy) in Africa and drug fields in South America. Lockon (Gundam Dynames<\/a>) attacks a mineral mine located in South Africa.<\/p>\n Meanwhile, Allelujah (Gundam Kyrios<\/a>) drops bombs over drug-producing fields in a fictional South American country called “Talivia” (\u00e3\u201a\u00bf\u00e3\u0192\u00aa\u00e3\u0192\u201c\u00e3\u201a\u00a2). Interestingly, the bombs that it drops look like the unguided gravity bombs<\/a> used in WW2 carpet bombing… Also, it seems that the entire narcotics production capability of the country is concentrated in a single valley.<\/p>\n Most internet commentators seem to agree that Talivia is probably modern day Bolivia<\/a> (currently the world’s third largest producer of illicit drugs). But it may also possibly be Colombia<\/a> (n\u00c3\u00bamero uno<\/em> drug producer), or even neither.<\/p>\n According to Newtype’s spoilers<\/a>, the episode 4 will be about Talivia’s declaration of independence from the Union and the fighting that follows. Apparently, Talivia has some sort of control over the solar energy production process which gives them sufficient confidence to pull off such a feat. This can mean that either the space elevator<\/a> is located in Talivia (making it most definitely Colombia since Bolivia is nowhere near the equator) or that it simply controls a major pipeline of some kind, like the one that passes under the sea off the eastern coast of Ceylon Island (making Bolivia a more likely candidate).<\/p>\n Since Japanese katakana transliterates both “via” and “bia” as “\u00e3\u0192\u201c\u00e3\u201a\u00a2”, it’s entirely possible that the name is actually Talibia (or Taribia?), which sort of links it to Colombia (but not really).<\/p>\n And in episode 3, it seems that MSWAD (Union’s military HQ) is not in Talivia, despite being located in\/near South America. Since it makes sense for Union to place their base near the space elevator, then it’s logical to say that the elevator is probably not in Talivia.<\/p>\n Well it’s all my speculation at this point… We’ll need more information (which Sunrise may never give) to figure out just where exactly Talivia is.<\/p>\n Another interesting titbit is that the Protestants and Catholics are apparently still fighting in Northern Ireland up to the point of Gundam 00<\/strong>. In reality, the IRA<\/a> formerly laid down its arms in 2005, so I find this future development highly unlikely.<\/p>\n The anime does not go into details, but from what I gather, a radical group called “Real IRA” continued to conduct armed attacks in Northern Ireland after IRA proper peacefully disarmed. I thought the name sounded stupid, but surprisingly, Real IRA<\/a> is an actual extremist faction that broke off from the Provisional IRA<\/a>. However, they appear to be a very tiny and obscure minority, so I think Sunrise is stretching it a little there.<\/p>\n All that doesn’t matter anyway, since even this hardcore extremist group has decided to lay down its arms and disband, presumably because they were scared shitless by Celestial Being’s worldwide broadcast. LOL.<\/p>\n This episode also taught us the Achilles\u00e2\u20ac\u2122 heel of Celestial Being. Apparently, Ptolemaios<\/a>\u00e2\u20ac\u2122 operating range is very limited without its four Gundams onboard. This is because it uses the Gundams like battery packs and draws energy off their GN Drives<\/a>.<\/p>\n This is a really stupid design decision (why not just equip Ptolemy with a GN drive too?), but I suppose it’s only fair to give the world superpowers a fighting chance so that they don’t cry too hard at night for failing so badly. There, there. *pats*<\/p>\n Because of this, Tieria (Gundam Virtue<\/a>) has to return to Ptolemaios via Human Reform League<\/a>‘s space elevator located in South-East Asia. Though GN Particles may allow Gundams to fly, jam radar and perform atmospheric re-entry, they are just not powerful enough to launch Gundams into orbital flight. Aww…<\/p>\n To end off…<\/p>\n And…<\/p>\n I want episode 4 now. T_T<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" Episode 3 just aired in Japan about four hours ago. It mainly focuses on plot development and background information, so there isn’t much fighting going on, despite what the end of episode 2 might have led you to believe. Still, … Continue reading ![\"Gundam](\"http:\/\/www.darkmirage.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2007\/10\/20_gundam00_ep3b.jpg\")
<\/p>\n![\"Gundam](\"http:\/\/www.darkmirage.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2007\/10\/20_gundam00_ep3f.jpg\")
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<\/p>\n![\"Gundam](\"http:\/\/www.darkmirage.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2007\/10\/20_gundam00_ep3j.jpg\")
<\/p>\n![\"Gundam](\"http:\/\/www.darkmirage.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2007\/10\/20_gundam00_ep3i.jpg\")
<\/p>\n![\"Gundam](\"http:\/\/www.darkmirage.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2007\/10\/20_gundam00_ep3h.jpg\")
\nLeague’s flying mobile suit with stupid-looking wings!<\/p>\n![\"Gundam](\"http:\/\/www.darkmirage.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2007\/10\/20_gundam00_ep3e.jpg\")
\n*wub*<\/p>\n