Mobile Suit V Gundam" as a "fairy tale" that abstracts a harsh story [Nostalgic Anime Retrospective No. 54

In the previous issue, we analyzed the battle scenes of "Tribe Gundam" (1999), which marked the 20th anniversary of its broadcast, and confirmed its orthodox production style. Six years earlier, director Yoshiyuki Tomino created the TV series "Mobile Suit V Gundam" (1993).
Like "Mobile Suit Gundam" (1979) and "Mobile Suit Gundam: Char of the Counterattack" (1988), "V Gundam" takes place in the space century, when immigration to space colonies has advanced. However, like its predecessor, "Mobile Suit Gundam F91" (1991), it is an independent story with new characters.

In the space century of 0153, the Zanskar Empire rises on the space colony Side 2 and begins its invasion of Earth. The Sacred Military Alliance Riga Militia develops Gundam-type mobile suits to counter the Zanskar Empire's invasion. However, the Earth Federation Forces, which had always appeared in the Space Century series, have become background, and the military nature that had been the appeal of the Gundam has faded.
In addition, many of the mechanicals on the Zanskar side have outlandish designs, and in episode 32, "Doggora Gekishin," an oddly shaped mobile suit with a long, dragon-like torso, Doggora makes an appearance. Let's take a closer look at the synopsis of episode 32.

Dividing the episode into "main-line conflicts" and "collateral conflicts

Riga Militia launches a mobile suit squadron in space to stop the Zanskar Empire's fleet, which is planning to descend to Earth. However, when veteran pilot Olypher is killed in action, his female lover, Marvette, is worried. Fighting against the boy soldiers Odello and Tomasch as shields, Marvette blames herself.
Meanwhile, Uso, the main character, boards the V2 Gundam and defeats the powerful Doggora after a hard-fought battle. After Marvette regains her composure, Odello and Tomasz offer warm words to her, and the friends of Riga Militia hold a funeral for Olypher, bringing the curtain down on episode 32 in a peaceful mood.

Now, if you look at dramatic films and dramas with care, you will notice that the story is made up of two conflicts, the "main-system conflict" and the "side-system conflict. For example, in the case of an action movie in which two detectives who do not get along well are paired up to pursue a bad guy, the main conflict is "whether or not they can arrest the bad guy. As they pursue the bad guys, "a friendship develops between the two detectives" is the collateral conflict .......
In the case of episode 32, the main systemic conflict is whether or not Riga Militia's mobile suit unit can defeat Doggora and stop the fleet. The conflict is a side-line conflict until Marvette accepts Olyphar's death. Since these two dramas function without excess or deficiency, episode 32 appears to be a flawless episode. However, there is a strange scene that deviates from both the primary and collateral conflicts.

What is the "fairy tale of 2 minutes and 18 seconds" that is suddenly inserted?

Odello's mobile suit, protecting Marvette, loses control and enters the Zanskar Empire's dock ship. He says, "You've got to be kidding me!　Moro, we're not inside the enemy! and Odello panics and faints from the shock of hitting the ship's walls.
Inside the dock ship were Zanskar mechanics, peering at Odello's mobile suit from the shadows, "It's not going to explode, is it?" They are discussing, "We'll use it ourselves, so we'll take it.
Then, Uso's V2 Gundam appears, and the mechanics rush out. Uso exits the cockpit and helps Odello, who has a seizure. Meanwhile, the mechanics try to steal the two mobile suits that wandered into the cockpit, and they stuff food, fuel tanks, and all sorts of trash into the joints. When Odello and Uso wake up, they prepare to escape, but the area is filled with trash brought in by the Zanskar mechanics. When Uso returns to the cockpit of the V2 Gundam, he finds a ladle in the cockpit. The mechanics see off Odello and Uso's mobile suits as they escape, saying, "Oh no, the enemy's mobile suit is gone. ......
This comedy-like scene lasts for a whopping 2 minutes and 18 seconds. After this scene, Odello and Uso return to the front as if nothing had happened, so there is no harm in cutting the entire scene.

The composition of the dwarf-like mechanics swarming around the giant mobile suits is reminiscent of Swift's novel "Gulliver's Travels. Also, the scene of the ship being swallowed by and escaping from a large open-mouthed dock ship is very similar to the scene in the Diz NieR nime "Pinocchio" where the ship is trapped in the stomach of a whale.
The insertion of this fairy tale visual, which has no inevitability in the story, definitely adds a mild touch to Episode 32, in which Marvette overcomes loss in battle. Perhaps everything Uso experienced aboard the giant of a mobile suit was a fairy tale. ...... The ridiculous motif of "giant robots" may have the effect of abstracting the harsh story and easing the pain. The pain-relieving effect will be fully demonstrated in "Tribe Gundam" six years later.


(Text by Keisuke Hirota)
(C) Sotsu, Sunrise