Re: [gundam] Gundam 00 Episode 15 *spoilers*

[Joseph Riggs]

Setsuna in Azadistan actually makes some sense (as far as having someone of his nationality poking around - using a Gundam Meister to do the investigating does not...).  We know Setsuna is from the neighboring region (which may or may not have been absorbed by Azadistan a few years earlier), and he's from a different racial and cultural group.  So yeah, in one sense he's from the area and would probably understand some of the customs and culture.  But on the other hand, he's also going to stick out like a sore thumb because the locals can spot the small differences that outsiders (Graham, for instance) cannot.  I suspect you'd get much the same if you took a Kurd from Northern Iraq, and tried to pass him off in Basra (in Southern Iraq) as a Shiite.  Same country! , different cultures.  And the locals may not like the "boy from out of town".   So it probably wouldn't be unheard of for a Kurd to be wandering around a small town in Azadistan.  He might be a tourist or conducting some sort of research project.  But with the recent war, there are probably still a lot of "Azadis" who aren't feeling especially charitable toward the Kurds.  And that sort of feeling might be magnified in the smaller, more rural areas (such as where Setsuna was "warned").  Also, given Azadistan's relative importance on the world stage, it would not be surprising if CB did not have any members from within the country (assuming that CB has an agent network in place - something that's been hinted at in other episodes, iirc).  We haven't seen anyone else from the Middle East or Asia Minor in CB (and no members at all from Africa).  In such a case, Setsuna could very well be the only person from that part of the world that's in CB. I'm in agreement with you on the problem with the current story arc.  The desert is a wide open place with little or no cover, the HRL has demonstrated the ability to track CB's GN Particle Emissions (specifically by looking for places where sensors fail), and CB's plan for avoiding an obvious trap against the combined militaries of all three powers basically seems to devolve down to "fire a blast from Virtue's BFG cannon that takes several minutes to recharge between shots".     junior ---------[ Received Mail Content ]---------- Subject : Re: [gundam] Gundam 00 Episode 15 *spoilers* Date : Tue, 22 Jan 2008 16:11:42 -0500 From : "Dr. Core" <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> To : list@gundam.com Joseph Riggs wrote: > As I stated, I don't care much for the way it was handled. But then again, > that could also double as my complaint about the series as a whole. There > are a number of interesting plot elements in the series. But the series > itself doesn't really seem to be going anywhere. And if you've reached > episode 15 and people are still saying things like that about your series, > then I think you have a problem. I'd characterize my complaint a little differently. I am convinced that the series is going somewhere (I don't know where, but it's definitely going there). E.g. the Azadistan arc took a few eps. to build things up, held up suspense for a while and then finish with a dramatic (if not final) resolution, in that sense (story and drama) it's satisfactory. What I found unsatisfactory is credibility. Both tactically and strategically, all the involved parties make decisions and choices that strain believability. E.g. claiming Setsuna is from that region but he can't even walk down Main Street without being called out by a lame old man. Now in this Taklamakan arc, the Big 3 set up a trap that's plain as day and CB swallow hook, line and sinker. I don't mind that CB can stumble and get caught, but they seem to have no discernible plan to counter the trap. They plan to waltz in, shoot anything that moves, and waltz out victoriously. Duh!

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