Gundam Build Fighters Try

Episode 20

If I had to review this episode of Gundam Build Fighters Try in one sentence, I'd call it twenty-four minutes of pure robot battle porn.

Fortunately I get a lot more than just a sentence to gush about this gorgeous episode. Like I said last week, Gundam Build Fighters Try is the kind of show you might like to hang on the wall. The quality of fight scenes has been consistent since the beginning. From the backgrounds to the composition, from the graceful animation to the overwhelming musical score, from the glittering special effects to the suits themselves, beautiful detail has been inscribed into these fight scenes, rendering each Gunpla in high-definition metallic splendor.

This week picked up with the second part of Sekai and Junya's mirror match. As they piloted equally beautiful machines in opposing purple and gold, the question of the day became whether the power of friendship could triumph over just plain-old raw power. (If you've been watching Gundam for a while, I think you can probably guess who wins.) The dynamic of this battle is fascinating not only because of the killer moves performed by both sides, but because of Fumina and Yuuma's conscious nonparticipation. Team Try Fighters' teamwork takes many forms and collaborations, but their unwithering belief in Sekai, even when the viewer isn't sure he'll make it, is one of the most emotional sequences of the episode.

After the battle, there's another elevator scene. What is it with Gundam Build Fighters Try and people meeting their rivals in elevators just as the doors are closing? When Yuuma and Minato met this way, it was played for laughs because Minato couldn't get the timing right. Not so with Sekai and Lucas Nemesis. Lucas must have timed how long it takes for the elevator door to shut, because his speech's timing was pitch perfect. Lucas Nemesis' backstory is also exciting, revealed here in full. I remembered “Nemesis” from Team Nemesis in Gundam Build Fighters and suspected Lucas was involved in some way, but I couldn't have anticipated such a satisfying tie-in.

In between plotlines, we return to visual recaps of Sekai and Junya's battle—a clear indicator that this stunning fight sequence broke the bank. But unlike the status quo with recaps, I was grateful for a second look. Sekai performs a truly complicated maneuver, and it's hard to see exactly what his Gunpla is doing the first time around. Just like in Gundam Build Fighters, Plavsky particles continue to take an increasingly important role as the series advances, and all of the fighters' later moves depend on Plavsky particle output. It's not something that Gundam Build Fight science has ever been able to explain away, so I'm glad they didn't try in order to justify these particular moves.

I think it's time to talk about the show's main mecha, Try Burning, as a character itself. Sekai speaks frequently this episode about Try Burning as if it were his ally, not simply his weapon of choice. Yuuma has hinted at this too. Last episode, he said Try Burning was infused with the heart of the builder, which makes it seem as if a part of Sei's soul exists within it. Perhaps Sekai is so powerful because he and Try Burning aren't a pilot and suit, but a team. As Gundam Build Fighters Try wraps up, I think the ultimate reveal of the show will be tied to that suit. Fortunately, at least half the budget goes into making it easy on the eyes.

Rating: A

Gundam Build Fighters Try is currently streaming on Gundam.info.

Lauren writes about anime and journalism at Otaku Journalist.