May 07, 2013

Gundam School Part 9

"What is 'Gundam', anyway?" This simple (?)
question is answered in our ninth casual weekly
column just for new fans!
by Ema Baba

This week, we're turning it around with an 8th super-simple column for new
Gundam fans!

Part 1 was Gundam faces and coloring, and then part 2 was masked men and
Haro. Part 3 was all about the Universal Century, part 4 was mobile suits, part 5
took on MSVs, and part 6 covered the "Zaku" and "GM", part 7 took on parts
swapping, part 8 was an example of mobile suit R&D, but this week we've got
one more really iconic piece of Gundam.

What makes Gundam Gundam? Mobile suits, right? It's even in the title! So we've
been covering those a lot, but Gundam isn't just about awesome-looking robots
with lots of lore. It also sets itself apart with detailed, engaging stories about
realistic human relations.

So this week, I'm going to introduce you to the women ofMobile Suit Gundam:
beautiful, to be sure, but not a step behind they share duties with!

Part 1
What makes a Gundam? Leading ladies just as versatile as
the men!

Let's lead off with Fraw Bow.

Fraw grew up with hero Amuro Ray, and is now his

girlfriend. She's a kind, attentive girl who is always
looking after Amuro. After she loses her parents in
the Zeon attack on Side 7, Amuro encourages her to
take up a new life aboard the federation shipWhite
Base. Thus, she becomes involved in the One Year
War of U.C. 0079. Caring for the wounded, assisting
other evacuated civilians (including the war orphans
Katz, Letz and Kikka,) and occasionally aiding in the galley, she is accepted as a
member of the crew and is eventually recruited by the Federation. Later in the
show, she's also one of theWhite Base's radio operators. Many of her scenes
involve her increasingly one-sided love for Amuro as he's charmed by other
women like Matilda (who we'll talk about later.)

If you take a close look at Fraw's design, her uniform is slightly different from
that of other characters. Why? Well, let's just leave that as a mystery for now...
Okay?

Next is the first woman of Gundam who springs

to mind for most people: Sayla Mass.

Sayla, a medical student volunteering on Side 7 at

the time of Char's attack, also evacuates aboard
theWhite Base. On board, she assists the medical
staff and also acts as a radio operator. (As the
show continues, she also enters combat as the
pilot of the G-Fighter.)

One of her most famous and iconic scenes is

from early in the show, where when Kai Shiden refuses to aid in the evacuation
of civilians she replies "Cowards like you who are only looking out for
themselves should be left here on Side 7" and slaps him.
However, Sayla has a secret. She's really Artesia Som Deikun, the daughter of
Zeon Zum Deikun, founder of the Republic of Zeon. Her brother is Casval Rem
Deikun, better known as Char Aznable! (Shock!)
After the death of her father Zeon Zum Deikun, she was taken to Earth. Her
brother Char returned to the Principality of Zeon to pursue revenge, while she
moved to Side 7. Poor Sayla was forced to take on the name Sayla Mass to hide
her true identity.

Along with Fraw and Sayla, there's yet another

type: Mirai Yashima, a vital member of theWhite
Base's crew.

Mirai, daughter of a senior Federation

commander, is another evacuee from Char's
attack on Side 7. While she's the privileged
daughter of an elite family, she doesn't let her
status go to her head: a calm, kind demeanor
(and a talent for sewing!) make her almost a
surrogate mother to the crew. And, of course,
the object of many clashing affections...
Engaged to a man named Cameron Bloom, she rejects not only his advances but
aid for theWhite Baseduring a visit to Side 6, and is slapped by crew member Lt.
(JG) Sleggar Law for it. (Oh my!) Later, she begins to fall for Sleggar's dashing
demeanor... But that goes nowhere, and after the war she weds Bright Noa
(White Base's captain.)

Next is Lt. (JG) Matilda Ajan, commander of a

Federation logistics unit.

Matilda, a soldier from her first introduction, is

one of Gundam's most popular women.
Nearly everything Matilda does has meaning, from
her determination to "create something amidst the
destruction of war" that led her into the service
to her hunch that Amuro "may be psychic". Her
caring manner and stern beauty were the first
time Amuro felt "love", rather than just "like".
And then Matilda sacrificed her own transport
plane to protect Amuro from the Black Tri-Stars' Jet Stream Attack... She was
engaged to be married to Federation Lt. Cmdr. Woody Malden after the war.
(*cries*)
Amuro, so smitten with Matilda that he nearly came to blows with other crew
members over ownership of a photo of Matilda taken aboard theWhite Base, can
be seen displaying it in his room in later series.Matilda was Amuro's first love,
and his first adult crush. (... Matildaaaaaaaaaaaaaaa!)

Part 2
What makes a Gundam? Women on the other side of the
war, too!

So far we've looked at the women of the

Federation, but there are also plenty of
appealing female characters fighting for Zeon!

Let's start with a woman who must be

mentioned in any discussion ofMobile Suit
Gundam: Lalah Sune, a Newtype just like
Amuro. Yes, the Lalah every Gundam fan
knows.
Her ethnic-influenced dress sets her apart at a single glance. Plucked from
poverty by Char, trained by the Flanagan Institute (a military apparatus devoted
to Newtype research,) she is commissioned as an ensign in Zeon's forces.
After awakening as a Newtype, she pilots the "Elmeth" mobile armor, possessed
of a terrifically-powerful all-range attack (capable of attacking from any angle,)
and is known to the Federation as the "Ghost of Solomon". However, shortly
after a chance meeting with fellow Newtype Amuro on the battlefield in which
they make psychic contact, she dies protecting Char...
Lalah, who hated fighting, was driven to excel on the battlefield out of loyalty to
Char for saving her, and poured all her feelings for Char into the controls of the
Elmeth.
Her line "Amuro... I can see time..." continues to be one of Gundam's most
famous quotes.

Another woman vital to the Zeon war effort was

Kycillia Zabi. Eldest daughter of the Zabi family
which ruled the Principality of Zeon, she held
the rank of Rear Admiral and commanded Zeon's
Mobile Assault Force. Tasked with securing
resources and executing guerrilla strikes, she
also found time to take Char under her wing
after his demotion, establish the Flanagan
Institute which developed Lalah as a Newtype,
and leave the evidence of her cunning across a
broad swath of U.C. history.
In the closing stages of the war, she discovers
her brother Gihren's assassination of their father
Degwin, orders him executed, and takes the reins of the Principality, only to be
killed by Char.
While she's listed as only 24 (!?), her habitual mask and cool, commanding air
make this seem almost... (Ed.: Hey! Watch it!)

And last but not least, there's Crowley

Hamon!The common-law wife of Ramba Ral!
(A veteran Zeon pilot known as the "Blue
Giant".)Character descriptions like "lover" or
"common-law wife" make it seem like maybe
we're going a littletoodeep into realistic adult
interactions, but she was also a sisterly
presence as beloved by Zeon soldiers as
Matilda was by Amuro. She was also
amazingly talented, at times taking command of
Ramba Ral's forces as he fought on the front lines. (Eventually, seeking revenge
for her beloved Ramba's death, she...)

Anyway, that's all for our look at the women of Mobile Suit Gundam! Going over
it, it really stands out how important the role each woman played was in their
characterization.

Maybe if we get the chance, we can look at more women of Gundam later. ...
Maybe.
After all, there's just so many fascinating things in Gundam to talk about!

Well, well, well, well, well, well, well, well, well, that's it for this week. Next
week we'll be taking another laid-back look at what makes Gundam Gundam!

[Author profile]
Ema Baba
Scriptwriter. Troublemaking scenarist.