Turn A Gundam Staff, Production, and Episode Analyses – Episode #32 “The King of Myth”

Turn A Gundam‘s thirty-second episode was broadcast on Fuji TV on November 19, 1999.

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Loran and Sochie continue their journey across the sea and conduct training exercises along the way. When they finally make land, they find Dianna Counter forces and the Militia engaged in combat near the mountain range where Manupichi lies. The Moonrace have taken control of the area and push the Militia back in temporary retreat. They’ve fortified the area with gun batteries typically used on WaDoms and battleships, making it difficult for the Militia to reach their destination. Loran and Sochie rendezvous with the Willghem, and they discuss the possibility of retreating from the battle zone. Guin refuses to budge, stating that they need to capture Manupichi so that they can use their technology to head to the Moon. He commands Michael and Yanny to take down the gun batteries by dawn.

Joseph reveals that he grew up in a town nearby where Syd found him as a little kid. This is the first time in the show we get some backstory on Joseph, who thus far has mostly been an enigma as a character. He talks about a local legend—the “Bough of Ades”—a mysterious tree branch that lies at the summit of Impabura at Manupichi and is guarded by Adeskans, the “People of Myth”. Syd and Miashei express interest in learning more about the legend, because they reckon such myths may tie to Dark History technology.

Two locals—Mayalito and Yorol—spot the White Doll and Kapool resting at the base of the mountain. They call the White Doll the “White Devil” which has come to claim the “Bough of Ades”, and Sochie spots them scurrying away. Later that night, Loran, Joseph, and the Suicide Squad hold a strategy meeting to draft a plan to destroy the gun batteries. Loran doesn’t want the White Doll engaging in dangerous skirmishes due to the nukes it’s holding in its chest chamber. He can’t reveal this information, of course, which raises some brows and draws questions from the others. Before they can press further, a gunshot can be heard and the group runs over to find Sochie on the ground. When she regains conscious, she claims that an Adeskan woman nearby knocked her out. They give chase and eventually find what appears to be an entrance to a temple. Inside, they find Quautol, the King of Adeska. He asserts that he is a man waiting to die, because the Adeskans were shown a dream where the sky turned red, so he has come to accept that their demise as a people draws near. Loran realizes that what he’s talking about is the nuclear explosion from earlier. Syd asks if they can enter their city to save the Adeskans, but before he can make a case, Mayalito interrupts the group and declares that the silver-haired man (Loran) serves the “White Devil” and is trying to steal the Bough of Ades. In the midst of the confusion, Loran runs forward and steals Mayalito’s knife and makes a dash for the king, who quickly blocks the attack with his own blade. As the two face off, Loran privately tells him that the White Doll is carrying weapons of mass destruction, and that he needs their help to seal said weapons. He needs to climb to Manupichi’s peak in order to do so. He gambles and appeals to the king’s supposed understanding of the devastating power of nukes. Loran swears on the “White Devil” and the “World Tree” of Ades that he’s telling the truth. The king obliges and commands Mayalito to lead the group into the city. He also asks the group to fend off the Moonrace invaders who have occupied the mountain.

Let’s take a moment to discuss Mayalito. She is voiced by scenario writer Miya Asakawa, who herself did not pen any of the Adeska arc, but her understanding of the plot synopsis allowed her to play the inspiring character role. A carry-over scenario writer from Brain Powerd, she also had acting experiencing as a member of the theater company “Combustibles” (かねんぶつ). Character designer Akiman drew Mayalito in accordance with Asakawa’s wishes, a cute-yet-strong looking character with almond-shaped eyes.

Before joining up with Mayalito, Guin informs the infiltration force that they have until dawn for their sabotage mission, at which time the Willghem will fire its mega particle cannon to destroy the Dianna Counter gun batteries. Loran and co. then follow Mayalito and Quautol to a boat docked on a river. They ride the natural runway, which apparently used to fuel the “roots” of the World Tree and eventually reach a water elevator.

The king then recites the tale of the Tree of Ades. This all ties into Dianna Soreil herself, who’s meant to symbolize femininity as a “Mother Goddess” of the Moon—or as Corin Nander would have it, a “Heavenly Maiden”. Her name originates from Diana Nemorensis (“Diana of the Wood”), an ancient Latin goddess who later became the Roman goddess of the Moon. Turn A Gundam staff studied James Frazer’s The Golden Bough as reference material, and much of the Adeskan mythology is derived from said text. The “Tree of Ades” symbolizes a technologically-advanced orbital elevator that was brought down by “giants”, i.e. giant robots doing battle in an ancient war. The resulting “Bough of Ades” refers to the Sackträger, as we’ll come to learn. The Adeskan practice of slaying the old king to become the new ruler is also borrowed from Frazer’s text. To further the connections, Diana Nemorensis’s sanctuary was found at the northern shore of Lake Nemi, miles away from nearest city Ariccia, not unlike Turn A Gundam‘s own epilogue.

They finally reach the top of the water elevator and ride another passageway but are greeted by an army of unwelcome Adeskan soldiers, who begin firing on them. Loran and Aimes return fire as Mayalito tries to redirect the boat to safety. They try to enter via a staircase but are ambushed by guards there too. A man named Tarka is supposedly staging a rebellion against the existing king and capture Loran and co. and throw them in jail cells. Taraka claims that those who serve the “White Devil” cannot be allowed to enter the city. Quaotol tells Taraka that the “giants from the sky” will come and destroy the city if he keeps this up, but Taraka doesn’t appeal to reason. The episode ends on an ominous note, because they only have until dawn before the Willghem fires its cannon!

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