Turn A Gundam Staff, Production, and Episode Analyses – Episode #46 “To Earth Again”

Turn A Gundam‘s forty-sixth episode was broadcast on Fuji TV on March 3, 2000. This is the final episode to feature scriptwriting by Hiroyuki Hoshiyama.

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Loran returns to the Moon and subsequently White Palace in the core fighter. While the guards are conducting an I.D. check we learn what Loran’s in-universe canon birthday is! November 2, 2328 (C.C.). Gym and Guin learn that the Turn A’s cockpit is at a similar technological level as their existing mobile suits, and they’re able to makeshift attach a SUMO’s cockpit to the machine. Guin also notes that the mustache appears to be growing out again—a testament to its nanomachines—and Gym remarks that it’s almost like a human.

Loran, Dianna, Kihel, Sochie, and co. discuss the latest development, that Guin has stolen the Turn A and is on his way to Earth with the Ghingham Fleet. Sochie calls it a complete betrayal, since he did not even bother to consult with any of them. Kihel and Loran don’t know what happened to the calm and composed Guin that they knew, but Sochie reckons he just wanted to steal Moon technology all along. Dianna and Lily don’t think it’s that simple, and Lily says Guin had always wanted to modernize Earth’s industries. Guin by nature is an ambitious individual, and his eyes are now on a new goal. Sochie can’t believe that Lily isn’t angry that Guin betrayed them all and left her behind, but Lily sees it as politics. Whatever the case, they need to give chase, and Dianna alludes to having a ship prepared for the journey. What I like about this scene in particular is that it highlights one of my favorite Tomino storyboarding techniques—when a group crowds around to talk and the camera pans between individual characters. It creates a sense of depth and believability in setting the scene and is very immersive. One of the more recent examples that’s famous in fandom is the G-Reco episode #13 elevator scene.

Sochie is surprised that despite the Turn A being stolen, Loran is still in good spirits. She thinks he might be plotting something himself. Dianna assures her that it isn’t anything like that, and it’s more that Loran has been freed from the “shackles” of the White Doll. He admits that he was under a lot of pressure. Fran Doll appears in a news station van to warn them that the spaceport isn’t safe due to riots. Harry Ord arrives at the spaceport, where John and Aims & Loran’s childhood friends are also scoping the area. The Ghingham Fleet appeared to have bombed and damage most of the stationed spaceships. Dianna slowly arrives at the scene with Loran in his core fighter. She speaks to her people via intercom: she informs the people that the Ghingham Fleet is on its way to Earth, so there isn’t any reason to riot. She also asks her people for a favor—to allow her to go to Earth one more time. She doesn’t intend to abandon them nor sell out the Moon to the Earth, but she has no choice but to put an end to Gym Ghingham’s rampage. Dianna decries herself for failing to see through Gym’s plan and says she isn’t qualified to be ruler of the Moonrace (she’s very self-critical!). Harry thinks otherwise, as the hearts of the people are still with her and await a future where Moon and Earth join hands. A Royal Guard member appears, claiming to have found a reserve Almaiya-class spaceship that can still travel but needs some repairs.

The Ghingham Fleet base catch wind of the Royal Guard’s plan and decide to take action. Instead of deploying Mahiroos, presumably because they primarily use beams, they ready a squad of Zssan mobile suits to stop the ship in its tracks. These are new suits that were excavated from a lunar Mountain Cycle. Designed by Takeshi Takakura, the Zssan is based on the AMX-102 Zssa from ZZ Gundam and was hastily added into the storyboard process due to time crunch.

The Royal Guard, engineers, Militia members, and civilians are all working together to repair the reserve ship. Everyone is rallying together for Dianna’s sake. We get to see a lot of utility robots in action, and even WaDs being used for utilitarian purposes. We also see Loran briefly piloting Harry’s Gold SUMO to help out with tasks. That’s a first! He also appears to be popular with the ladies, as two mechanics ask him for his autograph. Hammett, Donna, and Loran’s childhood friends paint a whale onto the ship. Harry appears to have noticed that the Ghingham Fleet are planning something, because he contacts Loran and tells him to come around the ship while pretending to work.

Loran launches in the core fighter, John and Aims launch in a Borjarnon and Kapool, and Harry returns to his SUMO and sorties with the Royal Guard. The Zssan squad attacks them at the spaceport’s hatch and successfully take down a few SUMOs, but Harry makes quick work of the ones in his vicinity, while Loran manages to take down the squad leader in his core fighter. Loran and Harry work together to clean up the rest of the attackers. This battle features some nice animation by Atsushi Shigeta and Masami Goto. After the battle, the newly-cladded spaceship—dubbed “The Whales”—lifts off and leaves Moon, on its way to the Earth!

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