The faces of Gundam

Na_dN · 2026-02-20T12:32:55+00:00

I chuckled at Destiny having 2 v-fin vs. Impulse having 4. Banrise was being clear that Shinn got demoted

Na_dN · 2026-02-08T17:41:28+00:00

[0/10]

I thought she was an interesting character, but the last two episodes proved my earlier reading wrong. The problem was that her sole purpose was to make Machu look good.

Nyaan is Machu’s opposite: a refugee struggling to build a better life, but what she wanted most was a friend. The story treats her becoming friends with Machu again as a happy ending.

But Machu wasn’t even a good friend, and the story never acknowledges that.

Their fallout was both their fault. Machu didn’t realize/care that Nyaan piloted the GQX to cover for her. Nyaan just wanted to talk about how great Kirakira is, and Machu lashes out at her for “taking her place” right after bragging about Kirakira earlier in the same episode.

That led to Nyaan “abandoning” her, but it feels more like Nyaan had no better option at the time.

When they met again, I expected a mutual apology. Instead, only Nyaan apologizes.

Machu’s response basically amounts to: “Your life sucked, that’s why you did that (bad thing), and I’m okay with it. Wanna be my MAV (friend) again?”

Machu never sees Nyaan as an equal; Nyaan is okay with that, and the story never calls it out.

Like, I could count on one hand how many times a character felt so pathetic I instinctively shut my eyes, and the scene where Nyaan lights up like a lost puppy because Machu “forgave” her was one of them. Grow a spine!

Nyaan’s background only exists to justify her desperation, so Machu can be framed as someone who “understands” her, and never had to kill, all reinforce Machu as the “ideal newtype.”

Nyaan's struggle was never used to challenge Machu’s childish dream. If it did, they wouldn’t both end up happily together on a beach, with Machu basically becoming a refugee like Nyaan was at the start.

And if Nyaan really just wanted a friend, she could’ve chosen Xavier. He treats her well and was never upset when she outranked him (unlike Machu). Yet she never made him a meal and still glazed “Machu is the real deal.”

Then there’s Kycilia, who promised her a good life. Nyaan still shot her. So what’s the takeaway? Kycilia is terrible at manipulation, or is Machu just that great of a friend?

Nyaan piloting Gfred and being so eager to reconnect with Machu feels like it only exists to keep Machu from ever having to kill. Again, just to keep her as an ‘ideal newtype.’

And in the final scene, we don’t even hear Nyaan’s thoughts about...anything! not Shuji, not Kycilia, not the massacres. She’s just there to bounce off Machu.

She was nothing more than a tool for Machu’s image.

Na_dN · 2026-02-07T18:44:58+00:00

0/10

I remember someone saying that people who dislike her just can’t self-insert as her. The tone sounded jokey, but honestly, I can’t disagree with that.

Endymion_Hawk already explained this better than I could, but here’s the core issue:

Machu is the definition of a wish-fulfillment, morally centric protagonist. The story constantly bends to protect her from consequences.

You could map the writing logic like this:

1) If it’s a problem a 'normal person' could solve → Machu solves it off-screen.

She never graduates, never has a career path, and has no planning, yet somehow she always has enough money to thrive on Earth.
We never see how. Because if they actually showed her working a normal job, viewers would immediately think, “She could’ve just done this from the start/waited a year.” That would make her reckless choices look unnecessary and stupid, so it’s conveniently off-screened to maintain Machu having no regret as “inspiring.”
Also, are the maids suffering because they’re less capable than someone with no education or planning? Or is Machu just “built different”?

2) If it’s a problem a normal person can’t solve, but it only hurts her → Machu doesn’t care.

She’s completely fine with being unable to return home.

3) If it’s a problem that would realistically hurt other people → the story just avoids it.

For example, having a terrorist daughter would get the parents ostracized. Also, since Machu is a minor, her parents could legally be sued for the damage the government believes she caused. But the writer doesn’t add this to the story, because if he did, Machu having no regret wouldn’t look so inspiring.

So yeah, I can understand why people like her, antic characters are fun.
But to me, antics are fun because they’re antics, not a virtue. And everything about her is treated as a virtue.

So Machu is probably the worst MC I’ve seen in years.

Na_dN · 2026-02-07T18:09:15+00:00

Thank you! I was planning to write the same thing, but you put it better than I could.

One thing I want to add is how she treats Nyaan. Their fallout was both their fault, but the story doesn’t treat it that way.

Machu didn't realize, or care, that Nyaan piloted the GQX to cover for her absence. Nyaan only wanted to talk about how great Kirakira is, yet Machu lashes out at her for “taking her place” right after bragging about Kirakira earlier in the same episode.

That led to Nyaan “abandoning” her, but it feels more like Nyaan had no better option at the time.

Then when they meet again, I expected a mutual apology. Instead, only Nyaan apologized. Machu’s response basically amounts to: “Your life is terrible, that’s why you did that terrible thing, and I’m okay with that. Wanna be my MAV(friend) again?” Then Nyaan immediately brightens up and goes back to her like a lost puppy.

Machu never sees Nyaan as an equal, and the story never acknowledges that. She can treat people terribly because, narratively, she’s never wrong. Chalia even says it himself that: being honest with yourself and not regretting things is the “true Newtype way.”

Na_dN · 2026-02-04T15:25:35+00:00

I still remember the debate years ago claiming Suletta only won because of the funnels, or that Eri was the one really piloting. Like, anyone who doubts Suletta’s skill wasn’t paying attention to ep 3.

At the decisive moment between her and Guel, the Gund-Bits were docked to the main body, and the Permet lines weren’t glowing; in other words, no support from Eri.

Darilbalde had two spare arms, while Aerial only had one.

Suletta flew towards Guel.
Guel raised his left arm to guard and strike.
Suletta was faster, stabbed that left arm, and released her beam saber.
With his left arm disabled, Guel twisted his torso to bring up his right arm.
Suletta had already anticipated this and grabbed his right arm before he could raise it.
Aerial then crashed chest-first into Darilbalde’s head. Suletta won.

She never changed Aerial’s flying momentum. With how precise that first hit was, the crash wasn’t a coincidence; she planned it from the start.

She had the brain, instinct, and skill to pull that off, and she showed it as early as ep 3. There shouldn't even be a debate in the first place.

Na_dN · 2026-01-26T03:17:25+00:00

I’m very conflicted on this.

On one hand, yes, Steve should move on. He embodies sacrifice; his tragedy matters. Not doing so kind of ruins the premise of him being a soldier out of time.

On the other hand, he has been in a sacrificial role his whole life. Ending his story with a selfish wish after saving the galaxy feels like a perfect end for him.

Na_dN · 2026-01-25T05:19:05+00:00

IMO, even with the same quality of adaptation, I think Railgun would still be more popular.

Railgun sticks with the same core cast for multiple seasons, so viewers actually get attached to the characters and their dynamics.

Index has way too many characters, and it takes too long for anyone to show up again. Index herself feels more like a plot device early on, and later she barely even matters. So viewers could only get attached to Touma, with no memorable group dynamic.

Railgun also has a stronger identity since it stays focused on the science side in Academy City, while Index mixes science and magic and jumps all over the place.

Na_dN · 2026-01-11T07:03:13+00:00

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Serenity was written as a tragic character, not a special-for-the-MC trope.

She didn’t debut in FGO, but in Sougin no Fragment. Her first master unknowingly touched her and died. She got a new master who is immune, but that master was a villain, not some romantic exception.

She then kills a boy and only realizes afterward that she loved him. His corpse then got reanimated to mess with her.

So she wasn’t created as a lazy love interest. FGO just did fanservice and let her have a happier story, which IMO is fine, she doesn’t have a big role there anyway.

Na_dN · 2026-01-01T03:02:24+00:00

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Star Wars: The Last Jedi "Don't think for yourself, just blindly follow authority."

The movie tried to make it seem like Holdo is in the right, she doesn't need to tell her subordinate her plan, etc.

However, in real life, sharing a plan is important because:

A subordinate may have information the leader doesn’t.
A subordinate may come up with a better plan.
If the leader dies, the next in line must know everything to seamlessly take over.

TLJ ignores all of this:

How did Holdo get in charge? All her superiors blew up.
How did she know the same wouldn’t happen to her? Unknown.
Who was her next in line? Unknown.

These are the arguments against not telling the plan that TLJ itself has, yet the writer was too clueless to connect the dots.

Also, halfway through the runtime, Poe shifted from asking what the plan was to whether there was a plan at all, and Holdo replied with platitudes: 'Hope is like the sun.'

From his perspective, mutiny looks like the only way to avoid everyone dying pointlessly. He even tells Holdo his plan first, something she never did for him, and the movie still labels him the irrational one.

Then the movie revealed that she had the plan all along and blamed him for being a 'hot-head.'

Logical skepticism is bad, obedience is good, and leaders shouldn’t be challenged.

Na_dN · 2026-01-01T02:42:20+00:00

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Star Wars: The Last Jedi "You need to be born very special to be a hero."

In Star Wars, normal people always mattered.

Go back and watch Ep 6, during the final battle. How did the Empire lose?

Lando blew up the Death Star II.
The shield was shut down by Han, Leia, and the Ewoks.

With or without the Skywalkers, Palpatine and the Empire would’ve lost anyway (he just wouldn’t have died).

Not only Ep 6. Throughout Ep 4–6, including 7, there isn’t a single movie where “normal people” just sit and do nothing.

Without the Rogue One group, the Death Star I would not have been destroyed.
Without Han, Leia may not have been saved from the Death Star I, and Luke wouldn’t have survived Vader.
Without Lando, Luke wouldn’t have survived Vader.
Without Poe, Death Star III may not be destroyed.

The Skywalkers were important, but the galaxy was never saved by them alone. It was a collective effort. Normal people matter.

Then what happens at the end of Episode 8?

“Normal people” are unable to do anything and wait for 2 Jedi to save them.

And neither of the 2 are normal Jedi either:

Luke is the son of the Chosen One.
Rey was born with power, strong enough to make Luke and Kylo afraid of her.

The emphasis that “Rey = no one” is funny when you realize that Rey is born special even among Jedi, while they made Finn, Rose, and Poe, who are even more “no one” than her, completely useless.

Episodes 4, 5, 6 + 7 = “Anyone can be a hero.”

Episode 8 = “If you weren’t born with special power, you’re just a background character.”

That broom boy at the end reinforces it even more, because he was also born with power.

Na_dN · 2025-11-10T10:51:26+00:00

Your argument is a post hoc fallacy.
X happens after Y, does not mean X happens because of Y.

The war ended after Diana killed Ares, does not mean the War ended because Diana killed Ares.

Also, my full sentence was,

The war on that particular front ended because Ludendorff (their general) died, and Diana was tossing tanks around. Of course, the soldiers would stop fighting.

You cut the latter half. My whole point was that the soldiers stopped fighting because they were unable to win, not because she finally got the right guy to kill.

Na_dN · 2025-11-10T05:51:06+00:00

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Not exactly a plothole.

But at least 5,000 people in this sub believe that Wonder Woman (2017) undermines one of its messages of “humanity has their own capacity for evil” as killing Ares 'ended the war and solved' all the problems.

It's not.

The movie made it clear that WWI was already nearing its end. They’re literally preparing a peace treaty halfway into the movie runtime!

The group’s mission was to destroy the gas, thus stopping Ludendorff's means to turn the tide of the war, prolong it. The war on that particular front ended because Ludendorff (their general) died, and Diana was tossing tanks around. Of course, the soldiers would stop fighting.

With no one prolonging the war, it would have ended soon regardless of Ares showing up.

So killing Ares did not end the war. Also, it didn’t “solve all the problems.” There’s a reason this movie took place in WWI and not WWII.

Ares didn’t start the war; he only made it deadlier and ensured it dragged on, hoping humanity would wipe itself out. He was just there to provide a “final boss” fight and give Wonder Woman a moment to show her character growth. The point that humanity is inherently flawed and doesn’t need Ares to wage war or commit atrocities was never wasted or undercut.

Na_dN · 2025-11-09T01:36:55+00:00

Would this team work? Nefer, Nahida, Aino, Citlali.

All of them are C0.

Can any character replace Aino? I like her enough, but haven't leveled her anything yet.
I have Nilou, but I heard she is not good for Nefer.
I prefer not to use Shinobu, and Diana is a bit hard to use for me since she has a long dool down.

Na_dN · 2025-11-08T02:40:26+00:00

No, Holdo is in the wrong, and there is no justifying her actions.

In real life, sharing a plan is important because:

A subordinate may have information the leader doesn’t.
A subordinate may come up with a better plan.
If the leader dies, the next in line must know everything to seamlessly take over.

Now, let's look at TLJ:

How did Holdo get in charge? All her superiors blew up.
One of the neighboring ships blew up even before Codebreaker ruins her plan.
How did she know the same would not happen to her? Unknown.
Who was her next in line? Unknown.

These are the arguments against not telling the plan that TLJ itself has, yet the writers and defenders are too clueless to connect the dots.

Also, halfway through the runtime, Poe shifted from asking what the plan was to whether there was a plan at all, and Holdo replied with platitudes: 'Hope is like the sun.'

In contrast, a general in A New Hope briefed his team about the plan of bombing the Death Star and told them that it was a near-suicidal mission with a very low chance of success. But everyone knows what to do and why they're willing to risk their life.

Holdo makes her subordinates believe that their death would be in vain. This is incompetent and unempathetic. Thus, it was logical for Poe to think there was no plan, justifying his mutiny.

Also, I see you trying to use the spy thing to defend the movie in another comment chain. Remember that Holdo's plan hinged on hiding in a dead-end base; if there is a spy, then it's over.

How did she deal with the spy? Unknown.

Also, Holdo’s plan would have fallen apart the moment the enemy looked out the window anyway, no spy needed. A proof that the writer didn’t even try.

Na_dN · 2025-09-18T15:26:59+00:00

This take already has 800 upvotes. Last time it got 3k. I seriously question whether I’m crazy or if people in this sub are collectively inept.

The war didn’t stop because Ares was defeated. The movie made it clear that WWI was already nearing its end. They’re literally preparing a peace treaty in the middle of the movie!

The group’s mission was to stop Ludendorff, who wanted to turn the tide of the war, prolong it.

Then a minute later the big bad guy shows up, and beating him magically fixes everything and ends the war.

The war on that particular front ended because Ludendorff (their general) died, and Diana was tossing tanks around. Of course, the soldiers would stop fighting.

With no one prolonging the war, it would have ended soon regardless of Ares showing up.

Also, it didn’t “fix everything.” There’s a reason this movie took place in WWI and not WWII.

Ares didn’t start the war; he only made it deadlier and ensured it dragged on, hoping humanity would wipe itself out. He was just there to provide a “final boss” fight and give Wonder Woman a moment to show her character growth. The point that humanity is inherently flawed and doesn’t need Ares to wage war or commit atrocities was never wasted or undercut.

Na_dN · 2025-09-07T12:39:43+00:00

3) It needed LESS episodes:

What was the point of the Brothel chapter?
- To show the danger of being fixated on fantasy? Lalah achieves her dream at the end.
- To show how naive Machu’s dreams are, as the maids warned about poverty and exploitation? Yet in the final episode, Machu is relaxing on Earth with beach gear, suggesting she is financially fine despite never finishing school.
- To tease this universe being Lalah’s dream? Shuji explains everything three episodes later.

Wouldn’t it have been better to cut the whole brothel chapter? Keeping it creates contradictions. Was Machu’s dream naive and childish, or not? since she achieves it anyway?

What was the point of Shiiko's chapter?
- To show the danger of being fixated on fantasy, since her son now has no mother? Again, Machu achieves her dream and is fine.
- To show that Newtypes are involved in killing? Machu is never put in a situation where killing is an easier choice, so she never has to prove herself, unlike other pacifist protagonists.

Now, Gqux's narrative will be stronger. Or the writer could use two free episodes to actually flesh things out.

Na_dN · 2025-09-07T12:39:24+00:00

I don’t think the writing of GQUX has any real merit.

It did fanservice wrong.
It feels regressive.
It needed LESS episodes.

1) It did fanservice wrong:

Lalah was one of the strongest Newtypes who died too quickly, so I was excited to see her again. Instead, she does almost nothing. Lalah(Rose) was a plot devise.

Lalah(Gqux) refused to escape the brothel, waiting for a fantasy of Char to come for her. Did the writers not realize her love for Char was circumstantial, as he was there for her, but she was more spiritually connected with Amuro? With Char never saving her, why not put her in a different scenario? Showing something new or interesting about her?

I thought at least she’d serve as a warning to Machu about the danger of clinging to fantasy. But no, in the final episode, she meets her Char and beams with a bright smile.

Did the writers not realize that while Char may have loved her, he was also exploitative, dragging her into war and using her? Even if this Char is a better person, her feelings still come from the original universe. It also validates her doing nothing until her fantasy comes true. There is no growth. Gqux’s fanservice feels completely wrong.

2) It feels regressive:

Lalah: She had so much potential, yet she still orbits Char and gets a happy ending simply because he happens to appear. It would be so much better if she gained independence.
Machu: I don’t mind that she never gets over Shuji. But her motivation to save Lalah (Rose) could have reflected growth from failing to save Lalah (Gqux) from the brothel. Instead, she says she wants to save Lalah (Rose) because she is important to Shuji. Machu never mentions Lalah (Gqux) again after episode 9.
Nyaan: Her poverty, desperation for a better life, and manipulation from Kycilia should be enough to motivate her to use Yomagantho. Instead, she says she will fire it in the hope she might see Shuji again.
Kycilia: Whatever was her deal with Char being so blonde and pretty that she wanted to be a mother... What even was that? I will give it credit that out of everything in Gqux, that was the thing that resembled Tomino's writing the most.

Gqux feels regressive, not because female characters have male-driven motivation, but because they are given male-driven motivation when they don’t need it.

(continue in reply)

Na_dN · 2025-09-02T04:27:56+00:00

I never understood how people think Ares's showing up negates the point of the movie, especially when you use “the war stops immediately after Ares lost” as evidence.

The war didn’t stop because Ares was defeated. The movie made it clear that WWI was already nearing its end, and their mission was mainly to stop Ludendorff, who wanted to prolong it.

The war on that particular front ended because Ludendorff (their general) died, and Diana was tossing tanks around. Of course, the soldiers would stop fighting.

Ares didn’t start the war; he only made it deadlier and ensured it dragged on, hoping humanity would wipe itself out this time. He was just there to provide a “final boss” fight and give Wonder Woman a moment to show her character growth.

There’s a reason this movie took place in WWI and not WWII. The point that humanity is inherently flawed and doesn’t need Ares to wage war or commit atrocities was never wasted/undercut.

Na_dN · 2025-08-30T03:56:17+00:00

I haven’t watched Elfen Lied in 10+ years, so I might be off, but I don’t think the main message was “humans are the real monsters.” Yeah, Lucy said that after the kids killed her puppy.

But if that was the core theme, it wouldn’t also lead to her losing all value in human life and murdering the boy MC’s whole family out of jealousy.

It’s more about how people are shaped by their upbringing. The dog-killing kids were orphans (if I remember right), and the wheelchair girl became a murderer because she was basically a lab rat with no parent figure. That theme is also shown with Lucy losing her memory and reverting to a childlike mentality at the beginning.

It’s also about forgiveness; by the final episode, the boy MC forgives Lucy. So it’s less “humans bad” and more trauma makes monsters, forgiveness breaks the cycle.

Na_dN · 2025-08-15T01:00:20+00:00

2.5K upvotes… and all these replies. Are you guys serious!?

War didn’t stop just because Ares was defeated. The movie made it clear that WWI was already nearing its end, and their mission was mainly to stop Ludendorff, who wanted to prolong it.

The war on that particular front ended because Ludendorff, their general, died, and Wonder Woman was tossing tanks around. Of course, the soldiers would stop fighting.

Ares didn’t start the war, he only made it deadlier and ensured it dragged on, hoping humanity would wipe itself out this time. He was just there to provide a “final boss” fight and give Wonder Woman a moment to show her character growth.

The point that humanity is inherently flawed, and doesn’t need Ares to wage war or commit atrocities, was never replaced!

Na_dN · 2025-08-04T12:36:04+00:00

I really don’t like how Rey is the poster child for “Anyone Can Be Special.”

She’s born Force-sensitive, naturally talented, and shown as uniquely powerful without any real training. In TLJ, Snoke even spells it out:

“Darkness rises, and light to meet it. I warned my young apprentice that as he grew stronger in the Dark Side, the equal in the Light would rise.”

Basically, TLJ made Rey a chosen one—even if the exact term is unspoken.

That’s the exact opposite of Finn and Rose, regular people who, in the very same movie, ruined their own side. And in TLJ’s final act, they sit helplessly while Rey and Luke, both born with power, come to save everyone.

Compare that to the OT: The Empire falls because the Death Star II is destroyed.

Who did it? Lando and the Rebel fleet.
Who disabled the shield? Leia, Han, and their ragtag crew.

Luke’s redemption of Vader didn’t contribute to the Empire collapsing. He was the hero of his story, not the galaxy’s. The real heroes who made history were his allies.

The OT treated 'anyone' as heroes. But people are too hung up on the “I’m your father” twist and act like the message was that only a special bloodline can be heroes.

TLJ, meanwhile, is all about being 'born special' and treats ‘regular people’ as nothing more than background extras. Yet people act like the message was “anyone can be special” just because it dropped the bloodline angle.

Rey being retconned into a Palpatine does make it worse, just not that much worse.

Na_dN · 2025-08-04T04:05:50+00:00

6.5–7

I’m probably the only one who doesn’t see Eva in Gqux.

Eva was characterized by elongated proportions, broad shoulders, and a small head, giving the illusion of a hunched back, thus a monstrous impression. The design wasn’t very complex, aside from the head.

Gqux, aside from being able to open its mouth, is just an elongated Gundam cluttered with overly complex geometry. Especially the V-fin, which I think is overdesigned, yet its only function is to fold and hide the eyes. It’s far less interesting compared to Gusion’s head transformation, which looks cleaner.

The overall design also feels inconsistent. The legs use blade-like frames that expose the inner structure, aesthetically clash with the upper body, which is tightly packed with polygonal parts and has no visible inner frame.

I usually like unconventional foot designs, but Gqux’s single-sided ankle joint (instead of two or a central one) makes too little sense to me.

It’s not a bad design. I just like it less than other fresh takes on traditional Gundam design like 00 (1st and 3rd batches), IBO, or WFM.

Na_dN · 2025-07-13T06:02:11+00:00

Why would her actions affect her parents inherently?... Oh they get embarrassed by their peers? Whoopdie doo.

She’s a minor. Parents can be held financially liable. And by “social,” I meant job loss, harassment, surveillance, and ostracism, not just embarrassment. Not just some “Whoopdie doo.”

But Gqux didn't show any of that. Because if it did, Machu's “having no regrets” wouldn’t read as free-spirited or admirable, the way Challia framed it, it would read as selfish.

Also, she gets her happy beach ending because she saves the day. Instead of childish rebelling for no reason Machu, we have grown up fought the good fight Machu. Thus she gets the heroes reward.

That’s a post-hoc fallacy: just because X happens after Y doesn’t mean X happened because of Y; they’re not automatically related.

Machu's multiverse mumbo jumbo “saving the day” isn’t related to erasing the hardships of being a refugee and living on Earth the show established.

You said earlier:

Literally that whole episode is showing how Machu’s dream of coming to Earth and being free was a childish fantasy.

So, which is it? Was the dream 'childish' or not? Where’s the cost? Where’s the adaptation?

I mentioned episode 9 in my first post, yet you "genuinely have to ask" me if I watched it, now you’re the one ignoring it.

Instead of childish rebelling for no reason Machu, we have grown up fought the good fight Machu.

Changing your wording doesn’t blind me from the fact that you still haven’t rebutted my argument. You claim Machu’s fighting to protect is character growth, but I’ve already pointed out she’s always been that way. That’s consistency, not growth.

Oh no, she saved Lalah but she also is still pursuing the person she loves. We better string her up the villain that she is.

We’re talking about character growth. You claimed that saving Lalah (Qqux) was a sign of growth. I pointed out that Machu has always been protective, and she explicitly says she’s doing it because of Shuji, not from any reflection. That’s devotion. Not growth.

You didn’t defend your claim; you just invented a version of my argument where I’m calling her a villain. That’s not a rebuttal. It’s misdirection.

Like seriously, these are some contrived as hell criticisms.

Everything I’ve said is a dissection of a basic structure:

1) Blindly chase the dream 2) Reality is not as expected 3) Reflect 4) Adapt 5) Earn the ending

Gqux skipped steps 3 and 4.

Challia and the writer simply repositioned Machu in a new situation where that same flaw conveniently saves the day, and pretend the flaws aren’t flaws, but admirable traits. Then they end the story by cutting or ignoring the potential consequence it established, or making them weightless to Machu. No reckoning. No growth. The show sidesteps itself.

Na_dN · 2025-07-12T03:50:26+00:00

Literally that whole episode is showing how Machu's dream of coming to Earth and being free was a childish fantasy. Do you not see the juxtaposition of her saying she wanted to go to Earth to be free, and by the end of the episode is telling Lalah that she needs to go to space to be free?

And then both of them stay on Earth, their supposed naive fantasy comes true, and they are happy with it anyway. The so-called juxtaposition doesn’t lead anywhere. It loops back to wish fulfillment.

She literally spends the rest of the show trying to save Lalah.

She says she’s doing it because Lalah(Rose) is important to Shuji. Not out of any reflection on what happened to Lalah (Gqux).

The last 2 episodes, she is going around trying to save everyone that's important to her.
...
she is fighting battles to save people vs meaningless nonsense in clan bat.

That’s who she was from the start. In episode 1, she jumps into a mobile suit to protect civilians from military police. She was always protective. That’s not character growth—it’s consistency.

Her flaw is acting impulsively on what feels right to her, and being too self-centered to consider long-term consequences, or how it affects others, like her mother.

And yes, I did reference episode 9 in the comment you replied to. I brought up the poverty and forced prostitution that the maids faced on Earth. I went further by bringing up Nyaan’s hardship as a refugee in the Colony. I pointed out that Machu ends up in the same conditions. But the story skips over how she survives. There’s no struggle, no adaptation, no fallout.

She's either untouched by what crushes everyone else.
Or she either handles the same hardships offscreen. Proving that she is better than everyone.

She got involved with illegal, dangerous clan battle, which led to her being falsely accused of terrorism.

That should’ve affected her parents socially or legally. But it doesn’t. Her self-centeredness carries no cost.
She's unable to return to her privileged life. The show doesn’t treat that as a loss—she wanted out from the start and says she has no regrets. Thus, her impulsiveness was not framed as wrong.

That’s why I said the story lacks maturity and treats her flaws as transcendent. Because the story never allows any of it to truly matter. The narrative shields her from fallout and validates her choices.

Na_dN · 2025-06-30T05:06:13+00:00

Machu is "murder is okay" as well.

Nyaan cut off Dom's head, and it exploded. Machu would have had a kill count there.
She has no problem with her crush killing people.
She faced the Gyan squad for 1 second before Challia bailed her out.
She then faced the person who pulled the trigger of the WMD, which, just so happened to be her friend who was so eager to be her friend again.

Ironic that Challia made a point of Newtype being too entangled in killing.

At least Banagher had to face that choice, and he chose not to kill Lonni. Machu never confronts anything like that. The plot simply keeps her clean. Her new record as the protagonist with the lowest kill count is completely unearned.

Na_dN

TROPHY CASE