Gundam Reconguista in G IV&V: Ending The Cycle of Hate

Scott

Dec 22

Why I Like The Reconguista in G Films

Before I move deeper in this post for these two movies, I find it really hard to describe the plot of what has been going on in the earlier films of Reconguista in G so far. You can read my posts on movie 1, movie 2, and movie 3 on each of their particular links here. I really mean that, because the entire story of Reconguista in G is kind of over bloated with random details and measures that make it hard to make a synopsis in a couple sentences. At least in any sort of detail.

If I had to try, it's about a young boy named Bellri who works for a capitol tower being forced to join pirates against what the capitol tower is standing for. There is also a three sided conflict regarding the taboo and batteries for all the technology being used for coming from space. The last part of the third film involves Bellri and the pirate crew hitching a ride on a certain ship going to venus to get more batteries. So yeah, none of that makes as much sense because there are so many more details that I could say here or even in the first three Reconguista in G movie posts I already linked.

Despite all of that, I really like these Reconguista in G films. The supposed Galaxy Brain nature of them. Well, that is what people assume from these films being Tomino these days despite these films making complete sense to me. I like how these films cover or at least show so many details that other mecha shows or films are not going to be shown. Those in cases like where a toilet seat is going to be in a cockpit or the down time a pilot is going to have between important story elements and mecha fights occurring. It damages some of the story for sure, but it adds a lot more to the quintology's universe.

At least these films are very ambitious compared to some other mecha films that couldn't be safer then they are. Too bad they were only legally available for a short amount of time on YouTube.

Reconguista in G IV Thoughts

Let's be honest here for good reasons. This fourth film is a major set up for the conflict to finally end in the fifth film. Most of the film takes place around the Venus Ring and the two opposing forces that shouldn't exist in that Venus sphere. After Bellri, his now known sister Aida, and the rest of the Megafauna crew hitched a ride on the Crescent ship. The first thing that happens to the crew on their space voyage is an unknown faction called the G-IT Corps that are rebelling against their system, wipe out the Earth clean, and then live on it themselves. That is the G-IT Corps Reconguista. One with advantage technology that Earth doesn't know how to deal with besides the G-Self that they all try to steal without knowing about the Rayhunton code.

So the entire conflict of the episode revolves around Megafuana crew using the taboo breaking of the G-IT Corps against the other Venus 10 police forces and governing bodies. The Venus Globe is a literal globe that has an ocean attached to a small sea town on it to replicate Earth far away from home and a lot of the conflict is dealing with the leaking ocean into space because auto repairing can't fix such a big hole. After that, the episode begins a race from G-IT's unit and their moon ship against the Venus government's actual crescent ship to save the Earth. Too bad the Earth is currently in a three sided conflict that needs to be figured out before brand new weapons from Venus make the conflict even bigger and worse than before.

This entire film is just so beautiful to look at. Some scenes are obviously from the television series and updated a bit. Other things like the gorgeous Venus Globe colony and the abilities used by the G-Self later in the film are astonishing. Like when I say there are improvements, you can feel an entire culture you can see living there for the five seconds you can see it in. Same with the murder that Bellri let happen from his unit because he was stressed out in the middle of combat. This entire series has broken Bellri's world up to that point and this feels like one final straw before Captain Mask wants to cream him. Some good emotional moments in combat come from that and it's so good and hard core.

I really liked this movie because set up movies are some of my favorites in any sort of media. Mainly because this is the through line that connects everything in the plot together because these films are a lot of chaos without this happening. This film was given more breathing room that at least allows the world to exist with some excellent details. The crew running around the ship to get a workout was great. Same with the small trip to the town in the Venus Globe colony to show you that real people are living there. What I like most is Bellri accepting that Aida is his older sister and completely freaking out when his G Self unit kills so many people with the push of a button. So many things to uncover about this film series before it all ends.

Reconguista in G V Thoughts

This entire film is one longer kind of battle scene with all the complicated sort of elements for this three sided battle in various different scenarios. Those sides being the Ameria army with Genius Klim Mick and the attractive Mick Jack that our Megafauna crew joins, the Towasanga side who are completely overwhelmed, and the Capitol Army and G-IT Corp side with Captain Mask and Barara Peol. It is a war that happens around the tower and eventually the final conflict that has every side trying to survive through Earth's gravity and then the group duking it out on Earth before the conflict ends with whoever is alive. It's a very wonderful and chaotic battle that I love all the artistry for.

In general, I really do love the moments that are outside of battle. It's not just about characters planning the next assault and taking count of what they got. This is a film that puts in a lot of smaller moments that humanize the pilots more than being machines that pilot the mecha into combat and probably die. Characters actually get snacks and water to drink before they fly off to combat and when combat isn't happening, the pilots actually drink and eat because those pilots need it to get through the next combat hopefully alive. The pilots also wipe off their sweat and change clothes between combat too. Some obvious jokes come from that because characters are shocked to see Bellri change clothes, but it is for the pilot's health.

Can I also say that, as usual with all Gundam things around the Earth's atmosphere, I love the chaos that comes from the battle suddenly changing from all out combat to "oh my god, how do I turn the heat shielding on my mecha?" It's pretty classic Gundam stuff from the first series onward and it gets me every time because it feels so realistic somehow. Despite how powerful and dangerous the mecha get over time, entering the Earth's atmosphere is always going to be something to worry about because these suits are meant for space or for Earth and our pilots never usually consider the heat from the in-between. Pilots still trying to kill their enemy were considered completely crazy and you can see why. Just perfection.

Thematically, the weapons from Venus Globe bring the chaos of the battle even further because characters suddenly have mecha weapons that are much more powerful than ever before. The Towasanga side without Venus mecha never had a chance so the battle quickly turned into a two sided conflict. The main point of this entire series came into play for me was when Captain Mask yelled about how Bellri has everything set up because he was chosen to have the G-Self work for him due to his genetics and it's a mecha that he continually gets overwhelmed from. That moment when Bellri abandoned the G-Self that was falling apart to end the conflict and stop the cycle was the major ending point of the entire series and it has been so well built all the time. Now Bellri and friends are finally free of the mecha for now and able to live their lives the way they want to.

Conclusion

I don't have much to say in this scenario other than to say I really like The Gundam Reconguista in G films. Either the tv series should have had double the length to tell its story and tell us about its world OR it would have been a film series the whole time. Both of those feel like an optimal decision because it works well as a mini series serial and a classic anime pace would be a benefit. It's not perfect because the characters are really weak with the characters and world building being the star. That won't be everyone's jam, but it is mine. I guess I am a true Tomino nut after all. I would rather have these highly ambitious and different films instead of another Cucuruz Doan's island and brand new SEED film. Basically safe things that are built more to get money than anything else.