SD Gundam Force - Neotopia Under Attach (V.8)

Rating:
Summary: A shadow falls....
Review: The Dark Axis have had enough of their fruitless attempts to conquer Neotopia and resort to launching a full out assault. Crippling Blanc Base and enslaving the citizens, they provide the biggest challenge yet. Does the Gundam Force actually stand any chance of victory?

This disc kicks off what is the mid-series (and for those of us in the West may sadly be the ultimate) finale. This story was briefly hinted at in the last Zako Zako Hour and now we get to see it play out.
Things begin calmly enough with the Gundams starring in a hammy movie, with Baku as the villain and the rest as his victims. Before the potential Oscar winner can go much further the Dark Axis make their move. Commanded by the mysterious Zako Red (an obvious reference to Char Aznable from the original series), they attack the SDG base with the gigantic Big Zam tank, with Zapper, Grappler and Destroyer at the helm. Just about every Gundam Force member fights back but can they actually beat this threat?

With their secret now out and most of their robots damaged, the SDG try to reassemble at a temporary base. But the Dark Axis won't let them catch a breath and begin the second stage- an invasion by air-able Doga Soldiers. Led by 4 elite Doga Commanders, they begin a mass enslavement of the robot population via Control Horns. As the zombie-like army marches to the center of the city, the SDG are forced to use an untested system for Captain to try and stop them.

As Captain is currently defenseless, Zako Red launches a plan to steal his vital Soul Drive. The other Gundams are either too damaged or busy elsewhere to stop him. It falls to Shute to try and do something, but what can one boy do against an army? With Neotopia's defenders on their knees, the true leader of this invasion appears. The mysterious and powerful Commander is finally revealed...

It's difficult to talk about these as individual episodes, as they are clearly one story arc. Each episode does have a central story (the attack on Blanc Base, the enslavement and the Soul Drive theft) but they're all connected. It had been reaching it for the last few discs, but this is where the show takes a darker turn. The secret of the Gundams is revealed and the goofy comedic villains are replaced with more serious and deadly threats. Just about every character appears here, be they villain or hero and plays a part. The Dark Axis trio have a brief involvement but that's probably for the best. They've become loveable over the course of the show so to see them involved with the serious attacks going on here wouldn't feel right.
The disc ends on a cliffhanger, with the Dark Axis holding all the cards. This may be the closest we in the English-speaking world ever get to a finale for the show, so fans should enjoy it.