Superior Defender Gundam Force 6: Dark Axis Strike

Rating:
Summary: The Mushas are coming, hooray, hooray!
Review: After GunEagle sent the Koumusai II spinning into the ocean, both factions scramble to retrieve the ship first. Whilst the Dark Axis resorts to snorkles and flippers, the Gundam Force brings out it's newest members- the aquatic Gundiver team.
The Commander has realised that his bungling trio are no match for the Gundams and calls in a suprising set of allies- Ashuramaru and Cobramaru, two powerful Gundam samurai from Bakunetsumaru's homeland of Ark. Whilst Cobramaru focuses on bringing down the Gundam Force, Ashuramaru has his own private reasons for being on this mission...reasons that drive him destroy Bakunetsumaru!

The show continues the story arc trend started by Lacroa. Last time, Guneagle managed to temporarily disable the rampaging Koumusai II. Now sunk under the ocean next to Neotopia, both sides are out to salvage it before the other. Because of this, we meet another set of Gundams who have just left the prototype stage- the powerful Gundiver team, who were made to excel at water combat. Along with Shute and Captain they discover the ship first. However, a battle erupts and the ship sinks even further and takes Shute with it! The resolution to this episode may suprise some. Ultimately, it's all about selling Gundiver toys at the end of the day. If the story itself wasn't enough Gundiver for you, they and Guneagle are the subjects of the Zako Zako Hour.
The next episode kicks off a new 3-part story. Just as Zero got his focus, so does Baku. The Dark Axis' mysterious Commander has had all the failures he can take from Zapper, Grappler and Destroy and so puts the invasion of Neotopia in more capable hands. Via the Dark Axis ally Kibaomaru, Ashuramaru and Cobramaru arrive on the Magna Musai. Both powerful samurai Gundams, they are from Baku's homeworld but are firmly allied with the Dark Axis. Ashuramaru has a history with the Blazing Samurai and so challenges him to a lethal death match. As the two fight, we learn just how seriously the Musha Gundams take their honour and to what depths those looking for revenge will sink. As the battle intensifies, the others intervine. Angered by the interruption, Ashuramaru promises a final rematch and flees. As the injured Gundams return to base via Gunperry, they are unaware of Cobramaru hitching a ride. Unnoticed by all, his sinister plans bring chaos to Blanc Base...
As the Lacroa arc gave Zero some background and introduced the villains of his land, this story does the same for Baku. We learn that Baku's enemy is the powerful Kibaomaru who has allied with the Dark Axis to win the civil war raging in Ark. We also learn about an old friend of the Blazing Samurai. Being a G Gundam fan, I'm enjoying this story so far. Baku probably gets the least focus out of all the team, so it's nice to see a story which shows what a strong character he is and the threats he faced in his past were no joke. Unlike the Lacroa storyline, the Zako Zako Hour is present for this storyline. Just like the main storyline the ZZH's are all connected via the Musha Gundam theme, teaching us about the interesting biology of these mysterious Gundam warriors.

Probably one of the strongest discs in the series. If you've collected this far, it's safe to say you're in it for the long run and won't want to miss this. Another dose of SD fun for kids and adults alike.