Ramba Ral: The Man, The Myth, The Mustache

(This post contains spoilers for
Mobile Suit Gundam: The Origin)

narutaki_icon_4040 Truly anytime would be good to talk about Captain Ramba Ral, but we felt particularly compelled recently. Mobile Suit Gundam: The Origin collected vol. 3 retells his story in glorious detail. Gundam Build Fighters features Ral in parody as a Gunpla enthusiast and mentor. And to top it all off it is “Movember,” certainly Ral’s moustache is worth celebrating during this time!

hisui_icon_4040This is no Zaku Boy! No Zaku!

Without a doubt that is Ramba Ral’s most famous catch phrase. But if that meme was all there was to him he would not be the iconic character he is today. While there is always a Char clone in almost every Gundam TV series after the original Ramba Ral has lesser but still rather pervasive legacy. We see characters like Andrew Waltfeld, Suberoa Zinnerman, and Sergei Smirnov in the franchise trying to capture some of that lightening in a bottle that was the original. A likeable enemy commander who forms a bond with the protagonist which makes their later confrontation all the more painful and dramatic. Characters who echo like this through the ages always come from primally powerful personalities that stay with audiences when they go on to make their own projectors.

Ramba Ral is one of those characters who ingrains himself onto your psyche.

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There is Freedom Within, There is Freedom Without

Narutaki pointed out that tweet to me to see my opinion on the matter. It did start making me think of my old post on how I saw One Piece ending all the way back in 2010. There has a been a good deal of story since then so maybe things have changed enough that now my initial theories are wrong or at least not as accurate. Has Doflamingo risen up to be the main antagonist of One Piece? A little less than three years of story can change your perspective.

I still think my initial claim is correct. I think Blackbeard is going to be the final opponent. I have a few reason to back up my theory at this point which I think are still fairly strong.

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The Speakeasy #040: Ladies Night, Women of UC Gundam

Drink #040: Ladies Night
Women of UC Gundam

There is a lot for fans of the Universal Century to celebrate this month: the 34th anniversary of the original Gundam series, the re-release of the first book of Gundam: The Origin in English, and the release of the 6th episode of Gundam Unicorn. In that spirit, we has decided to look at the women in the original Gundam universe. That means the good, the bad, and the awesome when it comes to the female characters of Gundam. Everyone from Emma Sheen to Nina Purpleton to Shakti Kareen. We left the various women of the AU Gundam lines for another day.

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And now your helpful bartenders at The Speakeasy present your drink:

Ladies Night

2 oz strawberry vodka
1 cup 7-Up
3 oz fruit juice
Chill all ingredients. Add together in a beautiful champagne glass and share with the ladies.