SYNOPSIS

The Solo Ship crew and the Buff Clan negotiate terms for handing over Karala. However, Bes doesn't want to do this, and cuts off communications, readying the Solo Ship to escape. Abadede orders Damido to attack the colonists, despite Gije's protests. The Ideon units meet the attack, only to find it mostly directed at the Solo Ship - Bes realises the Buff Clan have abandoned Karala and no longer care for her safety. Onboard, Karala herself comes to the same conclusion. When Mayaya lures the guard into their cell and tries to make an escape, Karala tells her she wants to stay - a shocked Mayaya is gunned down by the guards. Meanwhile, DS drive starts working, so the Ideon units return to the Solo Ship. The ship blasts away, while Damido contacts Abadede to inform him of their escape.

Abadede sends the Gram Zan into Null Space in pursuit. Onboard the Solo Ship, Sheryl has Karala hooked up to a Confessograph, much to Bes' displeasure. However, it becomes clear that Karala's idealistic nature means the data is useless for their scientific purposes. Just then, Gije attacks the ship in a Giran Dou Heavy Mobile Mecha, and the Ideon launches to defend them. Combat is tricky due to the confines of the Null Space corridor, and while the Giran Dou keeps Ideon busy, Abadede attacks the Solo Ship in the Gataman Zan. Realising the enemy are more experienced at Null Space combat, Bes orders the Ideon to return to the ship, and for the DS drive to be cancelled. This takes them back into normal space, above a planet.

NOTES

Gije Zaral: Whatever rank Gije is now, he wants to be a Hang - no idea whether this is what Abadede is, though. He cares for Karala, but also wants to advance himself.

Karala Ajiba: Karala mentions her sister Harulu for the first time. As Bes gallantly observes, she doesn't seem to know anything about science (or maps), and is a complete idealist (i.e. a hippy).

The Ideon: Tekuno is acting as gunner for Cosmo again. The Solo Ship activating the DS drive seems to override whatever the Ideon units are doing at the time, forcing them to return to the ship.

The Solo Ship: The ship has a Black Hole Galaxy Radio - presumably this quality piece of technobabble allows them to contact other planets without any sort of time lag. Some of the Glen Cannon tanks were loaded onboard the ship at some point. There is also an Earth Confessograph installed onboard, presumably by the colonists - this is basically a mind-probe with a wonderful 1950s name. Oh, and get used to the red can of milk and the other bits falling off the table in the nursery onboard - Space Runaway Ideon recycles several bits of animation (notably Ideon combining, coming online and standing & flexing before moving to the side of the screen), but as the backdrop isn't changed for the table scene, it's one of the most noticable. Apparently Gundam pilot Amuro Ray appears briefly on the ship in this episode; I couldn't see him, but if anyone knows whereabouts I'd love to know.

Earth Union: There are other Earth bases in the Andromeda galaxy - including Brazillier in Andromeda 6, which seems to be the nearest to Solo. Antimatter energy seems to be the strongest resource known to the colonists' Earth.

Giran Dou: The first Buff Clan Heavy Mobile Mecha. Like most of these designs, it has a tripod design and what could well be a particle weapon. The Giran Dou type may be specialised for space or nullspace combat, as it's never seen doing anything else. It ha a crew of two, and gives a good account of itself against the Ideon.

Buff Clan: More is revealed of the location of the Buff Clan Earth - it's next to the Gido Nebula, which has two halves - the Zenji nebula and the Gundam nebula. I've a hunch Tomino made those names up... Sheryl once again notes that the two races are identical physiologically. The Buff Clan have done enough research to have scientific proof that the Ide exists.

Null Space: A limited amount of movement is possible within Null Space - it seems to be a corridor, and things like the Ideon and the Giran Dou that might not be able to enter Null Space alone can stray a fairly decent distance from their motherships without leaving null-space. I guess the ships cause some sort of tunnelling effect, and as long as anything launched from them gets back before the tunnel closes, they're okay. Probably best not to think about it, though. According to Gije, combat is very tricky, as one shot can prove fatal. That said, both the Ideon and the Giran Dou take a Hell of a pounding, and both return successfully to their mother ships.

REVIEW:

A lot more lively. The Buff Clan finally going all out on the Solo Ship kicks the series into gear again, while the deeply irritating Mayaya (seriously, Karala's been saying for ages she wants to stay on the Solo Ship, give it up, love) is swiftly put out of the way.

While the danger of Null Space is stressed repeatedly then somewhat contradicted by a battle that goes all over the place without much harm done, it's nice to see the Ideon finally given something approaching an even match, while the disco Null Space animation is a real treat. It's a good episode for Bes as well, with his feelings for Karala clear, and he consistently makes the right call at every corner.

Rather good fun, and after a false start a couple of episodes ago Solo is finally left behind.