SYNOPSIS

The Solo Ship lands on the nearest planet to effect repairs, breaking through the planet's crystalline shell and coming to a rest safely under cover. They are soon met by Bajin, a lifeform on the planet recognised by Karala from a previous Buff Clan scientific expedition. Unknown to the colonists, the tracking device has allowed Abadede to follow them. After Harulu criticises his handling of the operation, Abadede decides to head down alone in the Dogg Mack, hoping to use his knowledge of the Bajin against the Ideon. Onboard the Solo Ship, Sheryl and Joliver's research into the ships' technology is hindered by their inability to translate much of the Sixth Civilisation's language. Karala offers her translating device, which is accepted by Sheryl with bad grace.

Abadede puts his plan into action, stirring up the Bajin and throwing a body of one of the creatures at the Solo Ship, knowing the Bajin will attack relentlessly to gain revenge. The colonists' defences are soon overrun, with the Ideon unable to take off due to the swarms of attacking Bajin. In the confusion, Abadede lands and tries to contact Karala. She meets him, but refuses to leave the Solo Ship, renouncing the Buff Clan once and for all in favour of remaining with the colonists, overheard by Sheryl. Abadede leaves, while the Bajin break into the nursery. Lou's distress once again causes the Ideon Gauge to rise, and the robot is able to launch. It battles the Dogg Mack, and Bajin parts land on Abadede's mecha. They switch to attacking the Dogg Mack instead, and the Solo Ship escapes as the Bajin kill him.

NOTES

Abadede Gurimade: Abadede led the Buff Clan expedition, undertaken by the Gaira Star Zone investigation unit, to the Bajin planet two years previously. It's not explained how he escaped when the rest of the unit was wiped out. He has a wife and son (who looks like a girl, frankly). His reasons for trying to rescue Karala are left ambiguous - he may genuinely want to get her back, or he may want to turn her in to Harulu to improve his own standing. More likely the latter, as he's a pragmatic type.

Harulu Ajiba: Having been mentioned repeatedly since the seventh episode, Harulu finally appears, albeit only via a video link. She has previously served with Abadede, and is one of the most powerful figures in the Buff Clan military, behind only her father, Supreme Commander Doba. She is older than Karala, and already dislikes her for her behaviour since the Logo Dau incident.

Lotta Banda: It's not actually character development, but Lotta gets a very Gundam-esque fanservice shower scene, flashing Deck for no apparent reason - thankfully the only time this will happen in Space Runaway Ideon.

Karala Ajiba: Karala is smart enough to have learnt a fair amount of the Solo colonists' language in a relatively short time onboard.

Bajin: The planet (named as Crystal Star in the next episode's recap narration) has a surface temperature of 23° (Celsius, most likely), gravity of 1.2 and mass of 0.97, plus an atmosphere of 98% Nitrogen, 0.8% Argon and the remaining 1.2% is inert gases. The life is silicon based, and includes some giant vegetation. The Bajin themselves look robotic, but it's most likely they're silicon-based lifeforms, as young Bajin are shown at the nest. They're massive creatures, with a wingspan of around 18' and spiked tails capable of breaking through just about anything (including the Solo Ship and the Dogg Mack).

Dogg Mack: The unit has been repaired after its' battle with the Ideon in episode 8. The mecha can be flown solo, and the cockpit module can separate and be used as a small shuttle. This episode marks the last appearance of the type.

Buff Clan: The transmitting device has a limited life, but a range of 10,000 light years. It is also difficult to get rid of, reattaching itself after a colonist unwittingly tries to throw it overboard.

REVIEW:

A big improvement, with encouraging signs that the plot may soon kick into gear. Harulu especially makes an impressive - if short - debut after a big build up, while Abadede's death gets him out of the way. The clichéd build-up of the message from home obviously signposts his death, and it's a shame it took until his swansong for him to get any personality, but it's still nice that he got some.

The Bajin and their world are a fair stab at creating an alien world, and the ice-like backgrounds make a nice visual change from the dusty worlds of Solo and the dinosaur planet. It's not perfect, with Cosmo's plan of using Abadede's tactics against him an obvious twist, but it moves along nicely.

Plus Karala and Sheryl have a wonderfully campy slapping match to some ludicrously melodramatic incidental piano music, which is great fun.