The Most Depressing Depiction of Russia in Media & The Most Romantic Sci-Fi Anime of All Times: G-Gundam Neo Russia & The Continent that became a Prison by Dan

The Man Not From Uncle

After leaving France, Domon heads to Russia, and suddenly vanishes. Raine arrives and searches and she has no success, as she finds the Corelander, only hearing about what is called the Gundam graveyard. It may be freezing, and there may be a town, but there aren’t many people present. The old woman speaks in a bit of a depressed tone, pretty much telling Raine that she might as well dump Domon, as he’s unlikely to come back.

We can tell what’s the state of the nation by the location that Domon visits, and here is no exception. New York was thrown back into a ghetto from the 70s. Rome is pretty much a wasteland due to mobsters, China pretty much was thrown into rural and traditional culture with a problem with Raiders, and Paris is doing pretty well.

Russia pretty much turned into a giant, continent spanning Gulag. The villagers may not be in a physical prison, but they are essentially prisoners at the mercy of the government up top. Any small infraction can send you off to a gulag, and it crushes the spirit of the people. The system is so strong around the necks of the Russians, that they have given up fighting against the system that imprisons them, be it right or wrong.

The Gundam Graveyard prison is based on a fortified island, which has captured Domon, not an easy feat. He’s a stubborn one. He ponders the reason why Neo Russia is capturing Gundams and their pilots, and what it could mean. There can be a number of reasons. One would worry that capturing a number of Gundams from various nations could net an army of powerful mechas to strike at the other colonies. But that’s not the case, as it’s already done.

Domon is being interrogated quite harshly, as he’s claiming he was wandering around for sightseeing, with the interrogation officer physically beating Domon in order to get a confession out of him. Russia has been known historically to be quite brutal, and without mercy to prisoners, and this does tell us quite a bit about the protagonist. He’s got big brass ones. Another officer questions why just arrest him off the streets off of conjecture and circumstantial evidence, but the highest ranking Commander of the prison, Nastasha Zabigov, replies that her intelligence network is top notch, another accurate detail about the KGB still being alive at this time.

Domon manages to capture one of the interrogational officers, and when he orders them to release the handcuffs (Which are more a form of energy cuffs) the other Russian officer disables them without asking Nastasha’s permission. This also displays that Russian’s aren’t as strong willed as they once were. Just like the guards in the movie “Shawshank Redemption”, the guards are just as much prisoners as the inmates. They’ve given up on their nation, and their nationalism is just a facade. We see that the effects Lenin had on Russia, crushing it, is still in effect in G-Gundam, and that the Soviet Union still hasn’t truly fallen in this timeline. A guard caving in immediately, with the Commander being the only strong-willed one present, shows that Russia has fallen, and there’s nothing left of its former glory.

To add insult to injury, Domon easily breaks the guard’s arm. A weak will, a weak mind, and a weak body represents what Neo Russia has become: A paper tiger. Domon escapes, but Nastasha has a plan. She shows that she is an oddity among the Russians. She is intelligent, she knows what she’s doing, and she is strong-willed enough, showing that there’s a reason she was assigned to this prison.

The Man Himself…

Her plan is an individual called Argo Gulskii, and he is a giant of a man. According to the Gundam Wiki, he is 219 cm! In feet, that’s 7.18 Feet. He’s a walking giant, made of pure muscle. Even Domon’s attacks don’t faze him, and even someone like Chibodee Crocket, who is really fit and strong, felt Domon’s attacks, taking it seriously. But Argo? Domon might as well be a preschooler striking at a mountain. Russians are known to be tall, strong and sturdy, considering the environment of Russia, and the ice cold temperatures. All Argo does is smack Domon’s head with a precise amount of strength to knock Domon out in one hit.

Domon made a big mistake, and assumed that someone as large and strong as Argo isn’t as bright, just by the way Domon dismisses someone who’s big, as he has taken down men larger than him, and none of them were really smart to begin with. But Argo showed that he has self-restraint and he is aware of his strength and to control it. He isn’t stupid, and he is one of the most intelligent individuals Domon has come across. That, and he is the biggest prisoner, and the one that always has someone looking over his shoulder.

As he’s dreaming, we learn a bit about Domon’s past. It’s just bits and pieces of what’s happened before, He is told that he is the only one who can find the man in the picture, and the only one who can save his father. We are introduced to the Devil Gundam, and Ulube Ishikawa, the head of the Japanese military. Raine also mentions to her father that his signal disappeared. This does demonstrate that Domon is being tracked by Neo Japan, which shows that no matter how independent Domon is, he is still micro-managed in a way. People are keeping an eye on him, just as the American officials and Nastasha do.

We are now introduced to someone called Lord Bardman. He guesses that Domon is a Gundam fighter, revealing that there are plenty that have passed through the walls that had the rebellious eyes. Bardman also reveals that the small village, every single individual there are secret agents to spread rumours that the Gundam Fighter is in that area, which has many Fighters falling in a trap, capturing both Pilot and Gundam, and holding them prisoner. That is how they win matches. By putting them in prison, and after some time, the fighters are considered AWOL, and treated as traitors, committing high treason due to desertion. It also means that a good portion of the prisoners are Gundam Fighters that were caught, and are now working in the prison facility, becoming institutionalised, no longer in contact with the outside world, only knowing when four years have passed when there’s a large number of Fighters that are captured. Otherwise, they are no longer part of the world.

The fact that Russia refused to fight a fair fight is something that is a pattern in Soviet history. They are unable to combat their foes with honour, and are simply in a prison of their own making. I stated before that Neo America has scripted the entire narrative and how The US is run, which is a prison in a way, and Neo Russia turned its own nation in a prison as well. The Americans have a form of false hope, and the Russians are aware, and deal with true despair. It’s a sad state for both great nations, and how two of the three superpowers have fallen in this age. Chibodee may have fought back, but he isn’t fully aware of how much he was there to be an unaware piece of the scripted puzzle. Which is preferable? The lie with false hope, or the truth with a fatal reality?

This is when Bardman reveals what happens to the Gundams. In a gruesome display, it can be a metaphor as to what Neo Russia does to the people. Gutted Gundams, some of them crucified, right before the doorways to the prison section, as the prisoners are led back to their cells. It’s a constant reminder of the crushing of the Gundam Fighters’ spirit, and the cruellest way one can imagine, is that the Fighters are forced to take their own Gundams apart, and reveal the secrets to Neo Russia, in order to improve their own Gundam. It’s as if one would just murder their own child, and dissect him in front of their captors to allow the captors to study what makes the kid tick.

Here’s an answer. The Russians may be aware of the truth of their situation, but they are nowhere near as cruel as the government of Neo USA. The Americans may be caught up in the games, which distracts them from fixing up their nation, but at least they have someone to smile about. The Russians, and the captured Gundam fighters… They are nothing but walking corpses.

Bardman then says that there’s a part of the prison that’s paradise. This is when Domon truly learns about what happens to missing Gundam Fighters, as they are hunted down by their own governments, and they can be held for leverage by other governments for favours to their home nation. This is quite crafty. Win battles with little victory, capture Fighters that can be used for either work or ransom, break their will in a way that will render them nothing but drones, and claim the Gundam to study it.

With the way Bardman talks, Domon figures out that he’s a former Gundam Fighter. Bardman’s also institutionalised, and has a form of Stockholm Syndrome. He’s given up on seeing the outside world, and finding a new place to live. He loves being a prisoner, and he is also running away from the world. His quick and fearful denial of Domon’s conclusion shows that revealing his former status is not a good thing to say.

Domon starts a fight when he punches Argo, who is surprised by the attack, and when a sniper goes to shoot Domon, the giant of a man runs quite fast, faster than the sniper can pull the trigger, and by the time the bullet left the gun, he manages to knock Domon out of the way, and tells Domon that he has a plan to escape. We see here that Argo does have his own will, and is not a typical prisoner, but is a different kind of prisoner. He has an angle, and he isn’t stupid.

Bardman suggests that Domon hand over his Gundam, but Domon offers him freedom, which Bardman scoffs at the idea of escaping, that the island fortress and the citizens in the town all being agents of the government and military would make it impossible to escape. The sight shows the small prison room, as Bardman bundles up for the night, commenting on how cold it is. He actually looks like he has a straightjacket, and pretty much ready to simply die. For a country so large, it would feel like a small place. With the way Bardman talks, he’s been there for decades. He spoke as if he’s seen at least two or three generations of Gundam Fighters, revealing that he’s an older Fighter, and has just become a cog in the system.

We then hear that Nastasha receives word that “that man” is planning an escape. They aren’t directly saying who it is, but it is revealed that there is a spy in the prison, (of course) and there are only three individuals that know of the escape: Argo, Domon and Bardman. This means that either Argo or Bardman snitched, and Bardman was so apathetic, that he didn’t mention anything to anyone.

But now that Domon has offered him freedom, Bardman decided to give it a chance. In the English version of the anime, his name is pronounced “Birdman”, despite it being Bardman. There’s always that saying that when a bird gets smart enough, it will start to peck at the lock. It also can reference flying and freedom, and the freedom that deep down, Bardman yearns.

Later, Argo puts his plan into motion, actually punching through the concrete walls, grabbing the fuel pipe, and crushing it with one hand. How he knew where it was specifically would mean that he is aware of aspects of the schematics of the location, and is one of the smarter allies Domon has come across.

Big, strong, fast, intelligent. He is not one to mess with, and there’s a reason why he’s considered physically the strongest Gundam Fighter in the world. He then lights the oil pipe on fire, and causes maximum damage as a diversion in order to escape. One man causing this much trouble makes Argo extremely dangerous.

Upon escaping on the ice, Bardman was worried about the sea, and was on the verge of giving up, and we see why Argo waited specifically for that morning to escape. Bardman laughs and cheers over the first breaths of freedom after over a decade of imprisonment in the Russian Gulag.

Both Raine and Nastasha respond with summoning the Gundams, Raine returning the Core Lander to Domon, and Nastasha wanting control of the Bolt Gundam, one of the two largest Gundams around. Domon figures out that Argo tricked them, and of course, despite being frustrated by Argo’s actions, Nastasha would consider it an advantage, as the large man tricked everyone into having Domon reveal the Shining Gundam. She is surprised though, as Argo tells her to shut up, and that he will fight his own battles, commanding her that the way Neo Russia fights is going to change, and that he hates being prevented from doing his job as it gives him reason to live, and he reminds her that he is a warrior as well.

We see how strong the Bolt Gundam is, after not just withstanding a mighty punch from the Shining Gundam, but also tear off the Gundam’s arm. But what’s the oddest part is that Argo isn’t just taunting Domon, a part of him is giving Domon a pep talk, trying to get him to harden his will, and that Domon’s infectious will gave Argo the courage to stand up to a broken, oppressive system.

Domon then replies with striking back, shaking himself off from the attack that had the Bolt Gundam grabbing the Shining Gundam’s head, to Domon using the Shining Fingers, managing to get his hand on the Bolt Gundam’s head, but before he could crush it, it’s revealed to be a draw, as Domon can’t finish the attack due to the exhaustion and pain he’s dealing with.

This means that so far, Domon has two conclusive victories against Michelo Chariot of Italy and Chibodee Crocket of the US, an inconclusive match against George DeSand of France, a draw with Sai Saici of China, and now a draw with Argo Gulskii of Russia. A pretty good track record for Domon.

Bardman then reveals to us a lot more about Argo Gulskii. He thinks that Argo simply wanted to have a fair fight with Domon after sensing his strong will. We also learn that he was once a space pirate who gave himself up in exchange for the freedom of his crew, becoming Neo Russia’s fighter; and that he’s got a bomb on his chest, meaning he’s a prisoner for life. Then again, that’s no different than all the other prisoners in the island prison.

And when asked what he will do, Bardman replies that he will run, and run some more until he finds freedom. In a way, he has found freedom, and yet, Argo lets him go. He could have recaptured Domon and Bardman, as well as Raine, but he didn’t. Neither did Nastasha. Bardman would be a waste of time, and they have no reason to keep him. This does imply that he’ll be traveling the world until he can find some place to settle down. He has been forgotten by the world, which gives him a chance at finding a peaceful life without worrying about his government trying to track him down and put him on trial for desertion and treason.

After their discussion, Domon does come to the realisation that the colonies have turned not just Russia, but the entire Earth into a prison colony of sorts. It is their battleground, and those on the ground are nothing more than collateral and unnecessary. Domon is clearly upset by this, and is starting to become disgusted by the way the Gundam Fight is set up.

So far, as much as this is one of the cheesier Gundam series, the state of the earth is one of the worst of the various universes. Amuro was in a colony that was attacked, but he was able to choose to fight. Kira Yamato only dealt with a couple of events that really dealt with massive tragedy, but if the Bloody Valentine is the worst of tragedies in that universe, then it got off lucky. Heero Yui has seen an entire world and a large portion of colonies that can be considered stable and good places to live in peace. Uso Ewin was able to live peacefully in his hometown, and was able to properly farm his home afterwards.

But instead of choosing a battlefield for the tournament on the Moon or on Mars, the powers that be chose to have their matches on Earth, where people can be crushed. The US has the government that controls every facet of American life, even if they have a kinda hands off approach, as they are aware that the Americans in their universe won’t do much to resist. The Italians just managed to overthrow the gangsters that dominated their country, after they were no longer protected by law because of the pilot’s status as a government representative. The Chinese have nothing to their names, and have started over, despite the ones in charge not caring about what happens on Earth. The Russians are truly prisoners with no way to live their own lives. Their government controls everything with an iron fist.

The only reason why France is doing well is because the old nobility stayed behind and took control of the Earth part of France, while the Republic and its Oligarchs went into space. So France is lucky. The Royal Family and the noble families, such as the DeSand family, decided to opt for isolated locations for Gundam Fights to minimalize the damage to the nation, allowing for an economy to bloom.

But Russia? There’s nothing left of Russia in this world. The other nations can recover, and have something left of their cultures that they can build upon, but this version of Russia is screwed. It’s a shadow of itself, with fake power, a powerful Gundam Fighter, and a power trip by its Oligarchs. But there is neither a culture, nor a proper people left, it shall never recover…

But if you really want to stick it to the Neo-Russian Oligarchs consider a 6$ donation to Bros Krynn (yep the annual subscriptions have been lowered even more).

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Also Crown of Blood has a new edition, with maps, character bios and more!