Ya like jazz? A simple question asked by a simple bee. You’re probably wondering what Jerry Seinfeld’s Bee Movie has to do with the topic at hand. Well today we’re going to be analyzing jazz and how it takes what was already a pretty stand out hit to the next level.
Now to get this started I just want to say that I’m not music major, so I probably don’t know what I’m talking about but I’d still like to cover this topic.
And of course SPOILER WARNING for Mobile Suit Gundam Thunderbolt.
Mobile Suit Gundam Thunderbolt: How it’s free jazz fits perfectly with the setting
This anime current takes place in the Thunderbolt Sector, this place was once called Sector 4 (otherwise known as Moore) and it was the home to many of the characters who we meet during this adventure.
The Thunderbolt Sector is currently composed of the remains of Sector 4, and the reason why it’s called the Thunderbolt Sector is because of the electrical discharges that take place in between the scattered debris that litter the area.
This is where the free jazz kicks in to set the mood.
Free jazz is both sporadic and composed, which fits it perfectly within the setting of the Thunderbolt Sector. It fills the non-existent air with a level of unease due to how unsafe the Thunderbolt sector really is, one wrong move and you’re dead.
More than anything this is the main reason why the free jazz elevates this experience to the next level. It enhances the chaotic nature of the area, it can spiral up and down. It can have highs and it can have lows. It’s unpredictable and for a second you think you’ve got a grasp on how to handle it you’ll slip. This is my opinion is the definitive analogy for how the music fits so perfectly with the setting.
Now it’s time to move on from talking about the setting and start talking about how free jazz is a perfect way to describe Io Fleming as a character.
How the free jazz is integral to Io Fleming’s character
For starters it would be wonderful if you listen to his theme while you read this excerpt.
Io Fleming is one of the two main characters of Mobile Suit Gundam Thunderbolt. He’s aligned with the Earth Federation Forces, specifically the Moore Brotherhood. He and the rest of his unit are in the Thunderbolt sector to retake their home.
In his first introduction scene we see him drumming away while listening to a jazz radio station. From the very beginning jazz is apart of him, jazz is what defines him.
But more than anything Io Fleming is the embodiment of free jazz just like the Thunderbolt Sector. The more we get to know his character the more we can see how chaotic yet controlled he truly is.
Io Fleming revels in the chaos, he embodies free jazz. He loves every second of the fighting because he gets to be truly free just like the music which he is so attached to. Not only that but him listening to his music offers him a break from the silence of space and the cold unforgiving nature of war. In fact a character who was close to Io Fleming fully realizes why he listens to music once he is forced to face the dreadful silence of the unforgiving void.
In the end Io Fleming is a man who wants to live free, a person who wants to be unrestricted by anything. This is why he embodies free jazz, because once he’s on the battlefield, he lets everything loose.
How Io Fleming’s Jazz clashes with Daryl Lorenz’s 1960’s styled Pop
For starters I’m going to put Daryl Lorenz’s theme here for you to listen to.
We already know who Io Fleming is so who is Daryl Lorenz. Daryl Lorenz is a member of the Principality of Zeon’s special force know as the Living Dead Division which is comprised of amputee soldiers. He is also a sniper who is tasked with holding the current position that his unit have secured.
Now how is Daryl Lorenz’s theme connected to him, better yet, how is a 1960’s style pop song important to his character? For starters when you compare the two music styles the first thing that stands out is how much more constructed Daryl’s theme is to Io’s. The song has actual lyrics and a understandable flow. This ties directly back into Daryl as a character because he is a constructed man, all of his arms and legs had to be replaced with prosthetic limbs making him much more “constructed” than Io, who is free in his own body, not restricted by anything. To further drive in the idea that Daryl is a constructed man, the Gundam that he pilots is special designed to integrate him into it becoming one with his machine.
There’s also the fact that as a character he is a lot more composed that Io Fleming. As a sniper Daryl Lorenz needs to keep his cool and calmly asses the situation while dealing with any enemies. This is exactly why these two are a perfect match for each other, you have the chaotic and free Io Fleming going up against the calm and composed Daryl Lorenz. This is why their themes clash, they are exact opposites. This is also why neither one can beat the other. Just like how music is subjective, neither one of the pilots is inherently better than the other.
What does all of this mean, why is it special?
In the end I’m just rambling off my ideas and honestly I could be 100% wrong in my analysis, I just feel from the bottom of my heart this movie/4 part OVA just wouldn’t be the same without it’s outstanding soundtrack to boost it to a higher level. But then again I’m just a guy with opinions so you don’t need to agree with me. I just like sharing how I feel.
Animation: Art in Motion 