Shaddiq Zenelli - Tumblr Posts

Had some more thoughts about Shaddiq Zenelli’s suit, the Michaelis, today. Spoilers for witch from Mercury episode 9.

It’s general aesthetic is that of a knight, which at first I didn’t think anything of, since a lot of the Iron-Blooded Orphans suits also have that aesthetic.

But then we consider Shaddiq, and his attitude to Miorine. He is her knight, ready to sweep her away from all her troubles and this is reflected in his actions toward Suletta as well. He (at least inwardly) talks down to her during their duel, stating he would be a much better groom for Mirorine, as he is able to protect her. He fights as part of a group, showing his use of others when it suits him, particularly his shock when Sabina tells him to retreat (though it was probably more at the Aerial).

It’s weapon, the beam bracer, shows his aptitude in deals and underhanded tactics, as it allows him to move the suit’s left hand around, to influence things far away or to attack from unexpected angles, as he did with Chuchu.

Finally, it’s defeat is being shot in the head by ChuChu while going in for a kill shot. As Miorine points out, it showcases his mistrust of others, but it’s also an effective way of him being impaled on his own sword. He loses from an attack from an unforeseen angle, by someone he had written off as beneath him. It would also illustrate that he’s a fairly….. cerebral? character, always thinking, and he gets shot in the head because he was thinking when he really should have been acting.

*Spoilers follow for Witch from Mercury up to episode 17*

Huh, just realised that with Elan Five moving away from the company like his predecessor, we might actually find out what the deal is with the original Elan.

Y’know, this guy.

(And I’m suddenly realising that that picture has the number 2 prominently featured on it, which miiiight be a thing?)

Because other than them building the Pharact and attempting to crush/steal Aerial, Peil Technologies is kinda a cipher among the companies.

Like Jeturk Heavy Machinery was at the whims of Vim Jeturk (trying to crush the Aerial, trying to kill Delling) up until his death, when Lauda took over and then things went downhill. And now we’re seeing Guel move back into the fold. We know about Jeturk, because we know about lots of the characters involved in it (Lauda’s a little lacking, but other than that).

Grassley Defence Systems is essentially turning into Shaddiq’s personal fiefdom. It’s less clear what’s going on in there than Jeturk Heavy Machinery, but with the increased focus on Shaddiq and the reveal that he’s got his fingers in a lot of pies - he’s at the very least got connections in Dawn of Fold, if not directly financing them for use as a personal hitsquad and he was able to get both the Lfrith Pilots (Sophie and Norea) and Nika Nanaura into Asticassia using falsified information (or perhaps in Nika’s case he just provided the funding) -we’re slowly building an insight into the company, moreso that he seems primed to be making some more overt moves as of late (IE. Kidnapping his father).

But Peil Technologies? They’re building Gundams and creating “Enhanced Humans” (say what you will about the Cosmic Era, but “Extended, “Biological CPU” and “Carbon Humans” do roll a little easier off the tongue) and that’s about it. They have an interest in capturing Aerial, but so does pretty much everyone. We’ve also seen very little of the CEO’s other than them killing off Elan four. So are they gonna send in another Elan (six)? Or are they just going to look at the situation and try something else?

Things to ponder.

Though admittedly looking at the situation as things are now, I really don’t see things ending well for Shaddiq in this show. Partially because he seems to be being set up as a Char, and partially because he’s the first to move. It really feels like he’s gonna get outmanoeuvred by Peil or Prospera at some point, or betrayed because he isn’t as smart as he thinks he is.

Kinda surreal how Shaddiq had this big grand plan to kidnap his father and deliver him to the Space Assembly League, thus blowing Benerit open wide to being dismantled, but Kenanji and Guel stopped him, but then Peil technologies were like “actually, let’s do that” and got them involved anyway.

Falling upward, perhaps?

(Though to be fair it isn’t the first time they’ve pulled this *cough* Pharact *cough*).

(Like yeah, Norea’s rampage probably also played a large part in this, but still).

This is some good analysis, especially of Shaddiq. It reminds me of something Paptimus Scirocco, the big bad of Zeta Gundam says: “All the worlds a stage, and the men and woman, merely players”. I think he’s quoting Shakespeare there, but I’ve typically taken it to mean one of two things:

Scirocco thinks himself a puppet master, or more to the point for this;

He’s essentially saying “It’s just my nature”. He’s playing the role he feels he should, for whatever reason, which sounds pretty close to Shaddiq playing the role of “Prince”, both in his relationship with Miorine and for the wider academy.

being the world's only shaddiq zenelli fan is tough... tomatoes thrown at you... they take your arms and legs...

the character designs from Gundam Witch are tastyy