IGPX Episode 22: Function, Not Fashion

Original Japanese title: To the Place Meant to Be

Liz Ricarro has a little secret. She is now modeling. Her decision has confused the members of Team Satomi. Could she be hiding something behind all of this? Meanwhile, the annual IGPX festival is back, and there's a lot at stake this year. A new fashion show promises a heap of money, and Liz has been chosen to be one of the participants. Will she be able to pull off a win for Team Satomi in a fashion statement?

Spoilers Below

Don't scroll down any further if you want to avoid spoilers! The action reports, music credits and screenshots contain some spoilers from the episode!

Report #1

The 2049 IGPX All-Star Festival

Team Satomi has won the performance award yet again!

The eagerly-anticipated IGPX All-Star Festival was once again held this year. Due to a schedule change at the start of the season, the festival was held when the Regular Season was already completely finished. That was combined with 4 teams being tied in the playoffs (a first in IGPX history). The number of attendees ended up being higher than last year's festival.

All teams and their sponsors participate in the All-Star Festival, which includes three zones for fans to enjoy. They are the Exhibition, Attraction and Performance Zones. Among these three zones, the well-roundedness of the Performance Zone was this year's centerpiece. In a typical season, the All-Star Festival would be in the midst of the Regular Season, so it was assumed that teams would avoid burning out their mechs, thus hiding their mech's true abilities. But this year was different. In the Performance Races, the two teams that aren't in the playoffs knew that this was their last chance to show off their mechs this season. Consequently, some of the teams who made it to the playoffs knew this would be their last time to test their mechs in a realistic setting in preparation for the finals. Additionally, it was interesting that this year, the Performance Races happened to be split into three types, one for each type of mech-Forward, Midfield and Defense, with unique courses for each race.

And thanks to Team Skylark's main sponsor, Radiosity Sealant, this year's All-Star Festival also featured a fashion show. Each team would select a representative for their team to show off one of their pilots. The featured fashion included elegant dresses and stylish suits. This event surely pleased many attendees who got to see their favorite IGPX racers in different garb from their usual pilot suits.

4 of the top 5 pilots from the Performance Races that were voted on by the 1st Audience and 2nd Audience were also in the fashion show. Furthermore, the winner chosen for the "Best Performance" award in the fashion show was Liz Ricarro. Liz's dress tore during the show, but she overcame the accident by embracing what had happened. That was smart, as it could have been utter turmoil for her chances of winning otherwise.

Liz winning continues Team Satomi's winning streak for the All-Star Festivals, with Takeshi winning last year. The finals are next week, and the hurdle for Team Satomi to win two years in a row will be much higher than it was for them to have won two years in a row in the All-Star Festivals.

2049 IGPX All-Star Festival Performance Zone Results

Report #2

4 Teams Tie Forcing an Unprecedented Playoffs

Who will be able to stay and go on to the finals?

Last week, the 2049 IG-1 Regular Season finished. Audiences around the world are heating up for the playoffs, as 4 teams are tied for first in points at the end of the season, which is a first in IGPX history. That heat is sure to get hotter as the season's champion-determining final match is awaiting fans just after the playoffs.

It was recently announced that the method will be a tournament format. The first race is against two teams who tied in their Regular Season race, which might seem like fate, but is more likely a deliberate way of supplying fan service. That first race is Team Sledgemamma vs. Team White Snow. The attack that Team White Snow used against Team Sledgemamma in the Regular Season makes you forget that this team only just rose up to the IG-1 this year. That attack was said to be as if Team White Snow was taking Team Sledgemamma for a ride. After this attack, while Yamma did finish first, the other two pilots retired in a tragic outcome for Team Sledgemamma. In this 'rematch', fans are waiting to see how much of each team's strength will be shown. The second playoffs race will be Team Satomi vs. Team Velshtein. There are journalists who are going as far to say that this match is the "de facto championship decider", and no one can help but think that this is the return of the finals from the 2048 Season.

However, if we reflect on this year's Regular Season, you'll see that that prediction will likely prove itself incorrect. Team Velshtein pulled their trump card of the "Indoraga Mano" last year, but will not be able to this year. Team Satomi's Amy Stapleton was only just released from the hospital recently. And Team Sledgemamma's Yamma can almost taste an early retirement. Thinking about these problems with these three teams, the idea of seeing a team win a championship in its first year of being in the IG-1 again (Team White Snow) should not be dismissed casually.

In the 26-year history of the IGPX, this is the first time for four teams to be tied and competing for both slots in the final race. The playoffs are about to begin, and we couldn't be more excited!

2049 IG-1 Regular Season Full Results Grid

Point System:

1st = 15 points
2nd = 7 points
3rd = 5 points
4th = 3 points
5th = 2 points
6th = 1 point
R (pilot retired mid-race) = 0 points

How to read the results grid: To determine how a team did on each race, first choose a column, which corresponds to each team at the top of the chart. Then choose a team they fought against using the choice of teams from the leftmost column. The results shown are how each member placed in that race.

For example, to find out how Team Satomi did during their match against Team Skylark in the 2049 season, look at the second column from the left (Team Satomi's column of results) and then look at the row under the "vs Skylark" heading. It reads,

"Win 1-2-R (22P)"

This means that Team Satomi won that match, with their pilots placing 1st and 2nd and one pilot retiring mid-race. To find out how Team Skylark did in that same match, look at the column for Team Skylark and then look at the row under the "vs Satomi" heading (happens to be at the top). It reads,

"Loss 3-4-5 (10P)"

This means that Team Skylark lost that match, with their pilots placing 3rd, 4th and 5th.

Music Credits

Toonami Version

"Freedom" (Fila Brazillia Mix)
By DJ Food
Album: Refried Food
Heard: At the beginning of the episode

"Agua"
By DJ Food
Album: Jazz Brakes: Vol. 5
Heard: When Team Satomi members talk with Liz about her
starting to model

"Going Down"
By Jaga Jazzist
Album: A Living Room Hush
Heard: When Liz and Miss Satomi talk in the office

"Song for Mary"
By Herbaliser
Album: Take London
Heard: Towards the end of the conversation between
Takeshi, Jesse and Amy

"Nighty Night"
By Wagon Christ
Album: Sorry I Make You Lush
Heard: As the IGPX festival begins

"Tuft ER"

By Journeyman

Album: National Hijinx

Heard: During the IGPX 'Forwards' Obstacle Course race

"Chomp Samba"
By Amon Tobin
Album: Bricolage
Heard: The last song before the commercial break

"Dangerous Disco (The Director's Cut)"
By Treva Whateva
Album: Music's Made of Memories
Heard: Just after the commercial break as Takeshi makes
the jump

"Quite Spectacular"
By Hint
Album: Portakabin Fever
Heard: When Takeshi talks with the mechanics

Unknown Track (ID #TO2)

By ???

Album: ???

Heard: During the midfielder festival event

"Backyard Betty (Instrumental)"
By Spankrock
Album: YoYoYoYoYoYo Instrumentals
Heard: During the first part of the Defenders' race

"Cosmo Retro Intro Outro"
By Amon Tobin
Album: Out from Out Where
Heard: During the second part of the Defenders' race

"Shrimp"
By Mr. Scruff
Album: Trouser Jazz
Heard: As the other contestants enter the fashion show

"Popsicle"
By Cujo
Album: Adventures in Foam
Heard: During the second part of Liz's performance in the
fashion show

Unknown Track (ID #TO1)

By ???
Album: ???
Heard: When the results of the fashion show are announced

"Beyond Thought"
By DJ Vadim
Album: U.S.S.R. Resurrection
Heard: The last song of the episode

Production I.G Version

"Horizon"
By Cinematic Orchestra
Album: Every Day
Heard: At the beginning of the episode

"Kids Can Dance"
By Hexstatic
Album: Rewind
Heard: When Team Satomi members talk with Liz about her
starting to model

"Desert Scent"

By Patrick Cassidy

Album: Drama (not commercially available)

Heard: When Liz and Miss Satomi talk in the office

"L-Virata"
By Hexstatic
Album: Master-View
Heard: Towards the end of the conversation between
Takeshi, Jesse and Amy

"Nighty Night"
By Wagon Christ
Album: Sorry I Make You Lush
Heard: As the IGPX festival begins

"Red Heat (Perc Mix)"

By Brian De Mercia

Album: Epic Adventure (not commercially available)

Heard: During the IGPX 'Forwards' Obstacle Course race

"Psychomanix"

By Shawn Kelly Clement

Album: Action 2 (not commercially available)
Heard: When Takeshi's mech has some problems

"Running out of Time"

By Donn Wilkerson

Album: Killer Stage & Screen 1A (not commercially available)

Heard: Just after the commercial break as Takeshi makes the jump

"Ulterior Motif"

By Trulife

Album: Chill Out 2

Heard: When Takeshi talks with the mechanics

"Thunderworld"
By Cato Kyvik

Album: Epic Adventure (not commercially available)

Heard: During the midfender festival event

"Power Struggle"

By Klaus Badelt

Album: Action (not commercially available)

Heard: During the defender festival event

"Shrimp"
By Mr. Scruff
Album: Trouser Jazz
Heard: As the other contestants enter the fashion show.

"Crockers and Killers (Easy Access Orchestra Radio Edit)"
By Chris Bowden
Album: Zen Remixes
Heard: During the first part of Liz's performance in the
fashion show

"Verbal"
By Amon Tobin
Album: Out from Out Where
Heard: During the second part of Liz's performance in the
fashion show

"Saddic Gladdic"
By Wagon Christ
Album: Sorry I Make You Lush
Heard: When the results of the fashion show are announced

"Libera me, Domine (Red Heat)"

By Brian de Mercia

Album: The Secret OST

Heard: The last song of the episode