Firstly, I'll start off by saying that this review won't be that of a strict review, but more of a reflection of how I felt about it. As a newcomer to the Gundam Series, I do feel that this series stands well as a very character-driven story that emotionally hits the audience, but you do need to take some time to consider the perspectives of the various characters.
As implied in Season 1's events, this is not a story where our cast will leave with what they earned, nor will they seek the riches and glory they hoped to gain. People will die along the way, and the characters will shoulder the consequences of their actions.
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Much like your classic Greek tragedy, this is very much a story where excessive pride leads to the fall of its main characters. We see Orga Itsuka, leader of Tekkadan lose sight of what he sought to accomplish. Seeking a place for his family to live in a world where they would no longer be oppressed, Orga actually achieved what he wanted by the events of Edmonton. A place within Teiwaz and better conditions for his comrades, he is blinded by what he could achieve if he kept going. Yet, the problem lay with how we went about it, and not with the fact that he sought more in the first place. Tempted by the drive to become the King of Mars, he sets a collision course for his family and for himself by going for his goal in the "shortest way possible", something that is continuously highlighted to him throughout the show. His decision to ally with McGillis in his decision to start a coup in Gjallarhorn definitely was the root of it, and his plain decision to risk it all with a dark horse was the root of it, and he paid for it with his life and that of many others in Tekkadan.
Their reliance on violence and force to achieve what they seek, even when others may be possible, are the true reason for Tekkadan's demise, and it is deserved. Progressing through S2, Orga puts the lives of his comrades at risk for unnecessary reasons, despite the obvious odds standing against him. A merc group against the space police is a poor matchup, no matter how you put it. And he pays for it.
From a more macro point of view, what made me like IBO was how it succeeds at making you feel like a member of the family that is Tekkadan. Most of not all of the deaths throughout the series hurt, and it shows how you've become attached to the people who are fighting for a better life for themself and their family.
That said, there are problems. The handling of McGillis had potential, but it was executed in a disjointed way. His goal of cleansing Gjallarhorn of its corruption have so many problems I can't believe his plan was even thought through. Not to mention the addition of characters such as Hush who had potential but whose development was unclear to say the least. Don't get me started on Iok that said.
The overall thematic ideas of IBO stand well despite these problems, but how it is handled was not as delicate as how it was in Season 2, and the rapid pacing to conclude such a complicated story is what hampers the success of the show and probably what led to the poor reviews and view of IBO as an overall failure. It wasn't and it shouldn't be disregarded as such.
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