Diving into the newest Gundam animated series based on the opening song, the pretty art style, and a nascent interest in the gunpla model kits was definitely a choice. Gundam Gquuuux takes place in a parallel universe to the original Universal Century (which I’m vaguely aware of). This time, Zeon wins the One Year War, and Char disappears with the seized Gundam. This time painted in his signature red colours.
Now, theoretically, if none of that means anything to you, then you should still be able to enjoy this series.
The Plot
It starts gently, with two young girls, Machu and Nyaan, getting caught up in underground mech battles, with “ClanBat” piloting the stolen Gundam Gquuuuux. They meet Shuji, a pilot of the mysterious Red Gunda. There’s no sign of Char, its original pilot, though… He’s a bit odd and spacey, and they both fall in love with him pretty quickly. This was my first point of confusion. I didn’t see much chemistry, and the show, with its twelve episodes, didn’t take time to develop these relationships, which become super important to the later story.
I appreciate the flash-back episodes that show this alternative version of the events of the original Gundam series. It helps ground things and is nicely animated. But it messes with the pacing, jumping away from developing a connection to the main characters.
Once the story leaves the ClanBat and Side 6 colony behind, things get a bit unhinged, and for me, hard to follow. Nyaan joins up with Zeon, and Machu is a prisoner/guest of the unreasonably attractive Challia Bull. This is where I found characters make unexpected choices. Although I appreciate shows not being too hand-holdy and exposition-heavy, a whole lot of unfamiliar words start being used.
Annoyingly, this is also where the plot really kicks off, and there is some excellent storytelling and big twists in here. Things go trippy and existential, and being co-produced by the studio behind Evangelion, this is kind of what I expect. Which could be nonsense as I’ve not watched that either.
The Visuals
Visually, there are some truly stunning scenes. Pick any still frame and it won’t disappoint. The ClanBats are nicely animated and clear enough that you can follow what’s happening. But it’s the later GQuuuuuux battles that really impress. I always have a soft spot for Gundam sound design, even if some weapon sounds, etc, are a bit goofy and retro, and it’s also strong here.
Gundam GQuuuuuuux feels a bit like two separate shows with flashbacks to a third show thrown in the middle. But those parts are pretty strong. I just wish we had more time to establish each plot and make the most of them. As it is, it’s quite incoherent. I suspect being more familiar with Gundam and even Evangelion might smooth some of the rough edges.
I did enjoy GQuuuuuuuux, but I can’t see it being the best jumping-on point for new fans. I’m currently partway through Witch From Mercury, and that at least has a much more beginner-friendly first half.
Mobile Suit Gundam GQuuuuuuX can be watched on Amazon Prime
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