The ‘Gundam GQuuuuuuX' Anime Series Gets Off To A Promising Start
Following the Gundam GQuuuuuuX movie, Beginning, released earlier this year in Japan, the series has now started, and thus far it is rather promising.
The problem with the movie was that it went hard on the background of the series being a 'what if' switch up from the original Mobile Suit Gundam. Where Char finds the Gundam first, rather than Amuro.
This made the whole thing feel like cheap fanfiction, not least because the Gihren's Greed games had already explored this scenario and created the red Casval Gundam as a result.
Now that the GQuuuuuuX series is here, it sensibly starts much later and deals with current events. Yes, the Red Gundam is present, but its whole backstory is still to be laid out.
Not to mention it all works better having Challia Bull on the bridge of the White Base talking about Char in the past tense, it all fits a lot better in terms of basic narrative construction.
So, now that we are getting into the world of GQuuuuuuX the right way around, it feels more considered and that the pieces fit.
I'm still not really digging Ikuto Yamashita's new mecha designs, as they just look messy and lack any real semblance of form-follows-function for a real robot show.
Admittedly, Gundam originally sat across super robot and real robot design sensibilities, as Kunio Okawara knowingly incorporated samurai elements into the designs, but even then, the GQuuuuuuX mecha seem off, even for their own setting.
I love the characters, though, and it's nice to have some solid FLCL and Diebuster vibes with those.
Talking of Gunbuster, I am pretty sure that the launching 'lights' you see inside the White Base are from the first Gunbuster used when the RX-7s were launched from the Exelion.
Obviously, after the first episode, we still have lots of questions that need answering, such as what's up with the Omega Psychommu and what's a 'Mav,' but thus far, I am enjoying the series a lot more than the movie.
Gundam GQuuuuuuX is now streaming worldwide via Amazon Prime Video.
Follow me on X, Facebook and YouTube. I also manage Mecha Damashii and am currently featured in the Giant Robots exhibition currently touring Japan.
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