Latest news with #GQuuuuuuX
Gizmodo
2 days ago
- Entertainment
- Gizmodo
‘Gundam GQuuuuuuX' Is Ready to Drop Its Biggest Bombshell
The latest episode of the series sets the stage for 'GQuuuuuuX' and its remixing of classic 'Gundam' to enter a fascinating new step. Gundam GQuuuuuuX's remixing of the story of the 1979 anime classic has had to dance around some pretty major players as it weaves in a cast of a new generation of post-war spacenoids and obscure faves from the original show. The shadow of Amuro Ray, through his absence, and Char Aznable, through his perpetual ability to stalk Gundam's narrative, looms large over everything the series has done up to this point. But now, arguably the original Gundam's other major figure is preparing to step into the spotlight. 'Falling on the Moon,' the latest episode of GQuuuuuuX, splits itself between the events of the final hours of the One Year War in 0079—polishing off the remainder of the prologue footage from GQuuuuuuX – Beginning – in the the process—and the series' contemporary five-years-later era to set the stage for what is now a brewing conflict to come between its young female heroines Machu and Nyaan. Together, they are pawns in the broader astropolitical game among Zeon's head honchos that has simmered in the background of the series. But that conflict is about to get a huge psychic wrench thrown in it, it seems. The closing moments of the episodes follow two researchers, Tirza Lionni and the mysterious Shirouzu, as they discuss their eager participation in two of Zeon's top secret projects. One is the 'Yomang'tho site,' the secret name given to development of the Solar Ray, a vast superweapon from the original Gundam, and the other is the successor mobile suit to the GQuuuuuuX, the GfreD (much easier to say for those initially confused by the series' title). But Shirouzu is immediately presented as suspicious to the audience, as he briefly regards Tirza with a look that shows one of his bright blue eyes under a mop of platinum blond hair. He happens to look at a lot like Char Aznable, who has been missing since the closing moments of the war depicted earlier in the episode. He happens to sound a lot like Char Aznable, and shares a voice actor with him in both Japanese and English. Char Aznable (excuse me, sorry, Casval rem Deikun, excuse me, sorry, Quattro Bajeena) certainly does not have a history across Gundam of using pseudonyms and assumed identities to infiltrate and undermine the plans of his most hated enemies, Zeon's ruling Zabi family, or anything. But if all that wasn't enough, it's even more deliberately clear that Shirouzu is a Char (whether the man himself or some kind of clone; Gundam has, of course, done both, metaphorically and literally) in what he's reacting to when his proverbial mask falls away for a moment: Tirza regretfully confides to him her frustration that Zeon has been unable to locate the mysterious 'Rose of Sharon.' This 'object' has been brought up briefly in GQuuuuuuX before—whatever the Rose was, it was under the control of the Zabis before it vanished just as mysteriously as Char did in the 'zeknova' explosion that ended GQuuuuuuX's version of the One Year War. But the next time trailer for episode nine, itself titled 'The Rose of Sharon,' makes it all the more explicit just what that object is: a person with an uncanny resemblance to Lalah Sune from the original Gundam. Introduced in the final few episodes of the 1979 anime, Lalah is one of the most important thematic cornerstones of the show, and her legacy drives much of the thematic thrust of the rest of Gundam's primary 'Universal Century' timeline. A young woman groomed by Char as his potential secret weapon in his revenge plot against the Zabis, Lalah is one of the first and most prominent emergences of Newtypes in Gundam. The purported next evolutionary step for humanity as civilization moves from beyond Earth and toward life in the stars, Newtypes are beings with enhanced senses, from psionic precognition to empathic communication abilities. Lalah is presented as both one of the most powerful to have emerged and also Gundam's commentary on the tragic exploitation of this burgeoning evolution of humankind, as she's promptly tasked with using her Newtype abilities to control an experimental weapon of war and enact awesome and terrifying levels of carnage. It's this exploitation that ultimately sees Lalah lose her life just a few episodes after her introduction in the climactic episodes of the original Mobile Suit Gundam—sacrificing herself in the crossfire of a duel between Char and Amuro—but her relationship with the two men as they both begin to grasp with their evolutions as a Newtypes becomes a defining connection between them throughout their remaining appearances in Gundam continuity. It's no surprise, then, that it's clearly going to be the case in GQuuuuuuX that Lalah is similarly treated as a tool for other people's goals and ambitions, given the way the Rose is talked about more like an object rather than a living being. But what is surprising is that, so far at least, Lalah's connection to Char is playing out slightly differently in this re-imagining—and may not climax in tragedy this time around. Although episode nine is going to be the first time we explicitly deal with Lalah as a character in GQuuuuuuX, it's not the first time the series has invoked her. The psychic sing-song sound that became her leitmotif in the original series has shown up multiple times as an important beat throughout GQuuuuuuX so far, most notably during the aforementioned explosion that saw Char vanish. Even Lalah's death sequence from the first Gundam has already been referenced in the series during its fourth episode, with the killing of the vengeful Federation Newtype Shiiko serving as a similar moment of psionic bridging between Shuji and Machu being framed and presented in a similar way to how Lalah and Amuro interacted with each other in her final moments. 'Falling on the Moon' further makes her psychic connection to Char apparent too, with Lalah appearing in a split-second frame during the episode's 0079 sequence, seemingly making him realize that he's about to fight and potentially kill his sister Artesia (better known by her alternate identity, Sayla Mass), who had become the Federation's top Newtype pilot in GQuuuuuuX's seemingly Amuro-less timeline. Even before she's fully on the stage, GQuuuuuuX has constantly woven Lalah into its broader exploration of the Newtype concept, albeit subtly. Now it seems like the time is nigh for her to not just step from the shadows, but also potentially put her on a path toward encountering Char once again. Will it put her on a path to exploitation and fated death, after she's seemingly managed to escape that in GQuuuuuuX's imagining of the Universal Century? What will Lalah mean to the series' new protagonists, beyond her connections to some of Gundam's oldest and most defining moments? What does it mean for the chance for things for this character to play out differently in the first place? We'll have to wait and see, but it's clear GQuuuuuuX is ready to engage with all these questions now. What remains is what it will have to say beyond echoing Gundam's classic stories as it does so. Mobile Suit Gundam GQuuuuuuX is now streaming on Amazon Prime Video.
Forbes
24-05-2025
- Entertainment
- Forbes
‘Gundam GQuuuuuuX' Gets A Fun Little Exhibition In Tokyo
A new 'Gundam GQuuuuuuX' exhibition opens today in Tokyo. What with Gundam GQuuuuuuX well under way, the anime has now been given a nice little exhibition in Ikebukuro, Tokyo. Housed within the Anime Tokyo Station, the exhibition is fairly small but also quite comprehensive. Covering the initial movie Beginning, as well as the subsequent TV series (as the movie is built from those elements), the exhibition breaks down its focus across the characters and mecha quite nicely. There are also multi-lingual notes placed around the exhibition as well. You also have mockup spaces of certain events from the anime, as well as the 'kira kira' effect for what the Newtypes now see. There's also a small AR area, which is also a nice touch. As always, I love the rendering of the characters from anime done at full scale. You always have the respective heights of each of the characters worked out, so it's nice to see that followed through with full-size cutouts (shown below). Nyann (left), Machu (center) and Shuji (right) rendered at full scale. The mecha side of things was fairly brief, and while I am still not really enjoying these new mecha designs, they do need to be included in an exhibition like this. I still feel that they are over-designed, especially the main Gundams, but I'm hoping I will eventually come around to at least tolerating them once the series is done. In addition to all this, there was a nice video of a discussion between the members of the anime's production. Again, I always think these are helpful in showing that making anime is very much a group effort. The final highlight was all the merchandise at the end, with lots of plushies and badges. Although this time I managed to abstain, I came very close to picking a few up. Gundam GQuuuuuuX Special Exhibition opens today at Anime Tokyo Station in Ikebukuro and closes on August 11. Entry is free. Gundam GQuuuuuuX Exhibition Gundam GQuuuuuuX Special Exhibition Gallery Location: Anime Tokyo Station Duration: May 24 - August 11 Entrance: Free Follow me on X, Facebook and YouTube. I also manage Mecha Damashii and am currently featured in the Giant Robots exhibition currently touring Japan.
Kyodo News
21-05-2025
- Entertainment
- Kyodo News
Analysis of "GQuuuuuuX" Ep. 2 "White Gundam"
By Koji Uchida, KYODO NEWS - 9 minutes ago - 18:34 | All The TV anime "Mobile Suit Gundam GQuuuuuuX" (hereafter referred to as GQuuuuuuX) has been streaming on Prime Video since Tuesday, April 8, 2025. In its second episode, "White Gundam," we finally got to see part of the One Year War segment that was previewed in the theatrical release "Mobile Suit Gundam GQuuuuuuX -Beginning-" back in January. For those familiar with the original "Mobile Suit Gundam" series (hereafter referred to as First Gundam), the series of unexpected events must have been quite shocking. The "-Beginning-" movie featured scenes not present in the TV series. If you haven't seen it in theaters yet and became interested after watching episode 2, I highly recommend checking it out while it's still showing. In episode 2 of GQuuuuuuX, "White Gundam" Char Aznable, the rival character as famous as Amuro Ray, managed to capture the Federation's white mobile suit, the Gundam. This act of seizing an enemy's weapon or equipment during battle is known as "capture" in military terms. In this article, we'll explore five elements that contributed to this surprising turn of events. Please note that this is purely speculative analysis and has no connection to the official GQuuuuuuX settings or storyline. 1. Gene: The First Divergent Point Both the first episode of "First Gundam" titled "Gundam Rises on Earth!!" and the second episode of "GQuuuuuuX" follow the same basic premise: Char's unit investigates Side 7 after detecting the Earth Federation Forces' mobile suit development plan, Operation V. However, in "GQuuuuuuX" Char personally infiltrates Side 7 from the outset due to an unexpected malfunction of a certain pilot's Zaku. Fans familiar with "First Gundam" might have found it thrilling to see one of the three infiltrating Zakus colored red, despite the scene's composition being nearly identical to the original. This excitement persists even though Char's character has been depicted attempting infiltrations in his conspicuous attire and mobile suit on multiple occasions. As a result, it doesn't feel particularly out of place for a unit commander to personally conduct reconnaissance or infiltration missions. In "First Gundam" the initial infiltration of Side 7 was carried out by Denim, Slender, and a character named Gene, who also accompanies Char in "GQuuuuuuX". Interestingly, it's Gene's Zaku that malfunctions in "GQuuuuuuX". Gene, a rookie soldier eager for promotion, ignores his superior Denim's orders and launches an attack in his pursuit of military achievements. In "GQuuuuuuX" Char also initiates an attack at this point. While Gene is often considered the "scapegoat" for providing Amuro the opportunity to board the Gundam, his actions are nearly identical to Char's. This raises an intriguing question: Why didn't Gene's actions in the original series lead to the same outcome as in "GQuuuuuuX" given that their actions were essentially the same? We'll explore this point in the next section. 2. Whether Gene had Earned Denim's Trust As mentioned earlier, Gene was a new recruit who, in his eagerness to prove himself, disregarded orders from his superior officer, Denim. Such behavior is typically unacceptable in the military, making it questionable whether he had earned the trust of his colleagues. However, in "GQuuuuuuX" Char also took immediate action upon discovery. This difference can be attributed to the contrasting roles of Char and Gene. If the decision had come from a unit commander, Denim, who is loyal to orders, would have likely complied immediately. In "GQuuuuuuX" there's even a line where Denim praises Char's decision, saying, "As expected of the Red Comet... always so adaptable". This indicates that Char had already earned the trust of his subordinates. The crucial difference seems to lie in this level of trust. As a result, in the original "First Gundam" by the time Gene and Denim make their discovery, Amuro has already boarded the Gundam, leading to the first-ever Mobile Suit battle in history. However, in "GQuuuuuuX" Char and Denim's swift action leads to the successful capture of the Gundam, the destruction of the Guncannon, and even the seizure of the Pegasus (White Base). If Gene had earned the trust of Denim and his fellow unit members in their daily interactions, the outcome might have been different, even if not as dramatic as Char's success. While Gene undoubtedly became a turning point, it's fascinating to see how drastically the subsequent events could change if just one factor had been different. Interestingly, the theme song "Plazma" by Kenshi Yonezu also touches on the concept of "what if" with lyrics like "Moshimo ano kaisatsu no mae de / If only at that ticket gate..." This might suggest that "GQuuuuuuX" places significant importance on these "what if" scenarios. Perhaps "GQuuuuuuX" is exploring the theme of how small changes can lead to vastly different outcomes. Who knows? This could be a key element of the series!
Time of India
15-05-2025
- Entertainment
- Time of India
Mobile Suit Gundam GQuuuuuuX episode 6 review: Chaos and conspiracy on side
Credits: Crunchyroll As Mobile Suit Gundam GQuuuuuuX Episode 6 ('The Plot to Assassinate Kycilia') premieres on Amazon Prime, longtime fans and newcomers alike are in for a ride. For context, GQuuuuuuX reimagines the classic Universal Century Gundam saga in an alternate timeline. In this universe, ace pilot Char Aznable took the White Gundam (now the 'Red Gundam') and won the One Year War for Zeon, radically changing history. Five years later, a Space Colony called Side 6 has become the stage for underground mecha duels known as Clan Battles. The heroine is Amate 'Machu' Yuzuriha, a high-school girl who unexpectedly activates the experimental Gundam GQuuuuuuX and joins these duels alongside Shuji Ito (pilot of the Red Gundam). (If you're wondering, Clan Battles are basically illegal mobile-suit duels – think futuristic gladiator matches.) With Zeon operatives and even rogue Earth Federation agents on her tail, Machu 's life is anything but normal. Episode 6 deepens the intrigue by testing Machu's friendships and revealing a dangerous assassination plot – all while delivering the mecha action that audiences crave. Background: Alternate Gundam universe To set the scene: GQuuuuuuX takes place in a timeline where the Principality of Zeon won the One Year War, thanks to Char's bold move of stealing the Federation's Gundam. In this reality, characters who died in the original series (like Kycilia Zabi) are alive, and Earth forces are on edge. On Side 6, Machu (Amate) is just an ordinary colony student until she meets Nyaan, a war refugee. Their encounter drags Machu into the hunt for the missing Red Gundam. Zeon sends Lieutenant Xavier Olivette in the prototype GQuuuuuuX to capture it, but when his Gundam crashes on Side 6, Machu hijacks it and wipes out the corrupt Space Police. This dramatic moment leaves the GQuuuuuuX in the hands of the Pomeranians, a clan-battle gang. After meeting Shuji Ito (the Red Gundam pilot) and sensing a kindred spirit, Machu joins him as a teammate in Clan Battles. In short, a normal schoolgirl becomes a Gundam pilot overnight. Note for new viewers: the show mixes high-tech mecha battles with heavy political plots. As one reviewer warned, GQuuuuuuX 'leans heavily into pre-existing lore' and assumes some familiarity with Gundam history. But even without deep Gundam knowledge, you'll follow the main beats: rival pilots, powerful mobile suits, and a war of ideologies. Episode 6 recap In this episode, Machu and her friends face tests on every front. First, a personal crisis: Machu learns that Nyaan has awakened Newtype powers (advanced psychic abilities), and she can't help feeling jealous that Nyaan has an advantage that she lacks. This inner conflict makes Machu distance herself from Nyaan. Meanwhile, Zeon commander Challia Bull orders a secret delivery of the fearsome Kikeroga mobile armor to Side 6 – hinting that something big is coming. A Zeon informant warns Xavier that Kycilia Zabi (one of the Zabi royals) is about to visit the colony, and whispers of sabotage and moles swirl through the ranks. Then the drama really escalates: Annqi, the Pomeranians' leader, cuts a dark deal with Challia. She agrees to betray Machu by handing over the GQuuuuuuX and revealing Shuji's hideout to Zeon, all for a huge bounty. Machu accidentally overhears this perfidy. In a tense but heartfelt moment, she quickly reconciles with Nyaan and the pair rush off to warn Shuji of the impending attack. On another front, Federation agents – in fact members of the Titans faction – have infiltrated the colony with orders to kill Kycilia. We even see Titans veterans Bask Om and Gates Capa among the saboteurs. As Kycilia arrives on Side 6 for her secret meeting, everything erupts into chaos: Side 6 security forces attempt to assassinate the captured Xavier as a message to Zeon, but Challia suddenly intervenes to save him. The episode ends on a cliffhanger: loyalties are unclear (even Challia's), friendships have been tested, and an assassination plot is a hair's breadth from unfolding. Emotionally, Machu's guilt over hurting Nyaan gives way to relief when she reconnects with her friend – a touching beat amid all the tension. Overall, Episode 6 throws its characters into turmoil: jealousy, betrayal, and looming political violence all come to a head. by Taboola by Taboola Sponsored Links Sponsored Links Promoted Links Promoted Links You May Like Essential Tips for Navigating Morocco Celebrities' Educational Journey Undo Story and character analysis Episode 6 digs into character relationships and themes of trust. Machu's jealousy and guilt over Nyaan's talent highlight the personal side of the story. For fans, it's a relief to see the two reconcile – showing that despite the violence around them, Machu's humanity remains intact. Shuji's determination (and Machu's loyalty to him) also shine through; their bond as Gundam teammates becomes more than just a title. The appearance of Annqi as a double-crosser raises stakes: no one in the Pomeranians can be fully trusted now. Meanwhile, Challia's ambiguous actions – saving Xavier at the end – underscore his murky loyalties. Is he just protecting his own interests, or does he secretly sympathize with Machu's cause? The episode suggests that the lines between friend and enemy are blurring, which is classic Gundam drama. As for pacing, the mix of school-scene angst and high-level scheming is uneven. Casual viewers might feel overwhelmed: the episode bounces from Machu's personal dilemma to Zeon's royal intrigue to underground deals. Hardcore fans, however, will enjoy catching the references (for example, Gizmodo noted that Episode 6 even tips its hat to events from Zeta Gundam ). Those nods add depth for veterans, even as they underscore the density of the narrative. In summary, Episode 6 is heavy on story setup and light on extended action, but it pays off by sharply raising the emotional and political stakes. What's next: Speculation With all these threads now in motion, fans are eagerly guessing where the story will go. The next episode's title, 'Machu's Rebellion,' suggests Amate may finally stand up against the establishment. Having worked through her jealousy and learned of Annqi's betrayal, Machu might fight back against Zeon influence or even the corrupted parts of Side 6 itself. Nyaan's Newtype awakening could also come into play – perhaps she'll take up the GQuuuuuuX or another Gundam to protect her friends. On the political side, Kycilia Zabi's visit is ominous. Will the assassination attempt succeed or be thwarted? And what will Challia do when his loyalties are tested by Kycilia versus the Char-aligned underground? The introduction of Bask Om and the Titans hints at a larger conspiracy. It's possible Episode 7 will feature a full-on clash with the Titan operatives (Bask Om was once a villain in Zeta Gundam ). At the very least, we expect more spectacular Clan Battles, now with even more on the line. One thing is clear: the conspiracy is out in the open, and Machu and her allies will have to fight not just in the arena, but in the shadows of Zeon and Federation politics. Whether it's more pyrotechnic robot duels or game-changing betrayals, the stage is set for a dramatic second half.
Gizmodo
13-05-2025
- Entertainment
- Gizmodo
This Week's GQuuuuuuX Was for a Slightly Different Kind of Gundam Sicko
It's been clear since we first heard about the premise for Gundam GQuuuuuuX that it was a series being developed by creatives with an unyielding, loveably fannish reverence for the original 1979 anime that started it all. But this week as the series hit its halfway turning point—and ramped up its stakes significantly—GQuuuuuuX also revealed that it's also being made by people who are fans of another Gundam show. Specifically, Gundam's successor, Zeta Gundam. 'The Plot to Assassinate Kycilia,' GQuuuuuuX's sixth episode, sees young protagonist Machu assailed on multiple fronts, as pressure from her school and home life, lingering jealousy over Nyaan's awakening as a Newtype, and a new threat of being sold out by Clan Battle manager Annqi to Zeon all come to a head on the eve of her what might be her final scrap in the GQuuuuuuX. But beyond all that, the episode lays the groundwork for an intriguing political scheme simmering in the background surrounding the titular Kycilia Zabi, one of Zeon's ruling family members as she comes to visit Side 6. The episode does a lot to play up that the Zeon forces already at Side 6 serving under Challia Bull might not be entirely on board with 'her excellency'—there's doubts from his own subordinates as to where his loyalties lie between Kycilia and her brother Gihren, but we've known since Beginning's flashbacks to the alternate 0079 that Challia himself was onboard with Char's secret plans to overthrow the Zabis entirely, so there's multiple games at play. But it also throws in an extra complication: the titular plot is seemingly not coming from anyone affiliated with Zeon, but their former opponents in the One Year War, the Earth Federation, when it's revealed that the mysterious company behind Machu and Shuji's final clan battle opponents have very familiar faces. They are none other than Bask Om and Gates Capa, members of the Titans from Gundam's 1985 sequel, Zeta Gundam. Set almost a decade after the original series, Zeta flipped expectations by having its protagonists, a rogue independent group called AEUG, battle the Titans, the Federation's elite special forces division dedicated to wiping out Zeon remnants, but also an increasingly authoritarian and powerful branch of the Federation trying to usurp control of the planet and the space colonies alike. It seems so far that in GQuuuuuuX's re-imagining of Gundam's Universal Century timeline, the Titans are now more of a guerrilla group themselves in the wake of the Federation's defeat in the war. But while Om is an interesting addition to the new show (he was a major antagonist in Zeta), it's Capa who becomes more interesting here as GQuuuuuuX prepares to dabble with another fascinating element of Gundam history. In Zeta Gundam, Capa was a test subject from the Federation's Newtype labs, one of several pilots who undergoes a series of surgical and psychological upgrades (and face mentally destabilizing trauma in the process) to be enhanced as a 'Cyber Newtype', an artificially engineered version of the natural evolutionary process that makes humans living in space develop empathetic psychic abilities and heightened awareness. The emergence of the Cyber Newtypes is a major element of Zeta Gundam's worldbuilding, as the Federation and Zeon's remnants alike begin to try and exploit the emergence of Newtypes as weapons of war, using their abilities to pilot even deadlier mobile suits. And although Capa's got a different co-pilot here than he did in Zeta, a mysterious new character and fellow Cyber Newtype known only as Deux so far, they're piloting the same horrific weapon… The Psycho Gundam, briefly glimpsed in the next-time trailer at the climax of the episode. A transforming mobile armor developed by the Murasame Newtype Labs in Zeta, the Psycho Gundam and its successor suit were specifically designed for use by Cyber Newtypes, massive mecha multiple times the size of the average mobile suit, and stacked with a terrifying amount of weaponry. Both iterations of the Psycho Gundam also put tremendous mental pressure on their pilots, ultimately driving them to total mental breakdown before their deaths, so, suffice to say, things are about to get pretty rough on GQuuuuuuX! It's a fascinating development that the series itself its turning its eyes to the original Gundam's successor as a way to amplify the stakes getting bigger and bigger beyond any of its protagonists. In some ways, it's just a natural continuation of the mirror GQuuuuuuX has held up to the 1979 anime after all, although it's not exactly the same time difference its main story is set, like Zeta was, years after the conclusion of the war that shaped the original Gundam, following a generation of people who were raised in its aftermath. But it's also a telling one thematically: if the original Gundam was a more clear cut about its Earth vs. Zeon conflict, Zeta was all about muddying the lines and adding further layers of complexity to that conflict for its protagonists, asking them and the audience alike to critique systems of power beyond the expected idea of who was the hero and who was the villain. If things are about to get real for GQuuuuuuX's young trio of heroes, it's perhaps only fitting that the series begins to reflect on, and draw direct reference to, Gundam's own darker, morally messier successor in turn. Mobile Suit Gundam GQuuuuuuX is now streaming on Prime Video
