Review of Mobile Suit Gundam: GQuuuuuuX

I don’t like Gundam and I liked this show. I think it takes all the parts that’s good about it (Newtypes, Char, the setting) focuses on those parts well enough, and patches up what’s usually weak about it (the fights) into something serviceable. This is not a career defining work by any means but it’s still well made. Each episode’s entertaining enough – along the way the thread is lost a bit but it’s still easy viewing to watch each episode individually. Nothing of much substance is said but there’s an occasional few lines that stand out. The explanation of the Mav system is interesting,for example, and the final episode has a few good observations, like the need to suffer for freedom, which you can take or leave. Animation’s good as well, nothing standout but there’s a consistent quality. Characters designs are a bit unsuitable, especially in scenes where they’re holding guns, but they're clean and readable.

The mech designs are a bit messy. I heard the word “busy” being used to describe them and that’s pretty accurate. It’s hard to tell what you’re looking at whenever they’re moving. The 3D’s unspectacular but it’s not as bad as like, Gridman/Dynazenon. Their movements are not so sluggish and have a good degree of weight, but it is still noticeable as 3D (if that makes sense).

Plot’s a bit stupid. The transition between the Clan battle section and the civil war section could’ve been done better – they could’ve carried over some of the characters from the first part over to the second to make it less jarring. Once the second part starts it’s kind of hard to care about what’s happening because there’s pretty big leaps in time inbetween each episode and they feel also a bit episodic rather than building on the previous one. This isn’t what’s really stupid, it’s the fact that these girls are committing war crimes over some guy who thinks his Gundam is talking to him, and instead of committing this guy to a mental institution, they both want to go to the beach with him. And in the end Machu contracts his schizophrenia and says that her Gundam is talking to her too nooo Machu noooo take your meds Machu take your meds!!!!!

You might be looking at the staff credits and thinking this is the next Utena/FLCL/Eva - and it’s not, but it’s a good show, and it’s entertaining, and it has a bit of depth to it as well. I enjoyed my time with it and - unless you try really hard to not enjoy yourself - you’ll enjoy it too.