Review of Mobile Suit Gundam: GQuuuuuuX

I strongly disagree with people saying this Gundam series is a good starting point. I began with the B: The Beginning movie, and while I could somewhat follow the story, anyone unfamiliar with at least one show from the original timeline would miss around 80% of the context, especially the worldbuilding and Char’s storyline. Starting the TV series after watching the movie is also frustrating since the first 3–4 episodes just rehash the same content in a slightly rearranged order without adding anything new. The decision to squeeze everything into just 12 episodes really hurts the storytelling. The series tries to cover too many plot pointsand themes, but there’s simply not enough time. With the amount of content available, it could have easily been stretched to 16 episodes or even a full 24-episode, two-cour anime.

The clan battle arc with the underground group, for example, had so much potential but ended up feeling underdeveloped, almost like filler that barely connects to the main story. Similarly, many characters’ backgrounds are glossed over. While the series does a decent job showcasing Nyan and Machu’s personalities, they really needed more meaningful interactions with others. Nyan’s entire worldview and upbringing are shown in just one 30-second scene about growing up in poverty. Machu’s behavior makes sense, but her backstory is underexplored. We know her mother’s a career woman, but her father isn’t even animated or mentioned properly. Shuji, meanwhile, feels like a pure plot device, and anyone who hasn’t seen the original timeline will find his character flat and confusing. That said, the series does deliver some very Evangelion-inspired moments, especially in the middle section, which were a pleasant surprise.

For me, the best part is the latter half, where the remaining conflicts surrounding Char are resolved. Yes, there’s a lot of nostalgia bait; viewers essentially get to rewatch iconic scenes from older Gundam entries, but with better animation. Still, it presents a satisfying “what-if” scenario that longtime fans can appreciate.

People complain that the plot becomes chaotic toward the end, but I think the developments make sense; they just needed more time to set everything up properly. Without prior knowledge of the original series, though, newcomers will have no idea who Lalah is or why she matters so much. As someone who loved Gundam: The Origin, I enjoyed the series overall, especially the political tension and inner conflicts within Zabi and Zeon. However, this show is not beginner-friendly. It relies heavily on nostalgic callbacks to fill in narrative gaps caused by its short runtime.

In a way, it’s the opposite problem of the Black Butler: Emerald Witch arc, which aired in the same season. Black Butler didn’t have enough content to fill its episodes, while this Gundam series tried to cram too much into just 12 episodes.