Review of Mobile Suit Gundam: GQuuuuuuX

This is going to be a divisive one. It's FLCL but Gundam, and like its inspiration series, you either get it or you don't. And not everybody's gonna get it, or want to get it. It runs on vibes, big moments, and good music rather than a complex plot about the horrors of war. This series is not for people who hate "space magic" newtype nonsense in Gundam and wish it were just a show about World War III with giant robots. This series is also not a good fit for yuri fans who expect actual yuri. Let this be the only spoiler in this otherwise spoiler-free review: there isno yuri to be had here. People who got into Gundam through Witch from Mercury and are expecting more of that, beware. However, if you have reached the enlightenment of yaoi fans (meaning you are able to make your own yuri out of 12 total minutes of on-screen interaction), then this series may be a good fit for you.

Above all, this show is not a good fit for anyone who does not have at least some familiarity with the characters of Universal Century Gundam series. You don't have to watch all of those series (you might not even have to watch any of them, if you've just sort of absorbed information about the characters and the plot over the years), but if you don't know who the main characters of the first Gundam series are, you are going to be lost and the emotional connection the show relies upon will be missing. They are more important than the new characters introduced in this series.

With all that out of the way, all of this means that this series is a perfect fit for me specifically. I absolutely love this show and only wish that they had a few more episodes to cook. The zany, things-just-keep-happening pacing is something I enjoy, I like the new characters, love the old ones, and enjoy the experience of just watching something designed to be entertaining.

First, I need to talk about the animation. They did a beautiful job on this series. The character designs, the backgrounds, the use of color, the effects, the little blink-and-you-miss-it moments, are all top tier. The artist responsible for the character designs, take, is mostly known for her work in the Pokemon series, and it shows here. The characters are so vibrant, full of life, expressive, so many different shapes and styles (look at Shiiko compared to Kycilia!), and yet they all work together as part of the same universe. The mecha designs are from the Evangelion guy, which you will clock immediately. This may be the best a Gundam show has ever looked. It's quite stylized compared to a lot of UC shows (the character designs alone could tell you as much), but it absolutely works and very fitting of the show's vibe.

Plot-wise, the relatively spoiler-free introduction is that this takes place in an alternate Universal Century where Char went missing after an "axis shock" incident. Zeon effectively won the war for its independence over the Earth Federation and is now locked in a power struggle between two members of its royal family. We spend most of our time in space, starting with the Side 6 colony as it gets drawn into the Zeon infighting. As always, teenage newtypes end up piloting giant death machines as a result. What's notable about GQux's plot is that starting around halfway through the show, it starts moving at a breakneck, almost Code Geass-esque pace. Things just keep happening, insane situations just keep piling up, and we start to dive into Rebuild of Evangelion territory. I am a big fan of this kind of pacing and loved it in Code Geass, but the 12 episode limit here does sometimes feel like the plot is about to slam into a brick wall.

Let's talk about the characters. We have two point of view characters here, Nyaan and Machu. I think "point of view characters" is the better term for them than "main characters"; we see the events of this world happening through their eyes, but while they are involved in them, the show isn't really about them per se. This is bound to be controversial and if you told me that you didn't at all buy any sort of friendship or relationship between Nyaan, Machu, and Shuji, I'd agree with that, even though I find them all likeable. It's not a spoiler to say that some returnees from previous UC series, including Lady Kycilia and, of all people, the Zeon commander Challia Bull, are the actual major drivers of the plot. Challia--finally looking like the thirtysomething guy he has always been--is the standout character here and possibly the greatest example of elevating a minor character in the entire franchise.

tl;dr This series' target demographic is adult Gundam fans who point to the screen and say YOOOOOOOO!!! when they see a callback mobile armor from Gundam 0079, if that's not you, sit this one out, but if it is you, enjoy the ride.