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The second television series to be aired during Japan’s Reiwa era, and the second in a row. ‘Mobile Suit Gundam GQuuuuuuX’ brings us back to the Gundam franchise.
Created by Yoshiyuki Tomino and Bandai Namco Filmworks—previously known as Sunrise, the Gundam franchise has found a mirror-lined corridor into pop culture far beyond The Land of the Rising Sun. Shows like ‘Mobile Suit Gundam 00’ and ‘Mobile Suit Gundam Wing’ have shown huge successes worldwide, with the latter having become such a global phenomenon that it has often been seen outperforming veteran series like ‘Dragon Ball Z’ and ‘Sailor Moon’ in the Cartoon Network late-night television programming block “Toonami”.
What started on April 7, 1979, with the eerily grounded release of ‘Mobile Suit Gundam’ introduced the “real robot” mecha anime subgenre, which unlike its predecessory brother the “super robot” subgenre leaned upon the reliance on implausible abilities and often fantastical powers, “real robot” mecha maintained its central focus on a startlingly realistic physics operations and technological limitations comparable to those oftentimes seen in the Hard Science Fiction subgenre.
As the decades went by the Japanese military science fiction media franchise has grown to redefine the mecha genre, becoming more popular and influential than its predecessor, heavily inspiring numerous wildly successful franchises such as ‘Full Metal Panic!’ and ‘Neon Genesis Evangelion’.
‘Mobile Suit Gundam GQuuuuuuX’ instantly stands out from any other Gundam creation. It is an unexpected offspring from the collaboration of Sunrise and the existentially charged Studio Khara—the studio behind visionary seminal works of the likes of ‘Neon Genesis Evangelion’ and its groundbreaking reboot that is the ‘Rebuild of Evangelion’ film trilogy. The series acts as the first Gundam series to take place in an alternate Universal Century (UC) timeline where the series’ main antagonist Char Aznable (Yuuki Shin) is successful in his attempt of stealing the prototype of the iconic titular mobile suit RX-78-2 Gundam—renaming it “Red Gundam” and dying its armor to Char’s signature pigmentation, leading the Principality of Zeon to win the One Year War leading to a drastically changed post-war world. The story centers on the determined young yet restless protagonist Amate Yuzuriha (JA: Tomoyo Kurosawa/ENG: Thea Saccoliti) whose destiny led her to paradoxically joyful ally Nyaan (JA: Yui Ishikawa/ENG: Anairis Quiñones) and their companion Shuji Ito (Shimba Tsuchiya) as they navigate uncharted territories.
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Metallic Giants
Despite us only having a single episode to our disposal, very much like the rest of the Gundam franchise, ‘Mobile Suit Gundam GQuuuuuuX’ does an ineffably poignant job of immersing the viewer. Whether it is the relatability of the protagonists or their showcase of that naturality of human curiosity, the show—expecting a returning audience, isn’t afraid to jump into action, showing us how infinitely enigmatic reality this universe is and allowing those of us who immerse ourselves in deep lore and worldbuilding to connect the dots, making us part of the enjoyment experience.
Having a paramount focus on transformation and the long-lasting effects of war in a society, ‘Gundam GQuuuuuuX’ eloquently draws upon the Alternate History subgenre by showing its audience how drastically the trajectory of existence itself can radically diverge from an isolated instance in the course of time, reminding us of the genuine importance the franchise’s main conflict stands as.
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The Magic of The Digital Stroke
One of the defining pillars that continually shapes Anime’s popularity is undeniably it’s astonishing—dynamic visuals, with each scene having an excruciating amount of details and techniques that are rarely visible even in Western animation. ‘Mobile Suit Gundam GQuuuuuuX’ is resoundingly no exception.
From its first glimpse on screen, the show seizes the viewer’s attention, perfectly embodying an astonishingly symbiotic blend of 3d and 2d animation to unveil the naturalistic beauty of the Izuma Colony. This poetic visual language alongside the emotion-filled action sequences allow for every frame to feel like an immersive moving painting reminiscent to the cityscapes dreamt by Sergey Osipov or Jeremy Mann.
Every note of Yoshimasa Terui and Hasuo Masayuki‘s score allows each scene to trespass the screen, bringing itself to life that beautifully matches with the chosen artstyle to a point that one sometimes may unintentionally lose focus on the narrative just to enjoy the immense depth of such an audiovisual experience. Not only closing the creative circle of harmony but opening pathways for even non-anime fanatics to appreciate the meticulous craftsmanship.
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When Art Becomes Artistic
While the Gundam franchise didn’t originate within the medium of neither manga nor novel, it isn’t surprising that a vast high percentage of Anime finds themselves as adaptations of existing media. Regardless of whether it is a legendary franchise that as ‘Dragon Ball’ or a beloved cult classic like ‘Grimgar of Fantasy and Ash’, that derive from the worlds of manga and novel, respectively.
With an approximate of 80% of all anime titles being some kind of adaptation, it seems logical to acknowledge that such an endeavor is a simple productionary affair. Far from it, the process often tends to be far more intricate. While it hinges on the sort of medium, that’s being the subject of the adaptation—the transition between different forms of expression remains a delicate art, requiring a careful balance of fidelity and creative reinvention. A challenge, which in some cases, can take even longer to achieve correctly than just producing an original animation.
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‘Mobile Suit Gundam GQuuuuuuX’ stands as a transcendental marvel of Speculative Fiction, fluidly maneuvering back and forth across the boundaries between painterly and volumetric animation. It stands as the luminous culmination of collaboration and teamwork, reminding us that creativity can effortlessly dissolve perceived boundaries within the visual storytelling medium. As they redefine the very aesthetic vocabulary of modern animation, they guide the spectator toward a heightened consciousness of form and feeling—a state where perception itself becomes an extension of narrative, inviting us to contemplate the impermanence of structure and the fluidity of meaning itself and revealing to us a deeper understanding of the constant evolution of truth that transforms our grasp of reality.
By Mario Martinez Ignacio
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Author
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Mario Martinez Ignacio is a writer from Mexico City. As a child, he spent most of his free time deep-diving into online wikis, which sparked a passion for lore and worldbuilding. Driven by his love for writing, Mario obtained a BFA in Dramatic Writing at the Savannah College of Art and Design in 2024. With the objective of inspiring others, he fuses writing and education to create narratives that entertain while igniting curiosity and fostering new perspectives, one word at a time.
Mario Martinez Ignacio is a writer from Mexico City. As a child, he spent most of his free time deep-diving into online wikis, which sparked a passion for lore and worldbuilding. Driven by his love for writing, Mario obtained a BFA in Dramatic Writing at the Savannah College of Art and Design in 2024. With the objective of inspiring others, he fuses writing and education to create narratives that entertain while igniting curiosity and fostering new perspectives, one word at a time.
