Mobile Suit Gundam GQuuuuuuX is a brand-new Prime Video Original anime series that also marks the sixteenth installment of Japan’s long-running Gundam franchise. The military sci-fi story diverges from the original Mobile Suit Gundam show’s timeline, taking place in a world where antagonist Char Aznable steals the RX-78-2 White Gundam, renaming it the Red Gundam and completely changing the outcome of the war between the Earth Federation and the Principality of Zeon. In this new world under Zeon’s rule, we follow plucky teen Amate Yuzuriha (Thea Saccoliti), who, with the right allies and the titular prototype Gundam, just may be able to change the world.
Opening Shot: Two giant robots duke it out in outer space until an even bigger spacecraft floats overhead, blaring an alarm that causes the bots to break away from each other and make a run (or rather, flight) for it.
The Gist: The Principality of Zeon emerged victorious in the One Year War, leaving Spacenoid—a term for human beings living on space colonies—refugees to struggle for survival. Five years later, on a space colony called Side 6, high school girl Amate Yuzuriha (Thea Saccoliti) lives a quiet, unremarkable life while yearning for something more. Her status quo is suddenly changed, however, when a mysterious girl crashes into her in the subway station while the latter runs from two members of the local Military Police. Amate first mourns her now terribly cracked phone before realizing that the other girl accidentally dropped a bag carrying a contraband item in the scuffle and realizes it must be important or dangerous after the girl attempts to steal it back from her.
With the contraband in hand, Amate finds the mystery girl, who turns out to be a young courier named Nyaan (Anairis Quiñones). In trying to make ends meet as a refugee on Side 6, she works with people who engage in Clan Battles, a popular and illegal practice in which people in robot suits fight each other for prize money. The illegal device is an Installer key to be used in battle, and Amate agrees to return it to Nyaan on the condition that the latter she fixes her broken phone. Amate then joins Nyaan on her delivery to four Clan Battlers, who are frustrated that their courier was noticed by the authorities.
Throughout all of this, some members of the Zeon army have clocked a mysterious Gundam—a tricked-out, giant, human-piloted robot— active near their spacecraft. They’re shocked to see that it appears to be the Red Gundam, which was thought to be as lost as its pilot, Char Aznable, for the last several years. Lieutenant Colonel Challia Bull (Fajer Kaisi) sends the Flanagan School’s top graduate, Ensign Xavier (Ry McKeand), out in the GQuuuuuuX prototype Gundam to take down the Red Gundam, but he majorly struggles after failing to activate the Omega Psycommu.
When the GQuuuuuuX and Red Gundam’s battle busts through Side 6’s refugee encampment, Amate and Nyaan are right there to see it all. As the Military Police close in on the fight, the Red Gundam disappears, which the MPs use as an excuse to tear apart the area with little regard to the lives and homes of nearby Spacenoid civilians. Incensed at this cruel behavior, Amate decides to act, and without even really knowing what she’s doing, she hops from one Clan Battler’s mobile suit to the now-abandoned GQuuuuuuX. Not only is Amate able to use the suit, but she also somehow manages to activate the Omega Psycommu, allowing her to protect the Red Gundam from the two MPs, and altering the course of her life forever.
What Shows Will It Remind You Of? Mobile Suit Gundam GQuuuuuuX will, of course, remind you of other Gundam titles, particularly Mobile Suit Gundam: The Witch from Mercury, which is the only other show in the franchise to feature a female lead. I also couldn’t help but think of Avatar: The Last Airbender while watching this show, not because the two titles are alike in plot or world, but because Amate’s sass, humor, guts, and haircut are all so reminiscent of beloved blind Earthbender Toph Beifong.
Our Take: I like watching anime, but despite all of the genres I’ve dabbled in, I’ve never felt drawn to Gundam or similar mecha titles. That being said, the animated shots of the digitalized cityscape were vibrant and stunning. Mobile Suit Gundam GQuuuuuuX is visually interesting, sweeping, and grand, with a wide assortment of colors that draw the eye and hold your gaze. In addition to the strong visuals, the voice acting is engaging across the board, from main characters to those on the sidelines, whose actors commit to immersing viewers in the narrative and believing in its stakes.
This show truly doesn’t hold your hand. It dives right in and expects you to keep up. This left me feeling extremely lost at first, as I had no context or knowledge of the lore, but also intrigued as I tried to piece together who was who and what was going on. While I never necessarily got less confused due to the heavy usage of genre-specific lingo and seeming expectation that viewers are coming in already knowing the world and backstory, I was also always curious about what would happen next.
While a lot of the robot-fighting scenes were a bit lost on me, the human stories, specifically those of Amate and Nyaan, really grabbed my attention and made me feel invested in the future of this series. I think that this is definitely a pilot episode that demands to be watched, and if the characters continue to build on this solid start, there could be something special here that even non-mecha-loving Gundam newbies like me can wholeheartedly enjoy.
Sex and Skin: In one scene, you can see Amate’s underwear when she’s doing a handstand, but otherwise, no, there isn’t sex or skin.
Parting Shot: Nyaan is in an alleyway, her face lit by nearby Military Police cars. She looks over her shoulder at the crowd gathered in the area after Amate’s robot showdown before turning away and escaping into an alley.
Sleeper Star: For the English dub, I thought that Jack de Sena made an impression as Clan Battle pilot Jezzi. Even as a supporting character, his few lines were delivered with a lot of personality, making this animated character feel more three-dimensional. Additionally, Thea Saccoliti makes a splash as Amate, and her spunky delivery makes me excited to see what she’ll do in future episodes as the lead of Mobile Suit Gundam GQuuuuuuX.
Most Pilot-y Line: I don’t know what any of the following exchange means, but it sounds like the stakes are high!
“The Omega Psycommu has never been utilized in actual combat! If it were to go out of control and cause a Zeknova…”
“If that happens… we’ll all face Vice Admiral M’Quve’s military tribunal.”
Our Call: If you’re totally new to the Gundam franchise and don’t love confusing sci-fi lingo or minutes of robo battle scenes, then this definitely is not the show for you. But if you’re already a fan of Gundam titles, or if you love quality animation and don’t mind sitting through your confusion and lack of context, then I say STREAM IT. After all, even if I was feeling a little bit lost in the robo-sauce, the first episode of Mobile Suit Gundam GQuuuuuuX still left me hungry for more.