The Official Gundam GQuuuuuuX Anime Thread Mk I

[SonicSP]

Yea, I agree Challia doesn't feel sudden. He seems to fit in both quite well.

[Chris]

Global simulcast starts next month on Prime: https://www.animenewsnetwork.com/news/2 ... de/.222049

[Mafty]

Thanks for the info, looking forward to it.

The movie was in theaters longer than I thought it'd be thankfully, it was amazing. I wasen't sure what exactly to expect going in, but it was a great movie and I can't wait for the full series.

Spoiler

The alternate history was intertesting and a very well done idea of how history was changed, mainly the changing nature of the war and pratically all the named Zeon soilders from the first series live, by contrast Amuro being an evacuated civilian never piloted the Gundam, thus he dosen't appear (though who knows if that will change) by contrast Sayla is the pilot of a Gundam Unit suggesting shed indepently joined the Federation, and that's just the start of it.

[BrentD15]

Thanks for the info, looking forward to it.

The movie was in theaters longer than I thought it'd be thankfully, it was amazing. I wasen't sure what exactly to expect going in, but it was a great movie and I can't wait for the full series.

Spoiler

The alternate history was intertesting and a very well done idea of how history was changed, mainly the changing nature of the war and pratically all the named Zeon soilders from the first series live, by contrast Amuro being an evacuated civilian never piloted the Gundam, thus he dosen't appear (though who knows if that will change) by contrast Sayla is the pilot of a Gundam Unit suggesting shed indepently joined the Federation, and that's just the start of it.

Wasn't Sayla already in the Federation at the start of the OG Gundam series?

[Mafty]

Sayla was a medical student at Side 7 , who ultimately joins the White Base

Spoiler

Following her encounter with Char post, where both recognize each other whilst Sayla is search for survivors, in this timeline Sayla somehow took a more Amuro like path, maybe she recognized Char as his prominence rose, and joined the Federation to stop him.

[Wingnut]

Episode 1 has officially dropped and I have to say that it is holding my interest, particularly where the position of the current Zeon is concerned and the non-Zeonic spacenoids.

The English dub is pretty good too.

[lalahsghost]

Spoiler

Have we been able to confirm who was piloting the EFF suit moments before Zeknova?

Edited: spoilers

[SonicSP]

Spoiler

I thought Char said it was Artesia/Sayla?

[Mafty]

Interesting how the first episode wasen't the first part of the complation movie. Maybe it will be a flashback episode (it does have important worldbuilding).

[lalahsghost]

Interesting how the first episode wasn't the first part of the complation movie

Spoiler

Lead characters shown
Lead MS shown
Lead theme Plazma used in action.

'Tis a formula, like Victory.

Ten bucks says nothing more than that.

[Mafty]

Makes sense, judging by the title the second episode may be the flashback.

As for the Episode itself, this is my second time seeing it after the movie.

I do think its a neat alternative take, and the mech designs are innovative (that being said I find the designs a bit too skinny, however I still like the GQuuuuuuX EVA like design).

As to the Characters , Amate is hard to read, she seems quirky for the sake of being quirky ; her speech of feeling confined in a colony makes sense, but diving in the school pool while in her (Gym?) unifporm is odd. That being said it will be neat to see how she developes.

There are fan theroes she's alternate Haman and Nyaan is alternate Lalah, but really who knows what will happen (I didn't spoiler tag this as it's a fan theroy, not a confirmed plot point).

As for Zeon , Challia is an interesting character , and I hope he contiunes to have an important role. Xavier is interesting as a down on his luck Newtype, so hopefully he gets to do more.

[Seto Kaiba]

Watched the first episode today, and I'm definitely not feeling it.

The art style used for the character designs doesn't really mesh with the art style used for the mechanical designs. On the one hand, we've got this really busy, dark, and high-detail art for the mecha that IMO is pretty ugly on average (YMMV, naturally) and makes the action scenes look extremely messy and on the other there's this extremely bright, high-contrast, colorful detail character art that would look completely at home in a magical girl or idol anime. To me, it doesn't really feel like those two styles mesh well.

It's nice that the new main girl is a bit more... proactive?.... involved?... I found Suletta Mercury's shrinking violet tendencies kind of frustrating, so for the protragonist to be someone moderately well-adjusted and even enthusiastic feels like a nice change of pace. Part of me wants to complain that she's able to use the new psycommu immediately with no training or effort, but I gave that sh*t a pass in Unicorn so I can't fairly complain about it here.

Nothing about the episode really grabbed me, though. The geopolitical situation might be interesting to learn more about, since appaerently there are quite a lot of refugees in the space colonies now, but that's not gonna be enough to build a story on.

[Wingnut]

Opening #1 Plaz u ma!

[domino]

I am pretty excited about a new Gundam series but this first episode was really difficult to watch.

They barely introduced the main characters (did anyone even say their name?) except for some internal monologue. While I'm getting some Eva/Zeta vibes with a civilian jacking a Eva/Gundam from an inconceivably incompetent pilot, it's hard to really relate to her desire to be "free". So as much as it hurts me to admit it, the first episode was just a collage of pretty cool moments.

I'm really looking forward to the next episode fleshing out the universe and its characters some more as their own so we can see this show as more than just an alternate UC universe

I think the showrunners are depending a bit too much on previous knowledge of the UC universe and/or having watched the movie which I've heard has different pacing

I accidentally posted in the Mecha thread my review of episode 1 so posting it here.

Episode 2 basically reviewed this alternate OYW which was pretty nostalgic and while it's interesting to see the alternate reality and how it unfolded, I do wish it had a better tie-in to the first episode. It's two episodes in and no one has even mentioned the main characters' names! That's pretty wild to me. I feel bad for Char even though he's not the main character or focus.

I'm hoping that episode 1 & 2 have covered everything from the movies and we'll be onto the real story from episode 3 so the world setting and characters are fleshed out.

I wonder if Bandai/Sunrise are scared to take any further bets with the franchise after the lackluster response to Witch From Mercury and G Reconguista. It's pretty risky to have another female lead in a robot anime but I welcome it if it attracts more (younger) fans even with the differences in art style. However, if they're taking that "risk" it feels weird to me to not use completely new designs - eg I would expect to see more Zeta-era (or entirely new designs) at this point. Maybe later? Ultimately, Gundam is about the characters and I'm eager to learn more about them

[Mafty]

I belive the movies covered 3 episodes, however the story does get moving.

[Chris]

I wonder if Bandai/Sunrise are scared to take any further bets with the franchise after the lackluster response to Witch From Mercury and G Reconguista. It's pretty risky to have another female lead in a robot anime but I welcome it if it attracts more (younger) fans even with the differences in art style. However, if they're taking that "risk" it feels weird to me to not use completely new designs - eg I would expect to see more Zeta-era (or entirely new designs) at this point. Maybe later? Ultimately, Gundam is about the characters and I'm eager to learn more about them

Not to get too off topic here, but what makes you think that Witch From Mercury had a lackluster response?

[Seto Kaiba]

Watched the second episode today.

Don't really have much to say about it. I finished watching it and, aside from noting all the callbacks to the original series, I just felt bored by the whole thing. It's supposed to be the impactful backstory that shapes the entire setting of the series, but it just feels flat and kind of lifeless.

[domino]

Not to get too off topic here, but what makes you think that Witch From Mercury had a lackluster response?

That was purely my opinion based on comparing how its characters and mecha appear in Gundam-related media (games, etc) and fanart - of course that might be incorrect based on my bias or "bubble". Feel free to correct me.

[domino]

Rewatching the 2nd episode, I'm wondering if Char's ambitions changed from eliminating the Zabis to embracing NewType evolution sooner (like his CCA-era beliefs).

Going on a HUGE tangent/limb here:
Perhaps the Zeknova always pushed him further along in this ideology (and maybe it wasn't by accident this time like with Amuro & Char in CCA?). I'm intrigued with the idea that maybe Char will return (perhaps in the second half?) and he will have an agenda perhaps aligning himself as a foil (or another side of the coin) to Amate's desire for freedom.

[Chris]

That was purely my opinion based on comparing how its characters and mecha appear in Gundam-related media (games, etc) and fanart - of course that might be incorrect based on my bias or "bubble". Feel free to correct me.

Personally, I think that's a really bad measure of a series' popularity, and indeed, it is incorrect. For the fiscal year that ended in March 2024, Gundam product sales were up 10%, which Bandai attributed to The Witch From Mercury. Their report for the fiscal year overall said this:

As for the IP Production Business, in video production, we created and produced several new products, including TV animations and theatrical productions. In the Gundam series, Mobile Suit Gundam the Witch from Mercury attracted a new fan base and led to strong sales of the Group’s products and services.