Mobile Suit Gundam GQuuuuuuX Episode 1 is an absolute head spin for those not fully acclimated to the expansive Gundam franchise. But my lord are the vibes immaculate and, not to be glib, extremely my shit. Give me that bisexual lighting and city pop aesthetic, and I’ll watch whatever mecha combat series you slide my way.
The series is an embarrassment of riches. Directed by Kazuya Tsurumaki (FLCL), written by the minds behind films such as Redline and the Evangelion franchise (Yōji Enokido and the brilliant Hideaki Anno), with mechanical designs by Ikuto Yamashita (Evangelion, Gunbuster), the talent on board is stacked with innovative and creative minds. This all comes forth in a dizzying, constantly in flux premiere. Introducing its lead characters with style and graceful, balletic action, “The Red Gundam” ensures that both longtime fans of the Gundam franchise and relative newcomers (hello) will be returning for Episode 2.
What is Mobile Suit Gundam GQuuuuuuX Episode 1 about?
On a fateful night, a space colony teen, Amate “Machu” Yuzuriha (Tomoyo Kurosawa, Skip and Loafer), has a run-in with the smuggler Nyaan (Yui Ishikawa, Nier: Automata Ver1.1a). Through Nyaan, Machu discovers an underground Clan Battle team, Pomeranians. Set against the backdrop of ongoing political intrigue and tension, it isn’t long before happenstance leads Machu to encounter a Gundam and its pilot, both wanted by the authorities.
The series takes place in an alternative version of the Universal Century timeline where Char Aznable becomes the pilot of Amuro Ray’s iconic Gundam, the RX-78-2, and renames it the ‘Red Gundam.’ Set five years after the One Year War – won here by Zeon – we’re introduced to our protagonists against the backdrop of an ongoing battle where a Zeon task force pursues the Red Gundam. The brawl between the two makes its way to the colony where Machu and Nyaan reside, ramping up the destruction as the military police get involved. It’s a cacophony of chaos, power imbalance, and abuse as sovereign state, Side 6, is clearly a colony Zeon sees as expendable.
By the end of Episode 1, Machu has piloted a Gundam (seemingly for the first time), and the mystery deepens.
Initial thoughts.
The only downside about the premiere is that it is, for the uninitiated, a touch incomprehensible. At least when we’re in the midst of the intergalactic battles. Anything to do with Commander Challia Bull and the pilot Xavier makes us work to pay attention. This is partly due to the dizzying animation that equips that zero gravity energy. But the writing often bogs itself down by lore and terminology.
That said, we expect this in a premiere episode, and ultimately, it hardly matters when the show looks like this.
There are so many elements about the animation that stun, and there were many instances of me muttering, “That’s so pretty.” But the coloring is on a next level. The contrast of the softness of Side 6 with its sorbet color palette and pink lighting that consumes the characters with the more utilitarian space adventures meets in the middle when the worlds collide. Separate and apart, both impulses work wonders in crafting this universe. Especially with our two scowling protagonists. Their presented girlhood merges with the freedom of piloting a Gundam.
The sequences on Side 6 are the highlight of Mobile Suit Gundam GQuuuuuuX Episode 1 because of how we meet and get to know Machu and Nyaan. The style is cartoonish and kinetic, especially in capturing how these characters, Machu in particular, move. From a shot of a teetering handstand she performs on a diving board to the graceful way they depict her gracelessness as she falls on top of Nyaan, a great deal of care is evident in the physical acting. She’s constantly rushing, climbing, and striving for something beyond the scale of the world around her, and it manifests in how she moves and operates.
The series is gorgeous, on par with the legendary staff at the helm. That plus some great musical cues gives the series an energized, electric edge. By the end of the premiere, we only want more. Even if we’re a little lost in the plot.
Continue or quit.
Whether you’re new to the Gundam franchise, have only seen The Witch From Mercury, or are old familiar, Mobile Suit Gundam GQuuuuuuX Episode 1 is an engaging, worthwhile dive into a dreamy mecha whirlwind. The dynamic artistry gives it an edge, and while the series currently paints in broad swaths of color, there’s undoubted darkness lingering on the edges. The characters are lovable, the score playlist worthy, and the animation stuns – aside from some clunky, incohesive writing, it’s a no-brainer.
Mobile Suit Gundam GQuuuuuuX Episode 1 is out now on Prime Video.
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Mobile Suit Gundam GQuuuuuuX Episode 1 - 8/10
8/10
Based in New England, Allyson is co-founder and Editor-in-Chief of InBetweenDrafts. Former Editor-in-Chief at TheYoungFolks, she is a member of the Boston Society of Film Critics and the Boston Online Film Critics Association. Her writing has also appeared at CambridgeDay, ThePlaylist, Pajiba, VagueVisages, RogerEbert, TheBostonGlobe, Inverse, Bustle, her Substack, and every scrap of paper within her reach.
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