Mobile Suit Gundam GQuuuuuuX was a wild ride that probably ended up becoming too short for its own good. With only twelve episodes to tell its story, the series’ focus remained very limited. The idea of an alternate timeline of the original Mobile Suit Gundam show is a fascinating premise, especially when used to explore how classic characters change in the new history. While characters like Char Aznable remained mostly the same from the classic series, others, like Challia Bull, were greatly expanded upon. Although getting to know more about the Zeon faction from the original series is a fresh direction, Mobile Suit Gundam GQuuuuuuX also left out enticing new storylines featuring the original heroes.
Spoilers for Mobile Suit Gundam GQuuuuuuX
The lead trio of Machu, Nyaan, and Shuuji in Gundam GQuuuuuuX are fun and interesting characters in their own right. Yet audiences got to only explore this new alternate timeline through their point of view, less so with Shuuji, leaving out important information that could’ve been its own show. The finale for Mobile Suit Gundam GQuuuuuuX further proves how much was left out, hinting at storylines going on off-screen that viewers never got to see. Mobile Suit Gundam GQuuuuuuX is a good show with great animation, but we can’t help but feel that the series would have been elevated if the focus had been on different characters.
Gundam GQuuuuuuX‘s Characters Have Only a Limited Viewpoint
Gundam has always been about the younger generations dealing with the consequences of the older generation. Protagonists like Amuro Ray and Kamille Biden exemplified how adults abuse children to fight wars they started, creating an environment where the heroes suffer PTSD. While the franchise has always been told through the perspective of the younger generation, characters like Amuro and Kamille were at least at the center of all the major plot points. Many big events and information for Mobile Suit Gundam GQuuuuuuX were left out because of Machu, and Nyaan wasn’t directly a part of it. It wasn’t revealed until the last few episodes that Kycilia Zabi’s nefarious endgame was fully explored, and even Challia’s true loyalty wouldn’t be unveiled until the very last episode.
The closing moments of the series only offered a tantalizing tease of things that happened offscreen, most notably Artesia’s rise to become the leader of Zeon. Artesia, who is more recognized by fans as Sayla Mass, is Char’s sister and had only limited appearances in Gundam GQuuuuuuX before the finale. Even though hardcore Gundam fans recognize who the character is, Artesia was essentially a non-entity in Gundam GQuuuuuuX, which is why her cameo at the end can be confusing. Machu and Nyaan don’t even meet Artesia in person, making her last-minute appearance feel more fan-servicey than anything.
Gundam GQuuuuuuX Should’ve Focused on Artesia, Not Char
However, Artesia has always been secretly one of the best characters from the classic Gundam show. Her wearing the royal crown and standing in front of the mansion, invoking Queen Elizabeth’s ascension to the British throne, only offers a tease of a story we didn’t get to see. It’s a compelling image, and her ascension and background scheming should’ve gotten more focus in Mobile Suit Gundam GQuuuuuuX than it ultimately did. Challia revealed in the final episode that he was secretly working towards putting Artesia on the throne, despite coming across as a Char loyalist. It’s also revealed that Ramba Ral, another memorable classic character, was also working with Artesia as he stays close to her as she climbs up the mansion. We should’ve seen that story, yet instead Mobile Suit Gundam GQuuuuuuX focused more on teen angst and confusing multiverse shenanigans.
Nonetheless, Mobile Suit Gundam GQuuuuuuX is still incredibly entertaining, featuring breathtaking animation and great Gundam designs. Although we wish Machu had more connection to other characters like Artesia and Ramba, she still is an engaging character and one of the better recent protagonists in the franchise. Bandai Namco celebrated the new anime at Anime Expo with the Gundam Rising event, featuring live performances and a Q&A. The cast and crew at Anime Expo revealed many fascinating things about the show, including how Mobile Suit Gundam GQuuuuuuX stems from the creators’ desire to give the original Gundam show a happier ending.
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