In the year Universal Century 0079, the Earth Federation and Principality of Zeon battled on opposite sides of the deadly One Year War. During one skirmish, infamous Zeon pilot Char Aznable successfully infiltrated an enemy base and stole a prototype mobile suit called the Gundam. With this powerful weapon, Char helped his allies achieve a decisive victory. However, in a freak accident involving the Gundam's advanced technology, Char vanishes alongside his signature red mobile suit.
Six years later, pockets of war continue to rage on. Teenager Amate "Machu" Yuzuriha lives on a quiet space colony with her mother. Though her classmates attend taxing cram schools, Machu yearns for a more exciting life. Her wishes are answered through the crash landing of the Gundam QuuuuuuX, a state-of-the-art mobile suit used by a squad of Zeon soldiers. Machu discovers a natural affinity with the suit, and she uses it to fend off Federation forces. She is aided in her efforts by the mysterious Shuuji Itou, who pilots a Gundam that bears a remarkable resemblance to the one once used by the missing Char.
Unbeknownst to Machu, her brawl is witnessed by a group of mecha enthusiasts who use mobile suits to fight in duos for competitive sport. In the pursuit of a thrilling life and human connection, Machu partners with Shuuji and engages in a series of escalating clan battles as hints of a greater conflict loom above her.
[Written by MAL Rewrite]
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Comentários
Ionliosite2
This is what you guys get from not being harsh enough on Unicorn. Mobile Suit Gundam GQuuuuuuX is a Khara production, and as such, it's a cynical cash grab made to exploit nostalgia for a better series that this one fundamentally misunderstands. It's a show that suffers from an identity crisis, trying to both be an alternate universe version of the original Gundam that explores a OYW where Zeon won, but also a FLCL-style coming of age story for a group of young Newtypes who don't know how to face the world. Instead of deciding to pick one, the show tries to cram both radically differentstorylines in a mere 12 episodes, leading to both sides to be criminally underdeveloped due to a lack of breathing room, leaving both the character development non-existent and the world building of such a changed UC a blip on the radar.
Machu is very clearly intended to be a Kamille type character, a rebel who wants to break free into the world but doesn't have a way to so they go straight to violence, but that's basically all her character, she never really grows in any way and never faces consequences for her actions, she ultimately exists as a character the UC cast can give exposition to. Shuji is basically a mix of Kaworu and Lalah, a mysterious boy whose relationship to the MC serves to drive a breaking point, but we're never given explanations on WHO he is and HOW he's involved with the Rose of Sharon at all. Nyaan is probably the most developed of the three, as her desire for a new place to belong actually gets her on a way to take greater role in the story, but the entire thing is cut short with no real resolution once she's reduced to just a love triangle with Machu and Shuji.
Something really damning about this show is that, despite the constant key jiggling of references to the original Gundam and Zeta (constantly bringing characters and even music from those even if it plays no role on the plot, like the Titans), it really doesn't seem to understand the characters it is using from those old shows. Why would Char want to do CCA like Challia says? He never lived the events of Zeta, he has no reason to have his faith in humanity broken over his dreams of a giving the next generation to Kamille and the AEUG being shattered, him wanting to do this without that context is completely opposite to his portrayal in the actual CCA movie. Why does Sayla want to lead Zeon? She hates her family heritage, always siding with the Federation at every turn, her suddenly deciding to take it is complete character assassination. And the series just keeps having all these little holes, like why does the Murasame Lab exist if Flannagan research wasn't folded into the Federation, why does Bask have a Psyco Gundam when the Federation lost the Gundam and never even made GMs, why does Haro exist in multiple numbers without Amuro making it popular after the war - this show is more focused on referencing old shows than actually following its premise of exploring a different UC.
Unicorn did irreparable damage to the depiction of Newtypes, completely destroying their lore to make them weird reality warpers, and GQuuuuuuX follows Unicorn's lead by having Newtype powers (or Kira Kira as they bizarrely want to call them here) literally remake universes, which is such a disgusting and gross misappropriation of what Newtypes were always supposed to be in Tomino's work, even Gundam X could get this shit right but not an actual UC work. Ignore anything allegorical about their role in the search for human understanding, a Newtype realm is completely real, they can make black holes and travel to other timelines, because these hack writers are just going to use them as plot devices to make anything they want possible, including facilitating a MCU level member berries multiverse plot like this one.
FLCL was definitely a fluke, because Tsurumaki has never shown himself capable of making any good original work again, this shit is on the level of the FLCL sequels he had no hand in. Anno is an hypocritical nostalgia obsessed fanboy who wants people to move forward, but is completely incapable of doing anything but retreating old plot threads, and has done nothing but remake his childhood shows for years now. Khara has given us the most creatively bankrupt Gundam series since Unicorn, and I hope that people clapped at the epic cameos and references, because this is what you get for always refusing to innovate and instead relaying on infinitely exploiting decades old IPs as the Disney of anime.
Thank you for reading.
ZNoteTaku
“Gundam is a series that has a long history. I watched it as a child, and it has continued on. It’s been around a long time. However, the generation of fans has really been extended. We now have many young generations who have never even watched the first Gundam. I think the first Gundam is extremely interesting, so I really want the young people to watch it because I know they will find it interesting as well. Thankfully, we have subscriptions where you can watch it anywhere, anytime. In the past, if a show was no longer on television, you could no longer watch it.I hope that the new generation could also watch the old Gundam as well. If that is materialized, I would be really happy.”
~Tsurumaki Kazuya, asked about what he hopes *Mobile Suit Gundam: GQuuuuuuX’s* legacy would be within the franchise, excerpted from a Gizmodo interview with Isaiah Colbert, 29 April 2025.
Tsurumaki’s remark is as insightful as it is low-key hilarious. If we imagine *GQuuuuuuX* as a kind of giant trolling to get people to watch the original *Mobile Suit Gundam* (either in its original TV format or the truncated trilogy films that arguably saved the franchise), then calling this a failure is a lot harder to sell. I cannot speak on behalf of everyone, but I did happen to notice an uptick in the number of times someone catalogued the original series in some form or another. I found myself talking about lore or characters in this franchise with people who had never expressed an interest in it beforehand, and found my own intrigue in it delightfully rekindled. To possibly an even greater extent than Sunrise / Bandai Namco’s own attempt to do so with *The Witch from Mercury*, interest in *Gundam* was earnestly considering the historical object that it is, a thing that existed back in the late 1970s and has endured throughout all its sub-universes and timelines, directors, and Tomino Yoshiyuki depression. Lord knows that two others and I pestered someone in our groupwatch to “get on with” watching the trilogy films before our *GQuuuuuuX* sessions began—and he did, though it took a while!
And through all of it, people like Tsurumaki latched onto *Gundam* as a thing to love. Earlier in the article, he mentions some of the conflicting images of *Gundam* that have cropped up, using his own production staff as a test sample. Everyone knew of and loved *Gundam*, but not for necessarily the same reasons. As for what those reasons are? Only they know, and we can only guess. Yet, it is precisely because of *Gundam’s* long lifespan that it even has the privilege to be viewed with this kind of plurality. The underlying themes of war, children, violence, and space as planes of existence for mankind’s uncertain future will always exist within the franchise, but they’ve likewise always been packaged in bizarre forms. Sometimes, those forms have been compelling. Sometimes, they’ve really sucked. Sometimes, they’ve been quirky. Point being, all of these are indicative of an attempt to make sense of what *Gundam* does and means. This was even true at the start, considering it was marketing and toy-selling that ultimately saved the franchise and any ideas within it from fading into obscurity.
So, what exactly did Tsurumaki and his fellow creatives do? *GQuuuuuuX* is true *Gundam* in the sense of its holding fast to emotional cores and throwing its characters into the deeper ends of the outer space swimming pool, where fighting against something seems to be the only way they know how to live or form connection of any sort. Caught within the quagmire of trying to survive economically or spiritually, Amate Yuzuriha and Nyaan find themselves thrust into underground battles in a post-One Year War time where Zeon won and life continued along that trajectory. Crashing through the manufactured skies of Side 6, a fabled Red Gundam intrudes itself into the lives of everyone involved, chased by the titular GQuuuuuuX. And Shuji, a zombie of a soul, seems to pathologically bond with the Gundam and inserts himself (like the songs do during battle) into the dynamic between Amate and Nyaan. A found family in the oddest sense, they’re people who recognize that they are attracted to one another but cannot necessarily articulate why. The piloting of the Red Gundam and the GQuuuuuuX is itself the articulation – impulsive, bombastic, and perhaps stupid. Home is the cockpit, because even if the chance is the tiniest bit remote, they at least have some kind of respite from the outer forces they cannot control. But with one another, or through one another? Maybe salvation is possible.
Granted, that’s not to say that it does not have problems, even taking that into consideration. If *GQuuuuuuX* was to be analyzed like it were plain text on paper and divorced from just about everything else (which is a habit we must break), it would indeed appear that things kind of happen seemingly out of nowhere. How could the characterization appear to be so vague? Why even bother proposing some kind of multiverse / alt-timeline if you won’t give it more time? How could it rely so heavily on nostalgia key-jingling for its audience, as “hype” as those moments could be? How could it do this? For those who may long for the days of 50-episode *Gundam* sagas and the so-totally-straight-amirite interpretation of its characters or actions, *GQuuuuuuX* seems to run (and not just in the OP) afoul with reckless abandon. Maybe it would be nice if every single moment along the way had a clean explanation that could be found by pointing at a screenshot.
But what would that actually achieve? Not much, I don’t think. Reason being, the series is not trying to hit upon something that neatly maps onto a conventional narrative structure. With any franchise that has a long lifespan, there reaches a point of acceptance as a fan when you long to see things get a little weirder or get a little crazier, coherence to the narrative be damned. *Dragon Ball DAIMA* may not have done the idea of worldbuilding in its universe or “the lore” many favors, but it had a grasp on the inherent silliness of its setting and followed through, barely giving any concern to “canonicity.” Tsurumaki and his team have created something that exists in pure enthusiasm, something born from underlying love and affection, and that’s not easily mappable onto a story that we did not ourselves take part in creating in regards to writing or developing. But tonally? It’s there in every swooping camera shot, Amate or Nyaan getting mad, Shuji being the aloof dork wunderkind, or Kycilia wearing her mask and executing the people who hate her while she sits right there, watching it all unfold.
*GQuuuuuuX* as a piece of media is not to be analyzed in the typical way that we do with caring so deeply about plots, characters, or any of the other ways we exercise as media consumers / interpreters of media. This series pointedly does not exist in a vacuum; it exists entirely because of the original’s existence and the profound influence it had on Tsurumaki and everyone else who ever thought about its universe, dressed like Char for an anime convention (and hopefully didn’t think his “drop a meteor on it” philosophy was a good idea), or saw Fa running in the ED of their dreams. Is the series nostalgic? Unapologetically. Is it a mess? Unapologetically. Was it made with love? Unapologetically.
And I suspect Tomino would be okay with this.
When Tomino created *∀ Gundam*, it was a declaration that all kinds of ideas about what *Gundam* was up to that point were accepted with his blessing. In keeping with that optimistic spirit, that show’s very existence was also a way of saying that, in a way, *Gundam* no longer belonged to him. In drawing upon the language of universal quantification for the show’s title (∀), he was likewise giving a blessing to those who sought to see what *Gundam* could do from then on. Tomino is in his 80s at the time of this writing; he has more years behind him than ahead of him. He cannot keep making *Gundam* forever, so it must be left in the hands of those who love the material so much that they would want to do something, anything, with it beyond token marketing.
That is, ultimately, what Tsurumaki and his team have done. Even if they have never themselves experienced war like those of the past, they love *Gundam* and what it means, and given the chance to take the keys from Sunrise / Bandai Namco, they allowed their juices to flow with a kind of freedom that many creatives wish they could be afforded. They knew this process, and the product that would result, would be an alienating one, but it’s a risk they took on with full knowledge of that. *Gundam* at its best has always taken risks, be they narrative or metatextual. And here now, I find myself more enthused than ever for what lies ahead. Like its many models, or debates over whether the Rick Dom or GM were stronger according to Tsurumaki’s interview, *Gundam* will continue into whatever bizarro version of itself it has in store.
Tomino's *Gundam* is not coming back in the strictest sense. It was forged during a time when increasingly-dying-out people were old enough to remember--or live in the aftershock of--Japan's most horrifying traumatic event. I highly doubt anyone would say that such an event needs to be experienced again just so another installment can be made that "has actual meaning for my fellow Newtypes." War is always a stone's throw away (and as such, war fiction will forever be in vogue), but there are other battles to be fought as time and its protagonists sprint forward. *GQuuuuuuX* is not like old *Gundam*, and that’s how it should be. Because, now in the year 2025, it makes the claim that, even in the midst of circumstances you cannot make heads or tails of, humanity's ability to cling to SOMETHING, or even perhaps anything, is the first step in taking your own future by the reins, even if that something is acknowledging your own malaise or frustration. Tsurumaki wanted to make people watch *Gundam*. He had that something, and he did something with it.
And if you ask me, that’s pretty dope.
roketoman
Finally this disgusting mess is done for good. And honestly it shouldn't even titled "Mobile Suit Gundam" in the first place. As lots of you notice, this anime serves no purpose other than how-many-reference-can-you-put-in-here challenge. If reference or cameo is a dyck, this anime can literally be defined as non-stop jerk off with premature ejaculation for 12 episodes straight. But what makes it so worse is instead of keeping those reference accurate to the source material, they really take extra effort to go the extra miles to make it's about something else completely at its core which resulting in this anime feels so much morelike an alternate timeline of Neon Genesis Evangelion instead of the one that is in its title.
The whole 12 episode of this mess is basically Evangelion's Impact events with some copy paste moments from Ideon, Gunbuster and FLCL, almost nothing feels like the typical UC war stuffs, not even UC's most space-magic period felt near familiar to whatever bullshit they put in this abomination. A gundam that can turn mega size out of nowhere, people who can change suits like sailor moon, the talking gundam who always tells characters what to do, mechanical hands that can retract and extend on its own wheel inside the cockpit that seems to have no purpose than hugging the pilot, the made-up zeknova term and event, the made-up endymion bullshit or whatever that thing that makes the robot have power ball for god knows why. The made-up duet tactic called mav. Etcetera. In the last episode alone near the end there's a bunch of "cool sounding term but who cares what they mean" bullshit.
Heck, they even make being a newtype is like this cool and every kids dream endgame in this anime with that "a true newtype don't need to be protected", sounds and feels like a very typical shounen ambition trope like when naruto wanted to be hokage. In fact, being Newtype is tragedy in every UC, even in it's most space-magic period. They're used to kill each others, got jailed after the war ended, put into lab to to be lab rats, etc. But suddenly being newtype is the cool thing endgame out of nowhere? I can't even expect even a badly written fan fiction would be that wrong, let alone an official "continuation"
And I really have to repeat that NOTHING really feels like the early UC gundam stuffs in this mess. Not even characters personality and interactions, not even the dialogs, not even the looks and the fight of the mechs. And you can even find videos online comparing how close this mess is to eva, ideon, or whatever moments it cameod from another anime which is the funniest part of all.
The robot design are ugly and very unfamiliar, but holy hell everything else are unexpectedly so much worse than that. This thing is a love letter to old gundam fans you said? That's gotta be the best joke of the century because this is actually a love story to anno/evangelion fanboys while at the same time an insult to that old gundam fans. This thing is not a Gundam show made by evangelion team, it's actually evangelion with a very thin gundam skin. This thing is not Gundam alternate timeline, it's actually Evangelion alternate universe.
SanaeK10
I've once had a discussion with a few friends on how we don't get real trainwrecks anymore. The current industry being too risk-averse to even do originals, let alone something so batshit and over-the-top that you stop and question what you're watching. GQuuuuuuX isn't quite Valvrave level, but it'll do for now. I'm satisfied with how stupid, poorly thought out, batshit madness that has transpired over 12 episodes, though I wish they'd make another cour to continue the insanity. GQuuuuuuX presents itself as an "Alternate Timeline" if Zeon won the One Year War, but in actuality, in a similar vein to Higurashi Gou/Sotsu or Final FantasyVII Remake/Rebirth/Rewhatever, a Meta-Sequel that very poorly tries to answer the question "What if Franchise tried to give everyone a happy ending?". However, unlike with Higurashi or FFVII, I have no nostalgia or biases towards Gundam (my first Gundam was Birdie Wing of all things), so I ended up really enjoying GQuuuuuuX , though your mileage will of course vary, if you're the type of septuagenarian who grew up watching 0079 when it was airing.
Let's see, Machu and Nyaan are unlikable, and their infatuation with Shuuji comes laughably quick with no buildup (Nyaan especially), and Shuuji has all the personality of a wet rag. But of course, they're not important, because as the Meta-Sequel demands it, the only real important characters are the legacy characters from the original series, being Char, Lalah, and Challia Bull. Now Challia I do find his antics quite enjoyable seeing as he was otherwise a throwaway character from the original series, although his (and Comoli's) inexplicable ability to read the actual GQuuuuuuX script is never explained.
I suppose part of the charm is seeing familiar elements distorted or remixed for the show. Familiar designs taking on new life thanks to being reimagined by Gainax (you're still Gainax to me dammit) brings something fresh every episode, and really does add to the "Why would they do this, Sunrise would never" pile.
Call it a guilty pleasure or whatever, but GQuuuuuuX has been a fun ride throughout. After Witch from Mercury I feared a majority of the show would be Clan Battles but I'm glad to be proven wrong as the whole show wraps up in just 12 episodes with pacing equivalent to a 52 episode anime. It's the closest thing to a trainwreck wild ride in the Reiwa era, and one that is nowhere near as aggravating or infuriating as the Higurashi meta-sequel.
Thank you Gainax. Next time maybe cut down on the EVA references.
7/10
Humburbur06
After finishing this series I can safely say that I strongly recommend you watch any other Gundam series if you want a decently structured story and impactful narrative. The series, being 12 episodes, has not enough time to fully develop the characters and the world they live in, leaving many questions left unanswered as well as having an insanely rushed plot. The art style isn't anything special with many of the characters imo looking like they came straight from a Pokémon series. The Mobile Suit designs are definitely unique but are mostly there to just sell the kits to the viewers with a majority of themserving no purpose narrative wise. I do believe it had an interesting premise but the execution could've definitely done better (you can definitely tell Hideaki Anno had a hand in it and took inspiration from Eva especially with the designs of the Mobile Suits).
Overall, a disappointing series that could've done better if given more time and should've ran for more than 20 episodes, let alone 12. You can definitely feel there was passion put into it but that passion can only get you so far. I will say that the soundtrack and op/ed were fantastic and definitely elevated the series for me (Yonezu Kenshi and Suisei my GOATS). 4/10
MrKessler
Before this anime started airing, every forum post, article and Gundam fan was recommending it for those who had never seen a single piece of Gundam media in their life, having never watched Gundam, I heard to their recommendation and thought this was an amazing point to start. I WAS WRONG! THIS WAS A TERRIBLE STARTING POINT. This show REQUIRES you to have watched multiple other Gundam projects, I don't know which ones, you'll have to look that up. If you ARE a gundam fan, however, there's clearly a lot of love put into this show, be it the amazing animation, all the references to past shows,returning characters, you name it, and while I believe you will find some enjoyment in that, it will not magically make this show good.
Even not counting all of the things that you need to understand before watching this (I spent a long time on thje Gundam wiki), which is roughly 50% of the whole show. Even the parts that stand alone are riddled with problems.
FIrst and most importantly is the pacing, in 12 episodes, this show goes through what essentially is 4 arcs, estabilishes multiple original characters, as well as having arcs for all the returning characters and it is RUSHED as all hell.
The show clearly wants you to desperately care about its main cast and their relationship, but it gives basically no time at all in building up those characters, it estabilishes very quickly their arcs and relationship, and then it moves on because it has no time to go through all of its other plots that are all cramped in here and expects the audience to fill the gaps by themselves.
The last episode, especially, shows that they are just rushing towards the ending, as characters barely even have any time to talk.
This show should've been 24 episodes, and the director clearly wanted to cram in here as much Gundam lore as he could + establishing a whole new set of main characters. Add to that the already complicated politics present in the Gundam universe, and what you have is a rushed mess of a show that had the potential to be much much better. The best thing that I can say about it is that it made me interested in watching the other Gundam shows it constantly references.
If you're not a gundam fan, don't even bother with this,
If you ARE a Gundam fan, you will definitely find enjoyment in this show, but it is still a rushed story with uninteresting characters that you will probably not give a sh*t about.
IlTossico
I want to make a pretty soft and fast review. At first touch, animation and design is what stand out, both in good and bad way: general design, animation and Gundam stand out for the amazing quality and precision of details, then you look at the characters design, how they are literally drawn, and you can’t understand why this choice. At left we have the amazing Gundam design from Ikuto Yamashita, the master who invented and design the EVA of Evangelion, an amazing mecha designer; and on the right we have characters design from someone during an acid trip. It doesn’t make sense. I can’tsee why this design choice, that make you feel this show very poor from the start.
Then about character and story, mmmh, there is a better way to describe this. At first, on the first 2/3 episodes, I was just watching the snow, trying to find stuff and understand, but after a bit I noticed a similarity to another anime I already see, multiple time too. Almost like a déjà vu. Then I remember that this anime is directed by Anno, and what you see on this show is a nostalgic Anno, because when you start to making pieces together you start finding old plot threads. You can see this on a lot of stuff, even on some animation on the last 2 episodes, I’m not kidding, there is a specific scene on the last episode that make me scream Evangelion!
I could say, that it’s welcoming the fact Anno is using a lot of his old stuff, on making this anime, but the fact is that it isn’t Evangelion, It’s Gundam, and you should stick to this. It still amazes me, how so many amazing people, capable of making some of the best anime ever made in the world, like Evangelion or FLCL, end up making this thing, even considering the budget they had available.
I don’t want to go deep into the story or plot, there are already very good review talking about the issue I was describing above.
In the end, even if I don’t suggest seeing this show, considering how boring it is, I still convinced “The Witch From Mercury” is much worse in terms of plot and characters.
To the guy talking bad about Unicorn, it’s an amazing anime, considering the high production quality and low episodes number, I can’t understand why is compared to this one, when maybe the closest show to compare the last one made, The Witch From Mercury, on this one, there is ton of stuff to say, about how trashy it is, and how bad money get spent from company on making anime based on what people don’t want to see.
KiberHarcos
⚠️ Spoiler Alert: This review contains traces of memory, narrative standards, and thematic expectations — all of which are largely absent in the show. With GQuuuuuuX (or whatever vowel soup this entry calls itself), the Gundam franchise has officially reached its postmodern collapse arc. The writing doesn’t so much evolve as it disintegrates — what used to be coherent (if ideologically tangled) narratives of war, identity, and political trauma now feel like TikTok-ready drama bursts, disconnected from any systemic gravity. Characters like Lalah are reduced to symbolic ether, Amuro is a practically a JPEG in motion — and Char feels like a parody of himself without theself-awareness. The show leans heavily on referential nostalgia, but without understanding what made the original great. Instead of thematic escalation, we get quantum spaghetti plots that seem generated by a neural net trained on fanfics and algorithmic audience retention charts.
There are glimpses of artistry — some of the visual compositions echo the rawness of War in the Pocket or the tension of Zeta — but they are quickly drowned in a pacing structure that feels randomized. Important emotional beats are passed over in seconds, while secondary fluff drags on for episodes.
For long-time UC fans, this series isn’t just disappointing — it’s existentially alienating. It treats the OYW like a palette to remix rather than a narrative to extend. That alone might not be unforgivable — but doing so with this level of emotional vacuity is.
ZakuEclipse
As a big time Gundam fan I've watched all of UC and all of the AU stuff as well apart from SD and the Build stuff because I wasnt a fan of those. I love that theirs something for everyone but GQuuuuuuX imo is the worst Gundam anime so far. Nothing ever made a lick of sense. I despise this "Marvel portal opening up to other timeline shit". Leave that in Marvel please! I watched all 12 episodes and at points their was redeeming factors but all of those got outshined but the mega slop that was this show. Everything was so odd, confusing attimes, nothing ever making sense. This was like Star Wars sequels to our Gundam. Its was absolutely a crap chute. Please dont give us anymore of this terrible Eva shit again, its all I ask.
Mr_U
DISCLAIMER: I have not watched any other Gundams and in fact have hardly watched any mecha (besides Code Geass and...oh god Guilty Crown I'm so old) I really really really really really really really really really really really really really really really really really really REALLY wish this series was 2 seasons like the past Gundam series apparently were There is no avoiding it. This series is an absolute mess. Our main leads have "arcs", but they feel like sudden plot points rather than proper progression and don't get to interact nearly as much as I would have wanted. Like suddenly, this character needs to feel angry,suddenly this conflict between these two characters needs to be resolved. There is way too much going on for such a short series, between multiverses, political feuds, an initial premise that gets turned on its head halfway through, and tons upon tons of undercooked characters. There's a ton of jargon and references to other Gundam shows that makes it difficult for me as a new view to keep up with (Episode 2 was pretty much a non-starter for me). And, well, there's still a big reliance on "hype moments and aura". The fact that this series started development in *2018* is just a sign that this series had a troubled development, and it would explain a lot since that's the same year Spiderverse came out (which I am absolutely sure this anime owes a lot to).
Anyways, Gundam GQuuuuuuux is the first anime series (not counting movies) I've finished watching as it aired since Assassination Classroom and it reminded me why I fucking love this medium.
What hooked me to GQuuuuuux was its colorful sense of its style, its visuals and animation, its wonderful soundtrack, and its premise. Holy crap, I love the premise of young people stumbling upon a mecha and getting roped into doing illegal underground combat for the purposes of making money and getting some excitement in their lives. Yes, the premise isn't at all reflective of how the series shakes out. And yes, I really really wish Nyaan and Machu got more development. But...god damn it, I love these two characters. I love Nyaan's desire to find a life that fulfills her after losing everything, and her uneasiness with people, her bright and ecstatic highs and her cold and lonely lows. I love Machu being this goofy ass high school shonen angsty teenager who somehow got roped into having to pilot a mech for criminals and using it to make her life feel less mundane. I treasure every moment I get to spend with these eccentric dorks and their journey to free themselves from the world around them. I adore stories about multiple normal characters wanting to lead normal lives, but are forced to enter fights involving powers far beyond their understanding, and have to fight not to "save the world", but simply for their own inner peace and the people and small world they care about. And that ending...man. I know it was a big dose of "hype moments and aura", I know that last bit was way too painfully short, but...I JUST LOVE THESE CHARACTERS AAAAAAAAAA
There is a hole in my heart after finishing this series. I can't tell what exactly is the cause. Is it disappointment? Do I wish this series was more than it was? Or is the fact that I can't accept that this is the last we'll see of these characters and that their story is likely finished? I mean, I guess in that case I should be upset that the show is rushed and I don't feel satisfied with the journey I had with these characters. But...in a modern anime landscape where there is so much coming out, so many high quality fantasy and shonen anime that I just can't bring myself to care about, so much isekai, I am just glad there exists a messy-ass, but passionate, human-focused, and gorgeous-looking sci-fi anime I can have fun with. I'm glad this made it out of its 7 year development alive and I got to meet these characters at all.
Should you watch Gundam GQuuuuuux? Unless you're already a big Gundam fan, or you're a sci-fi loving freak like me who sees the beauty in the messiest pieces of media, absolutely not.
In fact, this is maybe a sign I should develop better taste and watch FLCL and Gurren Lagann...and other Gundams...and Evangelion...and fuck it, I should probably watch Symphogear too. Or maybe I'll give up on anime series again and return to manga and anime movies.
But the fact remains...this is what pulled me back into watching anime.
Thank you, Gundam Gquuuuuux, for reminding me why I love anime.
Zelae
Probably the worst anime i've ever seen, the music aren't bad but the opening is nightmarish, the fights scenes are mid and worst of all : the story which starts with a setting rendered completely uninteresting as it is merely pretext for nostalgic cameo then completely discard its own worldbuilding when the political setup it teases in between the soporific and weightless match (to death, these guy are killing themselves and we don't even know why, who watches it, who organize it, the series just don't care) finally bears fruits. All of this to end on a stupidly convoluted nightmare finale where every character moreor less has the same objective which don't oppose them but will still try to kill each other for it. And they don't even end up doing it, the problem just fuck off to another dimension until the next season i guess, awesome.
I've seen some people complain that the show should've been longer but given that it completely disregard everything it sets up in an half assed way, giving these subplot more weight would've probably played against the show in an even worse fashion.
The series also constantly pull shit out of nowhere, for exemple sayla mass appears like 3 times for 10 seconds each and somehow she's central to the conclusion and the world order it presents.
The whole final arc is a really really bad rip off of mazinger zero with an uninteresting plot, uninteresting cast and uneven charadesign and the worse part is they don't even seem to have understood what made it good when it's the most primal ooga booga bullshit.
Really not looking forward to future studio khara production given both this and anno's latest output.
SimplyBored
The show and story itself was very good and interesting but I haven’t seen the previous gundam shows(apart from witch from mercury) so I can’t comment much on if this show did it justice or what not but generally the story was amazing although I wished they expanded more on nyaan maybe a deeper backstory because I feel like her part in the story was a little anticlimactic and well this is a little obvious but I think the ending is a little rushed but that is too be expected in a 12 episode anime. The animation I have no complaints about it, but theone thing that really bugged me throughout the story is the romance like oh my god nyaan and machu were so unbelievably thirsty for “shu-chan” and his kira kira it was unbearable i would of even preferred it to be a Yuri between nyaan and machu but maybe im just weird for that.
ephemeriis
I genuinely enjoyed GQuuuuuuX, but it's got some issues. Most of which could be solved with more episodes, I think. We've got fantastic animation with a very distinct visual aesthetic that I really enjoyed. We've got a couple of very engaging characters dueling for the title of "protagonist". We've got a whole bunch of fantastic Easter Eggs and callbacks to the main UC storyline. And we don't have nearly enough episodes to accommodate all of this. GQuuuuuuX really could have benefited from more room to breathe. The relationships between Machu, Nyaan, and Shuji would've been a lot more believable if we'd hadsome slice-of-life episodes to watch those relationships grow. The animosity between Ghiren and Kycilia would've been far more understandable if we'd seen it actually growing before our eyes.
Instead, we just kind of have to trust that the emotions we're seeing displayed so very dramatically are somehow warranted.
It's a enjoyable show if you can make that leap. And it's even more enjoyable if you're familiar-enough with the main UC storyline to recognize all the cameos before they're abruptly killed. But, yes, the criticisms are absolutely warranted. There's just entirely too much crammed into these few episodes.
BerryBlitz
GQuuuuuuX dares to ask, “What if Char won?”—and runs with it. The alternate Universal Century timeline flips the script as Char Aznable steals the RX-78-02 Gundam and leads Zeon to victory in the One Year War. Five years later, that bold divergence lays the groundwork for a deeply layered story filled with political unrest, hidden agendas, and questions of identity. Without watching the original Mobile Suit Gundam, I doubt I would have understood half of what was going on—this series expects you to know its history. But for those who do, it’s a richly rewarding narrative, full of clever reversals and subtext. This is nota good starting point for newcomers, but for longtime fans, it’s a bold and meaningful evolution of the franchise.
Machu (Amate Yuzuriha) is easily one of the most compelling Gundam protagonists to date. Restless and driven by a sense of wonder rather than vengeance, her transformation from a sheltered colony teen to a powerful symbol of rebellion is natural and heartfelt. Unlike the often stoic or brooding leads Gundam is known for, Machu is impulsive, curious, and emotionally honest—she’s driven by the desire to understand, not destroy. Shuji Ito, the mysterious Red Gundam pilot, is a perfect foil: quiet, haunted, and steeped in legacy. Together, they build a tense but touching dynamic. Even the side characters, like Nyaan and members of the underground “Clan Battle” circuit, feel alive and surprisingly well-developed.
Visually, GQuuuuuuX is the best Gundam has ever looked. The animation blends sharp, expressive 2D art with clean, dynamic CG, giving battles both weight and grace. The designs are a beautiful fusion of old and new—the classic Gundam silhouettes are still there, but updated with modern polish and a distinct visual identity. The GQuuuuuuX itself is an instant classic: sleek yet clunky, with just enough throwback in its design to feel like an heir to the RX-78. The Red Gundam, meanwhile, is a mechanical specter—blazing trails of crimson energy like a ghost of Zeon’s past. Every fight feels like it matters, and the attention to visual detail is astonishing.
The soundtrack balances orchestral drama with eerie synths and ambient moods, fitting the tone of a world still haunted by war. Kenshi Yonezu’s vocal theme is haunting and beautiful, and the sound design during mobile suit battles hits hard with every clash and explosion. Voice acting is another standout—Machu’s VA delivers a raw, fiery performance that perfectly captures her emotional volatility, while Shuji’s actor brings a quiet gravitas to every line. Even minor characters leave a strong impression thanks to confident direction and thoughtful casting.
As someone who’s seen a lot of Gundam over the last year or so, this is by far the best the franchise has ever felt to me. The blend of nostalgia, innovation, and emotional storytelling hit all the right notes. I laughed, I clenched my fists, I even got goosebumps more than once. The way it weaves in its “what if” premise while still telling something deeply personal and grounded is remarkable. I was hooked from start to finish. If this ends here, I’m satisfied—it was a fantastic conclusion. But if there’s more to come, I’ll be first in line.
Mobile Suit Gundam: GQuuuuuuX is a triumph—an ambitious, beautifully executed reimagining of the Universal Century that manages to feel both epic and intimate. It honors the past without being shackled by it, and delivers thrilling action, complex characters, and meaningful stakes. More than just a bold “what if,” this series reminded me why I fell in love with Gundam in the first place: the fusion of politics, personal identity, and giant robots that somehow still manages to be human.
niconico_86
This is an amazing and unique series of Gundam. Firstly I am not fan of Gundam but this series will be perfect for boys (shounen) who love robots and cute girls. This unique series has two female protagonists: Machu and Nyaan, both are cute and attractive, while no other Gundam series have two cute girls as MC. There are also few fanservices and some additional cute girls appearance along the episodes. [COMPARISON WITH PREVIOUS GUNDAM SERIES] In the past there has been one Gundam series that has female MCs: Gundam the Witch from Mercury, but in Witch from Mercury series the MC is not attractive and severalhandsome men are in love with MC (typical reverse harem for female audience). Also Witch from Mercury has genre of romance & drama.
Gundam Gquuuux series do not have time for any kind of romance. In Gundam Gquuuux you will find the two MCs tend to be angry and physically attack someone they hate (tomboy personality), rather than crying or showing weak side of female. It depicts the struggle of two cute girls as natural Psycho Gundam pilot living from being underground life into famous Gundam pilot. It is exhilarating to see the journey and struggle (resistance, rebellion attitude of MCs) against authority and military faction, stealing Gundam and escape, kicking ass, and so on.
[VISUAL]
The visual is obviously better than older generation of Gundam and the action is quite enjoyable. The girls are cute and the drawing is on the par with latest quality standard anime.
[MUSIC]
This is also the strong point of this anime. Soundtrack is put perfectly into the anime and several music here is very beautiful. It gives the perfect atmosphere of the scene that is being shown.
Overall this is great anime, suitable for boys and can be watched directly even for those who never watch Gundam series. There is no prerequisite anime to watch before watching this anime, as this is quite different and in completely different world than Gundam, only borrowing its same main plot from Gundam. Of course, knowing the basic information about Gundam world before watching this would be better.
Fanservice tips: there are a TONS of fans-art from this anime, by the measure of amount of fans-art generated every day (not from vote), I can say that this anime is VERY POPULAR unlike the rest of Gundam series.
jesicanti
This is going to be a divisive one. It's FLCL but Gundam, and like its inspiration series, you either get it or you don't. And not everybody's gonna get it, or want to get it. It runs on vibes, big moments, and good music rather than a complex plot about the horrors of war. This series is not for people who hate "space magic" newtype nonsense in Gundam and wish it were just a show about World War III with giant robots. This series is also not a good fit for yuri fans who expect actual yuri. Let this be the only spoiler in this otherwise spoiler-free review: there isno yuri to be had here. People who got into Gundam through Witch from Mercury and are expecting more of that, beware. However, if you have reached the enlightenment of yaoi fans (meaning you are able to make your own yuri out of 12 total minutes of on-screen interaction), then this series may be a good fit for you.
Above all, this show is not a good fit for anyone who does not have at least some familiarity with the characters of Universal Century Gundam series. You don't have to watch all of those series (you might not even have to watch any of them, if you've just sort of absorbed information about the characters and the plot over the years), but if you don't know who the main characters of the first Gundam series are, you are going to be lost and the emotional connection the show relies upon will be missing. They are more important than the new characters introduced in this series.
With all that out of the way, all of this means that this series is a perfect fit for me specifically. I absolutely love this show and only wish that they had a few more episodes to cook. The zany, things-just-keep-happening pacing is something I enjoy, I like the new characters, love the old ones, and enjoy the experience of just watching something designed to be entertaining.
First, I need to talk about the animation. They did a beautiful job on this series. The character designs, the backgrounds, the use of color, the effects, the little blink-and-you-miss-it moments, are all top tier. The artist responsible for the character designs, take, is mostly known for her work in the Pokemon series, and it shows here. The characters are so vibrant, full of life, expressive, so many different shapes and styles (look at Shiiko compared to Kycilia!), and yet they all work together as part of the same universe. The mecha designs are from the Evangelion guy, which you will clock immediately. This may be the best a Gundam show has ever looked. It's quite stylized compared to a lot of UC shows (the character designs alone could tell you as much), but it absolutely works and very fitting of the show's vibe.
Plot-wise, the relatively spoiler-free introduction is that this takes place in an alternate Universal Century where Char went missing after an "axis shock" incident. Zeon effectively won the war for its independence over the Earth Federation and is now locked in a power struggle between two members of its royal family. We spend most of our time in space, starting with the Side 6 colony as it gets drawn into the Zeon infighting. As always, teenage newtypes end up piloting giant death machines as a result. What's notable about GQux's plot is that starting around halfway through the show, it starts moving at a breakneck, almost Code Geass-esque pace. Things just keep happening, insane situations just keep piling up, and we start to dive into Rebuild of Evangelion territory. I am a big fan of this kind of pacing and loved it in Code Geass, but the 12 episode limit here does sometimes feel like the plot is about to slam into a brick wall.
Let's talk about the characters. We have two point of view characters here, Nyaan and Machu. I think "point of view characters" is the better term for them than "main characters"; we see the events of this world happening through their eyes, but while they are involved in them, the show isn't really about them per se. This is bound to be controversial and if you told me that you didn't at all buy any sort of friendship or relationship between Nyaan, Machu, and Shuji, I'd agree with that, even though I find them all likeable. It's not a spoiler to say that some returnees from previous UC series, including Lady Kycilia and, of all people, the Zeon commander Challia Bull, are the actual major drivers of the plot. Challia--finally looking like the thirtysomething guy he has always been--is the standout character here and possibly the greatest example of elevating a minor character in the entire franchise.
tl;dr This series' target demographic is adult Gundam fans who point to the screen and say YOOOOOOOO!!! when they see a callback mobile armor from Gundam 0079, if that's not you, sit this one out, but if it is you, enjoy the ride.
Caeruleus_CCXVI
8.25/10 ~ A weird love letter to Gundam GQUX is by far the largest split of the fan base Gundam has ever had. I am a relative newcomer to Gundam as I started watching during the time of Witch, but I have since have watched nearly everything that Gundam has to offer which weirdly puts me in a bit of a minority as most Gundam fans have watched barely 1/2 of what is all of Gundam. Looking back No one liked Zerta, then ZZ then F91, then No one liked Turn A, then Wing, then Seed, then Unicorn, then IBO and Finally no one liked witch.And here we are, history repeating itself, Anything changes from the mech designs to the formula, no one is happy. As said newcomer I do not have the distorted eyes of nostalgia, I see what Gundam and all of its complicated mess for what it is and I have to say GQUX is probably one of the best Gundam has to offer if not for a few clear glaring problems.
If you go and start with the Beginning Movie, you will immediately notice that the show is so much faster paced because they cut as much content that is humanly possible to fit the show into this seemingly arbitrary 12 episode 23 min runtime and it realty suffers for it. This show could have easily been 18, 23 or even 40+ episodes with the exact same story if it really wanted, I personally think just having the standard 18-25 episode runtime or even taken the formula of old and put into a larger OVA format would have done wounders for the pacing of the show.
GQUX also disguises itself as a standalone show where it seemed to be advertised and talked about as it was first coming out, especially in theaters here in the west, as something that was good for newcomers. For people who have seen nothing and people who have seen everything alike. Similar to my thoughts on Unicorn, I could not disagree more. GQUX is a love letter to 0079 and with my personal opinion that is a mandatory watch before watching this, there is far too much that the show assumes you understands and does not really explain well enough. I would like to also add that tho this is more or less a direct sequel to 0079, it is a soft sequel to 'Char's Counter Attack' as it makes plenty of reverences to Zeta, ZZ and CCA, all of which are pretty small and almost just cameos. But nearly everything, especially everything from about ep 9-12 you should really watch 0079 to understand, or atleast interpret as its all kinda jarring and up for interpretation. This show also makes clear nod to Unicorn and Turn A which was Fun to see. (And yes Evangelion, which takes complete homage to Gundam as a whole, love seeing that go full circle)
My smaller gripe is how unnecessary the fanservice is, especially when they so clearly cut so much of the fat from each episode, but decided to keep this in. I understand that literally every Gundam show and movie has atleast a little fanserivce... this shows was a bit excessive and jarring at some moments... weirdly not out of place, just hard to recommend to anyone lol
So as a deep enfranchised Gundam person at this point in my life, I think GQUX was a fantastic show, a love letter to Gundam as a whole, especially for the UC timeline and everything that is the newtype-bullshit that we all love so much. To me I put this just bellow Origins as #1, and right above a 3 way tie for now 3rd place of: Iron Blooded orphans, Unicorn and the Witch from mercury Prolog.
This show is pretty hard to recommend as I said above that I believe you NEED to watch the original show: Mobile Suite Gundam 0079, as a prerequisite just to understand what is going on past cute girls are fighting in kool robits lol, AND you need to watch 2 separate 40+ episode shows and a Featured movie (Zeta, ZZ and CCA) to fully appreciate everything GQUX has to offer. With all that in mind, I give this a 8.25/10 which is very high rating for me, so if you can sit through all of that, then you hopefully will enjoy your time here. I wish you luck on your Gundam journey if you are just starting.
Cheers.
lastnameEver
I don’t like Gundam and I liked this show. I think it takes all the parts that’s good about it (Newtypes, Char, the setting) focuses on those parts well enough, and patches up what’s usually weak about it (the fights) into something serviceable. This is not a career defining work by any means but it’s still well made. Each episode’s entertaining enough – along the way the thread is lost a bit but it’s still easy viewing to watch each episode individually. Nothing of much substance is said but there’s an occasional few lines that stand out. The explanation of the Mav system is interesting,for example, and the final episode has a few good observations, like the need to suffer for freedom, which you can take or leave. Animation’s good as well, nothing standout but there’s a consistent quality. Characters designs are a bit unsuitable, especially in scenes where they’re holding guns, but they're clean and readable.
The mech designs are a bit messy. I heard the word “busy” being used to describe them and that’s pretty accurate. It’s hard to tell what you’re looking at whenever they’re moving. The 3D’s unspectacular but it’s not as bad as like, Gridman/Dynazenon. Their movements are not so sluggish and have a good degree of weight, but it is still noticeable as 3D (if that makes sense).
Plot’s a bit stupid. The transition between the Clan battle section and the civil war section could’ve been done better – they could’ve carried over some of the characters from the first part over to the second to make it less jarring. Once the second part starts it’s kind of hard to care about what’s happening because there’s pretty big leaps in time inbetween each episode and they feel also a bit episodic rather than building on the previous one. This isn’t what’s really stupid, it’s the fact that these girls are committing war crimes over some guy who thinks his Gundam is talking to him, and instead of committing this guy to a mental institution, they both want to go to the beach with him. And in the end Machu contracts his schizophrenia and says that her Gundam is talking to her too nooo Machu noooo take your meds Machu take your meds!!!!!
You might be looking at the staff credits and thinking this is the next Utena/FLCL/Eva - and it’s not, but it’s a good show, and it’s entertaining, and it has a bit of depth to it as well. I enjoyed my time with it and - unless you try really hard to not enjoy yourself - you’ll enjoy it too.
Reviewholic
Clearly made by OG Gundam fans, made for OG Gundam fans. GQuuuuuux gets a little greedy, setting a secondary goal of attracting younger generation audience. Having the trendiest pop singers in their OP, ED and OST. Sharing the character designs from latest Pokemon generation. Starting the story with a simple and engaging sports-like premise that is Clan Battle. Lastly, Machu, the main character, is written to be more relatable to the modern younger generation, with her anti-conforming attitude towards the school system, and her puppy love towards Shuji. Unfortunately, despite setting out to entertain both old and new viewers, GQuuuuuux is limited with the12 episode format. Initially, the colony Clan Battle arc was pretty decent, introducing us Machu, Nyaan and Shuji. But as time goes on, more and more of Zeon's military side is shown, zooming out to the bigger picture of the story. Perhaps due to time restraint, our main characters' roles are diminished in the later episodes to make way for the OG characters. So when we reach the finale, the story suddenly remembers it has to shift its focus back to the main characters, only for the underdeveloped characters to form an unconvincing resolve and unfounded emotional growth. While Machu's heroic sequences and talk no jutsu were cool, her immediate maturity comes off as superficial. The fumbled main characters aren't the only issue in the super rushed finale, of course. With little to no setup beforehand, bunch of Newtype magic nonsense started happening, and I could barely buy the horrible amount of infodumping behind them.
Still, I did enjoy watching GQuuuuuux. In the first 11 episodes, although some skipped details due to the accelerating pacing, it is still simple to follow. Even without prior knowledge of the OG Gundam anime, there is only a few OG characters who play key roles in the main story, and they each have enough screentime to flesh out their motives. In its short run time, the series is packed with many well-choreographed action scenes, with unique mech designs and movement. Even in dialogue sequences, the lighting and shadowing on the characters always have a cinematic feel to it. A lot of narrative flaws in GQuuuuuux can be easily compensated by its sheer quality animation, much like and more so than its recent predecessors.
I'm glad the fans in the anime production get to celebrate their favorite original, and I'm glad for the OG fans getting such luxurious fanservice. However, this anime ultimately felt like a parade that is welcoming at first, attempting to entertain newcomers, but gradually get a little too self-indulgent and do their own thing. I've watched IBO, 00, Hathway, SEED, Wing and WfM. While GQuuuuuux is the least disappointing series, thanks to its short episode count, I think I would rather watch a series that doesn't set out to humor a specific audience that isn't me.
That said though, GQuuuuuux is a big Gundam series with the shortest episode count, so newcomer looking for a low commitment introductory to the franchise can easily start with this one. But if I were to spark one's interest in the OG UC timeline with a modern Gundam anime, I believe the Hathaway movie is a far better recommendation. Not that I ever started watching a 45 year old anime afterwards though.
