In the year Future Century 0060, the many countries that once comprised Earth's surface exist as separate colonies floating in space. Their home planet now uninhabitable, the ruler of all of the colonies is decided by their unanimous participation in the intergalactic Gundam Fight Tournament—a series of battles between the champions of each colony to determine who is most fit to reign over them all.
Neo-Japan's champion is Domon Kasshu, a man who accepts the role with some ulterior motives. Domon searches the galaxy for his brother, a criminal who allegedly murdered their mother and made off with the Devil Gundam, a highly advanced weapon with the power to unleash mass destruction across the galaxy. In his quest to bring his sibling to justice, Domon travels from colony to colony, meeting many of the fighters who will become his allies and enemies in the forthcoming Gundam Fight Tournament.
Armed with the strength of the Shining Gundam, Domon battles to uncover the truth behind his tortured childhood, suffering great betrayal and crushing blows on his quest toward personal and national triumph.
[Written by MAL Rewrite]
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Comentários
jmoriarty84
The story itself is simple and fun, and minimally engaging. I like how it has unpredictable elements in it and you don’t really expect certain things to happen. The premises within the Future Century universe where games, politics, and wars is handeled through the Gundam Fight is quite an interesting concept in my personal opinion, because I frankly think that’s how things should be. We wouldn’t have war, and it’d be pretty entertaining. But sadly, the people on earth will be collateral damage as a result. The presentation of the culturally diverse cast is of course where the Ring ni Kakero influences come into play. Certainportions of the characters are stereotyped or portrayed in what Americans would find not politically correct. I mean, the Russian is a prisoner? The Japanese portrayed as righteous? The American portrayed as strange and arrogant? And the list goes on. If you’re not offended by that kind of stuff, then you’ll probably laugh because it gets to you in that kind of way. Because the Japanese are oblivious to the concept of political correctness, they can of course get away with doing something like this in their own country. In addition all religious referenes such as Domon’s future Gundam, known as the God Gundam, or G Gundam for short is changed to Burning Gundam; and the Devil Gundam would be renamed to the Dark Gundam.
I really enjoy the characters because of their personalities and they each bring in different elements to the show. Domon is the quiet and anti-social super powered guy; while someone like Chibodee is the obnoxious loud mouth comic relief character. Even some of the minor characters like Alleby have their own contribution to the advancement of the story as well and has some touching moments that I don’t want to get into because it would be a spoiler.
Along with a whole new set of story, setting and characters, you also get new Gundams. For traditional purposes obviously, a huge majority of the Gundams will stick to the grill face, have either the green and yellow eyes, and still maintain the iconic red, white, blue, and yellow color scheme. But they add new details to certain Gundams to make them look more culturally authentic to each country. Like Lumberjack Gundam of Neo-Canda is literally meant to resemble a Candian lumber jack. The Gundam Spiegel piloted by Schwartz has a skinny frame to give it the agility and speed that gives blitzkrieg-esque assaults.
The human characters on the other hand were really meant to have the old school style of design from the 1970s mech anime. The character’s slim builts, the pointness of the chins and faces, the shapes of the eyes, the hairstyles and side burns, and some of the clothing designs gives some indication of that. Plus, it’s not Gundam vs army anymore. Prior to Gundam, mech anime was always the main mech against another bad guy’s mech of the week and G Gundam’s story was meant to present that kind of narration so they bring in all of these Gundams for one one one battles which I will now get into.
The battles are also distinctive because it’s not about lazers, guns, and beam saber fights. It’s hand to hand combat and as Daigouji Gai from Nadesico would say, that a mech is most idealistic for such kinds of battles and is the best means of proving who is the man. Granted certain Gundams are bulky, but the heavy blow action makes up for it. While the smaller Gundams like Spiegel and Nobel Gundam have speed and agility and they move like Spider-Man. So you’re getting martial arts mixed with mech. Despite the lack of convenient war fare weapons, the Gundams of course have special powered moves. Like Domon’s finishing move is the shining finger where he turns gold Super Saiya-jin style and then emits a large beam of light to his opponent.
Of course there are also times we get to see the pilots fight outside of their mechs. Afterall, you need to be a legitimate accomplished fighter to be legible to compete in the tournament. The fights are DBZ-ish with the speed but not of course where they power up and fight for a long time and do fire balls. The fights are still intense and fun. So, the art and animation of G Gundam for it’s overall unique use of character and mech design and intriguing battle.
Tomokazu Seki also happens to play the main character Domon Kasshu who has played other notable roles like Keisuke from Initial D, Miyata from Hajime no Ippo, and Kenichi from History’s Strongest Disciple Kenichi. He uses a rough and loud voice, but not high pitched. He can make the character sound cold and calm when he’s not in battle, and yet sound crazy when he’s in a fight. Speaking of the dialog in fights, I just love how dynamic the acting and dialog is in the middle of battle. Like before a fight starts, to officially commence the fight, the fighters have to say “Gandamu faito!!! Rediiii Goooo!!” It’s something you can say is as synonomous as John McCarthy’s “Lets get it on” when he signals to start a fight in the UFC. It’s just that awesome.
And it’s real funny in the Japanese version, Chibodee, played by Hochu Ohtsuka, the voice of Jiraiya in Naruto and Yazan in Zeta Gundam brings a funny tone to his voice and really brings the comedy out of him with his Engrish and how he calls Domon “Japanese.” And Saisaici is played by Yamaguchi Kappei, the voices of Ranma and Inuyasha, and the voice of L from Deathnote. So the Japanese version has a top notch voice cast. As for the dub, I have not seen it in years, but I just feel with the Japanese version, you’re getting the accurate dynamic delivery you need to most enjoy it because I don’t think this anime isn’t fun without the silly Engrish.
The music itself is pretty good. The opening themes Flying in the Sky and I Trust You Forever are really good songs that have a type of passion and feeling to it. Though it doesn’t have a warriors feel like Ring ni Kakero’s or Ashita no Joe’s, the songs still reflect on its semi-unintended campy nature.
G Gundam was mixing old school Shounen Jump, old school mech, and the moderninzing of Gundam all into one. It brings its own unique story that excellently mixes a diverse cast of characters in not just culture, but in personalities; top notch unintended comedy if you’re not Japanese; and high octane action
ZephSilver
The Gundum franchise has long been hailed for it's depiction of war, the human condition and of course awesome mecha fights. Although the quality of titles vary from one to another when viewed in accession, the core themes regarding war was still always factored in. So when a title like Fighter G Gundam comes along and breaks this commonality it's quite easy to see where the harsh criticism of it comes from. Being the 1st title in the Gundam franchise to really dabble in unfamiliar territory, what we get is a balls to the wall battle shounen that left out the essentials but only retainedthe Gundam name.
But simply being different isn't enough to be good and that doesn't change the fact that the end result is nothing short of a nonsensical battle shounen that thinks an excessive amount of plot twists and shouting equates to actual quality.
Story: 3/10
The story can be split up into 2 parts, the first being a revenge tale and other a long winded battle tournament. Set in the future where war is abolished and a new system is put in place, each nation takes part in a battle royal to determine who will obtain supremacy of the universe and the other colonies. These fights are carried out by a Gundam pilot of their choosing and is the driving force behind most of the show's conflict. It's through this battle royal that we meet our core group of characters, with our lead obviously being Japan's representative Domon Kasshu. Using the battle royal as cover Domon's true objective is to find and defeat his brother Kyoji who has come to poses Dark Gundam, which objective is (you guessed it) to destroy the world.
Now the core story itself isn't bad on paper but where the problem starts is how it's presented. Being that it takes a shounen approach, it should come to no surprise that it also obtained the issues commonly found in the shounen demographic. Containing everything from poorly conceived asspulls and powerups to questionable plot twists, G Gundam's storytelling is just all over the place. Another glaring issue is it's regurgitation of needless exposition and plot conveniences. And despite the constant bombardment of nonsense like a mermaid, a mummy and windmill Gundam or gundams going super saiyan, it still ask of the viewer to take it seriously. This wouldn't have been a problem if it was going for a self-aware satire but sadly it never took that route. What we get instead is a show trying too hard to angst and too hard to be cool while coming across as a laughable concoction that you'd think up as a child while playing pretend with your toys.
Art/Animation: 7/10
Now if there was ever an area where G Gundam deserves recognition it would be with it's production values. The Gundam franchise has always been proclaimed to being ahead of its time, with titles like Zeta Gundam that was leagues ahead of other anime titles of it's era in terms of cinematography and choreography. But with titles like Double Zeta and Victory Gundam it had seemed that the franchise was finally losing it's luster. But G Gundam brought on something like a Renaissance for Gundam, bringing with it the familiar levels of animation quality found in OVAs like War in the Pocket and Stardust Memory.
Being that the story focused on mecha fights a great deal of effort was placed into making all the battles to feel grandiose when called for it. And with a introduction to a new way of piloting the mechas by body synchronization, the aesthetics and easy to read body mechanics were ahead of it's time. The attention to detail really made it an entertaining watch that never felt hindered by the time period it was made. It even looks good for today's standards. But of course corners were cut with reused scenes and still shots but given the effort placed into everything else it's easily forgivable.
NOW the same can't be said for the mecha designs. To put it bluntly half of them are beyond idiotic. Everything from a evil clown to a windmill, I have a hard time wrapping my head around the poorly thought up designs. It's like the artists all got drunk and doodled up any nonense that popped into their heads. But given the cheesiness of the story they may just help heighten your B-movie experience.
Sound: 5/10
"so bad it's good" is the best phrase used to describe the voice acting of G Gundam. This is schmaltzy over acting taken to a new extreme. Every one liner is delivered with so much ham that you can't help but chuckle as they're delivered. That said I highly suggest watching this dub to optimize the effect. The soundtrack itself works well with the show's content. Delivering the right amount of "oomph" when needed and adding to the overall 90s vibe.
Characters: 3/10
The characters all felt like they've been ripped right out of the pages of cliches. With a spiky hair protagonist that think yelling and "talking with your fists" is the only way to solve problems, it borderlines obnoxiousness at times. The rest of the cast follow the same 1 sided personality with one predominant straight that forces them to be marginalize as typical archetypes. May that be the pretty boy "man of honor" or the strong dumb brute, all of them exhibit the behaviors of easy to write and even easier to read characters.
But being typical characters aren't necessarily bad per say but the way the writers go about using them is where it really becomes a problem. Everyone is flimsily handled to the point where their personality can flip flop from friend to foe with no proper build up. It's like they were manipulated in order to serve whatever objective the plot was going for at the time. This result in too many role reversals to be taken seriously and also a sad attempt to try to add depth and complexity to a cookie cutter cast that were only surface deep.
Enjoyment: 7/10
Now without a doubt G Gundam is entertaining. Due to many factors but mostly contributed to the time period it was made, G Gundam has aged into a campy b-movie romp that offers cheesy one liners, laughable plot twists and hammy moments throughout. This b-movie experience is even heightened further if watched dubbed, with a vast array of schmaltzy voice acting performances that deduces genuine bouts of laughter. It's truly among the pinnacle of cheesy 90s entertainment and those simply seeking dumb fun should look no further.
Overall: 4.5/10
G Gundam is the ultimate 90s cheese experience. Idiotic plot twists, nonsensical mecha designs and over the top voice acting. It's the pinnacle of anime cheese but a face palming journey that can't be forgiven. For everything it had going for it, it always took 2 steps back. It was an experimental attempt to do something different with the franchise that led to half-baked results. For fans of Gundam this might be a fun time waster but this isn't a something recommended to any newcomer trying to see what the franchise is all about.
OtakuFreak
Well, it's been a while since I wrote another review, and yes it's a Gundam review. I'm the person who has pretty much watched them all (not all but hey, I know all the ones that came out in the USofA). Okay what you have here in front of you was the first of its kind in Gundam History. While after the release of Mobile Suit Gundam Char's Counter attack, a few people in BANDAI came up with a new concept, fuse Martial Arts with Gundam, and hence for became Mobile Fighter G Gundam. No one thought that this would work but it did. Thoughmany fans of the seires were kinda annoyed that the constant Custom Gundam were over used, it created an new basis for many of the new Gundam series. Many of you know them as the pretty boys of Gundam Wing and the overly issued Childrern of Gundam Seed. The concept of Five Hero Gundams shaked the Gundam world and is still happening now.
The story takes place in an alternet setting, not Universal Century. This new world is called Future Century. In Future Century, nations from around the world leave their homes and begin to live in space, in the newly formed space colonies called the Neo Nations. Even though many have left Earth, it's still a vitial resorce, and to prevent any further wars the Nations declare that every four years there is to be a Gundam Fight. The Gundam Fight determines which Neo Nation will take Earth into their hands. After each Nation selects one of their best fighters and locks them down on Earth, the battle begins.
In this story, it is now the 13th Gundam Fight. A Martial Artist from Neo Japan, Domon Kasshu, is sent to Earth. With his newly earned title of King Of Hearts, he brings fear upon his opponents, but Domon's true intensions is to search for his brother, which mysteriously disappeared after an incedent in the space colony of Neo Japan. Now the only remaining member of his family is his father which has been frozen as pusnishment for actiing against the Neo Japan Government. And to release his father, Domon must fight and win the Gundam Fight.
Eventually Domon realizes that he's not the only one that is willing to go the distance as he meets many formidable foes. Chibodee of Neo America, George of Neo France, Sai of Neo China, and Argo of Neo Russia all have their reasons of fighting within the tournament. They soon become friends after facing a menacing foe known as the Devil (Dark) Gundam.
The story is pretty good. It's not what I really expected from Gundam, and it was a completely new twist to things. I can rewatch it a few times and still enjoy it. Although, the birth of this series pretty much brought an unnecessary evil to the Gundam Franchise. With all the spoofs of Gundam Wing, Gundam War X, Gundam Seed, and a few other Super Gundam legacies, I can't help but get mad that because of this one show it had made Gundam into a Super Hero Five show. In the long run, its an okay show, not one of my favorites of the Gundam series, but Gundam Seed wasn't any better. So if you really want to see what started the Gundam Wing and the Five Gundam concept, this is what you are looking for.
godlikeng
G Gundam, one of my favorite Gundam Alternate Universe series. Unfortunately, this series does not get the love it deserves as compared to the newer ones. Although it is named G Gundam, it is in no way a Gundam at all. (Excluding the designs and premise >_>) Gundams get into one-on-one brawls in the tournament called the Gundam Fight and beat their respective opponents one by one until they win the tournament. The fights are very super-robot-esque, with lots of hot-blooded shouting and super moves, including finishers such as SHINING FINGER! They even come with their own cheesy incantations to be recited before execution. Story The showbasically starts of as a monster-of-the-week, with one enemy being introduced every episode. However, near the middle of the series, the show uses the development in these episodes to reveal a plot gradually piled up from the beginning. Some parts of the story are quite touching despite the cheesiness of it all, and it has a number of twists as well.
Art
The art style stays true to the original Gundam hand-drawn style (back when CG wasn't used yet). Fans of the older series will immediately take to it, and newer watchers might be initially turned off by the lack of shiny computer generated lasers, but may grow to love it. The action scenes are pretty well animated and are quite constant, although some scenes you can clearly see how more effort was put into.
Sound
The music for this show is great. Music during fight scenes will pump you up, and more melancholic tunes during touching/sad scenes will jerk your heart real good. The songs are quite fitting, but can sound a little old fashioned at times. (They even have authentic Cantonese music for when they are at Neo Hong Kong!)
The openings and endings are also among the better ones, topped with above average animation. The openings really help to get you in the mood for the show.
The voices are very fitting. They can be serious when they need to, and perform crazy hotblooded move yelling when needed. The chemistry between Domon and Master Asia's seiyuus are very natural. Overall great voice acting for all characters.
Character
The characters are very well written, and the main crew and their fellows get superb development over the course of the 49 episodes. Don't want to spoil anything here, so I'll just say that their relationships are very well portrayed, especially that of Domon (protagonist) and his master, Master Asia (you have to have heard that before).
All in all, I enjoyed this show a lot more than I thought I would. As my second Gundam series, it's impact on me has not faded since I have watched it unlike many other anime series. In fact, I think I'll be rewatching it pretty soon. What are you waiting for? It's time for the Gundam Fight-o! READYYYY.. GO!!!
*buries head in ground*
justchill
wow um wow g gundam has made me ask myself such questions as "who are these 4 new characters who have been introduced out of nowhere only to die 5 minutes later?" and "is that a horse controlling a gundam?" g gundam has been a constant reminder of my own shortcomings as a human being. as i stare into the screen, g gundam stares back. 49 episodes i watched in a tiny window without sound or subtitles to gather clips of mechs doing whatever, and maybe some of anime girls opening / closing their eyes. i have seen things no one should see. there is literally an episode whereone of the characters fights a gundam piloted by a clown, and said character fears clowns because his parents were kidnapped by clown with guns. there is literally a mummy gundam that the MC fights.
g gundam and I grew together as person and anime. we shared the same space.
we coexisted. anime and man together.
is g gundam even real
who is g gundam
where is g gundam
how is g gundam
g gundam
g gundam
g gundam
i am finally free
from
g
gundam
unclesnapple
G Gundam is an anime that is stylistically very different from most of the other Gundam timelines, disregarding a lot of the more serious and realistic aspects of the metaseries. At first, the mesh of Gundam with martial arts and silly-looking robots might be off-putting to hardcore Gundam fans, but once you embrace the show for what it's trying to be, it turns out to be pretty good. When you think Gundam, you probably think about war and a serious space opera with minimal wackiness and very little in the way of anime-style expressions. G Gundam, for better and for worse, does a complete 180degree turn on all the Gundam series that preceded it, and many that came afterwards. You'll find a lot of overused anime tropes here, from people yelling out the name of their signature attack (SHINING FINGER!), to big mouths, to quivering eyeballs when they get angry. Plus, the comedic appearance of a lot of the Gundams themselves definitely appear to make G Gundam slanted to a younger audience. For example, the Gundam from Spain has a giant bull head for a torso. The Gundam from Egypt is a mummy. The Gundam from Kenya is a zebra, and so on. Not what you'd expect to see in the original Gundam or Gundam Wing for sure, but not only do these unique Gundams become highly amusing, they add to the charm of the show once you learn to stop taking it completely seriously.
The story revolves around two main things, the Gundam Fight and the Devil Gundam. The Gundam Fight is a contest held every four years to determine which country gets sovereignty over space. This is a gentleman's agreement done so that there won't be any wars. Every country submits their best Gundam to represent them, and the last one standing wins legislative power in space. All of the main characters in the show participate in the fight, including our hero Domon Kasshu, who represents Neo Japan. The Devil Gundam is a nigh-invincible world-destroying mega-sized Gundam that is threatening the very safety of the world while the Gundam Fight is going on. In the entire Gundam history, it is probably the largest Gundam ever made by a longshot. Along the way of this 49-episode series, Domon will make friends and enemies from other nations, discover the secrets behind the Devil Gundam and his brother's disappearance, see people close to him reveal their true colors, and many other fun plot twists.
If at first you have a hard time getting into G Gundam, stick with it. The show definitely starts a little slow, but it gets incrementally better as the series goes along. It gets better with the appearance of Master Asia around episode 12, then even better once the Gundam Fight begins in the mid-20s, then even better once the final Battle Royale begins. The last ten or so episodes showcase some really fun action and highly epic conclusions to all the main storylines. The show definitely aims to be a fan-pleaser in all aspects.
All that good stuff being said, I can't give G Gundam a rating worthy of a masterpiece. The show is at many times shallow and kind of a typical anime. Some of the fight scenes take a lot of shortcuts when it comes to animation, and a lot of the characters aren't very deep (although Master Asia is a pimp). I don't believe G Gundam is trying to be a masterpiece though. It wants to be a fun action series that you can watch and have a good time. At having fun, it succeeds, in spite of (or perhaps because of) all the cheese it brings. Recommended.
Phaetons_Folly
G Gundam is by far the most experimental of the main Gundam shows to have been created. Many fans from the West first encountered G Gundam when they were kids watching Toonami, so this show has a strong nostalgia factor for many who have seen it. However after recently re-watching this show, I can confirm that it still contains the same charm and energy I remembered as a kid and it is still one of the most enjoyable anime I have ever watched. It contains some amazing fights, and also has some amazing intentional and unintentional humor. G Gundam is set many yearsinto the future where much of humanity has gone into space to live on colonies. Achieving the ability to live in space did not bring humanity together, but only serve to drive it further apart. Countries such as Japan, the United States, France, China, Russia, and every country that existed in 1994 has their own space colony and they all foutght against each other to gain supremacy of space. In response to the bloody wars that came about, the countries agreed to hold a Gundam fight tournament ever four years. Each country would send only one Gundam, and whoever won the tournament gave their nation the right to rule space and Earth for the next four years.
At its core, G Gundam is merely a kong-fu anime that happens to have the fighters and martial artists in giant robots. The pilots don’t use joysticks to maneuver their Gundam, but instead have a suit that causes the Gundam to mimic their own moves, making it by far the coolest way to control a Gundam or giant robot I have seen. The action is over-the-top, and the fighters are able to perform crazy attacks both inside and outside their Gundam; one fighter even cut an entire skyscraper in half with a single kick outside of his Gundam. The story is simple, but it is well paced for its length. Each episode has its own featured fight, and I don’t recall any fight lasting longer than one episode.
The characters are what truly make this show. Domon Kashu is the main character of G Gundam and is the representative from Japan. He is a loud, aggressive and powerful fighter who only knows how to communicate with his fists. He is in search of his older brother who destroyed their family and has stolen the most powerful Gundam ever made and is now hiding on Earth. On his journey for revenge, Domon will encounter Gundam fighters from other countries who are amazing characters in their own right. Some of his fellow fighters will become friends and others will become enemies, but each of them is a joy to watch. You will definitely find a Gundam fighter that is your favorite. It is a joy to watch Domon grow as a fighter and as a person and to see him develop throughout the series.
I must note that this show is one of the cheesiest anime you will ever see, and that is what makes it so good. The fighting in G Gundam is ridiculous, but the show plays everything with a straight face and is serious in how it handles it. This causes the show to be extremely hilarious throughout. All the fighters scream out their special attacks, but I found you never get tired of it. Often, I realized I was saying the attack names along with the characters. This show is often extremely racists. The Gundams representing their countries are often stereotypes of the country itself; for example, Mexico’s Gundam has a sombrero, and Egypt’s Gundam is a mummy. However, none of the stereotypes feel malicious and it all just ends up adding to the humor. I believe this comes from the fact that political correctness is not much of a thing in Japan, though it is in the United States.
I justify this anime receiving a nine because of its immense enjoyment factor. The best way to describe G Gundam is that it is the embodiment of a young boy’s dream, which is where the charm comes from because kids have the best dreams. If you are willing to release your inner child, then you will have no regrets watching G Gundam.
Flawfinder
It's not impossible for me to like an anime based on it campiness. It just...happens so rarely. My idea of camp consists of 80s/90s action films, 70s-80s porno films, 80s horror films, the new Godzilla movie, Dredd, the first 2/3 of Umineko, the 90s Zorro film, etc. etc. And you know what they all have in common? They're not f*cking Sunrise mecha! Seriously, I never got the appeal of these things. Sure Geass was entertaining back when it was fresh and you were new to anime, but not only has it gotten more dated and boring than Independence Day overtime (and by the way, why arewe getting a sequel to that shit?), but these attempts to copy its formula along with just being Gundam in general are horrible. Sunrise's attempts at camp more often than not come off like they're trying way too hard to be cool rather than as a labor of love and it's awkward and cringeworthy, like those godawful Boondock Saints movies. At least the majority of exploitation films during its golden age stuck with one method at most when it came to pleasing the audience.
Not that I'm much of a fan of Gundam even when it's "good". I've gone on before on how I can't stand war dramas and I'm not a particular fan of the space opera one either, something Gundam soaks its roots in very heavily. Not that I hate everything from those genres, but with every Star Wars comes a Mass Effect, and I don't think any more words need to be said. But on the flipside, for every Mission Impossible 2 and 3 comes a Ghost Protocol, and Imagawa's take on the Gundam franchise is definitely the latter. It may not be deep compared to its counterparts, but it's very well-executed in terms of pacing and action set pieces, and it even manages to slip in some cool meta-commentary regarding the franchise its a part of, making for a very rewarding piece of spectacle.
I know I previously wrote that G Gundam was a "decent at best" experience that I could only really pay attention to when I listened to its awful dub. Honestly, I don't know what I was thinking back then, and I don't think anyone else does, so let's not dwell on it. G Gundam already captures my attention right off the bat by having a premise where world conflicts are solved by the best method anyone could have ever conceived: martial arts tournaments with robots. Seriously, why haven't we thought of doing this, let alone make more pieces of fiction about that? Granted, I prefer my martial arts tournaments to be robot-free, but G Gundam has its fair share of mano y mano fist fights as well and you need to be a good martial artist in order to pilot these things correctly anyways. There's no "instant-control of mecha despite not being trained to pilot it" bullshit here. In fact, trying to do that pretty much kills you before you make the robot so much as twitch a finger.
The story is centered on a young Gundam fighter named Domon Kasshu and his quest to find his missing brother - who has been marked a fugitive after a certain series of events caused their parents to suffer the same fate as any parent in an anime except with actual physical presence. In order to do this, he participates in the Gundam fighting tournament and from then on, we get a current-gen fighting game style story in which Domon meets up with someone and fights them with his "shining finger" whilst inching towards the plot points needed to complete the story ever so slowly. Well let me tell you right away that it does hell of a better job at telling that kind of story than any of Netherrealm's fighting games, in that it doesn't keep changing characters Guy Ritchie-style in an attempt to make things more "epic", only to make it disjointed and excessively padded. There are episodes when it does focus on other characters, but they're sparse and only used when necessary to develop them - barring one episode involving a kid that was frankly stupid because that trope has never worked once in fiction and it sure as hell doesn't work here.
G Gundam is divided into two distinct halves: the qualifying rounds and the actual tournament. You win no points for guessing that the tournament half is when I think the show truly shines, but the first half is fun too in regards to setting up the rules and having Domon discover portions of the mystery regarding his brother and the Devil Gundam. The episodic fight-of-the-week style of storytelling can be a bit of a problem at first though, not going to lie. Whilst there's some hinting, you don't really get a clarification of what Domon's goals are until the sixth episode, and even then, it's a pretty simple story. Even when the formula gets dropped upon Master Asia's introduction and stakes ramp up, that fact doesn't really change. G Gundam is one of those anime you have to get into, so it's not really a surprise that it didn't do so well upon release and is still criticized even now.
So why do I like this show? Because it's f*cking camp, that's why.
In addition to the concept of the Gundam tournament being just cool in general, this show captures a lot of what I enjoy about the Golden Age of Hong Kong's martial arts cinema and presents it as a (mostly) visually interesting show that shows its self-awareness through the cinematography and technicals rather than the characters denting the fourth wall with obnoxious fourth-wall commentary and try-hard poses that would embarrass the Tick. Okay fine, there's a bit of that in regards to people screaming each other's names during battle, but I never said G Gundam was perfect, let alone on the same level of The Drunken Master. And since it's essentially a martial arts anime, you'll be happy to know that the show delivers when it comes to the action in terms of choreography and creativity. The only thing I can say that's bad about them is that they always end with Domon using his traditional "Shining Finger" move, because that's the only finishing move the show seems fit to give him. It's a cool name and all, but how about a roundhouse kick to finish things off every once in a while, Imagawa?
Also, for an anime that rides mostly on presentation (especially considering it's almost fifty episodes long), there's bound to be times when it can't keep the energy up. So you get your occasional weak episodes that come off more gimmicky than purposeful, as well as some fights that might feel extraneous. The biggest problem comes near the end when the show peaks too early and devolves into a generic "save the world" type story for its final stretch with the only real standout being the ending scene. I won't spoil it for you, but let's just say that fans of cheesy romance and shipping will definitely get a kick out of it as soon as they wake up due to passing out from LOVE overload. Actually wait, some of you have watched Aquarion EVOL right? Well it's like that, only a thousand times better because the female lead was actually interesting, amongst other things.
G Gundam isn't really the most sophisticated thing in the world, even by anime standards, let alone Sunrise's. However, it does a lot right with me in terms of finding fun in regards to spectacle appeal, and that's why I like it so much. It has funny characters, each with their own goals and ambitions regardless of the situation. It has fight scenes that have weight and tension behind their creativity. And above all, it has a decent sound track that gets your blood pumped for the next episode let alone some awesome opening and closing themes. I even kind of like the love triangle thing between Domon, his childhood friend Rain, and Gundam fighter Allenby, mostly because you couldn't take it that seriously and it's a pretty minor blip in the grand scheme of things here rather than in Escaflowne (Sunrise's other stuff indulges in it as well, but Escaflowne man. Oh god).
It's a bit of a mess when you get down to it, but it's a fun mess, and I will jam sharpies into my nipples if I ever say that about another Sunrise mecha ever again.
Stormy_77
What do you get when you cross a classic Hong Kong style martial arts movie with the Gundam Franchise? Mobile Fighter G Gundam - a very unique Gundam series which for many reasons I'm really glad I watched. The setting is in the future where each country vies for the right to rule space by participating in a "Winner Take All" Gundam Fight on earth every 4 years. It started out slow (6 rating) but the pace picked up throughout and the last 10 episodes flew by. Although parts of the series are predictable, there are plenty of plot twists to keep us entertained, Cliches andall it was still very entertaining.
These are my top 10 reasons why G Gundam is worth watching:-
*01* The hero has limitless potential. So, the "young fighter in training" sequence is mandatory. There is always a wise Miyagi-san (Karate Kid) like character willing to teach our hot-headed hero. Who eventually powers up!
*02* Hong Kong style martial arts movie-like fights, except in Mecha. The Kung Fu moves come along with their special names, which must be yelled out while executing the moves e.g. "Burning Finger", "Hurricane Punch". There is ALWAYS a hyper mode/super mode/super secret technique. e.g. School of the Undefeated of the East's secret special technique.
*03* Men may start off as enemies, but if you are a true martial artist after you fight you end up learning about, respecting and finally becoming friends with your opponent. Very macho, very manly man. Very true to life.
*04* The bond between teacher and pupil is very strong. See episode 45. Similarly, the bonds of friendship between men who have come to an understanding through fist/martial arts communication are extremely strong to the point that friends are willing to risk their life for each other in true "band of brothers" fashion. All the characters rock, even the secondary characters were very well developed.
*05* Men cannot multitask well. If they are fighting they can only think about fighting and nothing else, whereas when fighting a woman can multitask by (1) fighting (2) thinking about repairing a gundam (3) worring if a man loves her and (4) agonizing with another off screen character or her superiors on what is going on with the man she is in love with.
*06* A man will treat his childhood friend and crewmate like a disposable doormat. He will only realize what he feels for her AFTER she is gone, then he will have trouble expressing his feelings.
*07* There is more than 1 enemy and the enemies are complex. After a while you're not even sure if the person is a villian or just misguided. This ambiguity makes us relate to the series better
*08* Gratituous eye candy factor!!! Fan Service for females! Tightest mecha suit ever, tighter than even CC's (from Code Geass). Also, Master Asia and Major Ulube are majorly built, with what look like 12 packs. Yowzers!
*09* Tribute to Hong Kong Style Chinese Martial Arts. The names in this series were very cute. Name of one of the villians is Wong Yun Fatt (Chow Yun Fatt?), Final tournament set in Hong Kong, Cantonese music. Aaah, the memories!
*10* FUN watching each country's Gundam and learing their special attacks. Most fun of the whole series! Africa's gundam was a zulu warrior, Holland's had a windmill. China's was a dragon and the US had a boxer. Singapore and Malaysia were represented! I loved Nepal's Gundam too. Gambatte!
Worth watching if you'd like to see a Gundam series crossed with martial arts. I certainly wasn't bored with this :)
Rage-The-Dragoon
The oddball of the Gundam Franchise. G Gundam is probably the most child friendly Gundam Series there is. As a kid I alway's felt I watched these shows in the wrong order. because I saw Gundam Wing when I was 14 and G Gundam a few years later. While it tries to give us a serious story like most Gundam series It's sometimes hard to keep that serious tone. This is because each country has their Gundams Gimmicked towards somethings that (usually) relates to their country. This causes them to range from serious, creative, to silly and absolutely bizarre designs. G Gundam sadly did seem to suffer froma bit of a tight budget, the Mid 90's wasn't a good spot for anime, and it shows, the pacing in certain scene's feel weird, color scheme's are fairly akward, repeative super-move animations each episode & rather rusty hair and uniform designs.
But to it's credit G Gundam knew where to spend it's money on, while they clearly cut back on the things I mentioned above they did put money in the actual fights and supermove animations. which are the most important. Because you watch a Gundam series for Robot fights. so they did good putting the budget in that direction. The best example of this is when a fighter enters a Gundam and we get the transformation animation where they put on their uniform, which is very creative and unique, but with the payoff of a very ugly and weird uniform design itself.
Yet somehow G Gundam has this weird charm over itself. and I think a lot of that is due to a soundtrack that was clearly too good for the shows budget. each time a super attack gets charged up and those bombastic drums or violins begin booming in you're just hooked on the moment!
Ultimately I can't call the show Bad, but Not Good either, it's flawed.
the Plot is direct, the characters are a bit bland but not unlikable.
But for the budget it had it's a fair show.
Darkness-Ryu
Now I'm just gonna come out and say it, this is the only Gundam show that I could get into and to this day is the only one of the Gundam franchise that I'm into. I tried watching the other Gundam's but just for some reason couldn't get into them. I don't know if it was the story, the characters, or what. I do know one thing though that one of things that I couldn't get into with them was the way they pilot the Gundam's like some type of original aircraft. I mean, these were warrior machines for crying out loud. Shouldn't you bepiloting them like a warrior or something.
Well G Gundam made my fact a reality. In G Gundam, the way that the pilots, pilot the Gundam's is just badass. They control them in an artifical intelligence way and not the same old way they were. The fact that the pilot can control them just by moving there body and fight like an actual warrior is just real cool. The Gundam's themselves were pretty cool too, especially; the Dark Gundam.
I totally loved the story in this version. I think the reason why I liked this story was because while it did mainly take place on Earth, it was more of a space related show. The story was just well written, and well developed and continued to do so throughout the entire show.
The one thing that really made me love this show though were the characters and the music. The music was real awesome and had not only some of the best themes ever, but those two songs, Fly in the Sky, and Trust You Forever; dude, that is some of the best music you'll ever here. The characters were just awesome, especially; the main villian. I'm not gonna say who though many of you know but the reason why is because some people depate about who the real villian is and I'm a little in the same boat but do know who it is though through careful analyization. I will say though that I really did like Domon, he was everything that you'd want in a protagonist and come out on top in the end.
As I said, this is the only Gundam that I could get into and still into today. I really did enjoy it and plan to really get the DVD collection for this. It's fun, it's enjoyable, and a very epic show.
literaturenerd
Overview: Other than SD Gundam (may it burn in the fires of hell) Mobile Suit Fighter G Gundam is the black sheep of the Gundam family. It has no complicated politics or commentary on the futility of war or the psychological damage that a soldier endures. Instead we get ethnic stereotypes, over the top fights, and absolute grade A cheese! If you are in a light and playful mood and want to watch something delightfully idiotic, here is G Gundam! Plot 5/10 The plot takes place in the future of course, but this future is not a part of the main Gundam series canon and exists in itsown universe. War has been abolished and which country gets to rule the world is decided every few years with a giant robot fighting competition. This plot was actually stolen shamelessly from an 80s B movie called "Robot Jox". The main character is Domon, who as you would expect fights for Japan. He is searching for his brother Kyoji and a gundam called the "Dark Gundam" or Devil Gundam in the original Japanese version. To get this out of the way, the G in the title actually stands for God gundam, but I guess they figured with all the national stereotypes this series was offensive enough as is. While searching for his brother, Domon meets fighters from many other countries and must defeat them to advance in the global tournament. Domon is a member of a 5 nation team called the "Shuffle Alliance" consisting of Japan, China, USA, Russia, and France. As an aside, the way the characters pilot the gundams in this series along with the nations making up the alliance give this a striking resemblance to Pacific Rim, which was released 20 years later. Together the Shuffle Alliance must uncover the Devil Gundam conspiracy and defeat those that would use this evil gundam to permanently conquer Earth and all its colonies!
Characters 5/10
The characters are mostly an amalgamation of ethnic stereotypes, so don't look for amazing depth or development here. The American is a streetwise, arrogant blockhead that is a boxer. The Chinese pilot is an obnoxious, hyperactive kid (think Short Round) that is also a shaolin monk. The Frenchmen is predictably a fairy that throws roses at people. The Russian is a hulking Siberian convict that looks like Leonid Brezhnev fucked a Grizzly bear. These are some of the more subtle characters in this series! Although the characters aren't well written, they are enjoyable to watch and this series will have you rolling with laughter, albeit some of it unintentional.
Sound track 8/10
Believe it or not the soundtrack in this series ROCKS! The opening is catchy as hell, the battle themes are gripping, the drama themes get you in the right mood. All around very impressive for such a silly series.
Art 6/10
The art isn't of the highest caliber, but for a 90s anime it isn't bad. It does recycle animation quite a bit, but it is what you would expect from a shonen series of any length greater than 13 episodes during that era of anime.
Enjoyment 10/10
G gundam is a guilty pleasure series for me. I am quite aware of how stupid it is, but it is damn fun to watch! Some of this is nostalgia of course, but I would bet that younger viewers would also get a kick out of this massive piece of 90s cheese.
Overall 7/10
This series has massive flaws, but is quite enjoyable for what it is. Don't go into it expecting deep art that will change your assessment on life. This is not Tolstoy's Death of Ivan Ilyich. This is fucking G-Gundam. BURRRRNNIIINNGGG FINNNGEERRRR!!!!!
lihnel
All of the Gundam fight episodes are superb, I have no negative comments about this anime series, it really satisfy my heart whenever I watch this anime, this series is also very heart warming anime, you will fall in Love, you will appreciate the true meaning of Friendship, and your heart leap in happiness, this series has lots of good lessons, THIS IS ONE OF THE ANIME/GUNDAM SERIES LEGEND, I EXTREMELY recommend this to all Anime lovers and Gundam series lover. I will never forget this anime, this is ONE of the best anime forever!!This is really worth watching, even how many times you watchit ;)
Popaglockin
This is the worst ever robot and the main character is a DEMON CASHU! I am really serious that they call him this all throughout the show and it gets really annoying but that doesnt stop there. Most of this show is making no sense or just being silly, like trying to copy bleach but with robots and humans living together. The Story is a bunch of humans fight in this robots which controls the movements of the robots outside and they are commanded to by there nation. Its so stupid why would nations fight robots like a sport, we dont decide issues with soccer. Theyalso have some stupid machines called dark gundams and god gundams and its so stupid. Its like a story for kids, they even call the main character a cashu.
The Art is old and nothing new. The robots usually look real stupid and one even has a windmill on his chest. Completely offensive.
The Sound is old too and the music tends to grate the ear. This is not a show for people who are hard on their animes or don't like old.
The Characters are mostly the same as in other stuff. Really you can almost know what happens before it happens. Theres nothing really cool here but they try to make Dragon Ball Z with robots which I will review soon two.
The overall this show is old and not worth people's time, probably better robot shows.
TheManiacalGamer
What happens when you make giant robots fighting each other 10 times manlier? The result is called G Gundam. Now if you don't know about the Gundam series it's basically about people who fight in large robots called Gundams and each one is unique in each series. Yet G Gundam, set in an alternative universe from the main series of shows, still manages to deliver. The story, at times, can be very predictable yet enjoyable because of the nature of the show. The pacing never felt rushed or slow because of how unique the episodes are from each other. Now the art style is yourbasic 90's anime. You have characters with huge eyes, characters that are drawn strange, and characters with some downright bizarre designs. Yet I couldn't help being impressed with how well the designs fitted each character and their goals. The sound, with English Dubs, was a little odd at times. It wasn't bad or anything just a little strange. In fact, this didn't stop me from listening to some songs from the soundtrack after I finished the show. Certain songs, especially the ones used in the fight scenes, fit the atmosphere of each fight so well that I think the show wouldn't be the same without them. In terms of character development I thought a show about giant robot battles wouldn't leave a lot of room for it. Low and behold the show surprised me by just how important the characters actually are. The majority of characters, some more than others, have their personalities so fleshed out it's unbelievable. The villains are believeable, the narrator is a welcome decision, and the dislikeable characters are needed. These are characters that you will definitely remember. I think that anyone who loves over the top action bundled in a nice package of awesome should definitely enjoy G Gundam. Its unforgettable characters, story, and general mood is definitely worth recommending.
Pockeyramune919
I had a lot of fun watching this show, from start to finish. I admit that I’m a bit biased, because I love G Gundam on concept alone, so the only way I’d hate it is if the execution was completely botched. Before watching the show, I knew of the Gundam featured in the show and I was absolutely enthralled by the outlandish designs. There’s a windmill Gundam, a mermaid Gundam, a Sailor Moon-esque Gundam, and even a Gundam made out of a Gundam face. I actually owned a Gunpla of the Sailor Moon-esque Gunda, the Nobel Gundam, well before I started watching theshow.
As the designs can tell you, this is very much a Super Robot Show, with super modes, shouting your attacks, plot twist upon plot twist, everything. If you’re interested in Gundam solely for the gritty, realistic war stories, then it’s best to sit this one out. If you love action anime and also love giant robots, then man, have I got the anime for you.
The quotes at the beginning of the review are a variation of quotes said in the show, quotes said so often that I basically had them memorized. But amazingly, they never got old. A large part of the show’s high score for me is the Shounen Hype Syndrome striking again. Even if there was a low spot, G Gundam would be sure to get my blood pumping again and all would be forgiven.
Which isn’t to say the show is perfect. As good as that sequence is, action in and of itself can wear itself thin very fast. The dynamic story is why Attack on Titan is so great to me. Admittedly, G Gundam is one of the shows with a slow start. The first episode is good enough, it’s a fine introduction to the world of G Gundam, but the episodes after it quickly lose steam. One of the biggest criticisms is that G Gundam is a monster-of-the-week anime. The biggest problem with this format is that it’s easy for things to get monotonous and stale quickly. Honestly, around episode 4, the monster-of-the-week format started to show and it got tiring. Luckily, the story really breaks out around episode 10, and it’s all uphill from there. While the second half of the series does begin to dip back to the monster-of-the-week format at times, but the story surrounding these episodes is so interesting that I didn’t notice as much as I did the early episodes.
The dub is a bit hammy, but given the tone of the show, I find it actually adds to it.
Tone might not be the right word. Character performances are hammy, suit designs are outlandish, and the powers the mecha display are arguably the strongest we’ve seen in the entire Gundam series. The show, however, takes itself completely seriously. And you know what, I love it. Unlike Build Divers, there are actual, honest to god stakes in this show. I’m actually engaged in the characters and their struggles. Just because you have a Gundam show that’s not real robot, you can still tell a gripping story, and G Gundam shows this.
G Gundam features a multinational cast as colorful as the robots they pilot. All the main characters are interesting and comical. Master Asia and Domon are great for their energy as well as hamminess. I liked seeing Domon progress as a character; from a man with a perpetual frown, to someone who genuinely smiled and saw joy in fighting alongside friends. The breakout character, in my opinion, is Rain. I was impressed by how independent she was as well as how divorced she was from tropes other female characters from 90s shonen anime might have been prey to. She was smart, could fend for herself, and was no-nonsense. I rolled my eyes when she ended up being jealous, but overall, Rain Mikamura was A-okay in my book.
However, another criticism of the show is that it plays into stereotypes. This is true, unfortunately. This much can see seen in the Gundam that fighters pilot.
The main characters’ Gundam are mostly exempt from this, or at the very least, their features aren’t exaggerated. I still think the American Gundam Baxter’s design — with its football helmet and boxing gloves — is stupid, but maybe that’s just because I’m American myself. Naturally, God Gundam looks extremely normal, as far as Gundams go. But goddamn, if it isn’t cool as a cucumber.
G Gundam has 49 episodes, it could be concluded at around episode 43, but it keeps going. Normally, I’d dock a show points for this, but the final arc of the show was amazing and kept me on the edge of my seat. When G Gundam gets going, it just can’t be stopped.
There were a few dumb decisions made by characters, but I didn’t mind too much.
G Gundam is a very unorthodox Gundam show, and that’s alright. It challenges what can be a Gundam show, and I was glad it was made, because sometimes, you just need to see a giant robot do kung-fu moves. If you love action shows and/or you think giant robots are cool, get off this site and start watching G Gundam.
NecroingReviews
Despite being a part of the Gundam family, this anime is unjustly compared to all the other Gundam series that have come before and after it. While most other Gundam series focus on the hardships of war and have political subtext and so on, this anime took the direction of being an action-packed tournament-style battle anime, and that's not a bad thing as long as you aren't expecting the same kind of story and development of other Gundam series. If this anime has to be compared to any other mecha anime at all, let it be considered the predecessor to Gurren Lagann mixed with KillLa Kill.
Story: The story essentially doesn't matter, the only purpose it serves is to give our main character Domon a reason to travel and fight. The fights are all that matter and not a single episode fails to deliver in the quality of the battles. However, because the "main story" it has doesn't really matter, they could have quite easily made it in a Kill La Kill fashion where the main character's purpose is to fight and become stronger only to reveal the same kind of omnipotent evil entity that you know is coming at the end anyways.
Art: The art and animation are without a doubt what you'd expect from any Gundam series. Ahead of its time, G Gundam has quality animation that can still be enjoyed today. The art style is great for portraying the recognizable real-world landmarks as well as allowing a creative freedom for any kind of mecha design that could be imagined. While some mecha designs were a bit silly, it really showed a unique style of mecha fighting for each different mobile suit that should be expected if the series is going to go out of its way to make so many different models. Granted it did have some limitations at the time being an early 90s anime, so there's plenty of still shots and reused animations that don't happen frequently enough to take away from the action.
Sound: In all honesty the soundtrack is what makes up for the bulk of this score in sound. The music always fit the tone and everything from the opening song to ending song to the main character's action theme song was a great composition that not only suited what was going on, but was also catchy and enjoyable. As far as the voice acting goes, without a doubt the dub for this anime is not the greatest quality even for its time. However, each and every character's voice suits them well, which, compared to even anime of today whose character voices don't always match, is an impressive and respectable feat. That's about the only praise the dubbing will get, none of the voice acting is poor quality, but it's very corny and over-the-top most of the time, whether the character is having an emotional moment or not, chances are their lines will be delivered in a way that is almost awkward.
Character: Every character is a stereotype and/or a cliché. Generally speaking there is nearly no character development either. Each character will suit a cliché from their sovereign nation and stick to it, as well as having one or two major personality traits that they will never abandon. While it is true that the characters fit their roles well and most are quite likeable, there's no real excuse for such lazy character creation. But it's also inconsequential, since all they need to be able to do is fight well to keep the pace of the anime and keep it entertaining.
Enjoyment: This is an anime about mobile suit Gundams fighting each other. The fights are all action-packed, the characters offer a diverse set of mobile suits and personalities and usually each different character will have unique powers, weapons, and/or fighting styles that make it so no battle feels stale or repeated (even in rematches). Despite being lazy, the characters are still likeable. The anime is definitely enjoyable through and through if you don't expect it to be anything greater than what it is giving you at face value, because that's all it needs to be entertaining.
Final Evaluation: If you're interested in this anime, there's probably some interest in mecha anime in general. This isn't a plot-heavy mecha anime like Code Geass. It's a battle-fueled mecha anime like Gurren Lagann. If you want a typical Gundam anime that has the same reused plots and stories as every other Gundam, watch any of the other Gundams. If you want to have a good time watching tons of unique Gundam fighting each other, G Gundam is highly recommended.
Fractal_Slinky
This is one of the most infamous Gundam series, the least-Gundam Gundam of them all. G Gundam is a hotblooded martial arts-filled, ethnically insensitive, over the top explosion of hot blood and guts and I have no idea how it got made with a Gundam name. However, I'm glad it did. With some great moments, a fantastic character in Master Asia, great(and hilarious) designs for the mecha, and a break-neck passionate feeling encapsulating the whole show, G Gundam is one of the greats of Gundam, though it honestly really shouldn't by any means share the name. The start is admittedly somewhat slow and episodic, butit's not hard to just take it easy and enjoy the ride. The music is iconic, the characters are colorful and bombastic, Allenby is one of the best Gundam girls, the God Gundam might be my favorite mobile suit to bear the series' name, and even the English dub is pretty decent, which is not usually the case in anime, especially ones with people constantly shouting silly lines full of emotion and passion.
The theming in this one is more about conflict from a competitive standpoint being a net pro, which again stands out from the usual admittedly hypocritical message of war being bad despite making money off of war machine merchandise from standard Gundam. However, G Gundam still has a pretty decent delivery on an environmentalist message, which delivered by one of the characters later on. Despite such a base theme, especially by now, and being delivered in such a goofy show, the message did kind of get to me as I was so wrapped up in the crazy hyped-up over-the top emotional atmosphere the show gave off.
G Gundam is really good, I think.
AnimatedBunnies
OK. Now this is just my opinion but I have come across others with the same opinion. If you have been recommended a multitude of Gundam series, watch this one last. I do say that for good reason. Every time I've seen reviews of Gundam series I have seen people writing that they have seen Mobile Fighter G Gundam first and the other series they have seen don't compare. this is not to say that they aren't great but if you watch this first, there will be a feeling that something is missing in all the others. It's not that I'm biased but i haveseen many reviews like the one I'm writing, if you see this first the others will have a feeling that something's missing. It's just that simple lol
