FIF#233-Mobile Suit Gundam GQuuuuuX

Universal Century 0085.  It’s been five years since the One Year War ended in favor of the Principality of Zeon.  At the neutral colony cluster of Side 6, young Yuzuriha “Machu” Amate’s quiet life is uprooted when a Mobile Suit battle enters her colony.  In an instant, Machu finds herself behind the controls of a Prototype Gundam, the GQuuuuuX, and enters the underground world of Clan Battle.  Her ally, a mysterious artist named Shuji, who is also in possession of a Gundam of his own, a red one that once belong to the legendary Red Comet of Zeon, Char Aznable. 

 
The hype for GQuuuuuX has been insane since it was announced.  Not only is it riding high off the smash hit success of Mobile Suit Gundam: The Witch from Mercury, it’s also uniting Sunrise with Studio Khara, bringing the creative forces of Gundam and Neon Genesis Evangelion together for the biggest mecha epic of the decade.  To help get word of mouth going, Sunrise/Kahra commissioned a Compilation Film of the first 2-3 episodes of the new series, dubbed “Beginnings.”  This isnt going to be a full blown review of that film though.  Given it fits my criteria for First Impressions, might as well talk about what I’ve seen even though we’ve still got some time before the series drops proper.  So…how is GQuuuuX.
 
Honestly, it’s hard not to talk about anything fresh and new without going into the Revival of Char and the One Year War.  Holy crap Sunrise and Khara went all in on this.  Recreating classic moments from the original Mobile Suit Gundam, complete with music and sound effects, I was not expecting that.  Not to mention Khara’s near perfection of CG Mecha Combat from the Rebuild of Evangelion Series is on full display, the Mobile Suit combat looks phenomenal.  I’ll admit, part of me wishes they’d kept the Alternate UC angle a secret in the promotion.  But the changes made through Char’s bold new decision are essential to the story setup.  Plus, having Char back in the cockpit and kicking ass is going to get old fans onboard really quick.  And yes, it is good to see the villain you hate to love or love to hate scheming and smirking with his mask again. 
 
As for the Present Day material, it’s promising.  The Competitive Mobile Suit Combat angle from G Witch makes a return with two on two duels with the winner being declared by loss of a Mobile Suits head (very Highlander).  And you’ve got two cute girls as two of your main leads.  That has to be a direct response to the much beloved Suletta and Miroine from G Witch though I’m not sure romance is in the cards for Machu and Nyaan.  No that’ll probably go to Machu and Shuji, the two sharing some kind of connection to a mysterious Newtype phenomena that made Char disappear.  It’ll also be fun to explore this new diversion down the UC timeline through their eyes.  Just how much has changed with Zeon in control?  Will Machu and her friends end up in Zeon’s hands since they have both of their Gundams?  And maybe more important to me: What’s become of the original cast of Gundam?  Amuro? Bright? Mirai? Are they even around?  We know one particular character from White Base is but even then, what’s become of them?
 
The sneak peak of Mobile Suit Gundam GQuuuuuX (That’s G Quacks btw) holds so much promise that it’s easy to get excited for whether youre an old or new fan.  For old fans, it’s a chance to revisit the One Year War through a fresh perspective with new avenues to explore.  For new fans, it’s a chance to hop on the momentum train begun by The Witch from Mercury with a fun new cast and some crazy Mecha action.  Gundam hasn’t seen a resurgence like this arguably since 00 or even SEED, so now’s the time to jump right into a new chapter in one of the greatest Anime sagas of all time.  And with the powers of Evangelion backing it up, hooooo boy, let’s hope this one delivers the goods.