It's Not Your Dad's Universal Century: Thoughts on Mobile Suit Gundam: GQuuuuuX

I saw the movie "Mobile Suit Gundam: GQuuuuuX -beginning" at SM Mall of Asia yesterday. Being the Universal Century Gundam fan, I am intrigued how Studio Khara will pull off an alternate timeline of the most popular part of the franchise.

I liked how Hideaki Anno and Kazuya Tsurumaki crafted their own take on the timeline. They went with a "what-if" scenario by having Char Aznable steal the Gundam from the Earth Federation Space Force. They presented a scenario that drastically changed the outcome of the One Year War, leading to them crafting their new narrative.

Unlike the main Universal Century's take on 0085, this version of 0085 is a bit more peaceful at first but that doesn't seem to be the case. The MPs, although a bit less ruthless than the Earth Federation's Titans, are hellbent on using force on the Spacenoid refugees.

The three main characters of GQuuuuuX: Nyaan, Amate (aka Machu), and Shuji

Based on their initial appearances, the characters seem to be written like something you see from Fooly Cooly. Yes, I said Fooly Cooly, not Evangelion.

You have Amate, who I can say is somewhat patterned like Naota Nandaba: a bit aloof but when push comes to shove, her drive to survive kicks in. Like Naota, she relies on the GQuuuuuuX's power to get out of every situation.

Then you have Shuji, who acts as Amate's "Mav" or partner. His identity is still unknown and I already have my theories about who he really is, but that's for another time. Shuji also acts as Amate's love interest, but that might change as the series goes.

Nyaan rounds up the main character cast by being Amate and Shuji's unwilling partner. She was supposed to be only doing illegal deliveries, but then she got suckered into the world of these two, so she has no other choice but to tag along.

The other characters, from Challia Bull to the other Zeon soldiers, were written believably and are easy to follow along even if you haven't watched the source material (0079). 

The mobile suit designs, on the other hand, are the total opposite of good design. Don't get me wrong, there are some good designs like the Zeon suits.

The Zeon suits looked like the next step in the Principality's mobile suit designs. They still retain the look and feel of the originals, but they look a bit sleeker. My nitpick with these suits is that the legs look a bit too thick at the top and too thin at the bottom. 

The Gundams are a different story. Except for the titular GQuuuuuX, the Gundams look a lot more like Evangelion units with a fresh coat of paint. Maybe that's where the comparisons come in and it doesn't help that Studio Khara is behind this show.

Regarding the soundtrack, it's quite good. There are some soundtracks from the One Year War at the beginning of the movie/show to ease in Universal Century fans. Once we go to the present day, the soundtrack changes from the orchestral works of Takeo Watanabe and Yuji Matsuyama to the techno beats of Yoshimasa Terui and Masayuki Hasuo.

I, for one, am not really a fan of modern anime production scores but this one fits the world of GQuuuuX's Side 6. The underground cities have a Jet Set Radio-esque feel, so what better way to complement that art style than with a soundtrack that does feel like you're playing Jet Set Radio?

All in all, with what I saw at the Beginning compilation movie, I believe that Studio Khara would show their love for Gundam with this anime. Being one of the shows that defined the "otaku generation" of Japan, they would do their best to revere Yoshiyuki Tomino's magnum opus at the same time tell a Gundam story they can call their own, just like what Yasuhiro Imagawa did with Mobile Fighter G Gundam.

Will they be able to achieve that goal? Only time can tell.