ANIME/FILM REVIEW | "Gundam GQuuuuuuX" Delivers a Memorable "Beginning"
WARNING: The follow review may contain spoilers.
What a dream team-up! If you had told anime fans ten years ago that the studio behind Neon Genesis Evangelion would be making a Gundam series, you would’ve been laughed off the face of the planet. Yet here we are in 2025, with studio khara and SUNRISE working together to revamp Mobile Suit Gundam! On top of that, original FLCL director Kazuya Tsurumaki is at the helm, with Hideaki Anno and Revolutionary Girl Utena’s Yoji Enokido in the writing department. But will this be a guaranteed success for Mobile Suit Gundam GQuuuuuuX (pronounced “g-quacks”), or is this a “too many cooks” situation?
Perhaps this is why the first three episodes have been given a very special theatrical release, under the subtitle -Beginning-. This is khara, SUNRISE, and even Anno himself testing the waters, and seeing how fans of Gundam will react. And after viewing this prologue, I can easily say that these iconic mechs are in capable hands. Dare I say, this could be the kick in the pants this franchise has desperately needed!
Of course, GQuuuuuuX needs to start off with a bit of backstory, which I’ll admit is the slowest part of -Beginning-. In an alternate timeline, Char (Yuuki Shin) pilots Amuro Ray’s iconic mech, renaming it “Red Gundam”. The One Year War has Zeon being triumphant, taking down the Federation. However, Char and Red Gundam vanish soon afterwards, with their fates left unknown.
These parts are certainly important for this Gundam timeline. With that being said, these scenes are very dialogue-heavy, resulting in a lot of exposition and dry air. When you actually see the Gundams in battle, it leads to some levels of excitement. However, this part of GQuuuuuuX -Beginning- is easily the most uninteresting of this prologue.
When the story kicks it into high gear afterwards, we see a new fire start burning in this new Gundam. Our main heroine Yuzuriha (Tomoyo Kurosawa) makes her entrance, as she’s run into a mysterious courier named Nyaan (Yui Ishikawa). Nyaan has in possession of a special key that allows Gundams to use their weaponry, which someone wants for illegal Clan Battles. From there, Yuzuriha — known by her friends as “Machu” — takes part in the sport, with an unexpected partner in her corner: the missing Red Gundam, with new pilot Shuji (Shimba Tsuchiya) in the cockpit.
This is where we get to see director Tsurumaki in his element. The visuals start to have their own unique personality that stands out from other Gundam series, with characters that look straight out of FLCL. (There’s even a couple of clever nods to the iconic GAINAX series for those with eagle eyes to spot.) Where it shines the most is in its characters, with main protagonist Yuzuriha being both well-grounded and super fun to watch.
However, where it counts most is in the Clan Battles, with viewers treated to the first one towards the finale. It showcases the power of GQuuuuuuX, which is even more amplified when the Red Gundam is tagging along. The trippy style that engulfs the Clan Battles will no doubt make some think of Gurren Lagann, only cleaner and less rubbery. If this is what we can expect from the giant mech fights in this series, then there’s no doubt that we’ll be treated to a plethora of exciting moments.
Despite its slow introduction, Gundam GQuuuuuuX -Beginning- is a blast. These three episodes show that the right collection of minds are working together to make what could be the most exciting Gundam in years. Many times, I often felt like there should be more characters looking like they’re having fun piloting these giant robots, rather than dealing with some war-based trauma. GQuuuuuuX looks to be going down that route, and if Tsurumaki, Anno, and Enokido are allowed to keep on cooking the way they did with -Beginning-, then they’ll absolutely deliver the finest seven-course Gundam meal Earth has ever tasted!
FINAL GRADE:
Promotional consideration provided by Grace Liriano of GKIDS. In theaters February 28th. Click here for tickets!
