When ‘Mobile Suit Gundam GQuuuuuuX’ premiered on Tuesday, April 8, it wasn’t just another chapter in the long-running saga of mobile suits and space-faring politics—it felt like the beginning of something seismic. New Gundam entries always stir interest, but this time, the energy was different. From the moment Studio Khara—of ‘Evangelion’ fame—was revealed to be at the helm, speculation and excitement swelled. Then came ‘Mobile Suit Gundam GQuuuuuuX Beginning’, the pre-broadcast theatrical release that offered a first glimpse of the project’s tone. What it revealed wasn’t just a new story, but a bold reimagining, one potent enough to pull in even those who had never considered themselves Gundam fans. A ripple became a wave, and now that wave is crashing into a new era of the Universal Century.
This article contains details related to the film’s content.
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Expanding the Universal Century: The Foundation of Gundam’s Cultural Legacy
When ‘Mobile Suit Gundam GQuuuuuuX Beginning’ hit theaters ahead of the TV broadcast, it revealed a bold premise: this is Gundam in a world where Zeon, not the Earth Federation, triumphed in the One Year War—the central conflict first depicted in the original ‘Mobile Suit Gundam’. In other words, GQuuuuuuX offers a rare alternate timeline—a “what if” with the weight of canon behind it.
Much of Gundam’s enduring power comes from the Universal Century, the franchise’s expansive and meticulously constructed fictional calendar. It’s not just a setting—it’s a shared stage for creators and fans alike to build upon. The Universal Century invites reinterpretation, speculation, and expansion, functioning almost like a living archive. Yet within that openness lies an unspoken rule: the events of early works like ‘Mobile Suit Gundam’ and ‘Zeta Gundam’ are treated as fixed history, foundational truths within the narrative universe.
Sure, there have been experiments with alternate takes—strategy games like Giren’s Ambition and various manga have explored different outcomes—but most official entries, especially in animation, have worked within the cracks of that established timeline. The challenge has typically been how to tell new stories without disturbing the delicate balance of canon. Even ‘Mobile Suit Gundam: THE ORIGIN’, Yasuhiko Yoshikazu’s reimagining of the original series (and he was the character designer on that 1979 classic), opts for respectful reinterpretation over reinvention. New scenes and revised settings are woven in, but the core remains intact—anchored by the belief that the original Gundam is, and always has been, a masterwork.
GQuuuuuuX, by contrast, doesn’t just add to the Universal Century—it rewires it. And that alone marks a major shift in how the legacy of Gundam might be reimagined going forward.
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Hideaki Anno’s “Shin”-Inspired Audacity
In this way, Mobile Suit Gundam GQuuuuuuX challenges a long-held, almost subconscious sacred boundary among Gundam fans. To achieve this, the Mobile Suit Gundam GQuuuuuuX Beginning prelude retells key battles from the final stages of the One Year War—seen through Char’s perspective—almost as a digest. The events portrayed may be “what-ifs,” but the sound effects, music, and certain cuts are meticulously aligned with the original Mobile Suit Gundam, ensuring that even the most devoted fans will experience a visceral, almost instinctual reaction: “This is the original Gundam…” Behind this bold reimagining is the unmistakable influence of Hideaki Anno, who has previously revitalized established IPs with his “Shin” series, drawing both long-time and new fans into his reinterpretations.
In many cases, such heavy use of parody elements can leave a sense of awkwardness or self-awareness in the execution. However, in the Beginning prelude, there is no hint of irony; the sincerity of the creators is palpable. The grand undertaking of turning the “what-if” story of the Universal Century into an anime series was not simply a rehashing but a serious, straightforward effort to remake the original Mobile Suit Gundam—a bold and unflinching approach.
As a result, even before the main broadcast of the series has begun, the impact has been undeniable. Social media and fan sites are flooded with fan art, and many young fans are discovering the original Mobile Suit Gundam television series for the first time, creating a phenomenon that’s stirring the cultural landscape in unexpected ways.
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Interpretation by Kazuya Tsurumaki and Yoshiyuki Enokido from FLCL and Aim for the Top 2!
In the GQuuuuuuX arc, the story is set in a world where Zeon has triumphed, and Char has disappeared. The narrative follows Amate Yuzuriha, who lives in a colony on this altered timeline. Amate’s life changes when she meets the mysterious girl, Nyaan, and gets involved in the mobile suit battles known as Clan Battles. She also has a fateful encounter with Shuji, a boy who hears the voice of Gundam. The adorable character designs by Take, known for his work on the Pokémon series, come to life in the bustling urban environment of a cylindrical colony, which is decorated with designs that resonate with modern Japan. The animation, vibrant and rich, carries a distinct atmosphere compared to traditional Gundam works, leaving a strong impression as a contemporary Mobile Suit Gundam set in the Universal Century.
The directors of this work are Kazuya Tsurumaki and Yoshiyuki Enokido, known for their work on the 2000 OVA FLCL. FLCL, which depicted the unspoken frustrations of adolescence through a hard sci-fi setting and stylish visuals, continues to have a devoted fanbase to this day. When considering the development of GQuuuuuuX, another key work of theirs is Aim for the Top 2!—a popular robot anime sequel. Although it’s a sequel to a beloved series, Aim for the Top 2! boldly reimagines the previous elements of sports anime, robots, and the beautiful girl trope, blending them with Tsurumaki’s vivid emotional expression and Enokido’s sensitive sensibility. Furthermore, Aim for the Top 2! surprises viewers in the latter half by incorporating shocking twists using the previous installment’s settings and connects them to the original’s ending in a daring move.
Given the setting of GQuuuuuuX in UC 0085, we can currently predict that the story will revolve around “a world where Zeon won the One Year War, and Zeta Gundam happens.” However, considering the tone and themes of FLCL and Aim for the Top 2!, it’s easy to imagine that the story won’t simply be a reversal of the two factions in Zeta Gundam—the AEUG and Titans. In fact, recalling the aforementioned two works, or Revolutionary Girl Utena (written by Enokido), it’s likely that the focus will be on the process of losing the sense of invincibility unique to adolescence, which is defined as a special power. This loss might be connected to the concept of Newtypes or the gravity of Earth, which is said to “pull humanity’s soul.” We can anticipate that new interpretations of the unique concepts of the Universal Century will emerge from this.
The Gundam franchise has undergone nearly half a century of unique development. Just as Mobile Suit Gundam GQuuuuuuX Beginning diverged sharply from the Universal Century history the moment it began, Mobile Suit Gundam GQuuuuuuX is also expected to significantly shift the course of Gundam’s history, continuing to expand it further.
Mobile Suit Gundam GQuuuuuuX
Director: Kazuya Tsurumaki
Series Composition: Yoji Enokido
Character Design: Take
Mechanical Design: Ikuto Yamashita
Original Story: Yoshiyuki Tomino / Hajime Yatate
Script: Yoji Enokido / Hideaki Anno
Production: Studio Khara / Sunrise
Production Company: Bandai Namco Filmworks / Nippon Television Network Corporation
