Summary
- GQuuuuuuX brings fresh perspectives to the Gundam franchise while staying true to its anti-war, human nature themes.
- The series incorporates influences from previous works like FLCL and Evangelion, blending classic and modern elements.
- GQuuuuuuX's character designs and narrative structure draw inspiration from titles like Space Battleship Yamato and Getter Robo.
The wait is finally over. Mobile Suit Gundam GQuuuuuuX has arrived, via a TV show and compilation film, and promises to be one of the most striking interpretations of the legendary anime in years. It takes daring creative leaps while also staying true to the DNA of its source material, and there are already strong indications that it could be one of the best Gundam series ever made, no mean feat in a franchise with a stack of quality entries.
Gundam GQuuuuuuX Gets Off to a Strong Start
The new Gundam series starts in a beautiful yet familiar way.
The new series arrives off the back of not just a venerated franchise, but its creators, including Neon Genesis Evangelion creator Hideaki Anno, also boast an impressive resume when it comes to dynamic, paradigm-shifting anime. The newest Gundam entry is the product of several influences, some overt but others less so. Here is a list of eight titles whose influence looms large, whether connected to the visuals, the story, or some other aspect.
7 Mobile Suit Gundam
A Vintage That Just Gets Better With Age
Mobile Suit Gundam
Display card tags widget Display card community and brand rating widget Display card main info widget- Release Date
- 1979 - 1980
- Network
- Nagoya TV
- Directors
- Yoshiyuki Tomino, Ryoji Fujiwara, Shinya Sadamitsu
- Seasons
- 1
- Number of Episodes
- 43
- MyAnimeList Score
- 7.76
- Studio
- Sunrise
It may be hard to believe now, but the original Gundam series was a colossal flop on release. Creator Yoshiyuki Tomino envisaged a complex mecha story that was resolutely anti-war and dealt with the warmongering and ambiguity at the heart of human nature. It was too much for audiences, and people tuned out in droves. It was only a merchandising deal, combined with a small but passionate fanbase which helped generate the momentum that led to the franchise becoming an institution.
The show's key themes revolve around the dehumanizing impact of warfare and the contradiction of advanced technology used for barbaric ends, and this thematic foundation is very much alive in GQuuuuuuX. The newest show introduces characters, old and new, who question their place in a world torn apart by war, keeping the spirit of the original intact. The 1979 show's visuals also provide plenty of inspiration for the 2025 one, with updated mecha designs and vibrant modern twists on vintage visuals.
6 Mobile Fighter G Gundam
Make Fights, Not War
Mobile Fighter G Gundam
Display card tags widget Display card community and brand rating widget Display card main info widget- Release Date
- 1994 - 1995-00-00
- Network
- tv asahi
- Directors
- Tsuyoshi Yoshimoto, Goro Taniguchi
- Seasons
- 1
As one of the most narratively dense mecha anime in history, Mobile Suit Gundam has always been unafraid to switch up the formula. Long before the concept of a multi-verse existed in pop culture, Gundam was exploring different stories across different timelines, and one such example was the fifth installment of the series on television which turned the concept on its head, with a bold, hugely entertaining spin on the classic formula.
The non-canonical show switches the Universal Century for the Future Century. In this set-up, space colonies representing countries have agreed to hold a fighting tournament every four years to settle their political differences, rather than fight a long, bloody war. The duelling Gundam motif has been carried over to GQuuuuuuX, along with some conflicted youngsters. The newest show manages the two-birds-one-stone trick of switching up the Universal Century timeline while also tying it back to the source material.
5 Neon Genesis Evangelion
Confused Teens Meet Giant Mechs, The Rest Is History
Neon Genesis Evangelion
Display card tags widget Display card community and brand rating widget Display card main info widget- Release Date
- 1995 - 1996
WHERE TO WATCH
- Seasons
- 1
- Number of Episodes
- 26
- MyAnimeList Score
- 8.35
- Studio
- Gainax, Tatsunoko
There's a very convincing case for Neon Genesis Evangelion being the first truly post-modern anime; it arrived when the fans of classic series like Astro Boy and Getter Robo had grown up to become creators themselves, bringing their sensibilities and outlook to established story tropes. In the case of Evangelion, they created something entirely fresh and new, and it brought Studio Gainax to a truly global audience.
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Gainax alumni Hideaki Anno is one of the co-creators of GQuuuuuuX, and his fingerprints are evident even in the show's first episode; a young, disaffected protagonist, a series of truly spectacular robot battles and a series of nods and loving homages to the works which inspired him. Evangelion was the franchise which gave him the clout and confidence to put his stamp on future works, including his latest baby,
4 FLCL
Rock n' Roll Star
F
FLCL
Display card tags widget Display card community and brand rating widget Display card main info widget- Release Date
- 2000 - 2001-00-00
WHERE TO WATCH
- Seasons
- 5
- Number of Episodes
- 24
- MyAnimeList Score
- 8.03
- Creator(s)
- Kazuya Tsurumaki
- Studio
- Gainax, Production I.G, Production GoodBook, Signal.MD, NUT, Revoroot, MontBlanc Pictures
Another title from Studio Gainax, FLCL (pronounced Fooly-Cooly), was a sleeper hit which enjoys a fiercely loyal fanbase in the present day. It is one of those classic animes which cannot be done justice to via description alone. It must be seen, and just as importantly, heard, thanks to its peerless soundtrack by cult Japanese indie rockers The Pillows. And while it would be unfair to give away too much of the plot to newcomers, anyone with a fondness for aliens, robots and surrealism is in for a treat.
FLCL's influence on GQuuuuuuX can be felt most notably in the character designs for its new cast, who all boast colourful, angular looks to go with the more punk-rock tone that the new show makes use of. Also, whereas some previous Gundam soundtracks make use of dramatic orchestral scores, the latest show takes its cues from FLCL by using more pop-oriented songs that sound like they belong in the present.
3 Space Battleship Yamato
An All-Time Great
Space Battleship Yamato
Display card tags widget Display card community and brand rating widget Display card main info widget- Release Date
- 1974 - 1981-00-00
- Network
- YTV
- Directors
- Leiji Matsumoto
- Seasons
- 3
Without Space Battleship Yamato, anime would look and feel very different. Pop culture as we know it owes it a huge debt. It laid the foundations for stories and characters that have inspired countless shows over the years. Its impact is so seismic that its Western dub, known as Starblazers, was a huge influence on Daft Punk when making their iconic Interstellar 5555 film, which they co-created with Yamato mastermind and anime legend Leiji Matsumoto.
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Space Battleship Yamato represented a shift to more nuanced storytelling, told on a broader canvas than had been seen in anime up until that point. It told the story of an epic, outer-space conflict where many of the characters had to deal with their own individual struggles, as well as the war they found themselves fighting in. It's safe to say that without its influence, there would be no Gundam and therefore no GQuuuuuuX either.
2 Getter Robo
A Heavy Hitter In More Ways Than One
Getter Robo: Armageddon
Display card tags widget Display card community and brand rating widget Display card main info widget- Release Date
- August 25, 1998
- Seasons
- 1
- Number of Episodes
- 13
- MyAnimeList Score
- 7.74
Getter Robo was the brainchild of veteran auteur Go Nagai, and is widely regarded as the first popular transforming mecha. He was one of the first with the ability to radically alter his form, as well as the ability to combine forms to make a super-mech. In Getter Robo's case, he comprises three separate crafts, each of which has its own human pilot. The three can combine to make a supreme unit capable of superiority in battle, depending on the environment.
His influence on Gundam is huge but the impact on GQuuuuuuX is via its pilots; each Getter unit has its own pilot who in turn has their own distinct personality. The emphasis on the individual, and what they bring to the machine they fight with, is a key factor in the latest Gundam series, and provides the dynamic interplay which makes the interaction of the human characters just as compelling as the mecha battles playing out on screen.
1 Star Wars Episode IV: A New Hope
A First Step Into A Much Larger World
Star Wars: Episode IV - A New Hope
Display card tags widget Display card community and brand rating widget Display card main info widget- Release Date
- May 25, 1977
WHERE TO WATCH
- Runtime
- 121 minutes
- Director
- George Lucas
- Studio(s)
- Lucasfilm
In the very first episode of GQuuuuuuX, two Gundam units do battle brandishing giant laser swords, a familiar visual motif for the franchise. It doesn't take a rocket scientist to make the link between the same weapon seen in 1979's Mobile Suit Gundam and the lightsabers which featured so prominently in a certain Hollywood blockbuster released two years previously. The parallels, however, don't just stop there.
GQuuuuuuX takes many cues from the first Star Wars film: a young protagonist who awakens an inner power as a means of realizing a greater destiny; an intergalactic Empire presiding over a domain it considers conquered; and a persistent, lived-in world of rough edges and characters who don't always fit neat categorizations of good or evil. Just as Gundam persists, so does Star Wars' ongoing influence.
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