The following will contain spoilers for Mobile Suit Gundam GQuuuuuuX -Beginning-.
Director / Kazuya Tsurumaki
Screenplay / Yoji Enokido & Hideaki Anno
Production / Studio Khara & Sunrise
Release Date / January 2025
2024 marked the 45th anniversary of the Gundam franchise, and it started with a large bang with Mobile Suit Gundam SEED FREEDOM, followed by Gundam: Requiem for Vengeance, and lastly with the interactive VR animation Mobile Suit Gundam: Silver Phantom. So come December 2024, no one was expecting that we would be getting the announcement for the next ‘mainline’ Gundam series to follow Mobile Suit Gundam the Witch from Mercury. Not only that, but we would be getting a compilation film that covers the lore and first few episodes of this new series – a month after the initial announcement! Branded as a crossing of dreams between Sunrise and Studio Khara, whom everybody knows for Rebuild of Evangelion, we get a story that takes a different spin on the foundations of the Universal Century timeline. We also get a title that no one can make sense of, yet alone spell, during its initial announcement.
Ladies, gentlemen, and all Newtypes out there, here are my unsolicited thoughts on Mobile Suit Gundam GQuuuuuuX -Beginning-, the opening act for Mobile Suit Gundam GQuuuuuuX.
If you’ve been into Gundam for quite a while, or you’re a relative newcomer, then you must have heard of the Universal Century. It’s basically the “prime” Gundam timeline if I’m speaking in Star Trek terms. Continuing this train of thought, remember Star Trek (2009) when make a new continuity out of a significant change in the existing lore? That’s exactly what they are doing with GQuuuuuuX, presenting an alternate take on the established chronology of the Universal Century.
GQuuuuuuX -Beginning- is presented in two sections to show this. The first part being Beginning, along with its own title card, to show how this version of events unfolded. It’s U.C.0079 and the One Year War between the Earth Federation and Principality of Zeon started and reached a stalemate in the same fashion as the original. The timeline started to diverge during the invasion of Side 7 when Char Aznable went and stole the Gundam prototype along with the new Pegasus-class assault lander. We are then treated to what’s basically a 30-minute speed run of Mobile Suit Gundam except that everything has been flipped, with Char piloting what’s now the Red Gundam equipped with the Alpha Psycommu system. He meets Challia Bull along the way until the final battle at Solomon, which has been set to drop on the Zeon-controlled Granada on the moon. Through some Newtype shenanigans, Char was able to prevent the drop via a phenomenon referred later on as the “Zeknova.” Unfortunately, both Char and the Red Gundam were also lost following this event.
We jump five years into U.C.0085 and this is where the main story of Gundam GQuuuuuuX begins, also complete with the series logo on the title card. We are introduced to Amate Yuzuriha, a seemingly normal high school student in the Izuma Colony at Side 6. Things aren’t the utopia that Zeon promised for the people living in the colonies, with some of them participating in “Clan Battles,” unsanctioned mobile suit skirmishes, to stay afloat. At the same time, the Red Gundam that went missing five years ago suddenly reappeared, which brings Challia Bull to the scene. Amate then bumps into Nyaan, an underground courier of sorts, and one thing led to another until we have Amate operating the Gundam QuuuuuuX, or “GQuuuuuuX.” They are also joined by Shuji Ito who currently pilots the Red Gundam and both now form a “Mav” as they fight Clan Battles for the Pomeranians.
GQuuuuuuX -Beginning- has a unique task at hand, and this is very apparent with how the film is split into two sections. I’m inclined to think most of the Beginning segment won’t make it into the broadcast version and this is intended as a nod to the long-time Gundam fans watching the film. Seeing Char Aznable take the role Amuro Ray had and setting events on a completely different trajectory is a very interesting premise and places a great setup for the events in U.C.0085. At the same time, anyone new to the franchise is still able to understand what’s happening without any prior context, though the callbacks and references would be lost to them.
I am curious how much of the Beginning segment will make it to the series proper as while I don’t think they’ll dedicate a whole episode for this One Year War speed run, they do introduce new concepts that will be important down the line. Case in point being the Zeknova phenomenon and the what/who the “Rose of Sharon” is.
EDIT: Based on the “Anno Scenario & Design Works 2” pamphlet, most of the OYW scenes would be exclusive to the film.
The split also introduces two visually different presentations of the story, with the first part being a direct homage to Mobile Suit Gundam. From the way the characters look and how the scenes are framed, to the panning shots that we usually see in a Yoshiyuki Tomino anime, and even the background music is the same, or at least have the same leitmotifs as the originals. We then get a tonal whiplash with the vibrant and popish colors, along with the synth soundtrack that clearly sets up the world Amate, Nyaan, and Shuji live in. Case in point, “The Girl on a Space Colony” is quite an addicting song! And despite the differences in style, they both work together as it shows how everything has changed thanks to this version of the One Year War.
Outside of the characters we’re already familiar with, I’ll just have my initial thoughts on Amate/Machu. Don’t be fooled by her cute and Pokemon-esque design as she comes across as a no non-sense girl who would go to lengths to escape the feeling of being trapped as part of living in a space colony. And yes, that includes participating in Clan Battles with the Pomeranians.
Regardless of the visual style, the animation is very fluid, as expected from two industry giants working on this project. The way the mobile suits move is obviously because of CGI, but if you’ve seen any of the Rebuild of Evangelion films, then you’ll know that Studio Khara knows their CGI mecha. While I do miss the filter used in The Witch from Mercury, the vibrant colors and atmosphere should make the visuals stand out from previous series.
What I really liked about GQuuuuuuX -Beginning- is how it’s basically doing the same idea as Star Trek (2009) to introduce a franchise to a younger and wider audience while still having relevant ties to the lore and concepts important to the franchise. By presenting itself as an alternate history of the Universal Century, it allows newcomers to enjoy the bright and colorful world of this alternate U.C.0085 while keeping seasoned fans locked in with the mysteries and Newtype shenanigans. If you have the chance to watch Mobile Suit Gundam GQuuuuuuX -Beginning- ahead of the series premiere, then I’ll highly recommend catching it in theaters. It is the perfect hype for Mobile Suit Gundam GQuuuuuuX which will drop in April and is confirmed for international release via Prime Video.
