Synopsis: Amate Yuzuriha, also known as “Machu”, lives in a comfortably dull life in a space colony cluster called Side 6. Her life changes when she meets “Nyaan”, a courier delivering a mysterious package to a group of underground mobile suit duelists called the Pomeranians. While engaging the police force, Machu stumbles upon the Zeon’s new secret Gundam mobile suit, the GQuuuuuux, which she pilots with only a little difficulty, getting assistance from a young man in another Gundam. Soon Machu is convinced to take part in the underground Clan Battles, all the while the Zeon military forces investigate and try to locate the Red Gundam the young man helping her is using.
*****SOME SPOILERS MAY BE INCLUDED*****
Comments:
I decided to review these first three episodes together because they cover (roughly) the same material in the compilation movie “Mobile Suit Gundam GQuuuuuux – Beginning – ” that was released into theaters earlier this year. This review will incorporate the review I did of that on Letterboxd.
I’ve been a big Universal Century Gundam fan for a long while, and my interest was piqued when I learned that this new series would take place in a “what if” version of the UC timeline where instead of Amuro Ray finding and piloting the Gundam on Side 7, Zeon ace Char Aznable did, and helped win the war for the Principality of Zeon. It didn’t hurt that the series would be co-written by Hideaki Anno of Evangelion fame and directed by Kazuya Tsurumaki of FLCL fame. What resulted from these efforts was a veritable treasure trove of Easter eggs and alternate takes on events as depicted in the original 1979 TV series and a new spin on the history I had grown to love so much.
While I enjoyed the alternate history quite a bit, I think I might enjoy the more original material with characters Machu, Nyaan, and Shuji and their quest for a simple payday (and the promise of “kira-kira”) even more. Machu is a more proactive main protagonist than Amuro Ray had been. She reminds me of the more recent Suletta Mercury, but with a less awkward streak. She has a bit of Judau Ashta (from Gundam Double Zeta) in her, a fiestiness. It’s too early to say much about Nyaan or Shuji, except that they balance out Machu pretty well by being more responsible and quirky, respectively. Shuji is the Id, Nyaan is the Superego, and Machu the Ego. From what I can tell. Again, it’s still early.
If there’s an original series character that got a glow-up, it’s certainly Chalia Bull, a one-episode character in 1979 who dies unceremoniously to Amuro’s increasing skills, and who here was a vital part of Char’s efforts to secure a future for Newtypes in the One Year War. I guess with no Lalah Sune to assist him, Char had to go a little older and male here. Whether or not there are similar feelings between Char and his “mav” as there were between him and Lalah in the original series is mere speculation, but let’s all have fun doing so.
The production values are quite good, some dodgy CG notwithstanding. I definitely prefer 2D rendering for my MS combat, but I have a feeling I’ll adjust just fine to this. I was otherwise engrossed in the world of space colonies and psychic super powers. The action works well and the environments are well done. The music, especially the old school sound of the second episode’s BGM, is exceptional, too. Even both the Japanese and English language versions are good. The dub is even better than The Witch from Mercury‘s.
I have high hopes for this show. So far, so good.
