Gundam has spent nearly 50 years reinventing itself across myriad side stories, new universes, and reimaginings of the story that started it all in the events of the “Universal Century” that kicked off in the original 1979 series Mobile Suit Gundam. There are so many ways to get into the franchise, newer starting points, perhaps less […]
The Specter Hanging Over the Nostalgic Climax of ‘Gundam GQuuuuuuX’
The final episode of Gundam GQuuuuuuX asks its characters, new generations and remixes of familiar faces alike, to imagine new possibilities and futures for themselves free from the established ideas and histories of the Gundam shows that came before them. But while doing so, one nostalgic allowance exposes that GQuuuuuuX itself was unable to let go of […]
The ‘GQuuuuuuX’ Finale Might Be One of the Most Hopeful ‘Gundam’ Endings in Years
So much of Gundam GQuuuuuuX‘s riffing on the legacy of the 1979 original across its 12 episodes has been almost about a yearning sense of inevitability that it could only end in one way—a retread of what came before narratively, and a continuation of the cycle of conflict that has broadly defined the franchise at large […]
The ‘GQuuuuuuX’ Endgame Is About the Messiest Relationship in All of ‘Gundam’
What is Mobile Suit Gundam about? Sometimes, it’s about cool robots. Sometimes, it’s about the horrors of war. Sometimes, it’s about the balance of power, and the exploitation of have-nots by the haves, a cycle of class conflict that is inextricably interwoven through the cycle of military conflict. But really, a lot of the time–especially in […]
‘GQuuuuuuX’ Is Taking Its ‘Gundam’ Remix to a Whole Other Level
Last week, I said that Mobile Suit Gundam GQuuuuuuX‘s remixing of the original Gundam continuity was letting several of the original series’ biggest characters haunt the narrative, from the absent Amuro Ray, to the slightly less absent Char Aznable, and then the one figure who’s really been skirting around the edges of GQuuuuuuX‘s periphery in earnest, the mysterious Lalah […]
GQuuuuuuX Is a Celebration of Gundam Blorbos
Now that it’s almost halfway through, Gundam GQuuuuuuX is setting the stage for a fascinating story between its young trio of protagonists and the forces at play beyond them in the show’s vision of an alternative version of Gundam‘s beloved original continuity. But something has become clear about the series with every episode: this is a series […]
30 Years Ago Today, Gundam Wing Was Ready to Change Everything
Thirty years ago in Japan today, Heero Yuy infamously tore up the birthday invite of Relena Peacecraft and threatened to kill her—and it was more than just meme history that was forever changed. It would take just shy of another five years for it to happen, but Gundam had laid the groundwork for its first […]
Everything You Need to Know Before Gundam: GQuuuuuuX
A very special time for anime fans is nearly upon us: next week, the next entry in the Gundam franchise, GQuuuuuuX, begins, taking us into a bold and exciting spin on over 45 years of giant robot history. Interested but not sure where to start? We’re here to help. What Is Gundam GQuuuuuuX About? GQuuuuuuX is set in the […]
Someone Give Us $17 Million So We Can Buy This Original Anime Art
One of the many wonderful things about animation is you can literally own the movie you love. Before computers took over, each frame of a movie was made by hand and those images were often sold as collectibles. Owning a screen-used movie prop or costume is one thing. Owning the entire screen is something else […]