New Gundam show proves that this is the year for mecha anime

Mecha anime — a genre in Japanese cartoons featuring giant robots — has been a cornerstone of my anime fandom growing up. 

I can happily recommend to anime fans everywhere that Mobile Suit Gundam: GQuuuuuuX (pronounced “Gee-Kwuh-Ux”) is a worthwhile watch with its first episode. 

The new series to the beloved Mobile Suit Gundam franchise premiered on Amazon Prime Video on April 8. The story follows space colony high schooler Amate Yuzuriha, who’s brought into the world of Gundams when she meets a mysterious girl named Nyaan. 

Before its debut on Amazon, the show gained positive reception from fans when it was first released in theatres as an anime film on Feb. 28. The show’s popularity continued to grow when it was announced that Hideaki Anno, who created Neon Genesis Evangelion, the iconic mecha anime series from the 1990s, would be a co-writer. 

Director Kazuya Tsurumaki, who previously co-directed four Evangelion movies, shows his immense experience making mecha anime. Even if it’s just the first episode, Tsurumaki creates animation that balances giant robot battles with Japanese electropop music and bright fusions of colour. With Anno’s script, Tsurumaki crafts a visually striking world where you can’t help but appreciate every character, background, and sound that inhabits it. 

The biggest takeaway is, of course, the giant robots themselves. Like past Gundam shows, each mech looks and feels unique as expected. However, the sound design used with the visuals shouldn’t be overlooked. The robots create a compelling yet uneasy feeling from just hearing the weight and power in their heavy footsteps or hard landings during combat. Tsurumaki’s technical craft excels — and that makes all the difference for action scenes.

Beyond visuals, the story explores what it’s like for young generations to live in a post-war era while being imposed, even threatened, by the world’s push for more technology. Like its predecessors, the series does explore war but through fragile peacetime and what may follow from it. 

As far as flaws go, Amate’s school and home life could’ve been established a bit more to show how normal her life was in the space colony before the Gundams started fighting. It also felt like certain story beats approaching the climax abruptly ended. Each of them could’ve used more time to have a better sense of finality and pacing.

The last Gundam show, Mobile Suit Gundam: The Witch From Mercury did a better job of setting up its characters and their future relationships in its first episode. Amate and Nyaan’s first encounters in comparison don’t feel as strong, even if it’s just the premiere. The cast from The Witch from Mercury just had more honed character dynamics at the start of its story. 

While it’s just the first episode, I’m still curious where this story goes and I look forward to the rest of Anno and Tsurumaki’s series. Afterall, what anime fan doesn’t love to see big mechs fight every now and again? Get to Amazon and enjoy your trip to the world of Gundams once again. 

Mobile Suit Gundam: GQuuuuuuX is available in both English and Japanese dubs and subtitles.