Summary
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A newMobile Suit Gundamseries has arrived.Gundam GQuuuuuuXis a collaborative project between Studio Sunrise and Studio Khara. This series is animated by Studio Khara, which is well known for therebuild of Evangelionmovies. It is directed by Kazuya Tsurumaki, the director of the Evangelion movies.
Written by Hideaki Anno, the creator of the Evangelion franchise, this new series has been commonly known as Gundam by Evangelion staff, and, because of that, it carries a lot of excitement and expectations with it. Episode one of Gundam GQuuuuuuX started strong, establishing the characters and the setting for this new entry into the long-running expansive franchise.
Animation and art
The Evangelion studio made themselves seen
Immediately going into this anime, it shows a distinct art style and visual direction from the rest of the Gundam series. The character art is much more stylized and cartoony compared to most of Gundam, and it makes a stark differencefrom its predecessors already with the character designs. This is because the artist in charge of character design is take from Pokémon fame. So, an immediate connection with the Pokémon anime is quite apparent at first.
But perhaps the most notable difference is the mobile suit designs and animations. The mobile suits for Gundam GQuuuuuuX are designed by Ikuto Yamashita, the same designer as the Evangelion units. That makes the mobile suits incredibly distinct and closer to Eva Unit 01 than they are to the predecessor mobile suits like Gundam Aerial or the Freedom Gundam. However, what may be very off-putting to Gundam fans is the CGI animation for the mobile suits, as the Gundam franchise has famously always used traditional 2D animation for the mecha instead of 3-D.This is more in line with the Evangelion movies, as they always animated the Eva and the angels with 3-D CGI.
But while it may be jarring at first to see a Gundam or a Zaku in 3-D, the overall smooth and beautiful animation shows studio Khara’s proficiency at this style. Already in episode one,the mobile suits move smoothly and organically, and it perfectly portrays the massive scale and weight of each of these powerful machines. There are many beautiful shots of the characters juxtaposed with their mecha, showcasing Studio Khara’s excellent artistic style. Every shot is beautifully rendered in high contrast and evocative colors, giving the audience a great taste of what’s to come for the anime.
Sound and Music
The sound design elevates the setting
The atmosphere of Gundam GQuuuuuuX is perfectly displayed, not only by the beautiful artwork and animation but also by the stellar sound design.The mobile suits are impactful and powerful, with beautiful sound effects used to portray the gigantic feel of them above the characters. Every button and lever in the Gundam cockpit can be felt as it were right in front of the viewer, thanks to how authentic every element of the mecha sounds.
The mobile suit weapons are also accompanied by the classic sound effects that the Gundam franchise has established, but they take advantage of modern technologies in how organic and impactful they feel. The Gundam’s beam saber has that iconic buzzing sound similar to a lightsaber, and the Vulcan weapons on the head of the red Gundam feel as real as a powerful machine gun.
The music, just like the character design, may be off-putting to some as it lacks theusual epic war feel that other Gundam series have, and instead it has more of a Lofi or a pop sound. While this sometimes doesn’t feel right with Gundam, it suits the overall artistic direction of Gundam GQuuuuuuX as the series feels much more modernized and juvenile than others. The music, while distinct, also enhances the visuals greatly as it gives the setting a very distinct soundscape and gives a very ethereal atmosphere to the new Gundam, and its pilot.
Writing and direction
The Evangelion mark can be felt
Fans of both Mobile Suit Gundam and Neon Genesis Evangelion will feel right at home with this series as it immediately reads as a perfect hybrid of both.The way the characters speak to each other and how they are portrayed is very reminiscent of the style of Evangelion, and especially the rebuild movies. There is a classic subtlety to the character’s expressions and emotions that you see in Evangelion. And the overall atmosphere of this series is very familiar to fans of the psychological mecha, as while it has very colorful and juvenile designs, the tone feels overall somber and melancholic.
Several shots in this first episode are direct parallels to shots that fans often see in the rebuild of Evangelion movies: the use of contrast, the particular color palettes, and especially the characters' expressions and poses. While this is a Gundam series, it feels more like an extension of Evangelion than anything else. It is difficult not to see the resemblance to Hideaki Anno magnum opus while watching this and detach it from the Gundam fanfare, as it really feels like a perfect hybrid of both franchises.
However, if you’re a complete newbie to the Gundam franchise, this series might already feel daunting to start, as a lot of the context from the original Mobile Suit Gundam 0079 is necessary to understand several elements of this new storyline.This series is an offshoot or an alternate reality to the Gundam Universal Century, and thus, it is perhaps not as good as the first entry into the franchise as it initially looked like. Still, people familiar with their universal century will find a very fresh experience with this new Gundam if they enter with an open mind. Gundam GQuuuuuuX makes a very strong start for this series thanks to its extraordinary art style and animation, accompanied by a stellar team that will surely make this new entry a very special one.
