©Courtesy of GKIDS
Inspired by Manfred von Richthofen, “The Red Baron,” Char Aznable is a fan-favorite villain in the Mobile Suit Gundam franchise, whose popularity eclipses many of its heroes. Somewhat fittingly, Aznable, a.k.a. the “Red Comet” will finally have his day—sort of—in Kazuya Tsurumaki’s new anime feature, Mobile Suit Gundam GQuuuuuux -Beginning-, the launch of an alternative timeline narrative in the Gundam universe (sort of in the tradition of Marvel’s What If), which GKIDS releases in theaters this Friday.
Essentially, the very premise of GQuuuuuux -Beginning is a big spoiler, but you must be a fan to understand it as such. Everything rewinds back to the fateful day that started the original 1979 series, but this time events unfold much differently.
In the history of Mobile Suit Gundam, the development of the RX-78-2 “White Gundam” was a game-changer that gave the Earth Federation undeniable technical superiority over the Zaku armored suits piloted by the breakaway Zeon Principality. As a result, the Zeon rebels often resort to trickery to even the playing field. Char Aznable has an aptitude for deception, but he also suspects Zeon’s leaders will solidify their power into a dictatorship once they achieve independence from Earth. Nevertheless, Aznable has no love for the Federation, so when he finds the White Gundam prototype unattended during a recon mission, he successfully commandeers the breakthrough mecha suit.
©Courtesy of GKIDS
At least, that is what happens in this new timeline, which produces a brave new Zeon-dominated world. GQuuuuuux subsequently follows high school student Yuzurihara Amate and Nyaan, a young war refuge working as a black-market courier, who find themselves unwittingly drawn into the “Clan Battle,” the underground fight network for decommissioned Zakus and Gundams. Obviously, the RX-78-2 would be formidable competitor in this arena.
GQuuuuuux Beginning (that is 6 u’s for all the copy editors out there) clearly assumes a pre-existing familiarity with the franchise. Frankly, newcomers will likely miss the full significance of several character cameos, including that of Aznable’s sister, Sayla Mass.
Regardless, viewers seeking mecha action will find plenty in GQuuuuuux, as character development takes a backseat to the armored combat. So far, Amate, and her scruffy “Mav” (or wingman), Shuki Ito, seem like rather familiar anime figures. However, Nyaan is an intriguing (and even timely) new addition, due to the angst and uncertainty stemming from her quasi-legal refugee status. Of the established characters, Lt. Challia Bull might benefit the most from the restart. Spared the unfortunate death he suffers in the original continuity, this Bull evolves into a steely, but philosophical commander.
In fact, sympathy for Zeons is not unheard of within the Gudam franchise. The recent Netflix series Gundam: Requiem for Vengeance depicted the war against the Earth Federation from the perspective of Zeon soldiers in the trenches, while the relatively recent film, Mobile Suit Gundam: Cucuruz Doan’s Island focused on the titular Zeon deserter who became the protector of a colony of orphaned children.
©Courtesy of GKIDS
Yet, screenwriters Yoji Enokido and Hideaki Anno (both of whom are known for their work on the other great mecha anime franchise, Evangelion) go further, visualizing a complete Zeon victory. For Stars Wars fans, imagine a film that starts with Darth Vader retrieving the Death Star plans from R2D2 and crushing the rebellion during the second act. It is a bold direction to take. Indeed, this divergent storyline will continue in a full GQuuuuuux series, which is a little too clear from the not very conclusive conclusion.
Still, Tsurumaki (co-director on the Evangelion “rebuild” features) and the animators at the Sunrise and Studio Khara animation houses are some of the best in the business at realizing mecha battles on-screen. This film is loaded with explosions and crashing metal, but the blow-by-blow is always cleanly discernable.
You can see from GQuuuuuux why Gundam probably did more than any other series to popularize mecha as a genre around the world. Even when its painted Red (in Aznable’s honor), the RX-78-2 is a mecha icon. GQuuuuuux showcases it doing it what it does best, even (or especially) when piloted by Char Aznable. Mostly recommended for the established fanbase, who will best appreciate it, Mobile Suit Gundam GQuuuuuux -Beginning- opens this Friday (2/28) in theaters.
Grade: B-
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Here’s the trailer of the film.