The most recent entry within the Gundam franchise, GQuuuuuuX, is constructed round one of many most fascinating premises a mainline Gundam present has had in years. To get there, we’re requested to solid our minds again over 45 years to the unique 1979 anime—and in doing so, we’re additionally requested to contemplate a fairly hilarious concept.
The overwhelming majority of Gundam GQuuuuuuX—as coated in its prequel/compilation film GQuuuuuuX Starting, out in American theaters right this moment for a restricted run—is based round the truth that the present is in actual fact set in an alternate model of Gundam‘s “Common Century” timeline. The first timeline of the unique Gundam and its direct successor collection, amongst others within the franchise, GQuuuuuuX‘s model of occasions asks us to contemplate one other final result. What if the antagonistic forces of the unique collection, the secessionist house colony Zeon, really managed to win the struggle in opposition to Earth?
GQuuuuuuX‘s inflection level to indicate this new timeline takes audiences proper again to the very first episode of the 1979 anime. Starting opens with an virtually shot for shot, beat for beat recreation of the unique opening moments of Gundam itself: after a short rationalization of the outbreak of the “One Yr Warfare” between Zeon and the Earth Federation, we observe three Zeon cellular fits as they infiltrate the Facet 7 colony, trying to acquire intel that the Federation has been creating a brand new prototype cellular go well with there.
However issues instantly differ there: we’re advised that one of many pilots who was meant to go on the mission is having their Zaku repaired after sustaining injury in a previous mission, leaving Zeon ace pilot Char Aznable to take his place. It’s this that adjustments all the pieces for GQuuuuuuX‘s timeline: Char identifies the prototype cellular go well with, the Gundam, makes a daring transfer to exit his personal Zaku and steal it in the course of the chaos of Zeon’s arrival in Facet 7, and the remainder from there, as they are saying, is alternate historical past.
It’s fascinating to observe unfold in Starting in case you’re a Gundam fan, seeing how the opening half that retells the unique Gundam differs from this modification, and what issues echo all through each. However if you’re a diehard fan of the 1979 basic already, then you definately most likely know who was meant to go on this mission as an alternative of Char, and why it fails within the authentic collection as younger Amuro Ray finds himself because the one who will get within the Gundam’s cockpit to battle off the Zeon attackers. A person who is barely ever often known as Gene.
Within the very first episode of the unique Gundam, Gene is sort of a large asshole. Regardless of being on a stealth recon mission, he’s loud and brash, excessive on not solely his personal provide, however that of his senior officer, Char Aznable, at this level within the battle a adorned struggle hero. Uninterested in merely sitting in his ginormous weapon of struggle in a colony that, for essentially the most half, simply occurs to be an abnormal residential facility, Gene instantly grows impatient, strikes out of place, and defies orders and a risk of courtroom martial, and begins indiscriminately firing on the Federation services and residential areas alike.
It’s this single motion, GQuuuuuuX argues, that makes all of Gundam as we all know it occur. With out Gene blowing the recon mission—with out him craving to chase the glory Char has had—Amuro by no means will get within the Gundam, by no means kills Gene and the opposite Zeon troopers attacking the colony, by no means escapes on the White Base and kicking off a brand new turnaround within the struggle for the Earth Federation. Cell Swimsuit Gundam occurs as a result of one egotistical jerk pulls a set off, envious of the glory achieved by these above him. Of Char, particularly.
And that is what makes this each completely hilarious, but in addition fully fascinating on the identical time. As a result of within the authentic present Char isn’t actually the dashing struggle hero that Gene desperately wished to emulate. He’s a prime pilot, sure, however he’s removed from the picture of a warrior boldly dashing into fights head on: he schemes, he plots, he revels in deception and subterfuge. The struggle hero is a masks that Char wears as readily as his legendary helmet, at all times considering two steps forward as he plots his personal agenda in opposition to Zeon’s ruling Zabi household. Char doesn’t care concerning the struggle effort: he cares about betraying and destroying the Zabis, and he’ll use the chance of changing into their navy poster baby to do precisely that.
It’s nonetheless the identical in GQuuuuuuX‘s imaginative and prescient for the character, too. Even with having access to the Gundam, Char continues to be enjoying the struggle for his personal sport, plotting his vendetta in opposition to the Zabis on a regular basis he’s utilizing the Gundam to win the struggle for them. Hell, even the best way he decides to take the Gundam isn’t within the heroically combative method Gene may need assumed of him: he spots an opportunity whereas the Gundam’s inoperative, levels a distraction, and sneakily leaps out of his personal go well with to run over and take it off the again of a transport car. That is who Char is, no matter whether or not or not it’s the person we first met within the 1979 anime, or the model of him we now get to see in GQuuuuuuX‘s alternate timeline. What Gene believes in, in presumably each timelines, is predicated on a lie.
All of that is made upon Char’s layers of intrigue and deception being believed by these round him–whether or not it’s him efficiently managing to eradicate many of the Zabis at the price of dropping the struggle within the authentic present, or this new imaginative and prescient of actuality we now have in GQuuuuuuX. It’s what makes Starting such a tasty deal with to observe unfold as a long-time fan of the collection. It’s made with a transparent love and respect for what the unique present did as pioneer for the mecha style in anime, and a eager understanding of what made it so compelling four-and-a-half many years in the past within the first place. A respect that’s each sufficient for it to make such an absurdly fannish gesture within the first place, but in addition nonetheless have or not it’s extra than simply easy emulation and homage to what got here earlier than it.
If that’s one thing that GQuuuuuuX can maintain at its core because the story progresses into the TV anime at massive, Gundam followers might be in for one hell of a deal with.
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