Mobile Suit Gundam GQuuuuuuX

Did You Know?

• Planning of the show began in 2018.
• Khara had previously collaborated with Sunrise on in-between animation for the last episode of Mobile Suit Gundam Unicorn.
• The series was first unveiled during the Gundam Conference Winter 2024 livestream in December 2024.

Story

The series unfolds in an alternate version of the Universal Century timeline, diverging from the original Mobile Suit Gundam when Char Aznable seizes the RX-78-02 White Gundam and the White Base during his assault on Side 7. Char pilots the Gundam instead of Amuro Ray, renaming it the gMS-α Red Gundam, and this shift leads to Zeon's victory in the One Year War. Char and the Red Gundam vanish afterward in a phenomenon called Zeknova, prompting a search by Zeon. In UC 0085, five years after Zeon's win, high school student Amate Yuzuriha lives in the Side 6 colony Izuma. She meets Nyaan, a war refugee, and becomes involved when Zeon and the Space Police pursue the re-emerged Red Gundam. Zeon sends Xavier Olivette in the prototype gMS-Ω GQuuuuuuX to capture it, but he crashes into the colony. Amate steals the GQuuuuuuX, defeats the Police Force, and allows the Red Gundam to escape. The Pomeranians, an underground mechanic team, take the GQuuuuuuX for illegal Clan Battles. After meeting the Red Gundam's pilot Shuji, Amate joins him in these duels.

Characters

Amate Yuzuriha, also known by her childhood nickname Machu, is an ordinary high school student whose life changes after meeting refugee Nyaan and vandal Shuji. She pilots the gMS-Ω GQuuuuuuX in underground Clan Battles alongside Shuji. Nyaan is a courier who became a refugee from Side 2 and ends up in Izuma, where she meets Amate and Shuji; she pilots the GQuuuuuuX when Amate is unavailable and later becomes the pilot of the gMS-κ GFreD after becoming Kycilia's aide. Shuji Ito is the enigmatic pilot of the gMS-α Red Gundam, originally used by Char Aznable, who moves between colonies evading authorities while spray-painting their outer walls; he becomes Amate's MAV (wingman) in Clan Battles and is accompanied by a four-legged robot named Conch. Annqi is president of the junk dealer Kaneban Co., Ltd., involved in illegal businesses including Clan Battles. Jezzi, a Kaneban member, pilots a Zaku-type Mobile Suit and owns a pomeranian named Pomeranian. Nabu handles practical matters for Kaneban, and Kaine works as a mechanic. Haro is an autonomous AI robot that accompanies Amate in the GQuuuuuuX and later becomes her companion. Challia Bull, a Zeon lieutenant colonel who conspired with Char during the One Year War, searches for Char and the Red Gundam while carrying on Char's mission to kill the Zabi family; he survived the war due to the timeline divergence, unlike his original series death. Xavier Olivette is also a character.

Media

The series was directed by Kazuya Tsurumaki with series composition by Yoji Enokido, episode scripts by Enokido and Hideaki Anno, character designs by Take, and mechanical designs by Ikuto Yamashita. A theatrical cut by Bandai Namco Filmworks and Toho premiered on January 17, 2025, with MX4D and 4DX versions from February 22. GKIDS licensed the theatrical prologue; its North American premiere was on February 20 at the Japan Society in New York City, with wider release starting February 28. In Australia and New Zealand, Sugoi Co released it on February 27, with fan premieres on February 24. A re-release occurred on October 2, 2025 at Hoyts Broadway alongside Mobile Suit Gundam SEED Freedom and a 4K remaster of Gundam Wing: Endless Waltz. The TV series aired from April 9 to June 25, 2025 on NNS affiliate stations including Nippon TV. The opening theme is Plazma by Kenshi Yonezu; the ending theme is Mō Dō Natte mo Ii ya by Hoshimachi Suisei, which premiered as an insert theme for Beginning. The eleventh episode uses Beyond the Time ~Möbius no Sora wo Koete~ by TM Network. Amazon Prime Video licensed worldwide streaming, and NYAV Post produced a simultaneous English dub. The series was released on three Blu-ray and DVD volumes by Emotion from January 28 to March 25, 2026, with the Beginning film on Ultra HD Blu-ray on May 27. Gunpla model kits in 1/144 scale were released from January 2025.

Reception

The compilation film Mobile Suit Gundam GQuuuuuuX: Beginning earned broad critical praise for its visuals, character work, writing, and how it remixed the original Mobile Suit Gundam. Reviewers highlighted the opening segment featuring Char Aznable, which establishes the alternate Universal Century timeline, for matching the original series’ look, sound, and tone. James Whitbrook of Gizmodo noted that reusing the original soundtrack and audio cues alongside faithfully recreated scenes recontextualized those elements in fascinating ways for the new narrative. Richard Eisenbeis of Anime News Network likened the concept to alternate universe fan fiction, calling it a fresh and enjoyable direction for Gundam. He found the blend of pure fanservice and original story cathartic for longtime fans while remaining accessible to newcomers. Kambole Campbell of Polygon, however, felt the film’s reliance on the original series made it a poor starting point, though he called the prologue a delightful throwback. Isaiah Colbert of Aftermath enjoyed seeing Studio Khara and Sunrise play with their toys in the divergent premise. Juan Barquin of IGN described the prologue as a loose history lesson that prepares uninitiated viewers for the new story.