This Week in Anime

Who the GQuuuuuuX is That?

Coop

Wait! Wrong purple and green robot with horrifying, godlike powers. But I do see what you mean, Chris. I'm only familiar with the larger minutiae of the Universal Century by osmosis. It can make you scratch your head a little when your best friend or partner shouts "GATES CAPA" at the screen, and you're like "who?"

This element of the series even broke internet containment, becoming a regular topic of conversation while I ran around at Animazement last weekend. If someone brought up GQuuuuuuX in the slightest, it'd go to "so what's up with these blorbos?" right away.

I believe at its core, GQuuuuuuX is generally telling the audience everything they need to know for the story it is exploring. Past the alternate 0079 setup, the series throws in characters like Bask Ohm and the aforementioned Gates Capa as "if you know, you know" winks to longtime fans. Functionally, they're all brand-new characters, and there is no better example than Challia Bull.

Man's booty is popping this week.

Challia has been morphed into way more than the villain of the week he was in 0079. Not to mention that all of his fellow preexisting characters aren't the same people they were in their initial incarnations either. Above all, the series is dedicated to the story of Machu and Nyaan...even if that's wrapped up in some deeply reverent Gundam trappings.

I do understand where a bit of the worry comes from—it's the same longtime fans for whom these references were made. They naturally want new viewers to enjoy this series with the same level of context they have, so nothing flies over anyone's head. However, in the process, this well-intentioned concern may push new viewers away because they feel the need to do homework. I struggled with the same sensation while watching The First Slam Dunk for the first time. I was so concerned with watching out for minute callbacks that I couldn't see the film for its qualities. Once I'd given myself a little time to step back and get that out of my system, I realized on rewatch that the film works spectacularly at threading that Dunk sicko-new baller needle.

Same here! Deux's rampage in the Psycho Gundam makes me jonesing to get back to Zeta Gundam so I can finally meet this Four everyone seems to be head over heels for!

This also has me thinking about the opening episodes of Zeta, which, similarly to GQuuuuuuX, are focused on introducing a new cast of characters while remaining firmly in the shadow of the original series. Like a new viewer, Kamile and Machu don't know all the specifics of the One Year War, but they're fully surrounded by tales of the legendary Gundam and the cunning Char Aznable. Like it is portrayed in both Zeta and GQuuuuuuX, 0079 and its characters share a similarly mythic status in real life, making it easy for viewers to slip into the shoes of either new character. You might know a thing or two with a viewing of the original series or the film trilogy beforehand, but I think you'd probably be able to get into future series without that additional knowledge. It's up to the viewer to decide what angle they want to approach a work from.

War in the Pocket is an amazing example of a story that interfaces with the original series, while firmly telling its own heartbreaking story. Like GQuuuuuuX, the aforementioned OVAs use the UC sandbox to share their stories, but I don't think they're shackled to it.

A legend in her own right.
As a kid whose first Gundam series was G Gundam and their favorite as a adult is Turn A Gundam, I can tell you pretty firmly that I don't believe there is a "right" order to watch anything in. If it looks interesting to you, give it a try! You can always fill in the blanks later if you want to.

Speaking of out-of-context references, Project A-ko and Aim for the Top! Gunbuster are a pair of titles that became pillars of the early North American anime community. But when they hit, not many of the then-young fans caught A-ko's unrelenting barrage of deep cuts or the fact that Gunbuster starts as a parody of Aim for the Ace! However, fans still enjoyed these titles for their own merits, regardless. It's why I fell in love with A-ko and Gunbuster as a high schooler despite not having a lick of context for all the fanservice...or even knowing it was there.

I'm reminded of how I watched all of Jubei-chan 2 in the late aughts simply because the DVDs were cheap at FYE and the cover art looked cool. I was missing a few details, but I still remember having a good time with it.

If I wanted to catch up on the original, I could find it later.

TechTV, the same channel upon which I randomly discovered R.O.D. THE TV during a vacation in 2005.

I feel old.

How will the children know that people die when they are killed, Chris?

I've been thinking about this conversation in the context of Revue Starlight: The Movie as well. While viewers might get a little extra information from the series proper, my god does this film hone in on a plot that is both its own beast and in conversation with the show. You explored this very topic with Steve in a look at the film a few years ago.

Make me wonder if Danganronpa 3 could work on its own merits, even if I've been historically hesitant to recommend it to new viewers. Because the Danganronpa universe has more than a few bloody puzzle boxes to unlock. It's really up to viewers to go for whatever vibes with them. DR3 does an amazing job of executing on an an idea haven't seen since: airing two seasons (The Future and Despair arcs in the case of DR3) at the same time, with each alternating episode building upon each other. It'd be a headache to coordinate, but I would love to see someone take another shot at this concept.

After hearing you rave about Ave Mujica and MyGO!!!!!, I'd be lying if I hadn't considered taking a jump into the former to see what's going on. I could nab that MyGO!!!!! foundation later.

Perhaps my Danganronpa fears may have some weight behind them. I don't know many people who played Ultra Despair Girls...and there's a DR3 episode that serves as a direct follow-up to it without much setup.

Thinking about how Woolie ended up doing a whole series of sponsored videos to break down the GG lore.

Those Glup Shitto-lovin friends of yours might lead you to your next favorite!

I wonder if he's about to do something wicked?