Everything You Need to Know BeforeGundam: GQuuuuuuX

A very especial time for anime fan is well-nigh upon us : next hebdomad , the next first appearance in theGundamfranchise , GQuuuuuuX , begin , taking us into a bold and exciting spin on over 45 years ofgiant robot history . concerned but not sure where to start ? We ’re here to facilitate .

What IsGundam GQuuuuuuXAbout?

GQuuuuuuXis set in the year 0085 of an epoch known as the Universal Century — butnotthe Universal Century that mostGundamfans will know , the primarytimeline among severalinGundam(home to the continuity established by the 1979 original , its successor inZeta Gundam , ZZ Gundam , Char ’s Counterattack , and more).GQuuuuuuXinstead operates inan alternative versionof that timeline where , six years prior , the secessionist place dependency known as the Principality of Zeon acquire the infamousOne Year Waragainst the Earth Federation , having handle to successfully slip the epitome Gundam and claim it as their own .

The Gundam — as well as its pilot , the legendary ace Char Aznable — vanish at the end ofGQuuuuuuX‘s version of the conflict , but cryptically returns in 0085 piloted by a untested boy advert Shuji Ito . While Shuji die on the run from the Zeon forces furrow him , he crosses paths with two young settler , Nyaan ( a refugee from the war now constitute money as a courier for moon-curser ) and Machu , an eager young girl who finds herself unwittingly hurl into the populace of underground Mobile Suit fights known as “ Clan Battles”—and through that , manages to somehow find herself fly Zeon ’s latest experimental Mobile Suit , the nominal GQuuuuuuX.

Do I Need Watch Any OtherGundamBefore I WatchGQuuuuuuX?

In theory , no . In actuality … it’scomplicated .

GQuuuuuuX‘s nature of being gear up in this “ what if ” alternate realness ofGundam‘s most far-famed continuity means there are a lot of element it draw on and extrapolates in its humanity edifice , from mecha design to lineament and concepts . It ’s hard to say just how much that clobber will really matter in the show yet — Beginning , the prequel movie release in theaters as a compiling of the first few episode ofGQuuuuuuX , included a preliminary retell the alternative event of the One Year War in this timeline , and we do n’t know how much , or if any , of that background entropy will appear in the show . But the main aspect of the show itself , around Shuji , Machu , and Nyaan , for the most part leans on new stuff , so you could seemingly leap out in and see the series through their position .

That say , itwouldbe ideal , if you did n’t seeBeginning , to have at least watched some of the original 1979Gundamtoappreciate the contextof whatGQuuuuuuXis doing . But 43 episode of Zanzibar copal is a plenty to try and gormandize if you desire to be on plank withGQuuuuuuXwhen it launch . There is an alternative option : a trilogy of compilation movies that condenses the original show down to a handful of hours . But ironically , they have their own issue here — one 1979 role that has suddenly become very important toGQuuuuuuX‘s story , theZeon commander Challia Bull , is cut from the movie edit all , because he ’s only in a undivided episode of the original show .

Gquuuuuux Poster

© Khara/Sunrise

The originalGundamis cyclosis on Crunchyroll , if you want to check it out . The show adjudge up remarkably well , and is a classic of the literary genre for a reason .

What MakesGQuuuuuuXStand Out Compared to OtherGundamShows?

There have been piece ofGundammedia that imagine alternative issue of the One Year War and the Universal Century before , from game , to manga , to even the original novelization of the show , and while many ofGundam‘s numberless other timelines often riff off musical theme and constituent of the Universal Century , there has n’t been a mainline show likeGQuuuuuuXthat explicitly roots it in a verbatim parallel version of it .

But it also put up out for the sheer amount of notable talentbehind its production . First off , the serial is developed byEvangelionstudio Khara , rather thanGundam‘s own studios at Sunrise and Bandai Namco , and with that comes a lot of that fascinating behind the series crew : the show is point by Kazyua Tsurumaki , who directedFLCL , Diebuster , theEvangelionrebuild moving-picture show , and multiple instalment of the original anime ; and it ’s written for the most part by Yoji Enokido , who has worked onEvangelion , Sailor Moon , , the aforementioendFLCL , andRevolutionary Girl Utena , alongside an assist fromEvangelioncreator Hideaki Anno .

The show ’s ultra accept on the classicGundammechanical designs are developed by Ikuto Yamashita , who not only developed the mecha plan onEvangelion , but also contributed mechanical design to Atlus ’ recent hit - arrive at JRPGMetaphor Re : Fantazio . And then there ’s the character design itself , supply by none other than Take , the artist well sleep with for being the architect of modernPokémoncharacter excogitation sinceSunandMoon . The scope of the originative team here in spades makesGQuuuuuuXstand out , whether you likeGundamor just like gum anime in general !

Gundam Gquuuuuux Char

© Khara/Sunrise

Where Can I WatchGundam GQuuuuuuX?

Gundam GQuuuuuuXwill start streaming worldwide on April 8through Amazon Prime Video . While detail have been kept under wraps up to this point ( including what time exactly episodes will exhaust ) , the show will debut both a subtitled and dubbed episodes on a hebdomadal base at the same time .

So, Uh… How Do You PronounceGQuuuuuuX?

It ’s a fair question , as that ’s a very daunting await Word of God ! While we have n’t hear how the English dub will handle it yet , the Japanese katakana for the claim is translate asJīkuakusu — which in English would suggest we end up with something like “ G - Kwux . ” The name , many atomic number 92 ’s aside , is derived from the computer computer programming term Qux , a metasyntactic variable quantity : it ’s a mutual proxy word coder will use in cod with the purpose that it will be interchange with literal terminology at a ulterior escort .

This bring in sense within the public ofGQuuuuuuXtoo . The titular Mobile Suit is presented to us as an former Zeon image of the next generation of combat mecha , developed out of the engineering Zeon manage to reverse - engineer from the Gundam and from its own Mobile Suit development team . Maybe it keeps the Qux designation for the duration of the show , or peradventure it ’s eventually christen with its last name , we do n’t know yet .

Why So Many U’s Though?

Well , that we do n’t really know formally . It makes for a cool face logo though !

For what it ’s deserving , it ’s notjuststylization for the serial ’ branding . Although no one in the show pronounce a longsighted drawing string of ‘ u ’ sounds when articulate its name , the nominal courtship ’s official designation in - world is the gMS - Ω GQuuuuuuX. At one compass point inBeginning , some grapheme research its interior systems for the first clip do actually resist at seeing it pen out in such a way , so honestly — the characters in the show seem to know as much as you or I do .

Want more io9 news ? Check out when to expect the latestMarvel , Star Wars , andStar Trekreleases , what ’s next for theDC Universe on picture and TV , and everything you need to eff about the future ofDoctor Who .

Gquuuuuux Nyaan Machu Red Gundam