Mobile Suit Gundam GQuuuuuuX is not your typical Gundam. Released in 2025 as a TV anime co-produced by Studio Khara and Sunrise, this series reimagines the Universal Century through a parallel timeline—one where Zeon won the One Year War.
From its bold female lead and underground “Clan Battles” to jaw-dropping mecha design by Evangelion’s Ikuto Yamashita, GQuuuuuuX blends fan nostalgia with radical reinterpretation.
Even more surprising? Episode 2 was written and storyboarded by Hideaki Anno, who inserted a scene where Char steals and pilots a Gundam. That’s just one of many unexpected truths hiding inside this polarizing yet fascinating series.
In this post, we reveal 7 shocking facts that every Gundam fan—old or new—needs to know.
Table of Contents
🔍 #1. Hideaki Anno Secretly Directed the Most Controversial Episode
While Mobile Suit Gundam GQuuuuuuX is officially directed by Kazuya Tsurumaki, Episode 2 tells a different story—literally.
Hideaki Anno, the visionary behind Neon Genesis Evangelion, not only wrote but also storyboarded the entire second episode of the series. What’s more shocking is that the episode features a completely unexpected twist: Char Aznable hijacks a Gundam—a direct reversal of the iconic scene from First Gundam where Amuro Ray enters the cockpit of the RX-78-2.
Originally asked to draft a brief prologue for the series, Anno reportedly delivered a 40-minute sequence so compelling that it was absorbed wholesale into the show. His storytelling fingerprints are everywhere: long pauses, inverted framing, psychological undertones, and symbolic visual callbacks to Evangelion 2.0.
🎙️ “This isn’t your typical Gundam… This is what would happen if Anno directed Zeon’s version of First Gundam.” — Fan comment from AnimeJapan 2025
Even though he stepped back after Episode 2, his presence lingers, often leading fans to mistakenly assume he’s the main director of the entire show.
To fully understand the creative power Anno brought to GQuuuuuuX, it helps to look at how he changed anime forever.
👉 Read: How Hideaki Anno and Evangelion Revolutionized Anime
🔍 #2. Studio Khara’s Animation Style Shook the Fandom
When news broke that Mobile Suit Gundam GQuuuuuuX would be co-produced by Studio Khara—best known for the Rebuild of Evangelion films—fans expected something different. But few were prepared for just how different it would be.
From the very first episode, GQuuuuuuX reveals a bold new visual identity:
- Extreme close-ups on character expressions
- Heavy, matte color palettes instead of typical Gundam metallic finishes
- Dynamic sakuga action cuts with Gainax-style exaggeration
- Handwritten-looking text overlays during key emotional beats
The opening battle scenes feel less like traditional Gundam warfare and more like a surreal blend of Evangelion 3.0+1.0 and FLCL. Some praised it as “Gundam meets auteur cinema”, while others criticized it for straying too far from the grounded mechanical realism the franchise is known for.
The controversy peaked when early viewers noted that some shots—such as Machu running across a Zaku’s arm, or interior shots of cockpit reflections—felt like deliberate homages to Evangelion’s most iconic sequences.
🎨 “It’s not just a new art style. It’s a new language for Gundam.” — Interview with Director Tsurumaki (Monthly Newtype, May 2025)
Whether you love it or hate it, there’s no denying: Studio Khara didn’t just animate GQuuuuuuX—they transformed it.
🔍 #3. The Zaku Variants Are More Diverse Than Ever
If you thought you knew Zaku, Mobile Suit Gundam GQuuuuuuX will make you think again.
Traditionally portrayed as mass-produced cannon fodder, Zakus in this series are anything but generic. Set in a timeline where Zeon actually won the One Year War, GQuuuuuuX explores what might have happened if the Principality continued developing mobile suits without restriction.
From military police customs to rogue civilian conversions, this show introduces over a dozen unique Zaku variants, including:
- 🛡️ MS-06SSP and SSPEX: Military police-type Zakus fitted with riot suppression gear and visual sensors
- 🐍 Zaku for Snake Eyes: A stealth-specialized unit using high-speed cloaking systems
- ⚒️ Pomeranians’ Zaku: A mining-type converted for battle with spiked armor and beam anchors
- 🚫 Federation-Captured Zakus: Repurposed enemy suits painted in rebel colors
- 🛠️ LAM-Based Civilian Zaku: Jury-rigged suits used by colonists and black market fighters
Each design isn’t just cosmetic—it reflects the sociopolitical chaos of a postwar universe where the lines between soldier and citizen have blurred.
🛠️ “These Zakus tell stories before they even fire a shot.” — Mecha analyst, MechaNow Weekly
More than ever, the Zaku has become a canvas for character, ideology, and style. And for Gunpla collectors? This is paradise.
🔍 #4. Newtypes Are Depicted in a Completely New Light
In most Universal Century Gundam series, Newtypes are portrayed as evolved humans—emotionally sensitive, spatially gifted pilots capable of sensing others through space and time. But Mobile Suit Gundam GQuuuuuuX radically reinterprets that legacy.
Director Kazuya Tsurumaki openly stated in interviews that he wanted to “rehumanize” the concept of Newtypes, moving away from the cold, esoteric mysticism often associated with them in later Tomino-era stories. Instead, Newtypes in GQuuuuuuX are shown as social outcasts, trauma survivors, and even tools of state propaganda.
One Newtype pilot, Shuji Ito, exhibits heightened awareness not through combat—but through empathic breakdowns and hallucinations. His abilities are portrayed as a curse, isolating him from other characters rather than connecting him.
🧠 “This Newtype isn’t a war hero. He’s a mirror to how war breaks people down.” — Excerpt from Monthly Gundam Frontier, April 2025
Even more interesting is how Newtypes are framed as unwelcome relics in a world desperate to control them. Rather than being revered, they are surveilled, manipulated, and feared—evoking themes of institutional oppression and weaponized identity.
With this approach, Mobile Suit Gundam GQuuuuuuX pushes the franchise’s most iconic concept into deeply psychological and political territory, offering perhaps the most grounded and emotionally raw take on Newtypes to date.
If you’re curious about how psychological trauma and evolution have been explored in mecha anime across generations, check out our in-depth analysis of Ideon and Evangelion:
👉 40 Years of Despair – Ideon and Evangelion
🔍 #5. Every Episode Is Packed with Hidden Anime References
If you’re an anime veteran, watching Mobile Suit Gundam GQuuuuuuX can feel like a scavenger hunt.
Each episode is loaded with subtle (and not-so-subtle) nods to classic anime, especially works connected to the Gainax–Khara lineage—such as FLCL, Gunbuster, Evangelion, and even The Wings of Honneamise.
Some standout examples include:
- 🎥 Episode 1: The moment Machu’s phone flies out of her hand in slow motion mirrors FLCL’s iconic Vespa crash scene.
- 👣 Episode 2: Char hijacking a Gundam and quoting Amuro’s lines—with mirrored framing—is a direct callback to the original First Gundam’s earliest episodes.
- 🛁 Episode 3: A quiet bath scene with flashbacks mimics Evangelion Episode 2, where Shinji sits silently after battle.
- 🔧 Recurring: Terminal devices resemble the Tem Ray Circuit, and various corporations are named after Gainax-era fictional brands.
- 🚀 Episode 4: A massive space launch shot matches the framing from Gunbuster, down to the camera shake.
🕵️ “The entire show feels like a love letter to late-90s anime nerds—layered, obscure, and incredibly fun to dissect.” — Anime Archive Podcast
These homages aren’t just for flair. They tie into GQuuuuuuX’s core identity: a meta-conversation between Gundam’s past and the modern anime sensibility. Even the opening sequence borrows rhythm and structure from Zeta Gundam’s OP and overlays it with Evangelion-like transitions.
Simply put, GQuuuuuuX isn’t just a Gundam spinoff—it’s a fanservice playground for seasoned otaku.
🔍 #6. GQuuuuuuX Challenges the Idea of War as Glory
Unlike many Gundam series that romanticize the battlefield through ace pilots and heroic sacrifices, Mobile Suit Gundam GQuuuuuuX takes a much colder, more uncomfortable stance: war is not glorious—it’s performative, exploitative, and deeply isolating.
This tone is established early on through the “Clan Battle” system, a series of underground mobile suit duels treated more like illegal bloodsports than military engagements. Characters don’t fight for ideology or justice—they fight for survival, reputation, or in some cases, to numb their trauma.
What’s more, the show highlights civilian collateral, war profiteering, and political manipulation, portraying mobile suits as tools of corporate influence as much as military dominance.
🎙️ “If First Gundam showed us why we fight, GQuuuuuuX shows us how we forget why we started.” — Excerpt from SpaceCinema Magazine, 2025
Even long-standing tropes like the “hero Gundam” are turned on their head. The Red Gundam, far from a symbol of hope, is feared even by allies—its activation triggers psychic meltdowns and system-wide chaos.
Director Tsurumaki Kazuya, in an interview with Newtype, stated that his goal was to create a Gundam where “war is an extension of human delusion, not destiny.” It’s no coincidence the show is set during a Cold War-style stalemate, rather than a climactic battle.
GQuuuuuuX may feature flashy mecha fights, but it never lets you forget what those fights cost—morally, emotionally, and spiritually.
🔍 #7. The Alternate Timeline May Connect to Other Gundam Universes
At first glance, Mobile Suit Gundam GQuuuuuuX appears to exist in a self-contained alternate timeline—a “what-if” universe where Zeon wins the One Year War. But attentive viewers and lore enthusiasts have noticed subtle clues that this world might not be so isolated after all.
Throughout the series, scattered references and design elements echo multiple other Gundam continuities, including:
- 🛰️ F91-style mobile suit internals and colony layouts
- 💻 Zeta-era cockpit overlays and pilot suit designs
- 🧬 Philosophical debates around Newtypes that mirror Turn A Gundam
- 🔍 Canon-defying elements like Yashima Industries, Lam-based Zaku, and Axis-style gravity simulations
Even more intriguing is the thematic resonance with Gundam: The Origin, Thunderbolt, and Hathaway, all of which explore alternate perspectives and gray moralities within or around the Universal Century.
🧩 “We built a world that feels disconnected—but actually sits at the edge of multiple Gundam dimensions.”
— Comment from a lead producer, AnimeJapan 2025 Panel
Some fans speculate that GQuuuuuuX could serve as a soft prequel to a multiverse crossover, especially given the Anno–Khara connection and their history with genre fusion. There are even rumors that the mysterious Gundam Rise Heavy is a prototype version of a forgotten suit from Victory Gundam or a Turn A hybrid.
For now, no official confirmation has been made—but if you pay close attention, GQuuuuuuX may be planting the seeds for a far larger Gundam meta-narrative than anyone expected.
❓ Mobile Suit Gundam GQuuuuuuX – FAQ
1. What is Mobile Suit Gundam GQuuuuuuX about?
It’s an alternate-universe Gundam series set in U.C. 0085 where Zeon won the One Year War. The story follows a high school girl named Machu who becomes involved in illegal mobile suit duels known as Clan Battles.
2. Is GQuuuuuuX part of Gundam canon?
No. It is considered a parallel timeline within the Universal Century framework, much like Gundam Thunderbolt or The Origin.
3. Did Hideaki Anno direct Mobile Suit Gundam GQuuuuuuX?
No. The director is Kazuya Tsurumaki, but Anno wrote and storyboarded Episode 2 and the prologue for the theatrical version.
4. What does the name “GQuuuuuuX” mean?
The meaning hasn’t been officially explained, but many fans believe it represents a symbolic Gundam variant that defies traditional naming conventions—likely a reference to how distorted this worldline is.
5. Who designed the mobile suits in GQuuuuuuX?
The mecha designs were created by Ikuto Yamashita, known for his work on Evangelion, which explains the Eva-like proportions and detailing.
6. Why do the Zaku designs in GQuuuuuuX look so different?
Because the story explores a Zeon-dominated world, Zakus have evolved into personalized, regional, and repurposed variants that reflect postwar culture and survival tactics.
7. Where can I watch Mobile Suit Gundam GQuuuuuuX?
It’s streaming exclusively on Prime Video in most countries (excluding Japan and Vietnam). New episodes air weekly on Wednesdays.
8. Is GQuuuuuuX connected to Evangelion?
Officially, no—but stylistically and thematically, there are clear parallels due to the involvement of Studio Khara and key Anno collaborators.
9. Will Gunpla kits be released for GQuuuuuuX?
Yes. Bandai has already started releasing model kits including the Red Gundam, the GQuuuuuuX unit, and several Zaku variants.
10. Will there be a sequel or continuation?
There’s no official announcement yet, but the show’s ending and multiverse hints strongly suggest potential for a sequel or crossover event.
🌐 Official Website (Japanese):
https://gquuuuuux.net
The official site for Mobile Suit Gundam GQuuuuuuX, featuring news, staff info, episode guide, and key visuals.
📚 Fandom Wiki (English):
https://gundam.fandom.com/wiki/Mobile_Suit_Gundam_GQuuuuuuX
Community-maintained page with detailed information on characters, mobile suits, and timeline theories.