Mass death and rushed pacing: Mobile Suit Gundam GQuuuuuuX's fatal flaws

Although Mobile Suit Gundam GQuuuuuuX is a worthwhile entry into the Gundam franchise, there are a couple of flaws holding it back. While the series has lovely aesthetics, great main characters, and a fascinating premise, it suffers from rapid-fire pacing. It prevents the big moments from fully impacting, and a seeming obsession with killing off characters as soon as they’re introduced.

While it doesn’t mean GQuuuuuuX is a bad series per se, these issues do hold it back from achieving the greatness of past Gundam series and even contemporaries like Witch From Mercury or Iron-Blooded Orphans.

Disclaimer: The following article contains spoilers for Mobile Suit Gundam GQuuuuuuX and its recently released episodes. All opinions are exclusive to the author. This was written before the end of the series.

Mobile Suit Gundam GQuuuuuuX's pacing and mass character death hold it back from greatness

The pacing problem

Several events that happen far too quickly in Mobile Suit Gundam GQuuuuuux (image via Studio Sunrise)

The original Mobile Suit Gundam was 40 episodes long; its sequel, Zeta Gundam, was 50 episodes; ZZ Gundam was 47 episodes; and so on. Over the years, more modern titles have had fewer episodes: Witch from Mercury has 24 episodes, Unicorn RE:0096 has 22 episodes, and The Origin: Advent of the Red Comet has 13 episodes. The exception was Iron Blooded Orphans, which capped off at 50 episodes.

Enter Mobile Suit Gundam GQuuuuuuX, which is still airing at the time of writing. One of the biggest complaints about the series thus far has been the rapid-fire pacing. After spending a mere 6 episodes in the Side Six colony and teasing big things coming, the series suddenly shifts gears. Episode 7 packs a season finale's worth of action, betrayals, and status quo-shaking events: Amate "Machu" Yuzuhriha is captured by Challia Bull, Nyaan is conscripted into Kycilia Zabi's army, and Shuji Ito vanishes in a Zeknova.

More events in Mobile Suit Gundam GQuuuuuuX that went by too quickly (Image via Studio Sunrise)

The problem is that the audience was barely introduced to the main trio before they're shoved into the hunt for the Rose of Sharon and the ensuing Zeon Civil War between Kycilia and Gihren.

Shuji is still largely an unknown entity aside from the mystery of how he obtained the Red Gundam, with some fans saying he has no distinct personality beyond the mystery aspect. Nyaan's past hasn't been fully explored, and Machu's reason for wanting to leave Side 6 isn't fully fleshed out.

Likewise, the teen drama shenanigans and supposed love triangle seem to come out of nowhere. While it's one thing for Machu and Nyaan to squabble over the "Kira-Kira", a one-sided argument on Machu's part due to jealousy over Nyaan accessing it in episode 5, the show doesn't give enough time to believe the trio are as close friends (much less that the two girls, especially Nyaan, are in love with Shuji) as it wants the audience to think before separating them.

In short, the pacing of Mobile Suit Gundam GQuuuuuuX has made some fans feel less like they're following a series and more like they're watching pieces of a compilation movie. There is too much going on, and very little exploration or explanation of the events and character motivations to make a big impact.

The mass deaths

A few of the characters who were killed off (Image via Studio Sunrise)

Mobile Suit Gundam GQuuuuuuX's secondary problem is similar to Attack on Titan or Game of Thrones' problem. It introduces characters, teases a story with them, and then kills them off quickly. While this can work if the characters are minor in the grand scheme of the story, it risks making the audience not care enough to get invested when characters are introduced.

For the record, as of the 10th episode, there have been approximately 12 characters killed off as soon as they're introduced. Several more notable ones include Duex Muramase, a clear early prototype of Zeta Gundam's Four Muramase. She was a deeply philosophical yet unstable, Cyber Newtype piloting the Psycho Gundam.

Another example includes Gihren Zabi, the treacherous and arrogant Supreme Commander of the Zeon forces from the original series. Then there is Shiko Sugai, the "Witch" of the Federation, who sought out the Red Gundam in revenge for the death of her comrades in the One Year War and abandoned her family to do so.

Even more of the characters who were killed off (Image via Studio Sunrise)

This is not the first time Gundam has killed characters, nor the first time the franchise has killed them off shortly after introducing them, as seen with 00's Laguna Harvey and Seed Destiny's Heine Westenfluss. The problem here is the sheer volume of characters killed off as they're introduced in such short amounts of time before they can truly leave an impression on the audience.

This has led some fans to mark that as a major criticism for Mobile Suit Gundam GQuuuuuuX when compared to prior Gundam series. These previous entries at least knew how to establish and keep characters like Four Muramase from Zeta Gundam, Loni Garvey in Unicorn, among others, alive until it made sense to kill them or to guarantee maximum impact.

Solution 1: More slice-of-life moments

Several slice-of-life moments that could’ve been expanded (Image via Studio Sunrise)

One solution to Mobile Suit Gundam GQuuuuuuX's pacing problem would have been more slice-of-life moments with the main trio. These scenes effectively explore their backstories and allow the teenagers to be teenagers.

Having an episode detailing Nyaan's past, explaining Shuji's presence, and giving the audience more insight into why Machu is bored with the supposed drudgery of living in a space colony would help their story feel more impactful.

This would help establish a status quo, clarify and expand upon the characters' motivations and origins. In addition, it would help further develop the Pomeranian Clan and showcase the major differences between Mobile Suit Gundam GQuuuuuuX's timeline and the original Universal Century.

It would also solidify the main trio's friendship much better than just focusing on the Clan Battle aspect. This could be achieved by showing how Nyaan transitioned from refugee to courier, how Shuji acquired the Red Gundam, and how Machu struggles in school and with her family, among other things.

More characters for whom slice-of-life moments could’ve helped (Image via Studio Sunrise)

This would've made the Pomeranian Clan's betrayal and the main trio's failed escape during episode 7 hit that much harder. The show already does a decent job driving a wedge between Nyaan and Machu with the "Kira-Kira" and communication issues in episodes 5 and 6, the betrayal and chaos of episode 7. It showcases how they've both developed and been manipulated since then.

The problem is that Nyaan and Machu's attachment to Shuji is underwhelming, and the aftermath of Machu being labeled a terrorist doesn't have the same impact.

That may otherwise be the point that Mobile Suit Gundam GQuuuuuuX is going for with the main trio, showing that Machu and Nyaan both love a shadow of a person they never truly knew and highlighting the superficiality of adolescent love.

It might also be a point that Nyaan's desires for affection caused her to latch onto Shuji, much like she did Kycilia later on. This development could have flowed a lot smoother because Shuji is meant to be the tritagonist in Mobile Suit Gundam GQuuuuuuX, and the audience doesn't know anything real about Shuji.

Solution 2: A longer run time instead of 12 episodes

Characters who would’ve benefited from more episodes (Image via Studio Sunrise)

As of the time of writing, it feels like Mobile Suit Gundam GQuuuuuuX is winding its way towards a conclusion. However, 12 episodes are not going to cut it for a full-fledged series of this caliber. The 2019 version of Gundam Origin establishes Char Aznable's origin story, and it is still longer at 13 episodes.

Witch From Mercury might've suffered from a rushed ending, but 24 episodes is still better than 12.

By contrast, most other longer-running anime (Dragon Ball Z, Sailor Moon, Naruto, One Piece, etc.) are just barely getting started by the time of their 10th episode. Even when looking at other contemporary anime like Dandadan and Chainsaw Man, it's fairly clear that the first dozen episodes are part of a larger unfolding saga.

Even briskly paced anime like Gurren Lagann or Kill la Kill had more episodes.

Events that would’ve had more impact given more episodes (Image via Studio Sunrise)

The point is: there's a lot that Mobile Suit Gundam GQuuuuuuX throws at the audience that would justify more episodes instead of trying to tell the entire story at a breakneck pace with only 12.

There are still plenty of unanswered questions, such as Amuro Ray's whereabouts, the presence behind the Red Gundam, what role Char will play, where Shuji went when the Zeknova happened, what the point of Shuji was, among many more.

Having one season on Side Six and a second on the hunt for the Rose of Sharon would've let the audience, the characters, and the story develop naturally. It also would've made more sense to reorder events.

For instance, Challia Bull's return from Jupiter would've made more sense to happen after Char vanished into the Zeknova. Kycillia and Gihren could've been introduced earlier, and their shadow war expanded upon, and the attack on Side 6 should've been a season finale.

Solution 3: Keep characters around longer

Several characters who should’ve been kept around longer (Image via Studio Sunrise)

Mobile Suit Gundam is not a stranger to killing off characters, even main characters, depending on the series. Zeta Gundam has probably the largest body count of the mainline Gundam series, aside from Iron Blooded Orphans. The difference between them and Mobile Suit Gundam GQuuuuuuX is that the former series knew when and how to give characters satisfying endings to their stories.

It is one thing for Shiko Sugai to be killed off, establishing the theme of how obsession and hatred can be a waste of a life. It is another thing entirely when Duex Muramase, Gihren Zabi, among others, who should be more important, are killed before they do anything major or are taken out of the story before their story concludes, like Machu's mother and the Pomeranian clan.

More characters to keep around or introduce earlier (Image via Studio Sunrise)

Shiko could've still died the way she did in episode 4, even if she discovered that Shuji wasn't the original Red Gundam pilot. Alternatively, she could've lived to outgrow her revenge obsession.

Duex and Machu didn't meet in combat, which is a shame given how Mobile Suit Gundam GQuuuuuuX seemed to be teasing the matchup before episode 7. The two characters were very different, especially in how they understood the concepts of freedom and their view of the "Kira-Kira".

It would have given more weight to Machu being labeled a terrorist, and tugged at the heartstrings more if more locations had been devastated. Places like Nyaan's apartment, Machu's house, the Pomeranian's meeting place, or Machu's school.

Gihren's quick death via Kycilia poisoning him was perfect. He had already gotten many famous moments to shine since he was the main antagonist of the original Mobile Suit Gundam.

Given that Gihren was supposedly involved in a shadow war against Kycilia, he should have been introduced earlier. That way his death would have had a greater impact on Mobile Suit Gundam GQuuuuuuX's story.

Final Thoughts

Although Mobile Suit Gundam GQuuuuuuX is ending at 12 episodes, and despite these flaws, it is still worth watching and remains a worthwhile entry into the Mobile Suit Gundam franchise.

It's not like other Mobile Suit Gundam shows haven't been criticized in the same vein. Stardust Memory had writing issues that were much the same by the end of its 13-episode run, and Witch from Mercury hit a wall by the end of its runtime.

The trouble here is that Mobile Suit Gundam GQuuuuuuX tries to do too much and ends up having too little to sustain itself for a one-and-done show. Although there is plenty of depth to be found in the characters, the story, and the connection to the Universal Century, the show needed more time. It needed the time to fully flesh out this new universe and the people living in it.

The last point is especially important, considering that this universe is an alternate timeline. Additionally, there's barely any exploration of it outside of how it relates to the central characters. The fact that there's seemingly not going to be a continuation of this series is a shame, given how attached fans became to Nyaan and Machu.