- Source: Mobile Suit Gundam GQuuuuuuX
Mobile Suit Gundam GQuuuuuuX (Japanese: 機動戦士GUNDAM ジークアクス, Hepburn: Kidō Senshi Gandamu Jīkuakusu) is an upcoming anime series jointly produced by Sunrise and Studio Khara. It is billed as the sixteenth installment of the Gundam franchise, the second mainline series to be aired during Japan's Reiwa era, and the second mainline series in a row (after The Witch from Mercury) to feature a female lead, albeit alongside a male and female co-lead.
The series is directed by Kazuya Tsurumaki and written by Yoji Enokido and Hideaki Anno, and features character designs by Take and mechanical designs by Ikuto Yamashita. It is planned for broadcast in the future and will be the first Gundam TV series to air on Nippon Television and other NNS stations in Japan, with a theatrical cut leveraging footage from the initial episodes to be released on January 17, 2025.
Story
Amate Yuzuriha, a high school student living a quiet life on a space colony, becomes embroiled in unexpected chaos after meeting Nyaan, a war refugee. This encounter draws her into the underground world of Clan Battle, an illegal and high-stakes mobile suit dueling sport. Under the alias "Machu," Amate pilots the powerful GQuuuuuuX, competing in relentless battles.
Her life takes a dramatic turn when she comes across a mysterious Gundam mobile suit, hunted by the space force and police. The Gundam's pilot, Shuji, a mysterious boy, carries the potential to bring profound change. Together, Amate, Shuji, and the enigmatic Gundam stand at the center of events that could redefine the future of their world.
Characters
Yuzuriha Amate (アマテ・ユズリハ, Amate Yuzuriha) / Machu (マチュ)
Voiced by: Tomoyo Kurosawa
An ordinary high school student whose usual way of life collapses after she meets refugee Nyaan and becomes acquainted with underground "Clan Battles", or mobile suit duels. The protagonist and central character of the story as well as the pilot of the gMS-Ω GQuuuuuuX.
Nyaan (ニャアン)
Voiced by: Yui Ishikawa
A courier who becomes a refugee after war breaks out in her homeland and she has to flee without even having time to take care of her parents. Fortunately, she is rescued and ends up in one of the populated orbital stations, where she meets Machu.
Shuji Ito (シュウジ・イトウ, Shūji Itō)
Voiced by: Shimba Tsuchiya
The pilot of the Gundam, he is a mysterious boy who is encountered by Machu and Nyaan while on the run from his enemies. He becomes Machu's Mav, or partner, in the Clan Battles.
Production
The series was first unveiled during the "Gundam Conference Winter 2024" livestream on December 4, 2024, revealing the series' official trailer. It marked the first Gundam production to be co-produced by Khara of the Rebuild of Evangelion tetralogy films, and is largely creatively led by staff who once worked for Gainax on several anime such as Evangelion, FLCL, and Diebuster.
Planning of the show began in 2018. Khara had previously collaborated with Sunrise on in-between animation and other support, such as on the last episode of Mobile Suit Gundam Unicorn. As part of production, Director Tsurumaki was given freedom by Sunrise to offer up new approaches.
The show is considered by Sunrise as "a representative work heading into the 45th and 50th anniversaries of Gundam," which prompted the release of a theatrical cut, titled Mobile Suit Gundam GQuuuuuuX -Beginning-, to create a "festive element" around the Khara and Sunrise collaboration.
Media
= Anime
=Mobile Suit Gundam GQuuuuuuX will begin airing in all NNS stations, including Nippon Television in Japan, with a theatrical release of a recut of different episodes from the TV series being scheduled to be released by Bandai Namco Filmworks and Toho on January 17, 2025.
= Merchandise
=Alongside other merchandise releases, the series is also part of the long-running Gunpla line of plastic model kits by Bandai Spirits. Kits based on the Mobile Suits in the series were released in 1/144 scale with the first model be released in January 2025.
References
External links
Anime official website (in Japanese)
Mobile Suit Gundam GQuuuuuuX (anime) at Anime News Network's encyclopedia