__“Rise, Mobile Fighter G Gundam Review!”
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“This keyboard of mine glows with an awesome power, its burning keys tell me to write you!”

“Let’s get things started! Anilist review all set, ready go!!!”

As you can probably tell, I had a lot of fun watching this show, from start to finish. There were certainly some rocky moments, but overall, I’m confident in saying Mobile Fighter G Gundam—with its characters so hammy a pig will get jealous, ridiculous suits, and 90s shonen goodness—is one of my favorite Gundam shows that I’ve seen thus far.

Mobile Suit G Gundam follows Domon Kasshu, the Japanese representative of the Gundam Fight — a worldwide tournament hosted every four years where every country on the planet sends a Gundam to fight, with the winner’s country being declared ruler of the Earth until the next Gundam Fight. This tournament was devised as a way to stop the increasingly powerful colonies from going to war with one another. A side effect of the Gundam Fights on Earth is that the planet is becoming increasingly ravaged. While Domon and his partner Rain Mikamura climb the ranks of the tournament, Domon is on the hunt for any leads on a mysterious man…

In terms of the Gundam series as a whole, G Gundam is notable for being the first Alternate Universe Gundam series; prior to this, everything was part of the gargantuan Universal Century that the original Mobile Suit Gundam and its various sequels belong to. Seeing as Victory Gundam was sort of a “proto-AU,” I’m guessing the producers felt it was alright to go crazy, because as the first AU, this is arguably the least “Gundam-like” Gundam show you’ll ever watch, not that I’m complaining. As far as I know, G Gundam, while not hated, is often ignored in Japan. G Gundam, along with Wing, was one of the first Gundam series we got in the States, so it’s a fan favorite here. Apparently the tournament angle was demanded by Sunrise to increase declining Gunpla sales. Ironically, G Gundam has very few Gunpla.

And that’s a good segue into my feelings toward the show going in. I admit that I’m a bit biased, because I love G Gundam on concept alone, so the only way I’d hate it is if the execution was completely botched. Before watching the show, I knew of the Gundam featured in the show and I was absolutely enthralled by the outlandish designs. There’s a windmill Gundam, a mermaid Gundam, a Sailor Moon-esque Gundam, and even a Gundam made out of a Gundam face. I actually owned a Gunpla of the Sailor Moon-esque Gunda, the Nobel Gundam, well before I started watching the show.

As the designs can tell you, this is very much a Super Robot Show, with super modes, shouting your attacks, plot twist upon plot twist, everything. If you’re interested in Gundam solely for the gritty, realistic war stories, then it’s best to sit this one out. If you love action anime and also love giant robots, then man, have I got the anime for you.

The quotes at the beginning of the review are a variation of quotes said in the show, quotes said so often that I basically had them memorized. But amazingly, they never got old. A large part of the show’s high score for me is the Shounen Hype Syndrome striking again. Even if there was a low spot, G Gundam would be sure to get my blood pumping again and all would be forgiven. Watch some Japanese dude screaming his lungs off,

see him make some giant-ass robot’s fingers glow so he can blow up some other robot’s head,

all while this is playing

▶

and tell me your heart didn’t start racing.

Which isn’t to say the show is perfect. As good as that sequence is, action in and of itself can wear itself thin very fast. The dynamic story is why Attack on Titan is so great to me. Admittedly, G Gundam is one of the shows with a slow start. The first episode is good enough, it’s a fine introduction to the world of G Gundam, but the episodes after it quickly lose steam. One of the biggest criticisms is that G Gundam is a monster-of-the-week anime. The biggest problem with this format is that it’s easy for things to get monotonous and stale quickly. Honestly, around episode 4, the monster-of-the-week format started to show and it got tiring. Luckily, the story really breaks out around episode 10, and it’s all uphill from there. While the second half of the series does begin to dip back to the monster-of-the-week format at times, but the story surrounding these episodes is so interesting that I didn’t notice as much as I did the early episodes.

The dub is a bit hammy, but given the tone of the show, I find it actually adds to it.

Tone might not be the right word. Character performances are hammy, suit designs are outlandish, and the powers the mecha display are arguably the strongest we’ve seen in the entire Gundam series. The show, however, takes itself completely seriously. And you know what, I love it. Unlike Build Divers, there are actual, honest to god stakes in this show. I’m actually engaged in the characters and their struggles. Just because you have a Gundam show that’s not real robot, you can still tell a gripping story, and G Gundam shows this.

G Gundam features a multinational cast as colorful as the robots they pilot. All the main characters are interesting and comical. Master Asia and Domon are great for their energy as well as hamminess. I liked seeing Domon progress as a character; from a man with a perpetual frown, to someone who genuinely smiled and saw joy in fighting alongside friends. The breakout character, in my opinion, is Rain. I was impressed by how independent she was as well as how divorced she was from tropes other female characters from 90s shonen anime might have been prey to. She was smart, could fend for herself, and was no-nonsense. I rolled my eyes when she ended up being jealous, but overall, Rain Mikamura was A-okay in my book.

However, another criticism of the show is that it plays into stereotypes. This is true, unfortunately. This much can see seen in the Gundam that fighters pilot.

Exhibit A: Neo Kenya’s Gundam Zebra

Exhibit B: Neo India’s Cobra Gundam

Exhibit C: Neo India’s Cobra Gundam’s pilot, Chandra Sijema

The main characters’ Gundam are mostly exempt from this, or at the very least, their features aren’t exaggerated. I still think the American Gundam Baxter’s design — with its football helmet and boxing gloves — is stupid, but maybe that’s just because I’m American myself. Naturally, God Gundam looks extremely normal, as far as Gundams go. But goddamn, if it isn’t cool as a cucumber.

G Gundam has 49 episodes, it could be concluded at around episode 43, but it keeps going. Normally, I’d dock a show points for this, but the final arc of the show was amazing and kept me on the edge of my seat. When G Gundam gets going, it just can’t be stopped.

There were a few dumb decisions made by characters, but I didn’t mind too much.

G Gundam is a very unorthodox Gundam show, and that’s alright. It challenges what can be a Gundam show, and I was glad it was made, because sometimes, you just need to see a giant robot do kung-fu moves. If you love action shows and/or you think giant robots are cool, get off this site and start watching G Gundam.

9/10

A-

“LOOK! THE EAST IS BURNING RED!”