etg1701

As something of a fan of mecha anime, I have long planned to watch this series but only recently found the opportunity. Though quite brief, only a dozen or so episodes, Soukou manages to present some nifty implications of time dilation as well as some strange concepts (like Emily and her people). Unfortunately, its short length leaves little time to explain the setting in detail and by the end many questions remain unanswered. We never learn much of anything about the Union and the Deague, for example, and many of the technologies and ideas introduced get little explanation. Some of the comedic antics also hinder the show at times, as they seem rather out of place in such a grave situation.

In a franchise made famous by flashy attention grabbers like Gundam Wing and SEED, as well as the original series, Gundam X stands in the shadows of these greater successes. As with Wing and G Gundam, this show takes place in one of the alternative continuities, specifically the After War era, in which war between Earth and the Colonies has nearly wiped out the human race.

Notably, Gundam X generally avoids the typical conflict between the Earth and the colonies and casts it in a new light when it does come up. Instead the show focuses on Vultures, roving bands of scavengers of varying moral integrity, and a young boy Garrod Ran who joins a Vulture ship. It also provides some intriguing answers concerning the question of Newtypes and where they truly come from.

Unfortunately, the series faced premature cancellation at only 39 episodes, forcing something of a rushed ending. This has no doubt contributed to its unfortunate reputation.

This series revives many the characteristically flashy visual and musical elements that gave the first SEED its barrages of pink laser fire and pervasive J-Pop background. Of course these worked much better with a good plot and characters to back them up. Despite its promising start, this series spirals out of control with the reappearance of Kira Yamato from the first SEED. Little by little, the intended protagonist Shinn falls to the way side until the hopelessly perfect Yamato takes his place. The notion of 'real robots' once so central to earlier incarnations of Gundam effectively fades away with the introduction of inexplicably godlike mecha for most of the major characters, reaching the apotheosis of absurdity with the one Kira receives.