G Gundam is probably one of the most controversial entries in the Gundam franchise, and the reason is obvious: it does not follow the real-robot, war-drama scheme of most Gundam shows. Instead, it opts for a complete super-robot feel. In a sense, it is Gundam only in name.
The series revolves around Gundam fights, where pilots use their bodies to fight each other in giant robot ring-fights. Characters yell out special moves in an over-the-top fashion, and the overall feel of the series is lighter and goofier. This is the reason a lot of fans find it hard to take G Gundam seriously.
Though, if you can look past all of these things, G Gundam can be a rather entertaining romp. Domon and his God Finger technique are always exciting to watch, and he can really be a breath of fresh air if you are not very fond of the traditional whining teenager. In the end, opinions will be very divided. Fans will either learn to appreciate a deviation from the traditional formula, or reject it completely, considering it a blemish on the franchise.
So, what do you think? Is it an unnecessary entry in the series, or is it an acceptable change of direction?
G Gundam is a great series and I don't mean it in a meme sort of way, or that its so bad its good. The characters development is outstanding and the story is very original. My only complaints are that every prior to Hong Kong arc the story dragged a little but not too badly. Also the MS designs for everyone not Japan are ridiculous but too funny not to appreciate.
ReplyDeleteI think if you haven't seen much of the Gundam Universe, this is a decent entry point. When I was younger, I couldn't quite get into Gundam Wing, so this show was more my speed. Also, "Windmill Gundam". That is all.
ReplyDeleteWhile I respect that opinion, I also think the opposite could be very likely. I had a friend who thought Gundam was silly because they only saw a bit of G Gundam. I never succeeded in convincing him that the series wasn't ANYTHING like G Gundam. Lost a potential fan this way.
DeleteTo be honest I think it takes an open-minded person to enjoy Gundam in the first place. I've had bad experiences introducing people via pretty much any show. There's always some kind of excuse: UC shows ("nope too old"), G ("nope too ridiculous"), Seed ("nope too angsty"), 00 ("nope too boring") and even Unicorn ("nope can't understand wth is going on"). Some people will never give Gundam a chance simply because its mecha. Yet these same fans will turn around and praise Evangelion as "the greatest anime evar!". Tbh I think the fanbase is better off without these people.
DeleteG Gundam is the model example of how to do a AU properly. It doesn't rehash the same old Gundam cliches but does something completely different. Sure it might piss off some UC purists but AUs should be willing try original stories and concepts.
ReplyDeleteHonestly, the only thing I am quite confused about with this series is the design of the minor Gundam fighters; it was either a blatant jab at national stereotyping (Nether and Tequila), or the designers ran out of ideas (Mermaid, full stop.)
ReplyDeleteI think anyone will agree with me about this...
Lol, well I've made fun of this in my Top 5 Worst G Gundam designs so I agree with you.
DeleteThough, its definitely not a blatant jab. Homogeneous countries like Japan have very little cultural awareness. To them, the stereotyping was totally fine.
The designs, however...they were definitely not trying to be get too creative. I want to say they were lazy, but I think they just weren't encouraged to try too hard given their minor importance and the overall feel of the show.
Gundam G was unbearbly repetitive and entirely lacked any semblence of a meaningful plot. I have been watching all the Gundams in order of release and while some shows were tough to get into, like ZZ, or tough to follow due to shoddy editing, like F91, G Gundam is a clear example of the production team just mailing it in & riding off the success of the previous shows names. Sad and pathetic. Boring fights w the same structure literally every single time and the dumbest finishing move of any anime ive ever seen full stop.
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