Kidou Shinseiki Gundam X

When one space colony declared its independence from the Earth Federation, the devastating 7th Space War, an all-out war between Earth and space, resulted. The Federation responded to the Space Revolutionary Army with mobile suits, called Gundams. However, the Space Revolutionary forces played their trump card and dropped hundreds of space colonies onto the Earth, plunging the planet into a seven-year-long nuclear winter. The Federation collapsed, but the Space Revolutionary Army was unable to invade the Earth in the aftermath of the colony drop.

Fifteen years have passed. The year is now After War 0015, and a New Federation has sprung up on Earth to restore order. In space, the colonial leaders have been rebuilding their own forces as well. By chance, fifteen-year-old Garrod Ran has discovered an old Federation mobile suit, the Gundam X, and now he uses it to help out the Vulture ship Freeden in its struggle to keep the powers that be from repeating the mistakes of the past.

Ran, Garrod Main

Takagi, Wataru Japanese

Neate, Jamil Main

Horiuchi, Kenyuu Japanese

Adill, Tiffa Main

Kanai, Mika Japanese

Sou, Witz Supporting

Nakai, Kazuya Japanese

Frost, Shagia Supporting

Morikawa, Toshiyuki Japanese

Frost, Olba Supporting

Sasaki, Nozomu Japanese

El, Ennil Supporting

Honda, Chieko Japanese

Sys, Pala Supporting

Nagasawa, Miki Japanese

Roy, Roybea Supporting

Yamazaki, Takumi Japanese

Langraph, Duett Supporting

Madono, Mitsuaki Japanese

Yatate, Hajime Producer, Original Creator

Takamatsu, Shinji Director, Storyboard

Urakami, Yasuo Sound Director

Taniguchi, Gorou Episode Director, Storyboard

Reviews

May 27, 2009

spiderjerusalem

Recommended

Ah... Gundam X. How long I had waited to see you.

It's a damn shame that After War Gundam X is the least popular of all the Gundam shows, because it really is an impressive piece of work and probably one of, if not the best of Gundam spinoffs. It has the realism that Wing does not, the maturity missing from SEED, and the extra kick lacking in 00. The only Gundam since the original to be cancelled, and to be honest that's the biggest fault X has. You can't help but wonder what could've been if only that episode count reached 50.

Story: 10/10
At the start ... of the show we meet Garrod Ran, a young mercenary of only 15 years of age and lets just say, he does some pretty amazing stuff for a guy his age. After taking a rescue job he meets the target, Tiffa Adill, a mysterious young newtype girl. However, upon learning that his employer would only exploit her for her abilities, Garrod turns on him and joins the very group he "rescued" her from, the mercenary ship "Freeden". With the help of Tiffa's abilities, the crew of the Freeden continues their search to help any newtypes who are being unjustly used by others.

Gundam X has one very crucial element that no other Gundam spinoff does. It feels like a U.C. show. In the world of Gundam X, the colonists have seemingly dropped all of the colonies down to the Earth as opposed to just one, and the human population is relatively miniscule. Because of this, many people consider the After War universe to be an alternate reality to the Universal Century, as opposed to a standalone universe such as the Cosmic Era from SEED or the Future Century from G Gundam.

Without spoiling anything I have to point out again that Gundam X ended 11 episodes early at episode 39 as opposed to 50. Because of this a lot of people feel the ending is rushed. I have to disagree to an extent. Although the ending moves very fast(quite a bit happens in those last 8 episodes in very little time) it wraps things up quite nicely and I can't but feel that's almost exactly how the original ending would've gone. Still, I'd love to see those missing 11 episodes.

Art: 7/10
The art style is good, but let's just say the animation could've had a better budget for its time. Roughly the same quality as Wing. Definitely the biggest negative to X in the aesthetics department, but it's more good than bad. The gundam designs are pretty outlandish, but for how badass they look, they aren't invincible, unlike the SEED and Wing gundams, which is great. The Freeden pilots have an uphill battle ahead of them.

Sound: 10/10
Great voice acting and one hell of a score. The Gundam X openings (by the amazing group Romantic Mode) are some of my favorite openings in all the anime I've seen, and in regards to the ending credits, I rarely sit through ending credits but for this show I made an exception. The three ending themes(two of them are different language versions of the same song) are some the best that I've ever heard used in anything, anime or otherwise. As for the score, I'm always humming one or two tracks here and there. Great soundtracks.

Character: 8/10
At first I thought this was the biggest weakness Gundam X had. A few episodes later and I was proved wrong. All I can say without spoiling you is that it's definitely enough character development. At first the show seems to be only about Tiffa and Garrod, but over time it focuses on other characters well enough. Tiffa and Garrod are still the most important characters, but it doesn't terribly overshadow the anyone else. There are still flaws, such as expanding on a few bit characters who don't show up for more than 10 minutes of screen time, and the Frost Brothers up until the last arc, but overall it's all good.

Enjoyment: 10/10
Gundam X is definitely not the best Gundam show, but damn if it isn't the most likeable. It's hard to hate this show. It may not be a masterpiece, but it's one hell of a ride from start to finish. Garrod in particular is just an amazingly well done protagonist. He's impossible to hate, and he's always believable. He's extremely street smart, but not a genius; very skilled in battle but not exactly soldier by any sense of the word. From the very first episode, he is kicking things in gear and you just want to strap yourself in for the roller coaster ride he's going to deliver.

Overall: 9/10
I like to refer to Gundam X as the Daft Punk of Gundam. Anyone who's experienced it can't hate it in the least. I give it a 9 because hell, I can't deny how much fun I had. I enjoyed this more than G Gundam, and that's saying a hell of a lot. A great balance of the always enjoyable shonen heroism while still keeping that tomino-esque reality that the original gundams had. You can even find some parallels between X and Tomino's own Crossbone Gundam graphic novel, strangely enough. If you can watch After War Gundam X, then do so. Chances are you won't be disappointed.

Reviewer’s Rating: 9

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Dec 12, 2018

PoeticJustice

Mixed Feelings

The sun shines a crimson glow on the horizon. All we see in front of us are the wastes, the remnants of a world that once was. The effects of war have stained the planet and now all that is left are us and very drops of hope left. Here we go, storing those droplets of hope as we walk towards an uncertain future.

The 1990s is considered by some to be the golden age of the Gundam Franchise. Coming off of successful entries such as 0080 and 08th team, the people at Bandai thought about expanding their property beyond the Universal Century Timeline. The fruits ... of this expansion were G Gundam, Gundam Wing, and After War Gundam X. After War is a reimaging of the One Year War if there was no Amuro or Char who existed. It takes place on a barren Earth, riddled with crime and debris. The damage that the One Year War had done on the planet can be seen from the very first episode. We are introduced to what seems like a young mercenary, Garrod Ran, taking on a mission to rescue a mysterious girl from a band of thugs. Little did he know that the girl was a newtype, a type of human being with psychic(or supernatural powers depending on the situation) and the fate of the world rests in the hands of these newtypes.

The new type portion of all Gundam shows has always been very divisive, starting with its almost random inclusion towards the end of the original Gundam. This both to the show's advantage and detriment. Symbolically, Newtypes have always represented humanity's ability to create meaningful connections on a spiritual level. To look past political differences, skin color and to see what humans are on a fundamental level. However, newtypes are abused and used for immoral purposes throughout the Gundam franchise. After War X is not an exception to this tradition. The major failing of the newtype in X has to be how the psychic abilities of newtypes are exaggerated to a point of disbelief. Say what you will about Tomino but he always made it clear what Newtypes are capable of. In X, Newtypes are essentially gods on this earth. They talk to the dead, communicate with animals(some animals are newtypes apparently) and all sorts of crazy things.

The episodic structure is similar to Gundams of past. They follow a strict formula: idle chatting -> philosophical debates -> mission introduced -> battle -> post battle reflection. If you found other Gundams to be a chore to watch, this won't change your opinion. Where After succeeds, is in the moments of reflection. The characters cast their eyes upon a dying world and try to find the reason why they fight. Some may fight for love, to escape their past, or to fight for a better future. It is in these moments, that After War becomes something special. The show has its flaws but there is a genuine warmth and tenderness lying at the center of each episode that is greatly appreciated. And interestingly this series in conversation with Tomino's prior Gundam entries. Gundam has always been a dialogue between cynicism and hope. Gundam's creator, Yoshiyuki Tomino, often times sided with cynicism and it showed in his story choices and directorial style. X adds a lot to the dialectic, often times directly challenging Gundam's creator in subtle ways. "Why don't you have hope in humanity!?" "There is going to be a better future for us." seemed to be aimed at Mr. Tomino itself. That is one thing I have always loved about Gundam, more specifically the universal century timeline, each entry was in dialogue with each other. That is something that made Gundam head and shoulders above its competition.

We all know the saying, "all that glitters is not gold" and applies to this series as well. It suffers from plodding pacing at certain points, and it was cut short of several episodes. These episodes were direly needed to make the show complete from both a narrative and thematic perspective. Long plot arcs are cut short to unsatisfying conclusions, leaving you with metaphorical blue balls. And the ending is the only seemingly contrived portion of the show due to its length. The warmth and kindness seem hamfisted and rather patronizing here.

There were also some character issues here as well. Our protagonist, Garrod Ran, is a rather underwhelming protagonist. Coming from the Gundam tradition of angsty, psychologically damaged Gundam pilots Garrod is rather milquetoast. There is nothing about him that makes him stand out from your average, run of the mill, good guy protagonist. However, what the show lacks in its protagonist, it more than makes up for in its supporting cast. Characters like the lovable mercenaries turned good guys, Roybea and Witz, is when the Gundam character tradition comes into play. They are both likable but with interesting backstories that affect everything they do. The show would have been much better if Garrod was not the main character and these two became the focus instead. Jamil Neate, the protagonist of the ship is a veteran with PTSD from the one year war. His beliefs and his guilt for his war crimes make him a pretty compelling character in his own right. The show is also lacking in the villain category. The villains, the frost brothers are two of the most boring villains in Gundam history. They lack the sociopathy of Scirocco, the wittiness, and sensuality of Haman. They are just there to seemingly make the plot move forward.

After War Gundam X is a Gundam left to the annals of history. Overshadowed by its more popular and retarded brother, Gundam Wing. It is also a case of missed potential and if it wasn't cut 12 episodes short I know it would have been a good, dare I say great entry in the Gundam franchise.

And now the sun slowly sets upon our world. Our journey was drastically cut short yet we still carry the warmth and heart of the human spirit with us.

Reviewer’s Rating: 6

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Aug 4, 2022

ggultra2764

Not Recommended

I've heard of Gundam X receiving mixed receptions from fans of the Gundam franchise with some going as far as considering it the "black sheep" of the franchise. So curious to see what the series had going for it, I chose to download the series and see if it was anything worthwhile. Suffice to say, I think I can see why reception to this series is mixed.

Gundam X is supposed to depict a "what if" scenario in the Gundam franchise to depict what would happen to Earth if the war between Oldtypes and Newtypes got heated enough where a space colony drop was implemented and ... devastated the human population and atmosphere on Earth. To a degree, Gundam X does a solid job in setting up its world featuring many people trying to survive on their own and groups of hired vigilantes and thieves known as Vultures taking up jobs for any money they need for their survival or mercilessly destroying and killing anything in their way for personal gain. Remains of the Federation still exist in this new era as they try to reclaim the old power that they once had by conquering areas of the world that refuse to unite under their cause. Newtypes are also focused on as they still face a good amount of prejudice in this world with corporations and Federation forces still seeing them as tools of war and some elements similar to racism are brought up in later episodes regarding differences with the origins of Newtypes and their abilities.

What does work against the series though would be its style of plotting and its very characters. Gundam X is divided up into several plot arcs focused on the journey of Garrod, Tiffa and the crew of the Freeden as they seek out Newtypes, evade hostile Vulture ships, evade Federation forces and try to prevent a second catastrophic event like the colony drop from 15 years ago. While the arcs help to flesh out more elements to the world of Gundam X and occasionally develop the characters, the pacing to said arcs in many instances tend to be a bit slow and cause progression to grind to a halt at points. I also found that the series was trying too hard at dramatizing a number of serious scenes that took place throughout the show thanks to its overuse of angst and melodrama with its major developments. The last arc for the show's final two episodes is rushed in its developments special thanks to said early cancellation of the show as the series tried to cram the major plot developments for said final arc. The final arc is notable in that it reveals the origin of Newtypes, but said revelation felt vague and left a sour taste in my mouth. Gundam fans might not want to take what is revealed at the end at heart considering this is another alternate continuity in the series franchise.

I also had issues with many of the characters portrayed throughout Gundam X as well considering many just followed standard character archetypes found in other anime or being used as plot devices you would have seen done before in earlier Gundam titles. Male lead Garrod's the hot-headed and defiant teen you would have already seen with Amuro and Kamille, only he's not as well-fleshed out as the two mentioned characters and he quite often has to conveniently get his hide saved in life-threatening situations by other members of the Freeden crew or other new characters that happen to be around, which make me question why he even is the male lead of this series. Female lead Tiffa isn't much better off either as her character is much more flat than Garrod's as she plays the all too-common "shy, quiet and reserved female character" archetype needing a male lead to give her a confidence boost which has been done to death in enough modern otaku-pandering shows. As you can pretty much see, I could care less about the romantic developments that Gundam X was pushing with these two because of how shallow and archetypal their characters were. I don't even want to get started mentioning the Frost Brothers as I found them to be the weakest villains I've seen in any Gundam series that I've seen thus far due to how poorly developed and shallow that their motivations were for their actions and manipulations throughout the series.

In terms of animation, Gundam X is of standard animation quality you would find for a mid-90s anime series. Yet compared to Gundam Wing which was made around the same time period, X is better polished in its scenery and character designs and its quality doesn't degrade in heavy action scenes like what occurs with Wing. However, the show still relies on a number of animation shortcuts as reused frames and speed stripes are used rather frequently throughout Gundam X. Much of the music used throughout the series consists of low-pitched and fast-paced tracks used for the title's tense moments and action scenes while more slow-paced and light instrumental tracks are used for the title's calmer and dramatic moments. Both diversities do their part in enhancing the key scenes that take place throughout Gundam X, but nothing memorable stuck out with them for me. And while I did enjoy listening to the English and Japanese versions of the title's ED song, "Human Touch", I didn't think the song fitted in too well for a Gundam series and seemed better suited for a romance drama title.

Overall, Gundam X did present some interesting ideas for its "what if" scenario in the setup of its post-apocalyptic world from the heated Oldtype/ Newtype conflict from Universal Century titles in the Gundam franchise. Unfortunately, the title's cliched characters and style of plotting did hurt its overall quality for me as it didn't seem to want to try making something as significantly different and unique like Turn A Gundam for an alternate continuity series. I guess as many will say, your mileage will vary on how well you get latched on Gundam X as I certainly didn't find myself enjoying it all too well.

Reviewer’s Rating: 6

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