I first had the chance of watching Gundam X back when local TV networks were capitalizing on the anime resurgence back in the very early 2000s. The first anime series that were shown back in the 70s were Mazinger Z, Voltes V and Daimos -- all super robot shows. With the premiere of Gundam Wing on local TV, I was introduced to the real robot mecha genre. Now Gundam Wing and G Gundam were immensely popular, the former for being the first taste of mecha in the country and with solid robot designs to boot (my first GunPla was a no grade Deathscythe); the latter,
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for having incredibly fun fights ala shounen that were airing around the same time (Yu Yu Hakusho, Dragon Ball Z) and harking back to super robot which, I'm guessing, people here have a spot for.
Enter Gundam X which was the third Gundam series to premiere and sadly, I was not able to finish as a kid due to reasons I have forgotten now. All I remember was that the main team was composed of three pilots instead of the accustomed five in Wing and G and that the Satellite canon was destructive as hell. I'm glad that I recently went back to watching Gundam as I have recently come back to GunPla as a hobby.
Story - 8
Gundam X's story and setting were refreshing. People talk about its "what-if" aspect and how similar it is to the UC entries. I liked the Mad Max-esque world building they set up in the first half with the Vultures' adventures in post colony drop earth. There is some lull in the middle with the Ennil El arc, newtype dolphins and enemy mobile suit of the week parts but nothing so jarring as to make you want to drop the show altogether. Towards the end, it does feel rushed as the show was cancelled/ordered to be shortened but the series does end on a high note, a quick one if you may, but it absolutely does not end badly. In the end, the show wants to deconstruct what being a newtype means and if labels we associate with the unknown are just illusions. I liked that very much.
Art - 8
The lack of stock footage was a major plus especially after seeing SEED's shameful application of it. The way the mobile suits moved was not akin to the speed with which some other Gundam shows had e.g. Wing Zero, Heavy Arms jumping around. I would say the fighting was more grounded and similar to UC style which is why the animation was fitting. Character designs were simple but by no means simplistic and there were only a few instances of inconsistencies in the way the characters' faces were drawn. As for the Gundams and mobile suits, the art was solid but not masterful.
Sound - 9
Stock Gundam sounds are present which is a good thing. OST and background tracks were actually pretty good especially towards the end with the Garrod-Tiffa romantic scenes. But what really shines for me is the two Openings ("Dreams" and "Resolutions"). Amazing tracks and they had you hyped up to watch the rest of the episodes. Really, the only thing keeping me from giving sound a perfect score is the Ending songs which feature a soulful ballad which I understand was to reflect Garrod and Tiffa's relationship but I just found myself not listening to it after hearing them the first time.
Character - 10
This is where X really excels and I find some characters to be the most memorable in all of Gundam. Aside from Garrod and Tiffa, Jamil, Roabea, Witz, Shagia, Ennil, Caris and even Lancecrow all had good setups of their backgrounds, motivations and goals. Just excellent character development and dialogue all around and despite Garrod repeatedly bumbling around with his Gundam, you can't help but root for the kid as he fights for Tiffa. At first, I wondered why the Double X's incredibly devastating twin Satellite cannons were so underused but then I remembered Garrod wasn't a trigger happy lunatic who wanted to destroy entire countries because he felt like it. Ultimately, he uses it to protect Tiffa which is the core of his character. Jamil is also the best captain in the franchise for me.
In summary, Gundam X is a very solid Alternate Universe Gundam show with stellar characters and good and well-executed narrative that has something different to offer amidst all that's been said about newtypes in the UC timeline. It may not have the iconic designs of Wing or SEED or the high octane fighting 00 or IBO have but I think X's message is one of the most profound and illuminating I have yet to experience in AU titles.
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May 7, 2020
Kidou Shinseiki Gundam X
(Anime)
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I first had the chance of watching Gundam X back when local TV networks were capitalizing on the anime resurgence back in the very early 2000s. The first anime series that were shown back in the 70s were Mazinger Z, Voltes V and Daimos -- all super robot shows. With the premiere of Gundam Wing on local TV, I was introduced to the real robot mecha genre. Now Gundam Wing and G Gundam were immensely popular, the former for being the first taste of mecha in the country and with solid robot designs to boot (my first GunPla was a no grade Deathscythe); the latter,
...
Dec 26, 2014
Amagi Brilliant Park
(Anime)
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Story - 6/10
There's nothing really compelling about this show and that was to be expected, it being a comedy and a lighthearted one at that. Art - 10/10 I'm a sucker for KyoAni's art. Instant 10. Made me love watching the show. Especially Sento. Sound - 8/10 Good intro. Forgettable outro Character - 7/10 ... 
May 28, 2014
Steins;Gate
(Anime)
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I hate myself for only watching what would become my all time favorite anime series just now. I was hearing about Steins;Gate the anime ever since it came out but I quickly judged it too soon when I saw a poster. It contained Okabe and all the girls so I prematurely dismissed it as a harem moe pandering series.
It's anything but that. The subject of time travel is a difficult one to incorporate in a narrative perhaps mainly because the intended audience will likely attempt to find holes in the delivery of a plot focusing on one of humanity's most interesting concepts. Given this, I think ... 
Apr 16, 2014
Log Horizon
(Anime)
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I really liked Log Horizon season 1's story because there is a very stead y progression of the narrative. What may seem to be a filler episode never fails to remind us that Shiro has something planned or the enemies are plotting something. The show also had an excellent balance of humor and drama.
The art was nothing special for me but it was above average. Scenes were well animated. The opening song, goddamn, that was one of the best I've heard in a while. Gets you really pumped up. The ending song was not bad as well. Shiro was a 10/10 for me. I can empathize with ... 
Apr 11, 2014
Mononoke Hime
(Anime)
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This is by far my favorite Studio Ghibli film (with Porco Rosso and Grave of the Fireflies as close seconds). The setting and just how detailed each character is still amazes me until today.
Story -10/10 From the get-go, the conflict appears and it leads to the origin of the problem which is mankind's neglect of mother nature. The protagonist's journey to find the root cause of what befell his village leads him to come across the titular character, an interesting monk, entities from the magical forest and the antagonist who is really just a greedy businesswoman who has questionable-to-good-intentions. Art - 10/10 This film is famous for being ... 
Apr 2, 2014
Kunoichi Bakumatsu Kitan
(Anime)
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The Last Kunoichi is one interesting hentai title because it attempts to insert into Japanese history a story about three female shinobi.
Story - 10/10 It was interesting to see how the studio used some aspects of Japanese history such as the Ikedaya incident and the assassination of Ryoma Sakamoto and placed the story of the three main protagonists. You can clearly see the effort to make a good enough narrative to keep the viewer hooked not only to the sex scenes but to the story as well. Art - 10/10 I really liked the animation in this one especially how Kaede, Kikyoo and Ayame's faces and bodies ... 
Mar 27, 2014
Maken-Ki! Two
(Anime)
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I never watched the first season of Maken-Ki! but for some reason I found myself picking this up and watching it till the end. Probably because Aki Nijou is my waifu.
There is no decent story to be found here and that's ok with me because I didn't watch this show expecting any. Art was great because it supported this series main selling point of fan service. Sound was so-so. Opening and ending songs were ok. The sounds of breasts bouncing was most noticeable. Character. Two words AKI NIJOU. Rest were forgettable. Overall, I give this series a 7 because it did what it intended to do well: give ... |
