G Gundam

When I first learned the concept of G Gundam I was skeptical to say the least. Yet since I first learned of it, my interest grew, thanks in no small part to the wonders of the internet's ability to spread knowledge like wildfire and giving a means for people to shout out opinions. I was swayed enough to give G a chance. Finally, I got around to watching the whole series and not only had my expectations met, they were exceeded.

There are many scenes within G Gundam that have so much emotion behind them. Following the story from start to finish, the characters are very easy to get attached to. (And if you don't think Wong is an asshole by the end of things, something is seriously wrong with you) I don't want to spoil things, but the episodes that deal with the Battle Royale at the end of the tournament are particularly moving.

While I must admit, G is not without some flaws. Aside from main characters and a few others, Okawara Kunio's mechanical designs are basically playing cultural dress-up with the same basic Gundam design. Perhaps the worst sin against G is its English language release. In a time where I personally thought drastically altering names/context was nearing a true decline in America, the incredibly high amount of changes made was a tough pill to swallow. Bandai's only saving grace is that the subtitles for the Japanese audio on the region one DVDs are made to follow the Japanese names. I try and avoid telling people to whether or not to choose English dub or Japanese subtitle tracks as it is a matter of preference, however, because of all the name changes, I cannot help but want to tell more people to watch G subtitled.

G certainly has some glaring shortcomings, and avenues that make it different from so many other Gundam titles, that's all it is; different. I think people are too prone to overlooking the fact that G Gundam is the first time an alternate universe storyline had been made for Gundam. What made me like G was the very thing that makes many others detest its very existence, the fact that it is very different from what people have grown to define as "Gundam". Without a doubt, the genre shift from more of a war story into a fighting tale is tough to accept. Yet the shift is not so great that one should declassify G as a Gundam title. At its core, the story comes down to what every Gundam story does well, demonstarting that it's not the machines, but the people inside them that are the most important thing. G Gundam doesn't forget its roots, (as can be seen by many split-second cameos of Gundams from other more "classic" Gundam titles, and even one from the then yet-to-be-released Gundam Wing), it simply moves away from what was the norm until then. A prodigal son of Gundam.

Rating (8.5/10)

"This hand of mine is burning red! Its loud roar tells me to grasp victory!"