Warning: Contains spoilers for Mobile Suit Gundam GQuuuuuuX.One of the biggest draws to Neon Genesis Evangelion fame, and I was hardly immune to that appeal. Evangelion has always been one of my favorite anime, and if its staff, including Hideaki Anno himself, would be involved, I knew it would be one to watch.

So far, the Evangelion influence on GQuuuuuuX has been largely superficial, but all of that has changed with the most recent episodes. GQuuuuuuX’s latest episodes have started delving into a signature part of Evangelion’s writing style, and while it’s one that people have already started taking umbrage with, I’ve been having more fun than ever with Mobile Suit Gundam GQuuuuuuX specifically because it’s been delving into such a controversial part of Neon Genesis Evangelion’s legacy. It’s slowly made it one of the best anime of 2025, and hopefully, things won’t let up in the slightest.

How Mobile Suit Gundam GQuuuuuuX Became All About Teen Drama (And Why I Love It)

Why I Love The Direction Of The New Gundam Anime

As famous as Evangelion is for its action and dark storytelling, it’s just as famous for its penchant for teen drama, with many of the conflicts driven by the traumas Shinji and his friends have surrounding their self-worth, even when they’re the only ones making a big deal out of them. That sort of writing has now made its way into GQuuuuuuX, as the most recent episodes of Mobile Suit Gundam GQuuuuuuX take after Neon Genesis Evangelion in that they’re driven primarily by the characters acting like irrational teenagers.

From the very start of GQuuuuuuX, Machu was depicted as something of an angsty teen who was desperate to find some excitement in her life, and she found both of those things with her blossoming Newtype powers and newfound feelings for GQuuuuuuX ing protagonist Shuji Ito. All of that falls apart when Nyaan, also implied to have feelings for Shuji, is revealed to be a Newtype with possibly better synergy with Shuji than Machu, and Machu starts fighting with an oblivious Nyaan and even pushing her mother away as she keeps putting no thought into her future career.

GQuuuuuuX was already fun to watch as a gorgeous action anime, but all of the overdramatic teen angst it’s been throwing in has not only provided great character depth for Machu, but it’s been fun to watch specifically because of how seriously Machu and her friends are taking what should be small problems in the grand scheme of things. Mobile Suit Gundam GQuuuuuuX’s turn towards teen drama has been as good for the writing as it was for Neon Genesis Evangelion, and that’s especially true as someone who went through plenty of it himself.

Mobile Suit Gundam GQuuuuuuX's Story Makes Sense Because Of The Creators' Biggest Past Hit

How FLCL Laid The Groundwork For GQuuuuuuX

If there’s any reason why the drama surrounding the recent episodes of Mobile Suit Gundam GQuuuuuuX has been so great, it has to be because of the creators’ past work. The main creatives in charge of the show, Kazuya Tsurumaki and Yoji Enokido, have worked on many quirky anime with coming-of-age narratives, the most famous of which was the legendary OVA series FLCL. The two of them are clearly the most comfortable with those types of stories, so Mobile Suit Gundam GQuuuuuuX’s creators’ history with FLCL is easily the biggest reason the story has progressed the way it is.

Just like with Evangelion, the FLCL influence is hardly skin deep. FLCL thrived on having its cast struggle through the awkward and melodramatic woes of puberty, all while being as surreal as possible, and while GQuuuuuuX is nowhere near as surreal as FLCL, there’s a definite absurdity to its setting and how some of the characters act, all of which emphasizes how weird an experience growing up often is. Much of what made FLCL’s writing work so well is abundantly present in Mobile Suit Gundam GQuuuuuuX, and that’s bound to become even more apparent as the show continues.

Mobile Suit Gundam GQuuuuuuX Is Satisfying Me In Every Way The Witch From Mercury Failed To Do

Why GQuuuuuuX Is A Step Up From The Witch From Mercury

Above all else, the reason why I’ve been loving GQuuuuuuX so much is because of how much of an improvement over the previous Gundam anime, The Witch from Mercury. While The Witch from Mercury started out strong, it quickly fell off in my eyes as its narrative became increasingly rushed and convoluted and allowed little meaningful development for its story and, most frustratingly, its characters. The show started very strong, but in the end, Mobile Suit Gundam: The Witch from Mercury abandoned nearly everything great about its writing by the end of its run.

By comparison, despite reportedly being a shorter series, the writing feels far tighter in GQuuuuuuX, with there being a much clearer purpose and general direction to everything as opposed to how The Witch from Mercury went really big with little payoff. Much of that can be attributed to how much more grounded GQuuuuuuX is than The Witch from Mercury, but regardless, Mobile Suit Gundam GQuuuuuuX is doing a far better job with its character writing and writing, as a whole, than Mobile Suit Gundam: The Witch from Mercury, and I sincerely hope it sticks the landing.

GQuuuuuuX's Formula Is Great, But I'm Worried The Next Arc Will Ruin It

GQuuuuuuX Might Be About To Abandon What I Love About It

I’ve been having a great time with GQuuuuuuX, and that’s why the events of episode #6 have me worried. Amidst all of Machu’s recent drama, the narrative has turned far more serious with Annqi selling Machu and Shuji out to Challia and, surprisingly, the introduction of GQuuuuuuX’s version of the Titans, the villains of Mobile Suit Zeta Gundam. All of that has the makings of a sudden dramatic shift, and with how poorly that went for The Witch from Mercury, I’m worried that Mobile Suit Gundam GQuuuuuuX will become more serious at the expense of the quality of its storytelling.

Hopefully, those fears of mine won’t be realized. Whether it’s with the teen drama or with the overarching narrative, everything about GQuuuuuuX has been incredibly solid, a true testament to how great the staff behind is, so if anything, the staff behind Mobile Suit Gundam GQuuuuuuX will know how to make a dramatic shift work without sacrificing what drew me to the show, to begin with. Mobile Suit Gundam GQuuuuuuX is the best thing to come out of Studio Khara since Neon Genesis Evangelion, and I sincerely hope that I can still say that when it finally ends.

Mobile Suit Gundam GQuuuuuuX releases new episodes Tuesdays on Amazon Prime.