Posted by Jonathan Klotz | Published
Gundam is one of the longest running sci-fi franchises, starting in 1979 Mobile Suit Gundamand during that time, it has been filled at different times, but there is one that stands out among the others, good and bad. After War Gundam X takes place in a post-apocalyptic world, exploring the themes of the franchise’s war and suffering from a different side, that is, after the damage has already been done. On paper, that sounds like a great canvas to paint another series of sci-fi masterpieces, but in reality, all the good ideas are quickly undermined by the worst run in the franchise’s history and a disastrous ending.
Post-Apocalyptic Gundam
After War Gundam X begins with mercenary Garrod Ren on a simple mission to rescue a girl, Tiffa, but since not much is given about it, you can spot some of the twists coming from a mile away. Sure enough, Garrod ends up joining the Vultures, the group that was holding Tiffa, after his client lends his hand. It’s a typical premise for countless anime, but the big problem is that even a mecha battle in a nuclear facility about to explode can overcome the painful slowness.
There’s no irony between the competing factions trying to rebuild civilization, and while the Vultures are interesting characters, it takes more than a dozen episodes to get there. After War Gundam X he eventually gets around to introducing Newtypes in this alternate universe, competing philosophies about human nature and governance, and the franchise’s common principles, but by the time that happens, most viewers have long since given up. The back third of the 36-episode series goes into overdrive to compensate and cram all the good parts of the story into 12 episodes, but it’s not enough to carry the show.
Cut Short and Underdeveloped
Salvaging the many episodes of character development, revelations, and mecha combat is incredibly awkward, and it’s clear that it wasn’t the original show. After War Gundam X faded in Japan when it first aired in 1996, and the number of episodes was reduced as a result, from 49 to 39. The plot lines aren’t developed, but there is a definite ending, it just has to embrace the bleakness and anger of the world instead of ending on the optimistic, upbeat note of other Gundam shows. As a Gundam remake, it works, but that’s not enough to rise to the level of a hidden gem.
Garrod, Tiffa, Jamil, Ennil, Roybea, none of the characters from After War Gundam X appear in any fan listing of the franchise’s top characters, even the Gundam models, including the GX-9901-DX and its Moon-based satellite attack, failed to leave much to the fans. So, this is one of the more obscure entries in the franchise that has been around for a while, ranked low The Mobile Suit compilation movies, and while it will appeal to die-hards, there are worse anime options out there. Deserving of its status as the forgotten black sheep of the franchise, After War Gundam X it’s not streaming on Netflix or Crunchyroll like the rest, but it’s free on Tubi, so at least it’s cheap to check out.
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