Gundam GQuuuuuuX‘s various universe spin on the world of the franchise’s beloved predominant timeline has already paved the best way to some fascinatingly geeky riffs on the unique Gundam sequence. However because the present begins to maneuver on from the fast curiosity of the world it spun out of the occasions of the unique present, the place it’s heading may embrace enjoying with one of many 1979 traditional’s most intriguing characters.
To this point, a lot of GQuuuuuuX‘s alt-remixing of Gundam‘s Universal Century has leaned closely on the absence of sure focal characters from the unique present. Char’s theft of the Gundam in the inciting incident that turns the One Year War in Zeon’s favor implies that to this point authentic protagonist Amuro Ray has been disregarded of the image, and to this point each the present itself and the expanded materials glimpsed in its movie compilation Beginning have teased different main figures from the unique Gundam and their elements to play on this new story. And that’s earlier than Char’s personal absence within the present’s predominant five-years-later story has turn into a driving issue to its core thriller, as each our younger protagonists and their opponents within the Zeon forces alike attempt to discern simply why the Pink Comet’s stolen Gundam has returned after its disappearance.
However one fascinating 1979 determine’s absence from GQuuuuuuX to this point is turning into a central focus of the sequence’ personal interpretation of Gundam‘s Newtype concept—and its newest episode dropped our greatest trace but that they’re going to make their presence within the sequence identified in some method on the very least.
“The Witch’s Battle,” the fourth episode of the sequence (and our first to not explicitly re-cover materials from the Starting compilation) primarily sees Machu and the Pink Gundam’s newest pilot, Shuji, confront a One Yr Battle veteran craving for revenge towards the Gundam. Having misplaced her personal Cell Swimsuit fight accomplice (referred to as a “Mav” in GQuuuuuuX‘s terminology) at Char’s fingers throughout the conflict, the mysterious “Witch” Shiiko Sugai finally perishes in a clan battle towards Machu and Shuji, when the latter makes the choice to not incapacitate her go well with, however spear its chest with a beam saber, immolating Shiiko and destroying the enemy go well with totally to Machu’s horror.
However simply earlier than Shiiko dies, each Machu and Shuji’s emergent Newtype connection resonates much more profoundly than it did upon their first assembly, not simply granting them a second to achieve some sort of understanding with Shiiko within the second of her loss of life, however sending out a psychic message that onlookers hear as a didactic piece of music… one very acquainted to traditional Gundam followers because the sing-song leitmotif of Lalah Sune. The leitmotif appeared briefly in GQuuuuuuX earlier than when Machu first started to expertise her personal Newtype talents, and in Starting throughout Char’s disappearance, however not in that didactic sense, and never, because it’s referred to explicitly within the present itself this week, particularly because the “La-La Sound.”
Launched throughout the last stretch of the unique 1979 anime, Lalah is a particularly highly effective emergent Newtype, recruited by Char within the last levels of the One Yr Battle as a secret weapon not simply towards the Gundam and Amuro’s personal growing consciousness of his psionic talents, however as a part of Char’s personal brewing makes an attempt to usurp Zeon’s ruling Zabi household. Lalah, whose psionic talents are heralded in battle by a haunting, ethereal refrain of “la-la” chanting that may be heard by each Newtypes and atypical people, finally falls at Amuro’s fingers whereas defending Char, however not earlier than she and Amuro share a profound second of connection due to their Newtypism. It leaves a long-lasting impression on each males’s lives all through the remainder of their appearances throughout Gundam‘s UC storytelling.
Though Lalah’s position within the authentic Gundam is comparatively transient, her legacy as one of many present’s first explorations of the Newtype idea, and her relationship to each Amuro and Char, makes her an interesting determine for GQuuuuuuX to the touch on. Within the present’s alternate retelling of the One Yr Battle, Lalah is noticeably absent from Char’s first learnings about Newtypism, resulting in his partnership with Challia Bull. However her presence right here by way of her leitmotif, and now particularly in its nature as a didactic sound inside GQuuuuuuX itself, raises some very fascinating prospects about simply the place the present is heading.
It’s not been the one clue that Lalah could possibly be part of GQuuuuuuX we’ve had to this point, both. The framing of Shiiko’s loss of life has direct parallels to the presentation of Lalah’s personal loss of life within the authentic present, simply the most recent within the sequence’ riffs on particular cinematography decisions from the primary Gundam, however “The Witch’s Battle” additionally returns to a different thought briefly touched on by GQuuuuuuX earlier than. Within the sequence’ prior retelling of the One Yr Battle, it was revealed that Zeon was holding one other mysterious object referred to as the “Rose of Sharon” in secrecy, earlier than it disappeared from underneath them simply as Char vanished within the psionic “Zeknova” that ended the battle.
In “The Witch’s Battle,” Shuji states that his solely need is to carry the Pink Gundam (which he always refers to as being in dialog with) to Earth, seeking a mysterious rose, presumably the identical “Rose of Sharon” that Zeon had been holding secret. The Rose of Sharon itself is a biblical reference, showing in variations of the Outdated Testomony to explain a flower talked about within the Track of Songs, but additionally a contemporary horticultural time period, used to consult with a number of sorts of flowering plant—together with the golden-flowered Hypericum calycinum, which actually feels evocative of the flowing yellow costume Lalah wore within the authentic sequence.
Whether or not we see her or not, or if she stays solely a part of this model of the unique Gundam‘s world by way of her sing-song leitmotif, it’s already clear that any grand thriller that GQuuuuuuX needs to play with with this new era of Newtypes will join all the best way again to the unique present’s first explorations of the idea. It appears then, as we get nearer and nearer to determining simply what occurred to Char on this model of occasions, the girl that might form the remainder of his life within the “predominant” Gundam continuity might have a equally important position in GQuuuuuuX.
Cell Swimsuit Gundam GQuuuuuuX is now streaming on Prime Video
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