G Gundam is one of the most unusual Gundam series
out there. While other Gundam shows try to be realistic, G Gundam
seems like it wants to try to be as cheesy and unrealistic as possible. It succeeds...
With flying colors, I might add.
You see, the basic
plot for the G Gundam universe is ridiculous. In order to prevent wars
among the colonies of space, a tournament is held every four years. The winner's
colony rules over all of the other space colonies for four years until the next
tournament. These are no ordinary tournaments, however. The battles are fought
in powerful mobile suits. Like a said, it's ridiculous. However, as ridiculous
as it is, the show is also incredibly fun.
At first,
G Gundam may seem like a series that isn't going to go anywhere, with its
"battle of the week" style episodes. But these episodes are really just
there to introduce us to the characters (and what a bunch of characters they are!).
After the first couple of episodes, you'll find that there is much more to the
plot than meets the eye.
If one thing stands out
about G Gundam, it's the character and mecha designs. Most of them are
hilarious stereotypes of the country they represent. The Neo-Mexico Gundam even
wears a sombrero. If you ask me, Neo Japan's Gundam should have been a samurai.
And the characters themselves are always spouting out corny speeches, especially
Master Asia, who takes the definition of corny to the extreme.
The
animation is one of the show's low points; it seems very inferior to the other
shows of its time period. The picture quality is sometimes a tad blurry, and movement
seems off at times. However, it's not truly terrible, you'll be able to look past
it.
If you're looking for a realistic mecha show,
or expecting it to be like the rest of the Gundam series, then you're going
to be disappointed with G Gundam. However, if you're looking for a fun
show with great action scenes, giant robots pounding each other with ridiculous
attacks, and manages to throw in a decent plot at the same time, then you're in
for a great ride.
(3.5)
