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Tournament Fighting G-Gundam Style – This Week in Anime

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G-Gundam isn’t part of the Universal Century timeline, in fact it’s very different than previous entries in the franchise in both tone and content. However, that doesn’t mean it doesn’t have its own unique flavor to offer Gundam fans!

This series is streaming on YouTube and Crunchyroll

Disclaimer: The views and opinions expressed by the participants in this chatlog are not the views of Anime News Network.
Spoiler Warning for discussion of the series ahead.

Nicky

Not just any Gundam, this one happens to have a big fat G in front of it! Let’s celebrate a new year with a throwback to Mobile Fighter G Gundam!

Folks should know I love my mecha, and while Gundam Wing passed me by I definitely tuned into G-Gundam back when that aired on Toonami in the early ’00s. GundamInfo has been uploading batches of the series over the past few months, and we were lucky enough to check out the first six episodes of this classic. I’m getting ahead of myself, but it was a lot of fun to revisit this series.
It’s also available on Crunchyroll currently, but I found the one on GundamInfo’s YouTube to be slightly better quality (720p vs 480p) if that matters to some. Both are available in subtitled format. I could be wrong but I haven’t seen the dub available for streaming and I was a little disappointed because I heard it was full of hamtastic reads perfect for this over-the-top show.
For real. Sure, it’s an early-00s dub so there’s a degree of awkwardness, but I miss that old Canadian dub. Mark Gatha has long since left the world of dubbing for orthodontal engineering, but his performance as Domon Kasshu is legendary and beloved for a reason—guy could scream his lungs out, and he could do it without THE HELP OF KYOJI.

However, I found the sub to be equally entertaining as a first-timer. It’s definitely not lacking in dramatics and there’s plenty of great moments where the characters decide to burst out random cool-sounding English. Even the narrator uses English! Notably, the level of silliness means its tone is extremely different from Yoshiyuki Tomino‘s original Mobile Suit Gundam. Director Yasuhiro Imagawa pretty much uses the Gundam concept to have this completely alternate take where everyone solves every problem via tournament matches, with extremely wild results! G-Gundam was the fifth Gundam TV series but the first one not to have taken place in the “Universal Century” timeline. A lot of things about it are therefore a huge departure from what people think of as “Gundam,” but somehow it still proves itself as an extremely influential anime.

We need to take a moment to talk about Imagawa, because he’s definitely a director to know. Your friend and mine Mike Toole made a pretty good write-up of the guy a good while ago, covering some of the work he did for G-Gundam as well as for that other bombastic classic of 90s mecha goodness, Giant Robo: The Animation – The Day the Earth Stood Still. Imagawa has my heart; mecha is too easily wrapped up in the meme of men shouting about stuff (see: Gurren Lagann‘s tragic fate—please, watch another mecha show), but Imagawa really knows how to tap into melancholy. Giant Robo posits a question: “Can happiness be earned without sacrifice?”, you will ponder that and you will like it. Also, here’s a giant robot stomping through France.
My friends pressured me into blind-buying the Blu-ray for that one (bless Discotek) cuz everyone I’m super close to happens to be a huge Imagawa-stan. It’s really easy to see why! While he may be an extremely different kind of artist from Tomino, his style of storytelling is still super distinct.
So too does G-Gundam have hidden depths. As a youth, many of my peers preferred G-Gundam to the other Gundam shows because “it wasn’t as political”, meaning it didn’t have so many scenes of people sitting around jawing at each other. And yet, right from the get-go, G-Gundam smacks us in the face with a creative interpretation of the Gundam franchise’s ever-ongoing war between Colonials and Earth-bound humans. You see, in the setting of G-Gundam, pockets of humanity have uplifted literal chunks of various nations into orbit as colonies. In order to prevent outright war between them, the colonies have a gentlemanly bout between national champions.

AND THEY FIGHT.

AND THEY FIGHT.

AND THEY FIGHT, UNTIL—ahem, until the last man standing is chosen champion and their representing nation rules the colonies for a term of 4 years. Problem is, for all the guise of good sportsmanship, the Gundam Fight, as it’s called, takes place on Earth, and none of the colonies are in the habit of cleaning up after themselves.



Also, I wanna point out that the green-haired dude sitting on the Earth—Stalker, his name is—quotes The Criminologist from Rocky Horror Picture Show (“I would like, if I may…”). Imagawa is a tremendous fan of Rocky Horror, as well as Star Trek (Neo Sweden’s pilot is named Ensign Allenby from The Next Generation) and old cinema like Andy Warhol.

This makes so much sense, haha. And that’s not the only kind of tribute in G-Gundam‘s repertoire. The thing’s packed with ’em. Lots of callbacks to Hollywood movies, kung-fu movies; the whole thing is really a Wuxia fantasy with super robots in it and other sci-fi elements. It’s really somewhere between a fable or a western. A lone man wanders the globe in search of something, gets embroiled in the business of others, and all he wants is to fight so he can force you to look at his goddamn ripped photo.


And it’s not that Tomino Gundam isn’t full of great melodrama or abstraction. They’re just two different flavors.

Yeah, the Gundam Fights are hella cool but it’s clear that it causes the locals nothing but trouble and the colonies couldn’t give two shits about it!

It doesn’t help that many of the colonies aren’t terribly judicious in their selection of pilots. Neo Italy’s pilot, Michelo Chariot, is a high-ranging leader in the Mafia and regularly abuses his reputation as a Gundam Fighter for his own personal gain.


This also makes our protagonist come off as a jerkwad who only cares about fighting and finding the person he’s searching for, but he still ends up routinely on the side of justice anyway.

Domon is definitely a jerk sometimes. I know some women go for the “I can fix him”-thing, like with Dark Schneider or Inuyasha, and Domon kinda has that going. But he really does deserve to get slugged in the face for how he treats his partner, Rain.

Especially cuz Rain is really cool and tries hard to take care of him AND HIS GUNDAM THAT HE KEEPS WRECKING. Honestly, she’s a keeper.


Also, a heads-up but for some reason the subs at first mislabels them as siblings even though nothing of the sort is said in the audio, and she’s clearly into him. I was a little confused until I looked it up to check.

She’s his childhood friend, according to one of the later episodes. Rain and the other female characters of G-Gundam got done dirty—Rain in particular doesn’t have much to do but suffer at the hands of Domon’s thickheaded antics.

Even in these first six out of 49 episodes she saves his ass more times than I could count. Dude would be dead several times over without her protecting him. She also has lots of cool gadgets that add a neat bit of sci-fi tech flavor when she’s around. G-Gundam is also very “of the times”, not unlike its Gundam predecessors. This show is fun but it’s one of the many ways that’s it’s aged poorly.

And she really does care—she camps out in Russian snowstorms trying to make sure Domon is okay.

Rain aside, there’s a lot about this show that are really dated. It’s got 90’s written all over it down to its sick synthwave guitar riffs and Domon’s raw machismo. I say this as he exclusively wears a butt-tight battle suit that he has to be wrapped into like he’s a Hot Item you have to preserve.


The other reason why women veterans of the anime fandom love Domon and Dark Schneider: they bring the “cake” in “beefcake”.

Gotta save those for later. Keep ’em fresh.

…Actually, now I’m curious—this show came out in ’94. What are the odds that there was a Neo Yugoslavia or Neo Czechoslovakia written into G-Gundam‘s world bible?

At any rate, Domon’s adventures see him visiting several countries he has scribbled onto the back of his mysterious photo of the man he’s searching for. After Italy goes bust, he goes to New York where he meets Chibodee Crocket, a boxer who may well have the healthiest polycule in anime this side of Lupin’s gang.

I’m gonna tell my kids that this was Steven Universe.

This is where more of G-Gundam‘s lowkey political writing comes into play. Chibodee was a street urchin whose natural ability was recognized by members of the Neo New York government. He was taken to the colonies where he trained as a boxer until he was ready to compete in the Gundam Fight as the pilot of the Gundam Maxter, a football-player-looking Gundam that also has a surfboard and a “boxing” mode. Neo New York’s suits aren’t above manipulating Chibodee or the members of his harem in the name of furthering their political agendas. Unfortunately for them, Chibodee cares more about proving his skills as a boxer than politics…

He also cares deeply about what the people of his hometown think of him. He was a well-known street brat but the locals really seem to look up to him as a hero who achieved his “dream” even if that comes at the cost of being the army’s pawn. As much as I am a non-believer of the “American Dream” it’s easy to see why people would care so much about having something or someone to have hope for.

There’s a very touching bit at the end of the episode between Chibodee and Domon where Domon reminds him that losing one Gundam Fight doesn’t mean he can’t compete—the Gundam Fight rulebook specifically states you can compete as long as your dream is alive. Seeing the people of New York rally around Chibodee definitely feels like a proper tribute to the people of that city.

And then he does his best Schwarzenegger impression. Also, we would be remiss if we didn’t talk about the robot action. It’s limited but pretty sweet. Domon uses his best sword-styling and martial arts and the animation goes all in on trying to land the most impact. There’s a lot of weight. Also, I want “You guys are an embarrassment to Neo America” to be a thing people say to cops on a regular basis.


Like we said, there’s a lot of wuxia-influence in G-Gundam. Domon himself is a recognized martial artist who has earned the title of the “King of Hearts”. This ties into something called The Shuffle Alliance, a team of Colony-bound martial arts experts that sadly we don’t get too much insight into them. All we know is that Domon’s enigmatic mentor, Master Asia, was the previous King of Hearts.


I wish I could talk about Master Asia. I wish I could talk about how cool he is and how his appearance really kicks off all the awesome stuff G-Gundam is known for. But that would require us watching more than what we were supposed to. We’re only here to cover the first six episodes. So everything pas that is a SUPER SPOILER.

Obviously an almost fifty episode completed series is gonna have a lot of ground to cover that we can’t get to in the length of one column. But our hope is that we can try to connect what’s unique about anime anime that would make readers want to check it out. I feel like older series can be a big barrier for many younger anime fans. They’re often budgeted, dated, and corny by today’s standards. A lot of this stuff is new to me and I think it’s still possible to not only have a lot of fun but finding something meaningful in older shows. All it requires is an open mind and an open heart.

And G-Gundam is a lot of fun. Like with Sai Saici! I can see a lot of people hating Sai Saici, people hate kids after all. But Sai Saici is also a Gundam Figher from Neo China that can keep even Domon on the backstep. He’s the heir to what remains of the Shaolin Temple, trained by a rival offshoot from the colonies. He hopes to restore the Shaolin Temple to greatness with his victory in the Gundam Fight.

I can also see a lot of people bouncing off the stereotypes in the series, since every nation’s fighter is basically a big parody. It’s effective though because the stories themselves are simple. I thought Sai Saici was particularly fun because on top of this series having a clear love of Wuxia, Sai is clearly supposed to embody the personality of Son Goku, the clever trickster hero of Journey to the West. Sai dupes Domon about whether he’s the Gundam‘s pilot several times over the course of the episode.

And he’s not all talk, either—he fights Domon to a stand-still! This with Domon having several years on him, even. Sai Saici is a little brat, but he’s a skilled little brat.

He also made sure Domon got captured and beat up by all the thugs first but he clearly won in terms of wits. By the time he’s returned to his Uncle Monks, he really does feel like a friend. Domon is pretty good at fighting but he doesn’t always force a win if he feels like the other fighter is worthy of his respect.

Jerk that he might be, Domon respects people who can prove they have genuine skill as Gundam Fighters. George Desand is a good example; the knight-like Gundam Fighter from Neo France, Domon is willing to throw the match against him in the name of keeping his princess from getting hurt by the toppled Eiffel Tower.


His hair matches its supreme floppy aspect too. George clearly cares about his country even if its “pride” seems to be in a sorry state. Look how flaccid that national icon is before it eventually crumples in the episode’s climax.

It’s easy to make a “nobleman”-type character be a snooty jerk, but George really does care about his nationality and the years of service his esteemed family has rendered to it. He’s otherwise kinda bland, but it’s easy to see why Domon respects him.

He’s also lame cuz he can’t take a hint when a girl likes him. For a princely figure, he’s pretty lacking in any actual sense of romance outside of fighting. The FRANCE Gundam is pretty cool though. I particularly loved the LASER ROSES.

Funnels are a long-standing part of Gundam technology. Only G-Gundam has the creativity to turn them into ROSES!

But yeah at this point we’re really seeing a trend of going to other places and seeing their countries and their fighters, and also NONE of them have seen the photo man that Domon is so desperately looking for.

The final country we get to see Domon visit is Mother Russia, where he meets the prisoner Argo Gulskii, a prisoner with a life sentence who pilots the Bolt Gundam. This episode is a fascinating “prison break” episode, not unlike Stone Ocean. Argo himself is a fascinating character, apparently a onetime space pirate who took a life sentence in exchange for the safety of his crew.


Also, the Bolt Gundam looks like it’s wearing an ushanka. I love it.

We also see stuff like the crazy Gundam graveyard in the fighter prison so they can not fight AND steal other nations tech.


But a lot of this episode is actually about breaking Domon’s indomitable spirit to try and figure out where his Gundam is.
It’s a creative bit of strategy from Neo Russia: arrest any incoming Gundam Fighter, sequester their Gundam. The rules say “last man standing”, they don’t say you have to fight your way there.


But this leaves us with Domon. Six episodes in, we don’t know much about why he’s piloting the Shining Gundam, or why he’s fighting for Neo Japan—only that he’s searching for the guy in his photo. Episode 6, thankfully, really deep dives into his backstory, and it’s a doozy.

We got a few hints about what Domon wants. It’s implied his father is in a certain compromised state as we’re shown this haunting, corpse like image, but up until episode 6 it’s been sparse on the details. It definitely seems like the government is using his father’s condition as a hostage so Domon will participate in the Gundam fight.

So, as it happens, Domon’s brother Kyoji and their father created a Gundam called the Devil Gundam. Neo Japan’s government attempted to arrest Kyoji on grounds of treason; in the scuffle, Kyoji caused the death of their mother and fled to Earth. Domon’s father was thus punished with being cryo-sealed until Kyoji was brought to justice. Domon wants revenge.


It’s incredibly heartbreaking, especially since up until that point Domon’s family seemed to have this idyllic and cushy life in the colonies. It’s a far cry from what we see on Earth as the planet-wide battleground for the Gundam Fight.
Domon had come home to celebrate his victory in training but is left with nothing.

This episode is also heartbreaking as it’s not even a flashback—it’s hypnosis. Neo Japan’s Defense Minister is forcing Domon to relive (what Neo Japan’s government thinks were) the events of the day of Kyoji’s betrayal to prove whether or not he’s still a reliable pilot.


He’s just chilling out in the ruins of his family’s home while the suits check to see if he’s stable enough to operate heavy machinery with kung fu.

Remember when my young colleagues said this wasn’t a political show? That was fun.

And for what? Domon might not act victimized in the same way Amuro does but he’s still clearly just a young man made to live through traumas at the hands of some government suits who refuse to give up their pride. While there are many good reasons purported by the show to have pride in one’s people and country, the Gundam Fight also leads to destruction and the people running it do not care about the people involved. Rain’s father tells her this himself.

The only thing keeping Domon safe is his own victimization. So, the Shining Gundam has a super-mode, because of course. And it’s triggered by Domon’s emotions, so even if Neo Japan decides to replace Domon as a pilot they can literally never find someone who will be mad enough about what Kyoji did to tap into the Shining Gundam’s full power. Ergo, the Shining Gundam is fueled by Domon being that pissed about his brother betraying his family, and Neo Japan is benefiting from it. Even the goofy bits in G-Gundam hit like a truck when you learn the context behind them. For years, I had thought Domon screaming “Take this: my love, my anger, and all of my sorrow!” was just a kitschy, memetic line. Turns out, Domon is venting years of heartbreak and anger out on the ghost of his brother.



I’m getting ahead of myself, because this is beyond the six episodes we covered, but as a kid I remember another character constantly reminding Domon that his anger was a double-edged sword—and in retrospect, that’s some good character development because as it stands, Neo Japan is just unleashing a traumatized young adult upon the world and hoping for the best. Doesn’t help that the Devil Gundam is pretty insane as a mech; it can self-replicate, self-improve, and self-repair, so even with all the anger he’s got Domon might not be up to the task.

I think it just proves that as silly as it is, G-Gundam takes its own story seriously. The “fun” aspects don’t actually diminish any of the emotional stakes. It’s also just a pretty good time!

That’s a thing I appreciate a lot about anime, and I have to wonder why it is that of all the stuff I watch I find it most easily in tokusatsu and mecha anime: yes, there can be outrageous fights between impossible mechs and grownups in spandex, but they nevertheless exist part-and-parcel with genuine emotional depth. And for all of the reputation G-Gundam has for being goofy and silly, that’s all here in spades: the cast has very human motivations, the world is fully realized and explores hard-hitting themes, and the main character has an engrossing melodrama to him.

Also, the music really sells it. I get emotional just by listening to the theme as Domon screams his heart out to deliver a blow. There’s some flat moments but when it matters the presentation really knows when to kick things up and that’s the most important thing an anime can do.

I mentioned Giant Robo: The Animation – The Day the Earth Stood Still earlier, and it—or at least, the first two episodes, because Giant Robo‘s production took such a long time—makes for a fantastic companion piece to G-Gundam. Both are stories of high emotion and high adventure, couched between very personal tales with emotional stakes. And for that reason, I really do hope that people give G-Gundam a shot. It would break my heart to see G-Gundam end up like Gurren Lagann where people just spout memes from the show upon hearing the title, because G-Gundam pulls off so much more.

I think even if you weren’t familiar Gundam you could probably still enjoy this one on its own as well without worrying about continuity or anything. And even if you’re a modern fan, it’s not like modern anime isn’t also full of goofy stuff. Bombastic camp is an important part of most anime and it’s part of why I can’t get enough of it. People who have time to invest in a long-running shōnen could definitely sit down and watch a couple episodes of G-Gundam as tribute.

It helps that G-Gundam is pretty influential. A few years back, there were a lot of waves made because an episode of the Pokémon Sun & Moon anime referenced it in a big way!

So don’t take it from me, take it from the Shining Gundam and its branded heat saber: watch G-Gundam, because the School of the Undefeated of the East compels you!



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