Mobile Suit Gundam GQuuuuuuXwas easily one of the highest profile anime of 2025, and for good reason. Not only was it the latestGundamanime, but it was being made in conjunction with Studio Khara ofNeon Genesis Evangelionfame, so at least on paper, it had everything going for it to be a major hit.
There was plenty of hype forMobile Suit Gundam GQuuuuuuX, but due to poor pacing and some bizarre writing choices in its second half,GQuuuuuuXended up being quite polarizing with fans and critics. Because of that, it would be easy to assume thatMobile Suit Gundam GQuuuuuuXwasn’t a hit, but the truth is far more complicated than that.
Mobile Suit Gundam GQuuuuuuX Is A Bonafide Hit, No Matter What People Say
Mobile Suit Gundam GQuuuuuuX Was Bigger Than People Think
In an interview with Bandai Namco Filmworks director Naohiro Ogata, Ogata said that not only wasGQuuuuuuXhighly successful at bringing in newGundamfans, but that it also succeeded in bringing back many older fans who had grown disinterested in the franchise, all while achieving the company’s quantitative goals “to the maximum degree” with high TV and streaming viewership.
The success oftheGQuuuuuuXanimewas already a given when looking at the theatrical preview. The theatrical preview was a massive success and became the second-highest-grossingGundamfilm at $24.3 million, so with those kinds of numbers, it only makes sense that the actual show would be popular from start to finish.
As much as people might have criticized the show for its pacing and how it handles both its new ideas and the Universal Century lore,GQuuuuuuXwas still a great watch because of its gorgeous visuals and engaging character writing, so overall,it makes perfect sense thatMobile Suit Gundam GQuuuuuuXwould have such standout success.
Mobile Suit Gundam GQuuuuuuX’s Success Spells A New Age For Gundam Anime
Is GQuuuuuuX The New Standard For Gundam?
The biggest takeaway fromMobile Suit Gundam GQuuuuuuX’s success is probably what it means for the franchise as a whole. Both it andMobile Suit Gundam: The Witch from Mercuryare the most successfulGundamprojects in years, despite how different they are from the rest of the franchise, so they’ll likely be how mainline entries are handled, going forward.
Not only would that meanmoreGundamanime that aren’t focused on war, but it would also mean shorter episode counts stopping at 13-26 episodes instead of the traditional 50. Both of those factors are a big part of whyThe Witch from MercuryandGQuuuuuuXhave become divisive, so that might not be the best thing for the franchise.
That being said,The Witch from MercuryandGQuuuuuuXwere the firstGundamanime to be structured like that, so future projects will likely be produced with a better handling on those restrictions. At the very least, if the nextGundamanime is even half as charming asMobile Suit Gundam GQuuuuuuX, it’ll be something everyone can look forward to.
