After War Gundam X (1996) User Reviews

The Forgotten Gundam

[etg1701 · 8/10 · 5 February 2008]

In a franchise made famous by flashy attention grabbers like Gundam Wing and SEED, as well as the original series, Gundam X stands in the shadows of these greater successes. As with Wing and G Gundam, this show takes place in one of the alternative continuities, specifically the After War era, in which war between Earth and the Colonies has nearly wiped out the human race.

Notably, Gundam X generally avoids the typical conflict between the Earth and the colonies and casts it in a new light when it does come up. Instead the show focuses on Vultures, roving bands of scavengers of varying moral integrity, and a young boy Garrod Ran who joins a Vulture ship. It also provides some intriguing answers concerning the question of Newtypes and where they truly come from.

Unfortunately, the series faced premature cancellation at only 39 episodes, forcing something of a rushed ending. This has no doubt contributed to its unfortunate reputation.

The most underrated entry on the franchise

[chalkwani · 8/10 · 17 September 2017]

Gundam X's situation is a particularly well known one. Released during a time where new Gundam series were being released one right after the other one (even shown on the previews for next episode) causing people to eventually get a bit sick of Tomino's biggest project, this show ended being the biggest victim in this Gundam "wave".

Contrary to other entries on the series, Gundam X gives a bigger focus on world exploration and the daily life of people living on a post-apocalyptic Earth, heavily hit by colonies dropping on it, as opposed of other Gundam entries focusing only on the war segments. This of course might turn off many fans since the "war element" has always being the main focus, however Gundam X's take on the series is still an interesting and entertaining one, showing different takes on humanity's attempt on survival as mecha scavenging and creation of cults just to keep their sanity. Seeing the main character (Garrod Ran) not being a new-type archetype is also refreshing, and while Heero Yui (the main protagonist of the previous Gundam Wing) might also fit in this category, Garrod doesn't suffer of plot armor or similar things. And this leaves to the main charm of the series: its human development. Each character feels more "real" and not exaggerated as many anime series, and almost all of them have their own backstories and dedicated scenes/episodes making the viewer care more about them, and not feeling they are disposable.

Gundam X is a really fine show, with some nice mecha designs (see GX and Bertigo), however, its cancellation lead to a really rushed final arc which might leave some people with a sour taste in their mouths. Regardless, this is a show worth watching.

More like the best Gundam Series unseen too

[MovieCriticMarvelfan · 18 November 2003]

Contrary to some opinion this Gundam Series is great one of the best. Spanning 39 episodes, this Series for the time is not about Zeon vs. The Federation but rather the Federation vs. The Colonists. Interesting thing here is that good guys and the bad guys are not one and the same. Federations ship seem to steal Gundam mechs to sell for expensive profit while the colonists fight to stay alive.

The Mech Designs are wonderful surpassing in some areas the 1995 Gundam Wing and 2000 version, almost to the level of Gundam Seed. This series is highly sought since it was never released in the us, and it's a hot download on the internet, so check it out while you can!!

Birthday Boy gives it Two Thumbs up.

A True Hidden Gem of a Mecha Anime!

[zanghi_james · 9/10 · 15 April 2021]

Before watching this series I had heard a great amount of talk about 'Gundam X', mainly about the slow pace and the low amount of episodes in comparison to Gundam Wing, G-Gundam, and the various series of the Universal Century. So I had low expectations when I started watching it on DVD.

Wow, I am so glad I was wrong. 'Gundam X' is great!

It's just as good as the first two non-Universal-Century Gundam anime (G-Gundam and Gundam Wing) and is a True Hidden Gem among the mecha anime franchise. I recommend you watch it at least once, but I also recommend you watch it with an open mind.

When I started watching this, I definitely got vibes in regards to the general story similar to the 'Arc the Lad' anime and 'Castle in the Sky' by Hayao Miyazaki. There are some impressive similarities with a young street-smart boy protecting an innocent and introverted young girl who has great powers. It's not a bad story, though.

The story-arcs of 'Gundam X' are great, though, and are nice multiple-episode arcs. The first half of the series is fun, while the second half is much more dramatic. The mecha designs are pretty cool. Also, the characters are quite enjoyable and more than a few undergo some interesting changes throughout the show. The main villains, the Frost Brothers, are not the most original villains (they're no Char or Master Asia), but they are quite better than Mashymere Cello and Jerid Messa. Plus, the music is great, and not just the J-Pop songs they use for the openings. I really enjoyed that song 'Human Touch' and felt it applied itself perfectly to the mood of 'Gundam X'.

Pros:

• Great Mecha Designs
• Cool Characters with a lot of great growth
• Awesome Music and Songs
• Tiffa is so adorable

Cons:

• Smaller amount of Episodes
• Slightly abrupt ending perhaps warrants a revival OVA/Movie like Endless Waltz to Gundam Wing

May the Force be with you!

Doesn't age well

[hkohles · 4/10 · 17 July 2020]

This series was a fun concept but its a very slow paced Gundam show. The characters are not to memorable and there is no real fun easter eggs. I would recommend every Gundam fan to watch it at least once but it becomes very understandable why this show got canceled.

The least successful Gundam series

[cpm6 · 27 December 2000]

"Gundam X" is sort of mixed. On one hand, it's story is fairly original and it's animation and writing is better than Gundam Wing's. On the other hand, the show seems to miss many good opportunities, and the design sense of the series is highly deriative-the supporting mecha in the series are obvious rips of those from the "early" Universal Century timeline series, and the Gundams don't fare much better(Although they look better and more 'sleek' than Wing's blocky Gundams). Had it had a few more episodes, this series could have been something greater, but it's sort of the misfit of the Gundam shows(along with Double Zeta).