OK, it looks like I'm gonna have to explain the painfully named Gundam GQuuuuuuX. It's still very new, so hopefully I won't get sidetracked too much.
GquuuuuuX is the Gundam multiverse series. No, not Turn-A. Nor Build. Or Super Robot Wars. No, it's the one explicitly about alternative universes and canon, although it doesn't immediately present like that. Initially, it presents as a "what if Zeon won" story, imaging a different story route for the original 1979 anime, but parallel worlds and time-whimey elements consume the narrative. At which point, it's not really a warstory any more, nor a real robot show, because realities are being created or destroyed seemingly at will. To give a spoiler free analogy; GQ is akin to a Spider-Man story where someone is repeatedly resetting history to keep Uncle Ben alive and ensure Peter Parker never becomes a superhero. It's the kind of story you write when you understand the letter of canon, and have memorised the apocrypha, but don't actually understand why any of it was important in the first place.
The "Gelgoog" is a good example of how self-regarding the show can be. It's the Zeon made mass-produced version of the original Gundam, a GM in all but name. The original Gelgoog was of course the Zeon answer to the Gundam, and the name has been applied here..... just because? This rather like Nazis knocking off a Sherman tank and then calling it the King Tiger. It makes sense for Zeon to apply it's own naming conventions, don't get me wrong, but that's typical of the self-referencing stuff GQ does. As to why it looks like it does? Well.... just because? GQ designs kinda look like that. Yes it does put me in mind of the difference between 80's Transformers and Michael Bay's Transformers. And to make it better, or possibly worse, this is not the stock colour scheme. That’s a stereotypical green affair on a limited release. No, this is Sugai’s colours, a Federation ace who has somehow settled on a paintjob not otherwise present in this universe, which makes it look as much as possible like a GM …just because? Its the ouroboros of grunt suits.
GQuuuuuuX, as a series, sets off my autism something fierce. All this having been acknowledged, I feel I should mention that I actually kinda like the Gelgoog on its own terms. I like how the legs exist mainly as frame for some rocket engines. I like the odd offset(?) joints; they are very Syd Mead. I like the forearm shields, and the fact you can John-Woo this guy with twin pistols. I like that all the weapons store. No, the white bits on that exaggerated collar aren’t beam sabers, those are greeblies. I even kinda like the finger harpoon thing. Had GQ been it's own narrative, its mecha designs would have been viewed as modern and fresh. Or at least something interesting by the Evangelion guy. A subtle homage maybe? Instead, everything in the series exists in a context where it is unavoidably compared to a genre making classic, and the creative team behind this was, perhaps, not up for that comparison. Either that, or I’m just desperately trying to justify my own hypocrisy in buying this.
So, all that having been said, fucking hell, three paragraphs just to place this properly in its incestuous continuity and I didn't even mention Sugai! Oh well, let's skip that. She was only in one episode, I dunno if she actually matters that much, and I've written too much already.
Ahem, so, all that having been said, how is the Gelgoog as an actual kit? Interesting and boundary pushing. The high parts count is used to create a layered effect in the details, in often creative ways. It's complex, but not needlessly so. It comes with a decent selection of hands and weapons, even throwing in a Darth Maul gimmick just for the kit. Colour accuracy is 99% ideal; there’s a few areas that need some black paint, like the inside of the leg thrusters, but that’s really nothing remarkable. I'm not a huge fan of the black plastic, and the odd choice of opaque plastic for the sensors, but this at least on the level of that Origin GM, but with no stickers. The joint design is a notable highlight, with no polycaps used and some clever locking taps used in places. With the backpack thrusters the ball joints like to come off, but all load-bearing joints seem great. It takes a while to get everything done, there’s a lot here due to its unconventional design, but if you want a quality example of what Bandai can do with a Gunpla, here it is.
The Gelgoog was very impressive build, which honestly did not need much work to look good. I did a basic weathering job, that possibly goes against the vibe of its series, but its fine. I wasn’t able to fix the backpack issue, but that’s manageable. Also, I realised upon writing this that the thighs should probably not have that horizontal seam, that's something for the colour variants. Oh well, too late now, and its still a good kit. Pick it up if you like the looks of it.
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