REVIEW ‘Mobile Suit Gundam: GQuuuuuuX’ Episode 7 — “Machu’s Rebellion”

Political intrigue and shady deals pop up in Mobile Suit Gundam GQuuuuuuX Episode 7, “Machu’s Rebellion.” Episode 7 attempts to use some action to distract attention away from the political tensions between the Principality of Zeon forces, Challia Bull’s (Shinji Kawada) splinter group of Zeon forces, and the Side 6 government. The worst part is that it sacrifices meaningful mobile suit fights and some of the character-building elements that made the first half of the season exciting to watch.

Upon learning of Annqui’s (Mariya Ise) plan, Amate “Machu” Yuzuriha (Tomoyo Kurosawa) devises a plan with Nyaan (Yui Ishikawa) to use Clan Battle as a means to help Shuji Itō (Shimba Tsuchiya) escape. However, their opponent in the next Clan Battle turns out to be a newly built mobile armor operated by the Earth Federation Forces characters Lieutenant Gates Capa (Ayumu Murase) and Deux Murasame (Hisako Kanemoto), aiming to assassinate Lady Kycilia Zabi (Kaori Nazuka).

Mobile Suit Gundam GQuuuuuuX struggles to balance entertaining episodes with flashy Gundam fights and the space politics happening in the background. The major problem with Gates and Deux’s story is that they were barely introduced in Episode 6 and are immediately killed off in Episode 7. Episodes 4 and 5 are the season’s strongest episodes because they introduce Shiiko Sugai, aka The Witch (Manami Hanawa), Gaia (Yôji Ueda), and Ortega (Kenji Hamada) from the Black Tri-Star Doms, respectively. Each of those episodes worked because the characters included some backstories, all in one episode, before they subsequently died.

There still remains a lack of balance between storytelling elements.

Episode 6 built Gates and Deux to be really good pilots, but they get wiped out so fast by Challia in Episode 7. This is a good story beat for Challia because when he takes Gates and Deux out almost instantly, showing how good of a pilot he is.

However, Mobile Suit Gundam GQuuuuuuX Episode 7 never shows Gates and Deux excelling in any of their fights like in the previous Clan Battles. Deux has an effective sticky bomb-like attack, but that’s it. Episode 7 should’ve been split into two episodes to build up the assassination attempt and give Gates and Deux more time to show how good of pilots they’re said to be, all while giving more time to show Gundam fights.

Machu and Nyaan are the best parts of Mobile Suit Gundam GQuuuuuuX Episode 7, but that’s not saying much. When Machu holds Annqi (Mariya Ise) at gunpoint for catching Machu stealing the money Machu and Shuji won from the Clan Battles, this scene is tense because Machu is shakingly holding a gun at a person for the first time. Machu shoots the wall, stunning Annqi.

Machu tells Annqi, “You told me to chase after him,” after Annqi tries to calm Machu down. This moment between Mobile Suit Gundam GQuuuuuuX’s two strongly written female characters shows the repercussions for Annqi trying to teach Machu her ways, and for Annqi trying to double-cross Machu and her friends.

The relationship between Machu and Nyaan adds a lot this episode.

Like much of Mobile Suit Gundam GQuuuuuuX, the Kira-Kira animation in Episode 7 keeps its charm. Unfortunately, it’s cut short for more dialogue-heavy interactions in this episode. Some of the problems with the dialogue and storytelling for Machu and Nyaan are how quickly they’ve turned on each other in this episode and every episode since Episode 5. Nyaan didn’t become a deeper character until Episode 5.

In Episode 5, Nyaan takes charge by becoming Shuji’s Mav in the Clan Battle, but leaves Machu trapped with Xavier. If she’s vying for protagonist power for character-building purposes, this works. Unless Nyaan leaving all her friends behind to go to Zeon is to reunite with them at the end, then Nyaan’s actions in Mobile Suit Gundam GQuuuuuuX Episode 7 make more sense.

Mobile Suit Gundam GQuuuuuuX Episode 7 shows Machu and Nyaan fighting over Shuji’s love again. It’s a shallow coming-of-age device in this particular instance, though. If fighting for love or finding love was integral to Machu and/or Nyaan’s characters at the start of the season, this would’ve all been clearer. Throwing this conflict in now cheapens the friendship that Machu and Nyaan built up to this point.

Potentially, the Kira-Kira and the Red Gundam are driving a wedge between Machu and Nyaan, possibly manipulating their emotions. If this is the case, someone should explain what the Kira-Kira is sooner rather than later.

Challia continues to do the most in Mobile Suit Gundam GQuuuuuuX Episode 7

In Mobile Suit Gundam GQuuuuuuX Episode 7, the most consistently compelling character is Challia. After flexing his solo Mav skills and killing Gates and Deux, he captures Machu and the GQuuuuuuX White Gundam. This is an intriguing plot point because Kycilia took Nyaan, so maybe Nyaan and Machu may fight later when they reunite. Now that Challia helped save Kycilia’s life, Challia gained Kycilia and Xavier Olivette’s (Seiichiro Yamashita) trust.

But ultimately, Challia reveals his real goal is “to eliminate Supreme Commander Gihren and Kycilia at the same time.” This turn of events is the last saving grace for making Mobile Suit Gundam GQuuuuuuX’s story compelling enough to watch at this point.

Mobile Suit Gundam GQuuuuuuX Episode 7 rushes through character progressions and fights, focusing more on advancing the plot. Still, this episode teases some branching storylines to come. The next few episodes should answer important questions: what happens to someone who gets caught in a Zeknova; what will Machu do while she’s under arrest; and will Nyaan come to her senses?

Mobile Suit Gundam GQuuuuuuX Episode 7 is streaming on Prime Video.

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