When was the first time I’ve heard about Gundam X? A couple of years ago, actually, when I was playing the SD Gundam G Generation Zero in Play Station. As I’ve explained before, it had a single scenario along with G Gundam and Gundam Wing in that installment. But I knew that the first time I played it; seeing Garrod and Tifa, the cute SD CG scene, the Satellite Cannon, I knew that I want to know more about Gundam X’s story.

 

I’m not exactly you would call a Gundam newbie. I have already watched the Gundam Trilogy, Char’s Counterattack, Gundam F-91 and Gundam Wing before I was bent on finding any information regarding Gundam X. Sadly, there are very few to non-existent sites. Most GX reviews I’ve read (except from Newtype Asylum and other websites) regarded it as “trash”, “no story”, or it’s ending a “water-down Evangelion”. I have already watched EVA (also one of my favorite anime), so I really wanted to know why they say such things. So I tried to find episode summaries, and ended up finding Khandreia-san’s home page (it was still Gundam Boy that time,  Frozen Memories is not there yet). Further “hunting” made me found Fantasy and Animation HQ, where it tackles every GX episode. By just reading everything about it, I figured that this is the series that was worth spending my money on. I did and I convinced my brother to get the whole series for me. I finally get to watch it all during my summer vacation.

 

I am not disappointed.

 

The series had its pros and cons, I admit, but this is certainly not “trash” everyone else claimed it to be. After watching it over twice and thrice a resolve formed in my head that I should find more sites. Around that time, I stumbled into “Frost n’ Fire” in Anipike (a character shrine that isn’t a GW character!!!), and “Freedom Launch!” in one of my search engines. Through “Freedom Launch” I became a member of the GXML, and I decided to make my first website dedicated to Garrod Ran, who was my favorite anime character. Originally, it would have been a Duo Maxwell shrine, but now that I’ve thought about it, I can simply go to GW links and drown myself with hundreds of Duo shrines posted there. Since GX shrines are (very!) scarce, I felt it was a duty as a fan of this series to at least promote Gundam X and have it recognized to the Internet community as it rightfully deserves.

 

What am I trying to say here? That people should “broaden” their viewing preferences in anime. Don’t get turn off by a couple of reviews that was present in  the Internet. Since it had been the reviewer’s opinion, their preferences may differ than yours. They may think of a show as crap, but you may end liking it more. I already knew a couple of people who regretted not watching Gundam X sooner, because they thought that it doesn’t have a story and its reputation of being “cancelled”.

 

People because of its appearance mocked G Gundam, but I think people who watched Dragon Ball Z may like this series. The Gundams may look ridiculous but the show had its fun moments. Mobile Suit Gundam gets criticized because it was “old”, it can’t be helped because it IS old. I may be one of the minority who even said that the original series has the best storyline: much better than Gundam Wing and even Gundam X. Turn-A Gundam was also mocked because of its appearance and their weird-looking characters. But it had a good story, and a reputation for “saving the Gundam universe” (two movies are being made while they’re at it). Seeing the episode “Rolan’s Cow” made me misty eyed for a moment, when the main character was torn between the two groups whom he pledged his loyalty to. I never had this feeling ever since the Nu Gundam was pushing back the Axis valiantly in Char’s Counterattack (which was quite a long time ago). So it was pretty something.

 

The Gundam universe offers a lot of perspective and stories about wars. Don’t be content of having GW series in your shelves and at least check out its counterparts. You won’t regret it. I know because I did.