"After War Gundam X" review: What's the appeal of this hidden gem?

After War Gundam X

■ Public Media

TV anime series

■ Original Media

Anime Original

■ Broadcast period

April 5, 1996 - December 28, 1996

■Broadcasting station

TV Asahi

■Frequencies

half an hour

■ Number of Episodes

Episode 39

■Original Story

Hajime Yatate and Yoshiyuki Tomino

■ Director

Shinji Takamatsu

■ Production

Production cooperation: Dentsu, Sotsu Agency Production: TV Asahi, Sunrise

■Works

© Sotsu, Sunrise

■ Story

A war that started with a war of independence for one space colony has become an all-out war between Earth and the space colonies. The battle has become a quagmire, and Earth, the homeland of all humanity, has suffered fatal damage, and most of its population, which boasted 10 billion people, has been lost. 15 years after the war, the Earth's environment has finally entered a period of stability. The protagonist, Garrod Ran, is an orphan of the war, but he has first-class knowledge and skills regarding mobile suits. Garrod is asked by a mysterious gentleman to rescue a young girl named Tifa, and sneaks into the land battleship "Frieden" that is said to have taken her away. Garrod safely takes Tifa to the mysterious gentleman, but Tifa is frightened by the sight of the gentleman. Garrod, realizing the situation, escapes with Tifa, and is led by Tifa's mysterious power to discover the mobile suit "Gundam X" at the site of the former Federation factory...

■Cast

・Garoud Ran/Takagi Wataru/Tifa Adir/Kai Mika/Jamil Neet/Horiuchi Kenyuu/Witz Sue/Nakai Kazuya/Roabi Roy/Yamazaki Takumi/Shagia Frost/Morikawa Toshiyuki/Orba Frost/Sasaki Nozomu/Tonya Marm/Mitsuishi Kotono/Sarah Tyrell/Kakazu Yumi/Shingo Mori/Nakamura Daiki/Kidd Salsamiru/Kumai Motoko/Ennil El/Honda Chieko/Charis Nautilus/Mizutani Yuko/Lancelot Darwell/Taku Takemura/Perla Sis/Nagasawa Miki/Narration/Mitsuoka Yutaro

■ Main staff

Producer: Junichi Kaji, Junichi Kimura (TV Asahi), Hideyuki Tomioka (Sunrise)
Producers: <#27-#39> Junichi Kimura, Taro Iwamoto (TV Asahi), Hideyuki Tomioka (Sunrise)

■ Main Characters

Garrod Ran: A war orphan who has always lived alone. His father died in the war and was a military engineer, so he is good with machines. At first, he wanted to be a mechanic, but he gradually started using his skills to steal and sell mobile suits. After meeting Tifa, he became a pilot of Gundam X and joined the Frieden crew to protect her, whom he fell in love with at first sight. Garrod had been living freely until then, but when he first joined the Frieden crew, he was unable to get used to group life and repeatedly failed. However, with his passionate spirit and competitive nature, he overcame difficulties and grew as a person. The captain of the ship, Jamil, saw a reflection of himself in Garrod when he was younger, and he took an eye on him, showing him the way and entrusting Tifa to him. Garrod was also very depressed when Tifa was taken into space by the revolutionary army, but when he found a way to go into space, he went to rescue her alone in a shuttle to get her back. After returning to Earth with Tifa, he fought to stop the war between the New Federation Army and the Space Revolutionary Army, and finally crushed the ambitions of the Frost brothers. After Frieden disbanded, he set out on a journey with Tifa to the town of Saint-Langer where it all began. Although he is not good at expressing his emotions, he has an honest and pure heart.
・Tifa Adir / A naturally occurring Newtype girl. She was rescued by Frieden from the Alternative Corporation lab. She was a quiet and shy girl, probably because she had been used as a research subject since she was young, but after meeting Garrod and becoming closer to him, she started to show her true self. Tifa's abilities include telepathy and the ability to see the future through paintings, and she showed her ability to see the future through paintings at Fort Severn and Cape Ryuzu. Her painting skills are superb. Wanting to please Garrod, she tried out the makeup that Toniya recommended, and connected with dolphins in the sea. Although she was shy, she gradually began to show various expressions. Garrod was the first to open up to her, and she had a crush on him from an early stage, and they shared a kiss before the final battle. After Frieden was disbanded, she chose to live with Garrod, abandoning her Newtype self and starting a new life.
・Jamil Neet / A calm and collected Vulture who commands the land battleship Frieden. His personality is so strong that even the rough Vultures trust him, and when Frieden was attacked by Alternative, three groups of Vultures rushed to the scene. During the 7th Space War, he was a Newtype soldier in the former Federation Army and piloted the Gundam X. However, he was traumatized by the guilt of having caused the colony drop with a single blow from the satellite cannon that he pulled the trigger on, and developed a fear of the cockpit. After the war, he became a Vulture, and based on his own experience, he wanted to protect Newtypes who were used as tools of war. The first person he met was Tifa. Although he has lost his ability now, he is still able to telepathically communicate with Tifa, and is able to communicate with her to a certain extent. After overcoming his fear of the cockpit, he also began to sortie in the Gundam X Divider himself. In the sea of ​​Lorelei, he unexpectedly reunited with Rutile Rilliant, who was his superior in the former Federation Army and someone he admired. After Frieden was dissolved, he worked hard to bring about peace between the New Federal Army and the Revolutionary Army.
・Witz Sue / A freelance mobile suit pilot employed by the land battleship Frieden, he later signed an exclusive contract and threw himself into the battle for Newtypes. He is a hot-blooded, impulsive man, and unlike Roaby, he showed his intention to participate in the battle against the New Type Army without refusing. On the other hand, he cares about his family, and was thinking of going to work in place of his father, who was killed by a mobile suit pilot, and supporting his mother and four siblings on his own. However, his mother hated mobile suit pilots, and when he returned to his hometown for the first time in a long time, she found out that he had become a mobile suit pilot, and he also found out that his mother had remarried without his knowledge, which led to a big fight. With the final battle approaching, he proposed to Tonia, who he had been interested in for a long time, by giving her a ring. After Frieden was disbanded, he planned to take her to his hometown and live with her.
・Roaby Roy/He was a freelance mobile suit pilot, but later signed an exclusive contract with the land battleship Frieden. He has a cool, dry personality that dislikes ties such as ideology, and prefers to live a fun and free life. He is a playboy who cannot help but talk to women when he sees them, and his girlfriends who he has wooed are waiting for him when he returns home from various places. However, his true love is the woman who once gave him the Gundam, and he uses his vacation to go see her, but she has already passed away. After that, he seriously wooed Sarah, but in the end she chose Jamil. After signing an exclusive contract, he showed his own way of doing things, such as setting up a relaxation room on the Frieden on his own initiative and giving swimsuits to Sarah and Tonya. On the other hand, he also shows a serious face when it comes to women, such as cooperating with Jamil after understanding his feelings for Rutile. However, he was only able to relax until the New Federation Army appeared, and when the situation became tense, he recognized the meaning of fighting and decided to fight for the peace of humanity. After the Frieden was disbanded, he appeared in Witz's hometown village with Enil for some reason.
・Shagia Frost / Stands before Frieden as the pilot of the Gundam Virsago. However, his true identity is that of a member of an intelligence agency belonging to the Government Reconstruction Committee. Originally, he and his twin brother Orba were members of the Earth Federation Forces and were undergoing training to become Newtypes. However, they were not affected by the Flash System and were branded with the dishonorable "Category F". This traumatized him, and while he was instructed by the committee to excavate Newtypes, he thought about eliminating any Newtypes he found. His goal was to get revenge on humanity for not recognizing them as Newtypes. He never gets emotional and is always calm, but his lack of emotional fluctuation gives him an eerie image. After assassinating Colonel Aimzat of the New Federation Army General Staff, he is selected to serve in the New Federation Army General Staff. He is a ruthless person who will stop at nothing to achieve his goal. After the battle, he appears in the town of Saint-Lange with Orba.
Orba Frost/Shagia Frost's twin brother, pilot of the Gundam Ashtaron. Like his brother, he holds a grudge against humanity for being placed in Category F. He acts with his brother and plans to use even the New Federation Army as a stepping stone to achieve his goal. He is connected to his brother through telepathic abilities, allowing them to communicate with each other no matter how far apart they are. When Orba infiltrates Frieden, he sends his thoughts from Frieden to his brother at Alternative Corporation, and they constantly exchange information. He has a slightly more hot-headed personality than his brother. In the final battle, he equips the Ashtaron Hermit Club with a satellite launcher, and vaporizes the Space Revolutionary Army's President Zaidel and the New Federation Army's Commander Bradman with a single blow. After the battle, he appears in the town of Saint-Lange with Shagia.
・Tonia Marm: A bridge crew member of the land battleship Frieden, she is in charge of communications. Her feminine charm and her attitude of living independently are also reflected in her unrestrained fashion and behavior. On the other hand, she is also sensitive and considerate of others. She once encouraged Tifa to put on makeup to cheer up a depressed Garrod, and regretted her light-hearted remarks about Witz, who had lost his brother. She also sometimes forced a smile to ease her pain. She met Enil on Sains Island and became best friends with him, and invited him to board the Frieden, but it took time for Enil to be able to join her. Before the final battle, Witz, who had mutual feelings for her, gave her a ring, and after the Frieden was disbanded, they visited his hometown village together. ・Sarah Tyrell: She is the general operator of the land battleship Frieden, and also plays a role similar to that of Captain Jamil's second-in-command. She is a serious person who believes in following the rules in everything, and she tends to give off a slightly harsh impression. Her expression became especially stern after Tifa came to Frieden. However, this was out of jealousy due to Jamil's obsession with Tifa, whom she secretly had feelings for, and after accepting Tifa as a companion, she began to rely on her abilities. While she was attracted to Jamil, she initially rejected Loaby's aggressive advances, but gradually she began to open up to him. When they docked at Sains Island, she even expressed dissatisfaction that Loaby had not invited her out. However, she was unable to respond to Loaby until she heard Jamil's answer. After Frieden was dissolved, she chose to stay with Jamil and became a member of the New Federation Peace Council.
Shingo Mori - He is the helmsman on the bridge crew of the land battleship Frieden. His steering skills are so good that Jamil trusts him, and he can even pilot a space battleship just by reading the manual. He has a gentle and cheerful personality, and although he is modest, he is a hard worker with many talents, such as being present when goods are transported from the old factory site and when trading takes place. He was also in charge of guarding when Garrod was held in solitary confinement on the Frieden. After the Frieden was disbanded, he opened a repair shop called "Frieden III" with Kid and others.

■Subtitle

Episode 1: "Is the moon out?"
Episode 2: "I give you the power..."
Episode 3: "My Horse is Vicious"
Episode 4: "The operation is time-sensitive!"
Episode 5: "You're the one who pulls the trigger"
Episode 6: "How unpleasant..."
Episode 7: "Gundam for Sale!"
Episode 8: "I won't forgive that girl!"
Episode 9: "Like Rain Falling on the Streets"
Episode 10: "I'm a Newtype"
Episode 11: "Run without thinking!"
Episode 12: "This is my masterpiece"
Episode 13: "Shoot me, I'm stupid"
Episode 14: "Can you hear me?"
Episode 15: "Is there such a thing as heaven?"
Episode 16: "Because I'm Human Too"
Episode 17: "See for yourself"
Episode 18: "The Sea of ​​Lorelei"
Episode 19: "It's like I'm dreaming"
Episode 20: "...We Meet Again"
Episode 21: "That's my dead wife's favorite phrase"
Episode 22: "The Ghost of 15 Years"
Episode 23: "My dream is reality"
Episode 24: "Double X Activated!"
Episode 25: "You are the stars of hope"
Episode 26: "Don't say anything"
Episode 27: "Farewell"
Episode 28: "Is there no other option but to shoot?"
・Episode 29/"Look at me"
Episode 30: "I feel like I'll never see you again"
Episode 31: "Fly, Garrod!"
Episode 32: "That's the G Falcon!"
Episode 33: "How do you know me!?"
Episode 34: "I saw the moon!"
Episode 35: "The Light of Hope Will Not Be Extinguished"
Episode 36: "This is the war we wanted"
Episode 37: "Frieden Takes Off"
Episode 38: "I am DOME...the one who was once called a Newtype"
Episode 39: "The Moon is Always There"

■ Theme songs and music

・OP1
・#1 to #26
・"DREAMS"
・Lyrics, composition, arrangement/RO-M
・Song／ROMANTIC MODE
・OP2
#27 to #39
・"Resolution"
Lyrics: Yui Nishiwaki; Music: Joe Rinoie; Arrangement: Joe Rinoie, Maki Suzuki; Singer: ROMANTIC MODE
・ED1
・#1 to #13
・"HUMAN TOUCH"
・Lyrics/Susanne Marie Edgren
・Composition and Arrangement: Tom Keane
・Vocals／Warren Wiebe
・ED2
・#14～#26
・“HUMAN TOUCH (Japanese version)”
・Lyrics/Susanne Marie Edgren/Eiko Huh ・Composer/Tom Keane
Arrangement: Kenichi Sudo
・Song: re-kiss
・ED3
#27 to #39
・"Silver Horizon"
Lyrics: Mitsuko Komuro; Composition: Kingo Hamada; Arrangement: TOM KEAN
・Singer: Satomi Nakase

After War Gundam X - Review of After War Gundam X

"After War Gundam X" is a TV anime series that aired in 1996, and is a work that holds a particularly unique position within the Gundam series. While depicting the "drama of war and humanity" that is the origin of the Gundam series, this work introduced new perspectives and settings, giving viewers a fresh impression. Below, we will take a closer look at the appeal and evaluation of this work.

Story and Themes

The story of After War Gundam X is set in a world after the end of an all-out war between Earth and space colonies. The war has devastated the Earth and caused a huge decline in its population. Meanwhile, the protagonist Garrod Ran has survived as an orphan of the war and is making a living by making full use of his knowledge and skills in mobile suits. The story begins when Garrod boards the land battleship Frieden to rescue a mysterious girl named Tifa.

The themes of this work are "aftereffects of war" and "human rebirth." Even after the war is over, deep scars remain in people's hearts, which are the cause of new conflicts. Characters such as Garrod, Tifa, and Jamil search for their own way to live in such a world, and ultimately pave the way to peace. The great appeal of this work is that while it depicts the horrors of war, it also strongly conveys a message of hope and rebirth.

character

Each character in After War Gundam X has a deep background and a story of growth. The protagonist, Garrod Ran, is a boy who grew up as an orphan due to war, and at first he is free-spirited and self-centered. However, through his encounter with Tifa, he learns the meaning of fighting together with his allies and grows as a person. Tifa Adir is a girl with Newtype abilities, and through a heart-to-heart exchange with Garrod, she begins to express herself. Jamil Neet is a Vulture who fights to protect Newtypes despite the trauma he has experienced in the past war, and his growth and determination are what support the story.

In addition, many other unique characters appear, such as Witz Sue, Roabi Roy, Shagia Frost and Orba Frost. Each of them has different values ​​and goals, which gives the story depth and breadth. In particular, the Frost brothers' desire for revenge and the tragedy behind it will leave a strong impression on viewers.

Mechanic Design

The mechanical designs of After War Gundam X were created by Kunio Kawahara and Junya Ishigaki, and are characterized by their particularly sophisticated designs among the Gundam series. The designs of each mobile suit, such as Gundam X, Double X, Gundam Virsago, and Gundam Ashtaron, are both functional and beautiful. Large weapons such as the Satellite Cannon and G Falcon are also depicted as important elements of the story, making a visual impact.

In particular, the design of Gundam X was something that stood out from the conventional Gundam series, and its originality and beauty drew viewers in. The movements of the mechanics, such as the transformation scene of Double X and the battle scene of Gundam Virsago, were also very realistic, providing visual enjoyment.

music

The music for After War Gundam X was written by Yasuo Higuchi and is an important element in enhancing the atmosphere of the story. The opening themes "DREAMS" and "Resolution" are impressive with the powerful vocals and melodies of ROMANTIC MODE, inspiring the viewers. The ending themes "HUMAN TOUCH" and "Giniro Horizon" are also beautiful songs that reflect the theme of the story and play a role in enhancing the viewers' emotions.

The film also features excellent music, which enhances the excitement of battle scenes and emotional scenes. In particular, the music in the scenes depicting the heart-to-heart bond between Garrod and Tifa will surely touch the hearts of viewers.

Ratings and Recommendations

"After War Gundam X" is one of the most highly acclaimed works in the Gundam series, for the following reasons. First, it deeply depicts the themes of the aftereffects of war and the rebirth of humanity, sending a strong message to the viewer. Second, the story is supported by a cast of unique characters, whose growth and determination touch the hearts of viewers. Furthermore, the sophisticated mechanical design and beautiful music provide visual and auditory enjoyment.

This work is highly recommended not only for fans of the Gundam series, but also for those who like works depicting war and human drama. It is a must-see for those who want to enjoy deep human drama, such as the heart-to-heart exchange between Garrod and Tifa, Jamil's past and growth, and the tragedy of the Frost brothers. It will also provide satisfying content for those who enjoy the mechanical design and battle scenes.

"After War Gundam X" is a work with a unique appeal, especially among the Gundam series, and its deep themes, unique characters, beautiful mechanical design and music attract viewers. Please watch this work and experience its emotions and message.