Gundamis massive again in Japan. While the long-running franchise has been a staple in Japanese pop culture since its debut in 1979, recent developments have made it hot once more. The movieMobile Suit Gundam GQuuuuuuX: Beginningbecame the first anime film of the year to surpass one billion yen in ticket sales. Meanwhile, sales of Gundam model kits (Gunpla) are on the rise, painting a promising future fortheGundam GQuuuuuuXseries, which will beginstreaming worldwide on Amazon Primestarting June 20, 2025.
The big question now is whetherGundam GQuuuuuuXwill achieve the same level of success internationally. Coming on the heels ofThe Witch from Mercury, and featuring renowned staff members like Hideaki Anno (Neon Genesis Evangelion),GQuuuuuuXseems poised to be one of the most anticipated anime releases of the season. However,Gundam’s reception in the West has historically been mixed, making its international success uncertain.
Gundam’s Rocky Start in the U.S.
How Gundam Wing Changed Everything
I’m an old enough anime fan to remember when Gundam first gained traction in Japan in the late ‘70s and early ‘80s. While a few model kits trickled into the U.S., the anime itself remained largely unavailable. It wasn’t until 1998 that Bandai released theGundam Movie Trilogyon home video with English subtitles and dubs. By then, however, the anime landscape in America had evolved.
The trilogy, compiled from a nearly 20-year-old TV series, struggled to captivate Western audiences. Meanwhile, cyberpunk-heavy titles likeGhost in the ShellandAppleseeddominated the scene, feeling fresh and cutting-edge. Gundam’s space-opera storyline wasn’t necessarily bad—it just didn’t align with what most Western anime fans were into at the time.
Then, in 2000, everything changed.Gundam Wingdebuted on Cartoon Network’s Toonami block, introducing millions of American viewers to the franchise. Against expectations, it became a massive hit. Its setting outside theUniversal Centurytimeline made it accessible to newcomers, free from the weight of decades of prior Gundam continuity. But what truly set it apart was its appeal beyond giant robot battles—particularly among female fans, who were drawn to the charismatic Gundam pilots.
Characters like Heero Yuy and his team fit the modern anime aesthetic of the time, makingGundam Winga cultural phenomenon. DespiteGundam Wing’ssuccess,the franchise never quite reached the same mainstream heights again in America. Subsequent sequels and spinoffs came and went, but none matchedWing’scrossover appeal. Hardcore Gundam fans—those who know every pilot, mobile suit, and story arc—have always remained loyal. However, the broader audience that embracedGundam Wingin the early 2000s never fully stuck around.
A Gundam Renaissance? The Franchise’s Recent Momentum
Will GQuuuuuuX Resonate with Western Audiences?
In recent years, Gundam has been regaining traction. The 2022 filmMobile Suit Gundam: Hathawaygarnered positive buzz, andThe Witch from Mercuryin 2023 was a genuine hit by Gundam standards. Now, the hype surroundingGundam GQuuuuuuXsuggests the franchise could return to mainstream prominence. Hardcore fans will undoubtedly tune in, but with the involvement of co-screenwriter Hideaki Anno, who revolutionized anime withEvangelion, and Kazuya Tsurumaki (FLCL),the series is positioned to attract a broader audience.
Gundam’s New Anime From Evangelion’s Team Is Here, & It’s Anime Of The Year Material
The new Gundam anime from Evangelion’s creators is releasing a special theatrical preview, and fans won’t want to miss this phenomenal first look.
Ultimately, I think it all comes down to the characters. Unlike the brooding, battle-hardened pilots of earlier Gundam series,GQuuuuuuXcenters on high school girls—characters audiences can root for. Protagonists like Amate Yuzuriha, a fiery and determined student, and Nyaan, a war refugee with a mysterious past, bring a fresh dynamic to the franchise. This direction aligns more closely withGundam Wing’syouthful energy—the last Gundam series to truly take off in the West.
IfGQuuuuuuXcan connect with overseas audiences the wayWingdid, Gundam’s future is looking brighter than ever.
