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Title: If ‘GQuuuuuuX’ Reimagines ‘Gundam’, Why Not Animate ‘For The Barrel’?
As I sit down to write about the recent release of Gundam GQuuuuuuX, a compilation movie that reimagines the events of Mobile Suit Gundam in an alternate timeline, I couldn’t help but think of another groundbreaking story within the Gundam universe – For The Barrel. While it’s not entirely fair to compare these two projects, as one is a new take on a classic and the other is a fan-fiction style retelling of the same narrative, there seems to be a missed opportunity at play here.
Let me start by saying that I do enjoy GQuuuuuuX and look forward to watching the series when it airs. However, in light of this reimagining, it’s hard not to feel like we’re missing out on something truly special. For The Barrel, for those who may not be familiar with it, is a serialized story that was published in Newtype magazine back in 2000. This groundbreaking narrative offers a fresh take on the early parts of the Universal Century timeline, boasting believable characters and industrial-inspired mecha designs.
The real kicker here is the potential that this story has been left to collect dust for over two decades, despite its immense popularity at the time of release. Why, then, would we opt for another retelling of Mobile Suit Gundam instead? It’s not as if For The Barrel is a lesser-known or untested concept – Junji Okubo’s work on both this story and Steel Battalion (an Xbox game released in 2002) showcase his incredible talent.
The fact that Bandai Spirits has opted to distribute GQuuuuuuX over an adaptation of For The Barrel feels like a wasted opportunity. Not only does it ignore the rich history within Gundam’s pantheon, but also disregards the already existing fan-base and interest in this particular story.
It is worth noting that we are still lacking an anime adaptation of Crossbone Gundam, which warrants some serious discussion – a topic for another time.
In conclusion, I believe that Gundam GQuuuuuuX serves as a missed opportunity. As someone who will undoubtedly enjoy the series when it airs, it’s hard not to feel like For The Barrel could have brought something entirely new and innovative to the table.
Source: www.forbes.com
