Kidô Butôden Jî Gandamu

If you have seen this in its original Japanese version or in English on channels like Cartoon Network, then you know what I'm talking about.

The premise for G-Gundam is "warriors around the world fight in the name of their Country and the final one standing rules the universe" or something like that.

It starts out great. Domoun Kashu is the protagonist and he kicks ass in his Shining Gundam. But after the first encounter with one of the chief villains, things get ridiculous.

People who were defeated come back. Gundams that were destroyed are new again. Gundams throw huge blasts of energy like Ken and Ryu from street fighter. Any unimaginable plot twist you can think of is in here.

That doesn't mean it's bad, but if you like more realistic action, watch any of the other gundam series.

The best thing about G-gundam is the way the gundams are piloted- every action that the Gundam does comes directly from the pilot's movements. That piloting system makes a lot more sense than pressing buttons and pulling levers.

I give G-gundam 6.5/10

This series is obviously the commercial wing of the Gundam saga. Though it does have some character development and such, it pales in comparison to the other Gundam series. Besides, this show betrays the idea of a united humanity that is present in all the other series (no country is mentioned by name in any of the series except for geographical reference). The gundam for every country idea is easily marketed, easily seen at the local toy store, where G Gundam action figures heavily outnumber other Gundam models or figures. In short, mainly a trailer for the toy, like so many other cartoon shows these days. See Gundam Wing, 0080, 0083, Mobile Suit Gundam, or 08th MS Team for a much better taste of the Gundam saga.

Like all entries in the Gundam universe, this is set far in the future with people living on earth and in space colonies.The story goes that earth has been rather messed up by pollution and so each country makes itself a colony in space(which look like floating islands).To determine who will rule the earth the gundam fight is held.So each country sends a gundam that is repesentitive of itself and a style of fighting unique to itself to be entered in this tournament.The mech designs were pretty cool although a few of them seemed somewhat stereotypical like Neo Spain's Matador Gundam.The show offers some relatively decent charecter developments but not all that much intricate plot.This should please gundam fans and some non gundam fans since its not that hard to follow and can simply be watched just for the heck of it.

At first glance, G Gundam looks like a completely generic, skippable title, turning a military drama series into a Saturday morning super robot cartoon. The premise is ridiculous, emotion is a power source, and every nationality expresses the country's stereotypes. But upon closer inspection, G Gundam is not as bad as it looks. There's backstories, multidimensional characters, plot twists, and a vaguer evil than it may appear. Sure, Neo Mexico's Gundam may be Tequila Gundam, donning a sombrero, but its pilot actually doesn't want to fight, and is trying to flee the country with his sick sister! I'd say G Gundam's writing and character are better than most animes. Not the best, but enough to add weight to the fights.

Now, whenever or not you'll like G Gundam depends on your love of super robot animes. G Gundam has a good deal of fun along the way, but I know not everyone's going to love robot wrestling, super modes, cheesy Gundam designs, martial arts philosophy, and the power of love! There's also a large number of vignette episodes. None of them are boring or bad, but they do slow the anime down a bit.

Bonus points for a pretty kickass soundtrack. The first opening, "Shining Finger", and "Erupting Burning Finger" are among the most awesome in anime.

G Gundam doesn't deserve Shakespearean analysis. But its well-balanced; Rifftrax-worthy elements with enough plot to keep you hooked. Its not for everyone, but it'll always be a (not-so) guilty pleasure for me.

G Gundam is a rapid departure from the previous series(and even those that followed it) making it truely unique as far as Gundam series go. Instead of being secret weapons or prototypes embroiled in battles between the Earth and the space colonies, the Gundams are fighters embroiled in a tournament. This makes for truely bizzare Gundam designs, such as a Gundam that transforms into a windmill, a female Gundam, and a fish Gundam. However, don't be fooled by the campiness-"G Gundam" hides a lot of complexity underneath it's gaudy look.