Gundam GQuuuuuuX Episode 10 Pushes Machu & Nyaan’s Tragic Rivalry Closer to the Brink

The following contains spoilers for Mobile Suit Gundam GQuuuuuuX Episode 10, «Yomagn’tho Blockade,» now streaming on Prime Video. Proceed with caution.

It goes without saying that things have been heating up in Mobile Suit Gundam GQuuuuuuX. Not only is the civil war within the Principality of Zeon at its breaking point, but it was recently revealed that GQuuuuuuX and possibly all of the Mobile Suit Gundam franchise are linked by a multiverse. GQuuuuuuX’s world is a darker and worse version of the one seen in the very first Mobile Suit Gundam (or Gundam 079), and it’s about to get even more dire.

In GQuuuuuuX Episode 10, «Yomagn’tho Blockade,» all-out war between Zeon’s factions finally erupts. What’s more, Amate Yuzuriha (or Machu) and Nyaan are caught in the crossfire, but on opposing sides. These may seem inevitable in hindsight, but GQuuuuuuX is so unpredictable that these developments will still shock and impress Gundam fans. The anime’s newest episode is just a few steps shy of being perfect, but it’s a monumental turn of events that fans should not miss.

GQuuuuuuX Finally Pushes the Anime's Cast to the Point of No Return

Challia Bull Finally Gets His Overdue Spotlight in GQuuuuuuX Episode 10

To keep a long story short, GQuuuuuuX Episode 10 is the point of no return for all the characters. The episode unleashes the largest and deadliest mobile suit battle since the One-Year War’s end, and forces all the characters to take a side. What’s more, they have to face the consequences of their actions in real-time. This resulted in some strong and even harrowing displays of emotions amidst the chaos of the battlefield, which is exactly the kind of humanity an action-heavy episode such as this one needs.

Nyaan and Xavier Olivette dutifully follow Lady Kycilia’s orders, even if they don’t know the full extent and intent of her machinations. Challia continues to fight for Char Aznable’s dream of making a world for Newtypes. Machu is finally given the freedom to do whatever she wants, but this may end with her fighting Nyaan — the first person she ever really connected with. GQuuuuuuX Episode 10 intentionally doesn’t give anyone even a moment’s rest to think over their options and realize the situation’s gravity. This is what makes the episode so tense, especially since their choices can and will lead to mass murder, the way Nyaan’s newfound loyalty to Kycilia did.

That said, Challia was undoubtedly GQuuuuuuX Episode 10’s dark horse. Through a somberly drawn flashback, the episode reveals that he’s so willing to help Char because he basically lost his will to live. Ironically, Chalia believes this emptiness to be true freedom. This not only finally pays off Challia’s coyness in previous episodes, but it recontextualizes his actions and interest in a fellow Newtype like Machu as well. Challia being Machu’s unexpected mentor and ally at the last second solidifed his place as one of GQuuuuuuX’s most complex and interesting characters.

The worst that can be said about GQuuuuuuX Episode 10’s character arcs is that Machu and Nyaan are treated more as extensions of other characters than their own persons. This feels all the more egregious since the two are the anime’s protagonists. To be fair to the episode, this lack of agency is the point. Once again, and just like in almost every Gundam anime, young pilots are sent to do older people’s bidding, especially their dirty work. Challia himself even calls this practice out. Kycilia perpetuates this vicious cycle by using Nyaan as her personal weapon. Whether she sincerely cares for Nyaan or not has yet to be seen.

Conversely, Challia lets Machu go and even commands her to do whatever she feels is right. But before Challia sets Machu free, she’s stuck going through the motions of following orders in the few scenes she’s in. Furthermore, she’s only in half of the episode since it’s more focused on Kycilia’s power grab than anything else. Those who are invested in Machu, Nyaan and Shuj Ito’s interconnected lives will be disappointed to know that GQuuuuuuX Episode 10 continues the anime’s recent trend of not giving them their due. Hopefully, this is fixed in the next few episodes.

Mobile Suit Gundam GQuuuuuuX Episode 10 Trades Characterization for War

GQuuuuuuX's Newest Episode Revives Some of Mobile Suit Gundam’s Classic Tropes

While GQuuuuuuX Episode 10 excelled as a test of character and as the foundation for the anime’s core rivalry, it floundered in the build-up to these dramatic beats. This is the case even if, on paper, the episode brought back the kind of interpersonal military conflicts that made the best Gundam anime so thrilling, even outside mobile suit combat. To wit, Episode 10 includes the kind of political intrigue, backstabbing and galactic implications that earlier episodes only hinted at. Specifically, Zeon’s infighting finally hit its boiling point.

However, GQuuuuuuuX Episode 10 rushed through these subplots to get to the space battle. It didn’t take long from the moment the episode began for Kycilia to not only initiate her coup, but to succeed so effortlessly as well. In fact, she killed her brother — Supreme Commander Gihren Zabi — before he even got a full minute of screen time. To say that it was jarring to see one of Gundam 079’s most important and infamous villains die so unceremoniously here would be an understatement.

Seeing Zeon’s entire galactic order blow up as quickly as it did here is also just as shocking. Meanwhile, it didn’t take long for the rest of the characters to find the fortitude they needed to either follow orders or their own free will. The moment Kycilia’s Gyans wiped out Gihren’s fleet, Challai and Machu quickly made up their minds to stop Kycilia’s plan even if they only knew half of it at best. Needless to say, GQuuuuuuX Episode 10 moves at an exciting breakneck speed, but this ruthless efficiency comes at a cost.

GQuuuuuuX Episode 10’s narrative isn’t lacking in thrills or twists and turns, but it needs a bit more nuance and downtime for these big moments to land as well as they should. None of this is to say that GQuuuuuuuX Episode 10 is bereft of story or substance. Truth be told, this is one of the most pivotal and bone-chilling turning points of the entire anime thus far. However, the whole experience of watching the episode would’ve been so much more powerful and poignant if it were given the time to explore its subplots.

Much like the anime’s past few episodes, this is really more the fault of GQuuuuuuX’s first (and so far only) season only being slated for a criminally short 13-episode run. On its own, GQuuuuuuX Episode 10 is excellent. But as part of a larger story, it feels rushed. It’s not difficult to imagine Kycilia’s coup and Challia’s horrified reaction taking up their own respective episodes if GQuuuuuuX had a beefier 20-episode cour at the least, the way older Gundam anime did. There’s nothing that can be done about GQuuuuuuX’s severe lack of extra time. But for what it’s worth, GQuuuuuuX Episode 10 is what Gundam fans have been waiting for.

GQuuuuuuX Episode 10 Boasts the Anime’s Best Space Battle Yet

GQuuuuuuX Unleashes the Full Might of the Kira-Kira At Last

Studios Khara and Sunrise have yet to disappoint when it comes to GQuuuuuuX’s animation, but their animators may have outdone themselves here. GQuuuuuuX Episode 10 ditched the one-on-one mobile suit duels of Clan-Bat and previous battles for war between Kycilia’s forces and Gihren’s armada. None of the ensuing skirmishes disappoint, especially since this episode may very well feature the largest amount of mobile suits, mobile armors and carriers onscreen since the flashbacks to the One-Year War. The battle is chaotic, but it’s never difficult to follow or get lost in.

To top it all off, GQuuuuuuX Episode 10 features the largest display of raw force and destruction seen yet. The cosmic devastation that Nyaan unwittingly causes after she activates the Yomagn’tho’s main laser under Kycilia’s orders is a sight to behold. Not only is it shocking to see an entire moon base and its surrounding vessels being sucked into a void, but the Yomagn’tho’s activation is jarringly beautiful to look at. Never has the Kira-Kira been this widespread and scary before, and it’s a terrifying but effective way to hammer in just how much the anime’s setting has now changed for the worse.

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GQuuuuuuX Episode 10 may have rushed through some of its most promising parts, but this doesn’t take away from just how exciting and important a chapter it is. At its absolute worst, GQuuuuuuX Episode 10 is the abridged compilation of a classic Gundam arc made for the modern age. Specifically, the kind that combines military and political intrigue with eye-opening characterization. The episode more than makes up for these gripes by breaking open the floodgates for what promises to be a titanic and emotional confrontation between former friends. As a teaser for what’s to come, the episode couldn’t be any better.

Mobile Suit Gundam GQuuuuuuX is now streaming exclusively on Prime Video.

• Machu & Nyaan get sidelined
• Rushed pace & writing