The Studio Khara X Sunrise project has been divisive in recent weeks, and with the release of the GQuuuuuux Ending it looks like we're in one of those areas where we're going to be arguing about this for a while.

That being said, in a pop culture environment that's obsessed with Multiverses and spiritual successors, it's easy to write GQuuuuuux off as just another in a long line of throwback nostalgia-bait. After all, it's a story set in an alternate Universal Century where Zeon wins, Char is hailed as an in-universe hero and many things from the original Mobile Suit Gundam are shown just long enough in front of the camera as if to say, "get it?".

However, it seems to have something that other legacy and multiverse stories lack. One final piece that makes a good story get to have multiverse elements and throwbacks that don't feel entirely cheap and unearned: Not a single character in this story cares about any of it.

NOTE: SPOILERS FOR GQUUUUUUX FROM HERE ON OUT.

What Star Wars Can Learn From The Gquuuuuux Ending

Look, at the time, I liked The Force Awakens. It was an era where a bit of pandering was a nice treat. That being said, having to describe your planetary super weapon as "The Death Star but worse" while having your main villain be an Old Trilogy fanboy was a bit much, even at the time.

Despite not being a multiverse story, Star Wars has absolutely fallen into the nostalgia pit that kills so many good ideas. The one Star Wars story that tried to break out and do its own thing got all but retconned, and now every mention of its name starts arguments in the grimiest basements and comic book shops.

The GQuuuuuux ending somehow exists in stark parallel to this trend. Yes, the show fully commits to the idea that the world of Machu, Clan Battles and the GQuuuuuux ultimately is one of many worlds, created by Lalah in a desperate attempt to save Char from being violently killed by Amuro Ray. In fact, at the start of the episode, people even argue that dealing with Lalah is about saving the world.

But by the second half, you learn the real truth: GQuuuuuux was never about interdimensional threats and 0079 sendups. Just like how Rebuild of Evangelion never really addresses that it seems to be a timeline after the events of End of Evangelion, Gquuuuuux isn't here to tell you that this is connected to the main UC timeline. Instead, it's about all the things that make a Gundam story great: what do these people want, and what are they prepared to do to have it.

There's no character reading off the stats of the RX78-2 Gundam, not even some mention of Char being a universal anchor point. Instead, it's love that's at the core of every thing that happens in GQuuuuuux. Lalah loves Char and selfishly creates worlds to save him. Meanwhile, Shuji's love for Lalah has him chase her across worlds, trying to save her from the despair of losing Char repeatedly.

I mean, for God's sake, the timeline the Rose of Sharon comes from isn't even the main 0079- it's one where Char dies instead of Lalah. And even though it's been explained that Lalah will keep creating these worlds, no character even attempts to pretend like they care about other worlds- for Machu, it's all about Shuji in much the same way for Challia, it's all about executing his vision.

Just The Right Amount Of Stakes

One of the big criticisms of Marvel movies and their obsession with the Multiverse is that there's never a sense of stakes to it. Just like how having a villain described as a multiversal threat is a way to cheaply sell a character by padding them with kills that don't matter, potentially destroying worlds you'll never see is equally meaningless. Cheap fodder in blind pursuit of scale.

It's why GQuuuuuux never goes much further in its drama- at the end of the day, the biggest threat is the wormhole-creating space laser. No one tells you about where the wreck of A Baoa Qu goes- GQuuuuuux literally doesn't care, and neither should you.

While the cast of GQuuuuuux seem almost resentful of the events of Mobile Suit Gundam, it's clear that Studio Khara have nothing but blinding adoration for it. When it does do throwbacks, they're fun because they're not diegetic- Char's showdown with Kycillia doesn't start with him going "This is just like that time with Haman and Scirocco". Even the most iconic frame of Gundam- The Last Shooting- isn't some long-held portrait: it's just something for fans who watched 0079 to smile at as you realize how specific the damage the Red Gundam takes is in the GQuuuuuux ending.

Combine that with the carry on of themes from Rebuild of Evangelion- specifically about how protecting someone too much can also hurt them- and you've got a recipe for an absolute banger of a GQuuuuuux ending. I think in particular, having this message tied to a collaboration project- rather than something 100% made by Sunrise- was an especially good idea. Just like how Ikuto Yamashita's mobile suit designs evoke both familiarity and a refreshing uniqueness, it's impressive to see so much of that echoing all the way through to the Gquuuuuux ending.