While those of us in North America are eagerly awaiting the theatrical premiere of Mobile Suit Gundam GQuuuuuuX -Beginning-, it has now been announced that the TV anime series will premiere on Japanese TV in April. The official Gundam website revealed that the Mobile Suit Gundam GQuuuuuuX anime series will premiere on the Nippon Television Network beginning April 8th.
It was also announced the Mobile Suit Gundam GQuuuuuX -Beginning- theme song, "Plazma" by Kenshi Yonezu," will also be used as the theme song for the TV anime.
Mobile Suit Gundam GQuuuuuuX (pronounced ("Geeku-akusu") is an upcoming anime series jointly produced by Sunrise and Studio Khara. The series is set in an alternate timeline from the original Mobile Suit Gundam series,. The synopsis reads:
Amate Yuzuriha is a high-school student living peacefully in a space colony floating in outer space. When she meets a war refugee named Nyaan, Amate is drawn into the illegal mobile suit dueling sport known as Clan Battle.
Under the entry name "Machu," she throws herself into fierce battle day after day, piloting the GQuuuuuuX. Then an unidentified Gundam mobile suit pursued by both the space force and the police appears before her, along with its pilot, a boy named Shuji. Now their world is about to enter a new era.
Mobile Suit Gundam GQuuuuuuX -Beginning- is a theatrical re-edit of episodes from the upcoming series. The film was released in Japanese theaters in January. Just this week, it was revealed to have passed 2.5 billion yen (US$16.71 million) at the box office, making it the second highest-grossing theatrical release in Gundam franchise history. The film will hit North American theater this week on February 28, courtesy of film distributor GKIDS.
Mobile Suit Gundam GQuuuuuuX -Beginning- is directed by Kazuya Tsurumaki (FLCL), with a screenplay co-written by legendary screenwriter Yoji Enokido (Revolutionary Girl Utena) and acclaimed filmmaker Hideaki Anno (EVANGELION Series). It marks the first major collaboration between Studio Khara, the studio behind the acclaimed Evangelion Series, and Sunrise, which has worked on the Gundam series since the first TV anime series in 1979. Take (Pokemon) serves as the character designer with Ikuto Yamashita (Evangelion) as the mechanical designer.
While Mobile Suit Gundam GQuuuuuuX -Beginning- has been available in theaters for a few weeks now, a special video after the main screening was added this week (on February 22nd). The new video, which showcases what's coming next in the story, is being shown at all cinemas in all formats. However, it has not yet been announced if the special footage will be included in the North American screenings.