One of the most underrated Gundam series is finally streaming

For Western audiences, 1990 Gundam can be broadly defined by a series: Gundam Wingthe sixth major entry in the franchise, and the one that will set the stage for the the rise of the mecha series in the west through its landmark broadcast on Cartoon Network in 2000. But only one year later Ala aired in Japan, Gundam He’s back with a new series, one that often flies under the radar as one of the series’ most intriguing additions.

After the Gundam X War first broadcast in Japan in 1996, and now, aside from the Blu-ray releases of a few years ago, it has finally made its international streaming debut for free in Tubi this month. Located in what was at that time Gundam‘s third alternative timeline-ie, not being part of the continuity “Universal Century” than the first four Gundam series were all after-parts Ala and his predecessor G Gundam, Gundam X picks up a decade and a half after a deadly interstellar war has devastated Earth and its space colonies. Following a young scavenger named Garrod Ran, one of the many survivors who make a living by striving to mend and repair remains mobile suits Since the end of the war, Garrod discovers the titular Gundam X and crosses paths with the crew of the battleship Freeden and is involved in his goals to safeguard a handful of Newtypes, evolved humans who have developed an enhanced perception from living in the space, to be exploited by various emerging factions seeking to push the Earth Sphere into interstellar conflict once more.

While Gundamprevious alternate universes in Ala and G Gundam it only bore parallels to the world-building framework of the Universal Century – mostly in the form of conflict between Earth and space colonies, and, of course, giant mecha –Gundam X was the first of the alternate universes to really explicitly deal with one of Gundamthe most fascinating concepts in the form of Newtypes, both in taking the literal name (other AU Gundam shows have explored the concept through different lenses and names, of course) for these enhanced individuals and also examining their place in the world beyond their exploitation as a war asset. Although at the time Gundam X had a mixed reception – it had only 39 episodes, truncated from an expected 49, and was ultimately overshadowed in the West entirely by the success of Gundam Wingnever received an English-language dub – in years since it was reviewed and appreciated for its place in the most extensive work of Gundamthe alternate tenses of.

Of the trifecta of the ’90s Gundam AU (set aside Xthe direct successor to the 1999 anniversary series Turn A Gundama series that, while in its own continuity, plays extensively with ideas that connect to the original timeline and the widest Gundam franchise), is the one that is probably the most in conversation with the original Mobile Suit Gundam and his own direct successors in Zeta and Double Zeta. It is worth checking, especially as Tubi is free – and hopefully a sign that, although very GundamThe big hitters have all currently landed on other streaming houses, we may see a few more entries from the franchise also shine on Tubi (the aforementioned Turn Aa franchise highlight, it desperately needs a streaming home!).

You can check out After the Gundam X War it’s Tubi here.

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