The 1990s is considered by some to be the golden age of the Gundam Franchise. Coming off of successful entries such as 0080 and 08th team, the people at Bandai thought about expanding their property beyond the Universal Century Timeline. The fruits of this expansion were G Gundam, Gundam Wing, and After War Gundam X. After War is a reimaging of the One Year War if there was no Amuro or Char who existed. It takes place on a barren Earth, riddled with crime and debris. The damage that the One Year War had done on the planet can be seen from the very first episode. We are introduced to what seems like a young mercenary, Garrod Ran, taking on a mission to rescue a mysterious girl from a band of thugs. Little did he know that the girl was a newtype, a type of human being with psychic(or supernatural powers depending on the situation) and the fate of the world rests in the hands of these newtypes.
The new type portion of all Gundam shows has always been very divisive, starting with its almost random inclusion towards the end of the original Gundam. This both to the show's advantage and detriment. Symbolically, Newtypes have always represented humanity's ability to create meaningful connections on a spiritual level. To look past political differences, skin color and to see what humans are on a fundamental level. However, newtypes are abused and used for immoral purposes throughout the Gundam franchise. After War X is not an exception to this tradition. The major failing of the newtype in X has to be how the psychic abilities of newtypes are exaggerated to a point of disbelief. Say what you will about Tomino but he always made it clear what Newtypes are capable of. In X, Newtypes are essentially gods on this earth. They talk to the dead, communicate with animals(some animals are newtypes apparently) and all sorts of crazy things.
The episodic structure is similar to Gundams of past. They follow a strict formula: idle chatting -> philosophical debates -> mission introduced -> battle -> post battle reflection. If you found other Gundams to be a chore to watch, this won't change your opinion. Where After succeeds, is in the moments of reflection. The characters cast their eyes upon a dying world and try to find the reason why they fight. Some may fight for love, to escape their past, or to fight for a better future. It is in these moments, that After War becomes something special. The show has its flaws but there is a genuine warmth and tenderness lying at the center of each episode that is greatly appreciated. And interestingly this series in conversation with Tomino's prior Gundam entries. Gundam has always been a dialogue between cynicism and hope. Gundam's creator, Yoshiyuki Tomino, often times sided with cynicism and it showed in his story choices and directorial style. X adds a lot to the dialectic, often times directly challenging Gundam's creator in subtle ways. "Why don't you have hope in humanity!?" "There is going to be a better future for us." seemed to be aimed at Mr. Tomino itself. That is one thing I have always loved about Gundam, more specifically the universal century timeline, each entry was in dialogue with each other. That is something that made Gundam head and shoulders above its competition.
We all know the saying, "all that glitters is not gold" and applies to this series as well. It suffers from plodding pacing at certain points, and it was cut short of several episodes. These episodes were direly needed to make the show complete from both a narrative and thematic perspective. Long plot arcs are cut short to unsatisfying conclusions, leaving you with metaphorical blue balls. And the ending is the only seemingly contrived portion of the show due to its length. The warmth and kindness seem hamfisted and rather patronizing here.
There were also some character issues here as well. Our protagonist, Garrod Ran, is a rather underwhelming protagonist. Coming from the Gundam tradition of angsty, psychologically damaged Gundam pilots Garrod is rather milquetoast. There is nothing about him that makes him stand out from your average, run of the mill, good guy protagonist. However, what the show lacks in its protagonist, it more than makes up for in its supporting cast. Characters like the lovable mercenaries turned good guys, Roybea and Witz, is when the Gundam character tradition comes into play. They are both likable but with interesting backstories that affect everything they do. The show would have been much better if Garrod was not the main character and these two became the focus instead. Jamil Neate, the protagonist of the ship is a veteran with PTSD from the one year war. His beliefs and his guilt for his war crimes make him a pretty compelling character in his own right. The show is also lacking in the villain category. The villains, the frost brothers are two of the most boring villains in Gundam history. They lack the sociopathy of Scirocco, the wittiness, and sensuality of Haman. They are just there to seemingly make the plot move forward.
After War Gundam X is a Gundam left to the annals of history. Overshadowed by its more popular and retarded brother, Gundam Wing. It is also a case of missed potential and if it wasn't cut 12 episodes short I know it would have been a good, dare I say great entry in the Gundam franchise.
And now the sun slowly sets upon our world. Our journey was drastically cut short yet we still carry the warmth and heart of the human spirit with us.
