The latest Gundam anime, "Mobile Suit Gundam GQuuuuuuX," premiered this season, generating significant buzz with its fresh premise and the collaborative production of two animation giants: khara (known for "Neon Genesis Evangelion") and SUNRISE ("Mobile Suit Gundam").
Last week's fourth episode, "The Witch's War," became an instant hot topic due to its shocking plot developments. The newly introduced Federal Army character, Shiiko Sugai (シイコ・スガイ), quickly garnered a huge following and a flood of fan art thanks to her cute, "wife-like" charm. However, this unexpected popularity led to immense heartbreak for viewers who got into the series specifically because of her...
( This article contains spoilers for the fourth episode of "Mobile Suit Gundam GQuuuuuuX." Reader discretion is advised. )
One overseas X user, captivated by artist Borg Lab's (@borgbattlerT) illustration of Shiiko Sugai, posted on X declaring their decision to start watching "Mobile Suit Gundam GQuuuuuuX."
Screenshots of Shiiko Sugai from the anime further solidified the user's admiration, making them eager to dive in.
However, Shiiko Sugai, who debuted in episode four, was brutally killed off by Shuji during a "Squadron Battle" against Machu and the pilot of the red Gundam. This devastating turn of events sent the newly hooked X user into a complete meltdown, repeatedly screaming "NOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO" in their posts.
It wasn't just one post; a continuous stream of frantic updates clearly conveyed the user's anguish, as their entire reason for watching the anime vanished in a single episode.
Naturally, they didn't hold back, unleashing a torrent of expletives at Shuji for the fatal blow...
Some netizens tried to console them, pointing out that death is hardly unexpected in a Gundam series. The user's response? They thought they were watching "Pokémon with robots"... ouch, the pain was palpable.
To have your entry point character disappear after just one episode must have left a truly heartbreaking scar on this X user.
They even fantasized about Josuke Higashikata from "JoJo's Bizarre Adventure: Diamond is Unbreakable" using his Stand, "Crazy Diamond," to bring Shiiko Sugai back to life. Clearly, this pain is no joke.
Of course, this wild social media frenzy caught the attention of Japanese netizens, who retweeted their posts and expressed their understanding.
Many of you probably understand this kind of heartbreak: getting into a series because of a specific character, only for them to kick the bucket shortly after... it's truly agonizing.
While the user's continuous meltdown might seem a bit extreme, it certainly highlights that Gundam might just be too brutal for this particular overseas fan (?).