Gundam GQuuuuuuX Wins Major Awards as Director Kazuya Tsurumaki Reflects on Unexpected Success One Year After Broadcast

The Gundam series Mobile Suit Gundam GQuuuuuuX, co-produced by Sunrise and Studio Khara, held a commemorative screening event on April 9 to celebrate the release of the theatrical pre release edition Mobile Suit Gundam GQuuuuuuX Beginning in 4K ULTRA HD Blu ray Blu ray and DVD formats. Director Kazuya Tsurumaki, series composer and scriptwriter Yoji Enokido, and Shimba Tsuchiya, who voices Shuji Ito, attended the event.

The theatrical pre release version, which premiered in January 2025, became a major box office hit, surpassing 3.52 billion yen, approximately 22.3 million USD based on an exchange rate of 158 yen per dollar. The television series, which began airing in April 2025 with a total of 12 episodes, continued to captivate audiences with its dense storytelling and unpredictable developments. Related keywords consistently trended on social media, and the series sparked widespread discussion, becoming one of the most talked about anime titles of 2025.

The franchise also saw a simultaneous package release announcement last year. The TV anime is being released across three volumes starting in January, while the theatrical pre release edition will be available as a single volume on May 27. During the event, episodes from the second half of Episode 8 through the final episode were screened.

Director Reflects on Broadcast and Audience Reception

Looking back on the broadcast, which began on April 9 of the previous year, director Tsurumaki recalled the uncertainty at the time.

He explained that although the theatrical version had already been released and was being well received, there were concerns about whether audiences would continue to enjoy the story beyond Episode 4. The first episode closely followed the theatrical version, but the team remained anxious as the TV broadcast began.

Yoji Enokido also shared his memories, noting that he only knew the content of the main story at the time and was particularly looking forward to the opening and ending sequences. He added that both exceeded his expectations.

Award Winning Success Surprises the Director

Mobile Suit Gundam GQuuuuuuX has received a series of prestigious accolades. The series earned the Special Award at the 46th Japan Science Fiction Awards and won the Anime of the Year TV Series category at the Tokyo Anime Award Festival 2026. In addition, director Kazuya Tsurumaki received the Minister of Education, Culture, Sports, Science and Technology Award in the Media Arts category at the 76th Arts Encouragement Prize.

Tsurumaki expressed his gratitude, stating that he was truly happy to receive these honors. At the same time, he admitted that the recognition came as a surprise. During production, he had been focused solely on making each episode as engaging as possible, and did not anticipate such a wave of awards.

Source : ORICON NEWS