Revisiting My Favorite Gundam Series

My first and favorite Gundam series is Mobile Fighter G Gundam, an anime I was introduced to at the tender age of twelve. This was, of course, thanks to Toonami. It was essentially a huge special interest of mine. I even named my first Build A Bear after Domon, and my first email addresses reflect that. I still have access to that Hotmail account, though I only use it for sites that don't allow email updates (truly bonkers).

I don't want to go too into detail about my young self's obsession with G Gundam, but I sought out fanfiction at that age, and also wasted printer ink on printing out wallpapers from the series. One of my fave (a clear reminder that I was a tiny lesbian) was a scene of Rain and the other women of the show crowded in a dressing room...I just checked, and it's easily found online.

Annnnywaaaaay, my gf is subscribed to Crunchyroll, and since they recently rolled out profiles, I now have my own. I added a ton of anime (some old, some new) to my profile so as not to clutter their feed (which contains a mix of romance and isekai) with my horror and some lighthearted picks. I'm really into Laid-Back Camp and just finished Dragon Goes House Hunting.

I did a check just out of sheer curiosity, and was delighted to see G Gundam was available. Without the dub! I was kinda hoping to rewatch it the same way  I experienced it for the first time, but I tend to favor subs over dubs anyway. It's a huge win regardless, as I don't have to endure the cheesiness of the dub. Most importantly, I'm eager to watch the series without all the funny censorship choices of the dub. Like, drawing boxers on Domon when he's suiting up, or giving Rain a bra when it wouldn't be...expected in the context of the show. I'm referring to some scenes that happen near the end of the show, which edges into spoiler territory.

At the moment I'm less than ten episodes in, and I am surprised at how fast the plot actually progresses. I'm more surprised by how little I remember. That first episode felt entirely new to me, and I didn't realize that Domon meets the main cast so early in the series. I also couldn't remember the conflict with his brother as clearly, so was caught off guard when they finally delved more into Domon's backstory. Schwarz Bruder (fucking "Black Brother" always cracked me up, esp as a Black kid) also comes into play, though he hasn't been introduced as of yet.

I might actually watch that episode again tonight, because I was kinda dozing (started too close to my bedtime) and want to clarify a few things.

So far, I'm really enjoying the show! I was worried it wouldn't be as good from an adult perspective, but like Wolf's Rain and Cowboy Bebop, it only gets better. Domon came off as a huge asshole (especially to Rain) when I was younger, but bow that I'm older I can see the nuance beneath all that. He's still an ass, but he's not malicious. He even humored that damn kid who gave him the run around and threw him under the bus a few times. I'm looking forward to completing the journey and seeing how Domon matures.

When I'm done with this series, I plan on giving the others an earnest try. I might start with Iron-Blooded Gundams first, since it's been on my radar for awhile now. This whole rewatch might result in me picking up an old hobby of mine: Gundam model kits, or Gunpla. I had a ton when I was younger, as well as some Zoids.

I'll be sure to check in as I go deeper into the series, but for now I gotta tap out.