Gundam Zee Quaxe's Sharia Bull was a big hit in Los Angeles. Director Tsurumaki talks about the new type he wanted to portray. Anime Expo 2025 Event Report

 

On July 4, 2025 Japan time, as part of ANIME EXPO 2025 being held in Los Angeles, Mobile Suit Gundam GQuuuuuuX will hold a special event titled "Gundam Stands on the Land of Los Angeles!!" Mobile Suit Gundam GQuuuuuuX Special Event" was held.

Director Kazuya Tsurumaki from Studio Color, series composition and screenplay Yoji Enokita, Gundam Division General Manager Naohiro Ogata from Bandai Namco Filmworks, voice actors Tomoyo Kurosawa (as Amate Yuzuriha), Tsuchiya Kamiha (as Shuji Ito), Shinji Kawada (as Sharia Bull), Mr. Shin Yuki (who plays Char Aznable) took the stage on the talk show.

In this article, we will report on the event and the contents of each speaker's talk.

"This report article is going to be long," Gundam said.

"Mobile Suit Gundam GQuuuuuuX -Beginning-" will be screened as a special screening, and there will be fan service that was not shown in the distribution

The venue for this event, Peacock Theatre, is a facility with ties to the game industry, where The Game Awards are held every December. During ANIME EXPO 2025, various panels such as "Demon Slayer" will be held, so there will be no special decorations.

The venue was packed with fans, including cosplayers such as Zee Quax and Build Strike.

At the event, a talk show and live music by NO MELON NO LEMON, who sang in the play, were broadcast live to the world, but in fact, "Mobile Suit Gundam GQuuuuX -Beginning-" was broadcast locally before the broadcast.was screened. By the way, there were cheers at various scenes at the venue, such as the scene where Char appeared in an American way and the scene where Zaku's mono-eye lit up, but I think the scene where Sharia Bull appeared and Char and Sharia exchanged wine were the ones that got the loudest cheers.

I went to the first performance when it was released in the United States, but this time I think it was an updated version that was also screened in Japan. I confirmed that in Luna Two and Solomon, the Sieg Axe version of Gelgoog had appeared. I'm glad because I didn't think it would be screened in the United States.

But an even more pleasant surprise happened just before the screening. Machu, aka Amate Yuzuriha, was projected on the screen at the venue, and a special message was sent to count down to the screening, and the countdown was the same as the countdown to the clan battle that took place in the play. That production starts on the big screen, and then that narration of the movie version that everyone is stunned by. This alone left the author of Ganota impressed.

In "Zee Quax," I wanted to portray a positive new type

After the screening of "Mobile Suit Gundam GQuuuuuuX -Beginning-", the production team + cast members took the stage and the talk show began. First, a message from the main producer, Yuki Sugitani, who was unable to attend, was read aloud, and a Q&A with the production team and voice actors began.

Sugitani

 Zeegax started back in 2018 with a casual conversation with Mr. Ogata of Bandai Namco Filmworks. He said, "What would happen if Director Tsurumaki made a Gundam?"

This title (GQuuuuuuX) is a bit hard to read, isn't it? Back in 2018 and 2019, I don't think anyone could pronounce it correctly. But now, not just in Japan, people here in Los Angeles, in the United States, and all over the world are voicing it. As a member of the production team, it's a great pleasure for me.

I would like to express my sincere gratitude to everyone who watched Zee Quax.

Ogata

 Sugitani-san is very sorry that the timing was not right this time, but the final episode ended last week, and the staff, Director Tsurumaki, Mr. Enokido, everyone in Color, everyone at Sunrise, and everyone in the cast, Thank you very much for your hard work, including those involved. Thank you.

And I think I was able to make it to the end because everyone who watched until the end supported me, so I would like to thank everyone very much. I hope you enjoy it until the end today.

──The broadcast in Japan has just ended, but please tell us about the reaction and your impressions after it was all over.

Tsurumaki

 Since 

the movie version was released in January of this year, fans have been enthusiastically supporting us. And even after the TV broadcast and distribution started in April, it was always reassuring to see that the fans were excited in a more exciting way without slowing down the momentum.

── This work is depicted as a fictional war story that branched off from Mobile Suit Gundam. Why did you choose that method and why did you choose it as the setting of Universal Century 0085?

Tsurumaki

 Gundam is a huge title that has lasted for more than 45 years. Broadly speaking, there are the "Universal Century Series," which continues to depict a single history, and the "Alternative," which depicts a different worldview. This time, I will depict the Universal Century, but I took on the challenge of doing something a little different, depicting the history of the Universal Century that has changed, rather than the history that has been depicted so far.

The Universal Century is a history of continuous war, so it is possible that the characters have already died. However, in this episode of "Zee Quaxe," the characters survive and weave a new history. I planned it with the hope that the new characters, Machu, Shuji, and Nyaan, would be involved in the story, making the story more interesting and attractive.

The story depicts the relationship between the three characters, Machu, Nyaan, and Shuji, but how did you come up with these three fascinating characters?

Tsurumaki

: I 

wanted to depict a love triangle between the three of them and the friendship between Nyaan and Machu that is closely connected to it at the same time.

The charm of Machu lies in its extraordinary ability to act. Because of her ability to act, she acts quickly and sometimes fails, but her charm is that she can actively move forward at the next opportunity without being discouraged. Shuji is a mysterious character, but to put it a little strangely, he has a heroine-like side. He is in a position like a heroine in the film, and I think that's what makes him attractive. (At this time, Mr. Tsuchiya, who plays Shuji, made a heroine gesture and got laughter in the audience.)

Throughout the story, the strong relationship between Char and Sharia is also depicted. Why did you decide to include Sharia? And how did the MAV setting come about?

Enokido

 It 

was decided from the beginning that the main character would be Machu, a teenager. Young people have a lot of momentum but little experience, and they tend to dislike the conservative side of older people. Conversely, older people tend to be more conservative, although they have experience. It's often easy to get into conflict between generations, but I believe that a really strong team is when young and old people value each other and try to achieve one thing.

The two generations, Sharia Bull and Machu, are most powerful when they take the form of a single "mav". In other words, I thought it would be nice if we could draw a new form of new humanity (Newtype) that is not like a generational struggle, but simply a new form of cooperation.

Were there any characters that were more attractive or impressive than you thought they would be when they were drawn in animation?

Enokido

 The 

main character, Machu, was more eccentric when seen on video than he was depicted in the scenario, and he was the type of person who rushed forward and rushed forward. Combined with Kurosawa's acting, I think she became a very cute girl.

Sharia Bull has become a more attractive character than he intended. He has the nickname "Gray Ghost" in the film and "Bearded Man" by his friends, but more than that, he is grateful that his fans gave him the name "Uncle Green", which is the best name.

How did you decide on the ending of each character and story in the context of the larger theme of Newtypes?

Tsurumaki

: 

Newtypes in the Universal Century often met tragic ends, and the setting was not very positive. This time, I talked with Mr. Enokido from the beginning that I wanted to draw Newtype in a positive way.

Many of the Newtypes of the Universal Century are young, and I felt that they were often rushed and ended up with tragic stories as a result. So this time, I decided to depict growth over a long span of time. By portraying Newtypes as growing and evolving, rather than being finished, I hope that the story will be about how better Newtypes will be able to demonstrate their superior abilities in the future.

Gorgeous voice actors demonstrate impressive lines live

──At the end of the broadcast, please tell us your honest thoughts on "Zee Quax".

Kurosawa

 It was fun, wasn't it?

Tsuchiya:

 It was fun.

Kawada:

 Yes, that's right.

Kurosawa

 We were also given a scenario for each recording, so we were just as surprised and excited as everyone else, so when we saw everyone's reactions when the anime was released, it was like we were watching ourselves during the dubbing It was a lot of fun.

You didn't even know the ending?

Kurosawa

 That's right. It was a happy ending or a bad ending, and I was nervous until the end.

Tsuchiya:

 That's right. Speaking of which, Shuuji didn't speak until the very end, so I was very relieved to see that he had a lot of lines at the end about the story as a kind of final boss.

Kawada:

 I've participated in various anime works, but this one is "Zee Quax"I really didn't want it to end. I know that the story is over because the recording is over, but this may be the first time that I strongly wished that it didn't end when I was watching it as a viewer.

Shin

 I was very excited to depict a dream-like situation where everyone would ride in the aircraft of the other character.

And in "Zee Quax", where Machu and the others were born, I didn't have a turn until the end, so I was able to watch it at the same time as everyone else, and it was a series of surprises.

How would you describe Machu in one word?

Kurosawa

 One word? What is ...... "wild boar"? It goes straight ahead without offense, but it feels like it's destroying everything.

Kawada:

 Earlier, you said that in China, it is called a tomato.

Kurosawa

 Tomatoes? The shape of the head!?

──How would you describe Shuji in one word?

Tsuchiya

 "Fairy". It's not a spirit body, or rather, it's not as an object, but it floats up and comes out and I feel like it's over there. I don't know if it really exists, but I can see it. I think that's how Shuji describes it.

How would you describe Sharia in one word?

Kawada

 "Ikeoji". As the director said, there is cooperation rather than friction across generations, and for young people like Machu, Sharia is close and friendly, and cooperative. In a sense, he is a mentor, and he is a respectable adult who can fight together. I thought that was the charm, so I made it cool.

How would you describe Char in one word?

Shin

 It 

may be Japanese, but it's "a man who can't eat." It's kind of elusive. He's a hero to Zeon, and he's adored by his subordinates, but he talks to them as equals. But there is also a mysterious part of what I am thinking. I think that's what makes him such an elusive hero.

Memorable lines chosen by the voice actors

What is the most memorable line from each character and why?

(*Each line is actually performed according to the scene)

Tsuchiya

: 

"Gundam is telling you to fight." I chose this line because I thought it would give us a glimpse of his serious side and behind the scenes, rather than the usual fluffy and gentle Shuji Ito.

Kawada:

 "There is no doubt about it, it is a red Gundam." I thought that this was the keyword that describes the transition to a new Gundam, and the fact that the white Gundam becomes the red Gundam. And I felt that the part where I realized that there was no doubt was that only Sharia knew about Char's existence, and that it was because I could recognize the red Gundam.

New

: "I seem to have more friends again." I chose this line because I liked the very adult scene where Char is ambitious but also shows strength regardless of his youth, or rather, he says to Sharia, which is very mature.

Kurosawa

: "I'm not sure...... I got it!" Description That's all there is to it, I'm sure when it comes to Machu.

Tsurumaki

: 

I think that's the definition of a new type, or rather, one of the abilities is "good intuition." Rather than understanding, I think it's a new type of person who really doesn't understand but understands. It's certainly a Newtype line.

Kurosawa

!

Message from Genshi Yonezu and Suisei Hoshimachi

The Q&A talk show with the production team and the cast ended here, followed by a message from Genshi Yonezu, who sang the theme song "Plazma", a live video of Plazma, and a message from Suisei Hoshimachi, who sang the ED song "I don't care anymore" and the song "Blooming in the Night" in the play.

Yonezu:

 I read the storyboards for the entire series before writing Plazma, and I was completely blown away.

The Gundam series depicts two parallel worlds. One is the lives of Machu, Nyaan, and the other characters. The other is the story of "what if" that runs through it.

I felt that I could pack both of them into one song. It will be a song that truly fits the soul of this work, the feeling of children being released from their small world into something vast.

That feeling became the starting point for me to build the music step by step.

Hello to everyone 

gathered at Hoshimachi Anime Expo! I'm Suisei Hoshimachi, a virtual idol belonging to hololive. Are you enjoying the Zee Quax Special Event? I was in charge of singing the ending theme "I don't care what happens anymore" and the insert song "Blooming in the Night" in the play.

Actually, I had only heard the rough concept of Zeeakax, and I sang it without knowing anything about the development of the story. I sang as ordered, trying to sing a little bit with the stubbornness of adolescence, and later on I enjoyed the TV series at the same time as everyone else, and I myself answered "Was it like this?" and "Was it like this?" or "Was it like this?"

Zeegax made it to the final episode without incident, but I couldn't contain my surprise and excitement at the final twist. What did you think? It was a series of surprises, wasn't it? I was making a big fuss in front of the TV all the time, saying, "What!?" and "No way!"

When the scene where the white devil comes out, you couldn't help but say, "Kya!" That rendition, this ending song, and I was so shocked that I couldn't help but wonder what was going on for a while.

I thought that if I got into Zee Quax, I would be able to enjoy the entire Universal Century series, and I can't stop being excited in front of the Universal Century series, which I haven't taken yet. I like Colonel Char, so I would like to follow Colonel Char more and more, and enjoy the future Gundam series and many of the past Gundam series.

I was also very happy that everyone was able to enjoy the catchy title to the fullest. I laughed a lot in the comments that "it doesn't matter anymore," and I made a lot of jokes about myself.

I hope that Sieg Quax will be a work that will be loved for a long time to come, and a song that will be loved for a long time to come. So, everyone in LA, see you again somewhere! Thank you!

NOMELON NOLEMON performs live with anime footage

After that, the voice actors took the stage again and practiced calling with the audience at the venue to liven up the atmosphere, and NOMELON NOLEMON performed three songs, "Midnight Reflection", "Kinai", and "HALO", to liven up the venue.

In particular, "Kinai" was a performance on the screen with a music video that combined the footage of Zeakax, which had just been released, so I was happy to be able to see each scene, including the final episode, on the big screen.

At the end, a photo session was held with the cast and the audience, and the song "Gundam stands on the land of Los Angeles!!" Mobile Suit Gundam GQuuuuuuX Special Event" has come to an end.

With the ban on distribution being lifted in countries around the world at the same time as Japan, the experience of being able to participate in the festival called "Zee Quax" without worrying about spoilers was irreplaceable. This event, which allowed "Siqueax" to bloom one more time, was a time that could be said to be divine from the point of view of the author of Ganota.

Souvenirs and Gundam booth

As an aside, here are some souvenirs from the event and photos of the Gundam booth set up at the Anime Expo venue.

Souvenirs of the venue. The Gundam Card Game resource card "Machu &GQuuuuuuX" was distributed one step earlier than in Japan.

That room at the Zee Quax ending set up at the Anime Expo venue

In Japan, it is equipped with an exabe exclusive gan Hakuji. This is a good one.

The colonel and captain inspect the Gundam booth in the heat of the day

Various GUNPLA models are on sale at the venue. The Red Gundam and the Dignity Destruction Ji M... Gelgoog sells out quickly on the first day

At the Gunpla experience corner, Build Strike was building Gunpla.

The 5cm miniature Gunpla "Gundam Assemble" that comes with the Gundam Card Game starter kit that will be on sale from July 12th is the best for both Torgis and Lee-O

Digression

Also at the event was Naoki Yoshida, producer and director of Final Fantasy XIV (FF14), also known as Ganota, who thanked Tsurumaki for paying off for an incident that had been passed over 40 years. Then, at Yoshida's own panel the next day, he exploded his love for Gundam and Zeequax. I'll tell you about it in another article.