Macks the ghost

There's something really unique that this show does that none of the other shows do: the machines look organic while still being so deeply rooted in realistic mechanics. Everything is warped and twisted from how we know them, and yet ever aspect revolves around a realistic mechanical element. Maybe the best example of this is the Gquuuuuux itself, who's legs are simply comprised of a fuel tank embedded in the upper thigh and thrusters for feet, all of which being surrounded by a tendon-like structure. It's beautiful, organic, AND functional, which very few Gundams strike a balance of.

This, of course, is due to Ikuto Yamashita working on the project, and formerly working on Evangelion. Hell, it's baked into the G-Fred, it's not hard to tell when you put them side by side.

Another great example of the designs being rooted in functional elements is the ever iconic Zaku II. The Zaku has always been a somewhat functional design with it's exposed energy pipes, but the GQX design takes it to a whole other level. We need fuel tanks? What if the thighs... were fuel tanks? It's a ridiculous expansion of the original and I adore it. There's a ton of additional armor that actually seems functional rather than just for looks.

And this change isn't necessarily out of the blue either. Witch from Mercury prepped us for this with some of it's stranger designs, the one coming to mind being the Pharact. Aspects of this can even be seen in some of the GQX designs, like the Hambrabi. They're both insect-esque with long slender limbs and have quite strange silhouettes that some might find unpleasant, but I quite enjoy.

One of my absolute favorite designs from the show really embodies this aestethic: The Psycho Gundam MK. II. It's a take on a design we've seen before, as with most of the designs in the show, and it keeps much of it's character from it's original appearance such as it's size, color, and fortress mode.

But halfway through it's debut, it sheds it's armor, which then becomes a flying artillery; and what's revealed underneath is a horrifying display of glowing tendons and muscles wrapping around a metallic skeleton. It's beautiful and horrifying and I adore it.