What is it, 621? You'd like to go by "she/her" from now on? Hm... Alright, I'll update your records. Thank you for telling me.
ayre:
I'm glad you're being true to yourself, Raven. I didn't want to say anything but... I can see inside your head...
sculla:
This ones a woman, huh? No matter, I'll put you down like all the rest.
rusty:
Yeah, I figured. If you need hormones, I know somebody. I'm pretty sure she sells estrogen too.
snail:
I don't care if you're a he/she/they whatever! You're nothing but VERMIN, the lowest of the low, and I, V.II SNAIL, WILL-
iguazu:
W-what! Damn you freelancer... How come you always get what I- ... forget it.
carla:
Congratulations, tourist! You know, RaD is setting up new chem labs for that kinda thing. Yeah, its a real money maker. Mostly RLF, but Arquebus higher ups are buying in bulk for a "secret project". No clue what thats about but, hey, their moneys good. Come stop by, we'll get you sorted out!
freud:
Is that why you're such a good pilot? I've heard estrogen is a performance enhancer... I've been using it for about a month now, and I feel great. Like a big weight is off my shoulders. I'm still cis, though.
michigan:
Looks like G13 is switchin' sides! Congrats, kid! Hormone therapy is covered under Balam's insurance policy, just throwing that out there.
Mercury is the most charismatic substance in the universe. Like, there are a lot of things that historical scholars have been wrong about, but you usually understand why; flawed hypotheses, inadequate measuring tools, half-truths, secondary factors that muddy the results. But people across Eurasia saw that shit and just assumed it must be the key to immortality, despite a mercury tonic being literally the opposite of an immortality potion. And they kept trying it despite all obvious evidence. Taoists burned through emperors like lab rats. No other metal has this much rizz
@mls-classics Absolutely agree. And there's people who read the cingray manga and going "They actually gave her a personality". I'm very frustrated with the (hopefully minor) part of the fanbase that acts like this.
It's something I've been sitting on for a while, but I know that slowly the fandom has started gaining more appreciation for the designs of the show and now that I've had some time to think about it, I want to give my thoughts on the mecha designs of this show.
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.
All in all, the Gquuuuuux designs are a master class in mecha design, and a much needed departure from the blocky nonsensical angles of some of the newer UC designs... (lookin' at you Xi Gundam). Hmm... maybe this wasn't such a hot take after all.
jacobvanloon
vaporwave
ellievsbear
tangentwithtanner
romaincrisis
