Gundam twitter has been saying that the franchise only ever covers fictional politics so I double-checked some iconic scenes and wow, they were completely right!
seen from China

seen from United States

seen from Brazil

seen from India
seen from United States
seen from India

seen from India

seen from United States
seen from United States

seen from India

seen from United States
seen from Brazil
seen from United States
seen from Brazil
seen from China

seen from India

seen from India
seen from India
seen from South Africa
seen from United States
Gundam twitter has been saying that the franchise only ever covers fictional politics so I double-checked some iconic scenes and wow, they were completely right!
Trans-Am Day Of Visibility. Is this anything
Ok this might be controversial
Why are Gundams like that?
Depends on the Gundam continuity.
Universal Century, After War Gundam X, 00 et seq., Iron-Blooded Orphans: the mecha have a fusion reactor that emits a handwavium particle which interferes with electromagnetic waves (unshielded electronics, radar, radio, IR, less so visual frequencies but still enough to blur lasers beyond a few kilometers), so combat has to be conducted in-person, and (according to later-written UC worldbuilding) humanoid body plans are easier to control for zero-G attitude adjustments via limb repositioning.
Mobile Fighter G Gundam: Earth is a boxing ring, so of course you'd want the singular mobile weapon representing your country be as easy to control in martial arts by using a motion-capture suit, which means the mobile weapon needs to be humanoid.
Iron-Blooded Orphans, Witch from Mercury: Brain-computer interfaces are most-easily used to control humanoid mecha.
WfM: Maybe something about precision warfare in a setting where mecha developers live in fragile space habitats? But primarily corporate dick-measuring contests.
AGE: A vault of sealed history is leaking archaeotechnology.
SEED et seq.: Arms race from power-assisted spacesuits.
00 et seq.: One Super-Intelligent Dude decides that humanoid power armor is the future of war.
Wing: One secret military group starts making mobile suits because they think they'll get military advantage or something.
Various SD Gundam: Because they're little guys.
The various Build shows: Because they're toys.
Well then, it's official. Togenashi Togeari IS a Bandori band /j
Sauce
Crying and shaking and begging bandai to reprint most of the Gundam 00 high grades rn
I need the demonstration Enact (and Ali's version too)
I need the Tieren Taozi (and the Tieren Space Type)
I NEED the Garazzo and the Gadessa (and the Gaddess)
And I need need NEED to army build the Sol Braves
Please bandai just this once please i just need a little more plastic man you gotta