Unlocking New Value with Mobile Suit Gundam GQuuuuuuX | Integrated Report 2025 | IR library | IR Information

Moving Toward the 50th Anniversary of the Gundam Series Unlocking New Value with Mobile Suit Gundam GQuuuuuuX

Introducing the First Collaborative Work between khara and SUNRISE Studios

The GUNDAM Strategic Business Group, for which I serve as division general manager, was previously a department within the IP Strategic Business Group. However, the department was reestablished as a business division in April 2025 with the aim of strengthening the global rollout of the Gundam series and expanding the value of the Gundam IP over the long term.
The main mission of the GUNDAM Strategic Business Group is to create visual works for the Gundam series from the ground up. The latest work, Mobile Suit Gundam GQuuuuuuX (hereinafter, GQuuuuuuX), commenced television broadcasts in April 2025, which was two years and seven months since the last television broadcast for the series Mobile Suit Gundam THE WITCH FROM MERCURY (hereinafter, THE WITCH FROM MERCURY). In addition to airing all 12 episodes of the series in Japan, we made it available on online streaming services in over 240 countries and regions (excluding Japan and Vietnam).
The biggest surprise that the new series GQuuuuuuX offered fans was that it was a collaborative work between khara, Inc., the studio behind the Evangelion series, and SUNRISE (the visual works brand of Bandai Namco Filmworks Inc.), which produces the Gundam series. To date, visual works in the Gundam series have been produced with a consistent direction and creative control by SUNRISE, even when such works were a collaboration. Similarly, at khara, while directors have occasionally participated in external projects, it is extremely rare for a director along with multiple creators and studio members to work on a production as a full team. Therefore, GQuuuuuuX was a significant undertaking for both studios. The main reason for co-producing a work with khara, was to create a completely new Gundam series. Of course, the ideal approach for Gundam as an internal IP is for SUNRISE to create works with consistent creative control. However, with 46 years of history behind the Gundam series, we also believe that introducing bold new creative stimuli from the outside can lead to fresh expressions and new ways of seeing the franchise. Through collaboration between two studios that have each created IPs that are passionately supported by fans, we believe we were able to generate powerful synergies and convey a new vision for Gundam. In addition, SUNRISE was able to gain an abundance of experience and inspiration from khara’s unique creativity and fan-oriented approach. This inspiration has served as an opportunity for SUNRISE, one of the few studios around the globe that produces robot-themed animated series, to reflect once again on the future of Gundam and has reignited the studio’s motivation to create new Gundam works.

Implementing a New Promotional Strategy with a Theatrical Advance Screening

With the large number of anime titles in the market, including those released by other companies, we constantly face the challenge of how to deliver an anime for television in an effective manner. For this new series, we remixed select episodes from the television broadcast and released them as a theatrical advance screening titled Mobile Suit Gundam GQuuuuuuX —Beginning— in January 2025.
This advance screening served as a starting point for our promotional activities ahead of the television broadcasts and was part of our efforts to sustain public interest in the series through to its final broadcast. To maximize the impact of our promotional efforts, we meticulously managed both the content and timing of information releases. We believe this allowed the series to make broad and deep impression on fans.
As mentioned earlier, GQuuuuuuX was simultaneously streamed in 23 languages worldwide (excluding certain regions) as part of its global rollout. We also distributed THE WITCH FROM MERCURY globally via streaming platforms in 2022, and our approach with GQuuuuuuX represents a further expansion of that effort. Thanks to streaming platforms, the level of awareness of the Gundam series has increased among overseas fans who have never engaged with the franchise before. Looking ahead, we will further boost the global recognition of the series by developing strategies for disseminating information through promotional methods tailored to the characteristics of each region.

Engaging New Audiences From Our Existing Fan Base

　a long history, some new fans are unsure where to begin. Accordingly, in recent years, we have been working to bring in new fans through fresh approaches in titles such as Mobile Suit Gundam SEED FREEDOM and THE WITCH FROM MERCURY. We adopted a similar approach with GQuuuuuuX, driven by a desire to tell a story set in the Universal Century, the starting timeline of the Gundam series, to a younger audience.
One particularly notable aspect of GQuuuuuuX was the excitement it generated through its high profile collaboration with khara. This buzz extended to social media, where fans watched the series simultaneously, exchanging interpretations and theories, which created a dynamic and interactive viewing experience. At the same time, the work deeply resonated with long time Gundam fans, particularly those who have supported the franchise since the first Gundam. Given the nature of the story, we expected a solid response from core fans, but for the first few broadcasts, the positive reaction from these core fans seemed to even overshadow those of new fans. The passion of long time fans actually attracted great interest, which in turn generated more enthusiasm among new fans toward the series. The world of GQuuuuuuX was built on the culture of anime in Japan and the long legacy of the Gundam franchise, and we believe that it ultimately became a work that satisfied both core and new fans alike.

Enhancing Recognition Through Further Global Rollouts

For Gundam visual works, we adopt a two-pronged approach involving the rollout of television series, which primarily target new fans, and theatrical releases, which focus on core fans. This balanced approached has created a culture in which core fans kindly welcome new ones into the fan base, contributing to a greater sense of maturity and unity across the entire fan base.
One key upcoming project is the live-action Hollywood adaptation GUNDAM (tentative title), which we are producing together with Legendary Entertainment, LLC. With this live-action film, we are taking on the challenge of expanding the world of Gundam from a perspective that differs from the animated series, and we aim for it to be a catalyst for significantly enhancing recognition of the series primarily in Western markets.
Looking ahead, in addition to Gundam projects originating in Japan, we will examine the potential of Gundam works produced and launched from overseas. In April 2025, we established Bandai Namco Filmworks America, LLC to serve as a base for strategically expanding Gundam and other IPs. The company possesses functions for launching content from the United States and is also formulating plans to work with local production companies and creators with the goal of creating Gundam works originating from overseas.

Looking Ahead to the 50th Anniversary of the Gundam Series

Gundam is an IP that we have nurtured over many years together with our fans. One key issue for us moving forward is to further expand the Gundam fan base. As we approach the 50th anniversary of the series, we aim to reach a point where the awareness of Gundam transcend generations and borders. The history of Gundam has always involved the pursuit of new challenges. For this reason, I personally aim to proactively lead the way for the future of Gundam while facing new challenges head-on with the goal of expanding the IP’s potential in a bigger, bolder, and more versatile way.

What Purpose Means to Me

Our Purpose signals the importance of sharing fun experiences with fans and drawing on those experiences to shape the future. The efforts we made with Mobile Suit Gundam GQuuuuuuX are a true embodiment of this importance. They strongly reflect a commitment to building a two-way relationship with our fans in which we enjoy experiences together and evolve the contents we create by incorporating their feedback. I believe that it is co-creating with fans and leveraging the achievements of such co-creation in the future that will show the path we must take for the Gundam series in order to continue expanding it for generations to come.