Many Gundam fans avoid G Reco due to its reputation as being confusing and nonsensical whether these claims are accurate or not is very subjective yet one thing is clear: G Reco is an extremely flawed work. G Reco just like its spiritual predecessor Turn A Gundam has amazing worldbuilding we are presented with a seemingly peaceful Earth with a complex political division due to the regulation of energy resources and technological advancements by a religious institution. Several factions with diverging ambitions fight across this stage thus giving the setting to the plot of G Reco. The protagonist Bellri gets to pilot the G Self by mere casualty a mysterious advanced mecha that fell from the sky with an impaired pilot. The plot advances when Bellri starts to learn truths about the army unit he belongs to at Capital Territory and its role on the stagnant conflict with the continent of Ameria. During the escalation of conflict Bellri has to challenge his religious beliefs and other preconceptions in order to understand fully the motivations and struggles of all parties involved this being made by joining a rogue unit of space pirates alongside the strongwilled Aida. Due to Tominos narrative style the motivations and allegiances of characters and factions change rapidly without little to none exposition therefore requiring the viewer to pay attention and note of every dialogue line and even actions. The plot could even be considered to be grounded and logical yet suffers due to the breakneck pacing and constant introduction of new characters and factions that leave the viewer with little time to assimilate the events of the previous episodes. Even following the plot closely one of G Recos worst flaws is the lack of character depth and development. During the 26 episode run we learn very little about Bellri and his personal thoughts his character development being also basically zero from the start of the series. Aida who in my opinion shouldve been the protagonist is the only character who has some sort of character development and has consistent thoughts and ideals. Due to the lack of character depth the motivations of each character can get lost throughout the conflict this being especially bad during the final episodes of the series. What G Reco excels at is keeping the audience at the edge of their seats due to its constant twists and imaginative exploration of the setting. The setting gets more complex with practically each episode adding layers after layers of worldbuilding and weak character relationships. The animation is beautiful the first cour especially offers lush backgrounds and a rich color palette the character designs are unique yet beautiful showcasing a diverse cast with recognizable designs and personalities. The mecha animation done almost only in 2D is fluid and even expressive somehow a rarity in modern mecha series. The mechanical design is varied and colorful referencing several eras of mobile suit design throughout the Universal Century yet can be forgettable due to the sheer amount of units being rapidly introduced during the series. Is G Reco enjoyable? Yes it is if you are able to follow the plot and overlook its many flaws. I would only recommend this show to viewers familiar with Tominos works and narrative style definitely not the best choice for Gundam beginners.
60 /100
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