Gundam and the Ideology of Newtypes

[@si_fi109]

You're quickly becoming one of my favorite KZbinrs man, great video. Also about Char and Amuro's brawl in axis, my interpretation of it was that Amuro was describing Char, saying that since a newtype age is so unrealistic he's forced to do something this radical, and even if the revolution succeeds the fires will eventually burn out. Like we see through zeta that char does not see himself as a revolutionary and would like to avoid that role if possible, so I think Amuro was commenting on that, especially with the whole "Those intellectuals step away from society afterwards" thing.

[@pyramidinu9449]

Yes! I agree, that's like the primary themes of CCA, that Char is using Ideology as a shroud and is actually motivated by (much stranger) reasons. Embarrassingly it took me like ten years and 4 watches to get this, haha.

[@tomhuynh3867]

@@pyramidinu9449 basically as KZbinr boofire puts it “ Char is doing all these extremes for the ultimate suicide by cop “ moment. The man lost his mother in origins and has a shit childhood fighting off assassinations attempt. He lost Lalah, who was his surrogate mother and his hope in the ideas of Newtypes during the OYW. He lost Natalie (Haman’s aide) during the events of Char Deleted affair. Natalie was pregnant with his unborn child. During Zeta he witness Kamille getting brain fried. Kamille was his mentee, hope for the future, and even his surrogate son. The events of the Neo Zeon wars was basically history of the OYW and Newtypes being exploited repeating itself, which open up old wounds and made the man finally snapped.

[@DIEGhostfish]

@@tomhuynh3867 CDA is the Define continuity, not the main one.

[@ChristovBelmont]

Do you believe that Amuro died in Axis? Considering it's not Sunrise canon, I'm curious where you stand, and if he did indeed die, why you think this decision was made?

[@pyramidinu9449]

@@ChristovBelmont In Gundam Unicorn it seems to be confirmed that Amuro and Char became 'true new types' losing their corporeal form and entering the same space as Lalah. Personally I think that's slightly too heavy handed. CCA definitely seems to imply that they die, and their absence in HF seems pretty direct. Interestingly both Zeta and the 0079 novels end with the protagonists dying.

[@bmpixy]

I still love that Char and Amuro's story together ends with Amuro being completely baffled by Char. Those two have seen nearly every side of each other as both friend and foe, and share a connection that effectively nobody else in the UC timeline does. And yet, at that final juncture, despite all their growth as Newtypes and people - Amuro fails to understand Char. It's the final refutation of Char's dream, and thus the catalyst for the final sequence of CCA.

[@Jagecage]

Damn that hit the lightbulb in my head hard. I always felt too that Amuro and char are just two sides of the same coin. The duality of man that just can’t seem to reconcile with each others existence

[@tidusdream12]

@@Jagecage Char had mommy issues and Amuro Daddy issues and the way it played out was a longing for structure Amuro and a Desire for change and healing Char. It's the battle between the divine masculine and divine feminine construct played out in media through the ages.

[@Vali_Z4ne]

As for me, I am the opposite. I hate that his life ended in a very anti-climatic manner. How I wished he would have ended it by having the final words vs Char. "Lalah Sune could have been a mother to me. You took-" "SHUT THE FUCK UP CHAR!"

[@laststrike4411]

@@Vali_Z4ne Would have been an instant 10/10 for me.

[@ronniec8218]

The manga Chars deleted affair explains this. Amuro didn't know what when down in Axis..... If he did things would have turned out differently for everyone

[@IRUKANJI]

New Types derive heavily from some speculations about the nature of combat stress and traumatic stress adaptations which makes the creation of "cyber-newtypes," especially at the early stage, a special kind of atrocity. They're unstable, mentally, because they have essentially been psychologically conditioned into PTSD to unlock their newtype potentials. So it is very interesting to see how New Types change from a "potential for the future of humanity" to a potential asset so valuable that the Earth Federation and Neo-Zeon are willing to commit gross ethical breaches to develop their own assets with these newfound semi-paranormal powers.

[@BobaFatt182]

They are Manchurian candidates almost mk ultra

[@ORLY911]

I forgot where I heard it but you can actually see symbolism with Char's mobile suits in Zeta and CCA. The Hyaku Shiki is gold and quite gundam like, its lightness embodies his usual fighting style. It represents the peak of Char's heroism and hope for the future.The Sazabi is a grim ghost of Zeon, having the same old crest from his old helmet, hulking and named after the family he so much hated, it was focused on weaponry Char was not keen on, we see him reluctantly using the funnels in the movie. Representing Char at his point of becoming what he hated and and becoming a defensive, selfish war monger who only sought to fight Amuro one last time, humanity be damned. The cockpit is in the head, and may show just how in his own head char became, instead of listening to his heart like Amuro. In a way these two suits embody the two sides of newtype ideology, as char flipped from hope to understanding to calloused loathing of oldtypes.

[@buckroger6456]

Yo that is deep! I never thought of that but it's on the money for sure.

[@sleightlyabnormal9313]

So other the ms symbolism, the biggest turning point in char back to neo zeon was kamile’s comatose and neo zeon war. Char as Quattro realise kamile is future of newtype and however it is basically shattered after gyrps conflict, and during the neo zeon war he lost hope completely as the organisation he shed blood for essentially become an proxy for the federation to instate their elitist ideal and use a bunch of kids as weapons and that his speech in Dakar was essentially useless

[@emperorcaligula9098]

I always found Newtypes to represent the Youth, the Next Generation, they have the potential to be better than their predecessors. To succeed where the Adults have failed, but they are plagued by the choices and consequences of the previous generations and end up making the same mistakes, thus becoming like them. This is made the most apparent with Amuro and Char, they tried to changed the system and failed. Amuro became an Enforcer of the System, like all those he fought against, but he tries to limit the damage the system does. Char became a would-be Dictator who co-opted his Father’s ideology just like the Zabis, he tried to burn it all down to rule the new world that would come from it’s ashes like Gihren.

[@mikexhotmail]

And no one has any right or moral ground to complete point out that which is the way.

[@Superhero18]

Hence why Haman Karn is(imo) the true successor of the Zabi name. Under her regime, side-3 had established the gold standard, enjoyed higher prosperity of living than at any point of the OYW and was clearly superior to the Federation. If not for Glemy Toto's rebellion, it's clear that Haman-sama would've united all of space.

[@seawind930]

In other words they're just like us fr fr

[@Chaosdwarft]

Spot on!

[@SaotomeLuna]

I think Newtypes are a great metaphor for broader humanity in the real world. Even if two people connect in a deep, intimate way, they can never understand one another. Even the idea of what a Newtype is, and what it's supposed to be, are things that Newtypes themselves cannot agree on, despite being able to connect in ways Oldtypes supposedly cannot. Even in the end, at the epicenter of the Axis shock, an event which connected hundreds of emotional wills to Amuro, Char was not one of them. To the end, they could not even begin to understand one another. The human mind is foreign to humanity.

[@danielramsey6141]

That sounds very Antithetical to the very reason Newtypes we’re brought in…to further communication and bring an end to War.

[@nicholas.e5158]

In correct it did hit char which is mentions at the end of unicorn when the soul of the real char talks to his clone and till him to rest its ok to let go and let humanity find its own way. It was not the best scene but it was needed.

[@MrDarthvis]

It’s because humans with their own A.T. Fields!

[@jayku1624]

I disagree, i think it shows on a profound level that us old types must be willing to see new types prosper in order to create a world of understanding. The forces around Amuro and Char created molds they never wanted, shapes they could never fit into. Old type society and customs will act as a hinderance to new types till the day arises where the new types can be seen to flourish

[@Darkoriax17]

I love the line that goes with that thumbnail shot. “Do you think I’m truly that petty?” …YES, CHAR. YES WE DO. IN FACT WE KNOW YOU ARE PETTY ENOUGH TO DROP A FUCKING ASTEROID ON EARTH JUST TO GET AMURO TO COME FIGHT YOU AND SETTLE THE SCORE.

[@DictatorTan]

Gundam seems to be a series where people become so focused and interested on the internal lore and reality of the franchise that the themes of the work as a narrative take a back seat. I'm so happy this video puts a spotlight on that part because it's honestly the part that I love about Gundam the most. ... Okay, Gunpla is great, too.

[@CoracaoAcidental98]

Tbf thats fiction in general. A lot of people don't get or don't care about themes and messages of a piece, if said piece has a message at all. Thats is even more common on the anime community, look at how much Evangelion and Shingeki no Kyojin are brought up in pointless discussions that completely miss what the story is telling, or how an anime is almost immediately lumped with some other anime because one element is similar (I hate how people say "reverse isekai" unironically) which just hurts discussion and exploration of creative in art. ... Okay I may buy a Nightingale Gunpla.

[@sir_coma60]

@@CoracaoAcidental98 Yeah, I love the less mechanical parts of stories. Stories like makoto shinkai's suzume, shin godzilla, 1966 Ultraman (& shin ultraman), all had a message behind them. Some of my friedns dont let me talk abt the philosophical side of these works, since they don't value it as much as the mechanical, like how suzume's mythos would make sense, how would godzilla work & the visuals of Ultraman. It is frustrating, yet I get why they do it, since its less interpretive & more objective, and I'll admit talking about the mechanical can be fun too. ... Okay I have bought Hi-Nu gunpla.

[@RayOfTruth]

I know Gundam Unicorn's newtype shenanigans are controversial, but I do really like how the animation in many scenes stays true to the Newtype Psychedelia style from the original Gundam.

[@pyramidinu9449]

I was a little underwhelmed by how some of it was visualised, but overall yeah I dug what they were going for. The cowards should have shown us Turn A in the time travel sequence though :p

[@timebrain3188]

@@pyramidinu9449 As someone who never really liked a lot about Turn A, especially the whole 'all Gundam timelines are in continuity and lead to this,' I admit I'm thankful Unicorn ignores it. Honestly, the sheer ridiculousness that humanity would wipe civilization out only to redevelop on extremely similar lines in both technology and culture is nearly as bad as how much it undermines the bits of hope, especially in the younger generations, we see in the darkness of the various wars.

[@pyramidinu9449]

@@timebrain3188 That's fair

[@willvermillion1025]

@@timebrain3188 from a modern perspective it’s only the end to about 3 timelines since in 1999 there weren’t like 12 au’s tho if you’d rather the main timeline end with g-reco that’s not illegal.

[@Rrgr5]

@Pyramid Inu are you going to do a analysis about unicorn and the OVA? I actually quite like it, and found it really interesting how they went further with the new type stuff, I know most of the fanbase despised it, but I find it quite interesting, and I do want to see the end of it.

[@tomhuynh3867]

Zeon Daikun idea of Newtypes being the next stage of human evolution is a mental one in reaction to the overview effects that Astronauts describe while looking deeply at Earth from space. National borders, identities, and even personal lives are put into perspective as both lesser and part of a greater whole. The last video about the ideology and the various conflict caused by the federation in Earth’s gravity are based on real world existing traditional isms, while in space the conflict is reduced down to spacenoids vs Earthnoids and Newtypes vs Oldtypes. Beside being a metaphor for social revolution the newtype ideals embody human empathy, broad mindedness, and the possibility for change when you consider every UC medium that touch on Newtypes. Newtypes can be Dark empath/sociopaths when you look at people like Char, Haman, and Scirocco.

[@CosmoShidan]

If you go by the novelization, Newtypes aren't about the powers, but all of humanity coming together to live as one people in space. The whole survival of the fittest angle is nothing but Zabi and Federation propaganda. Even Girhen in the novelization admits that the mental powers were not Zeon Deikun's idea.

[@Shin_Lona]

​@@CosmoShidan Good point. For Deikun, Newtypes were theoretical. He speculated that the vastness of space would serve as the catalyst for the expansion of human consciousness, but didn't exactly know what that would entail.

[@CosmoShidan]

@@Shin_Lona Yeah, when Deikun speaks of human consciousness, it can be very vague, but it is a metaphysical construct that can be open to interpretation. Yet my take on that is he simply means that human beings will not be bounded by artificial borders once they move into space, and that they will grow self-aware of one another's existence to the point of acceptance that this will entail not a consciousness of hostility; it will be a peaceful one.

[@wolfzwizdom]

One of my favorite portrayals of "newtypeisms" in the franchise without a doubt Zeta Gundam. From the point Kamille senses char in space in episode 1 to him getting kicked in the head and then "Seeing the universe" in the interrogation room everything for kamille starts getting wonky and he starts doin very strange things. The next time kamille "Sees the universe" again is at the end of the series but the irony is this time the view doesn't get to see what kamille "sees" anymore because he is no longer the MC we only get to see in ZZ when kamille shows Judau what he "sees".

[@buckroger6456]

I always seen his kick in the head, as what awakened his new type powers.

[@wolfzwizdom]

@@buckroger6456 I think I'm in the same camp. He starts acting very strangely after the interrogation scene. There is also the brief exchange between Emma and Kamille when he steals MK ii almost as if he knew Emma was not an enemy because she has a good nature vs her just being a woman.

[@buckroger6456]

@@wolfzwizdom when you look at zeta gundam vs the original gundam tv show, you see in zeta that they took the new type idea to being a great mobile suit pilot. The original gundam started off as more of a super robot show and once Amuro started to become better, then was awakened by Lala did the super robot part end and the new type idea really took over. Now with Zeta Gundam, the show stayed with the real robot idea but made new types the main part of the show. Kamille needed to be just a regular kid that became a new type early since the show really is centered around the whole new type thing.

[@ttravis10]

@@buckroger6456I never noticed that. Because he sensed Char before that happened.. but it could very well be the case.

[@ttravis10]

ZZ had so many cool “newtype” moments. Kamille unlocking Judau’s Newtype potential. Judau’s pressure making Haman cower in fear. Kamille leading the Gundam Team in battle telepathically. The speech Judau gives Glemy at Axis that EVERYONE in the universe can hear and feel. But the biggest one is Judau and all his friends all being Newtypes living together and harnessing their gifts together (what Char ultimately wanted the world to be). Even though nobody seems to talk about the fact that all of them are indeed newtypes.

[@eddy4803]

This is the exact video I was waiting for someone to make. The idea of understanding one another is a cool concept, something currently we’re straying away from irl

[@pyramidinu9449]

Aw thanks so much!

[@bocatt9202]

Calling in Evangelion to this conversation is pertinent since people seem to "miss the point" of Evangelion almost as much as they do the New types in Gundam. Which adds up I suppose when considering that both tackle a similar issue, in a similar way. That being the ideology of transcending personal barriers to understand one another, told through imagery borrowed from psychedelia.

[@thomasffrench3639]

I thought the message of Evangelion is “touch grass”

[@AndrewDasilvaPLT]

100% agree.

[@boobah5643]

It's not clear to me that _Evangelion_ had much to say about _understanding_ each other, it's more about _acceptance._ First of yourself, and through that, of others. That, and a willingness to accept some pain as the price of doing business... in part because avoiding the proverbial business is even more damaging. I also get the impression that _Gundam_ seems to think people want to connect as a primary thing, while _Eva_ emphasizes that most people are terrified of exactly that; there's a reason the barrier that separates one soul from another was dubbed the "Absolute Terror Field."

[@andrejg4136]

@@thomasffrench3639 it goes in part with the message about understanding and acceptance. You have to touch some grass to gain actual perspective instead of falling down the grain shaft of your own mind. 90% of the issues in Evangelion can be traced back to "I made a catastrophically bad decision because I have psychological hangups and I can't talk to anyone about it."

[@scottdarrington6009]

Love this. For me, the newtype stuff is what gives meaning to everything happening in Gundam, this struggle to grow and become more than humanity is right now, with all the thought edges and confusion that entails. It's what sets apart Gundam from other war dramas for me. The moment that sticks most in my head is Lila's death in Zeta. The split second before her death, time freezes for her and she realizes she hates Kamille simply because she's afraid of what he is and that that fear is blocking her ability to see and accept him as a fellow human, even if he seems to be a different type. I was absolutely blown away when I first saw this scene and the way it elevated everything around it. Thanks for the video! I really want to read the 0079 novelizations now!

[@pyramidinu9449]

So glad you liked it! Always a fan of your writings on Gundam

[@lauraazure6462]

This is how I felt about newtypes but you have articulated it in a way I could never do. Thank you for this. I wish people saw Newtypes as more then "fancy space magic" Cause that's never what it was about.

[@danielramsey6141]

I get what you mean, but it’s sadly presented as that when Tomino’s in charge.

[@2097Pyros]

@@danielramsey6141 It's presented that way because, in-series, everyone only saw the Newtypes as just another weapon of war to exploit (see the Cyber-Newtypes for the pinnacle of this logic). In a way, this really does reflect how we tend to see new, unprecedented technology, especially the Internet and its massive potential for inter-communication and understanding....and we like using it to attack each other.

[@McGunpla]

Holy shit this is probably the best Gundam video essay I’ve seen, it’s always nice to see some proper commentary on the themes and characters of Gundam since discussion always swings to mobile suit development and model kits

[@twelfthknight]

Upon seeing this a thought occured to me I never considered before. Did seeing the 20+ years of Gundam fandom's perceived misinterpretation of Newtypes and their significance lead Sunrise to develop the "Superior Evolutionary Element Destined-factor" for Gundam Seed? The SEED factor is essentially the "power-up" that were being associated with Newtypes in the Universal Century but with all that transcendental mysticism removed, along with the psychological and political ramifications. Did Sunrise - when creating the 21st century iteration of the Universal Century - just decide "we want the signifiers of Newtypes but not the significance of one"? I don't know, it's just always been one of the fascinating things about Seed as a series is how little the SEED factor is actually fleshed out or holds any real significance despite being in the name and that SEED activation visual effect being prehaps the most iconic aspect of it. Seeing how the Gundam creators were well aware of the divisive nature of Newtypes makes it feel like an understandable move, if an overcorrection in my opinion.

[@kapayasiame3632]

I too has noticed it had never become a plot point or narrative to the cosmic era story. It was very much treated like a power boost rather than the next step of human evolution. It had no explanation when Kira first had it had and then athrun. I thought it was a coordinator thing since the writers seemed to have a preference for them . That was until Cagalli had it too . But there was never any other natural to have it . Mu la flaga is somewhat a newtype for some reason but I see it as an imitation of the amuro and char connection . These points are just never explored in the series.They are used to favor the characters in some way.

[@ravingraven2522]

I feel like that's a thing with Gundam in general anymore. People expect the story beats of Newtypes, even if they don't fully appreciate or understand the original. So Gundam just doles out "different humans that might be the future of the species" and cause a big war over that. Coordinators, Innovators, we're seeing a degree of it in Witch with the GUND format.

[@eight-cloudspurple5871]

The seed factor always seems to be a bit of a superfluous addition, especially as the series already have the (at the time) very topical issue of genetic enhancement and bioengineering creating life. Should've just skip the Seed factor and push for cloning and bioengineering instead.

[@samiamrg7]

+Raving Raven I was wondering about the “witch” designation and wondering if that had anything to do with Newtypes. I only know a little about Gundam, having played some of the old games set in the Universal Century, watched G Gundam, and am now starting Witch from Mercury. I didn’t realize Newtypes had a mystical apsect to it, I just thought they were, like, people more adapted for living in space with traits which make them extremely well suited for piloting and space combat.

[@applescats]

What an excellent video! Newtypes are one of my favorite aspects of early UC but one that I think a lot of people overlook. You've done a great job covering the themes within these shows and especially 0079!

[@purmello]

This is the single best video I've ever seen analyzing UC Gundam's narrative. You really give the material the respect it deserves.

[@YangWen-Lindo]

I know the video is mostly focused on UC Gundam but I think some of the themes about "Newtypism" also extends over to Gundam X, specially some aspects of X's ending.

[@pyramidinu9449]

Just started watching that one, pretty curious how it'll all pan out.

[@coleviloria3800]

@@pyramidinu9449 enjoy it, I wish it got the love it deserved.

[@danielramsey6141]

@@coleviloria3800 Same. It could use a remaster.

[@IRUKANJI]

@@pyramidinu9449 I hope you enjoyed "Final Fantasy Gundam," Garrod and Tiffa are the best gundam couple ever.

[@pyramidinu9449]

@@IRUKANJI I did! Fun show.

[@primusvsunicron1]

Full Frontal’s origins as Char’s negativity are Lalah’s Death, The Delaz Fleet dropping a colony on the USA, Kamille getting his brain fried, Haman dropping a Colony on Dublin and The Axis Shock

[@baalgrath7933]

This might be my favorite gundam video on youtube. Thank you man

[@kaguya6900]

According to the Japanese liner notes of a Japanese Zeta Gundam DVD boxed set, they had an interview with animator Kitazume who was talking about his stint as character designer for Double Zeta. In the interview, Kitazume talks about a note from Tomino left for him at one point. The note said, "Always remember that Newtypes…are just an excuse for a kid to be able to pilot a complicated machine like a Gundam." Of course that's contradicted by how Tomino himself used Newtypes and Newtypeness as main elements in his plotting, but I would assume that for at least the beginning third of the Gundam series, it was actually just an excuse for why Amuro was able to jump into a Gundam and destroy two Zaku mobile suits piloted by trained people in episode 1.

[@Pokey_Puni_]

7:50 that is an amazing connection I never knew I needed! I absolutely love Lizard, and the moment of Lalah's death was such a standout moment in the original series, but to hear and see the connections for the first time looks so amazing, and really makes that moment more significant in the plot element of new types. (I literally almost jumped out of bed when I first heard King Crimson's, Lizard, it's one of my favorite prog rock albums, and in general favorite musical works.)

[@ProfessM]

What a lovely way of summarising Newtypes and thank you for ending with the amazing dub. Rest well beyond Earth's Gravity Michael Kopsa.

[@byron2FZ]

I just wanna say, sometimes I come back to this video just to watch your edit at the end, and it makes me tear up every time.

[@KinoTechUSA69]

What a great piece.

[@AexisRai]

As a non fan just looking for a video on the concept of a newtype, I must say that you got to the basic original definition quickly, expressed it succinctly enough for me to feel I can understand (first, an ideological hypothesis about human evolution toward understanding each other; then the appearance of precog+empath powers in pilots, seemingly substantiating the hypothesis), and then proceeded to treat me to an intriguing further investigation of the plot uses, development, IRL historical context, misreadings, etc of the idea, all very well structured. This is in comparison to the current top result for "what is a newtype", whose branding implies it's intended to be for a noob and only about the concept, which was unlistenably disordered and did not get me anywhere close to understanding the concept.

[@marvelholt21]

my friends and i often joke that "newtype" characters often display traits of autism (we often jokingly call it turbo-autism, or cyber-autism) because most of us are autistic, and we read things like "enhanced empathy" and "enhanced senses" as symptoms of autism. But that also comes with the fact that there are some people, who consider themselves "aspergers supremacists" who instead of seeing their autism as some other form of humanity, they see themseleves as obviously better, and even occasionally "a new step of human evolution" because of perceived benefits of being able to have special interests, heightened awareness of stimuli, etc. I say this only to say there are interesting parallels between those in real life who experience autistic traits, and characters in gundam who are being told they are the next step of human evolution, while no one listens to their own feelings on the situation.

[@NoNameAtAll2]

claiming every "person with higher empathy" as autist... feels derogatory towards normal humans

[@barrybend7189]

I have Asperger's and I will call BS on those people as I have several issues with information lockup due to it.

[@FredMaverik]

and then there's Kamille who is really autistic.

[@tonycollins2983]

@@FredMaverik Kamille? Thats a girls name!

[@cabnbeeschurgr]

​@@FredMaverikas cringey as it is I feel like both Amuro and Kamille are autistic coded, to an almost stereotypical extent. This doesn't apply to all newtypes but it shows up often when dealing with them it seems like

[@notsohandyandy]

This is hands down one of the best-written and most thoughtful videos on Gundam I've seen. And I've seen *a lot.* Props to you, man. I think Newtypes and the ideologies surrounding them are one of Gundam's most distinctive features. Thanks for giving this topic the attention and respect it's due.

[@pyramidinu9449]

Ah, thanks so much, this is so nice!

[@yearslate9349]

Fascinating. You've really opened my eyes to how pivotal Newtypes are to the original MSG. It's quite a shame this aspect of the series never took off like the mobile suits themselves did. I've scarcely seen any series that depict so many psychics and the social upheaval they would bring.

[@Now3bwx]

i always loved the Newtype concept

[@BellaCiaoCinemaGaming]

I always keep coming back to this video essay. It’s so wonderful.

[@TrepidDestiny]

It's interesting you mention that people can achieve hightened state of consciousness, but still be driven towards destructive ideologies or seen as tools for others. Tying that back to the psychedelic imagery, ChillGoblin has a video about shrooms, and how many people think that if you take shrooms and have a transcendental experience that you somehow become a more in-tune chill person, but in reality the trip only reinforces whatever preconceptions you came into the trip having. Already believe you're better than somebody else or that a certain group needs to be eradicated? You might come out of the trip feeling bad for them, but still think it's the right thing to do, and maybe even more so than before.

[@ZeonicZaku1-Zeon_Grunt_Suit]

Probably one of the best video essays on the topic I've seen. Excellent work.

[@lemonlefleur6236]

I’ve always felt that Char’s line at the end there was less a Freudian desire for motherly affection and more a pseudo literal claim. I think that after her death Char came to the conclusion that had Lala not been killed in battle she could have been a figure that would lead him to being reborn as a person. Sort of like how a worthless person can be reshaped into a vital asset if they follow someone worthwhile, but on a far greater scale given her role as a Newtype. She could have been a second messiah for mankind, but even if she didn’t help mankind Char would have been saved were it not for her death. At least, that’s what I thought after hearing that line again. I think it plays very well with the idea of “Mankind cannot understand each other, but imagine how great it would be if they could” concept by showing a means through which the could come to understand each other, and taking it away during a battle between two other Newtypes whom she cared for.

[@pyramidinu9449]

This is such a great reading. I suppose you're right that had Lalah lived, she may have taken on a political/cultural role along with Char.

[@IRUKANJI]

I've always held this interpretation.

[@AngelTail]

*thanking Lemon-sensei, Pyramid Inu-sensei, and The Magician-sensei for sharing their thoughts on Char's last line about Lalah Sun... There's this strange lil unfulfilled story idea that moi has had for a long time... a what-if? What if Lalah did survive? In that silly fanfic idea... moi thought of a song echoing throughout space... heard by Newtypes... basically telling them to bring their friends, their families, all those they trust, to a specific, unremarkable point in space... 'not sure yet about who the main charas would be... but the revelation would be Lalah using her Newtype abilities and the Psycommu system like a siren to those wishing a third path, a way out of the hierarchies imposed by both Federation and Zabi... The invitation being extended not just to Newtypes but to everyone else as well... ...and basically revealing that Lalah, Char, Amuro and other sympathetic folks are building different colonies out there in space, with a more anarchocommunist setup and sharing economy... Gomen if it sounds too utopian! Despite the conflict portrayed in the series, moi still felt lotsa hope from it. Maybe an answer to "imagine how great it would be if they could..." is via story? Peeps getting inspired to make video essays like Pyramid Inu-sensei and others writing stories that show possibility despite the impositions of systems and hate...?

[@IRUKANJI]

@@AngelTail It's a likely theory that could have happened if Lalah had awakened without getting killed. Char and Amuro truly had no compelling reason to fight anymore, their true goals were the same but her death blinded Char till Sayla could open his eyes again in the end. It never really healed for him and festered. Likely Lalah could have awakened that whole battlefield and brought about a ceasefire. The Zeon rank and file would follow Casval Rem Deikum without a doubt and after feeling his betrayal by the Zabi family they would turn on them and ally with the Federation to stop them. The Principality of Zeon would probably be restored to the New Republic of Zeon. The Newtype Theory only goes so far. It cannot overcome feelings and convictions. Even if two people perfectly understand each other's emotions and reasons, they can still reject them if their own reasons or feelings are strong enough. That's really what ZZ gundam was mostly about.

[@AngelTail]

@@IRUKANJI oooh gochu gochu! arigatou for sharing awesum views on that what-if, Irukanji-sensei ! When you said that Gundam ZZ shows how not even understanding each other's reasons and emotions can still lead to rejection... Moi feels that it's a common theme even in the other UC series? With the Char-Lalah-Amuro grouping, with Kamille and the various Newtypes he met in Z, and yas, Haman, Judau and other Newtypes... Still... despite all that, there's the hope that when people DO come together, with out without Newtype abilities, moi hopes that a series could show that... Oh wait, there is! Gundam 00, right? It was more optimistic in showing that it's the blended use of expanded-biological-technological "empathy" as well as collective action and a willingness to talk things through, to give it time -- peeps in smaller groups and humanity at large could reach understanding and do things together without harming each other, towards bigger goals like exploring the stars... (cues Star Trek themes here...!) arigatou for sharing your views!

[@deeemceetooisbaesgaem7211]

holy moly that ending

[@ptolemy3257]

Gotta say that I'm glad I found you, can't wait to see what you do in future as well.

[@eduardobfsilva4236]

I had written a monumentally long comment before pressing Ctrl + W and deleting it all lmao Just wanted to say how much I appreciate this video as the newtype ideology/question is probably one of my favorite thematic narratives in all of media. I especially enjoy Zeta's reply to the original question of "can newtypes, through a better understanding of others become the end of conflict" with a solid "no", at least partly because of how disagreeable it is to me. It feels like the moment where newtypes are utterly defeated, and this is only somewhat remedied by ZZ and CCA's retort of "well, it can't end conflict, but it goes a long way, at least". Still, at least CCA ends with a hopeful notr, much like 0079, though this time much more matured from the series' events. It manages to sound like the natural conclusion of a setting entirely too exhausted by war and conflict, that simply wants to move on from people's impatience with siginfiicant change (this is what i understand the axis miracle is about), and, thus, of newtypes Again, great video, and you got yourself a subscriber :)

[@madmalkavian3857]

I've always appreciated newtype stuff in gundamn, or at least the original run of it because it felt like the force from star wars if it leaned more into it's philosophical aspects rather than it's power aspects. It seemed like interesting world building and unlike the force it was very nuanced in that it's not a mater of light vs dark but rather a clash of people unable to understand each other yet also desperately trying to in the midst of war while being forced to fight and just trying to survive.

[@hecbec]

Votoms had a similar angle with the main character Chirico Cuvie being used as a military test yet he is able to survive over and over again "miraculously" in the battlefield.

[@josephsteven1600]

I'm also a Gundam fan that always happy about the interesting concept of Newtypes and it's part of the reason a love the U.C. so much. Even if other aren't into it. Thank you for the video and for sharing your thoughts on this subject.

[@notsohandyandy]

Absolutely brilliant. You put it better than I've seen it anywhere else. I get really tired of the mindset in the fandom about "Newtype bullshit" and favoring any series/story that doesn't involve Newtype "space magic," because I think those people are missing the beauty, depth, and point of Gundam the same way that Star Wars fans miss the point of Star Wars and just watch it for the pew-pews and the aesthetic nostalgia porn.

[@LuisGutierrez-ye6lh]

Preach

[@dalenlewin]

Subscribing for the gundam Contant. The way you break down these things is spot on and it definitely makes it easier for me to understand. These shows can be very incoherent at times.

[@RPN_07]

Honestly looking back at this video when I was first watch it, really motivated me to actually read the series that I'm watching because man I didn't get what your saying with all of this I just thought gundam is just a cool sci fi stories about mecha developments and the people experience with wars. And this video is an eye opener of the deeper part of the series but hey I at least rewatch all of uc again and I kind of get your points now so thank you very much.

[@DaiSenshiMounir]

Dude that line :i can see time" always seemed haunting to me and i thought about it everytime a Zeta episode ended with "tears of time" line. Newtypes are what kept my attention for the latter half of 0079 when it felt a little slow

[@Kiyosuki]

Yeah I consider both Newtypes and the concepts and ideas behind them to be a huge part of Gundam's identity. Some people seem to want Gundam to be Battletech or Votoms but it just isn't any of those things and for me at least, part of what separates it is the specific metaphysical concept of evolving our empathic connection to eachother. The concept of it occurring (with some psychic powers as a fun aside.) as an adaptation to becoming a space-faring race is at the core of the humanitarian message often at the center of UC Gundam's various stories. The sheer potential, restrained by human hubris and even the humbling realization that even Newtypes with their heightened understanding of others, wont' always agree or even choose peaceful resolutions despite their awareness asks the audience to question if even an "enlightened" humanity can ever truly be without conflict. Yes sometimes it can be written better than other times, but it's an essential part of what makes UC Gundam what it is. Even many of the AU's deal with some similar concepts that touch on the supernatural, but in different ways. That footing into the metaphysical and supernatural is what makes Gundam what it is beyond the giant robots and sci-fi settings themselves.

[@iggel-]

The 0079 novel quotes line up with what I wished was more expounded upon in the series. I liked newtypes in 0079, and Zeta had some decent parts, but by ZZ you had Judau essentially using the force at the end. The conflict between newtypes as empaths and newtypes as war machines is a great idea, and can be analogous to how social and technological advancements are coopted by government, capital, etc. Also the 70s were an underrated decade, I'm tired of 80s nostalgia.

[@pyramidinu9449]

70s cinema is unmatched, though 80s did have the better hair.

[@lordhamster24]

You're totally right, the language surrounding newtypes is so similar to what I see in new age circles, even the modern ones. They want mankind to "wakeup" and realize some higher potential. I can't believe I never noticed. You said something about "grand narratives", how it relates to 80s anime, and how it's been discussed to death? Can you please recommend some videos on the topic? First Ive heard of it. Gundam attracted me because of it's huge lore and various ideologies/factions. Great video, subbed

[@BeInvoked]

I'm often let down by Gundam criticism and analysis online so I went into this with great reservation but came out very pleased. Really appreciate the pulls from the often-overlooked novelization and the willingness to look at CCA's primary conflict with the thematic weight and levity many western fans often deny it!

[@bloodmachine6049]

Great video! Think specifically the moment where it really clicked for me with newtype portrayal, was The final confrontation between Haman and Kamille , sorta in contrast with Amuro x Lala one where in the latter, they truly transcendentally understand each other, and it ends in tragedy despite it, and in case of the former, the understanding happens for a brief moment, but is completely rejected, since it cannot overpower underlying ideology, Haman just shuts it down.

[@battlesheep2552]

I like how in Zeta Gundam they disproved the idea that mutual understanding could eliminate violence. In it, Kamille was able to fully understand Haman Karn, and because of that he knew why she needed to die. Some people are just too rotten to reason with.

[@andrejg4136]

This even shows up in Super Robot Wars, like T, where Kamille specifically delegates dealing with Haman to Judau since Kamille and her will go at each other throats almost without fail.

[@jbark678]

I've heard that Char's last line in CCA was a mistranslation (mother of my child, instead of mother to me). He was "supposed" to be delirious and conflating/combining Lala with Natalie Bianchi, who he almost had a child with after the one year war. She died before Zeta. Don't think I believe it, but it's an interesting idea/interpretation.

[@alexandarvoncarsteinzarovi3723]

I'm just going to say considering when Gundam came out I wonder if the New types were perhaps part of some larger "Shadow Government" ideas of the psionic type of human, Übermensch/superman, ÜberSoldaten/super soldier that did not cook right, they fudged it up then they turned on each other then forgot to terminate the project, I'm not saying they were trying to create psikers, buuuuuut, you could see the usage of such types of people,

[@rey-o]

Fascinating stuff. I’ve been thinking a lot about how the original series approaches new types and how in all likelihood, the nuance will be lost when the Hollywood movie is made.

[@GreenBlueWalkthrough]

Also great video and something great about Gundam is it's ability to mean completely different things to people while being an excellent sci-fi/war show/movie.

[@dparmar005]

This just showed up in my recommended and I thoroughly enjoyed your video, your script and delivery were great. It was certainly refreshing to see a perspective of someone who enjoys the aspects of new types and what they mean in the series, rather than just hating on anything that isn't gritty "real robot" action.

[@Mike_Jones1980]

Great video! Best recommendation I've gotten in a while. Also, I love this comment section, some very well thought out points.

[@qashmonie]

I love this, it be cool to see you return to this subject in some way or other Gundam content

[@AndrewDasilvaPLT]

MAHQ entered my life in 2000. I have focused so much time and effort (and money...) on 0079 and Eva. I've truly come to believe both stories were about telling people they need each other and not to live alone. 0079 is a wonderful piece of work, likely peaking Tomino's work. Still think Yas truly made Gundam work more than anyone else.

[@kloa4219]

Newtypes were likely intended to resemble the amount of empathy or knowledge that a pilot had for the opposing side. That is why Lala, Camille, and Amuro were powerful. Amuro didn't agree with his enemies but constantly saw where they were coming from.

[@siegebug]

13:19 In the chinese translation Amuro said this: Don't know how to correct this world? Revolutions are always started by intellectuals, but because they held on to a dream liked goal, they can only act radically. Following a revolution, even the noblest revolutionary spirit gets swallowed by bureaucracy and the masses.

[@eight-cloudspurple5871]

I recall there was a saying, something along the line of "the only pure and true-to-their-cause revolutionaries are the dead ones, since the survivors have to be pragmatic and compromise the cause to, you know, keep the lights on and keep society running afterward."

[@archiox0628]

Gundam 00's Innovators i believe is the best plugin of the newtype, in a gundam universe story. It also is the most optimistic, and the only one in the franchise that completes the newtype dream and function. Gundam 00 also gets to answer the questions predecessors Wing and Seed asked: how can an endless waltz of war and fighting be ended. Setsuna F. Seiei, the first true innovator answers: by understanding.

[@ianbowden2524]

God finally someone who's talking about what I saw watching the OG Gundam,

[@_Tizoc_]

One thing that makes Jedi and Newtypes very very similar is their popularity as a tool for war but their unpredictability how uncontrollable they are to power structures. They will always throw away whatever plan laid out to chase other New Types / Jedi often leading to disastrous results for those who would try to use them.

[@Rkader11]

Feels like I’m watching a 2014. Fantastic video look forward towards more content

[@dbl.reviews3888]

What fantastic work, well done!!

[@Sentient6ix]

This is the best take on new types yet

[@sherwoodcallaway]

I love your videos! Please keep making them!!

[@leonardodelimaferreira8509]

Amuro killing Lalah has to be the most tragic scene in all types of media; think about it, could you tell your biggest regret, your biggest secret, biggest mistake, biggest insecurity to anyone? Even more the person that you love? Lie all you want, I couldn't, yet so, Lalah knew all of those things of Amuro, and Amuro all of those things of her, they both completely and utterly understood one another, there wasn't anything that they didn't know about each other, their flaws, their regrets, insecurities, mistakes, secrets, everything, and yet, despite all that, they still loved one another, it's a type of love us humans would and will never be able to understand, it's the most pure, most selfless and most true form of love... Now imagine killing the only person in the whole world who understood you completely, and yet chose to accept you; people tend to overlook this scene a lot, I sure did, but goddamn Tomino, that is the most greek tragic thing you ever did Also, another thing I'd like to say, is one thing I love in Gundam 0079, is that there is not a single newtype in Zeon's army, Char and Lalah doesn't count bc, would you? So all their speech of Oldtype eradication, and freedom and revolution of Newtypes, is ironically against them, bc all of them are Oldtypes, which is even more ironic, bc iirc, Ghiren never once believed in the newtype ideology, he literally just used it as gasoline for his war

[@leonardodelimaferreira8509]

Another thing that I really like is no one knowing what a newtype is in the early days newtypes, so they didn't exactly know what they could do to help newtypes, which lead to the creation of NT-01 Alex, literally just RX-78-2 but with better specs lol, it is the idea that a newtype is a super soldier, so the Gundam we'll do for them is basically a amped up version of our Gundam

[@TheTb2364]

I'm glad I found this channel a while ago

[@AndrewDasilvaPLT]

Thank you for your work.

[@vladlock]

This is such a beautiful video.

[@curtyfromspace5909]

Very good video keep em coming

[@comradefreedom8275]

I personally love the newtypes, every time they manifested in every Gundam anime. I always found them to be fun, while also something to ponder.

[@red3994]

This video is really interesting and resonates with me in a way since I've been a fan of ideologies and one to have a complex view on the human condition. The way newtypes are carried through the gundam series really is a decline but a view on how people can differentiate with war and the government and others views since its a fight between harmony and individuality since some people wish to understand each and everyone of us just so they can have peace of mind or the want to help others and the individuality part being that people wish to be different from others and keep to themselves. Both ideas aren't inherently wrong but it does bring up many thoughts and feelings between both parties and how both fear of being used by government and military gain for warlike justification as you mentioned. But i will say it's hard to really pinpoint the purpose of newtypes within F91 and further since to me the whole series of those and onward tell of different people with different powers who are only unique because they are different from regular pilots and people, whereas the original and zeta combats the ideas of newtypes with the sense of a harmony and understanding of mind with one another and in Zeta with natural empathy vs artificial output. Really great video.

[@beeffilledshark1714]

This was a fantastic video, I finally have a video I can send friends to succinctly explain why I love Gundam as a franchise so much. You should consider making a video about the interpretation of Newtypes in the alternate timelines (like Seed, 00, and now Witch From Mercury [which I think is an astoundingly interesting take]), I would love to hear if you had any thoughts on the subject.

[@Clara-anise]

The newtype threads in 79 and zeta are some of my absolute favorite parts of them, I've never understood people who shit on it. I'm very interested in witch from mercury and how the GUND format, the earthian/spacian divide, and whatevers going on with suletta and ericht will pan out as they do seem like they're touching on similar themes, though with less of the transcendental ideological bent and more a focus on the material reinforcement of political structures

[@sir_coma60]

I love the more philosophical side of stories, maybe that's why newtypes when I was watching unicorn didnt feel weird (except for final ep, tho I think that has more to do with pasing). I know some people who watched witch from mercury and didnt like the last episode's ending as well, since it felt to fairy dust, but to me, it was Suletta's will creating a miracle, the opposite of Iron blooded orphans, who was fully realist and killed all the idealists in season 2.

[@buckroger6456]

Awesome video 👍 nice to hear from someone that actually like the new type concept. I'm not a fan of it, but only because how later series just made them into a superman. Also liked how you brought up the books since those are so different from the original t.v. shows.

[@tanukizzy]

I'm not the best when it comes to understanding g the true depths of works like Gundam and their Newtype ideologies... but I always thought that the most interesting Gundam work next to mainline UC, was 00. 00 has an endgame that feels like, to me, what the UC timeline could've been should Newtypes become the norm. Awakening of the Trailblazer as a film was so interesting in that it gave both examples of Innovators being used as tools and Innovators being the people who usher in a new era for humanity, how through the ELS they could find peace thanks to understanding. It's been a part of Gundam that has so greatly interested me, just being able to see even for the briefest moments, the world in Gundam where "Newtypes" were the norm, and people could finally live life while fully understanding one another.

[@brioche496]

The ideology and philosophy of new types has always been my favorite aspect of the original series. Like you said, they are somewhat self contradicting. And the way I interpreted it was that they are beautifully tragic. The concept of the new type illustrates the contradictory, idealistic, and tragic nature of the human condition.

[@sleightlyabnormal9313]

So the funniest thing in uc timeline, is that the newtype myth in the public like disappeared for a few decade after the uc project and it saw re emergence in crossbone. Where it saw the federation in an massive decline. Especially during judau leading an entire colony of newtype into another galaxy which took them to proxima centuria in uc 653.

[@brunnen1]

cant wait for the next hathaway movie, newtypes are back on the menu boys

[@makaveliandcheese]

Please make more video essays about gundam there's not enough of them that don't end up boiling down to glorified plot synopsis this was really good

[@pyramidinu9449]

I have a few more planned, interspersed between other videos.

[@RagnaTheBloodedge172]

An excellent video. Keep up the good work!

[@joejunior5991]

The reason why every single antagonist in UC losses because of their Hypocrisy behind their Goal Gihren who want a world for himself yet selfishly kill his own family while himself never directly engaged the enemy himself this becoming the very definition of cowardice. Char while himself hate the Zabi for the Death of his Father, wanted both human to embrace the Newtype and Respected the Spacenoids as Equal to Earthling, however he manipulated or Betrayed too many person in his life (Original Char, Sayla, Lalah, Garma, Amuro, Kycilia, Haman, Kamille, Reccoa, Emma, Gyunei, Quess and Nanai) and treat them nothing more than a Tool for his Personal Goal this becoming more resemblance to Gihren Zabi a True Dictator who has no love to anyone but his own Selfish Goal. Scirocco for a Guy that wish for Humanity to respected the Genius and Newtype while justified himself a Genius who rise from the very bottom, he himself is a Cruel Manipulator who lying and take advantage a emotional damage woman to his side in order to get what he wanted (Reccoa, Sarah, Jerid and Yazan) becoming a Con Artist who defied the Federation and Titans Ideology and opted for a World Domination under his Rule. Haman who wish for Zabi to Rule and United the Spacenoids again the Federation but herself is a Manipulator who Puppeteer a Young Mineva who used her a Proxy Puppet while herself justified he cruelty in the name of Zabi Family while callous to everyone around her (Mashymre, Chara and Mineva) thus becoming a Zabi by Default. Full Frontal claim himself as Char but in Reality he is just a Proxy Puppet of Zeon who use him as a Propaganda as a Form of Excuse to fight the Federation again thus exposed that Full Frontal as a Known Nothing Puppet. Zoltan want to end his suffering at the hand of Zeon while himself is a maniac who wish to destroy everything on his way and rant how is unfair the world is while murder everyone like nobody business thus becoming a true monster he wished to be Hathaway created Mafty in order for a Spacenoids in earth to be respected and free from unjustified oppression but Mafty as a Whole is a Terrorist who themselves killed any Corrupted Federation High Member while casually killed anyone who stand in their way even a Civilian is not exempt for Mafty Brutality thus exposing themselves as a Rebel who try challenge Federation supremacy and the split image of Federation Brutality during Titans Day.

[@DSan-kl2yc]

First time I've ever heard people not liking new types or thinking that'd be hard to swallow for some reason. I find it hard to believe especially in a post evangelion world... Or in an any super robot or even real robot world. Anyway that's why it's nice to enjoy things by yourself at times. I love the ending to Gundam and the movies. It's beautiful.

[@jesseerven4859]

its funny how we went from be empathic to everyone to this empathy being used against us in the real world

[@silverwolf115]

Dude fucking great video! As much as I love 00 and it's themes, UC captured so much stuff!

[@juresaiyan]

Thank you for mentioning my favourite band: King Crimson

[@EinDose]

Newtypes are far from the only times a normally very hard sci-fi story suddenly goes 'oh and also psychics are real'. Star Trek's famously got that going as well, Doctor Who (by a certain definition of 'hard'), a good chunk of others. While it actually dates all the way back to the twenties, I think mostly it's the 70s new age movement that was responsible. As a friend once put it to me, 'psychics are hard sci-fi if you think psychics are real'. And I think a lot of those writers didn't just believe those things to some degree, but also wanted to see them succeed; a sci-fi story where psychics are real seemed to say that these new ways of thinking are valid and worth embracing. I think that's why it's particularly the more optimistic 'hard sci-fi' has them.

[@mel_163]

8:00 [The Fripp will find you in 3 (three) hours]

[@itsdantaylor]

While being made after Gundam, I have a crazy head cannon that Ideon is a prequel to Gundam. Ideon is a mecha that exhibits enormous power, the power to destroy worlds but also a way to connect people to each other. It's 'will' seems to be to connect living beings together in order to get them to stop fighting, or destroy them the longer they continue to fight. When it ultimately seems to fail and everyone is killed, it seemingly starts the cycle of life over again, the spirits of those who died hoping the next cycle will be different. With that in mind it makes the UC more tragic if that were the case because the more people advance as 'newtypes' the more it's used for combat, destruction, or control (in victory gundam at least). Even with this advancement and a way to possibly understand one another and everything, we can't help but continue to fight and kill each other.

[@ShooterQ]

Excellent content.

[@fffx2]

It seems that the thesis is that understanding eachother is not a panacea for war.

[@jasonseacord]

I didn’t even know about the Gundam novels but I have the manga recreation of the original Gundam series i want to watch.

[@MarathonGuy1337]

That was a great video, Mobile Suit Gundam is one of my all time favourite anime franchises and I think the new types are an essential part of that enjoyment. New types are just an essential part of the story and themes of Gundam though I do think they are slowly catching on to the fandom over time as somthing to be appreciated. Personally I really enjoyed most of the U.C. timeline with Zeta Gundam and ZZ Gundam personal favourite s if the profile pic wasn't a dead give away. As a small side note check out the Legend of the Galactic Heroes anime series original or Die Neue Thesis, if you haven't already, another favourite of mine, that's another great series that explores vast political themes though a grand narrative story focused on the war between the Galactic Empire and the Free Planets Alliance though it is based on more historic and political philosophy such as the social cycle theory and great man theory so on as opposed to new age science which dominated early Gundam and in my mind made it special. Small side note...

[@ManyAGiggle]

Fantastic script writing. Good job

[@striker7469]

Gundam is beautiful.

[@juresaiyan]

❤