Contains some spoilers for Mobile Suit Gundam GQuuuuuuX.
Spring 2025’s Mobile Suit Gundam GQuuuuuuX took viewers into a Universal Century where the Earth Federation lost the One-Year War, Char is missing, and Zeon has turned its sights on itself due to internal conflict. The story made use of characters both new and familiar, ranging from a well-off but disgruntled girl from Side 6 who yearns for Earth and freedom to one of the most iconic characters in anime
At Anime Expo 2025, we got the chance to briefly chat with cast members Tomoyo Kurosawa (Amate “Machu” Yuzuriha), Shimba Tsuchiya (Shuji Ito), Shinji Kawada (Challia Bull), and Yuki Shin (Char Aznable) about their respective characters.
This interview was conducted by James Mizutani and Audrey Im via interpreter and has been edited for clarity. Questions contributed by Melvyn Tan.
Anime Trending: We’d actually like to start by asking about the end! How do you feel about the status of your respective characters at the end of the series?
Tomoyo Kurosawa: This time, the recording sessions took a long time, so I’m relieved that it’s all over.
Yuki Shin: First of all, I had so much fun! I kind of came in at the end of the series, so there were a lot of surprises for me as well, like I didn’t know certain stories.
Shinji Kawada: [My character] is one of the original characters, and I also didn’t know what was going to happen during the recording sessions. I had to self-calculate how I’d play this role. So, because of that, I felt like this was my personal experience.
Shimba Tsuchiya: My [character’s] purpose didn’t get revealed until the 12th episode, so I couldn’t say anything about my role at all. I couldn’t speak out about my character’s feelings as well, so I was basically “no spoilers” before that point. Now I’m relieved that I can talk about it now that the series has ended.
Machu is such a strong and memorable presence, and a lot of her personality shines through her body language. As a voice actor, how did you try to match your performance with the animation and the physical component of the character?
Tomoyo Kurosawa: First, I read the script, and then I got the rehearsal video. I felt like there was a gap between the original script and the rehearsal video, so each time I was trying to match the lines to the nuances of her body language. I was really dedicated to doing that.
When I followed the usual principle I use when playing a person, Machu’s charm ended up being lost, more so than I thought it would. So rather than my usual intuition, I’d be careful with my performance straying from the screen’s [depictions]. Everything, from the emotions, the way I expressed the character — it felt like I’d lost my gauge or couldn’t arrive at the right destination. I tried to go above and below what I felt most comfortable with every time I acted and recorded. I didn’t really feel like it was working while I was acting, but now, from an outside point of view, I think, “Oh, there might be a girl like this,” and I can accept that.
Machu and Nyaan are split up halfway through the series, but despite their separate paths, and despite their falling out over Shuji, we still see Nyaan instinctively shooting Kycilia to save Machu. What is your impression of their relationship and the way it develops in the series?
Tomoyo Kurosawa: I thought a lot about this when I was recording in Japan. However, throughout this event, and while traveling to LA, I had a lot of conversations with the director. The director said the Newtypes are very sensitive and intuition-based. So this scene was much more like a reaction than planned or anything.
I have a theater background, so every time I played or acted before, it had to be exact. There were no in-between feelings or unsure feelings — those things don’t exist in theater. Through this experience, I [developed] this new way of creating, and I had so much fun discovering this new way of expression instead of following the script all the time. I got to experience those in-between feelings.
Shuji is an enigmatic character for much of the series, with most of his background information revealed toward the end. What did you strive for when portraying the mysterious aspect of the character?
Shimba Tsuchiya: The most important thing for me to act was to calculate how passionate Shuji is according to each line. Since this is an original story, there was limited information, even for us. So every time we recorded, I talked to the director and researched how passionate I should be in each line I played, and how the characters see the world.
Following that limited-information aspect, what was your reaction when you first learned about Shuji’s true identity and goals? How did you come to view the character after that?
Shimba Tsuchiya: The 12th episode, right?
Yes.
Shimba Tsuchiya: I thought, “Finally! Okay, I got it. Now I see it.” (laughs)
However, his purpose is clear, but nobody knows who Shuji is. Since I didn’t know who exactly he was, I thought about where he was from and what kind of background he had. The thing I know about Shuji is that he’s very attracted to Lalah, and in the middle of the whole series, I sort of learned [that] Shuji was existing for Lalah. By Lalah’s emotions explod[ing], the New World comes around, and around the 12th episode, I felt how Shuji was carrying this really heavy cross throughout this whole series.
Shin-san, what’s it like to step into the shoes of an iconic character like Char Aznable?
Yuki Shin: There are already so many fans of [Char throughout] the whole Gundam series, and those people have this existing image of Char. As I was joining as a new voice, I was always thinking about how people might react to that. Of course, I felt really happy. By acting this character, I felt like something new was coming out of me as well. I think this role was very important to me.
How did you prepare for this performance? Did you watch the original series to study?
Yuki Shin: I actually watched the original when I was a kid. I knew the character, and I could go back and watch the series all over again to learn, but I didn’t want to be dragged by the image of the original Char. I also wanted to create this new version of Char, which I watched when I was little, and my version. So I wanted to make something new. I specifically thought about acting out the youthfulness, passion, and challenging spirit of Char.
Kawada-san, you play a character who originally had a very small role, but has been expanded to become a major supporting character. How did you prepare for this role, which you really got to shape how they developed?
Shinji Kawada: The original character dies in the first episode, and I remember that, of course. As a Newtype, this character was very mentally stable. The new character was based on this old character, but I focused most on how to act — the important part was to have this character who is very mentally stable and calm.
What are your thoughts on Challia’s view on Newtypes and the actions he takes to achieve the future he envisions?
Shinji Kawada: In this Gundam story, people tend to exploit Newtypes. But [Challia] thought that Newtypes are also a part of humanity. To have a peaceful, ideal situation, there are so many ways to achieve it. However, overall, Challia thinks that Newtypes and Oldtypes should get together, and he was thinking of a way for Newtypes to live more easily in that sort of environment. I think that was his view of the future, and that was his goal.
Thank you very much for your time!
