From Gundam, a New Queen of the “Side-Eye” Emerges! The Impactful Gaze of Machu in “Mobile Suit Gundam GQuuuuuuX”

The protagonist of the anime “Mobile Suit Gundam GQuuuuuuX,” Amate Yuzuriha aka Machu (voiced by Tomoyo Kurosawa), is as charming as she is strong-willed! Her “side-eye” in episode 1 instantly captured viewers’ hearts, sparking a huge wave of parody illustrations on social media.

The term “side-eye” refers to a gaze that often expresses emotions like displeasure, exasperation, or wariness—a piercing, scrutinizing look. While this trait already has many admirers among anime and manga fans, Machu burst onto the scene as a “rising star of the side-eye world,” making her mark from the very first episode of “Mobile Suit Gundam GQuuuuuuX.”

When Machu’s smartphone display gets cracked after a collision with courier Nyaan (voiced by Yui Ishikawa)—to make matters worse, her bag contains an illegal mobile suit installer device. The two meet again later, and Machu gives her trademark side-eye as she pointedly remarks, “For starters, I’d like an apology.”

Viewers immediately fell for Machu’s disgruntled expression, with comments like “Side-eye Machu is adorable!” flooding in. This single cut inspired a surge of fan art on social networks, including parody illustrations that depicted other characters with Machu’s iconic side-eye. Following this scene, Machu repeatedly showcased her signature gaze, finally cementing her status as the go-to “side-eye character.”