If ever you want to blame something for the popularity of anime, go back to 1977 and shake your finger angrily at a little-known film called "Star Wars". It's undeniable that the cultural impact of "Star Wars" was felt across the globe. Much like the United States, Japan saw a boom in the science fiction industry. Anime, a medium still trying to get its feet under it, mostly relying on the Hannah-Barbara format of weekly misadventures, was about to boom and a lot of that can be attributed to one franchise that is among the most recognizable for anyone.
Mobile Suit Gundam has been offering up science fiction wars, angsty teenage soldiers, bizarrely named politicians, and iconic-yet-entirely-unnecessary-if-you-really-think-about-it (what are they doing that soldiers on the ground can't do most of the time?) giant robots since 1979. And since then there have been more series than can be counted with a new iteration offered up every couple years.
This year, we get "Mobile Suit Gundam: The Witch from Mercury".
Giant Robot School is Cool
There's a lot of interesting stuff happening in the background of "The Witch from Mercury". Gundam's were created by the Vanadis Institute, a space based corporation. But the robots put a lot of stress on the pilots, thus an Earth based corporatocracy destroys the Institute under the guise of bioethical concerns. Everyone is killed at the Institute's craft except for a woman and her daughter, escaping on a Gundam.
The plot starts 21 years later. The corporatocracy now controls all creation of mobile suits and have opened a school specifically to train those who will work with the machines. Suletta Mercury, the girl who survived the destruction of the Vanadis Institute, enters the school with her Gundam, immediately making waves by saving a fellow student who is drifting in the space outside the school. The daughter of the most powerful man in the corporatocracy — Miorine Rembran is the cool, aloof tsundere we're all familiar with. Playing off the childish, stuttering Suletta the two wind up becoming friends...and then brides.
That comes because the school settles all disputes with duels between the mobile suits. Students wager anything they want prior to the duel then go to work pummeling each other in heavy machinery. The top duelist in the school is going to marry Miorine, as decided by her father, who also happens to be the chairman of the institute.
The series (which is ongoing right now), follows the petty squabbles and clique-y battles of those in the school. In the background is the grand politics of these corporations fighting each other and vying for prestige. It makes for an explosive, multi-layered story that keeps you glued to the screen. Current episodes have taken us into the nitty gritty of corporate management and business structure — a surprisingly entertaining topic and way for the characters to grow as individuals and a unit.
Of course, a lot of this is derivative of other series. "Revolutionary Girl Utena" comes first to mind, wherein a high school girl faces off in a series of duels at a high school to win the hand of her princess. Suletta and Miorine are also pretty much Hibiki and Chris from "Symphogear", right down to the hair even. Regardless, with so much going on and such an entertaining cast of characters, you'll hardly have time to notice the parallels before being totally immersed in this world.
Bad Hair Future
Speaking of hair, the hair on display here is a feat of imagination more fantastical than any other facet of the series. From Suletta's ponytail jutting from what appears to be the worst bed head in space to Miorine's mushroom that culminates in a flowing mullet, there is a level of hair here I haven't encountered since "Shiki".
"Gundam" is known for having German-inspired Baroque aesthetics. This time around it follows a more conventional science fiction style — with the occasional hint of the opulent offices and grand ballrooms that have become a core part of the "Gundam" style. While I don't know that I like how the mobile suits look in this series, the ships, stations, and interiors are all beautifully designed. I am filled with nerdy excitement anytime a conversation is held in a zero-g lobby or anytime we get exteriors of some sort of space tech. It's the simple things.
The action is also animated very well. Fights between mobile suits have some weight to them. There have been better series for showcasing the mobility, weight, and scope of these mechs, but "The Witch from Mercury" still manages to have great battles. A lot of this comes down to sound design as well, where weapon hits sound powerful and thrusters are loud. The show's soundtrack is also pretty solid — though the opening track is a middling number that could be applied to nearly any action anime with the same effect.
A Fun Gundam Series, But Will it be a Classic?
"Gundam" is a storied franchise with a lot of classic iterations — likely the best known in America being the 90's entry point for many of us, "Gundam Wing". The franchise has maintained a stranglehold on a portion of pop culture by owning the model kit market but hasn't had much dominance in the anime scene since those 90's iterations. At time of writing we are eight episodes in and "Gundam" series tend to run 48-ish episodes. The plot is still very fluid, meaning it could go anywhere. We've seen only hints of the over-arching plot and I can safely say I don't know what the end point of this story is. That's exciting and having seen some of the darkness underneath the cutesy school antics, I can see this getting into some intense territory in the coming weeks and months.
With that in mind I'm going to wrap this review by saying "The Witch from Mercury" was a huge surprise this season and has become one of my most anticipated weekly releases (alongside "Spy x Family" and "Chainsaw Man"). While it doesn't reinvent the wheel, it is an entertaining distraction with loveable characters, good action, and a multi-layered plot that will keep viewers guessing.
Oh, and get ready to never be able to hear "Happy Birthday to You" without being miserable.
Rating: 3/4 Stars
"Mobile Suit Gundam: The Witch from Mercury" is available on Crunchyroll.
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Sean Newgent has been with KGUN9 since January of 2020 and is Good Morning Tucson's executive producer. He graduated from Illinois State University with a degree in broadcast journalism. He is a critic and cultural commentator. Share your story ideas and important issues with Sean by emailing sean.newgent@kgun9.com.
