Kidou Senshi Gundam: Suisei no Majo

Gundam’s multiple timelines and universes often keep people away, which is a shame as shows like G Witch perfectly sum up why Gundam is one of the biggest franchises of all time.

For me, G Witch is one of the best Gundam series ever, and the best modern iteration for two simple reasons. 1:Cute Girls. 2:Yuri. In all seriousness, it’s such a breath of fresh air to have two awesome female leads with such great personalities and a naturally developing relationship. Sulletta’s social anxiety is extremely relatable and you can’t help but want to see her succeed. Miorine’s prickly personality that she uses to cover up ... her own insecurities and fears is also something many people can relate to. The two leads just feel real and that’s one of the hardest things to nail in this medium. In a franchise that is known for insane space battles, political drama and cool mechs, it’s also a massive bonus to have loveable characters.

I think the Yuri undertones have been handled really well. Pretty obvious, but not too in your face either. Suletta and Miorine’s friendship is integral to the story and the cornerstone of their growth as individuals and it’s been such a joy to see it play out in this first cour. I enjoy seeing female protagonists and romantic relationships more than traditional hetero ones as they tend to be better written and more organic. That said, there’s still a lot more room for growth and I can’t wait to see where things go in the second cour.

The school setting is a really nice departure from the usual Gundam formula as well. The various cliques and politics going on within the school are a cool take on the usual political drama in Gundam. In many ways, G Witch really feels like Gundam for a modern audience which is really good because the same things that made Gundam popular in the 70s and 80s, might not be the wave to ride right now. Knowing how to modernise and adapt franchises for modern audiences is important to stay relevant and it seems sunrise have managed to just do that. The series still has that Gundam feeling, but feels very fresh. Even the character designs are a welcome upgrade.

Of course you can’t talk about Gundam without talking about.. well.. gundams. In the show we haven’t seen too much action as it’s mainly been character driven over this first cour. That said, in the few action scenes we have had, I have been really pleased with the sakuga. The blending of 2D and 3D animation/CGI has been nearly flawless and the set pieces have been meticulously drawn and executed. I imagine as things heat up in the second cour, we will see even better action sequences and crazier battles, but I have no doubt in my mind Sunrise will do a great job. Minor note, but sound design has also been GREAT in the series too. I think it’s a detail that often gets brushed over in anime, but I really like it in this one.

Overall, Gundam G Witch is a great watch for Gundam Vets and newcomers alike and one of my fave shows of 2022. No, you do NOT have to have seen any other Gundams to watch and enjoy this. The other gundams will allow you to see the character parallels between new characters and ones from other series, but it’s not necessary. In fact, I would say this is an excellent starting point for those looking to get into the franchise, as well as those who enjoy well written female characters, mechs and sci-fi in general.

Gundam G Witch first Cour gets 10 tomatoes out of 10.

This was my first time watching a Gundam anime, and I feel like I have been bamboozled. Why, you ask? Because the prologue showed quite the dark space story that had me quite excited for what the series would bring. Instead, this show took place in an academy, and had all your academia tropes in there, which felt like a complete 360 from what I expected, which was more of a political show. Does that mean that The Witch From Mercury was bad? Not exactly, but I did have my fair share of issues with it. Now, I am quite aware that this was just ... the first cour, and I am quite certain that this will be the weakest cour of this show. There was still some intrigue here, with the politics and character interactions, and I look forward to where that goes.

As I said earlier, this show took place mostly in an academy so far, which, for more seasoned Gundam veterans, must have felt a bit surprising and perhaps a bit underwhelming. For me, it also felt a bit shocking considering the prologue, but the production looked pretty good early on that made it quite enjoyable. The things that I took more issue with in the plot was that the students seemed to hold so much power, and there were no higher authorities to speak of, other than the parents, but it’s not like the parents controlled the academy or anything. The students could just do as they pleased, harming each other like no one’s business.

The duels were also quite a convenient plot device to settle disputes, and I felt that took away some of the potential this show had to show how good it could be. It didn’t allow for the characters to shine in ways outside of battle enough, and while the duels are cool to look at, it does get a bit predictable and repetitive. It’s not all negative though, as the political themes were still interesting enough to keep me watching. The mind games surrounding the ethics of Gundam suits, the war between the companies, Prospera’s role in all of this, it felt quite intriguing, but it’s still too early to know where the plot will go from here. Overall, quite a mixed bag, story-wise.

As for the technical aspects of the show, it’s definitely the least of this series’ worries. Both the animation and music were well done, and the OP and ED were both quite the good songs. I just hope the production can stay afloat for the second cour, as we’ve already had some production issues this cour.

The characters of this show are definitely the biggest source of intrigue in this show, and I’ll go over my thoughts on some of them. First, Suletta, the new Bocchi of the Gundam Franchise, just without the comedic aspect. She’s a dunce, plain and simple, and sometimes, I did get a little frustrated by how gullible she was, but as with most protagonists, she had her time to shine, but sadly there just wasn’t enough development this cour for her. She just needs more moments that rely on her skills more, and not getting bailed out by others. Her performance in the promotional video for the company was pretty cool though, I’m not gonna lie. Miorine, the other half to this relationship, could have been a great character, and when she shows her prowess, she’s quite awesome, but too much of her screen time was centred around meaningless things, such as yelling at Suletta, which was a bit repetitive. Luckily she had more meaningful moments toward the end of the cour.

Shaddiq was a good side character, as I never really got a handle on his motives, though I was suspicious of what he would do. It made the climaxes a bit more shocking for sure. As for other interesting characters, Chuchu, Elan, and Nika come to mind, but it’s still quite early for me to formulate a firm opinion on them.

Overall, this was a series filled with solid ideas, with middling execution at times. I enjoyed watching the characters and the politics enough, and the production quality was solid. I’d imagine the future cours will get me more interested in what this series has to offer, so if you’re interested in a more unique Gundam story that’s a slow burn, this could be the Gundam for you. This was my first Gundam show, so I can’t compare this to other parts of the franchise, but all I can say is, the GUND-ARM promotional video was the best part of all.

From what I hear, Witch From Mercury was conceptualized with the intent of bringing in a whole new audience to the Gundam property—mainly modern teenagers, who apparently, according to one of the show’s producers, don’t care about the Gundam franchise because of their inability to relate to it. As an attempt to remedy that issue, and reel in this new, sought-after demographic, the leads were chosen to be two high school-aged girls, and the premise to be mapped out as a high school battle anime, in the vein of someshit like Utena, if you believe the comparisons. On paper, this sounds awful—a vein way of ... appealing to zoomers, like myself, for that sweet, sweet Gunplay money, but, the strange thing is, this grand plan seemingly went off without a hitch. Witch from Mercury has, more or less, revitalized the franchise and purposefully repackaged it for the modern age. I remember the buzz around Iron-Blooded Orphans, but it was nothing like this; I see talk about this show from communities and individuals who’ve never taken an active interest in the franchise before, so yeah, whatever it is, it’s working, and working well.

But what do I, a pretty avid Gundam fan, think of Witch From Mercury? Well, I can certainly tell you that I was worried, and like a night in Prague without pizza or beer, there was an absence of comfort, chief of which was the lack of the Cowboy King, Yoshiyuki Tomino. It could just be that the shows I haven’t seen, like SEED, are masterpieces, lying in wait, and that I just watched all the bad AUs, but sadly, the handful of non-Tomino Gundam projects in my catalogue didn’t exactly live up to the standard I’d come to expect from the franchise (with the exception of 0080). Simply put, no one is nearly autistic enough to replicate Tomino’s genius, aside from maybe one guy whose name has one too many “O’s” in it. Nothing is going to be as iconic and influential as 0079; nothing is going to be as insane and psychopathic as Zeta; nothing is going to be as finalizing as CCA; nothing is going to be as underrated as Victory; nothing is going to be as beautiful as Turn A; and nothing is going to be as Genki as G-Reco. If the show was veering away from franchise norms this hard, and without Tomino’s guidance, I was primed and ready for some sharks to be jumped over, signalling the permanent decline of the once great empire known as “Kidooou Sennshii Gundamuu.” In all honesty, though, it’s most definitely just my heavy, heavy Tomino bias, but I think any new Gundam project without Tomino is always going to be fighting an uphill battle, on the very hill it’ll eventually die on—you can only have so many cardboard characters smashing into each other in psychic-powered tin suits before it gets tedious. So, naturally, I’ve come into Witch From Mercury with worried and sceptical expectations, but at the same time, with my fingers crossed behind my back, secretly hoping to be proven wrong.

It was then that, upon finishing the prologue on Sunrise’s YouTube channel, my worries of shark jumpery were gently put at ease, and it became immediately apparent that whoever was writing this was one smart cookie. Oh! It was Ooukouchi? I didn’t see you there, buddy. Well, doesn’t that just explain everything then? No wonder what I was watching actually impressed me.

Anyways, thankfully, after dipping my toes into what this new AU had to offer, I wasn’t so much worried anymore, but I was certainly still sceptical, and rightly so. The conceit was undeniably a departure from what I was used to coming from the franchise, and that sentiment seemed to be shared throughout the online discourse surrounding the show. However, the buzz tended to be centred around how this change was somehow a bad thing—capitalizing on current trends, and pandering for the purpose of reeling in a younger audience—and yeah, normally I’d be right there beside them; I mean, who doesn’t hate secondaries, right? But then I saw her, Suletta, and all the pessimism was absolved from my body like a spike of black-tar heroin in a recovering junkie’s veins. Like a final hit of final hits, I was pulled right back into the franchise I’d come to call my favourite.

With a decade-spanning, multi-universal franchise as big as Gundam’s, you get a good variety of protagonists; whether that be the idealistic, traumatized war hero Amuro, the spiteful, immature Kamille, or the laidback, gigachad Judou. But the Gundam protagonists that have always resonated the most with me are the downright autistic, idiots—a prime example being Bellri Zenam, who is, at once, both a completely oblivious, braindead autist, but also an incredibly endearing, lovable, charismatic goofball. Suletta, as a Gundam protagonist, definitely subscribes to Bellri’s special blend of autism, but with the pacifism and demeanour of someone like Loran, and, to be honest, the show wouldn’t have been the same without it. Suletta is, more or less, my favourite thing about Witch From Mercury, and I’m certainly not alone in saying that—all you need is one good look at twitter or something—but, like most things, there are detractors downplaying the quality of her character because they’ve been conditioned to lash out at anything that doesn’t fit inside their narrow purview of what a protag should be. Like, wow, this character really makes people seethe, and, unsurprisingly, it’s all old UCheads: the same people that get upset whenever a new series isn’t just 0079 with a new coat of paint.

It’s ironic that I say my favourite part of Witch From Mercury is Suletta because she’s often used as a scapegoat to defame the show and devalue its credibility as a “serious Gundam.” I don’t know how to put this nicely, but yes, Sulleta is a legitimate bumbling moron, that much is true, though, when I say that, I say it with the utmost love and affection because it’s for that very reason that I, and many others, find her endearing. People argue that having a character like Suletta, front and centre for a show like Gundam, is an inherently bad idea cause of their arbitrary need for “deep,” “multifaceted,” or “serious” characters in they space opera, but what they’re missing is that Suletta is actually a smarter, stronger, and just better, character than most people give her credit for, and despite the stuttering being a polarizing character trait for some, I think her verbal ticks only add to that.

A lot of the nuance in Suletta comes from Ookouchi’s prequel story, Cradle of Earth, from which details are mentioned in passing during the show but purposely aren’t elaborated on, so for anyone wanting the full context on Suletta, the story is important—she’s not a stuttering idiot for a meme, and when you look into her upbringing, her mannerisms start to make sense. Suletta grew up completely isolated from other children, robbed of the ability to make connections and socially develop, only ever experiencing snippets of a typical childhood through their portrayal in the anime, movies and novels of Aeriel’s library. She leant—and continues to lean—on her mother’s mantra like a crutch to get through even the most mundane decisions of day-to-day living, oblivious to the fact she was—and is still—being used as a tool for her Machiavellian schemes. “Don’t beg for it, earn-” wait, that’s not right, it’s “If you move forward, you gain two,” whatever that fucking means. Getting to the point, the prequel illustrates just how brave Suletta actually is, without the added mental stress of having to match pace with her—comparatively—well-adjusted peers. Suletta is confident and affluent, but as we see in the series, it takes time for her to settle in, and as we all know, even hell can get comfy once you’ve settled in. So, with all that context in mind, to me, when Suletta starts vomiting hot spaghetti all over Miorine’s shoes, it’s actually the most endearing thing about her. Despite struggling and tripping through relationships, belting out sentences like a perpetrator of domestic violence, Suletta’s almost chivalrous ideals and values hold steady, in a way so earnest, that other characters fail to replicate it. Her stumbling, rambling, mumbling, murmuring and muttering is quite literally the most charming thing about her.

Speaking of Miorine, based solely on the first couple of episodes, I thought I’d hate her guts. I couldn’t tell if she was “the shit,” or just plain ol’ shit. I thought she’d be just another tsun-tsun bitch—what with how abrasive she is towards the pure wholesomeness that is Suletta—but little did I know, that with time, she would reveal herself to be one helluva stylin’, profilin’, limousine-riding, jet-flying, kiss-stealing, wheelin’ n’ dealin’ son of a gun. And in case that didn’t clear up anything, it just means she’s based and she don’t take no shit from no one—bitch smokes her stogie wherever she wants. Together, Suletta and Miorine are like a gay Kennedy and Heidi: two young girls, completely out of their element, unwittingly serving the nefarious purposes of their betters, where one is behind the wheel, steering the course, and the other is dragged along for the ride, but on this road, the steel is cheap, and the coal stretches.

Now, putting the characters and plot aside for a moment, it bears mentioning that Ookouchi and the director, Kobayashi Hiroshi, styles’ clash together particularly well. I know, “clash,” isn’t the most flattering way to describe the synergy between director and writer, but with these creatives in mind, I thought it only appropriate. Kobayashi Hiroshi was not a name I was immediately familiar with, but upon taking a closer look at his body of work, I discovered he directed a couple episodes of Kill la Kill, one of which, episode 5, features the passing assassin, Tsugumu, rolling into town like Anton Chigurh and stirring all sorts of shit in the coolest way possible. The episode in question, and the specific way in which its events transpire, exemplifies what I love about Ookouchi’s, and by association, Tomino’s writing styles: chaos and kinetic energy. Now, Witch From Mercury doesn’t necessarily watch like Kill la Kill—well, actually, it doesn’t resemble Kill la Kill at all—but, it possesses this constant pace and energy that courses through its veins, in a way that reminds me of the fire and momentum of Kill la Kill, coupled with the senseless yet harnessed insanity of Valvrave. The episode, “Shall we Gundam?” illustrates the intersection of where these two different styles meet; in terms of pacing and tone, it comes off like the tournament section of KLK but with the conceit of something right out of Valvrave: a shark tank-esque battle of persuasion and logistics, in which the momentum of KLK is harnessed into the idea of promoting a business venture start-up. Albeit toned down from both KLK and Valvrave, it was a fantastic idea for an episode and it was just as fun to watch play out. I could practically see Ookouchi laughing in the background as Suletta somehow spills several glasses of champagne over herself out of literally nowhere. Thankfully, the show is smart not to squander that creativity either, as the next handful of episodes run with the idea, and are dedicated to the planning, organization and management of the aforementioned start-up, with various factions vying for potential control over the company and the eponymous Gundam, Ariel. It’s good shit.

I’d say it’s the themes of Tomino’s 0079 that make it as beloved and remembered as it is, and I’d say it’s these same themes—whether it be war, environmentalism, displacement, adolescence or maternity—that give Gundam its beating heart, and Ookouchi obviously knows this. He’s careful not to completely replace the ideas of Tomino’s original work, but to expand upon them and enrich them. There’s a heavy backdrop of capitalism given to the Spacian-Earthian conflict in Witch From Mercury, and to illustrate the ensuing economic tensions, Ookouchi presents a society in which Earthian workers are forced to labour away their entire lives under the boot of Spacian economic dominance—a dominance with the power to dispose of Earthian protesters under the pretence of “business administrative laws,” which classify protesters as “illegal occupants” on public property.

In a similar manner, a lot of thought is given to the portrayal of the media and how it reflects the Spacian-Earthian dichotomy. In the prologue, a political talk show broadcast is shown briefly, featuring a general poll of issues the public wants policymakers to discuss, split up to contrast the concerns of the Earthian and Spacian populations respectively. The Earthian side is filled with votes for things like poverty reduction, fair trade and the educational gap, whereas the Spacian side is more focused on defence, security, free competition and infrastructure. Small stuff like this really goes a long way as far as compelling and competent world-building, giving the audience insight into the bureaucratic happenings of the A.U. without having to explain large chunks of detail directly through exposition. It's only brief as well, which gives you the impression that we, the audience, are learning information at the same pace as the characters, as opposed to other shows, where the storyboards are like, "Look what's happening on the news! Look at this screen in the show!" which, more often than not, completely takes you out of it. Now, the really interesting part is that, 21 years later, during the main show, the media is so influenced by Spacian capital, that it makes Earthians feel like an oppressed minority group, reflecting a shift in the wider society of the show, corroborated by the Spacian prejudice towards Earthians we see often at Asticassia. Again, making a point to stop and show us the classism and discrimination rampant on Earth (and in space) with the aforementioned protest and the inherent power imbalance it demonstrates. This is the level of world-building and detail I’ve come to expect from the franchise, and what I found to be profoundly and sorely lacking from more modern entries like Furuhashi’s Unicorn and Yoshizawa’s NT.

To cut to the chase, I’m thankful for this show, and I’m thankful that it was good. Witch From Mercury has, for better or for worse, reinstilled my faith in this franchise post-G-reco, and it’s reassured me that even with Tomino pretty much gone from the spotlight, Gundam will still be in good hands for the foreseeable future. Gundam, as a franchise, may be a soulless marketing machine, but it’s a good one, and I’m glad it exists and can still produce shows like this. I’m glad this anime was made, and I’m glad I picked it up. Who knows, maybe Witch From Mercury really did jump the shark, but even if it did, it sure as hell didn’t drown. There’s still a ton more to this show that I haven’t mentioned yet, but seeing as it ain’t even complete, I can’t be fucked to write anymore. Stuff like the bioethical implications surrounding the GUND format really impressed me, as does the Tempest allusions, and the sheer amount of threads Ookouchi leaves hanging for schizos on /m/ to run wild with, particularly with the ambiguity surrounding the time skip. Actually, truth be told, I’m absolutely terrified that some of those theories might legitimately come true. See you guys for cour 2 ;)

Goodbye and Goodnight.

After an amazing Prologue episode that was full of action and tragedy, the show decides to leave war and politics and become a generic girly comedy show similar to many moe/otomoe/SoL animes with recycled, cliché jokes, overused character templates, and other dumb tropes.

Not only the show decided to rip off Utena, but it's really plotless. 4 episodes so far and there is no real plot. it's just "haha awkward dumb girl getting in awkward situations and everyone wants to bang/bully her xD" kind of show.
it's cringe, it's awful and is tasteless... specifically made for the average standardless anime fan who just wants to lust over ... animu girls and ship them or jerk off.
The Main character wastes episodes time with her stuttering and it's getting old too fast and annoying.

Let's talk about the Godawful stupid settings, which is a school controlled by the elite, everyone learn about mobile suits and be forcibly married if someone won a duel.
sounds stupid enough? not yet, blatant cheating is allowed, messing with students' mobile suit to make them fail is allowed, being a jerk and bully is allowed, using your father to instant-win is allowed... all very terrible excuse to make "Aww the MC is having rough days :(" kinda feeling but it's just stupid by all means.
What the heck is the point of this of school? and why anyone can marry anyone they want forcibly?
this sounds like a slavery system and not school.

Also the fact that the mega corps in this universe can go bankrupt, lose ground and collapse because of some teenager drama in some private school makes this show incredibly stupid.

The world building is extremely unrealistic. the characters are unrealistic and are either "overreaction funny character D:" or "oooh the silent mysterious character"

Also all the reasons for mech battles so far are extremely idiotic.
A character asks a character to a duel just so the latter doesn't talk to another character
A character asks a character to a duel just to be his bride
A character asks a character to a duel just to cancel marriage
A character asks a character to a duel to fight another character.
etc..

seriously, this is hands down one of the worst writing I ever saw. 5 episodes and there's nothing but marriage and dates with the MC. there's no real plot, it's hard to believe a big company approved this awful plot.

A lot of people use the "Why can't Gundam be different for once?" argument, but Gundam never tried to do the same thing.
ZZ was lighthearted compared to Zeta
0080 was different
0083 was Top Gun with Gundam
Victory was a slaughterhouse
G was DBZ with Gundam
Wing focused on politics and world peace
X was more adventure-y in post-apocalyptic world
Seed, 00, G-Reco and IBO weren't the same either
they were all shows about how war is bad, but Witch from Mercury isn't like this, it's a random comedy generic show.

What a disappointment of a show.
if you hate mechas and politics, you might like this dumb show.
if you are here to watch Gundam or mecha fights, watch something else.

The Prologue to The Witch from Mercury was a mostly poor and unneeded forerunner for the series. Now we get to see a new Gundam for the current generation, many of whom probably missed out on older entries to the long-running franchise. What do we get? Instead of following around adolescent male protagonist soldiers, we get our first female protagonist and school life, only this academy is a colony that may or may not get dropped, but it definitely should get the latter treatment. With the entire cast locked inside.

The setting and early plot points are highly reminiscent of Revolutionary Girl Utena. We have ... a familiar looking academy, just updated with sci-fi scenery; d-d-duels are a primary part of the plot; a few characters are battling over waifus, corporate contracts, pride, and flat-out dumb reasons like a kindergarten show and tell of feelings. Suletta accidentally gets engaged to a very bratty, immature, whiny tsundere female named Miorine near the beginning—certain scenes held up side by side smack of imitation, and if you've seen Utena, the similarities can be a little tedious and, frankly, inauthentic. Yet these comparisons are superficial, as TWfM doesn't do anything especially notable with these ideas, as Utena did—the staff just reused a bit of the icing to dress up their Easy-Bake Oven cake. In fact, this show would be better if it were a knock-off of Utena instead of the bland Mobile Suit Gundam: Mercury Witch High School series that it becomes. A perfect comparison of the two would be to point out how Anthy in Utena tends to a rose garden, while Miorine is growing tomatoes. Roses are associated with aesthetic beauty, while tomatoes have a more basic function. Yet no one eats these tomatoes. TWfM is the non-aesthetic tomato left to rot on the vine.

From what I can tell and based on commentary from the staff, it does appear TWfM is yuri bait of a very touchy-feely variety, and the two leads will remain close friends. However, I suppose future installments of TWfM could become a real yuri. Given the storytelling employed thus far, it probably SHOULD be a yuri, but it doesn't look like it will. Usually when you have these kind of unwitting fiance plots, there's tension and a possibility they might develop feelings for one another, so it at least has some significance, but that doesn't even appear to be there. What we have appears to be a weird bait and switch to get the two closely entwined and to stir controversy and generate interest in a cheap fashion. The yuri bait at first appeared to be like "No, father, I will defy your arranged marriage because it doesn't line up with the target audience's values, but instead of casting it aside all together this girl I met yesterday will be my new suitress, and it's not like I like her or anything, b-baka!" Whereas Utena also wasn't REALLY a yuri (it's complicated), it had a kind of fairytale-filtered and surreal take on themes of lesbianism and feminism, which at least were handled in a confident manner; on the other hand, TWfM is content to recycle a key plot point in a way that is merely distracting.

And, indeed, it seems it will just be yuri bait in the same way that most shounen tend to engage in "romance bait," where there is this vague kind-of-sort-of-but-not-really relationship that is just a heightened affection implied by googly-eyes, blushes, stammering embarrassment (we'll get plenty of that either way...), and occasional cringe humor, but it never goes anywhere for like 200-300 episodes. Except this is even more of a not-romance than that! As this is a shounen promising the "rose-tinted" high school/university life, we're sure to get a not-romance of this nature within a not-romance of some other fashion, so this is like a matryoshka doll of banal not-romances waiting to be unraveled.

The worst part of all is that I'd rather not have the plot be bogged down with OMG BESTIES! LET'S TELL EACH OTHER OUR SECRETS AND COUNT OUR BOO BOOS AND PAINT OUR NAILS MATCHING COLORS or a yuri romance sailing short ship. Romance has always been a part of Gundam, but these "intrigues of the heart" tend to be thin and secondary to politics, action, and other character dynamics. Alternative candidates for romance are Elan and Guel, but I'd rather have NO ROMANCE, as these characters are just not built for romancing.

The characters are generic. Suletta stands out not so much for being a female protagonist as she does a jittery, anxious mess of a character who s-s-stutters and doesn't complett... sentences verr good, and hides behind people when things get heated and shakes in her boots. I keep thinking she's going to shake her way off a balcony or a cliff out of nervousness; that is, when she's not sounding like a self-help book, in or out of battle.

We get a double-dose of tsundere push-pull, not only with the aforementioned brat, but also with "Chuchu," whose name is a direct reference to Utena, and she sports a goofy pink cotton candy Minnie Mouse-eared hairdo. When we compare characters to food, tsundere are usually "spicy," but this one is "sweet." Usually, there is a kind of balance for the most feisty of tsunderes, but they make her as irritating as possible, so her "character development" will be easier. Just a revolting character in all ways, and if the staff had any respect for the audience, she would be the first to be vaporized by a beam rifle.

Though you could make that a triple latte, as Guel Jeturk (is this supposed to sound like cruel jerk?) is a male tsundere, because we just needed another one. While Elan may end up one of the more interesting characters due to plot purposes, all you need to know about him is that he's referred to as the "I-I-Ice P-Prince" and he has about as much personality as a sheet of ice. His initial arc is meant to be the first great emotional high point, but it feels so shockingly flat, part of that being a product of his emptiness as a character.

The costume design consists of the most baggy "Does this make me look fat?" school uniforms I've ever seen, and the character design is mostly hampered by ill-fitting costumes, and while they're not too bothersome at first, I yearn to see the art of just about any other Gundam when watching this. The mobile suits look so shiny and brand new as to have just been r-ripped out of the plastic wrap at the toy store. It can be a mixed bag, but they actually integrate the CGI pretty well most of the time. Sometimes the mechs become very detailed or more hand-drawn looking. The battles are also surprisingly decent, fairly well-animated much of the time, and the stunts they pull during combat are inventive enough to the point that it feels like we might have different schools of combat, which is a plus. Gundam usually succeeds when it comes to combat and production values at least.

Given that this is, to my knowledge, the first gundam that has a fixation on school life, as opposed to war, it's a necessity to make a few comparisons here to past series. The tone is a bit childish, and I wonder if this will remain the case once we're thrust into the war, or if the silly tone will somehow remain omnipresent for the entire duration—the characters, the visuals, etc., really make me think this will remain a circus (the ending is a hilarious contrast, though). Despite being a show targeting teens (probably younger as well) and first airing in 1979, the original Mobile Suit Gundam was a hell of a lot darker and more mature than TWfM to the point that it makes me blush.

A real problem is the amount of p-p-p-plot armor stacked on Suletta. A main character, by definition, has plot armor. If they're dead, the story is over, usually. But as the duels arose, one by one, there was a clear pattern when it came to the victor, and less tension every time. Comparing this to the original MSG, Amuro started the series as an amateur who essentially learned fast and could adapt to the Gundam better than your average human, while also piloting an advanced model. Both of these perks gave him an edge over combatants, but his inexperience was often taken advantage of, especially when the seasoned Char would knock him around. The plot had enough unpredictability that Amuro would lose, have his Gundam totaled, nearly die, have to retreat, etc. War allows for a lot of possibilities.

It's really not quite as varied with dueling. It's b-binary: you win or you lose. The stakes are set so high by the opponents that for Suletta to lose, would mean the series ending. Either she is forced to leave the academy or give up her Gundam or various other ultra-high stakes which would muck up the plot if she were to lose. It's possible you could make her lose with those stakes and somehow regain what she's lost by some means, but the writers seem content to not only remove nearly all tension, but to take the standard route of Suletta is like Amuro, but she starts off as an ace pilot who can't lose. They even use the she's an anxious klutz at everything, but by golly she's an adept of the highest order when she sets foot in that Gundam and fights, trope, as if to rub it in our faces.

The story consists of a bunch of threads that aren't woven together in an especially compelling way. Suletta acquaints herself with various characters, the scenes being drawn out a bit longer to give her room to stutter. Shrill Miorine working out daddy issues and the yuri manipulation. There is some messy love geometry. Kids being kids, which should more accurately be referred to as high school/college freshman acting like they're in grade school. Light corporate dynamics—which are the only thing making the duels standout, so it's a shame this aspect is so weak. Multicultural/multiplanetal and inclusive Earthians (fat characters, anime, really?) without a gym versus exclusive and elitist Spacian clans with free gym membership. Drama leading to d-d-duels that span most of an episode. It might appear quite busy or complex from a distance, but when you look at the constituent parts, there's hardly anything of substance. There's so much going on that we get the bare minimum of everything, and a whole lot of mech battles with no tension—but they're cool and flashy at least.

Suletta Mercury seems to be from Tomino's Dunbine school of character naming, with such classics as Frozen Marvel and Weapon Shot, and the world they inhabit in that series is a fantasy/sci-fi spin on the medieval period. Similar to early periods of history, her pseudonymous surname evokes her point of origin, which led me to imagine a solar system spanning epic like Five Star Stories, and I was thinking of the Gundam pilots as honorable knights hailing from different feudal space kingdoms. It would have been a cool revamp, but instead we get something that's supposed to be relatable to a new zoomer audience, so we get lame stuff like school competition and d-d-duels, anxious teens, manipulative teens, bullying teens, and just a whole lot of angst and attitude. Y-y-yawn.

After the failures of implementing SoL and filler moments in Build Diver + Re: Rise, we finally got an enjoyable SoL moments.

What's wrong with combining Gundam and School, leaving the politics for later? Gundam is trying a new thing by doing some cliche stuff, and it slaps good. Moreover, a brand new world that newcomers can enjoy.

What I love about this series is they try to be different while keeping the concept of spacians vs earthians. The series also has great dialogue, the opening and ending themes are filled with proper meaning from Aerial's perspective, and the sakuga is amazing.

This series is scattered like a ... puzzle.
1. The prologue that hasn't been told the year in the official site
2. The official short novel that took place after Elnora came to Mercury but not told what year exactly, revealing Aerial has personality(they released this short novel around eps 1 btw), and Elnora's revenge. This Short Novel is also the base of the opening lyrics.
3. The TV series that finally has clear of what year the story takes place.

Because of the official haven't told what year the prologue and short novel took place, there's a high possibility that they have more twist hidden.

Gundam is one of the most expansive anime franchises in the medium. From the original series and universal timeline, to Build Fighters and the hundreds of gunpla, it is incredibly difficult for a new fan to get into this massive media expanse, to the point that anything that releases seems to be a bit alienating. However, rejoice new watchers, for this is a blank slate with no more than a few passing homages and one prequel episode, a gateway series for new fans looking to dive head first into a legendary franchise. Full of wonder and headlined by a veteran of anime production, along with ... a studio that has a storied history with both Gundam and mecha in general, and you have a glorious cocktail of potential and prowess. Now does it live up to that standard? Well, so far it certainly has been.

First off, the story is set immediately after the prologue episode. Witch from Mercury gives us a universe of politics and economics intertwined with action and potential romance. Our lead character, Suletta Mercury, has just landed at her new school after transferring from her home planet of Mercury, only to get caught in a storm of challenges after helping a fellow student. This already sets a different standard compared to the usual Gundam fare of a war-torn space conflict with child-soldiers and the horrors of loss, but the first few episodes do a good job at building off the political standard set in the prologue. It’s certainly no comparison to the likes of the U.C. Timeline or Gundam Seed in terms of politics and war, at least not yet, but it does establish a clear picture of how this universe works and who the major players currently are, along with their mindsets and positions of power. While it seems like this series will be a bit less gritty in terms of war, there is a clear conflict being set up and it seems like the production team will get a good balance between the school-life and harsher atmosphere Gundam fans might be used to without oversaturating the audience with to much of either.

The main characters already have given a strong first showing, coupled with our very first female lead for a main Gundam anime. Suletta is certainly different from previous protagonists you might know in the Gundam universe, especially with her much more meek demeanor. She has a clear lack of social skills, a departure from the usual fair of Gundam heroes already having a few companions, and her optimistic outlook on life despite a seemingly rough upbringing gives some extra layers to her character, especially after the prologue. Coupled with a somewhat unique motivation compared to other protagonists, Sulleta feels like a new take on the Gundam hero with wells of potential. Miorine(who has been affectionately dubbed “Space Weiss” by fans of RWBY) is a bit more standard for Gundam fans with a more realistic disposition on her life, but still carrying an air of honesty and individuality that helps define herself. The two have some good chemistry in their scenes and help define the tone of the show with their interactions. Oh, and of course there’s Chuchu. Nothing more to say there.

Our antagonists do feel a bit more stereotypical with what the Gundam franchise is known for, persons of interest with immense political and military power over both the protagonists and civilian characters. Delling feels like a character straight out of the original Zabi family, which isn’t an easy thing to do considering the legacy those characters have left. Despite this, it is still a bit early to get a read on Delling and the rest of the potential antagonists, as their only real character traits at this point are that of the power-hungry politician. Hopefully we get to see some other sides to these characters with more episodes.

The visuals thus far are just spectacular, clearly showing Sunrise’s experience with animating both giant mechs and smaller character moments. The dramatic flare of the motion combined with the vibrant colors makes for a sight to see, and while a few of the human character shots look a tad stiff, they are few and far between. The backgrounds feel properly expansive with the high scenery and contrasting outer space, making for a unique world that can only be found in a Gundam anime. You can tell that the animators are pouring their hearts and souls into this and so far, the results are really showing. Combined with the bombastic soundtrack and sound design, it feels like a proper Gundam series that holds nothing back on the production front.

Of course, this also extends to the action, and good god it is breathtaking. 2D mechs are something of a rare sight in anime these days, which makes the beautiful gundam frames stand out even more among the different series that are airing or have aired in recent times. When compared to CGI models, there is practically no contest in how the mechs move and flow on screen, with a graceful momentum and powerful impact that you feel from every strike and block. Coupled with some mobile suits already showing some unique aspects and fighting styles, this makes for some imaginative choreography along with some combat in interesting setpieces and backgrounds. Of course, it's Gundam, so this is to be expected, but considering the already high standards set by both classics and that of the previous decade, Witch From Mercury doesn’t just meet the bar, but is potentially setting a new standard of 2D mech action.

The Gundams and mobile suits aren’t the only things that shine with the splendid animation. The character designs are snappy with clearly defining characteristics and features that fit right at home in the franchise. Suletta’s red hair and slightly tanned skin, signifying her heritage of Mercury and somewhat hidden, yet clearly defined passion for her Ariel. Miorine with her snow-white hair and platinum eyes showing off a chillingly firm difference between her and Suletta in terms of appearance and personality. Other characters have a wide assortment of wacky and quirky designs that work wonderfully in both the Gundam universe and school setting, making almost every character look completely unique from one another.

Now Despite all these positives, there is something of a major issue that needs to be addressed, and that is this show’s glaringly similar aspects to that of “Revolutionary Girl Utena.” I have not seen the show myself yet, but I do understand where these similarities lie. However, it is still important to consider that the concept pushed by Utena is not exclusive to that show itself, just as Mecha anime is not exclusive to the Gundam franchise. Whether or not it will become a rip-off or “Budget Utena” is something to be decided after it has aired, not while we still have yet to see just what it has to offer. There is also the concern of Suletta’s personality becoming over dramatic and annoying to hear, especially with her stuttering. While it certainly isn’t the most pleasant to hear, Kana Ichinose gives the character’s voice an emotional wellspring that conveys her thoughts and emotions, for better and worse.

Mixing all of these things together creates a cocktail of potential, and it is certainly off to a pleasant start. It's hard to say if it will end up becoming a beloved entry to the franchise, or fall flat from a tragic downfall. Either way, The Witch From Mercury has been a fresh entry to the Gundam franchise that gives long-time fans something unique to sink their teeth in,while also granting newcomers an opening to the king of mecha anime. There are some kinks to work out, but the bar has more than been met for this future space opera.

This is not a review, mainly a short brief as to why this isn't the a gundam show you want to watch.

Basically Gundam is a war story that attracts you by using giant robots instead of conventional warfare. but This doesn't mean all gundam shows have to be about the same thing, each version of the franchise brings their own flavor to the table and allows for different perspectives and topics to handle.
For example:
If you want a war between 2 sides, anything UC will suffice
Do you want war but nothing too long winded and straight to the point, watch Wing or 00
Do you want ... cool mecha fights as the main focus, watch Iron blooded orphans
If you want no plot at all and just like the robots watch Build fighters

But regardless of your taste, Witch from Mercury doesn't satisfy any of these, it tries to emulate some of the selling oints of other gundam shows, but fails to truly commit to any of it making it come off as half assed.

Essentially this is not a review, just a rant from a pathetic fan who didn't get what I came for so I came onto the internet to complain :)

As a hardcore Gundam fan, it can be difficult to get others in to a forty year multi-media giant like Gundam. To the average anime fan, I could understand how one might roll their eyes when seemingly every other year, another entry into this colossal franchise airs. It's 2022 and once again, Gundam is demonstrating that it hasn't yet run out of ideas, and in doing so, has the potential to catapult yet another generation of Gundam fans forward into its rabbit-hole.

Right out the gate, Witch's prologue gives us a taste of what fans come to expect of the series. Space, war, and ... tragedy. Only for the a rather violent tonal shift to occur come the beginning of the series proper. Rather unexpectedly, the first few episodes hardly touch upon conventional Gundam subject matter at all. Instead, we're met with an Utena-esque backdrop, and greeted with a cast of flowery characters and a fairly whimsical state-of-affairs. To many, this might be a jarring departure from the franchise that's generally remembered for being a space-opera, loaded with bleak depictions of war, and allegory to many of humanity's darkest moments.

How does Witch reconcile Gundam's legacy with its new coat of paint? The answer is simple, subtlety. Unlike a show like Iron-Blooded Orphans, Witch doesn't feel the need to wear its themes on its sleeve. The presence of human suffering is but an undertone, as opposed to an overtone. However, upon closer inspection, Witch's "Ad Stella" timeline leaves more than enough to be analyzed. Mock mobile suit duels used as a front for military weapons development, corporate industry profiting off of the oppression of earth dwelling citizens, children experimented on, used, and paraded for the political interests of their factions. Any way you slice it, these ideas are what made Gundam what it is, and Witch doesn't run away from that fact. Long term fans should be able to see the writing on the wall, and newcomers might be in for a pleasant surprise as to the reality of what the "cute stuttery girl goes to highschool" show might be hiding.

At first glance the colorful aesthetic, bubbly heroine, or visibly archetypical characters may be off-putting. However, beneath the surface, I find it evident that Witch is a lot more than what meets the eye. Within just five episodes, the many characters that seemed monotone in personality, have begun to display atypical behavior that was expected of them. Owing to the present and future development this cast will undergo. Our heroine "Suletta" exists within an odd space, she lacks the edge that post-Gundam Wing protagonists have been stuck with, while simultaneously bearing a more horrifying backstory to many of her robot piloting contemporaries. She isn't some kid who happened to one day pilot the Gundam in the middle of a space war, or a war orphan bred for combat. She's a young girl whos aloof personality, and awkward nature is clearly a product of her less than conventional upbringing. A girl longing to be normal, in a situation where the powers that be would have anything but.

Production wise, Witch doesn't slouch either. The choreography and animation of mobile suit combat feels fluid, utilizing a diverse range of environments and locales for these hunks of metal to do battle in. The mecha designs are sleek, not suffering from the overly bulky aesthetics of Gundam Wing or X, while also not being overly jagged like 00, Iron-Blooded Orphans or Hathaway. They feel both familiar and modernized, sporting silhouettes akin to many Universal Century style designs. I do admit, some of the character designs do read as a bit phoned in, often displaying some very exaggerated hairstyles and color palettes. Nevertheless, it doesn't feel as though the show's animation suffers from these more intricate designs, a problem common in anime. Musically the show is a feast for the ears, previously the name "Takashi Ohmama" was one of unfamiliarity, however I'll now be being attention to anything this composer ventures to work on. Between sporting the names of the original creator of Code Geass and the original creator of Gundam itself, no doubt Sunrise is taking Witch seriously at the drawing board.

So far, Witch is a refreshing addition to a franchise, that by all accounts, should be able to easily fatigue itself beneath dozens of entries, timelines, and adaptations. While it offers an experience fairly distinct from conventional Gundam-fare, I would like to think it's hasn't forgotten its roots, and can be a fairly solid entry to Gundam's long list of TV anime. I recommend for long time fans of the series, and newcomers alike.

Alright... So, after the Prologue, i'd expect to come into a classic war drama, with good fight scenes, high stakes, and what do we get? Something that's barley even gundam. A high school anime with bad attempts at comedy, wasting the potential of the setting. It's mentioned that earth is oppressed by the megacorporations in control of the solar system, and yet, rather than focusing on the people of earth trying to rebel or something, we get a bunch of school kids doing generic shit, and maybe some random duels. I don't know how you can convince me this shit makes sense.

So these corporations ... are gonna send their state-of-the-art mobile suits, after what was probably extremely expensive R&D, to get destroyed because the son of the CEO, gets pissed at the daughter of another CEO? Outside of this, is the series' tone, which is way too happy for my tastes. If it was balanced out by more serious moments, then I would be fine with it. Or, better yet, if this didn't call itself a gundam series. Ironically, i'd say Eighty-Six is closer to a gundam series when it comes to tone than the witch from mercury.

But, we aren't done yet, let's talk about characters. Suletta Mercury, the first female gundam protag, who's diolauge consists of minutes upon end of stuttering and "Oh, Im so Shy!", and hiding behind other characters when shit gets too tough. Come on y'all, you could've definitely done better. Being shy is one thing, but she can barley form a complete sentence. How do we go from Kamielle Bidan, one who starts off as a hot-headed, and rather aggressive, Invigorated by the death of his parents, he begins his battle against the titans, and their fascism, and yotart to see him grow out of that. And that was all in the first few episodes. Here we are, 7 episodes into this series, and where is that progression?!

As for the other "Characthers" The daughter of one of the megacorp's heads, the guy she duels on the first episode, who's character traits consist of dueling, bullying the MC, and taking Ls. The forgettable char clone, and theneveryone else. These characters have no distinguishing charactehersitics that would make me remember them.

While the mobile suit animation is good, I can't really say the rest of it fits a gundam series, the soft characther designs especially. I don't really enjoy the mobile suit designs either. And I truly do not get why that opening is so liked, it's just not good to me. Now then, before people say that it was trying something new, just about every gundam anime has done that, and you could see that if you watched them. They just didn't change the formula to new trash. I can't believe im saying this, but i would honestly rather watch the travesty that was the second half of Gundam Seed Destiny than this(Yes,even the adventures of Kira "Jesus" Yamato) than this.
Mabye i'll come back to see if things get better when the plot moves further along, but as it looks right now, i'm done with this series.

And, telling someone they're not part of the Target Audiance is not a good defense of a series. If it didn't want gundam fans judging it, it shouldn't have been called a gundam series.

And, on that note, for those new to the gundam franchise who decide they want a different introduction to the series, there are many places you can start from, multiple self contained universes. Ill drop a link with the different timelines, and the series that they contain. Afterward, you can choose from there.

https://www.reddit.com/r/Gundam/comments/y899ko/gundam_anime_timeline/?utm_source=share&utm_medium=android_app&utm_name=androidcss&utm_term=1&utm_content=share_button


Update-

,Now, I heard things start speeding up, and getting more interesting at the later end of this season, and, having watched the last three ones, I'll actually admit that they aren't bad, even if I can't say the same for the rest. Jeturk, who I referred to as the man who takes Ls, actually has something interesting go on with his characther.

Without going into any detail, the mood has changed for the better, more fitting for a gundam. And, without going into any details, I don't think we'll be going back to the school setting next season.
.
So, my rating goes up from 4 to 6. Though I still hold the opinon this is weaker compared to the series that came before it, I'll tune in to see what comes next.

I feel a lot of people are making a great mistake when they watch this show, if you are here to see another war story with dull characters go elsewhere. GWitch has been a delight so far *if* you can take slower pacing. There is conflict, there is combat, there are stakes. But you have to watch the show to see that.

A common issue I feel is people are going into the show expecting to hate it and picking apart every little things as they're forcing themselves to watch it. If GWitch is not for you, just leave. The story is disconnected enough that ... you miss nothing from the main gundam universe.

If you want to get into Gundam without the incredibly vast timeline and high epsiode counts, GWitch is a good start. Suletta has gained far more hate than she deserves, though she isn't the most interesting character in the show. The side characters carry on the story quite a bit and build the world around Suletta. This is both good and bad, though Suletta has her own mysteries that are developed through the show.

Two episodes from the end, my opinion is that while GWitch may not be the best Gundam show, but it is far from the worst. There's a lot to enjoy if you go into it with an open mind rather than closing yourself for X,Y,Z reasons. And again, if GWitch isn't for you, just stop watching.

If you want a really bad Sci-Fi "mech" anime with girlfriends, go watch Kannazuki no Miko. It sucks.

Reviewing as someone who has never watched mecha animes before, let alone the Gundam universe:
[Unique, complex, yet fathomable storyline and world-building, characters with all unique personalities and backgrounds which are dived into, and main characters full of 'girlbosses' - inspirational yet humane. All comes together with top notch production and quality as an anime in general (again, not comparing with other mecha animes because I have not watched any other) with fantastic music, sfx, and vfx. 9/10]

As a fantasy genre enjoyer, all I can say is Mobile Suit Gundam: The Witch from Mercury's world is totally unique and original, yet so complex which is why ... from its world-building alone, it deserves to be watched by whoever you are. Such well written lore not only for the world and settings itself, but also for each and every single character. There's no character that is an extra, in some ways, because even 'extras' are so well-portrayed that each of their single lines are so vital in whatever scene there is.

The fact that they also dive into the background, the motivation, the mindset - the soul of all the main/lead characters is also such a fine work. Although, this is also where Mobile Suit Gundam: The Witch from Mercury's imperfections lies. Maybe it's because the complexity of the world itself, that a lot of the character's backgrounds which are dived into and their personalities which are definitive and solid - seems unfinished, or have quite some loose ends. Nevertheless, unless you are SO into one of the characters that fall victim into this imperfection, you should be able to still enjoy all there is to their stories, their souls, as they're so well-written nevertheless.

Its plot itself is quite light yet casually brutal, and this is what makes Mobile Suit Gundam: The Witch from Mercury stand out from others. This kind of condition makes the anime all the more realistic, because that is life - it may be quiet but the next second can be a storm. But of course, that is to say if you accept such extreme twists in the direction of an anime, which might be a minus if you don't. However, all the twist and turns of the story is essential and is well-written, so do open your heart for them and enjoy the rollercoaster. It still contributes to me taking a point from my score for the anime, though, because I believe a nice mixture of lightness and seriousness/brutality is very much possible to be achieved in a more balanced way, maybe even in each of the episodes (which I've seen possible in k-dramas which often is romance-comedy yet also action/thriller at the same time) which the dynamic of the plot in this anime... is quite far from that. But like I said, open your heart and enjoy.

The production and quality is what I'd expect from such a big franchise, which is very high in quality and detail. I mean, it's all the craze in the model kit building community with all the unique mechanics and stuff, or so I've heard. Therefore, there's nothing to comment on, other than emphasizing how well-made it is. All the visuals, the sound effects, the music - perfection.

In conclusion, definitely a must-watch for fantasy anime enjoyers (even if you've never watched [or enjoyed] mecha animes before!). Unique and inspiring, a wonderful commercial creation.

More than a Gundam show, the writer shines through the branding to announce to the world that it is one of his works. Thrilling, mysterious, and "political", it's a setup cour with a lot of shock factor speckled in between episodes until one big climax. If you liked his previous works like Code Geass, Valvrave and Guilty Crown you're sure to love this mix of thriller sci-fi and romance. But if you were expecting a coming-of-age, war drama like most Gundam shows, you'll miss what you were aiming for.

I would love to enjoy each and every Gundam show that comes out but I don't. ... These sorts of thrillers that rely on the user's enjoyment of mystery boxes and shock moments disgust me. I haven't grown to like these characters at all because it's always about the mystery lore. The main protagonist has made about one decision in the entire show, and the rest has been her getting into conflicts that get resolved in the next episode. Each one was meant to reveal a little tidbit about the world and it certainly felt like they didn't give precedence to writing the characters over that. All of the motivations and plot have been shoved into the end of the season so that cour 2 can be the meat: What a waste of time.

No disrespect to the people who enjoy these sorts of shows. But it's a hallmark of bad writing when you introduce a character and make his backstory so depressing, and then get rid of him after two episodes of "development". A tonally dissonant show ends with loves notes to the angst-ridden 2008-2012 era of anime. But it's the type of young adult fiction that while successful, doesn't have a lot of quality behind it. I would recommend not watching this and picking up Gundam X if you want something that sticks closer to OG Gundam Yoshiyuki Tomino shows. But if I had to pick from the year of 2022, I'd recommend watching the Build Fighters-Esque Birdie Wing: Golf Girls Story.

This was written to give my honest opinion but also to clarify wrong assumptions a few reviewers have made either by not watching the show fully (this is why you should or don’t write a review at all) or by being blind/salty. Look what you made me do. You made me write this and put effort into it. So many years here and this is my first review. Damn you all.
This review has no spoilers besides what you can read in the anime’s synopsis.

Gundam The Witch from Mercury is the new newbie friendly entry of this franchise, which means any one not familiar with the ... show can watch it standalone without having to watch previous Gundam entries. I’m one such person so I’m not going to be comparing it to other Gundam titles, not that I think it should be despite what some veterans seem to be doing, it’s a standalone show after all.



Story (10/10)

The story focuses on Suletta Mercury’s adventures navigating school life, which doesn’t seem to be peaceful at all for our protagonist. The school has a dueling system that decide all kind of matters depending on the victor’s stakes but also who is to marry Miorine Rembran, the daughter of the director. Suletta wins the first duel and is now declared Miorine’s groom.

I will take this opportunity to say, this show isn’t queerbait and is extremely LGBTQ friendly. That being said, keep in mind this is the first cour and as I can’t yet predict the future despite my hardest attempts, I can’t speak for the next cour. However, what you see here is very genuine and there aren’t other interpretations for it. This show is focused on their budding relationship, with their ups and downs. Relationships not being a straight line of rainbows and unicorns does not a queerbait make.
Besides, we gays are used to suffer for happiness, yes? Yes.
Anyway…

The framing of the duels and Miorine’s greenhouse, will be very reminiscent of Utena, which is understandable as the man behind G-Witch’s script, Ichirou Ookouchi, was also the one behind the manga version of this anime.
(As such, to my fellow reviewers saying it’s a rip-off of their favorite anime, maybe you should have researched it better about who also helped making your favorite show good.)
The level of symbolism in comparison isn’t as deep however, it’s hardly superficial as well and it’s enough for a show that isn’t surrealist like the former and is more grounded in our reality, decrying the grim realities of capitalism how ruthless it can be.
Some examples of symbolism are the greenhouse as Miorine’s favorite place representing her acceptance of people and how she sees them and how they act towards her, the tomatoes representing the relationship between characters and the overall lighting in certain scenes.

The show draws a stark comparison between the relationship between Suletta and Miorine and how it develops, sometimes subtly yet just as meaningfully, into a rich and tightly knit relationship based on support and the world of the adults, full of ploys and plots in desperate attempts at achieving their goals even at the cost of treating their own children as tools. All of this is enveloped in mysteries for which we can only theorize an answer, such as the incident depicted in the prologue and its repercussions and the nature of Aerial which seems to be one of the greatest question marks in the show.
Regardless, expect the unexpected, that’s what this kind of story is, sometimes developments will catch you off-guard by the developments, much to my delight.



Characters (9/10)

The characters are expertly written and tend to be way more than it seems at first. They feel like actual people which is a breath of fresh air for me.

Both Suletta and Miorine are layered and nuanced characters, each defined by their respective pasts and traumas, there is no action they make that can’t be explained by the experiences that defined them as a person, being it Suletta’s unabated helpfulness towards others or Miorine’s pragmatic yet caring personality. They are both beautifully written and their development is a joy to watch as the show doesn’t spell it out for the viewer like a shounen anime and instead trusts the audience to understand their 'show, don't tell' writing.

The supporting cast is as much a joy to watch, with each of them with their own goals, motivations and struggles. They’re very layered as well (looking at you, Guel and Nika), they interact well with the protagonists, sometimes as foils, and remain important throughout the narrative instead of being treated like cardboard cutouts as you often see in recent shows. They add drama, comedy and wholesomeness to the story and they all serve a purpose. You love to see it.

The adults are a bit contrasting with the kids yet just as layered, often portrayed as masterminds and looming over their children.
Special mention to Prospera who seemingly plays 5D on the weekends and is very hard to get a read on. She’s a major propeller of the narrative in spite of not having as much focus as the main characters.

My only complaints thus far are the characters that make up the entourage of one of the rivals, as it stands they are nothing but a checklist of tropes for me. That being said, they’re also not relevant so I’m willing to give it a pass.



Animation (9/10)

While it has their very rare instances of rough around the edges bits, the animation is consistently amazing.
The show is mostly 2d which is impressive considering the fast pace of mobile suit battles, they sometimes swap to CGI mostly in non-key situations but it’s hardly noticeable at all in 90% of the scenes. It’s honestly a great blend and it stays consistent throughout the show.
The animation of the characters’ expressions, emotional moments, even key scenes that don’t involve mechas are expertly and lovingly animated, sometimes even to the point of being reminiscent to how Ghibli works with characters’ movements and expressions.



Music (10/10)

It slaps as hard as Aerial does. Enough said.



In short:

G-Witch is an amazing, unpredictable rollercoaster of a show. It’s not a break-neck speed of a story and is meant to be enjoyed with time even if it isn’t a slow-burner either. It’s clearly a passion project and you can see the love this anime staff has for it at all times.
The animation will leave both veterans and newbies satisfied and the music will hype up any scene.
Don’t expect an indiscriminate anime with constant colony drops but also don’t expect a wholesome slice-of-life story where nothing happens. Prepare to see the characters fight their way to satisfying developments at all times. Assume the tone the prologue sets is the tone you will get in this show and watch it until the end before making baseless assumptions like many reviewers here. Brace your heart.
A lovingly crafted masterpiece for me, I’m hoping the next cour continues the zero disappointing episodes streak.

This is a great new installment for Gundam in my opinion. For context, I've seen a lot of the Gundam franchise and really enjoy the 70s-90s shows as well as newer ones like IBO. I think of myself as a pretty dedicated fan overall.

Mech Fights: these are superbly animated, and are interestingly paced. I think the designs are very interesting, and if nothing else they add a lot of realism since each company's mechs are designed by a different person brought in by the studio, and look very different as a result. if you're here just for this I think it's still worth it.

Politics/plot: Politics/worldview/ethics ... are centered in the plot, as it should be in a Gundam show. Compared to something like IBO, it's a little less dark and gritty, but has more mystery and intrigue. Without any spoilers, so far it has been edging more into traditional sci-fi tropes in terms of the moral quandaries being presented. Earth v. Space is still a central conflict, but the writers have hinted at more class awareness than previous shows. It is a very slow burn so far, and hard to comment on other than it is enjoyable and I have high expectations for where it will go.

Animation/Design: it is much softer and rounder than any Gundam I've seen. I think they look great; the characters are distinct and appealing and this style blends with the mech designs really well. If it's not your thing, that's perfectly fine.

On the topic of it being a yuri, yes it seems that way, and the nods to Revolutionary Girl Utena are many. Far too early to tell if it's bait, but at the very least you get a few cute interactions each week that are worth watching for if that's something that appeals to you.

This Gundam really works for me in a lot of ways, but I get that a lot of those things are at odds with a big portion of the Gundam fanbase. If you look at the component parts of this show and decide those are things you probably like, you'll definitely enjoy it. But, on the other hand, if you look at a trailer and hate the character designs, or if two of the characters liking each other would detract from your viewing experience, just don't watch it. Not sure I get the tendency of people to start a show clearly not meant to appeal to them, and then trash it online after finishing like three episodes.

The huge difference between the prologue and the actual episodes makes you wonder if it is made by two different sets of writers. It’s like they ran out of budget and decided to hire some random writers who prolly did not even watch the prologue.

I sincerely hope that I could warn enough people not to be tempted and watch anything other than the prologue.
FYI they had to take me to the emergency room after vomiting blood from watching the ep1 of the show.

The prologue set up for a somber undertone that is greatly insulted with the sudden change to some weak attempt to a high ... school comedy anime that somehow has Gundam in it. The MC is hard to watch, supporting casts makes me wanna claw my brains out. Think of it like akame ga kill but worst

This anime can be summed up in one word. Boring. I have been a Gundam fan my entire life and this is easily the weakest entry into the series. The prequel to this series showed us a hardboiled, dark and distant future that had promise, but the actual anime is a high school drama with mecha duels. The whole premise of the show is basically Gundam girl shows up at a mobile suit academy where corporate disputes and power struggles are settled by children dueling one on one in mobile suits while they also use the duels to settle their petty high school dramas amongst ... themselves. The characters are bland. The protagonist is a stuttering crybaby and a fool. The pseudo philosophy is half baked. Daddy issues abound left and right. The animation is decent and that's about the only positive that I have to share. Some may criticize the queer aspects of the anime but homosexuality is nothing new for Japan. However, having this much focus on romance and marriage proposals and fiancées really has me wondering who this anime is marketed towards? Gundam has a long history of being a shounen anime set in desperate wars that have left humanity ravaged where a hero or heroes are forged to lead us to a brighter future with tons of great mecha battles generously peppered throughout. Meanwhile this anime may as well be called "Gundam the Girly High School Drama Edition." In fact, this so called "gundam" series has a very strong resemblance to another anime titled "Revolutionary Girl Utena" which is a shojo anime and while good in it's own right, it really begs the question of who this anime is made for? I can't help but wonder who is giving this anime such great reviews other than progressive westerners who see the queer angle and are putting this on a pedestal thinking "Yes! Japan is finally embracing our wokeness!" without realizing that is not what Japan is doing. This anime is just Japan being Japan. It is Japanese creators ripping off an older anime, copy pasting yet another high school drama where kids play out the struggles of adults. This is nothing we haven't seen before a million times in other anime's, it's just the first time we are seeing it in Gundam. To be honest, (and as a side note) I am really getting tired of the school setting trope in seasonal anime as only a few have managed to pull it off well. Is there a slump in the creativity in Japan as there has been for the last decade here in the west?
TL;DR
Boring. If you want real Gundam action check out literally any other Gundam series as this one is the worst and is Gundam in name only.
Overall Rating: 1

Witch From Mercury attempts to depart from Gundam's usual plot and themes about fighting a war to focus on the relationship between war and capitalism. Sadly, Mobile Suit Gundam: Military Industrial Complex this is not. While there are attempts to integrate themes subtly and organically instead of throwing them into the viewer's face, they end up falling by the wayside. The show's more juvenile elements concerning its school and its contrived plot around exaggerated corporate politics overwhelm any semblance of exploring its ideas. What is left still has strong visuals and actions, as befitting a Gundam series done by Sunrise, but there is little more. ... The interesting ideas WfM does have are left as nothing more than potential or window dressing. While this might be a fine or even good standard for most sci-fi, anime or otherwise, it is simply not living up to what many other Gundam series have done before.

The central issue of WfM is that its wider conflict, whether between the Spacians and Earthians or within the Benerit Group itself, is all kept ancillary for the entire run of the show. While there is some merit in keeping this all in the background, allowing these conflicts to feel organic to the setting, it reaches the point where it feels like nothing more than window dressing. Conflict between people living on Earth and those that have moved into space is a core part of Gundam. While it seems to be a central point of political tension in WfM, it is never delved into. All we get to see is the frankly petty discrimination perpetrated by the students at Asticassia while the greater economic and political ramifications sit in the background. There are some interesting moments when Chuchu receives a call from her home that goes into the conditions the working class on Earth faces, but these end up being mere moments. They add a flavour and richness to the world but not any substance since we still lack explanations for anything. Without exploring or even detailing this conflict, all the tension between the students from Earth and those from the space colonies feels like juvenile bullying instead of an extension of a broader class conflict.

The only explanation for this tension is that the Spacians polluted the Earth and exploited her resources before leaving for the haven of space. Now they continue to exploit the people of Earth while holding a vast majority of economic and political power. This premise runs contradictory to most science fiction, and even most Gundam series, since it is clear that any near future expansion into the Solar System will still leave Earth as the central cradle for humanity. Aside from Earth having the benefit of being an established political entity, there is an insurmountable advantage to living in a terrestrial environment. Even rudimentary functions like creating breathable air and cycling water become costly in space. It is almost inconceivable how any space-based civilisation with near-future technology would hope to match up to this and close the population, resource, and production gap with the Earth. There simply needs to be a proper explanation for what structures allow the Spacian minority to hold on to so much power over a much larger entity from such a remote distance. Whether these structures are based on traditional political organisation or some megacorporate structure matters since this affects the themes and nature of the story WfM is trying to tell. The lack of explanation first frustrates the viewer since they are missing its broader implications before it finally erodes the viewer's suspension of disbelief. There is no explanation for this illogical power dynamic, and nothing interesting is done with this inversion to justify it.

All Gundam series before this has pitted more or less traditional political entities against each other. From the Earth Federation and Zeon, OMNI and ZAFT, and even the Titans and the AEUG, which are essentially armed political movements, their political organisation and goals can all be taken for granted. However, WfM seems to suggest a megacorporation controlled future. While this is a staple in the cyberpunk genre, it has been noted in many science-fiction works that corporate entities are simply unequipped and frankly uninterested in governance. While they will exert control over traditional governmental entities for their benefit, primarily in terms of legislation, there is little interest in totally supplanting them. This interaction is infinitely more interesting to explore than the caricature of a megacorporation running the world. Gundam has skirted around this in the past, with corporations in the series like Anaheim Electronics, Zeonic and Morgenrote all benefitting immensely from wars and even pulling the strings to an extent. Anaheim Electronics is probably the biggest offender in past series since they decided to arm the rebel AEUG, thereby involving themselves as a political player. By changing the perspective from a national entity to a corporate one, WfM was poised to explore other themes like war profiteering, the ethics of arms manufacturing and even the use of force by corporate entities. There are significant consequences of traditional political entities losing their monopoly on violence since it allows business disputes to be settled via combat.

Again, WfM goes nowhere with this setup and only pays lip service to this idea. There are some concerns from the Earthian students about developing weapons that will be used against their own people, but nothing more is done with it. This is a distinct pattern in WfM in that it suggests itself to have a greater depth by inserting its conflict in the background and bringing it up in smaller moments. However, nothing is ever done with this, and it is always just a touch-and-go affair. This is fundamentally WfM shooting itself in the foot. The premise cannot simply be accepted as window dressing to further their characters, but it is also not explored enough to meet the expectations it sets up as being a core pillar of the show.

This extends to even the more fleshed-out elements of WfM's politics in the Benerit Group. It is frustratingly unclear how the group interacts with the wider world. Being clearly shown as the primary exploiter of Earthians would add greater tension to the story. However, this is left vague and undefined, only suggesting that since they are a primarily Spacian group, they are involved in this. Even their status as either a corporate entity with a private military or a quasi-governmental group is unclear. The same can be said about Cathedra and all the other institutions in the series that seem to be involved in governance. It is desperately unclear whether they are some semblance of a traditional political entity that a corporation has hijacked or if they are a capitalist entity through and through. WfM expects you to take this all for granted even though this vagueness undermines any greater thematic points it tries to make about megacorporations.

Even within the Benerit Group, how the different companies interact is like a caricature of an evil cutthroat corporation. Large conglomerates are usually centrally controlled since they are the product of vertical and horizontal integration. They are more than willing to acquire and prop up companies that are losing money if there is some future payoff, especially if they are developing new IPs or technologies that are not mature enough to start returning immense profits. Which is precisely what the Gund Format technology in WfM is. Turning the Benerit Group into some death game-esque circus where the company with the lowest profits gets ejected from the group is frankly absurd. Someone at Bandai Namco, and probably Sunrise as well, knows better than this since they are an actual corporation with subsidiaries that are not all as profitable as each other and serve different purposes to the group as a whole. So why this is dumbed down and caricatured cannot be down to ignorance. As a deliberate choice, it may make WfM's corporate politics more digestible or dramatic, but it does undermine any more serious or complicated points they are trying to make.

This all results in the setting of WfM feeling disjointed as it has the depth of window dressing but is constantly paraded as being, or at least potentially being, a significant element of the series. All this is not helped by how the geography between different locations in the series is not well defined. While there are a few named locations like Earth and Mercury, where all the space installations like Asticassia are in the solar system are unclear. Are they at one of the Earth Lagrange points? Or somewhere further out. This lack of spatial relationships between the show's locations leaves it feeling even more floaty, as if it exists in a vacuum, creating a disjointed impression. As if all these places only exist as locations for the plot to happen instead of being actual installations that relate to each other beyond that. All this would still be adequate for some other sci-fi series, but Gundam sets a high bar for itself, and WfM is no exception.

The premise of WfM, or perhaps its lack thereof, begins to compound the issues of the series when it clashes with the plot. On a conceptual level, the Asticassia school is a decent place for a Gundam series to take place. As a school meant to train mechanics, pilots, designers and anyone else required to develop and utilise mobile suits, it is a ripe setting for something new in Gundam. While the school setting can seem a little trite and juvenile, given how it is handled in so many other anime, there is no reason to write it off. As someone who loved the more light-hearted Gundam Build Fighters and the school phase of Fire Emblem Three Houses, there is no reason why this setup could not be made to complement the heavier themes of the wider show.

However, the main stumbling block is that it is unclear what the function of Asticassia school is. The students in the piloting department train as if they are going to be sent into combat. A vital part of the premise that would support this is the presence of a conflict, or at least a potential one, that they are training for. None of this is even remotely established at any point in WfM. The school is positioned to be a training ground for the children of members of the Benerit Group, with even the top leadership participating. It is hard to see how these heirs to companies would be expected to act as soldiers or even commanders in some kind of private military. This created the feeling that the school setting has no real justification in the broader premise of WfM and is just there for the entertainment factor. This impression is only compounded by the school using mobile suit duels to not only settle disputes but create apparently legally binding agreements from the wager. This appears as nothing but absurdity when it is juxtaposed with how a corporation would conduct its dealings. The idea that a duel between teenagers could overturn business dealings or agreements made by companies is laughable.

The school's internal organisation makes little sense since the students are apparently divided into "houses". However, these seemed to be formed at students' whims instead of being regulated by the institution. Furthermore, they seemed to be formed along any lines that can exist, be it the students collective place of origin or their affiliation with one of the companies. While students having an unjust disparity in resources based on their connections is quite thematically on point for a school run by a megacorporation, it does make for an incredibly incoherent school system. While this could be made to work, it requires a great deal more focus and explanation. Again, WfM does not dedicate enough time to explain this element of its setting, given how convoluted it makes it. Much of the run time is focused on name-dropping company rivalries but little of how any of it actually functions beyond duelling and sabotaging each other in exams. With how convoluted it all appears to be, the only option to make this coherent would be to commit to the premise of this being Mobile Suit Gundam: The High School. While nothing is wrong with that premise, it is certainly not what the show bills itself to be.

The dual premises of a dystopian megacorp future and a Gundam high school end up in severe tension with each other since the latter appears so incoherent that the only reason left to explain its inclusion is for sheer juvenile entertainment. In essence, WfM attempts to have it both ways and succeeds at neither since its run time and narrative resources were not concentrated. The greatest failing of this is that the prologue compounds this idea by setting up WfM as a relatively serious story in the vein of most other Gundam series about corporate warfare. Even if WfM wishes to abrogate its Gundam legacy regarding the expectations it wants viewers to have, its own prologue does it no favours. The simple solution to this would have been to dial back on either the convoluted nature of the school or the hints at high-concept sci-fi themes. However, the most obvious answer would have been to highlight some ongoing conflict that would explain all the issues listed above, even if just a low-intensity insurgency. It would clarify the nature of the Benerit Group's relationship with Earthians, establish what political organisation the solar system has in WfM, and give a reason for the school to focus on combat training.

Perhaps this is what WfM is preparing the groundwork for, but given that we are 13 episodes in and none of this has been clarified, it is hard to give them a great deal of leeway. While an argument can be made that there is still a second season of WfM and that they are meant to be viewed as a whole, that is simply too charitable. At this point, it is 13 episodes worth of questions, few answers and no clear idea of the details of the central conflict. Most of it is merely implied, or worse, just left up to the viewers' assumption. That is far too long for so many elements to be held up as intriguing mysteries and dips into an unclear mess.

Coming finally to the characters, they only add to this lack of clarity. They can be more or less split between childish students and almost cartoonishly evil corporate leaders. A vast majority of the supporting cast end up as stereotypical portrayals or, at worst, caricatures of rich snobby students or school bullies. This is perfectly serviceable but nothing noteworthy that helps to prop up the weaker elements of the show. While there is depth in some of them, or at least a hint of it, they are almost all built up on mysteries in their backstory. Similarly to the questions regarding WfM's setting, none of these have been clarified or answered, even at the 13 episode mark.

At this juncture, Chuchu is probably the most fleshed-out character since she also has the most straightforward motivations. While her behaviour is quite off-putting, it does make perfect sense. Growing up in an environment economically exploited by the Spacians would naturally foster a great animosity in her. Similarly, Guel, being raised as the heir to a large successful company, is portrayed as an arrogant bully due to his privileged position. It is only after he has lost everything that he is in a position to grow as a character and prove his merit. What the two of them have in common is that they are two of the few characters whose behaviour and development do not hinge on some mystery or unknown in their backstory. While this should be and often is the standard in most shows, it is stunning that they are in the minority for WfM.

On the other hand, most other characters have their development hinge on gaps or mysteries in their background. Ranging from Elan, Shaddiq, to Nika and even Suletta, their characters are made compelling because there is more to reveal about their current situation as opposed to places their character has to grow. While there are interesting ideas to explore in these mysteries that do link back to and support the greater themes of WfM, there are simply too many unknowns this far into the series. It gets to the point where the viewer has to go beyond inferring character motivations to outright guessing and assuming. While this can be interesting for one or a few of them, having so members of the cast fall into this category gives the impression of chaos in the plot. It frustrates engaged viewers since there is little concrete they can dig into for more insight or hints. They are reduced to watching a spectacle and waiting for the writer's hand to reveal itself instead of being drawn in by understanding the situation. Sadly, the leading duo of Suletta and Minorine lack the charisma to carry the show on the strength of their performance. Even though I have been favourable to similar characters and dynamics in other shows, that spark feels lacking here.

Overall, WfM feels like it is being crushed under the weight of all the mysteries and vagueness it establishes. After its 13-episode run, there are only questions, multitudes of moving pieces and no answers. While that could indicate an interesting show built on intricate planning, the impression WfM gives is that this is more down to attempting to do too many things simultaneously. The premise of WfM, while fresh for Gundam, is nothing exceptional in the wider sci-fi genre. There have been and will be many works that discuss corporate excess and economic inequality. While that does not mean that it is not worth exploring or having a Gundam riff on it, it does mean that having so many of the core conflicts kept off the board as secrets oversells how impactful they will be as reveals that retroactively contextualise things or escalate the situation. Anyone familiar with Gundam and/or science fiction can probably guess where the plot is going and the missing elements behind the premise. That in itself is not a strike against any show. The problem is that viewers are making these not as inferences but as guesses. It uses genre savviness and knowledge of science fiction concepts to make these conclusions instead of using information supplied by the show. That is either a failure to communicate ideas effectively or a lack of effort and attention paid to them.

Even if WfM handles everything smoothly in its second season, expanding the information it provides about its setting and properly resolving all its character mystery boxes, it will simply have taken too long. At the very least, it would indicate that WfM suffers severe construction and pacing issues if it requires the viewer to go more than half its run in this state of seeing things unfold but not comprehending a majority of the causation. Even if it does develop the conflict between Earthians and Spacians to the depth and quality we have come to expect from Gundam and other long-running sci-fi series, the damage has been done to how cartoonishly the Benerit Group is shown to operate and how incoherent the school is.

Mobile Suit Gundam: The Witch From Mercury does have the foundation for interesting ideas and a story. However, it tries to do too many things and makes them needlessly convoluted. While there is some merit to how it handles its core conflicts and tries to integrate them organically, the lack of details or emphasis on it makes them feel like window dressing to its juvenile school elements. The setting feels at this juncture to be incoherent, bordering on artificial. Carried mainly by its visuals, it is hard to give it more credit since the complexities in its ideas and characters remain only as possibilities for the second season to pick up on. It is hard to rate it more than a 6 out of 10, which is being generous and including the potential it has built instead of actually executing any of it. As harsh as I have been, I do hope that season 2 picks up the ball and at least benefits from this preparation, even if that will not retroactively improve the structural elements of these initial episodes.

If you enjoy girl power and fighting scenes, then this anime is easily one of the best of 2022 for you. Absolutely amazing animation, sound effect and oh mama, the OST really hits the spot for me.
The re-watch value for the fighting scenes are definitely high, it bring so much emotion and excitement.

In fact, the story plot aren't as simple or predictable as many said, it is quite complex and mystery element hinted here and there. Personally, I don't really like the characters and it's appearance but it do managed to blend well and manage to bring out the emotion.

Kidou Senshi Gundam: Suisei no Majo (2022)

Well, that prologue was an amazing setup! The first few episodes were somewhat epic but felt very much more about the damaged children as a result of parents who probably didn't really want children. It then levels out into a slice of life and ends with a conflict. Even once it's ending, you think that's it right? Wait for part 2? Nah, a post-credit scene that is about as dark as they come. What a show! Going from let's support each other forever to downright disgust in such a short time.

Suletta by the end of part 2 is ... either going to be the hero that unifies all or a monster that is uncontrollable to be taken down. The show is leaving a lot to our imagination. I can see her changing sides more than once based on her desire to be needed so desperately. We have seen in many shows where you have emotion-controlled monsters or 'heroes' but not very often are they the main character or so well developed.

The artwork is superb, it is a modern rendition of Gundam. It is not old but new and it is welcomed in. Gundam is now sort of like Pokemon, in that it resets to every new set of viewers after a time.

The soundtrack was pretty good overall, nothing really special going on. Combat does sound awesome!

The characters center around Suletta who is as damaged as they come but then so is everyone here. It is another classic Japanese trope of let's have the adults watch the world burn and leave it to the kids.

Overall, I enjoyed this show, the second part should be much better and more action-packed since this part has set the scene.

8/10.