May 1, 2023
Abandonment, discrimination, war, pain, unfulfilled belonging and most of all bittersweet personal relationships. All the main components of a good Gundam show can be found in this installment that makes an excellent entry point for newcomers to the Gundam franchise.
The atmosphere in Witch from Mercury is delicate and rough at times. The air gets warm and comes towards you for an embrace, only to violently become cutthroat in just a few seconds (just like the main character's mother). The juxtaposition of these feelings takes the main stage and the team behind the anime makes great efforts to keep you on the edge at all times.
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Initially, the viewer might be fooled by the pastel colour palette and the ordinary setting of another highschool mecha anime but this anime is far more than this. Watching it you will confront your childlike innerself and come to terms with the hedgehog's dilemma that getting closer to others comes at the price of being hurt yourself.
Suletta Mercury, the MC, is a country bumpkin from the planet closest to the Sun. The choice of planet is important as symbolism in Witch from Mercury exists even in the finest details, making it a wonderful re-watching experience as well. For instance, the choice of having Mercury as the home planet makes great sense as it's a planet of extremes. Though plain and grey at sight, with a close look a whole microcosm of colours opens in it's atmosphere. The same could be said about this anime, Suletta is portrayed as happy go round girl that wants to live her best highschool life and tick off items from her 'finally get away from home list'. This gets quickly dismantled by the feeling of alienation and despair that she suffers due to being the only student from Mercury and one that stands out due to her unpolished behaviour.
The experience of watching Witch from Mercury is similar to that of listening to the opening. You are filled with hope for a better future and are rooting for the underdog at all times. You are being drip fed with rays of sunshine and can feel the battles taking your breath away. The suspense is on point and the filmography and choreography is simply stunning. However, as all good things in life, the anime will take, at times, abrupt downturns leaving you thinking that maybe in fact everything is a lie.
For this season, the only downside is not being excellent at anything. The shows is definitely very good, that meaning above mediocre with a good outlook to become great. There is a lot of foreshadowing and hopefully there will be a deeper dive into the characters as to understand more points of view. Gundam: Witch from Mercury is a good recommendation for anyone who enjoys a bit of laughter and happiness while pondering existentialist questions and debating the nature of humanity.
Reviewer’s Rating: 8
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