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.
