This quote has been floating around in this series throughout the episodes. Everyone has to move forward to obtain their goal, even if it is uncomfortable to reach. Since our main character, Suletta, is sensitive and afraid of exposure to new things, she uses this idea to encourage herself to move out of her comfort zone. Miorine (Mio Mio) is also affected by this idea and stopped to run away from her father. Although the first few episodes are slices of life + mecha action on repeat, it is slowly developing its story and characters throughout the episodes. The season finale is satisfying and a good build-up for the second season.
The story is about a school with a political and business setting in the background. The duel in the school can affect business decisions, personal decisions, school policies, etc. The winner decides over the loser. It may seem idiotic at first glance. However, this is a mobile-suit school that selects its best pilots and engineers. Presidents of the companies purposely place their children in school for their political bullshittery. For example, a political marriage can give an advantage to the companies, just as a mobile suit duel can force someone into a marriage. The school is there to help companies advertise their latest mobile suits and to use children as tools for their benefit. It is interesting to see a school as a tool for companies' power plays instead of the mundane school setting. It evolved into a more serious tone in the later episodes of the first season.
Suletta is such a cinnamon roll. She is a kind person who tends to overthink things sometimes. Also, Suletta has anxiety about human relationships and communication, as she stutters a lot at the beginning of the series (the stuttering disappeared as she interacted more with people). Her experiences in Mercury (before she came to school) shaped her that way. Her critical thinking was blinded when she was questioning her mom. Lady Prospera (Suletta's mother) usually has the "perfect" answer for Suletta to swallow. Suletta will make sense of it and blindly move on. Her manipulative relationship with Suletta is crappy, and she looks very suspicious throughout Season 1. However, she made the right decisions in the show and helped our main character develop. Moreover, her ideology is not wrong and is agreeable (at least in season 1). On the other hand, Miorine (Mio Mio) is a cool-headed person who is very heated from the inside. She misunderstands her dad and slowly gets to know him more in later episodes. Mio Mio has to make the decisions that change her as a person. Overall, she is a logical person with a little bit of tsundere in her blood.
3D mecha animation has been terrorizing anime in recent years. This show has 95 percent 2D mecha animation, which is a relief for me. The animation in this show is phenomenal and exciting to watch. The 2D mecha animation is so clean and smooth to watch, unlike the jerky 3D mecha animation. This is a flesh air for me. This looks more passionate than most anime productions today. The character design and expression are also on point in this show. The face of Suletta being happy, anxious, or sad is pretty expressive. The action scenes are fluid and great to watch. The sound design during the action scenes is impressive. The shield blocks and different rifles sound sexy, and they are satisfying to listen to. The soundtrack is gorgeous and magnificent. It gains a sense of epicness and beauty in the scene. The vocal of the ost has so much power that it lifts the action from 10/10 to 11/10. When a show is mixed with fantastic animation and an epic soundtrack, it becomes a magical and unforgettable experience for the viewers.
This show is perfect for newcomers and old fans of mecha. Although the show is slowly telling its story, please give it time to show the entire story; it is going to be rewarding. If you are not a fan of slice-of-life anime, this show may be a turn-off in the beginning. Suletta and Mio Mio have pretty good chemistry with each other. They are good friends who have been covering and protecting each other throughout the series. Whoever is in need, the other will come to the rescue. I love the animation, soundtrack, interesting story, and character development of this show. We can all learn from the central message of the Witch of Mercury.
Gundam: Witch From Mercury rating: 8 Mio Mio out of 10
