Michael Blaker’s Anime Sunday: “Mobile Suit Gundam: The Witch From Mercury” Episode 01 Impressions

Michael Blaker
Game Industry News is running the best blog posts from people writing about the game industry. Articles here may originally appear on Michael's blog, Windborne's Story Eatery.

Hey all, I’m back with another of the standout series from the Fall for this week’s Anime Sunday. It’s my “Mobile Suit Gundam: The Witch From Mercury” Episode 01 Impressions.

Plot: This is a Gundam story, and thankfully for me it’s not nearly as dark as “Iron Blooded Orphans” was. It’s much more relaxed, though there are still plenty of action sequences. The plot is mostly centered on the two main characters, Suletta and Miorine.

Characters: As I said above, the two main characters are Suletta and Miorine. The really remarkable thing about these two is the fact that not only are they the first female lead characters in a Gundam series, but (apologies in advance that I’ll be breaking my no spoiler rule here) they are also engaged by the end of this episode making this the first lesbian couple in the Gundam series ever. For a series that’s over four decades old, that is huge. I sincerely hope that it actually works out for them as characters, and I’m not alone since they were voted as one of the top anime couples of 2022 by many others. Honestly, that single fact really is a huge deal, when it’s coming from a long-standing franchise that has previously covered some other pretty serious topics.

Art: The art is amazing, and while it’s not ufotable quality, Sunrise did an amazing job. From the fight scenes to the more slice of life moments, all are rendered incredibly well.

Music: The musical score is also very good, and even the opening catches the ear wonderfully.

Overall: This is easily one of the strongest series of the past year, and I sincerely hope that “The Witch From Mercury” reflects a change in the overall Gundam series going forward.

For those who like: Sci-Fi, Romance, Action, Drama, Excellent Plot, Great Cast of Characters, Stupendous Artwork, and Amazing Music.

Not for those who don’t like: Any of the above.

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