Spoilers For Gundam Witch From Mercury Episodes 13 And 14 Follow.

Spoilers for Gundam Witch from Mercury episodes 13 and 14 follow.

So, now that we know exactly how Aerial’s been operating this entire time (well, give-or-take a couple details) it does raise the question of what Eri’s role in all this is.

Like, how cognisant is she of her actions? Is she just following Lady Prospera’s orders? Is she protecting her sister? Is she fully aware that she’s murdering all these people?

It’s worth noting that when Suletta expresses doubt about her actions, brought on by witnessing Sophie’s death, Eri (as Aerial) immediately steps in to reassure her that she’s totally on the right path, and should trust her mother (at least that’s the vibe Suletta’s response gives me).

But, in light of this new information, it’s worth considering Elan Four’s fight with (as we now know) Eri (again, as Aerial) and Suletta.

Eri essentially pulled the patented newtype therapy on Elan Four, reminding him of a significant time in his life. But the question is, why?

She had no problem murdering Sophie (though that was somebody actively trying to kill), but why give Elan this?

My immediate though is as a distraction, to give them time to set up that little coup de grace they hit Elan with, but the alternative is that Eri is a good deal more empathetic than someone under Prospera’s thumb should be.

It’s also possible that she was put into Aerial at an early age (I’m not sure how much of a representation what Sophie and Elan saw was) and as such a lot of her development has atrophied.

Other predictions and thoughts on this development:

1. Lady Prospera will almost certainly betray Delling.

Perhaps I’m reaching for the low-hanging fruit here, considering that this was already likely, based both on how they act around each other and Lady Prospera’s existence as a char clone (and therefore pretty likely to betray anyone). But I’m thinking that Delling either doesn’t know about this (highly likely) or this is just a small part of the larger quiet zero project, which he also doesn’t know the full details on. Given his position with Cathedra in the prologue, I just can’t imagine him backing this.

2. Lady Prospera will fight in the Aerial.

Okay, so this is the biggie. I’m thinking that Suletta comes around to Miorine’s way of thinking and backs her in the upcoming fight. Aerial is (initially) more loyal to Prospera than Suletta, and Suletta will be forced to use a different unit (though presumably still a Gundam). Throughout the fight, suletta will be desperately trying to appeal to Aerial/Her mother and eventually get through to Aerial, which will then refuse to dodge an attack that kills both Eri and Lady Prospera. Bonus points if it plays out similarly to Scirocco’s death in Zeta Gundam.

Alternatively Lady Prospera takes to the field in a shiny new Gundam, the culmination of Quiet Zero (I wonder if too many of my theories rely on the fact that we know absolutely nothing about the Gundam Schwarzette at this point), and trying to convince Aerial to take her side, while Suletta’s desperately fighting without Eri’s assistance.

Today is the day we acknowledge that “I heard the moon was damaged in the calamity war” is just an absolutely wild thing to say. In context and out of context.

First off, You Heard? As in, this is some rumour that you’re not actually sure about? I know they’re on Mars, and haven’t had much/any of an education, but I would think that the fate of Earth’s primary celestial body would be fairly well known. But this is just like “oh yeah, apparently the moon’s busted”.

Second, “Damaged in the Calamity War”. I don’t know why but damaged is the word I focus on here. Damage implies it’s still functioning. Damage implies that it took the hit but wasn’t destroyed. Damaged is such an odd way to talk about something like the moon.

Like, it really sells the Calamity War as this, well, Calamitous thing. You can really understand why it was such an upheaval that necessitated gjallarhorn’s formation, why the dating process is “post disaster”. And really, why a lot of the setting is how it is.

Why gjallarhorn’s mostly Earth based, why Mars is a backwater with poverty and pmc’s. Why Jupiter can essentially be run by Teiwaz (well, they at least have a lotta influence there). It’s just one example of what happened to this world.

I know we’re probably never gonna fully know what happened in the Calamity War, since that’d ruin the mystique, but…

Just imagine what it must’ve been like.

Gundams battling mobile armours for the fate of the moon.

And behind them, Earth.

Nice.

It feels like the edits are a lot closer to Ganondorf in Hyrule Warriors or Ocarina of Time (which I’m personally a huge fan of), while the canon ones are taking more after Twilight Princess.

The new design also reminds me a helluva lot of Demise from Skyward Sword (though since they basically are Ganon, in a sense, I suppose that’s to be expected).

edited the new artwork of totk ganondorf too so heres both :)

(remember, this is not saying 'fixing it' or 'i replace canon', just a fun lil edit)

here are the canon ones for comparison

i think the first one is purely and illustration, the second one feels like it was the actual model painted over due to the subtle difference in design and dynamic

Alright then. So we have another Witch from Mercury episode that hits like a goddamn truck.

Heavy spoilers follow for Witch from Mercury Episode 14 (and 13). Sorta a mix of feelings and predictions.

Not gonna lie, really loving the new season so far, basically because both episodes have been pretty jam-packed. Like, there’s a lot going on with expansion and character development to a lotta people. Standouts include Chuchu, Nika and Lady Prospera.

I did absolutely love how Lauda has this big dramatic speech and genuinely guns it for Suletta, but then gets absolutely stomped. I feel like things are probably gonna end badly for him, if only because Guel’s more interesting. Still, watching Pettra and Chuchu defend him was nice, everyone has someone that cares about them.

There was also a small bit of development for Elan…… five? (I really should’ve rewatched this prior, oh well). Like, he doesn’t step in to ruin Shaddiq’s plans, and he expresses fear when faced with dire odds. Like, I guess Elan Four was about necessity, whereas Elan Five is about cowardice? Its a neat contrast, or perhaps how Elan Four influences Elan Five?

I love how we’re finally getting some insight into Lady Prospera’s actions though. I mean, episode 14 confirms a lotta theories some people have been having, which is rad, but I’m honestly just here to see what the heck she’s up to. So, Quiet Zero, I’m guessing it’s some sort of shutdown weapon? GUND-ARM System suits are shown to be able to totally overpower any non-Gundam suit (“only a Gundam can defeat a Gundam” thanks, Elan Four), so presumably their only threat would be another GUND-ARM system suit, which quiet zero focuses on taking over/shutting down? Though having written that down, it sounds like something too small-scale for what Prospera’s talking about.

EDIT: I have remembered that the Gundam Schwarzette is a thing. Given that that mobile suit literally has a zero on its face design, it’s possible that it mounts the “Quiet Zero” system in question. It’s also possible that the quiet zero is somehow connected to the ms-style GUND-bits that the Lfrith’s were using.

It’s also entirely plausible that every word she says to Miorine is a lie. I don’t think she’s lying when she talks with Belmeria, that sounds like what she actually believes. But there she’s with an old friend who she holds a lot of power over. Miorine is different, so I’m less inclined to trust anything she says to her. It is interesting that while talking with Miorine, she steps out of the darkness and into the light, so it’s possible that these are her original, noble goals, that have slowly been twisted into things she’d go to terrible lengths over? Things to ponder.

Shaddiq’s been…. Interesting, to say the least. Since I just spent a whole two paragraphs talking about Prospera’s possible goals (and honestly, I might write more later), it’s good to see the show’s other resident Char Clone stepping up to the plate (The Elan’s have too much other baggage for me to weigh in on them, and we don’t really know what’s going on with Guel yet). Shaddiq’s essentially plotting a coup from under his own father, and is straight up financing terrorist operations. It’s unclear how this is going to end for him, since it’s being repeatedly proven that he isn’t quite as smart as he thinks he is, so I feel like he’s going to go down a couple pegs at some point. I honestly don’t have a clue on where he’s going from here, so I’m very much looking forward to it. Grassley defence systems seems to have a monopoly on non-aerial Gundam tech, so I’m betting that they’ve been supplying Dawn of Fold with the Lfrith’s and GUND-bits.

Alright, guess I can’t really avoid talking about it any more can I?

Sophie Pulone gets a really nice focus episode, then dies attempting to take down Suletta in the Aerial. I genuinely wasn’t expecting her to bite it so soon, and it’s only made me more interested in seeing what the whole deal is with her and Norea du Noc. It’s quite interesting because Sophie is essentially a Gender-swapped (and perhaps slightly more childish) Mikazuki Augus, from Gundam Iron-Blooded Orphans. She fights because that is her choice, for the things she wants in life, because that is what she is good at. I just find it really neat how she’s basically a takedown of the protagonist from the last show, showing what would happen were they actually overpowered. It also loops back to earlier, her death being the thing that breaks Norea’s emotionless composure and shows how these Gundam pilots view Suletta - as a terrifying monster.

It has greater implications too, since for all Sophie’s combat ability and credentials as a mobile suit pilot, she dies fairly quickly, as a pawn in someone else’s (in this case Shaddiq’s) plan. It sends the message that it isn’t the characters with raw power and deadly mobile suits that are dangerous, but the movers and shakers behind the scenes. Like Shaddiq. Like Prospera.

Mafia by J.Juan

Space Hulk (1st Ed) Box Art by Gerry Grace