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Gundam Pharact and Elan - by mo84toM0211

Alrighty then, I finished watching Gundam: The Witch from Mercury’s season finale yesterday, so I’m gonna note down my thoughts here, starting with characters, with another post about the mobile suits.

Spoilers ahead, obviously.

I really enjoyed the progression of Suletta and Miorine’s relationship during the season. It had a lovely slow-burn with moments of extreme heat quality to it (if that makes sense as a metaphor), particularly episode 11. The other members of Earth house are absolutely charming as well, them each having a solid personality to get attached to. I was disappointed we didn’t see a little more of them, but I expect they’ll be much more prominent in the next season. I was pleasantly surprised by Chuatury Panlunch, who’s just wonderful to watch and I enjoyed what little we saw of Nika Nanaura (though considering Chuchu’s getting a new suit next season, we’ll definitely be seeing more of them).

I did love the contrasts between the parents this season, with the outwardly nice Madame Prosepera/Elnora Samaya being contrasted with the aloof and standoffish Delling and Harsh Vim Jeturk, who nonetheless love their children (though I admit I may be reading into the season finale a little much there). I was honestly kinda sad to see Vim go, just because the Jeturk’s have just been so interesting to watch and the loss of one is unfortunate. Though this does mean that Guel’s younger brother Lauda is now head of the company.

Which, if I’m being honest, seems like it’s gonna end really badly.

Talking about the Jeturk’s neatly segues into talking about the rivals - Guel, Shaddiq and Elan. I’ve been absolutely loving Guel’s arc this season, with his actions during the finale being (while horrifying) an absolute standout. I’m very much looking forward to seeing where he goes from here (and I really hope he doesn’t die). Shaddiq’s been interesting, and I find it notable that he’s been basically dominating the scene except when he’s in a mobile suit, where he gets absolutely wrecked. I do hope we get to see more of his entourage in subsequent seasons though, since they’ve only really been stomped by suletta so far. Of note is that so far he appears to be the only character to have a genuinely positive relationship with his father, which is interesting.

Elan is difficult to talk about, principally because there’s three of him (so far). Number four (the first one we see) is only around briefly and while lovely, exists mostly as a sacrificial lamb to establish the darker tone. Number 5 (the manipulative one) hasn’t done all that much yet, so I have little to say about them. The original (the one in the suit) has officially dethroned Delling as the villain I most look forward to getting their comeuppance. We also haven’t seen that much of Peil’s CEO’s yet, though at a guess I’d say they’re the bigger threat here.

Now just some other observations that don’t really fit anywhere else:

While Dawn of Fold is interesting (since we’re finally seeing some more Earthican representation), I care more about the individual characters (Norea Du Noc, Sophie Pulone and Naji Geor Hija) than their actual cause, at least for the moment. Again, very much looking forward to seeing more of them, and their relation with Nika (Though I do fully expect at least two of them to die horribly at some point).

I was very happy to see Kenanji Avery (the antagonist from the prologue) make a return, even though I’m absolutely certain he’s going to die at some point.

I really wanted to like and trust Lady Prospera/Elanora at first, but eventually the manipulation and Char vibes just got too strong.

Speaking of, I do suspect that Suletta’s whole “move forward gain two” mantra might be a blockword or trigger phrase or something, given how utterly Gung Ho she is about killing people during the final parts of the finale. Then again, I suppose she could just be applying what her mother’s taught her without fully thinking about the consequences (really girl, don’t try to be all romantic while you’re covered in blood). I did love the symbolism of her mother leading her onto the bloodstained floor though, that was really great.

And now my thoughts on the Gundam: The Witch from Mercury Mobile suits.

I found myself quite liking the Dilanza Sol, it seeming to be shaping up as the Zaku analogue, with multiple variations.

The New Lfrith’s (the Lfrith Thorn and Lfrith Ur) are an utter treat. I particularly love the Thorn’s gremlin stature and beam launcher/shotgun hybrid. I don’t normally go for paired units, but I think I may make an exception here.

ChuChu’s Demi trainer and Guel’s Darilbalde are odd cases, because I think in both terms I like them more on the strength of their pilots than on the individual machines. I’ll probably have stronger opinions once the series has ended.

The Pharact’s just ok. I’m fairly ambivalent towards it, though that’s at least partially because I fully expect we’ll see an upgrade to it. Another unit that’s more on the strength of its pilots than anything.

And finally we come to the elephant in the room.

The Aerial Rebuild. I don’t dislike it per se, I just definitely prefer the standard Aerial to it. I do like the wings, but there’s so many cool weapon systems in G-witch that a beam mega launcher (or whatever equivalent weapon that is) doesn’t excite me as much as it ordinarily would. I do also (usually) like my Gundams to have more colours than just blue and white (I know there’s some very small bits of red and yellow on there, but I find they get lost in all the blue). I do, however, like the head. The fact that we’re getting an upgrade this early in the game does make me think that we might be due for one new upgrade a season though, meaning that we might end up with four Aerials to choose from (plus the original Lfrith), so I’m not concerned.

Finally, we do know that we’re going to be getting at least one new Gundam next season, the Gundam Schwarzette (And some other unit that looks like a mass-production type to me).

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.

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.

*slight spoilers follow for Witch from Mercury episode 17 (or season 2, episode 5)*

I have now watched the episode, and my principal emotion is relief. From the way y’all were talking, I was worried Guel was gonna die.

*Spoilers follow for Witch from Mercury up to episode 17*

Huh, just realised that with Elan Five moving away from the company like his predecessor, we might actually find out what the deal is with the original Elan.

Y’know, this guy.

(And I’m suddenly realising that that picture has the number 2 prominently featured on it, which miiiight be a thing?)

Because other than them building the Pharact and attempting to crush/steal Aerial, Peil Technologies is kinda a cipher among the companies.

Like Jeturk Heavy Machinery was at the whims of Vim Jeturk (trying to crush the Aerial, trying to kill Delling) up until his death, when Lauda took over and then things went downhill. And now we’re seeing Guel move back into the fold. We know about Jeturk, because we know about lots of the characters involved in it (Lauda’s a little lacking, but other than that).

Grassley Defence Systems is essentially turning into Shaddiq’s personal fiefdom. It’s less clear what’s going on in there than Jeturk Heavy Machinery, but with the increased focus on Shaddiq and the reveal that he’s got his fingers in a lot of pies - he’s at the very least got connections in Dawn of Fold, if not directly financing them for use as a personal hitsquad and he was able to get both the Lfrith Pilots (Sophie and Norea) and Nika Nanaura into Asticassia using falsified information (or perhaps in Nika’s case he just provided the funding) -we’re slowly building an insight into the company, moreso that he seems primed to be making some more overt moves as of late (IE. Kidnapping his father).

But Peil Technologies? They’re building Gundams and creating “Enhanced Humans” (say what you will about the Cosmic Era, but “Extended, “Biological CPU” and “Carbon Humans” do roll a little easier off the tongue) and that’s about it. They have an interest in capturing Aerial, but so does pretty much everyone. We’ve also seen very little of the CEO’s other than them killing off Elan four. So are they gonna send in another Elan (six)? Or are they just going to look at the situation and try something else?

Things to ponder.

Though admittedly looking at the situation as things are now, I really don’t see things ending well for Shaddiq in this show. Partially because he seems to be being set up as a Char, and partially because he’s the first to move. It really feels like he’s gonna get outmanoeuvred by Peil or Prospera at some point, or betrayed because he isn’t as smart as he thinks he is.

*Spoilers follow for Witch From Mercury Episode 19*

Alright, I’d been meaning to leave this until I had more relevant images to draw from, or more to say on the topic significantly, but -

Peil Technologies is run using a “sophisticated AI” and rates the various Elans using aptitude tests, with the AI deciding which one is best for that particular time. It’s possible this policy extends to the CEO’s as well (hence why there are four of them).

But the use of an AI by big business’ to increase profits while dehumanising pretty much everyone that’s involved with it?

My, that’s almost *topical*.

*Spoilers for Witch from Mercury Episode 19*

Gonna be honest, I’m really happy that we finally know, at least a little, where the Schwarzette fits into all this - it’s a Gundam that was being developed by Shin Sei and Jeturk Heavy Machinery jointly.

It was just so very central in a lot of theories I had running around that it’s nice to lay it to rest, Y’know?

Though I’ll admit that just because it’s a Jeturk suit that doesn’t really lay to rest who’s gonna eventually pilot the thing. I mean Norea Du Noc was able to pilot the Pharact briefly, so I wouldn’t quite dispel the idea of it being stolen. Given recent events I’d probably have my money on either Suletta or Guel, but I think that Prospera’s still a good option, especially since Aerial doesn’t need a pilot past a certain point. Then again, it’s still possible that this is (or is installed with) “quiet zero” that Prospera and Delling were working on, and is in fact a trap of some kind (especially since it was being developed with Jeturk). Hm. Though this might explain the apparent leverage Prospera had over Vim Jeturk early on, and why he seemed to be hedging his bets when it came to gundams (one one hand, it beat his best; on the other, he’s also in the Gundam development gig and thus can’t tip his hand).

I am looking forward to seeing this thing in action, though I’ll admit it’s quite tentative, mostly because I believe it’s going to be an antagonist (the design and the curves and the colour don’t exactly scream “ally” to me, though on the plus side: Hey! Another White Devil!).

Actually, that might be partially why Miorine went for the Aerial, since it’s more recognisable (from all the duels it won) and less sinister-looking (and of course, she’s seen it in action).

Which reminds me. It is kinda odd that Suletta loses to Guel because of a clear shutdown of her mobile suit, and nobody really thinks to investigate that. Yeah yeah, “the result is the only truth” but given the kinda stuff we’ve seen Aerial pull in the past and the fact that Aerial’s kinda generally terrifying, you’d think that Shaddiq or somebody’d be looking into that.

I wanna say it’s such an absolute treat to see all the new gundam fans chime in every new episode of g witch. I’ve loved this series since I was a kid so I’m extra happy to see so many new people dive into the franchise.

I hope some of you will also take a look into other shows like 00 or even build fighters! Im happy ya’ll are here :3

Here’s a nifty little chart to help you navigate the series :)

Alrighty so, Gundam the Witch from Mercury episode 20. Kinda hits rather hard. Another one to add to the list.

Alright then, since this is the last chance I’ll have to talk about it on its own, let’s have a look at episode 20, shall we?

I’m just rewatching it before the new Ep., since I had a lot I wanted to talk about, but couldn’t really focus.

*the following contains spoilers for Gundam: Witch From Mercury episode 20 (and 19)*

*Talk about imagery of Prospera destroying multiple other Lfrith frames and how that corresponds with suletta and Eri.* -(awk. Seems I left some notes here)

First off, I’m gonna nip back to episode 19, where Prospera destroys the Lfrith Prototypes (mass production lfrith’s?). I find this interesting for two reasons; One, the consequences of Prospera starting a firefight to cover this are kinda massive (ie episode 20), especially since it throws GUND-arm inc to the wolves, screwing over her daughter’s friends for her own gain. Second, these are machines that Prospera has worked on. These are the machines she built with Dr. Cardo Nabo. Her destroying them is her violently destroying aspects of her past. Furthermore, it parallels with Eri and Suletta. Assuming that the Multiple Eri’s Suletta saw are just representative, it shows Prospera destroying her older children in favour of Aerial, because she doesn’t need them. She doesn’t need the Lfrith’s like she doesn’t need suletta, and it cements her as a Char to me. She doesn’t actively wish harm or dislike suletta, she just finds something else more important, and thus abandons her. It’s a very charlike thing to do, at least to me.

But the first point is also very notable, because basically all of Norea’s actions in Ep 20 are down to Prospera. Due to Prospera causing the fight on Earth, not only is Shaddiq forced to move, but Norea loses it and goes on a full-on rampage in the school. Norea meets a violent end in response to Prospera’s direct actions, and her attacking the school could very easily have led to Suletta being killed, heck, if she’d been standing slightly to the right, she would’ve. Prospera told Suletta to go back to the school and live out her dreams, in a *safe* environment, but because of Prospera, the school is no longer safe. It’ll be very interesting to see Prospera’s reaction when she finds out about this, though of course she won’t realise the connection. I expect she either won’t even blink, or when she finds out Suletta survived she’ll rationalise it easily.

Elan 5 being a coward was not something I expected to be this relevant. Huh. Kinda a parallel with Guel. They both lose someone in combat that they care deeply about, and then (presumably) go and become a better person after the fact. It’s also interesting that this is essentially the first time we’ve seen any development with Elan 5, where he’s actually cared about something and not just been evasive.

Guel and Shaddiq’s big showdown, while great, I don’t really have a whole lot to say about, other than notice the ms differences and wonder how that’s gonna show on the model kits.

Lauda had a really bad time in this ep, which is…. Something? On one hand, that sucks for him, but I fully expect him to either die or get character development, so………yay?

Other general points:

It’s nice to see the Beguir-Pente’s seeing more use.

Weird thing to notice, but the Asticassia school bell sounds super nice. Just a lovely noise.

Anyone else think that that fight between Guel and Shaddiq ended similarly to Gundam Thunderbolt (December Sky)? Maybe I’m reading too much into the mutual kill.

Is it me, or does the Michaelis have a subtly different head design? Maybe it’s just the shot.

I’m honestly kinda annoyed we got so many great shots of the Lfrith Thorn this episode, since it got wrecked. Though both it and the gunvolva’s were very evocative at the end, intercut with the devastation of the school.

Not to sound like one of those asshole fans who are all like “oh, the REAL Gundam starts here”, but I do expect Asticassia’s destruction to shake up things quite a bit, and with Shaddiq pushing for the Space Assembly League AND Belmiria about to blow the whole Quiet Zero thing wide open I’m curious as to if things are gonna end up in a full-scale brawl.

Shaddiq also states “we’ll use the witch for as long as we can”. I’m assuming he’s talking about Norea here. Kinda hypocritical of him, and it shows that he’s fundamentally no different than those others who would exploit Norea.

Shaddiq says “weren’t you told to secure your target before you’re suspected”? So, does he have a mole in cathdra? Or is he just good a predicting?

Lastly, Petra. I’ve seen a lot of people drawing her with GUND Prosthetics or expecting her to have survived, but honestly? I think she’s dead. Her running and saying what she wanted to do makes it seem like she’s going to actually die here.

*Slight Spoilers follow for witch from Mercury episode 21*

NO, LAUDA BUDDY, DON’T DO IT

JUST TALK TO SOMEONE I’M BEGGING YOU

Kinda surreal how Shaddiq had this big grand plan to kidnap his father and deliver him to the Space Assembly League, thus blowing Benerit open wide to being dismantled, but Kenanji and Guel stopped him, but then Peil technologies were like “actually, let’s do that” and got them involved anyway.

Falling upward, perhaps?

(Though to be fair it isn’t the first time they’ve pulled this *cough* Pharact *cough*).

(Like yeah, Norea’s rampage probably also played a large part in this, but still).

You just gave this franchise its best fiscal year girl.

Not gonna lie,this is exactly how i imagined they would interact.

Finding hilarious that Judau appears in the battlefield shouting "i'm skipping class".

Garrod "i know what you are" Ran.

No thoughts,only bride.