Witch From Mercury - Tumblr Posts
*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.
*just finished watching Witch From Mercury episode 19*
Well suddenly the credits make a lot more sense.
And y’all were saying the last episode was a gut punch.
*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 :)
*heavy spoilers for Gundam: Witch from Mercury episode 19 follow*
I’m writing this almost immediately after watching this weeks episode, so it may come off as a little disjointed, but that’s also because a lot of stuff happens, so I’m going to use bullet points:
We finally know (sorta) what’s happening with Aerial. Eri died, went into Aerial, then Prospera made other children to act as biological components, of which Suletta is the most recent, and the one with the most autonomy. I think. It’s a little unclear as to exactly if there’s just one Eri in Aerial, if there’s multiple Eri’s or if the Eri in Aerial is fractured in some way.
Lauda! He thanks Chuchu and seems to be set up to do *something*. I’m really hoping for development on him.
Kenanji Avery’s back and he has a history with Guel that’s gonna be expanded on.
We’re gonna see (more of) what Earth’s like, and we’ll maybe see Olcott again (that guy with Dawn of Fold Guel talks to).
Shaddiq’s still working behind the scenes. I’m really interested in how this is gonna play out, since I fully expect him to fail on a personal level, but I’ve no idea what’ll become of his plans.
Martin’s just not having a good time. I kinda expect him to die at some point.
The Space Assembly league’s moving again. They’re having a chat with Belmiria (and honestly I feel like if they take her into protective custody then they’ve got a case).
And now we have the delightful double-whammy of:
Prospera actually expressing DOUBT over a choice she’s made and talking to aerial about it. And Aerial’s like “no, this was the best decision, look how happy she is” and it just cuts to suletta crying. And Prospera actually seems to feel…..bad? About manipulating this child to serve her own ends? I am loving this.
We know what Elan is!
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.
And now, Episode 21 (just some quick notes for now)
*spoilers follow for Gundam witch from mercury episode 21*
I really like the Calgores fielded by the Space Assembly League, those are lovely. Like someone blended a Heingra and a Jegan together, with just a pinch of the Geara Doga.
Alright, alright Petra’s alive. Fine I guess. Hope she manages to speak to Lauda. I like that Felsi’s getting more focus.
Are we getting 30 episodes, 50 episodes or something different here? Because I’m kinda grappling with the understanding that Shaddiq was essentially the Starter Villain, and that really doesn’t sit right. It is however, really nice just to see him and Miorine talking, even if Miorine is still coming to terms with quinharbour (I guess?). I am really looking forward to her and Suletta reuniting though. (But really, if Shaddiq’s the starter villain, and we get 50 eps, does that mean that Peil’s gonna be the big bad simply by virtue of having moved last? Like we know they’ve got shady stuff going on, but other than the two Elan’s, we’ve received very little to go off).
Alright, it’s probably too early for me to be doing this sort of analysis (I normally like to wait until things are a little more concluded) but
I wonder if the grudge between Renee Costa and Lillique Kadoka Lipati being comparatively petty (Lillique refused an invitation from a boy, Renee viewed this as a insult to him, and by extension her, since he was “number 12 on her list of back-up boyfriends”) is supposed to illustrate that the students settling these thing via near-lethal duels is a bad idea?
(Even weakened beams can still easily kill, as shown by Suletta’s fight against Elan 4)
Furthermore, it enforces the idea that power (in this case Mobile suits) is the deciding factor. Any student on the MS course will have an advantage, regardless of the effectiveness of their support team, since the pilot’s skill matters most. It’s entirely possible for one strong pilot to dominate the house, any duels being passed back to them to resolve, as seen with Guel and Suletta (With their losses greatly impacting the house). It also weakens them against the kind of soft power that Shaddiq and Miorine employ.
I do find it interesting how it’s only Grassley that goes all in on Duelling, with 6 suits compared to Jeturk’s 4 and Peil’s 2 (though that’s mostly suppositions both, since they could have had more off-screen, and that Shaddiq was likely stockpiling materials for his move.).
If nothing else, Renee and Lillique’s duel provides a good contrast to the corporate machinations of Peil and Prospera.
Immediate thought while watching the opening of Witch From Mercury episode 22:
I wonder if this is a metaphor for how lack of oversight into corporate dealings will eventually lead to them becoming untouchable monoliths, where oversight is pointless because they can either absorb losses or just overrule them.
*Nonspecific G-Witch Spoilers*
It is kinda surreal to realise that part of Guel’s whole billing as an ace pilot is him surviving fights he really shouldn’t. Whether he’s against professional pilots, outnumbered, outclassed or facing an absolute combat monster, he always manages to pull through and live through his experiences.
It’s kinda nice to see Guel’s identity as an ace divorced from him just shooting down a bunch of enemies.
Plus, I suppose that this means that the moment he actually gets a properly good ms, he’ll probably do really well in fights.
I’m seeing a lot of takes about Witch From Mercury’s ending (specifically about it feeling rushed since we only got 25 episodes), so I’m just gonna throw my two cents in now, maybe do a proper analysis of the actual ending at one point.
I quite like the ending of Witch From Mercury. I’ll admit I expected to get more out of it, but what we got was really good.
But the whole line about “the execs didn’t have faith in it, that’s why it’s only 25 eps” I’m seeing……. I’m not so sure about it.
Like yes, it’s not typically Gundam’s demographic (it normally leans more towards male demographics) and yuri is typically seen as something enjoyed by female ones, so obviously they didn’t expect it to blow up as it has……
But I’m given to understand that Yuri is an absolute *powerhouse* in Japan, so them not having faith seems like a weird take.
An absolute treat.
Suletta and Miorine in 79's Gundam style
So the prequel novel to Witch From Mercury has been uploaded for free on the official site! Go have a read!
The Witches from Earth by reoenl // Mobile Suit Gundam: The Witch from Mercury
My beloved Witch from Mercury girls! I have posters for Sakuracon <3
*This post will contain spoilers for Mobile Suit Gundam: The Witch From Mercury. Also, I’ll probably ramble more than usual here, since a lot of my points are interconnected*
Alright then. I was planning on doing a big post breakdown on Mobile Suit Gundam: The Witch from Mercury after rewatching it, since I find that my general thoughts on a series typically coalesce around the second viewing. However that probably won’t be for a good while yet, so I figured I’d do a big post now, and I’ll add a few notes if anything jumps out on me on my (eventual) second viewing.
In a nutshell, I found The Witch from Mercury to be really, really good, with an excellent cast and gorgeous action. However, I feel it’s let down by its comparatively low episode count.
And I’d like to stress that that low episode count is basically my only major criticism - I have several smaller ones, but they’re ultimately all extensions of that low episode count.
The Cast.
As above, really good. You’ve got a good selection of characters coming from various strata’s within society - Spacians, Earthians, Mercurians. It’s a good variety of characters and seeing how they interact with each other. They all feel pretty well-rounded as characters honestly.
Like, Suletta’s great, obviously. I feel like you don’t need me to tell you that which is great, because I’m not sure how to put it. I guess I like how emotive she is, how she portrays how she’s feeling so well, but then that might be because we, the audience are close to her as a protagonist (I’d argue that Miorine and Guel could also be counted as protagonists, if you wanted, but Suletta’s the one we spend the most time with). Suletta’s also good because she’s a newcomer to the Asticassia, so not only do we learn things with her but she’s also absolutely primed to upend the status quo there, which she does fantastically. I like the contrast between her doubts and capabilities - she’s not the most social of characters and doubts herself multiple times, but put her in a mobile suit and she is confidence incarnate.
Miorine feels like an extension of Gundam’s “Princess” archetype: your Sayla, your Relena, your Lacus. I really like how proactive she is - we first meet her in the process of attempting to run away from her school, and her arc feels more about her recognising the power she weirds and how to best use it for what she wants, rather than rejecting it outright. She’s in the process of actively cultivating “soft power” (negotiations, word-of-mouth, etc) rather than just having it inherently and -crucially- because the hard power isn’t actually that valuable. Compared to, say, SEED. Lacus has a whole lot of soft power, but it’s Kira and the Freedom that’s the driving force of the plot. Suletta has Hard Power - Aerial, but it’s borrowed power fundamentally, and it’s Miorine’s soft power that ultimately does more good. Actual Diplomacy versus Gunboat Diplomacy, if you will. I also like how Suletta and Miorine’s relationship progresses - they balance out each other - it starts out with Suletta having the power Miorine needs, but as Miorine grows they start relying more on each other. Also their interactions together are really great. They’re compelling because of both who they are in universe - a pilot and a princess, and because of their personalities with each other and how they spur each others development.
I do want to call out Lady Prospera as being amazing. She feels exactly how Char would be as a mother - manipulative and ruthless, but still caring in her own way. I’m given to understand she’s the first female Char Clone in the series, which is neat. Her relationship with Suletta (and Miorine) is just really good. She’s not unpleasant and she’s certainly charming, but she won’t sugarcoat how things are. Miorine knows she’s being manipulated in her interactions with her, but it’s genuinely good advice so she goes along with it, even as she has her own reservations. It’s also rather telling that once Prospera doesn’t need Suletta anymore, she leaves her. While callous and heart-breaking, we know now that Prospera fully believed she was going to die. While this doesn’t exactly forgive her abandoning Suletta, it does cast her interest in Suletta making friends and having relationships outside her in a new light. Prospera wants vengeance for Nadim and the rest of the Vanadis Institute, but she recognises that that is her and Eri’s vengeance, not Suletta’s. And doesn’t that sound similar to Mr Char “I have never once betrayed any one, in my life, ever” Aznable, who just wants his sister to grow up in peace while he avenges their family? It’s a fun relationship dynamic and it’s done well, is what I’m getting at. I also like how unapologetically villainous she is in some of her actions - both the audience and Miorine kinda clock her as a threat immediately, but we can also see why Suletta trusts her so much, even if it’s not the healthiest relationship. I just really like the juxtaposition of her being sweet with Suletta, uncompromising with Miorine, and absolutely brutal with everyone else.
Setting
I find the school setting genuinely fascinating, I don’t have a clever segue so I’m just going to get into it.
Asticassia School of Technology is a school to pilot giant robots. Great, Instantly appealing. However, then you get into all the ways it’s indicative of the wider society. It’s maintained and run by the Benerit Group - a Mega-Corporation that dominates the field of military-use mobile suits, which requires actual military force to be brought to heel and is basically a sovereign nation all its own - it’s rather telling that we never really see any national representatives throughout G-Witch, it’s all about the companies. So it takes this normally aspirational thing “wow, a school to pilot giant robots!” And extrapolates it out to what kind of setting would create that. Giant Robots are used in military applications, so you end up with a facility basically dedicated to the production of child soldiers to serve this military-industrial complex actively profiting from the glaring class inequality present in the setting, as set out in the prologue. And because the characters exist within that system there is no “easy fix”, the story ends with the characters making small progress against those inequalities rather than solving them in one fell swoop because the inequalities are systemic, and you can’t just take out the superweapon and expect everything to work out on its own. The existence of child soldiers is baked into the setting- not as a desperate gamble or as an illustration of the necessities of survival, as in other series. But as an accepted and -crucially- normalised thing. Notably, no-one expresses surprise or horror at Sophie and Norea being pilots - just that they’re a threat and have GUND Format units. We also see several child soldiers in Fold of Dawn in addition to Asticassia itself, so there’s also the angle of generational differences - the children exist in an unfair world built and maintained by the adults, fighting for the causes they are taught to. Many of the Benerit Heirs have unhealthy relationships with their parental figures, typically conflicting over them wanting different things (Guel vs Vim’s expectations, Shaddiq going out from under Sarius and basically everything about the Elan’s). So there’s the angle of the children fighting against the unfair world of adults, tying into the familial relationships in the cast. Which is a theme Gundam’s got a lot out of historically. So the school setting shows to illustrate how Ad Stella is civilised a first glance, but far more beneath the surface, and demonstrates several of the issues inherent in the setting.
I also really love how GUND format is actively debilitating to its pilots and how Suletta, while still a very good pilot, is essentially unbeatable because she has a way around the downsides for most of the series. Because it feels like an examination of “the Gundam is the strongest mobile suit”. G-Witch essentially states that having a stronger or better weapon does not solve these problems, in fact, the various elements of the company all fighting over Aerial gets several people killed, so if anything it feels like a takedown of “Gundam” as a concept (ie This great strong weapon that will win us the war”). It also puts emphasis on themes of dehumanisation - both the Elan’s and Sophie&Norea show that child experimentation, while not exactly common, isn’t unfamiliar ground in Ad Stella, particularly with Elan being replaceable, which again ties into the child soldier angle. I also find it delightfully hypocritical that Benerit, the weapon merchants, have issues with it because of the PR backlash of it killing its pilots, not because of any “moral” reason. It’s a bad look to have a weapon that can harm its user - who’s going to want to pay for that? The militant liquidation of Ochs Earth was essentially a PR stunt to show that Benerit will not make these weapons (not that that stopped Peil). Which is really horrifying to think about, really.
The Space Assembly League, Quiet Zero and the Interplanetary Laser Transmission System (or ITLS, that big gun in the finale) all function as illustrations of the excess of corporate power - a near full-scale war/ large scale destruction is only prevented because of Suletta and Ericht’s intervention. The SAL functions as a regulatory body for the corporations, but while it isn’t exactly lacking in force, it acts far too late to prevent the damage - Benerit has been allowed to run independently for too long, so it’s difficult to pull back even with evidence and force because it’s just so big. Meanwhile, the ITLS was constructed under the guide of a power transmission system, but it’s intended to be fired as a weapon. Furthermore, the destruction it will cause is written off as “Oh, Peil will get the reconstruction contract”, killing hundreds for corporate gain. The fact that it’s Peil specifically is also notable, since they are probably the most ethically bankrupt of the three corporations and were actively involved in the GUND-format technology themselves. But because the corrupt elements of the governing body favour them (and can presumably cut a deal for reconstruction costs), much of their misdeeds would have essentially been swept under the rug. Notably, other than their stock plummeting, we don’t actually see much in the way of consequences for the Peil CEO’s.
Mechanics
A fairly short one here - I’ll admit I’m not crazy about a lot of the mobile suits in Ad Stellar, but I like how each company has a different designer and are different thematically. Jeturk has big, bulky beetle-esque machines - heavily armoured and analogous to Zaku’s and other grunt suits from the series. Peil focuses on mobility - spindly MS with lots of thrusters, and typically deployed with aerial combat in mind. Finally, Grassley tends to lean towards units with exotic systems, such as the Michaelis’ beam bracer and Anti-GUND format and often have monoeyes. It’s a good illustration of the competing philosophies within the group and each one is distinct and easily recognisable (Burion’s utilitarian, I don’t have much more to say on it). It also emphasises what a big shakeup the Gundam’s are, since they look so different, and can put down any of these units with little trouble. I rather wish we saw more of the smaller developers - those units Suletta swatted aside en masse with the Aerial Rebuild, since they seemed to have a greater variety of designs (I particularly liked the little Acguy-looking one - the Hosler II?). Also, really liked the Prodoros used by Dawn of Fold (though that’s likely due to how it moves).
Criticisms
Or rather Criticism. Your typical Gundam series is usually around 40-50 episodes, whereas Mobile Suit Gundam: The Witch from Mercury is a comparatively paltry 25. Now, one series having a lower episode count than another isn’t inherently a point against it - better a short story well told rather than a long story poorly told, and it’s a new show, and (despite my persistent comparisons with other Gundam shows) should be allowed to stand and be judged on its own merits. But it kinda feels like it was meant to be a 40-50 episode series that was cut-down mid-production and fundamentally, it feels like we could’ve gotten more.
The pacing of the second season ratchets up considerably compared to the first, and I would like to stress that Witch From Mercury is a very-well-paced show - every episode has some sort of plot development, but it feels like that’s because it had to be. And every criticism I have of the show feels like it flows from that cut-down episode count.
It kinda feels like Peil Industries was supposed to be a much bigger player in this, and the Pharact doesn’t really do anything after its opening fight.
Peil’s never brought to justice, and Elan 5 just decides to join Earth House’s move on Quiet Zero. Meanwhile, the real Elan Ceres just resigns from Peil, even though he was presumably in on the Enhanced Person stuff too.
Lauda’s whole subplot about him piloting the Schwarzette had very little foreshadowing - I assume they put just enough of it in that they couldn’t cut it entirely (i.e. the Schwarzette), and it was necessary for Guel’s character arc.
Guel taking over Jeturk Heavy Industries didn’t really go anywhere.
Sophie Pulone and Norea Du Noc are really only there to tick gundam’s “Doomed Child Soldiers” box. Also Dawn of Fold just…… still exists after the events of the series?
The fact that Ochs Earth was still a thing kinda didn’t amount to much did it? Prospera just destroys them and their Gundam Lfrith’s. The ones used by Dawn of Fold might have well been older models, scavenged or bought by them.
Chuatury (Chuchu) Panlunch - great character, great design, excellent illustration of the tensions of the setting, but it feels like she was supposed to have a subplot focused on the people supporting her on Earth.
It just feels like they made the first 12 episodes of a 40-50 episode series, with a bunch of setup that’d pay off later, and then they got cut down to 24 episodes and had to cut a lot of stuff to fit. I’d like to stress I think they made a good compromise - most of my criticisms are minor and the Suletta and Miorine are the heart of the series, and they come out very well. But all the same, I’d rather the compromise didn’t need to be made in the first place, so we could’ve seen the “full thing” as it were.
Even my….. restraint on the mobile suits designs can be pinned on this. My favourite designs are typically Monster of the Week and late-season Weirdo’s - the stuff that’s the purview of your charismatic villain or a specialised grunt. But if you’ve got to cut stuff for space and time, then by their very nature, those designs won’t stick around.
I should however mention that I’ve been unable to find any reputable source as to wether The Witch From Mercury did have its episode count cut, before or during production. My criticism is mostly about the series feeling like it should have had more, not that it was actually cut down. It is possible that Bandai wanted to see if the show could make a comparative return on a smaller budget than usual, especially considering most of their recent Gundam output has been adaptations (IE. Shows that already have a proven audience and prior success, and are consequently a lot less financially risky), like Unicorn or Thunderbolt.
All that said, I do think that the emotional core of the show - Suletta and Miorine was excellently done, and I found the action and themes to be similarly well-done. I’m mostly only complaining we didn’t get to see more of the world, since it has so many interesting concepts that feel like they would’ve been interesting to see.
A couple more pages of the Commemorative Book Scanlation...
I don't think I'm finishing this before my MajoFes BD arrives. 😅