| Mobile Suit Gundam: The Witch from Mercury | |
|---|---|
 Key visual for the series | |
| 機動戦士ガンダム 水星の魔女 | |
| Genre | |
| Created by | |
| Written by | Ichirō Ōkouchi |
| Directed by |
|
| Music by | Takashi Ohmama |
| Country of origin | Japan |
| Original language | Japanese |
| No. of episodes | 24(list of episodes) |
| Production | |
| Producer | Naohiro Ogata |
| Animator | Sunrise |
| Production companies | |
| Original release | |
| Network | JNN (MBS,TBS) |
| Release | October 2, 2022 (2022-10-02) – July 2, 2023 (2023-07-02) |
| Related | |
| Original net animation | |
| Mobile Suit Gundam: The Witch from Mercury – Prologue | |
| Directed by | Hiroshi Kobayashi |
| Produced by | Naohiro Ogata |
| Written by | Ichirō Ōkouchi |
| Music by | Takashi Ohmama |
| Studio | Sunrise |
| Licensed by |
|
| Released | July 14, 2022 |
| Runtime | 23 minutes |
| Episodes | 1(List of episodes) |
| Novel | |
| Cradle Planet | |
| Written by | Ichirō Ōkouchi |
| Published by | Sunrise |
| Published | October 2, 2022 |
| Light novel | |
| Mobile Suit Gundam: The Witch from Mercury | |
| Written by | Yūya Takashima |
| Illustrated by | Shūei Takagi |
| Published by | Kadokawa Shoten |
| Magazine | Gundam Ace |
| Original run | November 26, 2022 – present |
| Manga | |
| Vanadis Heart | |
| Written by | Kō Yoneyama HISADAKE |
| Illustrated by | Chika Tōjō |
| Published by | Kadokawa Shoten |
| English publisher | |
| Magazine | Gundam Ace |
| Original run | March 25, 2023 – present |
| Manga | |
| Frontier of Youth | |
| Written by | HISADAKE |
| Illustrated by | Hiro Hata |
| Published by | Kadokawa Shoten |
| Magazine | Comic Newtype |
| Original run | May 23, 2025 – present |
Mobile Suit Gundam: The Witch from Mercury (Japanese:機動戦士ガンダム 水星の魔女,Hepburn:Kidō Senshi Gandamu: Suisei no Majo) is a Japanesemecha anime television series and the fifteenth mainline entry inSunrise's long-runningGundam franchise. It was directed by Hiroshi Kobayashi and Ryō Andō, with scripts byIchirō Ōkouchi, and aired from October 2022 to July 2023.[1]
Set in a society where powerful spacefaring conglomerates dominate theeconomy, the series centers on mobile suits called “GUND-ARMS,” which were derived from “GUND,” amedical technology originally designed to mitigatephysical disabilities caused by space habitation.[2]
The Witch from Mercury is notable for being the first mainlineGundam series to air entirely during Japan'sReiwa era and the first televised installment to feature both a female andLGBTQ protagonist,Suletta Mercury.[3] Thematically, the series explores issues ofcapitalism andpolitical corruption, drawing stylistic inspiration fromShakespeare’sThe Tempest andearly-modern witch trials, especially as metaphorically reflected in its central GUND technology.[4]
The series is set in the new calendar system dubbed the Ad Stella (AS). In this timeline, humanity has advanced into space yet a conflict occurred that caused a split between the inhabitants ofspace colonies, also called "Spacians" and the Earth-born "Earthians",[5] with a vast economic inequality between the two. These conflicts revolved around the material, Permet, which was mined because of its information-linking properties. Various technologies have been developed by mixing Permet with other materials or propellants for control purposes, including Mobile Suit development. Several megacorporations are established in this timeline which all focus on the development of technology for Spacians but also caused the social and political divide between them and the Earthians.
In the year Ad Stella 101, researchers at the Vanadis Institute created "GUND", an advancedbrain–computer interface that enabled the human nervous system to controlartificial appendages and organs. The purpose of GUND was to enable humans to survive in the harsh environment of space. After receiving funding from mobile suit manufacturer Ochs Earth, the technology was developed into the "GUND Format" and employed for military uses, leading to the creation of "GUND-ARMS": mobile suits that use the GUND Format to increase the performance of their pilots. However, extensive use of GUND-ARMS resulted in pilots being crippled or even killed.[6][7]
In response, the Mobile Suit Development Council, led by the top mobile suit development companies, ordered an entire permanent ban on the GUND Format and all its applications. Council member Delling Rembran, president of the Benerit Group, deployed the special forces team Dominicus to destroy the Vanadis research facility Fólkvangr, killing everyone aboard to erase all traces of the technology. Only two people survived: mobile suit test pilot Elnora Samaya and her four-year-old daughter Ericht Samaya. In the aftermath, those responsible for the development of the GUND Format were ostracized, and because the team was primarily composed of women, they became known as "witches".
In Ad Stella 122, 21 years after the Vanadis incident,[8] Suletta Mercury transfers from Mercury to the Asticassia School of Technology, an academic institute run by themegacorporation Benerit Group. Upon arrival, she encounters a girl escaping the institute, Miorine Rembran, who wants to escape from the control of Delling, her father. Miorine is engaged to be married to the highest scoring duellist in a mobile suit - currently Guel Jeturk.
As their paths cross in the academy with different ambitions and goals, Suletta will have to prove her worth as a pilot as she steps into the academy alongside the Gundam Aerial, a mobile suit built with forbidden GUND Format technology.
The project inception can be traced back to early spring 2020, when producer Takuya Okamoto received a proposal under the existing series title “The Witch from Mercury,” originating from a creative planning unit known asMorion Airlines. This proposal formed the initial conceptual seed for the series’ world-building and core themes.[9]
Development continued into 2021, when the series was formally revealed atSunrise’s 2nd “Gundam Conference” (September 15), within the GUNDAM PROJECT, which included initiatives such as G-PARTNER educational outreach. Okamoto revealed that teenage attendees expressed feeling disengaged from the franchise, saying that “Gundam wasn’t made for them,” which prompted the creative decision to center the story around a school setting in order to better connect with younger fans.[10][11]
The planning team, which included Okamoto, director Hiroshi Kobayashi, co-director Ryō Andō, and writerIchirō Ōkouchi, crafted a thematic framework focused on corporate competition, futuristic witchcraft, and innovative Gundam technology (the GUND-Format). This concept married elements ofShakespeare’sThe Tempest andearly-modern witch trials, positioning the technology itself as an allegorical “curse.”[12] They deliberately structured the story as a dual-audience narrative, appealing to newcomers through a relatable academy backdrop and to longtime fans through morally complex character arcs and signature “dark turning points.”[11]
Character visuals originated from mogmo via Morion Airlines’ proposal. Animation-adapted character designs were handled by Marie Tagashira (main characters), Shuri Toida, and Hirotoshi Takaya (supporting roles), while mechanical design was split among JNTHED (lead Gundam EXA-Aerial, Lfrith),Kanetake Ebikawa, Ippei Gyōbu, Wataru Inada, Kenji Teraoka, and Takayuki Yanase according to in-universe factions. The creative process emphasized balance, with Kobayashi occasionally generating character visuals himself to ensure narrative cohesion.[13]
This was the firstGundam TV series produced under the newly rebrandedBandai Namco Filmworks (formerly Sunrise since April 2022), marking a new corporate era for the franchise and its media strategy.[14]
A self-containedPrologue episode debuted on July 14, 2022, at the cross-venue “Gundam Next Future – Link the Universe” event, which connected the life-sizeGundam facilities inYokohama,Odaiba,Fukuoka, andShanghai; it later streamed worldwide via the official GundamInfoYouTube channel on September 1, 2022.[15][16] The main television series premiered across theJapan News Network (includingMBS andTBS) from October 2, 2022, to July 2, 2023, within the revived nationwide Nichigo programming block. A second season aired beginning April 9, 2023.[17][18]
Internationally,Crunchyroll simulcast the series outside of East Asia,[19] whileMedialink streamed it in Southeast Asia through Ani-One Asia onYouTube,Netflix, andBilibili.[20] GundamInfo expanded streaming to additional territories across Asia and Oceania.[21] An English dub, produced byCrunchyroll’s Texas-based talent, was released on January 30, 2023, marking the first time the Gundam franchise employed the studio formerly known asFunimation.[22] A Spanish-dubbed version aired on Mexico’sAzteca 7 beginning February 16, 2024.[23]
The series featured multiple theme songs:Yoasobi performed the first opening "Shukufuku" (祝福; "The Blessing"), with an English version released alongside official music videos;[24]Yama performed the second opening theme “Slash,”[25] whileShiyui andRyo provided the first ending theme "Kimi yo Kedakaku Are" (君よ 気高くあれ; "You Be Noble"), andAina the End performed the second ending “Red:Birthmark.” The score was composed by Takashi Ohmama.[26]
An official web novel titled "Cradle Planet" (ゆりかごの星,Yurikago no Hoshi), written by Ichirō Ōkouchi, was released by Sunrise on their official website on October 2, 2022.[27][28] The English version was subsequently released on November 10, 2022, translated by Eriko Sugita.[29] The web novel serves as a link between the Prologue and the main series and is told from the point of view of the Gundam Aerial. A live reading of the novel was released onYouTube on November 13, 2022, with Kana Ichinose as the narrator. The anime was later adapted into an ongoing light novel inKadokawa Shoten'sGundam Ace magazine from November 26, 2022, written by Yūya Takashima with illustrations by Shūei Takagi. The novel adapts both the Prologue and main storylines, and will also include some original characters and subplots[30]
A side-story manga titledMobile Suit Gundam The Witch from Mercury: Vanadis Heart (Japanese:機動戦士ガンダム 水星の魔女 ヴァナディースハート,Hepburn:Kidō Senshi Gandamu Suisei no Majo: Vuanadīsu Hāto), written by both Kō Yoneyama and illustrated by Chika Tōjō, with original character designs by mogmo and planning cooperation by Hisadake, began serialization in Kadokawa Shoten'sGundam Ace magazine from March 25, 2023.[31] The manga is set in A.S. 106, five years after the Vanadis incident, and focuses on a witch named Vilda Miren and a pilot named Kiyu Lavot, who pilots the XGF-01[II3] Gundam Lfrith Jiu.[32] In December 2025,Yen Press announced that they had licensed the side-story for English publication beginning in June 2026.[33]
In December 2024, another spinoff manga,Mobile Suit Gundam The Witch from Mercury: Frontier of Youth (Japanese:機動戦士ガンダム 水星の魔女 青春フロンティア,Hepburn:Kidō Senshi Gandamu Suisei no Majo: Seishun Frontier), written by Hisadake and illustrated by Hiro Hata began serialization onComic Newtype on May 23, 2025.[34][35][36] This time, the events of the manga will take place in an alternative setting closer to modern Japan, retelling the events of the original anime in a more everyday comedy and slice of life vein.
Alongside other merchandise releases, the series is also part of the long-runningGunpla line of plastic model kits byBandai Spirits. Kits based on the Mobile Suits in the series were released in1/144 scale. High Grade and SDEX models of the Gundam Aerial were released in 2022, and a 1/100 scale Full Mechanics kit was released in 2023. Action figure releases include those in theChogokin, Robot Spirits, and Gundam Universe lines.[37]
According to an official Bandai press release, the High Grade Gundam Aerial recorded the highest initial sales "among the HG TV series lead role Gundam versions",[38] going on to become the best selling Gunpla kit of 2022, while the High Grade Gundam Calibarn became the best selling kit of 2023.[39]
Shortly after the release of the series, Sunrise partnered withYamazaki Baking for a cross-promotion following a string of Internet memes stemming from theBic Camera branch inAkihabara stocking empty shelves of the Gundam Aerial model kit with YBC Aerial corn chips.[40]
The Gundam Aerial, along with Suletta, appeared in the mobile gameMobile Suit Gundam UC Engage as a limited event unit.[41] It also made an appearance in theaction RPG video gameSD Gundam Battle Alliance as aDLC unit.[42] It reappears as a playable unit again in the arcade gameMobile Suit Gundam Extreme Vs. 2 OverBoost and later supplant by the Gundam Pharact from the First Season and the Darilbalde from the Second Season. The Gundam Aerial is set to appear as a bundle inCall of Duty: Modern Warfare III.[43] InMobile Suit Gundam Extreme Vs. 2 Infinite Boost, Gundam Aerial Rebuild is a playable unit, however, the unit has two slots with different pilots.
The Witch from Mercury has been praised by critics for its writing, characters, animation, voice acting, dark drama,yuri elements, and its unique take on the classic Gundam formula.IGN gave the first season of the series a rave review, giving it a 9/10, praising the show's drama and striking imagery.[44]Polygon also gave the show's first season a glowing reviewing, claiming the series is becoming the "ultimate Gundam show" and is finally an anime in the prestige franchise that anyone could enjoy.[45] Kim Morrissy fromAnime News Network has also praised the series, citing the show has good emotional moments.[46] Harry Nugraha fromGame Rant was less impressed with the first season, finding the school life drama to be "disappointing". However, Nugraha thought the show featured some "thrilling combat scenes" and felt the series was picking up steam in the last few episodes of the season.[47][48]Vulture listed the first season as the third best anime of 2022.[49] Following the finale of the second season,Tsunehiro Uno ofPLANETS criticized the series for failing to adequately engage with the first season's issues of mediocre direction and breaking out of comfort zones, noting that the theme of conflict was ultimately relegated to being anEaster egg of the school life setting.[50]
Mamiko Noto's portrayal of Prospera has received acclaim, with many lauding her theatrical performance and the complexity of her character.Gizmodo positively compared Prospera to the Gundam franchise's iconic villainChar Aznable, referencing how both characters wear masks and the duality of their personalities.[51] Christopher Farris fromAnime News Network also raved about the character, applauding her effectiveness as avillain and found her storyline to be "gripping".[52]
The English dub received controversy due to the decision to have Suletta Mercury be voiced by white voice actorJill Harris. Suletta Mercury is implied to have Middle Eastern or North African heritage and her father's name Nadim Samaya has Arabic, Hebrew, and Indian origins.[53]
The end of the first season of theWitch from Mercury featured Suletta piloting the Gundam Aerial to smash aterrorist violently. Many viewers and commentators were caught off guard by the sudden act of violence, especially the imagery of Suletta's blood-stained hands and Miorine's horrified reaction.[54][55] The finale was compared[who?] to a majortwist fromCode Geass, another anime project worked byIchirō Ōkouchi. Both theWitch from Mercury andCode Geass trended on social media as fans reacted to the gruesome scene inGundam.[56] Japan's Broadcasting Ethics & Program Improvement Organization shared complaints from parents about the violent nature of the episode, with many finding it to be too graphic to show at the 5:00 PMtimeslot when children are still up to watch it.[57]
The Witch from Mercury garnered some criticism after the airing of Season Two, Episode 24, when it was revealed that over 90 key animators worked on the series' final episode. The end credits of said episode listed 94 key animators who worked on the series finale, an unusually high amount for one episode of a half-hour animated TV series. One of the credited character designers, Marie Tagashira, praised her colleagues for completing a difficult and impressive work but excluded an unnamed few from her celebratory tweet. Fans and journalists took this as a hint animators involved in the creation of the show suffered from mismanagement that was forced to be addressed viahuman-wave tactics and overtime.[58]
On July 26, 2023, an interview withWitch from Mercury's voice cast in the September 2023 issue ofGundam Ace magazine included a quote from Kana Ichinose in which she referenced Suletta and Miorine's marriage. Miorine was also directly referenced as Suletta's wife by the official English-languageGundam Twitter account on the day of the finale.[59] Following the release of the magazine interview, the hashtag スレミオ結婚 (SuleMio Marriage) trended in Japan.[60]
Days later, however, the digital version of theGundam Ace interview was edited to remove the direct reference to marriage, causing an immediate backlash from Japanese and Western fans of the show, who claimed the characters' "undisputed" status as a married couple was being deliberately censored.[61]
On July 30, a statement was released by Kadokawa in which they claimed the discrepancy was a "proofreading mistake" and that the marriage reference was based on "editorial speculation".[62] An accompanying statement was released on the officialWitch from Mercury website in which these claims were repeated, in addition to implying the events of the series are open to interpretation by viewers,[63] leading to angry or confused responses from fans and general viewers who pointed out Suletta and Miorine's marriage was objectively confirmed both in the anime's final scene and by the characters' voice actors in an audio commentary for the final episode or official final stream after that, and as such no room for "interpretation" exists.[64][61]
The wedding itself was not depicted on-screen, but the characters are shown wearing rings in the final scene of the series, and Suletta's sister Ericht refers to herself as Miorine's sister-in-law. The September 2023 issues of theAnimage andAnimedia magazines published on August 9 provided Mamiko Noto and Lynn's interpretations of the scene as Ericht behaving like an in-law.[65][66]
Five months after the initial magazine controversy,Witch from Mercury's final Blu-ray volume was released, including an interview with Hiroshi Kobayashi, series director and storyboard artist for the series finale, confirming Suletta and Miorine are indeed married in the story's final scene.[67] Following this confirmation, the hashtag スレミオ結婚 (SuleMio Marriage) once again trended in Japan.[68]
The inhabitants of space are called 'Spacians,' and the inhabitants of Earth are called 'Earthians.' The economic disparity between these two camps has widened with the growth of the space industry and the decay of Earth's environment, producing division and strife between Spacians and Earthians.
The May issue on sale today, will feature a prologue, and the full serialization will begin in the June issue on April 26th.
This episode had a level of insanity that even made the infamous twist in Code Geass trend all over again on social media. The mad lad Okouchi did it again!
Image Description: Suletta Mercury, sitting on the left side of the image, is holding her wife's hand, Miorine Rembran, who is sitting next to her.
| Preceded by | Gundam metaseries (production order) 2022–2023 | Succeeded by |
Sunrise television series | |
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| 1990s |
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