Honestly, it’s been a long time since a giant robot show felt this genuinely urgent. When Mobile Suit Gundam: The Witch from Mercury first landed on screens, it wasn't just another entry in a forty-year-old franchise; it was a total shock to the system. You’ve got the Ad Stella timeline, a protagonist who stammers through her sentences, and a school setting that feels more like Revolutionary Girl Utena than a gritty war drama. It worked. Suletta Mercury didn't just pilot the Aerial; she carried the weight of a franchise that needed to prove it could still capture a modern audience without just leaning on Universal Century nostalgia.
People keep asking if you need to watch forty years of history to understand what's going on. Short answer: No. Long answer: Definitely not, because The Witch from Mercury was built to be a gateway drug. It ditches the complex Earth Federation versus Zeon politics for something much more relatable to 2026 viewers—corporate greed and the crushing weight of parental expectations.
Why Suletta Mercury Isn't Your Average Gundam Pilot
Suletta is different.
Most Gundam protagonists are moody teenagers who accidentally fall into a cockpit and suddenly become masters of war. Suletta is a socially anxious girl from Mercury who treats her mobile suit like a sister. That’s weird. It’s also deeply human. Throughout the first season, we see her struggle with basic social cues, yet she is lethal the moment she enters a duel. The contrast is jarring. You’re rooting for her to make a friend one minute, and the next, she’s casually obliterating a rival’s sensor array with high-yield bits.
The relationship between Suletta and Miorine Rembran is the heart of the show. It’s not just "shipping" fodder; it’s a functional political alliance that evolves into something much more intimate. When Miorine declares Suletta her "groom" in the first episode, it flipped the script on what a Gundam show could be. It shifted the stakes from "who wins the war" to "who wins their freedom."
The GUND Format and the Horror of the Machine
We need to talk about the GUND-ARM technology. In previous series, "Newtypes" were basically space psychics. In The Witch from Mercury, the technology is essentially a prosthetic interface that kills the user. It’s body horror.
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The "data storm" is a terrifying concept.
It represents the literal cost of progress. When Elan Ceres (the fourth one, anyway) struggles against the load of the Pharact, you feel the physical strain. The show makes a point to show that the Aerial is "special" because it doesn't seem to hurt Suletta. Why? That mystery is what kept the community theorizing for months. The reveal regarding Eri—Suletta's "sister"—is perhaps one of the darkest turns the franchise has ever taken, turning a fun mecha show into a psychological thriller about digital consciousness and child experimentation.
The Corporate War: Why Ad Stella Feels So Real
The Benerit Group isn't a government. It’s a conglomerate.
This is where the show gets its edge. Instead of battles over territory, we have battles over stock prices and succession. Shaddiq Zenelli isn't trying to drop a colony on Earth; he’s trying to restructure the global economy through a series of tactical buyouts and backroom assassinations. It feels relevant. It feels like our world, just with more thrusters.
The "Earthians" and "Spacians" divide is a classic Gundam trope, but here it’s framed through the lens of economic exploitation. Earth is a polluted, impoverished mess used as a resource dump by the wealthy elite living in the front. It’s a familiar story, but seeing it played out through school-sanctioned duels adds a layer of satire that’s hard to ignore.
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- Jeturk Heavy Machinery: Think of them as the old-school military-industrial complex.
- Peil Technologies: The creepy innovators who don't care about human life.
- Grassley Defense Systems: The traditionalists trying to hold onto power.
These companies aren't just names; they dictate the lives of every character. Guel Jeturk’s entire character arc—which is arguably the best in the show—is a direct result of being a "corporate prince" who loses everything. Watching him go from a bully to a broken man working a construction job on Earth was a masterclass in redemption through suffering.
The Animation and Sound of Mercury
Sunrises’s production quality on this was insane.
Every time the Aerial’s Permet score increased and the blue lights started glowing, you knew the budget was being flexed. The choreography of the "bits" or "funnels" was fluid in a way that hand-drawn animation rarely achieves these days. It wasn't just robots hitting each other; it was a dance.
Then there’s the music. Takashi Ohmama’s score is sweeping and operatic. The main theme feels triumphant yet tinged with a weird, electronic melancholy. And we can't forget YOASOBI’s "Idol"... wait, no, that was Oshi no Ko. YOASOBI did "The Blessing" for The Witch from Mercury, and the lyrics actually spoil the entire plot if you read them closely enough. It’s written from the perspective of the Aerial, talking to Suletta.
"Go forth, even if it's a path of no return."
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That's heavy stuff for a J-pop opening.
What Most People Get Wrong About the Ending
Some fans felt the ending was rushed. I get it. The final few episodes move at a breakneck pace to resolve the Quiet Zero conflict. However, the emotional payoff for Suletta and Miorine is what actually matters. The show was always about breaking the "curse" of the Gundam.
The curse isn't just the machine; it’s the cycle of revenge started by the parents. Prospera Mercury (Elnora Samaya) is one of the most complex "villains" in anime. She’s not evil for the sake of being evil; she’s a grieving mother who has spent twenty-one years plotting a way to give her daughter a body. She’s terrifying because she’s right, in her own twisted way.
Suletta choosing to save her mother rather than just defeat her is a radical departure from the "kill the big bad" trope. It’s about healing.
Actionable Steps for New and Returning Fans
If you've finished the show or are just starting, here is how to actually get the most out of the The Witch from Mercury experience:
- Watch the Prologue first: Seriously. Don't skip it. It sets the entire emotional and political stakes. If you start with Episode 1, you’ll be confused about why everyone is scared of a "Gundam."
- Read the short story "Cradle Planet": It’s available for free on the official Gundam website. It’s written from the perspective of the Aerial (the robot) and covers the time Suletta spent growing up on Mercury. It changes how you see every interaction in the early episodes.
- Pay attention to the Permet Scores: The color of the lights on the mobile suits isn't just for show. Red is standard, blue means the pilot is reaching a dangerous level of synchronization, and white/rainbow indicates a level of control that transcends the machine's physical limits.
- Check out the Gunpla: If you’re into hobbies, the HG Aerial is widely considered one of the best-engineered model kits for beginners. It’s cheap, doesn't require glue, and looks great on a shelf.
The legacy of The Witch from Mercury is that it proved Gundam doesn't have to be one specific thing. It can be a romance, a school drama, a corporate thriller, and a sci-fi horror all at once. It brought in a whole new generation of fans who didn't care about Zakus or RX-78-2s, and that’s exactly what the franchise needed to survive another forty years. Whether you're here for the "Tanuki" memes or the deep political commentary, there's no denying it's a landmark in modern anime.