The other week I was browsing through the upcoming anime series to air in the next season over on MyAnimeList, searching for things to keep an eye on and check out once they are out. As a fan of Gundam, I noticed that there was going to be a new Gundam series this October. I have been pretty excited to check it out, but truthfully I think the more recent entries in the franchise have been quite terrible as it has lost its course and often pursued demographics and narratives that just do not quite fit the idea of what Gundam used to stand for and be about. I did not pay attention to those entries, but have been patiently waiting for something new since. Expectations have been extremely low.
Though last night I noticed on YouTube that the official Gundam YouTube channel had the trailers up already, I went to check them out, only to see that they had also uploaded the entire prologue episode to the new series on there as well -- the Gundam YouTube channel is pretty neat these days given they upload full episodes on YouTube. Other animation studios should follow through with this! It's a great idea that counters piracy and encourages easier entry into the franchise given they offer a wide range of subtitles and easier access. I was too tired at the time to check it out, but I kept it in mind for today. Well, I checked it out. And I am very impressed and interested in what could be coming next.
This latest series in the Gundam franchise is titled Mobile Suit Gundam: The Witch from Mercury. While it follows a female protagonist, it seems to be quite different to what you would expect from a more modern anime series. Though, since this is just a prologue, anything could happen in the main series when it airs in October. For some, a female protagonist might make them think of it in a particular way given typical anime tropes and the franchise's typical structure of following male protagonists. From the prologue, it does not seem much different at all. And a massive improvement from what we have been seeing lately from the Gundam franchise where recent entries have just been chasing trends and just blatant advertisements for the plastic models.
With few expectations and no idea of what this Gundam series would be about, I put on my headphones and hit play. The very first thing I noticed was this incredible use of sound design for once, an ambient beat that was rising the tension over a black screen. The sounds of high technology user-interfaces would follow alongside it. From there, I knew that this was going to be something I would enjoy watching. And one of my biggest issues with mecha anime was for once being addressed: poor sound design. This sound design was evident throughout the entire prologue episode. It was incredible. Everything sounded like it had some punch to it, some actual weight. Less cartoon noises regarding weapons firing, metallic crunches and clicks of the more cyberpunk elements of the show that gave weight to the items. With headphones, this was so refreshing to hear alongside the animation.
In regards to the animation, I was pleasantly surprised to see such high detail in everything. A really nice, clean art style that rarely relied on any special 3D effects that often plagues more modern anime series, particularly mecha and action ones where many mechanical objects feature movement. Mobile Suit Gundam: The Witch from Mercury's prologue only had a brief moment where it was evident that there were computer generated imagery used, and the rest seemed to be classic animation. This was really nice to see, especially in the characters and environments. The lighting was really nice, and the character designs seemed to be great.
Speaking of which, Mobile Suit Gundam: The Witch from Mercury appears to have a much higher cyberpunk influence that we have not really seen before in the franchise. A degree to which the narrative and characters contain prosthetic limbs and organs. I recall the Thunderbolt episodes having some similar aspects, but nothing remotely similar to this. The cyberpunk elements seem to extend beyond the idea of biological hacking and a reliance on technology to propel humanity forward into space where our bodies of flesh struggle to deal with the harsh environments and conditions. There is an aspect of corporate greed in which those who have used the science behind Gundam have tried to improve humanity and individual people's lives through turning the technology into everyday usecases and not just a weapon; and of course corporations seeing the weapon side of it all and wanting to rid people of it.
I am really curious as to how this corporate side of things goes, especially alongside the cyberpunk elements that can extend beyond the idea of Gundam as a dangerous weapon and instead a tool that improves humanity's development as it transcends beyond Earth and into the stars. Our main characters in the prologue display that humanity, with one character having a robotic arm. We even see scenes in which it goes beyond limbs and into internal organs and total transhumanism. As a massive cyberpunk genre fan, I really hope there is more to this side of things going forward into the main story, and that these elements were not just mere aspects of context to give us a general idea of who is good and who is bad.
It would not be a true Gundam entry without the concepts of ethics surrounding the technology, however. The prologue seems to have some traces of this fortunately, as we see the human cost of attempts to advance humanity. The people and the families behind the testing and the building of these machines, evidently as mentioned people become more reliant on these transhumanist aspects; and how the less fortunate benefit from these advancements. To counter is the typical Gundam drama in which the big mecha machines are used for causing damage to others, the war and the greed that ensues when power reaches the hands of those smaller. I don't expect the show to fall flat in regards to broadening this idea, Gundam usually does a good job when it comes to commentary over war and the suffering that comes with it.
For both an anime and Gundam series, this was one of the best episodes I have seen in a very long time. It hooked me in for sure from the very start. The editing, pacing, visuals, audio, and everything else was just done with such attention and care. I loved what I saw and can't wait to see what comes next. But, as is the case with anime and Gundam entries, I have to be a bit more grounded and expect the worst to happen. This was a prologue episode and it was doing precisely what any production company would want: advertise something so that people stick around. I would love to think that the show maintains this quality and strength, but it also would not surprise me if a large amount of time and money was put into telling this short story, where the main story and episodes perhaps don't receive the same treatment.
With some structures having resemblance to what we have seen before in the Gundam franchise, it might seem like they have actually managed to learn from their mistakes and are ready to take Gundam a bit more seriously, featuring a more adult protagonist and addressing the more adult themes that are often found within the Gundam stories. Instead of children roaming around performing war crimes, we have a chance to see a more human story, though likely still one of revenge and countering the typical enemies from off-world and native Earth colonies. There is a plethora of potential in this, however. I really do believe this could be something great from the Gundam franchise as it rejects its boring formality it has stuck to for far too long and tries something a little more ambitious. The audio design and animation already appear to have been given the right attention and budget. What about the rest, though?
Well, I will try to keep my general excitement down. I should ensure that my expectations may not be met, and reality can still set in and show a disappointing attempt from the Gundam crew all over again. But based off of the prologue alone, I will be sticking around to find out. Let's just hope they really have managed to learn and grow, and that Gundam can turn into something greater this time.
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in general the whole gundam franchise awesome. There is also a huge market for the action figures!
I love it, but it disappoints me often. I really, really hope this new series is a hit.
I haven't seen Gundam even though my friends always talk about the story. As soon as I saw the main image of your content I immediately clicked, as there is certainly beauty in the animation. I find this mix between humans and Robots interesting, it even reminds me of Transformers. If there is Cyberpunk, I will surely see it... lately I have become very fond of the genre 😆.
We'll see I guess. I'm trying hard to not have such high expectations after that prologue episode. Gundam has a history of being a bit too childish despite supposedly wanting to explore more serious themes regarding transhumanism, politics, and war.
Now I'm intrigued...this prologue seems like the real deal..but then you're right this might just be the right bait to get people hyped up about the anime...good way to sell..but it'll be great to see them keep up this pace...I like the fact that they got you excited...I really don't expect but I hope they actually do raise that excitement to another level when the episodes are released.
I havn't seen any of the Gundam franchise yet, but if this one actually plays out well then it'll be one of the first I see...I'll add it to my growing list of anime to watch during this spare time I have.. looking forward to enjoy good Animation style very good cyberpunk elements incorporated into a good movie....
Thanks for sharing my friend ❤️
I believe the first episode airs on October 2, not too long now! I am really hoping they didn't just pour all their effort into creating a great prologue and then the quality in the series itself is just far from the same standard. One thing I hate about the Gundam franchise is how little it takes itself seriously now. Sometimes they create these cool series or a random film, but they still contain these child protagonists or more traditional anime elements that remove all weight something like a giant robot has.
I have been waiting for literal years for a Gundam series or game to come out that has great visuals, no child protagonist, and some solid sound design that really shows the punch of a mecha.
Haven't watched a Gundam movie for a while, and I think this is a perfect chance to watch this film. Hmm, I loved what you say that it has good sound effects and not just too much noise. I prefer using headphones so I could hear the action sounds clear.
I've watched the trailer and gosh, such a nice art there. It was pretty good and enticing to watch though. The Gundam series have been out and still making a lot of progress. Such a good movie review @namiks. !PIZZA
That sound design and ambient music to go with it... I loved it. It worked so well. The tension rising with it, the fact that each movement and weapon/defence had its own sound that made it not only have some punch to it but made it stand out along the rest. Not cartoonish sound effects like usual. The sound of that shield eating up all the projectiles was beautiful.
I swear if the full series ends up being a total opposite to this... Haha.
Solid introductions are great. Hopefully your expectations are exceeded as the series progresses :)