Revisiting Mobile Suit Gundam: The Witch From Mercury ONE YEAR After Its Ending… 

I'm someone who's in a similar boat to yourself. G Witch was my first Gundam experience, and I found myself on the edge of my seat waiting for every new episode. It's been cemented as one of my favourite shows of all-time, and I've been very excited to watch it through again with many of my friends. I really enjoy how the setting is explored. The corporations use the school as a glorified testing ground, where money and power matters more than actual expertise or abilities. Duels are used as marketing opportunities, meaning that it's in their best interest to have their best mechs given to representatives who are going to make their companies look good - and to rig the results of duels whenever possible. That makes it a contrast to most other Gundam series, which tend to showcase a handful of "hero" mecha fighting a roster of mostly identical enemies with some recurring villains mixed in. It also contrasts by focusing on a relatively civilian setting where war is a distant thing, seen only as an opportunity for profit. When someone like Guel who's been raised in the lap of luxury suddenly finds himself bearing the consequences of a war that is VERY real, it changes him in a way that's very profound. When the school is targeted by terrorist attacks, the students are shocked and confused, as many of their peers were mercilessly killed for reasons they'll don't understand. Those same students - children, not even out of their teens - have been used as pawns by adults who should have known better. Guel, Elan, Shadiqq, Miorine, Nika, even Suletta are being exploited by adults who were supposed to nurture and protect them. Of course, it's impossible to talk about this show without mentioning the relationship between Miorine and Suletta. Two people who only met through chance, finding themselves hopelessly intertwined, growing together and supporting eachother. Suletta, with her cheerful optimism and determination to do the right thing, manages to teach Miorine that it's worth caring about others. At the same time, Miorine sacrifices everything to teach Suletta that she's allowed to stand up for herself and do things simply because she wants to. Despite Miorine's cold attitude, the two only grow closer as the show continues. It's no coincidence that Suletta was the one to bring Miorine out of her depressive spiral after Quinharbor. And, it's no coincidence that the pair are wearing wedding rings in the epilogue sequence. I agree that this show feels rushed at some points. Some elements definitely needed time to breathe and really sink in. There are also a few plot elements that I feel needed to be properly introduced and foreshadowed, especially in the final run of episodes. The interplanetary laser, for example, wasn't hinted at or explored until it needed to exist for the show's climax. There are also other elements of the setting that I'd have liked to explore in more detail, but times have changed. Production companies don't want to sign contracts for dozens and dozens of episodes at a time anymore - they want the most profit for the lowest investment, and if they think something is going to underperform then they'll drop it at the first convenient opportunity. With that in mind, I'd speculate that the original story may have been planned to stretch for another 12 episodes or so, and that many of the show's issues came from having to adapt to a shorter run-time. Knowing how corporate interests can be, and accounting for how Bandai-Namco officially addressed Suletta and Miorine's marriage status, it wouldn't be too far a stretch to say that SuleMio's relationship was responsible for more than a little corporate pushback, but I digress. From what I hear, G Witch served as the entry point for more than a few new Gundam fans, especially with those who likely wouldn't have watched a mecha anime before. Its Gunpla sales have been through the roof, and more importantly, it will hold a special place in my heart for a long time.

I loved it. I hope we can get more.

I like WFM in a way, but there is a huge part of me that thinks this show had much more potencial that didnt managed to shine. Most Gundams shine as much as they can some brighter and some not so much (IBO shined as much as it could and got burned up, while UC its like a lighthouse), but WFM feels to me like they didnt let it shine at its full potencial. I have the suspect that this time happened the same thing that happened with F-91, it was meant for more, but corpos decided to cut it off for profits; specially looking how almost after WFM ended, Seed Freedom was announced.

The show is still good overall, but it would've been better if they added another 3-5 five episodes, but I am enjoying the drama cd's though.

G Witch is honestly a mixed bag for me. While the prologue immediately opens up the strongest in the series and the majority of the first season laying a profound set-up for what’s to come, the direction of its story, its characters, and its worldbuilding and lore get completely shafted in the second season. Many of the previous conflicts like the Earthian-Spacian infightings and civil unrests seen in the first season with Guel never get expanded upon, elaborated, escalated, or even resolved in the second season, and characters that seem more important than they actually are such as the Elans, Sophie and Norea, and Eri, and more of the adults such as Belmeria, Kenanji, or hell even President Rembran. His relationship with Elnora in playing a role in being the catalyst for her to become Prospera should’ve placed him in a much more substantial role as one of either the antagonists or supporting character of the series. I wouldn’t consider myself a Gundam fan considering that Iron Blooded Orphans, a series polarizing to the community, was the one that I like the most and got me into the franchise as a whole, but with how the first half of G Witch was set up, it felt like there would be a genuine war between the Earthians and the Spacians; the Dawn of Fold continues to garner more support as they escalate their agenda, the Space Assembly League tightens its hold on the planet with increasingly more oppressive policies, and Elnora would be the one to light the flames with her attack on the harbor. A war will break out, infighting for presidential power over the Beneritt group will break out because President Rembran had been incapacitated by the Dawn of Fold attack on Plant Quetta, and the main cast of students will be forced to either pick a side or break out to form their own gaggle in an attempt to stop not just Elnora’s plan to light up Quiet Zero, but also end the wars between the Earthians and Spacians AND the Beneritt Group’s civil war. That last bit is admittedly a stretch, but I know part of G Witch’s uniqueness in comparison to other shows was its focus on corporate corruption, and they never really went any further with Shaddiq’s attempt to eventually take over the entire organization. G Witch really could’ve benefitted from a 50-episode set up, 25 per season, to allow its story and world building to be properly introduced, elaborated, digested, and finalized by the end. It would’ve seen the end of Earthian-Spacian conflict, the disbandment of the Beneritt Group, the reorganization or dismantling of the Space Assembly League, and the growth of the main cast, where their fates and relationships are actually developed and not off-screen or sped up. Suletta and Miorine, perhaps, is the one that makes me upset the most, and not for reasons most people would have. I have no issue with them to be in a relationship, hell I find the prospect of them being together heartwarming and all, but you really cannot tell me that development happened off-screen. I felt that with more time and effort put into the show proper on screen, Suletta would be a more confident and assertive character who realizes she is her own character and not a pawn of her mother’s apocalyptic plans, and Miorine would become a more accepting person who realizes that Suletta and their friends are there to support her despite her upbringings and past actions and that she also cannot be swayed by not only Elnora’s ambitions, but also the political landscape of the Beneritt Group. It’s a shame that Bandai never took this route since I heard they’ve always planned to keep the story the way it is from the get-go, and considering its recently and ironically more corporate actions with trying to rake in as much money as possible with merch, model kits, and other things, it’s really not surprising. I remember seeing a video that tackles the negative aspects of the show and why it doesn’t work out, and one of the biggest points the video’s author brings up is how essentially shippers ruined the trajectory of the story. Indeed, I remember that before the second season there was massive uproar on the internet due to the radically rabid behaviors of the shippers; Bandai’s eventual decision to make Suletta and Miorine’s marriage as “up to interpretation” is most likely meant to burn off that shipper residue from the community. I honestly feel like the more radical and “agenda-pushing” side of the internet really did somehow affect where the story was going partly due to Bandai’s decision, but that’s more of a feeling than a factual plausibility. Ultimately, Bandai really missed something great with this show. I love seeing the characters and how they interact, especially Suletta and Miorine when taking into consideration how they compare to each other character-wise, but with how they handled things in the second half it’s saddening to see it end up half-baked.

For me its been like couple months and its still great mid to high 8/10

WfM was a mixed "its aight" for me, while Suletta and Guel were awesome protagonists, seriously Sulletta is way too good for this show, the best protag we've had in a while (excluding Hathaway's flash), however Mirorinne is actively detrimental in the 2nd half of the season, seriously bad arcs and character narrative ruining pacing on an already tight for time show. Definitely a show thats funner for those new to Gundam than older fans, which is fine, always more welcome to the community. A typical "This show had really good potentially 1st season but they kinda dropped the bag in the 2nd half". Its like IBO all over again. Still mad they gave the Schwarzette to Guels shit little brother though, man it deserved better.

For me WFM was a mid show tbf, it had a very strong start but the FMC suletta it just so boring as a personality character and her fiance miorine was a spoiled rich brat who have daddy issues but at least she is interesting to watch. The only best part of this show is Guel, his character development is so much better that i rather have him as a Protagonist of the show. Also for a show that promote a lot the yuri couple does a bare minimum of it's developing and was rush at seasons 2. Also *SPOILERS ALERT* By the end of the show the Villains of the show got away with everything, yes i talking about disposal child experiment, stage coup, corruption government & etc Like none of them even go to prison except that one guy who i forgot his name, literally they all just when into retirement. Yes suletta mother just have a peace life after all the bad things she did to other. Now i appreciate more IBO(Iron blood orphan) show because at least it make sense there from story perspective because no crime goes unpunished. Now the show have a bad writing but i have to give it credits on the animation and sound design. Would i recommend these show to new gundam fan wanted to start somewhere before main timeline, absolutely NO but i would give it a one time watch and judge whether you like it or not. Rate the show 5.8/10.

The good thing in this show is how Guel get his character development, and Guel himself this show is carried by Guel in my opinion, i would like to see guel got his own series itself than suletta and her fiance setting, actually that fiance thing is displeasing to me is not normal, if it really yuri tagged a turi tag dammit, and i will not watching this thing

One year after still haven't watched it. Its yuri, its school mecha, .space magic, with a little bit of gundam. Its a no for me.

Show is still trash even after one year. Doesn't matter how much time passes this show will still be trash.