The Witch From Mercury - Episodes 2&3 [Review]

By: Mithrandiel

Miss my review of the previous episode? You can find it here!

We are officially 3 episodes into the latest Gundam series, and it is taking on a shape and tone quite unique compared to its predecessors. I've been loving it! Let's take a look at what these last couple of episodes have done to build out this new narrative.

In episode 2, after Suletta Mercury's stunning duel debut against the resident "big man on campus", Guel Juterk, the results of the duel are immediately called into question given the mysterious nature of her mobile suit - specifically that it's a Gundam, which goes against current development guidelines.

President of the Beneritt Group and current title-holder of the "Worst Father" award Rembran Delling, summons the mysterious leader of the Shin Sei corporation (responsible for Aerial's development), Prospera, to stand against these allegations.

After dismissing most of the allegations with plausible explanations, Delling determines that the Aerial is a Gundam because, and I quote: "I say it is." Things are looking somewhat grim for the future of Suletta and the Shin Sei corporation when Miorine storms into the meeting and calls her father out.

A recurring theme for The Witch From Mercury is this stance against overly controlling parents. It can seem somewhat predictable, but consider that many of the students are attending the academy as an extension of their parents and their respective corporations. Similar to the social structure of Kakegurui, the duels carry a lot of political and corporate weight, which results in CEOs and Presidents of large interplanetary corporations to be exhibiting immense pressure on their kids. These rebellions against what's expected thereby goes quite a bit beyond the normal "breaking the mould" of society's expectations, and can in fact drastically alter the trajectory of their company's success in the future.

With this in mind, it's no surprise that President Delling exerts an iron fist over Miorine's future. However, his grasp begins to be loosened as Miorine takes Suletta's advice to heart, moving forward to gain confidence in herself and challenging her father to a Duel to reinstate her fiancee' and save Aerial from being destroyed.

In episode 3, we see Guel preparing to be the representative for this rematch, and being equipped with a brand new mobile suit in the process. This new mobile suit features extensive AI and predictive piloting methods, which Guel takes offense to. He sees himself as a skilled pilot, and despite losing to Suletta previously, attributed it to underestimating her.

Guel's father slaps him after his outburst, insisting that this suit will help to secure the future he wants - "If you want to be treated like an adult, then win and reclaim the title of Holder!" he exclaims. With that, in just a brief opening sequence, The Witch From Mercury begins to turn a would-be antagonist's narrative on its head.

As the episode continues, Suletta shares with Miorine that she has many plans for her time at school. She's made a list of things to do including exchanging contacts, calling friends by cute nicknames and going on dates. That last item has her concerned about her engagement to Miorine, since she can't go on dates if she's married. In her words: "Cheating's not right!"

The dynamic between Miorine and Suletta is not new by any means, but watching it mature into a proper fire-and-ice relationship has me properly hooked.

The second half of the episode focuses on the rematch duel between Guel and Suletta, this time against a mobile suit that Aerial doesn't just turn into scrap metal within 30 seconds.

Of course, what high-stakes duel would be complete without outside shenanigans? In an extra bid to secure victory, Guel's father arranges for the heat management (AKA sprinklers) system to be activated, which renders Aerial's otherwise impressive beam arsenal useless.

Miorine attempts to have the duel canceled due to this obvious interference, but the council explains that even interference can be considered legal elements of the duel, as it is a part of the combatant's "strength". Taking that as an invitation, Miorine encourages Suletta to hang on while she rushes to the control room and disables the sprinkler system.

While the fight is ongoing, Guel is increasingly dejected by the fact that the new mobile suit is essentially piloting itself, with no opportunity for him to exhibit his skill. After the sprinklers are off, Suletta launches a counter-offensive that quickly puts pressure on Guel, and his father calls him to demand he finish the fight immediately. Guel responds by punching the console, disabling the AI, and claiming control of the fight himself. He demonstrates some impressive maneuvers, but Suletta's determination ultimately wins out yet again as she knees his mobile suit in the head to break the antenna.

Realizing that her skill at piloting is no fluke, congratulations flood in from hundreds of students after her win, and she goes down to congratulate Guel on a duel well-fought. After commenting on his strength, Guel is smitten, and does the only natural thing a man would do:

What does this mean for the future of her relationship with Miorine? How will President Delling react? Will the Shin Sei corporation be able to avoid further scrutiny? So many questions! And I can't wait to find out the answers!

Stay tuned for more of The Witch From Mercury - I know I am!