Mobile Suit Gundam: The Witch From Mercury - Anime Episode Discussion

[Dengar]

Originally Posted by Frontier

I mean, it seems like the Earthians have genuine grievances against the Spacians and I don't expect Chuchu to forget about that even if she's growing to accept Suletta. It doesn't make her "one of the good ones" but just that Chuchu could relate to her.

I reject this notion. Would you hate all Americans just because some company that happens to be from America happens to do shady things in your home country?

Chuchu is in fact the one that bugs me the most because her antics are worse than the bully girls yet she's supposed to be the sympathetic one.

What kind of weird school is this where you can commit acts of violence without being immediately expelled or worse? Not to mention threatening someone with a deadly weapon, based on where Suletta is from.

[Marina2]

Originally Posted by Dengar

I reject this notion. Would you hate all Americans just because some company that happens to be from America happens to do shady things in your home country?

Chuchu is in fact the one that bugs me the most because her antics are worse than the bully girls yet she's supposed to be the sympathetic one.

What kind of weird school is this where you can commit acts of violence without being immediately expelled or worse?

Isn't that how thing work in our world right now?

For example:

Spoiler for Sensitive topic:

Many American still view an entire religion negatively because of 9/11 or hate people from some part of the world because of Covid.

If all *instead a name of group/race here" you have seen in your life keep doing the same thing you don't like and you've never seen them doing anything good, you will end up hate all of them automatically.

[Obelisk ze Tormentor]

Originally Posted by Dengar

I reject this notion. Would you hate all Americans just because some company that happens to be from America happens to do shady things in your home country?

Chuchu is in fact the one that bugs me the most because her antics are worse than the bully girls yet she's supposed to be the sympathetic one.

Asticassia is an elite school where the children of the Benerit Group execs study. The same Group that oppressed the Earthians. In other words: ChuChu is in a lion's den filled with young Benerit bullies who constantly mess with her & her friends. It's understandable that she hates Spacians especially the ones in this school. In all of her screentime, ChuChu never attacked first. She only retaliates against oppression in this school.

Originally Posted by Dengar

What kind of weird school is this where you can commit acts of violence without being immediately expelled or worse? Not to mention threatening someone with a deadly weapon, based on where Suletta is from.

Huh? What did Suletta do? Every Mobile Suit in this school is a deadly weapon.

[ryllharu]

Originally Posted by Obelisk ze Tormentor

Asticassia is an elite school where the children of the Benerit Group execs study. The same Group that oppressed the Earthians. In other words: ChuChu is in a lion's den filled with young Benerit bullies who constantly mess with her & her friends. It's understandable that she hates Spacians especially the ones in this school. In all of her screentime, ChuChu never attacked first. She only retaliates against oppression in this school.

Chuchu doesn't attack first because she knows what her family(?) on the call is sacrificing for her to be up there and is deeply grateful for it, but the only one she truly listens to is Nika. Chuchu obeys Nika.

There's been plenty of hints that Nika is actually even angrier about the way they're all treated than Chuchu. She has much better emotional control than Chuchu.

I suspect when the eventual armed conflict breaks out, Nika is the one they all rally behind and she won't hold back. For a 2nd year mechanics student instead of a fancy pilot, the amount of respect she gets from all of Earth House is really understated. A gentle touch with a very casual yet absolute authority.

The two she asks to help Suletta don't question Nika's request, they question if Nika is okay with supporting a Spacian, which is a notable difference in that dialogue. The others open up to Suletta only after Nika states her approval.

[kari-no-sugata II]

Chuchu is definitely someone who "wears their heart on their sleeve". She also shows a very common human flaw - she feels like the Spacians are attacking her and her people constantly, therefore she is overly aggressive to anyone she considers a Spacian in response (eg Suletta). Basically she's given herself permission to prejudice others simple based on where they are from. Miorine was right to call her out on it. I'd consider this good writing. So the fact that Chuchu is willing to accept Suletta is a nice character moment in that it shows that she can overcome her flaw.

[Obelisk ze Tormentor]

Oh look, Aerial's arm is now fixed. And given how the Earth house was in awe with Aerial's structure & design, I take it they're not the ones who fixed her. So looks like Prospera did provide Aerial with her own mechanics or means to be fixed. Also, Sule is now sleeping in Earth House's dorm looks like it.

In order to not spoil a lot for those who haven't watched this episode, Elan turns out to be something that has become a legacy of Gundam shows at this point. Also, he went full Graham in certain aspect .

One more thing: being Guel is suffering....

[Marina2]

Ep.5

Hold it, so one of big 3 three company also create GUN- *ahem* drone weapon like Ariel?

Turn out Elan is also a 'witch', but an imperfect one created to just pilot his Black Gundam. What about his data storm? It will be so unfair if Elan doesn't get captured for investigation right after this duel.

.................

- Guel is now reduced to be a punching bag to show off a new robot....poor guy.

- Miorine has become friendly with Earth house now.

[Illsteir]

The dynamic cockpit shots in the episode were eye candy.
Pharact's bit weapons being basically EMP beams are pretty unique.

Originally Posted by Obelisk ze Tormentor

In order to not spoil a lot for those who haven't watched this episode, Elan turns out to be something that has become a legacy of Gundam shows at this point.

Not to mention, he is referred to as "Number 4" by Piel's quartet.

[Der Langrisser]

I guess things won't end well for Elan in the end...the guy is a Cyber Newtype-like, belongs to a company having a Titans-like emblem and he pilots a gundam in Titans Blue color, he's a walking deathflag...

[ryllharu]

I'm very interested in seeing how the main house is going to pretend like they're not building a Gundam when it is very obviously a Gundam. Hypocritical Privilege no doubt from the four hags.

Really enjoying that someone else instead of the lead is the Newtype, and he's extremely bitter about someone who isn't augmented and genetically enhanced having the same abilities. Vanadis cracked the curse by having their main pilot be best friends with the AI managing the data storms, I guess. Corny and cute at the same time.

Guel did the right thing even though he's desperately outclassed at this point in the story. He does seem like he's a very good pilot, but not against Bit Staves. Suletta got hurt by the way that Elan used her, and Guel opted for a duel to help her recovery some dignity (not that she really needed it, but the gesture is nice).

Miorine's Romeo & Juliet comment seems to be an open acknowledgement of the Shakespeare influences on the series.

Originally Posted by Marina2

- Miorine has become friendly with Earth house now.

Their members probably do know the most about farming and animal husbandry, Miorine's main hobby. She probably barged right in using Suletta as an excuse and started interrogating whoever is taking care of the chickens and goat.

[Frontier]

Pretty splashy way to show off Elan in his debut fight in a three-on-one desert fight where he makes his opponents look like fools by effortlessly defeating him...and he's not even using his main MS yet .

Suletta (and even Miorine to a certain extent) seem to have settled well into the Earth House, who marvel at the high-specs of the Aerial and even give Suletta fortune! No surprise her mom is a big part of it, but I wonder if it's a blessing in disguise or a tragedy that Suletta doesn't even remember her father after what happened to him. Also is the "brother" meant to be Aerial, the gender was just wrong, or Elan in a symbolic way .

Ah, the benefit of finally having female friends is being able to have girl talk and dish on boys and romance !

So Elan is some kind of experimental human created by Peil Technologies to use the Permet System and survive the GUND-Format, and he still has those marks on his body that the people in the prologue had (but Suletta doesn't any more). Even his own face is artificial, ripped from someone else apparently. No wonder Elan is the way he is .

It's nice to see Suletta and her mom have a typical mother-daughter discussion about dates, although I wonder if Elnora knew who asked Suletta out ?

Miorine did a bike slide! And does not care for Suletta going out with Elan at all and going all Romeo and Juliet on her. Does that make Miorine Rosaline ?

A date in an MS! They even get comfy and cozy in the cockpit! Of course it's all a ruse to get Suletta to let Elan alone in the Aerial so he can confirm that it is indeed a Gundam but they've broken the curse that permeates the Permet system...a curse that Elan still has to deal with, which turns his feelings towards Suletta that were once of comradery to hate knowing she got what he didn't. And Suletta gets her heart broken by a boy for the first time in her life .

Say what you will about Guel, the moment he hears another man is making moves on his lady and sees she's been brought to tears, he immediately makes his move! He's still a tsundere about it .

I think anyone with eyes could see Elan was probably going to win the duel, and Guel just keep taking punishment, but it did give Elan a chance to take out the Pharact, his own personal Gundam. It's a long-range, high-speed, sniper type but it's bits send out a laser web of stun beams that can temporarily halt and MS's functions and then basically took out Guel's MS because he overworked it too much...but the worst is when he has Guel at his mercy and, rather than quickly end the duel, he basically just destroys his MS piece by piece like he's playing with his food .

"You're really mean-spirited." Coming from Chuchu of all people !

With the Aerial on the line, can Suletta defeat Elan and overcome another Gundam? And maybe in doing so, really get through to him ?

[kari-no-sugata II]

Like with ep 2, Suletta isn't really the focus here - it's Elan, who seems to be a "cursed prince" type. This sure does explain a lot - why he immediately spotted a "Gundam" and took an interest in Suletta. And also why he doesn't think he can fall in love - he probably expects to die sooner or later anyway.

The harem loses a member!?

Poor Guel gets the Worf treatment.

So any guesses what Suletta will bet for the duel? It feels wrong if she'd ask about Elan's birthday since it seems he doesn't know it. Maybe she'd ask that he explains his actions to her? That'd be kinda interesting since Suletta is still quite innocent and this would be a nice opportunity for her to find out about the cruelties out there... that she is involved in.

[Kanon]

Originally Posted by ryllharu

I'm very interested in seeing how the main house is going to pretend like they're not building a Gundam when it is very obviously a Gundam. Hypocritical Privilege no doubt from the four hags.

Really enjoying that someone else instead of the lead is the Newtype, and he's extremely bitter about someone who isn't augmented and genetically enhanced having the same abilities. Vanadis cracked the curse by having their main pilot be best friends with the AI managing the data storms, I guess. Corny and cute at the same time.

I really hope there's another inquiry, because given how much Delling seems to hate Gundam, it doesn't seem like he would let this slide just because Elan is from one of three houses. But that's probably exactly what's going to happen.

Suletta is the Newtype, Elan is the Cyber-Newtype. We know from the prologue that Suletta is special and can handle data storm just fine, Aerial is just so much more advanced that Permet 2 is not an issue anymore even for regular people, but IIRC they went as far as Permet 4 in the prologue and I bet Suletta can go further. She will probably showcase her true abilities against Elan. There might be some limiters in place that her mother will unlock.

Originally Posted by Frontier

Suletta (and even Miorine to a certain extent) seem to have settled well into the Earth House, who marvel at the high-specs of the Aerial and even give Suletta fortune! No surprise her mom is a big part of it, but I wonder if it's a blessing in disguise or a tragedy that Suletta doesn't even remember her father after what happened to him. Also is the "brother" meant to be Aerial, the gender was just wrong, or Elan in a symbolic way .

The original script just said "sibling" (kyoudai), I'm not sure why they translated it as brother. I'm pretty sure it was supposed to refer to Aerial, especially with Suletta reaffirming a few moments later that Aerial is family to her. Or maybe the crazy theory that Suletta isn't Eri but her clone will turn out to be true

[ryllharu]

Originally Posted by Kanon

Suletta is the Newtype, Elan is the Cyber-Newtype. We know from the prologue that Suletta is special and can handle data storm just fine, Aerial is just so much more advanced that Permet 2 is not an issue anymore even for regular people, but IIRC they went as far as Permet 4 in the prologue and I bet Suletta can go further. She will probably showcase her true abilities against Elan. There might be some limiters in place that her mother will unlock.

I'd still hope this isn't true. I don't think the Prologue gave us any reason to believe that Ericht was born special in any other way besides being the daughter of a woman with a GUND-ARM arm fabricated by the Vanadis head of research. We have a lack of evidence in both directions, but I'll go with the easier explanation based on what we know.

I do expect later on for Suletta to get the data storm marks that she had when she was four, but prefer the idea that the tech advanced to where the intrusive nature of the format fell aside and replaced by collaboration with an AI heart of the machine. Lfrith responded to her because she was open to the format, she's not afraid of it like all the other researchers and pilots were.

Though we really don't know what went on in the intervening years yet.

Elan's rage at her natural ability to operate what is still very clearly a Gundam and his comment that Aerial doesn't reach back into its pilots even as he was basically asking for it leads me down this belief.

[justavisitor]

Originally Posted by Obelisk ze Tormentor

Oh look, Aerial's arm is now fixed. And given how the Earth house was in awe with Aerial's structure & design, I take it they're not the ones who fixed her. So looks like Prospera did provide Aerial with her own mechanics or means to be fixed. Also, Sule is now sleeping in Earth House's dorm looks like it.

Didn't Sule thanks the earthing of taking care of Aerial?? Either way, her mother doesn't worry that any secrets from aerial will be leaked probably it's because aerial is so advance that no one understands what is going on

And the losing streak of our former champion quickly piles up

[Twi]

Blog review done.

I didn't think Elan was going to be this desperate to get Aerial's hand in marriage, but...

[Router25]

Elan was shocked that everything he's gone through as the fourth Cyber Newtype of his series was nothing to Suletta which was a natural. Now I wonder if the other witch was in the prologue.

[Frontier]

Originally Posted by Router25

Elan was shocked that everything he's gone through as the fourth Cyber Newtype of his series was nothing to Suletta which was a natural. Now I wonder if the other witch was in the prologue.

I didn't recognize her, but maybe she was someone involved with the project, took the information, and left for Peil before the purge killed everybody else.

[Kazu-kun]

Originally Posted by Kanon

Or maybe the crazy theory that Suletta isn't Eri but her clone will turn out to be true

Funny you say that, because I think this episode was dropping hints about that pretty heavily. Not only Suletta mentions a sibling she shouldn't have if she was Eri, and it didn't seem like she was talking about the Gundam, but she also didn't seem to remember her father, and Eri was 4 when she lost her father; she would remember him very well. She also said she has been with Ariel all her life, but this wouldn't be true for Eri, who touched a Gundam for the first time when she was 4 and wasn't even Ariel but Lfrith. Finally, when Elan piloted Ariel, he realized he wasn't getting hit by data storm. Meaning what's special about Ariel and Suletta is not Sulleta. The Gundam is special.

So my theory right now is that Eri died at some point and her brain was installed in the Gundam. That's how Prospera perfected the nullification of data storm. With Eri's brain in the Gundam handling the negative feedback, the pilot is totally safe. This also explains why Ariel's "AI" is so much more advanced than anything else we've seen. In the web novel Ariel is shown to have human-level consciousness. Isn't that too suspicious? It's probably not an AI at all but Eri's mind.

Suletta is probably a clone. Ariel probably existed since before Suletta was born/created which is why she remembers being with Ariel all her life.

Anyway, this is just a wild theory at this point. I could be reading way too much into it. But it's fun to speculate.

[Twi]

It looks like that lady might have been in the prologue after all:

https://i.imgur.com/jHyNL4P.png