A couple weeks back the official Gundam Youtube channel graciously published the prologue for the upcoming series The Witch from Mercury. The 25 minute episode gives the primer for the setting; important characters and it puts one of the main themes of the series front and center.
We’re a family
The emotional ending of the prologue indicates to the viewer that family is important in the show. We will have to wait to see if The Witch from Mercury will be a revenge story or one of finding a new family during war. But one thing is certain: family is at the heart of a Gundam show.
It is the bonding of soldiers. Of people in similar situations who find support in each other.
The audience can see that the characters are just people thrown into conflict due to reasons outside of their sphere of influence. They fight to protect their home and family; their country or their beliefs. There are many reasons to take up a weapon. While some are more honorable than others, Gundam shows us that in protecting what you care for, you’ll find a new family with your battle comrades.
For a bright future
Some of the Gundam shows really play on the family theme. Iron Blooded Orphans (IBO) made us care for the battle-scarred children that only had each other to count on. The IBO crew really found their family during the series. Which was something that Orga and Mizuki fought really hard to realize and protect. That Tekkadan became a mafia style group while realizing their dream only showed the double-edged sword that a chosen family is in times of war. You try your hardest to keep every single family member alive so they may see your envisioned future. But the reality is that people die in the process. The question will be if you can move on with your life or not. One of the truths of life is that there is no place to go back to. The past is the past and things can never be the same because things change. People change. Something that the end of IBO showed very well (spoilers).
Bring it, little Witch
I personally like the family theme. Family is important in my life. It has been a constant which I’m very grateful for. Especially since I know that so many people in the world have lost their (sense of) family because of a myriad of reasons.
The setup done in the prologue for The Witch from Mercury has me peeked for a story that deals with these real-life problems. If done well, it can teach us as viewers how to deal with grief and even provide healing if the writers chose to incorporate it. Let’s hope the magic of The Witch from Mercury is as captivating as the prologue.
As you probably can tell I’m very much looking forward to seeing the new Gundam show. Which is a stark contrast to my feelings before watching the prologue. I’m hoping that all the emotional beats of the prologue return and that our Witch finds what she is looking for. That would really make it a satisfying viewing experience.