Mobile Suit Gundam Is Being Resurrected, Watch The First Trailer
Mobile Suit Gundam is one of the greatest anime series of all time, and it is time for it to get back in action.
Sean Connery was the first James Bond, making the superior Daniel Craig films possible. Christopher Reeves’ Superman proved that superhero films could work on the big screen, leading us to benefit from the Marvel Cinematic Universe. There is a lot to be said about an original, and Mobile Suit Gundam was an original that paved the way for one of anime’s most popular sub-genres, mecha anime. Characterized by its use of giant robots to fight grandiose, drama-filled battles, everything from Power Rangers to Pacific Rim owes a debt to the trailblazing series. Four decades later, it is breaking new boundaries with the latest spinoff and bringing a first to the franchise: a female protagonist.
Fans at San Diego Comic-Con were treated to a preview of the first Mobile Suit Gundam project in seven years. Mobile Suit Gundam: The Witch From Mercury follows Seuletta Mercury, a lone girl from the planet of the same name who transfers to the Asticassia School of Technology. Overrun by corporations and capitalistic greed, the new project seems to have unique and different messages surrounding a coming-of-age storyline and, of course, giant robots. The trailer promises new characters, unbridled battle scenes, and expansive landscapes.
The original series aired 43 episodes from April 1979 until January 1980. Mobile Suit Gundam is set in Universal Century 0079 and follows the war between the space colonies known as the Principality of Zeon and the Earth Federation. The series focuses primarily on the experimental Gundam mobile suit RX-78 and its civilian pilot, Amuro Ray. His mostly untested crew aboard the White Base sees many trials and tribulations as they navigate the war. As it is four decades old, most of the animation and sound is less than stellar, but the trailer for the new series brings the trademark score and battle sequences to center stage for our viewing pleasure.
The undeniable commentary of the original series centered around what happens when we send young people who are barely out of school and still in their teens to war. It gives us an honest look into the reality that these kids don’t return from war intact mentally or physically, and sometimes they don’t return at all. With the new trailer and synopsis available, viewers may get a look at two social commentaries explored by Mobile Suit Gundam: The Witch From Mercury. The most obvious is gender; it has been forty years and took numerous series, novels, games, and films before fans got a female protagonist. It is likely that it will be the center point of the plot. With the plot provided by MovieWeb, it seems we may also get some commentary on capitalism.
With all that is happening at San Diego Comic-Con, there is a multitude of properties for fans to get excited about, from Shazam! Fury of the Gods to Tales of the Walking Dead, it is likely something smaller like Mobile Suit Gundam: The Witch From Mercury could get overlooked. Do yourself a favor and ensure that the trailer is not missed.
