This new Gundam series aired its first episode yesterday, October 2. While other shows with yuri elements often only imply the relationship at first, The Witch from Mercury was straightforward in this regard. Spoiler Warning: There are spoilers for Mobile Suit Gundam: The Witch from Mercury Episode 1 in this article.
Episode 1 begins with the main character Suletta Mercury who meets Miorine Rembran prior to arriving at the Asticassia School of Technology. It turns out that Miorine is engaged to the bad-tempered Guel Jeturk, with the engagement being arranged by her father, Delling Rembran. Her father is the head of the Benerit Group, an influential and powerful company throughout space. In the episode’s events, Suletta gets into a duel with Guel after he tries to force Miorine to live with him. Suletta wins the duel, and because of the school’s rules, she also becomes Miorine’s fiancé. When Miorine tells Suletta that she is now her fiancé, Suletta is in disbelief, exclaiming that she’s a woman. But Miorine tells her that she’s conservative and mentions how same-sex relationships and marriages are commonplace.
This particular moment proved to be a hit among many fans. On Twitter, there are already lots of tweets about how they are loving this straightforward yuri element of the show. In case you’re unfamiliar with the term “yuri,” it’s a genre in anime or manga that refers to a work that focuses on the relationship between female characters. While yuri is known by many to refer to romantic relationships, not all yuri works must be romantic in nature. If the series continues this yuri angle, it will make The Witch from Mercury stand out even more among the other anime in the Gundam franchise. After all, it is already significant for being the first Gundam anime to feature a female protagonist.
Aside from Suletta and Miorine’s moment, fans also reacted positively to Suletta, with many saying how they love how dorky and awkward she is, all while being an incredibly capable pilot. There are also some comparisons made with Lycoris Recoil, another recent series that featured yuri elements. The Witch from Mercury Episode 2 is set to air on October 9, 2022.
