REVIEW: ‘Mobile Suit Gundam: The Witch From Mercury,’ Episode 8 – “Their Choice”

Each week, Mobile Suit Gundam: The Witch From Mercury manages to juggle both the coming-of-age and romance genres with the sociopolitical elements and giant mech battles that are a part of the Gundam franchise. That continues with The Witch From Mercury Episode 8. Though Miorine Rembran (Lynn) has managed to save Aerial from being destroyed, she now faces the task of running a company with Suletta Mercury (Kana Ichinose). And as if that wasn’t enough, other parties are looking to undermine their efforts.

I appreciate that The Witch From Mercury Episode 8 shows just how hard starting a business is. First, you have to get funding to get it off the ground. Then, you have to get funding to pay your employees. And you have to do marketing to draw customers and potential investors. These are some significant hurdles for Miorine and Suletta to navigate, even as they convince their classmates to join them in their endeavors. Not only that, but Miorine also has to deal with the advances of Shaddiq Zenelli (Makoto Furukawa), who wants to invest in her company and take her hand in marriage. Suffice it to say, she doesn’t take this very well, and neither does Suletta.

And, of course, there’s the looming “curse” of the Gundams, as the technology used to make them causes some devastating side effects to their pilots. The Gundam franchise has never shied away from exploring the double-edged sword that is technology, which continues here as Suletta and Miorine have to make a choice. Will they sell the Gundam technology as weaponry, or will they find another way to utilize its potential? The answer they come to isn’t easy, mainly as it might feed into the conflict between Earth and the space colonies. Said answer is also somewhat unorthodox for the Gundam franchise, but Witch From Mercury has been all about delivering the unexpected.

Finally, the episode starts seeding some threads for future episodes. There’s more to Shaddiq’s impromptu offer than kindness; he’s continuing to play the long game on behalf of his father. It’s gotten to the point where I’m not sure if anything that comes out of his mouth is sincere, and honestly, he could be the biggest threat in the series if his machinations continue. Likewise, Prospera (Yume Miyamoto) remains an enigma. She seems to have Suletta’s best intentions at heart, yet she lies to her about Aerial not being a Gundam.

The best part of the episode is the moments between Miorine and Suletta. The romantic tension between the two is building at the right pace, as it’s neither too fast nor too slow. In a moonlit sequence, Suletta rides a hoverbike with Miorine laying her head on her back. If that doesn’t scream romance, I don’t know what does. Suletta is also willing to go above and beyond to help Miorine, sticking up for her when the other students badmouth her. Even if neither girl has outright said “I love you,” their actions speak louder than words. Because if you love someone, you’d be willing to go to the ends of the Earth for them.

Mobile Suit Gundam: The Witch From Mercury Episode 8 is a prime example of everything that’s made the Gundam franchise universal. It has political intrigue, explores the pitfalls of capitalism, and has a strong message about using technology for things other than war. It also has an ending that makes me extremely anxious to see what happens next week.

Mobile Suit Gundam: The Witch From Mercury is available to stream on Crunchyroll. New episodes premiere on Sundays.