REVIEW: ‘Mobile Suit Gundam: The Witch From Mercury,’ Episode 23 — “Unrelenting Tenderness”

As the end of The Witch From Mercury approaches, Mobile Suit Gundam: The Witch From Mercury Episode 23 serves as the setup for a showstopping finale. Suletta Mercury’s unrelenting tenderness serves as the key to the episode as she and her friends seek to stop her mother Prospera Mercury and prevent the war from getting even more out of hand.

Aerial and Suletta coming to blows is the main focal point of The Witch From Mercury Episode 23 and it does not disappoint. The actual Gundam action is incredible, showcasing more of the beautiful animation Sunrise has been hitting out of the park all series long. But what really lands with me is the emotional connection between Eri and Suletta, where Eri is trying to convince Suletta that what Prospera is doing is good and should not be stopped. Aerial, communicating through the data storm as Eri, says that Prospera just wants to create a world where Eri can have a place in it. Suletta doesn’t necessarily disagree with the goal, but she is devastated that her mom has turned into an evil person just to achieve her goal.

Seeing Suletta struggle with her love for her mother and her opposition to her plans is equally devastating and beautiful. She is a selfless person who only wants the best for others, but she knows she needs to do what is right and go against her mom and Eri. The pain in her voice is palpable, and when she seems to break through to Aerial it was one of the best moments in the entire series to date. Eri just wants a place she can be happy, a place she and her mom can live in peace. But Prospera has been so warped in her goal that she is causing pain for others, something Miorine points out the Prospera when they come face-to-face later in the episode.

There is a really heartbreaking interaction between Guel Jeturk and his half-brother Lauda Neill that hits incredibly hard in more ways than one. The actual action in their physical fight is great, and it puts others in danger besides the two of them. What really hit me, however, was when Lauda asked why Guel didn’t tell him about their father’s death at his hands. He says that Guel’s righteousness and arrogance are why Miorine uses him and that it is his ultimate sin. It’s a devastating confrontation between brothers that adds to the emotional weight of The Witch From Mercury Episode 23 by showcasing an underutilized relationship that desperately needed more airtime.

Midway through the episode a side character asks “who will be responsible” for a choice they are debating making and that line succinctly sums up almost all of what has been happening in The Witch From Mercury. The questions that have been asked of characters like Miorine Rembran and Guel as well as “villains” like Prospera always come back to who will take the fall or who will put the responsibility on themselves. Some, like Miorine and Guel, put the weight of the world on their own shoulders and do not want to let anyone else bear what they believe is their punishment for their actions. Others, like Suletta, take the weight of other people’s sins on themselves because of their sense of duty to do what is right. Then there are the supposed adults in the room who seem to put the responsibility on anyone except for themselves, leaving the children to clean up their messes.

As far as penultimate episodes go, The Witch From Mercury Episode 23 is up there with the best of them. A surprising twist towards the end sets up for an incredible finale that should blow the roof off the already high expectations. Themes of family and responsibility are all coming to a head with the final battle sure to take things to new heights to wrap up the season.

Mobile Suit Gundam: The Witch From Mercury Episode 23 is available to stream on Crunchyroll. New episodes premiere on Sundays.