Mobile Suit Gundam: The Witch From Mercury - Anime Episode Discussion

[Frontier]

I think there's a good chance we get Calibarn fighting Schwarzette as it's first sortie.

With so few episodes left they'll probably want to show off the protagonists' new Gundam as soon as possible, what it can do, the effect it has on the pilot, and give it a "win" before we get into the final conflict. Especially since we haven't seen Suletta piloting in a while.

[kiak666]

Originally Posted by Frontier

I think there's a good chance we get Calibarn fighting Schwarzette as it's first sortie.

With so few episodes left they'll probably want to show off the protagonists' new Gundam as soon as possible, what it can do, the effect it has on the pilot, and give it a "win" before we get into the final conflict. Especially since we haven't seen Suletta piloting in a while.

Well, I can definitely see Suletta and Miorine having a brief reunion in the Benerit HQ before Lauda goes on a murderous rampage targeting Mio, forcing Suletta to sortie with the Calibarn to protect her former fiancee as well as preventing further casualties.

[Obelisk ze Tormentor]

Originally Posted by Anh_Minh

There's a reason I hated Gundam Wing and never finished it. (That's not actually the reason, but it could have been.)

The Gundams in IBO also work on similar principle to Tallgeese & Wing Gundam Zero. Much older units (300 years old) that surpass newer Suits.

Originally Posted by Anh_Minh

I just feel they should have tried a bit harder to convince Suletta not to let the (government? corporate?) stooge talk her into risking her life to kill her mother instead of enabling it.

Bringing a monster gundam in that shit show is much less cautious than bringing an open flame to a firework factory. She'd be risking her life just to pilot it at all, and giving Eri a reason to shoot her dead before she even knows it's her. Not to mention after, if the talks go wrong.

Shoulda, coulda, woulda. Tbh, a phone call would probably suffice if Suletta just want to talk, but I doubt Prospera or Aerial will answer's Suletta's call.

But there's also a compelling nature of seeing eye to eye and talk things out. My country's vice president (Jusuf Kalla) once went to Aceh to talk to the leaders of GAM (freedom fighters for Aceh's independence) after so many conflicts that took too many lives. They talked it out and, you know what? It worked! It was a long & layered process but, long story short, the rebellion is no more and both the "rebels" & Indonesian people in Aceh & the rest of Sumatra live relatively peacefully to this day. So you see, there is value in talking things out.

Originally Posted by Anh_Minh

I don't know what the world leaders will do with the nuclear codes either. You learn to live with those uncertainties. More importantly, stopping Prospera now doesn't get rid of Quiet Zero. It just puts it in the hands of SAL. (With at best some delay while they build their own.) So, like I said, why not let Prospera win?

I know you've already conceded the point, but that felt really disingenuous.

Nuclear is too chaotic & the damage is harder to control. So, we all know that those world leaders will most likely never unleash their nukes to begin with barring some really extreme situations. QZ in this universe can be much easier to control and yet, it can still neutralize any forces that's thrown at it. So, QZ is scarier than nukes in the way that anyone with the access to it can just unleash it to dominate or kill anyone within range.

Now imagine Putin having similar superweapon and then he just eradicates the entire US & NATO forces in one fell swoop and you watch it on live TV. I don't think people are not gonna be nervous about what Putin will do next. You can probably still be calm & live with it since you're not in a position to do anything about it, but Suletta is. She knows the people behind the QZ trigger and she wants to go there & talk (like Jusuf Kalla did). I'd say let her go. And if you're her best friend and want to accompany her then, by all means, do it. I won't look at Suletta and her friends' action as something silly or weird to do.

Originally Posted by Anh_Minh

That's just dramatic timing. Of all the coincidences driving various plots in anime, it feels silly to focus on that, when it wouldn't have changed anything if she'd powered up hours earlier and just lived her life before SAL came into sensor range.

What makes it suspicious is that Prospera kept QZ's engine running in a time where she knows that SAL is gunning for Benerit & searching for QZ after SAL's very very public announcement. She practically announced the (hidden) location of QZ to the hungry SAL so that they can come at it. That's why I call it baiting/luring.

[Anh_Minh]

Originally Posted by Obelisk ze Tormentor

The Gundams in IBO also work on similar principle to Tallgeese & Wing Gundam Zero. Much older units (300 years old) that surpass newer Suits.

Ok, I'll give you IBO.

Shoulda, coulda, woulda. Tbh, a phone call would probably suffice if Suletta just want to talk, but I doubt Prospera or Aerial will answer's Suletta's call.

But there's also a compelling nature of seeing eye to eye and talk things out. My country's vice president (Jusuf Kalla) once went to Aceh to talk to the leaders of GAM (freedom fighters for Aceh's independence) after so many conflicts that took too many lives. They talked it out and, you know what? It worked! It was a long & layered process but, long story short, the rebellion is no more and both the "rebels" & Indonesian people in Aceh & the rest of Sumatra live relatively peacefully to this day. So you see, there is value in talking things out.

And Miorine went to talk with Earthian leaders face to face. Remember how that ended?

Nuclear is too chaotic & the damage is harder to control. So, we all know that those world leaders will most likely never unleash their nukes to begin with barring some really extreme situations. QZ in this universe can be much easier to control and yet, it can still neutralize any forces that's thrown at it. So, QZ is scarier than nukes in the way that anyone with the access to it can just unleash it to dominate or kill anyone within range.

Good. Maybe she'll do away with partition wars or whatever they're called, since she doesn't need them.

Now imagine Putin having similar superweapon and then he just eradicates the entire US & NATO forces in one fell swoop and you watch it on live TV. I don't think people are not gonna be nervous about what Putin will do next. You can probably still be calm & live with it since you're not in a position to do anything about it, but Suletta is. She knows the people behind the QZ trigger and she wants to go there & talk (like Jusuf Kalla did). I'd say let her go. And if you're her best friend and want to accompany her then, by all means, do it. I won't look at Suletta and her friends' action as something silly or weird to do.

OK, but imagine it from the POV of a Siberian peasant.

What makes it suspicious is that Prospera kept QZ's engine running in a time where she knows that SAL is gunning for Benerit & searching for QZ after SAL's very very public announcement. She practically announced the (hidden) location of QZ to the hungry SAL so that they can come at it. That's why I call it baiting/luring.

Or, you know, prepared to defend herself because what would have made a difference is getting caught with her pants down.

[Obelisk ze Tormentor]

Originally Posted by Anh_Minh

Ok, I'll give you IBO.

Good

Originally Posted by Anh_Minh

And Miorine went to talk with Earthian leaders face to face. Remember how that ended?

The negotiation works rather well on Mio's end. It was Prospera that ruined it, remember?

Originally Posted by Anh_Minh

Good. Maybe she'll do away with partition wars or whatever they're called, since she doesn't need them.

We don't know her plan going forward. That's the issue.

Originally Posted by Anh_Minh

OK, but imagine it from the POV of a Siberian peasant.

They can "still be calm & live with it " like I said in my comment. But most people are not Siberian peasants, are they?

Originally Posted by Anh_Minh

Or, you know, prepared to defend herself because what would have made a difference is getting caught with her pants down.

Baiting/luring & preparing for self defense are not mutually exclusive. People who lure prey are also (should be) prepared for action.

[Anh_Minh]

Originally Posted by Obelisk ze Tormentor

Good

The negotiation works rather well on Mio's end. It was Prospera that ruined it, remember?

Yes, so please also remember that Suletta won't be alone either.

We don't know her plan going forward. That's the issue.

We don't know SAL's plans either, it doesn't keep you from supporting them.

They can "still be calm & live with it " like I said in my comment. But most people are not Siberian peasants, are they?

In that metaphor, "Siberian peasant" might be an upgrade for the Earthians.

Baiting/luring & preparing for self defense are not mutually exclusive. People who lure prey are also (should be) prepared for action.

People who don't want to die and have an army approaching them with hostile intentions too.

[Obelisk ze Tormentor]

Originally Posted by Anh_Minh

Yes, so please also remember that Suletta won't be alone either.

So? What factions are left that pose a threat to Prospera at this point?

Originally Posted by Anh_Minh

We don't know SAL's plans either, it doesn't keep you from supporting them.

I don't support SAL. I support Suletta to meet Prospera & Aerial to talk it out.

Originally Posted by Anh_Minh

In that metaphor, "Siberian peasant" might be an upgrade for the Earthians.

The Earthians on Earth are already busy with their own struggle.
The Earthians from Earth House just want to help Suletta.

Originally Posted by Anh_Minh

People who don't want to die and have an army approaching them with hostile intentions too.

So it applies to both, isn't it?

[azarhal]

Ippei mentioned on twitter that he designed the Schwarzette faceplate to look like a skull.

What looks like skulls currently in the show, all the permet lights on Quiet Zero.

[Xeiros]

Originally Posted by Obelisk ze Tormentor

QZ in this universe can be much easier to control and yet, it can still neutralize any forces that's thrown at it. So, QZ is scarier than nukes in the way that anyone with the access to it can just unleash it to dominate or kill anyone within range.

Go back and rewatch the scene where EL4N tried to steal Aerial. The big scary super weapon needs the 21 year old data girl trapped in a giant robot to like you enough to let you use her or you're in for a bad time. Control it? There have only been three character in the story she's canonically been "cool enough with" so to speak to not data storm them the moment they tried to pilot her.

It's kind of interesting to think about what Eri may have been thinking when Mio was piloting her against Guel. Did she actually like her or did she want to fry her but didn't because they needed her alive for their grand plan? How does she genuinely feel about Mio at this point in the story? We might never know.

A Baoa Qu this is most certainly not. The resolution of this whole conflict hinges on the fact that the big doomsday weapon can potentially be reasoned with. A real shame we barely know who she even is. The uh "good guys" are more likely to win because they break Eri's will to fighter sooner than they defeat Prospera in some big space battle.

Without Eri on her side Prospera is finished.

[TheDoctor324]

Originally Posted by Obelisk ze Tormentor

The Gundams in IBO also work on similar principle to Tallgeese & Wing Gundam Zero. Much older units (300 years old) that surpass newer Suits.

The thing is regarding the Gundams in IBO being more powerful than the other MS's is because they used a tech that was outlawed by all governments due to the risks to the pilot (or potential pilot). it wasn't until Mcgillis figured out how to implant the AV system into an adult with no major risk that things could possibly advance to where all MS's could possibly be on par with Gundams. Regardless, your statement does hold true.

[Frontier]

Originally Posted by Xeiros

Go back and rewatch the scene where EL4N tried to steal Aerial. The big scary super weapon needs the 21 year old data girl trapped in a giant robot to like you enough to let you use her or you're in for a bad time. Control it? There have only been three character in the story she's canonically been "cool enough with" so to speak to not data storm them the moment they tried to pilot her.

It's kind of interesting to think about what Eri may have been thinking when Mio was piloting her against Guel. Did she actually like her or did she want to fry her but didn't because they needed her alive for their grand plan? How does she genuinely feel about Mio at this point in the story? We might never know.

A Baoa Qu this is most certainly not. The resolution of this whole conflict hinges on the fact that the big doomsday weapon can potentially be reasoned with. A real shame we barely know who she even is. The uh "good guys" are more likely to win because they break Eri's will to fighter sooner than they defeat Prospera in some big space battle.

Without Eri on her side Prospera is finished.

She had no real reason or benefit to fry Miorine at that point. Miorine probably didn't even unlock high enough functions to raise the Permet Score .

Honestly Aerial is so overpowered that no matter how great a pilot Suletta is that the best chance they have is that Eri is more likely to listen to her sister than continue this revenge quest for their mothers' sake.

[azarhal]

Something I didn't catch until now. You can hear someone (Rajan I think?) requesting the evacuation of Lagrange Point 4 after Quiet Zero wipe out the SAL fleet and the camera highlight Miorine having a total breakdown.

SAL probably has more than one fleet in this case. Since Benerit HQ is at L1 and Quiet Zero was at L2.

[Obelisk ze Tormentor]

Originally Posted by Xeiros

Go back and rewatch the scene where EL4N tried to steal Aerial. The big scary super weapon needs the 21 year old data girl trapped in a giant robot to like you enough to let you use her or you're in for a bad time. Control it? There have only been three character in the story she's canonically been "cool enough with" so to speak to not data storm them the moment they tried to pilot her.

It's kind of interesting to think about what Eri may have been thinking when Mio was piloting her against Guel. Did she actually like her or did she want to fry her but didn't because they needed her alive for their grand plan? How does she genuinely feel about Mio at this point in the story? We might never know.

A Baoa Qu this is most certainly not. The resolution of this whole conflict hinges on the fact that the big doomsday weapon can potentially be reasoned with. A real shame we barely know who she even is. The uh "good guys" are more likely to win because they break Eri's will to fighter sooner than they defeat Prospera in some big space battle.

Without Eri on her side Prospera is finished.

I did say "anyone with the access to it". So yeah, that means people who Eri is "cool enough with" to use her for QZ which, for now, Prospera is the only one.

[Key Board]

Suletta isn't getting through Prospera. I don't think anyone can make Prospera change her mind.

but she might get through Eri. Because I still believe that it's not just Suletta who has a "stop being a puppet" character arc.

//

[azarhal]

Something has been puzzling me for a while: the 3 dots pyramidal symbol, who does it belong to?

We first see it on the school spacesuit helmet (and kneepads).
It's on Darilbalde's spear, but not the mech itself.
It's on the chest and halo of Schwarzette.
I think I saw it in a few other places.

But it's also what makes the permet panels looks like skulls on the sides of Quiet Zero.

I don't think it's Jertuk related, since it only appears on the Schwarzette which was co-produced with the same company who made Quiet Zero. None of the Jerturk mechs have it outside Schwarzy.

I'm thinking sub-contractor, since spacesuits isn't part of Shin Sei business description (it only mention MS operating system and medical equipment).

Originally Posted by Key Board

Suletta isn't getting through Prospera. I don't think anyone can make Prospera change her mind.

but she might get through Eri. Because I still believe that it's not just Suletta who has a "stop being a puppet" character arc.

//

Eri does everything mom wants, but mom also does everything Eri wants.

All the Mercuries have to be freed from their unhealthy relationship, Prospera included. A big reason why it's like that is because Eri couldn't communicate properly until recently (or move by herself).

I'm not the first to bring it up online, but if Okouchi comes out and say the Mercuries were inspired by My Sister's Keeper, I wouldn't be surprised on bit. The question is if he's aiming for the film or the novel ending...or neither.

[Illsteir]

Originally Posted by azarhal

Something has been puzzling me for a while: the 3 dots pyramidal symbol, who does it belong to?

We first see it on the school spacesuit helmet (and kneepads).
It's on Darilbalde's spear, but not the mech itself.
It's on the chest and halo of Schwarzette.
I think I saw it in a few other places.

It's a rather common design element that mecha designers use to add surface detail and it seems that Ippei Gyoubu uses it often in his designs. I don't think there's anything to it.

[Chosen_Hero]

Too bad that it seems like they are going to waste the Schwarzette just to give Suletta a free easy win and to keep the Jeturk jobber score combo going.

[azarhal]

Originally Posted by Chosen_Hero

Too bad that it seems like they are going to waste the Schwarzette just to give Suletta a free easy win and to keep the Jeturk jobber score combo going.

Schwarzette is part of Prospera's plan, it wouldn't exist otherwise. Mio was against completing it, yet it's completed the next episode despite like 3 days max going by in-universe.

Lauda using it would actually put a wrench on whatever Prospera had planned.

[Frontier]

Originally Posted by Chosen_Hero

Too bad that it seems like they are going to waste the Schwarzette just to give Suletta a free easy win and to keep the Jeturk jobber score combo going.

As long as the fight is good. Besides Suletta probably won't come off unscathed because she doesn't get a free pass from the Permet Curse this time.

[kiak666]

Looks like we're wrong. Calibarn debuts by jumping straight into the final battle, taking down several Gundnodes before facing off against Ericht/Aerial.

Speaking of Calibarn, its main weapon is a large beam rifle that resembles a broomstick....