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

[ryllharu]

Originally Posted by Kazu-kun

I actually think she doesn't have a clue. Up until this point, Miorine's reaction to every crisis she encountered was to come up with something on the spot, to wing it, basically. There wasn't a single time when Miorine was ahead of a problem. And it's exactly that lack of foresight that Prospera is exploiting.

Mostly true.

She knew exactly how to defeat Shaddiq, and it worked exactly as they planned.

[Anh_Minh]

What a dirty victory Guel's won. Everything about that duel was dirty as sin.

[azarhal]

I just had an horrible thought.

Prospera was left alone with the Earth kids while Suletta and Miorine went to the greenhouse. What if she told them to take good care of Suletta because she didn't think Miorine was into her the way Suletta was and would break things off once she didn't need her as the Holder anymore?

[Frontier]

Originally Posted by azarhal

Technically, only Aerial was gambled (unlike in the fight against Grassley in season 1), but maybe they swing the whole enterprise to Jertuk since without Aerial (and Nika and Bel) they won't be making anything soon...

I assumed Gund-Arm came with regaining Miorine as his fiance.

Originally Posted by Kazu-kun

I actually think she doesn't have a clue. Up until this point, Miorine's reaction to every crisis she encountered was to come up with something on the spot, to wing it, basically. There wasn't a single time when Miorine was ahead of a problem. And it's exactly that lack of foresight that Prospera is exploiting.

I don't think she has no clue, she just has the wrong clues or expectations. Though to her credit she's usually put on the spot and basically forced to come up with something on the fly.

Originally Posted by Anh_Minh

What a dirty victory Guel's won. Everything about that duel was dirty as sin.

He at least beat Elan No. 5. Kind of. Does that count ?

Originally Posted by azarhal

I just had an horrible thought.

Prospera was left alone with the Earth kids while Suletta and Miorine went to the greenhouse. What if she told them to take good care of Suletta because she didn't think Miorine was into her the way Suletta was and would break things off once she didn't need her as the Holder anymore?

Just the idea of Prospera talking to the Earth kids is hilarious to me .

[Key Board]

I realize characters running their mouth for plot contrivances and drama is okouchi’s thing since code geass, but I had hoped the director would reel him back

//

[Dengar]

Originally Posted by Kazu-kun

Miorine is just a huge idiot. She has no clue what she's doing. Now it would be all too easy for someone like Shaddiq to take advantage of Suletta's mental state to manipulate her and make her do all the things Miorine thinks she's protecting Suletta from.

If her mental state is so easily taken advantage of, you must acknowledge that she has no agency. Following this logic, she shouldn't be piloting the absurdly powerful mobile suit.

Originally Posted by Kazu-kun

It doesn't use Suletta. Why do you think Prospera agreed to let Suletta out of the hook in exchange for having Miorine help with Quiet Zero? Suletta is not needed. Only Aerial is needed.

Because she knows Suletta will get back in the cockpit when it's needed, why else?

[Kazu-kun]

Originally Posted by Frontier

I don't think she has no clue, she just has the wrong clues or expectations.

There's having wrong expectations and then there's being so wrong that it's like you can't understand basic human behavior. Miorine's the latter.

Originally Posted by Dengar

Because she knows Suletta will get back in the cockpit when it's needed, why else?

Not on Aerial's cockpit. At this point Aerial probably can control itself without Suletta.

[azarhal]

Originally Posted by Frontier

I assumed Gund-Arm came with regaining Miorine as his fiance.

That's not how business work, but Miorine could have sold the company proper to Jertuk while making her backroom deal with Guel. But that's going to cause problem with the SAL lady who is coming to investigate.

Thinking about it, this episode is basically a XOR of the incubation party in season 1. Which means next episode will tear more things down instead of building something up.

[Dengar]

Originally Posted by Kazu-kun

As azarhal said, Prospera never truly manipulated Suletta. She manipulated everyone around her. And now she's doing the same with Miorine. She made Miorine think she was gonna use Suletta to kill people, even though the only time Suletta killed people is when she saved Miorine. Prospera never manipulated Suletta to kill indiscriminately. But she made Miorine think she would, and that's why Miorine accepted this fake bargain.

Yes, because she totally didn't make Suletta go from being afraid to kill to not even thinking about making people go kersplat, in a single conversation. And totally didn't create a girl who would literally do everything she said without question.

Originally Posted by Kazu-kun

Not on Aerial's cockpit.

Of course in Aerial's cockpit. Are you really taking Prospera at her word?

[Kazu-kun]

Originally Posted by Dengar

Yes, because she totally didn't make Suletta go from being afraid to kill to not even thinking about making people go kersplat, in a single conversation. And totally didn't create a girl who would literally do everything she said without question.

Did she literally tell Suletta to kill? No, she just told her to be ready to kill because there were terrorists out there who wouldn't hesitate to kill her.

Originally Posted by Dengar

Of course in Aerial's cockpit. Are you really taking Prospera at her word?

It's not just her word. At this point Aerial is looking like it can control itself without Suletta. Seems pretty clear the higher the permet score Aerial reaches, the more autonomy she gains.

[Dengar]

Originally Posted by Kazu-kun

Did she literally tell Suletta to kill? No, she just told her to be ready to kill because there were terrorists out there who wouldn't hesitate to kill her.

It's not what she told her to do, it's what she made her do, and most importantly how she ended up doing it. One doesn't go from being afraid to kill, to complete psychopath, in just one conversation, unless some really mad conditioning has been happening over a long period oftime.

Originally Posted by Kazu-kun

It's not just her word. At this point Aerial is looking like it can control itself without Suletta.

If the suit can control itself without Suletta then why did she even bother with Suletta in the first place? Aerial has been shown more than capable of piloting itself since like episode 1.

[Kazu-kun]

Originally Posted by Dengar

It's not what she told her to do, it's what she made her do, and most importantly how she ended up doing it. One doesn't go from being afraid to kill, to complete psychopath, in just one conversation, unless some really mad conditioning has been happening over a long period oftime.

It's not that strange when you take into account what kind of life Suletta had in Mercury. Contrary to popular belief, she wasn't brainwashed, but Prospera was almost the only person she interacted with. It's completely understandable why Suletta's outlook on life and moral values are deeply influenced by Prospera.

Originally Posted by Dengar

If the suit can control itself without Suletta then why did she even bother with Suletta in the first place? Aerial has been shown more than capable of piloting itself since like episode 1.

Did you no read my post? Aerial seems to gain more autonomy the higher the permet score she reaches. That's why Suletta was needed at first, when Aerial's score was still low. Now that her permet score has apparently reached 7, Suletta is not needed anymore.

[Wandering Soul]

After all this time Guel finally gets a win, but it's not much of a happy end. Miorine's plan could easily backfire and make Sueletta more dependent than anything else. The whole county bumkin line was also pretty cold.

[Obelisk ze Tormentor]

Originally Posted by Anh_Minh

What a dirty victory Guel's won. Everything about that duel was dirty as sin.

It's already dirty since episode 1 coz Gundam was not supposed to duel in Asticassia in the first place as per the Cathedra rules. Also, they allowed tricks, backdoor dealings and any other forms of cheating in a duel (see episode 3). Plus, "result is the only truth" is always part of their duel oath

[Frontier]

Originally Posted by Kazu-kun

There's having wrong expectations and then there's being so wrong that it's like you can't understand basic human behavior. Miorine's the latter.

I wouldn't go that far. I think it's just more a case of good intentions, heigtened emotions/situation, and bad execution.

[azarhal]

Originally Posted by Wandering Soul

After all this time Guel finally gets a win, but it's not much of a happy end.Miorine's plan could easily backfire and make Sueletta more dependent than anything else. The whole county bumkin line was also pretty cold.

Guel already hinted at it in this episode.

Miorine: I want that girl to be happy. She need a world where she can be free of Gundam or anything else.
Guel: There is no world like that.

Also, Miorine use "that girl" there to distance herself from Suletta and the dialogue without Guel's response is similar to what Prospera her stated goal(s) to Bel...

Also, I wonder how Miorine is thinking she can make Suletta happy when she fails at understanding Suletta all the time.

[Kanon]

Originally Posted by Frontier

I wouldn't go that far. I think it's just more a case of good intentions, heigtened emotions/situation, and bad execution.

I would go further. Miorine is a complete idiot who has no idea how Suletta works. Her plan to make Suletta happy is to:

- have Prospera break contact with Suletta. Reasonable given how toxic she is, that seems reasonable
- take Aerial, her only other family away from her. That's kinda pushing it
- betray, humiliate, and then leave her completely alone, because obviously, Miorine has no plans to interact with Suletta any further

Meanwhile, I bet she's thinking to herself that she's sacrificing her own happiness for Suletta's sake, when all she did was make the both of them miserable and Prospera very happy.

That actually reminds me of another yuri show just from last season. Except the other girl there was far stronger mentally than Suletta and literally beat her into submission for acting like an idiot.

[azarhal]

Originally Posted by Kanon

- have Prospera break contact with Suletta. Reasonable given how toxic she is, that seems reasonable

Prospera accepted to not use Suletta in her revenge scheme further, she never said she would ghost her daughter if she calls...

[Twi]

Unless it's to her benefit. Let's be honest here, good parents are a rarity in this Gundam series due to either ambition or death or both.

[Endscape]

Originally Posted by Kazu-kun

It's not that strange when you take into account what kind of life Suletta had in Mercury. Contrary to popular belief, she wasn't brainwashed, but Prospera was almost the only person she interacted with. It's completely understandable why Suletta's outlook on life and moral values are deeply influenced by Prospera.

Keeping your child in an environment where you're the only person she has contact with and taking advantage of the abnormal mental state this causes in said child is brainwashing.

Originally Posted by Kanon

I would go further. Miorine is a complete idiot who has no idea how Suletta works. Her plan to make Suletta happy is to:
- take Aerial, her only other family away from her. That's kinda pushing it

As long as Suletta has Aerial, that's still a reason for her to interact with Prospera. Miorine wants to cut that cord entirely.

- betray, humiliate, and then leave her completely alone, because obviously, Miorine has no plans to interact with Suletta any further

Keep in mind that Mio is running for president of Benerit now, so there's going to to be a ton of people looking for ways to control her, of which Suletta is the easiest option. By publicly dumping her, Mio nips this in the bud

Meanwhile, I bet she's thinking to herself that she's sacrificing her own happiness for Suletta's sake, when all she did was make the both of them miserable and Prospera very happy.

Mio is projecting her own desires for freedom onto Suletta.

Originally Posted by azarhal

Prospera accepted to not use Suletta in her revenge scheme further, she never said she would ghost her daughter if she calls...

Mio knows how Prospera works, I should hope she holds her to not speaking with Suletta again.