MOBILE SUIT GUNDAM THE WITCH FROM MERCURY SEASON 2 VOL.4
SPECIAL BOOKLET
STAFF INTERVIEW: Hiroshi Kobayashi (Director)

―――This marks your debut as a director in a Gundam series. Have you always felt a deep connection with Gundam?

Kobayashi: You know, I’m from the generation that grew up with SD Gundam, but I wouldn’t say I was a die-hard fan. It wasn’t until I became a working adult that I met folks who were really passionate about Gundam. Seeing adults heatedly debate over the minutiae of mobile suits, like how certain damages wouldn’t occur or how certain armors wouldn’t degrade, was quite a scene for a newbie like me. It made me realize I still had much to learn.

―――How did you go about formulating the work?

Kobayashi: The project started with a proposal from Morion Airlines, which already had the title “The Witch from Mercury” and the tagline, “This witch rides a Gundam.” From that proposal, we started to brainstorm – first, defining “What is a witch?”, then “What kind of entity does the witch-controlled Gundam represent?” and finally, “What kind of world would have practical mobile suits?”

―――And you built the story around those three elements?

Kobayashi: Exactly. In defining what a witch is, I steered away from the typical fairytale sorcerer. Instead, I thought of witches more as heretics from religious history, those who were labeled and oppressed by the establishment for various reasons. So, in our story, Suletta comes from this lineage of witches.

―――I see.

Kobayashi: This perspective means that in the show, the Gundam becomes a creation of the witches, an entity that the establishment deems taboo and wants to eliminate. It’s a complete reversal from the traditional role of Gundams in the Universal Century series.

―――GUND Format also becomes a mechanism to illustrate these taboos, right?

Kobayashi: Precisely. The witch concept really guided us in incorporating elements reminiscent of Western religious history. Our initial plot centered on how the curse of piloting a Gundam would echo the various challenges and complexities that viewers might face in their own lives. It was about making that connection.

―――What was the reasoning behind setting the story in Asticassia School of Technology?

Kobayashi: The original concept didn’t involve a school setting; it began with a post-apocalyptic, desolate Earth. However, the producers suggested something more accessible. So, we pivoted, aiming for simplicity, and that’s how it turned into a school story. The duels in the school are not war. At one point during the development process, we considered a much darker tone, but given the current global situation, it’s quite challenging to depict a war that closely resembles reality. So, we carefully thought about how to handle the theme of war. The decision to change to a school setting came from the third point I mentioned earlier, “a world with mobile suits,” which I felt could be depicted from a Japanese perspective on war. The Benerit Group, which oversees Asticassia, is involved in both space development and the manufacturing and selling of mobile suits. This means the students are indirectly tied to the broader implications of war through these economic activities, a parallel to our real-world global economy, where we are all interconnected.

―――Did the school setting change the relationship and settings of Suletta and Miorine?

Kobayashi: Suletta’s core character, as a girl from the far-off Mercury, stayed the same. Miorine’s character required some trial and error.

―――There was a plan for Miorine to be from the corporate side, not a student?

Kobayashi: Yes, but that would have led to parallel but separate storylines for Suletta and Miorine, which was impractical for a two-season format. As we refined the content, we decided to base it on Shakespeare’s The Tempest. That set the goal – Suletta and Miorine would marry and become partners, and Prospera abandons her plans and vendetta to bless them.

―――The show seems to focus on parent-child relationships, like Suletta and Prospera.

Kobayashi: The initial goal was to portray individuals burdened with various curses, similar to heretics and witches. It wasn’t exclusively about parent-child relationships. Family and blood ties are important, of course, but real-life issues aren’t confined to just that. In retrospect, one of the lessons learned and challenges we faced was that the focus ended up strongly on the parent-child relationships, which left that impression.

―――You also wanted to feature societal oppression more?

Kobayashi: Absolutely. We also explored the theme of sinners seeking redemption. None of the characters in this story, including Prospera and Delling, are purely virtuous. For instance, Suletta kills and Miorine’s decisions lead to catastrophic events on Earth. Yet, we deviated slightly from the narrative norm of sinners getting punished. This was again inspired by The Tempest, where Prospero forgives those who wronged him, like his brother Antonio and the King of Naples. Antonio, however, feels no remorse and receives no punishment. Of course, legal justice for crimes is necessary, but it’s a point of reflection that we didn’t depict atonement in the main story. We questioned the necessity of vigilantism or punishment driven by a sense of justice. Is it right to pass such a society onto our children? Especially in Gundam works, where there’s often a harsh view of life and death and a karmic retribution, we needed to be cautious about deriving catharsis from punishment. The five girls, along with Shaddiq and Grassley, are prepared to face punishment for their crimes, but many were just pawns in the schemes of adults.

―――The members of the Earth House, who were working with Suletta and Miorine, were also quite memorable.

Kobayashi: The Earth House kids, first Nika, who diligently looks after the clueless protagonist, while Chuchu is set up as the obvious one who is hostile to the protagonist at first but becomes friends. As for the rest of the members we didn’t impose racial boundaries on the rest of the members, staying true to one of Gundam’s conventions.

―――Indeed, the White Base crew in Mobile Suit Gundam was quite diverse in terms of race.

Kobayashi: We have detailed backgrounds and origins for each member of the Earth House, though we haven’t made those public.

―――Were there any aspects of the stage setting, art, or direction that you particularly focused on?

Kobayashi: The Asticassia School Front was a major focus. It features a torus design, and we got a lot of innovative ideas from mechanical designer Kenji Teraoka and art designer Tomoaki Okada. Thanks to 3DCG, we could bring these ideas to life. And, since the anime airs at 5 PM on Sundays, we aimed for a narrative style that would be accessible to both anime newcomers and children. Especially for Suletta and Miorine, we were mindful of the five Ws and one H approach.

―――On the other hand, there’s no use of narration and minimal use of captions, right?

Kobayashi: We never planned to use narration. For me, I believe that auditory elements are crucial in film, sometimes even more so than visuals. So, put a lot of effort into balancing dialogue, music, and sound effects so that the story is clear even if you’re just listening.

―――Let’s talk about the mobile suit combat scenes. Aerial’s use of the GUN-BIT from the beginning is a notable feature.

Kobayashi: The protagonist’s suit designed by JNTHED for the competition originally didn’t have a GUN-BIT like the one used in the series. During our discussions about the mecha designs, we decided the protagonist’s Gundam needed a distinctive weapon, so we built upon ideas from mechanical designer Kanetake Ebikawa and chief mecha animators Shinya Kusumegi and Kanata Suzuki. The speed of the remote-controlled weapons adds flair to the action, and the credit goes to Technical Director Yohei Miyahara and the CG production team at Graphinica for bringing them to life.

―――In the combat scenes, there’s a deliberate avoidance of cutting to character shots within mobile suit scenes.

Kobayashi: Cut-ins are a signature of the Gundam series, but they require technical expertise. We couldn’t use them lightly. Cut-ins usually consolidate what would be two cuts into one, effectively reducing the number of cuts. In Gundam works, characters and mechas are often drawn by different animators, even in the same cut. This complicates the production flow, especially since the cockpits were in 3DCG this time.

―――And that involves even more people.

Kobayashi: Cut-ins can be effective audibly. For instance, without them, dialogue in scenes with only mobile suits can feel disjointed. Cut-ins help to tighten this space, creating a rhythm in the conversations and sound. So, we decided to let the dialogue overlap with the mobile suit shots to maintain this rhythm and auditory balance, even though it’s a bit unconventional.

――― What was the inspiration behind the design for mobile suits other than the Gundam?

Kobayashi: Given that Benerit is a conglomerate, we assigned different mecha designers to each corporate entity. This led to a natural variety in the designs, and I didn’t give overly specific instructions. However, as Benerit represents the establishment, we aimed for a more traditional look in terms of visuals. Their names were also inspired by historical units such as Cavalry, Lancer, and Heavy Cavalry.

―――Speaking of TV series-specific direction, there seemed to be a strong emphasis on setting up cliffhangers for the next episode. For instance, Suletta’s actions at the end of Season 1, Episode 12, are quite shocking.

Kobayashi: The final scene of Season 1 really embodies the “curse” of the Gundam. The Aerial, which Suletta views as family, is also a weapon designed for killing. It was vital to show Suletta’s realization of this as she takes a life with the Gundam. Similarly, the more deeply Miorine becomes involved with Suletta, the more she can’t escape the “Gundam’s curse” that Delling speaks of. We chose that moment for its dramatic impact.

―――As we entered Season 2, the spotlight shifted to Earth and introduced the Space Assembly League as a new force. Did you always plan to show the world outside the school?

Kobayashi: Yes, that was part of the plan from the beginning. The setting of the Ad Stella era mirrors the Middle Ages before nation-states were firmly established, similar to the Kamakura period’s manorial system (a social system where temples, shrines, and nobles own and control land). In other words, powerful figures and clans owned and governed lands. This meant that powerful entities, like the Benerit Group, would have been vying for dominance, just like in those times. The Space Assembly League, being an administrative body, was inherently weaker and aimed to reduce Benerit’s influence.

―――What role does Earth play in this setting?

Kobayashi: I always wanted to depict the part of Asticassia that gets directly involved in the war, that gets entangled in it. That’s where the introduction of two Gundam pilots, Sophie and Norea, came into play, and I had been considering this since the early stages. They’re modeled after two women involved in the Salem Witch Trials. They represent the stark contrast to Asticassia’s students, living in poverty in an environment where education is dysfunctional. This negative aspect is partly a result of economic activities by corporations like Benerit. I envisioned a relationship of light and shadow where, looking at it differently, making the Asticassia students, in a way, the givers of the curse.

―――Was the development of Norea’s interaction with Elan (Enhanced Human No. 5) planned from the start?

Kobayashi: No, it wasn’t planned. Their interaction in Episode 13 inspired the storyline. There were quite a few characters who didn’t have predefined end goals. Elan, while based on the Cyber-Newtype of the Universal Century series, can’t escape the Gundam’s curse despite wanting to and is searching for how to regain the dignity of his own life.

―――Was Guel also a character you didn’t have a clear goal decided for from the early stages?

Kobayashi: Actually, Guel’s storyline was one of the few we had decided early on. His plot revolves around an immature struggle to define himself against his overbearing father, not overcoming this by losing his father but by choosing a path to build his own identity.

―――Was the epilogue, showing the world three years later, planned from the beginning?

Kobayashi: We decided to include an epilogue, but the specific timeline was determined later. The ending follows The Tempest, where Suletta and Miorine marry and become partners.

―――The insert song by AiNA THE END in the epilogue (Houseki no Hibi) was also impactful.

Kobayashi: That song was written explicitly for the show. We received it early, which allowed us to create scenes to match the music, a kind of reverse film scoring.

―――Finally, could you share your thoughts now that the production is complete?

Kobayashi: For the main story, we managed to reach the intended conclusion based on The Tempest, with Suletta and Miorine’s endpoint and Prospera giving up revenge. I was prepared for mixed opinions since the ending isn’t clear-cut, with no definitive punishment for the wrongdoers. Another unresolved issue is the salvation of those burdened with hardships, and unwittingly, the sins of Prospera and the adults were passed on to Suletta, Miorine, and Shaddiq. It mirrors the real-world problem of younger generations bearing the burdens of their predecessors. Still, Suletta and the others will keep moving forward, but as an adult, I feel sorry that we couldn’t lay down a better path for these characters.

―――Does this include your perspective as a parent?

Kobayashi: I believe everyone, parents and adults alike, feels a sense of suffocation and oppression. I hoped to find a way or a clue to alleviate that.

―――Throughout our interviews, it’s been evident that the staff worked on this project with enthusiasm and a positive attitude.

Kobayashi: If there’s a reason for that… it’s undoubtedly thanks to Suletta. Her character, initially indecisive and requiring extra effort in every action, was costly in terms of anime production. In an era where cleverness and sophistication are in demand, I was worried about how well someone as time-consuming (laughs) as her would be accepted.

―――But it seems like her character traits were well-received.

Kobayashi: Her keyword is “healthy.” I think one factor in her being accepted was the facial expressions artist Marika Tagashira drew of Suletta eating sweets. Those images, released before the broadcast, were well-received, and they helped to spread a favorable impression of Suletta, allowing me to confidently push her ‘healthy’ aspect. Her positivity and vitality probably permeated the staff and ultimately created a cheerful mood for the series.