KANA ICHINOSE x LYNN DISCUSS MOBILE SUIT GUNDAM: THE WITCH FROM MERCURY
WHAT DOES THE FIRST FEMALE PROTAGONISTS AND GUNDAM SET AT A SCHOOL PORTRAY

Mobile Suit Gundam: The Witch from Mercury (Sundays at 5:00 pm on MBS/TBS) is the first television series broadcast in seven years. One of the unique features of Gundam is that it’s set on a stage of humanity’s history of war, incorporating social themes seen at the time, such as terrorism, population, environmental, and energy issues. In addition, this is the first tv series to feature female protagonists, a new form of Gundam that turns the conventional notion on its head and has caused quite a stir among the fandom. The first episode was a unique experience, unfolding at a school, with slightly comedic airs peppered throughout, though what will this “Gundam set at a school” end up portraying? We asked Kana Ichinose, who plays the main character Suletta Mercury, and Lynn, who plays the heroine Miorine Rembran, to talk about this new form of Gundam.

GUNDAM, FROM A NEW AND DIFFERENT PERSPECTIVE

―― This is a new approach that hasn’t been seen in past Gundam iterations. With the school being the setting, what kind of atmosphere are you sensing from this series?

ICHINOSE: Until now, war and conflicts were often the stages for Gundam, and I feel that it was often times a serious story right from the opening scenes. But our show takes place at a school and has a somewhat comedic aspect to it as well. Even the battles with mobile suits are part of the school’s culture as “duels.” Though these “duels” aren’t being fought with the intention of killing one’s opponent, so from that perspective, I feel like this type of atmosphere is vastly different from that of past Gundam works. 

―― You’re right. However, there does seem to be an air of adolescence in the students in these duels.

LYNN: Dueling is an integral part of student’s academic lives. It’s not just a matter of duking it out in mobile suits; it’s more like students clashing with one another.

ICHINOSE: But, a variety of bets can be made on these duels, and depending on what is being wagered, they can become very consequential matters that significantly alter a student’s situation at school or even in their very lives. This is exactly what happened with Miorine and the duel in the first episode when her prospective fiancé changes from Guel to Suletta.

―― It feels like even those who have put off Gundam until now will be able to enjoy this show.

ICHINOSE: I think it’s an easy show for people watching Gundam for the first time. It’s a coming-of-age drama with some comedic elements, making it easier for younger audiences to take in. I hope girls will be watching it as well, of course.

A GIRL AS THE MAIN CHARACTER IN GUNDAM

――When the TV series was first announced, the fact that it was the first to have a female protagonist drew a lot of attention. How did you feel about this new wave of female protagonists, both within and outside the Gundam fandom? 

ICHINOSE: Honestly, I was genuinely happy to see that this is the new thing, a girl being the main character in a Gundam series, and that shows that girls can fight too. I hope to show her badass side* of her in the show as well. Also, I can’t stop getting excited about the chemistry that’ll be happening between Suletta and Miorine since they’re the opposite of one another. 

LYNN: I don’t really care whether they’re male or female; it just so happens that two girls are in the spotlight this time. It’s undoubtedly true that having female protagonists is an approach that hasn’t been tried with past TV series, but women have all fought in mobile suits in past works. Plus, there will be heroic battles with male characters in the show, so we’re not really concerned about it ourselves all that much. 

ICHINOSE: She’s right. Director Kobayashi also said, “you don’t have to act all cutesy.” The girls are people, just like we are, so I felt like he was really trying to emphasize that reality. 

―― Having voiced Suletta, what kind of personality do you sense with her?

ICHINOSE: Suletta isn’t your typical female protagonist by any means. She’s an ordinary girl, the kind you’d see around you. I think the whole point behind her isn’t so much that she’s a female protagonist but that she’s just a girl you can relate to, that familiarity. She’s somewhat introverted and has a heck of a hard time communicating with others, but she definitely has this strength inside of her and the courage to take that first step. She has that line, “If you run, you gain one, but if you move forward, you gain two.” I want to be able to convey through someone like Suletta that if you have the courage inside of you to take that first step, you can change the world.

――Unlike Suletta, an introvert, Miorine is a straight-laced character who isn’t afraid to speak what’s on her mind, regardless of who she is talking to.

LYNN: Miorine had a marriage partner forced on her by her father, and beyond that, she’s also subjected to all these rules he set down for her, which dictates a lot for her. So, she pretty much hates everything about the world. What’s more, she absolutely detests any man who would try and use force to make her submit. So, I feel like her strengths lie in those acts of rebellion. I can empathize with those parts of her, and I think she’s so cool for that. I’m hoping to keep those strong intentions as I continue voicing her.     

DESPITE WANTING TO GET TO KNOW ONE ANOTHER, THEIR DISTANCE DOESN’T GET ANY SHORTER
THEIR DIFFERENCE IN ATTITUDES IS BLISTERING

―― The first episode ended with the development of Suletta becoming Miorine’s bridegroom. What kind of relationship will these two polar opposites build together?

INICHOSE: Suletta really wants to be friends with Miorine, but she is not about bridging that gap between them (laughs). Suletta’s like, “My first ever friend!” but Miorine’s all like, “Huh? Who are you?” which can make things feel pretty lonely.

LYNN: Well, Miorine doesn’t really want any friends anyway (laughs). 

ICHINOSE: But there’s also this part of Suletta that is surprisingly unrelenting, despite her shyness. Even when she was trembling in fear when Miorine was yelling at her, there was no doubt she said what she wanted to say and didn’t back down. Reserved as she may be, she has a strong heart, and that’s what gives Suletta her charm. 

LYNN: For Miorine, it’s more convenient for her to have Suletta as her potential groom instead of Guel. That’s the extent of it at this moment. That’s why her attitude is “Leave well enough alone. Don’t get in my way.” But, she witnessed firsthand Suletta’s piloting skills with the Aerial in the first episode, so I feel like part of Miorine has to recognize her talents going forward, and she’ll realize that Suletta possesses things that she just doesn’t have.

―― A lot of these interesting things about Suletta have helped soften the pressure unique to Gundam.

ICHINOSE: Even as we were recording, I was directed to “tone down” the seriousness. Even with the combat scenes of the duels, I was told not to make the atmosphere too weighty. So while everyone is giving their all in these battles, in the end, they’re just students. These aren’t battles to take lives, so while there is a sense of tension, the seriousness has been dialed down a bit.  

LYNN: The students haven’t taken responsibility for their lives yet, or maybe I should say they understand in their minds what mobile suits really are, but they don’t understand it with their bodies. The fact that they’re weapons for war was depicted in the PROLOGUE, and watching that makes me wonder what will happen in the future. 

ICHINOSE: We’d like for everyone to see for themselves what the school life of Suletta and Miorine will have in store for them!

* TL NOTE: I may have been a bit gratuitous with the translation of かっこいい here, but you get the point.