Mobile Suit Gundam: The Witch from Mercury

Mobile Suit Gundam: The Witch from Mercury was produced by Sunrise and released in 2022 as the first mainline television series in the Gundam franchise in seven years. It was conceived to introduce the long-running mecha property to a new generation of viewers, stepping away from the Universal Century timeline to establish the Ad Stella setting. The production aimed for a more grounded, character-driven focus, utilizing a school-based setting at the Asticassia School of Technology to explore themes of corporate control, marriage politics, and identity.

The series was directed by Hiroshi Kobayashi and Ryo Ando, with character designs by Mogumo. The design philosophy emphasized more sleek, organic-looking mobile suits, most notably the aerial-focused Gundam Aerial, which featured a distinct, colorful aesthetic compared to the traditional military designs of earlier entries. Upon its release, the series received significant attention for its central protagonists, Suletta Mercury and Miorine Rembran, and was generally praised by critics for its modern approach to the mecha genre while maintaining the franchise's signature dramatic tension.