is a Japanese mecha anime television series and the fifteenth mainline entry in Sunrise's long-running Gundam franchise. It was directed by Hiroshi Kobayashi with scripts by Ichirō Ōkouchi, and aired from October 2022 to July 2023.
Set in a society where powerful spacefaring conglomerates dominate the economy, the series centers on mobile suits called "GUND-ARMS," which were derived from "GUND," a medical technology originally designed to mitigate physical disabilities caused by space habitation.
The Witch from Mercury is notable for being the first mainline Gundam series to air entirely during Japan's Reiwa era and the first televised installment to feature both a female and LGBTQ protagonist, Suletta Mercury. Thematically, the series explores issues of capitalism and political corruption, drawing stylistic inspiration from Shakespeare's The Tempest and early-modern witch trials, especially as metaphorically reflected in its central GUND technology.
Story
Setting The series is set in the new calendar system dubbed the Ad Stella (AS). In this timeline, humanity has advanced into space yet a conflict occurred that caused a split between the inhabitants of space colonies, also called "Spacians" and the Earth-born "Earthians", with a vast economic inequality between the two. These conflicts revolved around the material, Permet, which was mined because of its information-linking properties. Various technologies have been developed by mixing Permet with other materials or propellants for control purposes, including Mobile Suit development. Several megacorporations are established in this timeline which all focus on the development of technology for Spacians but also caused the social and political divide between them and the Earthians.
Plot In the year Ad Stella 101, researchers at the Vanadis Institute created "GUND", an advanced brain–computer interface that enabled the human nervous system to control artificial appendages and organs. The purpose of GUND was to enable humans to survive in the harsh environment of space. After receiving funding from mobile suit manufacturer Ochs Earth, the technology was developed into the "GUND Format" and employed for military uses, leading to the creation of "GUND-ARMS": mobile suits that use the GUND Format to increase the performance of their pilots. However, extensive use of GUND-ARMS resulted in pilots being crippled or even killed.
In response, the Mobile Suit Development Council, led by the top mobile suit development companies, ordered an entire permanent ban on the GUND Format and all its applications. Council member Delling Rembran, president of the Benerit Group, deployed the special forces team Dominicus to destroy the Vanadis research facility Fólkvangr, killing everyone aboard to erase all traces of the technology. Only two people survived: mobile suit test pilot Elnora Samaya and her four-year-old daughter Ericht Samaya. In the aftermath, those responsible for the development of the GUND Format were ostracized, and because the team was primarily composed of women, they became known as "witches".
In Ad Stella 122, 21 years after the Vanadis incident, Suletta Mercury transfers from Mercury to the Asticassia School of Technology, an academic institute run by the megacorporation Benerit Group. Upon arrival, she encounters a girl escaping the institute, Miorine Rembran, who wants to escape from the control of Delling, her father. Miorine is engaged to be married to the highest scoring duellist in a mobile suit – currently Guel Jeturk.
As their paths cross in the academy with different ambitions and goals, Suletta will have to prove her worth as a pilot as she steps into the academy alongside the Gundam Aerial, a mobile suit built with forbidden GUND Format technology.
Merchandise Alongside other merchandise releases, the series is also part of the long-running Gunpla line of plastic model kits by Bandai Spirits. Kits based on the Mobile Suits in the series were released in 1/144 scale. High Grade and SDEX models of the Gundam Aerial were released in 2022, and a 1/100 scale Full Mechanics kit was released in 2023. Action figure releases include those in the Chogokin, Robot Spirits, and Gundam Universe lines.
According to an official Bandai Spirits press release, the High Grade Gundam Aerial recorded the highest initial sales "among the HG TV series lead role Gundam versions", going on to become the best selling Gunpla kit of 2022, while the High Grade Gundam Calibarn became the best selling kit of 2023.
Shortly after the release of the series, Sunrise partnered with Yamazaki Biscuits for a cross-promotion following a string of Internet memes stemming from the Bic Camera branch in Akihabara stocking empty shelves of the Gundam Aerial model kit with YBC Aerial corn chips.
Media Anime
A self-contained Prologue episode debuted on July 14, 2022, at the cross-venue "Gundam Next Future – Link the Universe" event, which connected the life-size Gundam facilities in Yokohama, Odaiba, Fukuoka, and Shanghai; it later streamed worldwide via the official GundamInfo YouTube channel on September 1, 2022. The main television series premiered across the Japan News Network (including MBS and TBS) from October 2, 2022, to July 2, 2023, within the revived nationwide Nichigo programming block. A second season aired beginning April 9, 2023.
Internationally, Crunchyroll simulcast the series outside of East Asia, while Medialink streamed it in Southeast Asia through Ani-One Asia on YouTube, Netflix, and Bilibili. GundamInfo expanded streaming to additional territories across Asia and Oceania. An English dub, produced by Crunchyroll's Texas-based talent, was released on January 30, 2023, marking the first time the Gundam franchise employed the studio formerly known as Funimation. A Spanish-dubbed version aired on Mexico's Azteca 7 beginning February 16, 2024.
The series featured multiple theme songs: Yoasobi performed the first opening , with an English version released alongside official music videos; Yama performed the second opening theme "Slash," while Shiyui and Ryo provided the first ending theme , and Aina the End performed the second ending "Red:Birthmark." The score was composed by Takashi Ohmama.
Print An official web novel titled , written by Ichirō Ōkouchi, was released by Sunrise on their official website on October 2, 2022. The English version was subsequently released on November 10, 2022, translated by Eriko Sugita. The web novel serves as a link between the Prologue and the main series and is told from the point of view of the Gundam Aerial. A live reading of the novel was released on YouTube on November 13, 2022, with Kana Ichinose as the narrator. The anime was later adapted into an ongoing light novel in Kadokawa Shoten's Gundam Ace magazine from November 26, 2022, written by Yūya Takashima with illustrations by Shūei Takagi. The novel adapts both the Prologue and main storylines, and will also include some original characters and subplots
A side-story manga titled , written by both Kō Yoneyama and illustrated by Chika Tōjō, with original character designs by mogmo and planning cooperation by Hisadake, began serialization in Kadokawa Shoten's Gundam Ace magazine from March 25, 2023. The manga is set in A.S. 106, five years after the Vanadis incident, and focuses on a witch named Vilda Miren and a pilot named Kiyu Lavot, who pilots the XGF-01[II3] Gundam Lfrith Jiu. In December 2025, Yen Press announced that they had licensed the side-story for English publication beginning in June 2026.
In December 2024, another spinoff manga, , written by Hisadake and illustrated by Hiro Hata began serialization on Comic Newtype on May 23, 2025. This time, the events of the manga will take place in an alternative setting closer to modern Japan, retelling the events of the original anime in a more everyday comedy and slice of life vein.
Merchandise Alongside other merchandise releases, the series is also part of the long-running Gunpla line of plastic model kits by Bandai Spirits. Kits based on the Mobile Suits in the series were released in 1/144 scale. High Grade and SDEX models of the Gundam Aerial were released in 2022, and a 1/100 scale Full Mechanics kit was released in 2023. Action figure releases include those in the Chogokin, Robot Spirits, and Gundam Universe lines.
According to an official Bandai press release, the High Grade Gundam Aerial recorded the highest initial sales "among the HG TV series lead role Gundam versions", going on to become the best selling Gunpla kit of 2022, while the High Grade Gundam Calibarn became the best selling kit of 2023.
Shortly after the release of the series, Sunrise partnered with Yamazaki Biscuits for a cross-promotion following a string of Internet memes stemming from the Bic Camera branch in Akihabara stocking empty shelves of the Gundam Aerial model kit with YBC Aerial corn chips.
Video games The Gundam Aerial, along with Suletta, appeared in the mobile game Mobile Suit Gundam UC Engage as a limited event unit. It also made an appearance in the action RPG video game SD Gundam Battle Alliance as a DLC unit. It reappears as a playable unit again in the arcade game Mobile Suit Gundam Extreme Vs. 2 OverBoost and later supplant by the Gundam Pharact from the First Season and the Darilbalde from the Second Season. The Gundam Aerial is set to appear as a bundle in Call of Duty: Modern Warfare III. In Mobile Suit Gundam Extreme Vs. 2 Infinite Boost, Gundam Aerial Rebuild is a playable unit, however, the unit has two slots with different pilots.
Reception Critical response The Witch from Mercury has been praised by critics for its writing, characters, animation, voice acting, dark drama, yuri elements, and its unique take on the classic Gundam formula. IGN gave the first season of the series a rave review, giving it a 9/10, praising the show's drama and striking imagery. Polygon also gave the show's first season a glowing reviewing, claiming the series is becoming the "ultimate Gundam show" and is finally an anime in the prestige franchise that anyone could enjoy. Kim Morrissy from Anime News Network has also praised the series, citing the show has good emotional moments. Harry Nugraha from Game Rant was less impressed with the first season, finding the school life drama to be "disappointing". However, Nugraha thought the show featured some "thrilling combat scenes" and felt the series was picking up steam in the last few episodes of the season. Vulture listed the first season as the third best anime of 2022. Following the finale of the second season, Tsunehiro Uno of PLANETS criticized the series for failing to adequately engage with the first season's issues of mediocre direction and breaking out of comfort zones, noting that the theme of conflict was ultimately relegated to being an Easter egg of the school life setting.
Mamiko Noto's portrayal of Prospera has received acclaim, with many lauding her theatrical performance and the complexity of her character. Gizmodo positively compared Prospera to the Gundam franchise's iconic villain Char Aznable, referencing how both characters wear masks and the duality of their personalities. Christopher Farris from Anime News Network also raved about the character, applauding her effectiveness as a villain and found her storyline to be "gripping".
The English dub received controversy due to the decision to have Suletta Mercury be voiced by white voice actor Jill Harris. Suletta Mercury is implied to have Middle Eastern or North African heritage and her father's name Nadim Samaya has Arabic, Hebrew, and Indian origins.
Reaction to the Season one finale