is a Japanese science fiction animated film and the first part of a planned trilogy in the Gundam franchise. Adapted from the 1989–1990 novel of the same name by Yoshiyuki Tomino, it is directed by Shuko Murase, written by , scored by Hiroyuki Sawano, and animated by Sunrise.
Planned as the first of a trilogy, the film was originally set for release on July 23, 2020, but was delayed to May 2021 due to the COVID-19 pandemic in Japan, and later to June 11, 2021, due to extended emergency declarations. It screened at the 24th Shanghai International Film Festival on the same day and was later streamed on platforms like Bilibili in China and Netflix globally in July.
Set in the Universal Century timeline after Mobile Suit Gundam: Char's Counterattack, the story follows Hathaway Noa, who, inspired by Amuro Ray and Char Aznable, leads the anti-Earth Federation group Mafty to resist the Federation's deepening corruption. His encounters with Federation officer Kenneth Sleg and the mysterious Gigi Andalusia profoundly impact their lives.
The film received widespread praise for its stunning visuals and meticulous production, though some criticized overly dark color grading and compressed storytelling. It grossed ¥2.23 billion, ranking 14th among Japanese films in 2021.
Overview As part of the Universal Century's series, Hathaway follows Mobile Suit Gundam Narrative (2018) and is the second work in the "UC Next 0100" project, which explores events after Mobile Suit Gundam Unicorn in the Universal Century timeline. The story connects to the novel Beltorchika's Children and the 1988 film Mobile Suit Gundam: Char's Counterattack, with its protagonist and background rooted in both.
The film depicts Hathaway Noa, posing as a plant inspector, traveling to Earth to receive the new Gundam. During a hijacking incident, he becomes entangled with Kenneth Sleg and Gigi Andalusia. After a failed diversionary attack by his allies, Hathaway executes a plan to receive the Gundam mid-air, defeating pursuing Federation forces, and proceeds with Mafty to a new base.
Plot
Background Set in the Universal Century in U.C. 0105, twelve years after Mobile Suit Gundam: Char's Counterattack, humanity has migrated to space colonies due to overpopulation. Resistance against the Earth Federation's oppressive policies led some colonies to declare independence as the Principality of Zeon, sparking the One Year War, which Zeon lost. Conflicts persisted for nearly 20 years until Zeon's remnants faded by U.C. 0100. By U.C. 0105, the Federation's corruption has worsened, exacerbating Earth's pollution and enforcing inhumane immigration policies via the "Man Hunter" organization. The anti-Federation group Mafty, led by Hathaway, gains support by assassinating Federation officials through terrorist acts.
Hathaway Noa, son of Federation legend Bright Noa, appeared in Mobile Suit Zeta Gundam and Mobile Suit Gundam: Char's Counterattack. Witnessing Char Aznable's war and losing his love Quess Paraya, Hathaway embraces Amuro's humanism and Char's revolutionary ideals, leading Mafty as "Mafty Navue Erin" to resist the Federation.
technology, developed during the One Year War, faced limitations on Earth. By U.C. 0105, the Minovsky Flight System enables high-speed flight in gravity without transformation, used in prototypes like the Penelope and Gundam.
Synopsis Hathaway Noa, posing as a botanical observer, travels from the lunar city Von Braun to Hong Kong on Haunzen Flight 365, which is hijacked by terrorists claiming to be Mafty. Alongside Federation Colonel Kenneth Sleg, he subdues the hijackers, and the flight lands in Davao City. Detained for questioning, Hathaway is approached by Gigi Andalusia, who hints at knowing his true identity as Mafty's leader. At her insistence, they share a hotel suite. To deflect suspicion, Hathaway orchestrates a Mafty attack by the Messer unit on their hotel, aiming to create chaos and escape Federation surveillance. The attack fails due to the Federation's swift response, and a Mafty pilot, Gawman, is captured.
After evading further investigation, Hathaway reunites with Mafty allies hidden among islands. Using their equipment, he receives the Ξ Gundam mid-air from the cargo ship "Cargo Pisa" during re-entry. Meanwhile, Kenneth, alerted by Gigi's remarks, suspects Hathaway's identity and tracks Mafty's movements. The captured Gawman, interrogated harshly by Kenneth, is taken into the Penelope's cockpit as a hostage. As Hathaway receives the Ξ Gundam in the thermosphere, Federation pilot Lane Aim in the Penelope intercepts him. During combat, Hathaway confirms Gawman's presence and appeals to Lane, who allows Gawman's release. Gawman is transferred mid-air to Hathaway's Ξ Gundam. Hathaway distracts Lane with a discarded rifle and ambushes the Penelope with missiles, heavily damaging it, though Lane survives. Hathaway and Mafty escape on the support ship "Valiant." A post-credits image shows a bloody conflict in Oenpelli.
Context The film, with a runtime of 95 minutes, is adapted from the three-volume novel Mobile Suit Gundam: Hathaway's Flash by Yoshiyuki Tomino, the creator of Mobile Suit Gundam, published between 1989 and 1990. As a sequel to the film Mobile Suit Gundam: Char's Counterattack, it depicts the aftermath of Char Aznable's plan to attack Earth in March U.C. 0093, which was thwarted by the Earth Federation's Londo Bell unit, leading to a gradual subsiding of conflicts between Neo Zeon and the Earth Federation. In U.C. 0100, after the Republic of Zeon in SIDE 3 relinquishes its autonomy, the Earth Sphere appears to have achieved reunification. Twelve years after Char's rebellion, the Federation descends into authoritarianism and bureaucratic corruption, and amid internal corruption and accelerating environmental degradation on Earth, it seeks to pass legislation reserving the planet for the privileged elite. To enforce this, a special police unit called "Man Hunter" is established, brutally targeting civilians illegally residing on Earth. Against this backdrop, a high-ranking Federation officer, under the alias "Quack Salver", forms a clandestine anti-government organization named "Mafty Navue Erin" and initiates a series of assassinations targeting Federation officials. Hathaway Noa, son of the legendary Federation captain Bright Noa, emerges as a fighter inheriting the ideals of both Amuro Ray and Char Aznable, joining and leading Mafty in its operations against the Federation government.
The original novel's storyline continues from another of Tomino's novels, Mobile Suit Gundam: Char's Counterattack – Beltorchika's Children. This novel is considered an adaptation of the initial draft of the film Char's Counterattack. The novel version of Char's Counterattack was serialized in Tokuma Shoten's magazine Animage under the title Mobile Suit Gundam: High Streamer.Originally published under the title Mobile Suit Gundam: Char's Counterattack in the Animage Bunko series from December 1987 to March 1988, it was reissued in 2002 with updated illustrations under the new title Mobile Suit Gundam: Hi Streamer. Both novels preceded the release of the film version.Mobile Suit Gundam: Hi Streamer (originally titled Mobile Suit Gundam: Char's Counterattack) was first published and completed in March 1998. Mobile Suit Gundam: Char's Counterattack – Beltorchika's Children was first published in February 1988, while the film Char's Counterattack was released on March 12, 1988. Alt URL
During an online press conference in March 2020, producer Naohiro Ogata stated that the film would continue the storyline from the March 12, 1988, theatrical release of Char's Counterattack while incorporating elements from the novel Beltorchika's Children. The film and novel versions of ''Char's Counterattack'' are parallel works with notable plot differences, posing challenges for the official film adaptation. In the novel ''Beltorchika's Children'', Quess Paraya is killed by Hathaway himself, an event that becomes a recurring nightmare for him. In contrast, in the film ''Char's Counterattack'', Quess sacrifices herself to protect Hathaway by pushing his mobile suit out of harm's way, only to be fatally shot by Amuro's girlfriend Chan Agi, after which Hathaway, in shock and mental turmoil, kills Chan.
Production +Production TeamPlanning, Animation ProductionSunriseOriginal WorkYoshiyuki Tomino, Hajime YatateDirectorShuko MuraseScreenplayYasuyuki MutoCharacter DesignPablo Uchida, Naoyuki Onda, Shigenori KageyamaOriginal Character DesignHaruhiko MikimotoMechanical DesignHajime Katoki, Kimitoshi Yamane, Seiichi Nakatani, Nobuhiko GenmaOriginal Mechanical DesignYasushi Moriki, Hajime KatokiChief Animation DirectorNaoyuki OndaColor DesignTakako SuzukiDirector of PhotographyKentarō WakiCGI DirectorsRyukou Masuo, Tomohiro FujieEditingDaisuje "I" ImaiSound DirectorHiroshi KasamatsuRecording DirectorEriko KimuraMusicHiroyuki SawanoAnimation StudioSunrise Studio 1DistributorShochiku Adapted from the first volume of Mobile Suit Gundam: Hathaway's Flash, the film was directed by Shūkō Murase, previously involved in Genocidal Organ, Mobile Suit Gundam Wing character design, and animation for Mobile Suit Gundam F91 and Mobile Suit Gundam Unicorn. The screenplay was by Yasuyuki Muto, known for Gundam Unicorn, with mechanical design led by Hajime Katoki. CGI directors Ryukou Masuo and Tomohiro Fujie handled 3D modeling, particularly for Mobile Suits. Editing was by Daisuke "D.I. Imai, character animation supervised by Takahiro Kimura, and chief animation by Naoyuki Onda. Takako Suzuki managed color design, and Kentarō Waki was director of photography. Sound director Hiroshi Kasamatsu, previously on Turn A Gundam, and recording director Eriko Kimura led audio production. Sunrise Studio 1, known for Gundam Unicorn and Mobile Suit Gundam Thunderbolt, handled animation, with Shochiku as distributor.
At a March 24, 2020, online conference, producer Naohiro Ogata noted the novel's 8 million copies sold, highlighting Tomino's prowess as a novelist. He emphasized the novel's relevance to modern issues like environmental problems, geopolitical conflicts, and terrorism, despite being written 30 years prior. Tomino, also a novelist, used novels as animation proposals, but the story missed earlier filming opportunities.
The team aimed to create a film appealing to current and future audiences. They consulted with original character designer Haruhiko Mikimoto, mechanical designer Yasuhiro Moriki, and voice actor Nozomu Sasaki. Tomino, critical of Mobile Suit Gundam Narratives trailer, supported the adaptation, offering director Murase notes on triangular relationships inspired by Korean films. The film adopted a realistic approach. At Anime Japan 2021, team members, including Eiwa Hara, cinematographer Kentarō Waki, and production director Narumi Iwashita, discussed production challenges. Waki noted excessive layering for dark scenes increased workloads. As the trilogy's first part, production explored new techniques, abandoning traditional methods. Producer Naohiro Ogata stated the film moved away from conventional approaches, with the second and third parts to validate these methods. Director Murase emphasized visuals over dialogue, reducing lines compared to TV adaptations.
The voice cast was revamped to match character ages and support global expansion for the Gundam franchise's 40th anniversary. Kadokawa's Shinichiro Inoue noted long-standing calls to adapt the novel, but complex Mobile Suit designs posed challenges in the 1980s, resolved using 3DCG with hand-drawn enhancements. 3DCG depicted Mobile Suits flying under gravity, especially in the final battle. The theme song collaboration with Alexandros aligned with plans for international release, following Gundam NTs overseas success.
Scene design