Mobile Suit Gundam: The Witch from Mercury - Season 2 Blu-ray Movie

Rating summary

Movie		4.0
Video		4.5
Audio		4.5
Extras		3.0
Overall		4.0

Mobile Suit Gundam: The Witch from Mercury - Season 2 Blu-ray Movie Review

Mobile Suit Gundam: The Witch from Mercury - Season 2 is an epic action-adventure anime. Mobile Suit Gundam: The Witch from Mercury - Season 2 features animation production by Sunrise (Mobile Suit Gundam Wing, Mobile Suit Gundam). Created by Hajime Yatate and Yoshiyuki Tomino, Mobile Suit Gundam: The Witch from Mercury - Season 2 features original character designs by mogmo. The production features a political and thought-provoking storyline.

Mobile Suit Gundam: The Witch from Mercury - Season 2 is executive produced by Hiroo Maruyama (Mobile Suit Gundam: Iron-Blooded Orphans, Gundam Reconguista in G), Naohiro Ogata (Mobile Suit Gundam: Cucuruz Doan's Island, Mobile Suit Gundam Hathaway), and Retsu Tamura (SD Gundam World Heroes, Gundam Build Metaverse). Produced by Takuya Okamoto (Mobile Suit Gundam: Iron-Blooded Orphans, Gundam Build Fighters Try Island Wars) and Toshihiro Maeda (Attack on Titan, Release the Spyce), Mobile Suit Gundam: The Witch from Mercury - Season 2 aired in Japan on MBS and Tokyo Broadcasting System. MBS and Tokyo Broadcasting System. Mobile Suit Gundam: The Witch from Mercury - Season 2 was simulcast as a major streaming event to keep audiences tuned in in both Japan and North America.

The mecha anime stands as the 15^th Gundam anime series in the long-running franchise. Gundam is one of the most successful and long-lasting anime franchises in the history of Japanese animation. A second-season continues the first season – the Mobile Suit Gundam: The Witch from Mercury series marking the first time the mainline anime returned to its roots since Mobile Suit Gundam: Iron-Blooded Orphans.

Mobile Suit Gundam: The Witch from Mercury - Season 2 is a compelling installment in the franchise in part because it breaks down barriers and serves as a progressive installment in the anime franchise by making the lead protagonist a female character. The female-driven anime is a nice aspect of the series and the fact Mobile Suit Gundam: The Witch from Mercury - Season 2 explores important LGBTQ themes also adds to the inclusivity themes and to the importance of the production.

The political climate continues to be at the edge of the universe. There is divide between the Earthians and the Spacians. The clash between sides is something that causes a great deal of turmoil and makes things much more complex for all involved. As the second season expands on the first season, Earth House ends up in a state of devastation.

Plant Quetta suffers a violent terrorist attack that leaves complications for everyone. Miorine Rembran (Lynn) is now dealing with personal issues – she is away from the school and is now beside her father (waiting to see if he can get better and have a full recovery or not). While Miorine is absent from her Academy, things become strained between Miorine and Suletta Mercury (Kana Ichinose).

Suletta has even more to deal with at the Academy without Miorine by her side. Suletta remains as an important student of the Asticassia School of Technology. Dawn of Fold members attack the school. The fate of the Academy hangs in the balance as an attack is underway.

As danger and politics cause turmoil between both sides, there is a new possible future to consider – a future without war. Quiet Zero, proposed by Suletta’s mother, Prospera, aims to solve conflict between both sides and put an end to war-time rifts. Can Project Quiet Zero find success? What will the future hold for Suletta and the Gundam tech?

The characters in Mobile Suit Gundam: The Witch from Mercury - Season 2 continue to reward fans with a compelling emphasis on drama and romance. The LGBTQ+ themes are essential to the characters. The romantic quality and exploration of the characters is something to celebrate. It is wonderful to see the series provide more inclusivity for the LGBTQ+ community.

The character designs by Hirotoshi Takaya (Eyeshield 21, The Brave of Gold Goldran) and Shuri Toida (Gundam Build Divers Re:RISE, Gundam Build Divers) are exceptional and add to the quality of animation and series production. The character designs stay true to the design work highlighted during Mobile Suit Gundam: The Witch from Mercury - Season 1. Mobile Suit Gundam: The Witch from Mercury - Season 2 continues to showcase wonderful character artwork and the emphasis helps make the leading cast members stand out all the more as essential to the Gundam pantheon and franchise.

One of the most compelling and rewarding elements of the series is the superb and visually lush animation. The animation is out-of-this-world brilliant. The art direction by Ayumi Satō (That Time I Got Reincarnated as a Slime, Gundam Reconguista in G) is absolutely stunning to behold and is an absorbing part of the series aesthetic.

The team of animators assembled by the production team went into overdrive and put every fiber of their being into the second season – especially during the second half of the series. In fact, reports indicated that several key animators felt so invested in the production that the animators worked overtime and pushed themselves to accomplish as much key art as possible despite several production setbacks behind-the- scenes. These aspects of the animation production caused some controversy during the second season (notably regarding workplace treatment of the animators) but it also speaks volumes to the love and passion for Gundam in Japan as one of the country’s more important franchises. These animators wouldn’t sit back and call it a day as on some productions – instead, the animation was the forefront of their minds and goals.

The cinematography by Shōta Kodera (Mobile Suit Gundam Thunderbolt, The Vexations of a Shut-In Vampire Princess) is exquisite and something serene to behold. The lush cinematographic style is evocative and mesmerizing. The style of the cinematography feels more cinematic and theatrical compared to many television anime productions. Kodera did a superb job with the cinematography style.

The score composed by Takashi Ōmama (Dances with the Dragons, Castle Town Dandelion) is exciting, engaging, and a lot of fun. The music is a perfect accompaniment to the action sequences and the adrenaline of the production is amplified enormously by the score. A superb music soundtrack.

Written by Ichirō Ōkōchi (Azumanga Daioh, Code Geass: Lelouch of the Rebellion), Mobile Suit Gundam: The Witch from Mercury - Season 2 continues the saga. The second season brings more political drama and intrigue for franchise devotees. The anime series explores some serious political themes about the state of class warfare. The class warfare themes have been at the backdrop of the best of the best in the Gundam franchise history. Mobile Suit Gundam: The Witch from Mercury - Season 2 is nostalgic for the greatest installments in the franchise while adding some new layers to the established anime universe and by exploring more themes about inclusivity – and this carries out an important theme that is true to Gundam and the franchise calling.

Hiroshi Kobayashi (Dragon Pilot: Hisone and Masotan, Spriggan) returns to the director’s chair. Mobile Suit Gundam: The Witch from Mercury - Season 2 picks up the action-adventure with more exciting drama and political intrigue. Mobile Suit Gundam: The Witch from Mercury - Season 2 aims for the jugular with the action brining more intense excitement to the spectacle. The finale was considered controversial with some audiences but it nonetheless captivated viewers. Mobile Suit Gundam: The Witch from Mercury - Season 2 is well worth continuing for fans of the franchise.

Mobile Suit Gundam: The Witch from Mercury - Season 2 Blu-ray Movie, Video Quality 

Released on Blu-ray by Crunchyroll, Mobile Suit Gundam: The Witch from Mercury - Season 2 is presented in 1080p MPEG-4 AVC encoded high-definition in the original television broadcast aspect ratio of 1.78:1 widescreen. The high-definition presentation quality is exceptional and far exceeds that of many productions. The series has crisp and vivid animation. Background art and line artwork looks extremely well detailed. The animation is robust and colorful. Color reproduction looks fantastic. The encoding capably handles the action scenes.

Mobile Suit Gundam: The Witch from Mercury - Season 2 Blu-ray Movie, Audio Quality 

The release includes a selection of lossless audio options: English Dolby TrueHD 5.1 surround sound and Japanese Dolby TrueHD 2.0 (with English subtitles). The lossless audio encoding is presented with high resolution 24-bit depth audio. The lower noise floor allows for more breathing room and a crisper and more detailed soundstage. The score and sound effects are crystal clear sounding on the release. An excellent lossless mix.

Mobile Suit Gundam: The Witch from Mercury - Season 2 Blu-ray Movie, Special Features and Extras 

The limited collector's edition includes collectable steelbook packaging. The limited edition steelbook features exquisite artwork and it makes a great impression. The art design for both the front and back art adds to the quality of the collectable packaging. The steelbook certainly will appeal to collectors who prefer an emphasis on artwork over "quotes" or "digital copy code" notes on less attractive looking standard editions. The steelbook design is exquisite on the whole.

If there is one downside to the collectable steelbook, the print quality is average matte and it doesn't have a premium finish. The steelbook printing quality could have been better with a high-gloss print quality and Crunchyroll should consider only using high-gloss printings in the future for steelbook editions. Average quality matte is a lot more prone to fingerprints, scratches, and paint chips. One gets the feeling that you should be extra careful with this type of steelbook (such as wearing white gloves).

Disc 2:

Promo Video (HD, 1:56)

Clean Opening – Season 2 (HD, 1:32)

Clean Ending – Season 2 (HD, 1:32)

Mobile Suit Gundam: The Witch from Mercury - Season 2 Blu-ray Movie, Overall Score and Recommendation 

Mobile Suit Gundam: The Witch from Mercury - Season 2 continues the exciting action-packed science-fiction saga. The saga continues to explore the political turmoil and economic divide. The saga builds (expanding on the first season) and continues important LGBTQ themes.

Fans of the Gundam anime franchise will be thrilled with the stunning animation and high spectacle production. The Blu-ray release features quality high-definition video and lossless audio encoding. The release also comes packaged in a nice collectable steelbook. Fans who already own the first season in the limited-edition packaging will be enormously tempted to pick up the second season in the limited edition steelbook version. Highly recommended.