Since its debut in 1979, Mobile Suit Gundam has long been one of the most celebrated anime franchises in history. It’s also been one of the most daunting for newcomers, with dozens of series, films, and novels set across numerous timelines, with few clear entry points. As someone whose Gundam experience solely consists of a few random episodes of G Gundam, Wing, and Seed, it’s pretty overwhelming. That feeling permeated all throughout the new film, Mobile Suit Gundam Hathaway: The Sorcery of Nymph Circe. It’s still an enjoyable watch, but the film–the second in a planned trilogy– doesn’t make it easy in the slightest.
Adapted from Yoshiyuki Tomino’s trilogy of light novels, the Hathaway films are themselves a continuation of the 1988 film Char’s Counterattack. Set in UC 0105 (UC standing for Universal Century, the franchise’s main timeline), they follow Hathaway Noa (Kenshô Ono), son of Bright Noa, a major character from Counterattack. In the 12-year gap following the events of that film, Hathaway has become the secret leader of the terrorist group MAFTY, waging war against the corrupt Earth Federation. Nymph Circe picks up shortly where the first film, 2021’s solid Mobile Suit Gundam: Hathaway, left off.
“Mobile Suit Gundam Hathaway: The Sorcery of Nymph Circe continues that nuance and is first and foremost a character piece dedicated to developing the internal struggles of the three central characters.”
MAFTY are seeking the location of a major conference in Adelaide, Australia, where they plan to take out the multitude of Federation leadership that will be in attendance. Hot on Mafty’s trail is charismatic Federation captain Kenneth Sleg (Junichi Suwabe), who finds his responsibilities divided between preparing for the conference and hunting down MAFTY as soon as possible. Where things get more interesting for both parties is when it comes to the mysterious Gigi Andalucia (Reina Ueda), a socialite with special precognitive abilities who develops complicated relationships with both Kenneth and Hathaway.
A key factor in the Gundam franchise is how it never paints its two main warring factions in simple good-and-evil terms within the same story. Mobile Suit Gundam Hathaway: The Sorcery of Nymph Circe continues that nuance and is first and foremost a character piece dedicated to developing the internal struggles of the three central characters.
Hathaway’s growing dedication to MAFTY’s ideals is coming at the cost of some important relationships, particularly with his girlfriend, Keila. Gigi’s ultimate motives are still pretty unclear, but she cannot shake the bond she felt with Hathaway during their moments together in the first film. Kenneth’s side story is arguably the least interesting on the surface, but his reliance on Gigi’s abilities as a “good luck charm” brings an interesting wrinkle to their dynamic. That being said, there are several major character beats involving characters and flashbacks to Char’s Counterattack that, having not seen it, completely washed over me.
“Anyone who comes into this film expecting major robot action will be sorely disappointed.”
Mobile Suit Gundam Hathaway: The Sorcery of Nymph Circe’s character-heavy focus, on top of being the middle chapter of an already dense story, means the film will be very difficult for people who have not at least seen Hathaway. Additionally, anyone who comes into this film expecting major robot action will be sorely disappointed. There is only one major action sequence involving the Gundams, and it takes place in the third act.
Granted, Gundam as a whole has never been solely about fighting mechs, but rather about the political conflicts and character dynamics behind them. That being said, the film’s one big fight is absolutely incredible. Even with my frustration at a couple of scenes being hard to see because the fight takes place at night, I was still wowed by the fantastic animation and sound design throughout the extended sequence. The entire film is a visual knockout, as the blend of 2D characters, 3D environments and machinery looks great throughout.
Finally, I would be remiss if I did not talk about the pair of bizarre needle drops that punctuate the film. I cannot understate how much hearing SZA’s song “Snooze” over the opening credits completely threw me for a loop. The same goes for hearing Guns N’ Roses’ “Sweet Child o’ Mine” during the end credits, especially with how the film ends.
Ultimately, Mobile Suit Gundam Hathaway: The Sorcery of Nymph Circe got me invested enough to be excited about what is set to be a pretty massive conclusion. I may still be completely lost, but I am still in for the long haul. I may even end up going back and finishing one of those Gundam series I never finished.
