Mobile Suit Gundam Hathaway is the perfect entry point for the iconic franchise, and a new movie is coming

It’s been four years since the release of Mobile Suit Gundam: Hathaway, the first in a planned trilogy adapting Gundam creator Yoshiyuki Tomino’s trilogy of novels, Mobile Suit Gundam: Hathaway’s Flash. The film’s highly anticipated sequel, Mobile Suit Gundam: Hathaway – The Sorcery of Nymph Circe, finally has a trailer, along with an insert track featuring vocalists Yohei Kawakami and SennaRin. Shukou Murase, who also helmed Hathaway, is set to direct.

The sequel is set to continue the saga of Hathaway Noa, who now leads the resistance against the tyrannical Earth Federation with renewed gusto. As he prepares to carry out an air raid on the Adelaide conference, he is disarmed by the words of Gigi Andalusia, a passenger of the previously-hijacked Haunzen Flight 356. While The Sorcery of Nymph Circe gears itself for a high-stakes arc also set in the Universal Century (UC) timeline, it’s worth retracing our steps back to Mobile Suit Gundam: Hathaway, which digs deep into the political ramifications of mecha warfare.

[Ed. note: Major spoilers for Mobile Suit Gundam: Hathaway ahead.]

Being a newcomer to the iconic Gundam franchise can be daunting. Apart from playing catch-up to its sprawling legacy, continuity and canon complexities have birthed multiple timelines (including the original Universal Century timeline, which the Hathaway trilogy adheres to). As a bulk of Gundam takes place in the UC continuity, it is a great place to start, which is also part of the reason why Mobile Suit Gundam: Hathaway emerges as a solid entry point for newcomers.

But this 2021 sci-fi entry does more than demystify the mythos surrounding its mechanical warriors. It sets the foundation for the franchise’s dystopian geopolitics, where colonies are in constant conflict in a world overrun with systemic corruption.

Hathaway Noa’s true intentions are an enigma at first. He’s a chameleon who is constantly on the move, donning different identities to navigate the chaos that erupts across interstellar colonies. The hegemonic Earth Federation has a totalitarian hold over people’s right to exist, which is met with violent retaliation by the dissident group, Mafty. Whether Hathaway has truly aligned himself with Mafty is the film’s moral thesis, as our disillusioned protagonist grapples with the heavy weight of defining a new future.

When Mobile Suit Gundam: Hathaway isn’t busy dissecting character interiority, it banks upon the spectacle-heavy strengths of Gundam with bombastic mobile suit fights. A gorgeous blend of hand-drawn animation and CG makes these sequences come alive, creating visceral tension as the combat perspective shifts from the mechs to the hapless civilians. There are no pretensions here, as the goal isn’t to stage fights that look “cool.” Instead, every clash feels horrifying, designed to highlight the sickening nature of everyday existence. As ramped up as these drawn-out sequences feel, they never distract us from the corporeal matters at hand.

From a timeline perspective, Hathaway takes place after the events of the beloved Char’s Counterattack, the first franchise theatrical release and Gundam entry to use computer graphics for a stunning five-second shot. This was monumental in itself, but the 1998 film also boasts a grounded aesthetic that seamlessly complements its dynamic mecha designs. Hathaway enriches the legacy of its predecessor by making us root for characters who live in morally grey vignettes, where the interplay between climactic fights and quiet confrontations emerges as one of the film’s greatest strengths.

The Sorcery of Nymph Circe has the chance to build upon this meticulously fleshed-out world and offer an impressive return to form. Mobile Suit Gundam: Hathaway is the easiest franchise gateway, being an impressive tailor-made experience for newcomers and Gundam enthusiasts alike. No matter which path Hathaway Noa chooses to take in the near future, trauma will continue to be the bedrock of Gundam, contaminating every known timeline.