The anime’s release schedule was revealed recently in a report by Comic Natalie. There, details about its release along with broadcasts of other Gundam shows were revealed.
In case you’re not familiar with anime season terminology, a cour is essentially an anime season, typically consisting of 11-13 episodes. This means a 2-cour anime will run for two seasons. Meanwhile, a split-cour anime is a show that will run for two seasons, but not consecutively. This means there’s a season-long break in between the two halves. Mobile Suit Gundam: The Witch from Mercury is an upcoming anime by Sunrise that’s directed by Hiroshi Kobayashi, the director of Kiznaiver. Joining him is series composer Ichiro Okouchi, the co-creator of Code Geass.
Aside from being the first TV anime in seven years following Iron-Blooded Orphans, The Witch from Mercury is significant for having a female protagonist. This makes it the first Gundam anime to have a female main character. As for its story, the series is set in the year 122 A.S. (Ad Stella). In this era, corporations have entered space and have built a massive economic system. The show follows the main character Suletta Mercury, a girl who transfers to Asticassia School of Technology which is run by the Beneritt Group, a company that dominates the Mobile Suit industry. Soon, Suletta seems to become a Mobile Suit pilot as well. The first half of this upcoming Gundam anime will be broadcast in the Fall 2022 season, from October to December 2022. Its broadcast will be on hold in Winter 2023, and it will resume with Part 2 in April 2023, with new episodes being shown every Sunday.
During the Winter 2023 season, the Sunday time slot that it occupies will feature broadcasts of other Gundam anime, including Mobile Suit Gundam Hathaway, Mobile Suit Gundam Thunderbolt, and Mobile Suit Gundam Narrative. Along with these, a new show entitled “Gundam Next Future x BS11 Gundam Hour” will air every Friday and Saturday at 5 PM JST. At this time slot, The Witch from Mercury reruns will be broadcast, along with reruns of Mobile Suit Gundam SEED and Mobile Suit Gundam SEED Destiny. Mobile Suit Gundam: The Witch from Mercury Episode 1 will premiere on October 2, 2022. Each episode can be streamed on Crunchyroll.
