Mobile Suit Gundam has a long history, and one of its recent entries has the fandom buzzing in a big way. Gundam: The Witch From Mercury is the most recent mainline series to tackle the franchise if you didn’t know. Its colorful leads and surprising storylines caught the eyes of fans in just a few episodes. These boons combined with The Witch From Mercury’s LGBTQ themes left audiences eager for more. But now, Gundam is under fire for reneging an important bit of LGBTQ rhetoric.
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The whole thing began this week when Gundam Ace, a monthly magazine dedicated to the franchise, posted an update. In its latest issue, the magazine holds an interview with the lead actors of The Witch From Mercury, and it was there Kana Ichinose (Suletta) said the following:
“In the epilogue, the scene where Miorine puts her head on Suletta’s shoulder is so good. 3 years have passed, I could feel that the space between the two of them had become more intimate, seeing a married couple in that form, once again my heart was touched.”
Of course, this confession is hardly surprising as The Witch From Mercury never shied away from Suletta’s relationship with Miorine. The pair were betrothed at the start of the anime, and while Gundam didn’t make romance its focus in The Witch From Mercury, Suletta x Miorine spoke for itself. Their relationship was a fundamental part of The Witch From Mercury, so fans were upset when Gundam Ace updated its contents this month to snip all talk of the girls being married.
Now, Bandai Namco is apologizing for the whole ordeal but not because of the censorship after fact. No, the publisher is sorry the content was published to begin with. Gundam Ace and Bandai Namco said the magazine’s latest issue “contained statements of speculation from magazine editors”. Bandai Manco’s own statement went on to read, “As the work publisher, we would like to leave the anime watchers to understand the story in each of their own ways, and leave the rights of interpretations to the watchers.”
Editorial mistakes happen all the time, but given how prevalent LGBTQ themes are in The Witch From Mercury, this censorship isn’t sitting well with fans. Suletta and Miorine are undeniable members of the LGBTQ community, and The Witch From Mercury proves that with ease. So if the executives at Bandai Namco want to complain, well – they can go on ahead.
What do you think about this latest Gundam headline? Are you surprised by the anime’s retcon or…? Let us know what you think in the comments below as well as on Twitter and Instagram. You can also hit me up @MeganPetersCB to share your take!
