Gundam Shatters Records Thanks to The Witch From Mercury

05/12/2023 01:30 pm EDT

Mobile Suit Gundam has been a fundamental part of the anime world since the first anime adaptation arrived in the 1970s. Supplying mech fans with a steady stream of anime series, feature-length films, and Gundam plastic models, the franchise has continued to find new success over the decades. Now, a recent financial report proves that the latest iteration of the franchise, Mobile Suit Gundam: The Witch From Mercury, has helped pull in record profits for both the anime universe and Bandai Namco.

Mobile Suit Gundam: The Witch From Mercury recently began its second season, following a universe that is quite different from many of the realities that came before it. Rather than featuring a fight between the Earth Federation and the Principality of Zeon, Suletta Mercury's story focuses on a universe overseen by corrupt industries that have outlawed any and all Gundams. With Suletta attempting to become a part of a school that has a flair for mech battles, her personal Gundam becomes a hot topic of interest in the series for understandable reasons. Ironically, the new series was made in an effort to connect with a younger generation and it seems that the Witch From Mercury has done just that.

Gundam: The Witch From Profitability

Bandai Namco recently released its sales results for its 2023 Fiscal Year. As a result of the Witch From Mercury, the Mobile Suit Gundam franchise has seen an increase of over two billion yen in profits, which is the equivalent of close to $15 million USD. The president of the company, Masaru Kawaguchi, confirmed that the Gundam Aerial, the latest model of the anime franchise, has become a hot seller in the Gundam Plastic Models' field.

The Witch From Mercury isn't the only big anime project that is on the horizon for the classic mech franchise. The follow-up to Hathaway's Flash is still in production and Netflix is continuing to work on a live-action feature-length film that will bring Gundam to the West once again. Needless to say, now is a good time for mobile suits.

On the flip side of the anime front, Bandai also shared other franchises that helped boost profits. Both Dragon Ball and One Piece saw rises in profits for the current year. Overall, the company saw a big increase in sales overall thanks to the growth of anime and the merchandise tied to it. 

Via Bandai Namco

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