[Movie Review] "Mobile Suit Gundam Hathaway: The Witch of Circe"
—— The "Lingering Regrets" and "Atonement" of a Man Who Can't Be a Hero. A Masterpiece Depicting Reality Under Gravity.
I still remember the shock I felt when I first picked up the original novel as an upper elementary school student.
At the time, I interpreted this hopeless story as something Director Yoshiyuki Tomino wrote to break away from the massive franchise that is "Gundam." I never dreamed that it would be adapted for the screen in the modern era.
However, precisely because we are in the 21st century, post-9/11, the themes of this work resonate with painful reality.
This movie is not merely a sequel to a robot anime. It is an all-too-human drama about a young man trapped by the ghosts of the past, throwing himself into a terrorism without justice.
■ Can't Take My Eyes Off Him Because He is "Uncool"
The greatest appeal of this work lies in the portrayal of the protagonist, Hathaway Noa.
He is by no means a flawless hero. He is tormented by the trauma he shouldered during "Char's Rebellion" (Char’s Counterattack) and wavers between ideal and reality.
I was particularly drawn to his "instability" and his "lingering attachment" to the past. The figure he cuts in the film is, at times, uncool.
But come to think of it, Amuro, Kamille, and even Char were all flawed humans with many worries. This unreliability, this sloppiness, is the very reality of "Gundam," and it is likely why we feel such a kinship with them.
Hathaway is another "human" in that lineage. The internal depictions that were not in the original novel—specifically his struggle with his past karma—have been visualized, bringing his lonely battle into sharper relief.
■ Mobile Suit Battles Under Gravity that Evoke "Fear"
Visually, this film is undoubtedly a monumental achievement in Gundam history.
The action here is the polar opposite of the "high-speed, elegant aerial battles" seen in recent robot anime. The film insists on being "under gravity," transmitting the creaking of massive iron lumps and the ground-shaking vibrations right through the screen.
Especially excellent is the frequent use of the "Pilot's Point of View" (Cockpit View).
The sparks in urban warfare, the flash of beams glowing in the dark night, and the intimidating pressure of approaching enemy machines. What exists there is not exhilaration, but the "fear of death" and an "abnormal tension" unique to the battlefield. This visceral realism proves its true worth through the sound and screen of a movie theater.
■ The "Barrier" for Fans, and the "Love" Visible Through It
While I want to praise it unconditionally, the only—and greatest—hurdle is the context that effectively says, "No first-timers allowed."
The nightmares Hathaway sees, his principles of action—everything depends on the predecessor, Mobile Suit Gundam: Char's Counterattack. If you don't know what happened in that battle, you might not understand even half of his anguish.
On the other hand, there are moments prepared specifically to make long-time fans smirk. The brief glimpses of new Mobile Suits are a prime example.
Also, there is the irony that a work into which Director Tomino once poured his anti-market thesis has gone around and come back as Bandai's main product. The fact that I can find even that transparent commercial spirit (shoukon) endearing might just be the nature of a fan.
■ Conclusion: Is There "Forgiveness" for Him?
Hathaway is a terrorist destined to be condemned.
However, how will his encounter with the mysterious girl Gigi, and his interactions with his rival Kenneth, change his fate?
Will he obtain forgiveness, or will he be burned by the hellfire?
It was a masterpiece that made me strongly desire to witness the destination of a man who could not become a hero. My expectations for the next installment only continue to rise.
■ Postscript: Hope for the Lost Future "Gaia Gear"
Watching the movie, I felt anew that Hathaway is trying to inherit the "ideology" of the man named Char Aznable (albeit in a distorted form).
Actually, in the Universal Century timeline written by Director Yoshiyuki Tomino, there exists a novel series called Gaia Gear that depicts Afransi Char, a youth who inherits Char's "memory" (genes), 100 years further into the future.
It is currently out of print and difficult to obtain, a phantom work that has been half-erased from history. However, now that Hathaway has been accepted by the modern era to this extent, and the story of fighting Char's ghost has been re-evaluated, I can't help but think:
Perhaps, triggered by the hit of Hathaway's Flash, the story of the "Successor of Char" from the distant future will once again reveal itself to us.
As a single Gundam fan, I cannot help but harbor a secret hope for a reprint.