Mobile Suit Gundam: The Witch From Mercury - Episode Twenty-Three: Unrelenting Tenderness
Written by: Ichirō Ōkouchi and Shōgo Yasukawa
Directed by: Akira Toba, Kohei Kuratomi, Kōsuke Shimotori and Shuu Watanabe
Storyboarded by: Iwao Teraoka, Yoshiyuki Kaneko, Hiromitsu Kanazawa, Shunichi Yoshizawa, Taisuke Mori, Kia Asamiya and Yoshitomo Yonetani
Mobile Suit Gundam: The Witch From Mercury - Episode Twenty-Three: Unrelenting Tenderness (譲れない優しさ; Yuzurenai Yasashisa)
Suletta and Ericht begin their battle, Calibarn evading Aerial's GUND-Bits as Suletta pleads with her sister to stop, Ericht refusing while also asking her to give up. Outside the data storm, Lauda continues to attempt to attack Miorine's shuttle with the Schwarzette, while Guel runs interference against him. Felsi leaves the bridge of Earth House's ship after a narrow miss from Lauda's assault, while Chuchu launches the Demi Barding carrying the non-Permet shuttle. Struggling at first once her Permet Link is disabled, Chuchu adapts and proceeds to carry the others closer to Quiet Zero.
Raising the Schwarzette's Permet Score, Lauda reveals its sword to be comprised of its own GUND-Bits, continuing to attack Guel, accusing him of finding him undependable, thus why he hid the truth about their father from him. Guel insists he believed it his sin and burden alone to bear, while Lauda dismisses his thinking as arrogant, believing it to be how Miorine took advantage of him. On the other side of Quiet Zero, Guston's shuttle makes contact with the Space Assembly League fleet, carrying Delling who resumes his role as Benerit Group president, requesting a special session be held to reconsider the previous decision to intervene in the Group's affairs.
Continuing their battle, Suletta struggles against the assault of Aerial's GUND-Bits while still pleading with her sister, who refuses to stop assisting in their mother's plot. Unable to reach an understanding, and not wanting to harm her sister, Ericht instead has her Gundnodes surround the Demi Barding, preparing to kill Miorine and everyone else on-board to stop their plan and make a point to Suletta. Before she can, a presence within Quiet Zero's data storm interferes with her, shutting down the Gundnodes and allowing the Demi Barding to proceed safely. Ericht questions the source of the interference, while Prospera leaves Quiet Zero's command room to intercept the intruders.
The Space Assembly League ignore Delling's request to reconsider their course, instead plotting to make use of an interplanetary-scale super weapon constructed at Lagrange 1 under the guise of an energy transfer system. Despite the fleet captain's objections that using the weapon would devastate the entire region of Lagrange 4, the Assembly League chairman reveals their intent to allow Peil to lead reconstruction efforts, which would solidify their status as the new leaders of the Benerit Group in the aftermath.
Lauda, suffering under the effects of the Schwarzette's data storm, uses his bits to dismantle Guel's Dilanza, proclaiming he will take revenge upon Miorine in Guel's place, calling her a witch who has enthralled his brother. When Lauda charges with his sword, Guel pulls a feint with his own, taking the blow close to his cockpit; Lauda flashes back to the day their father introduced them, where Guel hugged him and told him how happy he was to have a little brother. Coming to his senses, Lauda pleads with Guel to escape from his wrecked Dilanza; refusing to run from his sins, Guel only disables one of the Schwarzette's Shell Units before pushing it away. Before the Dilanza can explode however, Felsi appears in her own, using a special gel to stabilize Guel's wrecked mobile suit, saving his life while calling the brothers out on the stupidity of their conflict.
Boarding Quiet Zero, the infiltration group make their way down to its system core before their path is blocked by Haro-controlled security drones. Kenanji uses a flashbang to temporarily disable the drones, allowing Belmeria, Miorine and Elan #5 to proceed deeper inside. As they attempt to shut Quiet Zero down, Prospera arrives with more drones, revealing she changed the password Belmeria had previously expected to be in-use. While Suletta and Ericht continue battling outside, Miorine argues with Prospera about her treatment of her daughters as she attempts to hack into Quiet Zero's systems. As Belmeria and Elan #5 hold Prospera off, Miorine discovers an administrative subroutine bearing her mother's name, using the information Suletta had shared with her before the operation to successfully disrupt the data storm. With the data storm weakened, Rouji is able to create a Permet Link, allowing engineers at Benerit HQ to shut Quiet Zero down completely.
With Quiet Zero disabled, the Space Assembly League make their move, firing their super weapon at the station. Sensing the danger, Ericht swiftly deploys as many remaining Gundnodes as she can to block the shot, succeeding in dissipating the blast. In the aftermath, Suletta discovers the Aerial seemingly destroyed, Prospera crying her daughter's name in despair.
Yana Toboso's (end card illustrator)’s official Twitter
Unrelenting Tenderness provides examples of:
- Beam Spam: Once the Gundam Schwarzette releases its GUND Bits it covers the battlefield in a swathe of small beams that can converge into a single big one.
- Bifurcated Weapon: The huge slab-like blade that the Gundam Schwarzette is equipped with is able to split apart into six GUND Bits that can serve a variety of uses as well as revealing a smaller sword kept hidden by the bigger version.
- Big Damn Heroes: Just when it seems like Guel might die as a result of his fight with Lauda, Felsi swoops in, stabilizing his damaged Dilanza and saving his life.
- Big "YES!": Ojelo lets off one once Quiet Zero is confirmed to have been shut down. It is set in contrast to everyone else on the bridge of the Earth House ship, who breathe more subdued sighs of relief.
- Boom, Headshot!: Elan #5 saves Belmeria and Miorine by landing a headshot against Prospera in zero-g. Subverted in that her helmet blocks the shot, but she is harmed by the impact the bullet had on her head.
- Call-Back:
- Miorine looking down at the keychain Suletta gave her is a callback to a similar scene at the end of Episode 13. However, the interpretations of Miorine's feelings can differ greatly. While in Episode 13, Miorine could be interpreted as being apprehensive and unsure about where her relationship with Suletta should go from here. In this scene, they had fully reconciled, and it can be interpreted that Miorine is anxious and worried about what will happen to Suletta.
- The final clash in the battle with Guel and Lauda is very clearly framed as one for Guel's fight with his father in Episode 12, this time with Guel taking the place of his father after Lauda stabs his Mobile Suit's cockpit complete with his seeming final words. Thankfully Guel is saved by Felsi before he could reenact his father's death.
- After Quiet Zero is shut down, Miorine tells Prospera that she should follow her own advice, and move forward, sincerely noting that the two of them, along with Suletta and Ericht, will be a family once she and Suletta marry, recalling a more mocking sentiment from Prospera back in Episode 7. She also extends her hand out to Prospera, referencing similar scenes in Episodes 12 and 22.
- Cliffhanger: The episode ends with Ericht sacrificing herself to shield Quiet Zero and everyone near it from the Space Assembly League's super weapon, leaving the Aerial Rebuild heavily damaged, and Eri's fate unknown.
- Death Glare: Prospera's response to Miorine pointing out they're going to be family. She's very much not amused, even less-so given Miorine's throwing her own words back at her.
- Even Evil Has Loved Ones:
- When called out on her less than stellar parenting Prospera tells Miorine that she does love Suletta but she has friends who can look out for her now and she has to focus on Eri. Miorine calls her out on her Parental Favoritism and tells her she should love both her daughters equally.
- While Eri is more of an Anti-Villain she still counts as one as she clearly tells Suletta that she doesn't want to hurt her and to just leave, only fighting her when Suletta refuses to abandon her. And when the Space Assembly League fires their Wave-Motion Gun she uses herself and the Gundnodes to protect her mother and sister, giving Suletta one last tender smile before seemingly dying.
- Even Evil Has Standards:
- The Assembly League fleet captain is horrified by their plan to use a Wave-Motion Gun on Quiet Zero, since it would also wreck havoc across Lagrange 4 and everyone living there. The League chairman brushes her concerns off by saying Peil Technologies will cover the rebuilding expenses.
- The real Elan Ceres does not appear to be entirely onboard with the plans Peil and the Space Assembly League have concocted if his silence and facial expressions are any indication.
- Evolving Credits: The opening switches out the scene of Aerial fighting Lfrith Ur & Thorn for one of Calibarn and the Demi Barding fighting Aerial and her Gundnodes, the shots of the Pharact, Darilbalde and Michaelis with the Schwarzette, and transitions to Suletta piloting Calibarn (now with visible Permet markings on her face) rather than Aerial.
- Expository Hairstyle Change: Downplayed. While no attention is brought to it, the way Miorine’s hair is tied back in this episode is different than it was when she was being manipulated and broken by Lady Prospera. Her hair is tied back similar to Suletta which can be used to symbolically show how their bond has been restored, and even when they are fighting on different fronts, they are fighting together.
- Go Out with a Smile: As she puts herself in the path of the blast from the Space Assembly League superweapon, Ericht looks back and smiles serenely at Suletta before being overtaken by it.
- Heroic Sacrifice:
- Ericht puts herself and as many Gundnodes as she can between Quiet Zero and the Space Assembly League laser cannon, successfully blocking the shot, but at the apparent cost of her life.
- Guel attempts to sacrifice himself to bring Lauda back to his senses and save Miorine, but he only gets as far as exchanging tragic last words before Felsi flies in and stops his suit from exploding.Felsi: Just how stupid are you two!? Dying in a sibling spat!? If that's a joke, it's not funny!
- History Repeats: Once again Guel is forced in a battle to the death in space with one of his loved ones when Lauda attacks him in order to kill Miorine, however this time with Guel inheriting his father's position of being overwhelmed and put into life-threating danger when Lauda impales the Dilanza's cockpit. Thankfully a combination of Lauda not directly hitting Guel and Felsi arriving with suppression rounds to stop the potential explosion means Lauda doesn't have to live with the guilt of killing his brother.
- Katanas Are Just Better: Like the Darilbalde's upgrade, the Schwarzette is equipped with a giant katana-shaped beam sword inside the larger sword comprised of its GUND-Bits.
- Kick the Dog: After Earth House complete the mission the Space Assembly League gave them, the League show their true colors. They decide to blow up Quiet Zero with a giant laser cannon, even though it had already been disarmed, the teenagers who risked their lives were still inside, and every front in the region would suffer from the debris.
- Laser-Guided Karma: After everything Propsera had gotten away with over the course of the series, Miorine, one of the prime targets of her revenge managed to overcome her, give her a "The Reason You Suck" Speech, and throw her words back in the face while also nearly getting her head blown off by Elan.
- My God, What Have I Done?: After Guel deactivates his Dilanza's beam sword Lauda realises what he is about to do a second before his Schwarzette impales the cockpit of Guel's Mobile Suit. Afterwards all he can do is apologize for what he has done to his brother. Thankfully Felsi's arrival ensures that Lauda doesn't have to life with the guilt of killing Guel.
- Mythology Gag:
- The Space Assembly League have a gigantic super weapon reminiscent of a combination of the Colony Laser and the Solar System II.
- Aerial Rebuild and the Gundnodes tanking a shot from said huge laser cannon is reminiscent of the Banshee Norn and Unicorn Gundams blocking a colony laser.
- Also, the Calibarn received a minor damage on its right shoulder armor, just like the Unicorn in its final battle against the Kshatriya.
- Ericht serenely smiles while looking back at Suletta and blocking a laser cannon. Mu La Flaga did likewise in his apparent sacrifice to save the Archangel.
- Just like Rau Le Creuset, Lady Prospera has her mask shot off.
- The episode ends with Aerial being heavily damaged with all of her limbs blasted off, just like the Hyaku Shiki at the end of Mobile Suit Zeta Gundam.
- In continuation with the age-old Gundam tradition, the main Gundam is heavily damaged.
- Another age-old Gundam tradition continues as the Aerial delivers a flying kick to the Calibarn.
- Override Command: Quiet Zero was designed with a manual shutdown code, but Prospera of course had the foresight to change it. She didn't know that Notrette somehow inserted a backdoor into the system with its own passcode, designed specifically for Miorine's use, which spells the end for Quiet Zero.
- Parental Favoritism: Miorine calls out Prospera for her blatant favoritism for Eri over Suletta.
- "The Reason You Suck" Speech: Miorine gives Prospera a scathing one regarding her treatment of Suletta.
- Say My Name: Prospera cries Eri's name out in desperation both when she moves to intercept the blast threatening to kill them all, and in the aftermath where she's seemingly perished to it.
- Spanner in the Works: It's implied that Notrette is a part of Quiet Zero and disabled the Gundnodes attacking the Demi Barding so that Miorine's group can complete their mission. Less ambiguously, it's the posthumous message she left for Miorine that allowed her to hack into Quiet Zero and stop it for good.
- Sword over Head: The instant before Guel and Lauda's attack each other with their suit's blades, Guel leaves his at the side and turns the beam edge off. This makes Lauda immediately regret impaling Guel's Dilanza, though thankfully he missed the cockpit and Felsi is able to keep the suit from detonating.
- Uncertain Doom: Eri is seemingly killed after blocking the SAL’s laser cannon. However, a shot shows the Aerial’s GUND control head unit and cockpit torso still intact albeit damaged from the blast, leaving her fate still up in the air.
- Upgrade vs. Prototype Fight: Eri in the Aerial, an upgraded version of an upgraded version of the most advanced Gundam ever built by the Vanadis Institute, versus Suletta in the Calibarn, a decades-old prototype capable of higher than normal output and performance (at the time) mothballed by the Vanadis Institute for a crippling design flaw. They come out near-evenly matched, with Aerial's myriad weapons countered by Calibarn's incredible agility. Notably however, this is less because the Calibarn is a Super Prototype, and moreso because Suletta is just that good of a pilot to be able to do so much and take advantage of just how maneuverable her machine is despite the amount of strain Calibarn puts on its pilot.
