The year is U.C. 0105. Twelve years have passed since the end of the second Neo Zeon War (Char’s
Rebellion). Even after “the Axis Shock,” which seemed to indicate the future of humanity and the
Universal Century, the world is still in a chaotic situation where intermittent military conflicts
continue to break out. The Earth Federation government is more corrupt than ever, and its leadership
has not only accelerated Earth's pollution, but also implemented an inhuman "Man Hunting" policy in
which civilians are forcibly exiled to outer space.
The anti-Federation government organization “Mafty,” led by someone called “Mafty Navue Erin," has
taken a stand against the corruption of the Earth Sphere. Mafty carries out fierce acts of terrorism,
assassinating high officials of the Federation government one after another, but it gains a certain
level of support from the populace who are growing more opposed to the Federation government.
The person who calls himself “Mafty” and leads this organization is Hathaway Noa, the son of Bright
Noa, an officer of the Earth Federation Forces who once participated in the One Year War. Hathaway
himself joined the forces trying to stop Char’s Rebellion. With firsthand knowledge of the ideals and
ideologies of Amuro Ray and Char Aznable, he has become a warrior following in their footsteps, and
plans to clear a path forward through armed resistance. His destiny, however, is drastically altered
as he encounters the Federation Forces officer Kenneth Sleg and a mysterious young beauty named Gigi
Andalucia.
(Source: Gundam.info)
Incredible movie! The Gundam series and movies have been hit or miss for me, with new type powers occasionally going overboard as in Gundam Unicorn or NT. However, my favorite Gundam series are Gundam the Origin, Gundam War in the Pocket, and Gundam Zeta. This movie is the first part of a trilogy adapting the three Hathaway's Flash novels written by the original creator of Gundam, [Yoshiyuki Tomino](https://anilist.co/staff/97337/Yoshiyuki-Tomino), in 1989. After over 30 years, we finally have the adaptation that nobody thought we would ever get. The movie boasts excellent storytelling, with Hathaway Noa as the protagonist, he's one of the more interesting main characters in the entire franchise, besides Char Aznable. Hathaway is calm and less vocal than most Gundam protagonists, which I appreciated. He is portrayed as a flawed character who thoughtfully considers his actions. The story centers around the terrorist group "Mafty," who advocates for the forced relocation of humanity into space to save the environment. Our protagonist, Hathaway, leads this group. All of the characters' decisions were understandable, and I could relate to their motivations. The mecha designs are unique and impressive, as expected from a Gundam movie. The animation was stunning for most of the movie and possibly the best-looking entry in the Gundam franchise yet. Vehicles like cars, planes, and mobile suits were mostly in CG, which looked great most of the time. I highly encourage you to not watch the netflix release, since it looks unbelievably worse than the blu ray release. The netflix compression makes this movie a worse experience. Coming back to the movie, the pacing was fantastic, with ample time dedicated to establishing the characters and setting, unlike most Gundam movies. Everything felt natural. I also want to mention the excellent sound design and music. There is a Disco scene that transitions straight into a war scene, and it was one of my favorite scenes in the movie, mostly because of the sound design. The voice actors also did an excellent job, fitting their characters perfectly. We didn't get many action scenes since this movie primarily focused on building up the characters, but the few we got were excellent, thanks to the great sound and animation. Overall, this movie is incredible, and I can't wait to watch the second one. It felt like this movie was mainly a setup for what's to come in the next two. If the next two movies are as impressive as this one, Hathaway's Flash could become one of my favorite anime in the Gundam franchise. I highly recommend it to anyone who is a fan of Gundam.
For many long-time fans of the _Mobile Suit Gundam_ series, the Universal Century timeline is a mixed bag. While it boasts some of the finest storytelling in science fiction, it also oftentimes overreaches and exemplifies some of the genre’s worst. We see it when it shines in the case of brilliant entries like _Char’s Counterattack_ and _Mobile Suit Gundam Unicorn_, whose nuanced storytelling captured the hearts and imaginations of hundreds of thousands of fans around the world, but also when it falters such as with the relatively recent _Mobile Suit Gundam Narrative_ (which is potentially one of the most poorly-written anime I have seen in general). So when a trilogy of movies based on the series creator Yoshiyuki Tomino’s novel series _Hathaway’s Flash_ was announced, I was understandably cautious as while I had great respect for his work, Tomino oftentimes had less-than-stellar entries in the franchise as well. As someone familiar with its source material, I was admittedly surprised by the news that an adaptation was in progress - the story, while great, was something that I doubted three movies would be able to effectively convey to filmgoers. This was combined by the fact that I was still incredibly disappointed by Narrative which had just come out around the time of the announcement. Once the end credits rolled, it became clear to me as a viewer that _Mobile Suit Gundam Hathaway_ was truly something special. Unlike many of its predecessors, Hathaway takes a more intimate approach to its storytelling and relies heavily on strong characterization. Its titular protagonist, Hathaway Noa, is a familiar face to viewers of the film’s direct prequel _Char’s Counterattack_. Scarred by his experiences fighting in a war at a young age, Hathaway is a captivating character that gives audiences a deep look into the psyche of a person who was forced to grow up too quickly but also desperate to hold onto arguably idealistic principles. He is arguably a person that has developed a rather narrow worldview - a point that the movie brings up through numerous well-written dialogue. For instance, in one minor scene, Hathaway's justification for having everyone leave Earth for space is beneficial for the planet’s environmental recovery is rebutted by the argument that asking people to give up everything to avoid consequences that might occur far beyond their own lifespans is unrealistic. _Hathaway_ does not attempt to glorify its titular protagonist as being an altruist shunned by society, but rather implies to audiences that he is an idealist potentially out-of-touch with reality (as someone who has had a relatively privileged life). In addition to strong character studies present in the film, _Hathaway_ also explores themes surrounding social inequality, environmental activism, and the loss of innocence. For instance, extremist group Mafty’s goals of assassinating Earth Federation government figureheads to force a mass migration to space for the sake of protecting what is left of the environment comes at odds with people who are simply trying to do what’s best for themselves in the short term - we see similar issues when it comes to our own society’s struggles with tackling climate change. Tomino’s story may have been written decades ago, but the issues it depicts in its writing is especially haunting because while we may not necessarily have the technological prowess or struggles of our Universal Century counterparts, we are beginning to see signs of dissent and extremism. Youth are becoming more active, and like Hathaway, are seeing their own innocence disappear as they become cynical and push for drastic societal changes. _Gundam_ has always been a series of remarkable individuals fighting for their own idea of a better world, but Hathaway takes it one step farther by making that struggle hit closer to home than ever before. In terms of atmosphere, _Hathaway_ excels. For instance, in one scene, instead of witnessing mobile suits battle it out like the movie’s predecessors, Hathaway instead focuses on the people caught in the crossfire attempting to escape from a battle between massive mecha that seem to have little regard for potential collateral damage. Bystanders are accidentally eviscerated, characters are visibly traumatized, and homes are obliterated. The mobile suits we have grown accustomed to seeing on model kit packaging are real war machines in the timeline of the Universal Century - from the perspective of bystanders, these sleek machines are indistinguishable from hellish harbingers of indiscriminate destruction. These loud and horrifying sequences are also often complimented by quieter scenes where wanton destruction is substituted for quiet introspection. The main protagonist is a troubled person with many demons of his own, and it is often when the film takes the time to slow down and take advantage of focusing on the mundane (such as the gentle ripples in a cup of coffee) that audiences are able to gather their own thoughts like Hathaway does throughout the film. On a technical standpoint, _Hathaway_ is one of the best anime to date with fantastic character designs, smooth animation, and brilliant sound mixing. Facial expressions are a key highlight - the movie’s realistic character designs allow for subtle emotions to be shown on each character’s face with a high degree of finesse. I found myself rewatching scenes and paying attention to the eyes of certain characters as the movie’s animators have done an amazing job of capturing emotion subtly. Mecha design, like most Gundam series, is a high-point, and I would daresay that Hathaway has some of the most interesting and gorgeous ones in the franchise. Furthermore, some of the transitions between scenes are incredibly striking; a certain scene regarding a certain character from Char’s Counterattack comes to mind. Music is also absolutely amazing, and this is no doubt due to the score from famed composer Hiroyuki Sawano. Whether it be during moments of intrigue or a heart-pounding action sequence, his score absolutely delivers on all fronts and delivers the grandness that he has been known for in his works. Those familiar with his works will find themselves right at home in this movie. Now despite the amount of praise I have for this film, _Hathaway_ is not a perfect film. There are several issues that take away from the experience. For instance, there are sometimes moments where characters appear disconnected from the background and move in a rather “floaty” manner. While the movie looks gorgeous, small moments like these can sometimes make for occasional lapses in viewer immersion. Additionally, while I am aware that certain details are deliberately ambiguous, I found that the ambiguity was sometimes a bit much especially as someone who was already familiar with the story prior to the announcement of the adaptation. Of course, I won’t dock any marks for this point as this may be the result of Hathaway being changed to fit with the canon established by _Char’s Counterattack_; _Hathaway_’s source material is a sequel to an alternate version of Counterattack. To conclude, _Mobile Suit Gundam Hathaway_ is a brilliant beginning to the long-awaited anime adaptation of Tomino’s novel series. With nuanced storytelling on an intimate level unlike many of its predecessors, this movie is one of the greatest Universal Century entries to date.
*THIS IS A SPOILER FREE REVIEW* As this franchise settled itself as a legendary titan of otaku culture, us Gundam fans have had to come to terms with the fact that Universal Century Timeline anime can more often than not be lackluster in audiovisual presentation, which causes them fail to reach their full potential except for a few cases. Hathaway's Flash is one of the blessed children that achieved excellence. Yoshiyuki Tomino, the mastermind behind Gundam and many other great classics, is a true visionary that provides his works with a near unparalelled thematic depth and ambitiously groundbreaking concepts that challenge the industry, but the actual execution of such ideas properly has often been held back by the plot structure limitations set by Sunrise and Tomino's own flaws as a creator, such as his trademark stilted dialogue. Sometimes we get amazing looking and sounding Gundam UC shows like NT, that despite their production value, end up lacking substance and soul without Tomino's vision. In contrast, Hathaway's Flash is based on a Tomino novel, but it is also adapted by people who are more competent with regards to direction and structure. Many of Tomino's messages and ideas with regards to the flaws of society and politics can be evidenced in the bleak and almost dystopian world that Hathaway's Flash confronts us with, but everything is brought to life in such an expressive way that I couldn't believe it. The animation, direction, cinematography, pacing and music were absolutely exceptional, making this movie one of the most beautiful looking anime in recent years. Both Sawano and Murase did a fantastic job, and the attention to detail was so good to see. The dialogue is still very much "tominoesque" at moments but it's definitely not as noticeable and jarring as in other installments. All in all I just have no significant complaints, and my only frustration is that we have to wait for the next two movies since this one was baiscally all build up. This is certainly not as great as the legends like Zeta or CCA, but it's certainly up there with the greats and gives me hope that this franchise can go in a promising new direction. I can certainly imagine that fans who are not familiar with the intrincacies of Universal Century Gundam's sociopolitical conflicts might have a harder time understanding the main conflict of this movie, but that certainly does not mean that the movie lacks coherence or explanation. All the essential elements to understand this film are already there, it's just that this movie doesn't spoonfeed the viewer and expects us to figure out the nuances by ourselves without info dumps.
img520(https://www.whats-on-netflix.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/06/Netflix-Anime-Movie-Mobile-Suit-Gundam-Hathaway-What-We-Know-So-Far.png) There's only a handful of non-compilation *Gundam* movies. Of them, 1998's *Char's Counterattack* is the most notable. It serves as a turning point for the *Universal Century*, the original and most prevalent *Gundam* universe. *Char's Counterattack* is the finale for the original *Mobile Suit Gundam* trilogy of shows. In a way, it's also a sendoff to Tomino's run of directing UC Gundam works. *Gundam F91* and *Victory Gundam* were both plagued with production troubles and Tomino isn't proud of either of them. Love it or hate it, you have to admit there's a weight, a finality to *Char's Counterattack* that makes it more important, both in-and-out of the universe, than many other Gundam entries. youtube([https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=B9LQhyBYSeg) *Char's Counterattack* is probably the most well-received Gundam movie in addition to being the most notable, but that isn't saying much. In the Gundam circles I find myself in, *Char's Counterattack* isn't terribly well-liked. It might be important context to know that I personally enjoyed *Char's Counterattack* a great deal. It's not my favorite *Gundam* entry, but I had a lot of fun with it. It was a nice send-off to the characters of Amuro and Char. It's really cool seeing Amuro's evolution from a reluctant pilot into a fearless hero who saves humanity, not losing his ideals amidst the horrors of the various wars. While I have my gripes with his character, Char is a good foil to Amuro in this regard, being a hero who regressed back to being the villain he was originally introduced as. Despite Amuro and Char both perishing in battle, there's an optimism in the ending that really hadn't existed in any Tomino show prior. The suit designs are great and my RG Sazabi is one of my favorite gunpla. The [main theme](https://youtu.be/kKCCNMyKNJc?t=65) is fittingly mystical, yet bombastic. And, of course, the animation is top-notch for the time, creating one of my favorite fights in anime. That said, it's certainly not perfect — I can't go up to bat for something without knowing the curve of the ball. The core of *Char's Counterattack's* shortcoming is its ambition. At 2 hours, CCA isn't a short movie, but it's still much too short for what it sets out to achieve. We start in the middle of a conflict we haven't been introduced to. CCA takes place *5 years* after its direct predecessor ZZ, and nothing in that show adequately sets up the movie. In addition, Char does a 180 that leaves me feeling unsatisfied, since we aren't really shown how he gets to this point. Oh, sure, there are things proposed by fans, but the movie itself drops the ball. While I do enjoy *Char's Counterattack* overall and believe parts of it exemplify what I love about *Gundam*, I have to acknowledge that it also exemplifies everything wrong with a Gundam *movie*. While *[Gundam Narrative](https://anilist.co/review/5000)* isn't as exciting or ambitious, in its *lack* of ambition, it ends up being a more solid movie even if I enjoy it less than *Counterattack*. img520(https://bubbleblabber-wpengine.netdna-ssl.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/06/gundam.png) Why do I bring *Char's Counterattack*, you may or may not be wondering? Well, besides both of them being *Gundam* movies, it’s important to think about *Char's Counterattack* when watching this because *Hathaway* is a direct sequel to it. The events of *Gundam Unicorn* aren't referenced despite taking place in between *Char's Counterattack* and *Hathaway*. I'll defer judgment of this until the trilogy is concluded, but this is important to know because it'll temper and transform your expectations. This disconnect between *Hathaway* and the series that directly precedes it in the timeline is mainly due to production. From 1987 through 1988, Tomino wrote a light novel titled *Mobile Suit Gundam: High-Streamer*. Sunrise decided to adapt the novel into a movie. Upon the movie being greenlit, Tomino changed a few key points from the novel for his script. Sunrise would reject this script and Tomino would release it in 1988 as the novel *Mobile Suit Gundam: Char's Counterattack - Beltorchika's Children*. The source of this movie, *Hathaway's Flash*, was a series of three novels written by Tomino from 1989 to 1990 as a sequel to *Beltorchika's Children*. There are differences between *Beltorchika's Children* and the theatrical *Char's Counterattack* that slightly complicated *Hathaway's Flash* in terms of canon. Additionally, Sunrise seemed more interested in creating *F91* and *Victory* than trying to adapt Tomino's sequel to his dubiously canon, rejected script. I had already known the ending of *Hathaway's Flash*, as plot points were casually tossed around the fandom. The novel was over twenty years old and no one actually thought it would get an adaption. Mind you, I only got into Gundam during 2016, so this wasn't *that* long ago. With all this in mind, it was exciting and surreal to discover that this series that had largely amounted to a Gundam trivia point was now getting a film adaption, was finally being invited into canon. And it's interesting to see another animated UC Tomino work, after all these years, even if he's not in the director's chair. img520(https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/51255418422_a9b307b97c_z.jpg) *Hathaway's Flash* is being adapted into a trilogy. The first movie of this trilogy *Mobile Suit Gundam: Hathaway* is largely a setup movie — a first act more than anything. However, its status as a setup film makes it the best *Gundam* movie to date. *Hathaway* doesn't cram too much in its short runtime, instead, using it artfully to introduce viewers into the setting in order to use it in the future. *Hathaway* seems to learn from its predecessor's mistakes by effectively setting up events. In taking it slow, this trilogy has the potential to be one of the best stories *Gundam* has to offer. ___ The year is UC 105. Twelve years have passed since Char's Rebellion and seven years have passed since the Laplace's Box incident. Corruption and brutality courtesy of the Earth Federation has reached a fever pitch, leading to widespread unrest. This unrest has led to the formation of an anti-Federation terrorist cell, Mafty, led by a man going by the name Mafty Navue Erin. Mafty hijacks a plane filled with various Federation leaders with the intention of executing them. The hijacking is thwarted by Hathaway Noa, the son of the famous captain, Bright Noa. While the man calling himself Mafty had been killed in the confrontation, it’s suspected that this isn't the actual Mafty. Hathaway finds himself entangled with both Colonel Kenneth Sleg and a woman named Gigi, both of whom suspect the young man of being more than meets the eye… img520(https://i.ytimg.com/vi/xM2q0FQepXQ/maxresdefault.jpg) The first thing you'll notice about this movie is that it's abso-fucking-lutely gorgeous. The art direction of the film has a nice, subtle quality that I enjoy. It's like an evolution of Unicorn's style and makes the entire film feel more grounded. But where Gundam: *Hathaway* is truly sublime is in its animation. This is, full stop, the best animation I've seen in the franchise. Every scattered beam, every explosion, every fire is absolutely mesmerizing and beautiful. While watching with a friend, I'd audibly shout and gawk because it's *that* good. The "War is Hell" angle risks being undermined by just how crisp and beautiful it looks here. Ultimately, I think *Hathaway* pulls off the horror pretty well thanks to its fight design. One of the fights of *Hathaway* takes place in a city and it feels extremely weighty. You can feel the immense size of mobile suits as they fight. Practically every action is destructive, creating collateral damage. It makes for a very breathtaking, yet chilling sight. If nothing else, I'd suggest checking out *Hathaway* for the most stunning mobile suit combat to date. The music is also quite good — as a whole, the production values of *Hathaway* are absolutely top-notch. img520(https://www.ungeek.ph/wp-content/uploads/2021/01/mobile_suit_gundam_hathaway_new_trailer_english.jpg) The movie has a distinct *James Bond* feel going on, which I enjoyed because it's always fun to see *Gundam* trying a new style. The movie begins with Hathaway averting a plane hijacking and then segues into a Bond-esque vocal opening song. If that didn't seal the deal for you, right before the opening, in the English dub Hathaway introduces himself as "Noa, Hathaway Noa." There's a subtlety to the voice direction, an air of political intrigue to the story that lends to the idea that this is a pastiche of a political thriller. Centering this spy movie feel is Hathaway himself who has a suave demeanor. If the animation doesn't hook you, then maybe the unique direction will. The characters are a bit of an interesting case. In *Hathaway*, there are really only three characters of immense note — Kenneth, Gigi, and Hathaway himself. Therefore, your enjoyment of the characters of this movie boils down to your thoughts toward a select few. Kenneth is a character that I loved to hate — he's an intelligent schemer that engages in a great cat-and-mouse game with Hathaway, but his suaveness and intelligence are tempered by the fact that he's an absolute, womanizing scumbag. It's cool that his negative traits are organically shown more and more throughout the movie — from hitting on Gigi culminating to torturing a prisoner. He's really a great symbol of the Earth Federation's frightening power and corruption circa UC 105. Gigi is a very fun, mysterious, and alluring character. She has this quality that draws me in and I can't wait to see more of her. I've heard her dismissed as a "quintessential Tomino female character." If that's true, maybe I'm his intended audience because I absolutely adore Gigi. Then there's Hathaway whom I'm not really sure *what* I make of. I like the fact that he's different from your standard Gundam main character fare. He's calm and collected whilst not dipping into the catatonically stoic levels like [Mikazuki ](https://anilist.co/anime/21268/Mobile-Suit-GUNDAM-Iron-Blooded-Orphans/)or [Heero](https://anilist.co/anime/90/Mobile-Suit-Gundam-Wing/). There's a jadedness, a cynicism to Hathaway that sets him apart from his predecessors, yet a youthful naivete that causes him to use that jadedness to fuel ill-thought extremism, similar to Char Aznable during the events of *Char's Counterattack*. He's a man stuck with the mind of a boy in the past. While this is compelling, his motivations are less so. It seems like a lot of what fuels him are his feelings for Quess, who died twelve years prior when he was thirteen. He seems to have picked up the worst of Char's personality. Granted, I could just be misreading him — in general, I'd like to see more of what makes him tick, as that was lacking in this movie. That said, Hathaway has a great conversation with a cab driver in which he’s forced to reckon with the fact that his lofty ideas for the future might not help the common man in the present. This is only the first movie, and there are seeds of development, so I'll defer judgment of Hathaway. I remain optimistic that he'll grow into a character I'll love soon enough. img520(https://i2.wp.com/www.teragames.com.mx/wp-content/uploads/2020/03/HathawayFlash.jpg?resize=1000%2C540&ssl=1) Then there's the story. I think this is a good segue into the film's weak points because, as much as I enjoy it, I can see where people take issue with it. As I said before, *Hathaway* provides context for the world, the social and political climate that our protagonist finds himself trying to change. Given the increasing ridiculousness of new types in the UC, I enjoy how lowkey they are here. There's an air of mysteriousness to them — from Amuro's voice, to Gigi and Hathaway’s connection. It’ll be exciting when things ramp up in intensity later. And I think that's a good way to approach this movie — the setup to future payoff. I can understand why some wouldn't enjoy this, however. This movie doesn't *really* stand up on its own and you really have to go in with the knowledge that this is just the small part of a bigger whole to properly appreciate it. The movie isn't *designed* to stand on its own, and as I said before, without that burden, it’s able to "breathe" a lot more than its predecessor. That said, the movie certainly does have a bit of a structural problem. I think there's something to be said about the fact that many had no idea this was the first of a trilogy. This really feels like something that should be more apparent. The movie also ends pretty abruptly. I get that this is just the first section of a larger story, but the individual sections should either be self-contained or directly lead to the next, and this doesn't really do either. There are some decent hooks, but they're kind of just thrown in the middle of the movie. *Gundam Hathaway* doesn't need a cliffhanger ending, but I think it would've served it well to have something that really intrigues the viewer at the end before the credits roll, making it seem like they *need* to watch the next filmt. As is, you can really take-or-leave *Hathaway*, which is a damn shame because I just know the next movie will make this one better in hindsight. img520(https://64.media.tumblr.com/43ac7a2d9013f0ff983a640219caef4b/d8649869cf8b859b-e6/s2048x3072/a9519bc891213089e24c1808778a62c536562564.png) The Gundam design is really the only thing I out-and-out dislike about this movie. I absolutely love the Earth Federation's mobile suits, but the Gundams, the Xi and Penelope, look like over-designed, extremely angular ugly messes. I do not like them *at all* and I joked to my friend that they only look as intimidating as they do in the film because they're cloaked in shadow. The Gundams sport basically the same designs they had when they appeared in the *Hathaway's Flash* novels (the Xi is now more white, eschewing the blue sections of the original designs. This actually makes it *worse* as the angles blend into each other *more*). I really wish they updated the designs to make them look less busy, because any time I get a good look at them, I can't help but think how stupid they look. The things are so constricted by their ridiculous bulks that they can barely move! The newly-revealed [Gundam Eclipse](https://www.usagundamstore.com/products/mg-new-item-a) does what these two Gundams were going for so, *so* much better. At the end of the day, there really isn't *much* to *Gundam Hathaway*, but its bareness is what makes it excel where other Gundam movies failed, as its a story that's been crafted to work with its format instead of shoving a square peg into a circular hole. Making things better, what we *do* have is both absolutely beautiful and intriguing. *Hathaway* isn't perfect, but for the beginning of a new story, it's pretty darn great. This trilogy has the potential to be among the best that the *Gundam* franchise has to offer. Oh sure, it *could* end up bad, but I'm not judging this movie based on an as-of-yet unreleased second and third film. I'm judging the film in and of itself, and right now, the future looks bright. ~~~img200(https://i.imgur.com/spMtc5h.png)~~~ img520(https://i.imgur.com/ruhQ4HN.jpg)
_"I boarded the Haunzen with my privileges as Hathaway Noa because I couldn't resist the temptation of seeing the cabinet ministers one last time..._ _...before I killed them."_ There's a joke I've seen a couple of times now that goes something along the lines of "Gundam fans be like 'no char's counterattack is actually amazing you just have to watch it seven times" and, well...it's kind of on the money, right? CCA is now one of my favorite movies, but I left my first viewing of it bemused, confused, and largely unamused. It's an undoubtedly difficult film, both in terms of just trying to parse what is happening, and accepting and understanding the worldview it is presenting. So much of big tentpole media is so determined to defend the inherent contradictions of the status quo we all live under (how many times have you seen a superhero or action movie where a villain makes Correct and True observations of the nature of the world but Goes Too Far and Must Be Stopped) that when a film like CCA comes along, that makes no attempt to defend any of the fascistic inclinations of capitalist society while at the same time being unwilling to sugarcoat the nature of the response being a wildly destructive act of violent liberation, we often don't have the ethical or ideological framework needed to deal with it. I certainly didn't on my first watch. It took further viewings of prior UC material (particularly Double Zeta) as well as just Becoming More Leftist to not only understand CCA but to appreciate what it was saying about Our World. This is one of the truly remarkable things about the Universal Century under the pen of Yoshiyuki Tomino, its unwillingness to accept the traditional moral structures present in other stories in this mold. Defeating Zeon in 0079 only allowed the Earth Federation to tighten its grip on the neck of spacenoids. Exposing the Titans in Zeta only allowed the Federation to cut formal ties with them and absolve themselves of culpability despite them being an arm of their state structure. In any other story, stopping the asteroid from destroying human civilization on earth would be the happy ending, but Char's Counterattack doesn't let us breathe a sigh of relief for even a moment before it reminds us of what exactly the world we have saved looks like. This bold storytelling is why I love the Universal Century, but it's also why it can be difficult, and why people often come away with wildly different and contradictory reads on what the movies are saying. You need to decouple yourself from a certain degree of storytelling "programming" to fully appreciate what's happening here. Which is made difficult not just by the way stories are written generally to uncritically use the traditional assumptions we make about the world and our place in it, but also because later Gundam works really do not help. Shows like Unicorn, Wing, 08th MS Team (three of the most popular entries in the franchise in the west, to the point that future Gundam movie director, total creep, and professional sword of damocles Jordan Vogt-Roberts cited 08th MS Team explicitly as The Gundam To Watch) are all things I enjoy on their own merits to varying degrees, but they all play into far more traditional assumptions about the world and offer far more comfortable stories for an audience conditioned to accept the capitalist/imperialist status quo as Basically Fine, and these assumptions end up warping perspectives on the Gundam shows that are struggling against those assumptions. The read on CCA that Char has just turned into a straightforward villain completely out of nowhere seems pretty convincingly influenced by Wing, the original Gundam show for the west, basically doing a riff on the same plot but with all the nuance stripped out. Which brings me, finally, to Hathaway. Because if there's one thing that I think makes Hathaway a worthwhile endeavor, regardless of the direction the future installments of this trilogy go (my main complaint about the movie is that it doesn't end so much as it just...stops), is that I think it, in a more succinct, clear, and (maybe necessarily) heavy-handed fashion than any prior Gundam UC show, delivers to the viewer the essential framework they need to understand the Universal Century: the Federation is fucking evil, and the world it has built must be brought down. This movie is almost unspeakably gorgeous, but its opulence is purposeful and cutting. I keep thinking about the scene where Hathaway stands in his penthouse suite in a gorgeous hotel overlooking the rapidly gentrifying city around him rising out of the ashes of the destruction of the One Year War, and says "This is bad." I think about the incredible mobile suit battle in the city at night, the sheer carnage wrought by the mere presence of these machines of death, and the shot of a federation mobile suit standing triumphant on top of a building before it crushes the building below, killing everyone still inside. I think about the sparks flying, burning the flesh of the fleeing people around them. I think about Captain Kenneth, the greasiest, slimiest fucker in the entire Earth Federation, a gross abusive cop who deploys his power in ways both subtle and overt to creep on Gigi. I think about the fact that this movie overtly and unapologetically explores terrorism as, if not necessarily a heroic act, then certainly a necessary one, as well as stressing the violence done to communities by law enforcement through the Manhunters and the shot of the Federation mobile suits firing directly into the city, while at the same time refusing to indulge in a power fantasy of direct action, as Hathaway wrestles earnestly with what the people want from Mafty Navue Erin, as he navigates a space explicitly accessible to him because of the privilege of his birth. There's so much about this movie that is genuinely remarkable, and some stuff that isn't (Women characters continue to be a struggle point for Gundam, and while I find Gigi Andalucia a compelling character with a great deal of nuance to be explored in her, she is also consciously slotting into a mode of Gundam Women that I'm pretty tired of. More Marbet Fingerhats, less Lalah Sunes, please) and others have explored those thoughts well in other reviews. But I'm just glad to see a Gundam thing, for the first time in a long while, that feels like it understands what Gundam is good at when it is at its best. I'm glad to have an entry in the Universal Century that feels like it's part of it. I'm glad for the existence of something that, I think, will provide for people the beginnings of a necessary framework to understand not only what the Universal Century is all about, but maybe the world around us. I'm glad we're finally escaping Earth's Gravity. (This review was originally posted to Letterboxd)
I feel very confused by this production and I can't say if I like it or not, just that I'm extremely dissapointed. It's not a bad movie and I'm sure that some Gundam loyal fans can like it, but it's not what lots of us where expecting after the incredible direction the franchise was following after _The Origin_ movie series. - __Story __(6/10): Just a boring mecha plot that approaches to easily draw attention to a global audience. Everything was going too fast but at the same time nothing was happening. The presentation of the film with the robbery on the plane seemed incredible to me, but during the rest of the sequences nothing happened and it seemed that the story never stabilized, continuously changing its tone and objectives. I can't understand why they have had to force so much a love triangle and irrelevant characters that have no relation to the protagonist, it all feels very artificial. There were many more scenes showing decorations from the hotel than from the Gundam itself. It is very obvius that the producers wanted to take advantage of the big names that worked on the project rather than developping the film with a fixed objective. - __Characters __(6/10): Hathaway Noa was a character that we were looking forward to be given a good development from the franchise since a long ago. This new version is faithful from the one we saw in the 80s but it does not generate enough interest to carry a whole saga, it's just the typical mecha protagonist that wants to follow his ideals to death. The rest of the main cast (specially Gigi and Kenneth) are way too quirky and cliché and they are not nothing different from the typical cast of the mecha animes that are being released the last years. - __Animation__ (9/10): The animation was by far the strongest point of the production. The background designs were extremely detailed and it's been so long since I've seen such detailed storyboards with that quantity of movement. I'm not usually very optimistic about how anime production is evolving, but it is necessary to appreciate the great care and the very high standards of the visuals of any Gundam premiere. - __BSO __(7/10): I never thought I would feel so indifferent to a soundtrack composed by Hiroyuki Sawano. We are too used to this type of tracks in the franchise and in this film there's not any particularly remarkable. I am convinced that in the sequel his pieces will look much more. In conclusion, it is a movie made only to be a visual spectacle and an easy entry for modern anime fans to the world of Gundam. It is a good option if you want to try the franchise without much commitment since it does not require much prior information. As a fan of Gundam and mainly of the Union Century Timeline in their first works, this new version generates zero interest in me.
Tomino was done with the original Gundam. After turn A Gundam, he turned away. His new goal now is to do something different. That would be his current five part movie series that I plan to get too today. With those, he hopes to be able to deliver a new message to the new and younger generations. Of course, because of a lot of missing information on websites that claim to archive and document anime, such as this one and My Anime List, hardly anyone knows that he is still directing possibly the last of his work today, seeing as though he isn't getting any younger. As a result, this adaptation had nothing to do with him besides that he wrote the original novels. Because these have been around for a while and before it, it is as if Gundam Unicorn never happened, despite these are in the same timeline. Consequently, this could be seen as an alternative sequel to Char's Counterattack. How will they connect this to Unicorn? I have no idea if they will even try. Hathaway's Flash is only a movie, the first of three, and yet does good to set up the next phase of the war. The Federation never recovered from corruption. In fact, it seems to be even more decadent and corrupt. As a result, so called terrorist organizations have risen up once again to assassinate them in order to send a message and to force them to treat all of humanity with respect. At the center of the main organization is Mafty. He is looked upon as yet another coming of Char. The main protagonist is Hathaway Noa. He is the son of Bright who may have annoyed many far back in Char's Counterattack. I did not like his character there as he felt like another annoying Katz type. With this movie, his character gets somewhat redeemed. He has a plan, and yet it is so sloppy and confusing in his ways that I would have to wait until the next two movies to say anything else. This movie is a huge improvement, production wise, compared to the disaster before that was Gundam Narrative. It still has issues, as a lot of questionable CGI is used here, and lots of dark scenes that may have been used shamelessly to cover up the fact there were a lot of limitations here. There are some comical scenes where characters are far away and drawn terribly, and quick and stale CGI crowds that I couldn't help but notice. Story wise, it was a huge improvement for Tomino to set up and actually write a good new continuation where Newtype magic is almost nonexistent. Instead, there is actual focus on character building and showing a more dramatic continuation of the story. The battles here don't bring to the table near what Gundam Unicorn did. By the end, it didn't feel as it moved much at all for the plot. In it's defense, the next two movies should get the more major events going as this is the set up. Sawano is here again to compose more great music, and for the most part the characters are much more likeable this time. Gigi is obviously a Newtype and implied to be right from the start with her strange but telling behavior. Though there are some chaotic scenes, the portrayal of death is poor compared to the early Gundam shows. Though it isn't what I'd like to highlight in an entry, there is some beautiful background art. There is one specific sunset shown over the city I think anyone who sees this can remember right away. Besides Hathaway, there are no other characters here for those who have watched earlier Gundam to enjoy. Of course, the politics and context from those earlier works must be watched in order to better understand what is happening here. Overall, newer Gundam shows have been a mixed bag. Perhaps it was better to just end it all in Char's Counterattack.
Mecha anime in 2022 is, for lack of a better term, dying. Shows and films are being twisted into drawn-out toy commercials that try to flash as many products on screen as possible. It’s at the point now where model/toy sales trump that of good storytelling. Gundam has unfortunately fallen victim to this fate as well. The success of the Build Fighter line of series and the announcement of a Gundam “metaverse” is proof of that. It appears that selling model kits is Bandai’s top priority at the moment. Despite all that, however, Mobile Suit Gundam Hathaway is something quite special and the exception to this new mecha rule. ~~~img220(http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-UJZyUs0ELg8/UzszPfcB4LI/AAAAAAAAKqo/6Ux4A_ia_FU/s1600/Gundam+Build+Fighters.png)~~~ Like most of the recent Universal Century additions to the franchise, you’ll need to be caught up with 40+ years of Gundam content to fully appreciate what’s being presented here. The most important of which is Mobile Suit Gundam: Char’s Counterattack, which this film directly references on multiple occasions. The film details Char Aznable's final strike against the Earth Federation. It's also the conclusion to the rivalry between Char and Amuro Ray. Hathaway's protagonist, Hathaway Noa, is someone who is introduced in this predecessor film so watching that before this film is what I would consider necessary viewing. This film can be enjoyed in a vacuum, but I would not recommend doing so. ~~~ img220(https://blog.alltheanime.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/06/char-1.jpg)~~~ So what does Hathaway present to viewers? Well, the story follows Hathaway Noa, a young man who witnessed the horrors of Char's Rebellion firsthand. In the years following the Axis Shock (Char's Counterattack), Earth’s political climate is quite volatile. Thousands of people are fleeing the dying planet in search of refuge among the dozens of space colonies across the solar system. Mafty, a mysterious organization that seeks the removal of all humans from Earth, is assassinating high-ranking politicians to create chaos among the Earthen population. Hathaway Noa boards a high-status flight en route to Earth and finds himself tangled in a Mafty raid. Although he might have more to do with it than he lets on. ~~~ img220(https://animeanime.global/wp-content/uploads/2021/06/411468.png)~~~ When compared to other entries in the Gundam franchise, Hathaway has very few action sequences. In fact, I’d say about 80% of this film is dedicated to character dialogue and establishing the presented themes. Some may say this makes the film slow, I’d counter that and say that this makes the film sincere. The film dives headfirst into its main theme of environmental activism by showing the differing opinions of Mafty, the Earth Federation, and the innocent people caught in the crossfire. For instance, we see someone professing how fleeing the Earth will provide a better place to live for people thousands of years in the future, but a humble taxi driver wonders how he’s supposed to care about such grand ideals when he’s struggling to live from paycheck to paycheck. Everyone’s point of view is introduced, fleshed out, and justified. This gives the viewer the freedom to side with whom they feel is correct. ~~~img220(https://gundamnews.org/wp-content/uploads/2021/10/img_5624.jpg)~~~ Not only does this film have a mature story with nuance and sincerity, but it also has breathtaking visuals and a stunning soundtrack. Starting with the visuals, I don’t think there’s been any piece of animated media that looks quite this good. The characters are drawn in stunning 2D animation and are put into some of the most detailed environments I’ve ever seen. The character design is on point managing to be both believable and visually appealing. The mobile suits are nothing to scoff at either. They’re rendered in gorgeous 3D animation making the action sequences feel larger and weightier than they ever have before. The lighting as well is stellar. It's mesmerizing how the rays of light trickle through a character’s drink or how the sparks emitted from a beam saber dot the night sky. Not only this, but the soundtrack is composed by Hiroyuki Sawano, known for his work on Attack On Titan, Kill La Kill, and previous Gundam entries Unicorn and Narrative. Words can’t describe how well the OST supplements the show. It’s dystopian, grand, and truly epic. ~~~img220(https://64.media.tumblr.com/46871d7e497b39d066a300247bee3e93/dbe761af0ad8ca2a-72/s1280x1920/6f6c50d19f67d30563a66a46e02231d9fc96d11a.gifv)~~~ Mobile Suit Gundam Hathaway is utterly fantastic. It presents intriguing moral dilemmas, breathtaking action sequences, and both visual and audio bliss. It’s a testament to what Gundam can achieve in the future. This trilogy has the potential to become a modern classic and one of the best Gundam entries to date.