Review: Hathaway Noa's story continues in underwhelming second chapter, The Sorcery of Nymph Circe

When I review anime movies here, I always make sure to note if the movie is friendly to franchise newcomers or not. I tend to find that most of them are, since the movies are often stand-alone adventures, sometimes even focusing on different characters than the shows they're spun off from. I've jumped into movies from series like One Piece, Blue Lock, and Haikyu!!, and had a good time with all of them. They felt like movies that welcomed in newcomers while also giving fans a lot to root for.

I would not put the Mobile Suit Gundam Hathaway movies into that category.

I (foolishly) thought this trilogy of movies was a kind of standalone story that I would be able to jump into and enjoy without being well-versed in the wider Gundam universe. My only previous encounter with the franchise was last year's theatrical package that introduced a new series. I watched the first Mobile Suit Gundam: Hathaway on a flight last week, and had a good enough time with it. It was a bit jargon-y, a lot of military figures talking strategy in various rooms, with nary a big robot battle to be found. But I thought, fine, this is getting the pieces in place for whatever comes next.

Now, five years after that initial installment, Mobile Suit Gundam Hathaway: The Sorcery of Nymph Circe is in theaters, continuing Hathaway's story, but in a lot of ways, offering more of the same as its predecessor. (Also, I know the title sounds really cool, but I don't actually know why this movie has that cool title. I think Circe is the name of part of the military or something? Or maybe it's a metaphorical way to refer to Gigi Andalucia, who's the main reason to watch these movies.)

If it isn't already obvious, I think this review is worth taking with a grain of salt. I am, in most ways, not the target audience for this movie, because I don't have the history with or knowledge of the series to really appreciate it. As I was watching Nymph Circe, there were multiple flashbacks that made me keenly aware that I was missing context. These movies are a direct follow-up to other parts of the wider Gundam universe, so if you're entrenched in that world, I have to imagine this would be so much more engaging. Hell, the theater I was in was close to sold-out, and it seemed like people were really into it. So this review is just an outsider's take, and thus maybe less valuable to you if you're a true Gundam-head (in which case you've probably already seen and enjoyed this movie yourself).

So, the basic premise as I understand it of these movies is that most of the human race has left Earth behind to live in space, but now rich and powerful people are trying to keep Earth all for themselves. This has led to widespread anti-Federation sentiment, particularly within a resistance movie called Mafty. Hathaway Noa is a young pilot who has had some impressive successes, and is also the son of an extremely famous/successful pilot. The first film finds Hathaway coming to Earth, where we gradually discover that he's secretly involved with Mafty, and by the end of that film, he's become the de facto symbolic figurehead of that movement.

In this film, he's now fully entrenched with Mafty, and figuring out what to do next. The Federation is planning a big conference, and a lot of the movie is Mafty trying to figure out where the conference is going to be. Certain maneuvers on the Federation's part make it clear they're trying to throw Mafty off their scent, with comms and troop movements muddying the waters. Meanwhile, Hathaway and crew also have to contend with a violent militia acting out of their own accord but borrowing the Mafty name.

Also meanwhile, the beautiful and fascinating Gigi Andalucia is still living alongside the military characters, having occasional seemingly clairvoyant flashes, and acting as a spy to feed Hathaway information. We get a bit more of her backstory here, and she is definitely my favorite character, if only because she isn't constantly talking about military strategy.

I felt pretty similarly about this movie as I did the first one, which means my problems with the first are compounded here by the longer run-time. Like, the proceedings are just kind of dull, and feel really repetitive. It feels like we are constantly in another base-like room to talk more strategy, where characters are guessing what the other side is up to. Also like its predecessor, there's not a ton of action here to punctuate the monotony. I was struggling to stay awake. This was a snooze-fest.

And ultimately, it feels like this was also still just putting the pieces in place for the next (and final) movie. It's wild how little happens in each of these movies. It's the ultimate exercise in anime edging. Just wait until the next one. That's where things are going to get crazy! Since I've put the time in with the first two chapters, I will check out the eventual trilogy capper, and it does seem like that one might be legitimately exciting (especially based on a showdown that's teased in this one). Hopefully it doesn't take another five years to finish this story off. And hopefully, the next one ends with as crazy a needle drop as this one (I won't spoil it here, but it's amazing). 

Mobile Suit Gundam fans, this one's for you. And only you.