While action does play a part in this series, Witch From Mercury sets itself apart by focusing on the business aspects of creating weapons of mass destruction, particularly mobile suits and Gundams. And that in itself is a breath of fresh air. We’ve already seen how these weapons are used for war and bloodshed, but this time, we are seeing everything from the perspectives of companies that create them.

Episode 8 continued from where the last episode left off. Miorine has finally secured the funds for her new company. But now comes the hardest part.

Making sure the company can actually sell something!

Vision and Mission

In every company, there are two things needed before everything else: its Mission and Vision. Without these two guiding factors, a company would never get to its feet, no matter the funds it has.

Such was the problem that Gund-Arm Inc. faced at the start of this episode. For a company planning to sell GUND Format technology, including the very mobile suits that will use them, the ethics they have to deal with is a serious conundrum, especially for several of the characters who have been greatly affected by war. How could they sell something that will just be used for conflict?

Of course, Miorine is very much all-in for that. She is still the heiress to a mega corporation, and naturally, she inherited some of her father’s business attitude. After all, her only promise was that they will use GUND Format technology in the safest way possible. So it is no surprise that her initial business plan will be profit-oriented.

But deep inside, we know that she is a kind and understanding individual, and even she doesn’t want to earn money from killing people. She listens to her friends, and we see how it affected her throughout the episode, to the point that she seeks help from several key characters involved in the Vanadis Incident.

Thankfully, the solution is quite easy.

If they can earn money from killing people, they can earn even more money from saving lives.

Suletta Mercury—Pilot, Holder, Commercial Model

With the company’s vision and mission problem solved, it is time for the next step: marketing!

The episode mostly glossed over the struggles of creating awareness for a product, though of the few scenes that showed that, we can really tell that everyone has put their effort into the marketing plan. And this is coming from people who initially hated the idea of being part of Miorine’s company, though that quickly changed when the company’s purpose was finally established.

Obviously, the mascot is their own Gundam and its pilot. As always, Suletta is an endearing commercial model, and Aerial itself(herself?) ramped up the cuteness factor of their first promotional video.

But more than that, this part is simply full of heartwarming scenes, especially between Miorine and Suletta. The thing is, their interactions so far are merely platonic, and we even have Suletta shipping Miorine with Shaddiq, at least to a degree. Despite that, seeing them together was really cute and fun to watch.

A New Enemy

In the previous episode, there’s been an unusual increase in screen time for Shaddiq, who has remained a prominent background character until now. But that should have been a clue, as this episode gave him a more expanded role than just a handsome, possible love interest for Suletta.

Ever since the series began, Shaddiq was more or less just as mysterious as Elan. He was the typical cool and friendly guy with lots of females surrounding him, and we never really paid much attention to him.

Episode 8 changed that. We saw him being more proactive in the story, constantly hounding Miorine to buy her company, even going as far as to offer marriage. Of course, he still has that friendly attitude, especially toward Suletta.

But behind that demeanor was another face, and one that could be far more terrifying than the other “antagonists”. While Elan was cunning and Guel was aggressive, Shadiqq is the lion waiting in ambush for the right moment to attack, as evident at the final scene of this episode.

And now, it seems that GundArm Inc. finds itself facing its biggest problem even before they could really begin: the threat of the company being dissolved.

Conclusion

This episode felt more like a corporate thriller, which is really unique for the series. We got a glimpse of the creation of a company, as well as the various challenges it faced. There were some great character interactions, but what stood out was the way Miorine maneuvered out of her company’s initial problems. Unfortunately, she would need to up her skills with Shaddiq’s plan to seize Gund Arm Inc. and Aerial.

Episode score: 8/10