Mobile Suit Gundam: Witches of Mercury" PROLOGUE premieres! Kana Ichinose, who plays Sletta Mercury, is also full of enthusiasm for "GUNDAM NEXT FUTURE-LINK THE UNIVERSE-" report.

Gundam Project, a cross-sectional project of the Bandai Namco Group, held the "Gundam Next Future-LINK THE UNIVERSE-" event at Gundam Factory Yokohama on July 14. The prequel "PROLOGUE" to "Mobile Suit Gundam: Witches of Mercury" was performed for the first time, and the trailer PV of the main story and two main cast members were unveiled.

The event started at 7:30 p.m., after the morning rain and wind had temporarily stopped, as the night was falling and a real-scale Gundam, illuminated by lights, looked down at the press.
This event was the opening of "GUNDAM NEXT FUTURE," a special event for all Gundam fans, centered around the "Mobile Suit Gundam: Witches of Mercury" exhibition scheduled to begin broadcasting in October 2022. GUNDAM NEXT FUTURE" will be held in five areas around Japan (Yokohama, Kanagawa Prefecture; Shibuya, Tokyo; Nagoya, Aichi Prefecture; Osaka, Osaka Prefecture; and Shinjuku, Tokyo).
The first of these, "GUNDAM NEXT FUTURE-LINK THE UNIVERSE-" will be held at GUNDAM FACTORY YOKOHAMA, the center of the event in the Yokohama area, starting July 16. The prequel "PROLOGUE" to "Mobile Suit Gundam: Witches of Mercury" was performed for the first time, and a trailer PV of the main story and the main caption were held.
This event will be shown in Odaiba, Shanghai, and Fukuoka, where Gundam statues have been installed. In addition, the event was streamed in real time on "THE GUNDAM BASE VIRTUAL WORLD," a virtual Gundam Model Kits entertainment space.

The first speaker was Bandai Namco Group "Chief Gundam Officer" Koji Fujiwara.
The 26th animation series and the first series with a female protagonist, "Mercury Witch" is the first new TV series in 7 years since "Mobile Suit Gundam: Iron-Blooded Orphens". She expressed her joy at the new series, saying, "I am happy to be able to deliver it to you with new elements."

In preparation for the start of the new Gundam, a countdown was also presented in which the "Moving Gundam" in Yokohama, the "life-size Unicorn Gundam" in Odaiba, the "life-size Freedom Gundam" in Shanghai, and the "life-size ν (New) Gundam" in Fukuoka, where the standing Gundam statues are installed, were linked together.

When the four Gundams pulsated and emitted light, the Gundam Aerial, the main character of "Mobile Suit Gundam: Witch of Mercury," which appeared on the big screen at the venue, was activated. PROLOGUE," the prequel to "Mobile Suit Gundam: Witch of Mercury," was unveiled for the first time in the world, taking the baton from the previous Gundams.

I won't go into details, but the worldview, characters, and MS of "The Witch of Mercury" were vividly depicted in the drama, which lasted only about 20 minutes. The power of the hand-drawn mecha action was especially impressive! Also, the story is not a "school" type of drama, but a "female lead? A female protagonist? The story depicted in "PROLOGUE" is one of the hardest and most robust stories in Gundam history, so one cannot help but have high expectations for this title!
The PV of the full-length movie, which was also unveiled for the first time, was another highlight of the show! After the press was overwhelmed by the shocking images that came one after another, the cast members who play the main characters of the film took the stage.

The first to take the stage was Kana Ichinose, who plays the main character, Sletta Mercury. Kana Ichinose plays the main character, Sletta Mercury, and Lynn plays the other main character, Milione Rembrandt.
Ms. Ichinose, who plays the role of Erict in "PROLOGUE," has already watched the movie four or five times at home and other places. She commented, "It was so magnificent that I got goosebumps many times," and "I couldn't stop crying at the final scene. On the other hand, Lynn, who does not appear in "PROLOGUE," watched the full-length movie for the first time today and commented, "I watched it not knowing anything about it, so I couldn't watch it without crying. I couldn't watch it without crying. In that one short episode, the feelings of various characters are intertwined. I am excited to see what kind of world "The Witch of Mercury" will lead to from here," she said, expressing her impressions of the first video.

Kana Ichinose

When asked how she felt when she was chosen to appear in "The Witch of Mercury," Kana Ichinose said, "During the tape audition, I was surprised that this Gundam would have a female lead, but I honestly did not think I would be chosen. When I received the call that I had passed the audition, I answered the phone in my sleep, so I checked my cell phone history later to see if it was a dream.
Lynn also said that since she became a voice actress, she had always wanted to ride a Gundam someday, and she received the call on her birthday. At the same time, she revealed her feelings, "I feel the burden of the work's long history, but I am also happy and excited.

Ms. Lynn

Ichinose's eyes lit up when she saw the Gunpla that is scheduled to be released in the future, saying, "The rounded form is both feminine and cool," and "I can't wait to build it! I can't wait to build it!

Toward the end of the event, Ms. Ichinose even operated the "moving Gundam" remotely.
The "Moving Gundam" was also controlled remotely by Ms. Ichinose, who had been told that Sletta Mercury had a thumbs-up pose in her drawing! Ms. Ichinose was deeply moved by this historic moment when the first Gundam and the newest Gundam were linked in the same pose.

In closing, Lynn said, "I want to make a wonderful work that is close to the hearts of the characters," and Ichinose said, "'Gundam' is one of the works that have created Japanese anime culture, so I am honored to be involved in such a work. I hope to carry on the baton of my predecessors and pass it on to future works.

Film Information
Mobile Suit Gundam: Witches of Mercury
＜Broadcast Information
Broadcasting will begin in October 2022 on Sundays at 5:00 p.m. on MBS/TBS networks, 28 stations nationwide.