The title of the second part of the popular anime "Gundam" series' theatrical anime "Mobile Suit Gundam: Hathaway's Flash" (directed by Murase Shukou) has been announced as "Mobile Suit Gundam: Hathaway's Flash: Circe's Witch" and will be released this winter, which has become a hot topic. The title of the second part, "Mobile Suit Gundam: Hathaway's Flash: Son of Blight (working title)," was announced in September 2021, but no new information has been released since then. After about four years, new information has finally been announced, revealing the title and release date. What is the "Circe" in "Circe's Witch"?
◇The tentative title was wrong!
"Hathaway's Flash" is based on a novel published by director Yoshiyuki Tomino in 1989-90. Set in the year 0105 of the Universal Century, it depicts Bright Noa's son Hathaway, who experienced a bitter separation during the Second Neo Zeon War, piloting a new mobile suit, the XI Gundam, in a rebellion against the Earth Federation government. The anime is directed by Murase Shukou, director of "Genocidal Organ." It has been announced that there will be three parts, with the first part being released in June 2021.
The working title for Part 2 was "Son of Bright," and some speculated that the "Son" could mean "son," i.e. Bright's son Hathaway, or that it could mean "sun." However, many fans were surprised when the title "Circe's Witches" was announced.
In the first episode, there is a scene where Colonel Kenneth Slegg of the Earth Federation Forces names his own unit the Circe Unit. In response to the growing radicalization of the anti-Earth Federation government movement, the Mufti, Kenneth takes over from Kimberly Heyman as commander of the Mufti annihilation unit and is assigned to the Davao Air Base, which has jurisdiction over the South Pacific.
Kenneth takes over the Kimberly Squad led by Kimberly and changes its name to the Circe Squad.
◇Goddess of luck?
Circe is the name of a goddess, and in Part 1 she is described as "the daughter of the sun god Helios" and "Circe's magic that calms ferocious animals."
The unit's name, Circe, comes from Gigi Andalusia, a beautiful girl whom Hathaway and Kenneth meet. Gigi's origins are all a mystery, but she attracts men. Kenneth describes Gigi as "a goddess of luck" who "seems to have the power to calm ferocious men," and tries to link her to Circe and use her as the unit's name.
So what does "the witch" mean? It could be Gigi, but we can't be sure.
In interviews with Naohiro Ogata, producer at Bandai Namco Filmworks, the company in charge of the anime, he said about Part 2, "There are some differences from the novel," "Director Tomino told me, 'The middle volume alone won't hold up!' But we're adding something extra to the film," and "The middle volume of the novel will be the main story, but while we'll be respectful of the impression of the novel, it's going to be something different again. There will be a few more battle scenes, and it should have a different feel to it than before." There's still a lot we don't know, so we look forward to more news.
