Positive Queer Representation in Anime: The Witch From Mercury
Anyone who knows me for more than a few minutes knows that I’m a massive weeb. It’s been that way since I was a kid, thanks to shows like Star Blazers, Robotech, and Battle of the Planets; in fact, when I was growing up, whenever I wished upon a star I would ask for the Black Lion from Voltron to show up in my back yard the next morning, complete with a manual for how to fly the stupid thing. Either that or Kaneda’s bike from Akira - I would have been happy with either.
My obsession only continued as I got older. Being a teenager in the ‘90s meant I got to live through the transition from the Bootleg Era of manga and anime into mainstream acceptance, and it’s been a giddying ride every step of the way. As I got older, though, I did realize how problematic the art form could be sometimes. Culturally, Japan has always been insular and conservative, and this resulted in a lot of casual (or even outright) racism, sexism, and homophobia in a lot of content. One needs only to turn to how Black people are often depicted in manga and anime to prove this point.
This is why I was absolutely thrilled when the newest iteration of the Gundam universe showed up last year. Mobile Suit Gundam: The Witch From Mercury, which finished its run just a few months ago, was such a sea change in the way the franchise has been depicted in the past that it gives me hope for not only the future of Gundam but also representation in anime and manga as well. Let’s talk about why this aging weeb is just so excited about the prospect.
A Primer on Giant Robots Beating the Shit Out of Other
The Gundam franchise got its start in the late 1970s, and it’s been incredibly influential in promoting the “real robot” genre of science-fiction anime by rooting the mecha of each series in more realism than you’d get from “it’s space magic, we ain’t gonna explain shit”. Not only that but while much of the action does revolve around teenage pilots strapping themselves into multi-billion-dollar weapons of war and beating the absolute piss out of everything that gets in their way, the real consequences of such violence and destruction have always been in the forefront of shows like it.
In the case of Gundam, the psychological and physical horrors of war are always at the forefront. In fact, fans of the franchise jokingly refer to many Gundam series as “war crimes: the anime”, and for good reason: the very first series begins with the atrocity of a space colony purposely being dropped out of orbit, completely wiping Sydney, Australia off the face of the globe and leaving a 600-kilometer crater where the city once stood. It’s gruesome, horrifying, and it sets the stage for the level of absolute carnage that you can expect from the franchise going forward; themes of humanity (and inhumanity) are common throughout.
But What’s This Got To Do With Queer Representation?
Yes, science-fiction war stories aren’t uncommon, and the Gundam franchise is incredibly influential in how these stories play out in anime and manga. But what about issues of how LGBTQIA+, PoC, and Othered communities are represented in these types of media? And what’s so important about how Gundam handles this?
It’s simple. In The Witch from Mercury, new ground was broken in a multitude of ways. First, the protagonist of the series, Suletta Mercury, is a woman. This makes her the first female protagonist in the Gundam franchise. Second, she’s bi-racial, as her father, Nadim Samaya, is depicted as being of Middle-Eastern descent. As a result, her skin tone is much darker than many anime protagonists. Finally, Suletta not only ends up with a HEA (Happily Ever After) by the end of the series (a rarity among the franchise), but the relationship she has is a Queer one, as she marries Miorine Rembran, who is also female.
Having a Queer main couple is groundbreaking. The relationship between Suletta and Miorine is ultimately depicted as being loving and supportive by the end of the series. Likewise, they are not subject to any discrimination or homophobia. This is a huge deal, because the Gundam franchise has historically been criticized for its lack of queer representation. The previous series in the franchise, Mobile Suit Gundam: Iron-Blooded Orphans, featured a gay character named Yamagi, but his sexuality was only hinted at and never explicitly stated. Before this, the only canonically openly gay character in a Gundam series was Guin Sard Lineford, one of the main villains from Turn A Gundam, which was released more than 20 years ago.
Queer in All the Right Ways
The positive queer representation in The Witch from Mercury is a welcome change, and it's a sign that the Gundam franchise is becoming more inclusive. The series is a great example of how anime can be a powerful tool for promoting diversity and acceptance. One of the ways that the show’s queer representation is positive is that it's not treated as a novelty or a joke. Suletta and Miorine's relationship is simply treated as being normal. They are shown kissing and holding hands, and their relationship is not subject to any discrimination or homophobia - something that’s still all too common in much of modern media.
Another way that The Witch from Mercury's queer representation is positive is that it's not the only focus of the series. The series is still primarily about action and adventure (and, of course, the horrors of war - no escaping that). Suletta and Miorine's relationship is just one part of the story. This shows that the series is not trying to make a statement about queerness, but rather is simply trying to tell a good story that includes Queer characters. This makes the depiction of Suletta and Miorine’s relationship a huge deal for the anime industry as a whole. It's a sign that the industry is becoming more inclusive, and it can help to promote diversity and acceptance for LGBTQIA+ people, to say nothing of female protagonists and those of mixed ethnicities.
We’ve come a long way from the stereotypical way that anyone outside Japan’s cultural norms was typically presented in the media. If this trend continues - and there’s no reason why it shouldn’t - more Queer readers of manga and fans of anime have much to be happy about in the future.
Got your own idea for a science-fiction tale with positive Queer representation? Submissions are still open for our SF anthology, Punk’s Not Dead!
