For many long-time fans of the Mobile Suit Gundam series, the Universal Century timeline is a mixed bag. While it boasts some of the finest storytelling in science fiction, it also oftentimes overreaches and exemplifies some of the genre’s worst. We see it when it shines in the case of brilliant entries like Char’s Counterattack and Mobile Suit Gundam Unicorn, whose nuanced storytelling captured the hearts and imaginations of hundreds of thousands of fans around the world, but also when it falters such as with the relatively recent Mobile Suit Gundam Narrative (which is potentially one of the most poorly-written anime I have seen in general).

So when a trilogy of movies based on the series creator Yoshiyuki Tomino’s novel series Hathaway’s Flash was announced, I was understandably cautious as while I had great respect for his work, Tomino oftentimes had less-than-stellar entries in the franchise as well. As someone familiar with its source material, I was admittedly surprised by the news that an adaptation was in progress - the story, while great, was something that I doubted three movies would be able to effectively convey to filmgoers. This was combined by the fact that I was still incredibly disappointed by Narrative which had just come out around the time of the announcement.

Once the end credits rolled, it became clear to me as a viewer that Mobile Suit Gundam Hathaway was truly something special.

Unlike many of its predecessors, Hathaway takes a more intimate approach to its storytelling and relies heavily on strong characterization. Its titular protagonist, Hathaway Noa, is a familiar face to viewers of the film’s direct prequel Char’s Counterattack. Scarred by his experiences fighting in a war at a young age, Hathaway is a captivating character that gives audiences a deep look into the psyche of a person who was forced to grow up too quickly but also desperate to hold onto arguably idealistic principles. He is arguably a person that has developed a rather narrow worldview - a point that the movie brings up through numerous well-written dialogue. For instance, in one minor scene, Hathaway's justification for having everyone leave Earth for space is beneficial for the planet’s environmental recovery is rebutted by the argument that asking people to give up everything to avoid consequences that might occur far beyond their own lifespans is unrealistic. Hathaway does not attempt to glorify its titular protagonist as being an altruist shunned by society, but rather implies to audiences that he is an idealist potentially out-of-touch with reality (as someone who has had a relatively privileged life).

In addition to strong character studies present in the film, Hathaway also explores themes surrounding social inequality, environmental activism, and the loss of innocence. For instance, extremist group Mafty’s goals of assassinating Earth Federation government figureheads to force a mass migration to space for the sake of protecting what is left of the environment comes at odds with people who are simply trying to do what’s best for themselves in the short term - we see similar issues when it comes to our own society’s struggles with tackling climate change. Tomino’s story may have been written decades ago, but the issues it depicts in its writing is especially haunting because while we may not necessarily have the technological prowess or struggles of our Universal Century counterparts, we are beginning to see signs of dissent and extremism. Youth are becoming more active, and like Hathaway, are seeing their own innocence disappear as they become cynical and push for drastic societal changes. Gundam has always been a series of remarkable individuals fighting for their own idea of a better world, but Hathaway takes it one step farther by making that struggle hit closer to home than ever before.

In terms of atmosphere, Hathaway excels. For instance, in one scene, instead of witnessing mobile suits battle it out like the movie’s predecessors, Hathaway instead focuses on the people caught in the crossfire attempting to escape from a battle between massive mecha that seem to have little regard for potential collateral damage. Bystanders are accidentally eviscerated, characters are visibly traumatized, and homes are obliterated. The mobile suits we have grown accustomed to seeing on model kit packaging are real war machines in the timeline of the Universal Century - from the perspective of bystanders, these sleek machines are indistinguishable from hellish harbingers of indiscriminate destruction. These loud and horrifying sequences are also often complimented by quieter scenes where wanton destruction is substituted for quiet introspection. The main protagonist is a troubled person with many demons of his own, and it is often when the film takes the time to slow down and take advantage of focusing on the mundane (such as the gentle ripples in a cup of coffee) that audiences are able to gather their own thoughts like Hathaway does throughout the film.

On a technical standpoint, Hathaway is one of the best anime to date with fantastic character designs, smooth animation, and brilliant sound mixing. Facial expressions are a key highlight - the movie’s realistic character designs allow for subtle emotions to be shown on each character’s face with a high degree of finesse. I found myself rewatching scenes and paying attention to the eyes of certain characters as the movie’s animators have done an amazing job of capturing emotion subtly. Mecha design, like most Gundam series, is a high-point, and I would daresay that Hathaway has some of the most interesting and gorgeous ones in the franchise. Furthermore, some of the transitions between scenes are incredibly striking; a certain scene regarding a certain character from Char’s Counterattack comes to mind.

Music is also absolutely amazing, and this is no doubt due to the score from famed composer Hiroyuki Sawano. Whether it be during moments of intrigue or a heart-pounding action sequence, his score absolutely delivers on all fronts and delivers the grandness that he has been known for in his works. Those familiar with his works will find themselves right at home in this movie.

Now despite the amount of praise I have for this film, Hathaway is not a perfect film. There are several issues that take away from the experience. For instance, there are sometimes moments where characters appear disconnected from the background and move in a rather “floaty” manner. While the movie looks gorgeous, small moments like these can sometimes make for occasional lapses in viewer immersion. Additionally, while I am aware that certain details are deliberately ambiguous, I found that the ambiguity was sometimes a bit much especially as someone who was already familiar with the story prior to the announcement of the adaptation. Of course, I won’t dock any marks for this point as this may be the result of Hathaway being changed to fit with the canon established by Char’s Counterattack; Hathaway’s source material is a sequel to an alternate version of Counterattack.

To conclude, Mobile Suit Gundam Hathaway is a brilliant beginning to the long-awaited anime adaptation of Tomino’s novel series. With nuanced storytelling on an intimate level unlike many of its predecessors, this movie is one of the greatest Universal Century entries to date.