Mobile Suit Gundam Hathaway
Mobile Suit Gundam Hathaway is a 2021 Japanese animated film and the first part of a planned trilogy.
Mobile Suit Gundam Hathaway (機動戦士ガンダム 閃光のハサウェイ, Kidō Senshi Gandamu Senkō no Hasawei), also known as Mobile Suit Gundam: Hathaway’s Flash, is a 2021 Japanese animated film directed by Murase Shukou and produced by Sunrise. The film is the first part of a planned trilogy adapting Tomino Yoshiyuki’s novel series Mobile Suit Gundam: Hathaway’s Flash.
Set twelve years after the events of Mobile Suit Gundam: Char’s Counterattack, the film follows Hathaway Noa, the son of Bright Noa, who has become the leader of the anti-Earth Federation terrorist organisation Mafty. As part of Sunrise’s UC NexT 0100 project, Hathaway represents a significant entry in the Universal Century timeline, exploring themes of political corruption, terrorism, and the consequences of war.
The film achieved remarkable commercial success, becoming the first Gundam film since 1988’s Char’s Counterattack to surpass the 1 billion yen mark at the Japanese box office, ultimately earning over 2.2 billion yen and establishing itself as one of the highest-grossing films in the franchise.
Synopsis
Main article: Mobile Suit Gundam Hathaway plot
The year is UC 0105. Twelve years have passed since the end of the Second Neo Zeon War, yet the world remains in chaos with intermittent military conflicts continuing to break out. Despite the Axis Shock, which seemed to indicate the future of humanity and the Universal Century, the Earth Federation has grown increasingly corrupt. Politicians, bureaucrats, and corporate executives enjoy their privileges whilst accelerating the pollution of Earth, and the inhumane Man Hunter units forcibly deport underprivileged civilians from Earth to space colonies.
The story begins aboard the passenger shuttle Haunzen, where Hathaway Noa, now an adult, encounters two individuals who will change his destiny: Kenneth Sleg, an Earth Federation Forces officer tasked with hunting down the terrorist organisation Mafty, and Gigi Andalucia, a mysterious young woman who seems able to see through lies. When hijackers claiming to be Mafty operatives take control of the shuttle, Hathaway’s actions during the crisis begin to reveal his true identity.
Unknown to Kenneth and most of the world, Hathaway is actually Mafty Navue Erin, the enigmatic leader of Mafty. Still haunted by the death of Quess Paraya and reflecting on the actions and beliefs of Char Aznable and Amuro Ray, Hathaway has dedicated himself to purging the corrupt officials of the Federation through a campaign of targeted assassinations. His weapon of choice is the experimental RX-105 Ξ Gundam, a next-generation mobile suit designed specifically for Mafty’s operations.
As the Federation deploys the elite Circe Unit equipped with the equally advanced RX-104FF Penelope to hunt down Mafty, Hathaway finds himself caught between his mission and his growing relationships with Kenneth and Gigi, setting the stage for a confrontation that will determine the future of the Earth Sphere.
Development
Conception
The Hathaway’s Flash project originated from Tomino Yoshiyuki’s 1989 novel series, which was conceived as a sequel to Mobile Suit Gundam: Char’s Counterattack. Specifically, the novels served as a continuation of Tomino’s novel version Char’s Counterattack: Beltorchika’s Children rather than the animated film. The three-volume series was published between February 1989 and April 1990 under the Kadokawa Sneaker Bunko label, making it notable as the only semi-canonical Gundam work directly written by Tomino.
The film adaptation was first teased in April 2018 upon the unveiling of Mobile Suit Gundam Narrative, and was formally announced during the Gundam 40th Anniversary press conference in November 2018 as part of the UC NexT 0100 project. The adaptation had long been considered challenging due to the novels’ complex narrative structure and mature themes, leading to their reputation as “unadaptable pieces of fiction” amongst fans.
Production
Murase Shukou, known for his work on Ergo Proxy and Genocidal Organ, was selected to direct the film trilogy. Producer Ogata Naohiro had long been fascinated by Murase’s distinctive visual style and commissioned him specifically for the project, seeking to create something that felt more like a live-action film than traditional animation.
Mutou Yasuyuki, who had previously worked on Mobile Suit Gundam Unicorn, wrote the screenplay adapting Tomino’s source material. The character design team consisted of Pablo Uchida, Onda Naoyuki, and Kuhara Shigeki, with Onda also serving as chief animation director. Securing Pablo Uchida, an artist known for his realism, was particularly significant in achieving the film’s intended “live-action” approach.
The mechanical design team brought together veteran Gundam designers including Katoki Hajime, Yamane Kimitoshi, Genba Nobuhiko, and Nakatani Seiichi, adapting Moriki Yasuhiro’s original novel designs for animation.
The production involved extensive use of 3DCG not only for the complex mobile suits but also for dynamic camera movement, representing what Ogata described as a “trial and error” process. Murase also opted for new Gundam sound elements, changing beam sounds and other audio elements from previous Gundam works, with Kasamatsu Koji coordinating the sound design aspects.
Music
Sawano Hiroyuki, who had previously composed for Mobile Suit Gundam Unicorn and Mobile Suit Gundam Narrative, returned to provide the film’s score. Sawano approached Hathaway as his opportunity to pursue his own style of Gundam music for adult audiences, working closely with director Murase and producer Ogata to achieve this vision.
The rock band [Alexandros] performed the film’s main theme song “Senkou” (閃光, “Flash”), composed by lead vocalist Kawakami Yōhei with arrangement by the band and Saze Takashi.
Release
Delays and Japanese release
Hathaway was originally scheduled for release on 23 July 2020, but faced multiple delays due to the global COVID-19 pandemic. The film was first postponed to 7 May 2021, then to 21 May 2021, and finally to 11 June 2021 after a third delay was announced on 17 May with no new date initially set.
The film finally premiered in Japanese cinemas on 11 June 2021, opening across 215 theatres nationwide. This represented a record high for the Gundam franchise in terms of theatrical distribution. The opening day gross of 190 million yen marked a 337% increase from Mobile Suit Gundam Narrative’s debut in 2018.
International release
Netflix secured exclusive international streaming rights for the film. On 11 June 2021, Netflix announced during their Geeked Week live stream that they would release the film outside Japan on 1 July 2021. Gundam Global Portal confirmed that dubbing in eight languages would be available for the international premiere, with subtitles in thirty languages available across 190 countries worldwide.
NYAV Post recorded the English dub for Netflix, directed by Sheh Stephanie. The English subtitles on the Netflix version differ from those on the initial Japanese Blu-ray release.
Home media
The first Blu-ray release contained only Japanese audio with English subtitle options. Following the film’s success, various special edition releases were made available in Japan, with international distribution handled through Netflix’s streaming platform.
Reception
Critical reception
Hathaway received generally positive reviews from critics, with particular praise for its stunning animation quality and mature storytelling approach. Eisenbeis Richard of Anime News Network gave the film a B grade, citing its “beautiful but hampered by some of its creative choices” visuals whilst criticising aspects of the plot execution, noting that “with a bit more finesse in execution, it could have been a far better adaptation than what it has turned out to be.”
Critics frequently praised the film’s visual design, with many noting that Murase’s direction achieved a level of realism and cinematic quality that exceeded previous Gundam productions. The film’s focus on character development and political intrigue over action sequences received mixed reactions, with some appreciating the mature approach whilst others found the pacing slower than expected for a Gundam film.
Commercial performance
Hathaway achieved extraordinary commercial success in Japan. The film earned 523,943,800 yen with 259,074 tickets sold in its opening weekend, ranking third in terms of tickets sold. By its second weekend, it had earned over 1.02 billion yen, becoming the first Gundam film since 1988’s Char’s Counterattack to surpass the 1 billion yen mark.
The film’s success continued throughout its theatrical run, ultimately earning 2,209,628,200 yen with over 1.08 million tickets sold. This performance made it the third highest-grossing Gundam film of all time, trailing only 1982’s Mobile Suit Gundam III: Encounters in Space (2.3 billion yen) and 2024’s Mobile Suit Gundam SEED Freedom (5.38 billion yen).
Legacy
Sequel development
The success of Hathaway led to confirmed development of the second film in the trilogy. The sequel was tentatively titled Mobile Suit Gundam Hathaway: Sun of Bright (also read as “Son of Bright”), referencing both Bright Noa and the themes of the story. Producer Ogata Naohiro confirmed in June 2021 that production was underway, with director Murase and the core staff returning.
In January 2025, distributor Shochiku officially confirmed Hathaway’s Flash Part 2 in their 2025-2026 lineup announcement, marking the first official confirmation of the sequel’s progress since initial announcements.
Franchise impact
Hathaway revitalised interest in the Universal Century timeline and demonstrated that mature, character-driven Gundam stories could achieve significant commercial success. The film’s approach to visual design and storytelling influenced subsequent Gundam productions and established new standards for animated films in the franchise.
The success also validated Netflix’s investment in anime content and their distribution strategy for international anime films, particularly for established franchises with dedicated fanbases.
Merchandising
The film’s success drove significant Gunpla sales, with Bandai releasing multiple model kits tied to the film including the High Grade Universal Century RX-105 Ξ Gundam, RX-104FF Penelope, Gustav Karl, and Messer Type-F models.
Credits
Cast
| Character | Japanese | English |
|---|---|---|
| Hathaway Noa | Ono Kenshō | Yen Caleb |
| Gigi Andalucia | Ueda Reina | Shipman Megan |
| Kenneth Sleg | Suwabe Jun’ichi | Phillips Aaron |
| Lane Aim | Saitō Sōma | Fu Stephen |
| Gawman Nobile | Tsuda Kenjirō | Urbanski Ray |
| Emeralda Zubin | Ishikawa Yui | Bhimani Anjali |
| Raymond Cain | Ochiai Fukushi | Whitman Matt |
| Iram Masam | Takeuchi Shunsuke | Fu Stephen |
Crew
- Directed by Murase Shukou
- Screenplay by Mutou Yasuyuki
- Original story by Tomino Yoshiyuki
- Music by Sawano Hiroyuki
- Character design by Pablo Uchida, Onda Naoyuki, Kuhara Shigeki
- Mechanical design by Katoki Hajime, Yamane Kimitoshi, Genba Nobuhiko, Nakatani Seiichi
- Chief animation director: Onda Naoyuki
- Cinematography by Waki Kentarō
- CG direction by Masuo Ryukou, Fujie Tomohiro
- Editing by Imai Daisuke
- Colour key artist: Suzuki Takako
- Sound direction by Kasamatsu Koji
- Producer: Ogata Naohiro
External links
- Official website
- Mobile Suit Gundam Hathaway on the Gundam Wiki
- Mobile Suit Gundam Hathaway on Netflix
- Mobile Suit Gundam: Hathaway on IMDb
- Mobile Suit Gundam: Hathaway on Anime News Network