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TL;DR: No, you do not have to have seen any other Gundam content, save for the [Prologue](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5YGW2JRxWUU), to watch this. This returns as a refresher for those who either forgot or for the lurkers who may still have questions.

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<<So: you’re probably surprised to see the words "Gundam" again on the front page of this subreddit.>>

*“Yeah… what's this all about?”*

<<You're watching or about to watch Mobile Suit Gundam: The Witch From Mercury, or G-Witch for short (WfM for shorter).>>

*“Okay. So this is that Gundam show I've been hearing about lately. Isn’t that a pretty big franchise?”*

<<It is — it’s actually the 16th biggest IP in the world, though it’s kinda hard to tell with how Bandai and Sunrise tends to market this.>>

*“So what’s it about?”*

<<Broadly speaking, it’s about kids piloting giant robots called mobile suits, with the main character typically given the mobile suit named “Gundam.” >>

*“Hence the name. Got it.”*

<<Usually, this is a great idea because piloting giant robots is always cool! But starting from the original Gundam anime in 1979, that job is framed as a high-risk, high-stakes military or mercenary role filled by someone who really shouldn’t be ordered to fill said role. Think jet fighter pilot or tank commander, but the pilots are at least 15 years old.>>

*“Wow, so it’s a classic, and kinda harrowing. Wait — original Gundam?"*

<<Yes, because Gundam is a franchise built upon two distinct timelines: a Universal Century (UC) timeline that has one grand narrative thread, and ten Alternate Universes (AU) that are completely different from said UC timeline. Other than the exploration of themes about war, child soldiers, world governments, transhumanism and the military-industrial complex, the only connection is that each timeline has a mobile suit called Gundam.>>

*“Seems complicated. Is it a multiverse thing like the Marvel movies or more like Fate/?”*

<<Neither. At least, it’s not structured to be that way. Gundam switched things up early in the '90s to revitalize itself, and it was effective enough that Bandai and Sunrise kept doing it, hence the multiple timelines. Don't worry about it, though: the themes are similar enough across the subfranchises that you don't need much in the way of prior knowledge. Only the Universal Century needs some extra poking around, and even then there are some often-recommended shows in that timeline that make for good blind entry points.>>

**“So I don’t need to watch other Gundam shows to understand this one?”**

<<Correct. Other than the UC, Gundam exists at different timelines, too, mostly comprised of standalone, mostly self-contained shows, so it’s easy to dive into one Gundam show and get most of the tropes and devices and metaphors.>>

*“So what timeline are we talking about?”*

<<An all-new one call Ad Stella. We still don’t know much about this place in time, but fortunately, it has a prologue that sets the table for you should you want to watch/rewatch Episode 1 from the link below.>>

*“What’s so special about this series?”*

<<The Witch from Mercury is the first TV Gundam serial to star a girl as both lead character and pilot of the main Gundam. The franchise has its fair share of female Gundam pilots but for the most part, they’re on supporting roles. There are some manga that feature a female lead, but as a tentpole release, Suletta Mercury is the first of her kind.>>

*"How good is it so far?"*

<<If the steadily-growing positive reception is anything to go by, I say there's enough people taking a liking to it already. It's certainly taken Japan by storm now, while the raves it's getting from the West are carried largely by yuri trade winds and the sheer novelty of having a cute girl be the focal point of the story. But on its own, it has a solid foundation of corporate intrigue and coming-of-age self-discovery to stand on, and so far the robot fights have done their jobs at being good hooks.>>

*"But I think I've heard rumors that Sunrise hasn't been able to keep up with the demands of the show."*

<<Equally true. There have been millings of potentially fatal production issues and at least one cast member got sick, which may spell trouble down the line as final episodes from other shows air smoothly while G-Witch is in the doldrums. Still, I advise you to stick with it, at least just to let the first cour play out its run.>>

*"Sounds like a jump, then. Where do I start?"*

<<On GundamInfo and/or Bilibili if you're in east or southeast Asia, on Crunchyroll if you're a Westerner, or go where the eyepatched men go.>>