Mobile Suit Gundam: Hathaway is an anime film that, while not having as much attention as other properties, has many ties to the world of Gundam behind the scenes and has stood as one of the more engaging Gundam stories as a whole. Created by Yoshiyuki Tomino, Mobile Suit Gundam: Hathaway's Flash was a novel series released in 1989 and ran until 1990.
The series follows Hathaway Noa and how he has dealt with the events of Char's Counterattack. What makes the novel series so special is that it acts as a direct sequel to the original Mobile Suit Gundam series. Tomino himself even created the original Gundam series and other projects that came after that. With the significance of Hathaway's Flash, the company that releases the Gundam anime, Sunrise, decided it was time to return to the story.
Mobile Suit Gundam: Hathaway is the first animated adaption to the story and could even be looked at as a sequel to the original film that spawned the books, Char's Counterattack. While trailers for hte series have been released, the COVID-19 pandemic has forced the film to be delayed as far back as next year!
For some time, there was no update on an exact release date; however, Japan has been conducting a brand new event titled the Gunpla Expo Tokyo 2020, which focuses on fans of Gunpla and those who love to buy the Gundam model kits. During the event's opening ceremony, it was revealed that the new film would have an early May release, after months of speculation over when it would actually come out.
A story as heartfelt and intense as Hathaway has to be told on the big screen, and while the wait may seem long, it will be worth it in the end. We would love to hear your thoughts on the news in the comments below!
At the beginning, images from “Char’s Counterattack” revealing the rivalry and final battle between Amuro and Char are shown with the theme song “BEYOND THE TIME (Over the Moebius skies)”. Then, hearing a piece of Hiroyuki Sawano’s background music, we see originally animated clips from this movie “Hathaway”, including new battle scenes, and meet the protagonist Hathaway Noa as well as the main characters such as Gigi Andulcia and Kenneth Sleg for the first time. As the saga continues from “Char’s Counterattack” to “Hathaway”, these images evoke a next-gen reformation, along with the catch copy “His flash is the hope of humanity.”
Mobile Suit Gundam: Hathaway will release in Japan on May 7th!