"I Think She Simply Wanted an Ordinary Romance" - Kenshō Ono and Reina Ueda Discuss the Character Portrayals of Hathaway and Gigi [Interview for Mobile Suit Gundam Hathaway: The Sorcery of Nymph Circe]

The film Mobile Suit Gundam Hathaway, released in 2021, was based on the novel by Yoshiyuki Tomino and directed by Shuko Murase, who created a profound cinematic adaptation that became a massive hit. After approximately five years, the second chapter of the trilogy, Mobile Suit Gundam Hathaway: The Sorcery of Nymph Circe, has been released in theaters since Friday, January 30, 2026.

The protagonist of this work is Hathaway Noa, who survived the Second Neo Zeon War (Char's Rebellion) depicted in Mobile Suit Gundam: Char's Counterattack during his boyhood. As a young man, Hathaway becomes Mafty Navue Erin, the leader of the anti-Earth Federation Government movement "Mafty," and plots preparations to attack the Adelaide Conference held by Federation ministers.

In the first chapter, while Hathaway descends to Earth to attack the Adelaide Conference, he encounters the mysterious girl Gigi Andalucia, who demonstrates insight resembling precognitive abilities, and Kenneth Sleg, a colonel in the Earth Federation Forces. In the second chapter, Mobile Suit Gundam Hathaway: The Sorcery of Nymph Circe, after parting with Gigi, Hathaway continues "Mafty's" activities, but his anguish as he struggles while trapped by illusions is depicted.

We asked voice actor Kenshō Ono, who plays the main character Hathaway, and Reina Ueda, who plays Gigi, about their respective character portrayals of Hathaway and Gigi. During the recording for the first chapter, the production side explained that Hathaway was a character "who thinks he's sane, but is actually broken."

Ono analyzes: "They told us that Hathaway was already broken in the first chapter, but at that time, I didn't really feel moments where that showed. But I think that's because he was wearing the existence of Hathaway Noa like a suit (to hide his true identity), so his true feelings didn't come to the surface."