Fall 2025 Japanese Figure Haul For Gundam Witch From Mercury and Frieren

I had a small shipment come in from Japan just before Canada Post went on strike again (October 2025). I picked up three figures from two of my favourite anime in the last few years to complete pairings. Frieren is the more recent fantasy anime I bought a Fern figure for and thankfully the series is not isekai. I also find it hard to believe that The Witch From Mercury aired three years ago as I write this and that it has already been two years for Frieren. Time flies sometimes. I think I enjoy collecting figures because of the joy that some of the main characters have brought into my life, so I hope that anyone who watches these shows also enjoys them too.

Witch from Mercury

Mobile Suit Gundam has the main Universal Century (UC) universe that started it all and then a pile of alternate universe settings all with your giant Gundam mechas. Most of these other alternate universe series, particularly Gundam Seed in the Cosmic Era (CE) and The Witch from Mercury, have been really enjoyable for me. I know which are my favourite series based on the characters and the fact I have bought figures for them. Most of the series, I don't have any figures for them or any Gundam models either.

I've bought a few sets of figures for The Witch from Mercury, set in the Ad Stella (AS) universe as it was one of the more original series in terms of character building and world setting - kind of like Iron-Blooded Orphans in the Post Disaster (PD) universe. Suletta Mercury, a transfer student from Mercury, as she attends a prestigious mobile suit academy and becomes embroiled in a complex corporate and political conflict. The story is notable for its themes of corporate power, the dark side of technology developed from a medical project called GUND, and the protagonist's journey, which challenges traditional Gundam narratives with its female and LGBTQ+ leads. 

Big mega corporations control or influence much of the government in these series and the characters have to struggle to survive in the adverse environments created by these institutions. I'm starting to think that big mechas need to have big corporations building them and big corporations seems to already have plenty of sway in the real world too. 

There are similarities to the anime Rose of Versailles set in 18th century France, but it was a refreshing change too. Both series feature gender nonconformity, elite power structures, and rebellion from within, using a female protagonist who navigates a rigid, hierarchical society while challenging its norms. Witch from Mercury is set  in the elite Asticassia School of Technology (similar to the royal palace of Versailles) and uses mobile suit duels as a way for students to settle disputes (rather than sword duels between nobility).

Front of the Miroine Rembran box.

All of my Witch from Mercury figures are UFO catcher prize figures as I don't usually buy the more expensive figures. I don't really want to pay more than $50 or $60 for a figure, and prefer to pay half of that and then add shipping. They're not the most detailed, but they're good enough.

Back of the box.

Miorine with figure. She is Suletta's love interest. The school uniforms are simple, just like in the show, and lend themselves to this type of low cost figure. There is minor detailing and the faces have the most effort put into them.

Miorine and Suletta from the same figure series. I picked up Suletta months ago, but couldn't find a Miorine on sale until recently.

Back of the figures.

Another UFO prize figure series with costumes from the end of the series on Earth. Both protagonists are older now and again, the design of the figures works with the simpler costumes.

Fronts of the boxes

Backs of the boxes.

The figures posed together as if they are reaching out to each other.

The two figures together.

I quite like the happy expression on her face.

This one also captures how glad Miorine is to see Suletta.

Another pose.

Frieren

This anime is one of my favourite shows of all time. It isn't the fastest paced, but I love all the characters in it, the world building, and the storytelling. The pacing does suffer from flashbacks, a common Japanese storytelling method, and has a melancholy tone with happier moments, and short, intense action scenes.

The show stars the elven mage Frieren, one of the four legendary heroes who defeated the Demon King and saved the world after a ten-year journey. As an elf with a lifespan of over a thousand years, Frieren viewed that decade-long quest as a fleeting moment. 

The series starts decades later when the human hero, Himmel, dies of old age. At his funeral, Frieren is struck with a profound sense of regret and loneliness. She realizes she kept her companions at an emotional distance and never truly bothered to "get to know" them. The story becomes a retrospective journey of self-discovery and emotional understanding as Frieren, accompanied by her new human apprentice, Fern, and later the warrior, Stark, retraces the route of her original hero's journey. She reflects on her past adventures and seeks emotional connection with her new companions while having new adventures.

Frieren on the left, Fern on the right.

Back of the Fern Luminasta box.

I bought the Frieren Luminasta figure first, and then picked up Fern about six months later in this shipment. They're quite well made and I'm still collecting some figures only because I can get them at half-price used from Japan, or the odd Amazon sale. Amazon Canada now directly sells some of the figures and sometimes it is easier to get them there or even find them on Amazon. I live in Canada and I don't buy figures as a general rule from the United States as the exchange rate and shipping means it costs as much to buy it from Japan or even more so.

Front of the Fern box.

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Fern in front of the box. The pose with her holding her staff is quite nice.

The figure is in a simple white dress, just like in the series. It is interesting how some of the costumes are well suited for lower priced figures. I wonder if non-CG animation and drawing manga gravitates to simpler costumes due to the effort.

The expression on her face is firm and emotionless. Fern is pretty clinical when it comes to blasting her enemies.

Side view.

Frieren and Fern together with their staffs. I really wanted figures with their staffs. I picked up Frieren much earlier and did a post with her awhile back.

Backs of the figures.

Closeup of Frieren.

I took the figures outside for some shots. They wander in the wilderness a lot in the series.

Frieren and Fern in an action shot where Frieren sees something and Fern is ready to act.

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