2025 is set to go down in history as a landmark year for the mecha anime franchiseMobile Suit Gundam. Just a few months into the new year, interest and fan activity surrounding the long-running series have reached new heights. Much of this excitement stems from the recently released hit filmMobile Suit Gundam GQuuuuuuX -Beginning-and the anticipation surrounding theGundam GQuuuuuuXTV anime series, set to premiere in April. Now, one fan in Japan is taking their love forGundamto an entirely new level.
A non-professional animator named Space Boy recently shared an impressive short clipon his X account, showcasing his original depiction of Messer-type mobile suits in action. The animation,rendered in a retro anime art style, was inspired by the original 1989–1990 novel version ofMobile Suit Gundam: Hathaway, which was made available on Netflix in 2021. Space Boy’s short, titledHathaway 90’s style, presents the Messer mobile suits as they appeared in the novels, giving fans a taste of what might have been had the story been animated decades earlier.
From Page to Screen: The Story of Hathaway’s Flash
A Rebel’s Fight Against the Federation
The original novelMobile Suit Gundam: Hathaway’s Flashwaswritten byGundamcreator Yoshiyuki Tomino. The story follows Hathaway Noa, the son of Bright Noa, as he takes on the identity of Mafty Navue Erin, leading an anti-Federation resistance group. Set 12 years after theChar’s Counterattackmovie, Hathaway fights against the corrupt Earth Federation using guerrilla tactics and powerful mobile suits, including the RX-105 Xi Gundam. However, his ideals are tested when he encounters Federation officer Kenneth Sleg and a mysterious woman named Gigi Andalucia.
As the conflict escalates, Hathaway struggles with the weight of his actions, blurring the line between hero and terrorist in a world where justice isn’t so black and white.The 2021Mobile Suit Gundam: Hathawayanime was a hit withGundamfans, who admired its faithfulness to the original novel and the striking new animation from Sunrise. Planned as a trilogy of films,it was recently revealed that the second movie is now in production.
The Success of the Hathaway’s Flash Anime
Fan Creativity Keeps Gundam Evolving
Space Boy’s anime short offers fans a unique glimpse into an alternate vision ofHathaway’s Flash—one that captures the essence of the past while sparking new conversations about the future of theGundamuniverse. As anticipation builds for the next chapter inHathaway’s Flash, Space Boy’s animation reminds us thatGundam’s legacy is not just about its official works but also the passion of its fans.
Mobile Suit Gundam: Hathaway
Cast
In U.C. 0105, twelve years after the Second Neo Zeon War, Hathaway Noa leads the anti-Federation group Mafty under the alias Mafty Navue Erin. Piloting the experimental RX-105 Ξ Gundam, he targets the Earth Federation’s corrupt elite, aiming to prevent Earth’s privatization.
