YOASOBI’s ‘The Blessing’ The Witch from Mercury Theme Enters Billboard Top 200

Japanese super duo YOASOBI’s Mobile Suit Gundam the Witch from Mercury opening theme song “The Blessing” launched digitally October 1 and has become a rave hit. From topping the charts on Itunes Japan, trending on Twitter, to now entering Billboard‘s Global Top 200. The upbeat tune is charted as #76 behind “Talk That Talk” by the K-pop band TWICE.

Billboardのグローバルチャートに #YOASOBI祝福が初登場！ #水星の魔女と一緒に海外の方の耳と目にも届いていたら嬉しいです💫

"The Blessing" is now on the Billboard global TOP 200🔥
This is the OP theme of the TV Animation series #G_Witch ☄️https://t.co/kH7kzRKK52 pic.twitter.com/eubHtX2vlL
— YOASOBI (@YOASOBI_staff) October 11, 2022

YOASOBI released an official anime music video for the song on October 2, which has since garnered 3.9 million views.

Early September it was announced YOASOBI would be performing the opening theme song for the Mobile Suit Gundam the Witch from Mercury TV anime, titled “Shukufuku” or “The Blessing”. The song is accompanied by an original novel named “Cradle Star”, authored by the series head writer Ichiro Ohkouchi.
A limited edition CD of “The Blessing” will be released on November 9. Priced at 4,400 yen, it will include an original YOASOBI-themed Demi Trainer Gundam model kit, YOASOBI-themed marking stickers for the HG Gundam Aerial, and the entire “Cradle Star” companion novel.

Mobile Suit Gundam the Witch from Mercury is directed by Kiznaiver‘s Hiroshi Koyabashi, and penned by Code Geass scribe, Ichiro Ohkouchi. The tagline of the series is “This witch…rides a Gundam”. The series began broadcast on October 2, 2022 on twenty-eight of MBS and TBS TV networks on their 5pm “Nichigo” anime block, as well as simulcasted internationally.

Story

A.S. (Ad Stella) 122―

An era when a multitude of corporations have entered space and built a huge economic system.

A lone girl from the remote planet Mercury transfers to the Asticassia School of Technology,

run by the Beneritt Group which dominates the mobile suit industry.

Her name is Suletta Mercury.

With a scarlet light burning in her pure heart,

this girl walks step by step through a new world.

Cast

Kana Ichinose as Suletta Mercury
Lynn as Miorine Rembran
Yohei Azakami as Guel Jeturk
Natsuki Hanae as Elan Ceres
Makoto Furukawa as Shaddiq Zenelli
Yume Miyamoto as Nika Nanaura
Miyu Tomita as Chuatury Panlunch

Staff

Planning & Production: Sunrise
Director: Hiroshi Kobayashi
Series Composition & Script: Ichiro Ohkouchi
Original Concept: Hajime Yatate, Yoshiyuki Tomino
Original Character Design: Mogumo
Character Design: Marie Tagashira, Juri Toida, Hirotoshi Takaya
Mechanical Design: JNTHED, Kanetake Ebikawa, Wataru Inata , Ippei Gyoubu, Kenji Teraoka, Takayuki Yanase
Chief Mechanical Animators: Shinya Kusumegi, Kanta Suzuki, Seimei Maeda
Co-Director: Ryo Ando
Setting Researcher: Seiichi Shirato
Sci-fi Researcher: Yuya Takashima
Mechanical Coordinator: Ryoji Sekinishi
Setting Cooperation: HISADAKE
Prop Design: E Wo Kaku PETER, Esuthio
Concept Art: Lin Junbun
Technical Director: Yohei Miyahara
Art Designers: Tomoaki Okada, Kenichi Morioka, Kazushige Kanehira, Junichiro Tamamori, Yasuyoshi Uetsu
Art director: Ayumi Sato
Color Setting: Kazuki Kikuchi
3DCG Director: Shinichi Miyakaze
Monitor Graphics Design: Kaori Seki
Director of Photography: Shota Kodera
Editor: Kengo Shigemura
Sound Director: Jin Aketagawa
Music: Takashi Ohmama
Produced by Bandai Namco Filmworks, Sotsu, MBS