Chuatury "Chuchu" Panlunch (チュアチュリー・パンランチ Chuachurī Panranchi?), is a character in Mobile Suit Gundam the Witch from Mercury. She is a first-year student in the piloting department, who belongs to Earth House. She is nicknamed "Chuchu"[4] and piloted MSJ-105CC Chuchu's Demi Trainer until it was destroyed in the Asticassia Massacre. After the massacre, she received the MSJ-R122 Demi Barding.
Personality & Character[]
Chuchu is a troubled young girl who endures the discrimination and harassment at school that a significant portion of Spacians exhibit towards Earthians like herself and her friends. Along with her home community being the subject of Spacian oppression and exploitation, Chuchu has a very negative impression of all Spacians, often deriding them as "turds" and lashing out at them. She was initially vicious to Suletta when she first tried to join the Earth House even though she was one of the few Spacians not derisive of Earthians.
Because of the harsh circumstances of her growth and present situation, Chuchu is rather hot-headed and prone to picking fights, especially with Spacians who harass or torment others. She often prefers being direct and confronting problems head-on. Chuchu sees herself as someone who carries the burdens as hopes of her home people and is sympathetic to those carrying similar struggles, which helps her open up to defending Suletta from bullies during the Spotting Exam that she accuses of living without any true goals or hardships.[1] She has a close friendship with Nika Nanaura, who often helps to calm her down in intense situations, and Chuchu looks up to her as an older peer.
Like many of her Earth House classmates, she has lingering trauma from the terrorist attack on Plant Quetta. It impacts her piloting ability, as seen when she remembers deaths from the incident and misfires during the Rumble Ring.[5]
History[]
Chuchu grew up in a mining town on Earth and is familiar with the many accidents people suffered over the years.[6]
A.S. 122[]
Suletta's Arrival[]
Chuchu watched the opening match between Miorine and Guel with the rest of the Earth House and commented that Miorine had no chance against him as a non-pilot.[7]
After Suletta Mercury was arrested for using a Gundam, she talked with Nika and Martin at lunch about how she even got in with a low company like Shin Sei. Chuchu loudly bemoaned the Spacians for repressing the Earthians, not caring if anyone overhears them. When two girls tried to force the group to move from their table, Chuchu attempted to push back, but Nika said the three of them would leave. Even after the girls spit into Nika's food and Chuchu tried to stand up for her, Nika left and told them to follow without breaking her smile, much to Chuchu's confusion and frustration.[8]
She later watched Suletta's rematch against Guel with the rest of the Earth House. When Suletta began turning the tide, she cheered for her to crush the Spacian, although Martin reminded her that she was not from Earth either.[9] After the duel ended with Suletta rejecting Guel's marriage proposal, Chuchu bemoaned how the entire duel was the result of a lovers' quarrel and that Spacians led overly carefree lives.
The Spotting Exam[]
Chuchu readied to take the spotting exam with her Demi Trainer, with Nika and Nuno providing support. She began dashing through the course and remarked how easy it was, but a black paint spread over her Demi Trainer's camera and blocked her vision, causing her to fall down a slope onto a landmine and fail the exam. Upon existing the cockpit, she discovered a slow-acting masking spray and vowed to pummel the person who did it.
Afterwards, when heading back to the Earth House, she spotted Suletta talking with the others and lashed out in frustration for her being a Spacian, slamming a wrench against a wall hard enough to dent it. She threw the wrench at Suletta and yelled at her to leave the House while Nika and Lilique tried to restrain her. Chuchu told her to never set foot there again, and Suletta ran off frightened.
Later that night, she talked on a video call with some older workers she knew on Earth. They asked her how she was doing, and she replied that she held her own and even fought off a gang of Spacians yesterday. She tried to ask about the recent suppression of an Earth factory rally on the news, but they told her to not worry about them and to concentrate on her studies and craft operating, which she thanked them for.
The next morning, she spotted Suletta and Miorine readying to take the spotting exam. She tried to yell at Suletta again for showing up to their House and using Miorine, and Nika tried to calm her down. Miorine told Chuchu it was wrong to take out her frustrations with Spacians on Suletta, which was no better than how they treated Earthians like her.
When Suletta was taking the exam and said her monitor went dark, Chuchu noticed two girls watching and congratulating each other. Though initially frustrated at Suletta's retakes holding her up, Chuchu heard both her breaking down in tears after her repeated failures and Miorine reminding her of the hopes and goals Suletta had for the Mercurians. After hearing the two girls making fun of Suletta, she rushed out of her cockpit and knocked one of them out with a single punch. She yelled at the other for bullying someone like Suletta, saying she was carrying the hopes of others. She started a fistfight with her, which Nuno and Suletta tried to break up. After the other girl inadvertently hit Suletta, Chuchu punched her in the face.
After the fight, Chuchu was frustrated that she and Suletta both have to take a make-up exam. Nika offered Suletta the chance to join the Earth House, and before Chuchu could lash out again, Nika calmed her down with a soft smile. Chuchu reluctantly backed off and accepted Suletta, but only on the condition that she addressed her as a senior, even though she herself was a grade below her.[1]
The Earth House and GUND-ARM, Inc.[]
When the girls of the Earth House talked about Elan asking Suletta on a date, Chuchu said she found him obnoxious and would kick him to the curb in her position. She and the rest of the house helped Suletta prepare the Aerial for the date. When the House watched the duel between Guel and Elan, Miorine commented that she wished they wpuld both destroy each other, to which Chuchu called her mean-spirited.[10] When the Earth House had to prepare a thruster for Suletta's duel with Elan, she worried whether they could make the scraps work, but Chuchu told her to never doubt Nika's abilities. She provided logistical support with the others and cheered at Suletta's victory[11]
After Miorine's sucessful pitch for GUND-ARM, Inc. at the Incubation Party, Chuchu was incredulous that she was able to get support for a Gundam company. Miorine walked in and declared that the company would be set up at the Earth House, much to Chuchu's bewilderment. The next day, she took out her frustrations on a metal pipe during a class exercise and vented to Nika and Nuno over why they should accept Miorine forcing them to work for her. Nika responded it could help them earn respect from the Spacians, which only made Chuchu angrier and caused her Demi to slip and break the pipe.
When the Earth House debated whether to use the company to sell weapons, Chuchu said she was fine with it so long as they only sold them to the Earthians. Martin said that unrealistic for them as a member of the Benerit Group, and Chuchu accused him of siding with the Spacians. Chuchu asked if Nika was okay with them making mobile weapons that the Spacians could use, and she could not muster a response. Miorine initially said the others could leave if they did not want to sell weapons. but Chuchu responded that she was the one who should leave if she was not going to listen to them. Miorine relented and delegated tasks to everyone, assigning Chuchu to the PR video group before leaving to develop a company plan, and Chuchu bemoaned her for being bossy.
After helping with the video production, Chuchu was exhausted with the rest of the Earth House. She told the others about the many people she knew in her hometown who lost limbs in mining accidents, and that nothing would make her feel better than if she could make money and use GUND-ARM's medical technology to help her family.[6]
Chuchu was angry after Shaddiq moved to shut their company down. She encouraged the others to ignore the order and continue, but Lilique reminded her that could get them expelled. At a meeting where the House discussed how to get enough pilots for the upcoming duel, Chuchu wondered in frustration where Nika ran off to.
In the duel against Grassley House, Chuchu moved behind from the rest of the Earth pilots in her Demi Trainer to set up a sniping position, but Shaddiq challenged her in his Michaelis. Chuchu tried to evade his attacks, but she was caught off-guard by the Michaelis' detachable claw, which cut off her Demi's sniping arm. She attempted to beat the Michaelis by swinging the broken arm and rifle like a club, yelling at Shaddiq to not underestimate the Earth House, but he shot off the Demi's legs and left her MS immobilized.
However, after Shaddiq concentrated his group's attack on the Aerial, the other Earth House Zoworts used their remaining power to help lift Chuchu's Demi Trainer and position her. She used her remaining arm to snipe the head of Shaddiq's Michaelis before it cpuld finish off the Aerial, winning the duel for the Earth House. Chuchu gloated at Shaddiq for underestimating them, and she celebrated the victory with the rest of the House later that night.[12]
Chuchu helped GUND-ARM, Inc. over the next two weeks. She angrily called Suletta to remind her she was late for their upcoming technology test. After Suletta successfully tested their mobile leg walker on an obstacle course and then joked about forgetting to reserve a location for their upcoming promo video, Chuchu smiled and laughs so hard she began coughing.[13]
Chuchu accompanied the rest of the Earth House when they travelled to Plant Quetta to pick up the Aerial. She asked Suletta if she wanted to come with her to see Miorine and Nika on the bridge, but she declined. When alarms began sounding at the plant, Chuchu wondered if it was because of a terrorist attack.[14] When the Dawn of Fold blew up several ships and a mobile suit near their hangar, she fled their ship with the rest of the House.[15]
Post-Quetta and the Rumble Ring[]
Everyone in the Earth House was shaken after the Quetta Attack, but the school administration forced the Earth students to not discuss it under threat of expulsion. Chuchu grumbled at how all the other students look happy setting up for the Open Campus event while remaining ignorant of what happened at the Plant. Even after Martin said it was not their fault, she remained enraged that they were all nearly killed in an act of terrorism but could not do anything about it.
Chuchu helped the Earth House set up a booth at the fair and cursed out at Petra and Felsi for insulting Suletta ahead of the upcoming Rumble Ring, The group wondered where Nika ran off to, and she was again frustrated that she could not even contact her.[16] The next day, she headed to their ship hangar with Till and was shocked at the extent of the damage from Nika's "accident".
Chuchu participated in the Rumble Ring on behalf of the Earth House with Suletta and Elan, although she first had to refocus herself for the event. During the battle royal, she readied to fire back at Sabina as payback for her mobile suit getting damaged in her prior duel with Grassley, but she struggled to pull the trigger and aim as she flashed back to seeing the explosions and deaths at the Quetta attack .
As Norea and Sophie began attacking during the Rumble, Norea attempted to shoot at Chuchu's cockpit, which she evaded but called her out for aiming a lethal shot. Amidst the chaos and taking heavy fire from a Gundvolva, Chuchu nearly lost herself in an intense rage and vowed to kill all of the attackers singlehandedly, even if it meant her death. However, she snapped out of it when she heard Felsi crying out for help as Lauda lay injured. Chuchu moved her Demi Trainer in to save them both and destroyed a Gundvolva that was approaching them, though she yelled at Felsi to take her crying elsewhere.[5]
Helping the Earth House[]
The Earth House was questioned and cleared regarding the attack, but they were told Nika was held captive by the Front Management Company. In their dorm, Chuchu picked up a wrench and yelled that she was going to break Nika out herself, and Suletta and Lilique held her back as the others reminded her their house was still under a temporary suspension. When a group of students began spray-painting their House and lashing out at the Earthians, Chuchu attempted to fight them, but Martin ordered them to leave and Miorine captured evidence of them instigating. When Miorine informed the House that she learned that Nika was taken by an outside party but was still waiting for details before doing anything more, Chuchu said she understood and thanked Miorine for her help.[17]
Chuchu and the rest of the House provided logistical support for Suletta in her third duel against Guel. When they were forced to send out the Aerial with some parts still missing, Chuchu bemoaned Nika's continued absence. She cheered Suletta during the duel, but she was left stunned when Suletta lost for the first time.[18]
In the days afterwards, Chuchu and the other Earth House members noticed Suletta distracting herself to cope with Miorine betraying her. She sat near Suletta as she tended Miorine's greenhouse and asked why she was not angrier with Miorine for ditching her and acting selfish. Suletta said it was her own fault and not Miorine's, which shocked Chuchu. Lauda, arriving with Petra and Felsi, berated Suletta for remaining at the greenhouse despite her breakup and said she was unneeded, to which Chuchu grabbed and readied to punch him.
However, Lauda said he was not here to fight her and instead thanked Chuchu for saving his life during the Rumble Ring. Felsi also thanked her as the three departed, leaving Chuchu bewildered and angry that they even stopped by. Suletta further berated herself and said her affection towards Miorine was a mistake, but Chuchu told her she was wrong and pulled up Suletta by the collar, saying she was going to take her to see Miorine.
Chuchu ordered Martin to keep watch over the house while she and the rest took Suletta to the Benerit offices. Suletta said she was fine and had moved past Miorine, but Chuchu flicked her head and said she would not stand for Suletta lying to herself about her pain, and she encouraged her to confront Miorine directly to express her feelings. As the rest of the house readied to leave, Till and Aliya noted their surprise that Chuchu was trying to talk things out rather than fighting. Chuchu said she was trying to act more like how Nika would and that, after the Jeturk students thanked her, she was starting to understand her ideals better.
When the group arrived, Chuchu was angered at a Haro for asking them to schedule an appointment, but they soon helped Suletta put on a normal suit to visit Miorine, though they were confused at why she needed one.[19]
After Suletta fell into a deep depression and refused to come out of her room, Chuchu was frustrated that the House's plan for her to confront Miorine had backfired. The next morning, Chuchu caught Suletta eating from the House fridge and dragged her out to have breakfast with the rest of them. After the other members welcomed Suletta and got her to eat and smile again, Chuchu was satisfied and encouraged everyone to begin the meal.
However, Martin returned and confessed that he had reported Nika to the Front Management Company. Chuchu yelled and refused to believe him at first, but he confirmed that she was cooperating with the Dawn of Fold. Suletta responded that Nika was trying to stop Sophie and Norea from destroying Asticassia, but Chuchu was still angered that Nika had lied to them all, and she wondered how she could bring herself to forgive her. Lilique said that even though it was not the best way, it was the only choice Martin had, though Chuchu was still sullen over the revelation.[20]
Asticassia Massacre[]
Chuchu was with the Earth House as Norea used her Gundam and the Gundvolvas to open fire on the school. She witnessed her blast and melt the Earth House dorm, including her Demi Trainer. Chuchu yelled at Norea for destroying it but evacuated with the rest of the House to the bunkers. As they were sheltering, Chuchu bemoaned that she could not get out there to help with her Demi now destroyed, but Lilique said it would not do any good. Chuchu argued that they were not safe hiding in the bunkers, but Lilique begged her to stay so she would not get killed. However, Secilia interrupted that since their chances of survival were so low, she may as well let "Pom-Pom Head" use Burion's Demi Barding Prototype to help hold off the attack as long as possible, and she offered it to the group.
When Nika arrived at the bunker, Chuchu readied to confront her, but Martin held her back and ordered Nika to help calibrate the Barding for Chuchu. As Nika prepared the suit in the cockpit with Chuchu, she apologized that it was her fault the attack was happening and that Chuchu would have to risk her life fighting. Chuchu asked how she could possibly forgive her, but she then asked Nika to tell her everything she knew after the battle was over so she could at least know what to forgive her for, and Nika promised she would. When Felsi was taking fire from the three Gundvolvas, Chuchu flew in with the Barding and shot off one of their heads. She ordered Felsi to help her destroy as many of them as they could, and Felsi agreed, though the two made jabs at each other. As the battle wore on, Chuchu was surrounded with Felsi and prepared to make a last stand swinging her rifle like a club, but she was surprised when the Gundvolvas went offline. In the aftermath of the massacre, Chuchu used the Barding to help clear the rubble for the rescue operators, though she recoiled upon seeing more students dead underneath.[2]
Chuchu helped the Earth House with recovery efforts around campus, including distributing tomatoes to the two girls she had knocked out in a fistfight. When Guston approached Suletta, Chuchu confronted him and asked why a bureaucrat wanted to get involved with them all. When the Earth House talked with Guston and Belmeria about Quiet Zero, Chuchu was shocked that the data storm could potentially take over all Permet machinery. When Suletta said she wanted to talk to her mother and Ericht one more time even if it meant piloting the Calibarn, Chuchu objected and asked if she really had to pilot it, but Suletta committed to doing what she could to help.
When Guston announced that they had pinpointed Quiet Zero's location after it destroyed a League fleet, Chuchu ordered him to take the Earth House along, although he objected to her calling him an "old man." Chuchu told Suletta she was still opposed to the idea, but that was all the more reason they had to make sure she was not alone. [21]
Battle Against Quiet Zero[]
Before the Earth House and a few students left for the Benerit Headquarters, Chuchu begged for Secelia to let her borrow the Demi Barding. She was surprised when Secelia accepted, though she told her that the Earth House would have to cover any damage and repair costs. Martin was worried about the price, but Chuchu reproached him and said it was bearable if it meant helping Suletta.
When Miorine reunited with the rest of the Earth house and Suletta, Chuchu refused to look her in the eye and said they did not come for her. However, she still encouraged Miorine to visit her father now that he had finally awoken from his coma. Chuchu worked with Nika to configure the Demi Barding with a separate control unit to make the unit Permet-free to resist the GUND format. She and Nika readied to pilot the Barding together with a passenger pod, hoping to bring them through the Data Storm and into Quiet Zero as it approached[22].
After evading an attack from Lauda, Chuchu and Nika disabled the Barding's permet links, enabling them to pass through the Data Storm despite difficulties balancing the craft. The Barding was soon surrounded by Gundnode drones, but an unknown intervention temporarily disabled the drones, and they piloted the craft into Quiet Zero. Chuchu was ready to rush in with the group, but was forced to take cover once armed Haro drones cut their entrance off. The advance group was able to proceed, although she was shocked Elan had managed to sneak a gun with him, and she remained behind with the others until the drones were disabled [23].
Chuchu was captured along with the others by Godoy and the operators of Quiet Zero, but Miorine and Suletta intervened by dissolving the Benerit Group and using the Gundams to disable the League's weapons. She and Nika piloted the Barding to carry everyone away as the station broke apart and helped Miorine rescue Suletta floating in space[24].
A.S. 125[]
Maintenance Work[]
After Quiet Zero, Chuchu took a job working on colony maintenance. She berated Rouji about him adjusting the settings on her mobile craft and was more frustrated when he reminded her that she was breaking a workplace policy. She was unable to greet Nika on her release from prison, but she later reunited with her and the rest of her former Earth House classmates, and they all greeted Suletta and Miorine on the Earth[24].
Gallery[]
Appearances[]
- Television Series
- Mobile Suit Gundam the Witch from Mercury
- Episode 1, The Witch and the Bride
- Episode 2, Cursed Mobile Suit
- Episode 3, Guel's Pride
- Episode 4, Unseen Trap
- Episode 5, Reflection in an Icy Eye
- Episode 6, A Gloomy Song
- Episode 8, Their Choice
- Episode 9, If I Could Take One More Step Toward You
- Episode 10, Circling Thoughts
- Episode 11, The Witches from Earth
- Episode 12, Keep Marching on Instead of Running Off
- Episode 13, Envoys from the Earth
- Episode 14, What They Wish For
- Episode 16, Cycle of Sin
- Episode 17, Precious Things
- Episode 18, Our Empty Selves
- Episode 19, Not the Best Way
Notes & Trivia[]
- Chuchu refers to Nika as "Nika-nee," which is an honorific shorthand of "Oneesan/chan" connoting an older sister or female peer.
- Chuatury's nickname and hairstyle may be a reference to Chu-Chu from Revolutionary Girl Utena.
References[]
- ↑ 1.0 1.1 1.2 Mobile Suit Gundam the Witch from Mercury Episode 4, Unseen Trap
- ↑ 2.0 2.1 Mobile Suit Gundam the Witch from Mercury Episode 20, The End of Hope
- ↑ 3.0 3.1 Mobile Suit Gundam THE WITCH FROM MERCURY Official Site (2022-09-20). “WORLD”
- ↑ 4.0 4.1 4.2 Chuatury Panlunch|Mobile Suit Gundam THE WITCH FROM MERCURY Official Site (2022-09-20).
- ↑ 5.0 5.1 Mobile Suit Gundam the Witch from Mercury Episode 14, What They Wish For
- ↑ 6.0 6.1 Mobile Suit Gundam the Witch from Mercury Episode 8, Their Choice
- ↑ Mobile Suit Gundam the Witch from Mercury Episode 1, The Witch and the Bride
- ↑ Mobile Suit Gundam the Witch from Mercury Episode 2, Cursed Mobile Suit
- ↑ Mobile Suit Gundam the Witch from Mercury Episode 3, Guel's Pride
- ↑ Mobile Suit Gundam the Witch from Mercury Episode 5, Reflection in an Icy Eye
- ↑ Mobile Suit Gundam the Witch from Mercury Episode 6, A Gloomy Song
- ↑ Mobile Suit Gundam the Witch from Mercury Episode 9, If I Could Take One More Step Toward You
- ↑ Mobile Suit Gundam the Witch from Mercury Episode 10, Circling Thoughts
- ↑ Mobile Suit Gundam the Witch from Mercury Episode 11, The Witches from Earth
- ↑ Mobile Suit Gundam the Witch from Mercury Episode 12, Keep Marching on Instead of Running Off
- ↑ Mobile Suit Gundam the Witch from Mercury Episode 13, Envoys from the Earth
- ↑ Mobile Suit Gundam the Witch from Mercury Episode 16, Cycle of Sin
- ↑ Mobile Suit Gundam the Witch from Mercury Episode 17, Precious Things
- ↑ Mobile Suit Gundam the Witch from Mercury Episode 18, Our Empty Selves
- ↑ Mobile Suit Gundam the Witch from Mercury Episode 19, Not the Best Way
- ↑ Mobile Suit Gundam the Witch from Mercury Episode 21, What We Can Do Now
- ↑ Mobile Suit Gundam the Witch from Mercury Episode 22, The Woven Path
- ↑ Mobile Suit Gundam the Witch from Mercury Episode 23, Unrelenting Tenderness
- ↑ 24.0 24.1 Mobile Suit Gundam the Witch from Mercury Episode 24, May All Blessings Find Their Way to You, I'm Wishing It