Guns N’ Roses’ iconic rock anthem “Sweet Child O’ Mine” has been selected as the ending theme for Mobile Suit Gundam Hathaway: The Sorcery of Nymph Circe, the latest entry in the Gundam Hathaway film series, Bandai Namco Filmworks announced Thursday .
A special promotional trailer featuring the song is scheduled for release Monday, Feb. 2. According to the announcement, the song’s themes of tenderness and longing were chosen to reflect the emotional state of protagonist Hathaway Noa, particularly following his encounter with the mysterious young woman Gigi Andalucia .
Mobile Suit Gundam Hathaway: The Sorcery of Nymph Circe opened in Japanese theaters Friday, Jan. 30, with a global theatrical release planned for a later date. The film follows the 2021 release of Mobile Suit Gundam Hathaway, which drew widespread attention for its grounded combat sequences, subdued dialogue and psychologically driven storytelling within the long-running Gundam franchise .
Originally released in 1987, “Sweet Child O’ Mine” became Guns N’ Roses’ signature hit, reaching No. 1 on the Billboard Hot 100 in 1988. The song is widely recognized for Slash’s opening guitar riff and has endured as a cross-generational anthem. Its official music video surpassed 1 billion views on YouTube in 2019 — the first song from the 1980s to do so — and has since exceeded 1.8 billion views worldwide .
Set in the Universal Century timeline 12 years after Char’s Rebellion, the Gundam Hathaway storyline centers on Hathaway Noa, the son of Federation officer Bright Noa, who secretly leads the anti-government organization MAFTY. As Hathaway prepares an attack on the Adelaide Conference, Federation officer Kenneth Sleg mobilizes countermeasures, while Gigi’s cryptic presence complicates the motives and actions of all involved .
The film is directed by Shukou Murase, with a screenplay by Yasuyuki Muto and music composed by Hiroyuki Sawano. Animation production is handled by Bandai Namco Filmworks, with theatrical distribution by Bandai Namco Filmworks and Shochiku Co., Ltd. A U.S. release date has not yet been announced .
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Gundam fans, prepare for liftoff. Bandai Namco Filmworks has revealed a brand-new commemorative visual, “Barbatos Rises at NYC,” as the centerpiece of an unprecedented Gundam celebration at New York Comic Con 2025 and across New York City. Illustrated by Naohiro Washio, the artwork depicts the mighty Gundam Barbatos standing tall against the Manhattan skyline—an image that will symbolize this fall’s Gundam festivities.
Illustration by Naohiro Washio
From October 4–19, 2025, Gundam will transform New York into a fan paradise, combining exclusive convention events with city-wide activations, screenings, pop-ups, and giveaways.
NYCC Highlights: Meet Gundam Legends
One of the most anticipated events is the exclusive director autograph session with Tatsuyuki Nagai (Mobile Suit Gundam Iron-Blooded Orphans).
Date/Time: Thursday, October 9 @ 2:00 PM
Location: TAMASHII NATIONS Booth #2417
Tickets: Free (first 70 attendees, distributed starting at 10:00 AM)
Bonus: Signed commemorative poster featuring the Barbatos Rises at NYC visual
Attendees will also receive a generous giveaway bundle, including a Gundam Card Game promo card, headbands, balloons, an intro booklet, an Iron-Blooded Orphans mini-poster, and even a GUNPLA Trial Kit RX-78-2 Gundam.
Later that evening, fans can keep the momentum going with the Gundam Fan Meet Up (7:30 PM, Room 1E05), a casual gathering for cosplay, photos, and community bonding.
Gundam Film Festival at Japan Society
On October 11–12, Japan Society will host a two-day Gundam Film Festival, featuring English-dubbed screenings, cast appearances, and exclusive giveaways.
Highlights include:
Mobile Suit Gundam GQuuuuuuX -Beginning- (Oct. 11)
Mobile Suit Gundam Wing: Endless Waltz Special (4K remaster, Oct. 12) with a talk show featuring Mark Hildreth (voice of Heero Yuy)
Mobile Suit Gundam Hathaway (Oct. 12) with Megan Shipman (Gigi Andalucia) & Aaron B. Phillips (Kenneth Sleg) joining a live discussion
Gundam-Wrapped Buses: From Sept. 28–Oct. 12, specially wrapped Gundam buses will roam Manhattan, with select routes offering free rides.
The Gundam Base Pop-Up World Tour: From Oct. 4–19 at American Dream Mall (NJ), fans can enjoy exclusive merch, hands-on Gunpla building, Gundam card game workshops, and model-painting activities.
TAMASHII NATIONS Store New York (Times Square): Special Iron-Blooded Orphans displays, giveaways, and collectibles will be featured during the event.
What’s Next for Gundam
The NYC celebration also teases Gundam’s upcoming Japanese theatrical releases, including:
Mobile Suit Gundam Hathaway: The Sorcery of Nymph Circe (Winter 2025)
Mobile Suit Gundam Iron-Blooded Orphans Urdr-Hunt -Path of the Little Challenger- (Special Edition, Oct. 31, 2025)
With a striking new visual, exclusive fan signings, city-wide screenings, and immersive pop-ups, NYCC 2025 is set to be a Gundam experience like no other. From Barbatos towering over Manhattan to buses wrapped in Gundam glory, fans across New York will feel the series’ legendary impact like never before.
For updates and full schedules, fans can follow Gundam Info and Gundam Info NA on social media.
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See-Saw, the renowned music duo, played a significant role in the Mobile Suit Gundam SEED series by being involved in the creation of the two previous theme songs: “Anna ni Issho Datta no ni” for Mobile Suit Gundam SEED (2002) and “Kimi wa Boku ni Niteiru” for Mobile Suit Gundam SEED DESTINY (2004). Now, after a span of nearly 19 years, they are returning for their third project in the series, Mobile Suit Gundam SEED Freedom. This is an exciting comeback that fans have eagerly awaited.
Set in the Cosmic Era (C.E.), Mobile Suit Gundam SEED Freedom delves into the ongoing clash between the “Natural” humans and the genetically enhanced “Coordinators,” building upon the narratives of Mobile Suit Gundam SEED and Mobile Suit Gundam SEED DESTINY. This captivating sequel unfolds a fresh tale, set in C.E. 75, following the events of Mobile Suit Gundam SEED DESTINY.
See-Saw’s “Sarigiwa no Romantics.” will serve as Mobile Suit Gundam SEED Freedom‘s ending theme and be released as a standalone track on January 24, 2024. This single will also feature a special recording of the surprise performance of “Anna ni Issho Datta no ni” at InuFes 2019, which commemorated the 10th anniversary of FlyingDog.
In commemoration of this, the live video of “Anna ni Issho Datta no ni” performed at InuFes will be available for a limited time starting today.
SEE-SAW debuted in 1993 with Chiaki Ishikawa on vocals and Yuki Kajiura on the keyboard. 5 years After releasing their ending theme song for Mobile Suit Gundam SEED, “Anna ni Issho Datta no ni,” they went on hiatus and pursued solo careers. They reunited and held a reunion concert in 2019 in Tokyo, marking their return after a 17-year break. We received some comments from SEE-SAW regrading their work on this special ending theme and GUNDAM:
Comment from Chiaki Ishikawa (vocals):
I am surprised and grateful to have this unexpected reunion with SEED. Back then, I received valuable advice from the scriptwriter, Chiaki Morosawa, and gained many insights into creating music. For this theatrical version, I wove these experiences into the lyrics. I also had the opportunity to talk to Director Fukuda, who expanded our discussions from the individual characters’ emotions to broader topics about war, ultimately leading to a clear destination. Somehow, along the way, it feels like we’ve created something truly SEED-like. I would be delighted if it brings you joy.
Chiaki Ishikawa via press release
Comment from Yuki Kajiura (keyboard):
I am truly honored to have once again collaborated with Chiaki Ishikawa to create an ending theme for Mobile Suit Gundam SEED FREEDOM. I am delighted that See-Saw was deemed necessary for this new story, which fans have been eagerly awaiting for 20 years. It was an honor to write a song for the final scene. We hope that it will fulfill the wishes of the fans.
Yuki Kajiura via press release
Mitsuo Fukuda, Mobile Suit Gundam SEED director added,
“Firstly, thank you for the wonderful song. When I first heard it, I felt a strange sensation. The enchanting music by Ms. Kajiura and the story thematic lyrics by Ms. Ishikawa created an enchanting world, and it felt as if the world of Mobile Suit Gundam SEED from 20 years ago was seamlessly connected to the present. The emotionally stirring melody, the world-crafting arrangement, and the lyrics connecting the emotions of the characters to the listeners all soaked into my heart. I believe it perfectly captures the grandeur of the ending theme for the movie Mobile Suit Gundam SEED FREEDOM.
He continues,
The ending themes of the Mobile Suit Gundam SEED series are symbolic. “Anna ni Issho Datta no ni” was a magical song that synchronized with the theme of each episode and brought the emotion to a climax. The same can be said for “Kimi wa Boku ni Niteiru.” It’s not the anime world but the everyday words that link with the themes of each episode and touch the heart. I am confident that “Sarigiwa no Romantics” will be another beautiful song that enriches the ending of this movie.
Mitsuo Fukuda via press release
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