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|'''[[Mooks]]''' throughout the franchise. It usually ends badly for them.}} |
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|'''[[Mooks]]''' throughout the franchise. It usually ends badly for them.}} |
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The franchise bearing the name '''Gundam''' can be considered the [[Anime]] equivalent of ''[[Star Trek]]''. In 1979, a planned 52-episode series got cut down to 43 due to low [[Ratings]], ''[[Mobile Suit Gundam]]'' (''Kidou Senshi Gundam'' in Japanese) became easily one of the two most well-known and long-running series of the [[Humongous Mecha]] genre (the other most well-known being ''[[Macross]]'') Created by [[Yoshiyuki Tomino]], it's a veritable merchandising empire encompassing manga and video game tie-ins, plastic models and toys, ([http://aeug.blogspot.com/2007_05_01_archive.html#2850537631007634108 theme park rides] and [http://aeug.blogspot.com/2007_07_01_archive.html#7388144419372959180 race team sponsorships]). The comparisons to [[Star Trek]] line up in the rousing success of reruns, movies and the sequel series ''[[Mobile Suit Zeta Gundam|Zeta Gundam]]'', which solidified its status as a franchise, and where a western show would have a [[Trekkie]], a Japanese show is likely to include a ''Gundam'' fanatic. Theme-wise, however, the franchise could be considered an antithesis of what Roddenberry's work represented: Where the future of ''Star Trek'' is one of peaceful idealistic explorers meet strange and exotic aliens, the future of ''Gundam'' is one where mankind rarely reaches beyond Jupiter and continues to kill eachother in new and horrifying ways, never meeting any species that did not originate on Earth that weren't created by humans. |
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The franchise bearing the name '''Gundam''' can be considered the [[Anime]] equivalent of ''[[Star Trek]]''. In 1979, a planned 52-episode series got cut down to 43 due to low [[Ratings]],{{context|reason=why is this sentene here? Was Gundam the series that had low ratings? Did Gundam replace the series that had low ratings? Or is this here for some other reason entirely?}} ''[[Mobile Suit Gundam]]'' (''Kidou Senshi Gundam'' in Japanese) became easily one of the two most well-known and long-running series of the [[Humongous Mecha]] genre (the other most well-known being ''[[Macross]]'') Created by [[Yoshiyuki Tomino]], it's a veritable merchandising empire encompassing manga and video game tie-ins, plastic models and toys, [http://aeug.blogspot.com/2007_05_01_archive.html#2850537631007634108 theme park rides], and [http://aeug.blogspot.com/2007_07_01_archive.html#7388144419372959180 race team sponsorships]. The comparisons to ''[[Star Trek]]'' line up in the rousing success of reruns, movies and the sequel series ''[[Mobile Suit Zeta Gundam|Zeta Gundam]]'', which solidified its status as a franchise, and where a Western show would have a [[Trekkie]], a Japanese show is likely to include a ''Gundam'' fanatic. Theme-wise, however, the franchise could be considered an antithesis of what Roddenberry's work represented: Where the future of ''Star Trek'' is one of idealistic explorers who meet strange and exotic aliens, the future of ''Gundam'' is one where mankind rarely reaches beyond Jupiter and continues to kill each other in new and horrifying ways, never meeting any species that did not originate on Earth ''and'' weren't created by humans. |
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Gundam effectively invented the [[Real Robot]] genre, depicting [[A Mech by Any Other Name|mobile suits]] as mass-produced machines of war similar to planes or tanks, rather than unique creations solely responsible for defending against enemies. Of course, its [[Super Robot]] roots remain in the Gundams themselves -- unique mobile suits (typically [[Super Prototype|Super Prototypes]] or [[Ace Custom]] units) piloted by the main character(s) and the focus of much of the show. |
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''Gundam'' effectively invented the [[Real Robot]] genre, depicting [[A Mech by Any Other Name|mobile suits]] as mass-produced machines of war similar to planes or tanks, rather than unique creations solely responsible for defending against enemies. Of course, its [[Super Robot]] roots remain in the Gundams themselves -- unique mobile suits (typically [[Super Prototype|Super Prototypes]] or [[Ace Custom]] units) piloted by the main character(s) and the focus of much of the show. |
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One of the most noticeable quirks of the Gundam metaseries is its prolific use of [[Alternate Universe|Alternate Universes]]; by 2021, there are ten "main" Gundam anime universes (at least two of which are actually branches of another timeline), which are identified by the name of [[Alternate Calendar|the calendar they use]], and a handful<ref>Due to ambiguity about which of these take place in the same universe and how the various ''[[SD Gundam]]'' works are divided, the exact number is difficult to work out.</ref> of much less serious spinoffs in their own universes with no given calendar system given: |
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One of the most noticeable quirks of the Gundam metaseries is its prolific use of [[Alternate Universe|Alternate Universes]]; by 2022, there are eleven "main" Gundam anime universes (at least two of which are actually branches of another timeline), which are identified by the name of [[Alternate Calendar|the calendar they use]], and a handful<ref>Due to ambiguity about which of these take place in the same universe and how the various ''[[SD Gundam]]'' works are divided, the exact number is difficult to work out.</ref> of [[Lighter and Softer|much less serious]] spinoffs in their own universes with no given calendar system given: |
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<tabber>Universal Century (UC)= |
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Universal Century (UC)= |
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== The One Year War == |
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== The One Year War == |
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* ''[[Mobile Suit Gundam]]'' (1979 TV series, recut in 1981 and 1982 into three [[Compilation Movie|Compilation Movies]]): In UC 0079, [[The Empire|the Principality of Zeon]] fights a war of "independence"<ref> More like conquest of the Earth and other colonies.</ref> against [[The Federation|the Earth Federation]], the initial skirmishes killing off half the human population. The story follows the [[Ragtag Bunch of Misfits|refugee crew]] of the Earth Federation ship the ''White Base'' (and its load of [[Super Prototype]] mobile suits) as they battle their way through the latter half of what would later be called the One Year War. What set this series apart as [[Real Robot]] was the large scale military use of mecha, the in-depth technical specifications of the future technology and the depiction that both the Federation and Zeon had good and bad people fighting for them, rather than one side of [[Heroes]] and one side of faceless evil [[Mook|mooks]]. |
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* ''[[Mobile Suit Gundam]]'' (1979 TV series, recut in 1981 and 1982 into three [[Compilation Movie|Compilation Movies]]): In UC 0079, [[The Empire|the Principality of Zeon]] fights a war of "independence"<ref> More like conquest of the Earth and other colonies.</ref> against [[The Federation|the Earth Federation]], the initial skirmishes killing off half the human population. The story follows the [[Ragtag Bunch of Misfits|refugee crew]] of the Earth Federation ship the ''White Base'' (and its load of [[Super Prototype]] mobile suits) as they battle their way through the latter half of what would later be called the One Year War. What set this series apart as [[Real Robot]] was the large scale military use of mecha, the in-depth technical specifications of the future technology and the depiction that both the Federation and Zeon had good and bad people fighting for them, rather than one side of [[Heroes]] and one side of faceless evil [[Mook]]s. |
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** ''[[Mobile Suit Gundam MS IGLOO]]'' (2004-2009 CGI OVA): Covers the One Year War, first from the POV of a Zeon [[Wide-Eyed Idealist]] engineer who's always in charge of testing new [[Awesome but Impractical|prototypes]], and then from the POV of a Federation battalion as they fight Zeon on Earth. |
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** ''[[Mobile Suit Gundam MS IGLOO]]'' (2004-2009 CGI OVA): Covers the One Year War, first from the POV of a Zeon [[Wide-Eyed Idealist]] engineer who's always in charge of testing new [[Awesome but Impractical|prototypes]], and then from the POV of a Federation battalion as they fight Zeon on Earth. |
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** ''[[Mobile Suit Gundam: The 08th MS Team]]'' (1996 12-episode OVA, 1998 compilation movie): A sort of [[Lower Deck Episode|Lower Deck Series]] counterpart to [[Mobile Suit Gundam]], it follows the eponymous 08th MS Team, a textbook example of [[The Squad]] (only with mobile suits), with nary a Newtype in sight. |
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** ''[[Mobile Suit Gundam: The 08th MS Team]]'' (1996 12-episode OVA, 1998 compilation movie): A sort of [[Lower Deck Episode|Lower Deck Series]] counterpart to [[Mobile Suit Gundam]], it follows the eponymous 08th MS Team, a textbook example of [[The Squad]] (only with mobile suits), with nary a Newtype in sight. |
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** ''Gundam Wing Endless Waltz: The Glory of Losers'' (2010 manga): Primarily an [[External Retcon]] of the television series, using the ''Endless Waltz''-styled versions of the Gundams and adding plot elements from the other sidestories like ''Episode Zero'' and ''Frozen Teardrop''. |
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** ''Gundam Wing Endless Waltz: The Glory of Losers'' (2010 manga): Primarily an [[External Retcon]] of the television series, using the ''Endless Waltz''-styled versions of the Gundams and adding plot elements from the other sidestories like ''Episode Zero'' and ''Frozen Teardrop''. |
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|-|After War (AW)= |
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|-|After War (AW)= |
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* ''[[After War Gundam X]]'' (1996 TV series). It deals with a variation of the UC timeline, set in a dystopian future [[After the End]]; 15 years prior to the series, the war between Earth and the Space Colonies got out of hand and the two factions [[Colony Drop|Colony Dropped]] each other into near-oblivion. While everyone fights just to survive, a group of [[Disaster Scavengers]] attempts to protect [[Psychic Powers|Newtypes]] from the rest of the world and [[Person of Mass Destruction|protect the rest of the world from them]]. It was canceled early like the original series, but that was attributed to poor scheduling rather then lack of quality. Despite relative popularity with western fans, it did not receive an official English release until 2016. |
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* ''[[After War Gundam X]]'' (1996 TV series). It deals with a variation of the UC timeline, set in a dystopian future [[After the End]]; 15 years prior to the series, the war between Earth and the Space Colonies got out of hand and the two factions [[Colony Drop|Colony Dropped]] each other into near-oblivion. While everyone fights just to survive, a group of [[Disaster Scavengers]] attempts to protect [[Psychic Powers|Newtypes]] from the rest of the world and [[Person of Mass Destruction|protect the rest of the world from them]]. It was canceled early like the original series, but that was attributed to poor scheduling rather then lack of quality. Despite relative popularity with Western fans, it did not receive an official English release until 2016. |
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** ''After War Gundam X: Under the Moonlight'' (2004-5 manga): A sequel set nine years after the anime's end, it focuses on Rick Aller, a Vulture pilot who, during a salvage competition, uncovers a black Gundam X whose cockpit contains the mysterious Newtype, Kai. In an [[Irony|ironic]] twist, the story's runaway popularity netted it an unexpected extension. |
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** ''After War Gundam X: Under the Moonlight'' (2004-5 manga): A sequel set nine years after the anime's end, it focuses on Rick Aller, a Vulture pilot who, during a salvage competition, uncovers a black Gundam X whose cockpit contains the mysterious Newtype, Kai. In an [[Irony|ironic]] twist, the story's runaway popularity netted it an unexpected extension. |
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|-|Correct Century (CC)= |
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|-|Correct Century (CC)= |
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AKA "the current calendar system", notable for being the only Gundam timeline to avert the [[Exty Years From Now]] of other timelines. |
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AKA "the current calendar system", notable for being the only Gundam timeline to avert the [[Exty Years From Now]] of other timelines. |
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* ''[[Mobile Suit Gundam 00]]'' (2007 TV Series, 2009-10 compilation movies): The first Gundam series to be split into two explicit seasons (of 25 episodes each), with a six month real-time (and four year in-universe) gap between them. The first season deals with the mysterious group known as Celestial Being who, armed with [[Bigger Stick|Gundams]], announce their plan to end war on planet Earth [[Well-Intentioned Extremist|by killing anyone and everyone who starts one]]. The second season deals the fallout of [[The Reveal]] at the end of the first season, with Celestial Being struggling to put their hijacked plan back on track, and the ''true'' purpose of Celestial Being coming to the fore -- and becoming another point of conflict. |
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* ''[[Mobile Suit Gundam 00]]'' (2007 TV Series, 2009-10 compilation movies): The first Gundam series to be split into two explicit seasons (of 25 episodes each), with a six month real-time (and four year in-universe) gap between them. The first season deals with the mysterious group known as Celestial Being who, armed with [[Bigger Stick|Gundams]], announce their plan to end war on planet Earth [[Well-Intentioned Extremist|by killing anyone and everyone who starts one]]. The second season deals the fallout of [[The Reveal]] at the end of the first season, with Celestial Being struggling to put their hijacked plan back on track, and the ''true'' purpose of Celestial Being coming to the fore -- and becoming another point of conflict. |
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** ''[[Gundam 00: Awakening of the Trailblazer|A Wakening of the Trailblazer]]'' (2010) is a movie that concludes the ''00'' timeline. Taking place two years after the end of the series, it will feature Celestial Being's plan coming into its final and most important stage: [[Arc Words|"the dialogues to come"]]. Making this movie particularly interesting is the first appearance of an alien species in the ''Gundam'' franchise. |
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** ''[[Gundam 00: Awakening of the Trailblazer|A Wakening of the Trailblazer]]'' (2010) is a movie that concludes the ''00'' timeline. Taking place two years after the end of the series, it will feature Celestial Being's plan coming into its final and most important stage: [[Arc Words|"the dialogues to come"]]. Making this movie particularly interesting is the first appearance of an extant alien species in the ''Gundam'' franchise. |
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** A number of manga and photonovel sidestories also exist, detailed on [[Gundam 00 Sidestories|their own page]]. |
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** A number of manga and photonovel sidestories also exist, detailed on [[Gundam 00 Sidestories|their own page]]. |
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|-|Advanced Generation (AG)= |
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|-|Advanced Generation (AG)= |
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* ''[[Mobile Suit Gundam AGE]]'' TV Series (2011) A series aimed at much younger audiences, featuring three generations of protagonists. |
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* ''[[Mobile Suit Gundam AGE]]'' TV Series (2011) A series aimed at much younger audiences, featuring three generations of protagonists. |
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|-|Regild Century (RC)= |
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|-|Regild Century (RC)= |
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* ''[[Gundam Reconguista in G]]'' (2014 TV Series, 2019+ movies) Set after the Universal Century and Correct Century timelines, mankind seeks to rebuild ''again'' when a conflict around Photon Batteries leads to a greater conflict. |
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* ''[[Gundam Reconguista in G]]'' (2014 TV Series, 2019+ movies): Set after the Universal Century and Correct Century timelines, mankind seeks to rebuild ''again'' when a conflict around Photon Batteries leads to a greater conflict. |
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|-|Post Disaster (PD)= |
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|-|Post Disaster (PD)= |
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* ''[[Mobile Suit Gundam IRON-BLOODED ORPHANS]]'' (2015 TV Series) 300 years after the apocalypse, a mercenary company staffed by disposable [[Child Soldier]] orphans accepts a contract to aid a Martian rebellion. The first series to receive an English dub and broadcast while the original was still airing. |
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* ''[[Mobile Suit Gundam IRON-BLOODED ORPHANS]]'' (2015 TV Series): 300 years after the apocalypse, a mercenary company staffed by disposable [[Child Soldier]] orphans accepts a contract to aid a Martian rebellion. The first series to receive an English dub and broadcast while the original was still airing. |
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|-|Gunpla related series= |
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|-|Ad Stella (AS)= |
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* ''[[Mobile Suit Gundam: The Witch from Mercury]]'' (2022 TV series): AS 122 is a future where space is ruled by [[Mega Corp]]s who feud against each other in a cold war, which one woman's revenge plot looks to turn into a hot war. |
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|-|Gunpla-related series= |
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* ''[[Model Suit Gunpla Builders Beginning G]]'' (2010 OVA) A three episode OVA made to celebrate the anniversary of gunpla ('''Gun'''dam '''Pla'''stic Models). Set in a universe where people build gunpla and then fight them in virtual reality. Despite being ''even more'' of a [[Merchandise-Driven|toy commercial]] than normal, it proved popular enough to lead to |
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* ''[[Model Suit Gunpla Builders Beginning G]]'' (2010 OVA) A three episode OVA made to celebrate the anniversary of gunpla ('''Gun'''dam '''Pla'''stic Models). Set in a universe where people build gunpla and then fight them in virtual reality. Despite being ''even more'' of a [[Merchandise-Driven|toy commercial]] than normal, it proved popular enough to lead to |
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* ''[[Gundam Build Fighters]]'' (2013 Anime): An expansion of the above concept, though in its own universe. Uses a tournament fighter format as an excuse to play homage to almost every ''Gundam'' series that existed at the time (and sell toys). |
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* ''[[Gundam Build Fighters]]'' (2013 Anime): An expansion of the above concept, though in its own universe. Uses a tournament fighter format as an excuse to play homage to almost every ''Gundam'' series that existed at the time (and sell toys). |
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** ''Gundam Breaker Mobile'' (2019 [[Allegedly Free Game|mobile game]]) A mobile spinoff to the series. Features nods and cameos from ''3'' while completely ignoring ''New''. |
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** ''Gundam Breaker Mobile'' (2019 [[Allegedly Free Game|mobile game]]) A mobile spinoff to the series. Features nods and cameos from ''3'' while completely ignoring ''New''. |
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** ''Gundam Breaker Battlogue'' (2021 OVA) An OVA consisting of six episodes (each only a few minutes long) that brings together the cast of ''Gundam Breaker 3'' and ''Gundam Breaker Mobile'' (once more completely ignoring ''New'') to fight against a petty but talented runner up of a recent Gunpla tournament. Released for free in non-Japanese regions [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xEWXBMv-w7A&list=PLJV1h9xQ7Hx8E10pELJWrAMDND3zOapLy on the franchise's official YouTube channel]. |
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** ''Gundam Breaker Battlogue'' (2021 OVA) An OVA consisting of six episodes (each only a few minutes long) that brings together the cast of ''Gundam Breaker 3'' and ''Gundam Breaker Mobile'' (once more completely ignoring ''New'') to fight against a petty but talented runner up of a recent Gunpla tournament. Released for free in non-Japanese regions [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xEWXBMv-w7A&list=PLJV1h9xQ7Hx8E10pELJWrAMDND3zOapLy on the franchise's official YouTube channel]. |
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|-|Other= |
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|-|Others= |
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* ''[[SD Gundam]]'' (1988-1993 Anime): A series of comedic shorts featuring [[Super-Deformed]] versions of the franchise's characters and (especially) mobile suits. |
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* ''[[SD Gundam]]'' (1988-1993 Anime): A series of comedic shorts featuring [[Super-Deformed]] versions of the franchise's characters and (especially) mobile suits. |
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* ''[[MS Saga: A New Dawn]]'' (2005 video game): A jRPG that's the sole ''Gundam'' video game to take place in an original timeline of its own that isn't merely an amalgam of existing universes to facilitate crossover. The plot gleefully combines every jRPG convention with every ''Gundam'' convention to create an interesting and original plot. |
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* ''[[MS Saga: A New Dawn]]'' (2005 video game): A jRPG that's the sole ''Gundam'' video game to take place in an original timeline of its own that isn't merely an amalgam of existing universes to facilitate crossover. The plot gleefully combines every jRPG convention with every ''Gundam'' convention to create an interesting and original plot. |
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{{tropenamer|The ''Gundam'' franchise is the [[Trope Namer]] for:}} |
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{{tropenamer|The ''Gundam'' franchise is the [[Trope Namer]] for:}} |
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*[[Bright Slap]] (now [[Get a Hold of Yourself, Man!]]) |
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* [[Bright Slap]] (now [[Get a Hold of Yourself, Man!]]) |
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* [[Char Clone]] |
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* [[Char Clone]] |
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*[[Colony Drop]] |
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* [[Colony Drop]] |
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*[[Ensign Newbie]] |
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* [[Ensign Newbie]] |
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*[[Gundamjack]] |
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* [[Gundamjack]] |
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*[[Minovsky Physics]] |
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* [[Minovsky Physics]] |
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*[[Mobile Suit Human]] |
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* [[Mobile Suit Human]] |
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{{franchisetropes}} |
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{{franchisetropes}} |
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*[[The Abridged Series]]: There are quite a few ''[[Gundam Abridged]]'' |
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* [[The Abridged Series]]: There are quite a few ''[[Gundam Abridged]]'' |
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*[[Absent Aliens]]: One of the hallmarks of the show is that there are no signs of extraterrestrial life, which originally made the show stand out from the pack. The only exceptions so far are ''[[Mobile Suit Gundam SEED|Gundam SEED]]'' mentioning a winged [[Space Whale]] fossil found on Jupiter in passing and ''[[Mobile Suit Gundam 00|Gundam 00]]'', which includes [[Starfish Aliens]] in [[Gundam 00: Awakening of the Trailblazer|the movie]]. |
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* [[Absent Aliens]]: One of the hallmarks of the show is that there are no signs of extraterrestrial life, which originally made the show stand out from the pack. The only exceptions so far are ''[[Mobile Suit Gundam SEED|Gundam SEED]]'' mentioning a winged [[Space Whale]] fossil found on Jupiter in passing and ''[[Mobile Suit Gundam 00|Gundam 00]]'', which includes [[Starfish Aliens]] in [[Gundam 00: Awakening of the Trailblazer|the movie]]. |
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* [[Aerith and Bob]]: There are some very strangely named characters in Gundam, there are also a scattering of people with completely mundane names. |
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* [[Aerith and Bob]]: There are some very strangely named characters in Gundam, there are also a scattering of people with completely mundane names. |
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*[[Airborne Aircraft Carrier]]: Most of the [[Cool Starship|Cool Starships]] in the series qualify as these. Particularly if you count flight-capable [[Humongous Mecha]] as 'aircraft'. |
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* [[Airborne Aircraft Carrier]]: Most of the [[Cool Starship|Cool Starships]] in the series qualify as these. Particularly if you count flight-capable [[Humongous Mecha]] as 'aircraft'. |
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*[[A Lighter Shade of Gray]]: While Gundam usually goes out of its way to show that [[Grey and Gray Morality|both sides of the conflict have good and bad people]], it's generally still the case that one side has the moral high ground. |
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* [[A Lighter Shade of Gray]]: While Gundam usually goes out of its way to show that [[Grey and Gray Morality|both sides of the conflict have good and bad people]], it's generally still the case that one side has the moral high ground. |
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*[[All There in the Manual]]: There are loads of supplements like side-stories and model kit manuals. You won't miss vital information by ignoring them... usually. |
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* [[All There in the Manual]]: There are loads of supplements like side-stories and model kit manuals. You won't miss vital information by ignoring them... usually. |
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*[[Alternate Continuity]]: TV series, movie trilogies, manga, video games, and novels all retell the same stories... and all slightly differently. |
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* [[Alternate Continuity]]: TV series, movie trilogies, manga, video games, and novels all retell the same stories... and all slightly differently. |
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*[[Alternate Universe]]: So far there's UC, FC, AW, AC, CC, CE, AD, and AG. |
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* [[Alternate Universe]]: So far there's UC, FC, AW, AC, CC, CE, AD, and AG. |
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*[[Alternative Calendar]]: Used for every series but ''[[Mobile Suit Gundam 00|Gundam 00]]'', largely to avoid having to set a definitive "[[Exty Years From Now|X years in the future]]" setting. Amusingly, the first few series (from ''[[Mobile Suit Gundam]]'' to ''[[Mobile Suit Gundam: Char's Counterattack]]'') simply filed the serial numbers off by setting them in the year "UC 00XX", where XX was the year in the 20th century that the show was released. ''[[Mobile Suit Gundam]]'', for example, was released in 1979 and set in UC 0079. |
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* [[Alternative Calendar]]: Used for every series but ''[[Mobile Suit Gundam 00|Gundam 00]]'', largely to avoid having to set a definitive "[[Exty Years From Now|X years in the future]]" setting. Amusingly, the first few series (from ''[[Mobile Suit Gundam]]'' to ''[[Mobile Suit Gundam: Char's Counterattack]]'') simply filed the serial numbers off by setting them in the year "UC 00XX", where XX was the year in the 20th century that the show was released. ''[[Mobile Suit Gundam]]'', for example, was released in 1979 and set in UC 0079. |
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*[[Anime First]]: Most ''Gundam'' animated work has been anime first, with the two exception for ''[[Mobile Suit Gundam: Char's Counterattack]]'' and ''[[Gundam Unicorn]]'', which were based on novels. See the [[Novelization]] entry below. |
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* [[Anime First]]: Most ''Gundam'' animated work has been anime first, with the two exception for ''[[Mobile Suit Gundam: Char's Counterattack]]'' and ''[[Gundam Unicorn]]'', which were based on novels. See the [[Novelization]] entry below. |
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*[[Anyone Can Die]]: The series was, after all, [[Yoshiyuki Tomino|created by a man]] who was ''nicknamed'' [[Kill'Em All]]. |
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* [[Anyone Can Die]]: The series was, after all, [[Yoshiyuki Tomino|created by a man]] who was ''nicknamed'' [[Kill'Em All]]. |
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*[[Armored Coffins]]: In the older series, there's no real way to escape from an exploding mobile suit. Some [[Super Prototype|Super Prototypes]] do have ejection seats of some form (i.e. Gundam's Core Block system), but they're typically removed from mass-produced versions. |
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* [[Armored Coffins]]: In the older series, there's no real way to escape from an exploding mobile suit. Some [[Super Prototype|Super Prototypes]] do have ejection seats of some form (i.e. Gundam's Core Block system), but they're typically removed from mass-produced versions. |
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* [[Attack Drone]]: Every continuity has them in one form or another. |
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* [[Attack Drone]]: Every continuity has them in one form or another. |
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*[[The Battlestar]]: Most warships have impressive firepower in addition to their mobile suit payload. |
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* [[The Battlestar]]: Most warships have impressive firepower in addition to their mobile suit payload. |
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*[[Bittersweet Ending]]: By far the most common sort of ending to a Gundam series. Only a handful have unambigiously happy (''[[After War Gundam X|Gundam X]]'', ''[[Mobile Suit Gundam Wing|Gundam Wing]]: Endless Waltz'') or downer (''[[Mobile Suit Zeta Gundam|Zeta Gundam]]'') endings. |
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* [[Bittersweet Ending]]: By far the most common sort of ending to a Gundam series. Only a handful have unambigiously happy (''[[After War Gundam X|Gundam X]]'', ''[[Mobile Suit Gundam Wing|Gundam Wing]]: Endless Waltz'') or downer (''[[Mobile Suit Zeta Gundam|Zeta Gundam]]'') endings. |
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*[[Canon]]: ''Gundam'' has an unusual take on this, partly because the Western definition of "canon" in regards to fiction doesn't exist in Japan. All animated works are considered "official", while [[Expanded Universe|everything else]] is "non-official". This means that the various contradictory [[Alternate Continuity]] works (namely, the TV shows and their [[Compilation Movie]] remakes) are equally "canon", while some non-animated works like ''[[Crossbone Gundam]]'' are "non-canon" despite being praised for their quality and attention to not mucking up the timeline. This makes it ''completely impossible'' to come up with any kind of "one true version" of events: see [[Continuity Snarl]] below. |
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* [[Canon]]: ''Gundam'' has an unusual take on this, partly because the Western definition of "canon" in regards to fiction doesn't exist in Japan. All animated works are considered "official", while [[Expanded Universe|everything else]] is "non-official". This means that the various contradictory [[Alternate Continuity]] works (namely, the TV shows and their [[Compilation Movie]] remakes) are equally "canon", while some non-animated works like ''[[Crossbone Gundam]]'' are "non-canon" despite being praised for their quality and attention to not mucking up the timeline. This makes it ''completely impossible'' to come up with any kind of "one true version" of events: see [[Continuity Snarl]] below. |
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* [[Cash Cow Franchise]]: Ever notice all those model kits? |
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* [[Cash Cow Franchise]]: Ever notice all those model kits? |
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* [[Char Clone]]: With the exception of the [[OVA]]s, there's at least one in every series where the original Char doesn't appear... except ''[[Mobile Suit Gundam ZZ]]'', where Char was originally ''intended'' to appear, but was scrapped when ''[[Mobile Suit Gundam: Char's Counterattack]]'' was given the green light. |
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* [[Char Clone]]: With the exception of the [[OVA]]s, there's at least one in every series where the original Char doesn't appear... except ''[[Mobile Suit Gundam ZZ]]'', where Char was originally ''intended'' to appear, but was scrapped when ''[[Mobile Suit Gundam: Char's Counterattack]]'' was given the green light. |
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* [[The Coconut Effect]]: Consciously averted. When Tomino wrote the original series, he decided to use particle-based weapons rather than lasers specifically because lasers would be invisible, instant-hit weapons and would kill a lot of the drama of battle. |
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* [[The Coconut Effect]]: Consciously averted. When Tomino wrote the original series, he decided to use particle-based weapons rather than lasers specifically because lasers would be invisible, instant-hit weapons and would kill a lot of the drama of battle. |
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*[[Collateral Angst]]: When a protagonist's love interest dies (and [[Anyone Can Die|they do]]), the writing focuses mainly on how the protagonist feels rather than the tragedy of said love interest's life being cut short. |
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* [[Collateral Angst]]: When a protagonist's love interest dies (and [[Anyone Can Die|they do]]), the writing focuses mainly on how the protagonist feels rather than the tragedy of said love interest's life being cut short. |
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*[[Colony Drop]]: The [[Trope Namer]]; Gundam series are extremely fond of dropping large objects onto targets from orbit. |
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* [[Colony Drop]]: The [[Trope Namer]]; Gundam series are extremely fond of dropping large objects onto targets from orbit. |
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*[[Companion Cube]]: Many Gundam pilots either start or come to view their Gundams this way. They may even ask their advice and then ''behave as though the Gundam has given it.'' |
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* [[Companion Cube]]: Many Gundam pilots either start or come to view their Gundams this way. They may even ask their advice and then ''behave as though the Gundam has given it.'' |
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* [[Combining Mecha]]: Comes and goes in phases. The original Gundam had the ability to separate and recombine; this was downplayed later. The CE timeline has this in spades, as the titular mecha combine with "packs" that seem expressly designed to [[Merchandise-Driven|ship more plastic models]] of the mecha. |
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* [[Combining Mecha]]: Comes and goes in phases. The original Gundam had the ability to separate and recombine; this was downplayed later. The CE timeline has this in spades, as the titular mecha combine with "packs" that seem expressly designed to [[Merchandise-Driven|ship more plastic models]] of the mecha. |
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* [[Compilation Movie]]: Gundam ''loves'' these. The television series generally get compilation movie ''trilogies'', and even some of the OAVs have gotten compilation movies of their own. |
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* [[Compilation Movie]]: Gundam ''loves'' these. The television series generally get compilation movie ''trilogies'', and even some of the OAVs have gotten compilation movies of their own. |
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*[[Convection, Schmonvection]]: Generally averted - the bigger [[Wave Motion Gun|Wave Motion Guns]] can ruin your day with even a near-miss. |
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* [[Convection, Schmonvection]]: Generally averted - the bigger [[Wave Motion Gun|Wave Motion Guns]] can ruin your day with even a near-miss. |
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*[[Cool Helmet]]: Sort of; the Gundams' iconic V crest attached to their heads. |
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* [[Cool Helmet]]: Sort of; the Gundams' iconic V crest attached to their heads. |
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*[[Cool Ship]]: The main character usually has a ship to haul his Cool Mecha around. |
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* [[Cool Ship]]: The main character usually has a ship to haul his Cool Mecha around. |
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*[[Corporal Punishment]]: The main character usually ends up on the wrong end of a punitive beatdown at least once, and that's not even counting the ''[[Get a Hold of Yourself, Man!|therapeutic]]'' beatdowns he's also likely to receive. |
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* [[Corporal Punishment]]: The main character usually ends up on the wrong end of a punitive beatdown at least once, and that's not even counting the ''[[Get a Hold of Yourself, Man!|therapeutic]]'' beatdowns he's also likely to receive. |
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*[[Crapsack World]]: The Universal Century timeline has a ''rough'' couple decades starting in UC 0079 -- the human population is cut in half over the course of a month by [[Colony Drop|Colony Drops]], [[Depopulation Bomb|nerve gas]], and [[Atomic Hate|nuclear]] attacks, and the following 20 years bring multiple repeat performances of all three. It's not until post-''[[Gundam Unicorn]]'' that things settle down, and then it's merely reduced to roughly one atrocity a generation instead of one every few years. |
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* [[Crapsack World]]: The Universal Century timeline has a ''rough'' couple decades starting in UC 0079 -- the human population is cut in half over the course of a month by [[Colony Drop|Colony Drops]], [[Depopulation Bomb|nerve gas]], and [[Atomic Hate|nuclear]] attacks, and the following 20 years bring multiple repeat performances of all three. It's not until post-''[[Gundam Unicorn]]'' that things settle down, and then it's merely reduced to roughly one atrocity a generation instead of one every few years. |
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*[[Continuity Snarl]]: By Sunrise's policy, only animated works are truly "official". However, that still makes it impossible to determine a single "real" version of events, given that the franchise's full-length TV series are usually turned into movie triologies, which are [[Alternate Continuity]] to a greater (''Zeta'''s movie trilogy retconned its entire sequel series, ''ZZ'', out of existence) or lesser (the ''Mobile Suit Gundam'' movie trilogy just removes some of the wackier [[Super Robot]] influences and replaces shoddy animation with higher quality work) extent... and yet, they're all equally canon in Sunrise's eyes. |
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* [[Continuity Snarl]]: By Sunrise's policy, only animated works are truly "official". However, that still makes it impossible to determine a single "real" version of events, given that the franchise's full-length TV series are usually turned into movie triologies, which are [[Alternate Continuity]] to a greater (''Zeta'''s movie trilogy retconned its entire sequel series, ''ZZ'', out of existence) or lesser (the ''Mobile Suit Gundam'' movie trilogy just removes some of the wackier [[Super Robot]] influences and replaces shoddy animation with higher quality work) extent... and yet, they're all equally canon in Sunrise's eyes. |
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*[[Cyber Cyclops]]: The "bad guy" mobile suits tend to have a single, [[Glowing Mechanical Eyes|glowing camera]]; they're typically referred to as "mono-eyes". |
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* [[Cyber Cyclops]]: The "bad guy" mobile suits tend to have a single, [[Glowing Mechanical Eyes|glowing camera]]; they're typically referred to as "mono-eyes". |
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* [[Dark and Troubled Past]]: Usually the main character, when they're the [[Overt Agent]] type. The [[Ordinary High School Student|Ordinary High School Students]] tend to have dark and troubled ''presents'' instead. |
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* [[Dark and Troubled Past]]: Usually the main character, when they're the [[Overt Agent]] type. The [[Ordinary High School Student|Ordinary High School Students]] tend to have dark and troubled ''presents'' instead. |
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*[[Doomed Hometown]]: The main character's hometown, frequently a space colony, is usually wrecked early in the series. Sometimes directly leads to [[Falling Into the Cockpit]]. |
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* [[Doomed Hometown]]: The main character's hometown, frequently a space colony, is usually wrecked early in the series. Sometimes directly leads to [[Falling Into the Cockpit]]. |
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*[[Downer Ending]]: Less common than the [[Bittersweet Ending]], but more common than the [[Happy Ending]]. See ''[[Mobile Suit Zeta Gundam|Zeta Gundam]]'' and ''[[Mobile Suit Gundam 0083: Stardust Memory]]''. |
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* [[Downer Ending]]: Less common than the [[Bittersweet Ending]], but more common than the [[Happy Ending]]. See ''[[Mobile Suit Zeta Gundam|Zeta Gundam]]'' and ''[[Mobile Suit Gundam 0083: Stardust Memory]]''. |
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*[[Dual-Wielding]]: Ever since the original series, the classic melee loadout for a Gundam has been a pair of beam sabers, and if there's a variation from this formula, it's usually because the suit in question is fitted with even ''more'' blades as well. |
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* [[Dual-Wielding]]: Ever since the original series, the classic melee loadout for a Gundam has been a pair of beam sabers, and if there's a variation from this formula, it's usually because the suit in question is fitted with even ''more'' blades as well. |
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*[[Energy Weapons]]: [[Frickin' Laser Beams]], [[Wave Motion Gun|Wave Motion Guns]], [[Laser Blade|Laser Blades]], and everything in between. |
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* [[Energy Weapons]]: [[Frickin' Laser Beams]], [[Wave Motion Gun|Wave Motion Guns]], [[Laser Blade|Laser Blades]], and everything in between. |
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* [[Everything's Better with Princesses]]: ''[[After War Gundam X|Gundam X]]'' is only TV series that total devoid of a princess (or a princess-in-exile, or the daughter of an important official, be it government or a scientist) in a major and/or supporting role. |
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* [[Everything's Better with Princesses]]: ''[[After War Gundam X|Gundam X]]'' is only TV series that total devoid of a princess (or a princess-in-exile, or the daughter of an important official, be it government or a scientist) in a major and/or supporting role. |
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*[[Evolutionary Levels]]: Used, subverted, and played with. Newtypes from the UC timeline are initially presented as this, but they ultimately don't seem to have much effect on the world beyond a handful of ridiculously skilled [[Ace Pilot|Ace Pilots]]. ''[[After War Gundam X|Gundam X]]'' has an ending that explicitly states Newtypes are nothing of the sort, though since it's an alternate universe it's still an open question for the UC timeline. The CE timeline's Coordinators are a mixed bag -- some of them consider themselves this, but many do not. ''[[Mobile Suit Gundam 00]]'''s Innovators are the concept played completely straight. The X-Rounders of ''[[Gundam AGE]]'' are still on the fence; on the one hand, both sides are trying to cultivate them, but one of the series' most powerful considers them to be an evolutionary ''throwback'' rather than advancement. |
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* [[Evolutionary Levels]]: Used, subverted, and played with. Newtypes from the UC timeline are initially presented as this, but they ultimately don't seem to have much effect on the world beyond a handful of ridiculously skilled [[Ace Pilot|Ace Pilots]]. ''[[After War Gundam X|Gundam X]]'' has an ending that explicitly states Newtypes are nothing of the sort, though since it's an alternate universe it's still an open question for the UC timeline. The CE timeline's Coordinators are a mixed bag -- some of them consider themselves this, but many do not. ''[[Mobile Suit Gundam 00]]'''s Innovators are the concept played completely straight. The X-Rounders of ''[[Gundam AGE]]'' are still on the fence; on the one hand, both sides are trying to cultivate them, but one of the series' most powerful considers them to be an evolutionary ''throwback'' rather than advancement. |
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*[[Executive Meddling]]: Part of the reason the franchise failed overseas. Sunrise chose to follow the successes of ''[[Gundam Wing]]'' with ''[[Mobile Suit Gundam]]'', whose dated animation and vastly different premise manage to kill the hype. Then they follow it with ''[[G Gundam]]'', which was better received, but Bandai lost favor from toy stores as they forced them to stock merchandise that nobody wanted. By the time ''[[Gundam Seed]]'' rolled around, it has neither hype or driving force from merchandise to back it up, so it was shoved into a [[Friday Night Death Slot]]. Many fans hold the opinion that, had Sunrise exported ''[[After War Gundam X|Gundam X]]'' rather than the One Year War series, ''Gundam'' might have actually hung on longer. |
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* [[Executive Meddling]]: Part of the reason the franchise failed overseas. Sunrise chose to follow the successes of ''[[Gundam Wing]]'' with ''[[Mobile Suit Gundam]]'', whose dated animation and vastly different premise manage to kill the hype. Then they follow it with ''[[G Gundam]]'', which was better received, but Bandai lost favor from toy stores as they forced them to stock merchandise that nobody wanted. By the time ''[[Gundam Seed]]'' rolled around, it has neither hype or driving force from merchandise to back it up, so it was shoved into a [[Friday Night Death Slot]]. Many fans hold the opinion that, had Sunrise exported ''[[After War Gundam X|Gundam X]]'' rather than the One Year War series, ''Gundam'' might have actually hung on longer. |
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**This can partly be explained by the fact that there's a committee that decides which ''Gundam'' works to license, meaning that cult favorites like ''[[Mobile Suit Victory Gundam|V Gundam]]'' and ''[[After War Gundam X|Gundam X]]'' [[No Export for You|would probably never be exported]] even ''if'' the franchise had hung on. The committee seems dead set on the idea that if a series was unsuccessful in Japan, it couldn't possibly be successful in foreign markets. Of course, considering the [[Merchandise-Driven|merchandise sales]] for Japan alone surpass those for the entire rest of the planet combined, odds are the suits aren't exactly crying themselves to sleep. |
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**This can partly be explained by the fact that there's a committee that decides which ''Gundam'' works to license, meaning that cult favorites like ''[[Mobile Suit Victory Gundam|V Gundam]]'' and ''[[After War Gundam X|Gundam X]]'' [[No Export for You|would probably never be exported]] even ''if'' the franchise had hung on. The committee seems dead set on the idea that if a series was unsuccessful in Japan, it couldn't possibly be successful in foreign markets. Of course, considering the [[Merchandise-Driven|merchandise sales]] for Japan alone surpass those for the entire rest of the planet combined, odds are the suits aren't exactly crying themselves to sleep. |
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*[[Expy]]: To say the franchise is addicted to this trope is an understatement. There's [[Char Clone|a Char]] in ''every single series''. |
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* [[Expy]]: To say the franchise is addicted to this trope is an understatement. There's [[Char Clone|a Char]] in ''every single series''. |
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*[[Falling Into the Cockpit]]: A popular way to select new crack Gundam pilots. |
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* [[Falling Into the Cockpit]]: A popular way to select new crack Gundam pilots. |
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*[[Fanon Discontinuity]]: Contrary to popular belief, there is no official words removing ''G-Saviour'' from Universal Century. However, its existence is generally ignored by both the fans and the creators. |
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* [[Fanon Discontinuity]]: Contrary to popular belief, there is no official words removing ''G-Saviour'' from Universal Century. However, its existence is generally ignored by both the fans and the creators. |
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*[[The Federation]]: The Earth government is usually one. |
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* [[The Federation]]: The Earth government is usually one. |
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*[[Fighter Launching Sequence]]: Pretty much everyone announces their name and which mecha they're using before launching from the [[Cool Ship]]. |
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* [[Fighter Launching Sequence]]: Pretty much everyone announces their name and which mecha they're using before launching from the [[Cool Ship]]. |
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*[[Five-Man Band]]: The Universal Century was slightly more dynamic, but it came into full swing in [[G Gundam]] and [[Gundam Wing]]. |
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* [[Five-Man Band]]: The Universal Century was slightly more dynamic, but it came into full swing in [[G Gundam]] and [[Gundam Wing]]. |
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*[[Gatling Good]]: The head gatlings, another iconic weapon for Gundam-type suits. Mostly used for dealing with small, fast threats like planes and missiles. |
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* [[Gatling Good]]: The head gatlings, another iconic weapon for Gundam-type suits. Mostly used for dealing with small, fast threats like planes and missiles. |
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* [[Get a Hold of Yourself, Man!]]: Bright Noa, the [[Team Dad]] of the UC timeline, is the king of this trope. So much so that it was originally called the [[Bright Slap]]. Used in serveral other timelines as well. |
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* [[Get a Hold of Yourself, Man!]]: Bright Noa, the [[Team Dad]] of the UC timeline, is the king of this trope. So much so that it was originally called the [[Bright Slap]]. Used in serveral other timelines as well. |
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*[[Giant Robot Hands Save Lives]] |
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* [[Giant Robot Hands Save Lives]] |
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*[[Glowing Mechanical Eyes]]: Mobile suit cameras (positioned in their heads like eyes, naturally) ''always'' glow when activated. |
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* [[Glowing Mechanical Eyes]]: Mobile suit cameras (positioned in their heads like eyes, naturally) ''always'' glow when activated. |
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*[[Grey and Gray Morality]]: Gundam is notable for rarely portraying either side of a conflict as faceless, mindless evildoers -- there are good people and bad people on all sides of a conflict. That said, the protagonists' faction will usually be [[A Lighter Shade of Grey]]. |
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* [[Grey and Gray Morality]]: Gundam is notable for rarely portraying either side of a conflict as faceless, mindless evildoers -- there are good people and bad people on all sides of a conflict. That said, the protagonists' faction will usually be [[A Lighter Shade of Grey]]. |
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*[[Gundamjack]]: Obviously, the [[Trope Namer]]. Good way to kick off the events of a given series. |
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* [[Gundamjack]]: Obviously, the [[Trope Namer]]. Good way to kick off the events of a given series. |
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* [[Heroes Prefer Swords]]: Whilst their enemies often get more exotic melee weapons, the hero's suit ''will'' have a beam sabre or two. |
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* [[Heroes Prefer Swords]]: Whilst their enemies often get more exotic melee weapons, the hero's suit ''will'' have a beam sabre or two. |
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*[[Heroic Sacrifice]]: From both throwaway and major characters; a side effect of [[Anyone Can Die]]. |
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* [[Heroic Sacrifice]]: From both throwaway and major characters; a side effect of [[Anyone Can Die]]. |
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* [[Humongous Mecha]]: Obviously. |
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* [[Humongous Mecha]]: Obviously. |
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**[[A Mech by Any Other Name]]: They're called "mobile suits" in general, though different timelines have variations like "mobile fighters", "mobile dolls", and "mobile bits". Non-humanoid versions are usually called "mobile armors". |
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** [[A Mech by Any Other Name]]: They're called "mobile suits" in general, though different timelines have variations like "mobile fighters", "mobile dolls", and "mobile bits". Non-humanoid versions are usually called "mobile armors". |
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*[[Iconic Characters]]: Char Aznable has been [[Char Clone|oft-imitated]], both in the ''Gundam'' franchise itself and in other shows. |
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* [[Iconic Characters]]: Char Aznable has been [[Char Clone|oft-imitated]], both in the ''Gundam'' franchise itself and in other shows. |
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⚫ |
* [[ Inconsistent Dub]]: In Japan, the Army and Navy use the [[Common Ranks|exact same ranking system]], which has caused a good deal of confusion over what to use in the US dubs -- for example, is [[Mobile Suit Gundam 0083: Stardust Memory|Kou Uraki]] an Ensign or 2nd Lieutenant? Typically, this is handled by treating the Space Forces as a Navy, and the rare few series that focus on ground combat forces (like ''[[Mobile Suit Gundam: The 08th MS Team]]'') use Army ranks. |
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*[[Info Dump]]: Happens in some spots, e.g. the introduction of the Specials in ''[[Gundam Wing]]''. |
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* [[Info Dump]]: Happens in some spots, e.g. the introduction of the Specials in ''[[Gundam Wing]]''. |
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*[[Idiosyncratic Episode Naming|Idiosyncratic Series Naming]]: Almost all of the Gundam TV series (as well as ''[[Mobile Suit Gundam F91]]'', which was ''[[Executive Meddling|intended]]'' as a TV series) are named after one of the protagonist's mobile suits. The [[Odd Name Out]] is ''[[Gundam Seed]]'', which doesn't contain a Seed Gundam. |
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* [[Idiosyncratic Episode Naming|Idiosyncratic Series Naming]]: Almost all of the Gundam TV series (as well as ''[[Mobile Suit Gundam F91]]'', which was ''[[Executive Meddling|intended]]'' as a TV series) are named after one of the protagonist's mobile suits. The [[Odd Name Out]] is ''[[Gundam Seed]]'', which doesn't contain a Seed Gundam. |
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*[[Latex Space Suit]]: For use by both males and females, though only pilots; other crew get bulkier, more conventional space suits. |
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* [[Latex Space Suit]]: The Normal Suits used by both males and females. These are mainly only seen on pilots; other crew get bulkier, more conventional space suits. |
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*[[Long Runner]]: 30 years and counting. [[Big Name Fan]] Burke Rukes once pointed out on his old website that if one were to watch all of Gundam from [[Mobile Suit Gundam|MSG]] to [[Turn A Gundam|Turn A]], it would take about a week, and that was ''without'' counting work, sleep, and bathroom/meal breaks. And mind you, this was long before ''[[Gundam Seed|SEED]]'', ''[[Gundam Seed Destiny|Destiny]]'', ''[[Mobile Suit Gundam 00|00]]'', and ''[[Gundam AGE|AGE]]'' came out. |
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* [[Long Runner]]: 30 years and counting. [[Big Name Fan]] Burke Rukes once pointed out on his old website that if one were to watch all of Gundam from [[Mobile Suit Gundam|MSG]] to [[Turn A Gundam|Turn A]], it would take about a week, and that was ''without'' counting work, sleep, and bathroom/meal breaks. And mind you, this was long before ''[[Gundam Seed|SEED]]'', ''[[Gundam Seed Destiny|Destiny]]'', ''[[Mobile Suit Gundam 00|00]]'', ''[[Gundam AGE|AGE]]'' etc. came out. |
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*[[Love Across Battlelines]]: A staple of the series, as part of the standard [[Love Hurts]] [[Aesop]]. |
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*[[Love Hurts]]: Very, very rarely does a romance with a Gundam pilot work out for anyone. |
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* [[Love Across Battlelines]]: A staple of the series, as part of the standard [[Love Hurts]] [[Aesop]]. |
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* [[Love Hurts]]: Very, very rarely does a romance with a Gundam pilot work out for anyone. |
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*[[Love Triangle]]: Almost all series have this! |
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* [[Love Triangle]]: Almost all series have this! |
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* [[Made of Indestructium]]: Gundams are typically made of this; in UC it's named "Gundarium" in honor of the Gundam which was the first to use it<ref>it was initially named "Lunar Titanium" in the original series, as it was an artificial alloy of Titanium discovered by Lunar scientists</ref>; in AC it's called "Gundanium" and the Gundams are named after ''it''; and in AD the Gundams use "GN Composite Armor", which is just normal armor reinforced with [[Applied Phlebotinum]]. |
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* [[Made of Indestructium]]: Gundams are typically made of this; in UC it's named "Gundarium" in honor of the Gundam which was the first to use it<ref>it was initially named "Lunar Titanium" in the original series, as it was an artificial alloy of Titanium discovered by Lunar scientists</ref>; in AC it's called "Gundanium" and the Gundams are named after ''it''; and in AD the Gundams use "GN Composite Armor", which is just normal armor reinforced with [[Applied Phlebotinum]]. |
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*[[Made of Explodium]]: Frequently what mook mecha are made out of. [[Handwaved]] in UC with [[Minovsky Physics]], but [[Gundam Wing]] (and it's classic [[Mecha Mook]] the Leo) are most infamous for it. |
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* [[Made of Explodium]]: Frequently what mook mecha are made out of. [[Handwaved]] in UC with [[Minovsky Physics]], but [[Gundam Wing]] (and it's classic [[Mecha Mook]] the Leo) are most infamous for it. |
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*[[Magitek]]: Newtype technology, designed to augment and be augmented by a pilot's [[Psychic Powers]]. |
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* [[Magitek]]: Newtype technology, designed to augment and be augmented by a pilot's [[Psychic Powers]]. |
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*[[Mask Power]]: [[The Rival]] and/or [[Char Clone]] usually wear one. |
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* [[Mask Power]]: [[The Rival]] and/or [[Char Clone]] usually wear one. |
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* [[Mecha-Mooks]]: Dozens of variants in the franchise, usually limited to two or three examples per series. The bad guys usually have one that's influenced by the original Zaku II from ''[[Mobile Suit Gundam]]'', with the "[[Gas Mask Mooks|gas mask]]" face and its iconic [[Cyber Cyclops|mono-eye]]. In fact, the word "Zaku" is even derived from "zako" which means "mook" in Japanese. |
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* [[Mecha-Mooks]]: Dozens of variants in the franchise, usually limited to two or three examples per series. The bad guys usually have one that's influenced by the original Zaku II from ''[[Mobile Suit Gundam]]'', with the "[[Gas Mask Mooks|gas mask]]" face and its iconic [[Cyber Cyclops|mono-eye]]. In fact, the word "Zaku" is even derived from "zako" which means "mook" in Japanese. |
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*[[Media Franchise]] |
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* [[Media Franchise]] |
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*[[Mega Crossover]]: The [[Gundam Fighter]] Flash game, with over 80 Gundam characters from various shows. |
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* [[Mega Crossover]]: The [[Gundam Fighter]] Flash game, with over 80 Gundam characters from various shows. |
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*[[Melee a Trois]]: First introduced in ''Zeta Gundam''. |
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* [[Melee a Trois]]: First introduced in ''Zeta Gundam''. |
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* [[Milestone Celebration]]: Happens regularly at the 10 year marks. |
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* [[Milestone Celebration]]: Happens regularly at the 10 year marks. |
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*[[Military Brat]]: Nearly all series have characters that are children of military personnel. |
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* [[Military Brat]]: Nearly all series have characters that are children of military personnel. |
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*[[Minovsky Physics]]: Yet another [[Trope Namer]], in the UC Timeline, but implemented in really every timeline more or less. |
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* [[Minovsky Physics]]: Yet another [[Trope Namer]], in the UC Timeline, but implemented in more or less every timeline that takes itself seriously. |
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*[[Merchandise-Driven]]: Much, ''much'' more money is made on Gundam modeling kits than the anime itself. |
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* [[Merchandise-Driven]]: Much, ''much'' more money is made on Gundam modeling kits than the anime itself. |
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*[[Moe Anthropomorphism]]: MS Girl is originator of Mecha Musume. |
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* [[Moe Anthropomorphism]]: MS Girl is originator of Mecha Musume. |
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*[[Mythology Gag]]: While there are often indirect references to the original series in any given show, they often take this an step further by using the ''sound effects'' of the original series; this can range from the White Base's alert klaxon, to various booster/vernier sounds, to the classic "Pfeeew!" of the RX-78-2's beam rifle. |
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* [[Mythology Gag]]: While there are often indirect references to the original series in any given show, they often take this an step further by using the ''sound effects'' of the original series; this can range from the White Base's alert klaxon, to various booster/vernier sounds, to the classic "Pfeeew!" of the RX-78-2's beam rifle. |
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*[[Novelization]]: All of anime series except ''[[After War Gundam X|Gundam X]]'' has at least one. ''Beltochika's Children'' is rather amusing case, it was originally Tomino's rejected plot of [[Mobile Suit Gundam: Char's Counterattack]] which, in turn, is adaption of Tomino's novel ''Hi-Streamer''. In other word, it's novelization of [[The Film of the Book]], with all three by same author! |
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* [[Novelization]]: All of anime series except ''[[After War Gundam X|Gundam X]]'' has at least one. ''Beltochika's Children'' is rather amusing case, it was originally Tomino's rejected plot of [[Mobile Suit Gundam: Char's Counterattack]] which, in turn, is adaption of Tomino's novel ''Hi-Streamer''. In other word, it's novelization of [[The Film of the Book]], with all three by same author! |
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*[[Nuclear Option]]: Notable for averting the [[Nuclear Weapons Taboo]]. The UC and CE timelines, in particular, are fond of throwing nukes around. UC generally treats them as dangerous and powerful weapons but not necessarily evil incarnate (the ''good guys'' use ''illegally obtained'' nuclear missiles on at least one occasion), while CE is rather less forgiving. |
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* [[Nuclear Option]]: Notable for averting the [[Nuclear Weapons Taboo]]. The UC and CE timelines, in particular, are fond of throwing nukes around. UC generally treats them as dangerous and powerful weapons but not necessarily evil incarnate (the ''good guys'' use ''illegally obtained'' nuclear missiles on at least one occasion), while CE is rather less forgiving. |
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* [[Phlebotinum Girl]]: Ubiquitous. In fact, the proposed name for the trope was "Newtype Girl". |
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* [[Phlebotinum Girl]]: Ubiquitous. In fact, the proposed name for the trope was "Newtype Girl". |
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*[[Pink Means Feminine]]: Which is why so many female pilots, from [[Zeta Gundam]] all the way through to [[Gundam AGE]], have pink mobile suits (or, at least, suits with pink highlights). |
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* [[Pink Means Feminine]]: Which is why so many female pilots, from [[Zeta Gundam]] all the way through to [[Gundam AGE]], have pink mobile suits (or, at least, suits with pink highlights). |
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*[[Poor Communication Kills]]: Does it ever. |
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* [[Poor Communication Kills]]: Does it ever. |
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*[[Psychic Children]]: Pretty much every ''[[Gundam]]'' universe, with the exceptions of ''[[G Gundam]]'', ''[[Gundam Wing]]'' and ''[[Turn A Gundam|Turn a Gundam]]'' prominently feature many youngsters with psychic powers of one kind or another, most of whom end up getting turned into as [[Child Soldiers]] because of them. |
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* [[Psychic Children]]: Pretty much every ''[[Gundam]]'' universe, with the exceptions of ''[[G Gundam]]'', ''[[Gundam Wing]]'' and ''[[Turn A Gundam|Turn a Gundam]]'' prominently feature many youngsters with psychic powers of one kind or another, most of whom end up getting turned into as [[Child Soldiers]] because of them. |
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*[[Psychic Powers]]: Newtypes and their various [[Expy|Expies]] from other timelines. |
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* [[Psychic Powers]]: Newtypes and their various [[Expy|Expies]] from other timelines. |
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*[[Real Robot]]: It invented the genre, though it's always been stuck somewhere between the [[Real Robot]] and [[Super Robot]] styles. |
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* [[Real Robot]]: It invented the genre, though it's always been stuck somewhere between the [[Real Robot]] and [[Super Robot]] styles. |
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*[[Recurring Element]]: Haro. |
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* [[Recurring Element]]: Haro. |
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*[[Red Baron]]: It's usually the enemy [[Ace Pilot|Ace Pilots]] that get awesome nicknames (starting with Char as the Red Comet), but occasionally allies do as well. Oddly, the main character almost never gets this treatment. |
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* [[Red Baron]]: It's usually the enemy [[Ace Pilot|Ace Pilots]] that get awesome nicknames (starting with Char as the Red Comet), but occasionally allies do as well. Oddly, the main character almost never gets this treatment. |
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*[[Retcon]]: Between all the [[Alternate Continuity]] versions and [[OVA|OVAs]], they're inevitable. They're usually not too bad, but exceptions (such as ''[[Mobile Suit Gundam 0083: Stardust Memory]]'''s [[Colony Drop]]) do occur. |
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* [[Retcon]]: Between all the [[Alternate Continuity]] versions and [[OVA|OVAs]], they're inevitable. They're usually not too bad, but exceptions (such as ''[[Mobile Suit Gundam 0083: Stardust Memory]]'''s [[Colony Drop]]) do occur. |
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*[[Say My Name]]: It's not a Gundam series if it doesn't have this. |
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* [[Say My Name]]: It's not a Gundam series if it doesn't have this. |
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*[[Screwed by the Network]]: Numerous examples, both in Japan and abroad. ''[[Mobile Suit Gundam]]'' was cut from a planned 52 episodes to only 39, and the staff had to beg to get an extention up to 43 in order to wrap up the series; ''[[After War Gundam X|Gundam X]]'' was left to rot in a [[Friday Night Death Slot]] and eventually cut from 49 to 39 episodes. |
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* [[Screwed by the Network]]: Numerous examples, both in Japan and abroad. ''[[Mobile Suit Gundam]]'' was cut from a planned 52 episodes to only 39, and the staff had to beg to get an extention up to 43 in order to wrap up the series; ''[[After War Gundam X|Gundam X]]'' was left to rot in a [[Friday Night Death Slot]] and eventually cut from 49 to 39 episodes. |
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*[[Sensor Suspense]]: Tends to do this by having stuff suddenly appear immediately before they come under attack. The [[Bridge Bunnies]] suddenly yelling "Heat source detected!" out of the blue usually means bad things are about to happen. |
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* [[Sensor Suspense]]: Tends to do this by having stuff suddenly appear immediately before they come under attack. The [[Bridge Bunnies]] suddenly yelling "Heat source detected!" out of the blue usually means bad things are about to happen. |
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*[[Series Mascot]]: Aside from the Gundams themselves, there are the Haros. |
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* [[Series Mascot]]: Aside from the Gundams themselves, there are the Haros. |
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* [[Sliding Scale of Gender Inequality]]: Tends to hover between "Male Superiority" and "Men are More Equal". |
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* [[Sliding Scale of Gender Inequality]]: Tends to hover between "Male Superiority" and "Men are More Equal". |
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*[[Signature Device]]: Gundams |
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* [[Signature Device]]: Gundams |
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*[[So Last Season]]: The [[Fan Nickname|Mid-Series Upgrade]] has been a staple since [[Zeta Gundam]], and even [[Mobile Suit Gundam]] had a limited version of it. |
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* [[So Last Season]]: The [[Fan Nickname|Mid-Series Upgrade]] has been a staple since [[Zeta Gundam]], and even [[Mobile Suit Gundam]] had a limited version of it. |
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*[[Space Friction]]: The aversion of this is why mobile suits have limbs. The series is not 100% consistent on remembering this however. |
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* [[Space Friction]]: The aversion of this is why mobile suits have limbs. The series is not 100% consistent on remembering this however. |
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* [[Spell My Name with an "S"]]: Whoo boy. Too many examples to list, but common to a greater or lesser extent in basically every series. The most infamous examples are probably the Principality (Duchy/Archduchy/Grand Duchy) of Zeon (Zion/Jion) and Mu (Muu/Mwu -- though thankfully no Moo) la (ra) Flaga (Fllaga/Fraga). And then there is Quattro Bajeena, whose name has on at least one occasion been translated as "Quattro Vagina", due to the katakana used in his name. |
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* [[Spell My Name with an "S"]]: Whoo boy. Too many examples to list, but common to a greater or lesser extent in basically every series. The most infamous examples are probably the Principality (Duchy/Archduchy/Grand Duchy) of Zeon (Zion/Jion) and Mu (Muu/Mwu -- though thankfully no Moo) la (ra) Flaga (Fllaga/Fraga). And then there is Quattro Bajeena, whose name has on at least one occasion been translated as "[[Octopussy|Quattro Vagina]]", due to the katakana used in his name. |
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*[[Standard Sci Fi History]]: Many series features Stage 1: Exploration and Colonization of Space. And then jump right into Stage 2: World War changing the world. |
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* [[Standard Sci Fi History]]: Many series features Stage 1: Exploration and Colonization of Space. And then jump right into Stage 2: World War changing the world. |
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*[[Stealth Pun]]: [[Big Name Fan]] Mark Simmons observed that SNRI, the rival to Anaheim Electronics, was created shortly after '''S'''u'''nri'''se bought the rights to ''Gundam''. |
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* [[Stealth Pun]]: [[Big Name Fan]] Mark Simmons observed that SNRI, the rival to Anaheim Electronics, was created shortly after '''S'''u'''nri'''se bought the rights to ''Gundam''. |
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*[[Stock Footage]]: And plenty of it. More of a problem for some series than others (the CE timeline was particularly infamous for indulging in it), and generally less of an issues in the movies and [[OVA|OVAs]]. ''[[Mobile Suit Victory Gundam]]'', ''[[Turn A Gundam|Turn a Gundam]]'', and ''[[Mobile Suit Gundam 00]]'' are also notable for largely avoiding it. There are some scenes reused (as in, you could count them on one hand), but much of the time it's a two-second clip that's only reused once, or it's just a split-second explosion to change scenes. |
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* [[Stock Footage]]: And plenty of it. More of a problem for some series than others (the CE timeline was particularly infamous for indulging in it), and generally less of an issues in the movies and [[OVA|OVAs]]. ''[[Mobile Suit Victory Gundam]]'', ''[[Turn A Gundam|Turn a Gundam]]'', and ''[[Mobile Suit Gundam 00]]'' are also notable for largely avoiding it. There are some scenes reused (as in, you could count them on one hand), but much of the time it's a two-second clip that's only reused once, or it's just a split-second explosion to change scenes. |
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*[[The Smurfette Principle]]: Partially subverted. Every series has female pilots, but they're almost always outnumbered by male ones, and (with the exception of the manga ''[[Ecole Du Ciel]]''), they're never the main character. Well, it is [[Shonen]], after all... |
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* [[The Smurfette Principle]]: Partially subverted. Every series has female pilots, but they're almost always outnumbered by male ones, and (with the exception of the manga ''[[Ecole Du Ciel]]''), they're never the main character. Well, it is [[Shonen]], after all... |
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* [[Super Prototype]]: Just about anything with the word "Gundam" in its name, and a lot without it. |
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* [[Super Prototype]]: Just about anything with the word "Gundam" in its name, and a lot without it. |
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*[[Superweapon Surprise]]: In the UC timeline, and the CE that mirrors it, mobile suits are these, with the subversion that they're used to ''attack'' instead of defend. The first Gundams in both universes are this ''again'', in that they're [[Bigger Stick]] mobile suits that catch the other side by surprise too! More typical examples also appear in most timelines, as well. |
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* [[Superweapon Surprise]]: In the UC timeline, and the CE that mirrors it, mobile suits are these, with the subversion that they're used to ''attack'' instead of defend. The first Gundams in both universes are this ''again'', in that they're [[Bigger Stick]] mobile suits that catch the other side by surprise too! More typical examples also appear in most timelines, as well. |
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*[[Sword Fight]]: Only with [[Humongous Mecha]] and [[Laser Blade|Laser Blades]]! |
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* [[Sword Fight]]: Only with [[Humongous Mecha]] and [[Laser Blade|Laser Blades]]! |
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**Save for the iconic fencing duel between [[Mobile Suit Gundam|Amuro and Char]]. Then [[Turn a Gundam|Loran and Gym]] have a sword duel as well! |
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**Save for the iconic fencing duel between [[Mobile Suit Gundam|Amuro and Char]]. Then [[Turn a Gundam|Loran and Gym]] have a sword duel as well! |
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*[[Tall, Dark and Bishoujo]]: There's at least two in a series. She's always an important female character, usually the main character's (possible or [[Canon]]) [[Love Interest]], [[The Baroness]] or the [[Team Mom]]. |
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* [[Tall, Dark and Bishoujo]]: There's at least two in a series. She's always an important female character, usually the main character's (possible or [[Canon]]) [[Love Interest]], [[The Baroness]] or the [[Team Mom]]. |
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*[[Telepathic Spacemen]]: Newtypes from the Universal Century and Innovators from Anno Domini. |
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* [[Telepathic Spacemen]]: Newtypes from the Universal Century and Innovators from Anno Domini. |
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*[[Transforming Mecha]]: Varies between series, with some series chock-full of such mecha, and others devoid of them. [[Zeta Gundam]] springs to mind as the Gundam series with the most [[Transforming Mecha]], which includes the title mech. |
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* [[Transforming Mecha]]: Varies between series, with some series chock-full of such mecha, and others devoid of them. [[Zeta Gundam]] springs to mind as the Gundam series with the most [[Transforming Mecha]], which includes the title mech. |
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* [[Translation Convention]]: Most series have their in-world written text be in English ([[Translation Train Wreck|really bad English]] in the earlier ones), suggesting everyone is actually speaking English despite being voice by a bunch of Japanese people. |
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*[[ Translation Convention]]: In Japan, the Army and Navy use the [[Common Ranks|exact same ranking system]], which has caused a good deal of confusion over what to use in the US dubs -- for example, is [[Mobile Suit Gundam 0083: Stardust Memory|Kou Uraki]] an Ensign or 2nd Lieutenant? Typically, this is handled by treating the Space Forces as a Navy, and the rare few series that focus on ground combat forces (like ''[[Mobile Suit Gundam: The 08th MS Team]]'') use Army ranks. |
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*[[Unstoppable Rage]]: In the Universal Century, Newtypes' psychic abilities are boosted by strong emotions, and an angry Newtype pilot is pretty much the scariest adversary you could ever hope (not) to face. |
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* [[Unstoppable Rage]]: In the Universal Century, Newtypes' psychic abilities are boosted by strong emotions, and an angry Newtype pilot is pretty much the scariest adversary you could ever hope (not) to face. |
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*[[Villainous Valour]]: It's not uncommon to see highly courageous behaviour from Gundam adversaries, whether ordinary mooks or major villains. |
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* [[Villainous Valour]]: It's not uncommon to see highly courageous behaviour from Gundam adversaries, whether ordinary mooks or major villains. |
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*[[The War of Earthly Aggression]]: The most recurring theme in the series, and the one that generates most conflict overall. |
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* [[The War of Earthly Aggression]]: The most recurring theme in the series, and the one that generates most conflict overall. |
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*[[Warrior Therapist]]: [[The Rival]] tends to be one, resulting in [[Talking Is a Free Action|philosophical debates]] during running mecha battles. |
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* [[Warrior Therapist]]: [[The Rival]] tends to be one, resulting in [[Talking Is a Free Action|philosophical debates]] during running mecha battles. |
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*[[Wave Motion Gun]]: There's always at least one, whether mounted on a suit, a ship, or a space station. |
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* [[Wave Motion Gun]]: There's always at least one, whether mounted on a suit, a ship, or a space station. |
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*[[When All You Have Is a Hammer]]: In the Universal Century, [[The Remnant|Neo Zeon]]'s default answer to any sufficiently serious problem is [[Colony Drop|'ram Axis into it']]. Sometimes, 'it' even extends to [[Enemy Civil War|'other people from Neo Zeon']]. |
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* [[When All You Have Is a Hammer]]: In the Universal Century, [[The Remnant|Neo Zeon]]'s default answer to any sufficiently serious problem is [[Colony Drop|'ram Axis into it']]. Sometimes, 'it' even extends to [[Enemy Civil War|'other people from Neo Zeon']]. |
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* [[Well-Intentioned Extremist]]: Most of the antagonists of a series are usually -- or at least can be argued to be -- this. |
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* [[Well-Intentioned Extremist]]: Most of the antagonists of a series are usually -- or at least can be argued to be -- this. |
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*[[White-Haired Pretty Boy]]: Char [[Char Clone|and his clones]], for the most part. |
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* [[White-Haired Pretty Boy]]: Char [[Char Clone|and his clones]], for the most part. |
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*[[With Great Power Comes Great Insanity]]: Most cyber newtypes and their alternate universe expies are not known for rationality or mental stability. |
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* [[With Great Power Comes Great Insanity]]: Most cyber newtypes and their alternate universe expies are not known for rationality or mental stability. |
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*[[World Half Full]]: ''[[Mobile Fighter G Gundam|G Gundam]]'', ''[[Mobile Suit Gundam Wing|Gundam Wing]]'', ''[[After War Gundam X|Gundam X]]'', ''[[Turn A Gundam|Turn a Gundam]]'', ''[[Mobile Suit Gundam SEED|Gundam SEED]]'', and ''[[Mobile Suit Gundam 00|Gundam 00]].'' [[Gundam Build Fighters]] and [[Gundam Build Fighters Try]] get extra points for being (possibly) {{spoiler|a sort of Gundam Valhalla}}. Subverted with a vengeance in ''[[Mobile Suit Gundam AGE|Gundam AGE]]''. |
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* [[World Half Full]]: ''[[Mobile Fighter G Gundam|G Gundam]]'', ''[[Mobile Suit Gundam Wing|Gundam Wing]]'', ''[[After War Gundam X|Gundam X]]'', ''[[Turn A Gundam|Turn a Gundam]]'', ''[[Mobile Suit Gundam SEED|Gundam SEED]]'', and ''[[Mobile Suit Gundam 00|Gundam 00]].'' [[Gundam Build Fighters]] and [[Gundam Build Fighters Try]] get extra points for being (possibly) {{spoiler|a sort of Gundam Valhalla}}. Subverted with a vengeance in ''[[Mobile Suit Gundam AGE|Gundam AGE]]''. |
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*[[Yandere]]: Started to appear in ''[[Mobile Suit Zeta Gundam|Zeta Gundam]]''. |
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* [[Yandere]]: Started to appear in ''[[Mobile Suit Zeta Gundam|Zeta Gundam]]''. |
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