Mobile Suit Crossbone Gundam: Difference between revisions

[[File:Crossbone-gundam.jpg|frame]]

 

 

A [[Manga]] follow-up to the film ''[[Mobile Suit Gundam F91]]'', written by [[Yoshiyuki Tomino]] and with art by Yuuichi Hasegawa, ''Mobile Suit Crossbone Gundam'' takes place ten years after the Cosmo Babylonia war depicted in the movie and follows Tobia Arronax, a space colony-born [[Ordinary High School Student]] who, during his first visit to the [[Wagon Train to the Stars|Jupiter-sphere colonies]], becomes involved with the Crossbone Vanguard, a group of [[Space Pirate|Space Pirates]] (utilizing stolen Mobile Suits, along with two powerful [[Super Prototype]] Crossbone Gundams) who are locked in a struggle against the [[The Empire|Jupiter Empire]], an aristocracy that is secretly plotting to invade the Earth-sphere.

''[[Crossbone Gundam]],'' sometimes called ''[[Fan Nickname|Gundam F97]],'' is one of the most popular spinoffs of the ''[[Gundam]]'' franchise, on both sides of the Pacific. The general sentiment is that the series represents ''Gundam'' at its peak: characters, storytelling, action, drama, and comedy all come together well, without the concerns that usually hobble the televised chapters of the saga (such as [[Merchandise-Driven|desire to sell toys]]). The fact that it's one of the few ''Gundam'' stories handled by Tomino to avert his usual [[Kill'Em All]] ways might also be a factor.

 

* ''[[Crossbone Gundam]] Skull Heart'': Released in 2003, ten years after the original, the series consists primarily of short vignettes detailing the adventures of the Crossbone Vanguard three years after the original manga, with a few trips into the past to see [[Badass Grandpa]] Umon when he was a rookie in the [[Mobile Suit Gundam|One-Year War]], and to explain how narrator Twink met the crew.

* ''[[Crossbone Gundam]]: The Steel Seven'': Released in 2006, ''Steel Seven'' introduces Bernadette's step-mother Europa, who flees to Earth to warn the Vanguard that the Jupiter Empire is building "Zeus' Wrath", a giant [[Wave Motion Gun|colony laser]] in order to destroy Earth. Tobia must race against time and agents of the Empire to recover a means with which to get to Jupiter, and to recruit the best pilots he can muster for what seems to be a suicide mission. This manga ties even more heavily into ''[[Mobile Suit Victory Gundam|V Gundam]]'' than the original, serving to explain where the V2 Gundam's "Wings of Light" came from.

 

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* [[Absolute Cleavage]]: Jupiter Empire-employed female mercenary Rosemary Raspberry wears her pilot suit like this.

* [[Ace Custom]]: Burns Gernsback's red [[Mecha-Mooks|Batara]], and Federation pilot Harrison Martin's dark blue [[Mobile Suit Gundam F91]].

* [[Artificial Stupidity]]: At one point during ''Skull Heart'', Jupiter Empire remnants use data from [[Mobile Suit Gundam|Amuro]]'s core fighter to create a brain clone for their [[Super Prototype]] Amakusa. Things were going perfectly until the other remnants showed up to taunt Tobia, at which point the Amakusa started attacking them. It turned out that they used their own [[Mecha-Mooks]] against Amakusa in simulation battles and hadn't reset the friend/foe indicator.

* [[Awesome but Impractical]]: The Pez Batara is an anti-ship MS that has a gigantic beam blade running right down the middle of its body; to attack, it ignites the blade and [[Ramming Always Works|charges headlong at the enemy]]. On top of the obvious [[Death or Glory Attack]] element, this means it doesn't possess any other melee weapons. On top of ''that'', said design means its main camera is only on the right side of its body, meaning that it has an absolutely titanic blind spot. And yet Tobia manages to kick ass in one of these...

* [[Badass Bookworm]]: Tobia is demonstrably smarter (and considerably more level-headed) than the average [[Gundam]] protagonist, coming up with tactics on the fly and applying practical solutions to various problems. This goes as far as him working out calculations to reunite with the Crossbone Vanguard in his head ''while awaiting his execution''.

* [[Badass Grandpa]]: The man known as Grey Stork, AKA "Uncle Jupiter" aka {{spoiler|[[Mobile Suit Gundam ZZ|Judau Ashta]]}},

* [[Character Development]]: Seabook and Cecily didn't have a whole lot of time to develop their characters in ''F91'', but ''Crossbone'' does a good ways towards fleshing them out.

* [[Chekhov's Gunman]]: A smaller example: Early on, Kincaid and Tobia go undercover in order to steal information from the Jupiter Empire. Tobia gives some extra water to a little girl, which attracts attention and forces Kincaid to beat the snot out of them to preserve their cover. A chapter later, when they're trying to escape, the girl and her mother help out [[Karma|to repay Tobia's kindness]] and because not every Jovian is a fanatical devotee of Dougatie.

** We find out in ''Skull Heart'' that the old [[Mobile Suit Gundam|Zeon]] research team (apparently under directions from {{spoiler|Garma}} Zabi) dabbled in this as well, churning out ''Newtype chimps''.

* [[Comforting the Widow]]: {{spoiler|The farmer on Earth implies this happened with him and Berah, though we don't actually know if it's true. She could probably be forgiven after holding out a ''decade'' for her [[Chaste Hero]] boyfriend (Kincaid seems to view himself and Berah Ronah as separate individuals from Seabook Arno and Cecily Fairchild, bound by common ideals rather than love) and then watching a pretty convincing ''fiery death by atmospheric reentry'' -- though it's also never brought up again and doesn't get in the way of their [[Babies Ever After]].}}

* [[Did Not Do the Research]]: Tomino seems to believe in [[Explosive Decompression]] in space, which actually does not happen under normal circumstances.

* [[Disability Superpower]]: Curtis Rothko is capable of expertly piloting mobile suits despite being blind, due to a specially designed cockpit that converts visual data into audio. However, he has difficulty facing new machines, because the computer can't recognize them and gives him only a vague outline.

* [[Dying Moment of Awesome]]: {{spoiler|Giri and Barnes}} in ''Steel Seven'', the former [[Ramming Always Works|ramming the Colony Laser]] and the latter [[Taking the Bullet]] to ensure he can. If that doesn't seem like much, see [[Sci-Fi Writers Have No Sense of Scale]] below.

* [[Embarrassing First Name]]: Drake/Derek from ''Steel Seven'' reveals near the end that his first name is {{spoiler|Mitchell, or perhaps Michelle, depending on [[Spell My Name with an "S"|how you romanize it]]}}. When the rest of the Steel Seven react in shock, he remarks "That's why I go by my middle name."

* [[Face Heel Turn]]: Zabine eventually betrays the Vanguard (whom he was only allied with out of convenience in the first place) in order to chase his aristocratic ideals under Dogatie.

** The man himself denies this, saying that he was [[Not in This For Your Revolution]] and made that fact known many times; [[Cassandra Truth|the other CV characters thought he was just posturing until it was too late]].

* [[Furo Scene]] / [[Shower Scene]]: Berah and Bernadette have a few over the course of the series. Europa as well in Steel Seven.

* [[Genki Girl]]: Captain Onmo of the ''Little Gray'' (and, later, president of Blacklow Delivery) has the best claim to this throughout the series.

* [[Genre Busting]]: It's almost hilarious just how much better this series is than a lot of other [[Gundam]] entries, just because it doesn't subscribe to most of the tropes associated with it. And even if YMMV on the "better" part, that the series is so different is pretty obvious.

* [[Good Scars, Evil Scars]]: Kincaid is revealed to have gotten a scar over his right eye after removing his [[Mask Power|mask]].

* [[Gundamjack]]: Tobia appropriates a [[Mecha-Mooks|Mecha Mook]] in the first chapter, but doesn't use it very well (it gets sliced in half). Halfway through the series, he does it properly, stealing the Crossbone X-3 during his escape from Sherindon's ship. And of course his previously mentioned [[Crowning Moment of Awesome|CMoA]].

* [[Guns Are Worthless]]: Standard MS weapons in UC 133 tend to be focused around long-range beam gun/rifle battles, with beam shields in wide use and related tactics/strategies. The Crossbone Gundams are designed to take advantage of this with overpowering melee abilities (their Beam Zambers can easily cut through standard beam shields). The guns themselves aren't worthless here, but they're overused to the point of liability.

* [[Gunship Rescue]]: When things look bleakest in the final chapter, the Colony armed forces arrive to act as the cavalry in ''droves'' of ships.

** When Tobia goes to ask Kincaid for help in ''Steel Seven'', he finds out they now have ''two'' kids, and plays the trope out all the way by not meeting them, since he doesn't want to destroy their happiness...

** The entire Crossbone Vanguard, between ''[[Mobile Suit Gundam F91]]'' and this, though perhaps not completely. In one chapter Umon tells Tobia about the old Vanguard's Nobility Principle<ref>Namely, the idea that aristocrats should be in charge because they're just better people</ref>; Tobia remarks on how stupid that is, and Bera [[Dope Slap|bops him on the head]] and remarks "Most of the crew still holds those beliefs to some extent; badmouthing them so carelessly could get you killed."

* [[Hidden Depths]]: In ''Steel Seven'', we discover that Giri is a cook - and a damn good one, to Tobia's shock.

* [[Humongous Mecha]]: [[Real Robot]], of course, with a couple of giant Mobile Armors thrown in for good measure.

* [[I'm Not a Hero, I'm X]]: Tobia repeatedly dismisses the idea that being a Newtype makes him anything special.

** The Crossbone Vanguard, after the destruction of the Mother Vanguard.

* [[Kappei Yamaguchi]]: Tobia's official voice actor, as seen in his video game appearances. ''Really'' gives him an appropriate [[Hot-Blooded]] feel.

* [[May-December Romance]]: Dogatie reveals to Tobia that he was once forced into a political marriage with a woman who was somewhere between ''50-60'' years his junior at one point in order to foster relations with the Earth. The fact that he seemed to genuinely love her causes Tobia to rebuke Dogatie's own claims of being a [[Complete Monster]].

* [[Meaningful Name]]: "Serpiente Tacon" means "The Serpent's Feet". Snakes, of course, do not have feet. It's all a [[Stealth Pun]] on the fact that ST is a group that doesn't officially exist.

* [[Mid-Season Upgrade]]: More like Last Volume Upgrade. The X-1 is outfitted with [[This Is a Drill|drill]]-[[Whip It Good|whips]] to counter an enemy with a range advantage.

** And then the X-1 gets upgraded into the Skull Heart and X-1 Full Cloth versions...

** It may have something to do with the art style - thin pens and rare facial shading, for example, which don't jive with the usual [[Gundam]] style.

* [[Noisy Nature]]: Tobia grew up on a colony and has trouble sleeping during his short time on Earth, due to ambient sounds. (He is also under the impression that the wild animals he meets there are free-range pets.)

* [[No One Could Survive That]] / [[Not Quite Dead]]: Kincaid barely survives being the first person to reenter the Earth's atmosphere with a Beam Shield.

* [[No Plans, No Prototype, No Backup]]: The Skull Heart and the Crossbone Gundam X1 Full Cloth. The former is the Crossbone X1 augmented with parts from the X3. The latter uses ''all'' the remaining Crossbone Gundam parts to build what is easily the most defensive Gundam ''ever''.

* [[Playful Hacker]]: Font. His accidentally stumbling on the plans for the [[Mobile Suit Victory Gundam|Angel Halo]] gets him wrapped up in the conflict.

* [[Psychic Powers]]: What would UC Gundam be without Newtypes? ...[[Mobile Suit Gundam 0083: Stardust Memory|Don't answer that]].

* [[Puni Plush]]: Not that blatant, but it's there.

* [[Putting the Band Back Together]]: The quest to choose the "Steel Seven", even though it's a mixed group from the three sides that were fighting in the last war.

** Also to [[Sentou Mecha Xabungle]], of all things. Notably during the chapters on Earth.

*** As well, it turns out that Minoru Suzuki's nickname is "the Federation's Blue Flash" (Aoi Senkou) - which Tobia [[Lampshade Hanging|thinks he's heard of somewhere]].

** ''Skull Heart'' has the chapter "[[Planet of the Apes|Satellite of the Apes]]", which is about Newtype monkeys.

** His following line, "Koreijou, Hitogoroshi nanka sarete TA.MA.RU.KA-!!" ("I'm not letting you KILL! ANYONE! ELSE!" - the online translation missed this one), kinda got bootstrapped into being his [[Catch Phrase]] in the games, but without the [[This Is Sparta]] bit.

* [[Social Darwinist]]: Karas is one.

* [[Sword and Gun]]: Crossbone X-1, using its Beam Zanber and Beam Buster, which appropriately look like a [[Laser Blade]] cutlass and a flintlock pistol that fires [[Frickin' Laser Beams]].

* [[Theme Naming]]: The Jupiter Empire's mecha, which are primarily derived from Portuguese - Batara = Batallia "soldier", Erebado = Elevado "elevated", etc.

* [[Tsundere]]: ''Giri'', of all people, is specifically named as one in ''Steel Seven''.

* [[Treacherous Advisor]]: Karas, who starts out as Tobia's teacher, but is revealed rather quickly to be a zealous supporter and hypercompetent secret agent for Dogatie.

* [[Tyke Bomb]]: The Newtype Squadron under imperial agent Karas is made up entirely of [[Tyke Bomb|Tyke Bombs]]. Giri is their most famous allumni. Tobia was supposed to join them...but he politely declined.

** Karas' plan was for Tobia to join their ranks. [[Understatement|It didn't work out.]]

* [[Use Your Head]]: Tobia resorts to headbutts quite often; victims include Zabine and Giri. For a while his main MS, the Pez Batara, is pretty much centered around this (see [[Awesome but Impractical]] above).

* [[We Have Reserves]]: Standard operating procedure for the Empire, using the logic that while there are lots of pilots, the air and water they take up, as well as the mecha they pilot, are costly to manufacture.

 

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[[Category:Manga]]