Stellvia of the Universe

"I want to see the stars while looking forward, rather than having to look up."

In 2167 AD, the shockwave of Hydrus Beta gone supernova reached Earth and brought about The End of the World as We Know It. Almost two centuries later, humanity managed to restore much of its civilization and although Earth remains severely underpopulated, the scientists discovered a new threat to the planet as well as means to counter it. A second shockwave, now carrying physical remains of the Hydrus star system rather than just radiation, is on its way to the Solar System. But humans have erected enormous space stations called Foundations to span gigantic energy shields over Earth and other inhabited planets to deflect the shockwave. This is the Great Mission, the ultimate achievement of mankind and the greatest hope for its survival.

In the year 2356, Shima Katase and her friends enroll at the space academy on Stellvia, the Foundation assigned to Earth. Eventually, despite being mere first-years, they become the ones to confront the second shockwave and defeat it. However, the Great Mission is just their first step on the rocky path to the distant stars...

Stellvia of the Universe is a Science Fiction Anime television series produced in 2003 by studio XEBEC and directed by Tatsuo Sato of Martian Successor Nadesico fame. Despite its After the End setting, it carries strong utopic message and bright optimistic belief in humanity. On the other hand, it also displays deep insight into human psychology, showing how true unity can only be achieved in the presence of a common goal and how it starts falling apart once it's gone, only to return again when needed. Unfortunately, Stellvia remained largely unknown to broad audiences, likely killing a possible continuation. To make things worse, Geneon discontinued its DVD release in North America, among dozens of others. However, it's been license-rescued and released on Blu-ray by Discotek Media.

"Stellvia" literally means "the road to the stars" in Gratuitous Latin.

Tropes used in Stellvia of the Universe include:

Absurdly Powerful Student Council:
- Student Council President Kent gets the other main characters out of trouble with station security simply by saying they were there to meet him.
- When it comes time to decide which six students will be allowed to participate in the mission to save the world, it's assumed by everyone that the four student council members will of course be included in their number. This gives them the experience to take part in all of the series' subsequent important missions.
After the End: The series is set nearly two centuries after half the world was destroyed by a supernova shockwave.
~~Air~~ Space Jousting
Always Someone Better: Source of much Wangst and a dangerous Green-Eyed Monster.
Alien Unaware
Aloof Big Brother: Actually, a ditzy big sister; but Shima's brother sees her as his idol, never the less.
Anime First: Manga adaptation by Ryou Akizuki.
The Apocalypse Brings Out the Best In People
Beta Couple: Jojo/Akira. They hook up mid-series while the main characters are off on the mission to the outer system.
Big Bad: Complete lack thereof, if you don't count cosmic cataclysms as such.
Big Fancy House: Well, a big fancy space station, actually; but it's still home and it hurts to lose it.
Blind Idiot Translation: "Does it make answer? ... It records. After a dial tone please message" on a video mail system. Made even more jarring as it comes about five minutes after a screen showing "See You Next Year!" in seven different languages... none of them Japanese.
- Delicious irony results in the English dub, when those same messages--but with normal English grammar and usage--are recited by voice, at the same time as the Engrish displays on screen.
Broken Ace: Ayaka. She's got to be the best, but the kids in the next generation are even better than she is, and she doesn't take it well.
Cameo: Shima appears as a girl in a Dating Sim in Bottle Fairy.
Can't Catch Up: The reason for a lot of Shima's Wangst is that she's not as good as Kouta.
Casanova Wannabe: Pierre.
Chekhov's Gun: Shima's an even better programmer than she is a pilot, which the anime goes out of its way to point out early in the show.
Conspicuous CG: Used for exterior shots of spacecraft.
Cool School: Stellvia is mainly this trope in space!.
Cuteness Proximity: Traps you in an infinite loop from hell.
Cut Short: The series was planned as three half-seasons, but creative differences split up the production team after the second part was completed.
Dating Sim: One was made. This page and a couple of videos on Youtube are probably the only place you'll hear about it.
Deflector Shields: On planetary scale, no less.
Distant Finale: Two years later.
Do Well, But Not Perfect: Kouta gets average grades - in every subject, deliberately, which is discussed by some of the other characters. Thus, it's a shock to the people involved when he saves Shima from Ayaka's murder attempt by using all of his actual piloting skills.
Emotionless Girl: Akira, bordering the Tin Girl zone.
The End of the World as We Know It Multiple times; it happened once 189 years ago, it's happening again with the Second Wave. And it's happening one more time with the Cosmic Fracture.
Exploding Closet: Shima cleans up before a study session by cramming all of her stuffed toys into the closet. Jojo notices one sticking out and opens the door.
Faster-Than-Light Travel: Notably absent, so that a trip to another Foundation takes several months, which is a plot point.
- Implied to be possible, but at sufficiently astronomical energy costs that it wouldn't be possible with anything smaller than a Stellvia-class station.
Foe Yay: Yayoi and Ayaka, during the scene after Ayaka tries to kill Yayoi out of jealousy, when Yayoi forgives her. Afterwards, it's just Les Yay.
General Ripper: Luckily, these folks don't get much to say.
Genius Ditz: Shima.
Genki Girl: Arisa.
Hard Work Montage: Stellvia has a very diverse and demanding class load.
Heel Face Turn: Ayaka.
Heroic BSOD: Shima gets more than her share of these; the worst one is arguably during the Genesis Mission.
Heroic RROD: Kouta, during the Genesis Mission.
Humanity on Trial: The aliens' actions make sense. Really.
Humongous Mecha: There are only two in the series, and their humanoid form is justified by the representative role they were intended to play in eventual contact with non-human civilizations.
- It is not a giant robot, far from it. It's a spaceship... a spaceship in human form.
Inferiority Superiority Complex: Ayaka. Like, holy cow.
Latex Space Suit: The pilot suits are so tight fitting that it causes several characters, male and female alike, to be embarrassed about certain areas. Two of the notable towel-bearers are Shima and Kouta.
Les Yay: Shima and Rinna, to name the most obvious case.
- What about Shima and Arisa, then?
- And let's not forget Ayaka and Yayoi, which somehow manages to stay just subtext.
The Man Behind the Man: Sort of, the "cosmic fracture" that destroyed Hydrus Beta and caused both shockwaves.
Mid-Season Upgrade: Shima receives a mecha of her own for the Genesis Mission.
- Before then, Shima's ship got upgraded repeatedly for the Astroball tournament.
Negative Space Wedgie: The First Wave, Second Wave, and the Fracture behind the supernova.
Obfuscating Stupidity: Kouta deliberately gets average grades in everything. He's actually capable of outshining Rinna and Shima.
Odango: Shima, Najima Gable.
Official Couple: Kouta/Shima and Jojo/Akira
Older and Wiser: Yayoi.
Opening Narration: Almost always given by Shima.
Overprotective Dad: Shirogane-sensei is a bit shy about mobilizing the kids, even after they already saved the world the first time.
Perfect Pacifist People: Until the Great Mission is finished and the peace starts to crack, anyway.
Pettanko: Shima, and she's a bit shy about it. Hilarity Ensues when she shows up for flight class covering her Latex Space Suit... with a towel.
Poor Communication Kills: The whole Ultima incident.
Promotion to Parent: Kouta's sis takes over raising him due to their parents dying, going from Cool Big Sis to Hot Shounen Mom in the process.
The Quiet One: Masaru Odawara, who eventually ascends to leadership of the gang.
Rapunzel Hair: Many of the girls have very long hair, Shima Katase does at least have the sense to bind hers up before spaceflight missions.
The Rival: Subverted with Rinna, who proclaims Shima to be her rival but never acts overtly hostile; the two become very close friends almost immediately.
- Unknown Rival: Inverted with Ayaka. Upon seeing Yayoi, and later Shima, she targets them as rivals without telling them, leading to "accidents".
Romantic Two-Girl Friendship: Ayaka and Yayoi could even be considered Schoolgirl Lesbians; also, there is some suggestive teasing going on between Arisa and Shima.
Rousseau Was Right
Scary Dogmatic Aliens: Subverted: the aliens are actually trying to understand and help humans, even though it doesn't readily work out.
Seinen
Shrinking Violet: Shima at first.
Space Opera
The Stoic: Kouta, though his self-control reaches its limits towards the end of the series.
Super Prototype: Infinity and Halcyon.
There Are No Therapists: So friends and teachers have to stand in.
- And do they ever.
Token Loli: Riina
True Companions: Shima, Kouta, Arisa, and the rest of their merry band.
Utopia: A rather realistic one.
Wham! Episode: Episode 11, where Ayaka attacks Shima out of jealousy for her achievements, and episode 16, where people actually die, for the first time.
What Could Have Been: The third part of the series was intended to explain Kouta's abilities in greater detail.
What Does She See in Him?: Ren about Kouta's attraction toward Shima, and characters and fans about Akira toward Joey, even though she actually explains that one.
Wrongfully Attributed: Najima Gable (the blonde in the Big Four) often quotes from Shakespeare, then attributes the quote to the wrong play. This appears to be her only character trait.
Zettai Ryouiki: Shima, Arisa, Yayoi.