History Anime / Steamboy

* NoPlansNoPrototypeNoBackup: While the three Steambolls are valuable, unique MacGuffins, the Director's Cut expands more on the ''why''. Eddy and Lloyd completely tapped out the pure mineral water from the Icelandic cavern and Lloyd estimated it would take at least a century to replenish. Thus, they were only able to build three Steamballs with the available collected mineral water (and hence why the O'Hara Foundation's so desperate to recover the one Lloyd stole after the prologue).

* AppliedPhlebotinum: The Steamballs. Not only are three of them able to keep a giant castle floating in the air and provide almost unlimited quantities of steam at high pressure, they remain at room temperature the entire time. This has something to do with a mineral dissolved in the water they're filled with. That's all they say about the matter.

* NoodleIncident: Stephenson and Eddy spent time in America during 1839.

* WhatHappenedToTheMouse: What happened to Scarlett's dog?
** [[spoiler: He is shown next to Scarlett in front of her plane, implying he survived and she treats him better.]]

** Pretty much any character introduced in the first act in Manchester, but particularly Pete the foreman, Mrs. Steam (who nary merits a mention from her husband), the bullies, Clifford the paper boy, and Ray's friend Emma and her brother who are staying over. Each has a scene devoted to them, then promptly vanishes from the plot.
*** At the very least, Mrs.Steam, Emma and her brother are shown in one of the Epilogue pics, welcoming Ray back home.
** The ultimate fates of Stephenson and David. While we see their mutual awed and horrified reactions to the final collapse of Steam Castle, they're absent from the epilogue montage. During his final scene with Ray, David confidently predicts that the Exhibition fiasco will leave Stephenson shunned and disgraced (and tank the careers of everyone associated with him). So, odds are good that very prediction came to pass.

** The fates of Stephenson and David. While we see their mutual awed and horrified reactions to the collapse of Steam Castle, they're missing from the epilogue montage. It's probable that David prediction's to Ray -- that the Exhibition fiasco would destroy Stephenson's career and take down everyone associated with his division with him -- came to pass.

* TheRival: Edward and Stephenson were ostensibly 'colleagues' for 20 years prior to the events of the film, though Stephenson openly admits it would be more accurate to call them rivals. Eddy's certainly carrying a grudge.

* TakingYouWithMe: [[spoiler: Lloyd ''tries'' to do this with Eddy during the final destruction of Steam Castle. It fails, as Eddy's submersible manages to escape. Lloyd himself too somehow survives as shown by the end credits montage.]]

* YouCannotKillAnIdea: [[spoiler: Eddy's stance in the climax. Even in the Steam Castle explodes and he dies, its very liftoff and existence was seen by commoners, monarchs, and more. Knowing such a feat of engineering and science is now possible, the seed of knowledge has been planted and even if it takes years or decades, someone else will inevitably reproduce the technology.]]

* MonowheelMayhem: Ray uses one early in the film during the chase scene.

* ContrivedCoincidence: Stephenson and David travel to Manchester just as Ray flees the O'Hara Foundation mooks and runs smack dab into their train. It even gets lampshaded by David. It's initially justified in-story by Lloyd having written to Stephenson requesting a meeting. However, [[spoiler: Ray realizes later during the Exhibition battle (and after Stephenson shows his true colors) they were lying. Stephenson and David were ''really'' en route because they had the Foundation and the Steam Family under surveillance.]]

* ContrivedCoincidence: Stephenson and David travel to Manchester just as Ray flees the O'Hara Foundation mooks and runs smack dab into their train. It even gets lampshaded by David. It's initially justified in-story by Lloyd having written to Stephenson requesting a meeting. However, [[spoiler: Ray realizes later during the Exhibition battle that Stephenson and David were lying. They were ''really'' en route because they had the Foundation and the Steam Family under surveillance.]]

* TheRival: Edward and Stephenson were ostensibly 'colleagues' for 20 years prior to the events of the film, though Stephenson admits it would be more accurate to call them rivals.

* ContrivedCoincidence: Stephenson and David travel to Manchester just as Ray flees the O'Hara Foundation mooks and runs smack dab into their train. It even gets lampshaded by David. It's initially justified in-story by Lloyd having written to Stephenson requesting a meeting. [However, [spoiler: Ray realizes during the Exhibition battle that Stephenson and David were lying. They were ''really'' en route because they had the Foundation and the Steam Family under surveillance.]]

* SteamPunk: Taken UpToEleven.

* {{Awesome McCoolname}}: James Ray Steam.

* DarthVaderClone: Ray's father Eddy is injured in a steam accident. He then takes some steam enhancements to heal himself, turning him into the SteamPunk equivalent of a cyborg. He's also the main driving force of the Steam Castle.

* NotSoDifferent: Stevenson and Edward Steam's intention for the steamball is really quite similar to each other.

* AluminumChristmasTrees: There actually ''is'' [[https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Aeolipile such a thing as a Steam ball]], and date all the way back to ''the first century'', though they were nowhere near as powerful as the one shown in the movie.

* RealityEnsues: A rare example in a SteamPunk work: ''Steamboy'' [[{{Deconstruction}} shows what happens]] when futuristic inventions such as flying [[PowerArmor Power Armor]] and complex diving suits are prematurely brought into the 19th century with little to no refinement to those concepts. During the battle between the Foundation and the British government, we see a Foundation soldier plummet to his death trying to fly with his Power Suit with little to no experience, diving suit soldiers trip over each other trying to climb up stairs, etc.

* NiceMeanAndInBetween: With the three main protagonists: Ray (nice), Scarlet (mean) and James (in-between).

* MonowheelMayhem: Ray uses one early in the film.

* RealityEnsues: A rare example in a SteamPunk work: ''Steamboy'' [[{{Deconstruction}} shows what happens]] when futuristic inventions such as flying [[PowerArmor Power Armor]] and complex diving suits are prematurely brought into the 19th century with little to no refinement to those concepts. During the battle between the Foundation and the British government, we see a Foundation soldier plummet to his death trying to fly with his PowerSuit with little to no experience, diving suit soldiers trip over each other trying to climb up stairs, etc.

* RealityEnsues: A rare example in a SteamPunk work: ''Steamboy'' [[{{Deconstruction}} shows what happens]] when futuristic inventions such as flying [[PowerArmor Power Armor]] and complex diving suits are prematurely brought into the 18th century with little to no refinement to those concepts. During the battle between the Foundation and the British government, we see a Foundation soldier plummet to his death trying to fly with his PowerSuit with little to no experience, diving suit soldiers trip over each other trying to climb up stairs, etc.