In Japan, the ''Anime/{{Gundam}}'' franchise fills much the same niche as ''Star Trek'' does in the west -- the franchise has often been referred to as "Japan's ''Star Trek''" due to a number of similarities: Both shows were prematurely cancelled due to poor ratings in their initial airings, [[VindicatedByHistory only to gain massive followings in syndication]], and become probably their country's most iconic science fiction series, with dedicated followings and seemingly endless spinoffs. Thus, where a western show would use a Trekkie, a Japanese show is likely to use a ''Gundam'' fanatic.

In addition to ''Franchise/StarTrek'' and ''Anime/{{Gundam}}'', this role can occasionally be filled by other movies/shows, though due to the fact that the nature of the trope requires some PopculturalOsmosis, the writer will generally use ''Franchise/StarTrek'', as its role has already been established. One of the most common replacements is ''StarWars'', which, incidentally, is occasionally mentioned as a [[FandomRivalry rival]] to ''Franchise/StarTrek''.

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