History YMMV / Vandread

** Pyoro, Misty and initially Bart. Misty, a late arrival to the plot, contributes little to the crew or story other than being a clue to secrets about humanity. It does not help that she spends most of her time whining, complaining or targeting Hibiki despite his disinterest and Dita's chagrin.

** In a rare example of Scrappy vs. Scrappy combat, Misty ridiculing Bart's [[ExpositoryHairstyleChange baldness]] did little to ingratiate her with the show's audience as it was a result of the [[RescuedFromTheScrappyHeap character development which endeared him to fans.]]
** Paiway is ''the'' most immature crew member of the Nirvana, beating out even Dita. She's obsessed with "checking" on everything that happens inside the ship without contributing anything herself. She's ostensibly the crew nurse, but when Duero takes over as doctor, it renders her position virtually superfluous. When she assumes Dita has completely forgotten her birthday and would rather be with Hibiki, she blows out of proportion a moment where Dita is crying while with Hibiki (which was only because she was chopping onions), leading to a crew-wide mutiny where the women revert to hating men all over again.

* DontShootTheMessage: The anime's message, that societies segregated by gender are ultimately undesirable is an ultimately good one that most people would be able to get behind. However, its portrayal of the societies of Tarak and Mejere are rather stereotypical of said genders, leading critics to argue that the series is reinforcing stereotypes around [[MenDontCry said]] [[VanityIsFeminine genders]] and on the subject of Dita, Meia and Jura: three women who grew up in a society where [[LadyLand lesbians were the only known]] [[LesYay form of sexual and romantic attraction]] have their affections for Hibiki referred to as "forgotten biological instincts", accidentally coming across to some as a CureYourGays message.

* DontShootTheMessage: The anime's message, that societies segregated by gender are ultimately undesirable is an ultimately good one that most people would be able to get behind. However, its portrayal of the societies of Tarak and Mejere are rather stereotypical of said genders, leading to many an [[UnfortunateImplications Unfortunate Implication]], such as reinforcing stereotypes around [[MenDontCry said]] [[VanityIsFeminine genders]] and on the subject of Dita, Meia and Jura: three women who grew up in a society where [[LadyLand lesbians were the only known]] [[LesYay form of sexual and romantic attraction]] have their affections for Hibiki referred to as "forgotten biological instincts", accidentally coming across to some as a CureYourGays message.

* DontShootTheMessage: [[invoked]] The anime's message, that societies segregated by gender are ultimately undesirable is an ultimately good one that most people would be able to get behind. However, its portrayal of the societies of Tarak and Mejere are rather stereotypical of said genders, leading to many an [[UnfortunateImplications Unfortunate Implication]], such as reinforcing stereotypes around [[MenDontCry said]] [[VanityIsFeminine genders]] and on the subject of Dita, Meia and Jura: three women who grew up in a society where [[LadyLand lesbians were the only known]] [[LesYay form of sexual and romantic attraction]] have their affections for Hibiki referred to as "forgotten biological instincts", accidentally coming across to some as a CureYourGays message.

** BC's portrayal as a trans woman is inconsistent-- the reveal that she is born male is entangled with the reveal that she is a spy, and the scenario plays as both a literal betrayal and an UnsettlingGenderReveal. The other characters subsequently refer to her as he/him until she returns and affirms both her identity as a woman and her allegiance to her shipmates. Despite this, BC is a competent commander that cares for others, and the anime ultimately reaffirms her identity and her choice to transition, down to her male Love Interest still proclaiming his love for her
* [[HoYay Les Yay]]: It's mainly between Barnette and Jura, though it's justified in that they were both from a lesbian-based world setting. In ''Second Stage'', it happens briefly between Misty and Meia.

** An interesting note about Pyoro. Before he became a scrappy, he was an emotionless automaton with hardly any emotion whatsoever. He became a candidate for scrappydom by being an intensely irritating PluckyComicRelief mascot character.
** In a rare example of Scrappy vs Scrappy combat, Misty ridiculing Bart's [[ExpositoryHairstyleChange baldness]] did little to ingratiate her with the show's audience as it was a result of the [[RescuedFromTheScrappyHeap character development which endeared him to fans.]]

* ShockingMoments: [[spoiler: Bart unlocking the Nirvana's BeamSpam and later, Super Vandread's debut.]]

* DontShootTheMessage: [[invoked]] The anime's message, that societies segregated by gender are ultimately undesirable is an ultimately-good one that most people would be able to get behind. However, its portrayal of the societies of Tarak and Mejere are rather stereotypical of said genders, leading to many an [[UnfortunateImplications Unfortunate Implication]], such as reinforcing stereotypes around [[MenDontCry said]] [[VanityIsFeminine genders]] and on the subject of Dita, Meia and Jura: three women who grew up in a society where [[LadyLand lesbians were the only known]] [[LesYay form of sexual and romantic attraction]] have their affections for Hibiki referred to as "forgotten biological instincts", accidentally coming across to some as a CureYourGays message.

** The anime's portrayal of [[spoiler:BC: a transgender woman would be widely criticised if it had come out even a decade later, with the main characters continuing to deadname and misgender her up until the final episode after she's outed, [[UnsettlingGenderReveal said reveal that she was born male is portrayed as a betrayal to the crew of the Nirvana]] and her general portrayal as more masculine than most of the Mejere-born cast. However, the anime ultimately affirms her identity as a woman, has her undergo a HeelFaceTurn not long after she's outed and she's generally shown to be an incredibly competent solider and commander and still capable of caring for others, particularly her crew. Her LoveInterest even ultimately reaffirms his attraction to her.]] Especially for an anime made in the early 2000s that borrows heavily from the infamously tactless HaremGenre of the time, it certainly handled the topic with more care and nuance than most would expect.

** The anime's portrayal of [[spoiler:BC: a transgender woman would be widely criticised if it had come out even a decade later, with the main characters continuing to deadname and misgender her up until the final episode after she's outed, [[UnsettlingGenderReveal said reveal that she was born male is portrayed as a betrayal to the crew of the Nirvana]] and her general portrayal as more masculine than most of the Mejere-born cast. However, the anime ultimately affirms her identity as a woman, has her undergo a HeelFaceTurn not long after she's outed and she's generally shown to be an incredibly-competent solider and commander and still capable of caring for others, particularly her crew. Her LoveInterest even ultimately reaffirms his attraction to her.]] Especially for an anime made in the early-2000's that borrows heavily from the infamously-tactless HaremGenre of the time, it certainly handled the topic with more care and nuance than most would expect.

** The reveal of [[spoiler:BC as a transgender woman is portrayed as shocking, but only for the narrative implications; the crew supports her identity as a woman, she undergoes a HeelFaceTurn not long after she's outed, and she's generally shown to be a competent solider and commander and still capable of caring for others. Her LoveInterest even ultimately reaffirms his attraction to her.]] For an anime made in the early 2000s that borrows heavily from the infamously-tactless HaremGenre of the time, it handles these topics with more care and nuance than most would expect.

** The anime's portrayal of [[spoiler:BC: a transgender woman would be widely criticised if it had come out even a decade later, with the main characters continuing to deadname and misgender her up until the final episode after she's outed, [[UnsettlingGenderReveal said reveal that she was born male is portrayed as a betrayal to the crew of the Nirvana]] and her general portrayal as more masculine than most of the Mejere-born cast. However, the anime ultimately affirms her identity as a woman, has her undergo a HeelFaceTurn not long after she's outed and she's generally shown to be an incredibly-competent solider and commander and still capable of caring for others, particularly her crew. Her LoveInterest even ultimately reaffirms his attraction to her.]] Especially for an anime made in the early-2000's that borrows heavily from the infamously-tactless HaremGenre of the time, it certainly handled the topic with more care and nuance than most would expect.

* FairForItsDay: Despite the aforementioned "forgotten biological instincts" phrasing that typically appears in promotional material, the show itself never presents same-sex relationships as unnatural or unhealthy. On the contrary, several different lesbian couples are explored, and this comes without being fetishized. The reveal of [[spoiler:BC as a transgender woman is portrayed as shocking, but only for the narrative implications; the crew supports her identity as a woman, she undergoes a HeelFaceTurn not long after she's outed, and she's generally shown to be a competent solider and commander and still capable of caring for others. Her LoveInterest even ultimately reaffirms his attraction to her.]] For an anime made in the early 2000s that borrows heavily from the infamously-tactless HaremGenre of the time, it handles these topics with more care and nuance than most would expect.

* FairForItsDay: Despite the aforementioned "forgotten biological instincts" phrasing that typically appears in promotional material, the show itself never presents same-sex relationships as unnatural or unhealthy. On the contrary, several different lesbian couples are explored, and this comes without being fetishized. The reveal of [[spoiler:BC: as a transgender woman is portrayed as shocking, but only for the narrative implications; the crew supports her identity as a woman, she undergoes a HeelFaceTurn not long after she's outed, and she's generally shown to be a competent solider and commander and still capable of caring for others. Her LoveInterest even ultimately reaffirms his attraction to her.]] For an anime made in the early 2000s that borrows heavily from the infamously-tactless HaremGenre of the time, it handles these topics with more care and nuance than most would expect.

* FairForItsDay: The anime's portrayal of [[spoiler:BC: a transgender woman would be widely criticised if it had come out even a decade later, with the main characters continuing to deadname and misgender her up until the final episode after she's outed, [[UnsettlingGenderReveal said reveal that she was born male is portrayed as a betrayal to the crew of the Nirvana]] and her general portrayal as more masculine than the rest of the Mejere-born cast. However, the anime ultimately affirms her identity as a woman, has her undergo a HeelFaceTurn not long after she's outed and she's generally shown to be an incredibly-competent solider and commander and still capable of caring for others, particularly her crew. Her LoveInterest even ultimately reaffirms his attraction to her.]] Especially for an anime made in the early-2000's that borrows heavily from the infamously-tactless HaremGenre of the time, it certainly handled the topic with more care and nuance than most would expect.

* TheScrappy: Pyoro, Misty and initially Bart. Misty, a late arrival to the plot, contributes little to the crew or story other than being a clue to secrets about humanity. It does not help that she spends most of her time whining, complaining or targeting Hibiki despite his disinterest and Dita's chagrin.

* GameBreaker: Super Vandread, so much so that it wasn't used outside of the finale after its first appearance because it would win all the fights in five minutes. And even then, the only thing that can prove a challenge to it is the single most powerful ship in the Harvest Fleet. Though forming is complicated by all the pilots and the praxis having to be in sync and heavily motivated with a single goal in mind.

* BadassDecay: Averted with the second Harvester mothership, which learned from earlier battles. It takes [[spoiler:a HeroicSacrifice by Gascogne]] to stop it. Played straight with the three motherships in the GrandFinale, where they are destroyed rather easily but by then they are facing the entire combined fleets of all the colonies they are targeting and one of their own transformed motherships.
* DontShootTheMessage: The anime's message, that societies segregated by gender are ultimately undesirable is an ultimately-good one that most people would be able to get behind. However, its portrayal of the societies of Tarak and Mejere are rather stereotypical of said genders, leading to many an [[UnfortunateImplications Unfortunate Implication]], such as reinforcing stereotypes around [[MenDontCry said]] [[VanityIsFeminine genders]] and on the subject of Dita, Meia and Jura: three women who grew up in a society where [[LadyLand lesbians were the only known]] [[LesYay form of sexual and romantic attraction]] have their affections for Hibiki referred to as "forgotten biological instincts", accidentally coming across to some as a CureYourGays message.

* FairForItsDay: The anime's portrayal of [[spoiler:BC: a transgender woman would be widely criticised if it had come out even a decade later, with the main characters continuing to deadname and misgender her up until the final episode after she's outed, [[UnsettlingGenderReveal said reveal that she was born male is portrayed as a betrayal to the crew of the Nirvana]] and her general portrayal as more masculine than the rest of the Mejere-born cast. However, the anime ultimately affirms her identity as a woman, has her undergo a HeelFaceTurn not long after she's outed and she's generally shown to be an incredibly-competent solider and commander and still capable of caring for others, particularly her crew.]] Especially for an anime made in the early-2000's that borrows heavily from the infamously-tactless HaremGenre of the time, it certainly handled the topic with more care and nuance than most would expect.

* FairForItsDay: The anime's portrayal of [[spoiler:BC: a transgender woman would be widely criticised if it had come out even a decade later, with the main characters continuing to deadname and misgender her up until the final episode after she's outed, [[UnsettlingGenderReveal said reveal that she was born male is portrayed as a betrayal to the crew of the Nirvana]] and her general portrayal as more masculine than the rest of the Mejere-born cast. However, the anime ultimately affirms her identity as a woman, has her undergo a HeelFaceTurn not long after she's outed and she's generally shown to be an incredibly-competent solider and commander and still capable of caring for others, particularly her crew. Especially for an anime made in the early-2000's that borrows heavily from the infamously-tactless HaremGenre of the time, it certainly handled the topic with more care and nuance than most would expect.]]

* FairForItsDay: The anime's portrayal of [[spoiler:BC: a transgender woman would be widely criticised if it had come out even a decade later, with the main characters continuing to deadname and misgender her up until the final episode after she's outed, [[UnsettlingGenderReveal said reveal that she was born male is portrayed as a betrayal to the crew of the Nirvana]] and her general portrayal as more masculine than the rest of the Mejere-born cast. However, the anime ultimately affirms her identity as a woman and she's generally shown to be an incredibly-competent solider and commander and still capable of caring for others. Especially for an anime made in the early-2000's that borrows heavily from the infamously-tactless harem genre of the time, it certainly handled the topic with more care and nuance than most would expect.]]

* BadassDecay: Averted with the second Harvester mothership, which learned from earlier battles. It takes [[spoiler:a HeroicSacrifice by Gascogne]] to stop it. Played straight with the three motherships in the GrandFinale, where they are destroyed rather easily but by then they are facing the entire combined fleets of all the colonies they are targeting and one of their own transformed motherships,

* IdiotPlot: The entire behaviour of the Tarak Empire at the beginning. If you were gonna go up against space pirates in a massive experimental battleship, you should ''at least'' let it be run by an experienced crew or give the assigned one some combat training. There should've been no excuse to cancel the exhibition either, even if it was interrupted by someone trying to steal the mecha used, if that was gonna give them a possible chance against the upcoming space pirate force that is Magno's. Not to mention that Tarak is all about ''efficiency'' and sending an inexperienced crew to deal with a threat that has more combat experience is already a contradiction to that belief.
** Then again, they ARE essentially a fascist, or at least authoritarian empire, and one of the most common traits of fascists is that they love to ''portray themselves as being efficient'', [[FascistButInefficient while reality tends to show and suggest otherwise.]] It's also notable that part of the reason the whole exhibition went wrong was because the leading officer was an arrogant douche who refused to try any other options other than pure firepower.
* LesYay: It's mainly between Barnette and Jura, though its justified in that they were both from a lesbian-based world setting. In ''Second Stage'', it happens briefly between Misty and Meia.

** Then again, most totalitarian and authoratian societies idealize efficiency and practicality in name only.

* BadassDecay: Averted with the second Harvester mothership, which learned from earlier battles. It takes [[spoiler:a HeroicSacrifice by Gascogne]] to stop it. Played straight with the three motherships in the GrandFinale, where they are destroyed rather easily.
* GameBreaker: Super Vandread, so much so that it wasn't used outside of the finale after its first appearance because it would win all the fights in five minutes. And even then, the only thing that can prove a challenge to it is the single most powerful ship in the Harvest Fleet.
* IdiotPlot: Seriously, at the beginning. If you were gonna go up against space pirates in a massive experimental battleship, you should ''at least'' let it be run by an experienced crew or give the assigned one some combat training. There should've been no excuse to cancel the exhibition either, even if it was interrupted by someone trying to steal the mecha used, if that was gonna give them a possible chance against the upcoming space pirate force that is Magno's. Not to mention that Tarak is all about ''efficiency'' and sending an inexperienced crew to deal with a threat that has more combat experience is already a contradiction to that belief.

* MoralEventHorizon: [[spoiler: The humans still on Earth cross it by creating the aliens that the Nirvana's crew regularly fight against in order to harvest the organs of their spacefaring brothers and sisters for the sake of self preservation.]]
* RescuedFromTheScrappyHeap: Bart, after he TookALevelInBadass, complete with the Nirvana gaining a BeamSpam.
* TheScrappy: Pyoro and Bart.
** An interesting note about Pyoro. Before he became a scrappy, he was an emotionless automaton with hardly any emotion whatsoever. He became a candidate for scrappydom by being an intensely irritating PluckyComicRelief character.

* {{HSQ}}: [[spoiler: Bart unlocking the Nirvana's BeamSpam and later, Super Vandread's debut.]]

* FreudWasRight: The way the girls (Dita and Jura more than Meia) fight over who gets to combine with Hibiki, not to mention Barnette's jealousy of Jura's intense desire to combine with Hibiki and the fact that a Vanguard can ''only'' combine with a Dread, not another Vanguard...yes, the CombiningMecha are ''totally'' a metaphor for sex.
** The Tarak ship and the pirate ship combining, with Bart as its pilot Buck-nekkid and all) represents reproduction.
*** To analyze that metaphor further, the [[spoiler:Nirvana's development of what amounts to a Wave-Motion Gun and the uncooperativeness of the Paxis at the time are an obvious analogue for Puberty, and the actual firing of said gun could be one for ejaculation.]]
** At least early on, whenever Hibiki and the girls were done, the boy was absolutely exhausted for no real reason, especially if he combined multiple times in a battle.
*** In that case, the [[spoiler:Super Vandread would be an analogue to a... fivesome? Hibiki, Dita, Meia, Jura and not to forget Pyoro...]]
*** Maybe a convoluted summary of their final relationships, or that they are one big happy family?
** The first time Hibiki and Meia combined, when we first saw them after the last Harvester was destroyed, they both collapsed in their seats exhausted, taking in deep, panting breaths. I think they were sweating too.
** Seriously? How has no-one mentioned Dita's ''highly suggestive'' bouncy-ness after the second use of Vandread Dita??? XD

* AwesomeMusic:

** An interesting note about Pyoro. Before he became a scrappy, he was an emotionless automaton with hardly any emotion whatsoever. He became a candidate for scrappydom by being an intensely irritating PluckyComicRelief.

** Seriously? How has no-one mentioned Dita's highly... ''suggestive'' bouncy-ness after the second use of Vandread Dita??? XD

* LesYay: It is mainly between Barnette and Jura, justified in that they were both from a lesbian-based world setting. In ''Second Stage'', it happens briefly between Misty and Meia.

* RescuedFromTheScrappyHeap: Bart. Not only was he rescued, but he TookALevelInBadass, complete with the Nirvana gaining a BeamSpam.

** An interesting note about Pyoro. Before he became a scrappy, he was an emotionless automaton with hardly any emotion whatsoever. However, he's still a candidate for scrappydom by being intensely irritating PluckyComicRelief.