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1[[quoteright:225:https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/layzner_3255.jpg]]
2
3->"I came from the planet Grados. My name is Eiji. The Earth is in danger."
4
5''Blue Comet SPT Layzner'' is an anime series produced by Sunrise between 1985 and 1986. Authored by Ryosuke Takahashi of ''Anime/ArmoredTrooperVOTOMS'' fame, it takes place in an alternate 1996 where humanity has advanced enough to travel to Mars and the Moon, and establish settlements there. However, [[FailedFutureForecast the Cold War is still going on,]] with ever-increasing tensions between United States of America and the Soviet Union, and the threat of a nuclear war looms on the horizon.
6
7But soon, an unknown menace befalls humanity: on Mars, the members of an exchange program funded by the United Nations to promote peace and dialogue between nations find themselves trapped in a crossfire between four mysterious humanoid robots - three of which begin firing on the exchange program's base, killing almost all of the students. Only a few people survive, but they find themselves isolated on an inhospitable planet that has become a battlefield. And, as if this wasn't enough, the pilot of the fourth robot, who had been trying not to involve the civilians in the battle, actually presents himself to the survivors, introducing himself as Albatro Null, a.k.a., Eiji Asuka, and telling them that the Earth is being targeted for occupation by the far-away Grados Empire...
8
9Although Americans were screwed out of an [[LateExportForYou initial]] release for this [[RealRobotGenre Real Robot]] show (see LateExportForYou), the entire series [[https://www.animenewsnetwork.com/news/2023-06-26/discotek-licenses-layzner-nanoha-detonation-aim-for-the-ace-2/.199646 has since been re-licensed]] by Creator/DiscotekMedia.
10
11%%Has a character sheet in DIRE need of wiki magic love.
12
13----
14!!Tropes:
15
16* AdrenalineMakeover: Both Anna and Simone go through this [[spoiler: after the TimeSkip and joining LaResistance.]] Both girls stop wearing their uniforms; also, Anna [[LettingHerHairDown let her hair down]] in a MotherlySidePlait and wears a slightly adorned red minidress with ProperTightsWithASkirt, whereas Simone cuts her BoyishShortHair even shorter, stops using a pink hair stripe and puts on a blue and skin-tight SpyCatSuit.
17%%* AIIsACrapshoot: [[spoiler: Fouron.]]
18* AloofBigBrother: Julia, to Eiji. Fittingly, her looks are those of an AloofDarkHairedGirl.
19* AMechByAnyOtherName: Super Powered Tracers, or [=SPTs=] for short.
20* ANaziByAnyOtherName: The Gradosian Empire especially in the Ru-Kain 1999 arc, where they brutally occupy the Earth and forces the Earthlings to assimilate to Gradosian culture, which is one of their main occupation goals.
21* AnguishedDeclarationOfLove: [[spoiler: David gives one to Simone almost at the end of part 1, complete with a kiss.]]
22* AnimationBump: The episodes done with Creator/AnimeR, specifically episodes 17, 26 and 38.
23%%* AntiVillain: Ahmos Gale, Eiji's best Gradosian friend, all the way.
24%%* AnyoneCanDie
25%%* AristocratsAreEvil
26* ArmorPiercingAttack: Knuckle Shots are good against armored units because instead of attacking the mech, they're electromagnetized to directly attack mech systems.
27%%* AxCrazy: Gosterro.
28%%* BackFromTheDead: [[spoiler: Gosterro]]
29%%* BadBoss: ''' ''GOSTERRO.'' '''
30%%* BarrierMaiden and MysticalWaif: [[spoiler: Eiji's sister Julia, and how.]]
31* BetaCouple: Eventually, [[spoiler: [[TheLancer David]] and [[RomanticRunnerUp Simone]]]].
32* BettyAndVeronica: Anna and Simone, for Eiji. [[spoiler: Anna is the one he favors, as if the image above wasn't obvious.]]
33* {{BFG}}: The Buldy and the Dankov both come equipped with shoulder-mounted ''artillery pieces''.
34* BigApplesauce: Almost the entirety of the ''Ru-Kain 1999'' arc is set in New York City.
35%%* BigBad: Ru-Kain
36* TheBigDamnKiss [[spoiler: Anna and Eiji get this in the third OAV.]]
37%%* BlackDudeDiesFirst: Poor Judau...
38* BloodKnight: Gosterro, and the rest of the Demon Death Squad as well.
39--> '''Gosterro''': "''You can't kill...but I love to!''"
40%%* ButNowIMustGo: [[spoiler: Julia and Ru-Kain.]]
41* CharacterDevelopment: A key feature of Ru-Kain's appearances in the third OVA. After learning that [[spoiler: humans and Gradosians are the same race, separated by AncientAstronauts]], he rethinks many of his more racist ideals, even leaving a human in charge while he jets off to duel Eiji, and ultimately [[spoiler: [[HeelFaceTurn gives up his grudges, lays down his arms willingly, and returns to Grados with Julia to hopefully make the first steps towards peace]].]]
42%%* CharClone: Ru-Kain, for a given value of Char.
43%%* ChronicBackstabbingDisorder: Gosterro
44* ComboPlatterPowers: A V-Max Driver is the gift that keeps on giving:
45** A powerful [[DeflectorShield sheathe of magnetic energy]] that renders the SPT immune to laser weapons and capable of '''obliterating''' any solid matter it touches.
46** SuperSpeed so fast, the pilot needs to rely on his onboard computers to avoid crashing.
47* CommanderContrarian: David to Eiji, albeit for the very good reason of Eiji wanting no bloodshed whatsoever while David puts the survival of the Cosmic Culture Club as his #1 priority.
48* DarkerAndEdgier: Moreso than both of Ryosuke Takahashi's [[Anime/FangOfTheSunDougram earlier]] [[Anime/ArmoredTrooperVOTOMS works]] and that's an accomplishment!
49%%* DemotedToExtra: Gosterro, in the OVA.
50* DownerBeginning: See the grim description above? '''That's the first episode of the series'''.
51* DudeMagnet: Julia. It '''never''' works out for her, specially considering [[VillainousCrush her "suitors"]]...
52* {{Eagleland}}: David Rutherford is a sympathetic Type 1 example, [[spoiler: and the leader of the Resistance during the ''Ru-Kain 1999'' arc]]. The Type 2s show up with the military in the Astrohawk II, [[spoiler: and, more concerned with replicating Layzner in the name of the global power struggle with the USSR, refuse to listen to Eiji's warnings about the invasion until it's too late]].
53* EarnYourHappyEnding: How the OVA's finish. [[spoiler: LaResistance wins and liberates Earth from the Gradosian oppressors, the team member believed to be TheQuisling is a FakeDefector instead and plays a key role in the aforementioned victory, Julia unlocks the Seal of Grados and convinces Ru-Kain to lay down his arms and return to Grados with her so they can work for a peace that is still far of being obtained, and Eiji returns to his friends [[TheBigDamnKiss and specially to his girlfriend Anna]] so they can start rebuilding Earth and their own lives.]]
54%%* EightiesHair: Just about everyone.
55* EleventhHourSuperpower: Manjuro, as the [[spoiler: last survivor of the Demon Death Platoon after [[UnfriendlyFire civil internal disagreements]] and [[YouHaveFailedMe regrettable but necessary release of problematic employees]] have thinned them down]], is ultimately permitted to test an experimental V-Max Driver against Layzner. [[spoiler: It helps... but not enough.]]
56* EvenEvilHasStandards: Ru-Kain is, without question, a racist dick, but he [[VillainousValor always fights fair]]. When [[spoiler:Gosterro]] [[CombatPragmatist uses hidden snipers to cripple David and Simone mid-duel]], Ru-Kain has him jailed. [[spoiler: Little wonder he eventually undergoes a HeelFaceTurn once he realizes the truth behind the Gradosians.]]
57%%* EvilCounterpart: [[BloodKnight Gosterro]] to [[TechnicalPacifist Eiji]]. [[spoiler: Fouron]] to Rei. Zakaal to Layzner.
58%%* EvilIsPetty: Ru-Kain all the way!
59%%* EvilLaugh: [[AxCrazy Gosterro]] & [[SmugSnake Ru-Kain]], along with The Demon Death Squad.
60%%* EvilPrince: Ru-Kain again.
61* ExpositoryHairstyleChange: Anna goes from a TomboyishPonytail to a MotherlySidePlait (seen in the picture above). Simone cuts her already short hair even shorter and ditches the pink stripe. Roanne begins to slick his MessyHair back [[spoiler: when he becomes TheMole, and stops slicking it shortly before he returns to the others.)]]
62* FacialMarkings: Gresco has a red lining around his left eye. Getey has a number of patchy tattoos all over his face.
63* FakeDefector: [[spoiler: Roanne, who makes himself pass as TheQuisling but is actually TheMole.]]
64* FanDisservice: Seeing Eiji naked at some point of the first arc is incredibly unappealing because [[spoiler: he's been [[ShamefulStrip forcibly stripped]] and thrown nude into a padded cell by {{mad scientist}}s who intend to study him like an animal for his half-Gradosian, half-human heritage.]] It gets even worse when we get to see his gorgeous older sister Julia lose her clothing... [[spoiler: at the hands of [[BloodKnight Gosterro]], of all people, and ''in public''.]]
65* FantasticCasteSystem: [[spoiler: In the ''Ru-Kain 1999'' arc following the Gradosian conquest of Earth: humans are either voluntary collaborators with skills that allow them to serve as second-class citizens or destitute slaves that refused to betray humanity.]]
66* FantasticRacism: Humans & Gradosians, both ways. It's a major theme throughout the entire series.
67%%* TheFightingNarcissist: Manjuro
68* FiveTokenBand: The [[InvokedTrope Cosmic Culture Club]]. Justified and Invoked due to specifically being gathered from different races.
69** Eiji: Japanese/Gradosian
70** David: American
71** Roanne: Swiss
72** Simone: English/French
73* {{Foil}}: [[BloodKnight Gosterro]] to [[TechnicalPacifist Eiji]].
74* FourIsDeath: [[spoiler: Fouron]] & The Demon Death Squad.
75* FromBadToWorse: [[spoiler: The 2nd arc of the series starts off by informing you that Earth lost the battle against the Gradosian fleet, the Gradosians devastated the surface of the Earth with orbital bombardment and Eiji went missing afterwards and has not been seen in 3 years. The Gradosians now oppressively rule over Earth as tyrants, with humans either working as second-class collaborators or slaves. [[HesBack Then, Eiji returns]]...]]
76* FuturisticPyramid: [[spoiler: Gradosians use one as their base of operations in New York during the ''Ru-Kain 1999'' arc.]]
77* GainaxEnding: [[InvokedTrope Deliberately]] with the final TV episode, as the creators found their series CutShort, and had to extensively rewrite the finale. The ''Hallmark 2000'' OVA fixes it and says [[spoiler:"EarnYourHappyEnding".]]
78%%* GoodScarsEvilScars: Bohn.
79* HalfHumanHybrid: Eiji/Null and Julia/Mille are the children of a Japanese astronaut and a Gradosian woman.
80%%* HeartbrokenBadass: Eiji.
81* HonorBeforeReason: Eiji refuses to kill even when, in earlier episodes, Rei has a kill-shot lined up on Gosterro, who has been picking off the various adults helping the Cosmic Culture Club [[KickTheDog one at a time]].
82%%* HotBlooded: Eiji and David.
83* HugeGuyTinyGirl: Eiji and Anna, with him being at least OneHeadTaller and having to lean down ''very'' low to give the tiny Anna a hug [[spoiler:or TheBigDamnKiss.]] Julia and Ru-Kain as well, [[ExaggeratedTrope if not more]]; she's rather normal in size, maybe a bit taller than usual, but he's THAT massive.
84* HumanAliens: The Gradosians. It's actually [[DiscussedTrope discussed]] early on by some of the cast. [[spoiler: And then [[AvertedTrope averted]]: [[TransplantedHumans They are human descendants of earthlings abducted to Grados by its original inhabitants who have since died out.]] ]]
85* HumansThroughAlienEyes: They frequently refer to us by FantasticSlurs like "apes" and "monkeys," and those who aren't as racist (like Gale), hold our Cold War-era global politics in horror, arguing that their invasion is justified by our inability to avoid destroying ourselves.
86* IgnoredEpiphany: When it's revealed that [[spoiler: Earthlings and Gradosians are in fact the exact same species and not just similar, Ru-Kain ''could'' have used this revelation to become more tolerant. Nope, it only fueled his superiority complex on a cultural scale, though Ru-Kain was always less of a racist and more of a cultural supremacist to begin with.]]
87** [[AlternateCharacterInterpretation He did, in comparison to his previous attitude.]] Notice how he [[spoiler:promotes Rowanne to his second-in-command (which allows him later to both survive and finish his own plans to help LaResistance) and grants Earthlings (supposedly) equal promotion opportunities to Gradosians]] right after that. And in the OVA, he ultimately [[spoiler: follows Julia back to Grado, probably to ''actually'' work on his and the Gradosians's issues.]]
88* IgnoredExpert: [[spoiler: The Americans ignore Eiji's warnings of an alien invasion, imprisoning him and trying to replicate Layzner to tip the balance of the Cold War until it's too late.]]
89%%* InconsistentSpelling: Ru-Kain//Le Cain/Le Caine/Lu Klyne? Gosterro/Gostello/Ghostello/Costello? Gale/Gail?
90* {{Jerkass}}:
91%%** Gosterro.
92** [[{{Eagleland}} David]] at first, given how he blames Eiji for the death of his friend Juno, but he eventually gets over it.
93* JerkWithAHeartOfGold: David matures into this after his initial mistreatment of Eiji, [[spoiler: and even ends up leading the Resistance in the "Ru-Kain 1999" arc.]]
94* KickTheDog: Gosterro calling Eiji's bluff [[spoiler: that he'll execute the wingman of Gosterro's that he captured]] and gleefully egging him on to go ahead and do it.
95* LargeAndInCharge: Gresco is seemingly rotund, but appears to have some muscle underneath the fat. His son Ru-Kain is a hulking giant with a bodybuilder physique. [[spoiler: When Roanne gets a promotion from Ru-Kain himself towards the end, he seems to [[NotDrawnToScale suddenly grow several inches]], but this might be just OffModel animation since the end of the OVA shows him "back" to his normal height, as he rejoins the group and they go greet the returning Eiji.]]
96* LawOfChromaticSuperiority: Layzner, and ''especially'' the Zakaal, Ru-Kain's personal golden SPT.
97* MadeOfIron: After his [[WeCanRebuildHim upgrade]], [[spoiler: Gosterro]]. The translator jokes that there's probably a little cockroach in his family tree somewhere. [[spoiler: That joke might also be a reference to his [[GiantFootOfStomping singularly undignified end]] shortly thereafter.]]
98* MalevolentMaskedMan: The ENTIRE Demon Death Platoon, for [[WeCanRebuildHim various]] [[GoodScarsEvilScars and]] [[TheFightingNarcissist sundry]] [[FacialMarkings reasons]].
99* MartialPacifist: Eiji uses judo. Later on he seems to have ditched this, as he starts using tonfas in addition.
100* MookFaceTurn: [[spoiler:Gusten and Roberia, out of sheer disgust for Gosterro's actions.]]
101* NobleBigot: Le Caine honestly subscribes to the idea of Gradosian superiority (and thus the right to rule) over Earthlings.
102* NuclearWeaponsTaboo: [[AvertedTrope Averted]]: both the Cosmic Culture Club and the Gradosian Empire have a very real fear of the nuclear weapons possessed by the Americans and the Soviets, and a number of nukes go off on Mars as the secretive nature of the initial Gradosian invasion has the two nations at each other's throats.
103%%* {{Ojou}}: Simone Reflan
104* OmniscientMoralityLicense: [[spoiler:The Grados super-computers have predicted that, in a few centuries, humanity will stop fighting amongst themselves and expand to the stars, posing a threat to Grados. The Gradosians have decided to destroy humanity in pre-emptive self-defense.]]
105* TheOphelia: [[spoiler: Dr. Elizabeth]] loses her mind and becomes this, since [[spoiler: she can barely reconcile her conscience with the fact that she has to build killing weapons.]] [[spoiler: Thankfully, she recovers.]]
106* OrcusOnHisThrone: [[InvokedTrope Invoked]] with Gresco who spends [[spoiler: the entirety of the ''Ru-Kain 1999'' arc ruling over the Grados-conquered Earth but doing nothing about the human rebellion. It's stated that he has effectively given in to his lust for power.]] His {{Anvilicious}} explanation of the nature of power (in the Hallmark 2000 OAV) indicates him as NecessarilyEvil and/or TheUnfettered.
107* PhenotypeStereotype: David is American and he's a blond.
108%%* PluckyGirl: Anna and Simone, in their own ways. Julia is the biggest example, however.
109* {{Precap}}: The show does "on tonight's X..."... ''on the middle of the opening sequence (Before the chorus plays, see for yourself [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CQCL09lH4Ls here]] (starting at 1:00 mark)).
110%%* PsychoForHire: The Demon Death Squad.
111%%* QuirkyMinibossSquad: The Demon Death Squad.
112* TheQuisling: Roanne. [[spoiler:Turns out to be TheMole - he was passing along info to LaResistance, and his mean and jerkass facade was THAT good.]]
113* RealRobotGenre: Small mechs powered by (fairly) realistic technology and conventional weapons and handled by AI? Yup, real robots.
114%%* ReasonableAuthorityFigure: Dr. Elizabeth & Gale.
115* ShipperOnDeck: David ships Anna/Eiji pretty clearly, [[spoiler: double because he has feelings for Simone.]]
116* SmugSnake: Ru-Kain, but he can always [[AcePilot back]] [[VillainousValor it]] [[BiggerStick up]].
117* TheSocialDarwinist: Ru-Kain tends towards Type 5. Grados Empire as a whole is Type 2.
118* StealthPun: Layzner becomes the "Blue Comet" when it activates V-MAX. The V-MAX Super Charge used by the Zakaal is referred to as "Red Power". Making the Zakaal a...[[CharClone Red Comet]]?
119%%* SuperPrototype: The Layzner is this.
120* SuperMode: V-MAX for the Layzner [[spoiler: and the Zakaal]].
121* SuperpoweredEvilSide: Initially [[spoiler:Fouron]] serves as this to Rei.
122* TechnicalPacifist: Eiji doesn't want to kill anyone and deliberately tries to disable enemy [=SPTs=] rather than the kill the pilot outright. This has the side effect of forcing the Buldy and Baybull to fight the same way, as they use Layzner's combat data. However, his mech has an A.I. named Rei, and it frequently disobeys his commands to save his life.
123* ThemeMusicPowerUp: [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nHkfGFuK-Oc# Rei! Engage V-Max!]]
124* ThisIsADrill: Manjuro's Gasshalan and Bohn's Eldarl, though the Eldarl's snake drills more closely resemble whips.
125* TimeSkip: A rather sudden (and [[ExecutiveMeddling network-mandated]]) one starting with episode 26.
126* TokenGoodTeammate: Gale is the sole major full-blooded Gradosian character who isn't some combination of [[FantasticRacist racist]], [[{{Sadist}} sadistic]], or just plain [[{{Jerkass}} unpleasant]] right off the bat.
127* UnfriendlyFire: Gosterro's bloodlust, in the words of Website/TheOtherWiki, "forces him to take the lives of his own wingmen." Furthermore, [[spoiler: three-quarters of the Demon Death Platoon either attempt to kill one another or succeed.]]
128* UnwillingSuspension: In the Ru-Kain arc, this happens to [[spoiler: Anna and David]] among several others. For worse, they're hanged in front of a building that houses a mecha, and they're about to be executed in public. [[spoiler: Eiji sweeps in and manages to rescues them.]]
129* VichyEarth: [[spoiler: Long story short: Eiji and company fail to get anyone to listen to them, and Earth is conquered by the Gradosians. Throughout the ''Ru-Kain 1999'' arc, they brutally occupy the planet, complete with "collaborators" who sell out their race for privileges.]]
130* WeAreStrugglingTogether: The students do ''not'' get along with each other at first, and even less with Eiji.
131* WeCanRebuildHim: [[spoiler: Gosterro]], though not without [[BlessedWithSuck certain side effects]], most notably [[{{Pun}} brainsplitting]] headaches.
132* WhatHappenedToTheMouse: [[spoiler: Commander Gueler]]
133* YouAreWhatYouHate: The Gradosians constantly insist that they are superior to Earthlings. [[spoiler: Of course, it turns out that Earthlings & Gradosians are all-but-identical.]]
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