Line #13 Anime/SpacePirateMito


1	[[quoteright:282:https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/spacepiratemito_1873.jpg]]
2
3	''Uchū Kaizoku Mito no Daibōken'', released in English speaking countries as ''Space Pirate Mito'', is an extremely obscure 1999 anime that lasted two seasons (split between the Winter and Summer TV seasons), each spanning 13 episodes. The series centers around Aoi, a fairly typical Japanese teenager whose father had passed on and whose mother, Mito, works overseas as a model. Only... his mom isn't really who he thinks she is.
4
5	In reality, Mito is the galaxy's most infamous space pirate with enough guts to outshine a supernova. She is also a three foot tall childlike alien -- yet all she really wants is to be called "Mom". When the Galactic Patrol follows her to Earth, Aoi is pulled into an intergalactic goose chase that brings him to all corners of the universe, along with the first working Earth mom to carry a pulse rifle.
6
7	The series is a bit... odd, but still manages to be enjoyable with its colorful art style and strange cast of characters. Just don't try to make too much sense of the plotline. You will severely hurt your brain.
8
9	The series was released in English by Creator/MediaBlasters, though with a 5-year gap between the releases of the two seasons. While an English dub was produced for the first season, Media-Blasters opted to release the second season sub-only, due to the changes in the anime market over that time period.
10
11	The series was later rescued and re-released by [=RightStuf=]'s anime division, Creator/NozomiEntertainment.
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13	Both seasons are available on Website/{{Crunchyroll}} and Nozomi's [=YouTube=] channel.
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15	!!Tropes:
16
17	%%* AbsurdlyYouthfulMother: Mito (but only in appearance).
18	%%* ActionMom: Can't get more action-y than a space pirate.
19	* AdjectiveNounFred: "Space Pirate Mito" and/or "Stellar Buster Mito".
20	* AggressiveCategorism: [[spoiler: Against the gender indeterminate like Ranban, because only someone with a stable gender (male or female) can wield the royal sword.]]
21	%%* AlphaBitch: Kafuko, multiclassing into RichBitch. She becomes more of a LovableAlphaBitch as the series continues.
22	%%* ArmCannon: Sabu carries one, as do most Galaxy Patrol mooks.
23	* BattleAmongstTheFlames: Aoi has flashbacks of his mother fighting Ranban amidst swirling flames.
24	* BizarreAlienBiology: The aliens that aren't StarfishAliens or {{Intelligent Gerbil}}s tend to have this. For instance, [[spoiler:Mito's species determines its gender during puberty.]]
25	** The Nenga siblings belong to a nitrogen-breathing species for whom water is a deadly poison and Mutsuki is prone to sprouting mushrooms when stressed.
26	%%* BondingOverMissingParents: Mitsuki and Aoi, though Aoi doesn't know it.
27	%%* BrainUploading: Aoi's grandmother Kodo.
28	* BrainwashedAndCrazy: Later in the second series, [[spoiler:Hikari brainwashes Mitsukuni, and later most of LaResistance, into her minions (by either kissing them or blowing kisses at them).]]
29	%%* ChangelingFantasy: Although it's more of a changeling nightmare.
30	* CosplayOtakuGirl: Kafuko, especially in the second series; the eyecatches feature her working through the night to create a variety of costumes.
31	%%* CuteBruiser: Mito.
32	* DatingCatwoman: Mutsuki Nenga, who falls in love with Aoi during her undercover investigation of the son of the infamous Space Pirate Mito.
33	%%* DefeatMeansFriendship: Mito and Ranban get pretty chummy once the main conflict of the first series is over. [[spoiler:Ranban even takes responsibility for training Aoi.]]
34	* DisappearedDad: Aoi's father died before the start of the series, as did the Nenga siblings'.
35	%%* DualAgeModes: Effectively Mito, with her Mail Suits.
36	* FirstLawOfGenderBending: Poor [[spoiler:Aoi. His gender becomes unstable (long story about BizarreAlienBiology) at the end of the first series leaving him outwardly female, which is not helped when his mom steps aside and has him crowned queen of the Galaxy. The last episode of the first series ends with Aoi running away to look for a way to become a boy again. But this seems to be forgotten at the start of the next series, and the only one to even mention it is the AxCrazy Hikari. It's implied that Aoi's devotion to her role as queen at the end of the penultimate episode fixes her permanently as there's no suggestion of her turning back at the end of the series.]]
37	* FlashbackEcho: Aoi has cryptic flashbacks through the first half of the series, to [[spoiler:the battle between Mito and Ranban when he was taken into space as a child.]]
38	%%* AFormYouAreComfortableWith: Backfires on Mito.
39	* GenderBender: [[spoiler: At the end of the first series, Aoi learns about the BizarreAlienBiology of his mother's species when his own gender becomes unstable but manages to remain to male just long enough to save the day before stabilizing as female and remaining female for the second series.]]
40	* GodSaveUsFromTheQueen: The First Queen Hikari, BigBad of the second series, is totally bonkers and her reign is described as an age of fear. Her more sympathetic successor, [[spoiler:Aoi, steps down and sets up a democracy.]]
41	* GogglesDoSomethingUnusual: Mito's cutesy oversized glasses and her HighClassGlass .
42	* GoMadFromTheRevelation: IneffectualSympatheticVillain Masatsuki Nenga goes totally batshit insane when [[spoiler: he comes to the realisation that his "Justice" is nothing more than a tool of oppression (one that has no issue shooting down a "mob" of villagers, men, women and children) used by a pretender to the throne]]. This leads to about two episodes worth of him screaming "[[KnightTemplar I AM JUSTICE]]!" at the top of his lungs while firing his gun like the lunatic he is. This would be fine all in all, but the guy doesn't look older than 12.
43	* GrandTheftMe: Hikari takes over [[spoiler: Mutsuki's]] body around the half-way point of the second series.
44	* GratuitousEnglish: The theme song quasi-translates the series title as "Stellar Buster Mito". Several fansubs of the series followed suit.
45	* HeelFaceTurn: Masatsuki and Ranban join the good guys for the second series.
46	%%* HeroicSacrifice: Mito in the climax of the second series.
47	%%* HiddenBackupPrince: Played straight despite Mito's attempts to prevent it.
48	* HighClassGlass: Mito wears a distinctive monocle when she's in SpacePirate mode that's [[GogglesDoSomethingUnusual more than just a disguise.]]
49	* HilarityEnsues: After [[spoiler: Queen Aoi's]] advisers trick her into naming a small town in Japan the capital of the galaxy.
50	* IAmSpartacus: Combined with LostInACrowd during the second half of the first series. [[spoiler:When the Galactic Patrol invades Aoi's hometown and demands that he surrender, his classmates from school put on Aoi masks and run out of the building. They get captured, but give Aoi time to escape.]]
51	* IfItsYouItsOK: Mutsuki, on multiple levels: Since Aoi's [[DatingCatwoman the son of a space pirate]] and an earthling [[spoiler: and becomes a girl]] she's got a few things to get past.
52	* IncestSubtext: Masatsuki seems jealous of Aoi for going out with his sister. When his sister Mutsuki kissed him while she was controlled by the Big Bad, he seemed to enjoy it too much.
53	* ITakeOffenseToThatLastOne: A variation. When the Galactic Patrol is looking for Aoi, they announce his "crimes" to the general populace, hoping to flush him out. In order, this includes [[VillainousLineage being the son]] of a wanted SpacePirate, seducing women, being a ten-foot monster (and apparently a [[GripingAboutGremlins gremlin]]), and [[ArsonMurderAndJaywalking disrespecting his parents]], since he injured his mother and ran away. Hearing the announcement, his classmates ask if it's true, and Aoi replies, "It's true," but stops short, leading his friends to have {{Imagine Spot}}s based on the more outlandish claims. (He really meant the last one, though the first -- and arguably the second -- are also true).
54	%%* LaserBlade: Mito and Ranban use these. Ranban is surprised that Aoi can use one as well, an early indication that he's MoreThanMeetsTheEye.
55	* LatexPerfection: In episode 7, Masatsuki uses a [[FullBodyDisguise full body suit]] to disguise himself as Mutsuki in order to capture Aoi.
56	%%* LensFlare: Shows up a lot in the first episode, mostly in the train station scenes. Later episodes tone it down a bit.
57	* LensFlareCensor: Used to obscure Kogero's features in flashbacks and stills. A good example is in the second episode, where Mito gazes fondly at a family photograph in Aoi's room.
58	%%* LoveableRogue: Mito and her crew.
59	* MamaBear: Mito is a particularly ferocious example despite her appearance. She cuts through the entire Galactic Patrol fleet in the first episode just to be with Aoi on the anniversary of his father's death. And when they actually capture Aoi...
60	-->'''Mito''': "I'm a mother first, and a pirate second."
61	* MayflyDecemberRomance: Mito is over 10,000 years old and knew Kogero for just ten. Aoi's father died when Aoi was five, but Mito assures Aoi his father was her OneTrueLove and she's proud to be Mrs Mito Mitsukuni.
62	* MinorInjuryOverreaction: Mutsuke goes berserk when Aoi accidentally sprinkles her with water. It hurts, it's frightening (one solid splash would kill her) and she's convinced he knew it would hurt her thanks to her brother's paranoid ramblings.
63	* MobileSuitHuman: Mito uses a "[[AMechByAnyOtherName Mail Suit]]" as PoweredArmor - or just to pass as a normal, adult humanoid woman. The fact that she'd been wearing it around Aoi until the series started causes problems in their relationship. [[spoiler:Especially considering that all the Mail Suits look the same.]]
64	* MoodWhiplash: There are some moments of pathos amidst all the zaniness, mostly around Mito's grief for Kagero and Aoi's reluctance to accept the newly revealed chibi Mito as his mom.
65	-->'''Mito''': "I just want to hold you with my own two arms without my exo suit. I've waited so long."
66	* NewTransferStudent: Mutsuki enrolls in Aoi's school in the second episode.
67	* NiceJobFixingItVillain: Aoi wears a bracelet that he believes is a good luck charm and the audience is led to believe is the key to a powerful weapon. He also starts having [[HowDoIShotWeb random bursts of powerful energy]] when the bad guys attack. Near the end of the series, [[BigBad Ranban]] removes this bracelet and tells Aoi it was an enhancer that brought out his powers, making him helpless without it. Cue Aoi causing an explosion with [[IAmNotLefthanded power even greater than he used before]], and Mito telling Ranban that the enhancer was actually a [[PowerLimiter limiter]] to keep Aoi's powers in check.
68	* {{Ninja}}: Okubo-sensei reveals some skill with standard ninja tricks (roof-hopping, caltrops, etc.) towards the end of the first series. [[SenseiChan She still gets no respect from her students.]]
69	* OverrideCommand: The Mail Suits have a glitch triggered by hitting a sensor on the back; the glitch short-circuits the suit and paralyzes the wearer.
70	* PhysicalGod: Hikari is described as a creator (and destroyer) of worlds and at least a large chunk of the universe, if not the whole thing.
71	%%* PirateGirl: The title character, along with several other members of her crew.
72	%%* PowerLimiter: [[spoiler:Aoi's amulet/bracelet]] turns out to be one.
73	* PuppetGun: Not quite the same, but one spaceship can be used like a lightsaber by handling a model-sized version of the ship.
74	%%* RebelliousPrincess: [[spoiler: Mito]]
75	* Really700YearsOld: Mito is over ten thousand years old, but looks like she's in third grade. ([[CompulsorySchoolAge And she's forced to start attending after Aoi's teacher sees her real form]].)
76	* RequisiteRoyalRegalia: The second series revolves around preventing Queen Hikari from gathering the royal sword, mirror, and bead. None of these objects is what you think they'd be from those descriptions.
77	* TheResenter: Ranban's villainous motivation comes from being imprisoned and expelled from the royal family because his body never settled on a gender, and continues to pursue Mito mostly because he resents that she ''could'' rule the galaxy even though she doesn't want to and was perfectly happy to ''let'' him rule as long as he did a good job.
78	* SacredFirstKiss: Weaponized. Mutsuki kisses Aoi to make his body stabilize as male long enough for him to use the royal sword to defeat Ranban. (Alas, it doesn't stick.)
79	* SamusIsAGirl: Played with. BigBad Ranban's helmet is knocked off during a fight to reveal the face of Mito's Mail Suit; this is when the audience learns that all the suits are made with the same face. Ranban [[spoiler:himself is technically intersexed or neuter (it's not made clear which) since his/her BizarreAlienBiology never triggered the change at puberty that normally determines gender in his/her species.]]
80	* SecondEpisodeMorning: Played with. Mito, caught climbing out of her [[PoweredArmor Mom suit]] by Aoi, at the very end of the first episode, tries to climb back in at the beginning of the ''second'' episode and assure her son that what he saw was just a dream. The two of them laugh it off until she realizes that her non-human crewmates are still hanging around. With no other choice, she shows him her true self (an alien that looks like a 3rd grader), causing Aoi to faint. The very next scene shows Aoi [[CatapultNightmare waking up screaming]] and deciding that he must have dreamt the previous scene. Until his house is destroyed by a [[AttackOfThe50FootWhatever giant version of his mom that suddenly takes to the air]]. Aoi flees, is hit by a hearse, and then [[DreamWithinADream wakes up screaming again]], this time for real. He hears his mom's voice from the other room, but when he sees her in her true form again, he leaps back into bed, hoping that this, too, is AllJustADream. (It's not.)
81	** Likewise, the second episode of the second series opens with Aoi dreaming [[spoiler:he's a boy again]], before Mitsuki turns to stone, a vision Hikari appears, and Aoi wakes up to find the capital of the galaxy being moved to the town.
82	* ShoutOut:
83	** One early eyecatch has Masatsuki declare, "Nee-san, my tears won't stop!", which is a riff on the OnTheNextEpisodeOfCatchphrase of ''Manga/DearBrother''.
84	** A lot of shoutouts to ''Mito Komon'', a long-running Japanese JidaiGeki TV drama about a high official named Tokugawa Mitsukuni who traveled the land in disguise fighting corruption.
85	*** First, and most obvious, Mito and Aoi's family name is the same as Tokugawa Mitsukuni's given name.
86	*** In episode Mito introduces her lieutenants Sabu and Shin with their complete names, Sukesaburō and Kakunoshin, which also happen to be the names of Tokogaw Mitsukuni's two devoted followers Suke-san and Kaku-san.
87	*** In episode 10, one of Mito's allies produces a seal proclaiming her to be [[spoiler:the heir to the Galactic throne]], similar reveals typically happened OnceAnEpisode in ''Mito Komon''
88	** One of Masatsuki's trumped up charges against Aoi is he [[{{Film/Gremlins}} will multiply if you get him wet and turn evil if you feed him after midnight]].
89	** The dub throws in references to ''Franchise/GhostInTheShell'', and the visual references to Franchise/StarTrek and Franchise/StarWars are perhaps inevitable.
90	* ShowerScene: Mutsuki has one of these, though it's applying "aqua-coating" to protect against Earth's damp environment rather than a shower.
91	* SinsOfOurFathers: Early on, it's stated that Aoi is (as a matter of law) guilty of his mother's crimes.
92	%%* SpacePirate: Mito and her crew.
93	%%* SpacePolice: The Galactic Patrol.
94	%%* ThirdLawOfGenderBending / SchoolUniformsAreTheNewBlack: Aoi spends most of the second series in a girl's school uniform.
95	* TrainingFromHell: [[spoiler:In the second series, Ranban invokes this trope -- specifically the versions from sports anime & manga -- when he trains Aoi. Specifically, he makes Aoi dress in a SchoolSportUniform and block {{Energy Ball}}s thrown at her, while making her call him "Coach".]]
96	* TrueBeautyIsOnTheInside: the reason Mito fell in love with a gentle human gardener. She's thrilled to learn he feels the same way after she reveals her true form.
97	* VillainousLineage: The Galactic Patrol tries to arrest Aoi. His crime? Being the son of a notorious space pirate.
98	* VoluntaryShapeshifting: Shin's power as some kind of nanotechnology-based lifeform. She spends most of her time either as a cat or a cloaked woman.
99	* WhyDidItHaveToBeSnakes: Masatsuki is deathly afraid of cats, a phobia Ranban notes he inherited from his father.
100	* WhipOfDominance: The domineering [[GalacticConqueror space queen]] Hikari can [[SpontaneousWeaponCreation use her powers to create energy whips]] which she uses in battle and when she wants to [[BadBoss punish her subordinates]].
101	* WingdingEyes: All the humanoid aliens in the series have starburst-shaped highligts overlapping their pupils. Aoi, who's half-human, has [[DualityMotif one normal pupil and one starburst]].
102	* YoureNotMyFather: Aoi ends an argument with "You're not my mom! You're just an alien in a suit who looks like my mom!" Mito is devastated, and her reaction finally convinces Aoi she is indeed his mother. He's still not ready to call her mom, though.
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Context Anime / SpacePirateMito