Line #19 Anime/SuperDimensionCenturyOrguss


1	[[quoteright:350:https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/rsz_mainpage.jpg]]
2	[[caption-width-right:350:''Where are you going, when are you coming home?'']]
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4	''Orguss'' is a 1983 anime series from Creator/StudioNue (the creators of ''Anime/{{Macross}}''), and Creator/TMSEntertainment (the studio that did ''Anime/{{Ulysses 31}}'').
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6	In the year 2065, the world's two superpowers are fighting over the control of a SpaceElevator. Fighter pilot Kei Katsuragi and his friend Olson are assigned to just blow the damn thing up, providing escort for engineers using a new "dimensional" weapon of mass destruction - the [[RealityBreakingParadox Space/Time Oscillation Bomb]]. However, everything goes wrong when the engineers die before it can be set off. Kei is ordered to abandon and self-destruct the bomb, but instead chooses to start ''[[NiceJobBreakingItHero fiddling with it.]]''
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8	One flash of light later, Kei finds himself [[TrappedInAnotherWorld hurled into what he believes is another world]]... or is it? As it turns out, the world he ends up in is Earth; ''however'', it is an Earth that is made up of many different dimensions... [[PatchworkWorld many alternate Earths squashed together]] - where dinosaurs evolved into a sentient species, where mankind was destroyed in a RobotWar, where monarchies never fell, etc. When Kei started fiddling with the Space/Time Oscillation Bomb, he ended up turning the [[FantasyKitchenSink space-time of the entire planet into kudzu]]. A kudzu world with an ''[[RaceAgainstTheClock expiration date]]'', as the dimensional effect is maintaining itself at roughly a few miles above the planet's surface, and is trapping enough heat in the atmosphere that everyone will bake to death in a few more years. Kei ends up on the Emaan flying ship ''Glomar'', joining its crew of gypsy-like traders on a quest across the planet and back to restore the [=pre-STOB=] world before all life is exterminated.
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10	Not as popular, but more imaginative, than its older brother, ''Orguss'' is the second show in the "Super Dimension" series, between ''Anime/SuperDimensionFortressMacross'' and ''Anime/SuperDimensionCavalrySouthernCross''.
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12	A six-episode sequel OVA, ''Orguss 02'' done by Creator/JCStaff (of ''Literature/{{Slayers}}'' fame), was released in 1993. The story is set in a completely different world; at first, the only ties to the original series are the Orguss and Nikick mecha buried around the world, along with the ruins of the orbital elevator where everything started. The kingdoms of Rivilia and Zafrin have both learned how to rebuild the ruined "[[AMechByAnyOtherName armors]]" (or "Decimators" in the English dub) using their UsefulNotes/WorldWarII-level SchizoTech, and the cold war between them is on the verge of igniting. But more of the original story resurfaces as young Rivilian mechanic Lean is sucked into the conflict between the nations, and meets Nataruma, an [[PhlebotinumRebel escaped Zafrin agent]] with strange powers, a [[BrokenBird chip on her shoulder]], and an unusual heritage...
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14	''Orguss'' plays a big role in ''VideoGame/SuperRobotWarsZ''. Specifically, the Space-Time Oscillation Bomb Kei blew up at the beginning of the series [[UnwittingInstigatorOfDoom was the catalyst for merging all the worlds and all the problems that came with it.]]
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16	----
17	!!''Super Dimension Century Orguss'' contains examples of:
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19	* AcePilot: Kei's pretty skilled and can at least stay alive when he's hopelessly outnumbered. ''VideoGame/SuperRobotWarsZ'' puts him nearly on level with ''Anime/MobileSuitGundamCharsCounterattack''-era Amuro, and note that Orguss is a FragileSpeedster mech whose only weapon is literally nothing but missiles, missiles, missiles.
20	* AbsurdlyYouthfulMother: Any Emaan with a child is this, as the species suffers from a condition where females are rendered sterile unless they have their first child before they turn ''[[OldMaid eighteen years old]].''
21	* BackForTheDead: [[spoiler: Poor, poor Sley.]]
22	* BizarreAlienBiology: The Emaan are HumanoidAliens with head-tails and a very limited period of female fertility, being rendered incurably barren by the age of eighteen.
23	* BrickJoke: [[spoiler: The woman Kei was sleeping with at the start of the first episode would end up being pregnant and having a daughter, one who would go on to become Kei's rival when he returned, and is first shown eleven episodes after the start of the series.]]
24	* TheCaptain: Shaya's one, but it a fairly lax individual more concerned with traveling around, finding markets, and protecting Kei than imposing discipline
25	* ConservationOfNinjutsu: Mu attack robots seem easier to kill the more of them are present.
26	* DramaticIrony: The "previously on" segments let the viewer know that Kei has been thrown 20 years into the future. It's quite a while before he finds this out.
27	* EarthAllAlong: subverted. Within six episodes, Kei knows he's still on Earth when he sees a guy driving a jeep.
28	** [[spoiler: Kei finds out later on though that the Chilam are in fact the humans from ''his'' world, however.]]
29	* {{Expy}}: Many of the characters resemble those from the previous "Super Dimension" show, ''Anime/{{Macross}}''. Which isn't too surprising seeing as how it's the same character designer. Mimsy in particular looks like Minmei but with Misa's hair color.
30	** Olson is essentially Athena's [[Anime/MobileSuitZetaGundam Quattro]], straight down to the mentor role and sunglasses... except Orguss aired before Zeta Gundam. And he's voiced by [[Anime/MobileSuitGundam Bright Noah]] himself too!
31	* FreezeFrameBonus: A map of the world shown in one of the later episodes show that the Mu, the evil robots who are giving our heroes such grief, do actually come from a continent in the Pacific that doesn't exist in our world. (There's also Atlantis in the Atlantic, but we already knew about that, since our heroes were helped by the Atlantians in a previous episode.)
32	* GainaxEnding: The natural result of the setting. By the last story arc, everyone knows that the Mu robots are resisting any and all efforts to fix the world, believing that the artificial greenhouse effect will spare inorganic lifeforms. The Chilam still have some scheme to control Kei and Olson when they repair space-time, and it's heavily implied the Emaan have something up their sleeves too. Kei and Olson reach the Great Singularity Point just as it is about to be destroyed by a meteor... [[spoiler:only to find that the [=GSP=] is actually the Space/Time Oscillation Bomb ''[[TimeStandsStill locked in the moment]] before its activation'' '''along with the Kei and Olson from the prologue.''' The older Kei and Olson realize the implications immediately and draw their weapons, resulting in their past selves drawing their own, followed by four gunshots. With everyone capable of activating it dead, the [[CuttingTheKnot bomb self-destructs]], ending an otherwise StableTimeLoop. Thus, every timeline began flowing separately, making [[TheMultiverse all possible endings true]].]]
33	* HeroicSacrifice: [[spoiler: Sley early on, and then Mome and Taii leading up to the final moments of the series where '''''Olson and Kei kill their past selves and die in the process''''' to correct the damage to the Earth]]
34	* HonoraryUncle: Olson to Athena, as her father's [[spoiler: Kei's]] closest friend who was present for a good part of her life, having emerged into the new world several years ahead of him.
35	* IdiotHero: Lampshaded by Shaya, leaving Kei wondering whether it's a compliment or an insult.
36	* ImplacableMan: The Mu combat androids are nearly indestructible. Oftentimes two or three ''infantry'' go into fights with hordes of enemy mecha. ''And win''.
37	* IWantMyBelovedToBeHappy: Sley, in spite of his dislike of Kei, genuinely cares for Mimsy and grows to respect her interest in Kei
38	* JeanneDArchetype: In one of the earlier arcs, as the cast is travelling across France, they find a woman called Joan of Arc is leading a rebellion to overthrow the tyrant ruling over her country.
39	* LatexSpaceSuit: Emaan uniforms. Stated [[AllThereInTheManual/AnimeAndManga in the manual]] to have smaller versions of their drive systems in them, enabling them to make six-meter bounds - such as into the cockpits of mecha.
40	* LovableSexManiac: Kei is one and the series introduces him to the viewers with him making out with a woman.
41	* MacrossMissileMassacre: The Orguss is literally armed with nothing but missiles. Even its hand held gun shoots missiles. Taii is also armed to the teeth with missiles in his torso, although he only uses them on other machines, not life forms.
42	** Somewhat TruthInTelevision for Orguss as far as fighter planes are concerned, which is what Orguss basically functions like.
43	* MadeOfExplodium: Ishkicks, so much so as to having their legs bump into each other being enough to trigger explosions; [[EpicFail multiple times no less]]. Amazingly, the reconnaissance versions called Ishfons qualify more for CannonFodder than the regular versions.
44	** In an ironic twist, the toy versions of the Ishkicks made by Takatoku are notoriously fragile - [[TruthInTelevision especially the legs]].
45	* MayDecemberRomance: Played with; Olson should be old enough to be Athena's father, [[spoiler:as he and her actual father were the same age when Athen was born,]] but due to be displaced in time, he's only 25 while she's 18. Nonetheless, he keeps turning away her repeated advances for intimacy.
46	* MeaningfulName: A double-instance of it with the same character. Athena was the Goddess of War in Greek Mythology, and serves as Kei's rival. His rebuilt Bronco 2 is dubbed "Orguss", named after the God of War from Jabby's dimension. [[spoiler: Then it's revealed that Athena is Kei's daughter with his girlfriend Tina. Due to Japanese phonetics, Athena's name would be pronounced "Atina"]]
47	* MergedReality: The setting of the story. An inversion of the usual trope as the characters' goal is to undo the merging.
48	* MidSeasonUpgrade: Kei goes from his Bronco II to the titular Orguss.
49	* MildlyMilitary: Justified. The ''Glomaar'' is a merchant ship, not a military one.
50	* MundaneMadeAwesome: Episode 25. ''Slow-motion bread tossing''. That is all.
51	* MyBiologicalClockIsTicking: Episode 18. Mimsey begins entering her biological phase of sterility and her desire for intimacy intensifies.
52	* NuclearWeaponsTaboo: semi-averted. They are mentioned earlier on along with biological and chemical weapons, but the real big weapon in the wars before the reality war is the Space-Time Oscillation Bombs.
53	* OldMaid: It's even ''worse'' for Emaan women. Their bodies start undergoing a change when seventeen years old and develop a painful fever. Then anywhere from half a year to one year later, they become barren and aren't even viewed as ''women'' anymore. Captain Shaya is already past that age, and Mimsy's pretty damn close.
54	* ReallyGetsAround: Kei, at least before he's sent into the future. Our first scene with him is in a girl's bed, and [[spoiler: his rival is actually his ''daughter'', all grown up.]]
55	%% * RobotGirl: Mome
56	* RobotWar: The Chilam are fighting one against the robot forces of Mu.
57	* RomanticFalseLead: Kei essentially wows Mimsy while her boyfriend Sley starts becoming more and more like a RomanticRunnerUp. In an unusual case, Kei tells Sley become more assertive and do more to protect Mimsy and seems to have a positive effect on the guy. Not to mention when Sley decided to marry Mimsy and have a child before she lost her fertility, Kei was happier about it than Sley and flat-out admitted they were a better match.
58	* ShoutOut:
59	** If similar character designs weren't enough, some Macross characters make cameos, among them Minmei, Shammy, Vanessa and Misa.
60	** Mimsy, Mome and Jabby's names are "Literature/{{Jabberwocky}}" references.
61	* SpoilerOpening: The opening reveals that the [[spoiler: orbital tower]] still exists.
62	* SuperPrototype: Averted with Orguss. From what we can tell, there's no noticeable difference or advantage the original Orguss has over the mass-produced Orguss 2 machines created in the latter part of the series.
63	* TakeAThirdOption: [[spoiler: Every faction wants Kei and Olson to go into the singularity and change things so that only their universe exists. Kei, being who he is, never asks how he's supposed to do this, and everyone just assumes he knows. When they finally get into the singularity, they realize what they are supposed to do: the singularity is the Superdimensional bomb right before Kei reprogrammed it. The various powers wanted Kei and Olson to reprogram it so that it would destroy all the other universes and leave theirs intact. But Kei and Olson have gone back to before the bomb went off, which gives them the option of killing their previous selves and allowing the bomb to self-destruct, which returns the multiverse to its original state.]]
64	* TransformingMecha: Even more than Macross, which had three. The Orguss has four forms: Its robot form, its plane form, its plane form with legs out for extra missiles (similar to the Gerwalk form in Macross) and a unique tank form that allows for quick travel on land and is used for [[RammingAlwaysWorks ramming]].
65	* TrappedInAnotherWorld: A world made up of many other worlds.
66	* WeaponOfMassDestruction: The first episode has a memorable sequence where they ''alphabetize'' [=WMDs=].
67	** A: [[NukeEm Atomic Weapons]]. "A nuclear weapon, in other words."
68	** B: [[ThePlague Biological Weapons]]. "Organic or germ weapons, in other words."
69	** C: [[DeadlyGas Chemical Weapons]]. "Includes poison gas, and other weapons using chemicals."
70	** D: [[RealityBreakingParadox Dimensional Weapons]]. "A temporal-spatial weapon, in other words."
71	* [[WhatMeasureIsANonHuman What Measure is a humanoid Non-Human]]: Of all the people in the series, those that treat Mome the most like a useless piece of junk are her own kind, one robot deriding her as an outmoded maintenance robot that should be replaced. Compare that to how pretty much ''every'' human treats her as someone with her own thoughts and feelings.
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73	!!''Orguss 02'' contains examples of:
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75	[[quoteright:350:https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/orguss02_tvt.png]]
76	[[caption-width-right:350:''In the darkness, I had a dream / dreamed I saw the world's destiny.'']]
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78	* AMechByAnyOtherName: As mentioned above, the salvaged mecha are called "Armors" ([[DubNameChange or "Decimators" in the English dub]].)
79	* ArchaeologicalArmsRace: Rivilia and Zafrin are both racing to excavate and repair all the Orguss and Nikick mecha they can find before the cold war between them heats up. Most of the second episode revolves around infiltrating a mining town devoted to excavating mecha.
80	* BittersweetEnding: [[spoiler:After Prince Parion and [[SuperweaponSurprise his Libo mecha]] launch a barrage of [[FantasticNuke Fantastic ICBMs]] after he's killed, Nataruma and the Colonel are able to use the rebuilt Space-Time Oscillation Bomb to successfully [[TheMagicGoesAway return the remaining anomalies to their correct dimensions]]. This includes the missiles, all Decimator mecha... and Nataruma herself, who at least gets a chance for a brief, tearful goodbye to Lean before disappearing. However, the epilogue shows a TimeSkip where the world is at peace -- even Manning's given up on WarForFunAndProfit and become a [[HonestJohnsDealership merchant]] -- Lean and his childhood friend Toria have reopened his old mentor's garage and are on the road to reconciling, and Nataruma ended up in the Emaan home dimension.]]
81	* BystanderActionHorrorDissonance: Nataruma is BlessedWithSuck to have this as a side effect of her PsychicPowers. During the story, while bonding with the mechanic turned rookie spy Lean as they try to escape the country of Zafrin, she repeatedly experiences visions of the horrors of war as they impact those around them -- particularly a kindly old Zafrin man who helps them at one point. [[spoiler:In her backstory, the Zafrin military raised her to psychically project the targets for artillery barrages, leaving her to experience the trauma of the enemies being torn to shreds. During the final battle of the series, both Nataruma and Lean share a vision of the arm of Prince Parion's Libo mecha falling on the people of the town they're fighting over -- and immediately realize they need to move the battle elsewhere.]]
82	* TheConstant: At first, just the space elevator (and Kei's old Orguss which gets salvaged and refurbished in the first episode). [[spoiler:Later, the Mu "Captain(Tai'i)" shows up, with a field promotion to "Colonel".]]
83	* DeathOfAChild: [[spoiler:Prince Parion's half-brother, aged 6 years old or so, gets poisoned and chokes to death on-screen.]]
84	* DieselPunk: Outside of the robots, the technology of the two factions fits squarely here. Inside the robots too, to a lesser extent; [[SchizoTech advanced technology has been cobbled together with WWII-style cockpits]].
85	* EnigmaticMinion: Manning, Lean's {{Affably\|Evil}} EvilMentor after the death of his surrogate father, is neck deep in the political intrigue of Rivilia, doing personal jobs for the EvilChancellor who became regent. However, [[spoiler:even going beyond allowing Lean to rescue Nataruma, and later freeing Toria for [[CrossingTheLineTwice infamously wrong reasons]], he reveals that he had been a double agent for Prince Perion's faction.]]
86	* FallingIntoTheCockpit: Lean in the first episode, when he has to fight off an attacking mecha to save the cargo plane carrying Manning and his mentor Zante. (Manning was a qualified pilot, but his first plan was to just take the Decimator and run; this way, he can land the plane.)
87	* HalfHumanHybrid: [[spoiler:As a descendant of Kei and Mimsy, Nataruma carries the heritage of both of their races as well as the humanity of the world Orguss 02 is set on. As the Colonel points out, this results in her unusually strong psychic powers.]]
88	* HumongousMecha: See below.
89	* TheJuggernaut: The enormous "Verifier" mecha that Zafrin excavates in the second episode is able to decimate anything in its path, and withstand any attacks against it; its only weakness is how quickly psychic monks burn out operating the sensors (justifying Nataruma's importance). [[spoiler:Even Perion's plan to destroy it by using nuclear weapons only destroys its legs -- and [[{{Determinator}} it still drags itself onward with its arms]] until Perion reveals his SuperweaponSurprise, the equally huge and pristine mecha Libo.]]
90	* NotWithTheSafetyOnYouWont: After Lean breaks into his country's torture chambers to rescue Nataruma, holding his mentor Lt. Manning at riflepoint, Manning casually mentions that Lean needs to load a bullet in the gun's breech to fire -- after he's already tied up. When Lean asks why he didn't... mention... this earlier, Manning just explains that "[[EnigmaticMinion he's a whimsical man]]."
91	* ObfuscatingStupidity: [[spoiler:Prince Parion feigns idiocy for the first few episodes of the OVA - until he orchestrates the murder of his half-brother and the EvilChancellor who killed his father, assuming the throne himself. He then goes on to attempt a global [[WoobieDestroyerOfWorlds omnicide]] using a HumongousMecha.]]
92	* PsychicPowers: Members of an order of monks are used by both the Rivilian and Zafrin militaries as the equivalents of both radar and long-range cameras, thanks to their mental abilities. However, they have a tendency of dying after overusing their powers. [[spoiler:Nataruma has unusually strong powers as a part-Emaan, which the Zafrin military trained her to use so she could help operate their enormous Decimator.]]
93	* SchizoTech: Salvaged mecha in a world which has otherwise pretty much reverted to an early-20th century level of technology. In addition, an order of monks with PsychicPowers is used in place of radar and long-range cameras.
94	* SphereOfDestruction: Played with near the end. [[spoiler: After Parion defeats the giant Zafrin Decimator, he launches a missile at their capital that explodes into one of these... except we see everyone and everything inside the sphere, untouched. That is, [[DepopulationBomb until all the people vomit up blood, collapse, and die]]. Parion muses that the corpses will make good fertilizer for the gardens he hopes will grow from the ruins.]]
95	* ThatsNoMoon: Prince Parion's island retreat is actually [[spoiler:the resting place of an incredibly powerful Decimator in mint condition.]]
96	* WarIsHell: The OVA doesn't pull any punches in depicting the violence of war.
97	* WeaponizedExhaust: Lean ends up resorting to this when he Falls Into The Cockpit for the first time.
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Context Anime / SuperDimensionCenturyOrguss