Line #44 PlayingWith/BugWar


1	'''Basic Trope''': Humanity is at war with giant insects.
2	* '''Straight''': [[HordeOfAlienLocusts The]] [[BigCreepyCrawlies Chitin]] are [[AlienInvasion invading]] [[EarthIsABattleField Earth]]. We're not gonna let them have it.
3	* '''Exaggerated''':
4	** When the Chitin invade, the entire planet is literally crawling with them.
5	** Alternately, EARTH bugs are the bugs we're fighting. No, not giant, radioactive bugs, regular bugs you would find in your backyard.
6	* '''Downplayed''':
7	** It's not really a war so much as a skirmish.
8	** The shooting hasn't started yet, but relations are very tense in this SpaceColdWar.
9	** The threat of war is unlikely, but the story role of the Chitin is to be TheRival to humanity.
10	** The Chitin are [[NonMaliciousMonster merely the insectoid apex predators]] on a planet the main characters find themselves on, providing danger without ill intent.
11	* '''Justified''':
12	** The Chitin are [[StarfishAliens incredibly alien]] and [[BlueAndOrangeMorality their goals incomprehensible]] or are an aggressive animal plague released by more sophisticated aliens.
13	** The Chitin have a [[ChestBurster parasitic larval stage,]] and require intelligent hosts.
14	* '''Inverted''':
15	** We're the ones who are invading, and [[HumansAreTheRealMonsters the bugs are fighting for their lives]].
16	** Alternatively, the insect invaders want nothing more than peace, or are just passing through.
17	** Many of the alien species in the galaxy are at odds with humanity; the Chitin, however, are among the exceptions.
18	* '''Subverted''':
19	** The invaders aren't bugs, they wear insectoid exoskeletons...
20	** Alternatively, the humans and bugs are at war, but not with each other, rather [[EnemyMine working together against a greater threat]].
21	** The story begins with the human protagonists enlisting for the Second Chitin War - but as they arrive to the battlezone, it's revealed to the viewers they are [[TheCavalry coming in to assist the Chitin]] in their war against TheEmpire of PlanetLooters.
22	* '''Double Subverted''':
23	** ...Until the Chitin show up in a later season.
24	** ...But then they turn against each other after the greater threat is defeated.
25	** ...The ''First'' Chitin War, however, was fought between humans and Chitin after decades of [[SpaceColdWar political tension]], and they owe their peace and friendship to [[ReconcileTheBitterFoes a strong anti-war movement on both sides]] [[InternalReformist and the cooler heads that prevailed in their leaderships]].
26	* '''Parodied'''
27	** Rather than [[MoreDakka advanced]] [[NukeEm weapon]] [[MacrossMissileMassacre systems]], we have to use oversized flyswatters and cans of insecticide to fight the invaders.
28	** People use absurdly advanced weaponry and tech to [[ThereIsNoKillLikeOverkill hunt and kill regular household insects]].
29	* '''Zig Zagged''':
30	** The Chitin are invading Earth because their planet [[EnemyCivilWar was invaded]] by the [[RobotWar Xenometals]] and they need to colonize a new planet, but the [[TheFederation United Terran Defense Force]] repels the Chitin and decides to invade their planet to deal with the Xenometals, but [[MeleeATrois The UTDF, Chitin, and Xenometals all end up fighting each other]] with the [[EarnYourHappyEnding Terrans emerging victoriously]]. [[FourStarBadass General Starblade]] is hailed as a hero on Earth and [[AsskickingLeadsToLeadership elected President of the Terran Nations]], [[TheReveal but we find out]] [[ScareChord that he]] [[CruelTwistEnding has been]] [[PuppeteerParasite infested by a Chitin control parasite]]...
31	** The War is between two different factions of Chitin in a conflict analogous to [[PuttingOnTheReich Earth's Second]] [[ANaziByAnyOtherName World War]], with the [[FirstContact arrival of humanity]] being what tips the balance in favor of the good bugs.
32	* '''Averted''': The Chitin are actually sentient trading-partners.
33	* '''Enforced''': Hey! We gotta make our heroes kill dozen of aliens without the audience feeling sorry for any of them. I know! Lets make them giant bugs, because bugs are icky, right?
34	* '''Lampshaded''': "Why is it that every single insect in this galaxy wants to kill us?"
35	* '''Invoked''': The BigBad lets loose the bugs to help him conquer the planet.
36	* '''Exploited''': StarfishAliens tricked the Chitin into invading Earth to weaken both sides before they themselves invade. The brutality of the Chitin-Human war means even if the two are able to call a truce and team up against the StarfishAliens, cooperation is difficult because of harsh memories.
37	* '''Defied''':
38	** The UTDF develops specialized [[ThisIsADrill Anti-Hive]] bombs and viral weapons to ensure that the Chitin [[EasilyThwartedAlienInvasion never establish a foothold]] on Earth.
39	** The Chitin are specifically stated as being humanity's greatest ally and friend.
40	** The Chitin are quite docile, even friendly, and produce [[SolidGoldPoop byproducts humans find useful]], and allow humans to harvest these substances on the condition that they help protect the hive if needed and don't cause harm to or interfere with the residents, a la beekeepers.
41	** Chitin require mammalian hosts for their larvae, but realize that [[AliensStealCattle cows make much better hosts than humans]] (more biomass, for one thing) before the two species come to blows.
42	* '''Discussed''': "Yeesh... of all the possible enemies, [[WhyDidItHaveToBeSnakes why did it have to be bugs?]]" "Would you prefer {{Robot\|War}}s or [[GreyGoo all-devouring]] {{Blob Monster}}s?"
43	* '''Conversed''': "Uh oh, looks like the humans need to call pest control. [[TabletopGame/{{Warhammer 40000}} You'd think]] [[Literature/StarshipTroopers they would have]] [[Anime/BlueGender learned by now!]]"
44	* '''Implied''': The home of the [[WorldsBestWarrior biggest, baddest, most decorated]] SpaceMarine in the story is strewn with [[BattleTrophy war trophies]] clearly taken from an insectoid species.
45	* '''Deconstructed''':
46	** Turns out, the Chitin [[SquareCubeLaw can't sustain themselves]] in this environment...
47	** The story looks like your ordinary Bug War, but at the end, [[TheReveal it's revealed]] that [[Film/StarshipTroopers the human leaders are fascist warmongers]] [[HumansAreTheRealMonsters who have attacked first on a flimsy pretext]]...
48	* '''Reconstructed''':
49	** ...Or can they? The writers decided that OurBugsAreDifferent. [[JustifiedTrope It makes sense]], seeing as how [[BizarreAlienBiology they haven't evolved on this planet]].
50	** ...except [[EvilVersusEvil the Chitin leadership is just as bad]], filled to the brim with [[WeHaveReserves callous]] {{General Ripper}}s - and [[BigBrotherIsEmployingYou it's up to ordinary people]] [[RageWithinTheMachine who know the truth]] [[DefectorFromDecadence to somehow set things right]].
51	* '''Played For Drama''': The story is set up like a standard Bug War plot, but as soon as five minutes in, it becomes clear that WarIsHell and WhatMeasureIsAMook are in full effect, and the war will either be resolved peacefully - or destroy one (or both) of the warring sides.
52	----
53	There's too many of them! Retreat to BugWar!
54	----
55	%% Optional items, added after Conversed, at your discretion:
56	%%
57	%%* '''Intended Audience Reaction''': ???

Context PlayingWith / BugWar