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1* AngstWhatAngst: Takuya recovers ''really'' quickly after he, Micott, and Banagher see the entire rest of their class wiped out of existence by a stray shot from a mobile suit battle.
2* AntiClimaxBoss:
3** The fight between Banagher and Loni, and [[spoiler:the fight between Unicorn and Banshee against Neo Zeong]] were somewhat underwhelming for some fans.
4** Those expecting a glorious final battle between the ''Nahel Argama'' and ''Rewloola'' probably didn't expect [[spoiler:the latter being blown up by the Colony Laser for simply being in the way.]]
5* SugarWiki/AwesomeArt: The OVA uses a combination of hand-drawn and CG animation to give us one of, if not the most visually stunning works in the ''Gundam'' franchise.
6* SugarWiki/AwesomeMusic: Music/HiroyukiSawano's score [[AwesomeMusic/{{Gundam}} delivered for this OVA to give the most intense cinematic experience in the history of the]] ''[[AwesomeMusic/{{Gundam}} Gundam]]'' [[AwesomeMusic/{{Gundam}} franchise]].
7* BrokenBase:
8** Everything surrounding the contents of Laplace's Box: [[spoiler:The original Federation charter that granted more rights to spacenoids as well as confirming the idea of newtypes. However it was stopped by a terrorist attack instigated by more extreme Federation elements who re-wrote the charter to give the Federation more control over the colonies. Some people see this as adding even more to the general GrayAndGrayMorality of the Universal Century while others see it as a case of trying to canonize the general [[MisaimedFandom Zeon Is Right]] mentality thereby dismissing it (and the series in general) as "fanwank". However, the series tries to elaborate on this more by saying that the charter was made completely independent of Zeon's motives, since it was drafted decades before the rise of the movement. Also, Zeon's rise actually made the situation ''worse'', since what started out a simple coverup turned into something that could potentially legitimize Zeon, causing the Federation to clamp down even harder on the Box. Also, when Mineva reveals the original charter to the world, she specifically says she is not seeking to legitimize Zeon's ideals.]]
9* CaptainObviousReveal: From the moment the first details about the novel came out, people already knew that Audrey was [[spoiler:a teenaged Mineva Zabi]], thanks to factors like her appearance, her age matching up with [[spoiler:Mineva]]'s, the latter's [[spoiler:mysterious disappearance at the end of ''[[Anime/MobileSuitZetaGundam Zeta Gundam]]'']], and the [[ShoutOut obvious]] [[Creator/AudreyHepburn alias]].
10** Another contributing factor is that the score playing when Audrey escapes the Sleeves ship in the first episode is titled "[[spoiler:Mineva]]".
11* CatharsisFactor: After seeing Martha Vist Carbine use her influence to boss around Federation military and official for most of the series, it is highly satisfying when Bright Noa tells her she has no say anymore and arrests her in Episode 7.
12* EnsembleDarkhorse:
13** The unnamed Stark Jegan pilot who fights the Kshatriya in the first 6 minutes of the first episode. Not only that, but the Stark Jegan's HGUC manual implies that he was one of the guys that attempted to help Amuro push back Axis three years prior. The guy was a true hero.
14** The unnamed Byarlant Custom ([[AllThereInTheManual Robin Diez]]) pilot in Episode 4. The Byarlant Custom is actually a tactically inferior suit, with only two guns (which double as beam sabers) and its claws. Its sheer speed and maneuverability [[WeakButSkilled make it one of the best combatants in the anime]].
15** The nameless female aide in Cheyenne seen in Episode 7, who seems to convey everything without ever ''doing anything.'' So much that fans have dubbed her as ''Unicorn'''s equivalent to [[Anime/MobileSuitGundamThe08thMSTeam Kergerenko]].
16* FanNickname:
17** "[[spoiler:Purustitute]]" for Marida, although this nickname is not without [[DarkandTroubledPast reason]]. To elaborate, Marida [[spoiler:was a child solder during the [[Anime/MobileSuitGundamZZ First Neo-Zeon war]] as one of the Ple clones. During Glemmy Toto's uprising she was [[YouAreNumberSix Ple Twelve]]]]. Between then and the events of Unicorn (UC 0096), she survived by [[spoiler:living as a prostitute]] until she was approached by [[TheRemnant the Sleeves]], specifically Zinnerman who adopted her and gave her the name Marida Cruz.
18** Some have called the Kshatriya "Palm Tree" due to the shape of its binders, it's color, and the fact that its a lot easier to pronounce then its actual name.
19** "Spiegel Cosplay" for the Geara Zulu due to its head looking similar to the Gundam Spiegel (ignoring the fact that both are based on WWII German soldier helmets...)
20*** "Geara Leo" for the Geara Zulu that blew up when a shot from the Unicorn's beam magnum passed near it, a reference to how the Leos in ''[[Anime/MobileSuitGundamWing Gundam Wing]]'' would explode by the dozen when a Gundam so much as appeared on the screen.
21** "Godspeed" for the nameless Stark Jegan pilot from the first Kshatriya fight.
22** Full Frontal is sometimes called "Mullet Char" because of his huge hair by Neo Lorrnoke of [[http://gundamnmahq.blogspot.com/ The ''Gundamn!'' podcast]] of MAHQ.
23** "Kobe Byarlant" - The Byarlant Custom in OVA 4, after it managed to beat down several Neo Zeon suits single-handedly, despite being essentially a Titans design.
24** "Banana" for Banagher due to the varying pronunciations of his name.
25* HarsherInHindsight:
26** In Episode 7, Bright and Chairman Marcenas find common ground as fathers, and how they shouldn't act in a way that would make their children ashamed of them. This is especially tragic in light of ''Literature/MobileSuitGundamHathawaysFlash''.
27** If you've seen ''Anime/MobileSuitGundamF91'' or ''Anime/MobileSuitVictoryGundam'', both of which take place decades after the events of ''Unicorn'', you'll know that [[spoiler:the opening of Laplace's Box]] will ultimately be in vain. [[spoiler:But at least there's consolation in that there's possibility again.]]
28*** This is further compounded considering the situation in ''Anime/GundamReconguistaInG'' pretty much suggests Earth and Space goes the way Full Frontal would have wanted: the latter more self-sustaining than Earth ever was.
29** Even Harsher since...[[spoiler:''Anime/TurnAGundam'' is the ultimate end result of Universal Century.]]
30* HilariousInHindsight:
31** "Full Frontal" might seem odd as the name of a general, but if you've ever seen ''Theatre/TheBookOfMormon'', it's nothing compared to General Butt Fucking Naked. (He, in turn, is based on a very real and very vicious African general, Butt Naked, but that's a little less Hilarious and more Harsh.)
32** The [[OnlySixFaces uncanny]] [[{{Expy}} resemblance]] that Zinnerman has to Captain from ''Anime/GiantGorg'' didn't go unnoticed by the fans of that series. Then, both of their respective series were confirmed to appear in ''VideoGame/SuperRobotWarsBX''.
33* HoYay:
34** Riddhe's attitude towards Banagher throughout the series. Reaches a zenith in Episode 7, especially where his desperation when Banagher [[spoiler: is trapped in a Newtype coma]] verges on IWantMyBelovedToBeHappy.
35** It has to be pointed out that the seventh episode of an OVA called ''Gundam Unicorn'' is titled "Over the Rainbow." The only way they could fit more LGBT symbols into an episode is if the final superweapon was a rainbow-colored pyramid.
36* ImprovedSecondAttempt: The novel is controversial for being seen as pro-Zeon FanWank (and by extension, [[WhatDoYouMeanItsNotPolitical Imperial Japanese Army apologetics]]). The OVA cuts down on some of the novel's clumsier attempts at [[AdaptationalJerkass showcasing the Federation's darker side]], including a lot of instances of graphic GratuitousRape, and emphasizes how misguided the Zeon remnants are at best and how disgusted Mineva is by their actions and philosophy.
37* IronWoobie: Marida Cruz needs so many hugs. ''So many hugs''. [[HatesBeingTouched Assuming, of course, that she's OK with that.]] But she still keep going on to do her duty as an AcePilot and SuperSoldier.
38* ItsPopularNowItSucks:
39** On the Gunpla side: A small number of foreign builders are tired of Bandai continuously milking the [=HGUC=]/[=MG=] ''Unicorn Gundam'' molds.
40** Ever since the release of the OVA series, and continuing on for a decade past that, ''Unicorn'' saw a heavy marketing push rivaling that of both ''Anime/MobileSuitGundamSEED'' and ''Anime/MobileSuitGundamWing'', leading to the construction of a life-size Unicorn Gundam statue in Japan and its characters and mech designs being featured heavily in spinoffs such as the ''Franchise/SDGundam'' sub-franchise and various ''Gundam'' video games to a point that many fans feel has reached the point of overexposure.
41* ItsTheSameNowItSucks: Some fans who were expecting for the ''[=RE:0096=]'' TV version to expand on the OVA to include extra scenes from the novels and extra segments to the fight scenes expressed disappointment that it is more or less a direct recut without much new or changed.
42* JerkassWoobie: Angelo Sauper is a very unpleasant person, but considering that he [[spoiler:witnessed his father being killed and his mother raped by Federation soldiers when he was very young, was sexually abused by his stepfather, and turned to prostitution to survive after his mother's suicide]], it's hard not to feel at least a little sorry for him.
43* MemeticMutation:
44** What may be a record, an image from the fourth episode's trailer shows Bright [[StrokeTheBeard stroking his chin]], which is ripe ImagineSpot fodder.
45** The Kobe Byarlant.
46** Angelo gracefully bowing out of the battle at the end of episode 5 is quickly becoming a meme.
47** The Neo Zeong has been mocked a little for it's thruster "legs", such as replacing them with soda cans or just generally being confused how the hell it's model is going to keep balanced.
48** [[spoiler:Banagher channels [[Manga/FistoftheNorthStar Nanto Suichoken]] against Full Frontal]] in the last episode.
49** The [[SuperDeformed BB Senshi]] [[spoiler:[[MetaMecha Neo Zeong]]]] [=GunPla=] model caused a lot of modelers to start [[http://gundamguy.blogspot.com.br/2014/06/gundam-funnies-fun-with-neo-zeong.html replacing Sinanju with other things....]]
50** NT-'''R''' System [[labelnote:explanation]]Several fans replaced the name of the New-Type Destroyer's "D" into "R" to represent Netorare moments in the Gundam franchise, notably to Riddhe's failed relationship with Audrey (or even ''0083 Stardust Memory's'' Kou losing Nina to Gato). The full name is sometimes read as "[=NeTo=]-Rare System". [[/labelnote]]
51** "UNICORN" started playing in my head[[labelnote:explanation]]After Episode 1 aired, the BGM track "UNICORN" quickly became ''the'' song to use for epic moments and popped up in a ton of video edits, much like [[VideoGame/StreetFighterII Guile's theme]]. In a related form, Japanese fans have been known to say things like "The Unicorn song started playing in my head" when they describe something incredible that they did or had happen to them.[[/labelnote]]
52* {{Narm}}:
53** Okay... seriously, Full Frontal? While the symbolism for the name is obvious, that doesn't make it any less ridiculous and difficult to take seriously.
54** Full Frontal is the second coming of Char. We get it. The more it gets repeated, and the more it gets just hammered into the skulls of viewers, the less it becomes ominous and more it becomes hilarious. The sheer extent that he goes to play this up leads to many unintentionally hilarious exchanges (with his referring to the Nahel Argama as the "Mock Trojan Horse" probably being the apex of his groan-worthy dialogue).
55** A rare few moments in the surprisingly competent English dub sounded somewhat phoned in.
56*** Marida Cruz's VA's reading of the line "So heavy" in the first episode was utterly narm-tastic. (Although that might have to do with the line being an awkward one in-and-of itself, being a direct translation of the Japanese audio.)
57*** Episode two looks to continue this tradition further. "That's the See-non-jew."
58*** [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9e3nIB9-fDY Angelo Sauper's English Voice is even more Narmish]].
59** The novel gets flak for relying on GratuitousRape [[RapeAsBackstory as Backstory]] to the point of ridiculousness. It's a part of [[spoiler:Marida and Angelo]]'s backstories (the "Purustitute" meme originating as a mockery of perceived [[DarkerAndEdgier edginess]]) and indirectly [[spoiler:Zimmerman and Loni]]'s, with "Federation soldiers raping Zeon women and children" popping up with enough frequency that readers see it as a lazy ploy to [[DracoInLeatherPants make Zeon seem more sympathetic]]. Notably, nearly all of this was [[AuthorsSavingThrow cut from the OVA]].
60* NarmCharm: Banagher's rather cringe-worthy reaction to [[spoiler:Marida's death by point-blank beam shot]] may seem over-the-top, but really serves to highlight just how powerful a Newtype he is, not to mention how heavy [[spoiler:her]] death weighs on him.
61* NightmareFuel:
62** Marida being haunted by [[spoiler:a faceless version of herself as Ple Twelve.]]
63** Marida Cruz became terrifying after being reconditioned by the Vist Foundation. Unlike her when she was [[spoiler:"Ple Twelve"]], who still has her own mind even after being programmed to destroy Gundams, Marida after being reconditioned became more robotic and only obeys Alberto Vist's orders and acknowledges him as her ''master.''
64* OlderThanTheyThink: One might suggest that ''Unicorn'''s verdict on the existence of Newtypes (i.e. [[spoiler: they don't exist, or at least are still too human to be considered a new species entirely, in contrast to long-standing Zeonic ideology and Federation paranoia]]) was pretty much the point made in the climax of ''Anime/AfterWarGundamX''.
65* OneSceneWonder:
66** The Stark Jegan from the first episode gets less than 5 minutes of screentime and exists to be destroyed by the Kshatriya, but its pilot puts up such a good fight that many fans have praised him as one of the best grunts in the franchise. The Byarlant Custom follows suit.
67** [[spoiler:The spirits of Amuro, Char, and Lalah]] appear in the final episode and with them bring forth the tears of many fans.
68* QuestionableCasting:
69** The fact that they hired an avowed Japanese Imperialist author like Fukui to write a novel series for ''Franchise/{{Gundam}}'' is rather odd, especially considering the blatant anti-war & anti-Axis themes of previous UC series. For perspective, it's a bit like having a sequel to ''ComicBook/{{Maus}}'' written by the guy who did ''Literature/TheTurnerDiaries''.
70** Fans were rather confused when it was discovered that Creator/ChiekoHonda would not be voicing Marida Cruz, despite the fact that 1) she played [[spoiler: both Ples in ''Anime/MobileSuitGundamZZ'']], and 2) she was still doing voice acting (Even [[Anime/AfterWarGundamX older women]] for ''Franchise/{{Gundam}}'') when they started production of the OVA. [[note]] Honda sadly ended up passing away in 2013, about a year prior to the OVA coming to a conclusion with episode 7, so most fans now agree it's for the better that she didn't end up voicing Marida - it's possible the role would have been recast. [[/note]]
71** The same thing happened for Mineva/Audrey's VA in ''[[Anime/MobileSuitZetaGundam Zeta Gundam]]'' (Creator/MikiIto), though this was because of scheduling conflicts. Still, many fans preferred Ito to play Audrey.
72* SignatureScene:
73** The Kshatriya vs. Stark Jegan fight.
74** The Unicorn's first launch.
75** The [[spoiler:time-travel]] sequence.
76* TheyChangedItNowItSucks: A number of fans who read the original novel have decried the OVA's [[AdaptationDistillation various cuts and changes]] that they feel oversimplifies the plot in favor of [[MerchandiseDriven adding in many more mobile suits to give Bandai more opportunities for Gunpla kits]].
77* TheyWastedAPerfectlyGoodCharacter:
78** For all the CanonImmigrant mobile suit cameos in the OVA, many of them don't actually get to do much aside from be on the receiving end of a CurbStompBattle after several seconds of screentime. Examples include the GM II Semi-Striker, Zeta Plus, and Gustav Karl.
79** The Stark Jegan pilot puts up a surprisingly good fight with Marida Cruz's Kshatriya and [[AllThereInTheManual is apparently a veteran of the Second Neo Zeon War]], but he dies in the aforementioned fight with no flashbacks or posthumous mentions for us to learn anything about him, even his name. Some think that it would have been interesting for him to have survived the battle and live on to become a mentor for Banagher and fight alongside him.
80** On that note, the return of the ''Nahel Argama'' would have been the perfect opportunity to catch up with what the gang from [[Anime/MobileSuitGundamZZ ZZ]] have been up to in the intervening years, but they all go completely unmentioned. Even Beecha Oleg, who finished that series as the ''Nahel Argama'''s captain, is nowhere to be seen.
81%% SugarWiki/VisualEffectsOfAwesome: The animation in ''Unicorn'' is really, really nice.
82* WhatDoYouMeanItsNotPolitical:
83** The novel's portrayal of Zeon and the Federation have been construed as metaphors for Imperial Japan and the Allied Forces, respectively. A more justified instance, considering the author's outspoken right wing views.
84** Laplace's Box and the UC Charter can be read as analogies for Article 9 of the 1947 Constitution of Japan, and the latter's outlawing of war and militarism, positing it as something that limits Japan on the world stage the same way the removal of the article in the UC Charter limits newtypes.
85** Played differently in the more left-leaning anime and manga continuity, which still contains many parallels between Side 3 and Japan, but portrays Zeon as, at best, an ideology that's outlived its time. Though many Zeon characters and their motivations are treated sympathetically, the destruction caused by Zeon in the One Year War and subsequent Neo-Zeon conflicts still looms large over the story. Their own princess is disillusioned with what they've become and the only people who really, truly want to see Zeon revived are either motivated by the desire for revenge against the Federation or cold-hearted ideologues with no care for the human cost of the conflict they're perpetuating. It's interesting to note that the Side 3 of the UC 0100s depicted in ''Manga/MobileSuitCrossboneGundam Ghost'', where most people have forgotten the name "Zeon", is not only heavily based on modern Japan, but (in contrast to the political violence-ridden mess depicted in ''Manga/MobileSuitGundamTheOrigin'''s flashback arc or the fascist police state of ''Manga/MobileSuitGundamThePlotToAssassinateGihren'') is depicted as a place people might actually want to live in.
86* WinBackTheCrowd: Despite some BrokenBase, this series and ''Anime/GundamBuildFighters'' helped to restore faith in the franchise after ''Anime/MobileSuitGundamAGE''.

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