* SugarWiki/AwesomeMusic:
** [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4Wfv6FjzHbw Hope to Peace-'Flag']], the anime's OP.
** [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=A4uLnlmSudY Lights]], the anime's ED by Eri Nobuchika.
* {{Anvilicious}}: The UNF devoting a whole staging base, numerous soldiers and the new HAVWC units to ''recover a freaking flag'' serves to underline the idea that propaganda and the UNF saving face is what will win the war. Whether or not this actually detracts from the quality of the otherwise fairly realistic show is debatable.
** It actually makes a bit of sense if you think about it. The unit is also there to field test the HAVWC mechs and it wouldn't do if they turned out to be failures in a more consequential operation. Of course, this all depends on [[spoiler:how much the UN actually knew about the insurgent group field testing their own mechs for the Eastern Powers when they started the operation.]]
* TearJerker: '''''ALL OF EPISODE 13.''''' The episode ''starts'' with [[spoiler:Saeko having to say goodbye to everyone at SDC and breaking down in tears sitting at her computer at their goodbye video]] and then things go FromBadToWorse when [[spoiler:[[TheHeroDies Saeko straight-up]] '''[[TheHeroDies dies]]''' in a meaningless terrorist attack at the airport. Because she had to go home for her Dad's birthday. It's a real gut-punch of an ending, and pretty close to ShootTheShaggyDog]].
** Particularly upsetting is [[spoiler:Keiichi ''witnessing the attack'', having a freakout in the journalist's bar, giving a BigNO and smashing his camera in a fit of pure grief.]]