History Anime / SakasamaNoPatema

[[quoteright:320:http://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/patema_inverted_7369.jpg]]
[[caption-width-right:320:They turn each others' worlds [[{{Pun}} upside-down]].]]

''Sakasama no Patema'', or ''Patema Inverted'' was originally a four-episode ONA series by the same man who directed ''Anime/TimeOfEve'', which was adapted into a film in 2013.

In a dark, cramped, underground world of endless tunnels and shafts, people wear protective suits and live out their modest hard and yet happy lives. The princess of the underground community, Patema, goes out exploring as always, inspired by her curiosity of the unknown depths of the world. Her favorite spot is the "danger zone", an area forbidden by the "rule" of the community that houses an impossibly deep pit. Despite being frequently chastised by her caretaker Jii, she cannot hold back her curiosity for the reason behind the rule, because no one would tell her what the "danger" was. When she approaches the hidden "secret", the story begins.

When Patema falls into the pit inside of the danger zone, she finds that she falls into a world nothing like her own, where the sky is not a roof, but a boundless sea of blue. Not only that, if Patema is not careful, she can fall off of the planet and into the stratosphere. However, by working together with a young boy named Age from this strange "surface world," not only does she learn how to survive, she learns that together, they can fly!

However, things become even further complicated later on, as Patema and Age soon discover a dark conspiracy, the members of which are determined to return Patema to the underground and silence all those who know of her home.

%% '''Warning, [[SpoileredRotten spoilerific tropes ahead]], [[YouHaveBeenWarned continue reading at your own peril]].'''

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!!This work contains examples of:

* AfterTheEnd: Long before the film takes place, people launched an experiment using the power of gravity that nearly destroyed the world. According to the history books, the "sinners" responsible for doing so were devoured by the sky...
* ApatheticCitizens: {{Subverted}}. The Agian's are being conditioned by their government to conform to their societal norms and to not think for themselves, or question those in authority. Simply being caught looking at the sky earns them 3 demerits since, according their government, that's the direction of "sinners". Any student who deviates in any way is labelled a "deviant" and placed under strict watch.
* ArtificialOutdoorsDisplay: About 2/3 into the film, Patema and Age/Eiji get swallowed up into the sky, seemingly to their deaths. It's only then that they realize that the "sky" is [[spoiler: really the underside of an abandoned facility]]. It illuminates during the night, while they're stranded there, revealing that the "stars" had only been lights.
* BigBad: Izamura.
* BigBrotherIsWatching: Covered in both the ApatheticCitizens and SinisterSurveillance entries.
* DisneyVillainDeath: Somewhat inevitable, given the setting. [[spoiler:Izamura, the dictator of Age's people, "falls" upwards into the sky as part of TheReveal that they're the true inverted ones.]].
* CoversAlwaysLie: One of the most subtle and clever instances of it. [[spoiler: Patema isn't "inverted", Age is]].
* DeadAllAlong: Patema dreamt of being able to explore the surface world with [[spoiler: Lagos]], ever since she was a child. She last saw him as he was preparing to set off on another journey. When she finally makes to the surface, years later, she finds out that [[spoiler: Lagos had been captured by the Agians and killed]].
** DeadGuyOnDisplay: She learns what became of [[spoiler: Lagos]] shortly after being captured by the Agians. Izamura shows her [[spoiler: [[MakeAnExampleOfThem Lagos' dead body preserved in a glass stasis chamber]]]] to both taunt her, and instill fear in her.
* DoesThisRemindYouOfAnything: The government leader Izamura's obsession with Patema, his plan to use StockholmSyndrome to make her obedient to him, and utter ''rage'' at being "rejected" by her in favor of Age have [[{{Lolicon}} some unsettling]] [[PedophilePriest undertones]].
* TheDragon: Jack to Izamura.
* Usefulnotes/EsperantoTheUniversalLanguage: [[http://www.dailymotion.com/video/x21652j_sakasama-no-patema-theme-song-sung-by-estelle-micheau-in-esperanto-english-subbed_music The end credit song's lyrics are written in Esperanto]].
* EverythingsBetterWithPrincesses: Patema. Though the fact that she's a princess is sort of glossed over in the movie itself, only mentioned half-jokingly when Age complains that she's acting like one.
* FantasticRacism: The government agents after Patema refer to her as a monster and Izamura even wants to hunt down and kill her people.
* GovernmentConspiracy: Age's world [[spoiler:isn't ours]]. Schools have apparently taught the same things for years, and a lot of the curriculum is just propaganda ([[spoiler:e.g. on who's really inverted]]). Some of the top brass in the military and government are also aware of the underground world.
* HappyFlashback: When Age finds his father's notebook, he finds it contains a detailed account of how he met and befriended [[spoiler: Lagos]]. Which is shown via a montage sequence of the time they spent together working on their flying machine, so they could explore the mysteries of the sky together. The final entry is a scribbled note, summing up their elation: "We are alive."
* HeelFaceTurn: [[spoiler:Jack]] rebels against Izamura, [[TheAtoner so he could atone]] for his role in [[spoiler:Izamura's murder of Age's father]] and the arrest of [[spoiler:Lagos, Patema's older-brother-figure]].
* {{Irony}}: "The sinners shall be devoured by the sky!" [[spoiler: It turns out that the entire story takes place ''inside'' the Earth. The "inverted" people were meant to watch over those even ''deeper'' on the inside, who are the ''actual'' inverted ones. In the end, the BigBad [[DisneyVillainDeath dies]] by way of being sucked into the heavens.]]
* KarmicDeath: [[spoiler:[[BigBad Izamura]], the biggest oppressor of the supposedly inverted ones, dies by "falling" into the sky due to ''him and his people'' being the ''real'' "inverted" ones. As a bonus, the flying machine built by Age's father (whom Izamura murdered) smashes into him on the way down... er, up.]]
* MakeAnExampleOfThem: As seen in the DeadGuyOnDisplay entry.
* MeetCute: Highlighted by the official trailer, which shows Patema and Age first meet each other [[http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xOnfL8OcJ_M while she's climbing the fence upside-down]] to retrieve her knapsack.
-->'''Age: (in disbelief)''' "Are you... inverted?"
* MindScrew: If you lived your whole life with gravity being a certain direction, then wouldn't the opposite seem inverted to you? [[spoiler:As it turns out, it's the Aigans who are really inverted.]]
* OhCrap: Age and Porta when [[spoiler: during their infiltration of the Administration Tower, they barely manage to dodge a security camera by contorting just out of its field of view, only to realize that the SinisterSurveillance system has ''dozens'' of cameras about to turn on them.]]
* OrdinaryHighschoolStudent: A rare instance where the character in question is exactly that: ordinary. Age has no hidden powers or secret lineage, and remains that way throughout the film.
* RebelliousPrincess: Patema's grandfather repeatedly admonishes her about playing around the "Danger Zone" and chastises her for it, whenever she disobeys him. It doesn't stop her from going back each time.
* RedEyesTakeWarning: The security forces wear [[FacelessMooks face-concealing masks]] with red lenses.
* ReligionOfEvil: Izamura's cult calls the "inverted" ones collectively sinners worthy of persecution.
* RuinsOfTheModernAge: In the final scene, Age asks Patema to take him with her to explore the ruins of [[spoiler: the surface world]]. Which is strewn with collapsed skyscrapers that've been overgrown with vines, set beneath [[spoiler: an AlienSky]].
* SceneryPorn: The [[http://www.dailymotion.com/video/x16ty98_patema-inverted-theme-song-by-estelle-micheau_music ENTIRE FILM]] is rife with scenic backdrops and [[http://dalian.7thstyle.com/2012/06/Screen-Shot-2012-06-28-at-8.46.23-AM.png dramatic lighting]]; including [[http://www.listal.com/viewimage/6983057h the underground]] city where Patema lives and the [[spoiler: ceiling structure above the clouds, when she and Age get pulled into the "sky"]].
* SinisterMinister: Izamura's reign has clear religious overtones, as he's the only member of the Agian government to dress in clerical robes and spreads the propaganda of the "inverted" ones being sinners, who were and are punished for causing "the incident" years ago. But he's also an exaggeration, in that he's so ObviouslyEvil it's hard to believe anyone could ever seriously consider his intentions or actions to be justt.
* SinisterSurveillance: The Agian government has an extensive network of surveillance cameras everywhere -- from their government offices, to Age's school. And those are the ones you can ''see'', as it's later revealed that [[BigBrotherIsWatching they have hidden ones monitoring the surrounding area outdoors.]] Which is how Izamura finds out that [[spoiler: Age had been hiding]].
* {{Steampunk}}: While the Agian surface world is idyllic, the underground city where Patema lives is rustic and set deep in what appears to be an abandoned facility.
* SurprisinglyGoodEnglish: The journal of Age's father.
* TheReveal: Two:
** When Age and Patema get sucked into the sky thanks to Patema's ankle being weighted, [[spoiler:they discover that the "sky" is actually a complex machine designed to emulate a realistic sky]]. This ties into the next reveal.
** When they in turn reach the very bottom of the danger zone, [[spoiler:the "floor" is cracked and revealed to be a ceiling, thus showing that it's the Aigans that are inverted while Patema's people are facing the right way. They are the descendants of the scientists, who, through their gravity experiment, caused the disaster and [[TheAtoner were looking out for Age's people as an atonement for "inverting" them]]. Both populations forgot that (although it is at the very least possible, that the village elder and Jii knew) and the regime governing Age's people started to oppress Patema's people [[UngratefulBastard in a show of great ingratitude]]]].
* UnluckyChildhoodFriend: It's clear from the start that Porta's nursing a crush on Patema. Sadly, he misses out on the adventure and loses what could've been his chance to get closer to her. [[spoiler: She winds up together with Age by the end of the film.]]
* VillainousCrush: Izamura towards Patema, which is creepy by itself without him trying to break her will by scaring her into thinking only he can protect her.
* WouldHurtAChild: Shortly after Patema is captured by the Agians, Izamura interrogates Age about his involvement with her. When [[HeroicBSOD Age fails to respond]], Jack kicks Age out of his chair then pins him on the floor and restrains him with an armbar, which seems to briefly snap him out of it. [[SmugSnake Izamura picks up Age's chair and sits in it himself]] so he can resume questioning him, while also mocking his attempt to keep Patema hidden from him, by telling him she was now in his custody. When Age dares look him in the eye, [[DeathGlare Izamura loses]] it and forces Age's face back down on the floor by stepping on the back of his head and [[LoserSonOfLoserDad verbally lashes out at him about his father]], before issuing a final warning to not defy him further. They leave Age lying on the floor in catatonic shock.
* YouGottaHaveBlueHair: Patema's hair is light silver-blue.
* YouKilledMyFather: To everyone present at the time, it appeared Age's father lost his balance and fell to his death, at the start of his maiden voyage into the sky. But video footage of the incident showed [[spoiler: he was killed by a sniper (implied to have been Jack), on Izamura's orders]].
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''Sakasama no Patema'', or ''Patema Inverted'' was originally a four-episode ONA series by the same man who directed Anime/{{Eve No Jikan}}, which was adapted into a film in 2013.

* SinisterSurveillance: The Agian government has an extensive network of surveillance cameras everywhere -- from their government offices, to Age's school. And those are the ones you can ''see'', as it's later revealed that [[BigBrotherIsWatching they have hidden ones monitoring the surrounding area outdoors.]] Which is how Izamura finds out that [[spoiler: Age had been hiding Patema]].
* SpellMyNameWithAnS: Is it Age or Eiji?

* DisneyVillainDeath: [[spoiler:Izamura, the dictator of Age's people, who were the in fact inverted ones, "falls" upwards into the sky]].

* EverythingsBetterWithPrincesses: Patema.

* KarmicDeath: [[spoiler:[[BigBad Izamura]], the biggest oppressor of the supposedly inverted ones, dies by "falling" into the sky due to ''him and his people'' being the ''real'' "inverted" ones]].

* DoesThisRemindYouOfAnything: The government leader Izamura's obsession with Patema, his plan to use StockholmSyndrome to make her obedient to him, and utter ''rage'' at being "rejected" by her in favor of Age have [[{{Lolicon}} some unsettling]] [[PedophilePriest undertones]].

* EverythingsBetterWithPrincesses
* FantasticRacism: The government agents after Patema refer to her as a monster and Izamura even wants to hunt down and kill her People.

* {{Irony}}: "The sinners shall be devoured by the sky!" [[spoiler: It turns out that the entire story takes place ''inside'' the earth. The "inverted" people were meant to watch over those even ''deeper'' on the inside, who are the ''actual'' inverted ones. In the end, the BigBad [[DisneyVillainDeath dies]] by way of being sucked into the heavens.]]
* KarmicDeath: [[spoiler:[[BigBad Izamura]], the biggest oppressor of the supposedly inverted ones seen in the anime, dies by "falling" into the sky due to ''him and his people'' being the ''real'' "inverted" ones]].

* MindScrew: You often don't know, where up or down is or [[spoiler:which one of these two populations the really "inverted" one is. The end reveals, that Age's people are the really "inverted" ones]].

* OrdinaryHighschoolStudent: A rare instance where the character in question is exactly that: ordinary. Age/Eiji has no hidden powers, or secret lineage, and remains that way throughout the film.
* RebelliousPrincess: Her grandfather repeatedly admonishes her about playing around the "Danger Zone" and chastises her for it, whenever she disobeys him. It doesn't stop her from going back each time.

* RuinsOfTheModernAge: In the final scene, Age/Eiji asks Patema to take him with her to explore the ruins of [[spoiler: the surface world]]. Which is strewn with collapsed skyscrapers that've been overgrown with vines, set beneath [[spoiler: an AlienSky]].

* SinisterMinister: Izamura's reign has clear religious overtones, as he's the only member of the Agian government to dress in clerical robes and spreads the propaganda of the "inverted" ones being sinners, who were and are punished for causing "the incident" years ago. But he's also an exaggeration, in that he's so ObviouslyEvil, that it's a wonder how anyone can think his intentions, or his actions are just.

* {{Steampunk}}: While the Agian surface world is idyllic, the underground city where Petama lives is rustic and set deep in what appears to be an abandoned facility.

* TheReveal: '''Warning, extreme spoiler:''' [[spoiler:At the end, it is revealed, that both Patema's and Age's worlds are subterranean habitats and that Patema's habitat is actually ''closer'' to the surface and her people aren't "inverted", but Age's are. Patema's people are the descendants of the scientists, who, through their gravity experiment, caused the disaster and [[TheAtoner were looking out for Age's people as an atonement for "inverting" them]]. Both populations forgot that (although it is at the very least possible, that the village elder and Jii knew) and the regime governing Age's people started to oppress Patema's people [[UngratefulBastard in a show of great ingratitude]]]].

* AfterTheEnd: Long before the film takes place, people launched an experiment using the power of gravity that nearly destroyed the world. According to the [[spoiler:bogus]] history books, the "sinners" responsible for doing so were devoured by the sky...
* ApatheticCitizens: {{Subverted}}. The Agian's are being conditioned by their government to conform to their societal norms and to not think for themselves, or question those in authority. Simply being caught looking at the sky earns them 3 demerits since, [[spoiler: according their government's propaganda]], that's the direction of "sinners". Any student who deviates in any way is labelled a "deviant" and placed under strict watch.

* ReligionOfEvil: Izamura's cult calls the [[spoiler:supposedly]] "inverted" ones collectively sinners worthy of persecution.

* SinisterMinister: Izamura's reign has clear religious overtones, as he's the only member of the Agian government to dress in clerical robes and spreads the propaganda of the [[spoiler:supposedly]] "inverted" ones being sinners, who were and are punished for causing "the incident" years ago. But he's also a subversion in that he's so ObviouslyEvil, that it's a wonder how anyone can think his intentions, or his actions are just.

* AlienSky: The final scene before the credits reveals [[spoiler: a ringed planet, where the Earth's Moon would be]], in the broad light of day!

* OrdinaryHighschoolStudent: A rare instance where the character in question is exactly that: ordinary. Age/Eiji has no hidden powers, or secret lineage, and remains that way throughout the film.

* AlienSky: The final scene before the credits reveals [[spoiler: a ringed planet, where the Earth's Moon would be]], in the broad light of day!

* RuinsOfTheModernAge: In the final scene, Age/Eiji asks Patema to take him with her to explore the ruins of [[spoiler: the surface world]]. Which is strewn with collapsed skyscrapers that've been overgrown with vines, set beneath [[spoiler: an AlienSky]].

* BigBrotherIsWatching: Covered in both the ApatheticCitizens and SinisterSurveillance entries.

* SinisterMinister: Izamura's reign has clear religious overtones, as he's the only member of the Agian government to dress in clerical robes and spreads the propaganda of the [[spoiler:supposedly]] "inverted" ones being sinners, who were and are punished for causing "the incident" years ago. But he's also a subversion in that he's so ObviouslyEvil, that it's a wonder how anyone can think his his intentions, or his actions are just.

* SinisterSurveillance: TheAgian government has an extensive network of surveillance cameras everywhere -- from their government offices, to Age's school. And those are the ones you can ''see'', as it's later revealed that [[BigBrotherIsWatching they have hidden ones monitoring the surrounding area outdoors.]] Which is how Izamura finds out that [[spoiler: Age had been hiding Patema]].

* SinisterMinister: Izamura's reign has clear religious overtones, calling the [[spoiler:supposedly]] "inverted" ones sinners, who were and are punished for causing a disaster.

* YouKilledMyFather: [[spoiler:It is strongly implied, that Izamura murdered Age's father (Age, e.g., doesn't think his father's accident was an accident at all after hearing, how Izamura talking about the whole thing to him) and Lagos, Patema's older-brother figure]].

* WouldHurtAChild: Shortly after Patema is captured by the Agians, Izamura interrogates Age about his involvement with her. When [[HeroicBSOD Age fails to respond]], Jack kicks Age out of his chair then pins him on the floor and restrains him with an armbar, which seems to briefly snap him out of it. [[SmugSnake Izamura picks up Age's chair and sits in it himself]] so he can resume questioning him, while also mocking his attempt to keep Patema hidden from him, by telling him she was now in his custody. When Age dares look him in the eye, [[DeathGlare Izamura loses]] it and forces Age's face back down on the floor by stepping on the back of his head and [[KickTheDog verbally lashes out at him about his father]], before issuing a final warning to not defy him further. They leave Age lying on the floor in catatonic shock.