Super Robot Wars Original Generation: Divine Wars is the animated adaptation of the first Super Robot Wars: Original Generation game, animated by OLM Incorporated. Which means that characters created for a game series about crossing-over mecha anime get their own anime. While not a direct adaptation (which would be impossible, considering the many routes one can play in the game), it is still a very faithful adaptation of the material.
It is two hundred years after the beginning of the "Space Era", a time period when civilization began expanding into space. However, by the start of the 21st century, two meteors struck and destroyed much of the Earth, sending humanity into chaos. By year 179 of the Space Era, secret technology, dubbed Extra-Over Technology, or EOT, was discovered by the Earth Federal Government within a third meteor that had hit Earth at the Marquesas Islands in the South Pacific. Dr. Bian Zoldark, while investigating the meteor, also found out that the creators of the Extra-Over Technology were heading to Earth to reclaim it. In order to defend earth, the government starts to develop a group of humanoid mecha, known as Personal Troopers.
The alien race that created Extra-Over Technology, called the Aerogaters by the Earth Federal Government, initially attacks an Earth ship sent out to investigate their presence in the far reaches of the solar system. This initial skirmish ends in a defeat for the Aerogaters, prompting them to sue for negotiations with the Earth Federation Army. Talks are arranged to take place at a secret facility in Antarctica, but the talks are targeted by a rogue faction called the Divine Crusaders.
The Divine Crusaders destroys the Aerogater delegation, then turn on the Federation forces. Bian Zoldark, revealing himself to be the leader of the Divine Crusaders, announces the existence of the Aerogaters to the world and rebel against the Earth Government. As Earth spins into civil war, a new Aerogater force is on the move, seeking to reclaim their lost technology...
Amongst all this chaos, a group is formed: the SRX Team. Originally formed as a field-testing unit for the Federation's newest mechs, it is later given the specific mission of defending the Earth and its governments from the Aerogaters and the DC. Composed of Hot-Blooded mech fanboy Ryusei Date, stoic Raidiese F. Branstein, team leader Aya Kobayashi and commanding officer Ingram Prisken, the team must face threats against the Earth, the challenges of working as a team and their own pasts. They are thankfully not alone in this fight, as many other teams composed of heroic soldiers also fight alongside them.
Because of its nature as an "all star" series, the series has MANY characters from the entire Super Robot Wars canon. See here for the list, and have fun reading about them as the series moves along! Also, pretty much all the tropes seen in the games (with the exception of those applying to non-Banpresto characters) apply to the anime as well.
This is followed by a sequel, 2010's Super Robot Wars Original Generation: The Inspector, animated by Asahi Production.
This anime provides examples of the following:
- 2D Visuals, 3D Effects: The mechs stick out like sore thumbs when viewed together with the environment.
- Adaptation Distillation: This is a given, since the game is too long to neatly chop into 26 parts. It also sticks to the SRX route, while attempting to blend in early parts of the ATX route (i.e. what's canon on that route) .
- The first attack by the Aerogaters during the Hiryuu's voyage beyond Pluto is reduced to a discussion between Cpt. Minase and Tetsuya and a three second flashback of the Hiryuu exploding during the Shirogane's unveiling. The second Aerogater attack when Elzam was testing a space capable Gespenst Mk. II is cut entirely, moving his introduction to when he leads the attack on Izu.
- During the attack on Sasebo, Latooni, Giado and Garnet are all in Gespenst Mk. II Type-Ms instead of F-28 Messers, avoiding the need for them to pilot fighters until Johnathan Kazahara brings the Hagane additional Gespensts.
- The Battle of Kanmon Strait is removed, and it is during the assault on Wake Island that Ryusei and Tenzan realize they have been fighting each other outside of Burning PT and that Tenzan considers war another game. When Ryusei finally defeats Tenzan's Valsion Kai, the Aerogaters don't save him and brainwash him, meaning there's one less Aerogater commander to deal with in the L5 Campaign.
- Irm gets his Grungust right before the DC attack Izu, skipping over his short stint in the Huckbein 008L, and now his dad has no reason to show up at all. Unfortunately, this also contributes to the conspicuous absence of the Huckbein line in the series.
- When the Troye Unit attacks the Hagane, Bian doesn't arrive in the Valsion to test the Hagane's power. Instead, Shu shows up in the Granzon and dares the Hagane's units to attack him, which they choose not to over Masaki's protests. The Valsion is kept secret from the protagonists until the battle at Aidoneus Island.
- Adaptation Expansion: Because the first two Aerogater attacks aren't shown at the beginning of the first episode, some padding is needed to keep Ryusei from Falling into the Cockpit early on. Instead of being mysteriously absent, Tenzan is actually present for the Burning PT Finals. He toys with Ryu for a bit before literally curb-stomping him, then mocks Ryu after the battle in a way that foreshadows his tenuous grip on reality.
- By the Power of Grayskull!: Ryusei Date, shouts out 'Variable Formation' whenever he and his two team mates combine in the Super Robot SRX. It's a homage and a parody of this trope because 'Super Robots always have to have a cool combination battlecry.'
- Recursive Canon: In the final episode, Ryusei buys a Gespenst
model kit. - Spell My Name With a W:
- The Eye Catches display specifications on units that show up on the episode along with the Romanized name, but throws in a 'w' in the names of The Battlestars and the word "Kai". So the Hiryuu Kai becomes the Hiryuu Kwai, the Shirogane is the Shilogwane, the Hagane to Hagwane, the Kurogane to Kulogwane and the "Valsion Kai" to "Valsion Kwai".
- Additionally, the subs call Latooni "Latun" and Giado "Giada".
- Wild Teen Party: The crew has one to celebrate after the defeat of the Big Bad. What was supposed to be a standard party was made a bit more entertaining with Excellen and Lefina in Playboy Bunny outfits and Daitestsu's stash.
