YMMV / SD Gundam World Sangoku Soketsuden

• Alternate Character Interpretation: How exactly was Sima Yi pulling the strings in regard to Dong Zhuo? One episode of the anime makes it very blatant that Sima Yi is not above using his hypnosis on Dong Zhuo and it's clear who is the real mastermind, but the comics create some confusion. Sima Yi is disgusted by Dong Zhuo's actions in one chapter of Enkotan, and Soshoki shows through Sima Yi's manipulation of Cao Cao that his hypnosis doesn't always work and he then has to play off of Cao Cao's desires to get him to do what he wants. So was Dong Zhuo evil solely because of hypnosis, or was he always like that and Sima Yi just pushed him in the right (er, wrong) direction?
• Awesome Art: While Soshoki is commonly praised for its story, it is also praised for how beautiful the coloring and the artwork is. This is especially true in the seventh chapter, where Cao Cao's group discovers the first outbreak of the Etiolation Trinity up north. The lighting in several of the scenes make it feel almost apocalyptic. It's to the point where Soshoki often overshadowed Enkotan when it came to chapter releases.
• Awesome Music: The ending theme, TRI-ALIVE, is every bit as awesome as Sangokuden's Mirisha Legend, possibly even more.
• Awesomeness Withdrawal: The series had this pretty bad back during its original run. When the show was first uploaded on the official Gundam Channels on YouTube, the episodes had a monthly release schedule to them. While they tried to fill in the gaps by uploading episodes of Spin-Off Web Manga Soshoki and Enkotan in the interim, there was still a month-long wait for each episode and they were only around 13 minutes long, meaning there was a lengthy wait for not a lot of content. When it came back after a year of being delayed, they released the last two episodes only a week after Episode 8 in order to both catch the series up and prepare for the then soon-approaching SD Gundam World Heroes.
• Complete Monster: See here.
• Cry for the Devil: Despite his attempt to ruin Cao Cao's life and even assassinate him, there are people who felt sorry for Yuan Shao after he lost everything in the battle with North Fox. It probably helps that even Cao Cao himself wasn't angry about it.
• Ensemble Dark Horse:
  • Yuan Shao Red Warrior caught the attention of fans (especially girls) due to his fox-motif design, comedic reactions, and relationship with Cao Cao Wing to the point where people are asking Bandai to release a kit for him...and this was just after the first chapter of Soshoki went online!
  • Xun Yu Strike Noir also became a fan favorite due to his cat-like appearance, energetic personality, and the way he plays off of the Xiahou brothers. This makes his death all the more heartbreaking.
  • From Enkotan, Liu Bei Unicorn Gundam’s Mother only appeared in the first couple of chapters, dies very quickly, and doesn’t even have so much as a name. She’s still popular among the fandom for her unique design and sacrificing herself in order to keep her son safe even when she herself fell victim to the virus!
  • Da Qiao Gundam Artemie is another cult fan favorite, mostly for being the first character in the SD Gundam sub-franchise to be based on the GNY-0042-874 Gundam Artemie, a mech that's not that popular but very beloved by fans.
• Funny Moments:
  • Near the end of Enkotan Chapter 2, Liu Bei Unicorn is dropped off at another village by Red Tiger after his mother died in an attack by the Etiolation Trinity. During this scene, Sun Jian asks if Liu Bei be fine on his own and says he doesn't mind if the latter stays with them. Jian's exchange with his son during this scene is humorous.
    Sun Ce: Dad, you shouldn't keep him just because you like him. It's his decision.
    Sun Jian: I know, but...
  • Enkotan Chapter 3 starts off with Sun Jian telling his son, Sun Quan that he will be looking for new Red Tiger clients on his own as a test of his growth. On the next immediate page...
    Sun Quan: No way I can do this, dad...
    Zhou Yu: You gave up so fast!!
  • Zhang Fei's Imagine Spot of what Zhuge Liang is like in episode 2 of the actual show are these, simply because they're so over-the-top.
  • Also in episode 2, Zhuge Liang and Liu Bei's exchange after his lab is destroyed in a fight with the bugs.
    Zhuge Liang: <Sighing in annoyance>
    Liu Bei: Sorry about earlier.
    Zhuge Liang: About blowing my lab to bits? It doesn't bother me at all. No, really.
    Liu Bei: You're mad.
  • Sun Jian and Sun Quan's introduction in episode 3 of the anime. The hot blooded Sun Jian bursts into Cao Cao's meeting complaining about how he was asked for an appointment by the secretary. Then when Sun Quan is asked to introduce himself, he seems as intimidating as is father until...
    Sun Quan: I-I'm...Sun Quan. Nice to meet you.
    Xiahou Yuan: You have two different personalities!!
  • Episode 5 has Zhang Fei stay back to Hold the Line against the pursuing mob of bugs. He destroys the bridge in an epic way, which Liu Bei cheers him on for, only for the camera to cut back to the bridge and show Zhang Fei falling into the water with a high-pitched scream.
  • Sun Quan's first fight in the anime has him trembling in front of a mob of Bugs with Taishi Ci and Gan Ning on each side of him and flinching when one of the bugs move slightly. This is until Sun Jian kicks him straight into the mob (to the horror of Gan Ning and Taishi Ci) where he goes completely berserk.
    Gan Ning: I might be pointing out the obvious, but...
    Taishi Ci: He's a completely different person...
    Sun Jian: Well, yes...
  • The explanation for Zhao Yu not immediately returning to the front lines after he survived his apparent death? He was spending time eating with a nice family. When asked, he has a Sweat Drop and says he will explain later.
  • Something of a meta-example; At the very end of the last episode comes the surprise announcement that a new SD Gundam World project was in production...or at least, it would’ve been a surprise, if the last three episodes weren’t delayed for about a year and said project, SD Gundam World Heroes, wasn’t announced before the series returned. A bit late on the announcement, guys.
• Genius Bonus: Presumably due to wanting to disconnect the show from the COVID-19 Pandemic going on at the time of its airing, the Yellow Zombie Virus was renamed to “Etiolation Trinity''. Etiolation is a process flowering plants grown in partial or complete absence of light go through in order to find a light source for nourishment, with two of the symptoms being the weakening of its cell walls in stems and leaves and the plant gaining a pale yellow-white shade of color. While the pale yellow shade can be a cute nod to its basis the Yellow Turban Rebellion, the weakening of cells also sounds like something a zombie plague would do to a living organism's body. The plant using this as a desperate attempt to search for light also sounds like how zombies would hunt for other living beings for nourishment, with both causing damage to living beings.
• Heartwarming Moments:
  • Chapter 5 of Soshoki has one when Cao Cao Wing meets Yuan Shao again. Yuan Shao had just tried to assassinate Cao Cao out of malice for losing his company, yet Cao Cao offers to let him join Blue Wing. Despite being harshly rejected with a slap, Cao Cao comments that he doesn't hate him despite his stubbornness. When the group leaves Yuan Shao, utters that it's ridiculous to think that he would join them. Then, in the last line of the chapter...
    Yuan Shao: Maybe I...just wanted you to say that...
  • Liu Bei Unicorn and Sun Jian Astray's encounter near the end of episode 4 of the anime. While it was fairly short due to the circumstances, Sun Jian greets Liu Bei as if he was a relative he hadn't seen in a long time.
• He's Just Hiding: Not surprisingly, the presumed death of Zhao Yun in the first episode immediately got this reaction from viewers, especially since he's still prominent in the Opening and Ending sequences. Sure enough, he reappears to take back his swords in episode 8.
• Magnificent Bastard: Cao Cao Wing Gundam is the CEO of Blue Wing Corporation, believing himself to be the best person to use their power for the well-being of all. Waging war across the Wei Area, Cao Cao took control of the entire region by outsmarting and winning the favor of his opponents. When Sima Yi Destiny Gundam tries to hypnotize him, Cao Cao manages to resist and later uses his resources for his own gain, deciding the best way to save humanity is to turn all but a select few into BUGs so the world's dwindling Trinity supply will last longer. After his defeat, Cao Cao provides funding for the relief effort and entrusts Blue Wing to his subordinates before setting off on a journey alone in hopes of finding the right path, never giving up on the justice he believes in.
• Memetic Mutation: Episode 10 revealed that Zhao Yun 00 Gundam never actually died, the explosion was him substituting himself with a bomb and he ended up getting taken in by a nice family. Many fans made jokes about how he spent most of the series living with this family and eating grain, while everyone else was struggling with the Etiolation Trinity crisis.
• Misblamed: Due to it being delayed for a year and unluckily airing around the same time as the outbreak of the COVID-19 Pandemic, there was a rumor going around that this series was cancelled and SD Gundam World Heroes was going to take its place, especially since one of the major plot points was a plague named "Yellow Zombie Virus" was affecting a world based off of a Chinese legend while the real-life coronavirus came from China. The lack of communication from the production staff on the matter did not help. This rumor was put to rest when the last episode featured a "New series production" announcement at the very end, meaning that SD Gundam World Heroes continuing off of Sangoku Soketsuden was planned from the start.
• Moral Event Horizon: In episode 7 of Sangoku Soketsuden, Diao Chan Kshatriya defends Lyu Bu Sinanju during his battle with Cao Cao Wing Gundam and Liu Bei Unicorn Gundam. As "thanks" for her assistance, he crosses this by impaling her to wound Cao Cao, steals her Trinity Memory and, after she succumbs to her wound and dies, uses said Trinity Memory to fuse parts of her body onto his to become Lyu Bu Nightingale, all while only seeming grateful that she gave him an unfair advantage in the fight.
• Questionable Casting: This was the reaction some fans had to the reveal that Kōki Uchiyama, who most Gundam fans know as the voice of Banagher Links, would be the voice of Zhuge Liang Freedom Gundam instead of Liu Bei Unicorn Gundam, feeling that they missed the opportunity for an Actor Allusion.
• They Wasted a Perfectly Good Character:
  • Zhang Jue Devil Gundam is based on Zhang Jue, the leader of the Yellow Turban Rebellion, and so predictably is the source of Etiolation Trinity. He was also the teacher of Zhuge Liang Freedom Gundam, and in Soshoki is shown to get along very well with Cao Cao Wing Gundam due to both looking for a solution to the depleting Trinity crisis. With this setup, he could be a Tragic Villain who got desperate enough to find a solution to the crisis that he resorted to creating a zombie plague, with drama coming from how others would react due to him being highly respected, especially by those closest to him. Not to mention, the fact that he’s also based off of the friggin’ Devil Gundam means he would have to have an abundant amount of power and some fighting capabilities, making him perfect to be the Final Boss of the show. However, he dies rather swiftly and with no fuss by his own request to his pupil Zhuge Liang, with Zhuge Liang being the only one who confronts him (Peacefully, at that), and his corpse becomes nothing more than a MacGuffin used by Cao Cao to spread Etiolation Trinity across the land.
  • Due to his fake death, Zhao Yun 00 Gundam doesn’t really do anything for most of the story save for literally the beginning and end. While this was probably done to keep the cast from becoming too crowded and/or they couldn’t fit other scenes with him into the script, him being MIA for most of the show’s events means we don’t get to learn anything about him as a character.
  • In the Model Series for Sangoku Soketsuden, it was shown that Zhang Fei God Gundam and Guan Yu Nu Gundam would both get Super Modes similar to Long Xian Liu Bei Unicorn Gundam, Yan Huang Zhang Fei God Gundam and Wu Sheng Guan Yu Yun Chang Nu Gundam. It would not be an unfair assumption to make that Zhang Fei and Guan Yu would shift into these forms to help Liu Bei out in the final battle. Said forms however are never used in battle, and instead only show up out of nowhere at the very end of the last episode...in a single still frame.
• Unexpected Character:
  • Yuan Shao Red Warrior is based off of, of all things, the Perfect Gundam III "Red Warrior" from the manga Plamo-Kyoshiro, which is a Gunpla rather than a mech. This is actually not the first time SD Gundam has done this, as Shin SD Sengokuden Densetsu No Daishogun Hen and SD Gundam Gaiden Knights Of The Round Table also had characters based off of the "Red Warrior" in the form of Kouryuu Gundam and Scarlet Knight Red Warrior, respectively.
  • In this story, the sisters Da Qiao and Xiao Qiao are respectively based off of the Gundam Artemie from Mobile Suit Gundam 00P and the GN Archer from the second season of Mobile Suit Gundam 00 proper. The Artemie is one of the more lesser-known Gundams, but then again it did get a little more notoriety with the release of SD Gundam G Generation Cross Rays. The GN Archer on the other hand is a bit unit that only acts as support for the Arios Gundam, making it's incorporation a shock. In Gundam 00I, however, it was revealed that the Artemie (Which was damaged and left unused after the battle against Beside Pain) was rebuilt into the GN Archer by Sherilyn Hyde, so there is some precedence.
  • Lyu Bu Sinanju can actually combine with Diao Chan Kshatriya...and in their combination, they become Lyu Bu Nightingale! This is especially surprising since neither the Sinanju nor the Kshatriya have anything to do with the Nightingale, and the one mech that does, the Sazabi, is instead represented by an unrelated character in Zhang Liao.^{Humorously...} The Sinanju actually has more in relation with the Sazabi than the Nightingale, since its predecessor, the Sinanju Stein, was developed from both that and the Nu Gundam.
  • In Episode 11 of Enkotan, Red Tiger ends up carrying a freight...and as it turn out, said freight is actually a trap containing the Dobday Bug, a giant Etiolation Trinity monster based off of the Dabude-class battleship (Which is officially and frequently romanized as "Dobday"). While characters based off of battleships is nothing new for SD Gundam, the Dabude-class is a forgotten battleship from the original series, and its only notable reutilization was in MS IGLOO 2: The Gravity Front.

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