Pitch Your Mehca Show for a Continuing Franchise!

So after glancing at a lot "HOW WOULD YOU DO IT" treads, I figured why not make it a little specific. Basically, Sunrise, or Studio Gainax, or whoever, want's you as creative director for a new show in one of their franchises. Now, let's say a sort drought occurred in their broadcasting or they're just hungry for something new/fresh, so they're open to some new ideas then what they're usually used to. What do you pitch for which series?

edited 6th Jul '11 8:41:18 AM by Otogi

My idea for a Gundam show (and I'm sure parts of it has been done already) would be to kind of paralell the narrative of industrialized warfare (with more than a few nods to the development of military aviation, so look out for someone with a red-painted mobile suit...)

Basically we have a war, let it start over something that's kinda, sorta reasonable. (say, a terrorist attack from one minor country on another, which then leads to both sides calling in their allies, and thus, war) Mobile suits at this point are kind of primitive, they're not THAT effective (most of the war is still fought with tanks/planes/men and maybe some kind of Pre-MS walker-type, think AT-ST's) for the first portion of the series mobile suits are rare, aces are noticeable and can make a huge impact, they're painted in gaudy color schemes, etc. etc. The fighting is kind of replete with chivalric tropes, more of a game for the pilots than anything else, and the aces are larger-than-life hero-figures to the population at large. Most of the aces fly some variant of Ace Custom. At this point support for the war is high on both sides, and there's a general sense of "by the rules" play. (both sides try to avoid harming civilians, respect prisoners, etc.)

However, as the war goes on the tenor changes, casualties starts to mount up and people become genuinely embittered. Mobile suits becomes more and more numerous but also less personalized, the flashy decorations and such starts to disappear, they become more "industrial" looking, grey or brown or black things, and much, much more numerous. These new suits are also used in new ways, and are far more effective: It's not just about duelling aces any more but attacks on ground target (including civilians) becomes commonplace. Atrocities starts to mount up (on both sides) it becomes, in general, more and more grim. As both sides gear up for total war the civilian populations starts to suffer, both from direct attacks and sabotage and from deprivation. (some kind of "home front POV" would probably be a good idea here, a younger sibling, wife/girlfriend or just someone who's away from the fighting)

As a bonus point, have the original source of the conflict be resolved about halfway through the series, but the war itself continues: It's now fought more to avenge the various atrocities inflicted by the other side than for it's original purpose.

At some point have a bunch of semi-Reasonable Authority Figure -types mutiny and try to stop the war, only for them to be crushed ruthlessly.

Characters go through similar arcs, becoming embittered and jaded as their friends keep dying, new recruits are also much more cynical and less idealistic than the first batch of starry-eyed youths.

In the end the war is resolved when one side simply cannot fight on any more, the strain becomes too much and a surrender is signed. It ends with our protagonists returning home to try to rebuild their shattered lives.

TTGL spinoff with Viral and his crew going to meet with the other spiral races.

There could actually be some properly balanced conflict in that, since humanity had to stop abusing Spiral Power. As Viral himself would say, that trick only works once.

Hmmm... Well my first impulse would be to pitch Martian Successor Nadesico: Prince of Darkness: The Good Version, I guess. Other than that, though... Hmmm...

It is the year 2015. Shinji Ikari, pilot of the biomechanical Evangelion, has slowly been driven over the edge of sanity by the events that have transpired ever since he got into the cockpit. At his lowest and most vulnerable point, a sinister cabal who secretly run the world are plotting the end of all things, but on their terms.

Meanwhile, in another frame of space/time, humanity stands at the brink of destruction at the hands of the Space Terrible Monster Crowd. Their power is near infinite. Their forces outnumber the stars themselves. But mankind will not go quietly into the good night, for they have one final ace up their sleeves to ensure their survival. One final weapon that shoulders the burden of all of mankind's hopes and dreams. One ultimate defence against the space monsters, piloted by headstrong young pilot Noriko Takaya and her Onee-sama, Kazumi Amano. The last, best hope for mankind's future. It's name... Is Gunbuster.

And in yet another time, another place, years after a successful rebellion led to the human race retaking the surface from the despotic Spiral King, Team Dai-Gurren have established their new capital, Kamina City, a beacon of hope in a once desolate world. But little do they know that soon, very soon, an ancient, unspeakable force is about to be awoken, one that will strike not only at their hard fought freedom, but at the very heart of their leader, Simon the Digger, the man whose drill shall pierce the heavens.

Something happened which never should have. Three worlds that should have gone their own seperate ways have began to converge, creating a new world, one where the forces conspiring to end each of it's components have descended upon mankind with unrestrained fury. Desperate times call for desperate measures, and so Nerv and Team Dai-Gurren forge an uneasy alliance which is soon joined by the crew of the space battleship Exelion. New friendships are forged, as Simon sees something of the old him in Shinji and tries to get him to believe in the Shinji who believes in himself, and Shinji begins bonding with Noriko as a surrogate for his comatose team mate Asuka. But why have these three worlds became one, and by who or whats mechanitions has this happened? Something sinister is brewing behind the scenes as the worlds of Gainax's mecha anime begin blurring into one! A tale of heroism, love, despair, and ultimately... The end. SUPER GAINAX WARS! Coming to your screens this Autumn!

...Okay, the name's kinda dumb, but a crossover between Gunbuster, Evangelion and Gurren Lagann would be wicked cool, right? *

I would definitely watch it. If this is any indication, they'd go together well.

Actually, when I look at that, I wonder, who'd be up for a Super Robot Wars series, but without any Original Generation characters? Just full on liscenced series.

Super Robot Wars Z and Z2 the anime, coming to a dream or heaven near you.

(@ The Gainax Crossover idea above)

The only thing that coul dmake it better. Have scene that can be fit with Guile's Theme.

And fit Diebuster in there some how.

edited 6th Jul '11 5:06:51 PM by Demongodofchaos2

If I ever made a mecha show, I would try to make the mecha more realistic. There would be no mecha in space or flying mecha. They would be smaller Mini-Mecha and only have fixed weapons; I always thought that Humongous Mecha having hand-held weapons (as opposed to arm-fixed weapons) was really weird. And there would be no Super Prototype with superior armor; that makes for an unfair advantage and makes the abilities of The Ace seem like an Informed Attribute. Instead, any Super Prototype will be faster, with The Ace being the sole pilot because they are the only one with the skill of handling it at such high speeds. The Ace should be The Ace because of having better skills, not just because of having a mech with better weapons and more armor.

So... Armored Trooper VOTOMS save for a few things (no fixed weapons, sometimes in space, rarely)

edited 7th Jul '11 12:26:02 PM by Thorn14

But even some of the mecha in Gundam Wing follow those rules. Hell, the Tallgeese is a super prototype only in the sense that it's so insanely fast that ordinary pilots get near-fatally injured flying it, and the Gundams themselves only really have an armour-advantage - unless you want to count Wing Zero's fatalistic number-crunching mind-fuckery as a point in its favour for anyone but an incredibly experienced and fast-learning pilot. I'll grant you the Deathscythe's stealth capabilities are really silly, but other than that...

And frankly, all that other stuff is killing the fun of mecha.

edited 7th Jul '11 12:32:03 PM by FurikoMaru

Basically. A legged weapon in a real-world climate is infeasible. A flying, energy sword-equipped, transforming, 50 foot tall robot whose pilot has ESP is Refuge in Audacity.

a proposal for a continuation of Sunrise's Brave Series.

Brave Dragon Dai Ryu Oh.

A young boy, who was sent to modern-day earth and adopted by a modern family learns of his heritage as a last survivor of a line of legendary youths, the Brave Knights. One day, he is transported back to his home realm and informed of this, and with a reliable Nakama of friends from the real world, and some from the magic realm, they most change into legendary magic knights, wizards, clerics, and warriors. and use the legendary power of their Brave Bracelets to summon their Ryu Machines, which combine to form Brave Dragon Dai Ryu Oh! (Great Dragon King.) and fight off the horrors of an evil empire led by a king who not only wants to conquer than magic realm, but storm the real world too. as the young boys and girls embark on a quest of discovery and find out things about themselves and their situations in life along the way.

edited 8th Jul '11 3:51:18 PM by Clawshrimpy

Mobile Suit Gundam Whatever-they-want-to-call-it

The story starts with the war already underway and a Gundam or two already in action. The woman who designed the original Gundam in the last war is kidnapped (along with her teenaged daughter) by one of the factions and ordered to build them new ones and supervise the upgrades being done to the old one already in use. When she refuses, expressing disgust that she was ever involved in the creation of such an unholy marriage of propaganda tool and instrument of death, they threaten to kill her daughter, and she finally agrees to help them.

Now, said daughter is slightly psychic and empathic, which gives her a natural gift for repairs of the vaguely-sentient Gundams and leads to an eventual friendship between her and a few of the rebel pilots. When one of them dies and she accidentally reveals her psychic potential in an attempt to save him, the daughter is immediately drafted to fill his spot.

That's all I've got so far, but I'm sure I can pull together some poli-sci bullshit after the fact.

edited 10th Jul '11 4:29:36 PM by FurikoMaru

Formulated this in a few minutes. Needs work. Basically Mobile Suit Zeta Gundam meets Watchmen.

Mobile Suit Gundam R

It is the year EC 1984. 5 years ago, the space colonies controlled by the United States declared their independence and attempted to invade Earth. During the ensuing war, the UN pioneered the use of Mobile Suits, including an experimental superweapon: the R-5 Gundam, a Combining Mecha. It was the symbol of the UN until, in the war's final battle, it was destroyed, killing one pilot and injuring another. Now, the former pilots are trying to return to normal life, until their services are requested again for the revival of the Gundam project. At the same time, a faction moving to bring down the UN is rising. In addition, one of the former Gundam pilots, who was blamed for the death of the one casualty, is working for the UN, and has been selected for piloting the R-12 Gundam 2.

toilets as mechas fighting for the destiny of their lives

and fabulous bishonen boys riding in the toilets making fart jokes as their catchphrase

and add christian symbolism and psychology to please the Evangelion fanboys

i will call it

Kyūkyoku no unmei no sonota no kyodai toire no robotto nitaisuru kyūkyoku no unmei no kyodaina toire no robotto

or

Giant Toilet Robots of Ultimate Destiny Against Other Giant Toilet Robots of Ultimate Destiny

Gas-powered mecha? How 20th century.