Rename (New Crowner 7/06/13): Eva Fins

So yeah, mecha designs involving vertical focus... with examples that predate Evangelion. Fan Myopia to the max!

Poor wicks too.

Technically, it doesn't claim that it's the trope maker, only the trope namer. And as a really popular anime it'd be better than most things you can name something after. However, it's still pretty nonindicative and I personally didn't even remember that Eva's units had shoulder fins.

I can support a rename provided we can show it's not thriving. The usage appears to be fairly low and it has been around since 2009, which does indicate issues if this is a common trope. That's the last question that appears to need addressing: How common are Eva Fins anyway?

These are not very common at all even in Mecha, they were a design fad at one time but mostly has been ditched.

As for an alternate name I have no idea, Hyaku Shiki in Zeta Gundam had them and were called them Wing Binders. Part of the AMBAC system for space flight.

edited 7th Apr '12 8:17:10 AM by Raso

Sparkling and glittering! Jan-Ken-Pon!

Shoulder Fins. Or Mech Shoulder Fins.

As for how common they are, I'll have to take your word for it. I've only watched two or three mecha series that were Gundam and not many Gundam series either.

Shoulder Fins work.

Most arnt attached to shoulders though (something like that would look like a Guncannon.) they are attached at the back or even extend out from a backpack.

edited 7th Apr '12 2:40:51 PM by Raso

Sparkling and glittering! Jan-Ken-Pon!

Btw that RL example about Japanese soldiers wearing flags on their backs called Sashimono really does not seem like this trope, might look visually similar but not quite this.

edited 7th Apr '12 8:31:01 AM by Raso

Sparkling and glittering! Jan-Ken-Pon!

@Ookamikun: What does "Poor wicks too," mean?

The Internet misuses, abuses, and overuses everything.

Not very many of them.

It would help if this had a good picture to show off the fins too.... to IP!

Sparkling and glittering! Jan-Ken-Pon!

The number of wicks and examples are about equal. While it does seem like something that would be easy to pothole, I don't think it's something most people even think about. A better name could help, though.

The Internet misuses, abuses, and overuses everything.

78 Inbounds. Here, I'll start with redirect farming.

"For a successful technology, reality must take precedence over public relations, for Nature cannot be fooled." - Richard Feynman

I made an IP for this.

And Vertical Back Wings, Vertical Fins, or Vertical Wings, are my ideas.

Eva is actually very very very atypical of the rest of the trope.

edited 7th Apr '12 2:44:49 PM by Raso

Sparkling and glittering! Jan-Ken-Pon!

When I see the word "Eva", the first thing I think about is really not Neon Genesis Evangelion. Nor the second, third, or fourth thing, either.

Rhetorical, eh? ... Eight!

I like Mech Shoulder Fins

I'd like it to be Mecha personally, as it's from the mecha genre,yes?

Most of the examples are not shoulder fins at all so that one is misleading. (this trope seems to think any shoulder attachment is this trope too looking at a few of the misuse on it an entry for shoulder drill weapons?.)

Unless we want to split the examples and

• Broden Back fins to include the likes of Freedom Gundam with adjustable back fins in addition to stationary ones, back ones usually serve some kind of purpose like attachments to ships, weapon holders, engines, Attack Drones, etc and look intimidating, and maybe Fins That Do Nothing.
• Shoulder Fins just merge with Shoulders of Doom or the weapon based Shoulder variety of them as that is pretty much what they are.

edited 8th Apr '12 12:20:26 PM by Raso

Sparkling and glittering! Jan-Ken-Pon!

Didn't the EV As keep a progressive knife in one of the shoulder fins? I seem to remember a shot of it being drawn from a hidden compartment somewhere, at least.

The shoulder fins held various things depending on which unit and what the equipment was. I believe Unit 1 kept a knife and a pistol in its two fins, Unit 2 had several weapons including knives, short swords and "spike" cannons. Unit 0 had some kind of thrusters in it. They're also detachable and appear to function as batteries or something.

Overall, I can say that I rarely see the fins. Rounded or Samurai style shoulder guards◊ (however, this is usually reserved for The Hero or equivalent) and short trapezoidal maybe with attached shields◊ are among the most common. Greeble up as necessary. Straight vertical versions aren't something I see very commonly.

Fight smart, not fair.

So it's not much about shoulder fins as it is about fins in general then?

Maybe Mecha Fins then?

Hm, I could see a design trope in this, curvy finned designs that make it look more aerodynamic and sleek compared to some of the more angular or simple rounded structures.

Fight smart, not fair.

I too, support Mecha Fins or something along those lines. Like Spark 9, I find that the name and the trope don't immediately go together in my mind; it's just one of those titles that will be immediately "Ah, I get it" to the Evangelion fanbase and less so to everyone else.

The description could potentially use a small amount of reworking to make it less of a requirement that they be specifically very tall or exclusively shoulder / back mounted. A lot of Mecha have head fins that are mostly there for Rule of Cool reasons.

I don't think being tall is a requirement for this, any Mecha Fins serve a function, Rule of Cool or other wise.

• Anything suppose to be aerodynamic and isn't 5x the size of the mecha is bullshiting. (common to be attached on a Flight Mecha Expansion Pack backpack.) [1]◊
• Remnants of a flying Transforming Mecha wings.
• Weapons such as aestheticly pleasing Attack Drone s, swords, Laser Sword hilts, flipable cannons (or even stationary cannons.).
• Intricate Thrusters That might open and close depending on if the thrusters are going or not◊
• Intimidation (especially if they pull Sinister Silhouettes for even the good guys.... Freedom Gundam isn't tall but with it's wings open its got a very scary Silhouette which they abuse in O Ps [2]◊.)

Or more than one of the above.

Hell Dog Mechas have fins [3]◊ and they don't even fly....

edited 12th Apr '12 8:01:04 PM by Raso

Sparkling and glittering! Jan-Ken-Pon!

Bumping. This has gained 5 inbounds in one month, so it might be growing. Do we still want a rename? After all, the The Bible Eva one is much better known than the Neon Genesis Evangelion one.

"For a successful technology, reality must take precedence over public relations, for Nature cannot be fooled." - Richard Feynman

I support a rename; I always thought Eva Fins was a little obscure. I vote for Vertical Fins because it's the defining visual feature we're trying to describe, as opposed to, say, simple Shoulders of Doom on a mech. Heck, I don't even know that it needs to be limited to mechas, but could refer to any silhouette involving tall, slender extentions off the upper torso.

I'M A HOUSEWIFE!

Vertical Mecha Fins?