History Anime / BlueGender

The premise is similar to that of ''Literature/StarshipTroopers'' but without the campy satirical feel of [[Film/StarshipTroopers the film]] or the political ideology of [[Literature/StarshipTroopers the novel]][[note]]AdultSwim even described this show as ''Starship Troopers'' meets ''Futurama''.[[/note]]. Unlike most anime, Blue Gender has very little humor and cuteness is nonexistent, though there is plenty of {{fanservice}} and other sexual moments (most of which has been heavily censored when aired on Creator/CartoonNetwork's Adult Swim line-up. The reason for this is because, at the time, Toonami was a weekday afternoon line-up and ''Blue Gender'' was supposed to appear there. When it was announced that AdultSwim would be airing the show, no effort was made to re-edit the show to Adult Swim standards). The series generally has a very dark and [[SlidingScaleOfIdealismVersusCynicism cynical]] tone; however, the series does end with the message that humanity can live happily (Provided they live in harmony with the Earth).

The premise is similar to that of ''Literature/StarshipTroopers'' but without the campy satirical feel of [[Film/StarshipTroopers the film]] or the political ideology of [[Literature/StarshipTroopers the novel]]. Unlike most anime, Blue Gender has very little humor and cuteness is nonexistent, though there is plenty of {{fanservice}} and other sexual moments (most of which has been censored when aired on Creator/CartoonNetwork's Adult Swim line-up). The series generally has a very dark and [[SlidingScaleOfIdealismVersusCynicism cynical]] tone; however, the series does end with the message that humanity can live happily (Provided they live in harmony with the Earth).

* EditedForSyndication: The Cartoon Network version of this anime for Adult Swim has most of the sexual scenes (and a couple of spoken references) cut, along with some gory violence and profanity. It should be noted that Toonami was originally supposed to air ''Blue Gender'' this way, but the show found its way (edited) to Adult Swim. Considering that the show that preceded it was ''Fooly Cooly'' and that show was left unedited (save for a muting of the word "shit" on the second episode), it seems strange that Blue Gender was not aired uncut (or at least with a few minor cuts for nudity and sex).
** Also, the editing made the show nearly incomprehensible. Some characters who died on-screen in the original simply [[ChuckCunninghamSyndrome vanished without comment]] in Adult Swim's version.

* HeyItsThatVoice - Marlene in the Japanese sounds a lot like [[GundamSEED Natarle]] [[HoukoKuwashima Badgiruel]], and in the English dub she's [[LauraBailey Henrietta]] from ''GunslingerGirl''.
** Alicia is [[Creator/LisaOrtiz Lina]] [[LightNovel/{{Slayers}} Inverse]].

http://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/Blue_Gender_2881.png

* GeniusLock: Gaia the DesignatedHero.

* BugWar
** [[spoiler: The Blue are more or less created by the humans, in fact, because humans wanted to use B-cells for war]].

** Gaia waited for humans to make the Blue while trying to cure a disease, then directed them to kill us. Then when that fails, she kills only the Blue and drives all the humans in space insane, what a girl. So not only is she a bitch, she's lazy too.

* MasculineGirlAndFeminineBoy: Marlene and Yuji, so much so that [[spoiler: Yuji totally qualifies as a BrokenBird.]]

* ILetGwenStacyDie: [[spoiler: A major part of [[TheWoobie Yuji's]] CharacterDevelopment is how completely powerless he is to prevent the deaths of anyone close to him. [[BreakTheCutie This doesn't do much good to]] [[SanitySlippage his already hurting mental state,]] as 'hurting' swiftly becomes [[BrokenBird 'rapidly]] [[AxeCrazy deteriorating.']] [[LoveRedeems Marlene of all people is the one to finally snap him out of it.]]]]

* HumansAreTheRealMonsters: A variant. A major theme of the series is that, in their attempt to survive, pretty much every human being has become cold and unfeeling, placing ''absolutely no'' value in human life, love, or simple compassion [[ForTheGreaterGood since everyone is viewed as expendable.]] [[ActionGirl While Marlene is certainly capable of handling herself,]] [[EmotionlessGirl she's not an especially warm]] [[IceQueen or likable character.]] [[spoiler: As she begins to change through [[TheCutie Yuji's]] influence, the tables are turned when [[WideEyedIdealist Yuji]] [[BreakTheCutie becomes]] [[BorkenBird like Marlene was at the beginning of the series,]] [[LoveRedeems and she has to save him from]] [[SanitySlippage going completely insane.]]]]

** [[spoiler: More [[JustifiedTrope justified]] than most, as the fact that Marlene is falling in love with Yuji is a telling sign she's being humanized more and more through Yuji's influence. Her behavior come to clash with [[TheOmniscientCouncilOfVagueness her superiors,]] [[HeWhoFightsMonsters who are so absorbed in fighting Blue]] that they do not seem to be able to even ''comprehend what love is anymore.'']]

** [[spoiler: More [[JustifiedTrope justified]] than most, as the fact that Marlene is falling in love with Yuji is a telling sign she's being humanized more and more through Yuji's influence. Her behavior come to clash with [[TheOmniscientCouncilOfVagueness her superiors,]] [[HeWhoFightsMonsters who are so absorbed in fighting Blue]] do not seem to be able to even ''comprehend what love is.'']]

* HumansAreTheRealMonsters: A variant. A major theme of the series is that, in their attempt to survive, pretty much every human being has become cold and unfeeling, placing ''absolutely no'' value in human life, love, or simple compassion [[ForTheGreaterGood since everyone is viewed as expendable.]] [[ActionGirl While Marlene is certainly capable of handling herself,]] [[EmotionlessGirl she's not an especially warm]] [[IceQueen or likable character.]] [[spoiler: As she begins to change through [[TheCutie Yuji's]] influence, the tables are turned when [[WideEyedIdealist Yuji]] [[BreakTheCutie becomes]] [[BorkenBird like Marlene was at the beginning of the series,]] [[LoveRedeems and she has to save him from]] [[AxeCrazy going completely insane.]]]]

** More [[JustifiedTrope justified]] than most, as the fact that Marlene is falling in love with Yuji is a telling sign she's being humanized more and more through Yuji's influence. Her behavior come to clash with [[TheOmniscientCouncilOfVagueness her superiors,]] [[HeWhoFightsMonsters who are so absorbed in fighting Blue]] do not seem to be able to even ''comprehend what love is.'']]

* ARealManIsAKiller: Also deconstructed. [[spoiler: [[TookALevelInBadass the more of a badass Yuji becomes,]] [[HeWhoFightsMonsters the less human he comes off as.]]]]

* ILetGwenStacyDie: A major part of [[TheWoobie Yuji's]] CharacterDevelopment is how completely powerless he is to prevent the deaths of anyone close to him. [[BreakTheCutie This doesn't do much good to]] [[SanitySlippage his already hurting mental state,]] as 'hurting' swiftly becomes [[BrokenBird 'rapidly]] [[AxeCrazy deteriorating.']] [[LoveRedeems Marlene of all people is the one to finally snap him out of it.]]

* ARealMansAKiller: Also deconstructed. [[spoiler: [[TookALevelInBadass the more of a badass Yuji becomes,]] [[HeWhoFightsMonsters the less human he comes off as.]]]]

** This is also part of Yuji's character development [[TraumaCongaLine early on in the series.]]

** This is also part of Yuji's character development [[TruamaCongaLine early on in the series.]]

* HeWhoFightsMonsters: Yuji briefly becomes this after fight the Blue for so long/after his B-cells awaken.

** Alicia is [[LisaOrtiz Lina]] [[LightNovel/{{Slayers}} Inverse]].

* FreudianTrio: After most of the recovery team are killed, Yuji becomes TheId, Joey (and to a lesser degree, Robert) become TheEgo, and Marlene becomes TheSuperego in the dynamic of the remaining members. [[spoiler: After Joey and Robert die, Yuji and Marlene predictably begin to wear on each other's nerves, establishing their initial dynamic, with each of them improving through the other's influence, with Yuji's ShrinkingViolet tendencies becoming less pronounced, learning to take the lead once in a while and fend for himself, and Marlene becoming [[EmotionlessGirl less and less of a coldbearted bitch,]] opening up a bit more and embracing her more human side.]]

** Justified in that it establishes that AnyoneCanDie. And wouldn't you know, by the end of the ''third'' episode, everyone save for [[WideEyedIdealist Yu]][[TheLoad ji]] and [[ActionGirl Mar]][[EmotionlessGirl lene]] [[EverybodysDeadDave is dead.]] Most of the supporting characters didn't even make it past episode ''two.''

* FreudianTrio: After most of the recovery team are killed, Yuji becomes TheId, Joey (and to a lesser degree, Robert) become TheEgo, and Marlene becomes TheSuperego in the dynamic of the remaining members. [[spoiler: After Joey and Robert die, Yuji and Marlene predictably begin to wear on each other's nerves, establishing their initial dynamic, with each of them improving through the other's influence, with Yuji's ShrinkingViolet tendencies becoming less pronounced, learning to take the lead once in a while and fend for himself, and Marlene becoming less of an [[EmotionlessGirl less of a coldbearted bitch,]] opening up a bit more and embracing her more human side.]]

* FreudianTrio: After most of the recovery team are killed, Yuji becomes TheId, Joey (and to a lesser degree, Robert) become TheEgo, and Marlene becomes TheSuperego in the dynamic of the remaining members. [[spoiler: After Joey and Robert die, Yuji and Marlene predictably begin to wear on each other's nerves, establishing their initial dynamic, with each of them improving through the other's influence, with Yuji's ShrinkingViolet tendencies becoming less pronounced, learning to take the lead once in a while and fend for himself, and Marlene becoming less of an [[EmotionlessGirl less of a coldbearted bitch,]] opening up a bit more and embracing her human side.]]

* TheLoad: In the beginning, [[EverythingTryingToKillYou everything is trying to kill Marlene. Let's just say [[NonActionGuy Yuji]] doesn't exactly make keeping the two of them alive easy.

* FreudianTrio: After most of the recovery team are killed, Yuji becomes TheId, Joey (and to a lesser degree, Robert) become TheEgo, and Marlene becomes TheSuperego in the dynamic of the remaining members. [[spoiler: After Joey and Robert die, Yuji and Marlene predictably begin to wear on each other's nerves, establishing their initial dynamic, with each of them improving through the other's influence, with Yuji's ShrinkingViolet tendencies becoming less pronounced, learning to take the lead once and while and fend for himself, and Marlene becoming less of an [[EmotionlessGirl less of a coldbearted bitch,]] opening up a bit more and embracing her human side.]]

* FreudianTrio: After most of the recovery team are killed, Yuji becomes TheId, Joey (and to a lesser degree, Robert) become TheEgo, and Marlene becomes TheSuperego in the dynamic of the remaining members. [[spoiler: After Joey and Robert die, Yuji and Marlene predictably begin to wear on each other's nerves, establishing their initial dynamic, with each of them improving through the other's influence, with Yuji's ShriekingViolet tendencies becoming less pronounced, learning to take the lead once and while and fend for himself, and Marlene becoming less of an [[EmotionlessGirl less of a coldbearted bitch, opening up a bit more and embracing her human side.]]

** Justified in that it establishes that AnyoneCanDie. And wouldn't you know, by the end of the ''third'' episode, everyone save for [[WideEyedIdealist Yu]][[TheLoad ji]] and [[ActionGirl Mar]][[EmotionlessGirl lene]] [[EverybodysDeadDave is dead.]] Most of the supporting characters didn't even make it past episode ''two.''