History Anime / Gasaraki

* SpellMyNameWithAnS: Wan/Won/Huang as well as Meth, whose name is spelled "Mess" when seen on a screen at one point.

* TheThingThatGoesDoink: Frequently seen at the Gowa family compound.

''Gasaraki'' was produced by Creator/{{Sunrise}}, directed by Ryosuke Takahashi of ''Anime/ArmoredTrooperVotoms'' fame and originally aired in 1998. Creator/{{ADV Films}} released a translated version. The script was primarily written by Toru Nozaki but also included the contributions of Chiaki J. Konaka and Yuichiro Takeda. There is a bit of notable trivia for more recent anime fans as the first big "series-wide" directorial-related job a certain Goro Taniguchi had - he was "assistant director" for the series and helped to make it (somewhat) comprehensible. His work here would lead to him being allowed to fully direct and produce ''Anime/{{Planetes}}'' (which could not possibly be more different from this show) and ''Franchise/CodeGeass'' (which, on some level, might be seen as an alternative take on a couple of the same themes as ''Gasaraki'', just [[ByronicHero from a different viewpoint]]).

* LoadsAndLoadsOfCharacters

* ConspicuousCG: Used quite a bit, mainly on computer monitors.

%%* MiniMecha

* PossessionImpliesMastery: Subverted; throughout the series, neither side fully comes to grips with using their mecha. Ataka even says in episode 5 when three Ishtars show up; "This is crazy! We haven't even faced other TA's on the simulator yet!"

* SuperRobot: Cruelly desconstructed to horrfying levels with the Kugai.

* WellIntentionedExtremist: Nishida

%%* RealRobot

* TrueCompanions: The [[TheSquad TA platoon]] treat Yushiro as one of their own, even though he's a civilian, and Yushiro does the same in kind.

%%* TwentyMinutesIntoTheFuture

Yushiro is the fourth son of the Gowa family (he has a younger sister, Misuzu, in addition to his brothers), and one of the test pilots for a new piece of military hardware referred to as "Tactical Armor", or [=TAs=] -- in other words, HumongousMecha [[note]]Technically, MiniMecha[[/note]]. He is also involved in a ritual dance (based on traditional Nou (or Noh) dance movements), overseen by the Gowa family, which appears to be a type of SummoningRitual. During his first attempt at this ritual, Yushiro is attacked by a vision of a teal-haired female wearing a mask (probably Ko-omote, see below) who no one else can see, and who, before she disappears, begs him not to bring back the "terror". At the same time, in another part of the world, a mysterious organization is conducting an experiment of their own -- involving the same teal-haired female, a girl named Miharu...

* ApocalypseMaiden: Both Yushiro and Miharu. Whenever they are reincarnated to the same time period, they will be destined to activate their Kugais, fought each other, and while at it, summon The Gasaraki. Since both of their souls knew fully well each outcome will cause calamity to the world they live in, whoever awakens their memories of their past incarnations first will do whatever it takes to prevent the other to stop the summoning, even if it'll cost them their lives.

* PlayingAgainstType:
** Yes, Creator/NobuyukiHiyama was still at his prime playing his [[RealRobotGenre Real Robot]] AcePilot... and yet Yushiro is a character ''[[TheQuietOne far]]'' from being {{Hotblooded}}.
** And Creator/ShowHayami plays "MadScientist" Kiyotsugu... but as mentioned above, he's ''not'' the BigBad and even has more than one line he won't cross.

* ParentalSubstitute: Councilman Meth becomes one for Miharu,[[spoiler: Phantom even comments on it, saying that it is clouding his judgment]].

* ReallySevenHundredYearsOld: [[spoiler:Phantom]]

* SergeantRock: Major Takayam.
%%* SexyMentor

* SummoningRitual: Yushiro has been trained in this since he was a child, with his earliest memory being performing on the Stage of Stone at the Gowa's ancestral home.

* TeamMom: Lieutenant Kaburagi is a more stern example of one of these, crossing into SergeantRock.

* WhoWantsToLiveForever: [[spoiler: Phantom.]]

* YouGottaHaveBlueHair: Miharu.

* RippedFromTheHeadlines: The Belgistan invasion is blatantly reminiscent of the first Iraq war -- "Desert Storm" -- and its coverage on

* ApocalypseMaiden: Both Yushiro and Miharu. Whenever they are reincarnated to the same time period, they will be destined to summon their Kais, fought each other, and while at it, summon The Gasaraki. Since both of their souls knew fully well each outcome will cause calamity to the world they live in, whoever awakens their memories of their past incarnations first will do whatever it takes to prevent the other to stop the summoning, even if it'll cost them their lives.

* ClingyJealousGirl Misuzu does NOT like Miharu being around Yushiro; plus, the way she dotes on Yushiro is rather creepy given that [[IncestIsRelative he's her brother]]. [[spoiler: Even when, well, he's not the ''real'' Yushiro.]]
** And for worse? [[spoiler: When she connects with one of the mechas as the ''kai'' she is, Kazukiyo uses her jealousy of Miharu so she will keep brainwashing her.]]

* NormallyIWouldBeDeadNow: Yushiro miraculously [[spoiler: avoids being pulverized by an artillery bombardment]].
** And even earlier [[spoiler: he gets shot in the head by a sniper and lives, though in all fairness he was still wearing his helmet]].
* OddNameOut: Yushiro is the only one of the Gowa sons to lack the "Kiyo" (清) character in his name.

* TheOjou: Misuzu.

* RippedFromTheHeadlines: The Belgistan invasion is blatantly reminiscent of the first Iraq war -- "Desert Storm" -- and its coverage on CNN.
* ScrewDestiny: [[spoiler: Yushiro]].

* CombatPragmatist: Yushiro, though some of it is psychic power induced.

* CoolBigSis: Rin Ataka
* CooldownHug: Averted; Daizaburo is about to give one to his daughter, Misuzu, to dissuade her from [[spoiler: using her powers as a Kai]] -- and right then, [[spoiler: his eldest son Kazukiyo shoots him in the back, killing him.]]
* CorruptCorporateExecutive: Most of the Gowa clan.
** Something of a deconstruction, it's revealed that most of them (except Kazukiyo) abide by ''some'' code of morality as the series goes on. i.e., upon learning that [[spoiler: Misuzu is a Kai]], Kiyotsugu refuses to disclose said knowledge [[spoiler: to protect her from Kazukiyo. And when Kiyoharu is the one who spills the beans, Kiyotsugu is all OhCrap]].

* DeadPersonImpersonation. [[spoiler:The protagonist Yushiro was raised under the identity of the real, '''and long-dead''', "Yushiro Gowa".]]

* ForScience: Kiyotsugu's MO.
* GenerationXerox: As the flashback shows, [[spoiler: Kazukito's actions mimmic those of the Watanabe clan member Tsuna]].

* GoodHairEvilHair: Kazukiyo has Slicked-Back Hair, easily identifying him as evil.

* ImprobableAge: Yushiro is 16; justified in that he is still a civilian, and that the TA squadron he's assigned to wasn't meant to serve in combat at all. This is also lampshaded during episode 6, when Yushiro disappears:
---> '''Ataka''': Just how many teenage boys in SSDF uniforms do you think are here anyways?
---> '''Mirai''': Um...actually i've been [[{{Bifauxnen}} mistaken for one]]...a few times...

* ApocalypseMaiden: What Miharu seems to be. [[spoiler: And what ''Misuzu'' turns out to truly be, in the GrandFinale.]])

* TheAtoner: [[spoiler: Daizaburo]].

* BeyondTheImpossible: Yushiro frequently does things with a TA that are considered both suicidal and impossible.
* {{Bifauxnen}}: Lieutenant Mirai

* BigFancyHouse: Which has TheThingThatGoesDoink, naturally.
* BigScrewedUpFamily: The Gowa clan.
%%* {{Bishonen}}

* ReallySevenHundredYearsOld: [[spoiler:Yushiro, Miharu, and Phantom]]

** Something of a deconstruction, it's revealed that most of them (except Kazukiyo) abide by ''some'' code of morality as the series goes on. i.e., upon learning that [[spoiler: Miharu is a Kai]], Kiyotsugu refuses to disclose said knowledge [[spoiler: to protect her from Kazukiyo. And when Kiyoharu is the one who spills the beans, Kiyotsugu is all OhCrap]].

''Gasaraki'' was produced by {{Sunrise}}, directed by Ryosuke Takahashi of ''Anime/ArmoredTrooperVotoms'' fame and originally aired in 1998. Creator/{{ADV Films}} released a translated version. The script was primarily written by Toru Nozaki but also included the contributions of Chiaki J. Konaka and Yuichiro Takeda. There is a bit of notable trivia for more recent anime fans as the first big "series-wide" directorial-related job a certain Goro Taniguchi had - he was "assistant director" for the series and helped to make it (somewhat) comprehensible. His work here would lead to him being allowed to fully direct and produce ''Anime/{{Planetes}}'' (which could not possibly be more different from this show) and ''Franchise/CodeGeass'' (which, on some level, might be seen as an alternative take on a couple of the same themes as ''Gasaraki'', just [[ByronicHero from a different viewpoint]]).

* FollowTheLeader: The entire show's been accused of ripping roughly a good three-quarters of its concepts and plot directly from ''Anime/NeonGenesisEvangelion''. Exactly how much this is true has been [[FlameWar hotly debated]] over the years; while there are some ''very'' obvious similarities (the clear comparisons between [[TheOmniscientCouncilOfVagueness SEELE and SYMBOL]], the dysfunctional-family-exploiting-a-son-as-a-pilot dynamic, Miharu's apparent similarities to Rei Ayanami, and [[spoiler:the "divine" origins of the key systems of the mecha]]) the show does take a fairly different direction in the end, with somewhat different messages about the meaning of family and honor and a take on love that ''wholly'' contradicts some of ''Eva'''s Freudian assertions.

* HitchhikersLeg: Used in an early episode of ''{{Anime/Gasaraki}}'' by two female JSSDF soldiers in a war-torn country when they need to borrow a set of wheels to find their missing comrade, and a couple passing Americans are more than happy to oblige after seeing them posed on the side of the road. [[SexyMentor Ataka]] is amused, while [[{{Bifauxnen}} Kaburagi]] is visibly embarrassed afterwards.

-->--'''Yushiro'''

* ShowSomeLeg: Used to borrow a Humvee early in the series. Ataka is amused, while Kaburagi is visibly embarassed.

* ShowSomeLeg: Used to borrow a Humvee early in the series.

* EyesAlwaysShut: Nishida, though its due to the fact that he took his own eyes out with his katana.

* IJustWantToBeNormal (variation; a third person example from Kaburagi, who feels that Yushiro shouldn't be in the TA platoon as a) he's a civilian not a soldier, and b) its unfair that he hasn't been given a choice in the matter.
* ImportedAlienPhlebotinum

%%* MissionControl

%%* PillarOfLight

%%* SummoningRitual

''Gasaraki'' was produced by {{Sunrise}}, directed by Ryosuke Takahashi of ''Anime/ArmoredTrooperVotoms'' fame and originally aired in 1998. Creator/{{ADV Films}} released a translated version. There is a bit of notable trivia for more recent anime fans as the first big "series-wide" directorial-related job a certain Goro Taniguchi had - he was "assistant director" for the series and helped to make it (somewhat) comprehensible. His work here would lead to him being allowed to fully direct and produce ''Anime/{{Planetes}}'' (which could not possibly be more different from this show) and ''Franchise/CodeGeass'' (which, on some level, might be seen as ''Gasaraki'''s spiritual successor - it takes on a lot of the same fundamental themes as ''Gasaraki'', just [[ByronicHero from a different viewpoint]]).