History Anime / MobileSuitGundamCharsCounterattack

* GetAHoldOfYourselfMan: Wouldn't be ''Gundam'' without it, particularly since Bright is in the movie. Subverted because it fixes nothing, but noteworthy for being a particularly 'vigorous' Bright Slap - Captain Bright slaps his own son 'halfway across a room.' Even in zero-G that's a hell of a smack.

* GetAHoldOfYourselfMan: Wouldn't be ''Gundam'' without it, particularly since Bright is in the movie. However, it's a blink-and-you'll-miss-it moment - Bright does this to Hathaway; subverted, because it fixes nothing.

''Mobile Suit Gundam: Char's Counterattack'' is the first full-length ''Franchise/{{Gundam}}'' animated movie released in 1988. ''Char's Counterattack'' is the culmination of the original saga begun in ''Anime/MobileSuitGundam'' and continued through ''Anime/MobileSuitZetaGundam'' and ''Anime/MobileSuitGundamZZ'', marking the final conflict of the fourteen-year rivalry between Amuro Ray and Char Aznable, and the end of the [[TheFederation Earth Federation]]/[[TheEmpire Zeon]] conflicts.

The movie is noteworthy for having a rather unusual genesis. Originally, director Creator/YoshiyukiTomino was going to wrap up Amuro and Char's storyline in ''Gundam ZZ'', but mid-way through production he was given the go-ahead to make a movie, forcing the plot of ''ZZ'' to be rewritten (details on its trope page). In the meantime Tomino wrote the novel ''Hi-Streamer'', but when Sunrise gave him the green light, he went back and wrote a second novel, ''Beltorchika's Children'', which he specifically wrote to be adapted into a movie. However, Sunrise instead chose to use ''Hi-Streamer'', with the final film being a pretty straightforward adaptation of its second half. These two novels serve as the origin of the Hi-Nu Gundam (the finalized, "perfect" Nu Gundam) and Nightingale (a bigger, beefier Sazabi), which pop up in video games like ''VideoGame/SuperRobotWars'' and ''VideoGame/SDGundamGGeneration''.

** The PlaystationPortable game ''Shin Gihren's Greed'' features not just one but ''several'' alternate endings for this movie, ranging from Amuro surviving the Axis Shock, capturing Char and being promoted to colonel to Gyunei successfully capturing Amuro, leading to a Neo-Zeon victory but a deeply depressed Char (due to being deprived of his glorious final battle with Amuro).

* WhatIf: Episode five of ''Anime\GundamEvolve'', written by Tomino himself, is a more positive spin on one particular event from the movie, namely [[spoiler:Quess pulling a HeelFaceTurn after destroying Hathaway's Jegan (but not killing Hathaway) and receiving encouragement from him and Amuro to deal with her directionless anger before it causes real damage]].

** The [[PlaystationPortable PSP]] game ''Shin Gihren's Greed'' features not just one but ''several'' alternate endings for this movie, ranging from Amuro surviving the Axis Shock, capturing Char and being promoted to colonel to Gyunei successfully capturing Amuro, leading to a Neo-Zeon victory but a deeply depressed Char (due to being deprived of his glorious final battle with Amuro).

* WhatIf: Episode five of ''Gundam Evolve'', written by Tomino himself, is a more positive spin on one particular event from the movie, namely [[spoiler:Quess pulling a HeelFaceTurn after destroying Hathaway's Jegan (but not killing Hathaway) and receiving encouragement from him and Amuro to deal with her directionless anger before it causes real damage]].

* MenOfSherwood: CCA is definitely one of the more effective outings for the Federation's rank and file. The Londo Bell unit is quite effective and with Amuro leading the charge, the Jegan pilots disrupt and route the Neo Zeon Mobile Suits and ships in spite of the numbers being in Neo Zeon's favor.

* CaptainErsatz: Gyunei is often considered one, for a character in the same series, no less: Kamille Bidan, the similarly angsty Newtype pilot of ''Anime/MobileSuitZetaGundam'' (who was also being mentored by Char in that series). A popular fan theory goes that Gyunei was even outright supposed to be Kamille, having undergone questionable brain surgery and cybernetic implants to cure the brain damage he suffered at the end of ''Zeta Gundam'', though there has never been any evidence to substantiate it (and indeed the novels seem to contradict the theory by also including Gyunei, just with the alternate name of "Graves" for some reason. Nevertheless, the fan theory persists after two decades, to the point of even being referenced in the ''VideoGame/DynastyWarriorsGundam'' games (where Kamille will occasionally be seen piloting Gyunei's Jagd Doga).
** Chan is a more solid case, as she was a character Tomino was forced to come up with explicitly because the producers wanted Amuro to have "[[GirlOfTheWeek Bond Girls]]" and forced him to make a new character rather than use Amuro's ''Zeta''-era love interest Beltorchika (who featured heavily in the original work, to the point of it even being called "Beltorchika's Children". Tellingly, Chan ends up having quite a bit in common with Sayla Mass, Amuro's first female partner (who is strangely MIA from all versions of the story).
** The Re-GZ for the [[Manga/GundamSentinel Zeta Plus A1]], due to copyright issues with Model Graphix magazine.

* ChestBlaster: The Sazabi has one.

* VideoGame/AnotherCenturysEpisode: Has been included in all installments. Unsurprising, given that Amuro was the original RealRobot pilot, making him to this series what [[Anime/MazingerZ Koji Kabuto]] is to {{Super Robot}}s.

->"I'm about to do something really wicked."

* AscendedToAHigherPlaneOfExistence: A possible fate regarding Amuro and Char. [[spoiler:The back stories of the ''Anime/MobileSuitGundamUnicorn'' novels shed some light on Char - Neo-Zeon forces recovered the Sazabi's Psycoframe and created Full Frontal from the data likely stored in the cockpit. The AnimatedAdaptation, however, has yet to reach any conclusions about Frontal, as the producers indicated that his story may be changed. Thus far, Frontal did hint that Char Aznable, if he's still alive, would be more than human now]].

* BittersweetEnding: Amuro and Char [[spoiler:disappear through an overload of the Nu Gundam's Psychoframe. Of the named cast, only Bright Noah and his family and Char's lover Nanai Miguel survive. However, Axis is pushed away by the reaction of the Psychoframe in the Nu and Sazabi; it wouldn't have happened if it were not Amuro, who made a desperate push first-hand against Axis. Char even acknowledges the stream of hope and warmth Amuro has caused before the overload]].

* BreakingSpeech: Amuro gives one to Char late in the film, after both pilots leave their Mobile Suits (and while attempting to lure Char into a trap).

* FreezeFrameBonus: [[spoiler: In a wide shot of Axis being pulled away from earth at the end, there's a small burst of vernier exhaust in the bottom right part of the shot. This would suggest that Amuro survived, as he's officially listed as MIA, but we'll never know unless Sunrise does something.]]

* TheLostLenore: Lalah Sune, who Char is still not over after thirteen years, to the point of it being common knowledge among his subordinates. Amuro is a downplayed example, since he doesn't [[spoiler:start a war because of it like Char]], but we still see that he is haunted by visions of Lalah. Disturbingly, it is implied Amuro is actually seeing Lalah as as a [[OurGhostsAreDifferent Newtype ghost]], and she tells him she wants to be between him and Char for eternity.

* OlderAndWiser: Amuro is a sad case of this. He's become a mature AcePilot, but underwent a lot of heartbreak to get there.

** The [[PlaystationPortable PSP]] game ''Shin Gihren's Greed'' features not just one but '''several'' alternate endings for this movie, ranging from Amuro surviving the Axis Shock, capturing Char and being promoted to colonel to Gyunei successfully capturing Amuro, leading to a Neo-Zeon victory but a deeply depressed Char (due to being deprived of his glorious final battle with Amuro).

* {{Yandere}}: Quess; Gyunei [[spoiler:and Hathaway]] ''might'' be a rare male example for HumongousMecha.

** The briefcases full of Neo-Zeon gold referenced directly above are a clever callback to a scene in the original ''Mobile Suit Gundam'', where SmugSnake M'Quive gloats about all the precious minerals his unit has extracted from their occupation and how "Zeon can fight for another ten years if necessary!"

* Smug Snale: Quess's father Adenauer Paraya is this in spades. He's a neglectful parent, a DirtyCoward, and is entirely too self-satisfied to see Char is playing him like a fiddle.

* TheAce: Naturally, Amuro and Char; the film ascends both men to such proportions that {{mook}}s, [[spoiler:including Neo-Zeon AcePilot Gyunei Guss]], are made short work of.

* CanonForeigner: Some MS and characters from ''Hi-Streamer'' and ''Beltorchika's Children'' didn't make the transition into animation, including the RGM-88X Jeddah (the precursor to the Jegan), Glab Glass (whose role is filled by Gyunei Guss), and most obviously Amuro and Beltorchika's unborn child.

* CaptainErsatz: For a character in the same series, no less. Gyunei was originally supposed to be [[Anime/MobileSuitZetaGundam Kamille Bidan]], having undergone questionable brain surgery and cybernetic implants to cure the brain damage he suffered at the end of ''Zeta Gundam'', but this was abandoned for various reasons. This concept is referenced in ''DynastyWarriorsGundam''s, where Kamille will occasionally be seen piloting Gyunei's Jagd Doga.
** Chan was created because Beltochika was unavailable, though in the end she has more in common with Amuro's first female partner, Sayla Mass.

** You would think that Kamille and [[Anime/MobileSuitGundamZZ Judau Ashta]] would be there to help Amuro out in stopping Char[[note]]Although it's somewhat understandable why Kamille isn't there, when you consider that he was [[spoiler:[[MindRape mind raped]] by [[BigBad Paptimus Scirocco]]]], meaning that he likely is a very ShellShockedVeteran[[/note]]...
* ClingyJealousGirl: Quess

* HumongousMecha: The titular mobile suits, of course.

* MotiveDecay: Gyunei goes from wanting to keep an eye on Char to "must bone Quess" with remarkable speed. Than again, he is a Cyber-Newtype, and if ''Zeta Gundam'' and ''Gundam ZZ'' are any indication, they tend to be a little unstable.

* OlderAndWiser: Amuro.

* WithGreatPowerComesGreatInsanity: Gyunei's obsession with Quess maybe the result of his Cyber-Newtype enhancements. There ''is'' evidence in previous series this isn't that uncommon. Makes more sense when you recall that Quess is not just a normal Newtype either, but one that got her powers enhanced as well. No wonder why Gyunei feels they're BirdsOfAFeather.

* {{Lolicon}}[=/=]{{Ephebophile}}: 13-year-old Quess is an object of much sexual desire from the majority of the male cast. Only Amuro and Bright are immune, though how much Char is feeling and how much he's faking is anyone's guess.

The movie is noteworthy for having a rather unusual genesis. Originally, director YoshiyukiTomino was going to wrap up Amuro and Char's storyline in ''Gundam ZZ'', but mid-way through production he was given the go-ahead to make a movie, forcing the plot of ''ZZ'' to be rewritten (details on its trope page). In the meantime Tomino wrote the novel ''Hi-Streamer'', but when Sunrise gave him the green light, he went back and wrote a second novel, ''Beltorchika's Children'', which he specifically wrote to be adapted into a movie. However, Sunrise instead chose to use ''Hi-Streamer'', with the final film being a pretty straightforward adaptation of its second half. These two novels serve as the origin of the Hi-Nu Gundam (the finalized, "perfect" Nu Gundam) and Nightingale (a bigger, beefier Sazabi), which pop up in video games like ''VideoGame/SuperRobotWars'' and ''VideoGame/SDGundamGGeneration''.