History YMMV / GargantiaOnTheVerdurousPlanet

* CounterpartComparison:
** Many people notice the similarity between Ledo and L-Elf from ''Anime/ValvraveTheLiberator'': both are teenage boys with white hair raised as soldier by a SocialDarwinist society. Both are pilot of HumongousMecha and think with cold rationality. [[http://www.pixiv.net/member_illust.php?mode=medium&illust_id=35231557 They even look similar, purple eyes and all.]] Not just similar, borderline ''identical'', what with the GenericCuteness and exact same hairstyles.
** Chamber has his share of similarities with [[Franchise/MarvelCinematicUniverse J.A.R.V.I.S]], being an artificial intelligence connected to a robotic armor(well, more or less ''is'' the armor in his case) who has plenty of amusing interactions with his partner.
** A soldier and his HumongousMecha are trapped in a brave new world while fighting an interstellar war that ends up following them. Over time, the robot becomes more human [[spoiler:and pulls a HeroicSacrifice to save his human friend]]. Are we talking about Ledo and Chamber K6821 or [[VideoGame/Titanfall2 Jack Cooper and BT-7274]]?

* HollywoodPudgy: Saaya is teased a bit about being "fat". She's built like a goddess, and barely any wider than Amy, if at all.

** Episode 6, when Bellows and Pinion are fighting, trying to convince Ledo to work for them. The problem is, this semi tense/dramatic argument is punctuated with very {{Fanservice}}y shots of Amy and her friends belly dancing... however, this is likely intentional. While Ledo gets the gist, and later joins Bellows, his actual attention to the argument diminishes with each passing second [[JustifiedTrope as he becomes focused on the sight of the girls, particularly Amy- the panning shot near the end makes this especially clear.]] Plus, this moment later leads him to ask Amy to give him a (very sensual) private dance, so one could say it's potentially NarmCharm instead, with the ignored argument becoming a humorous element.

** Episode 6, when Bellows and Pinion are fighting, trying to convince Ledo to work for them. A tense and dramatic argument is punctuated with very extremely {{Fanservice}}y shots of Amy and her friends belly dancing]. Pinion also tops off his argument with offering Ledo as much sex as he could take ...but really, that's just Pinion being Pinion.

* BaseBreakingCharacter:
** Some people thought Grace was a bit too cutesy, especially with her constant chirping, and also believed that flying squirrels ([[IndeterminateSpecies or]] sugar gliders) becoming common pets in a waterborne scavenger society stretched WillingSuspensionOfDisbelief a bit too far.
** Some people also saw ''Amy'' this way, claiming she was [[FlatCharacter rather bland and undeveloped]]. [[spoiler:Some go even further and blame ''her'' for Chamber's death, saying her appearance in the final episode led to Ledo becoming upset and Chamber ruling him "unfit for service".]]

* TheScrappy:
** Some people thought Grace was a bit too cutesy, especially with her constant chirping, and also believed that flying squirrels ([[IndeterminateSpecies or]] sugar gliders) becoming common pets in a waterborne scavenger society stretched WillingSuspensionOfDisbelief a bit too far.
** Some people also saw ''Amy'' this way, claiming she was [[FlatCharacter rather bland and undeveloped]]. [[spoiler:Some go even further and blame ''her'' for Chamber's death, saying her appearance in the final episode led to Ledo becoming upset and Chamber ruling him "unfit for service".]]

* CerebusSyndrome: Episode 7. After three episodes of mostly SliceOfLife, Ledo encounters [[spoiler:a Hideauze...in Earth waters]]. Suddenly we remember [[Creator/GenUrobuchi who]] created this show.

** Some people also saw ''Amy'' this way, claiming she was [[FlatCharacter rather bland and undeveloped]] and that she was only a RelationshipSue for Ledo. [[spoiler:Some go even further and blame ''her'' for Chamber's death, saying her appearance in the final episode led to Ledo becoming upset and Chamber ruling him "unfit for service".]]

* CerebusSyndrome: Episode 7. After three episodes of mostly SliceOfLife, Ledo encounters [[spoiler:a Hideauze...in Earth waters]]. Suddenly we remember [[GenUrobuchi who]] created this show.

* CounterpartComparison: Many people notice the similarity between Ledo and L-Elf from ''Anime/ValvraveTheLiberator'': both are teenage boys with white hair raised as soldier by a SocialDarwinist society. Both are pilot of HumongousMecha and think with cold rationality. [[http://www.pixiv.net/member_illust.php?mode=medium&illust_id=35231557 They even look similar, purple eyes and all.]] Not just similar, borderline ''identical'', what with the GenericCuteness and exact same hairstyles.
** Chamber has his share of similarities with the MCU's J.A.R.V.I.S, being an artificial intelligence connected to a robotic armor(well, more or less ''is'' the armor in his case) who has plenty of amusing interactions with his partner.
* DesignatedEvil: Surprisingly subverted. When Ledo, a ChildSoldier kills the pirates who were currently en route to taking the crew of Gargantia for slave labor(and sexually assaulting Bellows's friend) they basically condemn him and even speak of handing him over to the pirates. However... While the people ''were'' pretty terrified by Ledo's actions, it's to be expected. It isn't every day you see (admittedly despicable)human beings vaporized in person, and with the exception of Amy who , being a sweet, kindhearted girl was horrified by the bloodshed in general, it seemed to be more a general fear of his power and how easily he wielded it more than seeing him as some evil monster, and the decision was primarily to spare Gargantia from retribution, not punish Ledo for breaking their rules. In the end, Amy and Bellows thank him for saving their lives and teach him that shedding blood is simply not their way.

** Is Ledo a headstrong organic battle droid who takes his urge to destroy Hideauze into SuicidalOverconnfidence, or a seasoned soldier with a lifelong-trained desire to protect humanity, surrounded by people who consistently refuse to listen to him, even when he has a pretty good point?

** Fans' opinions are divided as to whether the Gargantians' live-and-let-live attitude towards the pirates is well-written, let alone wise. Some view it as an effective solution that avoids wasting resources and needless bloodshed, while others view it as a stopgap that does nothing to actually solve the problem. [[RuleOfCautiousEditingJudgment And that's all that needs to be said about this.]]

* DesignatedEvil: Surprisingly subverted. When Ledo, a ChildSoldier kills the pirates who were currently en route to taking the crew of Gargantia for slave labor(and sexually assaulting Bellows's friend) they basically condemn him and even speak of handing him over to the pirates. However... While the people ''were'' pretty terrified by Ledo's actions, it's to be expected. It isn't every day you see (admittedly despicable)human beings vaporized in person, and with the exception of Amy, it seemed to be more a general fear of his power and how easily he wielded it more than seeing him as some evil monster, and the decision was primarily to spare Gargantia from retribution, not punish Ledo for breaking their rules. In the end, Amy and Bellows thank him for saving their lives and teach him that shedding blood is simply not their way.

* HollywoodPudgy: Saaya is teased a bit about being "fat". She's barely any wider than Amy.

** Episode 6, when Bellows and Pinion are fighting, trying to convince Ledo to work for them. A tense and dramatic argument is punctuated with very extremely {{Fanservice}}y shots of Amy and her friends belly dancing--which looks more like them simply shaking around in skimpy outfits than actually belly dancing. Pinion also tops off his argument with offering Ledo the chance to feel up as many girls behinds' as he'd like. ...but really, that's just Pinion being Pinion. In ''his'' eyes, that ''is'' a genuinely good point.

** Is Ledo a headstrong organic battle droid who [[spoiler:honestly believes he can defeat a huge swarm of Hideauze just by himself when he nearly lost underwater]], or a seasoned soldier with a lifelong-trained desire to protect humanity, surrounded by people who refuse to listen to him?

* DesignatedEvil: Surprisingly subverted. When Ledo, a ChildSoldier kills the pirates who were currently en route to taking the crew of Gargantia for slave labor(and sexually assaulting Bellows's friend) they basically condemn him and even speak of handing him over to the pirates. However... While the people ''were'' pretty terrified by Ledo's actions, it's to be expected. It isn't every day you see (admittedly despicable)human beings vaporized in person, and it seemed to be more a general fear of his power and how easily he wielded it more than seeing him as some evil monster, and the decision was primarily to spare Gargantia from retribution, not punish Ledo for breaking their rules. In the end, Amy, after getting an idea of his perspective from Bellows, thanks him for saving their lives and teaches him that shedding blood is simply not their way.
* DracoInLeatherPants: Lady Lukkage is... hmm... sexy. And her mecha is cool.

** Episode 6, when Bellows and Pinion are fighting, trying to convince Ledo to work for them. A tense and dramatic argument is punctuated with very extremely {{Fanservice}}y shots of Amy and her friends belly dancing--which looks more like them simply shaking around in skimpy outfits than actually belly dancing. Pinion also tops off his argument with offering Ledo the chance to feel up as many girls behinds' as he'd like.

* NauseaFuel: The pulped remains of [[spoiler:Whalesquid/Hideauze clinging to Chamber's body after crushing some of them to death. Made ''so'' [[NightmareFuel much worse]] by their AwfulTruth, related below.]] Even in-universe, Ledo has to vomit after learning the whole story.

** Is Pinion a greedy douchebag who wants to possibly get killed and possibly trigger a squid attack on Gargantia over some treasure that may or may not even be there, or an adventurous go-getter who genuinely does want to [[spoiler:avenge his brother]] and ensure humanity's safety and prosperity, even if he's putting his life on the line? ([[MoneyDearBoy Getting rich quick]] just sweetens the deal).

* RootingForTheEmpire: Okay, obviously this story is centered and geared towards humans, as well as the SinsOfOurFathers in that what they did in the past affects those living today. But let's take the perspective of the Hideauze for a moment. In the first episode, as far as they were concerned, they were minding their own business, when this massively huge aggressive force appears out nowhere and starts attacking them, forcing them to respond to the threat. Despite the ferocity, sizeable force, and surprise attack, the Hideauze were able to come out victorious. One has to wonder how many other similar times they've been attacked by the Galactic Alliance when for all they knew, they just wanted to go about their everyday lives much like the whale squids on Earth did before Ledo attacks them. That said, Ledo explicitly says in Episode 7 that the Hideauze are constantly encroaching upon GA territory, and we see shots of destroyed GA colonies in Episode 1. Chambers also points out in Episode 10 that [[spoiler:the Hideauze have sacrificed intelligence for space/combat-adapted bodies. It may be that the space-Hideauze are biologically driven to expand, fight, and kill, being the descendants of those who attacked the first Wormhole. Compare to the Earth's Whalesquids which are more peaceful, less territorial, less expansive, and less combat-oriented. Space Hideauze and Earth's Whalesquids may be two different subspecies or breeds, with the former being inherently hostile to humans and the latter being dangerous but open to communication.]]

** Emotions are natural. People need each other. Murder is a non-solution. [[BreadEggsMilkSquick Cooked animal carcasses are delicious.]]

** Episode 6, when Bellows and Pinion are fighting, trying to convince Ledo to work for them. A tense and dramatic argument is punctuated with very extremely {{Fanservice}}y shots of Amy and her friends belly dancing--which looks more like them simply shaking around in skimpy outfits than actually belly dancing. Pinion also tops off his argument with offering Ledo the chance to feel up as many girls behinds' as he'd like. Also, some may find Ledo pulling his gun on some cooked octopus after having mistaken it for Hideazu as this, as the scene was clearly ''not'' meant to be funny.

* JustForFun/XMeetsY:
** ''Film/{{Waterworld}}'' meets Creator/StudioGhibli via Creator/GenUrobuchi. Whether this will stay that way...
** Meets ''Franchise/BattleStarGalactica''.
** ''Anime/MazingerZ'' meets ''Anime/MobileSuitGundam'' meets ''Anime/{{Gunbuster}}'' meets ''Anime/BlueSubmarineNo6''.
** ''Anime/SuperDimensionCenturyOrguss'' meets ''Manga/NausicaaOfTheValleyOfTheWind'' meets ''Anime/MetalArmorDragonar''.
** With a dash of ''Film/StarshipTroopers''.
** And possibly some ''Literature/MobyDick''.
** And ''Anime/EurekaSeven'' "live and let live" xenoecological sensibilities.
*** It starts out as ''Film/{{Waterworld}}'' meets ''Manga/NausicaaOfTheValleyOfTheWind'' and ''Film/StarshipTroopers''... [[spoiler:and turns into ''Waterworld'' meets ''Nausicaä'', ''Literature/HeartOfDarkness'' and perhaps ''Film/TwoThousandOneASpaceOdyssey'']].

* TearJerker:
** Ledo recalling the fate of [[spoiler:his brother]], in which we see why he was absentmindedly carving that flute. This comes after he'd spent the majority of the episode mystified at the concept of family and musing over how inefficient it is for Gargantia to allow weak-bodied individuals to live. [[spoiler: The tragic irony hits once you realize that his brother was likely one of those very sorts of individuals.]]
** Episode 7. [[spoiler:Ledo leaves the ship in frustration, leaving Amy heartbroken just one episode after the dance.]]
** A double whammy in Episode 8. [[spoiler:Captain Fairlock dies of a sudden heart attack, leaving Ridget in charge of Gargantia. We see that underneath her cool, stuffy exterior she's still a nervous 22-year-old who needs her people as much as they need her. Then Ledo states that he has to fight the Hideauze/Whalesquids...but not just because the Alliance programmed him to do so, but because he wants to protect Amy and Bevel and keep Gargantia from becoming like the Alliance. Meanwhile Amy [[BreakTheCutie breaks down crying]], claiming that Ledo was so close to regaining his humanity.]] Whether you agree more with Ledo or Gargantia's view, it's all still quite heart-rending.
** The origins of the Hideauze and the Alliance, and the truth of Earth's past. Either mankind had to doom the planet to do the right thing, or live in peace by accepting great evil. The situation tore the world apart, and we get to see the world slowly burn from the point of view of news networks and archive footage.
** [[spoiler: Chamber's HeroicSacrifice]] in the finale.
** The second OVA [[spoiler: shows Kugel's StartOfDarkness when his LoveInterest Linaria succumbs to her illness. After spending time on her deathbed thanking Kugel for all that he did for her and her fleet, Kugel takes her up to the top of the fleet, with nothing but beautiful blue oceans surrounding the ships. This is the last thing Linaria ever sees before her death. Kugel then breaks down, wondering why he can't even save one girl when everyone else is worshiping him as a divine emissary.]]
** Also a brief scene of [[spoiler: Kugel [[PetTheDog adopting Linaria's pet squirrel]] [[TragicKeepsake after her death.]]]]
** Heck the whole OVA is this. [[spoiler: It turns out Kugel was NotSoDifferent from Ledo. In fact he was genuinely a good person who was trying his best to help all the people of his fleet. After Linaria's death, Striker prodded him into becoming a FallenHero. If they had landed in different places Ledo could have easily ended up like Kugel, and vice versa.]]

* NightmareFuel:
** [[spoiler:Ledo's description of what happens to Alliance members who [[YouHaveOutlivedYourUsefulness can no longer serve as soldiers]]--they're "[[DeadlyEuphemism retired]]" in the ''Film/BladeRunner'' sense. Made especially unnerving in how he tells this to a gravely IllBoy and his sister as if it's completely normal, which it is in his world. The Alliance is looking worse with each episode...however, to be fair, Chamber mentions in the first episode that no known Earth-like planets exist, or at least have been found by the Galactic Alliance despite having spread out quite far in the galaxy. Which probably means that resources may be scarce. On top of that, they're fighting what seems to be a losing war against the Hideauze, despite their advanced technology compared to those living on Earth. So Ledo was just using BrutalHonesty, since that's all he's known in his short life, and to him keeping someone like Bebel alive would mean less resources going towards someone who could fight against the Hideauze.]]
** Looking at the shots of the destroyed colonies during the battle scenes in Episode 1, major FridgeHorror sets in when you see some huge holes punctured in their glass domes. The air supply was probably all sucked out into space, along with many people. Remember when Ranka was almost sucked into space in ''Anime/MacrossFrontier''? Imagine that happening to perhaps ''thousands of people'' all at once.
** [[spoiler:Episode 9. Ledo enters the Hideauze nest and spies a "nursery" filled with babies. Despite how they look somewhat like human embryos, he proceeds to burn them ''alive'', and we hear them scream. Then Ledo finally has to ask what's ''really'' going on here, and with only token reluctance, Chamber shows him an archive news clip detailing TheReveal...'''Hideauze are biomechanically evolved humans fighting over access to space with the humans who decided to leave the rapidly freezing Earth.''' A baby Hideauze then swims up to Ledo and just acts like a curious child. Chamber then proceeds to take initiative and crush it in his bare hands [[FridgeHorror without Ledo's command]], and Ledo proceeds to scream in existential anguish. [[MoodWhiplash Cut to ChouCho's calming ED]].]]
** Episode 12. [[spoiler:In Striker's Earth-based Alliance cult, "unfit" Earthlings are disposed of much like back in space; dumped over the side of the ship. ''And it's treated as a holy religious ceremony in honor of their "god" Striker.'' Ledo's also treated to a boy being dumped who looks [[DissonantSerenity strangely happy]] about his ritualistic murder. When he reminds Ledo of Bevel and his brother, he finally decides to take action against his former masters.]]
** [[spoiler:The revelation that pilots can merge their nervous systems with their mechas for maximum performance. Ledo's cry, "Just go and eat me!" raises some more FridgeHorror: is that what happened to Kugel? Taking things further, ''is that what happens to'' all ''GA mecha pilots?'' [[SerialEscalation And taking things ''even'' further]], is the GA government ''actually run by AI?'' (which might make sense given that the Alliance's alphabet appears to be a very artificial looking set of blocks, almost like binary representation of something...) Gen reminds us that you don't need to KillEmAll to leave some major FridgeHorror.]]

* {{Anvilicious}}:
** Emotions are natural. People need each others. Murder is a non-solution. [[BreadEggsMilkSquick Cooked animal carcasses are delicious.]]

** Saaya also proves to be very ticklish when Amy is [[SkinshipGrope rubbing suntan oil on her back]].

** Looking at the shots of the destroyed colonies during the battle scenes in Episode 1, major FridgeHorror sets in when you see some huge holes punctured in their glass domes. The air supply was probably all sucked out into space, along with many people. Remember when Ranka was almost sucked into space in ''MacrossFrontier''? Imagine that happening to perhaps ''thousands of people'' all at once.

* AwesomeMusic:

* VisualEffectsOfAwesome: