Obscure Mecha References?

The place to discuss anything relating to anime or manga.
Post Reply
Mafty
Posts: 1131
Joined: Sun Apr 19, 2020 10:43 am

Obscure Mecha References?

The discussion about L-Gaim and Five Star Stories got me thinking; Mech anime frequently refernces older mech series, these range from obvious(ie Char Clone, Peace Princess, Teenage Pilot, etc.), to the more obscure.

for example

Victory Gundam and Turn A Gundam both have very different characters with similar names.1993's Victory has the pseudonym Jinn Generham for the leader of the League Militarie. Six years later in 99 we have Turn A Gundam's antagonist Gym Ghingham. Both characters are polar opposites, but their names sound too similar (not to mntion they are both in series made by Tomino) for it to be a coincidence. there's also the similar sounding Jahannam MS in Reconguista in G.

In Gundam ZZ the characters are in a Hospital in Dublin where an intercom pages a Dr. Elizabeth. SPT Layzner (which was also by Sunrise and aired a year earlier) had Dr. Elizabeth Claberry as a main character.

Not Mech related but you can see the main character of Sukeban Deka as a cameo in a crowd at the Dublin Airport in the next episode.

A race in Aura Battler Dunbine is referred to as the Garou Ran, in Gundam X Garrod Ran is the name of the main character.

Several mech shows (mainnly by Sunrise) have a foothold that allows a pilot to swing up to their mech.


Can anyone think of other examples?
Quiddity
Posts: 204
Joined: Mon Mar 06, 2006 12:13 am
Location: The Ephemeris

Re: Obscure Mecha Refernces?

My favorite obscure one is in 08th MS Team. In Space Runaway Ideon, the enemy characters, the Buff Clan have a phrase they say when launching their mechs, "Arth! Dell! Topp!" In 08th MS Team episode 8 we meet a trio of Zaku pilots called Arth, Dell and Topp.

Heavy Metal L-Gaim has a character, Gavlet Gablae who shares a name with another character from Blue Gale Xabungle. Rather odd since these shows are only a couple of years apart. L-Gaim also features a character, Lilith, who basically has the same design as Chum Huau from Dunbine and has the same voice actress too. Their personalities are a bit different though.

The character Bello in Overman King Gainer is blonde haired with a very noticeable pompadour hair style which I'm quite certain is a reference to the character Mirao Kyao from Heavy Metal L-Gaim.

In Turn A Gundam, I'm quite certain that the elaborate costume Dianna Soriel puts on for public speeches is a reference to the bizarre outfit worn by Oldna Poseidal in Heavy Metal L-Gaim.

The design of Eureka in Eureka Seven is clearly inspired by Katue from Vifam.
MAHQ Staff - Dunbine, L-Gaim, Escaflowne, Ideon, Gasaraki, The Big O, Overman King Gainer, Zambot 3 and FLCL
In my search for justice, I created war. In my search for war, I created death. In my search for death... I have lost my soul.
User avatar
Seto Kaiba
Posts: 2230
Joined: Mon Feb 06, 2012 7:18 pm
Contact:

Re: Obscure Mecha Refernces?

Mafty wrote: Fri Aug 27, 2021 3:23 pm Can anyone think of other examples?
Super Dimension Fortress Macross has a number of nods to the First Gundam series... most notably:
  • In a few scenes, you can see "RX-78" or "RX-78-2" written on the back of Misa's overhead monitor.
  • The radio callsign of the Macross's bridge - Gunsight - is the name of a Gundam fanzine that several of the creators were contributors to.
  • At one point, there is a Haro visible in the wreckage of a destroyed VF-1A.
The series also makes rather a lot of onscreen references to Star Trek, with cast lists and even a printout of an old Star Trek PC game appearing as monitor output on the Macross's bridge.


Super Dimension Cavalry Southern Cross... well... you could call them homages or references, but it was more like them just blatantly ripping sh*t off rather than coming up with anything original.
  • The Bioroids used by the Zor are very VERY blatant ripoffs of the MS-06 Zaku II, MS-07 Gouf, and MS-09 Dom from the original Gundam series.
  • The Spartas hover tank is a marginally less blatant knockoff of the RGM-79 GM.
  • The ship designs are mostly based on Space Battleship Yamato's and it borrows Yamato's warp drive technology whole cloth.
  • The actual story is mostly a ripoff of Super Dimension Fortress Macross with a twist that the Zor are human themselves rather than another race created by the same ancient aliens.
The Macross Mecha Manual
Yes, we're working on updates...
User avatar
Seto Kaiba
Posts: 2230
Joined: Mon Feb 06, 2012 7:18 pm
Contact:

Re: Obscure Mecha Refernces?

Charles and Rei Beams from Eureka Seven are a homage to Max and Milia Jenius from Macross... being an ace pilot couple with the Macross duo's iconic blue and red paintjobs.
The Macross Mecha Manual
Yes, we're working on updates...
User avatar
MythSearcher
Posts: 1845
Joined: Sun Jan 20, 2013 4:36 pm

Re: Obscure Mecha Refernces?

Just like R2D2 was seen on various other films' props?
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/R2-D2#Other_films

I have always heard of some of the earlier Sunrise robots like Daitarn 3 appearing in battle of ABQ in FG amongst the GM(like earlier Gundams and Wing Gundam appearing in G Gundam), and Tomino just love doing that and even proposed to have all of the robots he directed to appear in Turn A(but was turned down)

We also have the Minovsky Particle accelerator in Wing Gundam's Vayeate and a Gundarium Theta along with the Gundanium being listed on the spec in the computer screen in show.
User avatar
Kuruni
Posts: 2925
Joined: Mon Mar 06, 2006 12:43 am
Location: sitting next to a yandere loli
Contact:

Re: Obscure Mecha Refernces?

Ultraman Z. Just watch it The clipper add title cards and BGM to make iit clearer.

There's one gag in Pop Team Epic that Popuko and Pipimi play soccer (flashy shonen soccer with special move, to be specific). While other three say "Aura cannon!" (which might be Dunbine's referrence, but that's too board), Wataru Takagi say "Satellite cannon!", befitying Garrod Ran's VA.

Speaking Pop Team Epic...
My girlfriend was a loli.
Henyo
Posts: 690
Joined: Sat Sep 13, 2014 10:24 am
Location: Hidden Tramo Village

Re: Obscure Mecha Refernces?

Oh i have something like that!!! but its not from a mecha anime. instead its from a Magical Girl title. Mahou no Idol Pastel Yumi episode 3 has the Dancouga appearing for a single frame. Dunno why though, the scene it appeared in is just the Yumi crashing into something.
MOOK: ITS A YURI FANBOY!
User avatar
MythSearcher
Posts: 1845
Joined: Sun Jan 20, 2013 4:36 pm

Re: Obscure Mecha Refernces?

Henyo wrote: Sat Aug 28, 2021 8:49 am Oh i have something like that!!! but its not from a mecha anime. instead its from a Magical Girl title. Mahou no Idol Pastel Yumi episode 3 has the Dancouga appearing for a single frame. Dunno why though, the scene it appeared in is just the Yumi crashing into something.
The whole Nanoha premise was based on the fact that Nanoha in her appearance in Lyrical Toy Box where some staff joked that she looks like a Gundam and they ended up making a military sci-fi magical girl with Nanoha being called the White Devil in the third instalment?
Mafty
Posts: 1131
Joined: Sun Apr 19, 2020 10:43 am

Re: Obscure Mecha Refernces?

More of a obscure sci fi reference but

Both Evangelion and The Big O reference the opening credits of an old British Sci Fi show Called UFO.

Evangelions OP credits look kind of similar, as both have black screens filled with text explaining the worldbuilding flashing over scenes of action and characters, and both shows are much darker than their cheery sounding openings would suggest.

The Big O uses music that sounds incredibly similar to the opening credits song of UFO (this is mostly obvious in the third appearance of Beck)
User avatar
hitokirigarou
Posts: 430
Joined: Tue Jan 15, 2008 1:46 am

Re: Obscure Mecha Refernces?

Mafty wrote: Wed Sep 08, 2021 12:30 am The Big O reference the opening credits of an old British Sci Fi show Called UFO.

The Big O uses music that sounds incredibly similar to the opening credits song of UFO (this is mostly obvious in the third appearance of Beck)
That was for the second season. The first season's opening credits references Ultraman while the opening theme is influenced by the song, Flash, which was composed by Queen for the 1980 film, Flash Gordon.
User avatar
DragoMaster009
Posts: 125
Joined: Fri Aug 22, 2014 7:10 pm

Re: Obscure Mecha Refernces?

I feel like this is somewhat the wrong direction for "Obscure Mecha References", but in one of the pictures in the following link, doesn't there appear to be a very familar mech?

http://www.supermegamonkey.net/chronoco ... -158.shtml
User avatar
MythSearcher
Posts: 1845
Joined: Sun Jan 20, 2013 4:36 pm

Re: Obscure Mecha Refernces?

DragoMaster009 wrote: Mon Sep 13, 2021 7:47 pm I feel like this is somewhat the wrong direction for "Obscure Mecha References", but in one of the pictures in the following link, doesn't there appear to be a very familar mech?

http://www.supermegamonkey.net/chronoco ... -158.shtml
That got me thinking, the GP03 and Dynames/Age-1 Gransa Ironman
https://twitter.com/amuro1x/status/1278732056739053568
https://twitter.com/tomaznable/status/8 ... 1845551105

Also Vifram Warlock and Ingram Green Lantern
https://twitter.com/TomAznable/status/8 ... 99713?s=20

Actually, I think we get quite some in https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Excel_Saga or https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Puni_Puni_Poemy (probably the latter)
In one of the scenes, an enemy spawns multiple legs and some are pretty recognisable while others less so. Obscure enough that I can't recognise a dozen of them.

Less subtle one I can think of is https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_World_God_Only_Knows
at least in the manga, there was a scene where they attended a party seemingly held by Garma Zabi.

Gunbuster's design is actually referencing Getter Robo and Getter Dragon, in turn, Shin Getter Robot seems to be taking Gunbuster's shoulder designs.
Also, the logo for Gunbuster's Earth Empire Space Force is actually an homage of Gundam's Earth Federation.

While searching for it, it seems like someone listed things referencing Getter Robo. Take it with a grain of salt:
https://getterrobo.fandom.com/wiki/Gett ... ar_culture
I haven't watched Getter Robo so I cannot verify most of them, but the Gunbuster entry is obviously oblivious to the fact that the cylindrical legs are common in many older super robot shows, but the tomahawk is quite Getter.

Also, directly from Gainax referencing their own stuff.
In Nadia Secret of Blue Water, the Nautilus and N Nautilus are named Eltrium and Excelion respectively, reflecting the names of Gunbuster's flag ships in reverse.
Mafty
Posts: 1131
Joined: Sun Apr 19, 2020 10:43 am

Re: Obscure Mecha References?

Some inter-Gundam references

In Turn A Gundam when the main characters visit Lorans hometown on the Moon, they meet his childhood friends Hamett and Dona. Hamett jokingly refers to Loran being called "Crybaby Loran" as a child. Years earlier in Gundam ZZ when the main characters visit the Moon, Everyone meets Torres childhood friend Cecelia, who is referred to as "Crybaby Cecilia".

Aside from the standard Gundamjack cliché , there are closer examples. In Gundam F91 Frontier I is a colony with a branch of the Earth Federation think tank attached to a resource asteroid in which a battle occurs. Heliopolis in SEED is a colony with a secret base of a Federation think tank attached to an asteroid, after Heliopolis's destruction a battle occurs in the surviving asteroid portion. Likewise the "Neutral" Colony that's a secret Federation base with A Gundam prototype calls to mind 0080 War in the Pocket(The other Gundamjacks don't count as they're all at known military facilities).

Both the Gerbera Tetra and the Gottrlatan are red units with massively powerful beam guns as their main armaments, and both are piloted by the most unstable pilot the main character faces.

The start of the war in UC Gundam is Operation British ; wherein Zeon dropped a colony that inadvertently fell on Sydney , Australia. In Metal Armor Dragonar the war begins when Giganos drops an asteroid on Ayres rock in Australia.(both are Sunrise shows but I’m honestly not sure who’s referencing who, as Gundam predates Dragonar, but early series don’t explicitly mention the city the colony fell on. We only see it in animation in Stardust Memory in 1991, two years prior in 0080 a character references Sydney as a cover story, and nobody mentions it would have been destroyed).

Speaking of Australia, Super Bestial Machine God Dancouga starts with an enemy invasion wherein the main characters home base in the Australian Desert is ravaged, and the surviving main characters end up piloting powerful protypes. Stardust Memory has the protagonist face an enemy invasion at their base in the Australian Desert, after which the survivors handle new prototypes.

The original Macross has humanity's main stronghold be an enormous military base(itself probably a reference to OG’s Jaburo) in Alaska, which later becomes basically the Earth Capital. Gundam SEED and Buddy Complex both have major Earth Government bases located in Alaska. Meanwhile Muv Luv and Aldnoah Zero both have similar cold, northern hideouts. Novosibirsk in Aldnoah Zero houses a small percentage of civilian and military survivors in a old mine complex, While Muv-Luvs thriving Yukon base and city are more like Macross City.
Post Reply