Anime Column] 100 Anime to Watch by Keyword! 100 Anime to Watch: No. 12 "Mobile Suit Gundam: Iron-Blooded Orphens" and more

Drinking parties among anime fans tend to be a game of association. Whenever someone says, "XXX has XXX scene," someone else replies, "Speaking of XXX scene, don't forget XXX. Anime and animation are connected by invisible threads like this. Let's follow the "anime to watch" using keywords as clues.

Mars. A planet orbiting just outside of the Earth. Its red glow in the night sky, caused by rocks containing iron oxide, has been likened to Mars, the god of war since ancient times. Because the planet is so familiar to people on Earth, it has been the subject of various fictions, such as H.G. Wells' "The Space Wars" in 1898, in which Martians appear. Animation is no exception. Not long ago, "Aldnoah Zero" depicted the battle between Mars and Earth, and "Mobile Suit Gundam: Iron-Blooded Orphans," currently airing, begins its story on Mars about 300 years after the end of the Great War that engulfed the entire Earth region, the Battle of Yakuza.

In this work, Mars has been terraformed to create an environment almost identical to that of the Earth, and has essentially become a colony of the Earth. However, there are no resources other than half-metals, the core industry, and poverty is widespread, with a growing movement for independence among the people. The story is introduced by the "Tekkadan," to which the main character, Mikazuki Orgas, and others belong, who deliver Coupélia, the leader of the independence movement, to Earth. In the second season, which is currently airing, the Tekkadan's presence has grown to a point where it has become a prefect for Teiwazu, a giant corporation based in the Jupiter sphere.

The Tekkadan, which is growing significantly, will arrive at any place. What will be the state of Mars, the home of Mikazuki, Augustus, and the others, at that time? I am anxious for the coming climax.

The diameter of Mars is about half that of the Earth. Its gravity is about 40% of the Earth's, its atmosphere is very thin, and the differences in temperature are extreme. Therefore, when Mars is depicted in anime, it often appears as if it has been terraformed, as in the case of "Iron-Blooded Orphans.

Like "Iron-Blooded Orphans," the Mars depicted in "Z.O.E Dolores, i," a work set against the backdrop of the conflict between Mars and Earth, is also set in a terraformed environment.

In this one, a middle-aged (49 years old) James meets the mysterious robot Dolores and tries to learn the truth about his ex-wife's death while being pursued by both Earth and Mars forces.

When James and his crew finally reach Mars, they are rescued by an oxygen factory in the Martian "ocean. The seaweed in the "sea" produces oxygen through photosynthesis. The oxygen concentration is still low throughout Mars, but in the vicinity of this factory, the oxygen concentration is 30%. The description of James' daughter, Noel, almost getting oxygen poisoning by taking off her helmet is very detailed. In the next visit to the dome, an old farmer who grows corn appears, and the corn grown under low gravity is described as growing to a giant size.

The depiction of "terraformed Mars" in such science fiction detail is one of the charms of "Z.O.E Dolores, i".

Speaking of terraformed Mars, one should not forget the "ARIA" anime series based on Kozue Amano's "ARIA.

In this series, Mars has become a water planet as a result of terraforming and is called Aqua. The city built on Aqua, Neo-Venezia, is a tourist city that replicates the Venice of Earth. In Neo-Venezia, a young girl aspires to become a full-fledged gondola rower (undine). Touri is the protagonist of this work.

In the 19th century, a pattern discovered during an observation of Mars was called "canali" in Italian, which was mistranslated into "canal" in English, leading to the spread of the story that "Mars has canals. The main point of "ARIA" is that there is a real canal on Mars.

Mars has only about 40% of the gravity of the Earth, but in this film, a special stone with great mass called a "gravity stone" is used to achieve the same gravity as that of the Earth.

The misconception of "canals on Mars" has stirred many people's romantic notions that there might be a civilization on Mars. One variation of this idea is the science fiction idea that there was an ancient civilization on Mars. This appeared in "Mobile Battleship Nadesico.

In the 22nd century pine tree, the mysterious Jupiter Lizard suddenly appeared from the direction of Jupiter. In order to rescue people from Mars, which had been overrun by Jupiter Lizard, a private company, Nergal Heavy Industries, submerged the experimental battleship Nadesico. The Nadesico, with its unique crew, fought against Jupiter Lizard and eventually learned the true identity of Jupiter Lizard.

Against the backdrop of this story, the technology of an ancient Martian civilization gradually emerges. In particular, a type of warp system called a pozzone jump will play an important role in the story.

As long as Mars is a familiar planet, it will continue to appear as an important stage in various animations.