a fool. He defines his life in mecha anime clichés and hopes to fight as his fictional idols do – and ends up getting shot in a hangar by the mutinous crew. The death is not simply inglorious – it is not even in battle, or caused by the enemy. It is the most underwhelming end for a powerful presence that could happen within the show, and fits Nadesico’s themes perfectly – that “real life” (within the lens of parody anime) is nowhere near as fun as fiction. Some viewers hate this, wishing that his antics had continued – but this is missing the point. The untimely, inglorious end of a character is used in mecha anime to force rapid development of the hero – they lose someonethrough reminders of mortality.

The Massacre

Example 1: Mobile Suit Victory Gundam

V Gundam has a ridiculous death toll of heroes. From the Shrike Team, a collection of pretty, likeable women who get chewed through in a variety of sadistic ends and noble sacrifices, to the heroic end of the Reinforce Jr. and its crew of pensioners, the series runs the full gamut of character deaths and shows how they all affect Usso. While many of the deaths are as overblown and protracted as Shoko’s, or as ridiculously underwhelming as Gai’s, the overall effect is a comparatively powerful one because it is fitting with the pessimistic tone of the series.

The melodrama is a vital part of this – including the powerful insert songs like Ikutsomono wa Kasanete and the appallingly upbeat