Uchuu Senkan Yamato 2202: Ai no Senshi-tachi

Both anime discuss themes of militarism, betrayal, history repeating itself and the potential for the once oppressed to become the new oppressor. The Earth Federation in Yamato rapidly militarises now Earth has healed and builds ships with wave motion guns, against the wishes of the Iscandarians that provided the Yamato the means to rejuvenate the Earth...because they do not want humans to make the same mistakes they did. The Yamato crew question if they are living in the future Earth they fought for in the previous war, eventually having the resolve to betray orders to do what they know is right - getting involved in government secrets and conspiracies. There was lies and deception and in-fighting within factions I did not expect to see. The Earth Federation in Zeta Gundam, having won the war against the Zeon (heartless enough to gas fellow space colonists and drop colonies onto Earth), now has a police-thug-military-force, The Titans, to hunt and prevent Zeon sympathisers and remnants, but they eventually become no better than Zeon themselves, committing similar atrocities, a repeat of history. The Federation is internally divided on this, with OYW veterans becoming part of the AEUG and Karaba. War for profit and enemy-of-my-enemy is my ally are invoked. The politics featured in Yamato really reminded me of Gundam and Zeta Gundam in particular. read more