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Recently, the Anime.SE Basement Anime club has finished watching _Space
Battleship Yamato 2199_. After watching this, I've picked up on the term Space
Opera. What elements of a show classify it as a Space Opera?

Would a more action-dense show like a Gundam series, also be considered a
Space Opera?


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2016-02-06T05:23:28.213
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2016-02-07T02:51:46.987
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tropes yamato-2199
What makes an anime a space opera?


[Space opera](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Space_opera) isn't an anime
specific term, it's an entire sub-genre of science fiction. The easiest way to
describe it is in two words: Star Wars. It's the archetypal example of modern
space opera.

To be more specific, [Wikipedia](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Space_opera)
provides a good description of the genre that lists the key elements:

> Space opera is a subgenre of science fiction set mainly or entirely in outer
> space, that emphasizes space warfare and melodramatic adventure, and often
> risk-taking as well as chivalric romance; usually involving conflict between
> opponents possessing advanced abilities, futuristic weapons and other
> sophisticated technology.

I'd also add another key element of space opera, an epic scope. They have
interstellar scale, taking place on multiple planets, the battles are large
and the characters are playing for high stakes.

I've only watched a few episodes of Gundam here and there, and its many series
vary a fair bit, but in general I wouldn't call it a good example of space
opera. It has many of the elements of space opera, but scope is fairly
limited. I don't think any of incarnations of Gundam take place outside of the
solar system, and many of them seem to be focused mostly on Earth. I'd say it
over all Gundam is better placed in the military sub-genre of science fiction,
given the military roles of its main characters, the relatively realistic
depictions of warfare and focus on military technology, the titular Gundams.


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