Super Robot Wars Original Generation: Divine Wars

Super Robot Wars Original Generation: Divine Wars (スーパーロボット大戦OG -ディバイン・ウォーズ-) is a Japanese anime series, that retells the events from the Super Robot Taisen: Original Generation game on the Nintendo Game Boy Advance, a game featuring only original characters and mechs created by Banpresto for the Super Robot Wars franchise. While the original game allows the player to decide which of the two protagonists' stories they will follow, the animated series focuses on only one of their stories with all the characters introduced.

Plot
It is two hundred years after the beginning of the Space Era, when human civilization on Earth began expanding into space. However, by the start of the 21st century, two meteors struck the planet, sending humanity into chaos. By the year 179 of the Space Era, secret technology, dubbed Extra-Over Technology, or EOT, was discovered by the Earth Federal Government within a third meteor that hit Earth in the Marquesas Islands of the South Pacific. Dr. Bian Zoldark, head of the EOTI Institute (Extra-Over Technological Investigative Institute), had evidence the creators of the EOT were heading to Earth, in order to reclaim it...or worse, invade the planet. In order to defend humanity from extraterrestrial threats, the government begins to research and develop humanoid mecha called Personal Troopers.

The alien race that created the EOT, the Aerogaters, attacked an Earth ship sent out to investigate their presence in the far reaches of the solar system. This skirmish ends in a defeat for the Aerogaters, prompting the Earth government to negotiate with them. Talks are arranged to take place at a secret facility in Antarctica, but the event is targeted by a rogue faction called the Divine Crusaders. The Divine Crusaders destroy the Aerogater delegation, then turn on the Earth forces. Bian Zoldark, the faction's leader, uses this opportunity to rebel against the Earth government, in hopes of establishing a viable defense for Earth from the Aerogaters and future invaders.

Characters

 * Ryusei Date: A mecha otaku and finalist for the Burning PT Tournament, he is the protagonist of Divine Wars, drafted by the Earth Federation Army for their secret SRX Development Project. Voiced by Shinichiro Miki.
 * Raidiese F. Branstein: A stalwart test pilot for the Earth Federation Army, he is the next person to be part of the SRX Development Project. Voiced by Ryotaro Okiayu.
 * Aya Kobayashi: A relatively new and inexperienced member of the military, she is the third person to be part of the SRX Development Project. Voiced by Yumi Touma.
 * Ingram Prisken: A mysterious, yet influential military instructor, currently in charge of the SRX Development Project. Voiced by Tohru Furusawa.
 * Latooni Suvorta: A quiet young girl who was the part of an experimental project to create Personal Trooper pilots. She begins to open up more after befriending Ryusei and develops a crush on him. Voiced by Hirai Satoko.
 * Kyosuke Nanbu: A serious, stoic test pilot of the ATX Team, who has a habit with gambling. Voiced by Toshiyuki Morikawa.
 * Excellen Browning: A fun-loving, somewhat ditzy pilot of the ATX Team and Kyosuke's girlfriend, she makes men uncomfortable with her flirting and jokes. Voiced by Yuko Mizutani.
 * Brooklyn 'Bullet' Luckfield: A rookie pilot from the ATX Team, with extensive training and abilities, he insists that others address him as Bullet. Voiced by Tomokazu Sugita.
 * Sanger Zonvolt: The leader of the ATX Team, he fights with the skills and demeanor of an ancient samurai. Voiced by Kenichi Ono.
 * Kusuha Mizuha: A kind-hearted childhood friend of Ryusei, she enlists into the Earth Federation Army as a nurse. Voiced by Mikako Takahashi.
 * Masaki Andoh: A rash, young pilot of the mysterious Cybuster, he pursues his nemesis, Shu Shirakawa, with the help of his familiar cats, Kuro and Shiro, in order to settle old scores. Voiced by Hikaru Midorikawa.
 * Shu Shirakawa: A brilliant scientist, who is familiar with Masaki Andoh, he helps Bian Zoldark establish the Divine Crusaders and revolt against the Earth government. Voiced by Takehito Koyasu.
 * Elzam V. Branstein: The older brother of Raidiese, he and his father, Maier V. Branstein, forge an alliance with Bian Zoldark's Divine Crusaders. Voiced by Tetsu Inada.
 * Bian Zoldark: The founder of the EOTI Institute and leader of the Divine Crusaders, he wages war against the Earth government, in order to make humanity realize the incoming threat of alien invasions. Voiced by Shozo Iizuka.

Differences Between The Game And Divine Wars
Divine Wars takes liberties in modifying and changing the progression of the story, since Ryusei Date's experiences from the game is used in the anime. Some of the more notable changes include the following:


 * Tenzan Nakajima does not attend the Burning PT Tournament finals in the game (presumably because he had already been scouted by the Divine Crusaders), allowing Ryusei to easily win the championship. In Divine Wars, he wins the tournament, besting Ryusei, and isn't approached by the Divine Crusaders until the Aerogater attack at the tournament. Unlike in the game, when his Valsion Custom is shot down in Geneva, he was not rescued by the Aerogaters, thereby not subjected to their brainwashing, becoming one of their soldiers, and piloting an Ezekiel Atom.


 * Several characters who began the game piloting jet fighters, including Katina Tarask and Latooni Subota, are shown piloting Gespensts first. In addition, Tasuku Shinguji, who begins the game as a crewman on the Hiryu Custom, was introduced in Divine Wars as a member of Katina's Octo Squad. Also, Excellen Browning is shown piloting the Weiss Ritter at the battle in Antarctica, earlier than she receives it in the game.


 * Rio Mei Long goes back to being a bridge operator for the Hagane, just after Ryoto Hikawa is captured, and remained there until episode 24, finally piloting a Gespenst during Operation SRW. In the game, she was a pilot for the remainder of its storyline.


 * In the game, the Hagane and Hiryu Custom fight their final battles separately against the Divine Crusaders at Aiodenus Island and Maier V. Branstein and the United Colony Corps fleet, respectively. In Divine Wars, both ships rendezvous before heading into battle against both the Divine Crusaders and the United Colony Corps fleet.


 * Several characters make cameo appearances in Divine Wars, even though they didn't appear until Super Robot Taisen: Original Generation 2. Among them are Ibis Douglas, Tsugumi Takakura, Sleigh Presty, Ricarla 'Carla' Borgnine, Yuuki Jegnan and Van Vat Tran. While Ibis, Tsugumi and Sleigh each had a single appearance with scripted lines, Ricarla and Yuuki had silent cameos.


 * Cobray Gordon, one of the main characters from Super Robot Wars Alpha 3, and together with his Dis Astranagant, engages Ingram Prisken and his Astranagant, during the opening sequence in Divine Wars. While Cobray, the Dis Astranagant and the Astranagant do not exist in the Original Generation timeline yet, they play notable roles in the TV series, mainly in the final episode, where the Astranagant merges with the crippled SRX in order to defeat Septuagint. Cobray states that he interfered on Ingram's behalf to ensure his own creation, promising that he will return. This hints that Cobray will eventually be created in the Original Generation timeline much like he did in the alpha timeline, and that he has access to his abilities as a Time Diver (One who patrols time to ensure cosmic balance).


 * Brooklyn Luckfield pilots a red Grungust, officially called the Grungust Lion Head-Type, as of episode 23 in Divine Wars. In the game, he piloted a Huckebein MK II, after switching out from his Gespenst, and would remain in the machine until he received a Grungust Type-3 in Original Generation 2.


 * Aside from brief flashbacks to the incident at Mao Industries, in which the Huckebein 008R's Black Hole Engine malfunctions and destroys most of the installation, the Huckebein series of mecha has been omitted from the series. Fans speculated that this omission was possibly due to a rumor that Bandai does not wish to market and promote the Huckebeins, due to their similarities to the iconic Gundams of the Mobile Suit Gundam franchise. Huckebeins, however, did make a brief appearance in Super Robot Wars Original Generation: The Animation, in the form of the Huckebein MK II M. This rumor was widely considered to be baseless speculation, as Banpresto is owned by Bandai and were still advertising Huckebeins models as part of their Original Generations line. Huckebein model kits continued to be produced, further disproving this claim. The long delay of the official release date for Super Robot Wars: Original Generations was thought to be related to this speculation, but nevertheless, all variations of the Huckebeins do appear in Super Robot Wars Original Generations. The actual reason for this omission is most likely a decision made to reduce ties to other existing television series, allowing Divine Wars to stand on its own as a unique work. The final direct-to-DVD episode features a brief Huckebein MK III cameo, in the form of on-screen blueprints, further showing that the Huckebein machines are acknowledged by the series as existing, and are simply not focused on.


 * In the game, Karl Schtleseman and Renji Isurugi are killed in Antarctica by Viletta Vadim, during an attempt to surrender to the Aerogaters, aboard a repaired Shirogane. In the series, the Shirogane is never repaired in time, and Schtleseman is killed in a plane by the Aerogaters, though it is heavily implied that Nibhal Mubhal was the one who ordered his demise. In the game, Nibhal is present at Karl and Renji's death, and comments that it happens "just like last time".


 * Due to the sheer number of differences, there is fan speculation that Divine Wars actually takes place in an alternate dimension, similar to how the home dimension of the Shadow-Mirror is akin to the original. This is primarily supported by the in-game text from the sequel, where Shadow-Mirror forces comment that due to the Vanishing Trooper Incident, the designers are jaded against creating anything resembling a Huckebein. However, in the Shadow-Mirror home dimension, Elzam V. Branstein was killed in the Elpis Incident, and Excellen Browning was killed in the shuttle crash early in her life and remade into Lemon Browning, thus eliminating the possibility that Divine Wars takes place in that dimension.