So, recently when throwing game concepts back and forth with one of my players and talking about odd (but amusing) genre mashups, one that came up was 'space opera'+'shonen anime'. And really, by that, we meant the whole fighting-with-crazy-powers genre. I know Dragonball technically goes into space opera territory sometimes, but I would not really go as far as to say Dragonball is PRIMARILY a space opera, as it is more of a kung fu serie with some sci-fi elements mixed with the fantasy.
I'm trying to think up what the concept could be expanded into. I know I want to do a space opera setting that is definitely on the soft sci-fi end and with a somewhat retro bent (think more Star Wars, Dune or Metabarons) mixed with characters duking it out fighting anime style with (space?) swords, (space?) guns and (space?) kung fu. One idea I loosely had was to have the power source somehow based off some spatial phenomena but what exactly....well, beats me. Gravity? I don't know, throwing ideas at the wall here.
Or else everybody can breathe on every planet because instant pop-up space helmets are a thing.
Carter Ortiz
Hmm, could work. Cheesy, but part of the charm I suppose.
Michael Rogers
That sounds like a fun setting.
Cameron Garcia
Old anime OAV along those lines was Cosmo Police Justy. There was a manga as well, though I never read it so am unsure if it follows the same theme. en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cosmo_Police_Justy
Julian Wright
Rifts
Isaiah Scott
If you let those two elements float to the top, they are still floating on too much other shit to gel as a "concept".
Anthony Martinez
It's technically Super Robot, not shounen, but you should check out TTGL. Might give you the feeling you're looking for.
Matthew Davis
Well, I'm sure there are ideas to be mined off Rifts.
Jose Young
Space Adventure Cobra?
Jonathan Martin
Gurren Lagann would definitely work, just gotta redo the scaling so it's spacesuits instead of giant mechs
Blake Wood
Bump for interest.
Andrew Jenkins
So Hindu Mythology. That's what you want.
Lincoln Ramirez
Why? How?
Daniel Morris
Hindu mythology is basically Shonen. And it typically operates on a huge, space opera-ish scale.
Check out Kill 6 Billion Demons for something similar.
Colton Foster
Atmosphere in space is fun as hell.
Gavin Morris
So if the idea was to be developped, how cheesy should it be? Should it go to flat out cheesy/over the top? Seems like that would be a good bet.
Blake Young
Okay so, I've started to put down in words the ideas brought up by this thread.
The World: The World is some far-future setting, where all sort of implausible technology exist. You got laser guns, laser swords, anti-gravity, massive-scale terraforming, teleportation and all that. Visually, the more high-tech areas look like some mix and match of chinese, japanese and hindu architecture mixed with some trippy oldschool scifi designs with a big dose of cosmic Jack Kirby stuff. The lower technology areas can range from futuristic cities to small villages with peasant working fields of strange alien plants. The galaxy (or even multiple galaxies, if we're being over the top as possible) is teeming with life and space travel is possible, if perhaps not accessible to everyone especially on the more remote worlds.
The Inhabitants: I'd say 90% of them are near-human, which mean funny-looking people with weird skin, hair or rubber forehead. Odds are they were engineered long ago from the human stock. Even the most human-looking people are probably not modern homo sapien but rather descended from long-altered stock. I suppose there likely are 'alien' races which are less human-like and might posses some small amount of powers derived from their biology (water breathing, flight with wings, nightvision, great size and strength).
The Gods: To fit with the idea of nothing being truly out of reach in shonenshit, the 'gods' of this setting are definately living being which are born and can die. They can sometimes form extended famillies. I guess we could, at least in some places, compare them to the Dragonblooded of Exalted, at least perhaps the more organized and extended famillies. They probably look odd-yet-awe inspiring. Beautiful, with glowing eyes. That sort of shit.
Continued in next post.
Logan Harris
Cosmic Power Kung Fu: Everyone can probably use the cosmic powered kung-fu or whatever it is. All you need is training. However, perhaps some are more gifted than others at using it. I'd say the 'Gods' probably have an easier and natural access to this kind of power but the weakest gods can probably be surpassed by a 'mortal' warrior.
Objects of Power: Aside from the usual slew of scifi gadgets, there are likely things which unlock/enhance one's power, ranging from ancient magitek databanks holding long-forgotten techniques to ancient artifacts passed down from generation to generation to power-unlocking magical fruits which grow on a single tree in a god's domain to jealously guarded magical water fountain whose powers are derived from its geomantic connection to the planet.
