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Exosquad Exosquad was a science fiction cartoon that ran on the USA network from September 1993 to May 1994. It was created as a response to anime. Although it was advertised and marketed as a Saturday morning cartoon for children, it found most acclaim among teenagers and young adults. Because of this misunderstanding, the ratings never lived up to their potential, and the show was cancelled after only two seasons. The premise of the series The series takes place around AD. 2120 (approx 2118-2120). Humans have colonized Earth, Venus, and Mars ("the homeworlds"). A group of rebel humans (the Pirate clans) also occupy parts of the outer solar system. After one attack too many against unarmed freighers, the Earth Congress decides to dispatch the entire Exofleet, humanity's space-based military, against them. While all this is happening, a group of genetically engineered former slaves, the Neosapiens, are secretly planning a rebellion. Neosapiens, who were once used as slave miners in the harsh conditions of Mars, are physically very strong and very smart. They rebelled 50 years before, but that rebellion was crushed. The new insurrection is planned by the Governor of Mars, Phaeton. Once the Exofleet is dispatched, they launch the rebellion and capture the homeworlds in short order. The two seasons that the show was on the air followed the progress of the war, as seen through the eyes of Able Squad. Able squad is a group of elite soldiers - J.T. Marsh, Nara Burns, Maggie Weston, Kaz Takagi, Alec Deleon, Rita Torres, Wolf Bronski, and Marsala (a Neosapien). The second season ends with the defeat of the Neosapiens and the liberation of the homeworlds. However, the second season ended with a cliff-hanger, and the show was cancelled soon after. Many speculate that the third season and afterward would have been about a war against extra-solar aliens, and that the Terrans and Neosapiens would have been forced to ally with each other. Response to anime Many recent American cartoon shows have anime styling without the dramatic punch that made anime a serious contender for U.S. entertainment dollars. Exosquad was too early to be a part of that trend. Exosquad was drawn in the traditional American realistic fashion, but it had a serious tone and an ongoing storyline. This dramatic combination is credited with making Robotech a success in America, and later made Disney's Gargoyles a fan favorite. Interplanetary politics and space war were presented with an assumption of the history of the solar system up to that point. The squad's duties became more spread out as the second season drew on. There were story arcs on Mars, Venus, and Earth, and in space, running simultaneously. Espionage and intrigue were often featured instead of full-out battles. The exo-suits were the main macguffin of the series. They were personal mecha, big armored space suits with weapons. Sources of inspiration may have been Robotech, Battletech, and most likely Heinlein's Starship Troopers.
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