Charma
| Pairing | |
|---|---|
| Pairing: | Char Aznable/Garma Zabi |
| Alternative name(s): | |
| Gender category: | BL |
| Fandom: | Gundam (specifically the Universal Century Continuity) |
| Canonical?: | No |
| Prevalence: | Common |
| Archives: | |
| Other: | |
| Click here for related articles on Fanlore. | |
Charma is the ship pairing of Char Aznable and Garma Zabi, supposed friends and military allies in Gundam's Universal Century timeline.
Canon
Mobile Suit Gundam
Char and Garma are introduced as friends within the Zeon forces, Garma assists Char in pursuing the series protagonists. During one pursuit Char tricks Garma, resulting in his ship becoming damaged and vulnerable. Char calls Garma and gloats, revealing his betrayal and declaring that Garma was a good friend and should blame his father for his fate. Garma is killed along with his ship in a last-ditch attempt to destroy White Base. This makes him the first Zabi killed as part of Char's revenge.
Mobile Suit Gundam: The Origin
Char and Garma join the military academy around the same time. Garma attempts and fails to bully Char. Char tells him to prove himself instead of relying on his name and family influence. They become rivals within the academy and eventually friends. Garma even manipulates rooming arrangements to become roommates with Char, unaware of the other's history and grudge.
Fandom
This article or section needs expansion. |
History
Charma dominated early Gundam BL shipping as the most popular pairing found in BL Doujinshi, particularly in the 1980s following Mobile Suit Gundam's release. Mobile Suit Gundam aired around the time BL was coming into its own as a sub-genre of shounen ai and Comiket was rapidly expanding[1]. This timing along with Char and Garma's dynamic made the ship a massive presence in early BL shipping, especially in Japan.
The ship's popularity faded by the 1990s. It saw a mild resurgence in the 2000s but was completely overtaken as the most popular pairing by Charmuro, a near non-existent ship until that point. A second, much larger resurgence in popularity occurred in the 2010s with the release of various prequel Gundam: The Origin media. The manga and later OVAs and TV Anime brought renewed attention to the ship with expansions on Char and Garma's first meeting and early relationship.[2]
Along the lines of Char Clones comparisons, Charma has been brought up as a predecessor of Iron-Blooded Orphans ship Gaelio/McGillis for their similar themes and character designs.
Common Tropes and Fanon
- "Doomed Yaoi" - Half of the ship dies at the other's hands in canon, many fans enjoy focusing on the angst and tragic nature of their relationship.
- Unrequited Love - Some fans portray their relationship as one-sided, generally with Char not reciprocating.
- Canon Divergence - AUs are common, especially those where Garma does not die.
Example Fanworks
Fanart
AMVs
- [Char Aznable × Garma Zabi][シャアガル]恋の才能 by 鬼灵双影
- We Are Never Ever EVER getting back together by SarahMcCostumes
- headLock by Luna Lastname
Meta
Archives and Fannish Links
- Char Aznable/Garma Zabi on AO3
- #Char/Garma on Pixiv
- #charma on Tumblr