"Our two works are connected like soul brothers," says original author

The poster for the upcoming action movie Independence Day: Resurgence shows the Statue of Liberty about to get crushed by a massive spaceship. But Lady Liberty just won't do for the Japanese poster. Instead, she has been replaced with a more iconic figure for local audiences: the Unicorn Gundam from Mobile Suit Gundam Unicorn , apparently trying to fight back.

Although the two works might seem unrelated, they are both science-fiction action spectacles that revive dormant but beloved franchises. Gundam Unicorn also involves independence — this is the aim of Zeon in its war against the Earth Federation. Harutoshi Fukui , the writer of the original Gundam Unicorn novel, explained the similarities further. "Our two works are connected like soul brothers by the theme of humanity's indomitable spirit pushing despair aside. The enemy this time may be reeeeally big, but humans won't lose! The Unicorn Gundam will help too! (In our hearts.)"

Independence Day: Resurgence will storm its way into Japanese theaters on July 9. Sadly for some Gundam fans, no Gundams will actually appear in the film. The Space Brothers also voiced their support for The Martian in a Japanese trailer.

Source: Anime! Anime!: Kōsuke Obana; Image from Independence Day: Resurgence official Japanese website