Loran Should've Been a Girl

Our current run on this world is a look at things which may have improved the anime they were in if they had happened, this time we look at Gundam pilot Loran Cehack.

The story of Loran's creation has conflicting accounts but the most popular one is that Yoshiyuki Tomino wanted a female protagonist for the latest Gundam series, since he was going to be more involved in Turn A and the fact that Gundam X didn't nearly do as well as Wing.
He was however over ruled so Loran's design made him look more androgynous in the gender department giving him quite a skinny build and almost always wearing a hairband, in fact it became a major plot point that he was mistaken for a girl named Laura Rolla, so when he had to present himself for a party, he donned a full elegant ball gown and given full etiquette lessons to get through the event, again depending who you ask, this was either Tomino's revenge or a homage to Judau Ashta's crossdressing.
The ball scene in Turn A is the best moment of an otherwise underwhelming season, so much so that Tieria Erde of Gundam 00 would later repeat as a homage to Loran.
As for the whole Gundam Female Protagonist, we are finally getting one in the next Gundam series, the Witch from Mercury slated for October this year.

End