what was the first mecha anime

What is the history of mecha anime?

Gundam invented the genre of Real Robot where the mecha are based on more realistic technologies. Going forward, this would eventually become the dominant form of mecha anime series as people became more interested in using mecha as a way to explore the effects of war in anime.

What are some of the best anime series in mecha?

That doesn't mean those series are bad - some of the best series in mecha haven't been all that original. Knight’s and Magic is an isekai fantasy series that came out in the 2010s. The story follows a mecha fan and programmer who finds himself in another world. There, humanity’s main weapons consist of magically powered giant robots.

Is Mazinger Z the first mecha anime?

Known as Tranzor Z in the U.S., Mazinger Z is the first true mecha anime. It is also considered a prototype for future Gundams. The reason is that Mazinger Z only becomes active when it merges with its human pilot. This is Koji Kabuto, the grandson of the man who created the robot using the Super Alloy of Japanium.

What are mechs used for in anime?

Mecha also have roles as transporters, recreation, advanced hazmat suits, and other research and development applications. Mecha have been used in fantasy settings, for example in the anime series Aura Battler Dunbine, The Vision of Escaflowne, Panzer World Galient, and Maze.

What anime started mecha?

A Brief History of Mecha Starting in the 1950s, two series emerged that would come to define the foundations of mecha: Osamu Tezuka's Mighty Atom (introduced in 1952), and Mitsuteru Yokoyama's Tetsujin 28-go. Both series are more widely known by their English titles, Astro Boy(1952) and Gigantor (1956).

What was the first robot anime?

The first anime featuring a giant mecha being piloted by the protagonist from within a cockpit was the Super Robot show Mazinger Z, written by Go Nagai and introduced in 1972. Mazinger Z introduced the notion of mecha as pilotable war machines, rather than remote-controlled robots.

Is Evangelion the first mecha anime?

While Evangelion is not the first mecha anime to show the psychological strain of piloting a mech would have an ordinary teenager, it was the first to depict it in a manner of condemnation.

What was the first anime?

Momotaro: Sacred SailorsThe first feature-length anime film was Momotaro: Sacred Sailors (1945), produced by Seo with a sponsorship from the Imperial Japanese Navy. The 1950s saw a proliferation of short, animated advertisements created for television.

Is AOT a mecha anime?

While Attack on Titan doesn't have any mecha, it parallels great mecha anime. Titans are effectively the mecha of Eren Jaeger's world. Every standout mecha anime includes huge fights, melodrama, monologues, special techniques, and piloted suits of immense power.

Is Akira a mecha?

Akira (Japanese: アキラ) is a 1988 Japanese animated cyberpunk action film directed by Katsuhiro Otomo, produced by Ryōhei Suzuki and Shunzō Katō, and written by Otomo and Izo Hashimoto, based on Otomo's 1982 manga of the same name....Akira (1988 film)AkiraBox office$49 million19 more rows

Who is Unit 01?

Shinji IkariEvangelion Unit-01 (エヴァンゲリオン初号機, "Evangerion Shogōki") is the first non-prototype Evangelion unit, and is referred to as the "EVA-01 TEST TYPE". It houses the soul of Shinji's mother, Yui Ikari. It is mainly piloted by Shinji Ikari.

Is Code Geass the best mecha anime?

Code Geass might be the quintessential mecha anime of the 2000s, but there are many other series that outshine it in various ways. Code Geass is one of the most popular mecha shows of the last 20 years. This political drama with robot fights has some compelling storytelling and a pretty smart protagonist to boot.

Is Evangelion inspired by Gundam?

2 Influenced By: Space Runaway Ideon Another of Gundam creator Yoshiyuki Tomino's works, Space Runaway Ideon and its apocalyptic final film Ideon: Be Invoked are perhaps even more influential for Evangelion than Gundam was.

What is the 3 best anime?

The Top 10 Best Anime Series Of All-TimeRe:Zero − Starting Life in Another World.Death Note.Naruto.Rurouni Kenshin: Wandering Samurai.Ghost in the Shell.Steins;Gate.Fullmetal Alchemist.Samurai Champloo.More items...•

What is the longest anime?

Sazae-san - 7,701 episodes Recognized by the Guinness World Records, this anime holds the world record for the longest-running animated TV series. The show is about a mother named Sazae-san and her family life.

Who is the oldest anime character?

Kaname Kuran Of 'Vampire Knight' Has Been Alive For Over 10,000 Years. At 10,000 years old, Kaname Kuran is pretty freakin' old.

When was the first mecha manga made?

The first series in the mecha genre was Mitsuteru Yokoyama 's 1956 manga Tetsujin 28-go (which was later animated in 1963 and also released abroad as Gigantor ). He was inspired to become a manga creator by Osamu Tezuka, and began serializing the manga in Shonen, an iconic boy's magazine, in 1956.

Why is the Mecha anime so popular?

Due to its unusual psychological themes, the show became a massive success, and further caused Japanese anime culture to spread widely and rapidly around the world. The mecha anime genre (as well as Japanese kaiju films) received a Western homage with the 2013 film Pacific Rim directed by Guillermo del Toro.

What was the first real robot anime?

Mobile Suit Gundam (1979) is largely considered the first series to introduce the real robot concept and, along with The Super Dimension Fortress Macross (1982), would form the basis of what people would later call real robot anime.

What was the first mecha?

Some of the first mecha featured in manga and anime were "super robots" (スーパーロボット sūpā robotto ). The super robot genre features superhero -like giant robots that are often one-of-a-kind and the product of an ancient civilization, aliens or a mad genius.

What is the name of the Transformers mecha?

Some of Kawamori's most iconic transforming mecha designs include the VF-1 Valkyrie from the Macross and Robotech franchises, and Optimus Prime (called Convoy in Japan) from the Transformers and Diaclone franchises.

What is the meaning of monster of the week?

Anime critic Fred Patten wrote that almost all mecha anime plots, such as monster of the week shows, were actually metaphors for re-fighting World War II, and defending Japan and its culture from Western encroachment. By 1977, a large number of super robot anime had been created, including Brave Raideen and Danguard Ace.

How much did Bandai make in 2004?

It created a massive market for mecha model robots, and became an industry that earned Bandai ¥42.8 billion in 2004. Many real robot series and other media were later created, such as Full Metal Panic! and the video game series Armored Core.

What was the first anime to have a giant mecha?

The first anime featuring a giant mecha being piloted by the protagonist from within a cockpit was the Super Robot show Mazinger Z, written by Go Nagai and introduced in 1972. Mazinger Z introduced the notion of mecha as pilotable war machines, rather than remote-controlled robots.

When does the Mecha series take place?

The series takes place during the modern day and near future, and the prototype nuclear-capable bipedal tanks called Metal Gears are a recurring element. A popular classic of mecha in games is the MechWarrior series (1989 – 2021) of video games, which takes place in the Battletech universe.

What is a mecha based on?

In those cases, the mecha designs are usually based on some alternative or "lost" science-fiction technology from ancient times. In case of anime series Zoids, the machines resemble dinosaurs and animals, and have been shown to evolve from native metallic organisms.

What is a mecha?

The word "mecha" (メカ, meka) is an abbreviation, first used in Japanese, of the word " mechanical ". In Japanese, mecha encompasses all mechanical objects, including cars, guns, computers, and other devices, and the term "robot" (ロボット, robotto) or "giant robot" is used to distinguish limbed vehicles from other mechanical devices. Outside of this usage, it has become associated with large humanoid machines with limbs or other biological characteristics. Mechas differ from robots in that they are piloted from a cockpit, typically located in the chest or head of the mech.

What is D.Va's mecha?

Overwatch (2016), team shooter from Blizzard Entertainment, includes D.Va, a tank hero who pilots a mecha. Stylized as MEKA (Mobile Exo-Force of the Korean Army), D.Va's mecha provides her primary hero abilities as well as being a driver of her backstory in the game's lore.

What is the name of the mecha in Heroes of the Storm?

In Heroes of the Storm (2015), developed by Blizzard Entertainment, players can take control of the giant mecha, called "Triglav Protector", as a reward for winning objective on Volskaya Foundry battleground.

What was the first real robot?

RX-78-2 Gund am, introduced in Mobile Suit Gundam (1979), the first Gundam anime. It was the first real robot, in contrast to the super robots in earlier anime. In Japan, "robot anime" (known as "mecha anime" outside Japan) is one of the oldest genres in anime. Robot anime is often tied in with toy manufacturers.

Code Geass: Hangyaku no Lelouch

In the year 2010, the Holy Empire of Britannia is establishing itself as a dominant military nation, starting with the conquest of Japan. Renamed to Area 11 after its swift defeat, Japan has seen significant resistance against these tyrants in an attempt to regain independence.

Code Geass: Hangyaku no Lelouch R2

One year has passed since the Black Rebellion, a failed uprising against the Holy Britannian Empire led by the masked vigilante Zero, who is now missing.

Neon Genesis Evangelion

Fifteen years after a cataclysmic event known as the Second Impact, the world faces a new threat: monstrous celestial beings called "Angels" invade Tokyo-3 one by one. Mankind is unable to defend themselves against the Angels despite utilizing their most advanced munitions and military tactics.

Tengen Toppa Gurren Lagann

Simon and Kamina were born and raised in a deep, underground village, hidden from the fabled surface. Kamina is a free-spirited loose cannon bent on making a name for himself, while Simon is a timid young boy with no real aspirations.

Darling in the FranXX

In the distant future, humanity has been driven to near-extinction by giant beasts known as Klaxosaurs, forcing the surviving humans to take refuge in massive fortress cities called Plantations. Children raised here are trained to pilot giant mechas known as FranXX—the only weapons known to be effective against the Klaxosaurs—in boy-girl pairs.

Guilty Crown

Japan, 2039. Ten years after the outbreak of the "Apocalypse Virus," an event solemnly regarded as "Lost Christmas," the once proud nation has fallen under the rule of the GHQ, an independent military force dedicated to restoring order.

Date A Live

Thirty years ago, the Eurasian continent was devastated by a supermassive "spatial quake"—a phenomenon involving space vibrations of unknown origin—resulting in the deaths of over 150 million people. Since then, these quakes have been plaguing the world intermittently, albeit on a lighter scale.

9 Reinvented The Genre: Mobile Suit Gundam Created A New Form Of Mecha Anime

Before Mobile Suit Gundam, most mecha series revolved around a single robot that was powerful enough to fight off entire armies. They protected humanity from monsters and alien invaders. With Gundam, all of that was turned on its head. Instead of the story being about humans versus aliens, it was humans versus humans.

8 Didn't Reinvent The Genre: Metal Armor Dragonar Is A Reinvention Of Mobile Suit Gundam

Dragonar was a late '80s series that was designed specifically to get fans into giant robots. It featured a war between the United Lunar Empire and the Earth Federation Military, with both sides creating giant robots called Metal Armors to wage war.

7 Reinvented The Genre: Neon Genesis Evangelion Brought Psychological Themes To The Forefront

Neon Genesis Evangelion was not the first giant robot anime to have psychological themes (Space Runaway Ideon). It doesn’t have the first mecha protagonist whose life is ruined by piloting giant robots ( Mobile Suit Gundam ). But it does have the honor of being the first series to focuses heavily on the psychological aspect of its storytelling.

6 Didn't Reinvent The Genre: GaoGaiGar Gave Fans Hot-Blooded Protagonists Bonding With Their Mecha

GaoGaiGar is one of the best mecha series of the '90s, starring protagonist Gai Shishioh in his battle against the Zonders, an alien race looking to invade the Earth. Gai has the power to fuse with different Gao Machines to form giant robots.

5 Reinvented The Genre: Macross Brought Love Triangles And Music Into Mecha Anime

Gundam made it possible to tell a story about war between humans, introducing the idea of Real Robots. The primary enemy in Macross was a new alien race known as the Zentraedi, but rather than it being a lone mecha standing against them, it was an entire army of transforming jets.

4 Didn't Reinvent The Genre: Mobile Suit Gundam 00 Is An Improved Version Of Gundam Wing

Gundam 00 is one of Gundam ’s best AU series, and the one most late 2000’s fans probably used to get into Gundam. While the end of the series and the film are controversial, the earlier parts of the series are undeniable from a quality standpoint.

3 Reinvented The Genre: Aura Battler Dunbine Is The Original Mecha Isekai Anime

For much of mecha’s history up until this point, the genre was purely sci-fi in nature. Mecha were creations of science, created by genius scientists or societies from the future. But Aura Battler Dunbine tossed all that aside, introducing viewers to the land of Byston Well. In Byston Well, the armies have giant robots known as Aura Battlers.

Best 26 Mecha Anime

In the 1980s and 1990s, Mecha anime was not as popular as it was in those years. Although “mecha” can be described as a niche genre, it is still very popular today. The Winter 2022 season is not a great time for mecha anime fans, so we have added a few classic mecha anime to this list as well.

1. Code Geass: Lelouch Of The Rebellion

Leeroy is a writer and creator of AnimeTurn, and a seasonal anime watcher. He loved anime for a long time and in the process of loving it more, he created this amazing website.

Overview

Mecha anime and manga, known in Japan as robot anime (ロボットアニメ, robotto anime) and robot manga (ロボット漫画, robotto manga), are anime and manga that feature robots (mecha) in battle. The genre is broken down into two subcategories; "super robot", featuring super-sized, implausible robots, and "real robot", where robots are governed by realistic physics and technological limitations.

History

Subgenres

Types

Model robot

See also

External links

Overview

Early history

The 1868 Edward S. Ellis novel The Steam Man of the Prairies featured a steam-powered, back-piloted, mechanical man. The 1880 Jules Verne novel The Steam House (La Maison à Vapeur) featured a steam-powered, piloted, mechanical elephant. One of the first appearances of such machines in modern literature was the tripod (or "fighting-machine", as they are known in the novel) of H. G. Wells' famous The War of the Worlds (1897). The novel does not contain a fully detailed d…

Characteristics

Genres

Real mecha

See also

External links