Forum - View topicMecha anime, the most popular genre?
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saikori
 Posts: 85 Location: Hot Ole' Texas |
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I'm not a big mech fan myself. My husband is though, he grew up with Robotech.
Although there was a show that surprised me that I actually enjoyed. Sousei no Aquarion It even started out a bit slow for me but after a few episodes I was hooked. I really liked the characters especially Apollo. I guess I liked it because it had more to it than just kick ass mech fighting scenes in 3D. I don't think Mecha is the most popular genre anymore. It may have been back in the day but I wouldn't think it's the most popular genre anymore. Just my 2 cents 
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Animefreak6969
 Posts: 587 |
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ahh, Sousei no Aquarion was a pretty deep show, i loved the mythological+Mecha idea they did, although some of the characters were kinda retarded in how they though about themselves...
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SalarymanJoe
 Posts: 468 Location: Atlanta, GA, USA |
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I wouldn't say that it's the most popular genre; however, many other story-telling media do not have a similar genre/sub-genre, which is why 'anime' as a whole gets stereotyped with "Magical girls and big robots". Mecha pretty much had its heydays in the 1970s and 1980s. Some series are being produced still, such as those related to the Gundam Franchise through the Ninties and into the new millenium; but from a sheer volume stand-point, it hasn't reached the levels where it was decades earlier.
As far as Evangelion, Escaflowne, and RaXephon not being mecha, I'd take argument to that on a case by case basis. Anno Hideki was a mecha designer on at least one Gundam project (I want to say multiple, but only Char's Counterattack is coming to mind). He was also heavily influenced by Tomino Yoshiyuki, the grand-daddy of all Gundam. While Evangelion does not primarily focus on mecha throughout the entire series, the beginning of it is very heavily mecha-centric. The point has also been made, and I'll agree to it, that Anno's Evangelion split the mecha (sub-)sub-genre into a third branch - the Psychological Mecha branch. Tomino was the first to really split mecha between Super Robots (pretty much pioneered by Nagai Go) and what was called Real Robots, starting with Zambot 3, a little more with Mobile Suit Gundam, and sealing it with Space Runaway Ideon. It's honestly been too long since I've watched any Escaflowne but it seems to be too much of a shoujo-esque tribute to Aura Battler Dunbine to not consider it mecha. RaXephon, while appropriately being grouped with Evangelion, is pays a lot of homages back to Yuusha Raideen, one of the 70s Super Robots, so I would consider it mecha. One could argue that most Real Robot anime are more mecha-centric than their Super Robot predacessors because they try and tackle serious design mechanics and scientific principles (much like a hard-Sci-Fi novel), as opposed to more superficial upgrades in SR anime. Psychological Robot may deal with it in a passing manner comparitively, but they are still a central to the progression of the story. Each grouping of mecha has its own devoted fans and while many fans may be able to cross over and like any combination of the three. Though, if you look at a series like Mazinger Z, Zeta Gundam, and RaXephon and expect to see the same thing because they are all mecha series, that isn't the case. Drew "Suiko" Sutton http://akibaren.blogspot.com |
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Char_Aznable
 Posts: 33 Location: Philadelphia |
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To echo what beezis said earlier, I think the technological aspect is part of the appeal for Japanese audiences. Feel free to bash me for this generalization, but Japanese culture loves its gadgets. And I personally couldn't think of a cooler gadget than a flying robot that shoots lasers and saves the world.
With my fascination with Gundam, the mecha is really secondary. I'm more into the human aspects: the rivalries, friendships, tragedies, all of that. The rest is just nuclear-powered, beam saber-wielding icing on the cake. |
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ivorymoose
 Posts: 240 |
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I would argue that RahXephon, Evangelion and Escaflowne are partially mecha and partially something else. It's not just
about machines but also people and relationships. There's a lot of philosophy and psychology involved. I'm ok with character deaths in mecha serieses. My favourite characters in RahXephon and Evangelion die but I feel at peace because they fought a good fight. I enjoy Gundam titles because I can watch my favourite characters die without crying. Something is not right with Samurai 7, I can't get over the death of my favourite character. They should have put him in a Gundam and killed him Gundam style! I cannot stop talking about Samurai 7 because it's my most hated as well as my most liked series. I'm so screwed! Although mecha is not my favourite genre, I like futuristic machines at war. There's something in the mecha fighting spirit that appeals to me. I love a good fight. |
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SmashRackets4Fun
Posts: 34 |
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how can you even say mecha is the most popular when almost every other anime is shounen? and I do think NGE is not really mecha.
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ivorymoose
Posts: 240 |
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Like an academic, I did some research into the definition of "mecha". Here's what I found out.
Napier, J. S. (2005) Anime from Akira to Howl's Moving Castle. Palgrave Macmillon. Hampshire, England. (ISBN: 1-4039-7052-1) PAGE 86 defines mecha as: "The world of hard science fiction anime known as mecha revolves around a quest to contain the body, this time quite literally in the form of some kind of technological fusion..." page 87 "While the imagery in mecha anime is strongly technological and is often focused on the machinery of the armoured body, the narratives themselves often focus to a surprising extent on the human inside the machine..." The author used the following examples to study the mecha genre: Bubblegum Crisis, Bubblegum Crash, Neon Genesis Evangelion, Guyver. I read this book long ago and did not agree with all her views. However, it is a good book to read because Dr Napier did a lot of research into anime and gives a very deep perspective of anime, her work establish anime as a field for legitimate academic inquiry. She is a professor of Japanese Literature at the University of Taxes, Austin. The book can be purchased from Amazon.com. I don't think Mecha is the most popular genre because the rankings say so. I am also not a mecha fan. I like fairy tales , fantasies and samurais! 
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TranceLimit174
 Posts: 963 |
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Those are terrible examples of mecha anime. How do you talk about or define mecha anime without even a mention of Mazinger Z and Gundam? First of all Bubblegum Crisis is something I would fit into a completely different category (babes in armor), and really the only gray area I have found in terms of whether or not a show is a mecha series is Tekkaman Blade (while Blade and the other Tekkamen themselves are not mechs, the show's structure has many mecha elements). I happen to live in Austin where there is a University of Texas, but I haven't heard of a University of Taxes. As far as shows such as Eva and RahXephon being mecha anime or not, they are. The issue is whether or not they accuratley represent the genre or not, which they do not. I would reference a show like GaoGaiGar or Mazinkaiser to represent the genre. I gotta admit I was really surprised when I saw this topic title. I have seen no evidence of mecha anime being the most popular or even remotley popular for that matter (at least here in the states). So I would like to know where the topic creator got their evidence of this. As people have said, not very many mecha shows are being made these days, and the newest ones that I can think of at the moment that are being created are remakes. What I see mostly are comedy series and date-sim/harem shows. I would think those are the most popular because that seems to be what companies make the most of. Maybe it's just me, but while shounen is a popular genre many fly under the radar, but when a show hits (like Bleach and Naruto) it hits hard, so I don't see very many of those quantity wise. |
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LydiaDianne
 Posts: 5634 Location: Southern California |
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Local, State and Federal Politicians are sent there to learn how to raise and create new taxes but word it in such a way that the public doesn't realize that they are being taxed. |
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Redbeard 101
Oscar the Grouch
Forums Superstar  Posts: 16963 |
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Plus they're also the most commonly viewed on public tv. Not everyone can afford a dvd anime collection when they're 12. This allows them to see anime on a budget basically. It's smart marketing. I would say the mecha genre is one of the most popular and my theory as to why is the 80's and 70's. Back then you had a lot of mech shows, good ones too. The people then grew up and still buy anime now and have continued to support the genre. Plus being such an older and well established genre it has a big cult following. Old shows like Robotech, Astro Boy, Gindam, Patlabor just rocked. |
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kripton0x
 Posts: 12 Location: Mexico |
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In my childhood, mecha series were the best I watched, so when there's a new mecha anime I allways hurry to watch It. However, nowadays I have found other kind of animes more interesting.
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Redbeard 101
Oscar the Grouch
Forums Superstar Posts: 16963 |
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I think new ones lack that power to them. Sure they look cleaner but many trade in plot and depth for it I think. The older ones weren't pretty in most cases but they had such power behind the story it didn't matter. You also gotta remember the 80's was hair metal and hard rock central. Not surprising mech related shows, anime and otherwise, were abundant.
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deepon05
 Posts: 113 |
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I would have to say that the mecha genre has declined in the past 5 years. It has been a while since Gundam Wing had its run in America on Toonami and capitivated kids like me back in the day. Many of the series out there that have mecha in them like NGE don't really focus on the mecha. Mecha just doesn't seems to garner the attention it once did.
I would like to point out that I think Eureka 7 is a mecha series because of how the origin of the typeEnd and typeZero was revolving around the story. |
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Char_Aznable
Posts: 33 Location: Philadelphia |
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The mecha genre may be on the decline among Americans, but what about in Japan? Aren't they still figuring out new ways to package Gundam toys with Pocky?
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CGord
 Posts: 163 Location: Phoenix, AZ suburbs |
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To me, a "mecha" anime involves people climbing into & operating ("piloting") big humanoid-looking machines. I'd say NGE, RahXephon, & Escaflowne are all mecha anime based on that.
Anyway, I've never been an avowed mecha fan, but it's ended up that many of my favorites fall into the mecha category. Never watched any Gundam yet, but I might have to. |
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