Tag Archives: mecha

The Stigma of Giant Robots

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First, no Kaze no Stigma jokes.

Okay? Okay.

Mecha is one of the main stereotypes of japanese animation, along with martial arts, sci-fi, and not being for kids. But despite being one of the first things many people think of when they see the word “anime” it somehow has gotten a negative reputation among many fans in the United States. People will turn away from a title if giant robots are involved, and the only Gundam series to ever truly be successful is Wing.

I have no issue with people not preferring giant robot anime, but what is bothering me is the idea that robots, be they real or super, are an automatic red flag for a lot of anime viewers.

What happened? I know that the large female otaku population tends not to be fond of titanium titans, but why do so many guys also brush these titles aside? Could it be that giant robots are no longer considered a staple of anime, that in the eyes of this newer generation of anime fandom it is something to be ignored? Are there certain tropes of robot animation, different from say, shounen fighting, which detracts from the viewing experience?

The Ending I Want for Code Geass

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Odysseus u Britannia, eldest son of Emperor Charles di Britannia, is the Hitou Nami of Code Geass. He is a man who did not find anything odd about being married to a tiny little girl. Had the marriage gone through, he probably would’ve spent their honeymoon making hot cocoa and playing board games with Tianzi. He is the master of milquetoast, the avatar of average, the sultan of sterile. Somehow, in a family of conniving psychos, Odysseus remains completely sane and, more importantly, completely alive.

As such, he is easily my favorite male character in Code Geass. And with that said, I can think of no better conclusion that for Odysseus to become the new Britannian Emperor while the rest of the royal family dies.

And the moral of this story would be…

I Can Clearly Hear It, the Galaxy’s Song: Macross Frontier 1-13

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If one were to describe a Macross series, there would be many recurring concepts: war, transforming fighter jets, idol singers, love triangles, culture. However, if one were to describe the feelings conveyed by each series, theywould be hard-pressed to find too many similarities. The original Super Dimensional Fortress Macross feels different from Macross Plus, which in turn has little in common with Macross 7 or Macross Zero thematically. They all exist in the same universe, but they could not be further from each other without turning into Gaogaigar and Betterman.

So it can be mighty confusing when I say that Macross Frontier, or at least the first half of it, feels like Macross.

Macross Frontier is the 25th anniversary celebration of Studio Nue’s Macross, and with it comes a return to the original in terms of pacing, characterization, and the specific balance of love and war and the way they intertwine. Nowhere is this more evident than in  the main love triangle of Macross Frontier.

The “love triangle” has been a constant part of Macross since day one with Hikaru, Misa, and Minmay. Still, I have always found the original love triangle to be the best because it truly seemed like a battle for the heart, a battle whose landscape is transformed radically by war and the circumstances surrounding it. Macross Plus is less about developing love and more about resolving an existing one, Macross Zero’s is wrapped in its own lore, and Macross 7’s you can hardly call a love triangle when it involves a guy who likes a girl, a girl who kind of likes both, and a guy who doesn’t care. In every case, the romantic tension is lacking, a tension which I believe factors significantly into the success of the original.

Macross Frontier’s three main characters, Saotome Alto, Sheryl Nome, and Ranka Lee, recapture that tension. Saotome Alto is an amateur fighter pilot and former theatrical actor. Sheryl Nome, the “Galactic Fairy,” is by far the biggest music idol of the day. Ranka Lee is a young girl working at a Chinese restaurant who aspires to be a pop idol. Mankind’s encounter with the Vajra, a violent alien race so powerful it can easily avoid an Itano Circus, brings Alto, Sheryl, and Ranka together and ties their destinies together.

It all sounds very familiar, but I am in no way saying that Macross Frontier is treading old ground, or that it’s some sort of lazy throwback to time immaterial (the 1980s). Already from my small and deliberately basic description, there are some things which are new and refreshing, particularly in this current age of anime. Unlike previous series, the main characters are all involved in performance in very different ways. There’s also the fact that we have not one but two idols with many years of experience of difference between them, with Sheryl being both Ranka’s surrogate mother (Ranka herself losing her parents at an early age), and her conflicted rival for the affections of Alto. Just like in the original Macross, I cannot bring myself to hate either girl or Alto, and also like in the original, I cannot seem to decide who I want to side with at the moment. I like this feeling. It’s one I’ve enjoyed before, and yet it feels so new.

Macross has always used its continuity as merely a backdrop, unlike say, Robotech, which thrives on it. However, whereas the latest incarnation of Robotech is marred by this devotion to continuity, Macross Frontier’s many, many nods to the past, a live performance of My Boyfriend is a Pilot and a car radio playing Planet Dance being just two examples, fit right in without overwhelming the viewer with backstory. History lessons are welcomed, but are not absolutely necessary, so what you end up having is a series which is progress not for the sake of progress but for making something worth watching and worth remembering.

The suspense is so great I may deculture my pants.

Armored Trooper Votoms: Part 2

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Armored Trooper Votoms is the story of Chirico Cuvie, a soldier and Armored Tooper (giant robot) pilot who was betrayed by his own military and forced on the run. Previously, Chirico found himself in Uoodo, a city where might makes right and people are very likely not to wake up the next morning. In episodes 14-27 of Armored Trooper Votoms, the AWOL soldier Chirico Cuvie trades the disorder and chaos of Uoodo for the focused destruction in the jungles of Kummen, a country at odds with Melkia. Chirico, a man who lives to fight, finds himself in his natural habitat amidst a civil war.

The aptly titled second part of Votoms, the “Kummen Jungle Wars,” sees Chirico acting as a mercenary for the Kummen government, fighting against a rebellious prince who seeks to prevent his nation from abandoning its traditions and modernizing. As the war progresses, it becomes clear that neither side is “good” or “evil” as is often the case with clashes of ideology as well as real robot anime. New characters are introduced on both sides, some familiar and welcome faces appear, Chirico still uses a Scope Dog, and the Perfect Soldier project which forced Chirico on the run is further along than it’s ever been before. …Or is it?

The fighting in Kummen is different from Uoodo, where it was usually cops vs thugs vs Chirico. Instead, Chirico in his mercenary role frequently acts as part of a mechanized platoon, following orders and occasionally giving them. The enemy, being much weaker than them, relies on guerilla tactics and hiding in plain sight in order to confuse the government’s soldiers and weaken resolve. The battles are intense and gritty without much posturing, lives are easily lost, and Chirico continues to wage war in what is basically the Votoms equivalent of a Zaku, a Leo, or a KLF: a rust bucket without many special features other than the strength and skill of the pilot within it.

The only real fault of Votoms is the way it handles romance, as it does so in a very Tomino-esque hammer-over-the-head manner. The origins of romance in the story of Votoms can make it hard to swallow, but don’t let it distract you.

Though the Kummen Jungle Wars arc ties into the greater plotline of Votoms, it can be considered its own self-contained story of a country at war with itself, where tradition and progress are forced against one another to determine the future of the nation. Watching just these 13 episodes alone can be satisfying enough, and if you’re unable to watch the Uoodo arc, the show was courteous enough to throw in a recap episode. At the end of Kummen, while a lot of questions are answered, far more are brought up, and there’s another 26 episodes to go.

Vifam is a Tomino Show Alright

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3 episodes in and we already have a kamikaze attack.

Series Breakdown of Super Robot Wars Z

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…or at least the ones I know about.

Overman King Gainer
I never saw all of King Gainer, but this has always been a sought after title for Super Robot Wars. The highly unique mecha designs and inevitable “Monkey” following a dynamic kill are more than welcome.

The Big O
Big O made its debut on the GBA with SRWD. While the graphics for D were revolutionary as far as the GBA games went, it’ll be great to see it represented in the series proper, with something that can do justice to its clean art style. Also, the voices will really help.

The Big O Second Season
I look forward to this for only one reason: BIG O!! FINAL STAGE!!

Zambot 3
Ah, Zambot 3, one of my favorite giant robot series. Zambot 3 makes its long-awaited return to console SRWs, and just the thought of seeing how they tackle its battle animations has me giddy. I reviewed the show a while back, so make sure to check it out. I am very curious as to how they’re going to incorporate Zambot 3 into the overall plot, as the show itself is incredibly harsh. It also appears that they’re going to let Zambot 3 break off into its component parts, which is a very welcome addition.

Daitarn 3
Daitarn 3 was always a bit of a disappointment, as I watched it after Zambot 3, and knowing that they’re considered “cousins” of sorts, I wasn’t expecting the show to be about James (Bond) and the Giant Robot. In any case, the series is more or less episodic, which means it fits well into the cracks of the overall SRW plots. I hope to see all of Daitarn 3’s ridiculous attacks. For those who don’t know, Daitarn 3 had a translation error, in that its cross-throwing attack was called “Daitarn Web” and its capture net was called “Cross Dart.” They actually maintain this error throughout the SRW games, and I hope to see the tradition continue.

Xabungle
I know very little about Xabungle, only that it’s fairly light-hearted, which goes great with Daitarn 3…and not so much with Zambot 3. Oh, Tomino.

Z Gundam
Oh, Tomino indeed. I hear this is going to be based on the New Translation movies, so we really have no idea how this might tie into the greater SRW plot. The real question is whether or not they’re going to use the New Translation character designs.

Gundam: Char’s Counterattack
It’s going to be fun seeing Char completely surrounded by more Char-types than ever before. I love the Nu Gundam and Sazabi, and I look forward to seeing them in action once more. Char’s Counterattack, like with so many others, was the first Gundam anime to really show me the impact and power of Gundam. No one should be surprised, as it is rare that Amuro and Char don’t make their way into SRW games, but let’s still be happy.

Gundam X
A very conventional Gundam series despite being an alternate universe. I also have fond memories for this because the X and the Virsago were some of the first Gundam models I purchased. Gundam X is just one of many series in this game which hint at the fact that the moon will play an important role in this game. As long as they keep Tifa’s anata ni… chikara o! everything will be dandy.

Turn A Gundam
Speaking of the importance of the moon… Turn A Gundam is also a very, very welcome veteran. The best AU Gundam there is, I hope to see fun comments from Amuro regarding some of Turn A’s weaponry, and I really hope that the dynamic kill on Turn A’s ultimate attack is REALLY dynamic, like with up close camera angles and such.

Gundam SEED Destiny
SEED Destiny, one of the best shows of 2004 and one of the worst shows of 2005. I’ve been looking foward to this just so I can see how SRW manages to improve the plot. Cagalli will be avenged, that I will tell you.

Mazinger Z
It’s not really a Super Robot Wars if it doesn’t have THE super robot. Mazinger Z is the gold standard of SRW attack animations as well, so it’ll be a good indicator of how things go.

Great Mazinger
See Mazinger Z comments above, only a little less.


Getter Robo G
SHIIIIIIIIIIINE SPAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAARKU!

Grendizer
My only complaint is that for some reason SRW has something against putting Grendizer and Mazinger in the same game. Still, this means we’re going to see an AWESOME Final Dynamic Special.

God Sigma
I like making fun of the song.

Aquarion
Kawamori at his craziest, this show only pretends to be serious but really isn’t. We’ve already seen that they’re going to include the Mugen Punch and the Getsumen Punch, but I also look forward to the ridiculous 3D Attack. It also combines in a fashion similar to Getter Robo, except all of the forms have really powerful finishers. Oh, and I hope people turn down the volume for this game, or they’re going to wake everyone up with the moaning of the Aquarion orgasm gattai sequence.

Eureka Seven
There have been two series I’ve really, really, REALLY wanted to see in SRW. Eureka Seven is one of them (and Godannar is the other). I am so giddy over its inclusion, and combined with the interview where they said they’re going to focus on backgrounds more for this iteration of SRW, I just KNOW that Eureka Seven is the perfect series to show this off. They’d better have the battle in the rainbow clouds. Also, Eureka’s cut-in during the Nirvash’s animation was so amazing it made me melt inside.

Orguss
I never saw Orguss, though I know it’s made by the Macross crew. I’ve heard good things about it, and as always it’s good to see new blood in SRW.

Gravion
Sort of like Big O Second Season, I don’t really care about what they do with the plot or whatever. I am just looking forward to the maid-powered rocket punches. I hope Gravion has a combination attack with Grendizer using the power of Gravity and Anti-Gravity.

Gravion Zwei
This mainly means we’re going to be seeing that saucy girl who works for the military. All right.

Baldios
The Heika meme will be revived full force. I’d like to take this show seriously but the term “Blue Fixer” prevents that.