The mecha genre is one of the most recognizable staples of Japanese animation that brought the medium worldwide fame and adoration. The thrillings stories revolving around robots have an extensive, long history, starting their boom in the '50s and continuing to evolve and acquire new fans to this day. Nevertheless, the genre reached the peak of its popularity in the late '70s with the emergence of the world-famous battle mecha franchise Mobile Suit Gundam.

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Yoshiyuki Tomino's creation changed the landscape of the mecha anime forever, bringing myriads of diehard fans into the genre and introducing its narrative capacities to other anime producers. And while mecha lost its superiority in the medium a long time ago, the genre's iconic classics continue to excite both new fans and old-time admirers.

10 Macross Is A Beloved Science Fiction Epos Chronicling The Fight Between Humans And Aliens

Hikaru and Minmei on the poster for Macross: Do You Remember Love

The mecha genre is commonly associated with science fiction and often features exciting, innovative plots centered around the idea of space invasions. The classic 1982 series Macross is often regarded as one of the most popular and universally beloved space mecha series, adding an extraterrestrial twist to the classic trope.

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After humanity discovers a spaceship that crashed on the planet's surface, they realize the threat of an alien invasion on Earth. Uniting every country under the flag of the United Nations, humanity enters an intergalactic war filled with heart-wrenching drama, sentimental romance, and exciting adventures.

9 Beast King GoLion Reinvented The Canons Of Super Robot Anime

beast king golion

The '80s were a decade that kickstarted mecha's integration into the mainstream media landscape. Countless shows of that time are still dearly beloved by fans and modern animators, with many anime receiving updated reboots. The 1981 mecha series Beast King GoLion received a reimagining from Netflix just in 2016, titled Voltron: Legendary Defender.

Despite the success of the newer animated series, the original anime still aged very well and deserves to be fondly remembered. Its innovation of making the mecha piloting process a collective effort of a group of flyers opened new opportunities for the genre.

8 Infinite Ryvius Dives Into The Psychology Of Its Adolescent Protagonists

Infinite Ryvius full cast standing together

The later era of mecha anime moves away from the escapist fantasy of super robots and focuses on the psychological and societal aspects of the genre. In 1999, the science fiction mecha anime Infinite Ryvius attempted to adapt the classic Lord of the Flies novel into a thrilling space drama about a group of adolescent astronauts in-training surviving an isolated journey on a giant spaceship.

After their station gets attacked by an unknown group of saboteurs, killing all the adults on board in the process, the kids have to navigate back home in a tense climate of growing tension and suspicions.

7 Giant Robo The Animation Combines All The Things Fans Love About Mecha - Old And New

Giant Robo The Animation

The retro-futuristic aesthetic of the much older mecha series holds a special place in the hearts of many old-school fans of the genre. Giant Robo The Animation brought back that signature art style during the early '90s, creating the show that combines evocative visuals with a modernized, character-driven plotline.

The series chronicles the power struggle for the innovative renewable energy source that breaks between a megalomaniac cabal and International Police Organization's mismatched defense forces. Giant Robo The Animation is a heartfelt love letter to all the mecha anime that came before it.

6 Patlabor Introduces Comedic Elements Into The Predominantly Serious Mecha Genre

Division 2 Gets Some Surprising News In Patlabor

Comedy and mecha are two genres that rarely go well together. Nevertheless, the 1988 mecha series Patlabor: The Mobile Police succeeds in making its world filled with giant robots feel lively and humorous.

The series is set in the future, where the human race utilizes mechas to help them with everyday tasks. However, the robots often become targets for malicious criminals, which leads to the creation of a special police unit that deals with mech-related delinquency, Patlabors. The show focuses on the stressful yet amusing adventures of the Patlabor rookie Noa Izumi, who tries her best to keep the world safe from hostile criminals.

5 Zoids Introduces The Audience To Mechas Inspired By Animals And Mythological Creatures

The Cast Of Zoids: Genesis

Technozoids, or just Zoids for short, is a mecha franchise that started as a model-kit company in 1982 and evolved into a massive multimedia conglomerate over the years, producing countless video games, manga, and anime series. The genre twist Zoids had was introducing biomechas, giant cyborg animals used by humans as powerful weapons of war.

The narratives of Zoids vary in tone and themes vastly, from mature military dramas to lighthearted competitive adventures. This subject variety made Zoids a beloved franchise with something for everyone to enjoy.

4 The Vision Of Escaflowne Cleverly Combines Mecha And Fantasy

The Vision Of Escaflowne

The faraway fantasy worlds have always allured anime fans with their vibrancy and escapist glory. The popularity of the fantasy genre in the medium is the reason for the isekai genre's current dominance over the anime industry.

The 1996 mecha fantasy The Vision of Escaflowne features its ordinary protagonist, a 15-year-old schoolgirl Hitomi Kanzaki, getting transported into the fantasy land of Gaea. The luscious land is currently at war with a malicious empire of Zaibach, and it's up to Hitomi and her newfound comrades to save Gaea with the help of mechanical battlesuits.

3 Gunbuster Is Considered One Of The Most Legendary Mecha OVAs By The Genre's Diehard Fans

gunbuster

Studio Gainax is known for producing some of the most iconic mecha anime and starting off the directorial career of the genre's staple creator, Hideaki Anno. His first debut as an anime director was on the studio's timeless mecha OVA Gunbuster, a fast-paced mecha adventure that encapsulates the style and iconic aesthetic of the studio.

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The hectic joyride that is Gunbuster established a lot of the elements that would later become synonymous with Gainax, such as the angular, lively art style, hyperactive storytelling, and idiosyncratic visual direction.

2 Neon Genesis Evangelion Is The Most Notable Reconstruction Of The Super Robot Genre

Shinji And His Fellow Pilots In Neon Genesis Evangelion

With every massively successful genre comes a series that reconsiders everything the medium stands for and introduces something vastly different into it. For the mecha genre, that revolutionary show was Neon Genesis Evangelion, a 1995 anime that marked the rise of the real robot subgenre. Evangelion is infinitely praised for its grounded, tragic portrayal of the commonly eager and courageous mecha protagonist.

Unlike his contemporaries, Shinji Ikari isn't eager to save the world at the cost of his own life. His internal psychological deterioration is the core focus of Evangelion's plot progression. To this day, Neon Genesis Evangelion stands out as one of the most iconically unconventional anime series of the '90s.

1 The Classic Iterations Of The Gundam Franchise Are Still Incredible

The Original 1979 Gundam

Since 1979, the scope of the Gundam franchise continues to expand in size and popularity to this day. The world of Gundam captivated many generations of fans with its diverse, encapsulating stories of military mechas. The modern admirers of the media giant are fond of such fantastic series as Mobile Suit Gundam: Iron-Bloodied Orphans and Mobile Suit Gundam: The Origin.

Nevertheless, the franchise's roots can still impress even the newer fans while making the old-timers pleasantly nostalgic. The original 1979 Mobile Suit Gundam is still a blast to watch, pioneering all the thrilling elements people grew to adore about the real-robot genre.

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