Well, since we had one for normal robots I figured this might be appropriate! Not really going to define mecha and leave it more general, use your judgement. To me it means generally large semi-humanoid semi-mechanical. Anime or game, east or west, just want to see people’s favorite big robots.
Post pictures if you can! Mecha are, generally, about the visuals, so a picture over just a name/description might be best.
Most of my favorite mecha are from Mobile Suit Gundam, my favorite designers are Ippei Gyoubu, Kenki Fujioka, and Kazumi Fujita!
An Ippei example, a Fujioka example, and Fujita example, for my favorites!
I love the whole look and feel of Big O! (Even if I think the story is uneven, to say the least.) Art Deco is a great style for a robot, and for the city it kinda ends up smashing heal the time; the compromises between anthropomorphism and cool robot stuff are really interesting—I particularly like the weird ways its arms work; and the sound design for the O’s cockpit has been stuck in my head for years—that slightly muted klaxon that fades in an out, almost like breathing.
Another favorite artist for me is Ikuto Yamashita of Evangelion fame! His artwork is a treat to look at, and I’m sad he’s mostly stuck just with EVA because some of his non-EVA art has been great!
His interpretation of the Nu Gundam and Sazabi is quite rad:
Getter Robo will always be a number one favorite of mine. It’s so weirdly apocalyptic and such an interesting allegory into nuclear energy in a post-nuclear bombed Japan. Like all of Go Nagai’s and Ken Ishikawa’s works, I find the original source much more interesting than the “Monster of the Week” early TV anime.
Though, Getter Robo Armageddon is easily my favorite anime of all time. It’s so awesome in a number of ways. Virtually immortal, shapeshifting monsters from the outer reaches of our solar system consume the moon and invade the Earth and the only hope are a bunch of hot-blooded, insane pilots as they fight against their old mentor who turned into Dr. Wily. The entire thing culminates in a ridiculous ending that in my opinion will never be topped.
It’s got some severe pacing issues after the first 3 episodes, mainly because the director changed during development, but it ramps back up during the last 3 episodes. There’s a ton of allusions, nods, and direct rips from Nagai and Ishikawa’s other works, including one fight that is almost shot for shot a recreation of a fight from the manga, but it’s just amazing. I thought it was awesome before I read any of their other mangas and now I only appreciate Armageddon even more. Ultimately I view it as a love letter to Go Nagai and Ken Ishikawa.
I could post like a billion different mech designs that I like, but a recent favorite of mine is the flight units from NieR Automata. Like, this is a wildly good design considering its not even from a mecha focused game.
Yes! The flight units made me so happy when I first started the game, they have a lot of detail put into them for things that serve not a TON of function in-game, but they are sleek and cool looking.
Some strong picks in this thread already. Gonna throw in Shigeto Koyama, who I’m not sure has done anything beyond Star Driver, but has designed one of the most unique big mans in the game in Tauburn. I’m gonna need to see a list of all giant guys who wear heels.
If we’re talking Mobile Suit Gundam, I’ve been so in love with the MS-18E Kämpfer (Yutaka Izubuchi) since she first entered my life in War in the Pocket. She feels like an angry god that’s been slumbering in the deep ocean for millennia.
Lastly, Shoji Kawamori is a legend, and the Nirvash typeZERO (Eureka Seven) is my best friend in the whole world. I want the Nirvash to teach me how to do an Indy Nosebone.
