The Animated Robots of Japan

What do you associate with robots? Most Japanese people think of superheroes.

When you think of robots in America, you might think of Isaac Asimov's series of Sci-Fi novels. Other than that, robots in American media are often a threat to humans.

In the movies, they are the Terminator. In many games, giant, terrifying robots are common. However, Japanese robots have always been allies of humans.

The first robot to gain popularity in Japan was Astro Boy. Astro Boy made his debut in a manga magazine in 1951. In the manga’s setting, Astro Boy was born in 2003. The original creators had hoped that Astro Boy would come to fruition half a century in the future. Unfortunately, in the year 2020, robots are still primitive. But the original creator turned his big dream into a comic book. And Astro Boy was a huge hit.

Especially as a TV animation, a moving robot was so revolutionary and fascinating. Astro Boy was a very cute kid. He has the same joys and sorrows as a human being. That's not all. He has courage, justice, and tremendous power. It's no wonder that children adore him.

After Astro Boy, robots were an influential subject in Japanese manga and animation. The next robot that became popular was Gigantor.

Gigantor is a counterpart of Astro Boy. He has the personality of a stereotypical robot. He has no emotions and moves at the command of the main character, Shotaro. Driven by a remote controller, he has no fear and no sense of justice. His every action is reflected in the will of the controller. If the controller is taken away from Shotaro by an evil person, he follows the evil one’s orders. Gigantor's thrilling battles have captured the hearts of children.

During the early days of TV animation, many Sci-Fi shows were created. Along with Astro Boy and Gigantor, 8th Man was one of the most popular of them all. The uniqueness of this show is that the main character, a robot, is an adult. While most superheroes in the US are adults, most of them in Japan are teenagers or small children. But 8th Man is a very cool and stylish character, borrowing characteristics from hard-boiled novels, making him a more realistic humanoid robot.

A characteristic of Japanese robot animation was the relationship between robots and humans. How a person controls a robot was often the highlight of the show. This has changed over time.

Mazinger Z, which appeared in 1972, was a breakthrough. A small plane piloted by a human docked with the head of a giant robot. Hence, this robot was very large. He was 60 feet tall.

Gigantor and Astro Boy consisted of primitive fistfights between robots. However, Mazinger Z uses his equipped weapons to fight the robots controlled by the villain. The enemy robots also had a variety of ingenious and secret weapons. This lineage of epic robot battles has since spawned many imitations.

In 1979, Japanese robot animation saw the introduction of a revolutionary series: Gundam. It was completely different from the robots that came before it. It had a more realistic story, and a more complicated setting aimed at an older audience. It's a really believable vision of the future.

Basically, the robots in Gundam are treated as a development of a fighter jet. Its setting is space. The protagonist is no longer a robot, but a human pilot. The story depicts the struggles of humans, and even the significance of robots' existence recedes. But interestingly, despite its author's intentions for a short series, Gundam's popularity led to its growth into a huge franchise.

Since that first show, Gundam has made numerous sequels. What's surprising is that the series has maintained its popularity, and continues to the present day. But I won't talk about it too much, as it's a long story to write.

But even after Gundam, the history of robot animation doesn't stop. New variations of robots kept coming out.

Among them, Evangelion is the most conspicuous one. This series subverts the conventions of its predecessors. It deviates from the original concept of a robot with sophisticated and organic designs. It is a child that controls it, but unlike Gigantor, the focus of the conflict is the protagonist’s inner struggle. This is a very scary and authentic Sci-Fi story.

As mentioned above, the Japanese have been relentlessly creating and transforming robots in fiction. There is a never-ending pursuit of the ideal. Their long journey is not over yet. There is a glimpse of the longing for something beyond humanity. What kind of robots will appear in the future?