Thank you for getting involved, everyone. I’m more and more excited by the Mecha March content that people are posting. Also, thank you for answer my questions too. We are on Question 3 after all. Lets dive into that.
Question 3: Based on series like Akudama Drive, Deca-Dence, Listeners, and Appare-Ranman, do you think the energy and passion for mechanical design still exists right now?
I think it does and it doesn’t at the same time. I haven’t watch Deca-Dence or Akudama Drive so I had to look up their designs and it seems like all three are doing the more piece-work designs. Which at least in Listeners sort of made sense since the mecha generated is based off the player. I highly doubt most players have an eye for mecha designs on top of it. And the premise that most of the world of Listener’s is kinda dystopian, use what you have and nothing more, work ethic. I’m sure there was passion for the designs in making them unique and fit the world’s aesthetic, but I’m not sure I would sign off on all the designs that were used.
As for the others I can’t really say, so I’ll reserve my judgement on that one.
From Me (Of All People)
The more and more I watch modern mecha series, I think there are a lot of wonderful designs out there. Even if there are not as many as there were before hand, making a mecha series or even a science fiction series requires futuristic designs that sell you on the setting. Or in the case of Appare-Ranman, older designs that fit that world and look really cool as well. We could also talk about how realistic designs can still be now. The difference is CG instead of hand drawn animation.
I don’t think production teams have enough time to do as fancy designs by hand anymore and that’s fine. The insane people who created and replicated modern levels of technology through hand drawing anymore are not as around anymore. I just though the logistics of seasonal anime and the increasing speed it comes out means that limitations have to be made. Still, that torch for mechanical design and passion continues in whatever form it can, cg or otherwise, and that’s ok. Especially with the innovative use of CG that has been shown in Back Arrow. I feel ok with this sentiment.
Thank you for stopping by, everyone. Please come back or get involved for the last question that comes out next week. If you want to be involved, please answer by March 26th at 5 PM PST. Here is the question:
Mechanical Anime Reviews 
Here’s my response to your question.
It can work, but it depends on the context and the situation of the story. Sports could work especially in a futuristic or sci-fi environment, so I have no issue with that. If there’s a legitimate reason for there to be a mecha in a genre that wouldn’t normally have them, then it could be fine. If it’s there just because and doesn’t have any comedic or sensible value, then I think it could be very shallow.
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Thanks so much 😁
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No problem, Scott!
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To answer your question for next week;
I think it depends on the why’s and how’s. If they just make baseball series with mecha characters, just because another baseball anime wouldn’t sell; then no. I need some world building as to why they decided to make it baseball and mecha. I want some logistics about why we as a society (if it was on earth), decided human baseball wasn’t enough anymore, etc. Also the intention, if it’s done to put on a spin on both genres, and there’s some care taken to the story and characters, it should work. Just doing it to do it, isn’t enough.
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Thanks so much!
And I really need to introduce you to Basquach, my friend 🙂
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You’re super welcome!
I saw your review for it awhile back, and it’s on the never ending plan to watch list!
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Ah yes, I have one of those too………
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Here’s my answer (hopefully I’m on time this time…): Adding mecha means explaining why the mechs are there, and that leads to the point that some genres work better with mechs than others. For instance, I could imagine Hypnosis Mic as a mech show because of the fact the speakers could be rendered as mechs and it could work because basically anything goes in that kinda-futuristic universe in the first place. In fact, any series which has an “anything goes” policy, even Ranma 1/2, would work really well with a mech or few added. (This is kinda spoilers, but…porcupinefish mecha from Boueibu, anyone…?)
However, if you tried to make, say, a mecha horror series…it would probably end up falling flat on its face, because giant robots and scary things don’t mesh well. Gridman showed you can pull off a sense of foreboding and unease with having kaiju in the background, but just having the atmosphere doesn’t make a proper horror series.
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For some reason, I didn’t see this until now so thanks so much.
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