Be it power-packed battles or giant robots, the Gundam by Yoshiyuki Tomino is one of the iconic mecha anime of all time. The anime is popular for its futuristic visuals and depiction of realism. With mecha often reduced to stereotypes, the profound meaning and themes behind it are lost in translation.
A still from the 1979 series Gundam | Credit: Nippon Sunrise
Gundam was one of the earliest anime that shaped the mecha genre for future generations. Although the backdrop of the story is fictional, Tomino san based Char on a historical figure namely, Manfred Von Richthofen, also known as The Red Baron.
Red Comet Char’s connection to Red Baron in Yoshiyuki Tomino’s manga
Char Aznable, also known as Casval Rem Deikun originally appeared as an antagonist in Yoshiyuki Tomino‘s series Gundam (1979). As a commanding officer and later, pilot, Char excelled in combat, firearms, and the use of mobile suits.
A still from the 1979 series Gundam | Credit: Nippon Sunrise
Gundam was one of the earliest anime that shaped the mecha genre for future generations. Although the backdrop of the story is fictional, Tomino san based Char on a historical figure namely, Manfred Von Richthofen, also known as The Red Baron.
Red Comet Char’s connection to Red Baron in Yoshiyuki Tomino’s manga
Char Aznable, also known as Casval Rem Deikun originally appeared as an antagonist in Yoshiyuki Tomino‘s series Gundam (1979). As a commanding officer and later, pilot, Char excelled in combat, firearms, and the use of mobile suits.
- 8/28/2024
- by Himanshi Jeswani
- FandomWire
"Pacific Rim" is one of the best American blockbuster movies of the 2010s ... or one of the best kaiju movies ever ... or even one of the best live-action anime movies not based on a specific anime (but still clearly inspired by "Patlabor" and "Tetsujin-28"). It's also a hugely important movie for filmmaker Guillermo del Toro and an essential part of the Oscar-winner's filmography. After all, "Pacific Rim" was both his first original English-language script and his first original film in seven years -- not to mention the film that marked his transition into a full-time Hollywood director.
Still, as successful as the movie was, and as much as it depended on del Toro's unique visual style and imagination, a sequel (titled "Pacific Rim Uprising") was made without his involvement, meaning his original ideas for "Pacific Rim 2" were all scrapped. And though it seems unlikely that a third "Pacific Rim" will ever get made,...
Still, as successful as the movie was, and as much as it depended on del Toro's unique visual style and imagination, a sequel (titled "Pacific Rim Uprising") was made without his involvement, meaning his original ideas for "Pacific Rim 2" were all scrapped. And though it seems unlikely that a third "Pacific Rim" will ever get made,...
- 8/19/2024
- by Rafael Motamayor
- Slash Film
For years, Awesome Art We’ve Found Around The Net has been about two things only – awesome art and the artists that create it. With that in mind, we thought why not take the first week of the month to showcase these awesome artists even more? Welcome to “Awesome Artist We’ve Found Around The Net.” In this column, we are focusing on one artist and the awesome art that they create, whether they be amateur, up and coming, or well established. The goal is to uncover these artists so even more people become familiar with them. We ask these artists a few questions to see their origins, influences, and more. If you are an awesome artist or know someone that should be featured, feel free to contact me at any time at [email protected] month we are very pleased to bring you the awesome art of…
Mauricio...
Mauricio...
- 5/4/2024
- by Theodore Bond
- JoBlo.com
Guillermo del Toro's "Pacific Rim" remains one of the very best live-action films inspired by anime that wasn't actually based on anime (though it eventually became one). The 2013 movie is essentially about giant robots fighting kaiju. Its influences are many, from kaiju movies like "Godzilla" and the work of Ray Harryhausen, but also clearly tokusatsu like del Toro's beloved "Ultraman" and even mecha anime like "Gunbuster," "Getter Robo," and "Mazinger Z."
"Pacific Rim," arguably more so than "The Matrix," feels like the biggest American movie inspired by anime, a movie made by someone who loves the medium, at a time when anime was starting to enter the mainstream. But if you asked Guillermo del Toro that question shortly before the release of the film, it seems he would have been a nervous wreck.
David S. Cohen's book "Pacific Rim: Man, Machines & Monsters — The Inner Workings of an Epic...
"Pacific Rim," arguably more so than "The Matrix," feels like the biggest American movie inspired by anime, a movie made by someone who loves the medium, at a time when anime was starting to enter the mainstream. But if you asked Guillermo del Toro that question shortly before the release of the film, it seems he would have been a nervous wreck.
David S. Cohen's book "Pacific Rim: Man, Machines & Monsters — The Inner Workings of an Epic...
- 4/7/2024
- by Rafael Motamayor
- Slash Film
Anime power-ups are a trope as old as time, bringing excitement to the heat of battle, freshness to the hero (or villain) and their attacks. They also teach young readers and viewers that through training they can grow bigger and stronger — or in the case of Luffy's Gear 5 in "One Piece," they can turn into cartoon chaos gods.
Ever since "Astro Boy" introduced the idea of characters with different levels of power, authors have tried to introduce new and cooler ways to have their characters evolve. Mecha shows like "Mazinger Z" had their giant robots gain upgrades over time. "Sailor Moon" and other magical girl anime added their own spin with the guardians getting boosts to their power while also getting shiny suits. "Digimon" had evolutions that gave characters physical transformations. Of course, there's the seminal anime power-up — the Super Saiyan form from "Dragon Ball Z." Inspired by Bruce Lee,...
Ever since "Astro Boy" introduced the idea of characters with different levels of power, authors have tried to introduce new and cooler ways to have their characters evolve. Mecha shows like "Mazinger Z" had their giant robots gain upgrades over time. "Sailor Moon" and other magical girl anime added their own spin with the guardians getting boosts to their power while also getting shiny suits. "Digimon" had evolutions that gave characters physical transformations. Of course, there's the seminal anime power-up — the Super Saiyan form from "Dragon Ball Z." Inspired by Bruce Lee,...
- 2/12/2024
- by Rafael Motamayor
- Slash Film
"Gundam" is finally coming back after a long seven-year journey! "The Witch From Mercury" marks the return of one of Japan's biggest media franchises.
A massive 43-year-old franchise with over 50 installments across film and TV, it can be quite daunting to even attempt to enter the world of Yoshiyuki Tomino's epic robot space opera. Whether you're a returning fan or brand new to the very idea of what a Gundam is, we're here to answer every question you might have about the new show and the franchise it is aiming to revitalize.
So, first up, what is "Gundam" exactly? To give it its full name, "Mobile Suit Gundam" is a long-running series focusing on people capable of piloting Gundams, the most advanced, giant humanoid mecha — also called Mobile Suits. This is rather standard stuff for the mecha genre of anime, but what set Tomino's world apart -- and helped...
A massive 43-year-old franchise with over 50 installments across film and TV, it can be quite daunting to even attempt to enter the world of Yoshiyuki Tomino's epic robot space opera. Whether you're a returning fan or brand new to the very idea of what a Gundam is, we're here to answer every question you might have about the new show and the franchise it is aiming to revitalize.
So, first up, what is "Gundam" exactly? To give it its full name, "Mobile Suit Gundam" is a long-running series focusing on people capable of piloting Gundams, the most advanced, giant humanoid mecha — also called Mobile Suits. This is rather standard stuff for the mecha genre of anime, but what set Tomino's world apart -- and helped...
- 9/1/2022
- by Rafael Motamayor
- Slash Film
The first of the three masterful collaborations the duo of Hiroyuki Imaishi as director and veteran playwright Kazuki Nakashima as script-writer gave us (“Kill la Kill” and “Promare” are the other two) was a truly game-changing title, which reinvigorated the rather preterit at the time mecha genre in ways no one could have imagined.
The main story, which is not based on a manga in another unique aspect of the title, takes place in a fictional future where Earth has become an almost complete dystopia, ruled by the Spiral King, Lord Genome, who has forced mankind to live in isolated subterranean villages for generations. To achieve that, apart from spreading lies about the surface of the earth being extremely dangerous, he also uses his beast men, who, using mechas, terrorize anyone who dares actually leave the underground villages. Two teenagers, however, Kamina, who once saw the sky with his father,...
The main story, which is not based on a manga in another unique aspect of the title, takes place in a fictional future where Earth has become an almost complete dystopia, ruled by the Spiral King, Lord Genome, who has forced mankind to live in isolated subterranean villages for generations. To achieve that, apart from spreading lies about the surface of the earth being extremely dangerous, he also uses his beast men, who, using mechas, terrorize anyone who dares actually leave the underground villages. Two teenagers, however, Kamina, who once saw the sky with his father,...
- 5/26/2020
- by Panos Kotzathanasis
- AsianMoviePulse
At the 15th edition of Indie-AniFest, Kim Cheong-gi repeats his age-old truth at this year’s Korean Special screening of “Robot Taekwon V” (1976): “[It’s] a Korean animation made for the Korean people.”
In one sense, he’s right. “Robot Taekwon V” definitely left its mark as a film for Korean people. Aside from its Korean cultural references, “Robot Taekwon V” has been historically significant for the Korean animation industry as a whole. As an entirely homegrown film, “Robot Taekwon V” is a major milestone in a largely outsourced industry. In the 2014 Korean Film Archive’s list of top 100 Films, “Robot Taekwon V” has also earned its place as the only animated film on the list.
On the other hand, the modern-day press has often written off “Robot Taekwon V” as a Japanese rip-off. With character designs and themes pulled from animated series “Mazinger Z”, “Robot Taekwon V” has been tainted...
In one sense, he’s right. “Robot Taekwon V” definitely left its mark as a film for Korean people. Aside from its Korean cultural references, “Robot Taekwon V” has been historically significant for the Korean animation industry as a whole. As an entirely homegrown film, “Robot Taekwon V” is a major milestone in a largely outsourced industry. In the 2014 Korean Film Archive’s list of top 100 Films, “Robot Taekwon V” has also earned its place as the only animated film on the list.
On the other hand, the modern-day press has often written off “Robot Taekwon V” as a Japanese rip-off. With character designs and themes pulled from animated series “Mazinger Z”, “Robot Taekwon V” has been tainted...
- 9/26/2019
- by Grace Han
- AsianMoviePulse
During the big Hall H Comic-Con presentation for Ready Player One, the first teaser trailer was released for the film, and if you haven't seen it yet, you can watch it here. I absolutely loved what I saw and I think fans are going to get the incredible adaptation that we are all hoping for.
One of the many cool things that was shown in the trailer was a shot of the Iron Giant with Parzival. That was a visual I wasn't expecting to see and I was so excited when it popped up!
After the trailer ended, one of the first things that Spielberg made a point of saying is that the Iron Giant was going to play a major role in the story! Iron Giant doesn't have a big role in the book, but if you've read the book you know there's a big important story element involving giant robots.
One of the many cool things that was shown in the trailer was a shot of the Iron Giant with Parzival. That was a visual I wasn't expecting to see and I was so excited when it popped up!
After the trailer ended, one of the first things that Spielberg made a point of saying is that the Iron Giant was going to play a major role in the story! Iron Giant doesn't have a big role in the book, but if you've read the book you know there's a big important story element involving giant robots.
- 7/22/2017
- by Joey Paur
- GeekTyrant
Well creeps, July has been one big sea of batsh*t! Between workin’ overtime to fill the ol’ haunted halls o’ FM with a S-ton of my usual standard substandard nonsense, I’ve also been workin’ my arse off on a slew of upcomin’ secret projects which I’ll share with you soon! But for now; how about a heapin’ helpin’ o’ revoltin’ reviews (don’t worry if yer watchin’ yer figure—they’re as fat free as they are entertainment free)!
Robotjox
• Release Date: Available Now on Blu-ray
• Written By: Stuart Gordon, Joe Haldeman
• Directed By: Stuart Gordon
• Starring: Gary Graham, Anne-Marie Johnson, Paul Koslo
I couldn’t believe my eyes as a lil’ creep when I saw the trailer for horror maestro Stuart (Re-animator, From Beyond) Gordon’s Robotjox; it looked like someone had somehow ripped all of the mech action from animated shows I loved like Tranzor Z...
Robotjox
• Release Date: Available Now on Blu-ray
• Written By: Stuart Gordon, Joe Haldeman
• Directed By: Stuart Gordon
• Starring: Gary Graham, Anne-Marie Johnson, Paul Koslo
I couldn’t believe my eyes as a lil’ creep when I saw the trailer for horror maestro Stuart (Re-animator, From Beyond) Gordon’s Robotjox; it looked like someone had somehow ripped all of the mech action from animated shows I loved like Tranzor Z...
- 8/13/2015
- by DanielXIII
- FamousMonsters of Filmland
Two famous robots go head to head in a grudge match that will only and in bloo....er oil. I'm sure most of you probably know of Mazinger Z, but for those who don't, you may know him as Tranzor Z. He's a manga robot who had a TV series! That's all you need to know, really. Artwork by Carlos D'Anda.
- 11/8/2013
- by Mick Joest
- GeekTyrant
As a kid growing up in the 1980′s, you’d have been hard pressed not to have been influenced, even if unknowingly, by Japanese anime and culture. From Transformers to Robotech to Voltron and everything in between such as Battle of the Planets and the less popular Tranzor Z , the Japanese were responsible for creating some of the coolest giant robots and spaceships ever to appear on movie and television screens. One such ship was the Space Battleship Yamato, known in the Us as Star Blazers.
I have to admit, most of my memories of anime from my childhood contradict the facts of actually watching the shows from which my memories are derived. In short, I remember the images, toys, and models of many an anime, whether from visiting my local comic store, or somehow winding up with hand-me-down toys from my older brother and cousins. No matter the facts of said memories,...
I have to admit, most of my memories of anime from my childhood contradict the facts of actually watching the shows from which my memories are derived. In short, I remember the images, toys, and models of many an anime, whether from visiting my local comic store, or somehow winding up with hand-me-down toys from my older brother and cousins. No matter the facts of said memories,...
- 9/10/2013
- by Dominic F
- FamousMonsters of Filmland
My love for deformed action figures steams from a Robotech toy I bought when I was a kid. Rick Hunter is my favorite character in Robotech, so when I found this really odd looking incarnation of Ricks Vf-1S at a local toy store I flipped out. Sure the figure looked like it could be the Vf-1S’ pudgy little brother, but to me it was the coolest version of a Veritech I’d ever seen. Did I mention the figure came with the Vf-1S Strike Armor as well as a mini figure of Lynn Minmay? Pretty cool stuff for a little kid. Would I rather have had a mini Lisa Hayes figure, sure, but what are you gonna do? Now, at this point in my life I was pretty much a fan of all things giant robots from Transformers to Mazinger Z (or Tranzor Z as we knew...
- 8/6/2013
- by Dominic F
- FamousMonsters of Filmland
Note: This review was originally posted on October 12, 2009. It’s getting a temporary bump because Yatterman will be screened again at this year’s New York Asian Film Festival on 6/25 and 7/2. See this link for details.
Growing up in the 80s, there were a few Americanized imports of Japanese cartoons that captured my imagination as a kid; Voltron (1984-1985), Robotech (1985), G-Force: Guardians of Space (1986), and Tranzor Z (1985-1987) being the obvious ones that come to mind. Unfortunately, I don’t recall ever being exposed to Yatterman. In fact, before Takashi Miike’s live-action film adaptation of the popular late 70s cartoon series was first announced back in 2007, I had only heard the name mentioned in passing and really had no idea what to expect. Fortunately, you really don’t need to know anything about the original cartoon going into this one. It’s actually the perfect entry-level primer to the conventions of the original show.
Growing up in the 80s, there were a few Americanized imports of Japanese cartoons that captured my imagination as a kid; Voltron (1984-1985), Robotech (1985), G-Force: Guardians of Space (1986), and Tranzor Z (1985-1987) being the obvious ones that come to mind. Unfortunately, I don’t recall ever being exposed to Yatterman. In fact, before Takashi Miike’s live-action film adaptation of the popular late 70s cartoon series was first announced back in 2007, I had only heard the name mentioned in passing and really had no idea what to expect. Fortunately, you really don’t need to know anything about the original cartoon going into this one. It’s actually the perfect entry-level primer to the conventions of the original show.
- 6/23/2010
- Nippon Cinema
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