Anime in the 1970s

Now, what would the world be if we never knew giant robots to battle across distant galaxies? Not unlike the 1970s in Hollywood, the evolution of anime during this decade changed the face of the medium through the introduction and development of the first major genre, “mecha.” Short for mechanical super robot, mecha has become an icon of anime that has produced more distinct episodic series than any other. The first of its kind was a creation of artist Go Nagai called Mazinger Z which managed to singlehandedly define a genre and develop the standard for what is expected from a super robot show. Mazinger Z first aired in 1972

Moving away from the Disney-influenced style, the human characters of Go Nagai are rooted in the proportions of realism, while his imagination merged the concepts of sci-fi and technological mechanics into compelling narrative adventures.


The lessons of mecha are deeply rooted in the mores off the Japanese people, teaching determination, loyalty, and bravery. However, it is through mecha that the traditional structures of good versus evil are explored further, with evil characters being developed into anti-heroes, contributing to the acceptance of more unconventional concepts into anime. The success and reach of mecha allowed for the exploration of many more social themes and allowed the creators of anime to focus on more specific target groups.





A tribute to Mecha Anime


See also:

• Hayao Miyazaki
• Katsuhiro Otomo
• Leiji Matsumoto
• Osamu Tezuka
• Rumiko Takahashi