Ask John: Does Mecha Anime Alienate Anarchists?

Question:
I remember reading on an anime forum a while back that someone stated that those who are anti-military/anti-law enforcement would not like mecha anime. What are your thoughts? Agree?

Answer:
I can’t refute the theory that certain individuals opposed to militaristic structures may reject mecha anime as an insidious form of propaganda, but I can argue that for the majority of reasonable analysts, mecha anime as a genre is not as limited as the provided observation presumes. First, I must assume that “mecha” anime actually refers to robot anime. Broadly speaking, “mecha” is an abbreviation for “mechanical,” thus anime like Eve no Jikan, which revolves around integrating androids into human society, and Galaxy Express 999, which features space-faring steam locomotives, can technically be considered “mecha” anime despite including no giant robots. The giant robots of anime including Patlabor and the “Brave” series are literally giant mechanical police officers. The mecha in countless anime, including Megazone 23, Macross, Gundam, Votoms, and Dragonar are military equipment and therefore advocate military action and aggression, and, by arguable extension, advocate a glamorization of militarization to impressionable children that watch anime.

However, a strict observation reveals just as many giant robot anime that are not affiliated with legal structures. Classic robots including Mazinger Z and Tetsujin 28gou were created by visionary private individuals, not by government agencies. The giant robots in anime including Giant Gorg, Gold Lightan, and Gadguard are friends and partners to their child owners, not government or military machinery nor advocates of any legal or political ideology. The giant robots in anime including Yuusha Reideen, Rayearth, Wataru, and Yamato Takeru are legendary, revered machines that are either feared or respected, but these mecha, again, don’t specifically represent and advocate traditional, organized enforcement of social status quo.

Robot anime is intended to encourage home video and merchandise sales. Robot anime is designed to entertain viewers. I do not believe that robot anime, as a genre, consciously or even practically makes a concerted effort to propagate any sort of political agenda. I absolutely don’t believe that the mecha anime genre collectively makes an effort to advocate social normalism, militarism, or socio-political anarchy. The individual who believes that mecha anime, as a genre, advocates psychological reinforcement of established governmental and military structures will be nearly impossible to refute, but a comprehensive and rational examination of the breadth of robot anime should clearly reveal that the genre only consistently advocates a sense of futurism, a speculative interest in the potential of science and technology that can either reinforce social norms or be anarchic, and is frequently both at once.