Ask John: Why Do Anime Robots Have Such Ornate Designs?

Question:
After watching some older 80’s anime with a friend, we found ourselves in a discussion about “Why do early Japanese mechs have so much needless adornment”. Large head decorations and needless add-ons seem to serve no real purpose. I personally think that it’s a cultural thing. The largest and best mechs have more decoration to make them look more like samurai armour, which also had a good amount of decoration around the head and arms. What do you think?

Answer:
During the 1970s and early 1980s, robot anime was primarily designed to sell toys and model kits. Extravagant looking, colorful robots are eye-catching and appealing to children. But it was mecha designers and creators including Yoshiyuki Tomino, Ryosuke Takahashi, Shouji Kawamori, and Shinji Aramaki that started a small revolution of creating “real robots,” or robots and mecha modeled after practical, real world mechanical technology and practical efficiency. While early 70s and 80s robots like Baratack, Gaiking, and Zambot 3 weren’t especially practical looking, robots that followed, such as the Macross valkyries, Scopedogs of Votoms, and the mecha in series including Gundam, Dougram, Vifam, and Xabungle emphasized practicality, simple coloring, and a focus on believable working technology over flashy but impractical appearances.