Guest Author - Monica Flink
One of the things that has always fascinated me about mech or mecha manga is the clever way that mecha is designed. Whether it is the guymelefs from Escaflowne, which require an energist to work, or the electricity and battery powered behemoths from Evangelion, there are so many ways in which a mech can be brought to life to be a character as much as its pilot. The clever designs can ensure that not only is the particular mech in question unique to the entire genre of mecha manga, but also unique in that particular universe, adding a bit of spice and unpredictability to the world into which readers are slowly drawn. There are three basic designs, but these are so easy to build upon that it seems the clever engineering will never end.
One fantastic element of clever mecha design is in machines such as the well known Voltron series. Several smaller mecha animals or vehicles that can work separately can also join together and become a sword-wielding super machine that can withstand massive amounts of damage, protect worlds as well as the people inside, and at the end of the day, destroy any threat to the universe that the forces of evil might toss out. This form of mech can be said to promote teamwork, or perhaps to show the world that what one cannot do alone (fight darkness from the very abyss of the soul), many may accomplish. It’s also really cool to just watch them fasten together and kick some butt.
A type of mecha for those who are more realistic might be that of Neon Genesis Evangelion, or the slightly more fantastic Big O. The mech of Evangelion answers questions such as: “Where does the power come from?” and “What happens to the pilot when the mech is damaged?” Power cords, short lived batteries, painful injuries and insanity caused by putting young pilots into situations they cannot comprehend are all a part of the more realistic style of mech manga. In Big O, the question of how the mecha just magically appears when it’s needed is answered, when Roger Smith’s eponymous Big O mech ends up where it needs to be using a left-over subway system. Hard-core science fiction fans will be the ones who love this style of clever mech style and substance combined.
Those who love fantasy will be more interested in the third main style of mecha, which is as fantastic as it can get. From sentient suits of armor that tower hundreds of feet into the air and transform teenage girls into warriors, to those that run on gemstones stolen from a dragon’s heart, fantastic mech can reach the sky and beyond for the inspiration which makes them unique. Escaflowne has the guymelef, which comes with all different styles of weapons and artillery, as well as requiring unique power sources, such as a young girl for the eponymous Escaflowne. Yet, the mech in Magic Knight Rayearth run on magic, and speak to the three young women who become the pilots.
Whether the battles take place on Earth, in space, or on some fantastic world, almost all mecha fall into the three categories that populate the mech genre of manga. It seems there is something for everyone, whether proclivities run towards a love of realism, hard core science fiction, stories driven by the emotions of the characters, or the pure fantastic that comes in a metallic suit several sizes too large.
