Most Influential 90s Mecha Anime

Anime in the 90s was seen by many fans as something of a golden age in the medium, most notably when it came to any series featuring mecha. This decade was the sweet spot that brought together dazzling animation and artistry with fresh, vibrant storytelling. The likes of established transforming mecha like Getter Robo rubbed shoulders with game-changing entries like Neon Genesis Evangelion.

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As the 90s were such a seminal decade, it stands to reason that many of the anime produced during this period would themselves go on to become influential, leaving a template for other creators to follow in the many years since. With the wide array of titles available, there is a huge selection to choose from, but there are a few titles that made their mark and stand head and shoulders above the rest of the crowd.

1

Patlabor

Cops, Robbers, And Giant Robots

The Patlabor franchise is one of the all-time greats in police anime, with an emphasis on realism. In the near future, giant mechs called Labors are an essential part of everyday life, used in everything from building work to military deployment. When these units are misused or interfered with in the name of illegal activity, it falls to a special division of Tokyo’s Police Force – Special Vehicles Unit Section 2 – to investigate and save the day.

The Patlabor series, originally conceived by the collective known as Headgear, spans decades, but two seminal entries in the franchise came out in the 1990s – the TV series Patlabor The New Files and the stunning feature film Patlabor 2: The Movie, directed by Mamoru Oshii. Oshii’s work would later be seen in his ground-breaking cyberpunk masterwork Ghost In The Shell, which itself would go on to become one of the most influential anime ever made.

2

The Vision Of Escaflowne

Mysticism, Magic, Mecha

Mecha designer and anime legend Shoji Kawamori was a driving force behind this classic, which combined teen romance with giant robots and a fantasy setting. It inspired a devoted following, telling the story of Hitomi Kanzaki, a high school girl who is magically transported to a war-torn world of Gaea, complete with fantastical creatures and futuristic tech, including the legendary mecha that gives the series its name.

The show, which also has one of the best anime opening themes of all time, was a combination of fantasy elements with traditional mecha tropes. As such, it was a breath of fresh air for its time, and its titular mecha, with its dragon-inspired armor and transforming ability, feels like something that would go on to influence not just other anime but also video games like Sega’s Panzer Dragoon series.

3

Magic Knight Rayearth

Magical Mechs Meet Magical Girls

Similar to The Vision of Escaflowne, Magic Knight Rayearth (1994-1995) was a blend of genres, this time throwing in some magical girls for good measure. The story follows three girls—Hikaru, Umi, and Fuu—who are transported from modern Tokyo to the fantasy world of Cephiro, where they must become Magic Knights and awaken legendary mechs known as Rune Gods to fight off evil and save the world.

Adapted from the manga by the legendary Studio CLAMP, it successfully combines elements of shōjo with shōnen-style action, mecha battles, and high adventure. It set a precedent for a greater degree of freedom in combining a slew of genres that otherwise might not fit together. CLAMP’s signature style was also all over it, with exquisite character designs and intricate world-building, proving that mecha anime could reach beyond its traditional audience.

4

Getter Robo: Armageddon

The Old Guard Takes A Darker Turn

Getter Robo: Armageddon

Release Date

August 25, 1998

Widely recognized as the first transforming mecha, Getter Robo was created by Go Nagai and Ken Ishikawa, and has since become one of the longest-running and most beloved mecha anime of all time. Getter Robo: Armageddon was an OVA released in the late 90s which put a much darker spin on the tale, taking the traditional good-versus-evil tale and replacing it with a post-apocalyptic setting and a more complicated world for its heroes to fight in.

Getter Robo: Armageddon was significant in how it pushed the creative envelope and launched the super robot genre toward a more mature atmosphere. The OVA is strong stuff, due to its combination of intense fight scenes with powerful imagery and philosophical debates on the nature of power. Its impact can be seen in later works like Aldanoah Zero, where happy endings are not always guaranteed.

5

Giant Robo The Animation: The Day The Earth Stood Still

A Sublime Tribute To The Old Masters

Giant Robo the Animation: The Day the Earth Stood Still

Release Date

July 23, 1992

Giant Robo‘s 90s anime outing was a maximalist, delirious masterpiece that showcased everything that makes anime great. The seven-episode OVA, released over four years, mixed a retro art style with cutting-edge animation, a bombastic orchestral soundtrack and some truly mind-exploding storytelling. The end product is an all-time great which stands out as one of the very best titles produced in that decade.

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The series follows young Daisaku Kusama, who commands the massive robot Giant Robo, in a battle against the fascist terrorist organization Big Fire. In the show’s near-future world, a miraculous device called The Shizuma Drive has given the world sustainable energy, but all is not what it seems and soon the future of the entire human race is at stake. From its opening seconds to its jaw-dropping finale, this is one anime that lingers long after the end credits have rolled.

6

Macross Plus

Flying High With A Pivotal Franchise

Macross Plus

Release Date

August 25, 1994

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The original Super Dimension Fortress Macross was the anime that changed the medium and its fandom forever, delivering Japanese animation to a wider fanbase domestically and internationally, and also providing some of the most recognizable giant robots ever created. A dizzying number of spin-offs and sequels have followed since, but none quite as memorable as this four-part OVA, later combined to make a single movie.

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Two test pilots, who are also fierce rivals, butt heads when their fighter mecha are pitted against each other. Matters become more complicated with the introduction of a love triangle featuring an old childhood friend, as well as a techno-conspiracy involving the world’s most popular vocaloid singer. With some stunning set piece dog fights and a deep, involving story, Macross Plus set the tone for all future entries in the series.

7

Mobile Suit Gundam Wing

On A Wing And Prayer

Many Gundam fans in the West got their first taste of the franchise via Gundam Wing, which was the first series in the franchise to air on US television in the early 2000s thanks to Toonami. As such, it introduced an entire generation to the world of mecha anime. It made the franchise more digestible, as the interstellar war of the Gundamverse is distilled down to a young adult soap opera incorporating political intrigue, philosophical debates on war and a cast of morally complex characters.

Five young Gundam pilots are sent from space colonies to Earth as part of a mission to dismantle the oppressive Earth government, but as their mission unfolds, they encounter betrayal and shifting alliances as they discover the world is more complicated than they could have imagined. A highlight of the Gundam saga, which left its mark on the franchise and helped turn it into a pop culture juggernaut.

8

Neon Genesis Evangelion

You Must Not Run Away

There are two types of people in this world, those who have already seen Neon Genesis Evangelion and those who are going to. When Hideaki Anno released his magnum opus in the mid 1990s, no-one could have predicted the cultural juggernaut that it would one day become, but it has since gone on to become something of a gold standard, and reached a new generation of viewers thanks to its addition on Netflix.

The story of conflicted teenagers piloting giant mechs to combat giant monsters is one that mixes themes of Armageddon with Freudian psychology and teen drama. It also has an astounding soundtrack, timeless character design and some of the most head-scratching lore that can be found anywhere in anime. Many decades from now, it will remain a stone-cold classic.

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