Shipped overseas and repackaged in the ’70s and ’80s, the Japanese concept of “giant robots” has become a global phenomenon, the stuff of Hollywood films, video games, TV shows, and more. But back then, as much now, the art of big robots has bore witness to a range of global contributions, influences, and shared inspiration.
Parallel to the development of giant robot anime in the 1970s, Studio Nue’s revolutionary renderings of Robert A. Heinlein’s Starship Troopers powered suit changed the game, and in turn lead to smaller, more “realistic” powered suits appearing in the pages of manga weeklies and hobby magazines.
After years of swearing off sequels, Shoji Kawamori returned to Macross with not one, but two new Macross projects in simultaneous production.
In the years after Macross, Shoji Kawamori and Haruhiko Mikimoto collaborated again on a film about a young girl and her bicycle.
The more innovative aspects of Macross’ mechanical designs weren’t spontaneous creations but the iterative results of years of design work by Studio Nue’s Shoji Kawamori and Kazutaka Miyatake.
The shop that launched GAINAX first opened its doors on Valentine’s Day in 1982.
Flashback to the thirty-year-old OVA that said goodbye to Minmay, Misa, and Hikaru.
A brief look inside one of the most important design studios in the history of Japanese animation.
With Orguss coming out today on DVD thanks to the folks at Discotek Media, here’s five reasons why it’s worth watching.
