It’s been a long and arduous season for our thirty-two contestants. Thirty-two worthy challengers were assembled and did battle for the glory of being proclaimed the first Sai Mecha. Voting has at times been fierce, and comments and campaigning fiercer. But in the end there can be only one…

.

Evangelion UNIT 01 – 2011 Sai Mecha Champion

The Evangelion UNIT 01 is the first ever Sai Mecha. Icon of the classic Gainax series, ultimate, barely controllable weapon, and a super robot with a hint of real, the UNIT 01 defeated its worthy rival in this final round. The Zaku II, another instantly recognizable icon of mechadom, took an early but short lead before things swung back in favor of the UNIT 01. With a final tally of 56.7% of the vote, it gathered a respectable majority of the vote to come in first place.

Bonus round victor and wife of Saotome Alto, Sheryl Nome was on hand to present the UNIT 01 with the Acguy Freedom Trophy. It was awarded as she was flown to the UNIT 01 via Valkyrie, and then the ceremony closed with the latest concert in Sheryl’s ‘Holographic Vampire Selfcest Tour 2011′ series and a multi-Valkyrie flyover.

Thank you to everyone who has participated in, voted in, discussed, campaigned for, and otherwise enjoyed this first annual Sai Mecha tournament. And a special thanks to Ghostlightning for his help in doing the pre-voting writeups for the site. It’s been a lot of fun, and many lessons have been learned for next time. And yes, there will be a next time. So until then, congratulations to the Evangelion UNIT 01, and thanks for voting. See you next time Sai Mecha fans! This is Duncan Fisher ExecutiveOtaku, signing off.

No surprises and incredible surprises. The finalists are some of the most recognizable robots in anime and merchandising history. On the one hand you have the Evangelion Unit-01 Test Type, a unit that toy line after toy line are still making versions of several times a year to this day, on the other hand you have the Principality of Zeon’s Zaku II, the ‘monster of the week’ that never was, and changed the game of anime merchandising forever.

Again we have a super-prototype vs. a mass produced unit, a unit unique to its pilot, against a unit who’s had countless nameless pilots. The power levels are comically lopsided, though the function and purpose of each unit are radically different. The Test Type was there for defense against god-like monsters; the Zaku II was for busting up capitol ships in close range, and then invading the Earth.

The Evangelion Unit-01 is the face of its franchise. The Zaku is not; it is the survivor of a grueling field of tournament combatants which included immensely popular Gundam units. It prevailed by pluck, and moé. The Test Type prevailed by the strength of being the standard of its franchise.

It has been for some time, but it merits mentioning anyway: fans of each franchise will vote like a bloc. It can’t be helped. This final should be decided by the neutrals and/or casuals. Which robot should be the winner? I am a big-time fan of the Evangelion anime, but I am a big-time fan of the Gundam franchise. My vote is not as clear-cut and predictable as with previous rounds when the Macross units still fought.

How you vote, and I repeat, I am no longer speaking to you partisans, depends on what you value in a mecha: design? power levels? history? awesome things it did/could do? Figure it out.

Polls open until 23:59 EST on 16 June.

Voting

Bonus Round

And then there were two. Here are the results of the Sai Mecha 2011 Semi-Finals! Two mecha chosen by the people will advance into the first ever Sai Mecha Championship. Thank you for all your votes, enthusiasm, and interest thus far. We salute all four contestants that made it this far. To the winners, congratulations. And to the two defeated, good luck next year. And now the results…

.

Results

Earth Side Championship Match

Evangelion UNIT 01 vs VF-1 Valkyrie (54.51% vs 45.49%)

Colonies Side Championship Match

YF-19 Excalibur vs MS-06 Zaku II (47.48% vs 52.52%)

Bonus Round

Strike Freedom (just because) vs Getterfags vs Drmchsr0 vs Sai Pilot (48.62% vs 18.78% vs 17.68% vs 14.92%)

Commentary

Close matches, back and forth the whole time, now that’s a competition! Welcome back, Sai Mecha fans, this is your host, ExecutiveOtaku. We had ourselves quite a battle here, the only question is where to start? In the Earth Side Championship match the VF-1 Valkyrie came strong out of the gate, gathering an early and persistent lead over the UNIT 01 until halfway through the match. Both mecha fought with guts and determination, and the voting totals went back and forth several times. But eventually the Evangelion UNIT 01 came through and managed to hold onto enough votes for the win. It was then presented with the Earth Side Champion’s trophy, the Acgao Gai Gar Trophy. Which it proceeded to eat.

On the other side of the Sai Mecha Battlegrounds, the Colonies Side contenders fought for their trophy. This match also changed hands a few times, though not as dramatically as the Earth Side. The YF-19 got off to an early, but small lead. The Zaku II managed to hold the votes close and eventually overpowered the other Macross contender in the tournament. While the Earth Side has been marked by loud, angry competition between fans of the VF-1 and UNIT 01, on the Colonies Side the contestants came in with much more dignified fan appeals. I have to think that this has something to do with both contestants being real robots. When you don’t have the real vs super conflict in the room, you get a much more civilized contest. After the match the Zaku II was presented with the Acguy Scopedog Trophy and crowned Champion of the Colonies Side. This has to be a big day for the Colonists. I don’t agree with their politics, but it has to feel good for their home team mecha to take home the Colonies trophy. Fans then rushed the stadium and proceeded to paint their champion red! You see some crazy things in Sai Mecha, but this has to be right up there with the big moments.

There you have it, Sai Mecha fans! Get ready for the first ever Sai Mecha Championship Match!

The only thing more Four than this Final Four is Four Murasame. These are the robots who prevailed, brought forward by voters who are winners. The losers and their junk buckets are all in the gutter, now littered by spider tanks, fake real robots, shitty mobile suits, and a fat fake Egyptian in drag.

Even so, they are winners to have made it to Sai Mecha, unlike the entire line of Getter Robos with their loser fans unable to get a single one in even if only to be used as toilet paper by some shitty Gundam.

MORAL (FOR THE SECOND TIME): CAMPAIGN IF YOU WANT TO WIN.

At this point, you already know the semi-finalists. There are fewer (polite) things to say. But I will reach into the wells of my burning passion for robot anime and present to you with much fanfare, YOUR SEMI-FINALISTS!

First, battling for the:

Evangelion Unit 01 Test Type vs. VF-01

Superprototype vs. Mass-produced grunt. Artificial God of Destiny vs. Weapon of the Common Soldier. Sprinter vs. Distance Runner. Specialized Use vs. Variability and Versatility.

~~~

Next, fighting for the:

Zaku-II vs. YF-19

Mass-produced grunt vs. Prototype multi-purpose fighter. Ground-bound bruiser vs, Intra-galactic high-flier. Milestone of Mecha History vs. Interesting Footnote of Mecha History. Gundam vs. Macross.

Fans of any of these semi-finalists cannot be swayed to vote for their opponents, but for those on the fence, what you need to consider is what appeals to you more? What embodies the triumph of not only aesthetical design, but of fictional function? What would you enjoy watching all day? What kinds of fights do you enjoy best? Then, see which robot fits better in that kind of fight.

BUT FOR YOU FANBOYS, BRAND IT INTO YOUR BRAINS THESE THREE WORDS:

CAMPAIGN, CAMPAIGN, & CAMPAIGN.

Voting – Polls close at 23:59 EST on 3 June

Earth Side Championship
View This Poll
online survey
Colonies Side Championship
View This Poll
customer surveys

Bonus Round
View This Poll
online survey

The Elite Eight round fiercely contested and now the results are in. All the contestants are immensely popular among the fans and things will only get tougher from here on out. Read on for the results, and get ready for the semi-finals.

.

Voting Results

Earth Side

Evangelion UNIT 01 vs Tachikoma (53.28% vs 46.72%)

VF-1 Valkyrie vs Sinanju (63.18% vs 36.82%)

Colonies Side

YF-19 Excalibur vs Gurren Lagann (53.26% vs 46.74%)

Zaku II vs Escaflowne (58.24% vs 41.76%)

Bonus Round

Any given Innovator vs Full Frontal vs Mister Bushido vs South Burning (36.8% vs 31.2% vs 23.6% vs 8.4%)

Commentary

This round saw its highest level of voting yet and had two very close matchups. The Evangelion UNIT 01 was boosted by both super robot fans and had the sponsorship of the famous Team Gainax behind it. The Tachikoma came into this match with momentum far outweighing its small size. It was close, but in the end the icon of 1990s anime came away with the win. And speaking of icons, the VF-1 Valkyrie beat its Zeonic rival by the largest margin this round. Though to say that that result was the biggest is a testament to how tough the competition can be. The Earth Side now comes down to two icons, giants in the genre of anime, overwhelming in the influence the shows they represent exert on all of anime and fandom. That’ll be quite the matchup.

Over on the colonies side we have something of an upset. This is why I love Sai Mecha, ladies and gentlemen, seeing fans rally against the odds like this. The Gurren Lagann is a fine super robot from an amazing series. It had so much lined up behind it this match: it’s from a recent series, an amazingly good one, a catchphrase that’s heard everywhere, and the Team Gainax supporters. The YF-19 on the other hand is a bit more humble. Macross Plus is well loved by fans of the franchise and of real robots generally. It has an innovative and unique design, but you get the sense that it wouldn’t get the attention that the Gurren Lagann gets. But here it is, just making it over the top to beat the super robot of super robots. It will face the Zaku II to compete for the Colonies Side Shield. The grunt mecha that spawned so many designs won out against the Escaflowne in the voting arena. The dragon-knight mecha roared in the competition, frankly doing better than I thought it would. It’s one of those mecha that looks damn cool but at first glance you wouldn’t think it could go this far. So my hat is off to the Escaflowne for its impressive run, and glory to the victorious Zaku II! That’s it for now, Sai Mecha fans. See you at the semi-finals!

Earth Side Shield Contenders

Evangelion UNIT o1 vs VF-1 Valkyrie

Colonies Side Shield Contenders

YF-19 Excalibur vs Zaku II

NOT EVERYBODY HURTS, in fact only a few really do. Those are the fans who have the misfortune of caring more about this tournament, those who take it a little more seriously, than perhaps those who are playing along, throwing neighborly support, or were just bored enough to give a flying vote.

THE RESULTS ARE VALID anyway. The voters have spoken. If your favorite robot didn’t make it this far, well it’s because you’re weak. You’re weak and lazy. By now it’s clear what kind of voters this tournament has. If you want things to change, YOU MUST DO MORE THAN WHINE.

WHERE IS YOUR CAMPAIGN? How many like-minded fans have you brought over to vote for your precious robots? Do you think the anime blogosphere is filled with mecha anime fans? HOW MANY MECHA ANIME BLOGS DO YOU SEE? ZERO. Yes, a big fat ZERO (actually, Mecha  Pot is nice but not exactly contributing hordes of voters). No, Mecha Guignol is not a mecha anime blog. No, Continuing World is not a mecha anime blog. No, Colony Drop is not a mecha anime blog. No, The Mistakes of Youth is not a mecha anime blog. No, We Remember Love is not a mecha anime blog. I just happen to be mecha anime fan.

But yes, mecha fans exist, but they don’t venture out of their scrapyards and warrens (or if they prefer, production facilities and hangars). But this isn’t the only kind of fan that hasn’t shown up in the polls. Where are the Code Geass fans? Nobody got to them. Where are the AU Gundam fans? {on facebook (online), in Indonesia (in meatspace)} It’s rather telling that the Strike Freedom never made it to the Tournament.

Oldfags? Newfags? EVERYBODY GOT SHAFTED. The thing is, the tournament isn’t over. There are eight robots here that ARE worthy. The kind of voting that got them here may be questioned, but not the robots themselves. Sure, the Tachikoma have been propelled by the casualfag moe vote, or the anti-oldfag hate vote, BUT NONE OF THAT SAI FANBASE NONSENSE invalidates how the Tachikoma is a triumph of not only mechanical design, but of a kind of science fiction that enriches anime. AND NO, I DID NOT VOTE FOR TACHIKOMA so I won’t hear of any electioneering accusations.

So, you want your favored mecha to win? CAMPAIGN. You want the final matchups be populated by the worthiest? CAMPAIGN. You want the kind of voting to be done with your particular kind of geekery? CAMPAIGN. And FFS, don’t campaign here. Flame each other here, hate on each other’s votes here, all is fair in war. But if you really want to get votes (which is what actually you know, COUNTS in a poll), GO TO WHERE THE FANS ARE. The voters here already know what they’re voting for.

YOUR ELITE EIGHT

The Evangelion Test Type vs. The Tachikoma

The Unit-01 is (I won’t spoil you, the anime gets too good) a beast. In the super robot tradition you find beastly robots, or even robots that are combinations of beasts. Very few of them got to act as beastly as the Test Type. The feral intensity displayed by this mecha is staggering, and makes for an amazing contrast with the real robot backdrop it has… limited power source, projectile and melee based armaments, non-flying, etc. This Ultraman throwback monster fighting combined with the science fiction aspirations of Gundam makes Neon Genesis Evangelion and the Test Type itself an achievement in mecha.

The Tachikoma takes the gritty combat consequences that is idealized by the fans of real robot anime like Armored Trooper VOTOMS, plausibility and verisimilitude in design seldom matched in mecha anime, and a poignant character arc that stands among the best in many anime traditions (at the very least the relevant real and super robot ones) to become a truly remarkable example of what anime is capable of accomplishing.

The Variable Fighter vs. The Mobile Suit

Here you have it, a stunningly elite matchup. An early-tech mass production unit vs. a late-model prototype, each robot backed by large and loyal fandoms; a hero unit vs. a villain unit. It seldom gets better than this.

The VF has participated in battles of such scale that no MS could ever hope to be part of. It’s accomplished feats of piloting that no MS could ever attempt. The VF could never hope to approach the mythic iconoclasm of the mobile suits. The VF could seldom hope to routinely engage units of the same technological class or better like MS almost always do.

The VF-1 is an originator of a great tradition.

The Sinanju is the latest representative of a great tradition.

The Zaku II vs. The Escaflowne

The Zaku II did something unprecedented: it made the enemy grunt mech into a superstar. For over thirty years it became the standard bearer of the tradition of enemy mecha that’s worth collecting. Prior to the Zaku the enemy mecha were one-and-done monsters of the week, or simply too unremarkable to be worth anything. It gave enemy robots a style and character that balanced the impulse to make garish monstrosities. It made villains look pro. And if you find a show with a villain mecha that appeals to your sensibilities, you have the Zaku II to thank.

The Escaflowne reminded viewers that while the robot anime is on the surface a science fiction tradition, it is filled with much fantasy elements… and then such elements can be explored in a grand and expansive way. This is achieved when the eponymous mecha itself is a physical sword-wielding armored knight that transforms into a dragon. It is different from a robot that turns into a monster of destruction. It aimed for nobility and grace, and aimed well. So much of robot anime in their heart of hearts see their robot heroes as giant suits of armor, sticking swords into terrible beasts, fighting other armored warriors. Escaflowne does away with the disguises and flies in a world of knights and magic.

The YF-19 vs, The Gurren Lagann

The real vs. super robot showdown of the quarterfinals has arrived. Haters stupidly refer to Gurren Lagann as gigantic, failing to distinguish that the Gurren Lagann in this tournament does not refer to the Choginga or Tengen Toppa versions [Edit: actually, it refers to all versions since Sai Mecha policy is to lump all versions of a mecha that aren't significantly different in design into one entry. This also applied to the Gurren, Deathscythe, etc. -EO] . The Gurren Lagann is no taller than a Gundam at around 18 meters, making it not overwhelmingly bigger than the Alpha One (YF-19)’s 15 meters.

Both are superb examples of their kind.

The YF-19 is innovatively designed and plausibly armed – one interesting thing is how kept its missile payload within the silhouette of the mecha and not beneath the wings or under the fuselage as was customary for VFs prior. It was prepared for the rare close combat situations by arming its “pinpoint barrier punch.” Otherwise it performs with amazing agility and speed while remaining a machine that depends on the pilot’s skill to get the best out of it. It then gets to do heroic things that very few other singular real robots do, but well within the rules of verisimilitude that make real robot anime the compelling thing that it is.

The Gurren Lagann is a machine of destiny. The Lagann chose its pilot, the destined Spiral Champion which plays out the mechanism set out by the anti-spirals to maintain their status quo stasis of the universe. As such the Gurren Lagann possesses unreasonable amounts of power, bending reality casually to produce spectacular weapons and attacks. It takes the conceits of super robot anime and drugs it into a hyperactive beast which renders its combinations, sunglasses, drills into absurd proportions. Its enemies and viewers are manipulated to manifest similar reactions: “No it can’t possibly do that… OH SHIT IT FUCKING DID!!!”

Both are from shows that do their part to characterize their respective eras or generation of viewers.

—

These are your worthy combatants. They deserve not only your votes, but the votes of everyone who doesn’t know that their favored units are in a desperate fight. You want your robots to advance. YOU CAN (NOT) ADVANCE without a corresponding effort to campaign. So campaign hard and well. Only then you can celebrate the robots’ victories as your own, or rue their loss as if your efforts and spirit disappear like so much ash in the winds of the battlefield.

Voting

Earth Side

View This Poll
online surveys

BONUS ROUND

The first unified Earth-Colonies round of Sai Mecha is over and the results are in! No surprise upsets this time with the eventual winners quickly taking the lead and never giving it up. With the exception of one match, most winning contestants received a healthy margin of victory.

.

Voting Results

Earth Side

Evangelion UNIT 01 vs Gunbuster (61.13% vs 38.87%)

Tachikoma vs Giant Robo (63.64% vs 36.36%)

VF-1 Valkyrie vs Evangelion UNIT 02 (56.7% vs 43.4%)

Gao Gai Gar vs Sinanju (40.96% vs 59.04%)

Colonies Side

Big O vs Zaku II (45.98% vs 54.02%)

Zeta Gundam vs Escaflowne (42.22% vs 57.78%)

YF-19 Excalibur vs Scopedog (73.56% vs 26.44)

Gurren Lagann vs Arbalest (67.37% vs 32.63%)

BONUS ROUND

Kamina vs Quattro Bajeena/Char Aznable vs Harry Ord vs General Baldr (38.1% vs 35.45% vs 17.46% vs 8.99%)

Commentary

Now we’re down to the final eight, Sai Mecha fans! This is ExecutiveOtaku and we’re getting closer and closer to deciding who will win the first annual Sai Mecha ‘Acguy Freedom’ Trophy. This round was a big win for the Real Robots with four out of six real-vs-super matchups going their way (if you count the Escaflowne as a super robot.) The powerhouse EVA UNIT 01 scored a decisive win over its fellow Gainax super, Gunbuster. This paves the way for UNIT 01 to move on and I’ve said it before, but do expect to see that one in the semi-finals at least. But it will have a powerful challenger next round because the little Tachikoma continues to steamroll the opposition with a strength many times its size. It beat the Giant Robo in a moe David vs (fake) Egyptian Goliath fight by an even better margin than the UNIT 01 took down the Gunbuster. Elsewhere in Earth Side, the VF-1 Valkyrie narrowly took the edge over the other Evangelion contender, UNIT 02 which now makes Macross and Gundam tied for the franchises with the most contestants remaining. First among the two Gundam contenders is the Sinanju in a respectable win over the old school Gao Gai Gar.

Over in the Colonies Side the humble Zaku II secures the other Gundam spot by taking out the Big O. I’ll lay my bias out on the table and I have to say that I love to see a mass-produced workhorse like the Zaku II take down a unique, superpowerful unit like that, even if I am quite the fan of the Big O’s styling. Up next the Escaflowne showed that transforming into a dragon wins out over transforming into an awkward glider. The biggest win of this round was in the real-vs-real matchup between the YF-19 and the Scopedog. With nearly 3/4 of the vote the YF-19′s win means that Macross also has a viable contestant on each side of the bracket. Bringing the round to a close, the Arbalest couldn’t summon up another surprise upset this time and the Gurren Lagann won by a sizable margin. I expect this super to go far.

Then in the bonus round, Kamina’s sharp-edged, gravity-defying glasses narrowly won out over Quattro/Char’s thin disguise, while Harry Ord’s bug eyes style made a respectable showing and General Baldr’s votes were as narrow as his shades.

Next Round

The crudely drawn bracket, now updated.

Earth Side

Evangelion UNIT 01 vs Tachikoma

VF-1 Valkyrie vs Sinanju

Colonies Side

Zaku II vs Escaflowne

YF-19 Excalibur vs Gurren Lagann

I’ve already given you the information about these boys in the previous round. This time I’m going to share one awesome milestone in each particular robot’s narrative. I’ll try to make it as non-spoilery as possible, which means what? When you do watch the show of the robots that we’re showcasing here expect more awesomeness.

Ultimately, what I write here isn’t supposed to make you vote one over the other, but rather a justification why these boys and girls belong. Okay, let’s do this!

Evangelion Unit-01 (Test Type) vs. Gunbuster: WHEN SUPER SHIT GETS REAL

The Evangelion Test Type fired a gun so big that it took the entire nation of Japan to power it. It was a stunning presentation of a military-style operation against a relatively unknown but very dangerous threat.

The Gunbuster, using only about 5 minutes of operating time (due to energy capacity) to fight an alien enemy force (with an amazing name of STMC: Space Terrible Monster Crowd) that wiped out the entire Earth armada down to the last (flag)ship.

Tachikoma vs. Giant Robo: WE HAVE FEELINGS

The Tachikoma are a complex set of individual units that sync with each other to leverage collective intelligence and experience. Their curiosity and ability to process experience enable them to begin evolving into a sentient (if artificial) life form.

Giant Robo was BORN THIS WAY, albeit without the ability to express emotions like joy – Giant Robo is more than capable to express the important range of robot anime emotions via TEARS and GROANING. Giant Robo is a product of intelligent design.

VF-1S Valkyrie vs. Evangelion Unit 02 (Production Type): DON’T CALL US (SUPER)PROTOTYPES (or, THIS AIN’T NO GUNDAM BOY)

The VF-10/1S/1J routinely gives fight to overwhelming odds – fighting Zentran Rushes: each carrier launches at least 1,000 Regulds while there never were more than 300 or so Variable Fighters aboard the Macross. This doesn’t even account for the other attack craft and mecha that the Zentraedi field against the Macross. Just another battle for this mass-produced mecha.

The Evangelion Production type fought an Angel embryo/larva INSIDE A VOLCANO, you know – those mountains that have MOLTEN LAVA. Sure it was some kind of baby monster and the Eva was wearing extra equipment, but besides the temperature there was the actual pressure to deal with, the kind of forces that shape the face of our planet.

Gao Gai Gar vs. Sinanju: WE HAVE THICK FOREARMS

Gao Gai Gar in all its forms is a ostentatious wonder of garish spectacle. What it lacks in subtlety it makes up for with POWER. It’s forearms for example: thick, cylindrical, and dark, but otherwise shoots into a BROKEN MAGNUM (a rocket punch derivative). Also, acts as a bay for Goldymarg – which is a robot that turns into the GOLDION HAMMER. A mess, design wise, but a powerful, triumphant, and glorious mess.

The Sinanju is a triumph of design, looking like the capstone for all red-suits in the tradition of the ‘officer villain’ design tree (note the horn – Zeon has been making unicorns since the OYW). What it ends up doing is manifest far more ostentation than its predecessors without looking overly ornate. There’s just a lot of details to appreciate in the form of the wings and the thickness of its parts – most notably the forearms which bear the ‘sleeves’ which characterize the unit/faction it belongs.

The Big O vs. Zaku II: OLDIER THAN THOU

The Big O is a show that isn’t quite old but appeals to older values. The robot design evokes an early 20th Century feel, that goes with the fashions and style of the show itself. It’s showy in its overstated but stylish (and not simply loud) way. The robot itself is an ancient relic of great power, with a very macho look designed for great shows of power as opposed to agility. As a relic from an ancient civilization, it’s really old, and has done well to survive the ravages of time.

The Zaku II as a mass production unit changed the face of warfare in Gundam’s Universal Century. However, being one of the first of its kind, it’s not a particularly awesome robot relative to others. It’s a grunt machine, but there’s too few of them to do Zerg-style rushes. Mostly the Zaku is fodder for the Gundam. Nonetheless, at the onset of the war and there were no other mobile suits, the Zaku ended the age of long-range battlefield superweapons as well as the dominance of capital ship formations. Very, very few other units can make a similar claim.

Zeta Gundam vs. Escaflowne: HAS MAGIC POWERS VS. POWERED BY MAGIC

The Z Gundam can transform. In 1985, it showed a transforming mecha. The first transforming Gundam (oops no, the Psycho Gundam was the first but who the fuck knows what it transforms into). No joke, the Z Gundam can fricking transform. It can channel the spirit of dead Newtypes, and it can transform. Did I mention it can transform?

The Escaflowne is a robot powered by magic, and can fly when in dragon form. Other guymelefs (robots) can fly without having to turn into anything but the Escaflowne needs to transform. But if you’re going to be a robot something, why not be a fricking robot dragon?

YF-19 Alpha One (FOR THE LOVE OF GOD THERE IS ONLY ONE YF-19, ONE. IT IS A PROTOTYPE. THE EXCALIBUR IS A FRICKING VF-19) vs. SCOPEDOG: MACHO VS. MOE

Among the Variable Fighters, the Alpha One is the most masculine in Battloid form. One can make an argument for Ozma’s VF-25, but it’s macho because of the Armor Pack. It’s skinny as any VF-25 variant. The Alpha One is the first front-line single-pilot unit to make a super dimensional space fold by itself, though not the first to take on a capital ship by itself.

The Scopedog gets destroyed, A LOT. But see, that’s why people are so doggedly loyal to it. It’s not powerful at all. It has a gun (that is a gift that keeps on giving), a rocket launcher, and sometimes a flamethrower… but that’s pretty much it. It skitters around on rollerskates and then gets shot to pieces. But what other lead mecha gets busted up like this? (VFs actually) What kind of mecha engenders so much love because it gets smashed up so much?

It’s moe I tell you.

Gurren Lagann vs. Arbalest: WTF IS THIS SHIT?

Obviously the Lambda Driver will determine the winner, as it takes into account the probabilities that govern the production and use of spiral energy. This isn’t even close when it comes down to an actual fight between the two. Nonetheless, I think there are other things to consider about Gurren Lagann besides raw fighting potential that are worth talking about, like… um… yeah.

Polls close at 23:59 EST on 8 May.

Voting

Earth Side

Colonies Side

Bonus Round

Before you get to the voting breakdowns, take a minute to look at this F***ING BADASS VIDEO that Sai Mecha fan Tronulax from Anime New Modality made as a promo video for Sai Mecha 2011. (Ok, so he got the Gundam Mk II and Zeta Gundam mixed up. That does not take away one bit from how MECHA-BLADDER BURSTING THIS VIDEO IS. YOUR BODY IS NOT READY! WATCH IT! Once you’re sufficiently filled with HOT BLOODED ENTHUSIASM, check out the Round 1, Colonies Side results below the cut.

.

Vote Totals

Big O  vs Gundam Exia (54.04% vs 45.96%)

Zaku II vs Master Gundam (55.13% vs 44.87%)

Gundam Deathscythe vs Zeta Gundam (40.91% vs 59.09%)

Escaflowne vs RahXephon (73.03% vs 26.97%)

YF-19 Excalibur vs Mazinger Z (59.49% vs 40.51%)

Scopedog vs Alteisen (52.82% vs 47.18%)

God Gundam vs Gurren Lagann (31.88% vs 68.13%)

Arbalest vs Nirvash (52.87% vs 47.13%)

BONUS ROUND: Battle of the Bridge Bunnies

Bobby Margot (34.97%) vs Claudia La Salle (20.98%) vs Sally Ford (14.69%) vs Shammy Milliome (7.69%) vs Ram Hoa (4.9%) vs Monica Lange (4.9%) vs Kim Kabirov (4.2%) vs Mena Roshan (3.5%) vs Miho Miho (2.8%) vs Vanessa Laird (1.4%)

Commentary

Welcome, Sai Mecha fans! This is your commentator ExecutiveOtaku. I’ll have to keep my remarks brief this time as I’m in the midst of a rapid scramble for relocation comparable in intensity only to the Battle of Aboa A Qu. The Big O proved itself to be just a little too much even for all of Exia’s blades, while in the next competition the iconic workhorse of Zeon won out over the Master Gundam. The Deathscythe, a favorite among many Wing fans, lost out to the innovative design and near-magical Newtype link of the Zeta Gundam. Meanwhile in the fantasy super-robot arena the Escaflowne dealt a crushing blow to the idol singer of mecha, the RahXephon. Macross fan came away from the bittersweet win-loss of the Earth Side with a victory for the YF-19 over a tough as nails oldschool challenger in the form of Mazinger Z. The Scopedog pushed itself over the top against the Alteisen in a victory of simple, practical design over the bulky, powerful hero mecha. In an outcome everyone saw coming, the Gurren Lagann won its first match by a solid margin. I’d bet good money on that super robot making it to the semi-finals. Finally the Arbalest sent the Nirvash into a Full Metal Panic with its win. You could even say that the Eureka 7 fans have been surfed (SERVED, errr, SURFED SURFED SURFED!) Or that their board-riding mecha has been u-surfed. Also, “ahahahaha, wipeout!” [I kid, I kid. But it's too easy when the robot rides a surf board of all things.]

*Ahem*

In the bonus round, well, I can’t say that I’m not disappointed. When he’s up against such beautiful competition, AND he’s a fan of that wretched Nekki Basara, well my friends I just can’t imagine what the voters were thinking. Sally, you’ll always be my favorite.

Join us next time for the first mixed Earth and Colonies Side matchups. Date for posting to be determined due to upheavals in my schedule, but I’m hoping for Thursday. The matchups will be:

EARTH SIDE

EVA UNIT 01 vs Gunbuster

Tachikoma vs Giant Robo

VF-1 Valkyrie vs EVA UNIT 02

Gao Gai Gar vs Sinanju

COLONIES SIDE

Big O vs Zaku II

Zeta Gundam vs Escaflowne

YF-19 Excalibur vs Scopedog

Gurren Lagann vs Arbalest

[Once again, here's Ghostlightning's breakdown of the contestants. Polls are open until 23:59 EST on Sunday 24 April. -EO] Just like in the Earth Side of the bracket, we have here an diverse mix of robots in the various traditions or sub-genres of robot anime. What I personally find interesting here are the mix of “real robots” that betray their aspirations for verisimilitude by possessing magic powers or being powered by fantastic magic sources. An example would be the truly novel sky-surfing Nirvash TypeZero from Eureka SeveN who seems so much different from the likes of the MS-06 Zaku II from Mobile Suit Gundam, or particularly the ATM-09-ST Scopedog from Armored Trooper VOTOMs.

That’s just the tip of the iceberg here. All the Gundams in this side of the bracket are fantastic, super-powered prototypes: The Zeta, Exia, Master, Deathscythe, and God Gundams are all superheroes in robot form (in varying degrees). To me this says so much about the supposed real-robot subgenre, even if we discount Mobile Fighter G Gundam.

Of course, none of the above discussion are value judgments. I am in fact more of a Super Robot fan than the main organizer of the Sai Mecha, despite my favorite anime being SDF Macross. I’ll reserve my value judgments on WRL, just like last time. And just like last time, I’ll present the robots here for context without spoilers – so those who haven’t seen their respective shows can form an opinion and vote.

GN-001 Gundam Exia (Mobile Suit Gundam 00 2007) vs. The Big O (The Big O 1999)

Exia is a specialized unit: an anti-mobile suit Gundam using a close combat approach. Imagine that most mobile suits are designed for medium range fighting, and are armed with beam sabers mostly as an emergency weapon. The Exia is designed to force those emergencies upon enemy suits, leveraging a large number and variety of bladed and energy melee weapons that will easily overwhelm any suit. It arrives at melee range via a combination of imperviousness to most attacks, and speed (mostly the former).

One of the “The Big Three” Megadeus series of robots, The Big O (they’re all called The Big Something) are big macho robots that rely on tremendous power as opposed to speed and maneuverability. They’re part of The Giant Robo tradition of semi-autonomous machines and are truer to the robot name, than all the other piloted mecha in robot anime.

The Big O is part of the tradition of robot anime that are “discovered lost technology from a lost civilization,” just like Space Runaway Ideon (and∀ Gundam).

MS-06 Zaku II (Mobile Suit Gundam 1979) vs. GF13-00NH1II Master Gundam (Mobile Fighter G Gundam 1994)

The MS-06 Zaku II is the first dominant real robot in anime history. It is a mass-produced unit that changed the face of warfare, a plot element that would be re-used explicitly and implicitly by almost all real robot anime in the next 3 decades (from Armored Trooper VOTOMs to Code Geass: Lelouch of the Rebellion). It is also remarkable as an enemy grunt unit that achieved legendary and iconic status and sustained its own line of designs and toys. It is, pretty much one of the great revolutions brought about by Mobile Suit Gundam.

As a mobile suit, however, it pretty much is an obsolete model by the time it shows up (in light of the RX-78-2 Gundam that faced it) and was overwhelmed even by substandard units from the Earth Federation that came in great numbers. It was a mobile suit not particularly designed to fight other mobile suits (Zeon not really counting on the Federation to come up with their own in time).

The Master Gundam, while enjoying one of the most unique designs among Gundams, is pretty much overshadowed by its pilot. It is inconceivable to imagine it fighting with a different person in the controls. Such is the nature of the Mobile Fighter G Gundam show. The Master Gundam for all intents and purposes, is a super robot. Master Asia was powerful enough to destroy mobile suits on his own, the Master Gundam was simply an extension to his superhuman fighting skills. A super robot behaving as an extension of a super hero: Master Asia also had the Juuni Ouhouhai, in which he could attack an enemy with multiple miniature copies of himself. Master Asia’s most powerful ultimate attack was the Sekiha Tenkyoken, a ball of powerful energy.

XXXS-G01D Gundam Deathscythe (Mobile Suit Gundam Wing 1995) vs. MSZ-006 Z Z Gundam (Mobile Suit Z Gundam 1985)

The Deathscythe is undoubtedly one of the most fantastic Gundam designs ever made. It very much seems like an escapee from the G Gundam show to take part of the first “real robot” alternative universe show in the Gundam franchise. The Gundam specializes in both stealth and close combat, and its main armament consists of its signature beam scythe and a small shield which can emit an energy blade, and the shield can be fired at distant enemies. Another feature of the suit is its hyper jammer ECM (electronic countermeasure) system that emits jamming particles, rendering the Gundam practically invisible to electronic sensors and giving it unparalleled stealth in combat.

Enemies won’t see it coming, and then see how stylish their own deaths become because it’s not every day you see a beam scythe cut down other robots.

The  Z Gundam is the first of its kind – a Gundam that’s designed by its own pilot, and the first to have supernatural powers. Also the first of its kind: a transforming Gundam. It has a “waverider” form wherein it moves like a space fighter craft and turns into a Gundam mode presumably to provide a “stable” firing base, as well as engage in melee combat.

The Z Gundam had an additional edge with its bio-sensor. Though the exact nature of the bio-sensor is unknown, its primary purpose was to allow a Newtype pilot to more easily interface with his mobile suit. The bio-sensor could also have a rather surprising side effect when the pilot was mentally and emotionally focused enough (usually when angry or upset) to cause the bio-sensor to amplify the power, speed and strength of the mobile suit for a short period of time.

Escaflowne (The Vision of Escaflowne, 1996) vs. RahXephon (RahXephon 2002)

The Escaflowne, a rare Guymelef (how the mecha are called) in that it’s manufactured by otherworldly craftsmen called the Ispano to activate using a blood pact and for exclusive use of a royal bloodline. The Guymelef itself transforms into a dragon, in keeping with the late-dark ages (Europe) feel of the show’s fantasy setting.

In dragon form it mostly performs evasive maneuvers as well as long-distance travel. It’s main battle form is in its humanoid form wherein it wields a large sword, as is common among Guymelefs of its time.

RahXephon is a giant robot that, much like Evangelion units before it, performs within a real robot setting and has a similar support system. While a machine that has space-time bending powers, it fights in a very static way, as does the giant robots it faces: hovering and floating until quick bursts of action, as opposed to sustained gun battles or melee as is the norm for traditional super robot shows.

YF-19 Alpha One (Macross Plus 1994) vs. Mazinger Z (Mazinger Z 1972, 2009)

The Alpha One is one of the very rare prototypes to be featured in a Macross show (in contrast to Gundam wherein the lead unit is almost always a prototype unit). Also, in keeping with its prototype nature, its story is set in an arms race for a mass-production contract. Along with its rival, the YF-21 Omega One, the 19 featured abilities that were once only available to fortress class units, such as, a pin-point barrier system, and (even if only as extra parts) the ability to execute a hyperspace fold.

It also features a swept-forward wing design in Valkyrie (fighter) mode and is notable to house all its missile payload within the fuselage/body parts of the mecha, as opposed to the external missile bays used by the SDF-Macross era Variable Fighters.

Mazinger Z is the first robot to have a human pilot in anime history. Its eponymous TV anime also started many tropes that would come to characterize robot anime. Mazinger Z itself is made of Z-alloy that makes him an “invincible fortress of iron.” In the 2009 remake Shin Mazinger Z-Hen, the Mazinger Z robot is inspired by the God Zeus (a very powerful gigantic alien soldier) and beyond launching the iconic Rocket Punch attack, can turn into a giant rocket-powered fist entirely.

ATM-09-ST Scopedog (Armored Trooper VOTOMS 1983) vs. PTX-00C3 Alteisen (Super Robot Wars Original Generation: The Inspector 2010)

Unlike most mecha anime that glorify the mechanized units, within the VOTOMS fictional universe, ATs (Armored Troopers) are derogatorily referred to as ‘tin cans with machine guns’ – this too, however is the source of the charm and affection for these units and the TV anime by the fans. There is a higher degree of verisimilitude in VOTOMS in that the mecha gets routinely trashed even if the lead character uses it/them.

The ‘cheapness’ of the ATs allow for larger scale mass production and even larger levels of carnage on a per-episode basis despite the lack of full-scale battles.

The Alt Eisen is a ‘real robot’ member of the Super Robot Wars franchise of games and anime. Keeping in the spirit of the games, it is a real robot that pretty much acts very super, not only in the presentation of the attacks, but the overall spirit of the show despite its supposed ‘real robot’ tradition. It is, in many ways similar to Gundams inAU Gundam shows like Mobile Suit Gundam W, SEED, and 00, wherein the units behave less like soldiers but more like mythical (albeit military) heroes.

One of the more notable features of the Alt Eisen is a piledriving metal stake that is used for dramatic effect in melee engagements.

GF13—017NJII God Gundam (Mobile Fighter G Gundam 1994) vs. Gurren Lagann (Tengen Toppa Gurren Lagann 2007)

Representing the nation-state Neo Japan in the Gundam Fight tournament, it is an upgrade of the Shining Gundam, that eschews the Shining Finger Sword attack to adding a “Heat End” to its Shining Finger attack. By virtue of being something like an extension of the pilot, it was also able to employ martial-arts based attacks learned by the pilot, particularly the Sekiha Tenkyoken, a ball of powerful energy. It is, by and large a melee fighter as are most Gundam Fighter mobile suits, notable for the “mobile trace system” of pilot control.

The Gurren Lagann is a result of 2 independent Ganmen units combining. Particularly, the spiral energy powered Lagann has a unique ability to merge with other Ganmen and it was first able to do it with the Gurren unit, hence the name Gurren Lagann. While the 2 units will go on to merge with larger and larger Ganmen units (to beyond the impossible degrees), it is the Gurren Lagann that remains the face (LOL AWESOME PUN) of the series.

It takes whatever super robot trope it gets a hold of and deploys it in ridiculous, unreasonable, absurd, and comically awesome ways. Aside from drills, its main weapon is a gigantic pair of sunglasses.

ARX-7 Arbalest (Full Metal Panic! 2002) vs. Nirvash TypeZero (Eureka SeveN)

The Arbalest is an example of a mecha unit firmly in the tradition of the ‘real robot’ and yet is governed by/has a plot significant feature that is undoubtedly fantastic, its so-called Lambda Driver. It could be called Spiral Energy (TTGL) for all we care. We shouldn’t really wonder, but instead enjoy it as it allows the Arbalest to do exciting things.

The Nirvash TypeZero is another reality-bending “real robot.” Like in many Gundam shows it is a prototype, but this time it is also similar to RahXephon, Ideon, The Big O (among others) that it’s from a lost or alien civilization. In the case of Eureka SeveN, the Nirvash is the prototype for ALL future humanoid mecha in the show.

Beyond this, it is remarkable for its sky surfing conceit – it doesn’t naturally fly: it launches from its ship as a car, transforms into a robot which then rides a surfboard in the sky.

Voting

Bonus Round

Please consult this voting guide: http://www.yakkdeculture.com/bridgebunnies/