Why no super robot love?

[Oedipus 3000]

I've been noticing that of all the Anime genres, the one which gets the less attention overall and not a lot of love is the super robot genre. This happens more on the english-speaking fandom then most others honestly and I don't know why.

With every single show getting fansubs left and right, some three or four groups subbing the same show, you still can't find any subs of most of the classic super robot shows. it might be because their harder to find or whatnot, but I found fansubs of Urusei Yatsura and Doreamon so that might not just be it.

I feel obligated to mention the Elephant in the room, saying most anime fans don't want to watch these shows on the basis that they deem them childish and juvenile and wish to endeavor into the most serious work such as Love Hina, Dears, Ikkitousen and such. I don't wish to say it but it seems more and more likely. People don't want to just watch something because it's fun, but because it makes them look cool or hip while watching it (one reason why I think Cowboy bebop was/is so popular.)

I don't mean to sound like some whiny little brat or anything, I'm honestly curious why with so many fansubs, licenced anime easily available, so on and so forth, there's only about 20 episodes of Getter robo and none of Mazinger Z in english yet theirs available subs of Akikan.

 

[KouAidou]

I think the main problem is that the USA just didn't get all the Super Robot shows that Latin America and Asia got. The only Super Robot show that ever made it big over here is GoLion/Voltron.

Vis-a-vis your other question, I think the problem with such as Getter and Mazinger isn't so much that they're juvenile, but just that they're old. And long. It takes a lot of willpower to stick around for a 52+ episode series, and even more when the show isn't one that's currently airing. Stuff like Akikan gets subbed purely because it's new, and anything new will rack up mad hits on a group's torrent site.

So it's basically the same problem the Showa Riders and Ultraman series have. Just not enough fan interest where really rabid fan interest is needed to make it through.

 

[wildwolf]

Super Robot anime is my most favorite genre. Honestly, I'm so obsessed with it that I've seen most SR shows since the 70's.

While I would want subs, especially for the more obscure ones, I'm fine with just watching them raw since I get the LDs and DVD box sets.

 

[Oedipus 3000]

True but it shouldn't stop people nowadays from bringing up an interest into the shows and making subs available. If memory serves me correctly, America never got Saint Seiya untill 2002 (or some year close to that.) yet it did not stop an interest into that show. Also, This genres cousin Real robo, usually has most of it's shows subbed and ready to go (All of Gundam, Ideon, Votoms, Dunbine and so on.) all have Fansubs on them. I see you point and agree to an extent but I just don't see that's the whole of it.

Also, if I offended you with the echi joke I apologize. I enjoy it enough sometimes but you should agree, shows such as Reideen kinda deserve a fansub more then some of those shows did.

 

[Dark Kabuto]

Sadly, the mecha genre just isn't as strong as it is in Japan...

 

[KouAidou]

Oh, trust me, I agree. I'm sorry that didn't come through -- I'm as big a Super Robot fan as they come. (I would love to get a full run of Gaiking in high quality and sub it). I guess I was adopting a sort of "sad but true" kind of tone.

Saint Seiya did have some fan interest in the US, but bear in mind that the show completely bombed when they actually imported it. Part of this was just mismanagement of the property, but a lot of it was that Cartoon Network had already shown Ronin Warriors, which is basically a shinier and newer version of the same thing. The US really missed the window they would have needed to air Saint Seiya and make it a big hit.

So I'm not sure if a generation that came to Super Robots via fansubs of such like the Mazinkaiser OAVs and Gaiking Neo would really have the patience to sit through the older versions of those shows, which are mostly fun just because of their historic significance and how cracktastically original they are. IIRC, some groups have tried to prestige sub Mazinger Z and ended up giving up in light of how bizarre and episodic it was.

 

[Wonderwall]

^ I agree, mecha was a lot popular back in the 90s and the years below but now its sort of dead. I love the mecha genre but I think that there is no love for it and less subbers for it because of the so-called "popular" anime today which revolves around comedy, slice of life, school girls, crazy and over-the-board fanservice, and did I forget to mention school girls? Oedipus I hate to say this but I think your best bet would be to wait for the dub version or patiently wait for subs. :disappoin

 

[Dark Kabuto]

Other then Mazinkaiser SKL and anything Gundam-related...what new mecha shows are coming out?

 

[wildwolf]

@Dark Kabuto,

Super Robot Taisen OG: The Inspector
Infinite Stratos
Star Driver: Kagayaki no Tact
Macross Frontier ~Sayonara no Tsubasa~
Soukyuu no Fafner: Dead Aggressor - Heaven and Earth
Gothicmade -Hana no Utame-

 

[MSZ010]

Just for the record Mazinger Z did come to states many moons ago as Tranzor Z

It's just that when it comes to the Mecha Genre that outside of whats in Code Geass, Gundam, and shows of that nature most of the company's that release anime don't wanna risk money on a fickle American audience.

I mean look at GaoGaiGar they had started to dub the show then just said heck with it and just subbed the rest of the show.