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A series with one or more pieces of (usually highly advanced) technology as a significant setpiece. Most of these are Mecha, of either the Real Robot or Super Robot subclass, but it is equally true of shows with cool bikes, high tech body armor, amazing racing cars, and space fighter craft.
Almost any genre of story can — and has been — combined with the Mecha Show. Any Japanese Sci Fi series is almost certain to feature one or more machines in a starring role, as well as most Steampunk, Cyberpunk, and even Heroic Fantasy.
The most important part is that the focus of every episode is on the cool characters doing cool stuff with their cool toys.
See also: Mecha Game.
Examples
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Animation
Anime & Manga
- 8th Man
- Active Raid
- Aku Daisakusen Srungle
- Albegas, best known for almost being one of the shows which would have been used to make Voltron: Defender of the Universe.
- Aldnoah.Zero
- AMAIM Warrior at the Borderline
- Android Kikaider: The Animation
- Aquarion EVOL
- Aquarion Logos
- Area 88, which features an array of cool fighter jets.
- Argevollen
- Armored Trooper VOTOMS
- Astro Boy, the Anime Trope Maker.
- Aura Battler Dunbine
- Babel II
- Back Arrow
- The Big O
- Blue Comet SPT Layzner
- Bokurano
- Brave Series
- B't X
- Bubblegum Crisis
- Buddy Complex
- Captain Earth
- Captain Harlock has the mega-cool Arcadia and tons of awesome space ship designs.
- Chousoku Henkei Gyrozetter
- Code Geass
- Cross Ange
- Cyborg 009
- Dai-Guard
- Daigunder
- Dairugger XV, best known for being one of the shows used to make Voltron: Defender of the Universe.
- Daitarn 3
- Dancougar
- DARLING in the FRANXX
- Dennou Boukenki Webdiver
- D.I.C.E. (2005)
- Digimon Fusion is a rare case of the Mons becoming Humongous Mecha.
- DinoZaurs
- Eldoran Trilogy
- Eureka Seven
- Fafner in the Azure: Dead Aggressor
- Fang of the Sun Dougram
- The Five Star Stories
- Future GPX Cyber Formula has loads of cool racing cars.
- Gad Guard
- Gaiking
- Galaxy Express 999
- Gargantia on the Verdurous Planet
- GEAR Fighter Dendoh
- Gekiganger 3
- Genesis Climber MOSPEADA
- Genesis of Aquarion
- Getter Robo
- Giant Gorg
- Giant Robo
- Gigantor (Tetsujin-28go), the Trope Maker for Humongous Mecha anime.
- Gigantic Formula
- Ginga Hyouryuu Vifam
- God Mars
- God Sigma
- GoLion, best known for being one of the shows used to make Voltron: Defender of the Universe.
- Go Shogun
- GunBuster
- GUN×SWORD
- All Gundam series.
- Mobile Suit Gundam
- Mobile Suit Zeta Gundam
- Mobile Suit Gundam ZZ
- Mobile Suit Gundam: Char's Counterattack
- Mobile Suit Gundam 00
- Mobile Fighter G Gundam
- Mobile Suit Gundam Wing
- After War Gundam X
- ∀ Gundam
- Mobile Suit Gundam AGE
- Mobile Suit Gundam SEED
- Mobile Suit Gundam SEED Destiny
- Gundam: Reconguista in G
- Mobile Suit Gundam: Iron-Blooded Orphans
- Gundam Build Fighters
- Gundam Build Fighters Try
- Gundam Build Divers
- Gundam Build Divers Re:RISE
- Mobile Suit Gundam: The Witch from Mercury
- Hades Project Zeorymer
- Heavy Metal L-Gaim
- Heroman
- ID-0
- IGPX: Immortal Grand Prix
- Innocent Venus
- J9 Trilogy
- Braiger
- Galactic Gale Baxinger
- Galactic Whirlwind Sasuraiger
- Kill la Kill, has Bio Punk high-tech body armour
- Kotetsu Jeeg
- Kuromukuro
- LBX: Little Battlers eXperience
- Lord of Lords: Ryu Knight
- M3: The Dark Metal
- Machine Robo
- Machine Robo: Revenge of Chronos
- Machine Robo: Battle Hackers
- Machine Robo Rescue
- Every Macross series:
- Magic Knight Rayearth, which twists the concept a bit by having the introduction of mecha as a Mid-Season Upgrade in it's own right.
- Majestic Prince
- Makyou Densetsu Acrobunch
- Martian Successor Nadesico
- Mashin Hero Wataru Series
- Every part of the Mazinsaga:
- Medabots
- Metal Armor Dragonar
- Mirai Robo Daltanious, best known for almost being one of the shows which would have been used to make Voltron: Defender of the Universe if a miscommunication didn't result in GoLion being selected over this one.
- Neo Human Casshern
- Neon Genesis Evangelion
- Ninja Senshi Tobikage
- Obsolete
- Overman King Gainer
- Panzer World Galient
- Patlabor
- Planet Robo Danguard Ace
- Planet With
- RahXephon
- Raideen
- Red Photon Zillion
- Robotech
- Robotech II: The Sentinels
- Robot Romance Trilogy:
- Rumble Garanndoll
- Science Ninja Team Gatchaman
- Sei Juushi Bismarck
- Shippu! Iron Leaguer
- Space Battleship Yamato had rather nice fighter craft in addition to the eponymous battleship.
- Space Warrior Baldios
- Speed Racer, about a cool racing car.
- SSSS.GRIDMAN
- Star Driver
- Str.A.In.: Strategic Armored Infantry
- Supercar Gattiger
- Super Combining Magical Robot Ginguiser
- Super Dimension Cavalry Southern Cross
- Super Dimension Century Orguss
- Super High Speed Galvion
- Takara Tomy Super Robot Anime series
- Shinkansen Henkei Robo Shinkalion
- Tomica Hyper Rescue Drive Head Kidou Kyuukyuu Keisatsu
- Tomica Kizuna Gattai Earth Granner
- Technovoyager a.k.a Thunderbirds 2086, features cool rescue spaceships that can combine together.
- Tengen Toppa Gurren Lagann
- Tekkaman
- Transformers Anime
- UFO Warrior Dai Apolon
- Valvrave the Liberator
- Vandread
- Viper's Creed
- The Vision of Escaflowne
- Voltron and its various sequels
- Xabungle
- Zambot 3
- Zoids
Film — Animated
Film — Live-Action
Fan Works
- A Crown of Stars: You have Humongous Mecha... and Transforming Mecha, space-ships, war ships, jet fighters, tanks...
- Advice and Trust
- The Child of Love
- Children of an Elder God
- Doing It Right This Time
- EVA Sessions: Someplace Vast and Dry
- Evangelion 303: War planes replace Humongous Mechas in this doujin.
- Ghosts of Evangelion
- A Glass of Wine
- The Gospel Of Malachel
- Hail to the King (Thuktun Flishithy)
- Here There Be Monsters: One of the main villains is a sentient humongous mecha.
- HERZ
- Higher Learning
- Last Child of Krypton
- Neon Genesis Evangelion: Genocide
- NGE Mitigation
- Nobody Dies
- Once More with Feeling
- The One I Love Is...
- Read The Fine Print
- Rise of the Minisukas
- RE-TAKE
- Scar Tissue
- Shinji And Warhammer 40 K
- The Second Try
- Super Robot Wars GQ
- Superwomen of Eva 2: Lone Heir of Krypton: The main plot is about Asuka becoming a super-heroine but the giant mechas are still a main focus.
- Thousand Shinji
- Walking in the Shadow of Dreams
- You Are (Not) At Fault
Literature
Live-Action TV
- Airwolf
- Ambassador Magma
- Daitetsujin 17
- Denjin Zaboga
- Denkō Chōjin Gridman
- Jumborg Ace
- Kikaider
- Knight Rider
- Mech-X4
- Power Rangers
- Robot Detective
- Space Ironmen Kyodain
- Spider-Man (Japan)
- Street Hawk
- Super Human Samurai Syber Squad
- Super Robot Red Baron
- Super Sentai
- Tekkouki Mikazuki
- Ultraman Z
- Voltes V: Legacy
Puppet Shows
Tabletop Games
Toys
Web Animation
Webcomics
Western Animation
- BattleTech
- Big Guy and Rusty the Boy Robot
- The BOTS Master
- Centurions
- Challenge of the GoBots
- Dinotrux
- Exo Squad
- Frankenstein Jr.
- The Heavy Gear CGI cartoon.
- Kingdom Force
- Mega Man (Ruby-Spears)
- Mega Man: Fully Charged
- Megas XLR
- Mighty Orbots
- My Life as a Teenage Robot
- Robotboy
- Robotix
- Robozuna
- Robotech: The Shadow Chronicles
- Rollbots
- Super Giant Robot Brothers!
- Super Robot Monkey Team Hyperforce Go!
- SWAT Kats
- Sym-Bionic Titan
- Thunderbirds Are Go
- Transformers
- Voltron
- "What If… Captain Carter Were the First Avenger?"
