Poll: Japanese or Western Mecha?

[TheMadTypist]

Spoiler: images

On the left, Japanese "Tomahawk" model Destroid from Macross.
On the right, Western "WHM-6R Warhammer" Battlemech from Battletech.

Having a hard time choosing which is better...

to me, both are in the western "walking tank", so regardless of origin point they both represent the western style. The warhammer is much less flexible at its joints and thus less fluid in its movements, but I'm speaking from the assumption that the Warhammer animates in a similar fasion to the Warhammer IIC. But yeah, it looks like they stole that one.

 

[sudokucrazedman]

Between the two, I'd have to say the best from both would be Megas XLR for the Western and Gurren Lagann for the Japanese. Between the two, despite my fanatic love for Megas, Gurren Lagann has it beat. It has random ass weapons, pilots a bigger robot, that powers a bigger robot, that is the base for a robot big enough it can run across a galaxy in a matter of seconds.

 

[FluffyNeurosis]

I loves me some Gundam but had to go with western on this one. Western mechs just look like they have more balls.

 

[KValentine]

Don't really care, as long as I get to pilot one.

 

[Xom]

I prefer Battletech/Heavy Gear mecha to the standard Anime mecha, except for Robotech (ah youth) - chiefly because they try to make the sci-fi tech believable, rather than Anime throwing some huge Samurai thing with an equally improbable weapon, and then asking me to not question how it's powered, why it doesn't run out of ammo/fuel, and how a fucking tween can pilot it.

Anyone who can sit through Neon Genesis Evangelion, or Gundam Wing and its ilk without suffering total brain death - I salute you!

[-]

One of the best intros of its day (1997).

You can't kill what isn't there.

 

[TheMadTypist]

The sum of the whole is greater than its parts.
See Heavy Gear.

Heavy Gear is just Armoured Trooper Votoms essentially.

Though both are awesome.
I'll make it clear for the idiots who apparently misinterpret my posts:

well see, it might be canadian, but look- clearly defined head, no visible cockpit, hands(!) and it (!)carries a weapon in those hands(!). That's the mecha style, not Battlemech style. Origin point does not nessesarily indicate creation style.

 

[Xom]

The sum of the whole is greater than its parts.
See Heavy Gear.

Heavy Gear is just Armoured Trooper Votoms essentially.

Though both are awesome.
I'll make it clear for the idiots who apparently misinterpret my posts:

well see, it might be canadian, but look- clearly defined head, no visible cockpit, hands(!) and it (!)carries a weapon in those hands(!). That's the mecha style, not Battlemech style. Origin point does not nessesarily indicate creation style.

I agree with your latter point (origin point != style, thus Japanese artists are able to come up with Western mecha and vise versa) but I wouldn't say Hands = Anime Style automatically.

 

[KiruTheMant]

Whjen I hear western mech I think of a large japanese mech with a ton more plating rockets in EVERY orapheous,and a Nuke in its chest (and of course a cowboy hat)

 

[Agayek]

A walking castle powered by rage? Gurren Lagann DOES run on rage, and has been known to grow to 10 million light years tall.

I'm a Gundam fanatic, but no gundam in the universe can compete with that.

So... yeah, I like Eastern mecha.

CEASE YOUR HERESY!

The Titans shall cleanse you of your ignorance!

 

[JohnReaper]

okay I can get Gundom mechs they look kind of cool in space i can see them doing some things But the sword on land just wouldn't work and it drives me nuts

I'm more western any way being that when i think of mecha i see gattling guns for arms a missles on the sholder spider like legs a large ass lazer Slow walking building destroying


Jap mechs make it feel like soldiers using Sky scrapers as walls in CQC

 

[Emphraim]

Japanese Mecha wins easily for me. You have the shiny, elegant stuff like most Gundams and Knightmare Frames, the awesome stuff beyond definition like the Gurren Langann, and then the semi-realistic like Valkyries.

Which brings me to my next point...

I always think of this first:

Oh yes.

Is that a Robotech mech?

Cleanse the air of that vile name! It's Macross and it was originally a Japanese design. Just felt like pointing that out.

snippy

I hope you realize that the Destroids came quite a few years before the models were licensed to FASA and the Warhammer was made.

 

[Xom]

Looted Emprah. Classic. Had that one for a while.

 

[UltraParanoia]

I'm all about the Japanese stuff. Western mecha (with the exception of Megas) tends to look way too clunky to me.

Same here.

The [http://animanachronism.files.wordpress.com/2008/02/edc-zaku.jpg?w=400&h=392] answer [http://homepage.mac.com/cafedessin/gundam/zaku_big.jpg] to [http://www.japanprobe.com/2007/01/zaku-gundam.jpg] life [http://i186.photobucket.com/albums/x112/ngeekhiong3/GExpo_1-1_Zaku_Head.jpg] is [http://pic.pbsrc.com/spacer.gif] Zaku. [http://static1.animepaper.net/upload/thumbs/scans/Mobile-Suit-Gundam/%5Blarge%5D%5BAnimePaper%5Dscans_Mobile-Suit-Gundam_TMBountyHunter(0.83)__THISRES__197910.jpg]

The only Western mecha show I really liked was Megas XLR. Good times...

Needs more Gouf.

 

[Schizzy]

I've always liked the more industrial and robust look of Western mecha. The few japanese mecha I've liked we the Gundam and Macross mechs.

 

[Arcticflame]

Western for the art style, it tends to be grittier and more down to earth, basically w40k style. It's still totally unfeasible of course, but it's just more badass somehow.