Ask John: Are Transformers Mecha?

Question:
Are Transformers considered mechs?

Answer:
This is actually a bit of a difficult question as I’ve never heard of it being discussed or referred to before. The term “mecha” actually refers to anything mechanical in anime, which includes cars, bicycles, tanks, soda machines and computers although when we hear the word “mecha,” we usually first think of giant robots. I think that generally the distinguishing factor between what is and what isn’t mecha is determined by how much personification and personality the object is imbued with. The degree to which mechanical characters are presented as “human” makes them human. Things like Multi from To Heart, Alpha of Yokohama Shopping Log, the Steel Angels, the Saber Marionettes and the maids of Hand Maid May are all robots that look human. They aren’t thought of as mecha but rather as characters. Even Dorothy of The Big O, ironically becomes human because of her human-like insistence on constantly pointing out her non-human status. Key the metal idol, Gall Force’s Catty and Maico the android announcer, though, also look human but are thought of as “robots,” because their characterizations emphasize their un-naturalness. Maico is obviously a robot but Key is often mistaken for a human girl. Even with her appearance, though, the style of the Key the Metal Idol OAV series constantly treats Key like a thing rather than a person, and that makes her more mecha than “person.” Catty’s impersonal-ness and lack of obvious human personality make her a robot rather than a person. When we consider robots that actually look like robots, the same yardstick measures the difference. Ryo-Oh-Ki is actually a spaceship, but s/he is thought of as an animal rather than as a thing. Doraemon and Astro Boy are both constantly referred to as “robots” but thought of as “human characters” while robots with less human personality like Dongo from Crusher Joe, Nanmo from Dirty Pair and Yamato’s Analyzer are firmly mecha.

Taking this into account, while the Transformers are mechanical, I don’t think they would or should really be classified as “mecha” because they aren’t presented as mechanical objects or tools, but as individual, independent characters.