Oh Goodsmile Company, why must you tempt me with the first Nendoroid I actually kind of want. I try to get out but keep getting dragged back in. Looking at new figures is definitely not healthy for a recovering figure addict… GSC will let you create your own Shanatan adventures (complete with interchangeable parts, extra accessories, and melonpan) this November for a cool 3500 yen.

Super Robots are one of the oldest and most well-loved genres in anime and manga. You’ll be hard pressed to find a serious anime fan who doesn’t have a favorite super robot or someone who didn’t grow up as a child cheering on their favorite bot as he wrecked the aspirations of some evil king every afternoon. You might a super robot fan and not even know it as many of the old Japanese shows made their way to the U.S. under different names such as the Force Five cartoon anthology which featured the American versions of Getter Robo G, Gaiking, UFO Robot Grendizer and Dangard Ace, and of course there’s the American classic Voltron which has just been released in its original form of Beast King Golion. The novelty even spread to other shows like Transformers as the idea of “combining” into a greater force became a mainstay of the toy line and eventually the show as kids had to hunt down every Constructicon, Stunticon, Aerialbot, etc. to make giant Transformers that towered over the rest of their collection. Even now, the super robot genre is alive and well as some of the most popular shows of the day feature hot-blooded protagonists and their mecha and hardly a season of anime goes by without a TV or OVA remake of an old classic. But what about this genre makes it so popular?

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