SUPER DANGEROUS ROBOT

Welcome to another edition of Top 5s! Last week we covered the top trending topics on social media, this week we're going to take a look at the top super dangerous robots revealed in anime and manga!

5. Genshin Impact

Anime and manga are arguably the 2 largest pop-culture inspirations in the 21st century. For decades, anime has been a platform for creators to experiment with new ideas and characters, while manga is often considered the ultimate platform for storytelling. It's only natural then that when we compare traditional to cutting edge technologies, the results would be fascinating and sometimes even dangerous.

The most recent example of this would be Genshin Impact, a manga and anime series that blends the stylings of 2 of anime's biggest names, Akira and Ghost in the Shell. The result is a unique cyberpunk adventure that explores the impact of AI and augmented reality on society.

The story starts off with a bang when Yuzo, a man living in the year 2039, becomes obsessed with perfecting a cyber-ninja outfit based on the designs of the legendary Akira. He soon finds out that his outfit doesn't just have practical uses though: it also allows him to explore the virtual world in all its glory, as he explores the internet in search of ghosts to assist him in his mission.

It gets bigger than that though, because the series gradually introduces another element that draws heavily from Ghost in the Shell. At the same time Yuzo is unraveling the mysteries of the ghost network, humanity is also dealing with an AI apocalypse, where all of the AIs in the world have decided to fight each other, resulting in an ultra-violence that we never really saw the likes of before. The results of this dystopian future are not only stunning to look at, but also bring a new layer of excitement, suspense, and thrills to the story.

Genshin impact is a great example of how anime and manga can blend together to tell complete stories, using experimental ideas and real-world contexts to create something new. It's also a glimpse into the future of cyberpunk, as Yuzo's quest to assemble the ultimate cyber-ninja outfit leads him to places and encounters that reflect not just the story, but the world around us as well.

4. The Masked Hero

Arguably one of the most iconic and defining scenes in anime is the showdown between Goku and Piccolo in the first Dragon Ball film. For those who have never seen it, let me introduce you to the pinnacle of badassery.

Goku, a legendary warrior from the Chinese tradition, has been training non-stop for years to be ready for a fight with the incredibly strong and cunning Piccolo. Before the match begins, Goku's friends and allies emerge from the shadows to help him in his final moments of preparation, with one surprising ally in particular making a heroic entrance: the ever-adorable and heroic Master Roshi.

As the scene begins, Goku is seen preparing for the fight by engaging in fierce training with his loyal and well-trained companions. But while Goku is busy sharpening his kung fu skills, Piccolo is doing the same, except he's using his immense strength to pull apart rocks and build huge forts out of them. After years of preparation, the fight begins and Goku and Piccolo immediately commence to dueling it out, with each combatant trying to prove who is the superior fighter. As expected, Goku is no match for Piccolo's raw power and eventually, after about 15 minutes of brutal hand-to-hand combat, he is completely defeated, despite his best efforts to resist.

What makes this scene so memorable is not just that it's filled with action and adventure, but that for the first time ever in an anime film, we see a villain who truly believes he is doing the right thing, despite his actions having terrible consequences. It's clear that in their pursuit of peace, prosperity, and greater understanding, the people of the village have been manipulated by Kuber, a megalomaniac who sees himself as some sort of god, and his army of cyber-drones. Goku is forced to watch in horror as his friends and family are murdered in front of him by Kuber's drones, causing him to lose all hope and turn into a heartless killing machine, until he is ultimately defeated by his own creation. This is a story that speaks to all of us, as no matter who you are, where you're coming from, or what you believe in, sometimes we are forced to do things that we later deeply regret.

3. The Ironclad

If you take a look on YouTube, you'll find countless anime and manga montages using scenes from the hit TV series Black Law. It's a show about a group of vigilantes who band together to combat the corruption of the legal system and protect the innocent, with all of their fights taking place in spectacular, high-tech, armored battle-machines.

The most iconic scene from Black Law is almost certainly the one where our main protagonist, Haru, fights against a group of corrupt cops. In the first episode, she effortlessly defeats them all by herself, using only her wits and a frying pan. The next episode finds her taking on the entire police department, this time aided by a group of superheroes who have come to her aid at some point during the series.

What makes this scene so amazing is the fact that Haru doesn't just defeat her opponents using her wits and some high tech gadgetry; she also out-matches them in pure physicality as well, demonstrating her vast martial arts training in full view of the camera. Even the superheroes, one of whom is the Hulk, are no match for Haru's fierce ability to fight multiple opponents at the same time, using her multitasking skills to keep them all busy while she uses her unique fighting style to beat them all.

2. Mazinger Z

One of the most iconic anime ever made is undoubtedly Mazinger Z, a show that not only defined anime at the time of its premiere, but also helped to pioneer many of the special effects that we see in films today. While it's impossible to accurately describe the awesomeness of Mazinger Z, a quick glance at its Wikipedia page will give you an idea of what makes this show so special: it boasts some of the most advanced special effects of its time, including a technique called “warping.”

Warping involves warping the space around the objects in question through the use of a special camera lens, with the results often being mind-blowing, with everything from cars and trucks being turned into intricate patterns, to landscapes and buildings being redesigned to fit the theme of the show, or to incorporate complex plot points.

While we're often inclined to think of science fiction and anime as being separate worlds, it is amazing how much the two can learn from and influence each other. It seems like recently, anime has been hitting us with some of the most awesome robot designs we've seen in a long time, and while some of them may have a traditional Japanese feel about them, others truly push the envelope, experimenting with different forms and functions, all while still fitting into whatever theme or setting they're trying to portray.

There's also the matter of style, as we've seen a trend where anime and manga alike are opting for a more realistic approach when it comes to the way their machines look. This is most definitely the case with Mazinger Z, where even the tiniest details, such as springs and gaskets, have been given the 3D treatment, making the entire show feel that little bit more real.

1. Evangelion

It's time to bring it back down to earth (well, almost) with arguably one of the most influential anime series of all time, Evangelion. Like Dragon Ball before it, Evangelion is filled with ridiculously powerful beings who do incredible things, usually with awesome sound effects and a whole lot of gore. If you've ever seen one of the films or read one of the manga, you'll know exactly what I'm talking about.

The entire premise of the series is that the world has ended, but instead of bringing peace to the planet, a brutal, divine child is born, leading to the start of a new era of terror and bloodshed. In a way, it feels like the ultimate “what if” scenario. What if the world didn't end in the way that it did? What if the surviving humans had to start all over again, adapting to a new way of living and working in this time of chaos? Essentially, Evangelion is about a world where hope is lost and nothing, not even the simplest of tasks, can be trusted.