SaiMecha 2012 is upon us, and the call has been made for bracket nominations. And with that, my philosophy in nominating has changed. I’m injecting a healthy amount of lulz to keep people on their toes, and to further promote the drama that the last tournament had wrought. Why so? Because it’s fun! We all love these robots, and we all love killing each other for them.
Without further ado, here’s mine! (images taken from MAHQ and various sources)
Turn A Gundam
How can I not nominate this? It’s my favorite Gundam of all time! How could you say no to that manly ‘stache? It will transport cows and do your laundry en masse. It will sprout gay butterfly wings on its back and turn all other robots into dust from envy.
Hyaku Shiki
I have a soft spot for this mech. It has one hell of a scary face close-up, and it’s gold. The name is really rad: it means “Type 100″, and the designer intended it to last a hundred years. Whenever I think of the Hyaku Shiki, I remember Char’s glory days in the AEUG, where he wasn’t made of FAIL.
Godannar
Godannar is one of my sleeper favorites. It’s a combination of a manly mech and a girly mech (think boobs and female proportions). It’s got a two-stage finisher attack that involves exploding flames and kicking. It beats up things with its bare fists. What’s not to like?
AV-98 Ingram
I love Patlabor. I love the Ingram and its rabbit ears. Its weapons are super-scaled versions that policemen would use, from batons that deliver a nasty electric shock to wayward robots to giant revolvers and shotguns. It even has riot gear to go with dangerous dispatches.
Basara’s Custom VF-19 Excalibur
LET’S GO tsukinukeyou ze
yume de mita yoake e
mada mada tooi kedo
MAYBE dou ni ka naru no sa
ai ga areba itsu datte
ore no uta wo kikeba (LISTEN TO MY SONG)
kantan na koto sa (IT’S SO EASY)
futatsu no HEART wo CROSS saseru nante
yozora wo kakeru LOVE HEART
moeru omoi wo nosete
kanashimi to nikushimi wo uchiotoshite yuke
omae no mune ni mo LOVE HEART
massugu uketomete DESTINY
nan-oku-kousen no kanata e mo
totsugeki LOVE HEART
YF-29 Durandal
Seriously guys, Sayonara no Tsubasa was an amazing mecha anime movie, and it’d be a grave injustice not to to put the Swept-Forward Wings of Goodbye in the tourney.
ARX-007 Arbalest
The Arbalest caused a lot of stir by moving up in the last tournament more than people expected it to (EO bathed in a pool made of Nirvash fanboy tears). So I’m bringing it back to crush fanboy hearts! Fuck you, mecha fans!
When I think about it, the Lambda Driver ain’t so bad. There’s also the knife-in-the-mouth thing that I liked, and the shotgun. Mecha shotguns are always cool. Always.
Mazinkaiser SKL
I thought about nominating Getter, but I remembered how ugly Getter is, in the “Oh God only a kid would love that hideous thing” sense, so I’m nominating Mazinkaiser SKL instead. Arguably more badass, and has a far more interesting multi-pilot gimmick than plain old combining. And it makes gun kata cool again. WE ARE HELL.
Tauburn
Bet you didn’t expect this, did you? I’m a bit miffed with how RahXephon performed last year, and when push comes to shove, I’d rather field this fabulous mech under the flag of BONES. Dazzling the stage!
Yeah, there was Nirvash, yeah. I’m not putting it in the same bracket where it would eventually have to fight Arbalest again…
Wing Gundam Zero
I realized that the Deathscythe Hell made it last year, but the Wing Zero didn’t. Dude, seriously? Wing Zero’s got the baddest guns in the house. It could probably just fly in the middle of the bracket, point its buster rifles outward, spin in place, and obliterate the competition. Also making it hard for everyone to vote because of nostalgia.
I prefer the TV series version.
1. Only Mecklinger’s stache is more pr0nographic
2. Quattro in the AEUG is made of fail, that’s why he’s so lovable!
3. pretty for a Ganmen
4. do not want, from the headpiece to the colors
5. my charging heart of love
6. VALKYRIAAAAAAAA!!!!!
7. /groan
8. yessss
9. fabulous
10. WRYYYYYYY
1.-6. & 9. Need to watch these (especially Godannar), but seems acceptable.
7. horrible nomination, killing Sai Mecha etc.
8. METAL
10. X Divider is infinitely cooler.
X Divider is too good for this tournament. I’d rather keep it to myself!
Godannar is good… once you get past the fanservice (it’s like Strike Witches, nobody bats an eyelash about the smutty clothing, infinitely better)!
I’m actually kicking myself for not nominating Tauburn myself now.
You forgot? Or did you undergo a period of agony before leaving it out?
I forgot. Hyaku Shiki was the period of agony, but to distinguish myself from the other poseurs like me, I left out all Gundam suits.
A lot of white mecha, did you notice that?
Oooh, your powers of observation are as sharp as ever!
Shin Getter isn’t aestheticly ugly per say, it’s design is just meant to radiate sinister demonic hate in a very Buddhist sense. The only truly ugly Getter is Getter Robo G: doesn’t matter which incarnation, that thing is always a hideous pile of fail. Dragon is an overdesigned Getter 1 minus the charm, Liger is just cluster-fuck-ugly, and Poseidon is dull as ditchwater Fatty McFail.
RE the Ingram, why not the Type-0 from the first movie, or the Griffon? Sleeker, sexier and deliciously evil to a tee the both of them. The only advantage the AV-98 has over that is plucky underdog charm, and that didn’t take it far last year.
Relax bro, I’m just hating. I like Shin Getter! It’s part of my mecha hangar. Just… lol. Yeah, G is hideous.
I don’t really like the Zero, and the Griffon is not as recognizable as the Ingram.
Thank goodness I was able to nominate both Tauburn and Samekh, though I probably should have just chosen one of the two. I honestly don’t know what to do with the 10th nomination spot, so I threw it away under the flag of FABULOUS.
Mazinkaiser SKL is the most incredible thing in the history of ever. Ever. Death to all but METAL. The true must keep the spirit alive!