The Energon Pub

[The Dude]

So, in Japan, giant robot fiction is so numerous that they essentially classify it into two sub-genres: Super Robot and Real Robot. Super Robot is the more crazy, fantastic kind of sub-genre, where the pilots are usually too young to shave and the robots have weird, usually kind of preposterous origins, like: found buried in the remains of an ancient civilization, controlled by a magical stone... The kind of thing you see on shows like Power Rangers, Mazinger, or Gurren Lagann.
Real Robot is pretty much the exact opposite of this. Here, the pilots are usually grizzled, muscular military commanders - both male and female - and the robots are treated realistically, more as an extension of vehicular technology than as magical guardians of the planet. Some Real Robot shows are Gundam, Patlabor, and Votoms.
So which one do you think Transformers belongs to? I'd be interested to hear some of your opinions. It's essentially an American-based brand, so it kind of has elements of both. So yeah, what do you guys think.

[RhA]

Neither. TF's are their own drivers. Unless we're talking Masterforce and even there it's a thin line.

[AutobotMR2]

Truth be told I think it's a hybrid combination of the two. Most real robots are modled and classed that way because they are based on theoretical technology that could come about one day. Most super robots are, as you said, based on some ludicrous origin...or made with some mysterious power source. also they don't HAVE to have a pilot, just look at the Yuusha (Brave) series that followed Transformers and was also made by Takara. They were sentient and they were classed as Super Robots. I'm actually interested to see how this turns out....since I love both Real Robot shows and Super Robot shows.

[SJ21]

I would think they are more "super robot". They are robots from another planet.

[Shadowstream]

It treads the line between I think, while tending to lean one way or the other depending on the themes and writing of the series in question. Headmasters, Masterforce, Victory, Zone, Car Robots/RID, and The Unicron Trilogy lean mostly in favor of Super Robots. Most comic series, Beast Wars, and Prime fall more under real robots.

Despite all that I still think that in general it falls under the super robot banner a lot more easily, given the rather ridiculous nature of the mythos. I mean stuff like the Matrix, Unicron, Primus, The 13? Tell me that kind of weirdness DOESN'T sound super robot-y!

All said, I really miss the Japanese series'.

[AutobotMR2]

Indeed.