From the rev of the engine to the extremely catchy theme song,Megas XLRwas a beloved cult classic that was aired on Cartoon Network between 2004 and 2005. Created by Jody Schaeffer and George Kristic, the show was heavily inspired by mecha anime and paid homage to the genre while also adding a unique twist.
Many may remember this cult classic as the OG western cartoon that incorporated many references to other cult classics of this era, others may remember it as their favorite giant robot that goes around destroying New Jersey while fighting aliens and other giant robots.
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We Dig Giant Robots
The show follows the adventures of Coop, a gamer and fast food junkie who discovers a robot named Megas while rummaging through a junkyard. Coop turns the robot into a hot rod project by painting flames and replacing the head with a classic muscle car (most likely a Plymouth Barracuda). Together withhis best friend Jamie and Kiva, a female commander of the Earth Coalition from the future, Coop uses Megas to battle the forces of evil and defend Earth from their attacks.
The unique blend of mecha anime, science fiction and comedy made it a fairly unique show for its time, but that didn’t stop the creators going all out and creating one of the best mecha anime inspired cartoons of the early 2000s. The shows feature many elements that are common in mecha anime, such as the use of super advanced technology, the battle between giant robots and aliens as well as the themes of teamwork and strategy.While mecha anime showcasesskilled and trained pilots,Megas XLRtakes a different approach as Coop is seen to be a lazy but skilled gamer who uses a video game controller to control Megas, a brilliant nod to the gaming culture of that era. The show’s use of video games is also a reflection of the changing nature of entertainment in the early 21st century, as video games were becoming more mainstream during this time.
Chicks Dig Giant Robots
In addition to its mecha anime influences,Megas XLRalso incorporates humor and pop culture references which sets it apart from other shows in the genre. The distinct reference to videos games, TV shows, movies as well as popular parodies of science fiction tropes is a unique addition to the show. More than the storyline, the writers focused more on the gags and the humorous elements, where Coop gets him and the gang into allsorts of trouble and accidentallydestroys half of New Jersey.
The characters on the show are also lovable as Coop is either constantly drowning down smoothies or smashing huge piles of junk food while Jamie on the other hand is money minded and dreams of being swarmed by girls. Kiva is the more grounded character who focuses on the mission while the other two goof off on their own enjoyments. The addition of this strong female character who plays an important role in the shows breaks traditional gender roles as female characters were often seen as “the damsel in distress”. However,Megas XLRportrays Kiva to be an important supportingcharacter who keepsthe trio in check and is also skilled in hand-to-hand combat as well as robotics.
A fun fact about Kiva is that she was actually voiced by Wendee Lee who also voiced the character Faye Valentine from Cowboy Bebop. She was not the only iconic voice over artist as Jamie was also voiced by none other than the iconic Steve Blum, who also voiced Spike in the cult classic anime,Cowboy Bebop, which is whythe voices would be instantly recognizable for most anime fans.
Even though the show was growing in popularity,Megas XLRran for only 2 seasons, with a total of 26 episodes. The show has seen been a cult classic and have left fans hoping and waiting for a revival or reboot. The show also has a unique visual style that gave the show its own identity. It featured a mix of hand-drawn animation and CGI that created a retro yet distinctive look. The design of Megas is also unique compared to other giant robots featuring a mix ofmecha elements and theclassic paint job (retro flame and 8-ball), nice! .
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