Why so few female robot pilots?

[rocklobster]

This is something that's been puzzling me. How come we see so few female big robot pilots? I mean, the only shows I've seen with them are a certain show that can't be discussed,RahXephon and Dual.

[Raiden no Kishi]

Mostly because giant robot anime is typically shounen (boys') and thus the protagonists will be male. Boys tend to be more interested in giant robots blowing stuff up than girls - or so I've heard.

.rai//

[heero yuy 95]

Nah, i beg to differ. a lot of mecha have female pilots. gunbuster, dangaioh, evangelion, nadesico, shall i continue? I prefer when the main character is male myself. Since I'm a guy, i find a male protagonist easier to relate to. and as stated above, most mecha are shounen, for boys. But, yeah, there are plenty of series with female pilots.

[Da Rabid Duckie]

Oh yeah, Nadesico's got them in spades. There's also Dual! Parallel, and Vandread can sort of be considered as such. I would also think that there are a lot of series involving teams with a good deal of female pilots... Voltron, Robotech, Battle of the Planets, and the list goes on.

[Stephen]

Moved to the anime board. I will pray for you Rocklobster. I won't give up on you posting on the right boards. Someday guy. Someday.

[Roy Mustang]

This is something that's been puzzling me. How come we see so few female big robot pilots?

Because they would fly slow and have the turn signal on. I know that I'm going to get stone to death for this, but I just had to post that. ]Wingzero22 [/font]

[Doubleshadow]

Given I am not big on the mecha genre, I cannot think of any titles that have exclusively male pilots; although in some, the lone female pilot is pretty token. Perhaps it is for the same reasons that you rarely see strong female heroes in lead action roles in the US, traditional sensibilities consider it guys turf.

[bakura_fan]

Because they would fly slow and have the turn signal on. I know that I'm going to get stone to death for this, but I just had to post that. ]Wingzero22 [/font]

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . *act cool...come on...you can do it* . . . *no...musn't give in!! musn't....ah dang it!* that is hilarious!!

[Shao Feng-Li]

Well, Godannar has female pilots right? (Hahahaha!) *ahem*

[Joshua Christopher]

Only if you're thinking Go Nagai, but even his shows have at least one female pilot.

I guess most Gundam series' are full of men (pretty-boys) zipping around and such in their fancy robots.

[Rexman64]

Mostly because giant robot anime is typically shounen (boys') and thus the protagonists will be male. Boys tend to be more interested in giant robots blowing stuff up than girls - or so I've heard.

All the more reason for the main characters to be girls.

[Yojimbo]

Actually I'd say in most Gundam series there's a good number of females pilots.

[creed4]

Blue gender has a female pilot

[freerock1]

Starship Operators has an all-female crew.

[Roy Mustang]

Gunbuster has just about an all female cast.


Wingzero22

[KhakiBlueSocks]

Blue gender has a female pilot

Yeah...Marlene was a pilot, but at the start of the show, she proved to me that she could roll with the big boys...

Pilot Candidate kinda did the same thing; the girls were the repairers for the giant robots (Ingrids) while the boys went into battle. There was one female in that group though...she piloted the "White Goddess" and was the leader of the whole group.

[mitsuki lover]

Interesting both Pilot Candidate and Dual featured Joshua Seth and Michelle Ruff.
Another series no-one mentioned was Sakura Wars.I read up on it and the pilots in it are all girls,disguised as an acting troup.It takes place in an alternate version of the early 20th century.I have it on my list of must buy animes.

[Roy Mustang]

This is my list of major female robot pilots.

Gundam 0080: War in the Pocket

Christina Mackenzie

Christina had main role in the OVA. She was the test pilot of the new Gundam NT-4 prototype for Earth Federation.

The 08th MS Team

Karen Joshua- Earth Federation

2rd rank (I think) in 08 MS Team. She is one of the two longest-serving members of the 08th MS Team. She did take over as commander of the team in the last ep. She also serve as a field medic in emergencies.

Aina Saharin- Principality of Zeon

Sister of mad scientist Ginias Saharin. She served as a semi-official Zeon test pilot. She became the test pilot for newest Zeon project.

Mobile Suit Zeta Gundam

Emma Sheen- AEUG

Emma was a Titan pilot who switches her allegiance to the AEUG. She was one of three junior officers chosen to test the Titans' Gundam Mk.II prototypes, but she defects to AEUG.

Lila Milla Rira- Earth Federation

She a tough and aggressive ace pilot of the regular Earth Federation Forces and was assigned to the space cruiser Bosnia and stationed at the Luna II asteroid base.

Char's Counterattack

Rezin Schnyder-Neo Zeon

She is an ace pilot who leads one of Neo Zeon's mobile suit combat teams.

Quess Paraya- Neo Zeon

Quess is a 13 year old teen that had a powerful natural newtype. But because she was young, she lack the emotional maturity to handle the sensations of real battle.


Mobile Suit Gundam F91

Cecily Fairchild- Civilian

She became a pilot for Crossbone Vanguard and also become a symbol of their newly established nation of Cosmo Babylonia.


Annamarie Bourget- Crossbone Vanguard

Annamarie is a pilot for Crossbone Vauard and commands one of the Crossbone Vanguard's reconnaissance teams.

Gundam Wing

Lucrezia Noin- OZ

She was one of the top pilots from the Lake Victoria military academy. After graduation, she became one of the academy's staff, and trained new Specials recruits in space combat.

I know this is just a list for Gundam. I will post later on others.


Wingzero22

[Godly Paladin]

I actually think there are too many as it is. Why? Because most of them are in skimpy costumes and tend to...well...'hang out'. (Vandread) Now I know that's a generalization, and maybe not all are like that, but I believe you'll notice that most females in mecha anime seem to be there mostly for eye candy. This is often a stumbling block for me - and apparently for many of the other guys I talk to on this board.

So not only would I suggest that there *are* a lot of female mecha pilots, I would go further and say that's a bad thing. (On another level, it means that every time their mech gets hit they'll have to squeak and get thrown around the cockpit, which gets reeeeeeally annoying.)

But then again, I'm getting disenchanted with the entire genre. Maybe I just haven't seen the right ones, but at this point I'm inclined to say that mecha shows are the weakest element of the anime world because of their cookie-cutter plots and high level of predictablility and simplicity.

Anyway, I'm straying off topic.

[CDLviking]

I think Vandread is alone in that category. Most mecha pilots tend to be clothed from neck to toe in some kind of piloting suit, but if it's a stumbling block for you, so be it, I won't tell you to watch it.

[Godly Paladin]

Well, there's Neon Genesis Evangellion, too, for instance.

But it seems to me to be the case in any non-Gundam shows.

[Kisa]

Probably because any kinds of machine is considered male territory and therefore they want to see strong male roles in them. I don't agree, I think guys and girsl can do most things equally, but thats media for ya

[RedMage]

Well, there's Neon Genesis Evangellion, too, for instance.

NGE falls into the "head-to-toe" category he was talking about. Granted, the outfits are quite tight-fitting, but they really couldn't show any less skin...

[mitsuki lover]

*AHERM* pointing to avatar...With the exception of Kazuki the Core Robots could only be piloted by girls because D put a limiter on them that made it impossible for a male to normally pilot them.Even then Kazuki's Life Sympathy was in the negative range.But will wait until order the DVD and get a chance to watch it again
to say more.Need to refresh my memory.

[Tsukuyomi]

Hahaha, at first I thought you were talking about why are there so few of femlales on CAA (lol). Don't forget about the Gundam Girls in Gundam Seed. Lacus and Kagali (sp).

[LadyKokoro]

There is, of course, Sailor Victory. Entirely female mech ... but it has proven to be a horrible disappointment. I thought that it would be a cross between Sailor Moon and Gundum. It was a satire - sometimes funny, but I wouldn't watch it again. Too much cussing and frontal nudity. F-bombs and B-words, mostly. The story is about some girls who have too much time and money and a love for magical girl shows and mechas. They are also refered to as Guardian Goddesses. I saw the dub, so I can't speak for the sub. The theme song was subbed and nasty and lewed. In the end ... I am disappointed that there isn't more girl mechs/sfs. Of course, I also love to watch the shonens. Cute guys are a fave of mine to see in anime.

[Tsukuyomi]

Wow, that sounded.. interesting. I just like guys going gaga over the slightest view of skin. That's so funny I think, but to much is to much.

[mitsuki lover]

Does Dorothy count in Big O?

[Rexman64]

Does Dorothy count in Big O?

She never piloted anything. So probably not.

[LadyKokoro]

Actually there was this one ep, but Roger took over. She is technically a mech, herself, and is sister to a mech made by the same lonely old man.

As for showing skin ... if it is pertinent to the plot and not nasty then I don't mind it. If it is so that it is for fanservice alone, then forget it. I prefer modesty.