Machine Robo

Everything About Fiction You Never Wanted to Know.

Machine Robo is a long running toy-based franchise produced by toy company Bandai. It debuted in 1982 in Japan and initially ended in 1989. It was revived several times, and its latest incarnation, Machine Robo Mugenbine, is still being released today. A large portion of the Machine Robo toy-line was exported and sold by Tonka in America as GoBots and Rock Lords, sometimes with major color and mold changes, together with toys developed by Tonka themselves.

Several anime series were produced for it:

Machine Robo: Revenge of Cronos is a Japanese anime television series produced by Ashi Productions. It ran on TV Tokyo from July 3, 1986, through May 28, 1987. To date, only 15 episodes of the series have officially been released with English subtitles on three DVDs by Central Park Media. The story takes place on the mechanical world of Cronos. A band of villains called the Gyandlar have come to the planet in search of the mythical energy, the Hyribead.

This was followed by Machine Robo: Battlehackers, a loose sequel to Machine Robo: Revenge of Cronos, which aired in 1987.

Furthermore, three OVAs were produced from 1988 to 1990 that told the further story of Rom Stol and his sister (especially his sister), Blue Jet, Rod Drill, and Tripple Jim.

2003 saw the release of Machine Robo Rescue, which told the feats of a rescue organisation and its Machine Robo helpers.

Although its current incarnation Machine Robo Mugenbine does not feature an anime, several CG shorts and a manga were produced, and the current releases feature a story on the boxes.


Tropes used in Machine Robo include: