Date Published: June, 1st, 2025

How To Create A Mecha Manga

In today's video, we're discussing some tips to help you create a mecha manga, comic, or light novel! Mecha is a genre popularised by anime and manga, which focuses on characters piloting giant humanoid robots. Today, we will be looking at some key features of this genre, so you can apply the techniques to your stories. Thanks for watching!

What Is Mecha?

Mecha is a genre popularised by manga and anime. It focuses on giant humanoid robots, typically piloted by the main characters in the story. Mecha usually also features topics of technological advancement, and the humanity behind these changes.

Ensure The Mech Has Purpose

When adding mech to the story, ensure that it has purpose and meaning. Avoid adding mech for no reason! The characters should have a reason to pilot the mech or interact with it, and this purpose should increase over the course of the story.

Make Piloting The Mech Part Of The Journey

Characters should have a reason to pilot the mech throughout the story, as that’s part of the journey. The mech is there is assist the characters in reaching the final story goal, and should therefore be presented in various situations throughout the book.

Give The Main Character A Limitation

Typically in mecha series, the main character will have a limitation, preventing them from achieving the story goal too easily. Usually, this limitation will prevent them from operating the mech, and they must overcome this limitation and pilot the mech in order to achieve the goal.

Integrate The Mecha Into The World-Building

Mecha are typically included in science fiction. Usually, a world with mecha also comes with various political or scientific struggles.
To make your world feel more immersive, consider political struggles within this world, and how it may relate to the characters piloting the mech.

Understand The Purpose Of The Mecha Parts

This tip is more specifically for artists drawing the mecha. When drawing the mech, create a basic understanding of what each part is for. Even in a made up futuristic world, the mecha mechanics should still have some kind of purpose! Avoid including random parts for no reason, and try to ensure that the mechanical side of the mech makes sense.

Develop Character Progression

It is unlikely your character will be able to pilot the mecha perfectly at the start. Instead, you should show how your character learns along the way, giving them various tasks and smaller missions to achieve, as they work their way towards the most important parts of the story.

Show The Consequences Of Failure

Piloting mech may be dangerous at times! It is important to show the consequences of failure in your story. Whether there is an error in the machinery, or if there is a challenging situation beyond the mecha, showing the struggles your characters face can overall make the world feel more dire. It can also be a good opportunity for character development, as you show your character overcoming these challenges.

Reveal The Hidden Secrets

In a mecha anime/manga, there will usually be a hidden secret, that is not revealed to the characters until later on. This secret usually not only involves the truth behind the mecha they have been piloting, but sometimes also a much more dire truth behind the sci-fi world they have lived in all this time.