Giant robots can now be seen in live action big budget Hollywood movies like Pacific Rim. There was a time when the only way to get mech action was on Japanese TV shows re-cut into sometimes totally differnt stories for American television. The legendary Force Five series brought the likes of Sci-Fi West Saga Starzinger, UFO Robot Grendizer, and Getter Robo G to afterschool TV. Kids in the midwest had never seen serialized storytelling on the level brought by these Japanese series. And that was just prep for the mind blowing journey of Robotech. Here’s more from Anime Herald:
This practice can also be seen in another 1980s work, Robotech, which was produced by Harmony Gold. In Robotech’s case, three separate shows, rather than two, were combined to form a new narrative context that would see the works connected. In particular, the title brought together Super Dimension Fortress Macross, Genesis Climber MOSPEADA, and Super Dimension Cavalry Southern Cross, all of which were produced by Tatsunoko Entertainment.
Super Dimension Fortress would soon become the focal point of a legal battle that would affect the greater franchise for decades to come. Though this will be explained in a later installment, a 2005 court case ultimately found that Tatsunoko maintains ownership over the original footage and international licensing rights for the original Super Dimension Fortress Macross anime, though creators Big West and Studio Nue co-own the rights to the Macross characters and stories outside of Japan. The Robotech property, as an entity, is currently held jointly with Harmony Gold, and has been extended for the foreseeable future.