▁m anga ▁ ▁featured ▁a ▁power ed , ▁pil oted , ▁mechanical ▁oct opus . ▁The ▁ 1 9 4 3 ▁Y ok oy ama ▁Ry ū ichi ' s ▁propag anda ▁m anga ▁ ▁featured ▁a ▁sword - w ield ing , ▁steam - power ed , ▁giant ▁hum ano id ▁me cha . ▁The ▁first ▁series ▁in ▁the ▁me cha ▁genre ▁was ▁M its uter u ▁Y ok oy ama ' s ▁ 1 9 5 6 ▁m anga ▁T ets uj in ▁ 2 8 - go ▁( which ▁was ▁later ▁animated ▁in ▁ 1 9 6 3 ▁and ▁also ▁released ▁abroad ▁as ▁G ig ant or ). ▁He ▁was ▁inspired ▁to ▁become ▁a ▁m anga ▁cre ator ▁by ▁Os am u ▁Te zu ka , ▁and ▁began ▁serial izing ▁the ▁m anga ▁in ▁Sh onen , ▁an ▁icon ic ▁boy ' s ▁magazine , ▁in ▁ 1 9 5 6 . ▁In ▁this ▁series , ▁the ▁robot , ▁which ▁was ▁made ▁as ▁a ▁last - d itch ▁effort ▁to ▁win ▁World ▁War ▁II ▁by ▁the ▁Japanese ▁military , ▁was ▁remote - control led ▁by ▁the ▁protagon ist ▁Sh ot aro ▁Kan eda , ▁a ▁twelve - year - old ▁detect ive ▁and ▁" wh iz ▁kid ". ▁The ▁story ▁turned ▁out ▁to ▁have ▁immense ▁mass ▁appeal , ▁and ▁inspired ▁gener ations ▁of ▁im it ators . ▁ ▁In ▁ 1 9 7 2 , ▁Go ▁Nag ai , ▁another ▁of ▁Japan ' s ▁greatest ▁m anga ▁cre ators ,