The Japanese Ministry of Education through the Media Arts Current Contents project has released the English version of “Japanese Animation Guide: The History of Robot Anime” (“Nihon Animation Guide: Robot Anime-hen”, 「日本アニメーションガイド ロボットアニメ編」).

Written by anime critic Hikawa Ryusuke, writer Sawaki Daisuke, and Sunrise’s Inoue Koichi, the report was commissioned by the Agency for Cultural Affairs, under the Japanese Ministry of Education.

The report discusses mecha anime’s history from its rise in the early 1960s. The report also talks about the intimate relationship between anime studios and toy manufacturers. Lastly, the report features a comprehensive list of mecha series and movies in chronological order.

The PDF of the report can be downloaded from the Media Arts Current Contents website. It has been translated into English from its original Japanese by renowned manga translator Matt Alt.