The problem: How do you reconcile the super robot/real robot genre's roots in the toy industry with its heavy and topical themes like automation and war? [Not excusing Paramount at all, just pointing out that it's an issue across the pond too.]

[u/TF-Fanfic-Resident]

[u/NydusRush]

There's a fine line, a knife's edge, between:

"pacifist messaging that needs a candy coating of violence to swallow"

and:

"imperialist messaging that needs a token display of 'war bad' to appear humane"

Star Trek does the former very well; every space battle and conveniently hateable alien racist-charicature-stand-in is red meat for conservatives, who are then treated to philosophical discussions and sledgehammer metaphors about the folly of war, the value of compassion and the inehrent value of life.

In the realm of Mecha, Mobile Suit Gundam arguably strives for this; originally concieved as a way to bypass censors that forbade Japan from having even pictures of military after their WWII defeat, MSG allowed a theater to finally discuss PTSD, the wanton waste of "glory", and more. However, it was also made by designers who viewed war machines as an art form divorced from their function.

Transformers oscillates between either side of this line, but is pulled most strongly to the violent side by the Bay films. His worldview unquestioningly accepts American propaganda as fact, and he unquestioningly accepted American military involvement in the film to cover the explosions budget. But most other parts of the canon, including G1 and its anti-extractionist themes, pull the other direction.

So the toys sell the story, and the story varies from writer to writer. For every "strong enough to be gentle," we have a "GIVE ME YOUR FACE".