Giant Robots, Big Ideas - Exploring the World of Mecha in Japanese Animation

Published on 31 March 2026

From towering mechanical heroes to city-destroying battles, giant robots have become one of the most iconic images in Japanese animation. On 28 April 2026, Leiden University will host "Giant Robots, Big Ideas", an afternoon event exploring how these spectacular machines reflect deeper questions about technology, artificial intelligence, war, and the relationship between humans and machines.

Giant robots occupy a unique position in global visual culture, moving between technology and emotion, spectacle and philosophy, fantasy and political imagination. From early postwar robot heroes to the psychological complexity of Neon Genesis Evangelion, mecha have served as powerful tools for exploring identity, embodiment, and the human relationship with machines.

Tuesday 28 April 2026
13:30 – 17:00
Kartini Auditorium, University Library.
Giant Robots, Big Ideas is open to students, staff, and members of the public.

Entrance is free, registration is required.

Register

In an era shaped by artificial intelligence and automation, these animated machines remain highly relevant. They offer a way to think through questions of control, vulnerability, and what it means to be human in a technological world.

This afternoon event brings together leading scholars in Japanese animation, film and literary studies, and cultural history. Through a combination of focused lectures and discussion, it examines how giant robots function across media, disciplines, and cultural contexts, and why they continue to resonate globally.

Programme

13:15 – 13:30 | Welcome and Opening
- Kurt De Belder, Director Leiden University Libraries
- Nadia Kreeft-Mishkovskyi, Subject Librarian and Curator for Japanese and Korean Collections

13:30 – 14:15 | Caretakers in the Sky: Robots, Bodies, and Emotion in Miyazaki
Susan Napier, Professor of International Literary and Cultural Studies, Tufts University

14:15 – 15:00 | Evangelion at 30: You Can (Not) Understand
Michael Crandol, Lecturer for East Asian Languages and Cultures, Washington University in Saint Louis

15:00 – 15:30 | Break

15:30 – 16:00 | Robots and Cinema: From Small and Mid-Sized to Giant
Yasco Horsman, University Lecturer, Leiden University Centre for the Arts in Society

16:00 – 16:20 | Moving Puppets Stories: Spectacle and Literature in Early Modern Japan
Ivo Smits, Professor of Arts and Cultures of Japan, Leiden University Institute for Area Studies

16:20 – 16:50 | Why Do Giant Robots Still Matter? - Roundtable Discussion

16:50 – 17:00 | Closing remarks