The Big Machine | Gōkin Tetsuko Hara | Shōnen | Tetsujin 28-go | Mazinger Z

The first mecha robot in manga was Tetsujin 28-go, created by Mitsuteru Yokoyama in 1956.
In this story, a young boy named Shotaro Kaneda controls a giant robot called Tetsujin 28 using a remote control. This is considered to be the first time a GIANT robot appeared in manga.
The first mecha robot with a person inside is generally attributed to Mazinger Z, created by Go Nagai in 1972. In this story, a boy named Koji Kabuto controls the robot from inside its head, which was a big change from Tetsujin 28-go.

So, in short:
• First mecha robot: Tetsujin 28-go (1956) – remote-controlled by a boy.
• First piloted mecha robot: Mazinger Z (1972) – piloted by a person inside.

These two stories helped start the mecha genre that we see in many manga and anime today!

But there’s also 'Big Machine' published in Shōnen between 1967 and 1968. This manga featured a big mecha robot with Kotsetsu and his father Dr.Noa (there’s always a doctor) inside the head piloting the robot. It can also be remotely controlled using an M-horn that imitates a black telephone, but this M-horn can only be used by Kotetsu.

It's surprising that manga featuring giant robots piloted from inside the head already appeared in this era. The Big Machine also had the ability to separate and combine, and there were scenes where the head would be detached and fly into the sky to escape …