Editing /m/

{{cleanup}}
/m/ is the Mecha board on [[4chan]]. While the board is used primarily for television, movies, games, books, etc. about giant robots and cyborgs, it can also be used as a general science fiction board. ''[[Star Wars]]'', ''[[Star Trek]]'', ''Ultraman'', ''Kamen Rider'', ''Stargate'', ''2001: A Space Odyssey'', ''West World'', ''Heavy Metal'', ''Futurama'', ''The Terminator'', ''Godzilla'', ''Battlestar Galactica'', ''Mega Man'', ''Sonic The Hedgehog'', ''Doctor Who'', creepypastas about haunted machines, all of it qualifies as /m/. 

Because of this, [[/tg/|traditional games]] can also be considered /m/-related topics; Fantasy is generally not seen as /m/ due to the dearth of fantasy giant robots, with the notable exceptions of ''Escaflowne'' and ''[[Dragonmech]]''. 

==Culture==
/m/ is one of the slower boards on 4chan, much slower than modern /tg/ while still faster than [[/po/]] or [[/diy/]]. While their aesthetic preferences seem to mostly resemble [[Tau]], in terms of behavior they act more similar to [[Necrons]], maybe even the [[Sons of Malice]] chapter. Because anything mechanical qualifies as /m/ it is harder to post off-topic threads compared to other boards; derailing threads is much easier than other boards due to /m/'s seeming inability to filter trolls and avoid the bait. Combine these two factors and it comes as no surprise there is little initiative from moderators when rules are broken. 

While no board is a stranger to flaming and trolls, /m/ has a serious problem with [[Fags of 4chan|samefagging]] and because of the board's below-average traffic this has a disproportionate impact on the board's culture. At times, it is hard to tell if a flame war is legit or just one guy talking to himself. The most discussed franchises on the board are ''[[Gundam]]'' and ''Kamen Rider''. Anons usually refer to each other as /m/en. [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZU537LSlggA Gong by JAM Project is their unofficial theme].

==Major Moments Of /m/==
Due to 4chan archives often ignoring /m/ much of its history is lost to time and screencaps.

;'''2004''' : /m/ is spun off from /a/ owing to flood of interest in ''Mobile Suit Gundam SEED'', a modern reinterpretation of the themes of 1979's ''[[Mobile Suit Gundam]].''

;'''2005''' : ''Mobile Suit Gundam SEED Destiny'' ends, bringing much rage. Questionable animation, excessive recaps, and bad writing lead it to be considered the poster child for bad mecha anime until the advent of ''Valvrave the Liberator''.

;'''2006''' : Hit anime ''Tengen Toppa Gurenn Lagann'' brings renewed interest in classical /m/ to the board and results in an influx of newfags from various boards owing to it's quality of animation, writing, and overall bucking of the trend by returning to hot-blooded pilots, humanoid robots moving fluidly without regard for mechanics, and cosmic conflict touching on deeper themes. In a similar manner, ''Code Geass'' captures a broad audience owing to it's shameless hamminess, plot twists, animation quality, and tragic tale of revenge. As a result, /m/ becomes one of the more populous boards on the site, with all the attendant benefits and problems. ''Super Robot Wars Alpha 3'' was released, a video game that united fans of robots from the 70s, 80s, 90s, and 00s. While seen as bloated to many, it was a celebration of the genre beloved in spirit.

;'''2007''': The 1997 hit anime ''The King of Braves GaoGaiGar'' was licensed in the US, and is warmly received.
*SageGaiGar: A parody of GaoGaiGar made of 4chan memes was constructed, until the board-tan designs this was the board's unofficial mascot.

;'''2009''' : Owing to the rising popularity of ''Kamen Rider'' and other such shows featuring rubber-suited heroes and villains, debate rises over whether tokusatsu is /m/ or not. Former 4chan owner '''moot''' declares toku /m/ following the opening of /q/, and mods begin temp-banning anyone claiming otherwise. "Toku is not /m/" remains a popular troll phrase to this day. 

:In an unforeseen consequence, declaring Toku /m/ results in non-Japanese "toku" series such as ''Doctor Who'' to be declared /m/ as well. This leads the gradual broadening, and some would say degradation, of /m/ from Mecha board to general sci-fi board.

:Bandai celebrates the 30th anniversary of their flagship franchise by erecting an RX-78-2 Gundam in Tokyo. /m/ loves that their most discussed franchise has achieved such national acclaim.

;'''2011''':

:''Mazinkaiser SKL'' was released, /m/ enjoyed it despite it not being a sequel to ''Shin Mazinger Z''. The OVA was praised for action, easter eggs, and the soundtrack.

:''Mobile Suit Gundam AGE'' is announced in July 2011, purporting to tell the tale of three generations of war.  The released designs and first trailer are seen as so child-friendly that mass butthurt ensues and the series is declared "worst Gundam ever" on both sides of the Pacific. While the series is well-animated and has innovative mecha design, the character designs remain controversial throughout its broadcast, and the writing is seen as somewhere between "lazy cliche" and "terrible." Low ratings result in the series becoming the biggest commercial failure in the franchise's history, with video game and gunpla sales at such low levels that the line was cancelled. Following revelations that the series' writer deliberately ignored plot holes on the basis of "nobody cares in video games where things come from, so it won't matter in anime," debates on whether AGE or Destiny were worse become much more common on /m/. 

;'''2012''': ''Aquarion Evol'', the latest in the cult ''Aquarion'' franchise, is widely mocked on /m/ and /m/'s Japanese equivalents, more so by general anime shippers. Noticeably bad/Disney fairy tale level writing, terrible character development, retcons of previous series, and bestiality make ''Aquarion'' into the butt of many jokes; despite this it still has a vocal fanbase reminiscent of oldfags that love obscure stuff (and Shoji Kawamori fans). It has been shown more favorably in recent years, mostly because most shows after it were much worse.

:''Eureka Seven: Astral Ocean'' suffers a similar fate. Announced as a sequel/AU to beloved anime ''Eureka Seven'', ''Astral Ocean'' suffers from noticeably bad writing, terrible character development, retcons of previous series, and numerous plot holes brought about by a literal retcon gun wielded by the main character. Strangely people that didn't care for the first series enjoyed this one and it gets praise for mech and monster designs.

:2012 is also notable for the release of ''GOTHICMADE'', a brand new animated movie created by noted mecha designer and mangaka Nagano Mamoru, of ''The Five Star Stories'' fame. A prime example of his obsession with control over his franchise, it has not been released outside of theaters to this day. Nobody on /m/ knows anything about it except that it is to blame for the redesign of all the Mortar Headds into tall, willowy, triple-jointed monsters.

:''Rinne no Lagrange'' emerges as a cult hit, mostly liked by shippers from /u/.

;'''2013''' : Widely considered to be the straw that broke /m/'s back, which broke the board into autonomous groups of [[Malal|trolls trolling trolls]].

*Only four notable mecha anime that year, three of them literally aired within a few days of each other in April with ''Gundam Build Fighters being the fourth''. The big three consisted of: ''Majestic Prince'', ''Valvrave The Liberator'', and ''Gargantia''. ''Gargantia'' and ''Majestic Prince'' were both considered best for different reasons, the former for production design and story elements and the latter for entertainment value in action and comedy. ''Valvrave'' on the other hand was loaded with problems which almost single-handedly shifted the board and arguably the worst part of the year. The things considered wrong with it warrant its own article, but the main points include:
**Nearly everyone involved with the show was a professional in the industry, expectations were very high.
**The main character being a massive beta male even by beta male standards.
**Every single episode had either some major plot twist or shock value for the sake of it. Every. Single. Episode.
**The first half was filled with unnecessary fanservice, slow pacing, little action, and bad comedy. Seriously if you hate ecchi this can be cringe inducing.
**Background characters suddenly drive the plot starting with the sixteenth episode.
**Episode 10 has a sexual assault scene, because the attacked girl consented /m/ debated whether or not it was rape. For four months straight. Topics on /m/ could reach over three hundred posts in two hours from this which was considered insane for a board this slow.
**The second half was insulting to the audience for various reasons, being increasingly worse with each episode although at this point some were just glad it amped up the action scenes.
**Every female character was either fap fuel for the sake of it or insanely hated while every male character died, allowing for sexism across the board.
**The underdeveloped faction saved the day during the credits. No, you didn't read that wrong, the guys who are known only for being the major enemy of the main antagonists, making fighters, and whose only character representative was a cowardly politician won while the protagonists accomplished next to nothing and was almost wiped out, making them bigger losers than [[dark elves]] or [[warriors of chaos]] on their worst days.
**"The Curse of Valvrave" became a meme to describe all fallout that occurred after it aired, no thanks to a demotivational poster that became the most reposted picture in /m/'s history clocking in at 1013 reposts before the archive deletion of 2015. Starting in 2014 a troll used the intense rage generated to raid /m/ on a regular basis who was given the nickname Valvrager.
**The seventh episode was a "coming out" moment for gag fetishists on the board too soft for /h/ or /d/, essentially "gagfagging" which took over several livestream threads.
*Influx of posters from other boards thanks to the release of ''Pacific Rim'' including many trolls the board was not used to that brought in the broadening of what could be defined as /m/, eventually turning it into what is now the general sci-fi board.
*/m/-esque shows ''Vividred Operation'' and ''Symphogear G'' aired, both attracted severe dislike from moralfags, asexuals, people that dislike ecchi (which is uncommon in mecha anime), and /m/en that disapproved of /a/ culture. For the latter it lead to one guy literally making generals only to delete them, unintentionally framing a janitor, and generals being off topic with samefagging filled mainly with menstrual jokes. Because of mods rarely doing their job when they bothered to clean up the messes this was jokingly seen as favoritism. Two years later he came clean and did it out of depression. Speaking of which....
*Depressed people made their depression public and continued throughout the year. Mostly happened in the spring, but it still gets remembered.
*''Build Fighters'' debuted the Beargguy-San which became the target for a series of macros with the term "Beargguy Mother Fucker". The guy that made the macros eventually revealed he role played out of boredom, but something that was supposed to be cute got out of hand. The primary macro eventually became the third highest reposted picture before the archive deletion of 2015. Even TVTropes references these macros.
*The sole ''Super Robot Wars'' game to come out that year, ''UX'', was on the 3DS, which was region locked, which prevented the vast majority of the board from playing and not even bother. Despite supposedly selling decently it is seen by trolls as an example of the worst entry of the franchise despite the generally liked cast. This also started a trend where English speaking fans stopped bothering to give information of the new Banpresto Originals which still plagues ''Z3'', the ''Lord of The Elemental'' sequels, and ''BX'' to this day.
**The sequels to ''Super Robot Wars Z'' were spread between 2011 to 2015, guess which year was the one nothing came out from there.
*''Kamen Rider Wizard'' was airing which is considered by fans to be the most boring entry in the franchise to date, it did not help that the successor series, ''Gaim'' would be written by Gen Urobuchi who is seen as a mixed writer for a good chunk of the board. This was not helped by the annual Kamen Rider/Super Sentai crossover that year, ''Super Hero Wars Z'', was considered a tremendous disappointment to pretty much anyone that was not a fan of ''Space Sheriff Sharivan''.
*''Go-Busters'' was revealed to have had the lowest in toy sells in the ''Super Sentai'' franchise since ''Timeranger'', it was a favorite among Sentai fans for going back to its semi-dark and spy minutia of the early days of the franchise while giving it a military-esque aesthetic which appealed to military otaku and jimmie rustling memes.
*One good thing did happen that year though, [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wVdOURqHddI /m/ tells Christmas stories as MS paints].

===Current /m/===
After 2013, /m/ essentially became a chaotic board with nearly every side attacking each other, some of which stopped watching anime that was airing due to the intensity called "Valvrave Fallout", and trolls were quick to find a current anime worse than ''Valvrave'', several titles included ''Daimidaler'', ''Aldnoah.Zero'', ''Cross Ange'' (its livestream threads also hijacked by gagfagging), ''Gundam: Reconguista in G'', ''Gundam Build Fighters: Try'', and ''Gundam: Iron Blooded Orphans''; ''Captain Earth'' is sometimes considered, but the mascot squirrel, Pitz, is (somehow) too well liked. That and the amount of porn from the anime. Because of /m/'s now divided culture it was essentially ancient Pre-Alexander The Great era Greece: a bunch of territories barely united and unafraid to recruit mortal enemies just to piss off the neighbors. The three Gundam series mentioned above are often seen just as bad, maybe even worse, than ''Destiny'' and ''Age'' now. The board became so disjointed that on Easter 2016, the day ''Iron Blooded Orphans'' finished, twenty four joke threads, negativity threads, and desperate "please don't be upset about the ending!" threads littered the board; to be somewhat fair to /m/ ever since its Toonami airings, ''IBO'' has been slowly detested by /co/ and regular Toonami viewers. Said Gundam series has gained such notoriety that a macro about purging space rats has become the most reposted image on the board since the 2015 archive deletion. In August 2016 the 4chan banner contest had /m/'s turn, resulting in one guy submitting forty percent of the banners submitted which featured macros and memes reviled by /m/, demonstrating how rampant samefagging was on the board. Mecha anime that air are barely talked about and livestream topics last for weeks due to lack of interest.

===Any Hope?===
/m/ has been (extremely) slowly fixing itself, likely because [[Nurgle]] is hogging all the best robot toys from [[Tzeentch]]. ''Kamen Rider Ex-Aid'' as seen as the current Gundam substitute in uniting the board's love for long franchise and action scenes, neither of which ''Iron Blooded Orphans'' does well and even /co/ is agreeing with them. [[Battlefleet Gothic Armada]] was seen as likable and entertaining. One of /m/'s underrated gem mecha series, ''Zegapain'', is returning to public spotlight to the shock of what few fans it has. ''Super Robot Wars V'' is total hype train. ''Pacific Rim 2'' is in production. ''Super Robot Wars BX'' was warmly received by 80s and 90s mecha fans. ''Aquarion Logos'', whether on its own merits or imitation Demonbane meme status is one of the few mecha anime of the decade that is liked even if Anime News Network found it too complex (it isn't). /m/ has a chance of being good again, but it will take shitloads of time. [[Emperor]] help them if [[Khorne]] feels like putting on his rage-induced version of a puppet show.

==/m/ memes and language==
*Char clone: A term derived from Char Aznable, references lolicon/pedophiles who wear fancy masks.
*"I came here to laugh at you": A line spoken by Char in cult classic ''Zeta Gundam''.
*"I'm just an autistic child": An out of context quote from Camille in ''Zeta Gundam''.
*"Puru puru puru puru": Catchphrase of Elpeo Ple from ''ZZ (Double Zeta) Gundam''.
*Newtypes: Gundam term for space telepaths, think [[psykers]] without magic/mental attacks.
*Ryusei: A term named after Ryusei Date from ''Super Robot Wars'', references robosexuals.
*"It's orgone, I ain't gotta explain shit": A joke referencing orgone, a metaphysical sci-fi energy source used in ''Super Robot Wars J'' and ''Captain Earth''(/m/'s equivalent to "it's magic, I don't have to explain anything").
*Rider Kick: Flying kicks used by Kamen Riders as their fatality.
*"This is all Decade's fault!": A running gag from ''Kamen Rider Decade'', /m/ adopted it as a joke term to refer to inconsistencies in ''Kamen Rider'' continuity and to a lesser degree other Toei tokusatsu.
*Go Nagai: The Gary Gygax equivalent /m/, everything made by him is considered /m/ no matter how far from being mechanical said thing is.
*Yoshiyuki Tomino: The George R.R. Martin of /m/. Anime News Network has a massive hateboner for his dialogue to the point of translating articles out of context.
*"Get your Obari on!": A phrase on anything animated that goes from looking normal to super shaded, usually in a cool sword pose; based on the animation style of legendary animator Masami Obari.
*Tomatoes: Comes from ''The Big O'', used to describe overly complex symbology lacking any meaning or context.
*Pineapple Salad: Originates in ''Super Dimension Fortress Macross'', /m/'s version of a deathflag. Has been subverted in subsequent entries of the series.
*"Cool mouth, does it talk with dialogue?": /m/ equivalent of "Here's your (you)". Usually followed up with mouths being compared to cherry ice cream (seemingly smart, but not really).
*Snapfag: Derogatory term for gunpla builders that build gunpla straight from the box without any customizing.
*Shoji Kawamori: [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hellraiser_(franchise) An angel to some, a demon to others]. /m/ is not sure whether he is like [[Graham McNeil]] or [[Matt Ward]]. The guy is mainly known for creating ''Macross'', but his other projects get mixed results. Normalfags find him too weird, critics find him too unstable, intellectuals find him hysterical, shippers find him rage inducing, and those that see him as a genius/artist are in the vocal minority. He has his own studio, Satellite, and has no problem creating unconventional shows to a fandom that supposedly whines about creative stagnation (anime fans). The problem? He is one of those people whose writings are so culturally specific they are difficult to translate outside of their home country (sometimes it's too Japanese for even the Japanese, ''Aquarion Logos'' anyone?). Tzeentch would be pleased with how drawn it out his trolling can become.
*The "Undefeatables": Every large fandom has "who is strongest" debates like Goku vs. Superman ones. /m/'s undefeatables is a small pantheon consisting of Getter Emperor (''Getter Robo Arc''), Super Tengen Toppa Gurren Lagann (''Gurren Lagann second movie''), Elder God Demonbane (''Demonbane''), Full Possession Shurouga (''Super Robot Wars Z3''), and Aquarion Logos (''Aquarion Logos''). Never start a power level discussion on /m/, it is usually declared over when one of these guys is mentioned.
*Super Hero Time: Airs on Sunday mornings in Japan, Saturday afternoon in the United States, the time when new ''Kamen Rider'', ''Super Sentai'', and ''Precure'' episodes air with subs coming days later.
*Crabsticks: A term from a badly translated sentence in the first episode of ''Mazinger Z'' by Doctor Hell, references bad translations.
*JAM Project: A Japanese rock band that performs opening theme songs for many mecha anime and tokusatsu, among /m/'s favorite musicians.
*TV-Nihon: A fansub group /m/ dislikes, due to the prevalence of lengthy translator notes, grammar errors, and untranslated terms.
*Ein Graze: /m/'s only favored part of ''Gundam IBO'', their equivalent of [[Skarbrand]] who is rumored (by no one) to train fallen /m/ characters in Mecha Valhalla.
*"Must be a Gorgom plot": In reference to the main antagonists from ''Kamen Rider Black'', usually the titular hero finds out the villains are behind a plot through very broad and bad deduction skills. It eventually became the tokusatsu community's equivalent of the "Must be aliens" meme.
*"Mods are dead, post Ginguiser": ''Ginguiser'' is an old 70s robot anime and one of many to have few subbed episodes and no adaption into ''Super Robot Wars'' titles. Because of this, low quality animation and out of context images are posted to be jokes pared with the "It's magic we don't have to explain" view. Then a few episodes were actually subbed and /m/ gave it a chance, the meme now barely qualifies as low quality bait threads.
*Leos getting a high grade: Leos are the main cannon fodder grunts from ''Gundam Wing'', a high grade gunpla kit is the most demanded kit from the gunpla threads that seems unobtainable. There is also one guy that likes Thielva from ''Gundam Age'', but nobody takes him seriously.
*Super Robot Wars Boob: A old joke name form the DS video game ''Super Robot Wars L'' since most of the anime in the crossover game were ecchi (meaning heavily perverted).
*Symphogear Gets Protected: Seriously, talk shit about Symphogear on /m/, no matter how on topic, and you will get a ban with all your posts deleted, just like how an inquisitor treats a heretic. Concrete Revolutio fans/trolls have tried to do this too, but have so far failed (it bombed in Japan for a reason).

==Sub Factions==
[Note: size is indeterminable for these factions]

*'''Universal Century Gundam Fans''': /m/ equivalent of the [[Word Bearers]]. Most prominent group and show up in nearly every gundam topic. Tendencies include hating on all non-UC gundam (''SEED'' and ''Destiny'' especially) with the exception of ''Turn A Gundam''. Newer fans tend to enter these factions via ''Unicorn'' as their introduction. Least favorite entry is ''ZZ Gundam'' and masturbation toward ''Char's Counterattack'' and/or ''War in The Pocket'' is mandatory; even [[Slaanesh]] has problems with liking them.
*'''Alternate Universe Gundam Fans''': /m/ equivalent of the [[Ultramarines]]. The above's second most hated enemies after G-Reco fans (see below) and show up in most gundam topics. Tendencies include praising non-UC entries, ''Turn A'' and ''Age'' being seen as the worst entries, and a vocal minority touts that season 1 of ''Gundam 00'' is superior to season 2, usually because "it's different" and... Fans of ''X'' distrusted Anime News Network after it got a scathing review, the most eye rolling complaint being it was too episodic/90s TV.
*'''G-Reco Fans''': /m/ equivalent of the [[Blood Angels]]. People that like ''Gundam: Reconguista in G''. Tendencies include having to explain to others the plot and setting because of endless grammar fuck ups in the script and hating ''Aldnoah Zero'' fans by telling them to "stick to AZ", usually followed by calling them a fag. Some cross over between UC and AU factions since it was a confirmed ''Turn A'' sequel. Due to Anime News Network failing to acknowledge positive press about their show there is distrust.
*'''IBO Fans''': /m/ equivalent of the [[Black Legion]]. The ultimate contrarians of the board and tend to trust whatever Anime News Network tells them, suspected of coming from Anime Suki and Mecha Talk. They hate action that lasts longer than a minute and love talking longer than twenty minutes.
*'''Macross Fans''': Divides into two categories, both divided on whether or not ''Macross Zero'' was good or not.:
**'''Classic Fans''': /m/ equivalent of the [[Raven Guard]]. Fans that favor entries from the original series through ''Plus'', the latter being considered masturbation standard.
**'''Neo Fans''': /m/ equivalent of the [[White Scars]]. Fans that favor entries ''7'' through ''Frontier'', fans of ''Delta'' have yet to emerge. This is likely because the story of Delta was written by [[Nazi|Imperial Japanese Wehraboos]].
*'''Patlabor Fans''': /m/ equivalent of the [[Death Guard]]. Second most prominent group on /m/ after Universal Century Gundam Fans. They tend to like easter eggs from previous mecha shows and promote the shit out of their favorite episodes. They have an extreme hatred toward critics, even UC fans are afraid to tell them to calm the fuck down.
*'''Showa Mecha Fans''': /m/ equivalent of the [[Iron Hands]]. Fans of general robot shows and manga in the 70s and 80s although what few 60s anime fans exist are welcome into their group. Older real robot shows from Yoshiyuki Tomino, Tadao Nagahama, and Ryosuke Takahashi are the most favored in their threads. Their main tenancy is posting old magazine, manga scans, and gifs. 80s Transformers and GI Joe also pop up here.
*'''Go Nagai Fans''': /m/ equivalent of the [[Space Wolves]]. Fans of all of the creator's works without exception, this faction has the most outspoken non-English speakers due to Go Nagai's massive success in Spanish, French, and Italian speaking regions. They tend to have the most crude humor out of any group, but also have the most in-fighting, mostly due to the authorship of ''Getter Robo''. Boss Borot is said to be the one mother fucker that can unite them due to how relatable the pilot is.
*'''Braves Fans''': /m/ equivalent of the [[Salamanders]]. Grown in recent years due to continued fansubbing for the Braves franchise, most start with ''GaoGaiGar'' or ''J-Decker''. Tendencies include liking other works by Masami Obari, comparing it with ''Transformers'', bragging about how cool fight scenes are, and in-fighting as to whether or not ''Goldran'' is any good (for the record it depends in your tastes in comedy).
*'''Code Geass Fans''': /m/ equivalent of the [[Night Lords]]. They pop up from time to time with their main tenancy being posting scans and fan art. They tend to fluctuate as to whether or not they appear every season or so (season as in spring/summer/fall/winter). 
*'''Gainax Fans''': /m/ equivalent of the [[Emperor's Children]]. The unofficial art critics of the board. Tendencies include talking about ''Evangelion'' symbolism, gushing about ''Tengen Toppa Gurren Lagann'', questioning the legitimacy of ''Diebuster'' and ''Rebuild of Evangelion'', and masturbation toward ''Gunbuster''. They also have a highest discussion of non-/m/ related anime, the more zealous ones like bringing up ''Kill la Kill'' and ''Galko-chan''. While ''The Melody of Oblivion'' is also from Gainax and /m/ related good luck finding anyone that has seen it.
*'''Bones Fans''': /m/ equivalent of the [[Alpha Legion]]. They pop up every now and then, almost always favoring the older shows over the newer ones with ''Eureka Seven: Pocketful of Rainbows'' being seen as the company's slow spiral in quality anime. Most became fans through the original ''Eureka Seven''. What few fans like ''Concrete Revolutio'' fragmented the group due to art snobbery and people that distrust ANN who also praise it despite it doing horrible in Japan. /m/ likes their mascot animals though.
*'''Super Robot Wars Fans''': /m/ equivalent of the [[Deathwatch]]. The biggest gamers on the board (obviously) and is composed mostly of people from other factions due to the franchise's crossover heavy minutia. Fans from both sides of the Pacific fight a common xenos foe, in their case some guy named Mist.
*'''Gunpla Fans''': /m/ equivalent of the [[Imperial Fists]]. The biggest buyers of merchandise, they like in-fighting over everything from paints and tools to poses and model grades. The popularity of Beargguy models has gotten under their skin in recent years. At least they usually enjoy funny gunpla pictures.
*'''Tokusatsu Fans''': /m/ equivalent of the [[Dark Angels]]. The non-anime fans of /m/ and avid television watches. Most on all factions favor newer stuff due to the fact that older shows rarely have English subs these days. The ones that watch TV-Nihon subs are comparable to the [[Fallen Angels]].:
**'''Super Sentai/Power Rangers Fans''': Most prominent tokusatsu fans, likely the third highest faction on /m/. In-fighting aside their love for giant robots and weird ass monsters unites them. ''Jetman'', ''Dairanger'', ''Timeranger'', and ''Shinkenger'' are the most masturbated to figuratively while ''Megaranger'' and ''Hurricanger'' have the literal part locked down.
**'''Kamen Rider Fans''': Very laid back unless you go against popular opinion. Tendencies include posting magazine scans, reviewing toys, waiting for movies to get subbed, bashing TV-Nihon, and masturbate to ''Black'', ''Kuuga'', ''Agito'', ''Blade'', ''W'', and ''Gaim''. They have a knack for distrusting anyone that likes ''Den-O'', ''Kiva'', ''Decade'', ''Wizard'', or ''Ghost''. Showa is rarely brought up because it is rarely subbed or nobody bothers to seed the torrents of shows/movies that are subbed. ''Black RX'' is considered the most hammy, but embodies the spirit of older /m/ users. ''Hibiki'' is so controversial it warrants its own page and wiki.
**'''Everybody Else''': All other toku fans are categorized here, ''Ultraman'' and ''Metal Heroes'' being the most mentioned due to sheer size. Ultra fans should have bragging rights because no other toku fans have simulcasted shows (Crunchyroll), but in the past decade their franchise has been reusing costumes to the point of insanity. ''Garo'' fans fluctuate between active and not, depends if something is airing that year.
*'''Muv-Luv Fans''': /m/ equivalent of the [[Thousand Sons]]. They exist, post fanart, and complain their anime are not adapted right, moving on. Also they got happy when their ultra high kickstarter for official English releases met every goal.
*'''Godzilla Fans''': /m/ equivalent of the [[Iron Warriors]]. Not proper tokusatsu fans, they go through multiple factions (mostly ''Ultraman'' fans) between them and general movie going /m/ users. Somehow there is not a most hated or most loved movie, they tend to like story times from /co/. Never mention fan forums, those have long and dark histories best left forgotten, and fandom/forum drama likes to spill onto /m/.
*'''The Ragers''': /m/ equivalent of the [[World Eaters]]. Those that exist solely to rage and pillage threads with varying degrees of success, what separates these guys from normal fags and trolls is that they will NEVER give up, much like herpes they will infect topics of a specific topic for many years. The first of these was the infamous Valvrager who attacked the anime ''Valvrave'' after it aired. The most notable rising one is a supposed Gundamrager who even /m/ is unsure truly exists or not because various gundam hate topics have popped up more frequently and anyone that questions it gets attacked. Thanks to moderation being laughably atrocious at /m/ it is unlikely they will go away any time soon. Sometimes (as in very rarely) other factions will put aside their in-fighting to report these guys. While no franchise is safe, the anime series ''Aldnoah Zero'' tends to be their favorite target, causing them to be confused with G-Reco Fans.
*'''Draw Friends''': /m/ equivalent of the [[Sisters of Battle]]. They rarely show up, but when they do they become helpful in their department, usually drawing lewds and original characters.
*'''Mecha Talkies''': /m/ equivalent of the [[Inquisitors]]. The people from mechatalk.net, usually nice but are joked to a hivemind due to extremely similar opinions. Tendencies include crossing over with Universal Century Gundam Fans/IBO Fans and opinions are usually rule and conservative heavy when it comes to storytelling and criticism. They serve as the middlemen between frequent /m/ users and normal internet users.
*'''Aquarion Fans''': /m/ equivalent of the [[Officio Assassinorum]]. They exist and they hit hard when they show up, but too few exist to have a lasting impact on anything outside the board. Due to the franchise's complex philosophy and symbolic shit they are the third snobbiest on the board after Gainax Fans and the Bones Fans that favor ''Concrete Revolution''.
*'''Fantasy Mecha Fans''': /m/ equivalent of the [[Ecclesiarchy]]. Many exist and they are necessary, but are not that unified at the core. They usually cross over with Showa Fans since ''Aura Battler Dunbine'' is their second main go to anime after ''The Vision of Escaflowne''. Other praised anime from them include ''Ryu Knight'', ''Panzer World Galient'', ''Wataru'', and ''Magic Knight Rayearth''. While ''Demonbane'' is not traditional fantasy it can be included as such due to all the [[H.P. Lovecraft]] and other literary references.
*'''Star Wars Fans''': /m/ equivalent of the [[Adeptus Mechanicus]]. They are most prominent western mecha fans on /m/ and their tenancies include posting charts and lineart, praising Imperial/Republic technology, complaining about CGI, and in-fighting.
===Allies===
*'''/co/ Crossboarders''': /m/ equivalent of the [[Imperial Guard]]. They come in sheer numbers and tend to be loaded with valor.
*'''/tg/ Crossboarders''': /m/ equivalent of the [[Imperial Navy]]. They are usually the smartest people in the room in comparison and have experience in competitions.
*'''/toy/ Crossboarders''': /m/ equivalent of the [[Imperial Knights]]. They have the best gadgets and items and are unofficially "close partners".
*'''/v/ and /vg/''': /m/ equivalent of the [[Eldar]]. Not really allies and a bit stuck up, but they mean well.
*'''/x/''': /m/ equivalent of the [[Tau]]. A smaller 4chan board and have different ideologies between them, but are willing to team up against something worse.
*'''/a/''': /m/ equivalent of the [[Dark Eldar]]. Very large and concentrated in one area loaded with perversions and only allies in the vaguest sense. Most of the time they skirmish with one another, but more serious threats will have them put aside their differences temporarily.
==="Warp Equivalents"===
/m/ has had complicated relationships with various websites over the years that users from both sides influence. Note: These places are not necessarily bad and hyperbole is used, but as with any website norms vary and if you ever join proceed with some caution.

*'''Anime New Network''': /m/ equivalent of Tzeentch's kingdom, the Crystal Labyrinth. Notable for having a disdain for any set standards or anything that is not experimental or serialized. The staff is noted for a "spirit" of the rules and having no oversight to their actions.
*'''Anime Suki''': /m/ equivalent of Nurgle's kingdom, the Garden of Nurgle. So collectively dead set in its ways that the idea of any of the older users doing anything wrong is heresy. The staff is noted for not always reading reported posts and give over reactive punishments.
*'''Macross World''': /m/ equivalent of Khorne's kingdom, the Realm of Brass and Blood. Unlike the other places there are no clique alliances or staff noteworthy shit, only nerd rage and hatred against every single announcement of everything ever. Don't hate something? Expect to be a whipping boy.
*'''Evageeks''': /m/ equivalent of Slaanesh's kingdom, the Palace of Slaanesh. Think the snobbiest parts of film and TV critics and amplify the fuck out of them with obsession for symbolism (as in cloth ripping equals rape despite it overwhelmingly being not at all). That and a hatred for action and manly things. The staff is noted for hating any image with text and it is expected you have encyclopedic knowledge on tropes, film history, anime history, and literary history. Out of the warp equivalent sites, /m/ respects this place the most.
*'''AVP Galaxy''': /m/ equivalent of the chaos wastelands, surprisingly very fucking calm and chill. Seriously, they welcome everyone, it is comfy. The only downside is that a chunk of the board goes back and forth with 9gag and Reddit which can easily get on any 4channer's nerves.
*'''MyAnimeList''': /m/ equivalent of the realm of the dead, gigantic and noisy while few relate-able people exist for them to talk to. Also a hang out for YouTube anime critic celebrities that get under 4chan's collective skin.
==In a Fantasy Perspective==
While usually grounded in science fiction, /m/ can fit into fantasy settings although while normal boards have enough to be [[Hive Fleet]] sized they're more akin to [[Genestealer Cult]]s in sense of scope. Aside from standard steampunk machines and automatons, /m/ can be seen as having an elemental affinity to Earth: rich in resources, sturdy, made up of different things, and when they get pissed everything gets fucked over like an earthquake. In terms of standard fantasy archetypes they can easily be seen as dwarfs or mercenaries (why not both?).
==See Also==
*[[Board-tans/m]]
*[[Malal]] (their chaos god)
*[[Sons of Malice]] (their warband)

[[Category:4chan]]