This is cool.

[twosaturns]

I'm pretty sure Gundam was first.

well, yeah, but then there were/are SO many derivatives. can't the Japanese come up w/ something besides 5 kids (always the SAME 5: the fat kid, the retard, the girl, the leader and the jealous loner) who fly/drive their own vehicles which also fit together to make one big super robot?
sorry, I digress.

[novaderrik]

well, yeah, but then there were/are SO many derivatives. can't the Japanese come up w/ something besides 5 kids (always the SAME 5: the fat kid, the retard, the girl, the leader and the jealous loner) who fly/drive their own vehicles which also fit together to make one big super robot?
sorry, I digress.

there was that one Voltron that was made out of 15 separate parts.




and then there was Robotech..



and, last but not least: Ventronic
only 4 people in this one..

[Kenova]

can't the Japanese come up w/ something besides 5 kids (always the SAME 5: the fat kid, the retard, the girl, the leader and the jealous loner) who fly/drive their own vehicles which also fit together to make one big super robot?
sorry, I digress.

This is just some fuzzy thinking here, but I think it is rooted in their feudal history. Japan was ruled by a number of war lords that constantly fought among themselves. On the few occasions when Japan as a whole was threatened, they "came together like the fingers of a mighty fist" and defended Japan.
Or maybe it was just something I saw in a cheesy movie .

Ken