Mazinger Z

When anime was in its earliest stages, one robot came forward to popularize the style, and went on to influence the creation of the Power Rangers and Transformers. Today, a likeness of that pioneering mecha, Mazinger Z, stands guard over a suburb that was never created in Tarragona, Spain.

In the early 1980s, developers began work on a planned suburb of Tarragona called Mas del Plata. Although funding ran out before the suburb was completed, a massive statue of Mazinger Z was constructed to guard the entrance to the community. The fiberglass statue with arms outstretched reaches a height of 40 feet and has become a pilgrimage site for fans of anime across the world. Tucked away in a forest on the outskirts of Tarragona, it is the only remnant of the failed suburb Mas del Plata.