Good mecha anime to watch?

[wantfastcars]

Topic. I've seen Gundam 00, Neon Genesis Evangelion, I'm a little more than half done with Gundam Wing and I'm about to start watching Zegapain as well as Code Geass and potentially Ghost in the Shell SAC. So, question: What else is there? I'm considering watching some of the older Gundam series, and I'm quite interested in seeing Turn-A and whatever series Char is from. So, Mecha Talk users, what is out there? What is good? What's... not so great? I loved Gundam 00 and I really like Wing, Evangelion was... Evangelion, and the 5 minutes I've seen of Zegapain made it look very interesting. Code Geass was referenced by a friend and I like the looks of the Mechs, though I haven't seen any yet.

On a side note, when is Gundam Unicorn scheduled for release/fansubs in the US?

[ShadowCell]

Asking for information on fansubs is against the rules.

[JEFFPIATT]

Geneshaft
DUAL!

[wantfastcars]

I'm sorry, I was not aware of that, as fansubs are not illegal. When is Gundam Unicorn scheduled for release in the US then? And I'll check out Geneshaft and DUAL!. Thanks!

[ShadowCell]

*eyebrow*

Fansubs are, in fact, illegal, because they are distributed without the copyright holder's consent. Whether or not the copyright holder takes action against the distributor of fansubs does not change the fact that distribution of copyrighted material without authorization is illegal.

And, uh, guys, I'd appreciate it if you'd, y'know, justify your recommendations. Talk about them. Explain why you are recommending this show. Keep this thread from being another list of mecha anime titles that some people like.

[Strike105]

I suggest some Mobile Police Patlabor. It's one of the most realistic mecha animes ever made, and it's got interesting mecha designs by Yutaka Izubuchi, likable characters, and has a good balance between action and comedy. It's an entertaining watch.

[Black Knight]

The Patlabor movies, on the other hand, are all chock full of drama and extremely light on the blood-pumping mecha action. Wonderful movies, as is the TV series and the OAVs, but action is not the strong suit; some episodes of the TV series and OAVs pass without the mecha even being seen, much less used.

[wantfastcars]

All right, I'll check out Patlabor. And how's Eureka 7? It looks pretty interesting. I also just watched the first episode of ZegaPain. Those things are BA!

[Seraphic]

And how's Eureka 7? It looks pretty interesting.

It gets a lot better and less stupid after the RADICAL beginning where all the wannabe RADICAL characters obsess over RADICAL surfing moves.

Worth sticking with after that for a myriad of reasons, though it tends to take some long and extreme tangents.

radical.

[jjarodurandal]

Macross hasn't been listed? i'd suggest about anything from that franchise but specifically Macross Plus, Macross Zero and Macross Frontier. those are the newer ones. i haven't actually seen the original Macross series so i can't say anything about that. Don't make the same mistake i did though. Avoid Robotech at all costs. Curse the rose tinted glasses of nostalgia.

i didn't give a reason for suggesting Macross, did i. Well, aside from being one of the major franchises of mecha anime, in the 3 specific ones i listed the animation quality is high. The mecha themselves are pretty realistic fighter jets, so long as their not transformed into battroids or gerwalkers. Music usually plays a larger part in the plot which means they usually have pretty good music. Oh, and the Itano circus.

[Dark Duel]

I'd suggest perusing some of the titles listed in this topic, which IIRC asked the very same question.

That said, here are a few titles I'd heartily recommend:

1. Gunparade March: More character-driven, but still pretty awesome show with some neat battles. And a two-seater mech, which isn't something I've seen too often.

2. Fafner: Again, very character-driven, but the mech are awesome. On top of that, IMO one of the best dubs out there. Unfortunately, it's getting a little hard to find.

3. As far as Gundam itself goes, I have to recommend watching the three OVA series: 08th MS Team, 0080, and 0083. No Newtype silliness in any of them, which is nice. 0080 is a little light on battles, but actually makes out the Feddies to look halfway competent, which is uncommon. And it really focuses on how war affects civilians in particular - sort of what 00 Season 1 tried to do with Saji and Louise, but better. It and 08th MS Team are both nice too because the battles are more balanced - the Gundam isn't this overwhelmingly superpowered god-machine that beats all enemies. Finally, 0083, while it does some weird stuff, is a pretty compelling story, and like 08th and 0080 features pilots who are actually soldiers, as opposed to some civilian kid who tripped over a Gundam and started piloting it because he could.

4. Also a Gundam recommendation: F91. It's a great movie.

[iKhaotic]

Dai-Guard

you'll see MANY similarities to Evangelion <_<

[Gundam Meister]

Tengen Toppa Gurren Lagann is very awesome super robot series it has a nice story and very awesome characters as well

[blind_dead_mcjones]

Gasaraki is definately worth watching, the mecha are some of the more believable types this side of VOTOMS and patlabour, interesting characters, the plot is rather compelling and isn't a complete mind screw like evangelion, also has some of the most awesome combat scenes which are notable in that some of them illustrate how useless a mecha is (such as Yushiro trying to go toe-to-toe with an F22 fighter jet) although be forewarned in episode 7 and few scenes in episode 9 the characters faces look a bit QUALITY but otherwise the animation is pretty solid.

[DuelGundam2099]

By mecha anime do you mean 'requires robot action all the time' or 'well, it's got robots!'? It sort of matters, but what the hey.

RahXephon: It's a lot like Evangelion and when I say a lot I mean a lot; pretty much every Dollem is based on an Angel and some characters are eerily similar. Based on the 1975 anime Brave Raideen (first anime by Tomino I might add), RahXephon is a very surreal series that focuses more on the plot and characters than the action. Sadly some episodes can get sort of boring, but the original soundtrack is nothing short of amazing. The action is very good when it gets around to it and it's pretty cerebral. Definite recommendation, but it's not for everyone.

Zoids: Chaotic Century: One of the few all animal mech series out there, the plot may be basic, but if you like action, adventure, and mech fights it's a definite watch and the characters have their shining moments of awesomeness, even the failure villains that occasionally pop up. If you want a more serious version go see Zoids: Genesis, it's awesome too but the pacing is rather slow. I could recommend Fuzors, but I do not want a tomahawk to the head, it's one of those series that isn't as bad when you watch it before the others.

Genesis of Aquarion: It's a lot like SEED Destiny, you either love it or you hate it and there's sadly more hate for it than love for it as well. It's easy to nitpick, but it's one of those series you need to give time to develop; it starts off warm hearted and hopeful and soon turns kind of dark. It's sort of like a cross between Getter Robo and RahXephon with a bit of Escaflowne in there (mostly because it was made by the same crew). This series does one thing few anime are capable of doing (or at least to my knowledge): It never uses the same footage twice. If you're adventurous go for it, just remember it isn't for everyone.

Gun X Sword: Possibly the most criminally under rated mech anime out there, GxS combines the Western setting to the style of Full Metal Alchemist with action scenes reminiscent of Big O (partially because the guy that dubbed Roger Smith also dubbed Van). First half's a tad slow, but after episode 11 the series moves into high gear with tons of action and the music this series has is pretty sweet. The plot is basically the classic "out for revenge because he killed my wife" type story. If you can handle some foreshadow cliches and want something new it's a must see.

Betterman: The main reason I asked the question above, it's undoubtedly an awesome series, but it's not for everyone; not so much with the love it or hate it part but the flooded with technobabble part. It does have robots (specifically Neuronoids) and it's got good action sequences, but it's more of a "nature calls on this guy to fight the uber abomination made by humans" type series if other ones of those even exist. It's more horror than action, but it's still worth the watch if you give it some time.



I would also recommend Neo Ranga, but Big ASE appearing in three episodes of a 48 ep anime about fighting gods doesn't exactly qualify as a mech anime.

[ZeroBusterXX]

Steve Blum didn't do Van's english voice.

Dave Vincent did.


But yeah, GunXSword deserves more love. At least it's getting a Robot Damashii figure...


And Dai-Guard is nothing like EVA. It's way more fun and has a lot less angst.


You may want to watch Shin Mazinger Shougeki! Z-Hen. If you're into retro-styled series.

[DuelGundam2099]

Steve Blum didn't do Van's english voice.

Dave Vincent did.

Did not know that, I figured he was since they sounded similar.

You may want to watch Shin Mazinger Shougeki! Z-Hen. If you're into retro-styled series.

Haven't seen that one, but New Getter Robo and Mazinkaiser are also awesome and retro-styled, although expect to have inside jokes go over your head if you haven't seen the original series.

[Bonesy!]

Armored Trooper VOTOMS is wonderful, it might be able to get me back into less comedic mech shows. Good enough story to make up for the fact I haven't been able to get into serious mech shows lately.

Shin Mazinger is something I'll always recommend, it's wonderfully crafted and very fun to watch.

I second Gun X Sword, I've been watching it again and really enjoying it.

[Zechs Merquise]

No mention of Gunbuster? I am disappoint .

Gunbuster is a short 6 episode OVA thats has some great characters, great animation and fights, it's one of my favorites, and I recommend anyone who hasn't seen it.

GaoGaiGar, if you can stomach past some of the monster of week style, it has alot of awesome to offer.

[Pkmatrix]

If you can find it, check out Super Dimension Century Orguss 02 - a compelling story with lots of twists, political intrigue, and cool mecha action. The setting is also interesting, IMO, sort of like a fusion of a medieval kingdoms with 1930s/1940s tech plus giant robots. As a bonus, you can buy the entire series (only 6 episodes) on one DVD! ^_^