Forum - View topicMecha anime recommendation thread.
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OsamuTezuka
Posts: 51 Location: Metropolis |
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This is the moderator approved OFFICIAL recommendation thread for mecha anime. Mecha Anime wiki (created by me) Link to big giant list of mecha anime. (organized by year of Japanese release, using a link because it's reeeeally long.) One thing that is still lacking in my list is what I like to call "Pinnochio" mecha: Anime featuring sentient robots/cyborgs that are humanoid/human sized. Ie. Astro Boy, Cyborg 009, Kikaider, Key the Metal Idol, etc. Anyone know of anime along those lines I haven't listed yet? |
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Tony K.
 SubscriberModerator  Posts: 11293 Location: Frisco, TX |
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Taken as an excerpt from a recommendation thread a guy made when he was trying to decide between Claymore or Casshern Sins. Sadly, after all the work I put into the review for Casshern, I don't think he even read it
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Based on your request of "humanoid robot/android," I give you this. Casshern Sins It's one of those series you have to be in the mood for. It's dark, pessimistic, not all that enthralling in terms of pace, and is even a bit depressing depening on how you interpret some of its themes and undertones. For me, personally, in direct comparison to Claymore I find it to be something more "outside the box." The episodic take on the morals and state of the world in the first half reminded me a little of Mushishi (minus the fairytale-esque narratives) combined with just a little bit of Ergo Proxy: a baron wasteland of a world, wandering from place to place, meeting people and robots whose stories illustrate various kinds of rhetoric in relation to the world they're surviving in). It feels very reflective of life in general, questions its meaning from time to time, and builds the worldview of the show's setting to give off this brooding aura, but never really tells you how a lot of it even came to be, at least until the second half. The second half delves into the inner workings of why the world is eff'd up as it is, more or less hints at the genesis of who/what Casshern is, develops his character, and eventually explains the mystery behind his and Luna's existences. I especially love the philosophical allusions made between Luna and Casshern, of which I won't go into great detail to spoil. But let's just say the whole "realization and value/meaning of life/death through immortality" is what really got to me. Being a bunch of robots and/or androids (or whatever they are) and the mere fact of them having souls to begin with and how they explore this concept is very intriguing to me. It's not something I've seen a lot of in too many forms of media (though I should probably read more books), so that's probably one of the reasons I find this series to be so fascinating. Of course the production value really helps with all of this as well. As has been mentioned about the art style, it's quite distinct, and I think it has a very cool retro look to it that's vividly colorful, boldly darkened, and yet extremely beautiful in its own right (*cough* also native HD, which transfers well to BD). I've also been a long-time fan of composer Kaoru Wada for his somewhat simple, yet low-key symphonic scores. Ironically enough, the last Tatsunoko title I saw was Tekkaman Blade, also animated by Madhouse, also composed by Wada, and also co-starring Toshiyuki Morikawa as one of the main characters. But yeah, the production really helps accentuate the story elements. Overall, I suppose it would come down to your preference in genres. If you like shounen stuff, Claymore will definitely satisfy a lot of the criteria: actiony, violent (and at times fairly graphic about it), fast-paced story-telling, a lot of diverse characters, great music, and good deal of entertainment value. I don't think the ending is terrible, by any means, and agree that it fits pretty well into the tone of everything before it. But the fact that there's a lot more to be covered is the one thing that really turns me away from giving this a full-out recommendation. You might even just invest in the manga and try for the anime later. If you're more into the brooding, cerebral, and symbolic post-Apocalyptic sci-fi drama, then Casshern Sins will probably be to your liking. You already like Ergo Proxy, which CS has a lot of similarities to (minus the presence of an actual society to call dystopian, since the world is already Ruined to begin with and from there on out). It is artsy, and therefore limited in appeal by its mix of art direction and story elements (as mentioned by others here in this thread) so you have to really be in the mood for it or just really be into dark stuff. But I thank you for valuing my opinion so much and for waiting this long to hear back from me. I hope you choose well and enjoy whatever it is that you get. |
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nobahn
Subscriber Posts: 5120 |
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OsamuTezuka--
Goddamn, but that is one big-ass list that you have got there! Quite impressive! |
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OsamuTezuka
Posts: 51 Location: Metropolis |
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I'm not going to lie, alot of it was compiled by someone else. He didn't check titles to make sure they were actually mecha or anything, from what he told me he just generated the list we started with by compiling everything on AnidB or something with the mecha tag. I added some entries myself that didn't come up in his initial search and sifted through every title on the list to see what was really mecha, what was missing, and what stuff is actually possible to view in english, (be it sub, dub, or both.) There's actually a TON of mecha anime from the 70s & 80s that has never seen the light of day in english even via subs. There are some fansub groups working on these old series, and they have gotten a bunch finished, but believe me there's still alot of work ahead of them. One other important disclaimer I should have given from the start is regarding Korean mecha stuff. I did try my best to make notation on the list of productions from Korea, the reason for this is that especially in the 70s,80s, and some of the 90s, Korean studios were notorious for making mecha anime that were complete and blatant ripoffs of popular Japanese mecha anime. I try my best to steer clear of that garbage. It should also be noted that some Korean work is actually pretty good. I myself love Iron Kid (Eon Kid in the US), and hope the anounced 2nd season and movie somehow manage to get made. The main reason for all the korean ripoffs was really a lack of experience and manpower for korean animation. In those early days they didn't have alot to work with. These days they're not anywhere near as dependant on ripoffs as they once were.
I'm well aware of Casshern sins, it's actually a very old anime series from Tatsunoku that has been remade several times. The original is currently being fansubbed, until it's finished there's really no other way to see it in english. On the plus side, several of the newer incarnations have been subbed and even dubbed. I think they're all significantly shorter than the original series though.
On the other hand, Claymore is one I actually haven't looked at. That's one I'll definitely have a look at. I actually just picked up the complete DVD box set of Ergo Proxy, and I've also watched some of Tekkaman Blade, (Teknoman as it is kown in its english dubbed form.) Unfortunately, the original tekkaman can only be watched in horrid bootleg hong kong subs. Some fansub groups are working on it, albeit slowly. |
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Kruszer
 Posts: 7983 Location: Minnesota, USA |
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Personally, I love mecha stuff, and enjoy everything from the armor style stuff like Bubblegum Crisis to the larger Real mecha (Armored Trooper VOTOMS) and super robot types (RahXephon). What I'm not really a fan off is the combining team mecha type shows though there are a few exceptions there too like Aquarion.
Some of my favorite mecha shows would be: Blue Gender- (real mecha) Yuji Kaido awakens from a cold sleep capsule to find the world is very different place than when he went under. Humans are no longer the top of the food chain and mostly live on space stations while the Earth is dominated by massive insect like creatures dubbed Blue. Now he must try to survive aided only by a small military squad who attempt to get him into space. This series is violent and gritty, but also possesses excellent levels of character development and a great romance. Destiny of the Shrine Maiden (aka Kannazuki no Miko)- (Super robot) Not primarily a mech series, but they do play a large part too. This is primarily a shoujo-Ai series, and one of the few of those I liked. Himeko and Chikane are secretly friends despite their differing status, however, they soon find out they are the reincarnated priestesses who are destined to fight the eight Orochi members to save the world from destruction. They are protected by Soma a former member of the Orochi who is in love with Himeko. Infinite Ryvius- (Classification: ?) When the astronaut training station Lieba Delta is deliberately sabotaged, the instructors die saving the hundreds of trainees on board. Left with no recourse the students stumble onto a ship hidden in the station and use it to evacuate. However, the recruits soon find themselves being hunted across the solar system mercilessly for unknown reasons and branded as criminals. They attempt to find someplace that will take them in while deciphering how to operate their vessel in order to stay alive. A very compelling story, with interesting characters, and a surprising amout of depth. Rideback- (real mecha) After the worlds governments were overthrown by a single organization called the GGP with a new form of vehicle, the extremely talented, Rin Ogata's, life never changed as she dreamed a being a famous ballerina like her mother. However, an injury on stage made her give up on that dram and go to college. Attending class one day she investigated engine noises and discovered the Rideback club. After a harrowing ordeal with a malfunctioning Rideback, Rin finds that her talents as a dancer have made her a born natural rider and she immediately takes to it. However, when she uses her skills to run a GGP blockade and save her friend Shoko from a terrorist attack, she becomes a wanted fugitive. Good story, interesting characters and cool mech designs. Also animated very well by Madhouse. The Vision of Escaflowne- (Classification: ?) Hiomi is at track practice when a strange light appears and brings with it a man fighting a giant dragon. Hitomi helps him defeat it, but gets dragged back to his world. This man, Vahn, is crowned king of his nation for defeating the dragon, but his country is soon overrun by a mysterious invisible force and he forced to escape with Hitomi. Stuck on an alien fantasy world and being hunted she just wants to go home, but that's not a simple request. I have a lot more but I'm going to stop there for now. Maybe later I'll do some more. I'll take a look through the list and see if there any in my list that aren't in it. |
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DomonX2
 Posts: 232 Location: Neo Toronto, Neo Canada |
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Gundam of course! Just to warn you, there are 8 separate universes(9 if you count SD) and one Gundam series tries(and fails) to unite all the series(up until 99 at least) into one metaverse. Start with an AU(not Turn A), but then move onto the UC timeline. A great AU(uses the term great loosely) is to start with is SEED. It may be flawed, but it's good for a starting point.
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Generic #757858
 Posts: 1354 |
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The only Gundam shows worth watching are G Gundam and 08th MS Team. TRUTH
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dtm42
Posts: 14084 Location: currently stalking my waifu |
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That's a good list. Leave out G Gundam and 08th MS Team and it might just be perfect, LOL. |
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DomonX2
Posts: 232 Location: Neo Toronto, Neo Canada |
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G Gundam may not be perfect but it's better than Gundam SEED(any not just Destiny) and that's a fact. Last time I checked, it wasn't about what TYPE of robot genre the show is, but HOW war is portrayed. In the case of W, Gundam isn't about pretty boys going around and blowing shit up and preaching endlessly. In the case of SEED, it isn't about good or evil or pretty boys claiming how fighting is bad, yet beam spamming to death. It's a story of 'is war necessary for peace to be attained' and G Gundam does an excellent job of that. The music, character development and it's emotional scenes are just awesome and that is what G Gundam is. It's funny how this and Macross 7 are super robot and yet are far more Macross and Gundam like than their so called 'Real Robot' counterparts 'Frontier' and 'SEED'. Not to mention, you're not supposed to take G Gundam seriously. It has the hard hitting moments like all Gundam series do, but it's fun and action packed and is cheesy(which it's supposed to be). What's SEED's excuse for it's unrealistic nature? Spoiler: None. |
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zawa113
 Posts: 7357 |
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Oooh, a mecha rec thread! This will be very handy to me later on, I can tell! One thing though, I'm terrible at categorizing series. I know the difference between real and super, but usually only when they're on one extreme end or the other. Anything less than extreme will confuse me, I'll usually just call it super even if it's not. But even then, I can still tell it's mecha!
Tengen Toppa Gurren Lagann A really fun show that pays loving homage to the mecha of yesteryear. The mecha in this show all have faces, regardless of size, and are able to combine on the basis that it is awesome. So you'll see robots with multiple faces. Heck, the main one can spoiler[steal parts off of other mecha, which instantly recolor themselves to match its color scheme on top of it]. It's a series of infectious spirit that realizes that having gigantic mecha is awesome and that the laws of physics have no basis of working against the law of cool. Giant Robo Another over the top series using all of the 90s OVA budget to look amazing. Clearly named after the giant robot in the show, Giant Robo, controlled by a kid with a Roger Smith wristwatch. Granted, he doesn't do most of the beatings in this series, not when the good guys and bad guys are both so awesome at killing things (like the guy who kills people by snapping his fingers at them). Tetsujin 28-go Also known as "Gigantor" over here. But I've only seen the 2004 series. Much like Giant Robo, the human characters are the focus despite the series clearly being named after the robot. But there are lots of robots too, awesomely classic designs all of them. Tetsujin seems to run based on a control box and suggestions also controlled by a child (who somehow has a convertible, like Gary Oak has, but without the chicks in it) and the robots are a more important part of the series here. Martian Successor Nadesico (and Gekiganger III) The main in this show certainly pilots a mecha, and both sides use mecha, but the real catch is that the entire cast practically worships this show within the universe called "Gekiganger III", which is a 70s combining mecha show. You see clips from Gekiganger III all the time, which eerily predict some things to happen in the series (not in a super obvious way or anything). Or is it the other way around? Either way, it's a space opera mecha series that is self aware and creates a subtle parody. Definite must for satire and mecha fans. Gundam 0080: War in the Pocket Probably the Gundam show with the least amount of Gundams actually shown. Heck, the mains are a kid and a fresh soldier on what is traditionally the enemy side of the Gundam universe. But the Gundam is still a plot point (in that it exists), but it's really a story about the war through a child's eye without spelling things out or being pretentious. Flag Another interesting way to tell a war story, this time entirely in first person view. Every view is either a camcorder, security camera, camera, photo, or computer screen. The war rather feels like the one from the beginning of Gasaraki except it's the war of the whole series and the main character is the camera woman. Armored Trooper VOTOMs I really need to watch the rest of the side stuff. This series follows freakishly good pilot Chirico Cuvie. He encounters a woman in a pod and that rather gets him some unwanted attention from both sides of the war. The best solution, of course, is to take to a mecha and be awesome. What I find really cool here though is that he uses a standard mecha. Most mains tend to use a specialized mecha that looks different from everyone else's and is special, but his is standard issue, and he's just that awesome. Gasarki Why not just list all of the Ryosuke Takahashi stuff at this point? He finds a way to put mechas in everything anyway. This time it's a very political series with both sides using the only back loading mecha I've seen in their campaigns. Very talky series, many find it boring, but I enjoyed it. Ok, so I know this is anime recs.... but I must point out how amazing The Iron Giant is. For one thing, the Iron Giant himself is voiced by Vin Diesel. But it's a really touching story with great characters with subtle interactions. Anyone looking for a giant robot should go check it out (if you haven't already, I mean, Cartoon Network used to play it for a full 24 hours once a year, though now they're happy to play Garfield movies instead) Oh and you mentioned sentient cyborgs. Would Melfina from Outlaw Star count? She was built as a cyborg-like being from the ground up (but with bio-mechanical parts, so more like Tima from Metropolis) |
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hyojodoji
Posts: 584 |
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In fact, Tetsujin 28-go started as a detective manga. It is said that since Tetsujin, which appeared in the detective manga, became popular, Yokoyama Mitsuteru steered the manga toward the 'robot' genre. I read the pre-Akita edition early Tetsujin 28-go manga in the original. |
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OsamuTezuka
Posts: 51 Location: Metropolis |
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Wow, loving the reception of this thread. Ok, a number of titles to respond to:
Escaflowne this is fantasy mecha, "robots" (sometimes the term can be used a bit loosely) in a fantasy setting. If you like Escaflowne there's another very, very similar series called Aura Battle Dunbine which is available in sub and dub. There's also Magic Knight Rayearth, which I'm still puzzled about classifying it as mecha, but apparently it is and I have the series on DVD to watch eventually. 
Gundam Ok, let's talk about the behemoth that is Gundam. I actually dodged watching Gundam Wing when it aired on cartoon network because I knew it wasn't the first Gundam series and I wanted to watch everything in release order. Granted I somewhat failed at that because I watched: the orignal Mobile Suit Gundam (movie versions, which I've had on VHS in english dub for years. I don't know why so many people think it's not available in english.), then on CN I caught 0083, War in the Pocket, Char's Counterattack, and picked up the F91 movie long before getting on track and watching Zeta Gundam and then Gundam ZZ which I am currently watching. I also watched SD Gundam Force on CN as well. I must say the ZZ Gundam an awesome mech, I love transforming robots. The black Gundam at the beginning Zeta Gundam was cool too. Giant Robo There's alot more history to this one than was mentioned by classicalzawa. It began life as a manga series way back in 1967, and a live action Tokusatsu, (ie. Kamen Rider), series the smae year. For those keeping score at home, this comes after Astro Boy (which was written as mangas in the 50s and then first animated in 1963), and Tetsujin 28/Gigantor which was a manga in 1954 and then an anime in 1963. Anywho, back to Giant Robo. I have the complete box set of the 90s OVA series, (which includes the GinRei OVAs as well.) The original creator wrote a new manga series in 2006 and then the anime was remade in 2007. (I do not own nor have I seen the 2007 version.) Tetsujin-28 Currently there's no way to watch the entire original 1963 series in english. It was dubbed back in the 60s, but they didn't do all the episodes, (not unlike the dubbing of the 60s Astro Boy series), and I don't think it has ever been subbed. Also, the 2004 series isn't the only one since the original 1963 series. There was an 80s series that was dubbed, a 90s series (sequel series to the 80s series, not a remake) that was never subbed or dubbed, the aforementioned 2004 series, and an anime movie in 2007 which has been fansubbed. There was also a subbed live action movie made in 2005. Nadesico I just want to point out that there's a new complete box set that just came out last month that includes everything. It includes the series, the movie, (which from what I understand is a new story, not a retelling of the series), and the subbed-only Gekiganger III OVA. Outlaw Star I just recently watched that series. I liked it but found it to be a little thin storywise. |
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Key
Moderator
 Posts: 18182 Location: Indianapolis, IN (formerly Mimiho Valley) |
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The movie is a sequel to/continuation of the series, much like what the Eden of the East movies were for that series. It is not widely-respected. A couple for the "fantasy mecha" category: Maze (aka Maze, The Mega-Burst Space: I don't recall if the OVAs have any, but the TV series' action scenes are a mix of mecha and non-mecha fights, and mecha do figure into parts of the story in a big way. (And this wasn't classified as a mecha series in our Encyclopedia, but I have now corrected that.) Utawarerumono: While not purely or even primarily a mecha series, one of its story arcs does involve mecha use. |
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Lynx Amali
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Rayearth I isn't much of a mecha series until the last few episodes. Rayearth II on the other hand is pretty much a mecha show. They use the Rune Gods much more than they do in the manga or first season in II. That being said, the second half of the manga does have better execution than the second half of the anime. The anime did have Nova who's only in the anime and, from my understanding, was pretty much Iczer-2 in a fantasy setting. Nova and Iczer-2 for comparison. |
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OsamuTezuka
Posts: 51 Location: Metropolis |
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Oh one thing I forgot to mention about Nadesico is that the series is an omage to the mecha of Go Nagai in particular (Mazinger/Tranzor Z, Getter Robo, & Grendizer primarily.)
While on the subject of Go Nagai, I should clear up a common misconception about his work. Many incorrectly state that Go Nagai's original Getter Robo series from the 70s was the first combining robot anime. While Getter Robo did popularize the concept, it did not originate it. Osamu Tezuka wrote a story in the Astro Boy manga series back in the 50s, which would later be animated in the 1963 series, (still beating Go Nagai's anime to the punch), and again in the 1980s series, that featured Astro combining with a large number of other robots to form one giant robot. |
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