How go you like your mecha? fantastical, gritty, or somewhere in between?

[Ian Naxieas]

Gimme those gritty Front Mission style mecha. I want stuff that would completely eat shit on a staircase, ED-209 style! BattleTech has some really neat designs as well. But at the end of the day, I'll take most any kind of mech. Gundams are awesome, Evas are awesome, Orbital Frames are awesome (I could do without the literal cockpit though) and pretty much everything else. I don't care much for super old or goofy designs though. I quite enjoyed Gurren Lagann but the designs of the mecha did not spark joy.

This is really not my thing. Mazinger is probably classic and more influential than god or something, but I wouldn't be able to get over that design. x)

 

[RageBurner]

Gimme those gritty Front Mission style mecha. I want stuff that would completely eat shit on a staircase, ED-209 style! BattleTech has some really neat designs as well. But at the end of the day, I'll take most any kind of mech. Gundams are awesome, Evas are awesome, Orbital Frames are awesome (I could do without the literal cockpit though) and pretty much everything else. I don't care much for super old or goofy designs though. I quite enjoyed Gurren Lagann but the designs of the mecha did not spark joy.

View attachment 13753This is really not my thing. Mazinger is probably classic and more influential than god or something, but I wouldn't be able to get over that design. x)

Yeah, same. Classic supers are important and all, but when I look at them or see them fight in a SRW game for example, it's hard to take them seriously.

 

[Taukyrie]

I pretty much love all kinds of mecha, but I think I lean a bit more towards the fantastical, considering one of my favorite obscure franchises is about sentient chibi mecha.

But I do want to show my favorite mecha design: Chamber from Gargantia.

 

[Zack]

Storywise? The Mobile Suit: Gundam series, both AU and the Original Timeline.

Design wise? I'll have to go with more "standardized" designs like the Front Mission series.

I personally feel more relatable/understanding of the MS:G series's story. I've never been to war myself, but I HAVE spent time with those that has, and learned a lot from them. No matter how fantasy/Sci-fyi-esc the series goes, they always stick to the main story, i.e the exploration of human nature, and I find that fascinating.

As for why I go the other way for Mecha designs... While I love the "individuality" that the mecha series has, like MS:G, I tend to "self-insert" myself as the Grunt Mecha Pilot, fighting in the background while the main characters blow shit up.

I admire those things, but from a distance, you know? I do NOT envy those "special pilots" in their "special Mecha", because there's ALWAYS a catch when it comes to the Mecha genre.

Like, bruh! The more "special" you are, the more "special" your death scene is, unless you buff up your plot armour constantly!

 

[Hikari.EXE]

Gimme those gritty Front Mission style mecha. I want stuff that would completely eat shit on a staircase, ED-209 style! BattleTech has some really neat designs as well. But at the end of the day, I'll take most any kind of mech. Gundams are awesome, Evas are awesome, Orbital Frames are awesome (I could do without the literal cockpit though) and pretty much everything else. I don't care much for super old or goofy designs though. I quite enjoyed Gurren Lagann but the designs of the mecha did not spark joy.

View attachment 13753This is really not my thing. Mazinger is probably classic and more influential than god or something, but I wouldn't be able to get over that design. x)

Yeah, same. Classic supers are important and all, but when I look at them or see them fight in a SRW game for example, it's hard to take them seriously.

I don't know, I love the classic Super Robots, they are simple and goofy with their design and seeing them "updated" in recent games and other media is always awesome. Pet peve of mine is Tetsujin 28, I mean look at him!

And now look at his update:

How could you not like it?

 

[RageBurner]

Storywise? The Mobile Suit: Gundam series, both AU and the Original Timeline.

Design wise? I'll have to go with more "standardized" designs like the Front Mission series.

I personally feel more relatable/understanding of the MS:G series's story. I've never been to war myself, but I HAVE spent time with those that has, and learned a lot from them. No matter how fantasy/Sci-fyi-esc the series goes, they always stick to the main story, i.e the exploration of human nature, and I find that fascinating.

As for why I go the other way for Mecha designs... While I love the "individuality" that the mecha series has, like MS:G, I tend to "self-insert" myself as the Grunt Mecha Pilot, fighting in the background while the main characters blow shit up.

I admire those things, but from a distance, you know? I do NOT envy those "special pilots" in their "special Mecha", because there's ALWAYS a catch when it comes to the Mecha genre.

Like, bruh! The more "special" you are, the more "special" your death scene is, unless you buff up your plot armour constantly!

Lots of interesting points here. Its true special pilots/units often either survive heroically or die tragically, with hardly any in-between.

I'm personally highly sympathetic to the "Cyber Newtype" characters and their plight (quotes mine, the term is something the dub pulled out of their hats), especially Marida Cruz.

 

[Ian Naxieas]

I admire those things, but from a distance, you know? I do NOT envy those "special pilots" in their "special Mecha", because there's ALWAYS a catch when it comes to the Mecha genre.

That made me think of Knights of Sidonia. There was a quote where someone was all "This is bullshit! Why does he get the special mech while the rest of us don't?" and the main dude, Nagate, was all "Yeah it really is total bullshit. That's why I'm going in alone for the dangerous part." That is nowhere near the actual quote, but I remember that being the sentiment. It was just interesting to see an anime bring that up specifically. But the catch that comes to mind is what Daryl from Gundam Thunderbolt has to go through to pilot the Psycho Zaku (the best Zaku and one of my favorite Mobile Suits in the series). If you know, you know. Oof.

I don't know, I love the classic Super Robots, they are simple and goofy with their design

Don't get me wrong, they are lots of silly fun, I just couldn't take a show with them seriously. x)

How could you not like it?

Wow, yeah. That difference is beyond night and day.

 

[RageBurner]

I don't know, I love the classic Super Robots, they are simple and goofy with their design and seeing them "updated" in recent games and other media is always awesome. Pet peve of mine is Tetsujin 28, I mean look at him!
View attachment 13841
And now look at his update:
View attachment 13842

How could you not like it?

It's nicer, but still goofy. I just don't like most supers.

 

[Hikari.EXE]

It's nicer, but still goofy. I just don't like most supers.

Fair enough, I just really like Mecha in general, even the Supers, they're classic and cornerstones to modern Mecha... Yeah modern Mecha, huh? When was the last time we got a good Mecha anime?

 

[RageBurner]

Fair enough, I just really like Mecha in general, even the Supers, they're classic and cornerstones to modern Mecha... Yeah modern Mecha, huh? When was the last time we got a good Mecha anime?

I heard Gundam Witch of Mercury is good. I haven't watched yet though. I'd love to see more Zone of the Enders.

 

[Stingy Perry]

The Grand Daddy of Real Robot sub genre.

Post automatically merged: Jan 18, 2025

I heard Gundam Witch of Mercury is good. I haven't watched yet though. I'd love to see more Zone of the Enders.

It’s good series though the violence has been toned down but the mobile suit battle animations are a feast to the eyes.

 

[Hikari.EXE]

I heard Gundam Witch of Mercury is good. I haven't watched yet though. I'd love to see more Zone of the Enders.

It's not Mecha, but I watched HeroMan, he's more akin to a classic Super on "modern" days (it came out in 2010) but he was featured in one of the SRW games, so that's enough reason to watch it.

 

[χKai]

So... Darling in the Franxx? LOL

Thank you so much for telling me the name of this, I've been seeing this girl all over and did not know what in the fuck she was from. So thank you, Lol.

 

[Stingy Perry]

Gundam The Witch From Mercury is a good series one of my top 10 Gundam series so far though it’s a bit different from your usual gritty, war and political themed Gundam. The prologue and season 1.ended really hits me hard.

 

[RageBurner]

Gundam The Witch From Mercury is a good series one of my top 10 Gundam series so far though it’s a bit different from your usual gritty, war and political themed Gundam. The prologue and season 1.ended really hits me hard.

I don't mind a bit less grit, but it can't be Reconguista in G bad. It's the only Gundam I literally quit midway because I couldn't stand it.

 

[Stingy Perry]

I don't mind a bit less grit, but it can't be Reconguista in G bad. It's the only Gundam I literally quit midway because I couldn't stand it.

It’s a lot better than Reconguista which has a lackluster main character, plus Witc From Mercury has you typical plot twist in the middle.

 

[RageBurner]

It’s a lot better than Reconguista which has a lackluster main character, plus Witc From Mercury has you typical plot twist in the middle.

If it is typical, how much of it is a twist? haha

 

[Jeanfranc]

I like super robots and I adore Getter Robot. I actually started the Gundam series with G-Gundam and I absolutely loved it. I'm currently watching ZZ after recently finishing Zeta.

 

[RageBurner]

I like super robots and I adore Getter Robot. I actually started the Gundam series with G-Gundam and I absolutely loved it. I'm currently watching ZZ after recently finishing Zeta. View attachment 13913

Keep on Gundaning!

 

[Taukyrie]

It's not Mecha, but I watched HeroMan, he's more akin to a classic Super on "modern" days (it came out in 2010) but he was featured in one of the SRW games, so that's enough reason to watch it.
View attachment 13864

Heroman being in a mainline Super Robot Wars game is enough for me to count it as a mecha anime.

As for a good modern mecha anime, I personally really liked Back Arrow from 2021, but it's a series you have to go in completely blind to if you want to get the most out of it.

I don't mind a bit less grit, but it can't be Reconguista in G bad. It's the only Gundam I literally quit midway because I couldn't stand it.

I watched G Witch and thought it was really good. I do, however, want to warn you that you will definitely be able to tell that the 13 episode-per-season limit definitely caused it to suffer in places imho.

 

[RageBurner]

I watched G Witch and thought it was really good. I do, however, want to warn you that you will definitely be able to tell that the 13 episode-per-season limit definitely caused it to suffer in places imho.

Thank you for the heads up. I imagine a lot of important plot threads had to be cut or condensed to fit this stringent limit.

 

[IyoTheHelpfulWolf]

I'm a mecha noob so far, but I seem to take to the grittier stuff. So far I've played Armored Core 6 and I need to finish Gundam Wing. Feel free to recommend stuff.

 

[Taukyrie]

Thank you for the heads up. I imagine a lot of important plot threads had to be cut or condensed to fit this stringent limit.

Yes, that's exactly what happened. I personally still enjoyed it, but it is something to keep in mind.

 

[suzakuryuu]

I like the classic Super Robot like Mazinger and Getter Robo line.
But design wise, My favorite would be Nu Gundam

 

[RageBurner]

View attachment 13945
I like the classic Super Robot like Mazinger and Getter Robo line.
But design wise, My favorite would be Nu Gundam
View attachment 13967

I like the Nu, but my favorite Gundam is the F91 by a long shot.