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Srice
Sep 11, 2011






The previous mecha thread is pretty old now, so here's the new one to discuss everything with giant robots in it. Unless you wanna talk Gundams, in which case you should post in the Gundam thread instead.

Hey what defines a mecha show anyways?

Anything with giant robots, essentially. It's a broad term. Most of the time the robots have a human pilot inside, but there are plenty of mecha shows without them. Even though mecha is an anime genre it encompasses a variety of genres.

I haven't seen a mecha show in my life except Evangelion and maybe Code Geass, what should I watch?

To speak on modern anime in general, these days there are a ton of really amazing shows that are only a dozen episodes. Because of that I think it's a real bad idea to tell newbies to check out a ton of 50+ episode mecha shows, that's a big commitment! So to that end here is my recommendation list for newcomers. Everything in it is excellent, there's a nice variety to show off what the genre can do and each has a runtime comparable to 12 episodes or less.

Giant Robo: The Day the Earth Stood Still



quote:

Giant Robo is a homage to Yokoyama's career. The series features characters and plotlines from the manga artist's entire canon of work, effectively creating an all-new story. The events take place in the near future, ten years after the advent of the Shizuma Drive triggers the third energy revolution. The series follows the master of the titular Robo, Daisaku Kusama, and the Experts of Justice, an international police organization locked in battle with the BF Group, a secret society hell-bent on world domination.

Giant Robo is directed by Yasuhiro Imagawa (who you might know as the director of G Gundam) and it's his best work by far. It's an epic in the classical sense of the word and every one of its seven episodes is exciting. If you only watch one show on the list I suggest this one.

Macross Plus



quote:

The year is 2040 and the galaxy is flourishing with several colonies and advanced technology. AI is near perfection and the current top idol is the near-completed Virturoid Idol Sharon Apple. All that is missing are her actual feelings, which instead are supplied by Myung Fang Lone. Sharon's debut concert is on planet Eden, where at the same time, fighter pilots Isamu Dyson and Guld Bowman battle over air superiority for the "Supernova Project." Isamu, Guld and Myung were once childhood friends, but after an accident seven years ago, they went their own separate ways. With Myung back in the picture, the old disputes are once again awakened.

Macross Plus is co-directed by Shinichiro Watanabe who I'm sure you'll recognize as the man behind hits like Cowboy Bebop, Samurai Champloo, and Space Dandy. And the music is handled by Yoko Kanno who is responsible for a lot of really good soundtracks, including Cowboy Bebop's.

Those facts alone should be enough of a reason to check Macross Plus out. Macross has a fair amount of entries but Macross Plus works quite well as a standalone product. It's only 4 episodes and it's easily one of the best anime to contain the Macross name. There are two versions out there, an OVA and a movie, and they both have pros and cons to them. I personally prefer the OVA, but it's good enough to make it worth checking out both versions.

Patlabor (OVA), aka Patlabor: The Early Days



quote:

In the future, rapidly advancing technology gives birth to giant robots known as "Labors," so named for their usefulness in heavy industry. However, this also gives rise to "Labor crimes," resulting the the need for a new branch of law enforcement equiped with and dedicated to the policing of Labors. When Izumi Noa, a female police officer, becomes the newest recruit of Special Vechicals Devision 2, she and her top of the line "Patrol Labor" (or "Patlabor") Alphonse are swept into a series of adventures featuring crazed construction workers, eco-terrorists, and sea monsters.

Patlabor is the show I like to recommend to people who dislike the mecha genre. It's primarily character driven and has a unique, colorful cast, and that can be enough for them to overlook the fact that there are robots in it. And if you do like robots, Patlabor has 'em, and they're pretty cool.

There are two continuities, but Patlabor canon isn't super important so I wouldn't worry about it; the divide in canon is basically stuff directed by Oshii (The original OVAs + Movies 1 and 2) and the stuff that isn't (The tv series + the second OVA series). The original OVA is the best introduction to the series as it looks a lot nicer than the tv show, and 7 episodes isn't a huge commitment at all.

Gunbuster



quote:

Noriko Takaya's dream is to become a space pilot like her father, Admiral Yuzo Takaya. He died when she was still a little girl due to an attack of alien forces in deep space. After entering Okinawa Girls Space Pilot High School, Noriko is handpicked by instructor Kouichiro Ohta as someone with great potential. She must then persuade everyone, especially herself, that she can indeed fulfill her goal and become an accomplished pilot despite being just an ordinary girl.

Gunbuster is directed by some obscure guy named Hideaki Anno (who directed something called Neon Genesis Evangelion that nobody has seen).

All joking aside, it's 80s Gainax writing a love letter about everything they enjoyed at that moment in time. What is initially a mecha-themed parody of classic tennis anime Aim for the Ace becomes a serious sci-fi epic, all in the span of 6 episodes.

Diebuster



quote:

Nono is a clumsy waitress who dreams of becoming a space pilot. One day, she meets Lal'C Melk Mark, a member of the elite psychic pilot team "Topless". But when space monsters appear from out of nowhere to wreak havoc on Mars, Lal'C calls out her Buster Machine—codenamed "Dix-Neuf"—to subdue the threat. During a battle with a Space Monster, Lal'C gets the surprise of her life when she sees Nono use her super-strength to help Dix-Neuf destroy the alien. From that point, Nono hangs along with Lal'C in hopes of becoming a member of Topless.

While it's not immediately obvious, Diebuster is a sequel to Gunbuster. Directed and written by Kazuya Tsurumaki and Yoji Enokido respectively (They collaborated on a prior Gainax project, FLCL), it's a sequel that is as unusual as it is magnificent. It resembles a lot of what Gainax would later do with Gurren Lagann (and for my money's worth, I feel that Diebuster does a better job at raising the stakes). Both Gunbuster and Diebuster feature world-ending threats, but I prefer how the latter handles it, by forgoing its pseudo hard sci-fi trappings in favor of making it a much more personal story.



Let's get this thread off to a positive start, so I welcome everyone to tell me what things I missed and why they should be watched (I am ignoring how this is my own personal recommendation list here :v:).

Srice fucked around with this message at 12:22 on Nov 8, 2015

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Droyer
Oct 9, 2012

This thread has the of approval.

boom boom boom
Jun 28, 2012

by Shine

Srice posted:

Let's get this thread off to a positive start, so I welcome everyone to tell me what things I missed and why they should be watched (I am ignoring how this is my own personal recommendation list here :v:).

Gundam 0080, man! The best Gundam series, it's got great characters, great drama, great robots, and the best presentation of an anti-war message in all mecha anime.

And it's only 6 episodes long. It's the perfect series for someone who wants to watch a mecha anime, a gundam anime, a anime, or a movie of any kind!

(USER WAS PUT ON PROBATION FOR THIS POST)

littleorv
Jan 29, 2011

Thanks for the list Srice. I've been meaning to check out the Busters but I have not gotten around to it yet.

Srice
Sep 11, 2011

littleorv posted:

Thanks for the list Srice. I've been meaning to check out the Busters but I have not gotten around to it yet.

They're both very good, so it is a wise choice.

Namtab
Feb 22, 2010

Gunbuster, diebuster, littlebuster

everythingWasBees
Jan 9, 2013




Where's the over the top Super Robots? Diebuster excluded, of course.

Droyer
Oct 9, 2012

everythingWasBees posted:

Where's the over the top Super Robots? Diebuster excluded, of course.

The problem with those is that they're almost always long, old, or part of a larger franchise, so they're difficult to recommend for beginners.

Srice
Sep 11, 2011

I wanted to keep the OP confined to the stuff that's p accessible but I am down for doing writeups about other stuff in the thread, and I encourage others to do so

Erg
Oct 31, 2010

I don't have much to contribute besides as someone who hasn't watched a lot of mecha, Patlabor is Good poo poo

gimme the GOD DAMN candy
Jul 1, 2007
I enjoy robot anime. Also while it is a very tired joke I like big bots.

Broken Loose
Dec 25, 2002

PROGRAM
A > - - -
LR > > - -
LL > - - -

Droyer posted:

The problem with those is that they're almost always long, old, or part of a larger franchise, so they're difficult to recommend for beginners.

Gunbuster's only 6 episodes long, and I'm pretty sure everybody and their mother watched Gurren Lagann.

Droyer
Oct 9, 2012

Serious Frolicking posted:

I enjoy robot anime. Also while it is a very tired joke I like big bots.

Can you lie though?

Droyer
Oct 9, 2012

Broken Loose posted:

Gunbuster's only 6 episodes long, and I'm pretty sure everybody and their mother watched Gurren Lagann.

Gunbuster's already there though, so I don't see your point.

Edit: And it's specified in the op the recommendations should be 12 episodes or less, which TTGL isn't

Daler Mehndi
Apr 10, 2005

Tunak Tunak Tun!
After last thread's recommendations, I ended up finishing Argevollen. Mostly because I finally got myself a Roku and could watch my giant stompy robots on my TV. The ending was somewhat underwhelming. I don't mean that it was necessarily bad, but it didn't quite end the way I expected it to.

I progressed on M3 but right now it's mostly because the writer is also on the upcoming Gundam. It's tough to get through because so far it's mostly been people being depressed, or realizing things about themselves and then being depressed about that instead.

Daitarn 3 wasn't what I expected for a Tomino-directed show. It's even goofier than Xabungle (which wasn't all that goofy to begin with). I haven't watched anywhere near all of it though.

everythingWasBees posted:

Where's the over the top Super Robots? Diebuster excluded, of course.

GaoGaiGar is my go-to anime for that. It is also licensed, but only partially dubbed. I was honestly surprised that anyone licensed it, not because it's bad, but because it strikes me as having a pretty niche audience. I'm a sucker for it as it reminds me of the (sadly few) mecha animes I got to watch in the 70s and 80s.

Pewdiepie
Oct 31, 2010

Big rear end robots ftw.

Blaze Dragon
Aug 28, 2013
LOWTAX'S SPINE FUND

If we're talking about short robot anime, I have to recommend New Getter Robo and Shin Mazinger Z. Both are really good adaptations of the classics of mecha anime (Getter Robo and Mazinger, obviously), only 13 and 26 episodes respectively, and absolutely worth the watch. Even moreso as beginnings to their franchises in general, as I have to recommend every time I can the Getter Robo manga. It's long, and it has no ending, but it is wonderful all the way and no adaptation ever really got to the level of epic the manga has.

Can someone just invent necromancy and bring Ken Ishikawa back already, please?

Gyra_Solune
Apr 24, 2014

Kyun kyun
Kyun kyun
Watashi no kare wa louse

Daler Mehndi posted:

I progressed on M3 but right now it's mostly because the writer is also on the upcoming Gundam. It's tough to get through because so far it's mostly been people being depressed, or realizing things about themselves and then being depressed about that instead.

i like to think of m3 as evangelion but everyone is actually depressed, as in very mopey and bored and not wanting to talk to anyone, and not really because of past traumas or something (though they have lots of those in anyways)

also why is boom boom boom probated for posting here

Droyer
Oct 9, 2012

Blaze Dragon posted:

If we're talking about short robot anime, I have to recommend New Getter Robo and Shin Mazinger Z. Both are really good adaptations of the classics of mecha anime (Getter Robo and Mazinger, obviously), only 13 and 26 episodes respectively, and absolutely worth the watch. Even moreso as beginnings to their franchises in general, as I have to recommend every time I can the Getter Robo manga. It's long, and it has no ending, but it is wonderful all the way and no adaptation ever really got to the level of epic the manga has.

Can someone just invent necromancy and bring Ken Ishikawa back already, please?

The getter manga is fantastic and the fact that we're never getting an ending is a huge shame.

GorfZaplen
Jan 20, 2012

I think Neo Getter Robo vs Shin Getter Robo is the best introduction to the Getter franchise, personally. It's only four episodes long, introduces all of the main cast, and tells a story that covers all the beats of the manga. It's also a very gorgeous anime, has a killer soundtrack and is just loads of fun.

Zereth
Jul 9, 2003



Droyer posted:

Edit: And it's specified in the op the recommendations should be 12 episodes or less
Giant Robo: Day The Earth Stood Still.

Gyra_Solune
Apr 24, 2014

Kyun kyun
Kyun kyun
Watashi no kare wa louse

GorfZaplen posted:

I think Neo Getter Robo vs Shin Getter Robo is the best introduction to the Getter franchise, personally. It's only four episodes long, introduces all of the main cast, and tells a story that covers all the beats of the manga. It's also a very gorgeous anime, has a killer soundtrack and is just loads of fun.

in addition to which, the show is absolutely stolen by the crew of the Texas Mack (the sister piloting its hat, by the way its hat is an airplane), whose legacy is basically the most amazing engrish in anime

Droyer
Oct 9, 2012

Zereth posted:

Giant Robo: Day The Earth Stood Still.

Also already in the OP

Zereth
Jul 9, 2003



Droyer posted:

Also already in the OP
Son of a bitch so it is.

drrockso20
May 6, 2013

Has Not Actually Done Cocaine
I'd suggest adding Mazinkaiser to the OP as it's fantastic and pretty short(the OVA that is, the movie is pretty abysmal), same with Mazinkaiser SKL

Yes_Cantaloupe
Feb 28, 2005

Srice posted:

Giant Robo: The Day the Earth Stood Still
Macross Plus
Patlabor (OVA), aka Patlabor: The Early Days
Gunbuster
Diebuster

I've watched and really enjoyed all of these except for Giant Robo, which I've neither watched nor enjoyed. I draw two conclusions from this: 1) I should probably watch Giant Robo (I kind of already knew this), and 2) I guess I like giant robots? Maybe Droyer was right all along....

.Clash
Apr 10, 2009

I think it was episode 8? where M3 finally got its feet. Not sure I would have made it if not watching weekly.
Theres some good stuff in there though, especially the designs.

Bad Seafood
Dec 10, 2010


If you must blink, do it now.

Bad Seafood posted:

Giant Robo is now mandatory viewing for posting on this subforum.

Yes_Cantaloupe
Feb 28, 2005

I've been posting on credit.

Yes_Cantaloupe
Feb 28, 2005
Rather, much like I should have been there to make you watch Utena, you should have been there to make me watch Giant Robo in the "tell each other what to watch" thread.

Allarion
May 16, 2009

がんばルビ!

Yes_Cantaloupe posted:

Rather, much like I should have been there to make you watch Utena, you should have been there to make me watch Giant Robo in the "tell each other what to watch" thread.

Yeah, but I like Macross Plus more! Giant Robo is really good too though, and hearing about how it could have ended always sounded really rad.

Yes_Cantaloupe
Feb 28, 2005

Allarion posted:

Yeah, but I like Macross Plus more! Giant Robo is really good too though, and hearing about how it could have ended always sounded really rad.

And it was good! And I strongly suspect Paranoia Agent will also be good, when I get to that. But because it's sitting there, judging me, I have to watch it before GR.

Allarion
May 16, 2009

がんばルビ!
That said, I still need to watch Patlabor. I always put it on my watchlist before forgetting about it, and then remembering that I wanted to watch giant robot cops. Also Paranoia Agent since that's the only Satoshi Kon thing I haven't seen.

littleorv
Jan 29, 2011


I'm not gonna watch it

ugh its Troika
May 2, 2009

by FactsAreUseless
Patlabor is boring and terrible and you should feel bad recommending it to anyone. Hurrghgh let's have 45 minute long monologues in every single form of it ever released.

Darth Walrus
Feb 13, 2012
I found M3 a little dark for my liking. Not, y'know, in plot or themes, but the gimmick of monsters from a realm of eternal night plus the nature of the CG-work meant that it was literally too dark to easily see what was happening on-screen during many of the fights. Just a lot of faintly-coloured blobs (some of them with neon highlights) slamming into each other.

ninjewtsu
Oct 9, 2012

M3 felt edgy as gently caress with basically no substance. i remember being fairly amused in like episode 3 when the newly introduced psychopath went all hotline miami execution on a security guard and that's about it. i gave up on the show because it just felt like it wasn't interesting and wasn't going anywhere interesting.

i don't even remember particularly liking the robots.

ninjewtsu
Oct 9, 2012

was the new aquarion show really awful? i thought EVOL was a lot of fun and was really disappointed when i heard the new one sucks rear end. someone tell me that i heard wrong and it's actually awesome after a disappointing first episode or something

Sakurazuka
Jan 24, 2004

NANI?

Sorry, it's really bad and boring.

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1st Stage Midboss
Oct 29, 2011

I'm enjoying Logos, but I don't know if that's just me. It probably helps that I marathoned episodes 2-11 last week so the tiny amount of plot movement per episode didn't bother me.

I think it's one of those shows that lives or dies on whether you find yourself buying into its characters or not. It does the "one-note protagonist" thing better than EVOL did since they realise how silly his "I am the saviour" thing is and run with that, but the rest of the characters don't stand out to me as much as EVOL's did.

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