(Mecha March) Five Mech Shows for Beginners

Hello everyone! It’s Mecha March and that means I talk about mecha anime more than I usually do. (Which is a lot if you know me.) I think that mecha anime is something that modern anime fans seem to have a problem getting into. In response to that, here is a list of series that I think would be a great introduction to anyone who wants to at least try the genre out. That’s it, let’s jump into the list.

Full Metal Panic!

Starting off, I think of this anime as not only an anime for beginning Mecha fans but beginning anime fans as well. It has everything that will see in modern anime in it. High school shenanigans, girls with different colored hair and special powers, gun fights, hand to hand combat, mecha combat, small amounts of political intrigue, and so many other things. The best part about it is that Full Metal Panic makes all of these things completely feasible and understandable with loveable characters.

I love this series so much and I hope we get another sequel series eventually. Invisible Victory was not enough.

Code Geass

Code Geass is like Full Metal Panic, but a big step up in a lot of ways. For one, the politics aspect is played up a lot more because the plot is about a conquered nation fighting for their independence. The show is also a lot more focused on charismatic leaders forming battle strategies against other charismatic leaders who are forming their own strategies.

That might sound boring, but Code Geass always finds a way to make everything entertaining with “oh, what does this character have up their sleeve to counter their opponent’s strategy” combat that is completely awesome to watch. I think the first season, R1, is better then season two, R2, but both are worth watching. The show’s large cast is great and decently developed, which isn’t what I can say about a lot of other anime.

Tengen Toppa Gurren Lagann

Unlike those other series that are trying to use scientific mumbo jumbo for their robots to have super abilities, Gurren Lagann doesn’t care about any of that. Oh yeah, nobody cares about strategy either. This is a super robot anime and all you need is manliness and fighting spirit to solve all your problems. Not beating your opponent? Use more gar. Need to have your robot transform or upgrade? You need more gar. Need more drills and gar? Up your gar.

This show gets to the point where we have giant robots throwing galaxies around. The ridiculousness isn’t the only selling point though. The main cast of the show has a lot of heart to them and the show’s themes about overcoming limits set by yourself and others is incredibly relatable. I can’t recommend this one enough, because this show is what I consider Studio Gainax’s last master piece.

Vision of Escaflowne

I might be pushing the limit by mentioning a series from the mid 90’s because some people think it’s old for some reason, but I love Escaflowne and I think people should watch it. Especially with the redone Escaflowne releases that make the show look gorgeous. It is an isekai shoujo series that has a good story line, awesome mech fights, a very useful female protagonist, good romance, tons of fantasy spectacle, and so many more things. It’s so strange and wonderful how all-encompassing this show is genre wise and yet it makes all of it click together so well. Escaflowne is good.

Gundam OO/Gundam: Iron-Blooded Orphans

I am cheating a little bit here with having two series in one section, but these are the Gundam series that I recommend to people that want at least a taste of the Gundam franchise. These are the two most recent additions to the franchise and each one of them is gorgeous visually and animation wise. 2D mechs are amazing. Not to mention that each of them goes over a lot of Gundam tropes in their own particular ways that makes them feel fresh and in good taste for the modern anime audience. I mean, both of these are a part of their own universe so there is no extra baggage that you need to worry about. Just jump into them. Give one or both of these series a spin and see if you like it. The world could always use more Gundam fans!

—

Please try some of these out and join me on the dark side of the anime corner, kind of. Mecha anime is a lot of fun. If you are an experienced mecha fan, what shows would you recommend to a beginner? Did I miss something that you think people who should be initiated would like? Go ahead and list them in the comments below.