Mecha genre is one of the oldest genres of anime. People think it is out of date now and very few mecha anime come out these days. But that is not true. A good mecha anime will have you excited as a child and I promised you will still enjoy them.
The mecha genre tends to get stiff and quite a few series rely on clichés but actually, the mecha genre is rather open to innovation. Hence it makes me sad when some anime tend to rely only on the clichés and some mecha anime even are just meant for fan service. You know what anime I am referring to here. I will explain later how a few anime added their unique twists to the mecha genre and they worked really well.
Again before starting, let me tell you again that these are my personal picks and I will hear yours in the comments. Another thing, I love all of these anime and the top 2 I picked are equal for me. Well then, let’s get started.
I know I said it makes me sad that many mecha anime tend to only rely on clichés and fan service. But Gurren Lagann here takes all of the clichés combines them with awesome soundtracks, fights, and many unexpected plot twists. In this process, Gurren Lagann becomes a masterpiece. Gurren Lagann is the 2nd best modern mecha anime.
Quite a few plot twists fall under the cliché factor but still, this anime manages to create very high hype for literally almost anything. Hype is what makes Gurren Lagann great. In the end, weird things happen but you just start going with the flow without thinking.
The hype is so strong that I promise you will think nothing about it while watching. After completing the anime you will realize how many weird things happened near the end. I have no idea how the anime makes you this involved that you even stop thinking. Not a lot of anime can do that.
Before you say anything, Mecha is an inseparable part of Code Geass’s plot and world-building. Other than the superpowers, Code Geass is more about war and wars are fought using the mechas. Code Geass’ mechas are called “Knightmare Frames”. Without the development of Knightmare Frames, the Britannian Empire would not have become this strong and the story wouldn’t have even started if it weren’t for these things.
Even Lelouch knows the importance of Knighmares despite having his awesome superpower. Code Geass is more centered on wars and not the superpowers. That is what makes it unique. No other anime has been able to perfect this balance since Code Geass.
The original Ghost in the Shell was a trendsetter. It was this anime that started the near future detective/cop style theme. Psych Pass is the best example of an anime that followed a similar theme to Ghost in the Shell. Its sequel, Innocence was the movie that made the idea of using hand-drawn animation and CGI together.
It even got a Hollywood live-action adaptation which wasn’t as good as the anime but, an anime getting a Hollywood adaptation is a big deal. It is about the investigation of a mysterious hacker called the “puppet master”. Trust the actual plot is much more complex than that but I can’t describe it in detail here. Just go and watch it. it is one of the anime that brought mecha into the mainstream.
Let me say this again, the top are equal in my eyes. These anime started the mecha genre and continue to be the best in the genre. It is very possible that the first anime you think of when you hear the word “mecha” will be one of these 2.
Gundam Series
You can’t talk about the mecha genre without mentioning Gundam or the first place. Gundam is literally the father of almost all clichés most mecha anime makes use of. Except for the fact that when Gundam did them, they were original.Gundam has so many sub-series set in different timelines or separated by a small gap in the same timeline.
I haven’t watched them all but the ones I have watched are really good. The series is so great that some people thought of opening an institute in Japan to study Gundam in detail. They may actually make that institute one of these days. I will join the institute for sure if they do make it. What about you?
Fun fact: you may already know this but, most of Gundam’s revenue comes from plastic models or collectibles.
~official cover
Of course, this is here. I have mentioned it in the previous list but I can’t stop singing praises of this series. Yes, NGE may give you depression but you can’t deny that the plot and the messages hidden in the anime are just pure genius.
It would have been a normal mecha anime if the author hadn’t become interested in psychology halfway through the anime. The anime completely shifts its tone past episode 14. Another thing that makes NGE different from normal mecha anime is the fact that Evas unlike other mechas are slow and they are attached to chord. Evascan not be operated. Evas are much weirder than normal mechas.
I could have told you how they are made but it’d to spoil. Just know that they are not robots.
Well, those were my picks for the top 5 mecha anime. Let me know down in the comments what you thought about the list. Feel free to tell me your top 5 down in the comments as well. As usual, stay tuned for more content, and do not forget to check out the awesome art section. With that being said, I will take my leave here. See ya!!
