Sunday, November 24, 2019

My Life In Fandom: Underappreciated Mecha Anime

In the realm of Giant Robot anime, we know what the Big Brands are: Mobile Suit Gundam, Super-Dimension Fortress Macross, Mazinger Z, Getter Robo, Neon Genesis Evangelion, and Tengen Toppa Gurren Lagann. There are several others that are known, but don't have quite the dominance or prominence of those, but some titles that get into Super Robot Wars elicit more of a "What?" than a "YES!" and I'm listing some of them below- with links to storefronts where available, all in the spirit of #BrandZero

  • Panzer World Galient: A deposed prince takes the controls of the titular mecha and wages war against the man who stole his throne and killed his father- and this was years before the excellent Vision of Escaflowne.
  • Fang of the Sun Dougram: The son of a despotic planetary governor joins the rebels and steals the title mecha to use in their cause. Source of all the famous units in BattleTech that didn't come from Macross or Crusher Joe.
  • Giant Gorg: Recently orphaned boy meets mysterious scientist and gets caught up in a fight involving the title robot.
  • GoShogun: This was half of Macron-1 (Srungle was the other), but the original series actually makes sense.
  • Space Warrior Baldios: Part of the late '70s deconstruction of Super Robot shows prior to the original Gundam series birthing Real Robots. Expect a downer ending.
  • Space Runaway Ideon: Peak "Kill 'Em All" Tomino. You've been warned.
  • Dino Mech Gaiking: Another '70s Super Robot series later remade.
  • SSSS.Gridman: One of the recent mecha shows, an anime revival of a live-action original, and well-received at that (without the Studio Trigger weirdness that became of FRANXX).
  • Xabungle: Tomino in his happy, manic phase. Comedic in its tone.
  • Steel Jeeg/New Steel Jeeg: Another '70s Super Robot show that got a recent revival, this one a sequel that disavows Season 2 of the original. Fantastic series, both of them, and the revival has a sweet JAM Project OP.
  • Majestic Prince: "The original reason for creating genetically enhanced humans was to explore outer space; but when the alien Wulgaru attacked using vastly advanced technology, the Evolved Children were instead turned into Mankind's last line of defense."
  • Metal Armor Dragonar: A near-forgotten Real Robot show of the '80s. Had a catchy OP, and there's English-subbed copies available someplace. Ask your local Straw Hat.

And you can find their OSTs--at least their OPs and EDs--on YouTube, usually in the form of their opening or closing credits, so you can get a sense of the series if you can't find a trailer or some clips. Some of these also have manga versions, which may or may not be available in English or in print (or both).

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