I saw this come across my Twitter feed today:
Names of animes in order:
— SSSS.D180223 (@180223) December 29, 2019
God Mazinger, Dunbine, Wataru, NG Knight, Escaflowne, Magic Knight Rayearth, Dual! PTA, War on Geminar, Knights & Magic and Gundam Build Divers Re:Rise.
I'd talked about Dunbine previously, and Escaflowne's reputation is warranted. Wataru is aimed more at boys, but still good fun; the adaptation done for Super Robot Wars X (where it is the backbone of the game's plot) is great. Rayearth is a beloved CLAMP classic, also worth your time. I haven't watched the rest, so that I leave to others; comment below.
The classics come from the 80s and 90s, before the shift to CG for animation, and the higher quality shows in the enduring appeal and popularity. While none of them are the juggernaut that is the Gundam or Macross franchises, and only one has a tangential connection to the Mazinger franchise, that they are still getting physical home video releases and merchandise releases from time to time--and their OPs & EDs still get performed live--should tell you that they're still in the game.
If nothing else, watch Escaflowne and Dunbine. If you can find the manga, read that if you prefer. And it's high-time we start making our own takes that don't suck, because the crap won't stop until that happens.
Happy to find a fellow mecha fan. I haven't watched most of these shows, but I know them through Super Robot Wars. Escaflowne is one of my favorite mecha shows. Also you hit the nail on the head with your last sentence. Japan is possibly the last bastion of great, propagranda-free fiction and that would be a shame. There should be quality fiction from all around the world.
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