Seignar wrote:It has mechas, but it doesn't revolve around them that much, so I guess it is okay unless you have mechanophobia [looked the word up]
My problem with Mecha anime is when they follow too much of a Gundam-like formula where it's all about militaries and political issues and war and battle-hardened 13-year-old kids. I've mentioned before that there are anime with mecha that I like, but they're the ones that do something interesting with the ideas behind the genre.
Gurren Lagann takes all that "determination and belief in yourself will win you the battle" to it's parodied extreme.
Full Metal Panic takes the battle-hardened teenager and actually shows how messed up it can make you by putting them in a situation with normal kids, while also spinning political and military issues into comedy moments instead of taking it all super-seriously.
Code Geass is as much about the magical elements as it is the political/war elements, and the battles are shown more with a strategic and planning emphasis, making the action come from the whole cast working together instead of from the lone heroic pilot. It even brings up how unrealistic it is that the "determined lone soldier in a super mech can single-handedly win the battle" as a main point of conflict between characters.
Basically, there are anime with mechs that I like, but they have to do something unique with the ideas behind the sterotypical tropes of the genre, which ends up turning them more into a comedy or drama anime than a straight-up mech anime.
TL;DR: I'm okay with mecha as long as it isn't just a Gundam clone series in different wrappings.
Seignar wrote:also, I have no idea which are big-names.
I'll basically sum it up as if it's ever been shown on TV