Mecha anime came back in the late 1950s, one of the oldest anime genres. This genre has been used repeatedly to tell various stories to the kids related to wars and other things. Various mecha anime merchandise has also become popular over time. Many clothes, toys and games have been sold using them. There have been several successful mangas that have been made into animation of related topics.
There are various mecha anime available to watch, and it can be a bit tedious job to figure out which ones to watch. So, this list has been prepared, which contains the best mecha shows. The viewers will now know where they have to start and what to watch next.
40. Kyoukai Senki: Kyokkou No Souki
- Director: Hiroyuki Kanbe
- Writer: Tatsuhiko Urahata
- Cast: N/A
- IMDb: N/A
- Rotten Tomatoes: N/A
- Streaming Platform: N/A
Kyoukai Senki: Kyokkou no Souki, a follow-up to 2021’s AMAIM Warrior at the Borderline, will be a 6-part ONA series. The original Sunrise Beyond series explored political topics linked to oppression while telling a conventional mecha story that was influenced by Gundam and Code Geass. Even though the show occasionally played it too safe, it was still able to give good action and music.
There isn’t a lot of information currently available regarding the sequel, however it appears to concentrate on the South Sea islands.
39. Knights Of Sidonia
- Director: Kobun Shizuno, Hiroyuki Seshita
- Writer: Sadayuki Murai
- Cast: N/A
- IMDb: 7.9/10
- Rotten Tomatoes: N/A
- Streaming Platform: N/A
Due to its platform exclusivity and 3D CG animation, Knights of Sidonia, which made its debut as the first Netflix original anime, had a barrier to entrance. The latter is usually difficult to market, but this art form works well for a sci-fi mecha anime set in the icy chill of space.
Knights of Sidonia features an outcast with an aptitude for an outdated type of mecha that turns out to be the most reliable line of defence against an alien danger. The story is very traditional in most respects. Naturally, this results in a tonne of fantastic fight scenes.
38. Giant Robo The Animation: The Day The Earth Stood Still
- Director: Yasuhiro Imagawa
- Writer: Yasuhiro Imagawa
- Cast: N/A
- IMDb: 7.8/10
- Rotten Tomatoes: N/A
- Streaming Platform: N/A
Giant Robo the Animation is a recommendation for a mecha anime that is a little peculiar because, despite its name, the titular Giant Robo is absent for significant portions of the OVA series. The anime imagines a world where a great power source has altered everything and where the heroic Experts of Justice and the malevolent Big Fire have been engaged in a decade-long covert war. The latter team is made up of the most skilled fighters on Earth and a youngster with mecha control abilities.
This anime is still regarded as a classic in the mecha genre even if it treats Giant Robo like a special attraction. Giant Robo the Animation excels on almost every level thanks to its outstanding production value, fantastic characters, and world-building. Additionally, the anime becomes better as it goes along, resulting in a wonderful.
37. Gargantia On The Verdurous Planet
- Director: Kazuya Murata
- Writer: Gen Urobuchi
- Cast: N/A
- IMDb: 7.4/10
- Rotten Tomatoes: N/A
- Streaming Platform: N/A
In the future shown in Gargantia on the Verdurous Planet, people will have left a dying Earth and taken to the heavens. Humans formerly lived among the stars and created an alliance whose troops are brainwashed to only think about combating an extraterrestrial menace. Ledo, a soldier, crashes upon Earth one day and finds that life is still present on the water-covered planet. Ledo starts to doubt his programming as he interacts with the people.
Gargantia on the Verdurous Planet is an ambitious sci-fi anime with infrequent action scenes, but its world-building is what really stands out. Ledo is a fantastic and genuine protagonist who responds realistically to the revelations he encounters.
36. Star Driver
- Director: Takuya Igarashi
- Writer: Yoji Enokido
- Cast: N/A
- IMDb: 7.4/10
- Rotten Tomatoes: N/A
- Streaming Platform: N/A
In other words, if the first few chapters of Star Driver do not resonate with a viewer, they can definitely move on to something else. Star Driver establishes a rhythm in its first episode and maintains it for virtually the whole duration of its run.
A secret organization is working to break the last shrine maiden’s seal on an island that is home to strong mecha known as Cybodies that can only be utilized in a special world outside of reality. This will allow them to deploy these mecha anywhere they like. Takuto Tsunashi, fortunately for the maiden, shows up just in time to serve as her carefree knight.
35. Fafner
- Director: Nobuyoshi Habara
- Writer: Tow Ubukata
- Cast: N/A
- IMDb: 7.2/10
- Rotten Tomatoes: N/A
- Streaming Platform: N/A
An unexpectedly lengthy anime called Fafner made its premiere in 2004 and has since spawned further seasons and even a number of films. Fafner follows a group of youths charged with operating enormous robots to fend off these threats while they are supported by their families. The story takes place decades after aliens invaded and destroyed Japan.
Since the anime spends a lot of time examining the relationship between the pilots and their parents, and these dynamics are typically portrayed in a more positive light than in something like Neon Genesis Evangelion, the latter’s inclusion helps this story stand out from many other mecha shows.
34. Space Runaway Ideon
- Director: Yoshiyuki Tomino
- Writer: Yoshiyuki Tomino
- Cast: N/A
- IMDb: 7.4/10
- Rotten Tomatoes: N/A
- Streaming Platform: N/A
Space Runaway Ideon made its debut in 1980, and once its run was over, the 1982 film The Ideon: Be Invoked, it was forgotten. The fight between humanity and the Buff Clan, an alien civilization, in this super robot anime takes place on the planet Solo. People will stop at nothing to obtain a tremendous energy source that this world possesses.
The beginning of Space Runaway Ideon sets a sombre and dismal tone that doesn’t waver. This 1980s anime is unavoidably dated in many aspects because it has been more than 40 years since it first aired, yet its plot and concepts still hold up well. The film is also excellent.
33. SSSS.Gridman
- Director: Akira Amemiya
- Writer: Keiichi Hasegawa
- Cast: Yuya Hirose, Hikaru Midorikawa, Soma Saito
- IMDb: 7.4/10
- Rotten Tomatoes: 80%
- Streaming Platform: N/A
Because Akane Shinjou, one of the anime’s main antagonists, is so appealing, SSSS.Gridman frequently sparks strong opinions. This character not only steals the show, but she also experiences the most significant arc and advances the plot at the same time. She needs to connect with someone, or else SSSS.Gridman won’t work. But the opposite is also accurate.
Epic fights between the titular mecha and a variety of inventive kaiju are shown in the anime Trigger. These battles all feature fantastic animation and soundtrack, of course. Although initially a little sluggish, the tale picks up steam later in the season.
32. Getter Robo: Armageddon
- Director: Yasuhiro Imagawa
- Writer: Hideki Sonoda
- Cast: N/A
- IMDb: 7.6/10
- Rotten Tomatoes: N/A
- Streaming Platform: N/A
Getter Robo established the Super Robot subgenre, which often combines mecha with superpowers (or mythical origins). The original programme, which debuted as an anime and manga in 1974, is influential and significant, yet it can be challenging to revisit in the modern era. Getter Robo has thankfully received a couple OVA episodes that are more palatable to contemporary viewers. New Getter Robo from 2004 is a good place for newcomers to start if they want to join the franchise.
Having said that, Getter Robo: Armageddon deserves to be mentioned since it is so great. The conflict between humanity and the Invaders, an alien danger that can take many different forms, is the focus of this anime. The Getter crew roams the post-apocalyptic wilderness in quest of foes because Earth has essentially become a wasteland.
31. The Big O
- Director: Kazuyoshi Katayama
- Writer: Chiaki J. Konaka
- Cast: Steve Blum, Lia Sargent, Michael Forest
- IMDb: 7.9/10
- Rotten Tomatoes: 73%
- Streaming Platform: N/A
The Big O is one of the few anime series that was more popular outside of Japan. It is also easy to understand why: the show’s cool protagonist and neo-noir aesthetic were ideal for a decade that had previously given rise to Batman: The Animated Series.
The Big 0 is a big robot mecha anime that is set in a city with a large population of amnesics. They live in a metropolis with no future, one that frequently serves as the scene of clashes between enormous robots, and have persevered for decades without knowing their common history. Usually, Roger Smith is in one of these mecha.
30. Knights Of Sidonia
- Director: Kōbun Shizuno
- Writer: Sadayuki Murai Tetsuya
- Cast: Aya Suzaki, Ayane Sakura and others
- IMDb Ratings: 7.8/10
- Rotten Tomatoes Score: NA
- Streaming Platform: Funimation
Knights Of Sidonia is an action, sci-fi, space and Mecha genre anime. Each episode of the show is 24 minutes long, and the experience of watching this show can not be described in a word short than excellent. It is yet another beautiful mecha series with a great story.
Humans have predicted that there is going to be an attack on Earth. To protect themselves, They make spaceships , and send humans to various other planets to live.
Kaunas is an alien group determined to destroy the galaxy. This happens even before they hear from the spaceships. Kaunas take over the Earth and believe that humans no longer exist. Many other twists are in the plot, making it a must-watch.
29. Robotics: Notes
- Director: Toshihiko Kajioka
- Writer: Chiyomaru Shikura, Naotaka Hayashi
- Cast: Kaito Yashio, Akiho Senomiya, Frau Kojiro and others
- IMDb Ratings: 6.9/10
- Rotten Tomatoes Score: 67%
- Streaming Platform: Funimation
The robotic club of Central Tanegashima High School always wanted to finish GunPro 1, which comes under giant robots. Akiho Senomiya and Kaito Yahisho are the main characters and very different. Akiho wants to complete the construction of the robots, but Kaito has other interests.
The twists and turns happen as the show moves fast, just as a roller coaster. The series is not based on the novel story and is a little less from it.
28. Gargantia On The Verdurous Planet
- Director: Kazuya Murata
- Writer: Gen Urobuchi
- Cast: Marc Diraison, Kyle Hebert and others
- IMDb Ratings: 7.4/10
- Rotten Tomatoes Score: NA
- Streaming Platform: Hulu
Gargantia On The Verdurous Planet falls under sci-fi, action, adventure and mecha anime. It came out in April 2013 and ran till June 2013.
This series forces the viewers to think about various things, like whether humans are normal or not. What do aliens feel when they land on Earth? Nobody would have thought such things. The planet mentioned is a Blue Planet where there is fresh air.
The plot is perfect, and there are many twists and turns. Each episode runs for 23 minutes and promises a lot of things. It has won many awards and is on the list of popular anime. This is a perfect watch and won’t fail the viewers’ expectations.
27. Promare
- Director: Hiroyuki Imaishi
- Writer: Kazuki Nakashima
- Cast: Johnny Yong Bosch, Kari Wahlgren, Neil Kaplan and others
- IMDb Ratings: 7.1/10
- Rotten Tomatoes Score: 97%
- Streaming Platform: HBO Max
Studio Trigger has made Promare, and it is just pure goodness. The movie came out in 2019, it showed a world divided into two subcategories due to discrimination against Burnish. When the planet’s fate has to be decided, two people from these opposite groups come together.
The music and animation of Promare are stellar, and the energy is too high because of the incredible fights. There are decent buildings and good characters in Promare, and it is an excellent mecha series.
26. Aldnoah.Zero
- Director: Ei Aoki
- Writer: Katsuhiko Takayama, Gen Urobuchi, Shinsuke Onishi, Ayumi Sekine
- Cast: Sora Amamiya, Natsuki Hanae, Kensho Ono and others
- IMDb Ratings: 7.2/10
- Rotten Tomatoes Score: NA
- Streaming Platform: Crunchyroll
Aldona. Zero is a military, sci-fi, action and Mecha genre anime. This show takes the viewers into a completely unknown world where something unimaginable happens.
Many new technologies are developed that are used in the war. Humans have found a way to reach Mars, and the secret passage through Moon is known as Hypergate. Then, there is Vers Empire, which humans formed.
25. FLCL
- Director: Kazuya Tsurumaki
- Writer: Yoji Enokido
- Cast: Kari Wahlgren, Steve Blum, Stephanie Sheh and others
- IMDb Ratings: 8.2/10
- Rotten Tomatoes Score: NA
- Streaming Platform: Hulu
FLCL can not be described with just the help of mere words. It covers many things and is a comedy filled with philosophy. FLCL is a masterpiece and requires multiple viewings to understand it fully. Some don’t like it and call it pretentious, and some love it.
This 2000 OVA series is among the most famous and known mecha anime. It features robots coming out of the head of the protagonists.
24. Gunbuster
- Director: Hideaki Anno, Kazuya Tsurumaki
- Writer: Toshio Okada, Yoji Enokido
- Cast: Rei Sakuma, Norio Wakamoto and others
- IMDb Ratings: 7.8/10
- Rotten Tomatoes Score: NA
- Streaming Platform: Crunchyroll
Gunbuster serves as Hideaki Anno’s debut as a director. Anime like Neon Genesis Evangelion and Nadia: The Secret of Blue Water show some similarities with Gunbuster. The anime also imitates Aim for the Ace! Anime which is a tennis manga.
It is an OVA mecha series covering many faced characters with real robot action and sci-fi. These things are a good mix in the anime.
23. Break Blade
- Director: Tetsurō Amino , Nobuyoshi Habara
- Writer: Yunosuke Yoshinaga
- Cast: Chiwa Saitou, Hiroshi Kamiya and others
- IMDb Ratings: 7/10
- Rotten Tomatoes Score: NA
- Streaming Platform: Amazon Prime Video
Break Blade consists of six original video animations. It takes on the conventional plot of a hero piloting a mecha to save the country from the invading forces. There are many twists in the anime with the addition of magic. A good time has been devoted to developing various conflicts and characters.
The main reason one should watch Break Blade is due to its action scenes. There are many great mecha duels in the anime that are fascinating and nicely animated.
22. 86
- Director: Toshimasa Ishii
- Writer: Toshiya Ōno
- Cast: Ikumi Hasegawa, Shōya Chiba, Natsumi Fujiwara and others
- IMDb Ratings: 8.1/10
- Rotten Tomatoes Score: NA
- Streaming Platform: Crunchyroll, VRV
Considered among the best shows of Spring of 2021, 86 gathered fans’ love immediately after its release. The anime is about war, humanity and discrimination.
The anime 86 had a massive success that led to the official announcement of its second season long before the first concluded. It will be known among the best modern mecha anime in the future.
21. Ghost In The Shell: Stand Alone Complex
- Director: Kenji Kamiyama
- Writer: Kenji Kamiyama, Masamune Shirow, Mamoru Oshii and others
- Cast: Atsuko Tanaka, Richard Epcar, Mary Elizabeth McGlynn and others
- IMDb Ratings: 8.4/10
- Rotten Tomatoes Score: 67%
- Streaming Platform: Amazon Video, Vudu
Ghost in the Shell has inspired many sequels and spin-offs with the same quality as the original one.
The original movie of Ghost in the Shell is remembered until now due to its fine quality in everything and is considered among the best mecha anime. In 2002, a series on the same was announced, and many fans were doubtful about it, although Yukata Maseba was the man producing it. He has been behind much successful anime like Trigun, Akira and Sailor Moon.
20. Magic Knight Rayearth
- Director: Toshihiro Hirano
- Writer: Clamp
- Cast: Wendee Lee, Bridget Hoffman and others
- IMDb Ratings: 7.7/10
- Rotten Tomatoes Score: NA
- Streaming Platform: Funimation
Just think of magical girls who can turn into Mecha. That’s Magic Knight Rayearth for you. The plot of the anime is strictly according to the source material. Just a character has been added named Inova. The three girls go to Cephiro to save the princess and the land.
Magic Knight Rayearth has won various awards like Best Theme Song. So, music and mecha anime fans, this anime is just for you.
19. Full Metal Panic!
- Director: NA
- Writer: Shoji Gatoh
- Cast: Luci Christian, Tomokazu Seki, Chris Patton and others
- IMDb Ratings: 7.7/10
- Rotten Tomatoes Score: NA
- Streaming Platform: Hulu
Full Metal Panic! has a similar plot to Eureka Seven and Iron-Blooded Orphans. Sousuke Sagara is responsible for protecting a Kaname Chidori from a potential threat from terrorists. Kaname is a high school girl in Full Metal Panic and isn’t aware of the threat initially. Sousuke gets admission to the same school so that she can remain undercover.
Kaname is blessed with power, and she is unaware of her powers. The terrorists want to kidnap her to use that power for their benefit. Sousuke and her allies must protect her.
Until now, the series Full Metal Panic would seem to be serious, but it also falls under the sitcom genre, and the social misunderstandings make it fun to watch. The two main characters are determined to protect each other. Kaname wants to protect Sousuke from the evil things of high school, and Sousuke protects her from the terrorist threat.
18. Aim for the Top! Gunbuster
- Director: Hideaki Anno
- Writer: Hideaki Anno Toshio, Okada Hiroyuki Yamaga
- Cast: Rei Sakuma, Norio Wakamoto, Kazuki Yao and others
- IMDb Ratings: 7.8/10
- Rotten Tomatoes Score: NA
- Streaming Platform: Hulu
Aim for the Top! Gunbuster marks the directorial debut of Hideaki Anno, who worked on Shin Godzilla and Neon Genesis Evangelion. The anime is short, with only six episodes and a compelling plot.
The viewers who want to watch a quirky mecha anime should get it. Noriko Takaya is the protagonist, and her father was a courageous admiral who went missing during the war. She is taken along by Coach Ota, a crewmate of her father.
17. Code Geass: Lelouch of the Rebellion
- Director: Gorō Taniguchi
- Writer: Gorō Taniguchi, Ichirō Ōkouchi
- Cast: Jun Fukuyama, Johnny Yong Bosch, Takahiro Sakurai and others
- IMDb Ratings: 8.7/10
- Rotten Tomatoes Score: 100%
- Streaming Platform: Netflix
Code Geass is a genre-defining anime and is an exception as its original anime set the benchmark for the others of the same genre. The show presents the viewers with a fascinating plot, although many don’t agree.
Code Geass is a Sunrise production and attracts the viewers through its characters, and there is a mix of political elements. Animation and combat are outstanding, and betrayals and alliances are often seen. Code Geass is like War of the Roses in terms of combat scenes.
The plot of Code Geass is very enthralling as in Code Geass, Lelouch, who is the exiled prince, gained the power of Geass, and through that power, he can control anyone. He aims to lead an assault on Brittania. The viewers are kept engaged with the plot as there is a lot of tension in Code Geass.
16. Eureka Seven
- Director: Tomoki Kyoda
- Writer: Dai Satō
- Cast: Kaori Nazuka, Yūko Sanpei, Tony Oliver and others
- IMDb Ratings: 7.8/10
- Rotten Tomatoes Score: NA
- Streaming Platform: Funimation
The premise of Eureka Seven deals with a fourteen-year-old boy who wants to join a mercenary group. He finds his way of achieving it when he meets Eureka.
The show Eureka Seven has won various awards, including Best Character Design, Best Screenplay and Best Female Character. This anime finishes in 2006 and is among the highest quality mecha anime.
15. Armored Trooper Votoms
- Director: Ryōsuke Takahashi
- Writer: Sōji Yoshikawa, Jinzō Toriumi
- Cast: Hozumi Gōda, Shigeru Chiba, Banjō Ginga and others
- IMDb Ratings: 7.8/10
- Rotten Tomatoes Score: NA
- Streaming Platform: HiDive
Chirico Cuvie was given an espionage mission by the Gilgamesh Federation in which he is an Armed Trooper pilot. His mission doesn’t go well, and then he is abandoned and left to Balarant Union, the enemy. Chirico manages to escape and discovers the truth behind the mission assigned to him.
Armored Trooper Votoms is the perfect mecha anime for the viewers who like action scenes.
14. Neon Genesis Evangelion
- Director: Hideaki Anno
- Writer: Hideaki Anno, Yoshiyuki Sadamoto, Ikuto Yamashita and others
- Cast: Spike Spencer, Allison Keith, Amanda Winn-Lee and others
- IMDb Ratings: 8.5/10
- Rotten Tomatoes Score: 100%
- Streaming Platform: Netflix
Non-Genesis Evangelion is among the most popular mecha anime, and it influenced many other mecha anime. Even after more than twenty-five years of its release, it continues to be a well known and most-watched anime.
Not much subsequent series can match the levels of the original series, and this fact makes Neon Genesis Evangelion a nice watch and has great drama.
Fans who were searching for something different, unique, great plot, and good character design should watch Neon Genesis Evangelion.
13. The Vision Of Escaflowne
- Director: Kazuki Akane
- Writer: Shōji Kawamori
- Cast: Paul Dobson, Terry Klassen, Andrew Francis and others
- IMDb Ratings: 7.8/10
- Rotten Tomatoes Score: 43%
- Streaming Platform: Netflix
The Vision of Escaflowne is a unique mecha anime with a cross over between Mecha and fantasy. It has high art, adventure, action and is from the late 1990s.
The series is based in a fantasy world and narrated by a Hitomi who is a teenager. Escaflowne, Van and robots fighting for King of Fanelia are the Mecha of this series.
The visuals are great, and this anime is perfect for the fans who like the genre to be more than Mecha.
12. Gundam Build Fighters
- Director: Kenji Nagasaki
- Writer: Yōsuke Kuroda
- Cast: Seth Leslie, Mikako Komatsu, Sachi Kokuryu and others
- IMDb Ratings: 7.3/10
- Rotten Tomatoes Score: NA
- Streaming Platform: Crunchyroll, Gogoanime
Gundam Build Fighters gave Gundam franchise a much-needed push. Build Fighters is based in a universe where Gundam is nothing more than a show, and the technology allows the use of Gundam models in various battles and treatments.
This show: Gundam Build Fighters, is a tribute to the best Gundam designs and also has many Gundam characters leading to the fans calling it a Gundam heaven. We also see a great deal of drama and battle.
This is an excellent series and can be viewed by children also. Gundam Build Fighters has amazing fight scenes that can be considered the best in Gundam and the entire history of the mecha genre. In all, Gundam Build Fighters is a must-watch.
11. King Of Braves Gaogaigar
- Director: Hitoshi Kako, Toshinori Yokoyama, Mami Kohara and others
- Writer: Yoshitake Suzuki
- Cast: Nobuyuki Hiyama, Kenichi Ogata, Tomoe Hanba and others
- IMDb Ratings: 7.8/10
- Rotten Tomatoes Score: 100%
- Streaming Platform: Gogoanime
Takara finished braves franchise as GaoGaiBar. This is also a robot anime, and there are heroes and great action. Gutsy Geoid Guard is a secret organization that works against Zonderians, an alien race that wants to turn humans into real robots. There are giant robots in King of Braves Gaogaigar.
The show is for kids and is very entertaining, and is full of drama in its first half, making it an easy watch for everyone. The mecha designs in King of Brave Gaogaigar has been done by the same person who created Transformers. This fact makes the show an excellent watch for robot fans.
10. Bubblegum Crisis
- Director: Yasunori Ide, Ken’ichi Yatagai and others
- Writer: Toshimichi Suzuki
- Cast: Rio Natsuki, Yuu Asakawa, Satsuki Yukino and others
- IMDb Ratings: 7.2/10
- Rotten Tomatoes Score: 91%
- Streaming Platform: Amazon Prime Video
Claymore with high technology and robot suits is Bubblegum Crisis for the viewers. Knight Sabers is a female team that fights equipped with high technology suits. The tone of this show is the same as Well and was released in 1991 in North America. It falls under super robot anime.
Bubblegum Crisis is also famous for its popular spin-offs and crossover appearances in various TV series.
9. Tengen Toppa Gurren Lagann
- Director: Hiroyuki Imaishi
- Writer: Kazuki Nakashima
- Cast: Tony Oliver, Marina Inoue, Katsuyuki Konishi and others
- IMDb Ratings: 8.3/10
- Rotten Tomatoes Score: 100%
- Streaming Platform: Hulu
Studio GAINAX is known for making excellent mecha anime, and Tengen Toppa Gurren Lagann is just another example of that fact. They have presented many great robot anime like Evangelion and Gurren Lagann. The plot of the series begins with Kamina and Simon, who are two teenagers living underground. They find a real robot and learn about an alien force determined to fight humanity and suppress it.
Those who expect hotblooded energy in real robot anime series should watch Tengen Toppa Gurren Lagann. The episodes of Tengen Toppa Gurren Lagann are better than the previous ones, it is a super robot show, sci-fi show, and there is an insane feat in each one. There are fantastic battle scenes that are inspired by the manga.
8. Super Dimensional Fortress Macross
- Director: Noboru Ishiguro
- Writer: Kenichi Matsuzaki
- Cast: Mari Iijima, Arihiro Hase, Vic Mignogna and others
- IMDb Ratings: 8.5/10
- Rotten Tomatoes Score: NA
- Streaming Platform: Amazon Prime Video
Macross is proof that two things that should not be combined and have nothing in common can also be combined very easily. An alien battleship lands on Earth, and then humanity has a rapid surge in the development of technology as they find out more about its technology. This was done just in time as humanity needs to fight Zentraedi, a different race of aliens.
Fans for its combat scenes love Macross, and the love stories in the background make this series unique. Then, there is also an idol whose songs bring peace to the galaxy, and all this makes Macross a unique show in the world of mecha anime.
7. Astro Boy
- Director: Osamu Tezuka
- Writer: Osamu Tezuka
- Cast: Susan Blu, Wally Wingert and others
- IMDb Ratings: 7/10
- Rotten Tomatoes Score: 50%
- Streaming Platform: Netflix
When Astro Boy was released in 1963 in Japan, a new anime genre was introduced, Mecha. This show is a modern way of telling the story of Pinocchio, and the exception here is just that instead of a puppet, there is a robot. Astro Boy features robots, and kids in Japan like this anime character a lot. This movie became a hit in Japan.
The show’s version that came in the 1980s is a remake of the one that aired in the 1960s. The series also has a loyal fanbase and is earning significant revenues.
6. Mobile Suit Gundam 00
- Director: Seiji Mizushima
- Writer: Yōsuke Kuroda
- Cast: Lisa Ann Beley, Richard Ian Cox, Mamoru Miyano and others
- IMDb Ratings: 8.1/10
- Rotten Tomatoes Score: NA
- Streaming Platform: Hulu, Netflix
In Mobile Suit Gundam 00, we see that a similar approach like Gundam Wing has been followed. A group of teenage boys are seen making mobile suits and plotting an attack on various locations across the globe.
Celestial Being is a group in Mobile Suit Gundam 00 that operates to shut all the conflicts in the world with the help of military powers. In all, Mobile Suit Gundam is a must-watch.
5. Macross Frontier
- Director: Yasuhito Kikuchi, Shōji Kawamori
- Writer: Hiroyuki Yoshino, Shōji Kawamori
- Cast: Aya Endo, Megumi Nakajima, Jun Fukuyama, Yuichi Nakamura and others
- IMDb Ratings: 7.9/10
- Rotten Tomatoes Score: NA
- Streaming Platform: Amazon Prime Video
Macross Frontier is set 50 years after the original series Macross. This show focuses on the group that colonized the Frontier ship of Macross.
The musical aspect of the original Macross series is very famous, and in this also we see two idols. Ranka Lee is a young girl aiming to become a legend. Sheryl Nome, also known as Galactic Fairy, is already famous. These work together with Alto Saotome, a pilot and protects Frontier. Vajra, a new alien threat, just appeared.
4. Appleseed
- Director: Shinji Aramaki
- Writer: Masamune Shirow, Shinji Aramaki, Luci Christian and others
- Cast: David Matranga, Takehito Koyasu, Toshiyuki Morikawa, Liam O’Brien and others
- IMDb Ratings: 7/10
- Rotten Tomatoes Score: 25%
- Streaming Platform: Amazon Prime Video
Masuasume Shirow, the artist who made Ghost in the Shell, also created the manga of Appleseed. This animated series is somewhat different from the original one, and the manga and only the characters and setting is the same.
Appleseed’s plot is about a society where humanity exists with robots, and then some bioroids are a combination of both. Briareos and Deunan are the main characters who have robotic implants and are also very skilled in using their exo-suits. The plot of the robot anime is entertaining, and it also focuses a lot on adventure and action.
3. Mobile Police Patlabor
- Director: Mamoru Oshii
- Writer: Masami Yuki, Kazunori Itō
- Cast: Toshio Furukawa, Michihiro Ikemizu, Shigeru Chiba, Daisuke Gōri and others
- IMDb Ratings: 7.8/10
- Rotten Tomatoes Score: 82%
- Streaming Platform: 9anime
Special Vehicles Unit deals with crimes related to giant robots meant for industrial purposes. Patlabor is very different from other mecha show that most people have seen since now as it is a robots series with police procedural elements.
Fans looking for a series with an element of comedy and adventures, your search stops here on Patlabor. The show shares many similarities with Barney Miller Show. The primary characters spend their time maintaining robots and filing various reports instead of solving crimes.
2. Mobile Suit Gundam: The 08th MS Team
- Director: Shinya Watada
- Writer: Ichirō Ōkouchi
- Cast: Kikuko Inoue, Steve Staley, Gary Dubin, Emilie Brown, and others
- IMDb Ratings: 8/10
- Rotten Tomatoes Score: 70%
- Streaming Platform: Hulu
The 08th MS Team is excellent. The 1990s animation is so good even to watch today, and it impressed many when it was released. Every combat encounter in the show is very tense, and there are no absurd plots. It is always fascinating to watch the combat to see which side will win. The series also has an element of romance and discusses the soldiers.
Mobile Suit Gundam: Iron-Blooded Orphans is another excellent watch from the franchise. In Iron-Blooded Orphans, we see that even after 300 years of Calamity War being over, the governing system of the Earth has been lost, and a new government will form a new world.
1. Ghost In The Shell
- Director: Rupert Sanders
- Writer: Kazunori Itō
- Cast: Scarlett Johansson, William Frederick Knight, Mimi Woods, Tom Wyner, and others
- IMDb Ratings: 8/10
- Rotten Tomatoes Score: 97%
- Streaming Platform: Netflix
Ghost in the Shell came in the 1990s and served as an inspiration for many other films. The first movie of the franchise came almost 30 years ago. The style and tone of the shows have changed a lot in the sequel series since then, but it can not be as good as it was in the 1990s.
The whole franchise of Ghost in the Shell is worth a watch and is full of drama. Innocence is the direct sequel to the original film, and this CGI was combined with the traditional hand-drawn anime making it unique.
What Does Mecha Mean In Anime?
Mecha genres came from the Japanese manga and anime that solely focus on mechanical innovations like cyborgs, robots, space stations, and androids. They usually feature robots, and giant robots are very common. Many mecha series are listed in this article. This is helpful for various new viewers and anime fans. The stories of these anime are charming, based on the future, different from reality, stand unique from others, and have an engaging story. Some also contain a horror element to a certain level.
What Are Robot Animes Called?
You can see Giant and super robots in various anime, and they fall under Mecha. These genres have gained popularity in recent times and have a great stand. Children prefer such genres. A list of the best mecha anime has been mentioned in this article.