close
You've Earned Badges!
you have earned more badges → see all badges
don't want a popup? edit settings here
view your badges any time in your profile
The year is Universal Century 0079 and mankind is yet again at war. The space colony Side 3 has declared itself the Principality of Zeon and has separated itself from the Earth Federation. In a raid on the colony Side 7, Zeon troops force a band of civilians, military recruits and one green ensign to escape on a previously unseen class of ship with prototype Federation mobile suits. Among them is Amuro Ray, who piloted the Gundam during the raid on Side 7. Unfortunately, his mastery of it earns him the responsibility of using it in the war against Zeon...
A strange spaceship crashes onto the island of South Ataria, throwing the world into disarray over its fate. Thus begin the Unification Wars, a worldwide war that eventually unites the planet under the governance of the United Nations. Now, a decade later, the reconstruction of the crashed alien craft – dubbed "Macross" – is complete. However, on the day of its christening, the Macross unexpectedly fires and destroys several approaching Zentradi spaceships. The last hope of Earth, the Macross, begins to wage a lonely war; but what hopes can one ship have when facing against an entire alien race?
Both Robotech and Gundam involve a space epic, mecha technology and battles. Both of these can also be considered anime mecha/space classics, being the forerunners of the genre.
The stories in each show may be different, but there's one thing that they have in common and that is giant mechs. If you liked mech series, you'd easily love this series as well.
In 2010, the Britannian Empire enslaved Japan using powerful mecha known as Knightmares; in the aftermath Japan was renamed Area 11, and its people began a hard and terrible existence. Lelouch, a Britannian student living in Area 11, has grown up hating the Empire and everything it stands for. One day, in the middle of a terrorist attack, Lelouch meets a mysterious girl who grants him the ability to control minds. Can he use his new power to fight for freedom, or will his hatred twist his good intentions into mindless acts of vengeance?
Ever since Yoshiyuki Tomino's Mobile Suit Gundam changed the face of the mecha genre, every other iteration of the series has featured a distinct take on the original's characters, events and motifs but has the same underlying themes of politics, human rights and discrimination.
Code Geass is the best new Gundam series that never was. The political background parallels the events of the One Year War, right down to the introduction of mobile weapons at a turning point of the campaign. The protagonists Suzaku Kururugi and Lelouch Lamperouge are analogues of Amuro Ray and Char Aznable, and the Britannian Empire bears more than a passing resemblance to the Principality of Zeon.
So before you go joining the Rebellion, see where it all began. If nothing else, watching both series is a good exercise in critical thinking.
Gonzo does it again with this action-packed mecha comedy. She's an ordinary high school girl. He's a counterterror agent assigned to protect her from those who would steal the information locked in her mind. OK, so she's not so normal after all. Armored Slave battles and lovers' spats abound as Sousuke and his comrades try to track down the mysterious Gauln before it's too late.
I believe that any fan of Gundam (any version or series) would enjoy FMP in its entirety. Unlike Gundam, FMP gets more in depth as far as how the machines work and run from the inside. It's an excellent and underrated mecha series that you should attempt if you like Gundam.
MS Gundam and Vifam touches upon many of the same subjects as each other. Both are about people thrown into the middle of a war against their will and having to grow up, mature and deal with the circumstances as best as they can. Both series also put a great deal of time into discussing what an enemy truly is and it's not an entirely one-sided.
Of course, the action looks great in both series and if you enjoy mecha, especially of the real type, then both series are for you.
After colonizing the planet Solo of the Andromeda galaxy, earthling scientists uncover ancient mechanisms built by a lost civilization from long ago. They name this vanished culture the Sixth Civilization as it is the sixth example of intelligent alien life the human race has encountered. What the earthlings do not realize, however, is that they are soon to encounter the seventh: the Buff Clan, humans from a world other than Earth who have come seeking a legendary power source known as the Ide. Fortuitously, just as first contact with the Buff Clan turns violent, the earthlings discover that the mechanisms of the Sixth Civilization can combine to create a giant mecha called Ideon powerful enough to protect them. But is Ideon in fact the power source of legend, and what is the extent of its might? The earthlings can only hope to discover the answer before it is too late.
A father dies and bequeaths to his son the legacy of his work: A robot he was designing, or an ancient robot he was studying - same difference; after some analysis of the manuals the son manages to pilot the robot and becomes the protagonist. Our hero robot - soon combined with a hero ship that's on the run from their home that has been wrecked by the enemy - fights an endless string of opponents, who themselves bicker interminably with their internal politics and strife.
The original Gundam and Ideon were made by much the same people and in a relatively short space of time; Ideon contains music, animation, pacing, mecha fights and characterisation that are markedly similar to the Gundam title. I really can't think of a better recommendation for either title then the other - if you enjoyed one of these classic mecha romps, the other may very well be to your liking.
