• Hey Guest. Check out your NeoGAF Wrapped 2025 results here!

Slightly obscure but still good giant robot / super robot anime recommendations?

Status
Not open for further replies.
T

Teknoman

Member
So I recently impulse bought a DVD box set of Armored Trooper Votoms from a half price books (Stage 3 Deadworld Sunsa Volumes 1-4) and i'm actually liking it. I also saw a preview on the dvd about Hades Project: Zeorymer, which looks pretty interesting too. At any rate, are there any other older anime robot series that i've been missing out on (preferably from the 80s or 90s) that I may have missed out on/ arent that well known, but are still worth a watch? Doesnt have to be dubbed, but at least availible on DVD or Blu Ray.



On a side note, I want to find some Goshogun stuff...
 
1349778557631.jpg

Space Runaway Ideon
 
I was going to mention Zeorymer, but I see I'm late. I thought Brain Powerd was kind of interesting, directed by Tomino of Gundam fame.

I suppose you already know about Getter/Mazinger/Gunbuster.

edit: Xabungle is nice as well.
 
Big O is one of the more unique super robot shows about Bruce Wayne piloting a mech instead of putting on a bat costume in a noire setting.
 
The Big Guy and Rusty is such perfect NASA-punk (like steampunk but...) I rewatch the whole thing every few years typically with a huge hankering for The Middleman afterwards.
 
Space A Cobra said:
So long as you make sure to watch the movie, yeah.


L-Gaim and SPT Layzer are pretty good too.

Edit: Oh, I somehow missed the DVD/Bluray part. While these exist on that format you won't find them domestically.
Click to expand...

Aww...wanted to give L-Gaim a shot too. Patlabor looks pretty interesting. Should I go after the series or the movie for that?
 
I dunno if I'd call it obscure but Gaogaigar is probably my favorite super robot show. GGG Final in particular is amazing.
 
Mupod said:
I dunno if I'd call it obscure but Gaogaigar is probably my favorite super robot show. GGG Final in particular is amazing.
Click to expand...

lol must be fate for me to watch, because I was just about to ask about Gaogaigar after seeing a preview a few minutes ago.
 
I came in to recommend VOTOMS but I see that's the impetus for the thread anyway, haha.

Anyway, my recommendations go to 1) Macross: Do You Remember Love? I don't know how popular that is/was/currently remains but I saw it last Winter and it was amazing. Next up is Gun x Sword. Show as this great sorta Cowboy Bebop feel to it. Martian Successor Nadesico, which manages to effortlessly move between comedy and seriousness. And Dai-Guard, which is sort of like a cross between an office comedy and a mecha show.
 
CorvoSol said:
I came in to recommend VOTOMS but I see that's the impetus for the thread anyway, haha.

Anyway, my recommendations go to 1) Macross: Do You Remember Love? I don't know how popular that is/was/currently remains but I saw it last Winter and it was amazing. Next up is Gun x Sword. Show as this great sorta Cowboy Bebop feel to it. Martian Successor Nadesico, which manages to effortlessly move between comedy and seriousness. And Dai-Guard, which is sort of like a cross between an office comedy and a mecha show.
Click to expand...

Solid recs.

Would also mention
Giant Robo
Getter Robo Armageddon
and obviously the other 3 VOTOMs sets if you can find them as what you have is something like episodes 27-39 iirc.
 
573997-raijin_oh_s_11_large.jpg


Zettai Muteki Raijin-Oh or Matchless Raijin-Oh

Yes it is dubbed. Early 90s that most people haven't heard of. First of the Eldran series
 
I am also going to throw my hat in for Gaogaigar. It's amazing and made me feel like a kid again when I was watching it.

AND IT HAS MIC SOUNDERS THE 13TH

I also really liked Bokurano (although the manga is better).
 
Teknoman said:
Tekkaman Blade
Armored Trooper Votoms (just got into)
Gurren Lagaan
Big O
Code Geass
Neon Genesis Evangelion


Bits and pieces of Macross and Goshogun back in the day.
Click to expand...
Since you mentioned the 90s, I would be remiss to not recommend Gundam Wing. Really likeable characters
except for Wufei
. English dub is dated, but not bad. (one of the first decent ones, iirc)
 
If you haven't seen them, your next mech anime should be Gunbuster. then Daibuster.

Then....Godannar.

But seriously, Gunbuster and Daibuster are required watching, they're amazing shows.
 
The Five Star Stories movie is a pretty fun semi-obscure robot anime which is pretty unique. It's fairly short, about an hour long, and the story is just a small slice of the larger universe in the manga, but the art direction and visuals are pretty solid. If you're interested in weirder stuff that isn't in the stock mecha style, it's worth a shot.

88G5Msj.jpg
Click to expand...
 
I know it's not exactly what you're asking for, but there is always Tengan Toppan Gurren Laggan (TTGL). It's the most over the top you can get.
Gurren-lagann-16-.jpg
 
Enron said:
^ Patlabor isn't just great, it's motherfucking AWESOME. I don't know if I would call it "slightly" obscure, though. It's one of the pillars of mecha anime.

Seriously, I love Patlabor so much.
Click to expand...

Patlabor is great. If GITS:SAC is NCIS, Patlabor is Chicago Hope.
 
Ideon as a series has some pretty good moments, but there are some really repetitive scenes as well. Be Invoked is one of the best mecha movies I've ever seen, so it's worth it just to fully appreciate Be Invoked.

My favorites are:

Fang of the Sun Dougram: One of the most grounded mecha shows I've seen. It's about a guerrilla group and their efforts to liberate their planet. The main villain is magnificent. A++ Space Politics

Armored Trooper VOTOMS: I think the show peaks in its second arc, but it's pretty great all around.

Blackstarhat said:
I recommend evangelion
Click to expand...

Evangelion is in no shape and form "obscure"
 
orochi91 said:
Rahxephon! It is amazing! Hands down one of the best anime of all time.
Click to expand...

Ehhh, IMO RahXephon was a cheap Eva knock off, so needless to say I didn't like it much.

On that note OP should watch Neon Genesis Evangelion

I also recommend Patlabor as well

Edit: OP I don't want to discourage you from watching RahXephon. You should definitely watch it if it seems up your alley, it just didn't resonate well with me.
 
Pegosaurus said:
Ehhh, IMO RahXephon was a cheap Eva knock off, so needless to say I didn't like it much.

On that note OP should watch Neon Genesis Evangelion

I also recommend Patlabor as well

Edit: OP I don't want to discourage you from watching RahXephon. You should definitely watch it if it seems up your alley, it just didn't resonate well with me.
Click to expand...

Naw, Rah Xephon is a Space Runaway Ideon knock off. Everyone in RahXephon is competent, unlike Eva, where everyone feels dangerously under-qualified for doing what they're doing, except for the people who get killed.
 
Pegosaurus said:
Ehhh, IMO RahXephon was a cheap Eva knock off, so needless to say I didn't like it much.

On that note OP should watch Neon Genesis Evangelion

I also recommend Patlabor as well

Edit: OP I don't want to discourage you from watching RahXephon. You should definitely watch it if it seems up your alley, it just didn't resonate well with me.
Click to expand...

The characters ion Rahxephon have social skills, which alone makes it nothing like Evangelion.
 
Probably not too obscure, but Eureka 7 was a great watch for me. And who doesn't love surfing robots? Never saw the sequel though. Maybe one day I'll sit down and watch it.

eureka_7_Wallpaper_77svz.jpg
 
Patlabor, Patlabor, Patlabor and Patlabor. Great tv show and the movies are really good as well. Especially the second movie, it really took me by surprise when I first saw it. I was expecting lighthearted action romp but instead I got this awesome "political" thriller. Really good stuff, not to mention the movie looks gorgeous. The TV show is very episodic by nature and it also has plenty of comedy in it so it might not be your cup of tea if you are looking something like VOTOMS.

There was even good introduction thread for Patlabor here in GAF. Check it out here
 
Status
Not open for further replies.

Similar threads

I'm ready for our robot overlords
31
1K
EverydayBeast replied
Russia presented it's first humanoid robot
News  2
67
2K
DirtInUrEye replied
CES 2026 robots and ai for everyone! But at what expense ?
21
794
Melon Husk replied
Robot vacuum recommendations
6
992
Robot Carnival replied
Soundbar recommendations?
15
511
SScorpio replied
Top Bottom