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My favorite mecha is Patlabor. The OVA and TV series are more comedy oriented, but the movies (1 & 2) are more serious. I really like that it's about as realistic as a mecha could probably be (aside from a few gags). Basically, it centers around Division 2 of the labor (what mechs are called in Patlabor) police, which is like the B team, sort of, lead by a wise Captain. It's sort of a McHale's Navy kind of show. But like I said, the 1st 2 movies are serious, very serious really. They are incredibly dialogue heavy and slow paced, but quite intellectual.
The best is likely Gundam 0079. I keep meaning to watch Gundam Unicorn as I've heard a lot of good about it. Oh, well SDF Macross is a strong contender for best. Oddly enough the best mecha series are the ones were the mecha are just a means to an end, they're just the tools that get the job done. While the people are really what matters.
TTGL is likely the most entertaining. It's basically youR typical Super Robot show but on a mix of steroids, PCP, and LSD. It as if it's not only trying to out do all other mecha series before or after, but itself as well.
As for NGE, the biggest problem is Shinji. No wonder they can't get their **** together when their so called ace pilot whines about every damn thing. And then there's the emotionless stone that is Rei. Not to forget one of the biggest ****s in all of anime, Asuka. Argue that they all have mental illness to some degree, but it doesn't completely absolve them of their actions, or inaction. There not a single character on the show that isn't ****ed in the head some how or another. Eventually you find out each one of them has some sort of hang up. Yet, these are the people put in charge and expected to save humanity? There had to be one hell of a curve on the psych evaluation tests.
Then there's the religious overtones people say NGE has. To some degree, yeah, but not every cross in NGE has meaning. It just seems like more shock and awe put there to grab your attention. And the way they "built" the mechs is so ****ing nuts you'd think it was the Russian government that made the decisions at Nerv. Which, considering how Gendo acts and runs things he might as well be a crooked Russian polititician.
People take NGE way too seriously too. I mean really, those skin tight plug suits are the uniforms for piloting the units? They even had Shinji wear the girls' plug suit before his was made. There's no grey area with the two leading young ladies either. It's either a raging, dominating **** or a soulless, submissive doll.
It's been a long while since I've watched NGE. Every time I've tried going back to watch it again I end up dropping it from annoyance. I first watched it on VHS as each tape came out from the now defunct ADV. That's some 15 or so years ago. I did watch it a few time on tape just to make sure I saw what I saw. Then again when it was released on DVD. But it has been some time since I watched it. Yet Shinji's moaning and crying like a little bitch can't be forgotten, unfortunately.
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