I'm watching my first real mecha show (Evangelion doesn't really count since it just has mechs and it is not a mecha show in the strictest sense) which is the very first Mobile Suit Gundam (apparently being called Mobile Suit Gundam 0079 to help differentiate the title). It is super awesome and I'm really digging it. Char is badass to the extreme.
I thought there was a difference between shows about mecha and shows that have mecha?
How is Evangelion now about mecha? The name of the robot is in the title of the show.
There is a substantial amount of focus on the Eva Units, there is no question. However I would argue it is more of a character-driven show more than anything, as a good majority of the focus is on the characters; especially considering how the latter half of the series pans out and sort of shifts the focus from the Eva Units to the characters. By the end, the Eva Units are there but they don't occupy the attention of the audience as much they used to in the first half of the series.
There is a substantial amount of focus on the Eva Units, there is no question.
This is all you need for it to be a mecha show. Evangelion would not be the show it was without the Evas themselves, despite any shifting focus. Every major event in the show is brought about by the Evas and the characters' involvements with them, and the majority of episodes involve a mech fight. It's a philosophical/psychological/sci fi show, and it's also a mech show.
There is a substantial amount of focus on the Eva Units, there is no question. However I would argue it is more of a character-driven show more than anything, as a good majority of the focus is on the characters; especially considering how the latter half of the series pans out and sort of shifts the focus from the Eva Units to the characters. By the end, the Eva Units are there but they don't occupy the attention of the audience as much they used to in the first half of the series.
Ok, so you said yourself that Gundam is a mecha show and Eva isn't. Is not a good majority of Gundam focusing on the characters?
There is a substantial amount of focus on the Eva Units, there is no question.
This is all you need for it to be a mecha show. Evangelion would not be the show it was without the Evas themselves, despite any shifting focus. Every major event in the show is brought about by the Evas and the characters' involvements with them, and the majority of episodes involve a mech fight. It's a philosophical/psychological/sci fi show, and it's also a mech show.
I concede with you on these points and I've realized that I based my original, flawed claim from a POV that came about from a combination naivete and ignorance. I think I'll stop talking about it for now, and come back and say something more meaningful and intelligent when I have an actual frame of reference to work from.
I concede with you on these points and I've realized that I based my original, flawed claim from a POV that came about from a combination naivety and ignorance. I think I'll stop talking about it for now, and come back and say something more meaningful and intelligent when I have an actual frame of reference to work from.
Watch the original Macross TV. Not Robotech, Macross.
Watch the original Macross TV. Not Robotech, Macross.
This is great advice for anybody who wants to get into mech shows.
I'm watching ... the very first Mobile Suit Gundam (apparently being called Mobile Suit Gundam 0079 to help differentiate the title). It is super awesome and I'm really digging it. Char is badass to the extreme.
The movies or the series? I watched the movies and really dug those. Char is one of my favorite villains of all time. Also, there is a group on Youtube doing parody dubs of the original series and they are pretty high quality. Here's the link.
@Progshell: The series. Are the movies compilation movies (wherein they condense the entire series into movie form, like they did with Space Battleship Yamato)?
The series. Are the movies compilation movies (wherein they condense the entire series into movie form, like they did with Space Battleship Yamato)?
They are, in fact, compilation movies, in which they use a large amount of recycled footage especially in the first two. I tend to prefer them because they are more "real robot" than the series. However, they are hilariously long and very strangely paced, except for the third one which was almost entirely reanimated. They tend to be the only Gundam compilation movies that most people will recommend over the series.
Watched the 10th One Piece movie tonight, Strong World. And it was pretty good on its own right. Had some funny scenes, the story is decent enough and the animation is great. Rym and Scott said a while ago that they'd be interested in watching a OP movie some time since they like the setting, but no the drawn out fights. This one closes them pretty good and pretty quickly. While it helps to know the series itself, since this movie is in fact canon, it isn't necessary. I definitely recommend it for the purpose of getting to know what One Piece is about.
Totally finishing up the last two discs of Escaflowne. In an effort to make this post less than one line, I will relate a short story about Escaflowne.
One day, I invited my good friend Jeff over to my house to watch anime on my parent's big screen TV. I showed him about the first disc or so of Escaflowne, and then he needed to go home. I left to go somewhere for about a weekend, and I met him at school on monday. He had been so captivated by Escaflowne that he had taken the time to go to Best Buy, buy the series, and watched all of it, before I had even seen one more episode. Never mind that he could have just borrowed the discs, but he was so compelled to watch the show that he marathoned it on a whim. Witness the power of Escaflowne!!
P.S. Yes, this was during school and I'm just finishing it. Blame Patlabor, Macross 7, and SDF Macross.
Edit: Finished Escaflowne at 12:19 AM PST 08/23/2010. I feel all blurry-eyed and stuff.
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I also agree with Scott, however I really enjoy watching paper bending.
One day, I invited my good friend Jeff over to my house to watch anime on my parent's big screen TV. I showed him about the first disc or so of Escaflowne, and then he needed to go home. I left to go somewhere for about a weekend, and I met him at school on monday. He had been so captivated by Escaflowne that he had taken the time to go to Best Buy, buy the series, and watched all of it, before I had even seen one more episode. Never mind that he could have just borrowed the discs, but he was so compelled to watch the show that he marathoned it on a whim. Witness the power of Escaflowne!!
P.S. Yes, this was during school and I'm just finishing it. Blame Patlabor, Macross 7, and SDF Macross.
Edit: Finished Escaflowne at 12:19 AM PST 08/23/2010. I feel all blurry-eyed and stuff.