5 Mecha Anime That Add Other Genres to the Mix to Spice Things Up

Mecha might be the most versatile genre of anime. Sounds crazy? Remember, mechs are only the general aesthetic, not the actual characters (although they may be sentient sometimes) — and they can be used for many things. These series prove that the genre is full of unique takes.

Code Geass

Code Geass: Lelouch of the Rebellion (Code Geass: Hangyaku no Lelouch) is perhaps the most famous example of the “political intrigue mecha action” subgenre. It's not the first anime that does it — the Gundam franchise dabbled into that territory years before it — but it's by far the most famous one.

Oftentimes, it feels like Code Geass just makes stuff up as it goes for the coolness factor. Not that we are complaining, though, especially considering the finale of Season 2 is one of the most iconic in all of anime.

Macross

The Macross franchise is huge in Japan, but it's understandable if you haven't heard of it. After all, there's no legal way to watch the original series in the West right now.

There are many installments of Macross, but most feature the same genres: they are mecha anime, but with music/idols and love triangles added — and the result is incredibly unique. Each installment is different from the rest, and while they are standalone, watching them all helps you create the picture of the world the series is set in.

Basquash!

Basquash! is one of the most unique sports series out there. It follows the fictional sport of Bigfoot Basketball — played with mechs on the Earthdash planet. It is just as insane as it sounds, honestly.

Combining sports and mecha genres isn't something we see often — and Basquash! also has social commentary and its fair share of fanservice, further establishing it as one of the most unique anime out there.

Knight's & Magic

Okay, but what if we had isekai, but with mechs? Well, technically, we already had that before, but the confusingly titled Knight's & Magic takes the modern isekai formula and adds mecha to it. The result is more fun than you'd expect.

One thing about this light-hearted series that often gets praise from otaku is its protagonist, Tsubasa Kurata. The guy doesn't want a harem or anything, he just thinks giant robots are cool. His passion is admirable, honestly.

FLCL

FLCL is an incredibly unusual 6-episode OVA by Studio Gainax. It's full of extremely fast-paced dialogue, references and symbolism — and fights with robots… that grow out of the main character's head. Confused yet? It's actually worth the watch even if you don't get it.

FLCL is primarily a coming-of-age story, not just for the protagonist, Naota. That said, it's also just a cool action series that's fun to watch and make theories about, considering it leaves a lot unexplained.