For lovers of mecha anime, or simply powerful stories about the complexities of war, these series are essential to add to your watch list.
The anime world is a truly vast space, filled with hundreds of different series which incorporate every genre imaginable. A-1 Pictures is a well-known animation studio that began producing anime in 2006, and it is best known for animating the Sword Art Online light novel series. The studio has produced a variety of series since then, including 86 Eighty-Six, an ongoing series that debuted in April 2021.
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The series focuses on the Republic of San Magnolia and the Empire of Giad, who have been at war for nine years. The Empire had the upper hand for a long time because of their mechs, but things changed when San Magnolia developed their own robots called Juggernaughts. These Juggernaughts are piloted by members of the Colorata minority, who are considered to be subhuman. So far, 86 Eighty-Six has been a success, and there are quite a few other anime that fans of the series may also enjoy.
Updated on July 21, 2023, by George Voutiritsas: A number of light novels have been given anime adaptations over the past two decades, and 86 Eighty-Six is one of them. The mecha series has put together a relatively healthy fanbase, and it has accomplished this by telling a decent story that balances action, romance, and Sci-fi tropes. The 86 anime shares a lot of similarities with other mecha series, but it also shares themes and other storytelling aspects with shows that do not have giant robots fighting each other or aliens/monsters. This list has identified multiple anime like 86 Eighty-Six, but there are several other series that fit the bill as well.
17 God Eater
God Eater is a post-apocalyptic series set in 2071, and it follows a group of soldiers trying to keep humanity alive. These soldiers are called God Eaters, and their job is to kill monsters known as Aragami. These monsters managed to wipe out most of humanity because conventional weapons could not harm them.
The God Eaters wield powerful weapons called God Arcs – which are basically Aragami with man-made cores. God Arcs are usually either melee or ranged, but some can switch between canon and blade form. Both series tell unique stories centered around conflict, and the battles with the Aragami get really intense.
16 Gurren Lagann
Gurren Lagann premiered in 2007, and it still holds up because of its unique animation style. It is set in the future when Earth is ruled by the Spiral King, who has forced mankind to live underground. It follows several characters, including Simon, a digger who is looked down upon by his peers; Kamina, who wishes to live on the surface; and Yoko Litner, a surface-dwelling resistance fighter.
Gurren Lagann features a very unique mech that continuously evolves after each fight. It eventually becomes bigger than an entire galaxy, and it goes on to fight the Antispiral – a being who can destroy entire universes. Unlike 86 Eighty-Six,the action in Gurren Lagann is more cartoonish, but it is still fun to watch.
15 Mobile Suit Gundam: The Witch from Mercury
The Witch from Mercury is the latest installment of the long-running Gundam franchise, and it is the first to feature a female protagonist. In this timeline, a conflict split humanity into Earthians and Spacians, and there is massive economic inequality between both sides. Suletta Mercury attends Asticassia School of Technology. It is run by the Benerit Group – a megacorporation filled with political corruption.
Gundams are banned because they kill their pilots, but this does not stop Aerial from becoming a prized mobile suit. Like 86 Eighty-Six, the series features teenagers fighting in mechs, and its story is thought-provoking because it deals with life and the dangers of uncontrolled, emerging technology and capitalism.
14 Valkyria Chronicles
Valkyria Chronicles is a tactical military-themed role-playing game that Sega first released in 2008, and it has spawned a number of sequels. A 26-episode anime adaptation was released in 2009, and it focuses on Welkin, the son of a war hero who joins a militia group with other Gallian citizens. Their goal is to protect their country from an invading Empire.
Unlike 86 Eighty-Six, Valkyria Chronicles does not delve into Sci-fi, but they both focus on the lives of a single military unit during the all-out war. Like 86, viewers get to see characters live, laugh, and die on the front lines, and both series do a good job of balancing comedy, drama, and action.
13 Deca-Dence
Attack on Titan may have a number of disturbing scenes, but it has helped to inspire a few series, including Deca-Dence. This Sci-fi action series is 12 episodes long, and it is set more than 400 years in the future, at a time when severe air pollution and monster attacks have wiped out about 90% of humanity.
The anime takes place on the Deca-dence, a moving fortress city that separates its citizens into two categories. The Tankers stay inside and maintain the fortress, while the Gears venture outside and deal with Gadoll attacks. Natsume is a Tanker who recently lost her father in a Gadoll attack, and she wishes to become a Gear to help protect the remnants of humanity.
12 Gunparade March
86 Eighty-Six has its fair share of comedic moments, but at the end of the day, it is a militaristic anime that focuses on war. Gunparade March was released in the winter of 2003, and although it feels like a romantic comedy at times, its 12 episodes feature a decent amount of action.
The story is set in an alternate timeline where humanity is forced to work together shortly after the end of the Second World War. An alien race known as the Phantom Beasts invade Earth, and humanity spends the next 50 years fighting them off. Gunparade March follows a young group of high school students who get drafted into military service, and they are tasked with using giant humanoid mechs called HWTs to fight the alien threat.
11 WorldEnd
WorldEnd is just 12 episodes long and takes place in a world where humanity was almost wiped out by “Beasts.” This extinction-level event occurred 500 years ago, and the remnants of the human race now live on floating islands, but some Beasts are still capable of reaching them. Willem, the main character, fought the Beasts when they first appeared.
After being frozen for 500 years, Willem wakes up and becomes the father figure of the Leprechauns, a group of young girls who can use the only weapons that can stop the Beasts. WorldEnd is ultimately about family, but its sci-fi and military aspects make it perfect for fans of 86 Eighty-Six.
10 Aldnoah.Zero
Aldenoah.Zero may not be the best mecha anime of all time, but it tells a decent story over the course of 24 episodes. Like 86 Eighty-Six, the series features mech combat, and their main characters are very similar. The same studio produced both series, which explains why they both focus on themes like war and discrimination.
In Aldenoah.Zero, a hypergate is discovered on the moon. This allows some of humanity to colonize Mars, where the Vers Empire is established. The humans on Mars develop advanced tech called Aldenoah, and both planets eventually go to war. The war leads to the moon’s destruction and a ceasefire, but that peace is threatened when the Vers princess is believed to have been assassinated by the Terrans.
9 Code Geass
Code Geass is one of the best anime to come out of the 2000s, and like 86 Eighty-Six, it is a mecha series that deals with oppression, discrimination, and war. The series focuses on Lelouch vi Britannian, an exiled prince who is sent to Japan with his younger sister after their mother is killed.
When his father, the Emperor, attacks Japan, Lelouch vows to destroy him and Britannia. Lelouch meets a girl called C.C., who gives him the ability to use Geass, an ocular ability that allows him to control a person’s mind once. He then assumes the identity of Zero, a masked man who becomes the leader of Japan’s resistance movement.
8 Psycho-Pass
Over the course of three seasons, Psycho-Pass tells the story of a young inspector named Akane Tsunemori, who lives in a 22nd-century version of Japan. The country is governed by the Sibyl System, a specialized computer network that can identify a citizen’s potential to commit crimes.
Akane may not be one the strongest anime characters of all time, but that does not stop her from trying to fix the Sibyl System, which she realizes is flawed. Both this series and 86 Eighty-Six deal with individuals being robbed of their rights, and those individuals end up becoming weapons for organizations who do not care whether they live or die.
7 Violet Evergarden
Violet Evergarden does not have any mechs; in fact, its plot and concept have virtually nothing in common with 86 Eighty-Six. However, that does not mean that viewers cannot find similarities between the two shows. The series focuses on Violet, a memory doll who is trying to reintegrate back into society following a large-scale war.
As a memory doll, Violet serves as a ghostwriter for people who are unable to write themselves. Both series make good use of their somber soundtracks and animation, and they tell stories that hit on a real emotional level.
6 Cross Ange: Rondo of Angel and Dragon
Cross Ange is 25 episodes long, and it was created by Sunrise, the critically acclaimed studio behind Code Geass and the Gundam franchise. The story follows Angelise Ikaruga Misurugi, a princess who is incapable of using advanced technology called “Mana.” On her 16th birthday, she is classified as a Norma and exiled from her home.
As a result, she is sent to a military base, where she and other Norma are forced to fight interdimensional creatures called DRAGONs while piloting giant mechs. Angelise ends up dealing with a big conspiracy, prompting her to grow as a character.
5 Akame Ga Kill!
There are a number of great anime that get let down by their final episodes. Akame Ga Kill! is arguably one of them, but that does not mean that it is not worth watching. Like 86 Eighty-Six, the series has a good amount of depth and backstory, but Akame Ga Kill! has the luxury of being far more violent.
The series follows Tatsumi, a teenager who heads to the capital to make money for his impoverished village, and he quickly sees how evil and corrupt the empire is. He joins an assassination and reconnaissance group called Night Raid, whose mission is to help the Revolutionary Army.
4 Darling In The FranXX
Darling in the Franxx was made by A-1, the same studio that produces 86 Eighty-Six, so their animation is pretty similar. Both series features a group of children who use mechs to protect people who discriminate against them.
The series follows ten kids who have to fight giant monsters called Klaxosaurs, which they do by piloting giant robots known as Franxx. These robots require two pilots, one male and one female. Tension arises for the audience when the main character Hiro gets partnered with a girl who is known for losing partners in combat.
3 Attack On Titan
Attack on Titan possesses one of the best anime ending songs of all time and features some of anime’s most iconic families. The series is set in a world where the perceived remnants of humanity are living within three massive walls, which protect them from giant man-eating humanoid monsters called Titans.
Eren Yeager starts off wanting to kill all the Titans, but as the story progresses, his mindset changes and the show becomes far more complicated. At first glance, this series and 86 Eighty-Six have very little in common, but they both feature large casts and deal with violent, mature themes that center around war and discrimination.
2 Mobile Suit Gundam: Iron-Blood Orphans
It does not happen often, but there are anime where the villain wins in the end, and Iron-Blood Orphans is one of them. This series focuses on a specific group of juvenile soldiers who form their own security company on a terraformed version of Mars.
Iron-Blood Orphans is part of the popular Gundam franchise, and the mechs are somewhat similar to those seen in 86 Eighty-Six. Both series follow an exploited group of characters who are considered to be inferior, and both groups are forced to fight for those who mistreated them.
1 Mobile Suit Gundam SEED
Mobile Suit Gundam SEED is set during the Cosmic Era, and it centers around the conflict between the natural humans of Earth and the genetically engineered humans of space. Kira Yamato was an ordinary teenager in the first episode, but everything changes when ZAFT attacks a neutral colony to obtain several Gundams.
Athrun is Kira’s childhood friend, and they are forced to fight each other before becoming allies again. Not only is Kira a genetically altered Coordinator, but he is also capable of entering SEED Mode – which is a heightened state of awareness. Gundam SEED is considered one of the best entries in the franchise because of its animation and mature themes.
Fuente: successacademy.edu.vn
Categorías: Anime
