In an alternate history, the Apollo 17 mission led to the discovery of a piece of alien technology on the moon called the Hyper Gate, which in turn led to the colonization of Mars and later, the establishment of the Martian Vers Empire which declared war on Earth in 1999 and ended with an uneasy ceasefire. Aldnoah.Zero’s story picks up in the modern day (2014) while the Martian princess Asseylum is on a diplomatic visit to Earth. A mysterious assassination attempt on her life reignites the war once again in spite of her survival, which is witnessed by Inaho Kaizuka, the story follows Asseylum, Inaho, and his friends in their fight to finally make peace.

Aldnoah.Zero has a lot in common with Egao no Daika in terms of a general plot revolving around a renewed conflict between two sides with one side having more advanced technology but fewer numbers, a young princess trying for peace, a story told from both armies, and mechs (although many of Aldnoah.Zero’s are more of the “super robot” variety). We’ll mention that both series have also been somewhat controversial in their reception, which some might find intriguing in itself. Either way, we think Egao no Daika fans should try watching Aldnoah.Zero if they haven’t already!

Yet another contribution to the preeminent mecha series, Gundam Thunderbolt is set during the One Year War between the Earth Federation and the Principality of Zeon in the far reaches of the Thunderbolt Sector, a region of space filled with the floating remains of the destroyed space colony Moore named for its frequent electrical discharges. The survivors of Moore battle against a skeleton crew of disabled Zeon snipers known as the Living Dead Division who have stopped Federation advances until jazz-loving ace pilot Io Fleming is given control of the latest Gundam prototype. The story focuses on the intense clash between Io and Zeon sniper Daryl Lorenz as their two sides fight a desperate battle in the remote and desolate sector.

The strongest connection Gundam Thunderbolt has to Egao no Daika is its focus on showing both sides of the conflict with dual (in this case dueling) protagonists. This is even more pronounced in Thunderbolt with Io and Daryl’s conflict taking center stage. Mecha fans in general will undoubtedly enjoy the battles in Thunderbolt has they are some of the most spectacular we’ve seen and Egao no Daika watchers in particular may find further similarity in the troubled pasts of cast and their current desperate situation.

Maoyuu Maou Yuusha (or simply Maoyu) is a story of an unlikely alliance. Set in a rather typical fantasy world, humans and demons have been at war for the last 15 years. Taking matters into his own hands, master swordsman hero Yuusha storms the Demon King’s castle alone only to discover that not only is the ruler in fact a beautiful woman but one offering an a proposal for peace. While initially resistant to the queen’s scheme, she eventually convinces him that her plan, which involves keeping up the facade of the war continuing, is the best for everyone and they begin their undercover mission back to the human lands.

This recommendation might seem a tad far-fetched at first glance, but we think that Maoyu is an anime Egao no Daika fans might want to check out as alternate take on war that similarly explores the different aspects of it but comes to some decidedly different conclusions. Both also involve seeing different perspectives from both sides, have a good amount of world-building, and balance their tension between action sequences and dialog and character-driven dramatic moments. Especially if you’re a JRPG fan and mechs aren’t part of the why you’re watching Egao no Daika, why not check out Maoyu?

Far into the future, lieutenant Ledo is one of many mech pilots fighting an interstellar war against hordes of strange, squid-like enemies called Hideauze far out in space. During one battle, Ledo finds himself shot through a wormhole, eventually awakening from cryostasis six months later to find that he somehow has crash-landed on Earth. After being “salvaged” by members of a ragtag fleet of scavenger ships known as the Gargantia, Ledo begins to learn about the new society he finds himself in and later the nature of the war itself.

Gargantia on the Verdurous Planet tackles the ideas of war in a very different way from Egao no Daika but, without spoiling much, similarly examines both sides of the conflict and in general comments on issues regarding morality and the nature of society, especially towards the end of the series. Moreover mecha fans might find some extra interest in Ledo’s mech Chamber having a personality of his own, thanks to his advanced AI, which is pretty unique for the genre and adds a fun dynamic to series. Altogether, we can recommend it as both a solid series in and of itself and as a good pick for people who like Egao no Daika.

Set in the “71st year of the True Era” (an unspecified future date) the world Valvrave the Liberator has been divided into two superpowers currently at war: the Dorssia Military Pact Federation (occupying central and eastern Europe and the Middle East) and the Atlantic Rim United States (all of North and South America and western halves of Europe and Africa) along with a third neutral nation called JIOR (Japan and Islands of Oceanian Republic) which is more economically focused. All of these nations have also expanded to other planets and space, and the story begins on a JIOR Dyson sphere that is attacked by Dorssian forces. 17-year-old student Haruto Tokishima happens upon the titular mecha Valvrave and sacrifices his humanity in a strange pact (that basically turns him into a vampire) to pilot the mighty robot to try and save his friends and end the conflict altogether.

Okay we’ll level with you, Valvrave the Liberator has a lot of elements that feel simultaneously cliche and outlandish, particularly Haruto’s supernatural condition in an otherwise fairly standard sci-fi mecha setting, but that is also largely what makes it feel unique. Like Egao no Daika, we’ve once again got mech-focused combat, multiple warring nations, and a fairly dark tone (especially in the second season) albeit more over-the-top. Valvrave is also notable for having great music and as one of the more unique mecha series out there. We think that Egao no Daika fans might enjoy checking this one out!

In the Empire of Misurugi, everything is built around the use of a powerful, quasi-magical technology called mana which most people can use naturally. Unfortunately for Crown Princess Angelise, it is revealed that she lacks this ability and is branded as a “norma”, no longer considered human, and stripped of her title and name. Now called Ange, the former princess is sent away to a remote island where she and other norma are forced to battle hordes of beasts called DRAGONs as prisoner-soldiers piloting mechs. Cross Ange: Tenshi to Ryuu no Rondo tells the story of Ange’s fight for survival and revenge against the society that has torn her life apart.

Just to get this out of the way, Cross Ange has a lot of controversial elements that are likely to turn off many, the goofy all caps DRAGON naming (they’re basically just dragons) notwithstanding. Cross Ange has a lot of fanservice, some of which is really questionable, and in general has a rough start as a series in the first 5 episodes. If you can get beyond that, it gets a lot more interesting. Egao no Daika watchers will certainly see similarities between the downfall of each series’ princess and the general dystopian and downer feeling in much of the show, along with settings that feel very fantasy despite technically being a sci-fi mecha series. If you’re looking for a little more edgy and a lot more ridiculous follow up mecha series with a touch of prison drama to check out after Egao no Daika, Cross Ange is a good bet, just understand we weren’t kidding about the controversial elements.