Cruzon, a continent host to magic users capable of churning the wheels of war and industry through the manipulation of quartz-laden machines. Those unlucky few who cannot so much as levitate the material are branded “unsorcerers”, outcasts to be derided for their uselessness. Rygart Arrow is one such man. Despite being a good study with close connections to Krisna’s royal family, he washes out of the military academy. He resigns himself to a solitary life of farming alongside his brother who shares his affliction. That is, until tensions between neighboring Athens drives Queen Sigyn to call her dear friend to the capital.

An ancient golem that only reacts to beings without an ounce of magical affinity has been discovered and Sigyn would implore Rygart to take up arms in defense of the same country that hates him for the circumstances of his birth. To make matters worse, one of the warriors seeking Krisna’s blood is someone Rygart broke bread with in the past.

Like Tenkuu no Escaflowne’s Van, Rygart harbors a heart that doesn’t love conflict. The nature of their duty shatters something inside of both young men. Though Break Blade, with its greater focus on political and martial matters, proves the conflict between Krisna and Athens to be markedly more bitter. If you enjoyed Tenkuu no Escaflowne for its visceral combat and nonstandard mecha designs as well as the themes of loss, reluctance, and love amid a burning world, Break Blade won’t disappoint.

In this sequel to Sousei no Aquarion, entities, aptly named Abductors, run a campaign of terror against the people of Vega. They snatch away innocent women, destroying all those who stand against them. It is Neo-DEVA’s sworn duty to train young element users who will rise to their world’s defense. However, in an effort to prevent another calamity known as the “Aquarion Disaster”, female and male students are forbidden from initiating contact with each other. They are instead limited to the use of gender-specific mecha called Aquaria which are effective against basic Abductors but not much else.

Amata, by complete accident, manages to produce the very results the higher ups hoped to never risk again. During an attack by an advanced Abductor model, he performs a union between male and female Aquaria, sparking a chain of contentious events that may just result in the salvation of humanity.

A timeless conspiracy is deeply rooted in most of Aquarion Evol’s troubles, echoing Tenkuu no Escaflowne somewhat. Both feature game-changing pieces of military hardware powered by a potential couple to boot, but there isn’t quite as much anguish to go around. The sparse comedic elements found in Tennkuu no Escaflowne are much more prevalent here, cushioning some of the heavier stuff. The closest likeness comes from Aquarion Evol’s vast and beautiful world that makes use of both sci-fi and fantasy elements to invoke a sense of wanderlust. If you want more fluff and a few beautiful shots of an alien sky, nab yourself a co-pilot to cuddle and pay Vega a visit.

There aren’t many things worse for a young, soft-hearted princess than the sting of rejection. Unfortunately, witnessing the cousin and childhood friend you hold affections for driving a blade into your father’s chest and conspiring to make you a matching pair just qualifies.
An adaptation of Mizuho Kusanagi’s successful manga, Akatsuki no Yona takes us along for a deposed noble’s quest to find the legendary four dragon warriors fated to help her rectify Su-won’s misdeeds. On the way, she’ll discover the many ugly truths surrounding the real world that she couldn’t see from her comfortable place in the castle. If she is ever to sit on the throne, it will be as a ruler who knows the troubling condition of her realm intimately.

Akatsuki no Yona deals with the same shade of heartache sparked by Van’s brother in Tenkuu no Escaflowne, as well as the rapid flavor of character growth that can only be developed through a harsh life on the run. You won’t find any super powerful mecha left behind by Yona’s ancestors, but her travels will ring enough of a bell for people who enjoyed Van and Hitomi’s journey across Gaea. Especially if you prefer female leads who are more physically involved.

A divide exists between the stars of the East and West. While King Arthur has unified the kingdoms of the latter, the scattered nations of the former remain locked into a mire of bitter contest. It is from the Eastern kingdom of Owari that heir Nobunaga hails. When he catches wind of an imminent assault by one of Owari’s many neighbors, he’s blown off until it’s too late. The scene of a ruined castle in the rain foreshadows the turmoil soon to envelop his world.

Meanwhile, the outcast Jeanne Kaguya d’Arc leaves for the East with Leonardo da Vinci and she bears a prophecy: Nobunaga shall be known as the “Savior King”.
Nobunaga the Fool mirrors Tenkuu no Escaflowne’s odd combination of the mecha, sci-fi, and fantasy genres that we found to be rather enjoyable. The strange tech and worldbuilding affected by it generates a similar atmosphere. Likewise, the visions Jeanne experiences and da Vinci’s tarot readings resemble the same mysticism. Front and center, though, is a grand tragedy sure to make your days of musing bittersweet.

The Galactic Alliance of Humankind is not alone amongst the stars. This is not a good thing. Their neighbors, the Hideauze, hold intentions that are far from peaceful. To preserve themselves, the Alliance commits every able body to combating the alien threat, consigning those unable to contribute to death. Ensign Ledo has achieved more than 145,000 hours of military service, granting him citizenship and reproduction rights if he survives one more mission: an attack on a Hideauze hive.

Despite the massive fleet of ships and machine calibers sent for the attack, the enemy response is overwhelming. In the chaotic withdrawal, Ledo gets thrown off course, crash landing on Earth. Months later, he’s woken from cold sleep when salvagers possessing primitive technology fish him out of the ocean. An initial bout of culture shock gives way to a tenuous yet quickly-warming partnership between the sole representative of the Alliance and humanity’s forgotten homeworld. It’d be easy, too, if pirates and clashing social mores were the only things Ledo had to worry about.

At first glance, Suisei no Gargantia may appear to bear only a passing resemblance to Tenkuu no Escaflowne with its mecha and world-crossing, but trust us, more parallels lie below the surface. You’ll find moral questionings, jaw-busting armored combat, and more than just a hint of sorrow in store.

Back in the 1960s, workers set out to construct the Kurobe dam; to their shock, a simple land development turned into one of the greatest archeological discoveries made by mankind. A massive robot laid dormant but intact beneath the earth. The UN Kurobe Laboratory was founded soon after. Though they couldn’t get the so-called Giant to work, several technological leaps were derived, including some prototypical mecha of the UN’s own design.

In the present, Yukina Shirahane is the daughter of the lab’s lead researcher. She’s a bit of an airhead, spending time on her social life and dreams of Mars before any plans on forging a tenable future. As luck would have it, the day she decides to pay her mom an unscheduled visit happens to overlap with an alien invasion force’s D-day. Mecha of varying sizes make landfall and start culling the world’s defenders, no questions asked, no demands given.

Seeking shelter, Yukina discovers a strange black cube, another relic whose secrets remained uncracked until she makes contact with it. Out comes a pool of gloop and a nude samurai from the feudal age who makes off with Yukina and the cube. It turns out that the thing is the Giant’s cockpit, and Kennoske Ouma has more than a few bones to pick with Earth’s unfriendly guests.

True to form for P.A. Works, there’s no shortage of breathtaking backgrounds to rival those found on Gaea. Great care was taken in constructing Toyama’s lush countryside, enough to prove that you needn’t leave Earth in search of beauty. Distinct fantasy elements are nowhere to be seen in Kuromukuro, but it still presents the tale of a plucky teenage girl and her warrior love interest from a vastly different society, even if the who-goes-where of it is flip-flopped. Of course, those of you who love the song of clashing steel will find that this piece matches Tenkuu no Escaflowne’s mecha battles blow for blow.