I'm not really into either "mecha" (or anime for that matter). But man I loved "Johnny Sokko and His Flying Robot" in the U.S. in the 1970's. (I know, I know — it was "Giant Robo" in Japan.)

Like "B movies" this was "B television". Easy to dismiss — but having seen the series again (with horrible dubbing) as an adult, I can see now why young me was attracted to it: there was an attempt at a story arc across the series with the robot becoming more human and less machine-like by the end (in fact, disobeying a direct order in the final episode).

There was something kind of weird and wild about the times when small, independent television stations across the midwest would try to go toe to toe with the "Big Three" by importing "Speed Racer", "Ultraman", and other bargain television from overseas for the after-school time slot.