LogFAQs > #936900055

Some Space Opera series have good battles, but from what you say they likely would be a bit dry for you. If I were to suggest one, I might suggest trying Tytania, as it is a shorter series and while still a bit dry, you can at least get the first space battle or two before dropping it.

As noted, Space Brothers is NOT battle, but you might like it if you like space.

If you like realistic stuff, then... um, Mouretsu Pirates aka Bodacious Space Pirates is good until they decided to make a filler ending mini-arc (basically as soon as you see the magical advanced sci-fi ship in the last couple episodes, you know you are in the filler part). Aside from the filler end crap, its one of the most realistic series that still has space combat in it, and you really won't lose much from just stopping at that point.

Outlaw Star has some fun and zany stuff. It often gets mentioned when Cowboy Bebop gets mentioned, but for this specific topic Outlaw Star is the way to go as Cowboy Bebop actually tends to have fairly limited space combat. Its still a good series, but its not what I would call a "space battle" series.

Gun Buster is a classic, and well animated for its time (until the final battle when they, as the Gainax joke goes, ran out of ink). Its also weird in both being one of the few series to actually have a relativistic accuracy in a space battle, while still switching to being completely ludicrous in scope and technology a couple episodes later (I think its only 6 eps total though).

If you like Gunbuster and don't care about it becoming ludicrously more advanced and a bit weirder, then also try Diebuster.

Gurren Lagan is a fairly fameous Super Robot series. The space combat aspects can be a bit... non-standard, due to just how the whole series at a whole is. But it does have space combat in the second half. I'm not sure that TTGL is what you are looking for in this topic, but it may be worth checking out regardless.

TECHNICALLY, that last arc of Sonic X kinda counts. But... yeah. 4kids version is of course a joke, and the original is still a bit hit or miss.

I still need to actually watch the Yamato/Space Express 999 stuff.

Macross. Ideally, find a way to watch the original one in Japanese and subbed, unless you just absolutely hate subs. The first Macross got brought over as "Robotech," and the dub is really just trying to make up the most accurate-sounding stuff they can, rather than being a translation. Don't get me wrong, they did pretty good if this accusation of mine is accurate. But since the later Macross series would require you to dip into that anyway, yeah. Macross/Robotech is able to stand on its own, of course. Just look up a timeline of Macross series if you want to watch them in order. Anywho, Macross (the original at least) is one of the most balanced mecha series out there in terms of how powerful the mecha are vs. how powerful the capital ships are. The primary hero ship is one of the primary forces used against enemy capital ships, and the transforming mecha-fighters are more for strikes against systems, and smaller targets (including of course, enemy fighters).

Gundam often has some good battles, though the ships themselves don't often have proper duke-outs with each other. Think like late and post WW2 warfare, where aircraft are the primary weapon used to sink ships (And defend said ships from sinking). And replace aircraft with mecha, and then allow for especially large battles to still see ships coming up against each other (though the ships usually won't be a major focus point aside from the hero ship and any especially important ship).
coh posted...

Where to start with Gundam? There are so many series

Gundam is split into 3 basic types.

1. Universal Century universe. This is the very first Gundam, and a number of other series that take place all in one timeline. Examples include the first Gundam, Zeta, Char's Counterattack, Victory, Turn A, and others. You can likely find a list by typing into google "list of UC Gundam series" or something.
2. AU series. AU standing for "alternate universe," but rather than an alternate universe, its more that each one is a stand-alone thing (no matter what some people might think about certain easter eggs that appear on monitors during a certain scene in Turn A). Each AU series is its own setting, unrelated to other Gundam series, with the exception of those that are a sequel season (more recent series often see being split into 26 episode groups that are actually labeled as things like S1 and S2). Examples of AU series include: Wing Gundam. Gundam 00. Gundam SEED. G Gundam. And so forth. Their styles and tones can vary a bit (G Gundam is probably the most unusual overall, and is more a "super robot" series than a "real (or at least moreso) robot" like most Gundam series).
3. The newest type: The toyetic type that is actually much better than you'd expect a toyetic show to be. These are the Build Gundam type. These series are GREAT if you have seen a decent variety of Gundam series before as they are quite heavy on the fan-service in good ways. They tend to revolve around building Gunpla (i.e. the Gundam model kits) and using them in effectively techno-magical arenas that let you fight with them, or around scanning them into a Gundam MMO. They are often quite good, but I say that as someone who watched other Gundams and thus get many of the references. Still, if you don't mind the space battles being simulated (and almost never involving ships), once you enjoy some other Gundam series you could definitely give some of these a look at. One nice thing about these settings is that you can "get away with" having lots of damage to the mecha, if not outright destroying them during a fight, as no one is actually inside them. The first Build Series utilizes this the best IMO.

A number of other Sunrise-made mecha series involve space battles too. They can be hit or miss or trainwreck sometimes.
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