Full Metal Panic!

Decent mecha series. Its primary gimmick - a single-minded military agent going undercover as a high school student - was explored to even greater effect in the companion series, Fumoffu.

Feels like watching two different shows at once: It's half rom-com and half dead serious action-drama and the contrast is very jarring. I love both those shows though. This was one of my first anime and as such I have a huge soft spot for it. I don't know if I'd have had the stomach for it if I saw it for the first time today, so I'm glad I didn't. I love this and I love Fumoffu and I love Second Raid and I'm so glad they're making a new one.

A clever genre mashup with memorable and likable main characters.