I am not a mecha fan per say but I have nothing against the genre. I also think I like the Giant Robo shows more than the more realistic mecha shows: So my top 3 of the genre would be (in abbreviated alphabetical order)
- Escaflowne
- Gunbuster
- Gurren Lagann
I adore all these shows but as someone else said it's more for the characters & story than the mecha itself. Although the Escaflowne is probably my favorite actual mecha because I love how it can transform into a dragon.
Oh and I voted for option 2!