Juusenki L-Gaim

Both are Tomino shows with very similar progression - they start out with a goofier tone, featuring slapstick comedy and light gags as a they follow the misadventures of a ragtag crew, but both become much more serious as the plot carries on, and the comedy elements of earlier episodes fade away 

Both shows are directed by Yoshiyuki Tomino, the father of the gundam franchise and mecha anime visonary, and both shows are him at his most lighthearted, but also at his directoral best. Both shows follow a group of really likeable young people through a spanning war. In Turn A, it's about going back to your roots, and in L.Gaim, it's about rebellion and trying to find your place in the world, as well as following your destiny. Both shows feature a great deal of humor and are both genuianlly funny, because you really start to like and care about these characters. Neither show really focuses much on the mecha either and are more character dramas/adventure shows, so those usually uninterested in mecha anime may find these series easier to get into. read more