The Third: Aoi Hitomi no Shoujo

both have a strong female lead that is flat-chested, tomboyish with a fighting spirit, have a machine sidekick, partner, or friend that can speak either by ai or some paranormal event and are episodic so problems or quests that arise in that episode are usually solved or completed by the end. 

Both series has a lot more emotional and contemplational value beneath their surfaces. In both shows, the main focus of the story is our protagonist, traveling in solitude with the sole company of their mechanical companions, and in their journeys, they do encounter various parables, which rarely can be resolved with force or violence. Also, in both shows, the existential themes and it's presentation are largely pondered upon, presenting us a journey of both the mind and heart. 

Scrapped Princess and The Third are set in a time after an apocalyptic war. The weapons and technology left behind from the wars cause problems for the main characters as the stories unfold. Each series features 2 different races, one being the humans who live primitively on the land and the other being some brand of "higher" lifeforms from space sporting advanced technology and who endeavor to keep the humans in line. In both cases, the key to overcoming the conflicts that arise in the stories are the female main characters with special abilities. Although, the main character in The Third is considerably more capable of self preservation. Overall, I found The Third to be more enjoyable over Scrapped Princess despite Scrapped's higher rating. read more