Heavy Gear was in fact a Pen and Paper Role-Playing game made by the game company Dream Pod 9. They created the world of Heavy Gear and a few others. What DP9 did was create the most realistic sci-fi setting I have ever read.
The animated series by Sony Entertainment is a pale knock-off dumbed down for children. Sony's initial press release promised a show that was going to stay true to its origins and maturity. In the original setting "war is hell" and is not something to be chased after.
In the show its basically WWF or WCW mixed in with some dinosaur mecha to try and absorb young watchers with typical staples they think are a sure fire formula. As was to be expected with the limited imagination that pervades a television studio, they never stuck with their original promises and instead "chickened out" and went for the standard cheap gimmicks that passes for the bulk of American animation.
Sadly the show is a far cry from the original concept presented in the RPG or the PC games. For me the show was only interesting to see some gears move around, but even then it didn't take the sting out of the disappointment that Sony had created.
If you want the real "Heavy Gear" go look up it up on the web. If you like a good and epic story you wont be sorry you did.
