After a mandatory disclaimer of mecha appeal, Jeff says:

Oddly enough, however, the one mecha show I consider a favorite is one in which the mechanics of the mecha themselves are both realistic and presented in such a way that many engineers would appreciate. Of course, I’m talking about Patlabor. With the exception of its oversized service revolver and gratuitous design elements, the Ingram makes sense. And many of the common Labors featured in the show look and function like the construction implements they are.

This was... unexpected. Patlabor never struck me as realistic in the way Rocket Girls did (I've even read articles defending a LOX-oxidized hybrid, in context of the fatal NOX explosion at Scaled. No kidding!). And across the fandom, The 08th MS Team is held in the esteem for its realism generally. If anything, I'd praise the characters in Patlabor. But thinking back, hmm... If only they had radiators...