Personally, my favorite parts of it have always been the themes of connecting with people and the hedgehog's dilemma, rather than all the action-y bits or the heavy-handed religious symbolism. Between it, Eureka Seven, and The Big O, and comparing them to the likes of Code Geass and whichever-actual-Gundam-series-I-watched, I learned I don't really care for mecha being mecha, but I enjoy when mecha are metaphor.

QUICKEDIT: I realize I'm sounding like I'm trying to convince you to like it and it's not my intention here, more just trying to explain my side and make conversation.