>>23356194
You might just be unaware that the more "profound" mecha shows that tried to have much deeper ingrained messages to instill to the audience were always rare, but getting into mecha now, you have all of these amazing shows ready to watch whenever you feel like instead of having to wait. It's not really an indication of the time; it's more that it takes a really long time for a work of fiction in any genre to defy conventions or speak a really convincing message. There's always gonna be a ton of shows like the ones you're describing in any era.
Also, it's really hard to convey a message effectively and do it with originality and tact. Wings of Rean certainly had a clear, explicit message, but it just comes off as really incoherent, probably to the average person who isn't used to the type of language and directorial style Tomino uses to the point where it kinda strangles the whole show... Yet it's probably one of the more interesting pieces in the body of his work.