humanoid defaultism is frustrating to see.

Mechs represent the infantryman fantasy is scifi. A return to more personal, romantic and "noble" way of war in modern times. When fights in real wars happen at long distances, quickly and more often than not on a computer screen where the losing side never had a chance to fight back or realize what was happening mechs dueling with swords make it instantly more understandable to the viewer and return some agency of a singular soldier and "humanity" in it all.

However it's good that IRL war is shitty and ignoble or people might start to like it.