I know what Gundam is, but I've never delved deep into the franchise so I'm not quite sure where to start or what to watch. The ones I've been recommended, and seen, are:
08 MS Team
War in the Pocket
Thunderbolt
And I already know to avoid Gundam Wing and that one where it's set in the future and Gundams are used in a fighting tournament or something.
I'd recommend the original Gundam from 79 and then Zeta Gundam, because Zeta is my all time favorite Gundam. It made me feel the most that most characters are varying shades of gray, everyone is somehow deeply flawed. We see the characters that were struggling with everything in the first Gundam really hit the wall and take a beating and have to deal with the world they conflict solutions left after the first Gundam. Lastly, I think Amuro & Char are the best thing to come out of Gundam BY FAR. The pinnacle of conflict between at times mortal enemies and at other times almost friendly rivals. Then double Zeta comes in and ruins everything I loved though, fuck double Zeta.
Yesss more of that. I know Gundam was originally made with the intent to show how terrible war is and how the even the 'good guys' must do some pretty nasty things to win. Trying to steer away from more of the cool mech blow shit up type of stuff.