This thread is pretty self-explanatory. If you're looking for something good to watch and have any particular interests, say them here and someone else can try and recommend you a series that they think that you will like. And of course you can also recommend other people what you think that they will like.
At any rate. I'm currently in the process of re-watching the Hunter X Hunter TV anime, and I have to say that I have really been into that whole "boy on a journey" adventure story aspect of the series. I also like One Piece's more adventurous arcs for mostly the same sort of reason. Does anyone know of any good titles that involve journeys and adventures and characters that actually get expanded upon with a decent amount of depth to them? I'm really in the mood for something like that, right now. I'm willing to accept just about any sort of recommendation, including any good movies with such an element.
I'll be up for that.
Also, is HXH better in anime or manga format?
Definitely anime form, for what the anime got to cover of the series (with the exception of the Greed Island OVAs, which were kind of bland and with inferior animation). That's a trend with all of Togashi's series. I love his manga work, but they are great in the sense of the great ideas that he presents. It seems that with each anime adaptation of his manga, though, he gets lucky and its given to people who know how to expand upon his great ideas. With HXH its got very fluid animation and (IMO) a great OST to fit its themes. It can start out kind of boring, especially if you're expecting it to be more along the lines of YYH (its quite the opposite, actually), but if you like an adventure story I think its great for what it is. It doesn't necessarily get you as hooked as YYH does, but I think that its a series that's written and executed extremely well for what it is, and its of course one of my personal favorite anime.
It can get kind of weird at times, though....just as a bit of warning....
I don't think that Viz finished releasing the anime, but that's okay, I'll check it out subbed.
And here's another request: I want a good romantic series to check out. Can be comedic or action-oriented, but I'd prefer that you don't recommend me a Shojo.
Heh, unfortunately we're going to need someone like Desensitized for that one, since he's far more experienced in good series from just about every genre of anime than I am. Unfortunately, I myself don't know of any good romance series, personally (I have seen a fair amount of stuff by Kyoto Animation, and personally they just don't appeal to me at all).
A well-done romance anime series...? Well, I won't say they don't exist, but I've never seen one.
Word to the wise: no matter what anyone says, never watch anything related to Key (Clannad, etc.) and stay the fuck away from His And Her Circumstances.
Yeah, I just want proof that they exist.
EK and I were talking about this, and while I like some series with romantic elements in them, I can't think of one with that as the main focus being something I especially enjoyed.
Unfortunately, a romance anime that's not shojo is a bit hard to find, but I'll try my best to find something Avaitor would like.
I'm not sure if you ever saw Fruits Basket, but it was one of the first ones that I saw that didn't make me wretch and was actually engrossing from start to finish.
For non-Shojo, the romance aspect of Beck is handled very well, though it does drag a bit at points.
Also, a shot in the dark, but Please Save My Earth is pretty awesome. The manga is epic, but the anime is only a 6 episode OVA with a rushed ending. I would recommend the manga first. In fact, the manga versions of all these are better, but the anime are still worth watching to decide if you would want to dive deeper into these.
Sounds like good stuff. I wasn't able to get into the Fruits Basket anime, to be honest (though I did try it several years ago when I was more of a shonen fan....), but I'll definitely give the manga a shot one of these days.
So, what about Kino's Journey. Is that a good "kid on a journey" sort of anime? I ask this because it peculiarly has the word "Journey" in its title. Hmmmm....I wonder why that could be....
It can be Shojo I guess. I should have stated that I'd prefer a non-school based series more than anything.
Fruits Basket didn't appeal to me, Beck is already on my to-watch list, and I'm not familiar with the last one at all. I'll have to read up on that.
Quote from: Ensatsu-ken on February 13, 2011, 03:02:04 PM
So, what about Kino's Journey. Is that a good "kid on a journey" sort of anime? I ask this because it peculiarly has the word "Journey" in its title. Hmmmm....I wonder why that could be....
I guess you can say that.
It's a really compelling, brief series from the guy who created Lain. Worth checking out at some point.
Alright, since its pretty short I'll probably try and check that out next.
I actually think even Foggle would like Please Save My Earth, but I don't like to assume things. ;)
What kind of story is it? Just a little bit of a synopsis or what the series is like might be enough to get me interested in it.
Alice Sakaguchi once dreamt that she is another person living on the moon. The dream is so strange and so real that Alice can't stop thinking about it. She finds out that others are having the same kind of dream. They soon discover that they had been seeing flashes of their past lives as a team of scientists on the moon long long ago. Alice and her friends then decide to find the other members and piece together what took place back then. Complications arise when they realize that everything that happened in their previous existence continue to haunt and affect their present lives.
It can be surprisingly action-based at times, too.
Sounds like a really interesting story to me. I'll likely check it out after Kino's Journey.
Yeah, that sounds interesting enough.
A 6-episode OVA, you say? I'll check it out soon.
Yes, the last episode is rushed, but that's what the manga is for.
Oh yeah, I can't believe I forgot this one, but Maison Ikkoku is a great romance story. Yes, I know the mangaka is pretty bad these days, but this story is still well worth experiencing. I think you might enjoy it, Avaitor.
I think it's about time I give it a shot.
How long is the anime?
Quote from: Avaitor on February 13, 2011, 03:34:42 PM
I think it's about time I give it a shot.
How long is the anime?
Long.
Almost 100 episodes, I believe.
You could read the manga instead, but it's pretty much the same experience, IIRC.
Yeah, I don't think I have the time for an investment like that atm.
I'll check out the OVA you recommended me, since that should be good enough.
I'd also recommend the Shounan Junai Gumi OVAs, if you're at all interested in seeing Onizuka in his younger days as a delinquent rather than a teacher at a distinguished private school....who happens to still be a delinquent anyways. The OVA takes select pieces from the manga, and mostly focuses on comedy, but its still all pretty fun, and its only 5 episodes long (though, each episode is essentially 50 minutes to an hour long). I'd say that its well worth watching, personally.
Maison Ikkoku's by the person who did Inuyasha though, just a heads up, in case you're annoyed by that author, even though personally I still enjoyed the Ranma 1/2 manga. But it does precede all those other manage an apartment complex shows like Love Hina and Mahoraba Heartful Days.
Oh geez, how could I forget NANA? Slice-of-life, dramatic, not heavily school based, with romance and mature themes.
Plenty of romance recommendations, mostly rom-com, as it's my favorite genre in anime.
The Wallflower - My Fair Lady styled rom-com directed by Nabeshin.
Rumbling Hearts - singular romance drama concept, at least it's set mainly after high school
Emma: A Victorian Romance - cute period romance, nothing at all to do with Jane Austen's Emma.
Romeo x Juliet - self-explanatory, but with an anime fantasy twist
Pretear - magical girl romance drama
Fushigi Yuugi - classic 90s romance sci-fi
Oh My Goddess - classic and definitive magical girlfriend manga with several tv series with excellent voice acting
Super GALS - my favorite episodic rom-com
Ouran High School Host Club - reverse harem goodness - recommend anime first esp Funimation dub
Fruits Basket - sweet drama. one of Funimation's most endearing, but the manga's definitely shojo, so I'd try the anime first.
School Rumble - funny shonen rom-com. a must for all anime viewers.
Kimagure Orange Road - classic 1980s romance anime and the definitive love triangle
Kare Kano (His and Her Circumstances) - awesome but only up to the jump the shark episode
Kanon - best of those KEY/Kyoto Animation dating sim based dramas. I won't recommend Clannad unless you enjoyed this one first as it's more of the same and the characters aren't as endearing.
Suzuka (anime) / Kimi no Iru Machi (manga) - romance drama with some nice plot twists that make you really get emotional over some of the characters. kimi machi is set in the same world as Suzuka.
Please Teacher (anime) - student-teacher romance with a bit of sci-fi. it's by the guy who wrote a bunch for Tenchi Muyo. You could read the manga for the quick summary.
Honey and Clover - slice-of-life romance set in art school college
Toradora - recommended by some of our AR folks
I was thinking about the lists and there's like shonen romance and shojo romance. Might be interesting to figure out what the differences are, like shonens tend to draw really good looking girls with really average guys, and shojo focuses more on making both look attractive. Shonens also have a lot more visual fanservice. I'd think a shojo artist would be embarrassed if they put a lot of oversized body parts in their stories.
Well I only like one kind of anime, with the exception of Case Closed and Monster though. I doubt anyone can give me any good recommendations.
Have you seen the JoJo's Bizarre Adventure OVAs? Read the manga when you're done.
Read Shounan Junai Gumi, bitch. If you at all consider yourself a fan of classic street-brawl type fighting or the battle genre in general, then you would have seen this essential classic (and since you haven't that means you are still a newbie in the genre, and probably highly unworthy to even see this series, anyways). Its also good because unlike most series in its genre it can totally nail the humor down, while also tackling the serious and more dramatic elements of its story very efficiently.
Quote from: Ensatsu-ken on February 15, 2011, 05:57:27 PM
Read Shounan Junai Gumi, bitch. If you at all consider yourself a fan of classic streety-brawl type fighting or the battle genre in general, then you would have seen this essential classic (and since you haven't that means you are still a newbie in the genre, and probably highly unworthy to even see this series, anyways). Its also good because unlike most series in its genre it can totally nail the humor down, while also tackling the serious and more dramatic elements of its story very efficiently.
:D I'll be sure to get it asap.
Quote from: Angus on February 14, 2011, 03:28:59 AM
Fushigi Yuugi - classic 90s romance sci-fi
The best thing about
Fushigi Yuugi is the fact that it features one of the greatest anime villains of all time.
I've been watching a lot of
Master Keaton lately and would definitely recommend it to anyone who haven't seen it yet. It's based on a manga by Naoki Urasawa so if you're familiar with his work, you should know that the characterisation and writing of this anime is top-notch. Also, Keaton himself is one of the best protagonist in any medium ever.
And, of course, I wouldn't be me if I didn't recommend my favorite animated show:
Legend of the Galactic Heroes. If there's any anime that needs to be watched by more people, this is the one.
LotGH is something I really want to watch, but hearing about the sheer scope of the series, I feel that the only proper way to watch it would be on TV instead of on the computer where I'd just get distracted. And sadly, there's no news whatsoever about the show being licensed here anytime soon. So on the off-chance that it gets distributed, or if I somehow come across bootlegs, I probably won't get to it in the near future.
I've seen some bootlegs of the show at ioffer, can't vouch for their quality though.
Erm....I would recommend Yakitate!! Japan(both anime and manga). The series is mostly about history of bread and the strive of a young boy named Azuma Kazuma, creating new bread called Ja-pan. It's quite good and funny at the same time.
I haven't heard of it before checking it out on MAL. It sounds fairly original.
Any specific qualities regarding it that makes it worth checking out? I'm always up for new things.
I've actually had the series recommended to me quite a few times before on different forums. Perhaps I should get around to it after I finish the next few anime on my backlog of stuff to watch.
Dunno about the anime for X/1999 but the manga's kind of confusing so I lost interest early.
I was wondering if Desensitized or anyone else had any good shonen series recommendations. I'd prefer to get into something that is not a currently running series, but that has finished its run. I'm sure you all know what I like by now. Either a traditional style battle-shonen that contains all of the main tropes but excels at great delivery and writing and characters, or a shonen that follows maybe some of the typical conventions but also diverges into its own style with perhaps a more complex plot than most other shonen series (Hunter X Hunter is a good example of this).
I'd be all for a shorter, more deep and complex series, but I'd like to save watching stuff like that for the Summer when I don't have to wrack by brain doing lots of thinking in regards to studying for exams and writing papers. So for now I don't mind the brainless stuff. ;)
I would consider some shojo series as well if anyone has any good recommendations of those.
Hmmm, I've been thinking of some. But for length, I'm assuming you want ones under 26 episodes?
Beck: Mongolian Chop Squad, of course. I'm not sure if you get the same mileage out of it if you're not as in to music, but hell it's so good that I'm not sure it matters. If you like the anime, then you can check out the manga at a later date. I think both Foggle and Avaitor would love that one too.
Martian Successor Nadesico is a sci-fi space opera that both pokes fun at cliches and is just a barrel of fun. I wish they still made anime like this.
Bastard!... I'm not going to say anything else, I just want to see if anyone here is going to look into it on their own. I'm not sure if anyone here would like it, but I figured I'd mention it anyway.
Thanks for the recommendations. As for Beck, I remember trying to watch the sub of it a few years back but the "Engrish" played a hand in pulling me out of the experience (though I only watched the first couple of episodes). After watching JO's review on it and seeing how infinitely superior the English dub is, I think that may just do the trick in allowing me to enjoy the series for what it is. So, I'll probably check out Beck next. Incidentally, I've actually seen the mangaka for Beck in person (in fact he's the only mangaka who I've ever seen), at the only time I ever went to an anime-con.
I'll also look into your other 2 recommendations later on. Well, I do know about Bastard!, myself, but I never actually tried getting into it before.
Bastard!! seems like more of a Foggle thing, so I wasn't sure if he'd already mentioned it or not.
But yeah, the other two are some of my favorites. But definitely watch the dub of Beck, it kind of skirts the language barrier thing a bit, but it gets the same basic thing across.
I agree with Beck and MSN. :swoon: Beck has the Funimation cast going for it as well.
It's longer than the other ones (51 episodes), but I'd say Soul Eater. It plays a bit like Naruto (school bakas) and Bleach (shinigami), but it has Chuck Huber voicing a major character, finally.
Man, an English dub for music anime sounds confusing.
Anyway, watch the new Guyver series and Sword Of The Stranger for me. I'm not sure if I have to tell you what The Guyver is about but Sword Of The Stranger is a gorey samurai anme that was nominated for an Oscar. Need I say more? Since my library doesn't have either on DVD, I need you to review them for me. Thanks. :sly:
Quote from: gunswordfist on March 03, 2011, 05:21:50 PM
Man, an English dub for music anime sounds confusing.
It's not really that confusing because the band sings in english anyway. It just sounds more consistent in the english dub.
But seriously, I'm so disappointed they didn't continue the anime after the point it ends at. The material the anime covered was actually superior to the manga's efforts, so it would have been nice to see how it would have improved on the west.
The manga succeeds in being very shonen despite the different way the story works. I know one of my friends who isn't really in to music loved it.
Oh :wth:
So on JesuOtaku's FormSpring, she was asked what would be five good gateway anime titles, and here is what she came up with.
1. Three Ghibli films, from different five-year timespans.
2. Gundam Wing followed by Gundam 00 for comparison
3. Neon Genesis Evangelion
4. Cowboy Bebop
5. Fullmetal Alchemist
What do you guys think of these, and would you come up with a different list? As for me, I think she has good choices, but I'm not sure if I would go with these five.
Miyazaki/Ghibli is a very good choice, for one. I know we're not all huge Ghibli fans, but at the same time, guys like EK, Foggle, and GSF who aren't big on their work are more in the minority with anime fans, and the studio's range is so wide, that if you pick any three films, it's hard to think that whoever watches them won't enjoy at least one. My answer would probably vary depending on the person I'm recommending these to in question, but in general, I'd probably go with Castle of Cagliostro, Grave of the Fireflies, and Spirited Away. Hell, maybe I named one that you like as well.
The Gundam one I definitely don't agree with. If you want to get someone into mecha, the Gundam franchise would probably be the best place to start, but that's only if you're interested in using that. Maybe keep 00 in for comparison's sake, but I'd replace Wing with the original. Even though MSG predates Wing by a good 15 years, Wing has aged even worse than it, and just isn't a very good watch. MSG contains just about every trope you can expect in mecha, and while it isn't perfect, would be a much better choice for beginners. Especially if you use the movies, if you want to cut things down a little.
I wouldn't mind adding in some Gundam and Evangelion, since Eva isn't much of a mecha series. It starts off as one, but the deeper you get into it, the more of a psychological drama it becomes. A damn effective, if imperfect one, too. This is a bit of a hard sell, since it's a bit divided in the fanbase, but I would consider adding it to my list, since NGE was the first anime I've seen that wasn't on TV, and my 13 or 14-year-old mind was blown away when I first watched it. I even got a lot of the series at that age as well, so it might work for some.
Bebop, absolutely. As JO said it herself, it is THE gateway drug. So close for everyone.
FMA, maybe. I like the idea of adding a shounen on there, but I'm not a super huge fan of the series. I wouldn't want to name a long-running series like DB, YYH, or OP though, since it's such a commitment, and part of the fun might be lost watching multiple episodes at a time rather than on a daily basis, like when I watched some of these on Toonami. That happens for me, at least, but I'd rather go with a shorter running series regardless. Death Note, maybe? It seems to work for a lot of different fans, and it got me interested in anime again. FMA works too, but either would be fine.
What do you guys think? I'll try to make something similar for the general animation board in a sec.
Eva is extremely polarizing, I don't think I would recommend that. But mostly it depends on the tastes of the person I was trying to get into it.
Yeah, Ghibli's deifnitely something that can hook newcomers in.
While Gundam Wing wasn't great by any means, it has multiple demographic appeal (robot battles for guys, eyecandy for girls), something that 00 shares. I just think MSG would be difficult for casual fans to get into due to dated animation and tropes that have been since worn out.
Eva's polarizing, that's for sure. While it'd be a pretty good sell for those looking into cerebral stories, I wouldn't recommend it as a gateway title unless they know what they're getting into.
Not liking Bebop is like not liking The Godfather. If watching this show doesn't get you interested in the slightest, you need to have your head checked.
I agree with FMA, mostly since it lacks some culture-specific tropes that would confuse newcomers.
The animation is a bit dated in MSG, yes, but if whoever you're recommending it to isn't familiar with mecha or anime in general to begin with, what makes you think they'll find it worn out?
I mean, if they're familiar with sci-fi in general. For those who have already seen "Humanity takes it conflict out to the stars"-type stuff like Babylon 5 or BSG, the original Gundam just doesn't really stand the test of time.
Fair enough, but I still think that Wing is inferior, even compared to the original, since it shares a lot of the same tropes with less likable characters and weaker plot points.
It is inferior, but it hit that mainstream niche of explosive action and recognizable (though simple) characters that are much easier to digest to casual viewers. I'm pretty sure that was why it did the best of any Gundam show on TV here by far.
My counter-argument to Wing being a gateway anime is that not everyone really liked it. There were a lot of people like myself who couldn't get into it. I barely remember anything that I saw from MSG, but seeing as how Wing already has dated animation to begin with, I wouldn't be opposed to MSG taking its place to begin with, especially since I myself can attest to the fact that Wing itself follows a bunch of common tropes, so its not like its any more original or unique than MSG.
As for her other choices, I definitely agree with Ghibli films, because like Avaitor said, people like me are in the minority, and even I still have a lot of respect for the guy even though I'm personally not really a fan of his work.
I'll also agree with FMA based on the fact that 99% of the people who watch it seem to love it, and while I myself have come to see it as less than the perfect series that so many people make it out to be, its still an undeniably good series, even if it is probably a bit overrated (IMO). I might have recommended Death Note in its place but too many people seem to take it the wrong way and either think of it as being too pretentious when its not even trying to be deep or find it to be controversial when its clearly making Light out to be a villain and not really bringing up any real questions of morality since its just meant to be an exciting thriller. So, based on that, I think it kind of rules it out even though it is a good series if looked at for the actual type of series that its trying to be in the first place. In place of FMA, though, I'd probably recommend a shonen or something like that, but only if the person seemed to be willing to give a chance to invest in a longer-running series, which in most cases I guess would be unlikely. I wouldn't mind recommending them something episodic that they can just try a few episodes of, like Lupin III or Case Closed, but those would just be alternatives.
Cowboy Bebop is a no-brainer. Though, I would also recommend Trigun as an alternative if its one of those people who only watched Cowboy Bebop and loved it but still wasn't convinced by that to seek out any other anime (and a bunch of my friends are like that, so it just goes to show how much CB transcends its own medium in appeal).
Neon Genesis Evangelion seems a bit polarizing, but I suppose it works out since a majority of people who watch it end up finding something that they like about it, so I think deserves its place on the list, personally.
What does gateway mean? A show that will hook a casual anime watcher to watching lots of that genre?
If so:
mecha - well, Robotech was good in the 1980s but I don't know what would attract watchers now. I tried watching NGE early in my anime watching time, and didn't find the appeal. It was a boring giant robot anime. Only after watching Gunbuster years later, then I was motivated to take NGE on. Maybe the movie remakes will get people interested?
rom-com - Full Metal Panic Fumoffu - It's short and crazy enough to attract the casual watcher. Has American movie references, and introduces the tsundere girl character. School Rumble works here too. Plenty of others to try afterwards but that gets the foot in the door and might even get you to consider the regular FMP or FMP TSR afterwards.
slice-of-life: School Rumble or Azumanga Daioh - perfect for short attention spans.
drama: Full Metal Alchemist - the original one, recommended by a casual anime fan, got me and my better half hooked. I also think Eden of the East has a good hook for a short series.
thriller: Higurashi - remember how a random "who is the scariest character" thread on tv.com got a bunch of us to watch this show. Death Note might be a decent second, but has too many big spoilers that will ruin the enjoyment early on. After a few titles along those lines, Monster makes a good catch.
fighting anime: Dragonball Z Kai (thank goodness for Kai as a better starting point), and One Piece (popular enough to appeal to the 35+ crowd).
gun-totin' anime: Black Lagoon, Cowboy Bebop, and plenty of other candidates
formula / episodic: Case Closed
shojo: Fruits Basket, Ouran HS Host Club
These titles have all worked with my family and friends.
Yeah, I also agree with Fumoffu in terms of general comedies. Its probably not the best anime comedy out there but its easily one of the most accessible to newcomers since its humor is more general than it is cultural. It also has the advantage of being a good stand-alone series, so nobody really needs to have seen the 1st season of FMP to enjoy it (though on that note I still don't see how some people could call Fumoffu the best, and in some cases only good season of FMP when TSR exists; I mean, even I really like it for its humor but its not like its that spectacular of an anime comedy on the level of something like Ouran or GTO, probably a few others that I'm not giving credit to because I haven't seen them myself). That said, it still gets points for being one of the only few anime comedies in the first place that I can actually get the humor of, and it did even manage to make me laugh out loud a few times throughout its run, so I'd definitely recommend that as a decent starter.
Fighting show: Ikki Tousen – It's historical and the girls become more powerful when their clothes are stripped. And they have a TOURNAMENT!
Action: Aria the Animation – fear those all-female company gangs and their bosses as they take control of the waterways on Mars.
Slice-of-life: Death Note / Hell Girl – It's so real! I see the dolls and notebooks and start freakin' out.
Mecha: Dragonaut the Resonance – hell yeah, robots that turn into dragons, and big breasted scientists.
Comedy: Evangelion 1.x and 2.x – you musn't run away because it's funny, especially when Shinji tries to take a shower.
Long-term show: Pokemon. Because Pikachu rocks and so do 4Kids in its Al Kahn prime.
Having recently finished Fang of the Sun Dougram, I can say that this is a show I'd recommend to anyone with an interest in the mecha-genre. For those of you who have never heard of it, Dougram was one of the first "real" giant-robot series that followed in the footsteps of Mobile Suit Gundam. However, having watched both of these shows (and this may sound blasphemous), I have to say that everything Gundam did, Dougram does better. That's not to say that Mobile Suit Gundam is a bad series, far from it, it's just that Dougram came off as being more mature (in the right ways) and complex, with a tighter script and more interesting characters. Granted, Dougram doesn't have anyone as cool as Char, but as a whole the cast is awesome, especially Lecoque who is one of the greatest anime-villains I've seen in a long time.
Quote from: Avaitor on March 27, 2011, 09:45:26 PM
So on JesuOtaku's FormSpring, she was asked what would be five good gateway anime titles, and here is what she came up with.
1. Three Ghibli films, from different five-year timespans.
2. Gundam Wing followed by Gundam 00 for comparison
3. Neon Genesis Evangelion
4. Cowboy Bebop
5. Fullmetal Alchemist
What do you guys think of these, and would you come up with a different list? As for me, I think she has good choices, but I'm not sure if I would go with these five.
Miyazaki/Ghibli is a very good choice, for one. I know we're not all huge Ghibli fans, but at the same time, guys like EK, Foggle, and GSF who aren't big on their work are more in the minority with anime fans, and the studio's range is so wide, that if you pick any three films, it's hard to think that whoever watches them won't enjoy at least one. My answer would probably vary depending on the person I'm recommending these to in question, but in general, I'd probably go with Castle of Cagliostro, Grave of the Fireflies, and Spirited Away. Hell, maybe I named one that you like as well.
The Gundam one I definitely don't agree with. If you want to get someone into mecha, the Gundam franchise would probably be the best place to start, but that's only if you're interested in using that. Maybe keep 00 in for comparison's sake, but I'd replace Wing with the original. Even though MSG predates Wing by a good 15 years, Wing has aged even worse than it, and just isn't a very good watch. MSG contains just about every trope you can expect in mecha, and while it isn't perfect, would be a much better choice for beginners. Especially if you use the movies, if you want to cut things down a little.
I wouldn't mind adding in some Gundam and Evangelion, since Eva isn't much of a mecha series. It starts off as one, but the deeper you get into it, the more of a psychological drama it becomes. A damn effective, if imperfect one, too. This is a bit of a hard sell, since it's a bit divided in the fanbase, but I would consider adding it to my list, since NGE was the first anime I've seen that wasn't on TV, and my 13 or 14-year-old mind was blown away when I first watched it. I even got a lot of the series at that age as well, so it might work for some.
Bebop, absolutely. As JO said it herself, it is THE gateway drug. So close for everyone.
FMA, maybe. I like the idea of adding a shounen on there, but I'm not a super huge fan of the series. I wouldn't want to name a long-running series like DB, YYH, or OP though, since it's such a commitment, and part of the fun might be lost watching multiple episodes at a time rather than on a daily basis, like when I watched some of these on Toonami. That happens for me, at least, but I'd rather go with a shorter running series regardless. Death Note, maybe? It seems to work for a lot of different fans, and it got me interested in anime again. FMA works too, but either would be fine.
What do you guys think? I'll try to make something similar for the general animation board in a sec.
Shit, I don't even know what Ghibli is.
Anyway, my list:(in no order)
1. Cowboy Bebop
2. FMA
3. RK
4. Trigun
5. Outlaw Star
Basically, Toonami shounen sells itself.
Ghibli is Miyazaki's studio...
:unimpressed:
:sweat: I knew that sounded familiar.
I can't see why YYH couldn't be a gateway show. It's got plenty of jumping in points and the enemies get introduced at a good pace.
Quote from: Angus on April 21, 2011, 01:17:22 AM
I can't see why YYH couldn't be a gateway show. It's got plenty of jumping in points and the enemies get introduced at a good pace.
I was definitely going to list that show but then I saw what Avaitor said. Either way, I have no clue how much anyone would be willing to watch a long series.
Well compared to a lot of other battle shonen series, YYH isn't that long at all, and you can get the whole series for less than $100 now, so Yu Yu may not be that bad of a choice for a first action show.
For a first anime series, though? I'd probably go with something much shorter, like Baccano!, Bebop or Death Note. You could finish the first in a weekend, maybe the second as well if you're really into it, while YYH would probably take a lot longer to complete. I don't think too many beginners are as willing to try something as long as one of the Jump series unless they grew up watching stuff like DBZ on Toonami.
So, I was wondering if anybody could recommend me any good anime movies. I have to admit that my experience with film when it comes to anime is quite shallow.
Just for the record, I already plan to see Summer Wars as soon as I get a chance to, so you don't have to bother recommending that to me. Also, I have tried several Miyazaki films, and while I have respect for the guy and his work, I must be honest and confess that I have never really found any of his films to be all too engaging for me, personally, though I did enjoy Castle of Cagliostro to some extent (possibly more because its a Lupin movie than because it was directed by Miyazaki) and I thought Spirited Away was an OK film (but honestly it didn't really grab me as much as it did for other people, but someday I'll try and sit down to watch it again). If you feel there is a Miyazaki film that I absolutely must watch, or re-watch if I have already seen it and just didn't care much for it the first time that I tried it, then you can feel free to recommend that to me.
Other than that, though, I would like some recommendations for good anime movies that are maybe a bit less popular or less talked about, yet that still hold up enough in quality. I have already seen Akira (the psychological/Armageddon type story classic, I suppose, and Ninja Scroll which is the anime action movie classic), but that's about it, honestly. I haven't seen a single thing from Satoshi Kon except for a few random episodes of Paranoia Agent, and I haven't seen a bunch of movies from other famous creators and directors, so I'm pretty much up for just about anything anyone has to recommend.
I forget, have you see Totoro before? If not, I'd add that to your list.
As for Kon, I'd suggest Tokyo Godfathers. It's the only one of his movies that I've seen, but it's a good one.
The only Kon movie I don't find to be overrated as hell is probably Tokyo Godfathers. Just don't watch Perfect Blue which is incredibly boring and predictable with a dab of Hitchcock-swiping to make it seem better than it actually is. The last line is the cheesiest thing I've heard in a movie ever, I honestly can't believe someone thought that was a good thing to put in there. Seriously, avoid Perfect Blue.
Have you seen Princess Mononoke? That's still my favorite Miyazaki film that hardcore Miyazaki fans always seem to look down on for some reason.
Movies to avoid- X and Escaflowne (watch the series)
I'm assuming you're deferring the Rebuild of Evangelion movies until you finish the TV series?
I'm trying to think of movies that aren't followups to TV series:
Macross: Do You Remember Love - it's decent, not as coherent as the pioneering TV series that brought anime to the US
5 Centimeters Per Second - I thought this was overrated as a romance drama but some folks think this is close to a 10 so who knows.
Still need to see Grave of the Fireflies and the original Ghost in the Shell.
The Girl Who Leapt Through Time - by the same guy who did Summer Wars, was alright, lots of crying later
The local library and rental places might have some goodies.
Um, how about Busou Renkin? The series kinda similar to FMA due to use of alchemy but differs in terms of fighting. Plus Black Jack + Black Jack 21 which is about an unlicensed doctor that known as a genius :rtard:
Black Jack? Yes! :awesome:
Anyone here seen Ergo Proxy? I love pretty much anything cyberpunk, and the first episode was really cool. I heard it gets pretty existential later on, which, for me, is a good thing (as long as it's handled well). Is the rest of the anime worth watching?
Samurai Champloo's making the rounds on Funimation On Demand. Worth a viewing?
I'd say it's worth one viewing.
Quote from: Angus on August 08, 2011, 07:05:29 AM
Samurai Champloo's making the rounds on Funimation On Demand. Worth a viewing?
2nd3rd best anime of all time.
It's a nice idea. Thanks a lot.
Bored. Want to get back into anime (besides the ones currently airing like Apollon and Space Bros), but need new shows. Somebody recommend some that I probably haven't seen/heard before, so my jaded heart can open up to something good again.
Enzai
Pigeon Blood
Run=Dim
Depends what you're looking for.
I'll keep recommending Beck forever, though.
Just anything good.
And Beck? I've always tried to get into that show, like multiple times, but never could.
Might I suggest Princess Tutu?
Quote from: Avaitor on April 16, 2012, 08:17:35 PM
Might I suggest Princess Tutu?
Already saw it, thought it was mediocre at the first 2/3rds of the story.
Um, I've got nothing. It feels like you've seen everything that I already would have.
How about Violinist of Hamelin?
Quote from: Spark Of Spirit on April 16, 2012, 08:29:00 PM
How about Violinist of Hamelin?
Checking its credits on ANN, doesn't seem like my kind of thing.
Kaiji or Akagi?
Magical Girl Lyrical Nanoha?
Souten Kouro?
Quote from: Foggle on April 16, 2012, 08:36:23 PM
Souten Kouro?
Don't like anything based on the Three Kingdoms, sorry.
Bastard!!
Genocyber.
But seriously, how about Barefoot Gen?
Quote from: Spark Of Spirit on April 16, 2012, 09:27:35 PM
But seriously, how about Barefoot Gen?
Oh God, I remember watching what happened to the people hit by the atom bomb in that movie. In my fucking nightmares.
New Dominion Tank Police?
Doomed Megapolis.
As I mentioned on TZ, is Fairy Tail any good? I've been looking for series where I haven't been spoiled bout the future, and so I'm just kind of looking for a new long series to replace (ugh) Bleach.
Also probably going to try to get back into One Piece. While I own the first two seasons of One Piece, I'd like to upgrade to the collections, as they're cheaper and have more episodes per set. I marathoned the thing a few years back, and wasn't really interested in the rest, but I think it's finally time to watch Skypeia and beyond. I liked it enough, I enjoyed the characters and the acting and the humor, but after I finished Alabasta, I just felt like I was done. I don't know. There wasn't really any cliffhanger or anything that made me want more. But I do like not knowing what happens next, and One Piece is one of the few series I have left where I haven't been spoiled.
So should I upgrade to the collections? They'll overtake the episodes the Season 4 sets are covering eventually, right?
I've only seen the first few episodes of Fairy Tail. While it's rather generic as far as shounen goes, and doesn't really have anything special, what I've seen is rather enjoyable despite that.
Maybe I'll, uh, "sample" a few episodes myself. :sly: I liked the character designs and saw that it was getting a bit of discussion on TZ, so I was curious.
Have you ever tried Hunter X Hunter? There's a 1999 anime which is available on DVD, but it has some filler and stops in the middle of the story.
There's a currently running reboot which is actually really good, and you could watch that legally for free on Crunchyroll (though you'll just be forced to be a week behind the current releases). Its also currently on the best arc of the series (IMO), so I think its worth checking out.
As for One Piece, I didn't much care for Skypiea. I thought it was kind of a boring arc compared to Alabasta. I do think that the series peaks in quality after that, though, with the Water Seven and Enies Lobby arcs, but those haven't been released yet by FUNimation (they are in the process of dubbing those episodes the last time I checked, though).
I've tried watching Fairy Tail. Its not bad, but its pretty standard stuff, so I lost interest pretty quickly. I also gave Toriko a try, but once again it just didn't hold my interest for very long.
Fairy Tail's decent; it's my current go to title for long-running manga when I can't get around to catching up on One Piece. That's funny, I stopped at the end of Alabasta arc too! Need to resume that sometime.
What's Fairy Tail.
I need to start watching One Piece, Fullmetal Panic, Kenichi (sp?) and Black Lagoon one of these days.
Fairy Tail is to One Piece what non name brand cereal is to Cheerios.
Right now I'm just waiting for better FT collections to come out before I check it out, as per whatshisname's advice on TZ. Vyse, I think.
Quote from: Nel on September 12, 2012, 02:48:58 PM
Right now I'm just waiting for better FT collections to come out before I check it out, as per whatshisname's advice on TZ. Vyse, I think.
:SHOCK:
Well he said they'd probably do the 25-episode collection sets thing that they are doing with One Piece, compared to the 13-episode sets right now.
*stares at One Piece Season 1 and 2 dvds* You colossal friggin' wastes of money. :unimpressed:
Lately I've been checking out The AV Club's Gateway to Geekery series, where they attempt to find starting points in a vast element of culture, ranging from types of films or music, film or discographies of certain people, long-running series of characters and TV shows, and so on. I don't agree with some of the main choices, but these make for really cool reads and give good ideas for starting points for each topic.
Here's one they made for anime (http://www.avclub.com/articles/gateways-to-geekery-anime,24653/), and I'm curious as to what you guys think about it. I think the choices are all solid, especially the main one. It's a film that Spielberg loves and took a lot of influence from, which would make for a great comparison for western newbies.
Yeah, Castle of Caglistro definitely works out. It's definitely pretty good in terms of anime you could show to normal people.
What would you guys say are some of the great anime movies to check out?
EDIT: Looks like you guys are talking about one currently.
I like the recommendation, myself. Castle of Cagliostro may not be the best Lupin iteration or even the best Lupin-related thing out there (its actually completely inaccurate to the original source material and even the TV iterations, for that matter), but for outsiders to the series and especially for outsiders to anime, it is a great stand-alone film to watch and enjoy. I can definitely see it having mass appeal to more than just anime fans.
Quote from: talonmalon333 on October 13, 2012, 11:41:47 PM
What would you guys say are some of the great anime movies to check out?
Well, I did like Ninja Scroll back when I watched it 5+ years ago, but I haven't seen it since then, so I can't really say whether it holds up or not.
Akira is a good film but it falters in places for me.
There are a bunch of classic Miyazaki films, but honestly I haven't been able to get into any other than Castle of Cagliostro.
As for me, I can't really comment on what the best anime film is, but I can say that out of all of the ones that I've seen, my personal favorite is Summer Wars.
Yeah, I'd probably go with a Miyazaki movie myself, and it really depends on the person.
Spirited Away is a generally good all-around choice, since it's a strong and not-too-distant story with a lot of creativity and effort to work with. Totoro or Castle in the Sky would be good for big Disney fans that are always up for something similar in that vein. Mononoke and Nausicaa are there for someone who wants something that skews a little bit older. And for people who want something a bit stranger but with a strong sense of humor, Castle of Cagliostro and Porco Rosso are fine choices.
Oh wait, you want great anime movies, not beginners. Well, all of those work, and I'll second EK's choices as well. Grave of the Fireflies is also worth watching.
Quote from: Ensatsu-ken on October 13, 2012, 11:44:08 PM
Well, I did like Ninja Scroll back when I watched it 5+ years ago, but I haven't seen it since then, so I can't really say whether it holds up or not.
Akira is a good film but it falters in places for me.
There are a bunch of classic Miyazaki films, but honestly I haven't been able to get into any other than Castle of Cagliostro.
As for me, I can't really comment on what the best anime film is, but I can say that out of all of the ones that I've seen, my personal favorite is Summer Wars.
Quote from: Avaitor on October 14, 2012, 12:31:32 AM
Yeah, I'd probably go with a Miyazaki movie myself, and it really depends on the person.
Spirited Away is a generally good all-around choice, since it's a strong and not-too-distant story with a lot of creativity and effort to work with. Totoro or Castle in the Sky would be good for big Disney fans that are always up for something similar in that vein. Mononoke and Nausicaa are there for someone who wants something that skews a little bit older. And for people who want something a bit stranger but with a strong sense of humor, Castle of Cagliostro and Porco Rosso are fine choices.
Oh wait, you want great anime movies, not beginners. Well, all of those work, and I'll second EK's choices as well. Grave of the Fireflies is also worth watching.
Thanks, guys. Akira and Totoro are movies I've definitely planned on seeing. And I'll write down everything else you've recommended. I saw Spirited Away years ago and need to really rewatch it, but I remember it being great. Grave of the Fireflies is one of the strongest war films I've seen, but I thought you weren't a big fan of it, Avaitor. :P
I'm also not big on like half the Miyazaki films I listed. Just because they aren't for me doesn't mean that they're not worth seeing for yourself. :P
Vampire Hunter D: Bloodlust?
Hyouka.
All of you should watch Hunter X Hunter, but just skip to the York Shin City arc.
Either that, or just read the manga but skip straight to the Chimera Ant arc in which you'll see tons of grotesque and baffling things happen, except with cartoony character designs and an actual story underneath it all that eerily does actually make sense if you stop to think about it (and that's why Togashi scares me). If nothing else I guarantee that it'll be the weirdest thing that you've eve read from a shonen series. :hayguyz:
Recommend me an anime. Preferably something that's NOT fantasy, as I'm sort of worn out on that genre right now and not really in the mood for it at the time. Also, I'd appreciate it if its an anime that's 26 episodes or less, which shouldn't be a problem because the majority of anime are around that length, anyways.
Have you seen Darker Than Black? It's really cool, and the dub is great too. The first season is 26 episodes, but the second one is awful so you shouldn't watch it. Though the 4 episode OVA is also worth watching, so that's effectively 30 episodes. Hope that's not too many. ;)
You could also watch Fate/Zero, which is far more about the characters, action, and nihilism than it is about the fantasy elements. That's 25 episodes.
I'm keeping Fate/Zero in mind for later. I'll certainly watch it, but for now I'm more in the mood for a more down-to-earth sort of anime, something along the lines of Black Lagoon or even Cowboy Bebop, if that makes any sense. I JUST remembered that I still have yet to finish the recent Lupin series, so I may just get on that as soon as I get the chance.
As for Darker than Black, I did watch the first episode of it a few years ago and found it to be kind of stale, but its possible that the show gets better after that as there are a lot of shows with weak first episodes. I'll try the show again and give it at least a few episodes before I decide whether its for me or not.
Slam Dunk.
It's not 26 episodes, but I know you'll dig it.
Is there any filler that I should be weary of (knowing that its a long-running shonen series), or can I just watch it from start to finish without any hitches?
I wish I could properly tell you, but I only read the manga. If there are filler episodes I would assume they are character related, but most seem to consider the anime the equal to the manga so they can't be very obnoxious if no one complains about them.
Oh, apparently the anime cuts off before the manga's ending which is included in the OVA. So keep that in mind.
You can try Jormungand if you enjoyed Black Lagoon. It's not quite as fleshed out as BL, but it's still a fun little watch that's only 24 episodes long, split into two 12-episode seasons.
Hey guys, is Soul Eater worth a look? I've been flirting with the idea of giving it a shot, namely in that it's about the only thing on Toonami that I don't already have a (mostly negative) opinion of.
It's all right. Finale sucks though.
Eh, I might watch it, I might not. The show initially didn't interest me at first since it seemed like it had a lot of shonen tropes that I don't care for, but I would like to have at least one thing on Toonami to watch.
Yeah, what I noticed watching it was that, while the animation was fantastic, every character who wasn't the main two was kind of... annoying. I mean, the girl's dad. I hate that thing where the character goes all kooky crazy when they find out someone's displeased with them.
And don't get me started on Double-D Witch. >_>
I tried watching it and it really grated on me. Not the art or the character designs, just the general plot and characters. It's really not my thing.
Kino's Journey. Unarguably one of my favourite anime, if not one of my favourite animated series of all-time. Beautifully animated, with a lot of toned-down earthy colours. Lovely work on the parts of both the Japanese and English voice actors. Great, great music (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=703_Lm6KWzE). And the stories are just fantastic; well-written and thought-provoking tales that bring up discussions of politics, human relationships, and more using an urban fantasy setting. I fell in love with this show after just a single episode, and I wholeheartedly recommend it to everyone, no matter their genre preferences. To some, it might be a bit boring at times. But for me, it's inspiring, and watching it helps remind me how far this medium of animation can take storytelling.
(https://animationrevelation.com/forum/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fi.minus.com%2FiTg7kPP0F89s9.gif&hash=96d7b6438665a2bb062491b3bc2e8bbc6c0b497e)
(https://animationrevelation.com/forum/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fi.minus.com%2FiTg7kPP0F89s9.gif&hash=96d7b6438665a2bb062491b3bc2e8bbc6c0b497e)
(https://animationrevelation.com/forum/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fi.minus.com%2FiTg7kPP0F89s9.gif&hash=96d7b6438665a2bb062491b3bc2e8bbc6c0b497e)
(https://animationrevelation.com/forum/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fi.minus.com%2FiTg7kPP0F89s9.gif&hash=96d7b6438665a2bb062491b3bc2e8bbc6c0b497e)
(https://animationrevelation.com/forum/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fi.minus.com%2FiTg7kPP0F89s9.gif&hash=96d7b6438665a2bb062491b3bc2e8bbc6c0b497e)
(https://animationrevelation.com/forum/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fi.minus.com%2FiTg7kPP0F89s9.gif&hash=96d7b6438665a2bb062491b3bc2e8bbc6c0b497e)
(https://animationrevelation.com/forum/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fi.minus.com%2FiTg7kPP0F89s9.gif&hash=96d7b6438665a2bb062491b3bc2e8bbc6c0b497e)
(https://animationrevelation.com/forum/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fi.minus.com%2FiTg7kPP0F89s9.gif&hash=96d7b6438665a2bb062491b3bc2e8bbc6c0b497e)
(https://animationrevelation.com/forum/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fi.minus.com%2FiTg7kPP0F89s9.gif&hash=96d7b6438665a2bb062491b3bc2e8bbc6c0b497e)
(https://animationrevelation.com/forum/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fi.minus.com%2FiTg7kPP0F89s9.gif&hash=96d7b6438665a2bb062491b3bc2e8bbc6c0b497e)
(https://animationrevelation.com/forum/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fi.minus.com%2FiTg7kPP0F89s9.gif&hash=96d7b6438665a2bb062491b3bc2e8bbc6c0b497e)
MY FACE WHEN I WATCH AKU NO HANA:
(https://animationrevelation.com/forum/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fi36.tinypic.com%2Fj7co6e.gif&hash=4e6846735468c50ca107f4d5382137e9edc466f6)
Hawt.
So that's what the Iron Man Armored Adventures crew is working on now.
Check out my list of Favorite Anime in that respective thread.
Believe it or not, I do want to watch more than battle shonen. It's just that whenever I look for something outside of the genre, it eithers ironically suffers from having bad battle shonen cliches (wallpaper art, cliched characters, ditzy story..). I'd love to find a good horror or crime/noir series but it looks like I'll just stick to Western comics for that.
Quote from: gunswordfist on May 12, 2013, 03:34:25 PM
Believe it or not, I do want to watch more than battle shonen. It's just that whenever I look for something outside of the genre, it eithers ironically suffers from having bad battle shonen cliches (wallpaper art, cliched characters, ditzy story..). I'd love to find a good horror or crime/noir series but it looks like I'll just stick to Western comics for that.
Psycho-Pass.
Quote from: Dr. Insomniac on May 12, 2013, 03:50:42 PM
Quote from: gunswordfist on May 12, 2013, 03:34:25 PM
Believe it or not, I do want to watch more than battle shonen. It's just that whenever I look for something outside of the genre, it eithers ironically suffers from having bad battle shonen cliches (wallpaper art, cliched characters, ditzy story..). I'd love to find a good horror or crime/noir series but it looks like I'll just stick to Western comics for that.
Psycho-Pass.
Are you calling me crazy???!!??!!!!!!???!!??!!?!??!?!!!?!?????!!!!???!!!!
Quote from: gunswordfist on May 12, 2013, 04:29:52 PM
Quote from: Dr. Insomniac on May 12, 2013, 03:50:42 PM
Quote from: gunswordfist on May 12, 2013, 03:34:25 PM
Believe it or not, I do want to watch more than battle shonen. It's just that whenever I look for something outside of the genre, it eithers ironically suffers from having bad battle shonen cliches (wallpaper art, cliched characters, ditzy story..). I'd love to find a good horror or crime/noir series but it looks like I'll just stick to Western comics for that.
Psycho-Pass.
Are you calling me crazy???!!??!!!!!!???!!??!!?!??!?!!!?!?????!!!!???!!!!
http://www.funimation.com/psycho-pass/videos
I'll buy you a sarcasm detector for Christmas. ;)
Quote from: gunswordfist on May 13, 2013, 12:01:40 AM
I'll buy you a sarcasm detector for Christmas. ;)
Yes, because the holy spirit of white Jesus demands that I have this illustrious present that is a sarcasm detector. I have been so lost without an item like the one you have adequately described. My lack of tact has allowed me to think that movies such as Friday were serious depictions of life during a Friday afternoon. But now, I am enlightened. Thank you for making me see the light through your gift. I definitely believe that you shall buy me a sarcasm detector. Because those things totally exist.
I'm sure you've been fired on your day off before.
Quote from: gunswordfist on May 13, 2013, 07:38:26 AM
I'm sure you've been fired on your day off before.
Just watch the bloody show.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Y-4KjJTE1PE
This show....is comedy gold, that I have uncovered.
Enjoy ^_^
YOU SHOULD ALL WATCH BLOOD LAD. LIKE RIGHT NOW. NOT KIDDING.
Oh I watched the first 3 episodes of Hunter X Hunter early this morning. More good recs please
Quote from: gunswordfist on July 19, 2013, 11:31:04 AM
Oh I watched the first 3 episodes of Hunter X Hunter early this morning. More good recs please
Was it the old version or the new one?
The remake
Alright, just checking. The remake is probably the best way to go for consistency, anyways.
That said, keep in mind that the story doesn't really pick up until about after the first 13 episodes or so (which is after the first recap episode....that you can totally skip, of course).
Also, the series gradually gets a bit darker as it goes on. It doesn't just make an abrupt transition, which is great, but you'll start seeing hints of some of the grimmer aspects of this series as early as episode 20, and I think the show has a good balance between fun adventure aspects and dark but interesting story arcs.
Oh, and keep a close eye out in the background for quick little Yu Yu Hakusho Easter Eggs. Its nothing too special, but its fun to notice such things if you are observant enough to catch them.
Fate/Zero, Redline, Black Lagoon, Fujiko, Kenichi, Darker Than Black, Jormungand are what I plan on watching mostly thanks to the last few pages. Edit: and Psycho Pass. Definitely Psycho Pass.
Quote from: gunswordfist on July 28, 2013, 01:33:48 PM
Fate/Zero, Redline, Black Lagoon, Fujiko Kenichi, Darker Than Black, Jormunaga (sp?) are what I plan on watching mostly thanks to the last few pages.
The new Lupin series?
I highly recommend all of those, btw. Well, maybe not Jormungand (it
is good, but not amazing). Personally, I'd go for Redline first, since it's a movie. I thought you'd seen Black Lagoon, though. :o
I am sure everyone thinks I've seen BL since it's right up my alley but I almost never watch not on tv anime.
Quote from: gunswordfist on July 28, 2013, 01:33:48 PM
Fate/Zero, Redline, Black Lagoon, Fujiko, Kenichi, Darker Than Black, Jormungand are what I plan on watching mostly thanks to the last few pages. Edit: and Psycho Pass. Definitely Psycho Pass.
Out of those, I'd personally say that you should pass on Kenichi (unless you're talking about a different series than what I'm thinking of). Its just generic shounen stuff, and will probably just piss you off when coming off of an actual good shounen series like Hunter X Hunter. That series has a tendency to make the cliches of other shounen manga/anime look much worse.
Also, I thought Darker Than Black was a pretty "meh" experience (not bad by any means, but nothing about it grabbed me at all), but I suppose its still worth checking out. All of the other shows on your list seem like good watches, though. Out of those, I've only really seen Redline, Black Lagoon, and Fujiko, but all 3 of them are terrific and totally up your alley. I still need to watch more of Fate/Zero. Admittedly, I probably need to re-watch the first episode again, though, since that was pretty dense with information and exposition that I honestly didn't entirely get on my first viewing of it.
Quote from: Ensatsu-ken on July 28, 2013, 03:10:57 PM
Quote from: gunswordfist on July 28, 2013, 01:33:48 PM
Fate/Zero, Redline, Black Lagoon, Fujiko, Kenichi, Darker Than Black, Jormungand are what I plan on watching mostly thanks to the last few pages. Edit: and Psycho Pass. Definitely Psycho Pass.
Out of those, I'd personally say that you should pass on Kenichi (unless you're talking about a different series than what I'm thinking of).
Oh, he added a comma. :sweat:
Psycho-Pass is also quite nice.
So, I tried to watch Redline last night and the stupid fucking Manga Xbox 360 app played an ad during the movie so I ran out of that shit.
Which came out first: Saint Seiya Omega or The Lost Canvas?
I just watched episode 12 of FZ. Maybe it was because I was half asleep, but I honestly couldn't follow Kirei's conversation with Archer. I got totally lost trying to listen to it and it took up about half of the episode, so I imagine that it's pretty important. :sweat:
Birdy the Mighty: Decode
Phantom: Requiem for the Phantom
Corpse Princess
I wanna get folks opinion on these series. I've been told that I would get my appetite filled with the action in both of those, but as far as Phantom goes I haven't gotten any feedback about that.
I've watched about 9 episodes of the first season of Birdy: The Mighty Decode and got pretty into it, myself. It's a pretty good action show, with fairly likable characters and had an interesting conspiracy plotline going on. Nothing outstanding, mind you, but solid entertainment, and I'd say it's worth a watch. I'd have finished it back when I first watched it, but it got taken off of Netflix, and I forgot about it. One of these days I'll get back to watching it again.
Don't know too much about the other two, except that I've heard mixed opinions about Corpse Princess and passed on watching it back when it was on Netflix. But if you want my opinion, if you're looking for a good action show, and you haven't seen it already, then you should check out Black Lagoon, which is one of my favorites (and I know it's one of several others on here too). I think that series will satisfy any action craving you may have. ;)
Yeah, I saw Black Lagoon. About 3 times now. I'm not really hipped on to it like I used to be though. I think I wore myself out on it.
Might as well that I was into Black Lagoon before Black Lagoon became an anime. :)
5 underrated anime/manga you should totally check out
1. Please Save My Earth
(https://animationrevelation.com/forum/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fm.mhcdn.net%2Fstore%2Fmanga%2F55%2F05-002.0%2Fcompressed%2Fplease_save_my_earth_v05_091.jpg%3Fv%3D11200865201&hash=106490f4ec23abe4168de10d58b2004a92e2534b)
The anime OVA is a good introduction to this story which is a tale that takes place over an incredible amount of space and time. Though it's really about the crushing affect of alienation and the desire for community, you get quite a lot of psychic battles and interesting plot turns along the way. I'm not quite sure why this doesn't get anywhere near as much attention these days (maybe because it never got the full length anime it deserved) but it's well worth watching for anyone who is an anime fan.
2. School Rumble
(https://animationrevelation.com/forum/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fdvdmedia.ign.com%2Fdvd%2Fimage%2Farticle%2F935%2F935502%2Frumble_120308_4_1228350975.jpg&hash=95f05bc2fbc3c7c68597a1b3338cd787c2a9947a)
I think this one got swept under the rug due to coming out just before the moe craze. But it's not moe. It's just a comedy that happens to be centered in high school and on character relationships that manages to be surprisingly funny with a lot of characters to keep track of. I think a lot of anime fans lump it in with the moe craze or think it isn't moe enough, but it's a legitimately good anime and manga that is only hampered by its somewhat slow start. If you like comedies, you should really give it a chance.
3. Vinland Saga
(https://animationrevelation.com/forum/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.bateszi.me%2Fwp-content%2Fuploads%2F2010%2F01%2FVinland-Saga-v02-p235.png&hash=fb06971ea5699fe33604ea4d482aa395069d5dd2)
No anime. That's probably the main reason nobody really talks about it. Because... well, it's a pretty good manga otherwise. Though I have heard people complain that they miss the over-the-top violence, so it's possible most of the fans of this actually don't understand the purpose of the story. It's not Gantz, it has a brain.
4. Galaxy Express 999
(https://animationrevelation.com/forum/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2F4.bp.blogspot.com%2F-1PU96qoNlw0%2FTVfoEE-ePFI%2FAAAAAAAADvc%2FuddwdGBKScY%2Fs400%2Fgalaxyexpress999.jpg&hash=52980b4842acc3a8b488a067a15229aa4512a24e)
The Leiji Matsumoto effect, I guess. Most of his stuff doesn't get talked about very often, but 999 is pretty good stuff regardless. I've seen far lesser work than this get acclaim.
5. Martian Successor Nadesico
(https://animationrevelation.com/forum/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fi.ytimg.com%2Fvi%2FBtUkw_a2Mvw%2F0.jpg&hash=108ba79ce43a05908635c95cd109f59495588b27)
Oh, I know why this one isn't talked about too much these days. It's old news and was overshadowed by another late 90s mecha anime that grabbed all the attention. Still, I think it has quite a lot to offer anime fans these days and is in my opinion the best mecha anime of the 90s. Take from that what you will. I know you're tired of hearing about this from me so it'll be the last time I'll bring it up. That said, since I was making this list I think it deserved a placement on it.
:joy:
Please Save My Earth, Vinland Saga, and Galaxy Express 999 are three series that have been on my to watch/to read list for ages. I've checked out a bit of each of them at various points and enjoyed them, but I just haven't managed to commit to going through them yet. Rest assured, I will. In fact, I'll make reading Vinland Saga a priority now that it's coming out here in the States legally, since the first few chapters were awesome, and after I finish Gunslinger Girl, I'll watch the Please Save My Earth OVA series, and get to the manga at some point later as well. Hopefully Galaxy Express 999 will still be on Hulu for a while, because I have other priority watches right now that are going to take up much of my already depleeting free time(Breaking Bad, Mad Men, Louie, etc.).
And hell yeah do I second School Rumble and Nadesico! It's a shame that, with School Rumble, they never got to adapt the rest of the manga. I haven't finished it (something I should do one of these days), but the story becomes more drama-oriented...and it works! (again, from what I read of it). It would have been nice to see it be completed in animated form.
School Rumble never forgets it's a comedy, but it does work on some more serious moments on top of the comedy. I just know there's a resistance to it because of how bad anime comedies have been that were in a similar genre, but its surprisingly good. Also that first opening theme is just perfect.
I recommend the Please Save My Earth OVA first because its definitely something that would push anyone into trying out the series.
*saves post for future reference*
Actually it looks like the first volume of Vinland Saga comes out here on October 8th and... contains two volumes? That's pretty awesome if so, but it will probably catch up to the official releases at that rate.
Quote from: gunswordfist on July 28, 2013, 01:49:53 PM
I am sure everyone thinks I've seen BL since it's right up my alley but I almost never watch not on tv anime.
Funny how much has changed. I can't even believe I wrote this these days. Thank you 360 app and HXH remake! I am about to check out Fujiko Mine and then maybe Black Lagoon...on a computer.
It's been a while since I've actually said anything about anime. I've pretty much given up on it at this point, but I am curious about Blue Exorcist. Anybody checked it out?
Watching the Toonami run, and it's pretty "meh" so far.
Quote from: Grave on April 05, 2014, 04:11:31 PM
It's been a while since I've actually said anything about anime. I've pretty much given up on it at this point, but I am curious about Blue Exorcist. Anybody checked it out?
It's not worth checking out, Grave.
Blue Exorcist just another generic shonen series. It isn't awful, but it does nothing new and is bogged with the kind of anime cliches and characters you'd find tiresome.
Have you watched
JoJo's Bizarre Adventure yet? I think you'd like that series quite a bit. And since you're a fan of
Hajime no Ippo, I'd strongly recommend reading or watching
Ashita no Joe as well.
Not to mention that Joe isn't as boringly stoic as Ippo can be as a character (I like the supporting cast much more than Ippo himself in HnI, is what I mean).
Sounds like how Baki is.
Hunter X Hunter has made me hate the fantasy battle shonen genre even more because it reminds me that there really isn't anything remotely as good in its genre that's coming out these days.
I'd agree that Joe is a much more well-rounded and expressive character than what I've seen of Ippo, and is actually the kind of character I feel Grave would prefer.
Though I'll admit that's a bit presumptuous of me to say, since I've only just resumed watching HnI. I'm only on episode 25 right now, but so far my favorite character in the series is probably Takamura, who has a combination of a comedic and badass personality that appeals to me. I'd also say Miyata's determination and maturity has won me over, especially during his fight with Mashiba.
Quote from: gunswordfist on April 05, 2014, 05:01:15 PM
Hunter X Hunter has made me hate the fantasy battle shonen genre even more because it reminds me that there really isn't anything remotely as good in its genre that's coming out these days.
Well,
Magi is very well-written. And
Toriko is what you get when you take the over the top violence and brutality of something like
JoJo or FOTNS and mix it with early
Dragon Ball-style adventure and silliness. I don't like either as much as HxH, mind you, but they are good series that I enjoy reading every week, more consistently so than modern
One Piece in fact.
I'm certainly not going to read them. I heard that those two have there own problems that would make me not bother with them or maybe I just didn't feel like giving them a chance like everything else these days. :D
I'm just letting you know there are some good modern battle shonen series out there, is all. Though I'm curious to know what "problems" you've heard they have.
I forget. I disregard so much anime that it's all just one lump to me. I think I heard Magi gets bad after a certain arc, though. :D
Well then, you heard wrong. Very wrong. The series has just gotten better as it's gone on. The most recent long story arc, the Magnostadt arc, is easily the best part of the series to date and blows the previous arcs (which I like) away by miles and it's keeping very ambitious and entertaining in the recent chapters. I'm afraid that I don't see how people could come to the opinion the series has declined, but I strongly disagree.
The latest Alma Toran arc is kind of a waste since its all backstory and Otaka is basically writing a bunch of characters we barely know or care about (outside of Ugo). Really looking forward to when Aladdin stops expositioning and we get back to Alibaba stuck in the crossfire between Kouen and Sinbad.
Quote from: Cartoon X on April 05, 2014, 05:05:47 PMI'd agree that Joe is a much more well-rounded and expressive character than what I've seen of Ippo, and is actually the kind of character I feel Grave would prefer.
Though I'll admit that's a bit presumptuous of me to say, since I've only just resumed watching HnI. I'm only on episode 25 right now, but so far my favorite character in the series is probably Takamura, who has a combination of a comedic and badass personality that appeals to me. I'd also say Miyata's determination and maturity has won me over, especially during his fight with Mashiba.
Takamura's best moments in the series are easily in the Bryan Hawk arc (which incidentally is covered in New Challenger, not this anime). But he's a fun character up to that point, though afterward he becomes way too much of an ass-hole, IMO.
I personally love the comic duo of Aoki and Kimura. Both are so likable and they are the untalented guys of the group. Always struggling but ultimately being stuck in the same place, never being able to achieve the success of Takamura or Ippo. But aside from adding a lot of heart to the series, their comedic shenanigans add a lot of real personality into the mix. At any rate, I think the characters are good enough to sustain the original 75-episode anime (which is why I prefer it over the manga), and New Challenger to some extent. The problem with a series as long as HnI, though, is that they eventually become stale if the author doesn't do anything new with them, and Morikawa's refusal to develop them any further really makes the later parts of the manga a drag, IMO.
Aw, Takamura becomes an asshole after a point? I hope he doesn't become too unlikeable...
I also like Aoki and Kimura, and I'm sorry to hear that they never, ever improve, though realistically it reflects how not every athlete can have the talent/luck of guys like Takamura and Ippo.
As far as long running series with no end in sight so, I think one thing Gosho Aoyama does well in Detective Conan is how he's always able to make the characters interesting. The story of that series doesn't really move forward very often, but he puts them in situations that really get the most mileage out of them and allow them to shine. There aren't really any overused quirks to the characters either, so none ever really grow tiresome even if only a couple really ever get actual character development (though, admittedly, the Detective Boys do bore me, but they don't get that many cases to themselves anymore).
Two days ago (Wednesday), after giving Fist Of The Northstar a long break because of seeing an overly melodramatic episode, I started watching it again. The first episode in the season I'm on was pretty good.
is parasyte any good?
Quote from: gunswordfist on August 20, 2014, 09:52:46 PM
is parasyte any good?
I love the manga. One of my top favorites. I have no clue how the anime adaption will turn out, and I'm still not sold on the changed character designs, but with the source material so good, I have to hope it'll be just as excellent. There are a lot of anime I'm looking forward to this fall anime season, but the
Parasyte adaption is easily the one I'm most excited for.
i guess i'll have to wait.
Somebody recommend me some comedy anime or manga that's good fun but isn't TOO over-the-top zany.
Now, before you guys mention anything, let me clear this up:
-Excel Saga manga, I know....I promise to get to it eventually.
-I'm already reading Dr. Slump, and while I do really enjoy it, that fulfills my quota for the insanely over-the-top comedy that defies all sense of logic whatsoever, so I don't want to get burned out on this stuff; I do plan to get into BoBo after I finish this, since CX speaks so highly of it, and maybe I'll eventually give Assassination Classroom another chance.
-Nothing like Lucky Star, please. I just don't care for that brand of humor.
With that said, I'm basically just asking for something that's primarily comedic in tone, and can get ridiculous on plenty of occasions, but is still grounded enough in some semblance of reality, such as GTO, Full Metal Panic! Fumoffu, Ouran High School Host Club, and so on.
Like, I was thinking of checking out Welcome to the NHK and series like that since they seemed closer to fitting the bill. I'm not really sure if it does, though, but does anyone know if there are other series that fit the bill of what I'm asking for?
Ghost Stories was pretty funny when they dubbed it and threw away the original script in favor of a comedic, self-satirizing one.
Well, School Rumble is one of my personal favorites, and while it has a lot of wacky humor it can pull off genuinely great emotional and character moments exceptionally well.
Princess Jellyfish and Silver Spoon are my two favorite currently running manga. There's more to them then just their comedy, but the comedy is one of the best things about them and a large part of what got me into them before their more series elements started to show up. The anime versions would give you a good taste of them, and both of those are short (PJ is 11 eps and SS is 22). They don't tell their complete stories though (because they're still currently running and all), so I'd definitely recommend reading the manga after watching the anime, especially since that's the version where both are favorites of mine.
I've said this before, but Franken Fran is like Black Jack made into an excellent horror comedy with great satire. It's another one of my favorite manga comedies.
If you don't want to read more AC atm (though I will say that it's not really a logic-less comedy like Slump or Bobobo), then Shokugeki no Soma is the next biggest thing in Jump after that. I've read my share of cooking manga, and while Soma isn't innovative in terms of the genre's tropes, it's excellent humor and characters make it an incredibly fun series to keep up with.
On the subject of Jump series, Gintama is one of the funniest anime/manga comedies I've seen, but the first few episodes/volumes are a bit slow and sometimes it tries to get serious like a regular battle-shonen to mixed results (imo). It's still mostly a comedy series and an excellent one at that, but it's also incredibly long. I'm not even close to catching up with it. If you are willing to invest in a long series like it, then it is definitely worth checking out, though, as it is probably Jump's best comedy series overall.
And then lastly of course is UY, MI, and R1/2 which you know I love a whole lot. Of course all are pretty long and I know you already said you don't plan on getting to them for a while, so if you want something shorter go with the above (barring Gintama, of course).
I think that's a fair amount of suggestions for now. ;)
Welcome to the NHK is excellent and often funny but also incredibly depressing. Only watch it if you're prepared to feel like shit afterwards.
School Rumble.
Thanks for the recommendations, CX. :)
And yeah, you're right, I don't want to get into something too long right now, even though I forgot to mention it, which is why I haven't gotten to the Excel Saga manga as well as Takahashi's series, yet. From what you've mentioned, Princess Jellyfish seems up my alley, and even the manga doesn't seem THAT long yet, even if it's still currently running, from what I can tell. At the very least the anime is short, so I'll probably give that a look along with NHK, which I was already planning on watching.
::EDIT::
I just noticed Foggle and Desensitized's comments. Based on that, I'll change it to Princess Jellyfish and School Rumble for now, and then balance that out with something that will make me feel like shit which is when I'll watch the NHK (after I finish one of the other two series), because I'm just a masochist like that. :sly:
Quote from: Foggle on October 22, 2014, 10:00:39 PM
Welcome to the NHK is excellent and often funny but also incredibly depressing. Only watch it if you're prepared to feel like shit afterwards.
It's a good series and I really thought it was worth seeing, but I don't think I can recommend it to people. It's a hard watch.
Quote from: Spark Of Spirit on October 22, 2014, 10:03:59 PMQuote from: Foggle on October 22, 2014, 10:00:39 PMWelcome to the NHK is excellent and often funny but also incredibly depressing. Only watch it if you're prepared to feel like shit afterwards.
It's a good series and I really thought it was worth seeing, but I don't think I can recommend it to people. It's a hard watch.
You do realize that you only made me want to watch it more, now, right?
Quote from: Dr. Ensatsu-ken on October 22, 2014, 10:18:37 PM
Quote from: Spark Of Spirit on October 22, 2014, 10:03:59 PMQuote from: Foggle on October 22, 2014, 10:00:39 PMWelcome to the NHK is excellent and often funny but also incredibly depressing. Only watch it if you're prepared to feel like shit afterwards.
It's a good series and I really thought it was worth seeing, but I don't think I can recommend it to people. It's a hard watch.
You do realize that you only made me want to watch it more, now, right?
Knock yourself out.
Just don't feel the urge to actually knock yourself out. :P
Serial Experiments Lain..
Good idea to be on my Christmas wish list, or no?
Just curious because I need to come up with ideas really quickly to appease my relatives. :il_hahaha:
I've heard good things.
I haven't seen it in a dog's age, but yes, it's good.
Some people have said it's much longer than it needs to be, I haven't watched it though.
is appleseed xiii any good?
Anyone here seen Detroit Metal City?
No, it's on my list though. I hear a lot of good things about it, apparently it's hilarious if you can stomach the vulgarity.
Oh, and I recommend Giant Robo. (http://animationrevelation.com/forum/index.php?topic=10.msg82367#msg82367) Sorry for mixing up the threads, I realised this fit here too when I finished the post.
Quote from: goody2shoes on December 29, 2014, 07:02:57 PM
So I finished Giant Robo recently, and it fell just short of being another favorite of mine.
(https://animationrevelation.com/forum/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fupload.wikimedia.org%2Fwikipedia%2Fen%2F5%2F5d%2FGiant_Robo_-_The_Animation.jpg&hash=c7a468760ccd597938da2ba64d728c172c266551)
Now, this series had its weaknesses (as all shows do), but my real problem was with the ending. I saw a perfect conclusion coming from a mile away, and then... it didn't really happen. I'd give some more detail in abstract, but suffice to say I thought it held itself back in the final episode story arc-wise. And to top it off you get an unnecessary tease for a sequel, which never became a reality.
In spite of this, I can't help but recommend this series wholeheartedly, especially if you're a fan of Astro Boy, super sentai, and grandiose epics with humanity's future on the line. The animation is some of the best I've ever seen, and the ensemble cast of characters are larger-than-life and so charmingly expressive and well designed. Not to mention the soundtrack. (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=X8C4NkOV5Kg&index=1&list=PL379E14D79B80ED61) It did so much to heighten the whole experience, and it even pulled at my heart-strings at times. The overarching story, while again, it could have concluded better, tackled surprisingly mature and thought-provoking themes. It really brought Osamu Tezuka to mind for me. It's something I think I would've loved as a kid, because it's fun and action packed without coddling the audience (for the most part).
I could go on and on, but I hope this is enough to make some of you check it out. For me, it's been an experience unlike any other.
Funimation is currently having a Spring Cleaning sale. There's a LOT of good titles on sale. I'd get something but the shipping would hose me.
Shipping has always been unkind to Canada. I'm sure those deals would sound good..if I wasn't dead broke.
Kyo Kara Ore Wa!!
One of the worst aspects of NA's allergy to the delinquent sub-genre is that we never got this show (or manga) licensed. I've watched a few episodes, and it's a blast. There's no mystery as to why this is one of Sunday's highest selling series.
Yeah, I can tell your enthusiasm for it after that elaborate PM that you sent me. :D
It does sound really awesome, though. You know that I'm always pumped to read and watch more classic delinquent manga and anime where I can find them, so I'll definitely work my way around to this series when I get a chance. It's such an underrated genre outside of Japan (and probably isn't even that popular in Japan these days either).
While I'm not a huge fan of Digibro, occasionally he does put out some videos that I enjoy and agree with. At any rate, he just uploaded a SEVEN HOUR video recommending 250 different anime, organized by category: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yYJ618HckG0
Obviously nobody would be expected to watch the whole thing, but if you look at the video description below you can just skip to the categories that you're interested in. I just briefly skimmed through parts of his video, but what's most notable is that he gave all three Yoshihiro Togashi series a recommendation, two of which got a high recommendation from him (Yu Yu Hakusho and Hunter X Hunter) and one of which got a medium recommendation (Level E). So, there's that! :joy:
I'm interested in watching more of the Anime that Aired on Adult Swim back before the Toonami revival. I've watched Cowboy Bebop, Yu Yu Hakusho (Which Adult Swim aired for about a year before it moved to Toonami), Inuyasha, Trigun, FLCL, Death Note, Neon Genesis Evangelion, and both of the Fullmetal Alchemist shows, but I haven't seen anything else in their entirety
I'm thinking of watching The Big O next. Is that worth watching? I've seen a few Episodes of it, but not the entirety of it. I know I started watching Samurai Champloo and I plan to finish it. I also have thought of watching Lupin the 3rd Part 2, Ghost in the Shell: Stand Alone Complex, and Bleach as well
Do you have any Adult Swim Anime recommendations for me?
Recently watched and enjoyed Skip Beat. Great main character, really funny parts and also surprisingly decent drama. For a show that's about acting, they made it really compelling to watch. Bad thing is the ending is just before the end of one of the manga arcs it was on. I have no idea why it didn't get a second season when the manga was popular enough to still be running today. :??:
Quote from: TheDisneyPlayhouse on January 12, 2022, 01:30:01 AM
I'm interested in watching more of the Anime that Aired on Adult Swim back before the Toonami revival. I've watched Cowboy Bebop, Yu Yu Hakusho (Which Adult Swim aired for about a year before it moved to Toonami), Inuyasha, Trigun, FLCL, Death Note, Neon Genesis Evangelion, and both of the Fullmetal Alchemist shows, but I haven't seen anything else in their entirety
I'm thinking of watching The Big O next. Is that worth watching? I've seen a few Episodes of it, but not the entirety of it. I know I started watching Samurai Champloo and I plan to finish it. I also have thought of watching Lupin the 3rd Part 2, Ghost in the Shell: Stand Alone Complex, and Bleach as well
Do you have any Adult Swim Anime recommendations for me?
Big O is worth watching, although season 2 isn't quite as good as the first. But it's worth watching the whole way through.
If you're just sticking to that era of ASA, have you seen Wolf's Reign or Gundam 0080 yet? I really like the latter and think that it's a perfect intro to the Gundam universe, and I don't like the former as much but it's worth a watch regardless.
It seems like you've hit most of my favorites from that period. But if you want to check out series from either era of Toonami, let us know!