The JesuOtaku Thread

[Dr. Insomniac]

I'a diggin' this thread, a hole in the ground, so big and so round.

Kicking myself for not seeing Kino's Journey, Mushi-Shi and BECK yet.

[Avaitor]

Just watched all of her top 25 list, and I here are some comments towards it.


25- Case Closed- I saw a few episodes back on [as]. Not bad, but not really my thing. Probably would've been better as a gateway show, but I never felt the need to actively watch it.
24- Bamboo Blade- Doesn't really interest me, although JO's name being on the box gives me a little more desire to check it out.
23- Chobits- Never watched, but I skimmed a bit of the manga. A little too pervy for my tastes, but if JO likes it, maybe there is more good in it than I gave it credit for. And I only say that because she seems to be less into pervy stuff than I am.
22- Digimon Tamers- Looks like I know which one is her favorite. I didn't like this one as much when I was a kid, but one day I will get around to watching all of these series again.
21- Kino's Journey- Damn fine series. Kino is easily one of my favorite female anime characters.
20- Beck- This has been pretty high on my to-watch list for a while. After I get into finishing one or two other series, I'll finally check this out.
19- Rahexphon- Never got into it. Was always like a less-interesting Evangelion to me.
18- Berserk- This is one I've been meaning to finish for a while but somehow never did. I rented the first two volumes from Blockbuster while it was still around, but haven't seen past that. I might just watch the new show instead though.
17- Mushi-Shi- Not something that is especially of interest to me, but I'm sure that it's a fine show. If anything else, it looks very visually creative.
16- Midori Days- This one seems very messed up. Could be great, though. I might check it out with some friends on a high someday though.
15. Haibane Renmei- Again, not something I have a huge amount of interest in.
14- Welcome to the NHK- Again, something I've been wanting to watch for a while, but haven't got around to yet.
13- Great Teacher Onizuka- Hilarious stuff. Thanks for the rec, EK.
12- Vision of Esclaflowne- Confession: I haven't seen the series in full. I always have wanted to, and I love the movie, but never got around to watching the show. I need to change that soon.
11- Revolutionary Girl Utena- This is one of those series I've heard dropped for ages that is supposed to be good for just about anyone. I haven't seen it yet, but maybe I finally should.
10- Yu Yu Hakusho- I really need to get the rest of YYH already. Season 2 is calling me.
9- Ouran High School Host Club- Fun stuff. I want to get the DVDs soon.
8- Paranoia Agent- I finally got around to watching this after Satoshi Kon died. I'm going to get around to explaining what I liked about this show later, but this is his masterpiece.
7- Gankutsuou- Haven't seen the show, but it seems legit. I'm not too familiar with the book, but if it's as good of an adaptation as JO seems to think it is, I might red it and then look at this for comparison.
6- Baccano!- This is easily one of the funnest anime I've seen in ages. Awesome on pretty much all levels.
5- Princess Tutu- Not my usual type of anime, but I watched it thanks to her review. She completely hit the target on it. By far the best magical girl show ever made, as well as probably the best kids anime ever.
4- Wolf's Rain- This was a DS,DC title back from [adult swim], but JO's review has peaked my interest. It's high on my to-watch list.
3- Cowboy Bebop- Do I need to say anything? This is essential viewing for everyone.
2- Trigun- I love this one, but it's been a while since I've seen it. Also, Insommy did a good review of it.
1- Full Metal Alchemist- Great show, but not a personal favorite of mine. I completely respect her choice, but I honestly think I prefer Brotherhood so far.

Overall, it's a good list. I don't like every single thing on here or have much of an interest in certain titles, but it's her list, and not mine. I like enough shows on here and she makes some of what I haven't seen look good enough for me to consider that I can give it a solid A.

[Foggle]

19- Rahexphon- Never got into it. Was always like a less-interesting Evangelion to me.

As far as I can tell, you either like one or the other. Never both.

[Avaitor]

19- Rahexphon- Never got into it. Was always like a less-interesting Evangelion to me.

As far as I can tell, you either like one or the other. Never both.

Eh, I know a few fans of both shows, like Jonn and Vekou. I just couldn't get into Rahexphon myself.

[Angus]

Lots of Adult Swim titles on that list!

Midori Days is kind of average to me; more of that magical girlfriend stuff like Chobits, which seems to stay high on my personal list because of Clamp and Crispin Freeman's voice acting long before he did Kyon in Haruhi.

[Dr. Ensatsu-ken]

25- Case Closed- Even putting nostalgia aside, I think its a highly entertaining series in its own right. Its something I'd invest more time in without hesitation if it weren't for its massive length.
24- Bamboo Blade- Eh, I can respect her choice and she admits that its more fitting for her personal taste than being legitimately great, but its just not for me from what I have already tried to watch of it.
23- Chobits- I'm not into CLAMP series myself, but I have to admit that I've never even given this show a try, so maybe someday I will.
22- Digimon Tamers- Alright, I can fully respect this series as being the most mature and dark of the Digimon series, and I fully acknowledge that, but unlike most people, that alone doesn't make a series good for me. Personally, I felt that Digimon Tamers, while having a lot of heart and passion put into it, was very flawed in its execution. But, for what its worth, once I finish re-watching 02 I'll get into re-watching this series, so you can't say that I'm not going to be giving it another fair chance to change my mind. Still, I get the strong feeling that people overrated this series solely because it was more mature and dark relative to the other series, rather than on its enjoyment quality or overall execution, personally.
21- Kino's Journey- This is a series that I meant to saw quite a few years ago, but just plain forgot about getting around to. I probably should get into it, now, especially since its short length is quite inviting to me.
20- Beck- I saw the first episode subbed a long time ago and admittedly it didn't interest me, but my interests change over time, so I may be able to get into it if I try the series now.
19- Rahexphon- I haven't seen either this and have barely seen any of NGE, so I currently have no opinions on either.
18- Berserk- I never bothered to check out the anime, and I only read the first few volumes of the manga, but I definitely need to continue this series.
17- Mushi-Shi- I do admit that I liked what I saw of it, which was only the first 3 episodes, but its also hard for me to keep watching the series. Its individual episodes are greatly done, but it does nothing to keep me watching, which may be its only major problem for me, personally.
16- Midori Days- I respect this entry on JO's list, but I have tried watching this series before and its personally not for me. I do like how she mentioned Fumoffu as being one of the series that she might have placed in this spot. I certainly love that series.
15. Haibane Renmei- I haven't seen this series, but she managed to make me mildly interested in checking it out, so perhaps I might try it sometime in the distant future if I remember to.
14- Welcome to the NHK- I've been meaning to check this series out, but my backlog is still too big for me to get around to it, yet.
13- Great Teacher Onizuka- You're welcome, Avaitor.
12- Vision of Esclaflowne- I honestly haven't seen it, which is surprising since it also seems like the type of series that I'd love. I just love a good fantasy with elements that I can relate to in real life, so I'm not sure why I haven't taken the opportunity to check out this show, yet, as it seems like the type of anime that I would love.
11- Revolutionary Girl Utena- Yet another show that I need to watch.
10- Yu Yu Hakusho- I'm extremely glad to see that this made her list, but I can't help but feel that she rushed through it not really going over its true merits that much. This is either because she doesn't want to say too much now in order to have more to say for her future review of it, or because she kind of admitted that it was a bit of a guilty pleasure for her to have placed it that high on the list. Either way, I'm glad that she clearly enjoys it quite a lot, as it is the best of the entire shounen genre just like she said its the only battle shounen series that she truly likes.
9- Ouran High School Host Club- Its a great comedy and since Desensitized and Foggle don't get why its so liked, JO pretty much explains why its so great: it makes fun of its own genre extremely well while also embracing the good charm about its genre as well, and that's pretty damn hard to do (also, on top of that, its just plain fun to watch).
8- Paranoia Agent- I have to admit that I only saw it on AS back when I was younger and didn't really get it, but I should really give this show a proper watch now that I'm older and would be better able to appreciate its deeper conventions.
7- Gankutsuou- I've only seen the first 3 episodes of this show, and while it was kind of slow, I loved how well it was crafting and developing the characters, and I adore this series's art-style. I definitely need to continue watching this series soon.
6- Baccano!- This is the same case as above, where I've seen the first few episodes of the series and loved it, but I need to get around to continuing it.
5- Princess Tutu- I'll give this anime a try sometime, it does seem like I'd enjoy it.
4- Wolf's Rain- This is another series that I kind of passed up when it aired on AS and that I didn't get into when I was younger. It looks like something that I'd have more appreciation for now, though.
3- Cowboy Bebop- What Avaitor said.
2- Trigun- Yeah, it is a damn fine anime and highly enjoyable, so I can't object to it being placed so highly on her list, though it isn't really a top 3 for me, personally, but its still awesome, so who really cares where its placed as long as its in the top 10?
1- Full Metal Alchemist- I do like and respect this show, and should re-watch it someday, but I respectfully have to disagree with JO's opinions on Brotherhood. Its a faithful adaptation of the manga, and really enjoyable. Admittedly the original story itself is neither as deep nor as complex as the first anime series, but in this case I find that it works in its favor, because to be honest even though I've always liked FMA, the more complex parts of the first anime also hurt it a little bit for me by making it feel far more slow-paced than it should have, mostly by the 2nd half of the series, though. The manga and Brotherhood still cover the same themes, but also have good pacing and additional likable characters to boost its enjoyment. Now, I'm not saying that I don't prefer a series that takes more risks and looks deeper into the characters, and at this particular aspect the first anime was undoubtedly done better, and was even more willing to kill off important characters than the manga was (as the manga let too many of the good guys get off the hook of dying way too conveniently), but it also had quite a few characters that I just downright didn't like, and it made a number of its own changes, some of which really helped make the series feel better, but also some of which helped hurt the quality of the series for me, as well. Still, its a great anime so I can respect its high placement on her list, and it probably deserves it.

Overall, I thought it was a good and well-constructed list, but I'm disappointed that Monster didn't make the list, but maybe that's only because its a carbon-copy of the manga. At any rate, the only other anime I kind of wished would have made the list was FMP! TSR, but I'm not surprised that it didn't because she's clearly not very passionate about that series, even though she did clearly indicate that she at least generally likes it from her review of the 1st season.

[Foggle]

Berserk is fucking awesome. Everyone should read it.

[Spark Of Spirit]

You know, I used to love FMA, but I dunno... I mean, it's a good show and all, but it's not really something that grabs me anymore. I would actually rather watch any of the rest of her top 25 these days. (Yes, including Ouran)

I really wish you guys would give Tamers another shot. You may not like it as much as Adventure, but there really is more to it than gloominess and a more lax pace.

[Angus]

25- Case Closed- It's good for episodic stuff. Hard to marathon, but with Funimation On Demand (cable), that pace works well for me.
24- Bamboo Blade- It's an all-girls sports team with a few token guys. Not quite a harem since the students aren't fawning over the teacher. In a genre that tends to overload the ecchi, this one treats the girls respectfully.
23- Chobits- The first half is typical rom com, and has some of Crispin Freeman's finest moments playing the main guy. It could have easy been a 10/10 but then the second half is general drama that's alright. As mentioned before, this predates Haruhi and most of the moe stuff out there, so I rate this above that show outside of the Mikuru Episode 00, which is just funny in its own right. It's also a must for CLAMP fans and Michelle Ruff fans (before Bleach, she does the same deadpan voice in Last Exile, and narrates a bunch in Marmalade Boy). The last volume of the manga explains things a little better than the anime. I agree since it's CLAMP, it has a slightly different perspective on the genre, although it plays right into it. Also the director Morio Asaka did Cardcaptor Sakura, Gunslinger Girl, Monster, and Nana.
22- Digimon Tamers- Haven't seen, probably won't, unless it appeals to girls like Disney Princess shows and Barbie.
21- Kino's Journey- No clue about this, but it seems like fantasy so hmm maybe it'll be as good as Orphen?
20- Beck- I liked this one, especially the dub since Greg Ayres finally sings decently. It's a generic shonen but with music done really well for a change.
19- Rahxephon- I've seen this at the library. It has the ADV cast, so it's promising.
18- Berserk- Also seen this at the library. Dunno if I'll see it anytime soon.
17- Mushi-Shi- No clue, keep hearing about it.
16- Midori Days- This one's another rom com / magical girlfriend  but with more boobs and a main character that kind of looks like Ichigo from Bleach. The girl basically becomes his hand like a puppet.
15. Haibane Renmei- Also seen at library. Dunno. Could be like Kare Kano for all I know.
14- Welcome to the NHK- I don't want to be a NEET but heard it's funny.
13- Great Teacher Onizuka- Teacher Banzai!
12- Vision of Escaflowne- Heard good things but seems like more sci-fi anime from the late 1990s in art style.
11- Revolutionary Girl Utena- Old school shojo action is my impression of this. Maybe it's like Fushigi Yugii or Sakura Wars?
10- Yu Yu Hakusho- Ooh, a basement!
9- Ouran High School Host Club- It's cute, and nicely over the top, but sometimes the brainy characters get to you. If you want more baka characters try the companion reverse-harem The Wallflower or the shonen by the same director Soul Eater.
8- Paranoia Agent- Another Adult Swim title I have no clue.
7- Gankutsuou- This is a SAVE title at the stores. Historical period anime is kind of hit-or-miss for me. I liked Emma but didn't immediately latch onto Romeo x Juliet like I thought I would.
6- Baccano!- Heard good things, just need the time and the resources.
5- Princess Tutu- It's not the epitome of Magical Girl anime, but it's a decent title, especially with the very familiar Luci and Chris. The classical music might put you to sleep. The extras of their outtakes are fun. Of course I'm biased towards magical girl anime shows, having put so many in my top 10.
4- Wolf's Rain- This came recommended from a friend along with FMA but we chose to watch FMA instead.
3- Cowboy Bebop- I see this on CN HD sometimes.
2- Trigun- And um, where's Outlaw Star to round out the trifecta?
1- Full Metal Alchemist- I liked it. I'd lump Brotherhood in with this as it's more of the same. It propelled some of the voice actors' careers, but they have since done other roles that I enjoyed much more.

[Dr. Insomniac]

25. Case Closed – Watched a bit of it, and kind of liked it for the most part. Can't see myself going into it again given the length.
24. Bamboo Blade – Saw the first episode, and didn't think much of it. Then again, sports shows aren't my thing.
23. Chobits – And not a CLAMP fan either. Though to be fair, it looks to be more interesting than Tsubasa and XXXholic ever were.
22. Digimon Tamers – Good times. Good times. The D-Reaper arc was the first time a cartoon unnerved the fuck out of me.
21. Kino's Journey – On my backlog.
20. Beck – Also on my backlog.
19. Rahexphon – What Avaitor said.
18. Berserk – I'll read the manga once Miura concludes it. I don't like going into long-runners without knowing that there will be an actual end point.
17. Mushi-Shi – Yet again, one on my backlog.
16. Midori Days – There's just something so stupid about the premise that I can't get over.
15. Haibane Renmei – Yeah, I can see why JO said this wouldn't appeal to everybody.
14. Welcome to the NHK – Will probably watch it in the oncoming weeks.
13. Great Teacher Onizuka – Yes, I have so much shit on my backlog.
12. Vision of Escaflowne – Saw the Fox Kids version, which probably doesn't count. And saw the abridged version, which kind of counts.
11. Revolutionary Girl Utena – I keep hearing how it's basically Evangelion for girls. Might put it on the backlog once it clears up.
10. Yu Yu Hakusho – Awesome.
9. Ouran High School Host Club – Funny.
8. Paranoia Agent – Beautiful.
7. Gankutsuou – Will either start this today or tomorrow.
6. Baccano! – All three of 10, 9, and 8 at once.
5. Princess Tutu – Not interested at the moment, but you never know.
4. Wolf's Rain – Remembered liking it when it first aired.
3. Cowboy Bebop – Essentially one of the few shows so good, there's something fucking wrong with you for not wanting to watch it.
2. Trigun – Not as good as Cowboy Bebop, but that's like saying Goodfellas isn't as good as The Godfather.
1. Fullmetal Alchemist – I'd be lying if I said I didn't love this show. While Brotherhood has proved itself to be just as superb, there something about the first show's score, direction, animation, and plot tweaks that make it a tad more interesting to watch.

[Foggle]

I don't even watch or like JO, but I guess I'll do this anyway.

25- Case Closed- I honestly have never seen this show. I've read a little of the manga, though, and it was okay, I guess.
24- Bamboo Blade- Seen an episode or two. It was alright.
23- Chobits- I fucking hate Chobits.
22- Digimon Tamers- Never saw this portion of Digimon.
21- Kino's Journey- Seen two episodes, and it was pretty good. My friend loves it, I gotta' borrow the DVDs from him sometime.
20- Beck- Great show, but make sure to watch the dub.
19- Rahexphon- I've never been a fan.
18- Berserk- One of the best manga ever. The anime is too short and ends abruptly, though.
17- Mushi-Shi- Seen a couple of episodes, not really my thing.
16- Midori Days- Don't like it.
15. Haibane Renmei- Don't like it.
14- Welcome to the NHK- Great, great series.
13- Great Teacher Onizuka- Fuck yeah.
12- Vision of Esclaflowne- Seen the movie and hated it. Never seen the show.
11- Revolutionary Girl Utena- Not a fan.
10- Yu Yu Hakusho- The best shounen action series by far.
9- Ouran High School Host Club- It's funny, but it's not really a favorite of mine.
8- Paranoia Agent- Fucking amazing series. Kon was a brilliant director.
7- Gankutsuou- Supposed to be amazing, but I've only seen about 10 minutes of it.
6- Baccano!- In my top 10.
5- Princess Tutu- I hated it.
4- Wolf's Rain- Great show, but not one of my favorites.
3- Cowboy Bebop- Best anime ever.
2- Trigun- Excellent show.
1- Full Metal Alchemist- It's okay. I used to be a fan, but I find it kind of "meh" now. Haven't seen Brotherhood yet, and I don't really plan to.

[Spark Of Spirit]

Okay, I'll give it a go.

25- Case Closed- Fun mystery show. Would be better if it aired on normal TV in a weekly slot.
24- Bamboo Blade- I've read some of the manga, it's alright.
23- Chobits- Clamp is always such a mixed bag for me.
22- Digimon Tamers- My favorite part of Digimon. Show plummeted in season 4, though.
21- Kino's Journey- Have not seen and probably won't due to budget.
20- Beck- One of the best shonen mangas ever. The anime improves on the early part of the manga, but does not tell the whole story which is its only weakness.
19- Rahexphon- Haven't seen. Post-Evangelion philosophical anime bore me to hell.
18- Berserk- If they weren't going to finish this properly, they should have gave it a different ending. It is truly great, though.
17- Mushi-Shi- A bit slow for my tastes.
16- Midori Days- Cute anime. Not really top 25 material, IMO.
15. Haibane Renmei- Haven't seen.
14- Welcome to the NHK- The manga is pretty fucking dark and is not something I would ever read again, but it is a great story. The anime isn't as indepth, unfortunately.
13- Great Teacher Onizuka- This should have aired on TV. It's just such a great concept with great execution.
12- Vision of Esclaflowne- Great show, confusing movie. Another anime like Nadesico that seems lost in the mists of time, unfortunately.
11- Revolutionary Girl Utena- Uh, I think the phrase WTF was made specifically for this show.
10- Yu Yu Hakusho- lol liek wtf is dat?
9- Ouran High School Host Club- Not really for me. I'm still of the opinion that Fruits Basket is the best shoujo manga/anime.
8- Paranoia Agent- The onlt thing Kon ever did that wasn't massively overpraised and deserves it's acclaim.
7- Gankutsuou- Have not seen.
6- Baccano!- Ditto.
5- Princess Tutu- Brilliant. Would watch again.
4- Wolf's Rain- The ending kills the whole thing for me. It also prevents me from ever rewatching it.
3- Cowboy Bebop- They literally don't make 'em like this anymore.
2- Trigun- The show that really got me watching anime seriously.
1- Full Metal Alchemist- Same as Foggle, really.

[Avaitor]

I've been wanting to get into Berserk's manga, but since it's one of those series that has a shitload of chapters and doesn't seem to be ending anytime soon, I'm a bit weary of checking it out. I also can't find a good site with scans anywhere.

I know I'd love it if I read it, but that isn't going to happen any time soon. Like I said, I think I'll wait for the new anime to try to get into it again.

[Spark Of Spirit]

You should at least check out the ending of the anime in manga form after you finish it. It will at least give you a better form of conclusion as you wait for the manga to reach it's conclusion, and it is pretty damn good.

By the way, Inuyasha lifts the basic concept from Escaflowne but is pretty much inferior in literally every aspect. I'm surprised more people never called it out on that, but people always seem to overlook Rumiko's flaws in storytelling despite the fact that everything since Ranma has been uninspired and hacky.

[Foggle]

By the way, Inuyasha lifts the basic concept from Escaflowne but is pretty much inferior in literally every aspect. I'm surprised more people never called it out on that, but people always seem to overlook Rumiko's flaws in storytelling despite the fact that everything since Ranma has been uninspired and hacky.

Has there even been anything since Ranma aside from Inuyasha? That shit goes on forever.