Anime reccomendations?

Gabriel_Pitt

I like watching anime when I'm exercising (subtitles mean I can keep the volume down so I'm not bugging the adjacent apartments), and having just finished Full Metal Alchemist: Brotherhood, am looking for other good stuff to watch. I'm really don't like harem shows, super whacky hijinks (like that one with the mermaid princesses, or To-Love Ru) or anything whose primary selling point is 'moe.' I've heard good things about Madoka, and I keep hearing people mentioning Fate/Stay Night and wondered what people think of that? Anything that you can access via Hulu, Netflix, or Crunchyroll would be good.

Godfather

One Piece?

It's the same style of show as FMA was (Shounen)

Gabriel_Pitt

I've watched One Piece, and Bleach, and had my fill of the both of them. To further narrow my interests, if it's possible to avoid looooooooong running series (especially ones that end up with lots of filler - one big advantage of Brotherhood over the original FMA series).

What are people's opinion's on D-Gray Man, Tiger & Bunny, Neuro, and Welcome to NHK? Kino's Journey?

Cultural Geek Girl

Princess Tutu might sound like it's going to be moe or girly, but it's closer to the Black Swan than Sailor Moon. It's got really cool stuff playing with the archetypes in the story, and some trippy stuff that screws with your head. (I'm reporting this second hand, I still haven't finished watching it, but it's been recommended a bunch.) I think it's available free on Hulu.

Monster is also really good and free on Hulu. It's a suspenseful mystery drama, and I don't want to give away any of the plot, but it's awesome.

Essee

People mostly keep talking about Fate/Stay Night because of the visual novel (which is amazing, by the way) I think, but I've heard its anime is at least acceptable (but it only covers one-third of the story, and not even the most awesome part). Haven't personally seen it just yet. (On the other hand, never watch Tsukihime. Don't do it. Just don't. There is no Tsukihime anime.) I can, however, guarantee that Canaan, with art and writing by the same people who did Fate/Stay Night, is quite good. And it's on Crunchyroll! Madoka was also a pretty crazy (good) ride, although the ending was a bit weird.

Other than that, hmm, I know I have other suggestions that would fit you that you can find from those sources... I'll come back later when I come up with more. I'm almost never interested in those genres you can't stand, so I should have some good recommendations!

Edit: Yeah, I've also heard Monster was really good, not seen it myself yet though.

Bethryn

Baccano
Katanagatari
Black Lagoon
RahXephon
Mushi-shi
Cowboy Bebop
Samurai Champloo

Atheraal

Seconding Cowboy Bebop. It's quintessential viewing.

SkyGheNe

Dead man wonderland.

Psychotic One

Black Lagoon is pretty awesome.

This video pretty much sold the series on me


http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DKwaPSkjXp0

EVOL

Monster is fucking terrific. It's one of the few mangas/anime that would work as a novel, because it doesn't have any of the annoying tropes that plague the medium.

I'd recommend Serial Experiments Lain, Haibane Renmei, Texhnolyze and Kino's Journey too but I don't think they're exactly close to what you're looking for.

Hexmage-PA

I highly, highly, highly recommend you watch Madoka Magica.

Psychotic One

If you want something so goofy it might question your sanity. Excel Saga is good for some quick laughs. I loved the series but it can be very hit or miss.
Trigun and Cowboy Bebop both have some nicely collected box sets now as well.

Lucky Cynic

Dunno about its availability on Hulu and such, but I highly recommend Outlaw Star. It pretty much sums up the best parts of anime and puts them in a neat, stylish package. It can be somewhat short, but there is some real style and it is genuinely watching art in some of the more elaborate and cinematic episodes. Enter the Seven is my favorite, especially the latter half and you will see why if you pick it up.

Gabriel_Pitt

I completely agree about Outlaw Star. I first watched it long enough ago that I had the first half of the series on fansubbed VHS tapes. I didn't want to spend the op nattering about stuff I'd already watched (I was big into anime in the 90s and the turn of the century and saw all of the good stuff, and most of the notsogood from back then too). So I've seen the collected works of Shinichiro Watanabe, and Yoshitoshi ABe (except NHK), loved the entirety of Black Lagoon, even if I couldn't stop laughing at the OP. The mid to late 2000s was when I really dropped out, so for recent things, the only stuff I'm aware of are the things that breakout enough that they reach even casual fans, since I'm no longer participating in any dedicated or translation boards.

Thanks for the suggestions so far.

I also just finished Legend of Galactic Heroes, and Mawaru no Penguindrum, (looks like I need to check out Star Driver) and loved both of those, if that's any help.

Cultural Geek Girl

Welcome to the NHK is amazing. Definitely hunt it down. One of my favorite anime in years, fascinating, dark look at unromanticized Japanese culture.

If you're into LoGH and Outlaw Star, you might also enjoy Irresponsible Captain Tylor.

Toefoo

Seconding the "Welcome to the NHK is amazing" statement; great show, though it can get a bit dark/serious in parts.

Black Lagoon, as said above, is also amazing; probably one of the few shows where I actually prefer the dub over the sub.

Have to throw in an obligatory Tengen Toppa Gurren Lagann recomendation, as well as:

Tokyo Magnitude (devastating earthquake in Japan)
Eden of the East (think lighthearted Bourne Identity with some good comedic relief as well as some seriousness sprinkled in)
Sengoku Basara (if Dynasty Warriors were a show and had the volume turned to 11, it would be this)
Gankutsuou if you're feeling artsy (retelling of Count of Monte Cristo with a very interesting art style)

wonderpug

If you haven't seen Cowboy Bebop, that should go to the top of your list.

I'll second Samurai Champloo as well. Lots of fun.

Magic Pink

Azumanga Daioh is the best anime ever.

It doesn't fit into your qualifiers but it's still the best anime ever.

Rend

Have you checked out Darker than Black?

That one is pretty good.

Lankysean

Cowboy bebop and Samurai Champloo are both very good, even the american dubs aren't half bad. If you want something actiony I'd second Outlaw Star and also recommend Trigun which is kinda old now but still pretty decent. I would also take a look at Naruto, granted it's super long and does have it's fair bit of filler but when it's good it's amazing.. when it's bad it's still watchable.

wonderpug

I know this isn't really anime, but have you seen the Avatar series?

kime

Cowboy Bebop is a definite must-watch. Trigun is also pretty awesome.

And even though Azumanga Daioh doesn't fit, I agree with magic Pink in that it's pretty awesome.

Rend beat me to Darker than Black, but that's a good one too.

FLCL is really weird, but really short. Perhaps a bit too out-there for your tastes, though, and I don't know how easily accessible it is.

Retaba

I've watched some of the other suggestions and agree with the cowboy bebop, dark than black. Also the avater series is really entertaining! But I also want to suggest Neuro, it can be found on Hulu, it is a bit weird but I enjoyed it quite a bit.

kime

"The avatar series"?

As in, Avatar: The Last Airbender? I don't know any others, but that's not anime... Fantastic show, of course, but I dunno how much of a stickler the OP is on actually wanting "anime"

wonderpug

Right, but if he's looking for things to watch on the treadmill, and he likes the other things he says he likes, odds are pretty good that he's also going to like Avatar if he hasn't seen it.

kime

wonderpug wrote: »

Right, but if he's looking for things to watch on the treadmill, and he likes the other things he says he likes, odds are pretty good that he's also going to like Avatar if he hasn't seen it.

Of course. Who doesn't like Avatar?

Page-

Seconding Azumanga Daoih, FLCL (even though the dub is better than the sub), and the other standards like Cowboy Bebop and Champloo.

But you should really just watch Cross Game instead.

E.Coyote

Nura rise of the yokai, Soul Eater, and mayhaps Fairy Tail? You can catch all of them on hulu.

Fantasma

I am rediscovering Dragol Ball, Dragon Ball Z, and Dragon Ball GT, I am also getting ready to watch, again, the movie Dragon Ball Z: Super Android 13!.

I am watching episodes I haven't seen before, uncut and with all the uncensored stuff.

If you have not seen the following material, maybe you could judge by yourself if they are worth:

1. Death Note
2. Sword of the Stranger
3. Battle Angel Alita (two OVAs)
4. Ninja Scroll
5. Perfect Blue
6. Paprika

kime

Seconding Death Note, of course. But it's not so much in the same category as FMA, or most others that the OP has mentioned (that I recognize).

Paprika is awesome and everyone should watch it. It's a movie, so it's not a huge time commitment.

Page-

As always when someone recommends Death Note: Watch up till episode 26, then stop.

kime

Page- wrote: »

As always when someone recommends Death Note: Watch up till episode 26, then stop.

Arguable.

OP, are you interested in movies or series? If movies are OK, have you seen any Hayao Miyazaki films? (aka Spirited Away, Princess Mononoke, Howl's Moving Castle, etc.). They aren't typically too similar to what you've described so far, but are fairly excellent pieces of work.

Cantido

I've heard great things of Baccano.

Gabriel_Pitt

Yes, I've seen everything Miyazaki has done.

Page- wrote: »

As always when someone recommends Death Note: Watch up till episode 26, then stop.

Too late, I read the whole manga in one sitting once the last volume came out. Not one of my better plans.

Projeck

GURREN LAGANN

Gabriel_Pitt

BELIEVE IN ME THAT BELIEVES IN YOU!

MyDcmbr

Cantido wrote: »

I've heard great things of Baccano.

That's because it is a great anime.

UrQuanLord88

Don't know if you can find them on the platforms you wanted but:
Ghost in Shell: Stand Alone Complex
Hellsing OVA

Rend

UrQuanLord88 wrote: »

Don't know if you can find them on the platforms you wanted but:
Ghost in Shell: Stand Alone Complex
Hellsing OVA

GitS is entirely on netflix last I checked.

And you have good taste.

Thanatos

Like everyone else says, Cowboy Bebop is pretty much the pinnacle of the medium.

I tried to watch Monster, and while it was interesting, and good to see someone trying something different from the typical anime tropes, it is really, really slow. Like, painfully slow. I had to stop after the sixth or seventh episode.

Vanguard

Monster isn't that slow. I think it took three episodes to get going for me. It does, however, have an amazing pay off. 74 episodes is pretty long for me, but it's worth it. Also, it's on Hulu for free, both subbed and dubbed.