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Enjoyable anime help
langfor6
Registered User regular
Registered User regular
Alright H&A, enough with the serious problems, I need some help on a relatively inconsequential matter.
Anime.
I'm in the mood for some good anime. The problem is, I don't really like it that much. There is so much available that I don't know how to wade through it all and find the good stuff. I can tell you what I've seen and how I felt about it, and hopefully all you anime fans can help me out with a good series.
I enjoyed the movie Akira. It was my first exposure to anime, and I still like to pop it in on DVD and watch it from time to time.
I absolutely LOVED Cowboy Bebop. I couldn't get enough of it, and was really disappointed when it went off the air.
I watched both Ghost in the Shell movies, but I really found them to be esoteric and hard to understand. Perhaps I'm just dumb, I don't know.
Ranma 1/2 - enjoyable for a while, but a bit too weird and over the top for me.
Ruroni Kenshin - I thought I would really like this one, but it didn't have as serious a tone as I thought it would. I probably didn't give it a big enough chance.
Full Metal Alchemist - I lost interest after four or five episodes. I can see myself finishing this one day, but not right now.
That's my limited experience. Recommend me a winner!
Anime.
I'm in the mood for some good anime. The problem is, I don't really like it that much. There is so much available that I don't know how to wade through it all and find the good stuff. I can tell you what I've seen and how I felt about it, and hopefully all you anime fans can help me out with a good series.
I enjoyed the movie Akira. It was my first exposure to anime, and I still like to pop it in on DVD and watch it from time to time.
I absolutely LOVED Cowboy Bebop. I couldn't get enough of it, and was really disappointed when it went off the air.
I watched both Ghost in the Shell movies, but I really found them to be esoteric and hard to understand. Perhaps I'm just dumb, I don't know.
Ranma 1/2 - enjoyable for a while, but a bit too weird and over the top for me.
Ruroni Kenshin - I thought I would really like this one, but it didn't have as serious a tone as I thought it would. I probably didn't give it a big enough chance.
Full Metal Alchemist - I lost interest after four or five episodes. I can see myself finishing this one day, but not right now.
That's my limited experience. Recommend me a winner!
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Also, Avatar the Last Airbender isn't really anime but it's done in a similar style despite being american made. I would give it a whirl.
Samurai 7 is good. It drags a bit in the middle but sets up for one hell of a finale.
Samurai Champloo can be seen a samurai-styled Bebop and I would recommend it as well.
Shin Chan is great for humor (though I don't know how much of this is from really good translators).
Macross Plus still stands well even after all this time. There's a 4-part OVA or a movie version. The movie edits the story a bit and adds a few extra scenes for a much quicker pacing (and is only available subtitled for some reason) while the OVA fleshes out the characters a bit more.
See if you can find the Slayers TV series as well.
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I'm not big on anime either, but I really liked Princess Mononoke and Metropolis (aka Metroporisu or something to that effect). The first is a fantasy story by the same studio that made Spirited Away, the second is a reinterpretation of the classical movie Metropolis.
FLCL is also sweet, it's mostly a comedy in four episodes with some robot fighting tossed in. It's really fast-paced and full of jokes about other series (even about South Park), so maybe it's not your thing.
Ghost in the Shell: Stand Alone Complex - it's the TV series of Ghost in the Shell. it's much more straightforward action but done really well. it doesn't get philosophical like the movies. you should like it.
Black Lagoon - a bit dark, and really violent, but it's otherwise a really well done show.
Bleach - cheesy shonen, but fun cheesy shonen. first part of the series is pretty interesting. the newer episodes, not so much...
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That being said, I quite enjoyed Wolf's Rain, it is pretty slow though. THe soundtrack is by Yoko Kanno and it's made by some of the same guys that did Cowboy Bebop, including the director. So you might wanna give it a go.
I'm watching Beck: Mongolian Chop Squad at the moment which is okay.
I also loved Cowboy Bebop, but honestly didn't think too much of Samurai Champloo. For me, Cowboy Bebop was effortlessly cool and had this whole pastiche Americana thing going on in between the film Noir and the Jazz stylings. It was just plain stylish and ended up having quite a good main story-arc. Samurai Champloo on the other hand I felt was trying too hard to be funky cool, and I can't say I really liked the characters as much either. It was an OK show, but nowhere near as awesome as CB was.
As for my recommendations, I'd suggest Last Exile. Good characters, good storyline that keeps you hooked after every episode. Sort of a steampunk setting with Victorian styled flying fortresses and airships fighting in the sky, I really loved the setting.
If you're into Space Opera's, then Crest of the Stars is a very good character based series. Epic space battles and plenty of interesting characters and culture shock as Jinto tries to become a member of the Abh Nation. I also really enjoyed Legend of the Galactic Heroes (fansub). It's an old series though (1980's), and if I'm honest the space combat strategies they employ don't really make too much sense to me, but you watch this show for the characters and the storyline. They really weren't afraid to take risks with the storyline over the course of this show, and it paid off for them in something that's really memorable even today. Lots of philosophising in-between about the nature of Authoritarianism and Democracy (the conflict essentially centres around an Authoritarian regime warring against a democratic one) which is actually fairly well done and doesn't devolve into the blatant "good / evil" caricatures that are usually the case. Plus Yang Wenli and Lohengramm are two awesomely memorable characters, in fact most of the cast is, and you get to see them evolve and change over the course of the series (110 episodes in the main series).
If you want a movie, try Jin-Roh. It's set in a sort of alternate history post WWII Japan where fascism took control, possibly after the Nazi's won the war. It's loosely based around the story of "Rottkapchen" (which eventually became "little red ridinghood". Red Ridinghood is a pretty big motif in the film). I don't really want to spoil it beyond that, some people found it a bit complicated, but if you're into your political intrigue and especially character drama, this movie is brilliant.
As far as other anime, I tend to like stuff that's a little on the cheesy side:
Bleach - like someone else said, cheesy, but good cheesy. The later/current episodes are definately slower compared to some of the earlier stuff, but still not bad. If you have the ability to skip around as far as what episodes you watch (and assuming you're watching a subtitled Japanese version), I personally think the whole "Bount" filler arc from episodes 64-109 can be skipped and a lot of boredom saved - just read a summary of that part of the storyline on Wikipedia or something.
Gundam Wing - if you like giant robots and don't mind the characters having detailed philosophy discussions during/after/between trying to kill eachother with said robots. The Endless Waltz OVA/movie isn't too bad either, though you'd want to watch the main series first.
Trigun - belongs to the "Space Western" style, moreso than Bebop, with some steampunk also. The first 1/3 or so of the series is (at least to me) quite light-hearted, and proceeds to get much darker by the end, though there's still humor mixed in. Decent voice acting, at least except for Milly.
Naruto - yes, it can be incredibly cheesy, and i'm almost ashamed to admit that I like it....but as with Bleach, if you're able to skip the filler and snore-worthy episodes, it's actually not too bad sometimes as far as an action-oriented series goes. Same with the Part II "Shippuden" series airing in Japan atm. Part of the problem (as I understand it) with both Naruto and Bleach is that they have to stretch things more than a little sometimes to avoid outpacing the manga that's running at the same time.
Incidentally, there's a new movie or series or something in the works isn't there? Based around the Trigun Maximum manga?
Ah here it is:
Another series I wanted to add is is Scrapped Princess. I generally don't even like fantasy but I thought the series was very well done, and surprisingly for me, came to quite a good conclusion too with everything wrapped up. Which is usually rare for an anime.
Where Cowboy Bebop radiates style, Planetes exudes realism. It doesn't have an ex-member of a notorious syndicate, or a teenage hacker with ADHD, or an intelligent Welsh Corgi, but it's pretty damn good.
Only thing I can suggest... if you are a Dungeon and Dragons fan: Record of Lodoss War is really good.
Also as mentioned before, Trigun is great - But stay away from Evangelion if you don't like your brain to hurt a little.
And as far as the various Gundam Serials go: G-Gundam was kinda lame, and the SeeD series were too. I didn't mind Gundam Wing that much and 08 MS Team is pretty decent.
Edit: and Street Fighter V is pretty good... if you like Street Fighter
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Other than Cowboy Bebop, it's the only show where I think the dub is just as good as the original Japanese cast.
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Noir is cool, but is loooooong and repetitive.
Battle Angel or something like that?
Critical Failures - Havenhold Campaign • August St. Cloud (Human Ranger)
Also, if you liked the bounty hunter in space aspect of Cowboy Bebop, check out Outlaw Star. Similar premise, but without the kickass music (But similar to Kenshin in story telling).
And Caster guns!
Critical Failures - Havenhold Campaign • August St. Cloud (Human Ranger)
Requiem from the Darkness
The OVAs of Kenshin are fantastic, dark and serious.
Aside from that I'll ditto the suggestions of Stand Alone Complex, Jin Roh and throw in Gankotsuou which is a retelling of the Count of Monte Cristo, and does a pretty fine job of it.
Monster is one of the few anime I've seen set in the "real world." It's a really good psychological thriller about a Doctor on the trail of a serial killer after being accused of murder.
It's set in Germany and mainland Europe some years after the fall of the Berlin wall. Saying more would spoil things so I'll just say watch the first few episodes and see whether it catches you. After a few episodes you'll understand why the show is called "Monster".
It also has a pretty awesome / creepy end credits song.
And I'll throw in with everyone who's recommended the Kenshin OAV's, those are brilliant.
Also I'll back up Trigun and to a lesser extent Outlaw Star as good for Bebop fans. Trigun is a particular favorite of mine.
EDIT: Oh, also, anything by Miyazaki. It's all genius. All of it.
I mentioned Evangelion.
Critical Failures - Havenhold Campaign • August St. Cloud (Human Ranger)
To be honest, I felt Eva threw in a lot of stuff just because they thought it'd be cool at the time. The kind of "cool" you come up with at 3 AM just before you have this really amazing idea for a coconut and salmon late night snack.
I'm not saying it's bad but I guess I just didn't get the show. I never really liked any of the characters (not in the sense of thinking of them as nice people but just generally liking them as characters). Although the action was cool.
It definitely pioneered styles and themes that you see in use in anime even today, but I guess the show just wasn't for me.
EDIT: Re: Miyazaki:
I'd say most of Ghibli's catalogue in general. Favourite films include
- Grave of the Fireflies (
- Lupin the Third: Castle of Cagliostro (this was pre-Ghibli, but one of the best action adventure comedies EVER made. Seriously, ignore the dated look, what's in there is solid GOLD)
- Laputa: Castle in the Sky (I guess I have a thing for Steampunk and airships, you will too after you watch this
Critical Failures - Havenhold Campaign • August St. Cloud (Human Ranger)
Giant Robo - pretty much the best anime I've seen. It's more of a miniseries, and not very well known, as it was released straight to video rather than as a tv series. Campy 70's style, giant robots and colorful special agents fighting against a global world domination type plan, but also deeper than that.
Excel Saga - good if you like hyper, manic anime style humor, bad if you don't.
Cromartie High School - reminds me a lot of a mix between anime and Adult Swim. Short, 10ish minute episodes of a delinquent high school, including a robot, a gorilla, and freddy mercury.
If you mean the 'genre' of anime, man, that really bugs me. Anime isn't a genre, it's a medium. There's good and bad anime like there's good and bad live action.
Also, Eva is so overrated. :P
OH! Speaking of Eva, another 'monster-of-the-week' type show is Blue Seed, but Blue Seed is actually a coherent story with characters that are actually likable.
zing
Agreed, try to stay away from Evangellion. There will be tons of "Anime Nerds" who will try to push it hard on you. They will praise it and have NERV stickers everywhere. But stay strong.....
Critical Failures - Havenhold Campaign • August St. Cloud (Human Ranger)
No one mentioned Eva in a positive light then? I was surprized no one was gushing praise on it yet.
Without getting into a large debate over it, I'll posit that if it has its own secion in a video store, it's a genre. Just ask Wikipedia
Animation is the medium. I don't feel bad calling Japanese Animation a genre the same way I would call Irish literature a genre.
Not everyone likes every show.
Subjective subjective LOL.
Didn't say everyone did. I just know that alot of, admittedly, "Anime Nerds" do like it, and I was shocked I was the first one here. Not trying to force my Subjective opinion on anyone, but I figured it should be mentioned.
It gets you totally pumped up, which I think is the mark of a great show. Remember when you'd watch an episode of ninja turtles as a kid, then you and your brother would run around the yard for an hour hitting each other with sticks? That's how Gurren Lagann made me feel at 21 years old.
Another anime I liked quite a bit that hasn't been mentioned yet is Eureka Seven. The story itself is kind of cliched but for some reason the execution made it stand out to me. It's by Studio Bones who made FMA, Wolf's Rain and Scrapped Princess among others. Lots of giant robot sky surfing action, teenage love interests and weird alien coral. Definitely a great series.
I've been meaning to look that one up for a while now, but there's no way I'm going for a 52 episode series until they release a boxset or two. Individual discs are freaking expensive if you go that route.
Clearly what we need is Steam, but for anime.
Critical Failures - Havenhold Campaign • August St. Cloud (Human Ranger)
It's a series, and it's better than most American shows today. It's the story of Brandon Heat, a kid who grows up as this quiet tough guy. He and his friend end up joining an organized crime syndicate, and the story takes off from there. Plus, they throw in some sweet ass sci-fi zombie parts towards the end of the series. It's got everything, but it's a little more serious than most of the suggestions you'll see here.
Also 1000x's Evangelion . It's fucked up for sure, but it's one of the best series today. Plus it's got giant mechs.
Critical Failures - Havenhold Campaign • August St. Cloud (Human Ranger)
So most of my recommends have been taken which means I'll have to delve a little deeper.
First off, Akira the movie. Enough said.
Next:
Noein - a relatively dark sci-fi piece about alternate "timespaces" basically alternate timeline universes.
Ergo Proxy - a very dark sci-fi piece that could roughly be compared to Ghost in the Shell. There's humans and androids and a suspense/mystery feel to it. Basically some androids catch a virus that causes them to become self-aware...you could say it has some philosophical elements. Very, very stylish.
Much of the enjoyment depends on how much of the variety it touches on you enjoy of course, but it's really more of a slice of life series than a normal comedy. If you don't enjoy that style of show, then the comedy will be too sparse for real enjoyment.
The Kyoto arc, which delves more into Kenshin's past and is of a more serious tone, is generally considered the best part of the series. It took a while for the series to get there though and it goes downhill after that season (friends that followed it closer than I did pointed out that there was no more manga to use as a source material after that so the writers had to pull stuff out of their ass).
The OAV is worth checking out. It depicts the events prior to the TV series that forms the basis for the Kyoto arc and is a nice bit of historical fiction. The tone is much more serious and things are less over the top except for when ninja get tossed in during a few scenes (and that shift has more to do with them using outlandish weapons and martial arts, nothing that seriously shatter immersion like stuff exploding or moving at light speed). Due to licensing being held by different companies in the US, the OAVs are titled "Samurai X" in the states. Note that there are also "Samurai X" movies which are the two Kenshin movies that take place after the TV series. You want to avoid those.
So basically it seems like you have a taste for more serious sci-fi stuff but without philosophical discussions about the technology, essentially an extension of sci-fi live action stuff. You're likely to have to look at stuff from the 80's and early to mid 90's for this, not modern stuff. Of the stuff that's been recommended since I started writing this, the only recommendation I can second is Trigun though that may be too wacky for the first few episodes (the main character doesn't get serious until around episode 8 I think).
You may want to check out Bubblegum Crisis. The original OAVs are from the 80's, the TV series remake (called Bubblegum Crisis 2040) is from the 90's. It's kind of like Blade Runner with power armor and female leads. The OAVs are often favored by fans, but they aren't as connected as the TV series and they literally ran out of money to make more episodes so it ends abruptly. And 80's music may or may not be your thing. The TV series mostly gets hate from fans because of very radical changes to character design and in some cases character personality but the two are meant to be taken as totally separate stories anyway.
If you enjoy mecha, there's more recommendations. Macross is highly regarded and less recent Gundam stuff is more serious and better quality.
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