With a huge amount of anime series produced each year in Japan, it’s easy to be lost. If you’re wondering what you should watch, this should help you out:
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Ghost in the Shell: Stand Alone Complex
• Plot: Female cyborg Major Motoko Kusanagi and her fellow police officers of Section 9 hunt down a host of criminals in both the real and online worlds.
• Why? The easiest way to understand what Ghost is the Shell is all about. It brings together entertainment and philosophy, asking questions like what makes people unique in a world where differences between human & machines tend to disappear.
• Episodes/Length: 25 X 23 min
• Available on: Amazon
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Baccano!
• Plot: Each of the stories in the series involves several unrelated plots intersecting and crossing each other as events spiral farther and farther out of control.
• Why? Playing with narrative codes & chronology, successfully mixing genres (gangsters, fantasy, drama…) & tones (comedy, horror), treating each characters as the main one… A great piece of entertainment!
• Episodes/Length: 13 X 23 min
• Available on: Amazon
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Welcome to the NHK
• Plot: Satou, a 22 years old hikikomori (meaning acute social withdrawal), meets Misaki; she claims she will cure him of his hikikomori ways.
• Why? Discover some social problems of Japan; hikikomori, lolicon, suicide, social & family pressure, loneliness, online video games addiction… Funny from time to time but it’s not a light-hearted show.
• Episodes/Length: 24 X 23 min
• Available on: Amazon
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Ergo Proxy
• Plot: In a future where the world has been ravaged by a nuclear apocalyse, there exists salvation in a domed city named “Romdeau”, where humans and their android servants, the autoreivs, live in.
• Why? Fans of Philip K. Dick, it’s for you! Inspired by mythology, philosophy, sci fi and more, this anime is about the very existence of a Utopia, and its limits. With differences between reality/dream, humanity/robots… At its core, the story deals with loneliness & the meaning of life. A mature, yet entertaining story.
• Episodes/Length: 23 X 25 min
• Available on: Amazon
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Kaiba
• Plot: A man wakes up in a broken room with no memories. Suddenly assaulted, he escapes into space and travels to various planets, encountering various people and retrieving his memories.
• Why? A retro looking anime created by Mind Game director Masaaki Yuasa, and as expected, each episode is pure gold: a superb mix of magnificent ideas & emotions. In a world where bodies can be replaced, and memories erased. Deep & beautiful.
• Episodes/Length: 12 X 23 min
• Available on: Not Yet Licensed?
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Mushishi
• Plot: Ginko is a “Mushi-shi” who travels around to investigate and find out more about the “Mushi”; neither plants nor animals, they resemble the primeval body of life.
• Why? An enthralling journey into the world of magic and strange phenomenons. A “slice of life” type of anime, slow-paced, beautiful, filled with touching stories.
• Episodes/Length: 26 X 23 min
• Available on: Amazon
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Samurai Champloo
• Plot: A waitress convinces two warriors to come with her in search of a mysterious samurai that smells like sunflowers.
• Why? A beautiful tale of friendship, combining modernity/hip hop with classical japanese elements, comedy & drama as well. The result is quite unique, each episode brings new ideas & different (memorable) moods. A must-see!
• Episodes/Length: 26 X 23 min
• Available on: Amazon
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Kaiji
• Plot: Kaiji is offered to board the gambling ship Espoir for one night to clear the debt. He accepts, knowing he may never come back.
• Why? Like Death Note, you’re still wondering what’s going to happen, what Kaiji is planning to do. A fast-paced story where you enjoy the permanent thrill of gambling. And, you’ve never seen a japanese main character crying that much. Zawa Zawa…
• Episodes/Length: 26 X 23 min
• Available on: Not Yet Licensed?
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Paranoia Agent
• Plot: An elementary school kid dubbed with the title “shounen bat” has been going around attacking people with his bent, golden bat. Two detectives are investigating.
• Why? Paprika director Satoshi Kon revealing once again the weaknesses of the Japanese Society in this thematically rich story, where people run away from reality. Of course, expect some astonishing visual ideas!
• Episodes/Length: 13 X 25 min
• Available on: Amazon
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Haibane Renmei
• Plot: Rakka, a newly born Haibane (Angel) awakens into an unfamiliar world with only a strange dream of falling from the sky as her only memory.
• Why? A seemingly joyful & peaceful world, where one can enjoy sympathy from unknown people. But gradually, rules appear and existential questions arise.
• Episodes/Length: 13 X 25 min
• Available on: Amazon
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{ 113 comments… read them below or add one }
No Bebop? Or was it too obvious?
What other obvious series would you add then?
Ahh, Samurai Champloo. I really enjoyed that anime. I’ve only seen a couple of others on your list. In response to the question ‘what other obvious series would you add’, I would likely include Gungrave, Outlaw Star, and Berserk.
Apart from Cowboy Bebop (Watanabe’s best work, IMHO), I would choose Monster, Detroit Metal City and Rurouni Kenshin: Tsuioku Hen (episode 3 from this OVA is a gem).
I would definitely recommend Evangelion !
It’s hard to do a Top 10…gre
Good points for unrecognized titles like Baccano, Kaiba or Kaiji.
They’re really awesome, people should pay as much attention to those than to some “obvious” one like Bebop, GITS, etc…
Gurren Lagann (Gainax) is missing too.
Only anime from the last decade. Is animation industry on the opposite side of movie industry : nothing good before 2K and lot of must see after that ?
Nothing good before 2K? You must be joking or you haven’t heard about Albator, Astro Boy, Speed Racer, Belladonna, early Miyazaki films… just to name few.
It was just a question to michael, who has issued a list of only post 2002 anime.
@Guillaume> All I know is that I enjoyed watching these series, and I recommend them to anyone, anime & film fans included. You just have to be curious, that’s it.
Feel free to draw your own conclusions, or share some tips – and that’s why we’re here after all!
@Ritān> This is for you! (:
Great stuff, thank You!
Je suis heureux de voir dans cette liste Mushishi ; NHK ; Baccano ; Samurai Champloo ainsi que Paranoia Agent. Pour le reste je ne connais pas (encore!) ^^
Mushishi : Enorme, absolument merveilleux, ce manga transcende le genre. Mon préféré tous style confondus.
NHK : pour moi l’une des plus grandes révélations de ces 5 ou 6 dernières années, j’avais tellement aimé que j’ai directement joué le prosélyte et sa a marché , tous mes potes adore NHK et ceci n’est pas un complot , hi hi.
Baccano : Excellentissime, jouissif, grandiloquent. Certe la série n’est pas longue mais est déjà culte de par son histoire totalement rocambolesque et surtout par ses personnages totalement charismatique. Familly Gandor powa!!! ^^
Samurai Champloo ou l’anime totalement hors du commun. je crois que tous les mélioratifs peuvent lui être accordés. Une histoire totalement déjanté et anachronique sur fond d’une histoire on ne peut plus basique mais qui servis par un trio de personnage totalement loufoque et casse coup. A voir absolument !!
Paranoia Agent : Le génie de Satoshi Kon ne s’arrêtera t il jamais un jour? Série fantastiquement mis en scène avec une qualité graphique époustouflante et un character design de haut niveau, Paranoia Agent est un anime totalement déjanté et complètement flippant. l’univers de la série est superbement bien trouvé et recouvre une palette de toutes ses influences. Une série dérangeante, passionnante et avant gardiste. Respect.
COWBOY FRIGGIN BEBOP NEEDS TO BE UNO 1
Cowboy Bebop ne manque pas à cette liste. C’est un bon anime avec de réel qualité mais il faut pas poussé mémé dans les orties non plus , il n’arrive pas à la cheville graphiquement d’un Samurai Champloo par exemple.
>mais il faut pas poussé mémé dans les orties non plus
et pourquoi pas? le facteur ‘graphique’ est loin d’être primordial
Surtout qu’il défonce Samurai Champloo sur tous les autres points. Non le graphisme, ou meme la qualité d’animation, n’est pas primordiale tant que la mise en scene est existante.
Michael > je “lol” sur le “be curious”, qui est clairement insultant. Mon arrière pensée était de savoir pourquoi tu titres 10 anime à voir (sous entendu les 10 anime immanquables) alors que tu te cantonnes à 10 anime récents. Peut etre que 10 recent anime I loved aurait été plus exact. Ce que tu confirmes en commentaires. Donc, Michael, be curious et va jetter un oeil dans les decennies précédentes. Ca fera un tres bon prochain billet.
J’aurai Ajouté Wolf’s Rain qui est un incontournable. histoire et graphisme de toute beauté. On en fait plus des animes comme ca
@ Martin : Moi et Bebop , ca jamais été une histoire d’amour. J’avais par dessus déteste le film que j’avais trouvé mauvais.
@Michael : si tu veux un animé à la fois fantastique et qui parle de mafia , je te conseille vivement “Gungrave”, Génial, une superbe histoire avec un dessin proche de Trigun ( surtout les visages) et une histoire passionnante. La fin de cette série est tout simplement la meilleur que j’ai pu voir , très cinématographique.
@Guillaume: ta idée pour la décénnie 90? Je vois d’hors et déjà City Hunter en number one ^^
PS : Le mangaka de City Hunter (Tsukasa Hōjō) sera présent au Japan expo à Paris début Juillet.
Neon Genesis Evangelion
Serial Experiments Lain
Death Note
Has somebody watched Madhouse TV serie ‘Denno Coil’?
Heard good things about it, but didn’t find any ‘good’ review (seems there’s only torrent links on google..)
I really love Katekyo Hitman Reborn
BTW, new series from Masaaki Yuasa “Yojouhan Shinwa Taikei” will premiere this spring season (on Apr 22). I have high expectations for this show.
@RItân> Same here, judging from the trailers, this looks good.
About Denno Coil; it replaces the usual spirit/yokai/magic/invisible world with an augmented reality/cyberspace/virtual world. Only to tell uninteresting schoolboys’ stories. A wasted good idea, too bad.
C’est terrible Deno Coil. Moi j’adore le trip monde fermé de ce manga. Avec ce côté virtuel qui ressemble fortement à s’y méprendre au Big Brother D’Orwell.
Avant gardiste comme anime.
You forgot:
Cowboy Bebop
FLCL or Fooly Cooly
FullMetal Alchemist and FullMetal Alchemist:Brotherhood.
When it comes to anime series, there are a large number of them aimed at different audiences and ages. For that reason, one person’s list is going to be very different from another person’s. Also, there are at least another 200 series out there I’ve never even seen as yet.There could easily be series among them far better than the 10 I’ve already picked but I simply wouldn’t know it at this point.
So, with those limitations in mind, this is my list of 10 favorite series (and not feature films–no Akira or Miyazaki) which is not intended to be an objective best-10 but simply my own personal take on the subject:
Serial Experiments Lain: Very heady & often surreal stuff, a sort of Alice in Cyberspace, but highly engrossing.
Dirty Pair: A TV series, OVAs, and a couple of feature films. From the late 80s, it has that older anime look, but it’s a great girls with guns series that sets the stage for all other such series such as Noir, Madlax, Kiddy Grade, and Read or Die.
Ghost in the Shell: Two films and two TV series have been made so far dealing with an elite police group as it deals with cyber-created crime: thoughtful, cutting edge, action-packed.
The 12 Kingdoms: A number of series, like The Vision of Escaflowne for example, take average high school students and transport them to another world where they have to fend for themselves. This is likely the best of those series as a young woman defeats inner demons and court politics to establish herself as the strong queen of a kingdom. Inner & outer transformation is a key idea behind a number of other neat series as diverse as Tenjho Tenge and Kenichi-The Mightest Warrior.
The Irresponsible Captain Tylor: A very laid-back man obtains the command of a space ship and his different ways perplex his crew & superiors. Very funny stuff.
Kurau Phantom Memory: An accident gives a woman special powers. She’s hunted by those who want to use her while all she wants is a quiet, normal life. Great plot & conflicted characters.
Last Exile: Set in a world that is a hybrid of several of our past periods, a couple of air mail pilots become involved in a wider air war between nations.
Aria: This one’s a bit different. No spaceships, battles, mecha, guns, and what not. It’s like a transformation series in that it involves the training of young gondoliers but the special quality of this series comes from its sparkling clean, watery setting and just how sweet, charming, and sentimental the whole thing is. Very warm, cute, fuzzy, and cuddly, if you can stand that sort of thing.
Boys Over Flowers: a lower class woman attends an elite, upper class high school stirring the hearts of the most popular hunks who attend. But it’s not all roses: this is one tough place to get through the day at.
Also recommended: Kino’s Journey, DNA2, The Melancholy of Haruhi Suzumiya, Chobits, Kyo Kara Mao, Haibane Renmei (listed above), Please Teacher & Please Twins, Stratos 4, Blue Gender, Key the Metal Idol, and all the various Tenchi Muyo series & off-shoots. Some classics like Evangelion are lost on me, however. Others seem a bit too basic TV genre pulp to excite a strong interest.
Nice to see Key the Metal Idol! Saw it centuries ago, wonder if it aged well (not so sure!)
Martin–If it was good once, it remains good even if feels dated to modern audiences. Key-TMI deals with issues of celebrity and emotion which will always be pertinent in modern society, especially as technology advances and the possibility of a robot entertainer becomes more possible. Chobits, which I also recommended, is a minor somewhat conventional series but it raises the possibilities of falling in love & marrying androids and even the idea that an android might become lovesick and commit suicide. Not that one should judge the quality of a series simply on the themes & ideas & messages it raises, a series still has to interest and entertain before it comments on society, but putting that aside, right now Japanese anime is discussing the effects of computing and technology on society far better than any other media is.
Thank you for putting out titles that aren’t the obvious choices! Its good to learn about new anime
Monster and Black Lagoon are also some good anime that’s worth checking out.
No mention for Elfen Lied? That was one of the most moving anime series I’ve seen.
Elfen Lied is terrible. Please, spare yourself if you have any sense.
Instead, watch Kemonozume.
no one piece? come on people get to your senses.
il y a aussi Michiko to Hatchin !
tres bon manga dans la trempe de samurai champloo et cowboy bebop ! avec une ambiance sud américaine, vraiment tres tres chouette !
I found Rurouni Kenshin, Death Note, Bleach, and Code Geass to be very enjoyable. Bleach has near 300 episodes and I actually like how the plot doesn’t get so complex. Props for including Ghost in the Shell (especially as the first one; The Appleseed movies are pretty awesome too.) as well as Samurai Champloo. I haven’t seen any of the others but Baccano and Ergo Proxy seem like they would be something I would be interested in. Thank you very much for the posting this.
Très intéressant de trouver un forum bilingue! Or is it a coincidence?
The One Piece-rs and the Hitman Rebors-ers can go suck it. I`m very happy to find someone that can make a anime toplist without mentioning the crap that is polluting young minds today. High fives for mentioning Ergo Proxy (which stands in a class of its own) and Samurai Champloo (same thing here, hip-hop versus samurais wtf galore and anachronisms-o-pletty is a winning combination). I wouldn’t put Baccano! in there… but that’s just me.
Par contre, Cowboy Bebop, Black Lagoon, Michiko to Hatchin, Darker than Black and Higashi no Eden are missing from this list.
Cowboy Bebop: A 1997 masterpiece from Samurai Champloo director Shinichiro Watanabe (did I just have a dyslexia moment?) that changed the world of animation today. Beautiful soundtrack, characters, fluid animation sequences, amazing setting, some integrated philosophy, etc. Also very intelligent. Samurai Champloo would not exist without this first brilliant series.
Black Lagoon: Honestly, I feel this show is seriously under-rated, even with the recognition it does get… Amazing setting with the imaginary Sin City of Roanopur that has all the historical backing to make it believable. Mentions of the Cold War. LOTS of philosophy and war strategies included as well. This is probably the show that I re-watched the most and every time, I discover more aspects I love about it. I also strongly recommend reading the manga. The characters are multi-faceted and chilling, with the contrasting pairing of Revy and Rock, and all the faces of the many crime syndicates that surrounds them. This show sets the bar pretty high.
Darker than Black: The second season must be avoided at all cost, but the first was brilliant. Enter the world of contractors and dolls in a post-apocalyptic Japan. Very enigmatic series from Bones that keeps you in from start to finish. The animation quality is amazing and the fighting sequences are hard to match and the show is graced with the musical genius of Yoko Kanno… What’s more to add?
Michiko to Hatchin: Very different story set in an fictional South America. Enter Michiko, a beautiful unstoppable criminal that is on the hunt for her lost lover after breaking out of jail, and Hatchin, a young girl taken from her abusive foster family to serve as the missing link between Michiko and her lover. The whole story is brilliant, with a hard and realistic depiction of children in pauvrety, the growing relationship between the 2 women and a caliente latin soundtrack from none-other than the man Shinichiro Watanabe himself. Sprinkle a little fashionable clothes on top of it and you got yourself a masterpiece.
Higashi no Eden: Very upbeat and suspenseful type of series that captures humor, intrigue, wtf-ness and social criticism all in one. With a setting that starts in Washington DC, and ends in Japan, this story depicts a very current crisis of terrorism and non productivity that molds the world today. With a lot of movie references, male nudity, intrigue and charismatic characters, Higashi no Eden is an intellectual must-see that will keep you on your toes from start to finish.
Hope this makes a good addition to your list!
list was pretty good a few i didn’t know but from this list just finished watching welcome to the NHK i loved it
I can’t thank you enough for your list. I am sick of looking at the same popular titles (Naruto, Bleach, Fullmetal Alchemist, etc) while searching for interesting, not-for-kiddies anime series.
Thanks to your recommendations, I discovered wonderful new gems such as Ergo Proxy, Haibane-Renmei, Kaiba and Baccano!
Much appreciated!!
yay ! Baccano! Paranoia Agent !!!! Samurai Champloo !!
though like some others i must say i’m far least fond of Samurai Champloo than CowBoy Be-Bop, maybe because i’m more into sc fi stuff than samurai’s. And i wouldn’t recommend Mushishi, it didn’t stop getting boring for me after the like 6th ep. (i realize i could hurt some peoples but hey, it sometimes really is mushy sh*t :p kiddiiiing it was just for the pun. But for me it’s indeed lacking rythm and too much in the “giving 2 cents life lessons” style, as is Kino no Tabi, those two series still having interesting moments.)
Paranoia Agent is really huge. Constantly showing what art is. Dunno. So full of everything. Great really, great.
Baccano! is the most successfull tale about waht the narration of a story through time should be
what was said about peoples Favorites all being different was completely true, but my taste is still better. lolol My Anime list: (in no order): fooly cooly, dragon ball / Z, code geass, cowboy bebop, samurai champloo, full metal alchemist, berserk, dot.hack // sign, gundam up until SD, ergo proxy, eureka 7, inuYasha is to long, MAR, naruto, Neon genesis, rave master, rurouni kenshin, s-cry-ed, yu yu hakusho, wolfs rain, trinity blood, trigun, the wallflower, dessert punk, claymore, blood +, black lagoon, baccano, afro samurai, avatar, and I feel like im missing a few.
But the ones that have not been said or talked about yet are: (ps, im not good at describing anime but if you like even 1/4 of the stuff on my list you will likely enjoy the other stuff)
# 1: Dragon ball – before all the crazy lightning fast speeds and ridicules fights of Z, there was no “super” anything, all you knew was “monkey boy with tail is crazy strong” + its was a great story.
# 2: dot.//hack – slow paced but has a cool concept.
# 3: GUNDAM!!!!!! – How could you people for get one of the best of all! Ps. never ever even think of watching SD.
# 4: Eureka 7 – just kool, love the main character. and its different than all the other mech shows.
# 5: InuYasha – lots of people love it, I think its way too long, and 1/2 the episodes are the same.
# 6: MAR – once again a cool concept.
# 7: Naruto – the first season is gets tiresome bc its long and the action is just ok, but in shippuden shit really starts to hit the fan.
# 8: Rave Master – its was ok, its has its its own story, not many shows are like it.
# 9: S-Cry-Ed – run around and F^CK SH!T UP with a super power that no one else has bc everyone has there own.
# 10: yu yu hakusho – classic ive died and a baby has sent me back to earth to kick some wicked demon azz! good show.
# 11: wolfs rain – amazing story with an amazing ending.
# 12: trinity blood – vamps + the catholic church + cool story + sweet fights = this show.
# 13: trigun – this wimpy pansy boy is a total badddd azzzzz that can doge bullets and will make you think twice before punching a peace maker.
# 14: the wallflower – its actually really funny, its looks like the guys are gay, but its cool, they are straight, and the main character is a really ridiculous girl.
# 15: dessert punk – mercenarys and foul language, but cool still
the only other anime I have anything to say about is #: 16 black lagoon – gangs, mafia, military. and bad MoFos, gets heavy quick.
the shows I listed were all my favorites, the only reason I only listed the last 15 is bc no one said them yet in other comments. enjoy!
pssss, ergo proxy and baccano I got off your list so I thank you for that.
pssssssssssssss. I thought of a few I was missing from my list but 2 of them were on your list/ ghost in the shell, and paranoia agent, the others that i thought of were He-man and thunder cats, teen age ninja turtles, space ghost cost to cost, and aqua teen hunger force, but that stuffs not anime, just cartoons. lmao
omg: # 17: Outlaw star!
Bit late but pretty good list. I’m really not into most anime but I do love shows like the ones you’ve listed. Just a couple of nit-picks:
-Ergo Proxy is pretty much a poor man’s Texhnolyze. It’s a bit more accessible and is better looking but everything else (characters, world, writing) are inferior. And whereas EP muddles its philosophical musings and often comes off as pretentious Texhnolyze is as mature and deep as anime gets, with an incredible ending that manages to be apocalyptic and beautiful all at once.
-I LOVE Mind Game but Kaiba was an enormous disappointment for me. The first couple episodes were incredible but the plot meandered for far too long then tried to jam way too much exposition and story development at the end. The final episode felt way too EVA-ish, and I don’t mean that in a good way.
hay, thanks for the tip, I will check it out Fo Sho.
Welcome to the NHK was amazing, thanks for the reccomendation.
Texhnolyze had a really EPIC ending, but the first few episodes pissed me off. lol
u r hot and i am gay
Wow, what a brilliant list!
I’ve been eyeing Paranoia Agent and NHK for a while now, not really sure if they’ll be worth watching, but your list has cast away any doubt that I had left.
Also going to check out Kaiba and Kaiji. : )
The thing that makes me the happiest is the fact that you didn’t list things like OP, Dragon Ball, Naruto etc. I don’t have anything against people who like those shows, but I tend to get tired of Shounen Jump’s series pretty fast myself (except Gintama).
In case you haven’t seen them yet, I’d recommend Mononoke (2007) and Natsume Yūjin-Chō (2008). Seeing your tastes I’m sure you’ll enjoy them. : )
And once again, thanks a lot!
No one a “wolfs rain” fan?
I listed wolfs rain. . . been watching alot of shows lately that are 12 ep and 6 ep, alot of them a really good, but not long enough for my taste, but maybe some of you will like them
#1: highschool of the dead: classic zombie Apocalypse but has a great theme. **{its that show that really pisses you off bc it starts off good from the get go and you blink and its over}.
#2: bastard: ** {same} . . kick ass mage is unleashed from 15 years in limbo to kill 4 old friends trying to destroy the world by unsealing a daemon that already almost destroyed the world once.
#3: Hyakka Ryouran: samurai girls: fun to watch bc of the action and the ecchi. lol
#4: Ichiban Ushiro no Daimaou: in a world of magic this boy with 100% good intentions wants to change the world for the better by being a high priest, but his career assessment (witch is never ever wrong) says he is meant to be the daemon lord, and in a highschool setting you know thats going to rain hell.
#5: The Sacred Blacksmith: **{same again} idk how to describe this one, but it had a lot going for it.
@Danzo,
Thank you, I appreciate these suggestions, I will download tonight. I am very much into animé similar to “wolfs rain” I really have to say I cant stand shows like Naruto or Yu-Gi-Oh. I find them to childish and not really having a point to them. Any adult animé suggestions would be appreciated.
I have just started watching “darker than black” last night. I got to episode 9 have been loving it but episode 7 and 8 had a faint resemblance to Pokemon in the sense that the ex cop, now a PI, has stupid facial expressions and just reminds me of those idiots from Pokemon( the two idiots in matching suits, both had a big red “R” in the middle of there chests? cant remember there names, thank god!) I hope they were just filler episodes and it will return to its normal path.
I mainly look for animé with a meaningful story good character development and no more than 2 series. anything longer than that and it ruins the show.
Kind regards,
Thomas
Thanx for the recommendations. I was missing a good anime to waste time on ;D
No Death Note??
No Fullmetal Alchemist Brotherhood?
No Naruto?
This list is flawed.
@Cp3
This list is not flawed, it may not be to your particular tastes but you might think of suggesting those programs rather than making judgements on other peoples preferences.
I happen to like death note but feel that the second season lacked the muster of the first season.
I am not a fan of “Full Metal Alchemist” myself, I did give it a shot but felt it had a childish theme. The same goes for Naruto, it ruins the show for me when you think a main character is going to die but then they have some power never known before, then repeat that plot for about 7 seasons. It gets old and boring for myself, but hey it may work for yourself and others.
I hope you may find a different kind of animé in these lists to expand your horizons.
Kind regards,
Thomas
I agree with Thomas in the first sentence of the last comment.
I read the death note manga, so the show seemed stupid to me, but a great story, and as for full metal if you like most or even 1/2 of the anime ive listed then you should watch it all the way threw. full metal starts of slow and dull to say the least but by the time you get half way it really picks up and I love the ending 10 times more that wolfs rain, and I hold wolfs rain in high esteem. naruto is kind of the same idea, but to an extreme, the first season “naruto” had some epic fights here and there but over all was more like a kids show, but once you get into the 2nd season of shippuden, shit really starts going down.
ps, just in case you didn’t notice, ive put up 2 lists, the last one was short anime that had potential. the first list was my original favorites , (a few comments b4 that last one [I listed some that have been mentioned after word])
ps. To Thomas most of the anime ive listed over all is more adult centered. but for you I highly recommend Code Geass if you like death note. there is R1 (first season) and R2 (the second) both are vary good, you know how death note was vary clever, Code Geass is the same way, but I rank it much higher that death note for sure. I could make other recommendations but I don’t wont to recommend something that wastes your time. . . watch a couple episodes of it then come back to thank me, then go finish watching it. lol
@ Danzo
I will download later tonight. I appreciate you’re your help on this matter.
I just finished Darker Than Black, I enjoyed it. some of it was slow but all over I enjoyed the series. I have started to watch the version done in 2009, not sure what to make of it yet.
I may sound stupid here but what is Ergo Proxy about. I watched the first episode and wasn’t sure what to make of it?
Kind regards,
Thomas
Can i just say a really nice list, of those youv listed that i have watched myself i deffinately understand the tone of anime you have gone for and on that note i would add 4 series.
1.Samurai X: Trust & Betrayal :- This was a niec short it had a mature tone and a somber feel, the conversation was short and to the point with. more than can be said for the appauling series that followed.
2.Moribito: Guardian of the Spirit: this second one i havnt watched in a while but i remember it being an enjoyable watch with really nice animation, again a relatively mature tone same sort of time period as samuari champloo.
3. FLCL: Arty and a bit wtf but good fun, overall if you dont like it its still only 6 episodes or something and i think its one of those you have to have seen, i would emphasise, the animation is really interesting lots of desktop potential.
4. Code geass: My favourite anime, amazing character development, amazing twists, fantastic animation plenty of juxtopposition. I had a little weep both times i watched it, cant reccomend it enough. (I know it seems like it, but it is not a mecha anime, thats a side story!”
Im really looking forward to getting through the rest of your list, i had come up against the hurdle of only ever being recommended bleach, naruto and FMA i look especially forward to watching Baccano!.
Ok guys, BIG ISSUE! I forgot to tell you all about “Golden Boy” its one of the most obnoxious anime I have ever watched, but I absolutely loved it. do yourself a favor and watch it, its only 6 ep, totally worth it. about the show – “”Kintarou Oe doesn’t look like it, but he is a genius who completed all his university courses and then quit before graduating. He becomes a wandering student, going from place to place on his bicycle, seeking to learn what he can about life, the world, and women. He is willing and able to do any job he has to prove himself. His travels take him to a variety of locations and a variety of women, each who falls in love with the hardworking guy, but not before he can run off.”"
ps. If any of you want a good site to watch shows I recommend “Anime Freak” all the shows I have listed so far and many more are on that site. if any of you have a good site you use by all means tell me bc ive watched most of the stuff on my site. lol
@Thomas
Ergo proxy – After the explosion of the methane hydrate layer, the remaining members of mankind are forced to live in isolated domed cities scattered across the arid and inhospitable planet. They live in a controlled society and are assisted in daily life by autonomous robots called AutoReivs. In one of these cities, Romdo, Inspector Re-l Mayer, granddaughter of the regent, leads an investigation concerning AutoReivs that have gone mad after being infected by the Cogito virus. In the process, she comes in contact with a monster called Proxy. Elsewhere in the city, immigrant Vincent Law is on the run after being framed for involvement in several Cogito cases. Together, along with the adorable child-AutoReiv Pino, they set out on a journey to the dome city Mosco in order to unravel the mystery of the Proxies. . . . . . . . . .
thats the description I read b/c I couldn’t think of a way to put it, but I will add a little in.
the Proxy are god like beings. Vincent law has lost his memory’s and that is why they end up on a journey. Re-l (pronounced “Rielle”, also represented by the spelling “REAL”) Mayer (is a snotty b!tch but shes sexy) has a strange connection to Proxy that becomes clear later. . . . I thought it was good, not the best but it was interesting for sure.
@Tom again
if you end up with a total of 575 min of free time over time, by all means watch ergo proxy, but if you have not watched code geass i recommend that first, I just finished re watching both seasons in my free time, and for real, I think that show has the best ending of any show ive ever watched. thats my opinion, you may not like it as much as I do but you wont have felt like you wasted any time at all, totally worth it.
Just wanted to say: this is a really nice list.
Before looking at this I’d already seen 6 of the anime listed and they were all amazing!
Just a few ones I’d like to add though:
- Eden of the East : Hard to describe the story of this without spoiling anything… let’s just say it’s a mystery + pseudo-comedic anime with a deep storyline and gorgeous visuals.
- Kino’s Journey : It’s along the same vein as Mushishi, being shown in an episodic format it follows the adventures of a girl called Kino and her talking bike (It isn’t as ridiculous as it sounds) through various lands, each of which have their own traditions, cultures, and problems.
- Cowboy Bebop (To anyone who hasn’t already seen this) : One of the more famous anime out there, it follows the story of a band of bounty hunters, in space, as they go around attempting to collect their rewards. I’m just in the middle of watching this right now so I haven’t got a brilliant grasp of the story yet – one thing I do find amazing about this series though, is the music – composed by Yoko Kanno.
- Monster : A psychological horror series based around Dr. Kenzo Tenma’s attempts to stop a ruthless murderer who he saved as a child. It’s a bit long at ~70 episodes, but it remains gripping throughout.
- Fooly Cooly : As Rob mentioned above, a crazy anime from studio Gainax – one of the most mindbending anime out there. Very enjoyable to watch and only 6 episodes long.
- Durarara!! : The spiritual succesor to Baccano! (With a cameo appearance near the end of the first series) it carries on all of the spirit and energy of it’s predecessor and funnels it into a story set in the Ikebukuro district of Tokyo, where a whole host of main characters clash in increasingly heated gang wars.
- Serial Experiments Lain : Contains an extremely convoluted and interesting storyline based around a girl called Lain, who after being introduced to the series’ version of the Internet becomes increasingly obsessed with this new world.
Just look them up on wikipedia if your interested.
@my man Don
thanks for the shows, I will check out a couple of them for sure. ; ]
ps, if you read the the comments there are a lot of shows mentioned that may interest you.
i was just about to say how stupid this list was for not having death note as # 1 on this persons list, but after further investigation i see its already a topic. death note is the best anime ive seen thus far and i have been watching anime 16 of my 19 years. the plot is original, the animation is outstanding, the music is unmatched, the end couldnt be seen from the begining either other than the fact that light would die at the end, and it wasnt too long. anyone that can name a better anime and give a reasonable explaination why it is better please do.
My 5 favorite anime series are
-Neon Genesis Evangelion
-Death Note
-The Melancholy of Haruhi Suzumiya
-Ghost in the Shell: Stand Alone Complex
-Cowboy Bebop
There are more that I have liked, but these five really stand out to me. I’ve seen more anime that I would rank along with these, but the rest have all seemed to slip my mind. Also, note that my list is not in any particular order, but I’m pretty sure Evangelion is #1.
Cowboy Bebop
Melancholy of Haruhi Suzumiya
Fullmetal Alchemist
SamuraiX
FLCL
then if you have time, probably:
Code Gease
Elfen Lied
Gurren Lagann
these series are the more famous ones. you can spent some more time and watch these magnificent yet poorly attended series/films -I am going to use “film” for a 2-hour animation -:
Serial Experiments Lain as Don pointed out
Genius Party (7 short films)
5cm per Second (film)
The Place Promised in our Early Days (film)
Paprika (film)
Memories (3 short films)
The Girl Who Leaped Through Time (film)
@Sam:
# 1: Don’t be a dick, every one has diff taste.
# 2: Code Geass: for all the reasons you had but I think the story Is better. ps, I read the deth note manga so to me the show sucked Ballz.
Hello guys,
Been really busy so not been able to watch much or reply.
@Danzo thanks for your input. I will check out code geass first, also nice remark about Sam!
@Sam, Danzo is right, this list is not designed or meant to tender your needs. This was created to suggest decent anime to people. I don’t like all the suggestions on this list but I have found some really good ones from it. As is happens I enjoyed Death Note, but I haven’t read the manga so I would probably agree with Danzo as most things in print are better than in film.
@Don, Thanks for the list buddy. I think I will give cowboy bebop another shot. Many people seem to be listing it. I am also a big fan of Yoko Kano. I think the Wolf’s Rain soundtrack is exceptional.
@mehran67, I watched paprika, I was very high when watching it but was very amazed at the concept. I may have picked it up wrong but though it was like a better version of Inception(which I was not a fan) I would definitely suggest it to others!
To the community, I recently watch a show called Archer, Its not a Japanese animé but an American one. I though you may like to know about it. I found it to be hilarious. It basically about a secret agent but he is really feckless and mostly a dick. Its quite funny, worth a watch if you’re looking for something light and easy.
That’s all from me at the moment,
Kind regards,
Thomas
@ Tom & Don: agreed about Yoko Kano, bebop is one of my favorite, to be honest the only thing I would change is to make it longer.
btw, ive been useing a site called “anime freak” it has alot but not everything and im running it out, if any of you have suggestions for me it would be much appreciated.
I’m 3 episodes into Kaiba and I’m pretty positive I’ll be recommending it for years to come. Kaiji and Boccano! look fantastic.
For sci-fi fans (especially fans of Hard SF) I’d recommend PLANETES (2008) an outer-space story that more or less embodies the many strengths of current mainstream anime with a healthy mixture of child-like optimism and uncompromisingly harsh reality.
For fans of all things related with swords and sorcery (and gore – lots of gore) see BERSERK (1997) one of the poster-children of Japanese writers’ talent for creating characters you can care about. The finale of the series is horrendously distressing after everything the Band of the Hawk has been through – have the Wikipedia synopsis of the comics series ready to skim through once the finale is complete, otherwise you’ll go to bed heart-broken.
@danzo – Thanks for reminding me of BASTARD! Now there’s a boys-will-be-boys anime if ever I saw one. Dark Schneider could probably open a tin can with his dick – HE’S JUST THAT MUCH OF A BADASS…
@Rob – MORIBITO… looks awesome (and Kenji Kamiyama can have my first born child if he wants). Thanks for recommending it.
Woah, can’t believe Death Note is not on there.. It’s like the best anime series ever!
^ its a list of 10 of course some are going to be missed out
death not started out well but the second half was dragged out and slightly painful to watch
props to the author ^_^
already seen baccanno and samurai champloo and their pretty special
Have a look at Katanagatari. x x not for the sake of adding it to your list, but if you haven’t seen it already – (judging by the anime you’ve put up here – I’ve watched all of them on ur list thanks to you
– you’ll love it.
@Potato
Are you kidding me? Katanagatari is by far the most dialogue-heavy series ON TV, EVER, for its genre. As a warning, for those seeking an anime that doesn’t take much brain to digest (ie. something to watch after a hard day at work or school), katanagatari probably isn’t it. You’d have to sift through some 10 minutes of solid conversation before coming to some decent (at best) action. Rinse and repeat. But everyone has their preferences, I guess.
I found Xam’d, Lost Memories to be a great anime. It’s ending left much to be desired, and overall plot had multiple holes, but ultimately a great watch. Also, FMA: Brotherhood (especially), Durarara!, Black Lagoon, GTO, GITS (both seasons) and RAINBOW ftw.
Hello Peeps,
Been a while without comments. We are into the winter now so I though I would ask your opinion on an Animé that was suggest to me.
Has anyone watched “claymore”?
I would appreciate reviews on this.
Kind regards,
Thomas Hannah
Watched it and loved it…
Claymore is a worth-while show for any fans of demon-themed anime fantasy and/or intense battle commentary. As someone with little or no tactical aptitude (chess was never my game) I have an odd fascination for shows like Claymore, Initial D and Shigurui, which feature extensive commentary by the participating characters on the action and the decisions being made. Of course, this is in deliberate defiance of the fact that such a device can often kill the pace of an action sequence and the writers of Claymore aren’t so adept that they can always maintain the tension during long stretches of dialogue describing the benefits of one secret technique over another.
Claymore is lacking in many respects. The characterization never really goes anywhere, despite lots of juicy ideas being thrown out there, and the music could do with a little more pep. On top of that, I’m not at all a fan of the character designs, which often seem to recall the designs of Hellsing. That said, such a personal gripe didn’t prevent me from enjoying all 26 episodes of either Claymore or Hellsing and, when the dust had settled over the devastation of the final battle, I found myself yearning for a second season of Claymore (especially since what takes place in the first season is clearly just an appetizer compared with the conflict left dangling on the horizon).
I wouldn’t heartily recommend Claymore to anyone other than the most hardcore anime fans but recommend it I would. No fan service either, which is a mixed blessing depending your taste for lovingly rendered anime cleavage (if you dig Claymore but can’t live without the T&A check-out Hellsing, which is a better show all round and has 100% more hilarious attempts at British accents in the dub).
i just watched welcome to the nhk, this anime makes me so sad yet happy, im glad i came upon your list.
Agree with some of the suggestions here. Some I need to check out and some I have but didn’t care for like Darker than Black which is pretty good at first but quickly goes down hill. Couldn’t get into Baccano at all but, that’s me. My 5 personal faves so far are:
Cowboy Beebop
FLCL (aka furi kuri, aka fooly cooly)
Samurai Champloo
East of Eden
Desert Punk
I have to admit that I like One Piece a lot also, my guilty pleasure. It’s a little childish but, it does a good job of evolving the story, unlike Naruto,
One I haven’t seen mentioned here is Birdy the Mighty. I was surprised to enjoy Birdy but, there you are. Sometimes it’s worth checking out anime that you aren’t sure about.
@Danzo Thanks for mentioning Afro Samurai!
alright. A couple things I forgot to say.
1. Always avoid Netflix for anime! If you don’t already know this (and you probably do), netflix mostly offers only subbed which drastically diminishes the experience.
2. animeready.com has a pretty good list unless you prefer subbed.
No mention of Kara no Kyoukai – The Garden of Sinners makes me sad
7 movies + epilogue of dark beauty.
bullshit! no NARUTO and no ONE PIECE this list sucks!
I feel happy that some of my favourite anime are in this list. But I strongly feel that Elfen Lied should be on this list… It is one of a kind anime…
So where the hell is deathnote that should be number one on the list hands down
in response to michael, who is way at the top…
for obvious choices, let’s just add everything that has ever been on toonami!
dbz, bleach, yu yu hakasho, ruroni kenshin, afro samauri….and who knows how many i missed.
what about full metal panic! especially the fumofu! mini series, Midori Days, Excel Saga [if you really want to trip] Ouran highschool host club was a lot of fun, and Rave master, though it looks childish, it really wasn’t, soul eater is kinda trippy [wtf is with death?]
Hello peeps,
I have not been watching to much stuff recently, been busy with work.
Sandy Connell: your comments regarding Claymore were much appreciated. I watched it and was very happy with its content. Thanks again for the review!
Shiki: Could you give us a review of Kara no Kyoukai and what you think makes it so good?
Dylan and Septh: not sure if you have had time to read the comments? Please skim through it, you will soon find both of your suggestions have already been mentioned. You will also find an extensive list of fantastic suggestions to cater for all!
Rajiv: If your taste in Animé is as tasteful as your command of the English language then I don’t have much hope for intellectual suggestions. Grow up please!
Kind regards,
Thomas Hannah
One of the greatest lists I’ve seen for anime series, I’d say 10 is too limited with the plethora of anime available today. Three of my all time series are serial experiments lain (by the character designer of haibane renmei, yoshitoshi abe) which deals with philosophy and remnants of cyber punk. Another favorite of mine is berserk which deals with a group of mercernies in a medeval era with demons and war amongst kingdoms. Berserk deals with morality and explores the good and evil of humanity. Lastly another great series is the twelve kingdoms which is based on Chinese mythology and has a wide story dealing with war, politics, the consequences and rewards of greed, paranoia good intentions and friendships in a different worlds unlike any other.
Ill check the others out. Might I recommend 2 others.
Orphan : a story about a rouge student magician who has lost his best friend (she got tured into a dragon) and finds another with interesting adventures while investigating the rreality and corruption
Kaze no Stigma: astory of 2 Orphen sisters in a post apocalyptic future who find a “safe haven” and gradually uncover the truth of what happened to the world and what has to happen to make it right again. With references to ancient history and mystery.
Death Note anyone?
Bookmarked for later reference.
Shiki!! and Bebop!
I acquired the ergo proxy series and it started out great! but after a few episodes everything crumbled from script to character development and left nothing behind except for decent drawings that moved without purpose. Whoever wrote this dribble should not be allowed to continue in any form of this art. And YOU who pushed this crap upon me in this article should not recommend anything….anymore.
Ghost in the shell is truly amazing and has nothing to do with that craplist that i can see.
Thomas-
You should check out Now and Then, Here and There. Very powerful, somewhat depressing.
Hello peeps,
Tocahan: Thanks, much appreciated. I will download them tonight. I am not disinterested because of depressing things, I tend to find the darker ones have more content to them!
once again, thanks for the suggestion.
Kind regards,
Thomas Hannah
Inuyasha, Cowboy Bebop, Elfen Lied, Trigun, Sailor Moon.
No Yuyu Hakusho or Dot.Hack ? That’s ridiculous.
I’ve been having a hard time finding good anime lately, and to say the least, its been disheartening. I’ve been looking at a lot of “top (x amount) anime” lists, but I never found one where I felt the author had similar tastes to mine. Well I finally found one! This list is superb.
I also appreciate the many recommendations(Zuba-Tuba’s especially).
Watched NHK and was hooked on the first episode, watched it all in one night. Planning on watching Kaiba and Darker Then Black soon.
If anyone wants a great tool for keeping track all the anime you’ve watched, check out my http://myanimelist.net if you haven’t already. My account name is Satch so check out my list and make some recommendations if your bored.
Thanks again for the great list and everyone’s recommendations. Yay anime!
i’m looking forward to seeing the series in your list that i haven’t already viewed.
blood + is just about my favorite series, and i have a fascination with nausicaa of the valley of the wind, even though the anime is nowhere nearly as epic as the manga.
as a matter of fact, i think i’ll take my daughter’s advice and read blood+ and ghost in the shell mangas before i get involved in more anime. and my eyes will be grateful.
inu yasha may be on he horizon. i’m a suck for romance.
I Gungrave just too old? Still and excellent story.
If you dont have Elfen Lied on there then its not a real list
what? no xxxHollic?
Nice to see a list with such enthusiastic comment area, making good use of comments it’s basically turned into a whole other recommendations section.
I won’t give much away about the shows, as I’m a spoilershy guy, but context can be nice, so I recommend copy+pasting the titles into the search bar at http://anidb.info for further knowledge.
Bakemonogatari (2009) and Sarai-ya Goyou(2010)(House of Five Leaves) are both 12 episodes-long must-see shows, of stunning artwork & soundtracks, which blew me away. Sole reason for wanting to avoid this; Insanity. Ok or or maybe action-love and dialogue+story progression resentment.
I feel the same about Katanagatari. Also dialogue heavy, but in the best of ways. All 3 are refreshingly unique and interesting, with a style very much their own. Bakemonogatari has 3or 4 specials also. ! And stuff I didn’t know about meself, a prequel movie yet to be released this year; Kizumonogatari, and a sequel series started jan 8th, “12; Nisemonogatari. Hurrah!
Good ol’ Martial Arts/fighting material
Grappler Baki & Hajime no Ippo(boxing specific) are classics not to be missed.
History’s Strongest Disciple Kenichi also deserves recommendation.
Hunter x Hunter(1999) (perhaps not yet mentioned, due to it being a bit of an obvious candidate for a good show/one everyone and their grandma has already watched. I’ll cover it though for the sake of any unawares, who may come across this list/commentary, help the new discover the old gold) – A good old shounen, 62 episodes, + about 30 OVA episodes, by the man who made YuYuHakusho, who also is the husband of Sailormoon’s creator.
& Shion no Ou*5(Shogi, japanese chess).
Dispite it’s genre, the voice-acting, BGM, and nature of the show makes it feel more like a peoples show, rather than a children’ show. The advancement of the storyline and development of characters and the action, provides many a sincere and exciting touch. The first 2x episodes or so of this show are by far the least interesting though, and the story really picks up from there, so dis old ting will certainly reward yer patience mon.
As for the 2011 remake, I don’t know what Mad House is thinking on this one, but I’m surprised to not like their work on it at all. The lack of suspense and excitement, is imho far too great. This is especially regarding the soundtrack, or lack thereof. It seems like some kiddy-happy circus/marching music that would fit… Wait maybe not even a kids show like Bob the Builder. If my opinion doesn’t seem to coincide with your tastes, by all means disregard it. If that is not the case, and you don’t happen to be a kid, I’d grab the 1999 version, and the 3 OVAs. Then follow the new stuff to draw your own comparisons, whilst waiting for it to commence the decade-long awaited animated continuation, from the end of the original.
Board game
Akagi*1. ! A brilliant gambling show, not unlike Kaiji. Yet this is gambling done via the game of Mahjong. If you catch the board-game bug from Akagi, the few other shows that might satisfy your needs are Legendary Gambler Tetzuka*4/3(Mahjong), Saki*3/4(Mahjong), Hikaru no Go*2(Well, Go
For sake of a ranking order from least to most entertaining, *1 is most, *5 is least. I do deem them all worthy of “a good watch” titles, if I hadn’t I wouldn’t list them.
Maybe this estimation of my own impressions of these diddies can help you decide your viewing order.
Sports
Tennis no Ouji-sama(2005)(The Prince of Tennis/PoT) – Entertaining regardless of one’s relationship with the sport. With 176 epis +OVAs, there is a good bit of content to absorb before indulging the the 2012 brand new season, currently at 6 episodes.
One Outs(200x) A psycological/gambler’s twist introduced to the already gutsy game of baseball. About outwitting opponents both on and off the field, with deep mindful strategies.
Senkou no Night Raid(2010) excellent animation with high quality music but also a mature storyline with solid characters. 13 episodes. Historical events that I knew not much of are featured in this fine show, that maybe you have an interest in.
Sengoku Basara(2009) Based on the games of the same name, featuring historical characters in the warring states period(sengoku jidai), turned pure action representatives, this show is a kickass case of just that. Epic war action, music etc. Be warned however, the rule of cool applies here. Physics can be damned, logic is for fools. It works because it’s awesome. It’s pristine cool fuel. Male leads were apparently extremely tough in the old days. And as another of anidb’s tags put it, way beyond attractive. Good entertainment!
Bakuman(2011) about young manga authors fighting for the dream, and their lives. Refreshing take on a “entertainment business” type of anime.
Ginga Nagareboshi Gin(1986) A classic, having succeeded in becoming a favorite series in households even in europe, this old gem is as great now as it was then. Serious, lots of dogs. Like so many others, I love this series.
Toaru Majutsu no Index(2008) 2 seasons x24 eps. Magicians clash against science in a modern city setting. Also the Sidestory series Toaru Kagaku no Railgun, good fun with a lovely & skillful cast in this one.
For the grownups; Bartender (2006) A series of cocktails, customers and a talented Bartender. A somewhat glamorous and elegant yet very enjoyable depiction of bar-happenings.
C: The Money of Soul and Possibility Control (2011) “This anime has amazing animation, great OST, awesome story concept.” Agree with this I do, and that it’s too bad it’s only 11 eps. A good viewing experience that sustains entertainment throughout.
Nodame Cantabile(2007) Orchestra music+comedy show! How can it not be fun to watch.
guyver?
anyone?
I am a huge fan of Ghost in the Shell and would recommend it to anybody, even if they aren’t anime fans. As for the other series, I haven’t seen any of them but I think I will rectify that in the near future =]
No bebop is good. I want a list of anime series to watch that doesn’t have stuff I have already seen.
Thank you thank you THANK YOU for letting me know about these shows. I freaking loved “Kaiba”–I never saw anything like it before. “Mushi-shi” was also fantastic.
Those of you who gave up on “Ergo Proxy” after one or several episodes…. well, your loss. The first episode is confusing, but things make sense later on. It’s also introspective and meditative, while other episodes, particularly at the beginning, are much more dense and action-packed. This led several viewers to sort of give up on the show halfway through.
I must say that I’m not as big of a fan of “Elfen Lied” and “Death Note.” Death Note is definitely cerebral, but it sort of lacks something, heart maybe? I was transfixed by most of the first season, but by the second season I didn’t really have the energy to continue.
As for “Elfen Lied,” hmm. It’s got some striking visual elements, including a gorgeous seaside setting, and interesting themes–can we change the innate nature we were born with / raised to be? It’s got themes of abuse, trauma, and amnesia, and shows how sometimes, despite a traumatic and cruel past, we can still get a second chance through a simple act of kindness by one good person. The downside: it does get a little sadistic sometimes, it’s got many of the stereotypical mainstream anime depictions of women. It, like “Claymore,” is about a genetically engineered race of sexy half-human supercreatures which for some reason must always be female and, despite their amazing strength and skill, are enslaved to fulfill the needs and desires of others. Also, “Elfen Lied,” like “Deadman Wonderland,” suffers a little from the innocent lady virgin/monster cliche. [Those of you who love "Elfen Lied," you might like "Deadman Wonderland"! Though be warned: it's VERY violent] “Claymore” gets points because it is at least aware of that cliche and even manages to subvert it in a way (won’t tell you how… spoilers!).
Anyway, what shows like “Ergo Proxy” and “Kaiba” prove is, you don’t need over-the-top sadism to show the darker side of the human ( or human…? ) experience. Which is why I find “Elfen Lied” and “Death Note” a little disappointing. Still, they both are very enjoyable and cover interesting philosophical and psychological questions; they just wouldn’t be in my “Top Ten.”
“Moribito: Guardian of the Spirit” is pretty unique. It’s apparently based on a novel, and has a wonderful, epic feel. The animators also took cues from Hayao Miyazaki in their attention to nature and depictions of women. It also has elements of fantasy and is action-packed (one of the protagonists is called “Spear Wielder” and she’s apparently the best fighter in the land), but not violent, because said “Spear Wielder” also tries to not take any lives in her bodyguard career. This is revolutionary in a society with samurai-like warriors with traditional samurai-ish notions about honor, combat, and killing. The end result: an anime that you could potentially watch with a younger audience while being equally interested yourself. Besides the fantasy storyline, I was interested by this show’s depiction of conflict (and eventual resolution between) a corrupt, patriarchal government with insular Western-influenced (if the leather-bound books, grandfather clock, and European astrological signs are any indication) intellectuals versus the remnants of a rural, oral matriarchal society that is attuned to nature and homegrown tradition.
I should mention that this is not quite the same setting as “Samurai Champloo,” as someone else mentioned. It does contain many elements of medieval Japan, but also of other places like Tibet and southeastern China. .
Ooh. One last thing. I don’t believe anyone mentioned “Gankutsuou: The Count of Monte Christo.” See it.
Holy crap no Death Note?? that. show. is. EPIC.
I would like to second FLCL. It’s one of my favorites; whenever I feel down, the bright colors and weird jokes and psychosexual internal struggle really cheer me up.
So glad Baccano! got a mention
Other favorites include Ouran High Host Club (I know a lot of guys would be hesitant to try it– to quote an old boyfriend, “I feel my testosterone levels dropping, but I think I kinda like it.” Current boyfriend also loves it) I loved how Ouran High knows exactly what kind of show it is and lampshades its cliches. And I do love some ho yay.
I also loved Black Butler– starts out funny but gets really dark (Warning and potential spoiler: The second season deals with pedophilia and contains several horrifying moments. Nothing explicit, but things don’t have to be explicit to be horrifying).
The Melancholy of Harui Suzumiya. Fruits Basket. Eden of the East. Desert Punk. Hetalia. Personally loathed Wolf’s Rain, but clearly mileage varies.
And of course Bebop. I didn’t “enjoy” Evangelion, but it is definitely something everyone getting into anime should see. Boyfriend swears by it, says it made him feel less alone during adolescence.
YES! Black Butler! I love the blend of the supernatural with the Holmes-like mysteries, not to mention the very dark characters and the Victorian London setting. The second season draws a lot from Bataille’s “Story of the Eye”– a perverse fascination with eggs, eyeballs and general sadism. It was fun noticing these traits in the second season character.
I think fans of Black Butler might appreciate Gosick as well. Blue Exorcist is also somewhat similar, though much less dark, set in contemporary Japan, and featuring a lot of cute demons. Its story features a weird hybrid with traditional Japanese spirituality and Western notions about demons and Hell.
where is NARUTO and BLEACH??????????
Hooray for Ergo Proxy and Baccano! love. <3
Darker than Black was amazing, and I think it should be a must see.
Also, why no mention of Cowboy Bebop? It is pretty amazing.
And Trigun is pretty nice if you have time to watch.
Some of my favorite animes are listed here or given props in the comments but theres still a few left out.
I truly enjoyed watching Air Gear, a story about a world where special skates containing motors are used to do the extreme in everyday settings. Full of tension and battles, and the characters were wonderful as well.
I would like to thankyou for including Baccano!, it’s one of my favorite animes and i found enthralling. I was surprised to find it on here because it’s not often suggested on these list types.
Claymore was wonderful. I didn’t exactly love the character designs and the story felt a bit odd at points but it was excelently done all the same. I find myself engrossed in these demon-type animes sometimes.
Pumpkin Scissors, I’m not that far into it so i wouldn’t want try and describe it but I find it very interesting and to give you some idea it’s a military, secret-type thing.
Sands of Destruction, I don’t know exactly what really pulled me in, just that it did an amazing job of doing so. It’s set in a world where beast rule over men and there are two groups: one set on world destruction, and one set on world salvation. It’s interesting to say the least.
Now I know that D.Gray-man is popular and might be one of those you don’t want to hear about but it’s really just amazing, spectacular even. I felt a sense of glee running through my viens as i watched each episode. I’ve not been able to watch past season two, so i’ve been reading the manga and I have to say, it has yet to let me down still. I can’t begin to describe it really, but if you haven’t seen it, I suggest that you do.
Jyu-Oh-Sei: Planet of the Beast King, I loved this anime and once I begun, I couldn’t stop watching it! It’s only 11 episodes so while finishing relatively fast, it’s still incredible. It’s about survival of the fittest, set into the distant future two brothers (twins) are sent without reason to a foriegn planet full of danger and must find a way to live: or just die.
Although I feel as though I’m missing a few I didn’t want this comment to be overlooked because of sheer size so this is all I’m listing.
I think Wolf’s Rain (2003) should be in the top ten for sure
hay guys, been a while, I have a big list of anime on here somewhere but i wanna add some stuff so ima just re-do the list so you all dont have to find the old one (ima rate it 0-10 so i dont have to type all the descriptions [sorry im lazy]) so here it goes:
GOLDEN BOY!!! 999 OUT OF TEN ! ! ! BEST SHOW EVER HANDS DOWN!
cowboy bebop 10/10
samurai champloo 10 /10
Gantz 10/10
mushishi 10/10
baccano 10/10
Code Geass 10 of 10
trigun 9 of 10
yu yu hakusho 9/10
History’s Strongest Disciple Kenichi 8.5/10
FullMetal Alchemist and Brotherhood. 10 of 10
the wallflower, made me laugh a lot 9/10
dessert punk, 9/10
Detective Conan 9/10
Sora O Miageru Shoujo No Hitomi Ni Utsuru Sekai 10 of 10 (English: The World Reflected in the Eyes of a Girl Looking Up at the Heavens)
black lagoon 10/10
Outlaw star 8.5/10
naruto 5/10 . . . shippuden gets an 8.5/10 so far
wolfs rain 7.5 – 8/10
afro samurai 7 of 10
Evangelion 8.5/10
Gurren Lagann, real epic ending, but lets be real, 3 of 10.
Dragon ball 10 of 10
dbz season 1: 7.5 . . season 2: 6 . . . season 3: 8 . . gt: 3
Death Note , (I read the manga) so the show 5 , the books 9.
Fooly Cooly 8.5/10
Elfen Lied 7/10
one piece 3/10
Bleach 6.5/10 (only saw the first season)
berserk 7.5 – 8/10
dot.hack // sign 8.5/10 (i never got into any other dot.hack . . its just not the same)
all Gundam 7.5 – 9/10 . . but SD is a complete 0.
ergo proxy 8.5/10
eureka 7, its a 7/10
inuYasha is to long 4.5/10
MAR 4.5 /10
rave master 4.5 /10
rurouni kenshin 7.5 /10
s-cry-ed 6/10
trinity blood 7/10
claymore 7/10
blood + 7 /10
highschool of the dead: too short 6.5/10
bastard: also too short . . a kick ass 7.5/10
Hyakka Ryouran: samurai girls: ehh 5/10
Ichiban Ushiro no Daimaou: 6.5/10
The Sacred Blacksmith: (too short) 5/10
Black Cat (have not finished) 7/10
Card Captor Sakura: THIS SHOW COULD HAVE BEEN BAD ASS IF IT WAS 18+ . . . . but its a kids show. 7/10
Petite Cossette 6.5/10
Demonbane (have not finished) 8/10
Shura no Toki 8.5/10
Freezing (lots of tits so 10/10) but really its more like 6/10
Eden of The East 8/10
Tsukihime: Lunar Legend (have not finished yet) 8/10
Basilisk 7.5/10
ok, now, if you disagree with any of the ratings in this comment, I DON’T CARE, and even if you comment about it: chances are i wont read your comment for a few months at the least, if at all. thank you.
Ps. to get a better grasp on how i feel about the shows, 4 and under : waste of time 4.5-6ish is here nor there, 6.5 and up are things i actually had fun watching some way or another. (btw dbz season 2s rate is a type-o 7/10)
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