Can anyone suggest some good anime?

I've heard great things about Evangelion but haven't gotten around to it yet. The various Gundam shows go on beyond forever, but the miniseries War In the Pocket is essential viewing.

Evangelion is wonderful because of how fucked up it is, and how little sense it makes towards the end.

Well, I haven't seen full metal alchemist yet, but this is a longer series with 51 eps I think. There is also a move that was just released that is somewhat of a continuation. That looks decent.

I have been watching the following:

Bleach (up to 102 eps now)
Ruoroni Kenshin (up to 97 eps)
Gantz (13 eps) - kind of a gory series. I've only seen the first five
Paranoia Agent - (13 eps) real good
Elfin Lied (13 eps)
Black Heaven (13 eps) - this one is fun so far. Some guy is a guitar maniac that lives with his wife but somehow in the future becomes some kind of god. I haven't seen the entire series yet though.
Samurai champloo
Cowboy Bebop

This site is a pretty good way to find out about all the different anime that is out there right now.

http://www.animenewsnetwork.com/

I loved Trigun, it neatly balanced comedy and dramatic elements, it has 24 episodes altogether I think, and also Cowboy Bebop is pretty great.

How about Berserk (give the show a chance past about ten eps it just kills at the end), loved that series (plus only 25 eps).Hellsing is a good fun show though it does suffer from alot of anime cliches. Now and then, here and there is a devastating series.Will certainly second Samurai Champloo, Cowboy Bebop, and Evangelion. But ya know there are also movies, needless to say see anything by Miyazaki (hes a cinematic genius). Theres always Akira (the classic intro into the world of anime), Grave of fireflys (the oscar bait of the anime world), Ghost in the shell, and my guilty pleasure Devil-man. Stay away from Naruto (unless you're a tweener), Full Metal Alchemist (boring and useless), Inuyasha (they do stuff here and it can be good at times, but its like 275 episdoes long), and Dragonball z (Dragonball is fun though). Hope this has been helpful.

If we're saying movies, then Ninja Scroll is definitely one of the best.

search the forums, since there's a couple of other posts asking for anime suggestions.

Neon Genesis Evangelion and Serial Experiments Lain.

Bleach
Cowboy Bebop
Samurai Champloo

Jesus, who recommended Elfin Lied? That show is terrible.

I haven't seen too much anime- but of the stuff I've seen- these are the best-

Akira
Perfect Blue
Ninja Scroll
Fist of the North Star (the movie, haven't seen the series)

Cowboy Bebop
Ghost in the Shell
Gundam 08 MS Team
Inuyasha (good, but dragged on a bit)

Gunslinger Girl
Godannar
Daiguard
Full Metal Panic


Older:
Macross
Armored Trooper Votoms

You've started out strong with FMA.
Cowboy Bebop is a excellent follow-up.

I also recommend:
TV SHOWS
Trigun
Samurai Champloo
Samurai 7
FLCL (Fooley Cooley)
R.O.D. - Read or Die (my wife really enjoyed watching this one with me)
MOVIES
Akira
Ninja Scroll
Ghost in the Shell
Vampire Hunter D (both the original & the sequel)
Anything by Satoshi Kon or Hayao Miyazaki

Serial Experiments Lain

Cowboy Bebop

Evangelion

Trigun

FLCL

I've got to echo all the Cowboy Bebop recommendations.

That series has a bit of everything, it's finite(26 episodes as I recall, plus a movie), has some great music, some really good comedy, killer action, and perhaps most importantly, great characters that you actually care about. It doesn't hurt that it has one of the best English dubs of any anime I've seen(or heard I suppose). There's a continuing storyline that takes up about 5 episodes total, but most of the shows are totally self contained.
I'll admit I generally have a hard time getting into anime series, but Bebop had me as soon as I watched a couple of shows. Samurai Champloo is good too, but it's really rather weak when compared to Bebop.
Also, Champloo has a goddamn clip show, which I have a hard time excusing with a series that short. If they were trying to parody clip shows(which I thought at first), they didn't succeed.

I thought the Ninja Scroll series wasn't bad(the 3 discs I saw of it), I enjoyed it more than the movie actually(which I liked enough to buy).
Ghost in the Shell: Stand Alone Complex(except those goddamn talking tank things) is pretty good too, although I'm not really sure why it's so damn popular. I much prefer the movies.

I find Ninja Scrolls to be a little overrated. it was good when I first saw it when I was about 13, but now that i've become more immersed in Anime, I've come to realize that there are much better shows/movies out there, needless violence is fun, but try to throw a little bit of story into the mix.


-FLCL is hilarious, although a very short series.
-Neon Genesis Evangelion is fantastic.
-as someone mentioned Miyazaki's films are great.
-Akira is required viewing, it still blows my mind that the film is almost 20 years old, the animation is outstanding.
-Robotech was my favorite series as a kid.
-I enjoyed what I saw of Samurai Deeper Kyo
-Cowboy Bebop is IMO one of the top 5 anime series ever.
-if you're into fantasy stuff I reccommend Record of the Lodoss War.

I'd recommend Samurai Champloo, Cowboy Bebop and Ghost In The Shell. They're the good anime shown on adult swim. Both Samurai Champloo and Cowboy Bebop are directed by Shinichiro Watanabe. And Ghost in the Shell the series is closer to the original manga than the Oshii films.

Since the names alone aren't good for much, here's an update with video clips:

Gunslinger Girl
(cloak & dagger with child assassins)
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xT6cmY6c8gk

Godannar
(cheesy giant robot action)
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=e98jTNTmGPI

Full Metal Panic Fumoffu
(um... high school comedy about a Naked Gun type teenage commando)
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=meSr5GAyhj8

Area 88
(Top Gun in the Middle East)
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0uycnWkl0j0

Cromartie High School
(crazy high school comedy full of Beavis & Butthead type oddballs)
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4Gg37XZZTO8

Yeah, FLCL is great as well.

two eps of cowboy bebop really stuck with me. the one with the black goop poison, and the one about the video tape. the first i just didn't get. was it an alternate universe or something?what happened to those poisoned? (i didn't catch the next ep) the one about the video tape was SO SAD.

FLCL is not one I think can be easily viewed by someone unfamiliar with other anime. That and Champloo have been the last anime I have really enjoyed (Miyazaki transcends the concept of a country's animation output as a genre to me). I've found that with such an increase in interest and availability we are now witness to the simple fact that 90% of what's out there is unwatchable (just as is the case with American entertainment products).

-Monster (best animated drama ever)
-Gankutsuou (sci fi Count of Monte Cristo)
-One Piece (long running but awesome. Don't watch the dubbed version, it's a travesty)
-Coyote Ragtime Show (Cowboy Bebop-like)
-GunXSword (western/mecha)
-Basilisk (Ninja Scroll type action drama)
-Excel Saga (spoofs one anime/movie genre per episode. If you can get used to the female lead's rapid fire delivery, you'll enjoy)

It's definitely more fun once you're aware of all the in-jokes. I'd warm up with Project A-ko.

While my anime experience is somewhat limited, I did enjoy the movie Princess Mononoke. I would readily suggest that one.

The thing is, if you start with Miyazaki you'll be totally spoiled for anything else.

The rest of it can't be all that bad.*



* This statement does not apply to Dragonball Z.

But A-Ko itself is FULL of riffs on other shows. It's almost one big anime parody.

Also, my girlfriend HATED it. I cannot understand why.

Yeah, but they're older, somewhat more familiar shows, like Harlock and Macross. That's what makes it a good warm-up.

She probably thought you were trying to get her in the mood for a three-way.

Millenium Actress - For some reason praise doesn't often find Satoshi Kon, and with a flick like this under his belt, let alone Perfect Blue, it just makes me wonder why.

Satoshi Kon is also behind the aforementioned Paranoia Agent.

Anime as a whole, though, I just don't know. Much of it's flavor has been incorporated into just about everything these days, what drew me to it initially may seem boring or derivative to someone just getting a taste of it now.

I mean, does anybody care about Gunbuster post Neon Genesis Evangelion? How will Vampire Hunter D play now, or Fist of the North Star for that matter?

Now, this isn't for everyone, but some of the most fun I've had with an anime recently was catching a dubbed episode of Knights of the Zodiak (Saint Seiya is it's Japanese title) on Adult Swim.

The dub is just that bad.

He's great at family friendly fantasy, but he doesn't really get into other genres so you won't be spoiled for them.

Generation gap warning! Painful as it is to admit, the modern anime fan is unlikely to be very familiar with shows as old as A-Ko, Harlock, or even Macross.

Speaking of old series, I've been watching the Lupin III series. That's an old timer but I'm still digging the groovy beats.

One of my all time favorites for sure. No doubt the Miyazaki faithful will know that he directed the second Lupin animated feature film. Although I still think the first film is the best.

Yeah, I'm surprised that Mystery of Mamo doesn't get more love. If people recognize it at all it's because the action scenes were in some video game. I forget which one.

Re: generation gap: I was a Star Blazers kid and proud of it. Still waiting for a definitive home video release.

[QUOTE]

I think Mamo is the best film in that it comes closest to capturing the wild, irreverent tone of the manga. That said some of the recent films have been very good as well.


You know I'm a fan. I'm eventually going to have to buy the Japanese DVD set if it doesn't get a decent release over here.

Yeah, Lupin's a great, great character and if the thread-starter ever watches anything with him in it he'll see how much of Lupin is present in Spike on Bebop.

I loved the Lupin gag they did in FLCL.

I saw Full Metal Achemists and I like it alot. Neon Genesis Evagelion is too confusing. Macross Zero is good but short, and Macross Zero is flashy but somewhat forgettable. Gantz is very gory, and the storyline is a bit convoluted, but I haven't finished it yet.

i'll recommend "The Melancholy of Suzumiya Haruhi." i watched it over the weekend. 14 episodes aired this year in Japan and there's currently a bidding war for the US rights, so it'll show up in the states eventually.

it's based on a series of novels about a girl in high school who looks for a life less ordinary by searching for aliens, time travellers and espers. it's very meta in places, referencing other popular anime series.

one of the best short run anime series i've seen this year.

There are some great comedy and drama animes out there, which I tend to gravitate towards:

Genshiken: All 12 episodes are licensed and out on DVD here. The series is about a college otaku group called The Society of Modern Visual Culture -- guys who like cosplay, doujinshi (fanmade manga) video games, and a particular cooking competition/magical girl anime called Kujibuki Unbalance, which actually got its own series based off fan interest. It's funny, captures the greatness of geekdom, and overall is just really damn good.

Beck: Mongolian Chop Squad just got picked up by FUNimation, the guys who dubbed the 9 billion different Dragonball series. The basis is quite simple: high school/college aged guys form a rock band that turns out pretty great. It gets Japanese culture just right, and you can't help but love every member of the band. It's probably the best high-school related series I've seen that isn't called Freaks And Geeks. It's best to watch it in the original Japanese -- there's lots of language-based jokes (American English and Japanese intertwine quite often, as two characters were raised in America before moving back to Japan) that I can't see working with an English dub. 26 episodes. Not quite out on DVD here yet, but hits it in early 2007.

Haibane Renmei is another damned good show. It's a drama about what are essentially angels living in a walled-off city, and one doesn't know how she got there. The series is her journey to understanding this. 13 eps. Licensed.

Neon Genesis Evangelion is sort of a rite of passage to watching anime. It's a series that has characters that anybody in Japan will recognize just by their picture. And it has to be seen to be believed. The most drastic twist on "giant mech" anime ever done. 26 eps. This was the followup to Gainax's Gunbuster series. There's a "Platinum" edition of the series out, with digital restoration and 5.1 surround.

Gunbuster and Diebuster (aka Gunbuster 2) are two series that hold special interest, as the former was the series Gainax made before NGE -- and once again, it is a slight twist on the "giant mech" genre. Diebuster is the series Gainax produced after FLCL, which was a surprise success. Watch Gunbuster, then NGE, and follow them with FLCL and Gunbuster. Gunbuster I think has been licensed (should've been -- it's nearly 20 years old now), but Diebuster hasn't.

FLCL - Probably the most stylish anime brought over to the US in recent years. And with a kickass English dub. The creator of this followed it up with Diebuster, which is why you should watch this beforehand. 6 episodes.

Azumanga Daioh. Cute. Hilarious. Nonsensical as a Will Ferrell/Adam McKay comedy. Follow six friends through high school. Might be one of the all-time ADTRW (SomethingAwful.com's anime forum) favorites. 26 episodes. Licensed.

Fair warning: the Gainax shows (Gunbuster, eva, FLCL, Diebuster) don't have endings that make any sense or even emotionally tie up. Hell, the description on the last FLCL episode's DVD makes fun of it, it is that well known a fact.

And of course, Kon's works (movies Perfect Blue, Millennium Actress, Tokyo Godfathers, and the series Paranoia Agent).

Also, find a way to see Voices From A Distant Star, a sci-fi romance with a sad, sad heart. But feel free to ignore The Places Promised To Us In Our Early Days, the director's follow-up. The former is more impressive, better written, and was practically done by one man. These are some of the better ones I've seen since I started watching.

Finally, don't forget that its considered perfectly legal to download unlicensed anime. There's always something good that falls through the cracks in terms of being brought over here so the licenser can have the latest "magical girl/animal catching/Inuyasha" show that'll sell a few extra hundred thousand DVDs to 12-year-old Toonami fans. So if you see someone talk about a new show, check out BitTorrent sites like Boxtorrents, and you might be pleasantly surprised at the amount of fansubs and other anime that could catch your eye.

Explain to me how this is "perfectly legal."

Because Japanese companies and the American distributors use the fansubbing/sharing community for anime that's unlicensed as a way to see what's interesting their primary market. If a series proves popular in the fansubbing community, chances are it may have an audience on [adult swim] or on DVD. There is, of course, some trepidation occassionally; one company has gone with legal action, but it could be argued that they suffered economically because of it: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fansub#Recent_legal_action

So, basically, it's legal in that a company won't usually bring the hammer down on the community.

It is not legal. The fansubbers do not own the properties they are distributing. The studios may tolerate such practices up to a point, but almost all of them frown on it.