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Essential Anime
What follows is a kinda-in-order summary of the best Anime I've seen lately. Its not complete (I didn't even manage to assemble a complete Top 10) but its a good sampling of my tastes (yours will vary I'm sure ;)
Lain Perhaps the best Anime I've seen thus far. The story of a young girl, a drug culture, the future of the net, etc etc. It'll leave your jaw on the floor. It makes the internet look unreal but somehow believable at the same time.
Perfect Blue A psychological thriller worthy of hitchcock. It starts off slow, but the last half hour is a directorial maspterience. Losely follows a 'Pop Idol's transition from singer to actress, while surrounded by a stalker, celebrity, management, directors, writers, and eventually descends into insanity. Not for kids.
Cowboy Bebop The most badass sci-fi western I've seen. Visually and Aureally astounding. Bounty Hunters, Drugs, Gambling, Girls.
Trigun Another western, but this one is actually sorta in the west. Goofy cowboy guy is actually an invincible mega hero.
Ninja Scroll Another one not for kids... its your basic Ninjas save the world story. A male and female ninja and a crackpot old man do battle with evil clans and demons.
Dragonball Z Sometimes it moves slow, but this is the WWF of Anime. Big creatures fight and get super powers and yell at each other. The charachters are fun, and while the animation isn't up to snuff with most of the other titles I've mentioned here, its just fun, and its on Cartoon Network so its accessible: Just don't take it seriously.
Battle Athletes Another silly adventure. Cheerful girls undergo intense training to become 'Cosmo Beauty' which is sorta like Miss America++. Takes a long time for the plot to become clear, but there are some great charachters here and a lot of hilarious sequences I mean, it starts out wiht little girls racing accross antarctica, towing steam rollers through a mine field. Another fun one, but don't expect the meaning of life or anything.
Battle Angel Cyborgs and their doctors in the future. A cool world where spines are valuable, and a technological 'Heaven' floats above the hell in which the story takes place, dumping its trash atop them. Visually interesting, but the world the charachters inhabit is really the coolest part for me.
Allright, thats what I've seen in the last few months. What do you guys think? What else is out there thats worth seeing? What's your favorite?
My best friend is a complete otaku (obsessed anime fan), and has brought me along in many of her anime adventures. These are some of the ones I've seen, and my thoughts on each.
Sorceror Hunters - In a world where sorcery is forbidden a group of people (all named after food incidentally) are given the task of destroying those who go against the rules. A wonderful anime in my opinion, it is hilariously funny, but not for children.
Fushigi Yuugi - Another excellent anime. The main character is a ditz from our world who gets sent back to ancient China by reading a book called "Universe of the Four Gods." The people there recognize her as a priestess and she is given the mission of saving a kingdom from their neighbor. There are seven chosen people from that kingdom who she must find to help her first. This anime is one of my favorites. It has wonderful animation, and a terrific story line. A must-see.
Shinesman - This is a hilarious parody of many shows, mainly Power Rangers. I've only seen one tape of it, but I laughed very hard throughout. "You saw the bare skin of royalty! Now I either have to kill you or make you my boyfriend!" - Princess Shina
Ranma 1/2 - A fun anime involving gender-switching, people changing into cats, pandas and little black pigs, and obsessive characters. The plot is very hard to say in a little blurb, because it keeps becoming more and more complicated. A definate must-see.
Oh! My Goddess - A college student mistakenly calls the Goddess Hotline while attempting to order pizza. The Goddess says that she can answer any one wish. Keiichi, thinking it's a joke, says that he wants her to be his girlfriend, so she comes to his dorm, and becomes his girlfriend. The anime continues on their life, and things become more complicated when the goddess' sisters join her. Good anime.
Serial Experiments Lain - This is by far the weirdest anime I have seen. Extremely good, but after only seeing the first for episodes, or layers, I was a little confused. If you have access to the whole series, you should definately watch this. Good Night, Navi. - Lain
Kodomo No Omocha - I've seen about the first four fansubbed episodes which I downloaded. The animation is really good, especially the eyes. It's about a girl who is an actor in a TV show called "Child's Play" (also the name of the anime) and her trials in dealing with the class bullies. I really like this anime. I downloaded it from Lunaarts Anime, sorry, I no longer have the link, but well worth the download.
Those are some of the anime that I have seen and enjoyed, I hope it's of some use. You can find information about these anime and many others at the Anime Web Turnpike. A very good compilation of links to anime websites. Thanks for taking the time to read this! ^_^
[ Re Esclaflowne ] *scratches head* what's with this mecha hangup, anyway?
One word: toys. Tomino (Mr. Original Formula Gundam) had to add mecha to Dunbine to sell it to the powers that be.
The worst, of course, was an old Bubblegum Crisis dub where they not only overspoke the spoken lines, but redid the *music* as well... aiiiiee!
They didn't have much choice; the original audio masters were made on 1/4 inch reel to reel that had gone bad by the time AnimEigo went to do the dub, so they had to redo everything.
All Purpose Cultural Cat Girl (people tack NukuNuku onto the end) is actually two three episode OAV series made by the same people; the first three are excellent---just watch NukuNuku watching the people around her to learn how to act human, the last three are lots of fun (and Eimi is a trip). It then was made into a 12 part TV series, with a rather different plot. And then a 6? part OAV series "... Dash", where her hair is green, and the plot is completely different.
Someone commented on operas, including "Legend of the Galactic Heroes" (or "Boring Germans in Space" as some fans like to call it; the official title is German, the society of one side is explicitly modeled on Prussia, etc., and it starts slow). I find it to become rather depressing, but I've never seen anything that comes close to depicting what war between multiple fleets with a nominal size of 10,000 ships would look like. It's also the longest OAV (made for video, pre-order in this case) series. BTW, it's all set to classical music....
The other really good space war epic I've seen is the first three Gall Force (Gall as in Gallant); the action is split second, not to mention apocalyptic.
I would describe Ruro ni Kenshin as an essay on the fate of a man's soul. And a show that takes fighting seriously and somewhat realistic (well, I suppose if you've got skills and swords as good as these guys have, you can fight that way---I gather most any Kurosawa movie is more realistic).
As someone indicated, you won't get so much of it if you just watch the OAV. Stick though the TV series until it gets to the Kyoto arc (when Saitou shows up, and there are many good parts up to that point), watch the Kyoto arc, read the manga for a while (all of this section has been fan translated) and then watch the OVAs, which are awesome, perfect, words fail.
There is also a manga edition that the anime is based on, which is supposed to be top-notch.
It is but this is one case where the action is done a lot better in the anime. (Dragonball is the reverse---the manga artist is a master of choreography, but the anime fights are rather poorly done---and drag on... :-).
On Macross:
I'd have to say that Macross Plus isn't quite the best thing since sliced bread, the plot is kind of weak, like all Macross works. But everything else makes up for that.
However, Macross in general cannot be beat for its depiction of air combat (can you thing of anything else besides real life where the use of flares, etc. is critical?), and the original series and movie are great and were path breaking. And some of us like Lynn Minmay (voiced and sung by Iijima Mari); if you don't like "Ohhh Rick!!!" as someone put it, watch the original, not Robotech, where his name Ichijou Hikaru. Even the best voice in the Macross arc of Robotech is better in the original: Max really sounds like a deadly pilot.
Tenkuu no Escaflowne (Vision of Escaflowne): in the words of Peter Evans, "Macross meets the Middle Ages". The ending is arguably more confusing than the original Evangelion TV ending, but it's nonetheless absolutely wonderful, with non stop action, plot twists, etc. Curiously, the original manga/concept was by a very shonen (for boys) author, the official series manga is shoujo (for girls); the anime combines the best of both.
Disney, sad to say, still does better body dynamics and better fluid animation [...]
Absolutely. But this is in part by design; anime tends to focus on shadowing and the like instead.
Shoujo is _owned_ by a female group named CLAMP.
I'm sorry, but that's simply not true. Perhaps for some males watching shoujo, but a zillion other shoujo fans would disagree.
Having said that, when they aren't too twisted or depressing, they can be great, e.g. Magic Knights Rayearth, Card Captor Sakura (very soon to be on Fox), Wish, etc.
Magic Knight Rayearth is another great magical girl series.
Strictly speaking, MKR is a "God Warrior" show, like Saint Seiya; they get most of their power from their artifacts, not themselves. The girls *can* do magic, but maybe only with their artifacts.
Magical girls shows are shows about (generally) normal girls who have been granted magical power for some reason, and are generally stories of personal growth. The original classic ones don't have too much combat (e.g. Creamy Mami, Magical Fairy Pelsia, Magical Emi, Minky Momo, etc.; see Mahou no Stage Fancy Lala for a modern version).
C'mon Taco, I know there's a mahou shoujo in you somewhere! :)
He might, although I couldn't get into the original ones. The modern variations, which I call Martial and Techo(logical) Magical Girls shows I rather like, with the exception of Nurse Angel Ririka SOS, which just did a poor job of the action, although the beginning of the first episode is not to be missed.
The ones I like are: Sailor Moon (as someone said, it's about as dark and serious as you could ask for, for all the comedy), Wedding Peach, and the latest, Kamikaze Kaitou Jeanne. The thing that distinguishes these series is that they are fighting something grim, and if they fail, even once, not only do they die, but everyone in the world dies.
I also like the two recent "Techo Magical Girls" shows, shows that are much like the classical ones, but as far as we can tell, there's no real "magic", just advanced technology or stage magic. These are Tonde Buurin, which is insanely funny---the hero transforms into a plump pink pig, which she does not like, and Kaito Saint Tail (kaito means something like high-class thief).
Someone mentioned the Five Star Stories movie: it's great, the girls even get a male shower scene ^_^ (I think it's pretty much shoujo without being technically shoujo (it is published in a general interest magazine), but you won't understand it without reading up on the back story. Quite a few volumes of the translated manga have been released. Strange, complicated, but worth the effort.
I can hear the sea -> Very underated, excellent Ghibli anime, very different from Nausciaa, Mononoke Hime, Laptuta etc.
This was the first work done by the "normal" Ghibli staff; the masters stepped back and let them show their stuff. BTW, it's rumored that Anno (Mr. Evangelion) is doing a project with Ghibli, which is hard to think about.
On your mark -> A music video done by Ghibli. Hard to get your hands on, but well worth it.
Absolutely; this was done by Miyazaki, and shown in theatres with "Whispers of the Heart".
Trigun -- A funny slapstick comedy centered around a character who hides his competence, and a cool sci-fi tinted western.
It gets serious, much more serious as the series develops. In fact, of the 7 episodes released in the US so far, only 5 and 7, and 1 to a small extent, are based on the original manga. The rest are original episodes to establish the characters before the real story begins.
A lot of people say the TV series Slayers are not serious. While this is mostly true of the OAV and Movies (the ones with Naga), I have to disagree about the TV series, which for all their insanely wonderful comedy are deadly serious, with nothing less than the fate of that universe at stake in each one. The ending of Next is one of the most powerful I've ever seen. Try's pretty good, but it suffers from being an original story not based on the novels.
Juubei-Chan: This one is just very silly with good animation.
I'm told this 13 part TV series gets really serious about half-way through (it shows signs of that at episode 4 or so, where I stopped, not being able to follow it unsubbed).... In the meanwhile, it's very very funny.
*Gundam*: See all of them. The Gundam series defined the 'Giant Robot' genre, and you'll get a kick out of seeing all the stock items in it.
Actually, it would be more accurate to say that Gundam redefined the giant robot series genre. Look at the Gekiganger clips from Nadesico for a parody of the classic 1970's giant robot shows, or Giant Robo for a modern take on them (by a crazy director who said his primary influence was the "Rocky Horror Picture Show" (seriously!)).
I like original formula Gundam, as created by Tomino: the original series, very well recast into 3 movies with extra/changed animation, Zeta, Double Zeta, Char's Counter Attack (CCA), F-91, and Victory Gundam. With the exception of CCA, a movie that, shall we say, wrapped up some loose ends, these are all stories of a young pilot thrust unwillingly into combat, how he deals with it, against a sophisticated political backdrop. They're all powerful anti-war statements. And it's all set in an O'Neil space colony future.
(I view the OAVs made in this timeline as fanfics, 0080 and 0083 which I don't particularly care for (although the animation and music of 0083 almost carries it). The most recent OAV series might be good, although the fight at the beginning is unbelievable (Balls are not that well armored)).
Gundam Wing turns the formula on it's head: instead we have 5 boys about a year older than the average, who are stone killers executing a carefully prepared terrorist campaign. One or two are even sociopaths....
I liked it a lot at the beginning, but the story, motivations, etc. eventually got to me.
A good no-strings-attached fun-story: Nadia, from Gainax (their first TV hit).
Yes, after the artistic but not commercial success of Wings of Honneamise, they, or Anno to be specific, did: Gunbuster, Nadia, Evangelion (all deadly serious shonen works; I can't really call any of them a "fun-story"), and KareKano. And now without Anno they're doing an OAV series named FCFL ("Furi Kuri") "first truly 21st Century anime" (see the animeondvd.com review).
Nadesico
This is mostly lighthearted space adventure, along the lines of 'Irresponsible Captain Tylor'.
On the surface it is fun and silly, but, don't forget the backdrop is a genocidal war. I would say more, but that would give away too much. Tylor is similar; insanely funny on the surface, but the backdrop is quite serious, as is the war and conflict between humanity and the other side.
Utena: My top pick. A very surreal story about a young girl who has dedicated her life to becoming a prince. Very surreal and artistic in places - it gets a lot weirder in the later seasons, which aren't commercially available in the US yet.
Utena is indeed remarkable, but don't hold your breath for more commercial releases in the US. The company has been giving the same unbelievable excuse for a year, and the real story seems to be quite simple: they knew it was done by one of the best directors of Sailor Moon, and marketed the first arc to the US Sailor Moon audience. The remaining arcs are way too adult for that audience. Probably another classic example of a company buying a series after watching only a few episodes, only in this case the mistake cannot be redeemed.
Neon Genesis: Evangelion DON'T MISS IT!
This probably won't get read by anyone because I'm logging in as AC, but oh well... (could someone moderate this up?
Some anime that you would have a hard time finding, but are extremely cool... If you want better descriptions and more info, goto
www.anipike.com
Berserk: fantasy with substance... not for kids though... it's pretty graphic (i.e. violence)
Legend of the Galactic Heros: the longest OVA ever! It's not for everyone, but it's a classic. This is a prime example of Space Opera. Based more around political intrigue than technology, it's plot is unbelieveable.
Sekai no Monsou (sp?) : Translantes into Crest of Stars. Another Space Opera show that's fairly recent. It has a very interesting plot and it looks gorgeous.
Shamanic Princess : put out by Bandai... it's really out there, but the music and art are fantastic. IT's kindofa mystical fantasy thing... but it's really hard to describe.
Lupin III : well this is sorta the Anime equvalent of James Bond. Lupin and his gang are capable of anything. It's mainly a comedy. A new movie comes out ever few years just like the Bond movies.
Kareshi Kanojo no Jijou : translates roughly into "his and her circumstances". done by the same guy who did Eva! This is the story about a high-school couple and what they go through. IT's fairly serious at times, but it also has some really hilarious moments.
well, if you can find them, great.... some might come over to the US eventually... (I hope so)
-Too Lazy to Register
get dirty pair and gunsmith cats i dunno if they have these on DVD yet. oh yah...check out any of the tenchi muyo series as well...
Black Magic M-66: Two experimental assisin robots (think terminator on steriods) are released after a "freak transport problem". They were being shipped from their designer's lab (einstien-esque old fart) to some military base. The designer just used any old "target pattern" he had lying around: his daughter.
So these two robots (one male-looking, the other female) go berserk trying to get this daughter. Where the terminator was slow and powerful, these things are fast and powerful (and well armed).
Appleseed: Future city under attack by terrorists. The police have little mecha, one of the main characters is a "total conversion" cyborg (who uses the same firearms as the aforementioned mecha).
Both movies are relatively short (around 45 minutes) and extremely well done.
Oh my gosh, now that you mention it, The Matrix is Anime! Thank you for altering my perceptions.
Mark Edwards
Proof of Sanity Forged Upon Request
I'd have to go with Rurouni Kenshin, Sorceror Hunters, Mobile Battleship Nadesico, Irresponsible Captain Tylor, Hyperpolice, Those Who Hunt Elves, and, of course, Hyper Dolls.
For those of you in the SF Bay/Silicon Valley area who haven't discovered this already, the San Jose PBS station (KTEH) is airing the entire Evangelion series, uncut and uncensored. They do one episode every Sunday at 10PM. Unfortunately, they are almost to the end, and I don't know if they are going to start over or move on to something else when they hit the end.
Lame. Blech :P Give me esca or eva any day.
yeah, hmm, i'm not feeling particularly intelligent right now :P I just hate lain! I guess if you like 2001 then you can give it a shot.
Appleseed-animated is barely even close to the manga. It compresses Book 2 into movie form, but leaves out the rich undertone and becomes a stereotypical shoot-the-terrorist show(and the dub adds an almost insulting supermarket-worthy soundtrack). Read the comic instead.
The only series he made that adapted to anime adequatlely was Dominion Tank Police; which if you're listening Taco, you should also pick up.
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I watched a LOT of Anime in college, mostly through the anime club at UC San Diego (which got some really nice stuff from time to time). I came to the conclusion that there is an even higher level of signal-to-noise in anime as there is in other forms of entertainment (live action movies, music, etc).
Ninja Scroll is, in my opinion, easily the best anime ever created. Besides the fact that it avoids most of the trite anime-isms that I can't stand (cute schoolgirls, giant robots, psycic powers), it's actually a semi-intelligent story with interesting (and believable) characters, but without sacrificing the over-the-top nature that makes anime what it is. Plus cinematics and action sequences worthy of John Woo. (I never get tired of watching the opening sequence.) And, of course, I consider its close ties to the Samurai Showdown series (my favorite fighting game of all time) to be a definite plus.
The only other bit of anime that even approaches NS is Macross 2. It's slightly less interesting to me because of its futuristic setting, but the characters, story, and art are all very high-quality - almost up to snuff with a Hollywood film.
Before anyone mentions them: yes, I have seen all the other films that anime fans often put into the "masterpiece" category, and I was unimpressed by them. Wings of Homenaise (sp?) had a very cool theme, but the story was pointless and the movie itself mostly pretty boring. Ghost in the Shell had some nice bits but was also mostly pointless, getting lost in the shallow and melodramatic metaphysics that anime often wanders into. It did have a few nice scenes, though.
Most series I find to be childish to the point of being unwatchable (which I guess is okay, because they are targeted at children). This includes Tenchi, Ranma, Dragonball Z... Maison Ikkoku was a mildly entertaining soap opera, but drew out much too long.
Although not in the same category as these two, I also like Nassica: Vallye of the Winds, Battle Angel, Vampire Hunter D, Golgo 13, Riding Bean, and Gunsmith Cats. Not quite anime but still very good are Laputa: Castle in the Sky and Porco Rosso (both made by the same fellow who did Nassica, I believe).
There are quite a few flicks with art that I like and so I found watching more of them than I planned: Video Girl Ai and DNA come to mind.
Slayers isn't just funny or a fun fantasy-world adventure anime; it's actually got a lot of heart and introspection as you watch the characters mature and progress. The pinnacle of Slayers so far was, for me, the last episode of "Slayers Next". You get very attached to the characters, their quirks, and their feelings through all of the adventures in the previous episodes, and it culminates in a very powerful battle which ties together everything that has been wondered about before and only partially discovered; but, even more than that, it was the most emotionally strong moment I've experienced in any anime (or movie of any type, for that matter). When I watched it, I was actually moved to tears ^^;
I highly recommend the Slayers anime to anyone who likes compelling stories, adventurous plot twists, magic and monsters, and characters that you can identify with. It's too good to pass up!
Of course, I also have to second any recommendations of Tenchi Muyo, one of the most purely entertaining anime I've ever seen
--
Brian Fundakowski Feldman
This thread is great - I am building my "to watch" list from it ;-) And so here are my recommendations.
The records of Lodoss War
Bastard
The Vision Of Escaflowne
Berserk
Galaxy Express 999
Warriors of the Wind
I haven't seen the last two titles mentions in the discussion so far - so let me be the first one to voice my opinion - WATCH THEM, they are worth it.
Just my 2 cents (adjusted for inflation)
Some of this stuff is available through Kodocha Anime.
(1) Pon Poko Tanuki. 1994 feature length animation about the tanuki (Japanese "racoon-dogs") and their reaction to encroachment on their territory in suburban Tokyo. Better animation than anything Disney's ever done.
(2) Kodomo no Omacha (Child's Toy). Fast-paced and wacky story of an 11-year-old TV star. So far only 29 (out of 102) have been subbed.
(3) Mahou Tsukai Tai (Magic Users Club). Funny, and slightly ecchi. Recently licensed, but not yet released commercially, so this could be tough to find.
(4) Shoujou Kakkumei Utena (Revolutionary Girl Utena). The first nine episodes are available commercially, but the rest haven't been licensed and so are available from fansubbers. This series is very strange. Sort of like Evangelion, but shoujou.
(5) Ping Pong Club. Available commercially. Very R-rated, and hilarious. Sort of a Japanese South Park.
(6) Fushigi Yugi (Mysterious Play). The usual "high school girl gets pulled into fantasy world", but done better than any other I've seen in this sub-genre. The commercial release is into the mid-40s out of 52.
(7) Marmalade boy. 76 episodes, available only as fansubs. Shoujou love story: no magic, no fighting robots. Great charaters.
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Based upon the E.E. Doc Smith books. One of the first animated films to combine CGI with traditional animation. Very cool.
I used to be fond of an Anime series called "Catseye", about 3 sisters who were stealing (back?) artwork, and the boyfriend/cop who was in charge of the case. Lot's of good humour,visuals, and oh, the opening and closing sequences...
ttyl
Farrell
CAN-CON 2019 - Ottawa's only book oriented Science Fiction Convention! October 18-20, Sheraton Hotel, Ottawa, Canada h
Posted by BSD-Pat:
My personal favorite is BubbleGum Crisis. Its one of those semi-cyberpunk anime's
essentially 4 women dress up in "hardsuits" and fight "boomers" (ala Bladerunner's Replicants) and the behind the scenes villian "Genom Corp." to save MegaTokyo.
The original series was cooler than the new "2040" series, however, both are cool and 2040 is for those who like a little more character development.
Theres some allusions to lesbianism in the 2040 ones and other stuff that didn't need to be in there, but its till cool nonetheless.
The storyline steals alot from the Bladerunner/Do Androids Dream... PKD type storyline, but definitely a "must see".
Agreed, Princess Mononoke (aka Mononoke Hime) is possibly the best anime i've ever seen.
--
A buddhist walks up to a hot dog stand and says ``Make me one with everything.''
Heck, this is the exact question I designed my web page to answer. It has medium length reviews (100K words so far) as well as links to other reviews of the title. It's pretty ugly as web-pages go however.
And everything in the `exemplary' category I recommend (Although some are for historical reasons), While I really enjoyed everything marked `fav'.
The Anime and Manga Meta Review Page.Rumiko Takahashi manga is *very* addictive. And while her artwork seems simple her sense of character is excellent. She also leaves a lot of `normal' Japanese events in the background for those who like that sort of thing.
As far as I know she made it onto the list of Japans 5 richest women. She also got paid a sizable loyalty bonus because she was so valuable to her publisher.
The Anime and Manga Meta-Review Page 305 reviews..As far as I know Riding Bean was the original source, but the character got tied up in some sort of contractual dispute. The authors solution was to take his sidekick and do gunsmith cats, in which bean eventually showed up as a minor character.
The Anime and Manga Meta-Review Page. 305 Anime title reviews.
You are doing really well then, because as far as I know only two episodes were produced. Some believe that this was the target, although more complex reasons abound.
The Anime and Manga Meta-Review Page, 305 Anime hints and warnings.
A brillliant, charming fun anime...sort of! There are two three episode OAV series that are excellent. Then there is Nuku Nuku Dash! Which is awful and Nuku Nuku TV which is very silly. Only the original OAV's are worth putting money down for.
Of course they are VERY worth putting money down for.
The Anime and Manga meta-review page, 305 Anime hints and warnings :)
The Australian TV broadcast was of NGE TV only, thus it didn't include any of end of evangelion, so the question of editing is not relevant there. I've never heard any suggestion that the SBS presentation had additional cutting performed on it.
Check out my review of both products, as well as 303 other titles, at The Anime and Manga Meta-Review Page.
Can someone please explain to me the appeal of the insane levels of violence and violent sex in much of anime? I don't get it.
In earnest; I'm not trolling. Thanks.
Two other good Anime that I didn't see mentioned so far (but I don't know if they're on DVD yet, I've only seen fansubbed versions at JAC (A HREF="http://www
Wade.
Now having said that, I find Ranma very funny and love it. All the main characters are fairly strong, even some of the background characters. And when it occurs (which AFAIK isn't nearly often enough) the romance between Ranma and Akane is really sweet.
Wade.
the obligatory macross stuff. My favorite is Macross II. Too bad Macross isn't available on dvd yet.
/bin/sh as a friend of mine calls it) is also pretty badass. The story is a bit whacko, and its a little out there, but the animation is superb, and the plot is ultimately really cool.
Ghost in the Shell (Ghost in the
Note that the first two seasons/series of Slayers will be out this fall as DVD box sets ($100 each--pretty decent for 26 eps)...
Slashdot seems to be inserting an extra blank line after the BR tags, instead of just doing a CRLF.
For the worst anime movies ever made (well, at least the worst I have ever seen), try Urotsukidoji: The Legend of the Overfiend.
I mistakenly saw this one as it was part of a double feature with Akira.
I can't explain how horrible it is. You have to see it to appreciate the terror.
"Tomorrow's forecast: a few sprinkles of genius with a chance of doom!" - Stewie Griffin
Actually, THE Steven Speilburg once stated that Castle Cagliostro was the greatest action-adventure film of all-time.
As far as Anime mind-blowing artwork, it wasn't, but from an animation and direction point of view, it's a masterpiece. Quite a lot of fun to watch.
I just remembered this old Metallica song. . .
These are my friends, See how they glisten. See this one shine, how he smiles in the light.
I'm suprised nobody mentioned Wings of Honniamise (sp?)!
As far as technical animation goes, I place it #1. It's very long, and the story is a bit slow, but there are some action parts. Basically it's about two nations on an alternate world, where one nation is developing a space program. Lots of elements from "the right stuff". In the end, the first man in space launch becomes a political chesspiece, and ignites a war. A really beautifully rendered and animated war. Kind of introspective. The art and animation are breathtaking, and the design of. . . things, also something any geek should love. Filled with alternate versions of telephones, computers, clocks, doorbells, motorcycles, airplanes, all kinds of really cool things, redesigned to look, different from what we're used to. A really, really excellent movie.
The really funny thing is, the main character wanted to be an air-force pilot, but his grades weren't good enough to get in, so he joined the space-force and became an astronaut.
No giant robots, no hot babes with laser swords, no head-exploding kung-fu.
I just remembered this old Metallica song. . .
These are my friends, See how they glisten. See this one shine, how he smiles in the light.
I was actually deeply embarrassed by the poor quality of the dubbing of Akira. I invited a bunch of friends, who weren't really into Anime, but were into sci fi, to see it. I already had a japanese copy on VHS. Suffice it to say that ten minutes into the movie, we were all pretty much laughing at how bad the voices were. It sounded like a Scooby-doo episode. All they were missing was Casey Casem as the Colonel.
I just remembered this old Metallica song. . .
These are my friends, See how they glisten. See this one shine, how he smiles in the light.
Eatman98 has some good story lines. :P (as seen on my web page)
Blue Submarine has some incredible sound and
cgi animation. The box/dvd cover pictures sorta
made it look to be old style animation and
I was happily surpised by the animation and
surround. Just waiting for the rest of the series.
Trigun, cowboy bebop, eatman98 make for a good afternoon marathon.
Tenchi's Ryoko is stil my all time favorite
anime babe though
All 13 (or is it 12?) episodes. Probably the best anime series ever produced, IMNSHO, Akira being the best single movie.
I was renting two or three of these a night for a week, and almost didn't write my undergraduate thesis because of it... a very powerful, even with its bildingsroman trappings, story that mixes technology, religion, human need, etc. Great stuff.
"Sebastian you're in a mess. They called you King of all the Hipsters, is it true or are you still the Queen?" -- B
Lemme see...
:)
Its about the usual matrix type stuff... but soooooo much better...
Its your typical anime trip.
Akira is another must see.
I actually like macross too
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Nausicaa is great :)
;)
Also known as "Warriors of the Wind" the dubbed version
Heh.
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Yes,
:)
;)
;)
;)
Akira + Ghost In The Shell are definatly some of my most faveourite animes
NinjaScroll is up there too
BUT, you really haven't seen akira properly until you've seen it at least 4 times....
Bit like the Matrix that way, but you only need to see the matrix 3 times or so
Mind you, I think I saw it 8 times in the cinema
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Its worse when you learn japanese from playing importanted japanese Nintendo games :)
:)
Aryupa
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Also highly recommended is Tenchi Muyo. The original OVA series is hilarious, and available as a box set. It's what I cut my anime teeth on, and I've loved it ever since!
I found Akira on DVD, but only in a German language release of all things!
To be really cool it would also have to translate the "feel" of the language. There are always unique cultural concepts like the words describing snow in Inuktitut or the differences in the male and female speech patterns in a Japanese that simply don't translate well at all. There are similar difficulties with translation of all spoken languages.
The moderators must know very little about anime to moderate this high up. All this guy's mentionning is second-rate animation.
There's much better, higher quality anime. Some recommendations:
* Macross Plus - Possibly the most exciting movie I've ever seen. Great story line, and animation
* Ghost in the Shell - Probably like this if you liked the matrix
* Armitage III - Has a cute main character
Nadesco. You MUST see Nadesco. The first three volumes are out on VHS. (Not DVD yet thou..)
...
. ""The future masters of technology will have to be lighthearted and
. intelligent. The machine easily masters the grim and the dumb."
- My Blog - http://www.memestreams.net/users/rattle/
I too have become addicted to PPG. And Dexter's Lab. But most of all Space Ghost, Coast to Coast. Without a doubt, the best gonzo TV show on the air.
I know none of these are anime, but being old, I call them all cartoons. And you know what?
PAPA LIKES!
While the second series is cool, the first is better. And it's damn good (although it's not anywhere near as good as something like AKIRA or Lodoss).
I am not merely a "consumer" or a "taxpayer". I am a Citizen of the State of Texas
It's also a pretty cool one. Also seems to have been made (or properly re-worked) to have been distributed in English (the animations are properly synced to the voice-overs and the dialog is syntactically proper).
I am not merely a "consumer" or a "taxpayer". I am a Citizen of the State of Texas
Definitely one of the A+ list of Anime. When I was getting into Anime, I kept hearing about it and couldn't understand what all the fuss was about (there seemed to be a heavy trade of bootleg copies of it at all the SF/Fantasy/Anime conventions- every huckster had at least a couple pirate copies of it for sale...) until I purchased my copy from out of Suncoast.
As Anime goes, it's one of the must-sees.
(Sounds like I need to obtain a few others from the sounds of people- I don't have either Mononoke Hime or Neon Genesis Evangelion...)
I am not merely a "consumer" or a "taxpayer". I am a Citizen of the State of Texas
The Fith Element is pulled (with permission, of course) from a Moebius story right out of Heavy Metal, the magazine.
Heavy Metal- the American equivalent of Manga.
I am not merely a "consumer" or a "taxpayer". I am a Citizen of the State of Texas
Some of the more interesting, non TV anime are as follows:
The Hakkenden
"Legend of the Dog Warriors"
This AFAIK is only VHS, a *perfect* Pioneer release, with a very complex storyline involving a dark pact with a dog and the daughter of the head of the house. Set in fudal Japan, with *lots* of action and a very deeeeeeep plot. This one is not to be missed
Castle of Cagliostro [comedy]
Miazaki [sp?] film about a scatterbrained thief. Very Funny, superbly animated. This movie was also the basis of one of those LD based arcade games [like Space Ace and Dragon's Lair]
X/1999 [psychic drama]
I don't even know where to begin... just see it.
That's all for now. For reviews etc, a cool place to check out is http://www.animeondvd.com [not related to me at all... I just go there]
Blocklevel: Practical Information Architecture
I purchased the Macross Plus series on laser disk and it's one of my favorites. It's what I use to introduce newcomers to anime; tends to reel them in, hook line and sinker!
I've watched quite a bit of manga, and generally I can say that the dubs lack ... umm ... SOMEthing. When you watch the subtitled version, you really get much more of the nuance, much more of the idea behind the dialogs. Even if you don't understand one word of Japanese, after watching manga in Japanese for a little while you'll get the hang of some of the nuances, and definitely much more of the emotion.
... flatter. I really don't know how to explain it except to advise to always watch the subs, not the dubs.
I've watched Lain both subtitled and dubbed, and subtitled it is much more mysterious. The dubbed version just seems much
)O(
the Gods have a sense of humour,
Never underestimate the power of stupidity
To err is human, to moo bovine
They have quite a few of the robotech episodes in Real audio (I know I know. Windows blah blah.) But they are there and that's what they are provided as.
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Oh my. Lola rennt was awesome. I loved it. I tried to get my wife to watch it (she hates subtitled films) so I switched to the english dub on the DVD, and it was COMPLETE AND TOTAL GARBAGE. I can't offhand remember the last time where the difference in quality was so terrible between the dubbed and subtitled films.
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Patlabor 2.
;) so the police get their own Labors. (PATrol LABORs)
You will need a bit of back history though, since it's the 2nd movie of a long TV series.
Basically, due to global warming a giant dam is built around Tokyo Bay. Giant piloted robots called Labors are used to build it. Naturally there are those who use Labors for criminal purposes (e.g. ripping the roof off of a bank, walking away with the safe
But the animation for Patlabor 2 is by the same people that did GitS, it's serious where the original show was funny, and it's a great movie.
Then go see Cowboy Bebop (TV series), Evangelion (TV series) and Escaflowne (TV series)
-- This and all my posts are in the public domain. I am a lawyer. I am not your lawyer, and this is not legal advice.
Yes yes. In Japanese IIRC Lupin can be pronounced Rupan. Which puns on 'wolf.'
But mostly it's because the original Lupin stories were copyrighted, and the Japanese were breaking copyright law by using the name! (another fine example of the need for copyright reform. Lupin III is *GOOD* and deserves to be shown)
In the american versions they didn't feel like tempting fate so Lupin's name and history were ignored altogether.
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Who hated the anime and refuses to let anyone make an anime of Alita again. ;)
-- This and all my posts are in the public domain. I am a lawyer. I am not your lawyer, and this is not legal advice.
I'm not sure if Lain technically qualifies as a hacker. (Or a girl)
;)
But as for computer-weilding anime chicks, there's always Nene from Bubblegum Crisis, Skuld from Oh! My Goddess!, Edward from Cowboy Bebop, and Washu from Tenchi Muyo!
now guess what all my computer partitions are named after
-- This and all my posts are in the public domain. I am a lawyer. I am not your lawyer, and this is not legal advice.
Yes but OTOH Pretty Sammy also has her fighting computer mogul and would-be world conquerer Billy Standards. Perhaps the best informed magical girl anime ever ;)
-- This and all my posts are in the public domain. I am a lawyer. I am not your lawyer, and this is not legal advice.
Let's not even discuss the character designs from BGC2040...
;)
Sylia is Ifurita, Linna is Nabiki, Priss is Joan Jett and Nene is a blonde.... shudder.
AIC is getting annoying, which sucks because they've done a lot of good stuff. (including the joke Knight Saber Pretty Sammy
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I thought it makes everyone look like Bob Hope. I almost hoped to see Bing Crosby and Dorthy Lamour show up ;)
-- This and all my posts are in the public domain. I am a lawyer. I am not your lawyer, and this is not legal advice.
re: Escaflowne, if you analyze it a bit it's not difficult to see how Hitomi DOES have great power.
(SPOILER/hint: look at the origins of the Zaibach Emperor, the principles he'd use to make his machine work, and what happens whenever Hitomi tries to do stuff. there's a subtle but important connection. Needless to say, my jaw dropped when I figured it out but I dismissed it as too cool to be true for a few episodes until they confirmed it)
-- This and all my posts are in the public domain. I am a lawyer. I am not your lawyer, and this is not legal advice.
The Matrix is also, I hear, based partly on the old classic, Megazone 23. The first part is on DVD but hasn't aged well - the animation looks pretty cheesy. Parts 2 (meh) and 3 (good) are better in that respect.
I heard somewhere that they had _wanted_ to make the chase scene at the end (the Chinatown chase) a chase on Bahamodes, but that it was impractical. Oh well.
-- This and all my posts are in the public domain. I am a lawyer. I am not your lawyer, and this is not legal advice.
there's at least 3 episodes, very very cool, maybe 18 rating because of violence/sexe, but this is the best i have seen.
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"Science will win because it works." - Stephen Hawking
go get appleseed. :-)
ghost in the shell is cool, but appleseed is far far cooler. `course the actual animation is not the same (or as good as IMHO) as the printed version, but I'm sure you spend too much time absorbing radiation from CRTs anyway.
dv
"There's no secret. You just press the accelerator to the floor and keep turning left." -- Bill Vukovich
My $0.0125:
An absolute must-see comedy series of six episodes is "Golden Boy", dubbed version is excellent (I've watched both), NOT FOR KIDS, contains very mature subject.
It's about a guy who, after getting all his credits drops out of school and embarks on a journey on his bike and works in various places, saving Japan and maybe even the world (or maybe not), meeting and lusting after the best drawn beautiful women I've ever seen in Anime.
Episode 2 "Temptation of the Maiden" has Naoko, the Mayor's daugther, which looks a lot like Tifa, of FF7 fame. Very cute.
There's also a weird toilet-bowl theme...
It is rib-breaking hilarious.
"Those who hunt elves" is pretty cool too.
DannyC.
One of the best anime series I've ever watched...the character development through the 3 movies is just awesome. Even the actual animation develops over the 3 movies...If you like Street Figher this is better, with an actual story line that is great. Four stars! And the last movie is on DVD.
Movie: ;)
Nausicaa of the Valley of the Wind, Classic Miyazaki)
Princess Mononoke (Miyazaki again)
Ghost in the Shell (Must see)
Akira (classic and amazing)
Wings of Honnemaeise. (Race to space)
My Neighbour Totoro (Miyazaki can do no wrong.
Kiki's Delivery Service. (Guess who?)
Tenchi Muyo: Tenchi in Love
Tenchi Muyo: Tenchi in Love II
Slayers: The Motion Picture
End of Evangelion (Watch series first!)
TV Series
The Vision of Escaflowne (Tenkuu no Escaflowne)
Neon Genesis Evangelion (Shin Sekei Evangelion)
Dual: Parallel Trouble Adventure
Berserk!
Bubble Gum Crisis: Tokyo 2040
Steel Angel Kurumi (Kotetsu Tenshi Kurumi)
I want to be an Angel (Tenshi ni Narumon)
Battle Atheletes Victory
El Hazard: The Wanderers
El Hazard: The Alternative World
Shoujo Kakumei Utena
Violinist of Hamlin
Maze
Gundam Wing
Tenchi Muyo!
Card Captor Sakura (CardCaptors)
Rouroni Kenshin
Slayers
Slayers Next
Slayers Try
Fushigi Yuugi (Mysterious Play)
Ranma 1/2
Blue Submarine #6
Weiss Kreuz (White Cross)
His and Her Circumstances (Kareshi Kannojo no Jihou)
Key the Metal Idol
Saber Marionettes J
OAV
Mahou Tsukai Tai (Magic Users Club)
Bubble Gum Crisis: Tokyo 2032
Battle Athletes Daiundokai.
El Hazard
El Hazard II
You're Under Arrest
Oh! My Goddess
Gunbuster
Riding Bean
Macross Plus
Hentai
Legend of the Overfiend
Venus 5
F^3
End of Summer
Ogenki Clinic (Feel Good Clinic)
La Blue Girl
Cool Devices
Private Psycho Lesson
There exists many, MANY more very good anime series, OAV's and movies out there, this is a short list. Check the Anime Web Turnpike for huges lists of stuff. (www.anipike.com)
Other stuff of note:
A prequel to The Matrix has been scripted, they are currently searching for an animation studio to produce it. Yes, it will be a genuine anime.
You can get lists of all the anime on american TV at www.animeontv.com
CN has picked up Tenchi (OAV and TV Series) for this fall. Kids WB! has picked up CardCaptors (Card Captor Sakura).
Memories - Three stories by Katsuhiro Ôtomo (directed Akira). Not available in English as far as I know, but look for an Anime club near where you live. There are bootleg, subtitled copies running around.
Wings of Honneamise (Honneamise no tsubasa) - Great sort of alternate history of the space program.
Don't forget Vampire Hunter D, and Ghost in the Shell. Both of those are excellent Anime. I just rented them a couple of weeks ago. Does anyone know of any place to rent Anime on DVD? Blockbuster's only has them on VHS.
Your Working Boy,
This was actually voted to be the best Anime of all time, at some point, by Japanese fans. As well, one of the main characters, Ruri, keeps coming up in polls as the best heroine of all time.
If you want anime, try hanging out in #anime-media on efnet. You can usually get the fansubbed stuff off of people with nice big upload limits. This is about as legal as trading fansubbed VHS tapes, so most people don't have problems with it. Especially conciencious traders won't trade things that have been picked up commercially for distribution in North America.
Oh, and here's a vote to stay *away* from Evangelion. It tries to be angsty, but comes out whiney. Instead, go with Escaflowne, the story is much more compelling and romantic, and the giant robots have capes and swords. How cool is that?
Bubblegum Crisis and Crash: 4 grrrls in powered armor battle against psychotic Boomer robots in a rebuilt MegaTokyo. Essential.
Princess Mononoke: Studio Ghibli's latest (and best) work. The Japanese version of environmentalism: if you mess with the forest, the spirits come out and kick your ass. Stars lots of big animals, a guy that rides a goat and a little wolf-girl with Claire Danes doing the voice. Intense, sublime, watch out for the Forest Spirits.
Otomo's Memories: I'm not sure if it's been released (officially) in the States. Saw a bootleg a few years ago, it's 3 short pieces by the director of Akira. The first is a salvage crew finding a space hulk, turns into Victorian space-ghost thing. Hard to describe without spoiling it, one of the most beautiful and amazing pieces of anime I have encountered. The other two stories are "Stinkbomb 2" (or 3?) and one about a country dedicated to war in the "steampunk" vein.
Ghost in the Shell: replaced Akira as my favorite anime. Excellent adaptation of Masamune's manga. The Major is one asskicking cyborg. Special Ops cyborgs battle 'Net-created AI that hops brains, definite spiritual "what is life" theme. Want... thermoptic... camo...
Others that are on my list of good anime: Akira (duh), Macross Plus, Appleseed (not a terrible adaptation).
Josh
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I remembered a really cool anthology which hasn't been mentioned here, Robot Carnival.
And it had a pretty cool title sequence too, from what I remember...
Record of Lodoss War (very D&D-ish, but an interesting group of adventurers)
It also has that cool "second part" to each episode. The second part has the same characters as the real story, but they're drawn SD-style, and the story line is often a parody of the real story.
I'm still wondering how the puns managed to translate into English...
The great thing is, you can pick sub, or dub (in 4 different languages) on the same disc, and even flip on the fly.
When I first heard about DVD's support for multiple audio channels and optional subtitles, I immediately thought "the perfect anime format"...
In the interest of filling in the fourth quad, is it possible to have it subbed and dubbed simultaneously?
That's funny. Our tastes seem to be almost identical. I was going to mention Key the Metal Idol and Wings of Honneamise as well, and almost everything else you listed I agree with too, except...
Heroic Legend of Arslan (Cross the Lord of the Rings characters with Akira Kurasawa and get a good medieval yarn.)
I found this to be insufferably boring. Of course, I felt the same way about The Hobbit, so your comparison to Tolkien is probably accurate.
Record of Lodoss War (The OVAs are what D&D was meant to be, and the TV series is good apart from the annoying ending segments.)
I actually thought the end-segments were funny. Oh well.
P-P-Parn!
Set in neo-tokyo, a group of 4 girls fighting against the evil machines. VERY well done! (up to 5 tapes now, more coming)
Made by a couple of the Sailor Moon artists, but its much, much nicer
Cybie! aka Ralph Bonnell
Very, very cool anime
This series is about Lina Inverse (traveling sorceress) who likes to eat and get stuff from bad guys... There are a lot of cool charecters in this one
Slayers is a pretty long series, but fun to watch... Rent a few episodes and see if you like it. Over 80+ episodes!
This one is really cute! Its not x-rated as it may seem. (Cutey Honey's clothes fly off her quite a bit, its tasteful tho }:) (3 tapes)
Video girl is sweet. In a romantic, mushy love story sort of way...
Kick ass movie! Buy the movie/dvd, see it, drool. (1 movie)
Cybie! aka Ralph Bonnell
btw: "lupin" is "wolf" in french, so they may have dubbed it that way.
--dave
Any sufficiently advanced magic is indistinguishable from technology
Kaze no Tane no Nausicaa(Nausicaa of the valley of the wind) :) :)
Mononoke Hime(Princess Mononoke)
Castle of Cagliostro
Rurouni Kenshin: OAVs are amazing
Record of Lodoss War: yes, I played AD&D
Vision of Escaflowne: awesome music
Kimagure Orange Road: old, silly, but good
Neon Genesis Evangelion
Serial Experiments Lain
Vampire Princess Miyu: depressing but decent
Blue Seed: otaku theater,
Perfect Blue: even my sister likes it
Ninja Scroll: love when he retrieves sword with attached wire
X: interesting, plus awesome scenery art
Gunsmith Cats: girls,guns,bombs,
My anti-favorites:
Jojo's Bizarre Adventure: sloooow, dumb, badly drawn
Violinist of Hameln: a bunch of stills put together, plus dumb
Revolutionary Sailor Utena: almost the most bizarre thing I've ever seen
--
I got the entire series and movies on ebay for $50. Buy the DVD/VCD boxed set and the End of Evangelion movie on DVD/VCD - Death and Rebirth is a rehash - for collectors only. =)
http://www.ebay.com
"Dragon Slave!" Ka-blam!
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Here are my favorites and some quick summaries... I have to say that I'm glad to see this article on /. so I can look for some of the recommended series. :-)
- Rurouni Kenshin: This is probably my favorite overall anime. It's about an ex-hitokiri (professional assassin) who has incredible angst over his past life and wants to make up for it. Historical fiction, excellent character development.
- Saber Marionette J: Another of my all-time favorites. This is a futuristic anime set on a planet accidentally colonized when a colonization ship crash landed. The only survivors were men, and they created marionettes (robots) to take the societal role of women. This series is the story of three of these marionettes posessing otome kairo, which are circuits that allow them to have feelings. This is a POWERFUL series; I nearly cried at several points and I'm not an emotional person. The first time Lime (a marionette) has to deal with the death of a loved one... *sniff*
- Neon Genesis: Evangelion: A fascinating and action-packed Mechs-and-cute-girls anime. The ending is disappointing, though, so if you stop watching at about episode 20 I won't blame you. Not that you'll be able to. Another powerful series, but somewhat disturbing. (unlike SMJ, which is not twisted) You'll hate Shinji, get used to it.
- The Slayers: This is probably the funniest anime I've ever seen. Lina Inverse is a fifteen-year-old sorcerer with an attitude and an appetite to match. She collects an unlikely band of followers including the dumb-as-a-post Gourry Gabriev, the stone-skinned golem Zelgadis, the Justice-freak princess Amelia (once I saw her aptly described as "Sailor Moon at age five and on drugs"), and the pure but not-so-swift Shrine Maiden Sylphael.
- Ranma 1/2: Slapstick comedy, probably as funny as The Slayers. Saotome Ranma falls in a cursed pool in China and is doomed to turn into a girl every time he gets doused by cold water. Don't expect any sort of consistency from this series, but it will have you rolling on the ground with laughter.
Some others that are definitely worth your time after you watch the above:Happy watching. :-)
I see *someone* recommended the Star Blazers series (finally!). Let me add Nausicaa, or Valley of the Winds. There's a poorly edited, dubbed version, btw, call Warriors of the Wind. In*cred*ible movie.
Another film, by the same author, is called, I think, The Floating Island.
Stay away from Outlanders - the comic is *far* better.
3x3 Eyes is very good, as is Demon City.
The Lupin series is, ahhh, amusing.
mark
Haven't seen Akira (yet!), but I have seen the other two, as well as owning Ghost in the Shell in manga (comic book) form. I heartily second this list.
Meow
Windows is the Acme of computing -- in the Wile E. Coyote sense.
Haven't seen Oh My Goddess, but Ranma 1/2 is kinda cute (OK, OK, maybe in small doses...really small...like 1 episode every six months...or less often...or...oh, never mind, he's right.)
Me-yuck.
Windows is the Acme of computing -- in the Wile E. Coyote sense.
Unfortunately, as the parent of a four-year-old daughter, I get a constant stream of DigiMon, Monster Rancher, Flint the Time Detective and (shudder!)Sailor Moon. She even tells me every once in a while, "I'm a Sailor Scout!" which is kinda cute but annoying (especially when I tell her to do something and she says "No, because I'm a Sailor Scout!" Grr!). Needless to say, you must run very far, very fast from these.
On a related note, why, oh why did Fox Family channel come up with that damn "Made in Japan" segment on the weekends? Ugh.
Windows is the Acme of computing -- in the Wile E. Coyote sense.
Bastard! is a fantasy/comedy/parody blend which fits together rather nicely. The comedy is of the rebellious satirical genre ("This guy REALLY IS a bastard...") and the series makes use of heavy metal music throughout the series. It also parodies the heavy metal music industry. The use of names for places, people, and spells adds a nice touch.
And unlike most other fantasy genres, the main character, Dark Schneider, is a women-crazed, insult-flinging magic-user who eventually reforms from his evil ways without him sacrificing his unique style.
I wouldn't recommend it for anyone under 16, because of the nature of the comedy. But for everyone else, I'd give it a fair shake, especially if you're into parodies and heavy metal/alternative music.
It is distrubed in North America by Pioneer Animation. I managed to catch a fan-subtitled version of the 6 OVAs, so I don't know what alterations Pioneer may have done to it. And unfortunately, the production company only managed to make 6 OVAs, so you have to catch the rest of the story in the manga...
"Like I said, my goal is to destroy all the world's gorilla-faced monkeys like you!" - Dark Schneider.
Ranma is very cool...transsexual martial arts. I like it. It's not the only martial arts anime with transgender themes though.
-=Maggie Leber=-
That would be the first one to come to mind, but their names are legion. Take a look here and here.
-=Maggie Leber=-
First off about Mononoke Hime you forgot to mention that the American version was adapted by Neil Gaiman. If anyone has read either of his novels or any of the Sandman series they know how good of a writer he is. He did quite well in the adaptation from what I've been told.
:)
As for Neon Genesis Evangelion being the best serialized I'd have to say that it has to be very good to top out Kimagure Orange Road and Visions of Escaflowne. The former being the dominant TV series of the mid-to-late '80s and the latter being a recent mecha OVA series with a very interesting take on mecha as a whole. Think mecha used as medeval armor. Yum.
The last one that I would recommend to anyone starting out or looking for stuff they might have overlooked (your list is quite good) is the original Tenchi Muyo OVA series. I'm not familiar with the later Tenchi stuff but the original OVA series was just plain fun to watch with all the layering that the story goes through.
Hmmmm, so, anyone see my name and wonder if it was from Vampire Princess Miyu yet?
-- Grey d'Miyu, not just another pretty color.
Vampire Hunter D girls, vampires, a guy who can warp space and time and uses it in a sword fight, on and a hand with a face on i...don't think to hard about this one.
---
I post links to stuff here
Check these out.. MD Geist - Artificially created soldier that was supposed to be destroyed or dumped for being too dangerous comes back and kicks ass. Fist of the North Star - Probably the coolest fight sequences I've seen in anime.. gotta love what he does to that big fatass. Demon City - (think that's the name).. nothing's quite so freaking as a chick whose twat literally eats people! :P
Make sure to see the dubbed version. It's one of the few anime series where the dubbed is better then the subbed version.
Oh no, it's not that simple... It's never that simple...
As far as I recall, there's the above, PLUS three movies (using two separate continuities) PLUS there's also Pretty Sammy! (for the truely broken...) which takes even the most basic common elements from the other Tenchi series, and mangles the heck out of them. Also, there's the Manga, which follows the example set by the Anime, by ignoring all of it.
So let's see... that makes 7 or so different (ie: conflicting and non-compatible) story lines, spread across 8 available 'Tenchi' products. (By the way, movies 1 and 3 follow the same continuity, movie 2 is separate, and trying to fit it into the others will only hurt you...)
You scare me.
Actually, in Pretty Sammy, she's not a goddess, just a REALLY ditzy queen of a magical kingdom. Or something.
Of course, at least she's still passably competent, which is better than what they do to Ifurita in the El-Hazard TV series. Yeesh... talk about falling from grace. From cool, grim and deadly bad-ass war machine in the OAVs, to bubbleheaded moron in the TV series.
One bit of advice - if you can, watch Lost Universe before Slayers Try. It's not just done by the same people (ie: writers, AND voices), it is supposedly part of the same series. Knowing all of what happens in Slayers Try kinda messes things up for you if you watch Lost Universe afterwards...
Bubblegum Crisis/Crash isn't bad--try to view the original series first, and AVOID THE GODDAMN DUBS LIKE THE PLAGUE.
I couldn't agree more there. The original sound track is awesome.
"Bubblegum Crisis 2040" ... I miss the lesbian references, though...we all know Sylia Stingray and especially Nene are flaming. Out of the closet, girls ;)
Dude... I think you'd better watch those four episodes over if you missed Sylia trying to feel up everyone she walked near. It was like they turned her into a grown-up Alielle (from El-Hazard), wearing the not-grown-up Alielle's (very small) clothing.
Actually, he did get into the college he wanted, he just decided to leave without graduating, after finishing all of the course requirements. The most memorable quote from the whole series - "I know those..."
Very true. There is also a lot of bad anime out there. For example, at the top of my personal 'Avoid this under any circumstances' list, is Tenshi Ni Naruman (or something like that.) Trust me on this, you DON'T want to see it. It's just... wrong. The scary part is that the friend who got the tape actually liked it, and wanted to get more. *shudder*
Another good thing about Eva in this case, is that people who like the examples that Cmdr. Taco listed are likely to enjoy it as well, whereas some other Anime like Slayers (my personal favourite) or Fushigi Yuugi may not necesarily apeal to them as much.
Besides, there's something really cool about mecha with giant power cords.
When my girlfriend and I were leaving the theater after seeing The Matrix, I made some sort of comment about it being "live-action anime" and she looked at me like I was nuts. Nice to see someone else has made the same observation!
Yes, they both center around ninja named Jubei. But that is the extent of their connection. Even taking the different animation houses and styles into account, the Ninja Scroll Jubei and the Ninja Resurrection Jubei don't look anything like each other. And the name 'Jubei' is the strongest connection between them.
Ninja Scroll is widely recognized as a classic of the genre. Ninja Resurrection, IMO, is crap - although I will admit that I watched it expecting a Ninja Scroll sequel, and may be judging it more harshly than I would if I hadn't expected it to meet such a high standard.
...nothing like having girls fight over you, either. ;)
:D
like another poster, i think i need to take a trip. maybe swim over to China, do some Martial Arts training near a bunch of little pools (all with very tragic stories!).... hmmm...
Just another computer geek....
When politicians are involved, everyone loses.
Anyways, is Akira available on DVD? I've been keeping an eye out for it for a while, so if anyone can tell me if it is available I'd really appreciate it.
Not in the US (not yet, anyway). If you're really itching for one, though you could always check Ebay. Like this auction, or this one
.--
Yes, it's a cartoon, and the kids have eyes like saucers, but it belongs on any list of the greatest war films ever made. - Roger Ebert's review of Grave of the Fireflies
Enough said. Rob, don't you dare pass this one up.--
After Akira this is probably my favourite.
orlando...
-= This is a self-referential sig =-
La Blue Girl - 'nuff said...
What does this button d$#%* NO CARRIER
For all the love of Hayao Miyazaki out there, I'm stunned nobody has said anything about his best work.
I bought a copy of My Neighbor Totoro the same week that a friend of mine gave me their copy of Disney's "Hunchback of Notre' Dame." The two movies couldn't be more different. Hunchback is a dark, nasty movie with a violent and ambiguous moral ending. "The Matrix" had a better ending than this did.
"My Neighbor Totoro," on the other hand, is absolutely delightful flick about two young girls trying to deal with their mother being in the hospital. They have all kinds of adventures in an old rickety house their father moves them to to be close to the hospital. They meet an imaginary forest spirit named "Totoro" who may or may not be "all a dream."
It's gentle, friendly, and has a wonderful moral message without beating you over the head with it like some other kids' flicks.
As my wife cynically observed, "If Disney had made this movie, Mom would have been cured by the end of it after Totoro battled the evil causing her cancer in a storm filled with thunder, lightning, and a singing, dancing chorus!" Instead, we got something wonderful.
Totoro in for ages 3 and up, although parents can enjoy it because it doesn't treat its audience like idiots.
Also, for ages 8 and up, Studio Ghibli has "Kiki's Delivery Service." Another great story, well worth it.
If you're so smart, why aren't you naked?
My goodness, thank you so much...
I remember Robotech from grade school. I remember actually sprinting from school, across the parking lot, down the street and into the living room, since it came on at 3pm, just as school let out.
I used to be able to make it before the beginning credits ended.
Robotech was the single intelligent 'cartoon' on TV back then, and things have just gotten worse since.
-- What you do today will cost you a day of your life.
Altough rarely mentioned here, I suggest BASTARD! to all of you who are into FRP & RPG stuff. There are only 6 episodes out by now on tapes, but manga is already at #21. All fans hope that the animated version will follow. Really, incredible stuff.
So, lets see ... well, Serial Experiments Lain is without doubt the "essential stuff" for a computer nerd. Not only will it leave your jaw on the floor, it will also nicely overload your senses. :) Yep, no drugs required to reach that state :)
In combination with Ghost in the Shell, you clearly see what The Matrix was made of.
Then, if you are into some neat mech action, full of symbolism & stuff, with a suprising end, try Neon Genesis Evangelion, an all time classic. For some less techy stuff, try some of Miyazaki's work, like recent Mononoke Hime or a bit older (but better imho), Kaze no Tani no Nausicaa.
Sure, the Anime universe is soooo vaaaast it can'b be consumed in a year ... So dig into sites like Anipike to get the idea of the size of this universe :) ... Check daily Animeondvd to be informed of the latest DVD releases.
Oh yes, you mentioned DVDs
Well, if you want to write a review for /., please do it :) I'd like to see the responses from the public. :)
And don't forget to start with www.cjas.org/~leng/lain.htm
And even though Lina Inverse, the sorceress star of the show, dresses reasonably (setting this series apart from most other anime out there), she's still really hot, mostly because of her personality. :) But maybe that's just me.
The Slayers Movie is available on DVD, but IMHO it pales in comparison to the series. It's missing some of the most important characters and has this annoying chick named Naga. So if you've seen the Slayers Movie, don't take it as an indication of the quality of the series. Get tape 1 of Slayers and start from the beginning!
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Your correct about the animation being somewhat old, but it is probably one of the best anime's I have ever seen. "Galaxy Express 999" and "Adiue Adiue Galaxy Express 999" (not sure about the spelling on the last one) The main character, Phantom F. Harlock, shows up in several magna as well.
www.rdex.net
...I'd like to suggest some older shows that have apparently been forgotten under the current blitz of Lain, Slayers, Evangelion, Gundam Wing, etc.
Otaku no Video (Fanboy's Video), available in English from AnimEigo:
This mockumentary is requisite viewing for every fan. Think your anime addiction is just a harmless hobby? Watch as these otakus (fanboys) redefine obsession as they spread the joy of anime and quite literally take over the world. The first time you watch it, it's hilarious. The second time through, it's humiliating; you can't help but see yourself in the none-too-flattering mirror they hold up.
Kimagure Orange Road (Whimsical Orange Road), available in English from AnimEigo:
A charming high school comedy/drama about Kyosuke Kasuga, a teenager stuck in a love triangle between the irrepressably cute Hikaru and the quietly enchanting Madoka. The story takes its time to develop over 48 TV episodes, 8 OAVs, and a full-length series-ending movie, with everything coming together to paint a memorable, almost nostalgic view of growing up in a more innocent time.
Nadia: The Secret of Blue Water, available in English from ADV Films:
From the people who brought you Neon Genesis Evangelion, a romping-good comedy/adventure loosely based on the works of Jules Verne -- or as some would say, set in a Verne-esque world. It is the story of circus acrobat Nadia, her pet lion cub King, her friend Jean the boy-genius, and the band of misfits they gather as they try to escape from a mysterious organization.
Gundam 0083: Stardust Memory, available in English from Anime Village:
Almost universally considered by hardcore fans to be the best Gundam series ever; today's Gundam Wing is just a mediocre, angst-saturated rehash in comparison. Four years after the One Year War (UC 0079), the forces of Zeon have regrouped for one last attack on the Earth Federation. This time, however, they have their own prototype heavy weapons Gundam -- complete with an outlawed nuclear warhead...
Koko wa Greenwood (Here is Greenwood), available in English from Software Sculptors:
Kazuya Hasukawa starts the semester late because of ulcers he developed when his own brother stole away his first love. When he finally gets to Greenwood Dormitory, he discovers his roommate looks like a girl, his classmates are sadistic freaks, and the brother he left home to get away from is the school doctor! Aaaauugghhh! Often underrated by fans hyped up on more frenetic shows, this is yet another wacky, charming OAV series about high school life in Japan.
Video Girl Ai, available in English from Viz Communications:
Youta is heartbroken: the girl he secretly loves has confided in him that she has a crush on another boy. Hurt and confused, Youta wanders into a mysterious video store and rents a Video Girl video to help him forget his pain. At first blush it seems like just another "dream-girl come true" contemporary fantasy like Oh! My Goddess, but it quickly descends into a surreal nightmare as the truth behind the video store and its magical Video Girls is revealed.
Giant Robo, available in English from Manga Video:
It's "Johnny Sako and His Giant Robot" retooled for the 90's! It's Big Fire versus the Experts of Justice! It's campy super-spy action kicked up several notches and crammed to the gills with gut-wrenching cliffhangers and positively THUNDEROUS music!
Wings of Honneamise, available in English from Manga Video:
A favorite of mine, this film is nominally about the early days of the space program on an alternate earth. However, it gradually delves into the meanings of and frequent conflicts between war, religion, politics, history, love, celebrity, and heroism. Admittedly not for everyone.
Grave of the Fireflies, available in English from Central Park Media:
No list is complete without this profoundly human film about a brother and sister struggling to survive during the last days of World War II. Words fail me, so I'll just defer to Roger Ebert who has named it one of the Great Movies of all time. Warning: you WILL cry -- it is impossible to not -- so if you insist on remaining a manly-man, you'd better steer clear.
Evangelion is really cool, and the first 4 episodes (out of 26) of it just came out on DVD.
I just got my copy this week, and it seems like
a really good transfer, but I'm not a DVD expert
by any means...
I'd say it's definately worth a look.
--Kevin
=-=-=
I once dated a girl that I hooked up with because she liked anime. We rented a movie with subs (I can't remember the movie, but the sex was good- us I mean, not the flick). I dumped her cuz she was too stupid to read and watch at the same time.
"What'd that say?" *pause tape* "it said yer a dumbshit" *resume play*
-- 100% MS-Free as of 4-4-1999, 11:47:38 PST. "The lapdance is always better when the stripper is cryin'" Free Kevin,
Record of Lodoss War is a medieval DNDish type Anime, but it really does more than just compare to most contemporary/future anime I've seen. Neon Genesis Evangellion starts out a bit slow, but works up to being just awesome... despite the fact that it sounds a bit odd. Lodoss is out in a 2 DVD (6/7 episodes/disc) set and NGE is just now starting to come out on DVD (4 episodes/disc)...
Check out Tokyopop.com, or better yet get their magazine at most major booksellers. They cover the whole tokyo scene, but have a large section on anime. Lot's of reviews, and announcements of series that are in Japan now, and will play here soon. For those with satellite dishes, channel 2 out of tokyo (no, I don't know the freq.)carries a lot of the new ones if you want to watch the original series.
As a note it is interesting to see both the subtitled and dubbed work, to see how they plaed the voices out originally.
jplt with the lain skin. Its the only skin i have so far but it's pretty cool.
One of my personal favorites,In my opinion the greatest anime ever!!! "Urusei Yatsura" In english roughly means "Those annoying Aliens" Lum, the alien ( Daughter to her homeworlds ruler)arrives on earth and meets the most lecherous teenager on Earth Ataru. I don't know if it's on dvd yet, but it's well worth it in any form! It' not too well known in North America, but in Japan it's considered one of the all time classic anime! From the creator of Ranma 1 1/2
Oops. Somehow Armitage infiltrated the description of Iria, but I think it's clear what I meant.
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Let's see if I can actually keep it to 10...
Slayers, definitely. It's a Dungeons-and-Dragons style adventure, with loads of action and humour, real plots, and characters you actually care about. And Megumi Hayashibara as Lina Inverse.
Irresponsible Captain Tylor. Space-opera/comedy, with a very unusual non-hero in Justy Ueki Tylor (did I spell that right?) Lots of fun, with some serious moments; builds up to a wonderful ending that had me cheering.
Saber Marionette J. Mostly goofball comedy, but the story about how the Marionettes (girl robots) try to become human is rather touching. And it has Megumi Hayashibara as Lime.
Vision of Escaflowne. Simply stunning fantasy. Visually amazing, and the music (composed by Yoko Kanno) is fabulous.
I'll sneak in some many-in-one's by mentioning two writers rather than their individual work:
Hayao Miyazaki - My Neighbour Totoro, Kiki's Delivery Service and others. Great films, stunning artwork.
Rumiko Takahashi - Urusei Yatsura (SF/romantic comedy), Maison Ikkoku (romantic comedy), Ranma 1/2 (martial arts/romantic comedy). Given the length of these TV series (MI is the shortest at 96 episodes; UY has 196 TV eps, 6 movies and 11 OVAs) the quality is variable, but there's so much good stuff there that I'll forgive the occasional slow half-hour.
Tenchi Muyo. The original OVA series is wonderful; the quality of the later spinoffs generally decreases over time except for Magical Girl Pretty Samy, which is great fun. Tenchi is a science-fiction comedy, with lots of unusual twists and really cool spaceships.
El Hazard. From the same stable as Tenchi, this time it's a Japanese-schoolkids-travel-to-fantasy-world story. Wonderful backgrounds and fun characters, and a Doomsday Weapon as romantic interest. Get the original OVA series; avoid the first TV series.
Bubblegum Crisis. Classic near-future SF along the lines of Blade Runner with great soundtrack.
Hmm. That's 9 (though I cheated a bit). After that, here are some Honourable Mentions:
Cat-Girl Nuku Nuku: Bouncy good fun. Crazy inventor puts brain of stray cat (after it's injured in a car crash while he's trying to hide from an air-strike launched by his estranged wife) into a girl-robot, as christmas gift/big sister for his young son.
Oh My Goddess: Romantic comedy that some might find too sugar-sweet, but I like it (bad girl Urd and temperamental Skuld balance out the goody-twoshoes Belldandy).
Iria: Iria (the character) is just plain cool, and the anime's not bad either. Armitage is a bounty hunter on a distant planet some unspecified time in the future; she goes after bad guy Zeiram.
Armitage III: Watch this as a double-feature with Iria. Armitage is a cop on Mars, and a robot. SF/thriller; has been compared to Total Recall.
Fushigi Yugi: Long and complex fantasy series with strong romantic elements. A lot of comedy, but a lot of darker moments too. The plot has more twists than a snake with the hiccups; it's hard to say too much without spoiling it, but don't expect it to be all light and bubbly like the first episode.
Revolutionary Girl Utena: Weird story about a girl who wants to grow up to be a prince. Um, that doesn't really describe it at all. See it for yourself.
Cowboy Bebop: Wonderfully stylish series about a pair of space bounty-hunters. *Great* music by Yoko Kanno, and leading lady (Faye Valentine) by Megumi Hayashibara.
Domionion/Tank Police: Shirow's SF/action/comedy set in a gloomy polluted future. Lots of fun.
Three short, weird and funny ones:
Dragon Half (wonderful closing song "My Omelet" with music by Beethoven), Elf Princess Rane (hysterical, but with half-a-dozen characters talking over the top of each other, two of them in gibberish and another one *backwards*, it can be hard to keep up with the subtitles) and Jungle de Ikou (Let's Go to the Jungle) - gotta love those fertility dances!
But I think Eva is over-rated. A lot.
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I'm really fond of long-running series'. I much prefer longer, more complex stories to those which can be summed up in a couple of hours. These don't always get released in the US, but they are usually available through fansubs (that's where someone who loves the show enough to subtitle it distributes it for the cost of a tape).
Some series' I recommend:
A Vision of Escaflowne -- easily my favorite series. 26 episodes which you won't be able to help watching straight through. It falls right in with El Hazard (someone mentioned this above) as other-world anime.
Fushigi Yuugi: The Mysterious Play -- Next in line, suprised no one's mentioned it. 52 eps. Really good. This one's hard to put down, but not many people have 36 hours to spend watching videos. =) The first 26 eps are available on DVD from pioneer, but the subbing isn't that great.
The Hakkenden -- Legend of the Dog Warriors. Live it, learn it, know it. It's mostly a fight anime, but it has excellent backstory. It's being produced by Pioneer, though not on DVD (to my knowledge).
Some resources for you:
Soyokaze Fansubs -- These are a group of folk what sub japanese releases and distribute them before they're released in the US. My fave place to shop. Around $4/tape.
Pioneer Entertainment -- You wanted DVDs, here you go. Lots of reasonable titles.
The Anime Web Turnpike -- Lots of useful information about most series. Reviews, links, etc.
Hope this helped.
--naught
-- build a man a fire and he'll be warm all day. set a man on fire and he'll be warm for the rest of his life.
Vampire Hunter D was a wonderful peice of anime! The characters were interesting and exciting. The setting was great! Best of all there is a twist at the end!
Ghost in the Shell... just see it, and watch carefully!
Akira, for some reason I always seem to compare every anime with Akira, and nothing so far has come close! Akira was just visually mind-blowing!
Two others that come to mind are 3x3 Eyes and Armitage: The Movie. 3x3 Eyes was a great story, but not as visually exciting as the others. Armitage, great art and the characters were almost lifelike, but the story was kind of slow.
Cute is good. I like cute anime... (But not all of it... I couldn't sit through three episodes of Magical Thief Saint Tail...)
The first series that really got me into anime was Oh My Goddess, although I think the manga is better. I'm a sucker for cutesy romance stuff, I guess.
Getting the Card Captor Sakura DVDs when they eventually come out, too... ^_^
(FWIW, my favorite series is Slayers, TV series - not OAV/movies, cause I can't say I like them too much.)
--
The movie version of that is freakishly surreal. I saw it in raw Japanese, but it's still fairly easy to follow with minimal knowledge of Japanese as much of the story is visual. Think of it as an animated Bosch print...
--
EX is one of the best magazines out there for anime in the US. The US print mags are sorta sub-standard IMHO.
Still the best resource out there, but is starting to show a lot of holes recently... there's only so much Hitoshi can keep up with, and he seems to be mostly interested in shoujo or otherwise cutesy series.
Going this year! Woohoo! Got my Zelgadis costume ready too...
YMMV. I can't say I always agree with Ryan in his column, but he seems to have a very moderate viewpoint, between casual and hardcore fan.
--
Not only was this anime the basis for Buffy the Vampire Slayer (more or less...), but it also features the funniest song ever over the closing credits:
"Why is it that every time I fall in love
everyone turns out to be a terrorist?
They hide their big guns where they think I won't see them,
but only one will ever be my true love."
:-)
No way! Dubbing is retarted. You have to see the subtitled version in order to get the full effect. Evangelion is not complete unless you hear it the way it was meant to be heard.
Its interesting that so many people are recommending anime movies/episodes, but noone is recommending any Anime Music / Japanese Pop (AKA J-Pop).
I've been listening to this stuff for about a year, and I must say that it is really really awesome (and this is coming from someone who used to listen to punk music exclusively before finding J-pop) There is just something super cool about a Japanese girl singing.... anyways...
There is the Straight Pop music like Coco Lee (who is hopefully about to make a breakthrough in the US) S.E.S (actually Korean, I believe) and SPEED. These are huge popstars in Asia, who can probably be compared to Britney Spears or Christina Aguilera in America (except these bands are cool and American Pop sucks!)
There is also the more R&B/Sexy-Style JPOP with Artists like Utada Hikaru, Namie Amuro, and Ami Suzuki. These are the more serious artists who are probably aiming for a more adult crowd instead of teens.
As far as Anime Music goes, check out the following soundtracks: Magic Knight Rayearth, Lain (by the Awesome J-rock band BOA, along with some really cool techno and stuff), Neon Genesis and Gundam Wing (TWO MIX soundtrack!)
These in my opinions are the essentials, but be sure to keep looking cause there is a whole lot of stuff out there I havent even mentioned! I wouldn't reccomend buying J-Pop, unfortunately as the imports are super expensive. I saw a Utada Hikaru CD (Automatic --an awesome album) for 46 dollars at an anime convention recently! That was just tooo rediculous for me, so I continue to thank Napster for helping give me a continuous supply of new J-Pop.
indierock / punkrock band photos and more... http://www.digitaldefection.net
as i was saying before the submit button pressed itself:
Akira & Ghost in the Shell go without saying.
also fun ones are:
Legend of the Overfiend
Fist of the North Star
-- Spankmeister General
Gundam: action based sci-fi that spawned several series
Having watched Gundam Wing all the way through riecently I have to say that it deserves more than just that for a review. While I can't speak for the other's in the series, as I have yet to watch them, I got hooked into Gundam Wing on the CartoonNetwork back when it started. The entire show is visually stunning, and the plot is just as good. At times it doesn't make much sence (especailly if you watch the cut vs. uncut versions and try to notice the differences. I guess saying "I'll distroy you" is much more sutable for childeren than "I'll kill you", but back on topic). By the end of the series everything is explained. I really appriated the continuity of the charchters, while they all evolved through the story, none of them ever did anything that they shouldn't have, even if I as a viewer wanted them to.
Gundam W is the best Anime I've seen, although I have yet to see Neo Genesis Eveangelon, which I've been told is atleast as good.
-Ted
Dude, D is the f'n bomb. I love that movie!
Find anime at . A very comprehensive database.
I've been looking for anime too. I came across Mangajuice a few months ago. Until I found it I didn't know how popular anime was!
Definitely a must-have. Retro science-fiction space western with space pirates, different political factions, beautiful artificial android navigators, neurotic computers, sorcery, and more. Has a compelling and interesting plot - and a theme song that's NOT cheery pop to boot.
"The Sage treasures Unity and measures all things by it" - Lao Tzu
a classic - I'm amazed you haven't mentioned it or Akira. I just wateched the DVD and it was really awe-inspiring to see what they could do 5 years ago - really revolutionary stuff. Anyone who's even a vague fan should check it out.
Anyway, my list:
Escaflowne: Just finished re-watching this one. It has beautiful art, a strong candidate for best music in any series, and an interesting setting. A young japanese school girl gets sucked into a magical world (yeah, again), filled with Newtonion steam-power style fighting robots, swordsmen, dragons, and romance.
Utena: My top pick. A very surreal story about a young girl who has dedicated her life to becoming a prince. Very surreal and artistic in places - it gets a lot weirder in the later seasons, which aren't commercially available in the US yet.
Evangelion: Lots of people have discussed this - a mecha anime that, for once, is really focused on the characters. It ends strangely, but worth watching anyway.
Fushigi Yuugi (aka The Mysterious Play): More Magical Girl anime (which is a genre I happen to like), heavy on interesting and fun characters and romance. It has more humor than most series, but it gets really dark in places too.
There's also a whole lot of great series available only in fansubs, like Marmalade Boy, Kodomo no Omocha, Hani Yuri Dango - a lot of the ones that don't make it over here aren't science fiction or fantasy related. This probably has a lot to do with marketability - it's harder to sell Americans on a story of Japanese students finding their way through tangled relationships. But they can be a lot of fun, particularly if you want to learn more about Japanese culture.
-- Kate
Akira A mainstay of the anime genre. A classic neo-tokyo tale with a metaphysical bent, musing on topics such as evolution through scenes of phychedelic weirdness and rampant destruction. Decent story-writing and very good art. I think most of the people that dislike this one do so because they're comparing it to the manga of the same name.
Ghost in the Shell Another big film by the same director (I beleive) as Akira. This one is a lot more philosophical and a lot less over-the-top violent. In what appears to be a neo-hong kong, this one deals with AI-related topics such as sentience, and again, evolution.
The Dagger of Kamui / Kamui No Ken This is one I don't hear mentioned a lot and don't understand why. It takes place in feudal Japan and has the usual assortment of Samurai, Ninja, etc. It's over 2 hours long and the story is typically incredibly involved and convoluted, and excellent. The art sets it apart from most other anime as it has an almost comic book-like quality to it. The characters have more of a hand-drawn look to them that I find incredibly cool.
Fist of the North Star This isn't one of my favorites but it's popular enough that I thought I should mention it. Themed like a post-apocalyptic kung fu theatre, the art is poor, the story is weak, and the characters' power is totally over the top. There's one scene where a guy walks through a building as if it were made of tissue paper. All that aside, it has some classic one-liners and is quite entertaining. It's also pretty darn violent.
Grave of the Fireflies Its astounding story more than makes up for its rather simplistic art. Following the life of two Japanese children left homeless near the end of WW2, it's both poignant and gut-wrenching. If you don't at least appreciate this one you're either insane or dead.
Vampire Hunter D I wasn't sure whether to mention this one, but I do like it. It's fairly violent, the art is bad, and the story is a bit weak, but it still manages to be verry entertaining. Definately at least worth renting.
Princess Mononoke Already out of the theatres and not to be released on DVD until at least this fall, it's quite good but you're going to have to wait to find it.
As for others... I purposefully didn't mention any anime series. I've seen a few, but going that direction can be darn expensive asn you'll end up spending hundreds of dollars just pursuing one. Of the ones I've seen, Lodoss War is good.
Someone also mentioned Urotsukidoji... there is a subgenre of Anime termed "tentacle porn" and this is far worse than those. If you're titillated by period german propoganda footage and such things as the "Nazi Death Rape Machine" be sure to pick this one up. Otherwise, stay well away and be glad you didn't have to subject yourself to this tripe. Far too disturbing to allow me to appreciate the fairly good art.
Fire and Ice Not anime but animated, this film has the best animation I've ever seen. I'm certain they filmed actual people and then drew over them. The art is fairly basic but the story is decent and it's worth watching once just to appreciate the animation. If I could find it on DVD I'd be quite happy.
I'm sure I missed a bunch... perhaps when i get home from work todan and check my collection I'll come up with a few more to mention.
Well, that must've been the video for "Extra" which can be found on his album "Jelly Tones"... and I don't think the video was cut together from stock footage; I'd say it was made specially for the video, so... tough luck finding more, I'd say...
np: Underworld - Pearls Girl (Second Toughest In The Infants)
As always under permanent deconstruction.
"I'm not anti-anything, I'm anti-everything, it fits better." - Sole
Well, since CmdrTaco was more or less specifically asking for DVD releases... Pioneer has acquired the rights to Akira some time ago, and they said that they were doing a completely new dub of Akira... and taking into account the dubs I've heard from Pioneer I think you at least shouldn't yet diss that one... :)
np: Underworld - Banstyle/Sappy's Curry (Second Toughest In The Infants)
As always under permanent deconstruction.
"I'm not anti-anything, I'm anti-everything, it fits better." - Sole
Leiji Matsumoto's masterpiece, and a classic of old-school anime. The animation is not considered cutting edge now (it was made in 1978), but the storyline has IMHO never been equalled and the character of Maetel is one of the most brilliant creations ever.
Just my two cents. Many probably disagree strongly.
ken
the best part? you can buy the dvd! i know the guys who do the manga dvd's, and let me say that they know what 5.1 can really do. they remaster everything. i saw perfect blue in the theater's and the audio was laughable. the dvd, though, rocks!
ken
I'm sure zillions of people are going to say this, but your best bet in anime is to check out Hayao Miyazaki's work, such as Kiki's Delivery Service, Totoro, Porco Rosso (The Crimson Pig), and Laputa (Castle In The Sky). Princess Mononoke, too, if you haven't seen that in theaters already.
The best parts of Miyazaki and Studio Ghibli films (his studio) aren't just the characters, but the rich, full, colorful, vibrant worlds he puts them in. Also, he's famous for his sweeping flying scenes. I just watched a fansub of the Crimson Pig the other day, and was just blown away. We've become so reliant on computers for effects, we've lost the appreciation for what human beings can do by hand without them. Just amazing. Do a web search for Hayao Miyazaki, and you won't go wrong.
Oh, and check out Hotaru no haka (Grave of the Fireflies) while you're at it. It's not, strictly speaking, a Miyazaki film, but it's a Studio Ghibli release with his fingerprints all over it. It's a shame there are so few Ghibli movies. What I want to know from everyone else out there is: What else lives up to the Studio Ghibli standard?
He who refuses to do arithmetic is doomed to talk nonsense.
Well, these are "essential" in the sense that they
are classics, and many of us watched 'em when we
were little without realizing what they were:
Speed Racer (mahha go-go: mach #5)
Gigantor (tetsujin juhachi-go: iron-man #18)
[forgot the title: early power-rangers anime
with Casey Kasem as the voice of the leader]
I don't know if Lensman is even available in the US.
In my opinion (and in the opinion of a lot of you out there, I know), Rurouni Kenshin is essential viewing for anyone who wants to watch anime. Or at least the first 60 or so eps. are. There are numerous fansubs out there, but those are going to be sorta hard to come by now that I hear that Sony is doing a dub. (Samurai-X, what type of dumb name is that?)
Everything that you might want in a anime series is there. Cool Good Guys, Cool Bad Guys, Cool Bad Guys that Become Good Guys, Big Swords...what more do you want?
No, its thermal body suit. Yanks are so hung up with sex. sheeeshhhhhh!!!!
There are so many good anime titles.
Akira, Ghost in the Shell (I like everything that Shirow does, so...) Iria (the animated version, I haven't gotten around to seeing the live action version) BubbleGum Crisis, Lodoss War (first series), Riding Bean, Dominion Tank Police, Slayers, Vampire Hunter D, Project AKo
I always go for the subtitled versions if I can. Most of the dub jobs I have heard are terrible. (if you have never heard Akira in Japanese, do yourself a favor and get it. It is a much better version than the dubbed. Same thing for Ghost in the Shell).
gwonk
Yes, "Heavy Metal" it was.
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HBO had some anime thing they were playing for a few months about 5 years (?) ago. I only remember it because there was a big brouhaha about it on the news because it was...er...nearly x-rated. What was it called? It had a name that reminded me of something else, like "Master of the Universe" or something?
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IIRC, the creator of Dragon Half got busted for drug-use (cocaine, I think), and was blacklisted from the industry. So no more Dragon Half :(
:)
Though, you have to wonder just how much that drug use influenced DH...
Kind of a similar concept, but Gundam doesn't really have any of the spritual stuff going on that makes Eva so involving...not as much character development. Don't get me wrong, I love gundam wing, and it is without a doubt the best anime on US airwaves right now.....cartoon network twice a day.........
i know on the digital cable STARZ channels they sometimes show anime, one i remember especially is Gunsmith Cats. (anime? thougt it was anyway)...
then there was another one i remember, but i don't know the name of it...had a group of pilots flying spaceships battling alien beings...something like that anyway..
"Leave the gun, take the canoli."
this is just a placeholder till i send back my real sig from the future.
Well, with many thousands of dollars into anime at this point, I figure I might as well make some recommendations.
Blue Submarine No. 6 - While the actual anime is mediocre, the computer animation is great. I've actually had e-mails with CmdrTaco about this one - it's now out on DVD, so check it out, being the computer animation put that you are.
The Slayers - Easily my favorite anime. A sort of fantasy/comedy that is just hilarious. It's really lighthearted, and you get really attached to the characters. It's gotten a few recommendations already, and I concur with them. www.inverse.org has some great stuff about it. Heck, even my alias (Mina Inerz) comes from an episode of the Slayers. (The main character's name is Lina Inverse.) Software Sculptors (who produced the TV series, which is better) will be releasing it on DVD later this year.
Neon Genesis Evangelion - An extremely good drama, this anime has become one of the most popular non-mainstream animes ever in the West. ADV has finally started releasing it on DVD, I highly recommend it. It's so deep, you still pick up on new stuff after many viewings.
Vision of Escaflowne - A medeival mecha anime, that has really deep characters, and a fantastic ending that will keep you awake at night.
Oh My Goddess! - A lighthearted romance that is great to watch with your SO.
There are, of course, many more animes, but they're talked about quite a bit already here.
After scrolling through the list, I noticed one or two didn't seem to be mentioned that I always enjoyed. Take my opinion for the 2 Acturan megapennies* its worth.
;) Since it's *about* guns and cars, that's a good thing.
- Super Cultural Cat Girl Nuku-Nuku: crazy scientist and son on the run from crazy CEO-control freak mom. Crazy scientist accidentally runs over cat, upsetting son. Crazy scientist remedies situation by transplanting cat's brain into highly attractive mega-powerful female android body (intelligence boost included). Hilarity ensues for the four episodes that exist. Weird but fun, and with the king of dysfunctional family situations.
- Mad Bull: mindless fun part deux. Picture a slightly-better built Dennis Franz a la Detective Sipowitz, plus a lot of weaponry and minus a lot of personal concern for safety. Top scene involves him stuck on a roof with no gun, getting shot at. He freaks out and pulls down his pants where he has a basketful of grenades tied directly to his pubic hair.
- Aeon Flux: not Japanese, not even anime in the technical sense, but if you like some of the more surreal stuff, you'll like this a lot. Not for people who like continuity.
- Gunsmith Cats: the down side? Only a few episodes (one story arc) and an interminable opening credit sequence. The good side? It's based on a manga done by someone who knows their guns and cars like Linus knows kernal design.
In the briefly mentioned category, I'll throw my chapeau in for Ah! My Goddess, Dirty Pair, BGC (particularly the disturbing "The Man Who Bit His Toungue"), and, for technical excellence if nothing else, Ghost in the Shell, Akira, and Princess Mononoke, the big three of commercially successful anime.
BTW, does anyone remember "G-Force" (not Gall Force, unless I'm much mistaken.) Cheesy early stuff, but my first early introduction. I also remember one (only in French, sad for me) that had a trio of cat burglars who ran a cafe?
Later,
-Keith-
*Arcturan Megapenny: third highest denomination in the universe. Used primarily to simplify purchases of galactic clusters. God was recently purchest at a charity bachelor auction for 3 A.Mp. Due to obscure Arcturan law, not valid currency when used by primates.
I'd have to say that Matrix-as-anime is a pretty good appraisal. At the very least, it sits on the juxtaposition of three axes: anime, Hollywood blockbuster, and Hong-Kong wire-harness action/fantasy (Ghost with the White Hair, or without the wire, anything by John Woo).
BTW, not trying to be commercial here, but if any of you are *really* into the matrix, check out this site, run by some friends of mine:
TrenchCo Matrix-style coats
The coats are top quality (I've handled one; lustresuede is nice stuff!) and if you want to order and use the phrase "DODGE THIS!", you can get a 5% discount on most items. (Some choices of material are already cut-rate, so check.) Trenchcoat Steve a great guy (too bad his nickname was like a duck call for morons after the Columbine thing), so expect flexibility and good humour.
-Keith-
Also, please avoid "Magna X", which recently came out in theaters here in the US. It's quite possibly the worst anime I've ever seen!
Read a good book lately?
Read a good book lately?
I have been a fan of anime for years now. I've seen countless shows, many great, many really bad. What is the worst thing are the forgotten anime shows. There are many anime shows that no one, not even the so-called "Serious" Otaku will ever see. Wonderful shows like Marmalade boy, Kodomo No Omocha, and other shows of the same genre. Companies like ADV and Manga will only bring over the Big name shows that they think will make gobs of money. They are starting to hit the lesser known shows, but there are some that the american people will Never see. Many shows keep getting forgotten about, and unfortuanly for me, many are shojou anime. So called Girlish anime. I personally love the stuff, even though im male. I like the story lines, and plots of the shows. And more than that, there are shows already released in the US that many people forget about. Oh My Goddess is a great example. Everyone who sees it, loves it, but no one watches it anymore. People will skip over the smaller, lesser known shows to get only the bigger names, Like lain, and ranma, and eva. Dont get me wrong, im not against those shows, but next time your at the store, dont just go get something everyone is watching, get something that sounds more interesting. you might get a great show, or it might not be. but life is like that. Sorry for the ramblings of a crazy kid :) PS, for good, non-US released shows, goto the The Fansub Database for a list of fansubbers.
In case of Emergency, Curl up in the Fetal position, and lick a Bible for comfort!
Any true Fan of Serial Experiments Lain needs to be heading to Baltimore Maryland Aug 4-6 this year.
The anime convention, Otakon. This year, "guests of honor, will be Mr. Yoshitoshi ABe and Mr. Yasuyuki Ueda. Mr. ABe would best be known to us in the US as the character designer for serial experiments lain. Joining him will be Mr. Yasuyuki Ueda of production 2nd, the creator of lain. The pair are currently working on a new series together, and hope to have a preview ready by O2K."
Also on the same note, The band Boa will be at the convention. That is the group that does the amazing opening song to lain.
For more details, goto Otakon
In case of Emergency, Curl up in the Fetal position, and lick a Bible for comfort!
I'm no addict and I'm certainly no expert, but I know what I like. Here's a short list.
Vampire Hunter D: This can actually be seen on TNT late at night, but heavily edited. Grab the full version. It is a distopian view of a future where vampires rule the world and man a slave race confronted with werewolves, mutants, will-o-wisps, and the like.
Fist of the North Star: NOT the live version with Malcom McDowell. This is perhaps the most violent anime I've seen and the ending is a bit odd and possibly even anti-climactic, but this is a must-see. A man who is betrayed by his best friend and brothers gets medieval on lots of asses.
Neo Tokyo: This is a group of four very different stories. It kinda defies other description, but I'll just say the one about the racer is probably the coolest anime I've seen.
The Ghost in the Shell: Cyberpunk. Need I say more?
Akira: The heartwarming story of a boy and his sudden ability to do amazing amounts of damage to whole brigades of army units. This is yet another futuristic story set after the world has rebuilt a bit from World War III (or IV or V), and takes place in Neo Tokyo, not to be confused with the movie previously mentioned. An orphan is exposed to a power source that drives him crazy while giving him the power to do whatever he wants to matter.
As you can all see, I watch the violent stuff, but this is the best I've seen. Ranma 1/2 can be funny, but I don't personally like it much. Dragonball Z would be better if they didn't stretch every fight into a whole season (give or take) and center entire shows around one punch and one fireball. The old RoboTech stuff was cool, but I was 8 when I watched it and I really can't say whether I'd still like it.
Peace,
GK
Macross Plus is the best anime movie I've ever seen and I've seen Ninja Scroll.
I have the VHS 4 part series...here's the description from the back of the first tape.
"In 2040 AD on the colonial planet Eden, the Ministry of Defense is testing and developing a transforming aircraft, a new advanced defense to counter alien attacks.
Isamu Dyson is an extrovert jet fighter maverick assigned as a new test pilot on project Super Nova. Competition heats up when he discovers that his old rival Guld is test pilot for the competing project. The arrival of Myung, a mutual ex-girlfriend, adds more tension to the conflict.
From the director of the legendary TV series "Macross" (known as Robotech in the U.S) this action packed, visually superb 4-part series is the Top Gun of Japanese animation with authentic mecha designs."
Make sure you see this movie. There are other Macross movies out there so try not to get them confused with this one. This movie amazes me everytime I watch it.
I always liked Kimagure Orange Road, Video Girl Ai, Maison Ikkoku, Marmalade Boy, the Studio Ghibli stuff (Totoro etc.), . For some reason I associate better with anime directed at girls.... The robotic kill anime as a genre can get old, the softer series tend to express the quirkiness of Japanese life better (as the melodramatic SitComs from the US tend to accurately portray US life, right?!) or at least the Ideal Japanese Life....
Most anime annoys the bloody fsck out of me, but there's some I've found tolerable.
For starters, you have to go with the classics. Check out Akira.
And for Ghod's sake, stay AWAY from the cute anime! That stuff'll have you tossing your cookies on the rug in sheer diabetic shock and diusgust before you can get dunked in hot water.
I'm referring specifically to Ranma 1/2 and Oh My Goddess!
Redhawk
It's by Don Bluth, so it's got to be good.
Seriously though, is there any anime that isn't about giant robots, pop culture, and obnoxious children with superpowers? As astouding as anime can be visually, it always seems like the scripts are written by twelve year olds.
Since you probably have seen the series please help me: I used to watch Hokuto No Ken in Italy, and I remember that the whole series available there was *VERY* long (6 times a week for several months, episodes were about 30 mins or so) and I wonder how they could compress it on only 36 episodes.
What was shown in Italy was everything from the start to the final battle with Caio but from people I met, it seems that in Japan the series went even further.
Please help ! Where does the series availabe on tapes (I could find online vol.1-9 but I'd like to wait for an answer before ordering) start from and, most important, where does it end ?
TIA
-- the cake is a lie
Just a title I haven't seen anyone mention:
Gall Force - Space, all females (cloning), the series that got me into anime. Has a sequel that's set on Earth with a title i can't remember. (something fairly similiar though)
--Lilior
May I add ..
Legend of Escaflowne -
This is the story of a high-school student, Hitomi Kanzaki, who is mysteriously transported to another world, where Earth and the
Moon are visible in the sky. As the Girl from the Phantom Moon (Earth), she is heralded as someone with great power in this new
world, power which she uses both wisely and not so wisely, during the course of the series. A wonderful show, IMHO, with lots
of action and character development.
Rurouni Kenshin TV and OVA's - Samurai story revolving around a retired samurai
The TV series is 70+ episodes and has several story arcs.
The OVA's (movie releases) are much more serious
Card Captor Sakura - 4th grader Sakura must collect magic cards she let free
Light hearted (1st season anyway..) by CLAMP
Legend of Galactic Heros
An epic tale of galactic war, 100+ episodes
Nadesico
This is mostly lighthearted space adventure, along the lines of 'Irresponsible Captain Tylor'. Mars had been a successful Earth
colony, but has been laid to waste by an alien race known as the Jovians. The Jovians are now headed for Earth, with the
Battleship Nadesico, the most powerful in the human fleet, hot on their heels. The captain is a very young, supposedly brilliant
young woman, who comes across as your basic anime teenager, including an unrequited (maybe?) crush on a young man with a
mysterious past on Mars. He wants nothing more than to be a cook, but winds up piloting one of the ship's mechs.
Photon - hilarious, not for the little kids, lots of adult humor
Saber Marionette J -
On a planet without women, Marionettes (very lifelike robots) take their place, 3 of them are endowed
with special circuits, lots of funny action, but some serious scenes too.
Starman97@Gmail.com (bring it on spammers)
I knew about anime two or three years ago, but didn't have access to any of the series or movies. I have now, and I LOVE anime :)
If you wanna know about what's hot and what's not, then check out some of these sites:
http://www.animeworld.com/
http://www.animecritic.com/
http://www.abcb.com/
None of these sites has a number of reviews that's even close to the number of anime series/movies/films/whatever that exists today ... and none of them has reviews of fansubs, as far as I remember.
I don't know much about what you can get on DVD these days. Most of what I watch is downloaded from hotline servers anyway ;)
My List of Great Anime: ...but that's just me. ... but who cares ;).
Neon Genesis Evangelion - Come on!! THis on is the best!! =)
Gundam Wing - one of the many gundam series... not bad.
Record of Lodoss War - The best from Anime and Dragonlance. Haven't seen it yet, but my brother tells me it's the best he's ever seen!!!
Oh! My Goddess - A real love story. Five episodes. I really liked it!
Gun Smith Cats - Nice cars, nice guns, great action, cute girls, unoriginal plot
Oh, and btw. Akira and Ghost in the Shell are both classics everyone should see one day. I still haven't seen them, but I will soon.
I don't know if they are out on DVD but...
:)
Bubblegum Crisis
Akira
Five Star Stories
Black Magic 666
Kite - kinda like Le Femme Nikta
Guyver - Interesting
Dirty Pair - Funny as hell
Fist of the North Star
Others:
Totoro - Kid's movie but it's fun
Lum - If you get into that
Golgo13
Crying Freeman
Baoh - But the magna is much better imo
Does anybody know if they made Mai the Psychic Girl anime? My wife would probably watch that with me.
I don't want knowledge. I want certainty. - Law, David Bowie
Definitely one of the saddest movies (not limited to anime) I have ever seen. The Saving Private Ryan of anime. Also the same director/creator did Princess Mononoke(sp?) which should be available in july.
Urotsokdoji (I've probably mauled the spelling, never seen it in type) sometimes known as The Overfiend. It's pretty widely available and a real riot.
Note that the first two seasons/series of Slayers will be out this fall as DVD box sets ($100 each--pretty decent for 26 eps)...
;)
I didn't know that. That makes things MUCH better, I think.
Ok, top 10... in my own humble opinion
10. Ah Megamisama (Ah My Goddess in US)
Classic story, boy goes to college, boy gets hungry and calls for food, boy calls wrong number and gets Belldandy of Norse mythology. Off kilter love story, computer 'bugs' that look like rabbits crossed with a spider, and racing motorcycles. Not to be missed.
9. Anything Macross.
No, not the Robotech garbage, but the original story. Giant robots, giant aliens, and 16 year old pop stars. That's what life is about.
8. Akira
nuf said.
7. Ghost in the Shell
Maybe I'm wrong, but ghost in the shell is an order of magnatude better than Akira. Same overal idea, but GitS feels more complete as a story at it's end than Akira.
6. Tenchi Muyo
In the world of anime, nothing is mundane, and Tench highlights that. From incest, to love triangles, Tenchi has it all, only one other anime comes as close to utter weirdness, Urusei Yatsura.
5. Ranma 1/2
Shape changing, cross dressing, love triagles.
4. BubbleGum Crisis
True classic. Not since Bladerunner has something defined the dark future people feel is in-escapable. Good story, and great soundtack.
3. Record of Lodoss War
DnD in anime form. The thing that made me like this title was the fact that good guys loose. Maybe in the end good conquers evil, but not without good people falling along the way.
2. Urusei Yatsura
One Boy, one girl, one girl alien. Rumiko Takahashi's claim to fame. While not as quality as Ranma, it is IMOHO the best work she has ever done. The plethora of characters, the odd stories, this series is still enjoyable 15 years after it started.
1. Kimagure Orange Road
The classic love triangle plus magic powers. The characters are so well written, that sometimes you forget that the're just animated. Only 26 episodes, but this has remained my favorite anime for over 10 years.
Thanks, two people called me on that one. I watched them all at the same time (about 6 years ago, except GitS), and between theme, mood and art style the FILMS look the same. I have Shirow's manga, but not Kishiro's, which is where I went wrong, apparently.
Side note for Taco: The best place to start for info on anime is The Anime Turnpike. I was able to verify your correction at Rei's, those crazy MIT kids have/did have(?) a fan club and screenings and stuff.
-jpowers
-jpowers
They used to show it on WSBK 38 here in Massachusetts, right before Force 5/Gaiking/Grandizer/etc. I suspect it was shown in other places, too.
-jpowers
-jpowers
You hit my favorite topic!
Series:
Three words: Vampire Princess Miyu
Bubblegum Crisis/Crash
Neon Genesis Evangelion (I third that!)
Gundam Wing (12PM Sci-fi Channel!)
I love old Star Blazers
Comedy TV: Ranma (funny!), Urusei Yatsura if you like Ranma a lot (based on manga by same artist: Takahashi)
Tenchi Muyo, Project A-KO, Slayers, Those Who Hunt Elves and Oh My Goddess if you're bored/stoned
Movies:
Battle Angel Alita was a manga by Masamune Shirow, who's chicks-and-hardware formula was the standard for while. Try the films based on his other work:
Appleseed, Black Magic M-66, Ghost in the Shell
Vampire Hunter D and Venus Wars are Okay
Some people like Fist of the North Star, MD Geist and Root Search. I don't, but here's an interesting bit all the same:
Root Search and the awful Event Horizon are the same film! I don't know how Warner's avoided a lawsuit over it.
-jpowers
-jpowers
I forgot Miyazaki. He made this little Princess Mononoke film last year. There's a new DVD of his Castle Cagliostro that's supposed to be great. Also, My Neigbor Totoro and Kiki's Delivery Service are good.
I've seen so many...Akira's usually the big one people name, but I can't say I loved it.
-jpowers
-jpowers
Gundam Wing's already on Cartoon Network at 5:30 and 12PM (I made a mistake above, it's NOT Sci-Fi) The Sci-Fi channel shows anime on Sat or Sun at midnight and sometimes during the day, but not always.
You need to rent most of the good ones, though. Blockbuster usually sucks about carrying them (though they had a good selection at this one store in FL and people drove from all over to rent there). Hollywood Video, frighteningly enough, makes a point of stocking up on them. The one near my apt has 600+! If you're in Boston, Tokyo Kid is the place. If not, just find some RPG geeks like me in your hometown and ask them.
-jpowers
-jpowers
Dubbing usually sucks, unless it's the Ranma series (pre Outta-Control Season). The voice acting is superb and the translation doesn't change much, except the name of the martial arts school.
-jpowers
-jpowers
I've watched it. They showed MD Geist within the last 2 months. Like most of what they show, that movie sucks, but they did show it. I think maybe Cartoon Network ramping up their anime stuff scared them off. Sci-Fi Channel's not going to have much left worth watching at this rate.
-jpowers
-jpowers
So don't forget to read the mangas!
Got that covered.
PS RPGs are great anime! FF7 really is the best, but there's others with both CG sequences and pure anime cutscenes that are worth seeing. I'm playing through Vagrant Story now: great gameplay, great CG. Very nice.
-jpowers
-jpowers
If you liked Ghost in the Shell, try Armitage III.. another cool cyber-girl anime available on DVD
I know it's been mentioned before, but the Macross Plus 4-part series (on 2 DVD's) is awesome.. the animation is great, the music is great, the acting isn't half bad either. Do NOT mistake the miniseries for the movie, they chop out 2 and a half hours and the whole thing doesn't make sense anymore.
the Record of the Lodoss War is the definitive fantasy Anime.. I can't remember how many DVD's this one is, it's at least 2, maybe as many as 4. It was an 8 tape series.
For an amusing fantasy romp, any of the Slayers series' are great, and the movie is funny as well. Think of it more like what a good RPG run ends up like, rather than what a good RPG should be and you have the Slayers.
Tenchi Muyo is a LONG series, but it seems to be a favorite. I wouldn't bother buying them if you can find some place to rent them, they're really amusing but I can't see them having much replay value.
Ranma 1/2 is another LONG, but amusing series with a warped sense of reality..
The Rurouni Kenshin series (also known in the US as Samurai X) is 96 episodes long (I think) in its full, complete glory. The first 30-40 episodes are really great plot-wise.. good somewhat realistic swordfighting, great animation and plot if sometimes the voice acting fails a bit. The OAV's are really amazing, they tell the story of what happens before the series, and how Kenshin gets his scars.
I think you have most of the rest of the excellent ones already in the summary at the top. Happy viewing...!
Not impressed. Points for dismemberment, though.
This is a great anime. I just hate the fact that now that the series has taken off in Japan, it's gonna take _years_ before any of it shows up in the US.
the grabber on Volume 1 that got me:
"Nine lives. Nine hundred horsepower."
I was recently introduced to Evangelion. It is easily the best anime I have seen. The series gets more and more thought-provoking and introspective through each episode, until it finally ends in an amazing and thoroughly confusing climax.
Many readers have been posting about Evangelion's availability on VHS. I can confirm its availability on DVD, since I have the first DVD of the series. This DVD, released about a week ago, is the only one available. I picked it up at Electronics Boutique, but it's available online from www.buy.com, I believe. This DVD contains the first four episodes. The remaining 22? episodes should be released on DVD in the near future. I haven't heard any details about the future release dates. The DVD sports a cool menu interface, and the main 'extras' are: Japanese/English/French/Spanish voices, optional English subtitles, and a character/angel bio section.
I've watched this DVD three times in the last week. I can't wait for the rest to be released.
...These aren't the droids you're looking for....Move along....
If anyone has never seen any Anime ever, they should at least see Akira. Akira is unarguably THE BEST Anime movie ever made! Also, Urotsukidoji: Legend of Overfiend, Guy, Dragon Pink, and F3 are very good! Especially Urotsukidoji! See them!
What's wrogn with it? :)
I Happen to love it myself
I was wondering when somebody would mention this one. One of my friends managed to get the entire series at once. After the first week, even those of us who'd only caught a couple of episodes kept coming back to see what happened next. It's got a very engrossing plot line (or at least we thought, after watching the 11th straight tape), despite the above mentioned problems with the main character. (she's a bit of a twit)
-Dexx
Feel the fear and do it anyway.
Evangelion--If you haven't seen both Neon Genesis and Death and Rebirth you owe it to yourself to do so. Weird, beautifully drawn and animated, heartfelt, well-scripted, full of the kind of strong emotional content and character development moments expected from the genre. This is great anime.
Wings of Honiamise(sp?)--A great and very, very different anime. Not an action film but a brilliant drama set around a culture with a tech level like pre-WWII Japan's space program and their first astronaut. This film is worth watching just for the scenes featuring the computer at ground control, but don't be misled. This is serious drama with all of the heavy dialog that implies. Best anime-to-watch-with-your-artsy-girlfriend ever.
Fyushi Yuugi(sp?)--When my friend Sean brought over a fan sub of this series it caught me immediately. Very, very weird. Some occaisionally annoying use of super-deformed style, but by and large a fascinating, bizarre, and very humorous series.
-- The Sage does nothing, and nothing is left undone. --Lao Tzu
Masamune Shirow, the artist and writer of the Ghost in the Shell series, is an artist that, for me, defines the genre. Shirow was a former engineer before becoming a manga artist, and his grasp of technical issues is deep and impressive. The footnotes in the GITS book were worth reading in and of themselves: as an example, he posited that working androids would be difficult to achieve because of the lack of a workable lymphatic system and what this implied.
GITS the movie does not get into technical discussions as deeply, but it is still a beautiful work of cyberpunk, hauntingly beautiful at times and so sleek it floors you. The existential issues dealt with in the movie will be scorned by most American viewers, who tend to cringe when philosophical issues are brought up, but in GITS it is done with class and is in many ways antithetical to the way classic American sci-fi, such as Star Trek, deals with similar issues.
The only other anime I have seen that even comes close to GITS is Ninja Scroll. But that movie, while excellent, didn't resonate as deeply with me as GITS did. Ninja Scroll was a very well animated ninja story with an excellent writer, but it didn't have the depth that GITS did.
- Rev.Given my name here, my vote is fairly predictable.
Lots of gratuitous sex, rape, and violence. Also a fairly interesting plot by American standards. You've kind of a got variation on the whole cyclic metaphysical thing that is common to Eastern philsophy and relgion, but it's combined with Western-style apocalypticism. A great combination.
The caveat: only the first 3 episodes (the first series, in other words) is worth watching unless you're into it just for the sex and violence. Probably the best way to watch Urotsukidoji presently is on the "Urotsukidoji: Perfect Collection" DVD. Watch all of disc 1 and ignore disc 2, whose plot flatly contradicts the first one and smacks of obligatory sequelitis. Apparently they have kept cranking out further sequels -- I guess it's the Friday the 13th or Emmanuelle phenomenon. Furthermore, the "Perfect Collection" is subtitled instead of dubbed, a big plus in my book.
Much of Urotsukidoji is actually quite funny from a visual perspective; the violence is so overdone it is literally cartoonish...but this is the kind of stuff the family values crowd uses to perpetuate the "Rape Man" urban legend about anime. There are other humorous aspects, especially in episode two with the demonic duo, one who can't keep his eyes from slithering out of his head, and the other who wears a baseball cap and has a predilection for freshening his breath with a can of WD-40. And of course there's our plot-driving friend, the only one who doesn't have sex with anything of any species; chastity seems to have addled his wits, because he can't seem to learn the lesson that you're supposed to finish interrogating the bad guys before you kill them.
The third episode is actually almost devoid of sex and violence (but not nudity), because they're so busy resolving the plot. That's actually a good sign; you have to have a little meat on your sandwich...
Anyway, in case you find Urotsukidoji in some other format, the names of the episodes you want to see are Birth of the Overfiend, Legend of the Overfiend, and Final Inferno, in that order. If it's called something else, ignore it.
Address-collecting spam robots don't know how to crack ROT13. Do you?
Actually, it's a shame that gundam wing is the only gundam series that made it to mainstream america so far. Most of the gundam series is excellent, if you can get a hold of it:
0080
0083
8th mobile suit team
char's counterattack
original series (0079)
among others...
This comment will mostly get overlooked among so many, but here goes:
:)
Kimagure Orange Road: Light-hearted story about teenage love triangle and ESPer powers. Both funny and sweet, my fav.
Rurouni Kenshin: The best assassin from the end of the Tokugawa dynasty swears off killing, but still protects his friends and the land. Funny, exciting, and a bit sweet.
Photon: An absolutely hilarious short series about a little kid with awesome powers.
Ah! My Goddess: Very cool romantic comedy about a college student and the goddess he loves. Oh and heaven is managed with a computer with bugs that can only be fixed with a mallet
Slayers: Hilarious series about a sorceress and her allies fighting bandits and demons and such (and cooler stuff).
Irresponsible Captain Tyler: The space force's misfits get lumped onto a single ship and what results is hilarious.
I hated Akira myself, it put me to sleep.
XML is like violence. If it doesn't solve the problem, use more.
Watching these with friends in high school is a pleasant memory.
...
...
Riding Bean esp. I liked, for it's hard-boiled plot, funny dialogue (good voices, too, even in the dubbed version -- I must be burned at the stake), and real-life aspects. Not just a buncha mecha;) which I think is cool but I can only watch so many variations on
Ranma 1/2 is also one of the funniest things I've ever seen! lol funny, esp. the grandfather character. And that little song gets in your head
Tim
jrnl: http://tinyurl.com/c2l8yr / foes: http://tinyurl.com/ckjno5
I caught 6 episodes of this a couple months ago when YTV in Canada did a preview of it with a vote whether it should stay or not. They never released the results of the votes but I know that my friends and I all managed to get a ton of votes in for it, hopefully it'll be showing up on the fall schedule here.
From what I've seen so far Neon Genesis Evangelion looks to be fairly similar, ie. kids with mechs, though IANAAE (I Am Not An Anime Expert)
Why do American writers keep making movies and TV shows about ancient Eastern stuff? It's all about the mystique and occultism of a religion not your own; The Christian references in Eva and Lain(and other anime) are roughly equal to an American writer placing a scene in an ancient temple with a Buddhist statue, although better done. (Certainly, both Shinto Buddhism and Christianity/Judism/Islam have their share of weird-ass shit in their history and mythology.)
--
These are *MY* opinions.
These are *MY* opinions.
They will not be *YOUR* opinions until the Orbital Mind Control Lasers are operati
Sure this is going to be moderated down. Rob, I think your great but ya really need to learn how to spell 'character'. Maybe hit that spell check button before submitting? :-)
Have a Happy.
Yeah, I hope they play akira again on the Cartoon Network... anybody know when it will come out on DVD...
As for my suggestion... if you haven't seen Kiki's Delivery Service or Laputa Castle in the Sky then you really ought to. Disney bought the rights to both for sale in the US... so if you can import them from Japan you might be better off. Kiki is already for sale in the US and I think Laputa will be out next month... wee!
This space for sale
Eschew otakudom. So many recovering ex-otaku can only laugh nowadays when watching all the English-only new-schoolers play catch up after coming so late to the game, trying to watch as much "good stuff" as possible. It's funny, in a sad way, because such a feat is nearly impossible, due both to the fact that the politics of the translation houses/stateside distributors is often fucked up, and also because not many people are willing to learn Japanese like we did, go to the cons like we did, and do their own fan-subbing like we did. And that's how it should be, since after almost fifteen years of true fandom, what do I have to show for it? A lot of signed paraphernalia (Mikimoto-signed Macross VHS cassette shells and jackets...oohhh), boxes upon boxes of unwatched bootlegged subs, and a lot of money out the window. With that spent cash, I could have bought my own server farm, dammit. Luckily I've been anime-free for about three years, with no looking back.
The situation is completely different for casual fans. For them, I'd recommend all the standards listed by so many in this article, especially the Miyazaki films. Even the counter-culture punks that say they hate everything popular and mainstream usually end up moved by his work. I've even met (and been) one of those anti-dubbing elitists, who really _can_ stand to watch a dubbed version of Miyazaki's films. Despite the dubbing. Despite (in the case of Tonari no Totoro) Carl Macek's involvement. His works are so beautiful that they are enjoyable even after American chop-shoppers (like Macek/Streamline) have had their hands on them.
I also used to be a big Gainax fan. This studio is different from most others, because they are able to laugh at themselves -- something that most fanboys can't even do, because of their overzealousness. Watch Toppu o Nerae! Gunbuster and keep Gundam, Macross, and Top Gun in mind. You'll see why these guys are master satirists of the industry. And definitely watch their Otaku no Video. As soon as you think you recognize any of the people in that video, you'll know that you've stepped into some mighty shit.
< tofuhead >
It is still the dark of night.
Ranma 1/2
Tenchi OVA
Ghost in the Shell
Akira
Patlabor Movie
I also enjoyed Jojo's Bizarre Adventures and
dancing while watching Sailor Moon's
transformation sequences. Great fun.
Ok, you have probably received HUNDREDS of good suggestions of old stuff. There just ain't no such thing as essential anime... there is too much of it.
:-) Lots of non-sense and black humour mixed in this one. The ending theme is sung by a cat ("meow, meow meow meow, meow, ..."), with legends translating it. :-)
:)
:-) All young Keitaro wants in life is to enter the prestigious Tokyo University (law, no less :), find his kindergarten sweetheart to whom he promised they'd enter Tokyo U together, and live happily ever after. He is not even a perv or anything, just a common guy. But. He ends up becoming the supervisor for the Hinata Female Hot Spring, as he studies for another year, after having failed his first try. There he manages to get himself into ALL sort of sexually charged situations, and he pays very dearly for each one of them, as it seems the girls there are all eightth dan black belts or something. :-) This one is insanely hilarious, with a superb sound track.
:-)
So let me talk about some of the stuff from last year and this year I have seen, *not yet available in English*.
In the fabulous Gundam series, there is Turn-A Gundam. This is your basic "your is bad" anime, like pretty much all Gundam series. It is SUPERBLY done. When it comes out, get it. Never mind the mecha, they do not interfere with the core of the story.
In the same universe as BubbleGum Crisis (I'm assuming the latest BubbleGum Crisis: Tokyo 2040 is already available in english -- GREAT stuff), there is A.D. Police. A.D. Police is much grimmer than BGC. This is one of these animes the bad guys keep winning, and the good guys die like flies. On my favorite episode, the family of one AD policeman is kidnapped, and strapped to explosives. Through the whole episode, we see all squad trying various things to locate either the family or the kidnapper, and all the strain resulting from it. Though this is basically cool, it serves one other purpose: it gets you to empathize with the guy who's family got kidnapped. Because, in the end, they get to save the family, but the guy is killed by the bomb. All this was done just to keep AD Police busy while some smuggling was going on, of course.
Eden's Bowy: this is a very cool story in a fantasy/sf setting. The world is divided between a rural, almost medieval age "ground", where most people live, and a few flying cities with very advanced technology. In the midst of a number of different plots, a boy protected by the Gods makes a great journey, and live through many adventures.
Excel Saga: this is a very insane anime. Excel is a very active person. Alas, hyperactive indeed. She is so annoyingly hyperactive, that the Evil Master Overlord of whom she is a minion kills her in the first episode! Four times, in fact.
Infinite Ryvius: This is the most hard s.f. anime I have ever seen. As a space station suffers an "accident" that puts them in deep trouble, it's young crew make every effort to get back to safety, and keep the "passengers" from harm. Meanwhile, life goes on for the passengers, with a number of subplots. (Ok, this description sucks, but the stuff is really good, trust me!
NieA_7: from the creators of Lain. 'nuff said.
Gokudo-kun: Gokudo is a mercenary and a thief. All he wants is get rich quickly and easily. He has NO morals, and even makes a point of it. Now, you'd think finding a djinn would be all he ever wanted from life, wouldn't you? Unfortunately, said djinn wants to make Gokudo into a good man! Gokudo also gets, against his will, a very cute girl companion, with higher moral standards, though sometimes put in check because of her greed. This is a very funny series, in the style, I'd say, of Slayers (btw, Slayers Gorgeous, the movie, is fabulous).
Love Hina: this one has the plot of a japanese porn game.
Blue Gender, Cyberstar, Ordian: cool mecha anime. If you like mecha, these are very good ones. Avoid Big Guard.
Though there are many others likely to please, these are the ones most likely to be enjoyed by all (IMHO).
(8-DCS)
(humor follows...)
If you thought Tetsuo and Kaneda yelling out each other's name throughout the movie was annoying...
You should try Fushigi Yuugi (The Mysterious Play)
sometime.
"Tamahome!" "Miaka!"
... for basically 60 thirty minute episodes.
But I still liked Fushigi Yuugi overall.
As someone who has named his computers folken, van, dryden and dornkirk, I must agree that the Vision of Escaflowne is a serious well worth watching. VoE is the first boxed set I've purchased (even though my friend across the hall has it as well).
It has a very good plot, as well as some good action scenes, as has already been mentioned. The soundtrack is also amazing. I'm actually rather annoyed at myself for not having picked up the soundtrack for it when I had the chance. The music is amazing!
There are some odd things though. Someone had to mention this to me, but the artists gave the characters rather pronounced noses. After it was pointed out to me, I couldn't help but notice for another couple episodes. Thankfully, I'm now aware, and once again don't mind.
Unfortunately, I still have yet to see it all in one sitting. Classes, assignments, and large groups of people wanting to watch something else always seem to get in the way. Not to mention the fact that I need to watch a couple more boxed sets of anime that I haven't yet seen...
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A great epic story of humanity stiving to attain peace! Glory to the Colonies!
Washington, DC: It's like Hollywood for ugly people.
I thought it was pretty good... Loved the car.
That should be no problem, you should be able to choose language for subtitles and audio track independently...
You have to realise that in Japan, they actually have two varieties of anime - shyugio (boy anime) and shyujio (girl anime) (I might have those mixed up / misspelled). Essentially, the worst ones end up as WWF to sell toys and bad soap operas, and the best ones ate things like Ghost in the Shell and funny stuff like Ranma 1/2 (although some people disagree with me on Ranma, I think its hilarious).
Also, more anime that you'll find in canada (but not particularly good anime) is Samurai Pizza Cats and Astro-Boy.
Cyano
Don't like my sig? I don't either.
Anything by Miyazaki. (hmm...site seems to be down now) This includes Totoro (personal fave, get the sub, not the US dub!), Kiki's Delivery Service, Castle Cagliostro, Princess Mononoke, Laputa (again, sub not US dub as "Castle in the Sky"), and Nausicaa.
Akira
Bubblegum Crisis/Crash
Vampire Princess Miyu
and, my favorite
The Record of Lodoss War.
The two most classic anime movies are Ghost in the Shell, and Akira. As least that's what I was told. I rented both and didn't much care for either. The one other anime movie I've seen is A Wind Named Amnesia. I really loved that one.
In the serials category, I don't really care for the classic Dragonball Z. Sailor Moon is cool. Evangelion is also cool. But my favorite serial is a series called Tenchi Moyu.
I wish I had more money to burn on anime, but as it is I limit myself to what I can borrow or rent. I've seen other films, but I just thought I'd limit myself to what's considered classic, as well as ones that I liked.
-- Superlame http://catpro.dragonfire.net/joshua/
You might consider paying a visit to Anime Expo 2000 in Southern California in a month or so. Sure, it's fulla otaku dorks, but if you're the founder of 'news for nerds,' you shouldn't mind too much. The reason for going isn't so much to buy anime and congregate with men in skirts (yup, even in Orange County) but to watch all the glorious fan subtitled anime which has become all the rage. This way, you get to watch anime you might never get to buy or experience any other way. I've seen a good deal of fansubs, but even then I've only gotten a small taste of what the community has to offer.
Fave fansubs (some have been released commercially)
Irresponsible Captain Tylor
Photon
Porco Rosso
Rurouni Kenshin TV/OAV
Saber Marionnette J
Yeah, I'm actually not a big anime fan at all, but I loved Vampire Princess Miyu. I think compared to the other anime stuff I've seen, the characters are much more deep and interesting and the stories are dark - they don't so much scare you with what you see on screen as they do with the force with which they convey the emotional states of the characters. Top flight stuff.
"So many ways to skin a cat, and still everyone uses a great big knife."
though i agree with quite a few of the other posts, i am shocked to see less Akira, Princess Mononoke, and Ghost in the Shell references. Maybe others just figured they were a given, but i woulda thunk they would have been brought up just in case...
"How it infuriates a bigot, when he is forced to drag out his dark convictions"-- Logan Pearsall Smith
I'd say this is a must-see for everybody. It was directed by Hideaki Anno, the creator of Evangelion, and from the episodes I've seen it actually surpasses Eva. What makes this one unique is that it's written from a first-person perspective: everything is distorted to fit the perspective of the main character. For example, when she feels other characters are insignificant, they are "blanked out" (you don't see their faces). And it develops really strong drama even at episode 2, because of the extremely realistic relationship between 2 characters. And also, top-notch soundtrack, great Gainax-style art, good acting, etc. Because this is so new and hasn't been commercially subbed, most people have not heard of it yet, but this is one of the best anime I've seen. If you loved Eva, you'll probably also love this.
A very popular anime, it's the story of two high school girls transported into a fantasy world. This one is good in all respects, has decently developed characters, frequent anime-style drama and never gets boring. Nice swordfighting that isn't gratuitous but blends in with the plot and characters. Characters aren't as developed as they could be but after a while I really identified with them.
This one is "pure" mahou shoujo (magical girl): I would recommend this to people who aren't afraid of the color pink
Trust me, the japanese version is much better than the dub
A mysterious magical thief girl
Anyway, that being said, my favorite anime is still Neon Genesis Evangelion and like a lot of other people, I highly recommend you watch it above all else.
Okay I have a few suggestions for you.
Galaxy Express 999 : a good space drama about a boy looking to avenge his mother's death. IT SOUNDS CHEESY BUT IT'S DAMN GOOD. woops caps hehe (too lazy to fix)
Queen Emereldas : Takes place in the same universe as Galaxy Express 999 and includes some references to it. Nice animation with some nice mingling of cg in there too. Good story.
Green Legend Ran : A post apocaliptic type anime where aliens have taken all the water and plants from earth and their mysterious plot to destroy the human race. Again this sounds cheesy but it is realy good.
Revolutionary Girl Utena: This is a shojou (girls anime) so it's not for everyone. It starts out weird but gets really addicting. When I bought it and popped it in my dvd player, I prssed play and after 2 minutes was thinking, "AHHHH I bought crap!" But I watched the rest of it and it got so cool. Lot's of sexual inuendo. It's weird and cool.
Grave of the Fireflies: This is a sad anime about the struggle for two recently orphaned kids to survive in WW2 Japan. It is a tragic story, but it is worth watching.
Slayers: This is a really silly and funny anime about two Sorceresses who travel to a mysterious island. It's pretty good so check it out.
Ranma 1/2: You should check this out from the beginning of the series. It's good. It's about a guy who fell into a magical pond so now when he gets splashed with cold water he turns into a girl and warm water changes him back. This is incredibly funny.
Sailor Moon: If you haven't seen it I don't know where you have been. It's an awesome anime about super heroine teens in ultra mini skirts. It's cheesy but funny.
Armitage the Third:Polymatrix : This is an awesome anime done by Pioneer starring the voices of Keifer Sutherland and Elizabeth Birkley. It's about a series of killings of high profile people who turn out to be illegal third type androids. This is one of my favorites. Great Soundtrack too.
Princess Mononoke : This is coming out June 13 and I am psyched. If you didn't see it in the theatres you owe it to your self to see it. It is arguably the best anime ever created!!!
Well I hope you enjoy these animes as much as I did beause I only told you the good ones. If you don't mind a few scenes of animated sex then check out the Golgo13 series. Don't worry it's not hentai because that stuff usually includes weird space tentacles violating barely legal young women.
X(which looks very cool) is going to be put out on DVD by Manga Video soon. Basicly the story involves a bunch of psychics who will can decide the future of the earth. Reason I mention X a)its beautiful animation, B)it's out in theaters, c)it's soon to be released on DVD, and d)Sputnik 7 offers some good free anime and the trailer over broadband.
On DVD:
Record of Lodoss War - one of the best deal around, around $40 for the 13 OVA episodes, that's the series that got me hooked to animes years ago. It's traditional mediaval heroic fantasy
Ghost in the Shell - cyberpunk anime. A classic. From the manga by Shirow. Awesome.
Armitage III - Polymatrix - cyberpunkish anime. The drawing is not as cool as the most recent productions, but I like the story a lot.
Grave of the Fireflies - very beautiful and very sad. Story of two kids in 1945 japan.
On VHS:
Vision of Escaflowne - 26 episodes on 8 tapes, soon on DVD. One of the best anime series ever if you like the heroic fantasy kind. No downtime, it keeps moving forward all the way and the end is not a let down.
Dragon-Half - 2 episodes on 1 tape, rumored to come to DVD. The FUNNIEST anime I have ever seen, I thought I would die.
Miyuki-chan in Wonderland - 2 episodes on 1 tape. Adult version of Alice in Wonderland. Pretty funny. And great artwork, as one would expect from CLAMP.
Enjoy!
Janus
Akiko Natsume is the president of Mishima Heavy Industries which manufactures weapons (mecha, orbital weaponry, a real ACME Co. kind of company).
Kyusaku Natsume, her separated husband, leaves the company with their son and the company's prized project (that he built and doesn't want it to be turned into a weapon) the NK-1124 android. He is a brillant engineer and his own personal ACME Co.
Nuku Nuku is the NK-1124 with the brain of a cat. She is a 14 year old girl, but, not to fear, Kuysaku and Ryu (his son) treat her as Kyusaku's daughter. Only high school boys chase her.
Akiko is willing to do *anything* to get Nuku Nuku and her son back. Enter Mishima's arsenal.
This is the best of the funny animes. It is a parody of all of those other cheesy, little girl saves the world, animes.
What's more? The male characters are well done, and *no one* is evil.
Check it out.
Having watched the entire Evangelion series in subbed Japanese, I just got the the first DVD collection, and I have to tell you, watching it with the English dub makes me physically ill. Not only is the voice acting piss poor, but I don't think that they did a good job of getting voice actors who's voices have the right intonation and subtleties. I had the same complaint with Lain; in Japanese, Lain's voice is meed and reserved, very fitting to the character. In English, she just sounds like a valley girl
which dub did you see? cause the one i have on my DVD is absolute crap.
3x3 Eyes -- (Pronounce it Sazan Eyes, I don't know why), first four episodes. You can get them all at once in the Perfect Collection. After the first four, they made some more in a different style, and they really, really stink. But the first four are amazing. Kind of a fantasy in the modern world. Cute girl with 3 eyes devours soul of nice boy, nice boy becomes unkillable. (You can actually have a good time just trying to count the number of times the poor guy gets creamed...)
:) It's silly at times, but most of the action sequences are great. Phenomenal detail on all the weapons and vehicles.
;) If there is gothic anime, this is it.
:) Exceptionally silly, but very cute, and very funny. Boy's pet cat dies, and his father (who happens to be a runaway android designer) places the cat's brain in a (cute female) mega-powerful android body. Oh yeah, and it has one of the best tag-lines I've ever seen in anime - Nine Lives - Nine Thousand Horsepower
Gunsmith Cats -- Girls, guns, and grenades.
Iria: Zeiram the Animation -- Most original culture I've seen created in a long time. Kind of a modern techno-arabic. Cute girl fights/runs from/fights nearly invincible enemy. Lots of very cool details that give it a really different flavor.
Vampire (Princess) Miyu -- Somebody mentioned this, but I just can't say enough good things about it. Great story, action sequences are satisfying, amazing character development. If you think your life sucks, wait til you see what happened to this poor kid.
All Purpose Cultural Cat Girl Nuku-Nuku --
Armitage III -- Good stuff, the main theme (what does it mean to be human? Do sentient machines have rights? Should lifelike robots even be created?) has been done before, but if you pay attention, there's some interesting twists. Please o please DON'T see the Polymatrix version, they used Kiefer Sutherland and Elizabeth Berkley to do the voice acting for the leads, and in particular, Sutherland does an especially miserable job. I swear, he must have been pissed off at his agent for signing him on this one, because he never broke monotone the whole time. Go for the sub or dubbed version.
AD Police Files, especially #3, The Man who Bites his Tongue. -- Seriously twisted stuff. Robocop - anime style. Very good psychological thriller/action anime. (They actually list a psychologist in the credits on this one!) AD Police is the prequel to Bubblegum Crisis, and shares a few of the same characters and plot elements. Pretty dark stuff.
I hope that one of these days, some big american animation studios will realize there is a market for animation with a serious plot. The first 3-4 minutes of Mulan had me IN AWE of what kind of serious story and animation Disney could create when they want.
And then, they introduced that damn little dragon...*sigh*
Andrew
From the time of Robotech in my youth, I was always interested in Anime, but only now have I exploded into it. It is a really cool art form that seems to get good exposure on the net but not much anywhere else. I am a loyal follower of DBZ, even though so-called 'serious' anime fans tend to look down upon it. However, I bought the Record of Lodoss War DVD collection, it was worth it! Ninja Scroll is fantastic, and there is a sequel called Ninja Resurrection. There is scheduled to be some kind of release of Macross in DVD format, which will be subbed, and we get to see Robotech like it was meant to be. Gundam and Flame of Recca are some other ones I like. I think there should be an anime category on Slashdot, many readers are probably into it!
Or a big fat panda for a dad!
The Legend of Arislan is also a decent Fantasy-Setting Anime. The art is beautiful (it looks like they changed artists halfway through the series, which is a little disconcerting), but the story is decent and there are a lot of interesting characters.
Yes, I love Ranma 1/2! But I haven't seen anyone mention Cutey Honey yet...quite entertaining. Her superpowers revolve around costume changes.
Another funny ADULT title that I just saw this past weekend is (spelling may be off) Oginki Clinic. Sex therapy, men in drag, and other goodies too explicit to mention. Laughed my a$$ off.
I don't suppose you want to hear about the really serious aliens-rape-our-women flicks, huh? Cuz I certainly haven't seen any of THOSE.... (Wicked City. Ahem.)
The Divine Creatrix in a Mortal Shell that stays Crunchy in Milk
The House Between - Original Sci-Fi Series
I wasn't going to mention them because they are SOOO hardcore, and /. is a family site. ;-)
We only made it through the first two...but I guess if you say the third one leaves lots of gaps then it would be more frustrating than fulfilling to watch.
You may appreciate this - Overfiend genitalia (the hospital scene in particular) have been affectionately named 'penicles'.
The Divine Creatrix in a Mortal Shell that stays Crunchy in Milk
The House Between - Original Sci-Fi Series
I have seen *many* anime geeks who study just enough Japanese to realize it's not as easy as watching cartoons, and give up.
Likewise, I have seen some anime geeks who finally clue in to the fact that using "de gozaru" conversationally just makes you look like a fucking idiot.
Personally, I don't watch a whole lot of anime, because big fighting robots don't interest me as much when it's not real robots, and animated breasts just don't compare to the real thing. I watch some stuff that I find humorous (e.g. crayon shinchan) and MAYAZAKI Hayao movies, because he is a wonderful storyteller, and the animation is spectacular. But I would never use any vocabulary or idioms that I picked up watching *any* animated series. Think about it. Would you go around quoting Bugs Bunny in everyday conversation?
Anyway, for learning Japanese via the tube, I tend to stick to the plethora of game shows (100 MAN YEN is my all time favorite), news, dramas, and movies. Also, the comdedy shows are usually pretty funny (TUNNELS, any of the London Boots shows, etc.). In particular, there's a London Boots show (can't remember the name offhand--anyone?) where they go around and try to bust people whose significant other thinks they are cheating. I have never seen a boring episode of that show.
The Wings of Honnemise (sp?): An excellent story about a race to put a man in orbit.
-
The Venus Wars: Enjoyable futuristic war story.
*Gundam*: See all of them. The Gundam series defined the 'Giant Robot' genre, and you'll get a kick out of seeing all the stock items in it.
Patlabor: Cool story about near future Japan and a revolt/rebellion in the worker robots. (Yes there's a lot more to it, but I ain't spoiling anyone here.)
Finally - Crying Freeman: A great story about the relationship between organized crime and the government. (Yes, I'm serious. And it's a must see)
In many of these instances the original material is Manga. Akira and Ghost in the Shell are also examples. When you find a Manga made into a movie expect that the movie will seem a bit disjointed, like it's missing something. This is because the movie is turning a huge multi-comic story into a teeny-weeny two hour movie. Imagine trying to fit Dune (Frank Herbert) into a two-hour movie, now recall how it turned out, now remember that Akira suffers EXACTLY the same problem.
Absimiliard
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All sigs are lame, but mine is lamest sig of all
The lists given so far are good suggesstions, but represent the distributed in America films. A lot of what may interest you has not been release into the US, and that allows for a bit of underground work from fans like us.
Since the titles haven't (yet) been liscensed for the US, it is legal to distribute them on a not-for-profit basis, called fansubbing. If you want a good, cheap access to anime (almost all are subbed, few are dubbed) then look into fansubbing. Two of my favorite series are only really available this way.
Vampire Princess Miyu is a wonderful, dark, gothic set of a shows. 4 episodes were released in the US, called OVA's, similiar to TV pilots. However, the show did run for a while, and 26 episodes are available on fansub, from Oddyssey Anime, http://www.odysseyanime.com/ I picked up 26 episodes, 7 tapes for well under $50 with shipping, and is one of my favorite collections. The series drags for a bit in the middle, but the ending episodes (21-26 I belief) are so absolutely stunning. THe OVA's are good as well, but you can pick those up anywhere.
Another reccommendation is the Megazone series. Please, watch them in order! You lose a lot of the surprise of the show by not watching them in order. The series is heavy Mecha related, with the normal 80's pop backdrop. Again, fansub only.
The last reccommendation I haven't seen already that is an American release is Maddox. Great graphics, good story, and overall very enjoyable.
If you only take one thing from this post, PLEASE look into fansubbing. Cheap, good quality anime that you cannot elsewise get in the US, series you have not heard of, but should definitely check out. No, fansub DVD doesn't exist, and fansub VCD is rare. To get the good stuff, you are going to have to accept a little VHS in your life.
Toodles
Toodles D. Clown
1. Akira
2. Record of the Lodoss War
3. Bubble Gum Crisis
So I heard CmdrTaco plugging Lain some weeks ago, and bought the first DVD.
I found it real slow and weird. I'm fine with weird. Love Twin Peaks. But this was so slow and boring. In a way, it felt like it hadn't really started.
Am I just not Lain material, or does it pick up later in the series?
I can't tell you how much arse UY kicks. It is by far one of the *best* anime series you could get addicted to. For more information: http://www.tomobiki.com
Fran Frisina (franf@hhs.net)
http://www.zero-productions.com/money
Man is born free; and everywhere he is in chains.
Well, you already listed the top of mine, "Lain", so I guess that is struck. Two that I enjoy that I know you can get are "Project A-KO" and "Vampire Hunter D". Others that I like but have no idea where you'll find them (they used to show them on the Sci-Fi Channel but not recently) are "Lens" and "Robot Carnival".
"Green Legend Ran" isn't too bad either.
agreed. this is likely my favorite anime, right up there with Record of Loduss War and Nausicca (but I like the book for that one better). Venus Wars was dumb fun too.
Bad things often happen to good people,
It is up to them to see that they remain good.
No I haven't seen it. I remember reading the translation of the novel on some one's website. It seemed to be a bit of a rehash of the themes in the TV series except that the characters were older. The character designs are really different. I guess they have to reflect the "growing up" of the characters.
BOFH, My model for being a sysadmin :)
Found my copy at a Suncoast...been a few years, though. They could probably special order it for you. Hell, any video store probably could.
I can't believe that Fist of the North Star wasn't up there or Akira. When it comes to anime Fist of the North Star was a triumph. Two story plots that are an allegory for the pitfalls of life.
I have not been able to find Dragon Half episodes after the first three anywhere! Were they ever made (even in Japan)?
Definitely the funniest series I ever saw. I'm so sad I can't find more episodes.
"There's so much left to know/ and I'm on the road to find out." -Cat Stevens
Ok, this is going to be a little off-topic, but Japanese authors need to be mentioned along with anime and manga.
First off, anything by Haruki Murakami. This includes "Hard-Boiled Wonderland and the End of the World" first and foremost, but also "A Wild Sheep Chase" and "The Wind-up Bird Chronicle", among others.
For Kafka lovers, check out Kobo Abe's surreal "The Woman in the Dunes", about an insect collector who becomes forced by a village to help keep them from being swallowed by an ever-encroaching desert.
Yukio Mishima is a must, essentially defining the first generation of post-WWII Japanese authors. Try "The Temple of the Golden Pavillion", especially.
Kensauro Oe is wonderful, especially his novella "The Catch" and novel "A Personal Matter". Some of his stuff tends towards the autobiographical.
Finally, Ryu Murakami has some more hard-edged stuff, especially "Coin Locker Babies" and "Almost Transparent Blue"
Anyone else know it ? I think its very good (the new mini-series, only episodes 1-2 are done yet)
.. ;)
Its about a spaceship (the sol bianca) and a girl-only pirate-crew.
When I saw it the first time, it was really jaw-dropping
For the best information on any Hayao Miyazaki work look at They have everything about his movies (Kiki's Delivery Service, My Neighbor Totoro, and Princess Mononoke) and his magna (from whitch most of his movies come.)
Totally agree with the list that you made.
AKIRA - is definately better read than seen even though the anime blew me away the first time I saw it on the big screen
I would add in 2 more titles as absolute classics:
Any in the WOLF\LUPIN III - especially the CASTLE OF CAGLIOSTRO - this is a definate ANIME masterpiece - held up by such western directors as Steven Spielberg (who thought it had the best car chase ever!) These are mostly movies but your local BLOCKBUSTER should also have the series containing 1/2 hour TV episodes.....
ROBOTECH\MACROSS - the one that started all the hype about large robots and their "Days of Our Live" plots for the pilots. Bloody good.
WICKED CITY - wicked as the title suggests.
WINGS OF HOMMENAISE - think I spelt it right. This has one of the best story lines that I have seen
Don't forget to check out your comic book stores. There are some awesome STAR WARS titles done like ANIME as well as SPIDERMAN- which although has shonky character drawing has some awesome backgrounds.
Just my 2 cents worth which will be seasonally adjusted by 10% once we bring in the GST in July down here in OZ...
"The way she used to say Rimmer as if it rhymed with scum" Red Dwarf
Here are two that you probably have not heard of, but are my two favorites. IMHO, You have to watch them without subtitles and, of course, without dubbing. You won't understand most of the plot, but it won't take anything away from the great action scenes. That's why you are watching anyway, right?
GUNDAM!!!!!!!!!!!!
And Record of Lodoss War...
Oh and Flame of Recca.....
Oh yeah, And Kenshin....
And Ranma 1/2
And Video Girl Ai..
And and and a.... Oh god.. theres so may...
You really should check there, it's got every dvd that's released and upcoming reviewed, discussed and rated.
some interesting anime dvds that I consider top of my list of dvd anime other than those you listed are:
Ghost in the Shell, has amazing visuals, a good storyline, but most importantly, this disc contains the most impressive 5.1 surround soundtrack among all anime. If you have an AC3 amp, get this.
Sol Bianca, is quite possibly visually the best anime ever to grace DVD. It was completely created with computers, and show no flaws that you notice with conversions from non-digital sources to DVD masters that other releases suffer. Stunning!
Get those two at least, and check all the reviews on that site to get other things that you like...
OK. Now that somebody brought this up, I'm going to do a plug.
In addition to watching all these cool anime titles, (Which BTW has been a great listing!) there are also huge anime conventions which give a great opportunity to see various current and past anime [usually subbed] and sometimes a premier or two.
I'm on the East coast, so there's quite a few conventions (more on the West Coast probably), but specifically I goto the one that's now in Baltimore - OTAKON http://www.otakon.com
Lots of anime. Big dealer's room.
Some past premiers - "Tenchi Muyo - The Movie"
"Cowboy BeBob"
"Eva - Death and Rebirth"
"Eva - End of Eva"
I had a chance to see some good Japanese and American Guests. I talked to Shoji Kawamori, he was very patient when I spoke to him in Japanese. A nice guy and obviously a really good Mecha designer. Couldn't really ask any deep questions, since my Japanese isn't that good. His English was much better than my Japanese.
Talked with Yoko Kanno. She's a really cute(Did I mention cute) and small Japanese woman who kicks serious ass on the piano, and has a huge penchant for playing and listening to jazz.
I think the web site points out who the guests are going to be this year.
Any convention is really a good way to find out about anime, and talk with knowledgeable people in the industry and in anime fandom.
Other big conventions on the East Coast I think are Anime Expo, Anime Central and Anime Weekend
Atlanta
Absolutely. A fantastic anime, with the added bonus of historical truth to it. A must. If you like this one, try Barefoot Gen as well (info from imdb
I don't know. I really wasn't scared by either one. VPM was ok but I liked D more probably because it had a plot almost taken from "Shane."
The find the whole drifter scenario intriguing.
I do like Lain although its a little slow to show up in MN. (Can't afford going out and actually buying the whole thing yet.)
It Rules. Esp vol.5 of the 1st series.
Nothing like having a little black pig as an archnemesis.
Others. Records of the Lodoss Wars, Ruin Explorers, Bastard!
-Vel
Its sad but I watch Buffy/Angel weekly while I code/play Starcraft.
I can't help but find them funny. Every time Buffy comes on one phrase keeps popping up, "This one time, at band camp...."
Charisma Carpenter is also a nice distraction on Tuesday evenings.
Can't expect everyone to like it...
Mission Impossible 2 had a nigh record weekend and I could care less about such a lame movie.
Of course, if I watched D with the intent of getting scared, I'd have been seriously dissappointed.
Now, I don't know about the DVD availability of many of these. Here goes, we only stick with TV series.
Saber Marionette J
Irresponsible Captain Tyler
Neon Genesis Evangelion
Slayers
Rurouni Kenshin
Record of Lodoss War
Cowboy Bebop
Lain
Escaflowne
Martian Successor Nadesico
The Bubblegum crisis is fairly good (despite the name), and is currently out in a DVD collection of the whole thing. Chicks with battle armor fighting bio-tech monstrosities. Very sharp stuff.
A lot of people also follow Tenchi, which is a semi-serious/semi-comic anime, which is fairly hard to explain unless you've seen all of the versions.
If you're into print anime, check out "The Valley of the Winds", which I think has to be one of the best Anime of all time, at least in print version.
Also, check out the Patlabor movies. Though I wouldn't bother with the actual series.
Listen to me Peter, I want this bench. You go sit on that bench over there, and if you're good I'll tell you the rest of
Tenchi Muyo man! That's gotta be the best anime ever. One boy, six alien women. 'Nuff said.
Heavy Metal. And now Heavy Metal 2000.
Hardcore.
If you are looking for a really good story, I enjoyed Grave of the FireFlies. Now yes, setsukos voice is enough to drive any sane man off a cliff, but the story is very powerful. WWII Japan, the story of two children and the effect that the war had on them. Real tear jerker.
www.linux-skunkworks.com
This topic has 802 comments. That's the most I can recall seeing - even the Microsoft topics rarely reach numbers like that. And it's only half a day old.
Shouldn't anime at least deserve its own sidebar icon? I nominate Akari Kanzaki's head, though you could always go with Kaneda on his bike (from Akira).
I'm a sucker for good story, and so far I have yet to see anything that beats anime. What it all comes down to is that I find anime to be a very artistic medium, rather than 'cartoons' ... seriously, you look at the philosophy that's examined, the painstaking detail that the artists sometimes go through...there is definitely pride and workmanship involved (at least in the really good stuff).
:) I don't think it's on DVD yet, still VHS...
;)
This is my list of favorites (no rhyme or reason):
Vampire Hunter D
Ninja Scroll
Demon City: Shinjuku
Akira
Ghost in the Shell
Macross Plus
Iria: Zeiram, the Animation
Macross Plus and Ghost in the Shell have the best artwork I have seen in Anime to date, Ghost in the Shell was very well done in comparison to Shirow's Manga of the same name.
I saw Battle Angel at Suncoast last weekend, if that anime is even remotely similar to the Battle Angel: Alita manga series...it must be good. I'm told that El Hazard and Lain are both excellent as well, though I haven't watched them myself (yet).
...some people may think I'm nuts, but go ahead. If you're in a wickedly terrible mood, go hunting for a flick called My Neighbor Totoro. It's a kid's anime...but I'll tell you: it'll make you feel really warm and fuzzy, and force you to chill
there's my thoughts, hope I was some help
zerodvyd
This series is set in the years 2032 - 2033 and it is about a group of women who are vigilanties who wear powered armor (called Hardsuits) who fight against the evil Genom corporation and their android creations which cause havoc on the population of MegaTokoyo and are key to Genom to take control of the world. The whole series have a Blade Runner sort of feel to it and it explores some really interesting themes. It has loads of violence and brief nudity so you've been warned (of course, this might add to the viewing plesure for some of you... ;-> ). You can pick up the DVD's (which contain some extra footage not availabe on the VHS versions) here.
This is my opinion. To make sure you don't steal it, it's covered by the DMCA.
I agree, AKIRA kicked ass!
blackmerlin
I was wondering if any other anime folks have latched onto this little gem. It's done by Paul Verhoeven/Richard Raynis and is on the SciFi network 6:30am CST it is a animated version of "Starship Troopers" loosely based on R. Heneiman's original story. Excellent 3D animation killing Bugs, hostile enviroments all experienced by a squad of Marines in power suits. After a particularly taxing day with end users me and my buddys like to settle in to watch this one. Great action and a cool story line. And 40 episodes in the can! Why haven't we heard anything about this before? Who knows why the holloywood doof squad makes any of the decisions they do.
Mark J. Panick -Eat Flaming Death Fascist Media Pigs- Philip Proctor aka Firesign Theatre
Yes the dub for Evangelion sucks. I watched the dubbed with the subtitles, and was just appalled by how they changed words and context around to make everything sync up. It just made the entire show look and feel cheap. About the only dub thats ever been great is the ramna 1/2 series (for the most part)
Even with it's cheesy animation I have to agree that Robotech is still my favorite. The animation is still pretty poor, but the story has lasted for me. I can still enjoy reading those Jack McKinney books over again.
I don't know what it is but the way they rolled Macross, Southern Cross and Mospedia together into a kind of multi-generation story was excellent. Especially for something out of the 80's.
Speaking of early 80's anime, anyone remember Tranzor-Z?
hmmmm...what? Oh, I left this stupid
A great science fiction story with lots of humor.
No, not yet. Later this year.
--
Donald Roeber
Donald Roeber
Generating 2048 Bits of Randomness...
I sure hope so... I recently bought Akira on VHS - the supposedly redone, rereleased version (Orion Pictures release - don't rely on store clerks for your anime info). The dubbed voices were every bit as bad as the above posts indicate.
It is, however, still a great classic, feature-length anime.
How can the eyes be the Windows of the soul when they never blue screen?
Geez, I'll second that Ryoko is female perfection comment. She's smart, powerful, um . . . athletic. :) It's sad, she really loves Tenchi deeply, but hides behind her own playfulness. It's characterization like this that really brings out the beauty in this story (and a lot of other Anime). Ayeka is just bratty.
- The Tenchi Muyo series is my favorite so far and is truly something special. I'm still (happily) watching the OAV series I was given for my birthday. The movie Tenchi Muyo in Love was excellent. The series fits into the Adventure/Romantic Comedy category.
- Macross Plus is also-well written and stunningly animated. I'd say that it is a tragic hero/romance story. Lots of tasty computer animation also.
- Dominion Tank Police is also a lot of fun. Good sci-fi adventure story with a lot of comic relief.
- Slayers is a fantasy-genre action-comedy. Those who play RPG's will recognize a lot of spells.
:) - I don't much care for Ranma ½, but it has been recommended to me so many times that I'm going back and trying again.
- I'm wanting to see several of those that CmdrTaco recommended, especially Perfect Blue.
Still watching,--ToadKing
Akira rocks!
Akira is the only anime film I really like, only because I'm not into anime I guess. I saw Akira quite a few times when I was younger.
Anyways, is Akira available on DVD? I've been keeping an eye out for it for a while, so if anyone can tell me if it is available I'd really appreciate it.
Sticking feathers up your butt does not make you a chicken - Tyler Durden
These are two of the greatest Anime flicks, IMHO.
- "It's just a matter of opinion!" - PRIMUS
I'll second that. The story is heavily dialog-driven. And there's a lot of character development that, unfortunately, never got carried through. A third episode was slated for development but the money fell through or something and it was scrapped. It's too bad because there were some loose-ends in ep2 that were supposed to be resolved in ep3.
Scanning through the titles I don't see Magic Knight Rayearth mentioned. It's from the trio known as CLAMP who also did the movie X. CLAMP is unique in that they draw all the cels themselves.
Any sufficiently advanced civilization is indistinguishable from Gods.
I've been watching anime for the past couple of years and am not really suprised at the comments that people have posted.
Akira.
Lain.
Neon Genesis Evangelion.
Ruroni Kenshin.
etc.
All of the above are good series, but many titles which aren't under liscence in the US are great, also. Here, we are forced to stomache the likes of DBZ, the edited Sailor Moon, Pokemon, and Digimon which are all subbed and all dubbed.
Rob, here's my advice: look for some anime circle (club) around Holland, and retrieve some good undistributed titles, copied. The best part is that these copies aren't illegal because they don't fall under US copyright law because they aren't available here under normal channels. As for titles here are some greats series which are really worth finding:
Kareshi Kanojo No Jijou:
Also called "Kare Kano" Translated as "His and her circumstances."
My favorite series! It's a shoujo anime about a boy and a girl in high school who have been overachievers all of their lives and through their romance find out how empty their lives are. Hillarious with great art.
Lost Universe
A SF series, it's a great comedy about 3 Trouble Contractors (read: bounty hunters) and their various hijinx trying to find a lost ship which has unforseen powers.
Please, no more DBZ dialogue!
Will
Wanted: A Bauhaus reformation of society.
However, it may be a bit pricy (as high as $60 IIRC) since it's an import.
Or if you look hard enough (and if you're lucky) you can find the MP3's on the web somewhere :)
Anime with blood, action and gore.. is that _ALL_ Americans live for anymore?
:)
.. What a wierd, but oh-so-cool series. :) I'm not sure that "believable" is the appropriate word, but it certainly is engrossing and interesting. If you've never seen anything anime before, and you rent this... well... you'll be.. uh... pleasantly suprised. ;)
... it's a _WEIRD_ series, and a highly contravertial one, but it's pretty interesting.
:) The animation isn't too great, but the series is pretty funny.. The dub isn't terrible either, but it's nothing to write home about.
:) Experiment and rent a tape that you DON'T think you'll like.. but don't discount the entire medium just because you don't like Sailor Moon! :P
There's so MUCH more anime out there than just the gory stuff... C'mon Taco, I know there's a mahou shoujo in you somewhere!
I'll second Taco's mention of "Serial Experiments Lain"
I'll also second someone elses' mention of Neon Genesis Evangelion (ADV; http://www.advfilms.com)
My suggestion, though, is that if you watch all of NGE and are satisfied with the end of the TV series, DO _NOT_ watch the NGE movies (being released by CPM or one of its subdivisions)... I was fairly satisfied with the ending of NGE TV.. but when I watched the movies ("End of Evangelion" and "Death and Rebirth"... particularly the former rather than the latter) something just snapped and... well, I don't like NGE anymore.
Escaflowne (AnimeVillage; www.animevillage.com) is a great series, one that will be airing on Fox Kids this fall.. unfortunately, that means the DVDs will be delayed until October, but on the plus side, the subbed VHS tapes have been commercially available for a long time. Escaflowne is based in a medieval/swords-and-sorcery timeperiod on a nearby planetoid. Of course, to liven things up, Mecha were added to the world.. so you have swordswinging mecha duels, as well as magic and the standard swordfights..
If you aren't quite a mecha person, but still enjoy swords and the like, try the Record of Lodoss War OAV series and TV series (CPM or one of its divisions). It's about a handful of underdog heroes fighting to save their world. If I remember the rumors correctly, it was created from someone's AD&D (or Earthdawn or something like that) campaign. DVDs of the OAV series are available. Dunno about the TV series.
And, well... if serious anime isn't your option, try Slayers (Software Sculptors, a division of CPM) -- magic + mayhem.
Magic Knight Rayearth (Mediablasters) is a mix of humor and a serious story, which gets grimmer as time goes on. It's another swordslashing/magic-tossing series, but it's pretty cool. I don't think ANYONE I know was satisfied with the ending of the first series, though.
If you enjoy magical girl anime (ie; Sailor Moon) you'll LOVE Card Captor Sakura (Nelvana). It's going to start airing on KidsWB on June 17th (a Saturday).. A 4th grader accidentally lets loose a deck of magical cards, who will destroy the world unless she can get them all back! (or something like that)... but it's _REALLY_ well drawn, and _REALLY_ cool.. okay, if you're a 30 year old male you might feel a little strange watching a little girls' anime series.. but it REALLY IS cool. (and take consolation that you AREN'T alone.. there are lots of other 30 year old males watching it, too. ^_-)
Outlaw Star (Animevillage again) is a sci-fi series that is simply "too cool". It's got furries, ninjas, magic, and pretty much anything else that makes new sci-fi cool. (i'm not dissing old sci-fi, i'm just saying that it's a great new sci-fi piece.)
GAAAAAAAAAAAHHHHHHHHHHHHH..... anime is too wide a medium to mention ALL of the great series out there. From Miyazaki and Tezuka, from minor studios and older works to the largest production companies in Japan... There are 50 gazillion different flavors and styles of anime out there and you're not expected to like them all! ^_^
Some people adore My Neighbor Totoro (Fox), while others find it boring.. Some people think NGE is the end-all of anime (some AC will post a reply agreeing with that statement, right?) and some people think that Love Hina (a new series in Japan that looks WONDERFUL) is..
There's just too much out there NOT to find something that you like!
pr3s3nt d4y... pr3s3nt t1m3.... hahahahahahahahahaa
present day... present time... hahahaha...
It is by far the best anime in the world. It is a bit old, late 1980's I think, so the animation is not as beautiful as say, Ghost in the Shell, butthe storyline and the fighting are amazing. Watch this anime.
Of course, make sure you watch the *real* ending. The official western release features two episodes, 'Do You Love Me?' and 'Take Care of Yourself' as episodes 25 & 26. These episodes were shown as the original ending because Japanese christian groups got rather upset about the proper ending.
Actually, 'Take Care of Yourself' is worth watching for the alternate universe sequence near the end, but neither of these episodes make much sense, and they look like they were made in a day.
The *real* ending (episodes 25 & 26) are the episodes entitled 'Air' and 'My Pure Heart for You' (which also calls itself 'Yours Sincerely') These two episodes were released as a film called 'The End Of Evangelion' and they make much more sense than the episodes they were replaced with. The fansubbed versions that I have seen rock.
Also, avoid the movie 'Evangelion:Death', also known as 'Death and Rebirth', as it is simply an hour and a half re-cut of the series in chronological order. If you've seen the series, it isn't worth the effort.
And of course, once you've seen 'My Pure Heart For You', you'll become completely addicted to the song 'Komme Susse Tod', which is played about halfway through, and is the greatest pop song ever written, so hunt down the soundtrack to end of evangelion, and while you're at it, get the other three soundtracks (Eva 1, 2, and 3). Just a word of warning though: the third eva s/t contains eleven mixes of 'Fly Me To The Moon', some of which rock, some of which don't.
Other cool anime:
Serial Experiments Lain Just finished watching this, it rocks seriously hard. Especially because there are so many Macintosh references in it. Were these guys paid by Apple or something?
The Vision Of Escaflowne Haven't finished watching this 26-part fantasy anime, but it has been excellent so far, well worth checking out.
Well, that'll do for now, and everyone else will mention everything worth seeing anyway, so I'll go now...
life is a canvas/and the paint is hope and promise/the world is ours/no one can ever take it from us.
No, everyone I know who's seen it is addicted. We believe that there are support groups around, just haven't found any yet...
life is a canvas/and the paint is hope and promise/the world is ours/no one can ever take it from us.
The major/minor networks show only a couple of these shows. Sailor Moon, Pokemon, Digimon, Dragonball Z, and Macross masquerading as Robotech. Gundam Wing should be appearing on the Cartoon Network come fall, IIRC.
In order to see most of this you need to find a friend who is big into this stuff, or a comic store. Most comic stores I've been into contain at least a few titles for you to check out.
Is this post not nifty? Sluggy Freelance. Worshi
Just a warning: watch it in order. Do not skip ahead. Ever. You will only get confused, and that's not supposed to happen until episode 25.
:)
Macross is good if you can find the dubbed version (Robotech will just drive you batty). Macross Plus is awesome. Macross 7 should be avoided at all costs.
Ranma is good if you don't want to think.
Slayers is good too, but the AOVs should probably be avoided.
Sailor Moon man. Get the dubs, get the dubs!
Then when you're done that, get hooked on the music. Then get hooked on JPop in general. Then spend your days hopelessly looking for Megumi Hageshibara (sp?) or even Amuro Namie on Napster, and the circle of life will be complete.
Is this post not nifty? Sluggy Freelance. Worshi
Unless, of course, you need to be put to sleep for your own good, and for the good of others. Man, was it awful.
Is this post not nifty? Sluggy Freelance. Worshi
(looks at his post)
(looks at the keyboard)
You know, the D is really clode to the S...
I meant subbed (subtitled). Especially for Eva. English Asuka is damn annoying.
My bad.
Is this post not nifty? Sluggy Freelance. Worshi
Now, the reason for the sig is that I like the character, Saitou Hajime, that it comes from, but I don't think the anime as a whole is so great.
Ack, how could I forget Kodomo no Omocha!?
"You spoony bard!" -Tellah
off the top of my head...
Blue Submarine 6: traditional animation mixed with CG better than anything i've ever seen. good story line, amazing character design (that shark thing freaked me out).
Shin Getter Robo: an update of the series that started my anime adiction problem. i used to watch it in LA on the japanese channel as a kid. great old school anime design but with modern technique. awesome fight scenes.
Tenchi Muyo: flawlessly animated. of the big-eyed cute school but hell that only makes it better in my book. cool cool cool design. good cat fights. any of the movies or the series.
Urusei Yatsura: Old and not as well animated. Also big-eyed cuteness abounds but hilarious and a total classic.
Project A-Ko: Superman's daughter and a mad scientist high school girl in a lesbian catfight over an obnoxious blond airhead with perhaps the biggest eyes to ever hit anime. So so so good. Older so the animation's starting to look a little dated but funny as hell.
Martian Successor Nadesco: Great series. Yet more big-eyed cuteness (anyone sensing a pattern here?) but well animated and notable for the old school giant robot anime subplot. The follow-up movie is sorta crap though.
a last note. everything should be bought (or...um...copied) in subtitaled form!!!!! dubbing always kills it. there's been like maybe one or two animes that didn't suffer for the dub job.
especially A-ko. do not under any circumstances settle for a dubbed copy of Project A-ko.
ooo..
I remembered a really cool anthology which hasn't been mentioned here, Robot Carnival. It a collection of related shorts all dealing with robots with a wide range of themes.
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Yes, I may be in Australia, Anime Backwater of the Western World, but I like to keep up to date. The new Record of the Lodoss Wars series is quite good. It fleshes out a lot of material which was left out of the original series from 1991. Another one which is very interesting is Nazca.I've still got one volume to watch, but it's quite interesting. It's getting me thinking, but it still has plenty of fight scenes.
Now that's a scary idea. I'm sure your anime vocabulary would come in useful when using your super powers to defeat armoured cyborg demon-robots intent on stealing the secret of eternal life, but I can't imagine it would help you much if you were asking for directions to the nearest subway station.
Sample real-life Japanese dialogue:
"Did you finish reading that book I lent you?"
"I'm sorry, I think I left it on the bus. Or maybe it's at school. I'll buy you another copy if I can't find it."
Sample anime dialogue:
"Tetsuo!"
"Kaneda!"
"Aaaaaaaaaaaaaagh!"
Explosion
"Help me! Aaaaagh! I'm... expanding... I can't breathe! Kaneda!"
Sound of a paper bag full of rice pudding being dropped from a great height
"TETSUO! Noooooooooo!"
Tetsuo turns into a neutron star
Macross Plus is absolutely wonderfull, and on DVD, and available in America for a reasonable price if you know where to look. The soundtrack is very good (note: not the annoying Minmei 80's pop crap that made Minmei so horrible in the original Macross). It's also a step beyond above and beyond Macross 2 in terms of animation and storyline.
Well worth the cost of entry!
Which Anime to watch depends a lot on what type of genre you want to watch. Anime isn't just a cartoon with a specific drawing style, but it's animation that is aimed at multiple different types of people. Sci-Fi and Fantasy seem to be the biggest types out there, but there are some modern day soap-opera ones too.
Now, here are some suggestions based on genre
Okay, I'm sure I missed some, but that just took too long to type out... especially since I'm at work. ^_^;
If anyone has any comments, feel free to contact me at anime@carthain.dhs.org
Hope this helped. ^_^
Everyone else is discussing anime to watch -- and there is certainly a lot of good stuff out there. However, here are some titles that I would just recommend to stay away from:
Now I must absolutely plug Princess Mononoke. Beautiful...simply beautiful. Visually stunning and a plot that kept me riveted to the screen. The USA version had some voices that didn't quite work (Gillian Anderson for one), but other than that it is the new standard.
Yes, but what if it's a Guymelef?
I got to see The Vision of Escaflowne (subtitled), and it was really good. Magic, mecha, and a twisted love story all in one!
*scratches head* what's with this mecha hangup, anyway?
--TC
Anime Stuff
- Ayashi-no Seles
- Ayashi.net
- Bubblegum Crisis
- Bubblegum Crisis page
- Tokyo 2040: Rare and Useless Pages
- Neon Genesis Evangelion
- Neon Genesis Evangelion site
- A.D.V. Films
- AnimEigo
- Anime Grapevine
- Anime Hideaway
- Anime International Company
- Anime Marriage Prospects
- Anime Nation
- Anime On DVD
- AniPike
- AniSound
- Ex
- OX-11 ("Gall Force: The Web Page")
- U.S. Manga Corps
-- Lance"The Devil does not know a lot because He's the Devil, He knows a lot because he's old." -- unknown
While geeks (otaku) have always had a greater appreciation for the quality and style that typifies Anime, it is nice to see that recognition come out. I believe that Anime is one of the most underappreciated artforms around today. This is even more true as a result of the "bastardization" that often takes place when repackaging it for the US (DBZ, Sailor Moon, etc.) It is nice to see real anime get a mention and a chance to shine. Keep mentioning anime every few weeks here on Slashdot to keep it going.
Ghost in the Shell: Popularized anime, big guns, naked girls, mecha, complex plot, this has everything that *is* anime. I think it's the perfect representation of the genre. And my favorite.
:)
:)
"What's that?"
"Standard issue big gun"
Love that movie.
Legend of the Overfiend: a series, they recently released a box set of the first 5 disks, and the only ones worth getting. This is a 'tenticle porn' anime, and is another 'representative of the genre' things. If you ever wanted something that made your friends go 'holy crap!' check this out. NOT FOR KIDS!
I'm planning on buying a copy of it for my roommate's birthday in a few months. We (we being a small circle of friends) always kid him about buying anime porn DVDs and watching them at night. It'll be a good laugh.
If you watch enough anime you'll se a common theme in a lot of the series that reminds me of the daily plot from Power Rangers.
Actually, I was just thinking the same thing about Buffy a few days ago (hey, there was nothing else on, and SMG is hot...)
Five minutes later I was on the floor laughing - especially when I started to understand everything that was going on and where all these weird animals were coming from.
:)
I remember I was sitting around with a bunch of people a couple summers ago, and a (badly-dubbed) anime movie came on. We just started laughing our asses off, it was _so ridiculous. We may have just been bored, though.
And Ghost in the Shell is simply stunning. Watch it, now!
Two of my housemates are pretty big anime fans, and one of them basically forced me to watch Ghost in the Shell (not that I didn't want to see it, as I'd heard a bit about it). But the whole thing just blew me away (especially the weapons - in the credits they have one guy listed as "Weapson Design" or something along those lines. Very cool.) I don't think I like Akira as much, but I've been told you have to watch it several times before "getting it".
No porn. Note: IMO, some nudity != porn
Reminds me of something one of my housemates said toward the beginning of Ghost in the Shell (I was seeing it for the first time). "Here comes the standard issue full frontal nudity". At least it was fairly justifiable in GitS.
It's probably the best movie ever made that you've likely never heard of.
That depends on whether or not you've heard of The City of Lost Children. It actually has an anime-like quality at times, too. If you get it, make sure you get the subtitled version - the voices of the original actors are just too good to miss (and yes it is on DVD).
Stuff To Avoid:
Pokemon
...
HEY! Pikachu is cool (and Misty has a great body!) [half kidding <g>]
Seriously, why isn't Ghost in the Shell on your list? I haven't seen much anime, but I thought Ghost in the Shell was really cool.
I loved the single all-in-one movie Fist of the North Star. It's a classic. But I can't find it anywhere, only the series. How exactly do they differ? Is one better than the other?
"Prejudice is wrong; you should hate everyone the same."
The story of the greatest thief in the world, and his sidekicks Cheegan and Goymon. "The Castle of Castigliostro" is a part of this series, despite not having "Lupin" or "Rupin" in the title. (Different versions use "Lupin" or "Rupin", but it's the same basic work. VERY good stuff.)
If you really like lain, I'd suggest you go to OTAKON (an anime convention in Baltimore, MD). The creator of lain and also the character designer will be attending as guests, as will the British Band that did the opening theme..
--
Dave
I've built up so much character I have an alter-ego
--
NetInfo connection failed for server 127.0.0.1/local
'Anime' is simply the Japanese term for animation. Just as we have everything from Bambi to South Park, so do they.
There are all types of anime available in the US.
--
NetInfo connection failed for server 127.0.0.1/local
Has anyone seen the Megazone 23 series on DVD yet? I know that part 1 was released last year, but I recently heard that it's already out of print.
Besides, part 2 is the real star of the series IMHO. Radically different style of animation, a total departure from the first part of the series. I'm dying to find this subtitled on DVD someday.
A true great conspiracy story involving mass hypnosis and stolen government mecha-bikes. If you can find part 1 or 2, check it out. A true milestone in anime from the late 1980s that still holds up.
\\ Where's my giant foam cowboy hat and airhorn?
Three of the funniest animes I've ever seen, there didn't seem to be too many funny ones in your list.. unless you count the often unintentional hillarity of DBZ. : ) M. Ruthless
I mean, yeah, Akira, and Macross, and Robotech and all that. Great anime, but your list just isn't complete without El Hazard. I don't get the name though, cause I didn't see anything else spanish-like goin on... And what about The Record of Lodoss War?
Coming out in the hopefully near future will be the anime version of Chrono Trigger, and that should be truely awesome, if they do it right and keep true to the snes game.
Anyway, I also really liked Revolutionary Girl Utenea, but I have only been able to find the first volume, and I don't know what the heck happens!!! Anyone know anything?
A couple of my favorite anime are
Dragon Half it is about a half dragon that is in love with a rock star who also hunts dragons. She gets mixed up in all kinds of crazy adventures.
Iria is about a bounty hunter and his sister who also wants to become one. It is available on both DVD and VHS.
Sol Bianca is also another fine series that is about a bunch of space pirates trying to make a living.
95 to be exact. And about the OVA--is that what an OVA is, a movie? If so, what's Ishinshishi e no requiem, then?
Here's my DeCSS mirror. Where's yours?
Here's my DeCSS mirror, where's yours?
I have a friend who's going to Japan next month, and he's planning on buying every Rurouni Kenshin video he can get his hands on :)
Here's my DeCSS mirror. Where's yours?
Here's my DeCSS mirror, where's yours?
Here's my DeCSS mirror. Where's yours?
Here's my DeCSS mirror, where's yours?
Here's my DeCSS mirror. Where's yours?
Here's my DeCSS mirror, where's yours?
The show picks up as he is travelling through Tokyo and is confronted by Kamiya Kaoru, a 17 year old master of the Kamiya Kasshin Ryu (a discipline designed to protect, not kill) whose parents have died a while back. Kenshin ends up moving in with Kaoru, and through the course of the next few episodes make a couple of other close friends--Yahiko, who becomes Kaoru's pupil; and Sano, just an all-around badass.
What makes this show so cool is definately the swordfighting--if you think DBZ fighting is neat, wait till you see samuri fighting faster than the eye can track with bladed weapons so sharp that when they cut through something, it sits there for a moment before falling apart.
I don't think theres any DVDs yet. There is one that will be released soon, but the bulk of the episodes can easily be had from Ebay. But you won't notice. I've seen most of the episodes in rm format downloaded from irc, and it's still tremendously cool. The neatest thing about it is that while it has really awesome fight scenes, the show doesn't focus on them. It actually focusses more on the relationship between Kenshin and Kaoru. And it doesn't take itself too seriously, either. In fact, it makes fun of Anime a lot by closely following the laws of anime. Be sure to check out this website for more info on the series.
Oh, and try not to watch the dubbed version. I havn't heard it yet, but there's no way you could replace Kenshin's voice properly. And if they went to some generic hero voice you'd completely miss out on the majority of Kenshin's charm.
Here's my DeCSS mirror. Where's yours?
Here's my DeCSS mirror, where's yours?
How could you possibly replace Kenshin's voice? Really? They'd probably chicken out and give him a generic hero voice(ala Kakkaroto in DBZ), which would completely ruin it. You'd never find an english actor that sounded like Suzukaze Mayo.
Here's my DeCSS mirror. Where's yours?
Here's my DeCSS mirror, where's yours?
Here's my DeCSS mirror. Where's yours?
Here's my DeCSS mirror, where's yours?
are Urusei Yatsura, Bubblegum Crisis, and Tenchi Muyo. The first two are distributed (in north america) by AnimEigo, the latter by Pioneer. Urusei Yatsura is not yet available on DVD (although it's supposed to be coming), but the other two are.
--
not plane, nor bird, nor even frog...
Ah! My Goddess (should've been on my first list!!!)
Project A-Ko
Vampire Princess Miyu
Ghost in the Shell
--
not plane, nor bird, nor even frog...
My anime experience is narrow. Once I find something I like I stick with it quite passionately. Such is the reason why I've never seen Neon Genesis Evangelion, Gundam, or some of the other big Anime.
I have, however, a top three of Anime that no viewer of any kind of cinema, be it foreign, animated, or just plain cool movies, should go without seeing.
1. TENCHI MUYO IN LOVE
This is the first 'big screen' Tenchi Universe film as far as I know, and an incredible experience. I saw it not knowing about the existence of the series, and was immediately swept into the story despite my ignorance of the characters. I loved it so much I adopted Ryoko as my usual internet handle until I saw the Matrix!
This is a great introduction to the Tenchi Universe if you don't have the time or money to sit and watch all the different Tenchi shows - the movie lets you see Ayeka, Sasami, Ryo-ohki and everyone at their fullest more than a half hour could ever allow.
2. VAMPIRE HUNTER D
*THIS* turned me on to anime when I was 11. Seeing Voltron-esque animation caught my eye, but the story is mysterious and involved. I'm still waiting to get this one on dvd b/c its so good. D's talking hand, the vampire lord & princess, the strange creatures, the quest to save the village girl from becoming the Vampire's bride... all elements of more classical tales put into a muted, almost otherworldy context with the characters, setting, and art of Vampire Hunter D.
3. IRIA: ZEIRAM THE ANIMATION
Iria is by far the best of all Anime. The story moved me more than the Matrix did and while fast paced and relatively simple, its breathtaking. Iria wants to be a bounty hunter like her big brother. They go out together on a hunt and find the legendary monster Zeiram - who takes Iria's bother away in such a manner that it proves a conflict for Iria throughout the rest of the movie. We see Iria change from an idealistic young girl to a battle hardned woman fighting Zeiram and trying to save all of humanity, while wrestling with her the issue of her brother (an integral part of the plot). If you do anything with animation - PLEASE watch this film. The Sci-Fi channel runs it once in awhile, so keep your eyes peeled if you don't get the video or dvd.
----
Trinity
Go to bed without any dinner!
Tomorrow your action item is to GROW UP!!!!!!
The current Slashdot moderation system is made by gay communists!
Rurouni Kenshin is a good introduction to anime, IMO. there are loads of .ra files around, most with subtitles provided by fans. The series is slow but really does make you want to watch more! I think sometimes its called Samurai X, at least in Malaysia.
<spoiler>
WARNING, don't read unless you don't want the series spoiled for you.
</spoiler>
I have to disagree with you on the last two episodes. They were VERY well done, and IMHO is a very beautiful ending to the story. Well it's not neccisarily an ending per say, because of the situation. Everything from episode 1 is referenced in the last two episodes and if you watch it very carefully it will explain almost everything that takes place.
The main character along with everyone else goes into the project that was mentioned under the very first episode. However they only show the main character's story because it would be way to complicated to do everyone else. There is no real ending because you have to make that up yourself, but what is certain, "instrumentality" does take place and Ikari Shinji does complete it. What you do realize however that the story doesn't really end there, you needed to see the movies because that will pick up all the pieces of the puzzle and put them all together. Death and Rebirth is the first one, and End of Evangelion is the redone episodes's 25 and 26. There you will see that after going through the process he comes back to earth from Eva 1, because Rei is the body they use to enter the eva, and with the help of Karou it is made possible. He comes back to earth because of his love for Asuka.
The movie license has been acquired by Manga entertainment and should be out (hopefully) this year. Check their web site at http://www.manga.com. Also be sure to check out ADV's site for the DVD release at http://www.advfilms.com.
Hope this clears everything up
Don't forget Saber Marionette J and Cat Girl Nuku Nuku.
I'm not big into Anime (I have to save time for other things...), but one which I have watched through is Rurouni Kenshin.
Parts can be quite hack-and-slash (Kenshin is the legendary swordsmaster Hitokiri Battousi...), while overall much of the series has a lighthearted family atmosophere (see ep #65) as Kenshin leaves the Hitokiri behind.
I know of ~95 episodes, 4 OVA's, and a movie. The OVA's are by far the darkest, and I'd watch them last (save them...).
Unfortunately, the series (fansubs) is rather hard to find. (Hotline...) The producer is finally releasing DVD's of it this summer.
Check out the Macross series...:)
The Graph: Substance that makes techies tick
Other series not to miss:
Fushigi Yuugi, which I also have not seen mentioned. Possibly one of the best plots around.
Evangelion, of course. Damaging to the psyche, but awesome.
Lain, though I've not seen all of it yet.
On a less serious note but still very worthy:
Irresponsible Captain Tyler
Nadesico (One of the strangest plots in anime)
His and Her Circumstances (A soap opera, more or less, but intelligent and with absolutely stunning art)
Kenshin is also worth watching, to a point. Stay away from the forthcoming dub, though.
Movies:
Nausicaa (Kaze no Tane no Nausicaa, or Nausicaa of the Valley of the Winds: One of the best movies I've ever seen. Again, stay away from the dub. They butchered it big time.)
Macross Plus.
Anything by Miyazaki.
There's more, of course, but this is a decent beginning. Keep in mind that I base my recommendations on the series having a PLOT (which kills most everything brought to American TV).
Kean
I don't know if anyone else has mentioned this film (I'm way too lazy to go through all 800+ posts), but I recently watched Wings of Honneamise and thought it was pretty good. Set in an alternate universe, it's about a civilization that's about to send its first person into space. It turns into kind of a reflection on religion and human existence.
I bought it because the guy who did Evangelion, Hideaki Anno, worked on this as well. As it turns out the two projects are completely different, but both are definitely well-done. The animation in WoH is just gorgeous, and the storyline is great too. One of the more intelligent animes I've seen, and one of the better ones.
the coolest club on
Akira - very good but no available on DVD yet) BubbleGum Crisis - a cyberpunk adventure. Very good. I can't recommend the "Crash" series though. Ghost in the Shell Appleseed Armitage Black Magic Record of the Lodoss War Robotech Star Blazers Angel Cop
Fist of the North Star Akira
A lot of basics have been mentioned in the posts submitted so far - most good (some not). Of the ones i saw recommend "Patlabor Movie 2" is a fantastic choice - great movie.
I was surprised that you liked "Battle Athletes Daiundokai". I figured it might be a little on the 'cute' side. I'm not sure if "Idol Project" is available in english, but it would be an interesting... counterpoint, lets say, to Daiundokai. ^^;;
Not sure if "Martian Successor Nadesico" was mentioned. The show is a personal fave, the translation is good, and it's a blast even if you aren't a big Ruri fan (and who isn't?) - of course it helps to be a fan of older anime as well - there are a zillion in-jokes in the show. Reccomended
If you want a laugh, a rather twisted and off the wall show you should watch would be "My Dear Marie" (Boku no Mari), about a guy who is so obsessed with a girl at his school that he builds a robot that looks just like her. Problems brew when the duplicate (mari) meets the original (marie). Not quite a twisted as the manga, but the show has a cute quirky quality to it that might grab you.
I used to love "Key the Metal Idol" - a show that really meandered and didn't seem to end well, but had some really awesome imagery - and it too had a rather dark feel to it, akin to 'lain'. Some of the middle eps kick ass.
A title you should check out, if it ever does make it to these shores would be "Boogiepop wa Warawanai" - an odd title, but a show that is very similar in mood to Lain. REALLY dark, i believe it falls into the 'horror' genre. Great soundtrack too...
Also in the 'Horror' genere, "Vampire Princess Miyu" is worth a watch too, a true classic. It is availible subtitled in english. Check out "Tokyo Babylon" too- very cool stuff.
An all time fave of mine would be "3x3 Eyes" - there is the Perfect Collection (which i believe is still availible) and a second set of OAVs that are availible seperately. Takada Yuzo was an early influence for me and my artistic efforts.
My personal fave right now? "Love Hina" Probably not your taste, but hey, a story about a guy who becomes a manager at a all-girl dorm with a hot springs bath... they milk it for all its worth. :)
There have been a lot of good shows over the years, many of which have not made it to these shores, but recently i have been very surprised by how many that there are on shelves. Basically, i don't see you running out of things to watch any time soon.
But i tell ya, just whatever you do, do not, i repeat, do NOT miss 'CardCaptors', as it is being called in the US. It debuts on the WB on June 17. I'm sure that it is JUST your cup-o-tea. ^_^ (cough)
fred-rin
ps: you should watch 'Excel Saga' too
fred gallagher ............... ..............
www.fredart.com
"Myou na koto ni natte kita..."
::: fred hides at fredart.com
The Gundam series are wonderful! While you can only find Fan subtitled copies right now, I really reccomend Z Gundam. Nice, angsty war story, and the Good Guys pay a really high price for victory. Rurouni Kenshin, Vampire Hunter D, and Galaxy Express 999 are also excellent choices.
Akira is one example, but I haven't seen an English Anime yet that I thought was worthy of voices behind them...
That said though, half the Japanese Anime have pretty shit voices behind them, but they are at least better than the English.
The one I hate most is the "girl-who-is-always-screaming-voice"... The most recent Anime that I've watched that's got it is Neon Genesis Evangelion, but it's in just about all Anime's that you see.
Better to stay silent, and let people think you're an idiot than to open your mouth and remove all doubt
sonmay@c2.hinet.net
I've been told that it's a Chineese bootleg, but it looks very nice, the liner notes are professionally done, and I've had no problems with the cd. It is missing the U2 song from the closing credits, "One Minute Warning," but everything else is there.
If you are in the greater Dallas area this weekend, head over to Project A-Kon 2K the southwest's largest Anime convention.
-gandalf23
That is just one great movie. I won't describe it, just get it and watch it.
Come on now, Nazi's, foot worship, and pedophilia.
What more does anime need?
-Marc
Don't forget Nadescio!
;P (just kidding).
It's like parody of Evangelion, but it's also serious in parts. One of the best Anime out there which hasn't so far been mentioned.The title is Kidou Senkan Nadesico but most people just call it Nadesico.
Also, I strongly recommend the film "The Ultimate Teacher", I almost dirtied myself laughing... yet another Anime where you have no idea what the heck's going on.
For a funny but also sappy story, I love the OVA !Ah My Goddess (or Oh! My Goddess). It's also even funnier if you know the Norse gods, who are characters in the series.
Well... thanks Slashdot for having this as a story... when's the "Ask Slashdot" about Hentai guide comming
- Serge Wroclawski
I'd also recommend Nadesico . . . it has an entire parody 70's style giant robot show called "Gekiganger 3" that the characters within the show watch. It's SO over the top and farcical . . . and it was so popular that they made a seperate Gekiganger OAV tape! There's also a lot of tongue in cheek jokes aimed at obsessive anime fans as well.
------
Michael Huang
darva@geocities.com
"A spirit with a vision
Is a dream with a mission." -Rush
It was the 1st comment posted (at my +1 level) and I'm doing it again at whereever we are now (600, 700?).
:) But you don't need to believe to love Evangelion.
:) I have just quickly expressed what I feel. Just get Evangelion and watch it over and over!!!! Like someone said before, you will thank yourself later.
Neon Genesis Evangelion is without a doubt the best thing I have ever seen. EVER. Not the best anime, best anything!
You will have the guts ripped out of the storyline though the previous posts already, but I will say this too late: LEARN NOTHING. Go get the entire series. Watch it in order. Watch it again. And again. And again. Each time you will find something new, another detail, another level. I know people that have seen it though once. Sure, they get the 'top layer' of what happened, but really they have no clue. It is without a doubt the most wonderful piece of art ever.... (and the 'original' last two episodes DO make sence, it's just people that can't grasp them like to insult them. I love 25/26 and 25'/26'. They complement and extend each other.)
This is one series that would still rock without action and battles. Evangelion asks the ultimate question, and it asks it in the best possible way.
And, in reguards to 'god': I am harldy a 'god person'. I'd consider myself a 'hardcore' atheist.
Sorry about this incoherent rant
This is less true than it *used* to be (the Disney dub of Kiki's Delivery Service, for example, is really nice... and that's even taking into account my very, very low opinion of Disney in general), but I still avoid dubs unless I've heard they are really good.
The worst, of course, was an old Bubblegum Crisis dub where they not only overspoke the spoken lines, but redid the *music* as well... aiiiiee!
Scott "anime troll*" Taylor
*no, not that kind of troll, you netgeek!
We are in a desperate race between Stupidity and Transcendance; Don't pick the wrong side.
hm, dunno, heard that they had problems. check this url... apparently some of the original video was altered, and japanese text was covered over.
hm, you're right, that was damn irritating.....
did you see it dubbed or subbed? dubbed would really suck, but the subs didn't seem too bad.....
ugh.... robotech came from 3 different series all butchered by macek.... watch the originals =)
Bubblegum Crisis - This is the series that really got me into anime. What's not to like about a series featuring cool technology, babes in battlesuits, and bad-ass villains. Though it looks a bit dated now (it was produced in the early '80's), it still ranks as a classic. There is an updated series that is partially out on video which is also worth seeing, but I think the original is still a bit better. Original released by Animeigo; not sure who is releasing the new series.
Oh! My Goddess - If Bubblegum Crisis got me into anime, Oh! My Goddess got me hooked. Cute and funny story about a boy and the three Norse goddesses who live with him. Belldandy is my favorite character of any series anywhere. Released by Animeigo.
The Vision of Escaflowne - I thought Evangeleon kicked serious ass, but I have always preferred Escaflowne, as it's got the frighteningly deep story I like without the air of depression that courses through Eva. Escaflowne is a fantasy story set on a planet near earth, but invisible from Earth, where among other things, dragons are real, rocks float, and other than a couple of races, technology is still middle-ages at best. The art is beautiful, although the character design is a bit, well, odd. Give this one a shot! It is available from Anime Village.
Slayers - Lighthearted fantasy/D&D spoof. Lina Inverse is a "saucy, flat-chested, but highly skillful sourceress" out to rob from the criminals and give to herself. Oh, and save the world from eternal darkness along the way. Released by Software Sculptors.
Sabre Marionette J - I'm not sure if this has been released over here yet. Story about a human colony on another planet where there are no women (all reproduction is through cloning). The only females are "marionettes" (androids), which are used as servants, etc. Marionettes don't have emotions. Well, most of them don't...
Tenchi Muyo! - A long series, but worth it. Aliens, extremely powerful enemies, and ancient royal family converge on some poor guy named Tenchi. A fun series, but with a definite serious side. The movie, Tenchi the Movie: Tenchi Muyo in Love is outstanding; you don't have to have seen the series first to enjoy the movie, but it couldn't hurt. Released by Pioneer Entertainment (yes, the stereo people).
Hope this (somehow) helps.
Mark
Aren't we boycotting DVDs?
I'm just starting too, but the best ones I've come accross so far are Vampire Hunter D, Revolutionary Girl Utena, and Sailor Moon. Well, Sailor Moon isn't the best, but it's really cool. Urban Vision, which makes Vampire, has just re-relaesed the original version on tape. They made a re-make which bears no resemblence to the original (and therefore how it can be a remake is beyond me) and is being negotiated for release in the theatres. UV is looking for a company to put the movies out on DVD with. I personally can't wait. Utena is also being released on DVD. Season one is all out. I'm waiting for Sailor Moon the series, but right now all you can get is the movies on DVD. My humble contribution : ) ~~ I am a child of the Sea, and I so rarely get to go home.
If your into anime, especially on dvd format this site is a must: www.animeondvd.com
For some of the best artwork and coolest mecha, check out Patlabor. It's about a police force outfitted with mecha to deal with mecha-based crime.
For humor, you must watch Urusei Yatsura. The TV show is based around the simple premise that an exotic and beautiful space princess mistakes something a teenage guy says as a marriage proposal and ends up following him around 24-7 trying to have sex with him and zapping him whenever he looks at other women. The story is more complex, of course, but that's the basic setup. It is some of the funninest anime, more so than Ranma 1/2.
My favorites:
RG Veda (comic)
Ping Pong Club (I think it's like 12 episodes, totaly werid and hilarious)
Grave of the Fireflies (very dramatic movie, about 2 kids in te middle of world war 2)
Mermaid Forest (the comic, it's about a guy who is inmortal)
Ranma 1/2 (also the comic)
And of course, Evangelion, Ghost in the Shell, etc.
I didn't like Akira, I find Robotech _very_ boring.
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Stay tuned for some shock and awe coming right up after this messages!
I would specially mention the Mermaid saga (Mermaid Forest, Mermaid Scar, Mermaid Mask, etc), wich is very unlike Takahashi's style (definitively NOT a comedy), and I think her best work.
While we're on the subject of comedy, perhaps the funniest anime series I've seen is Slayers.
If I had to make a list of funniest "crazy comedies", in a scale of "normal to totaly werid and bizarre", I'd say:
Slayers
Dragon Half (the manga specially)
Dr. Slump (quite old, the same guy who wrote Dragon Ball; he can be _very_ funny)
Ping Pong Club (_totaly_ werid. And it's also the anime with the most "chinese looking" characters I've ever seen. they have small eyes and everything).
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Stay tuned for some shock and awe coming right up after this messages!
I didn't like Akira. I find it boring, ugly (animation is cool, but all characters are chinese => they all look the same to me). I didn't understand it. Is't like you wait the entire movie for an explanation, but there is no explanation, because it doesn't make sence.
People often put Akira up there with Ghost in the Shell, but there is a difference, GITS has an argument.
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Stay tuned for some shock and awe coming right up after this messages!
Bio Booster Armor Guyver (remade as just Guyver) is a REALLY good series. Macross II the movie is also a good buy. Record of Lodoss War, definitely worth it too
Sitting in front of me I have a VCD of the End of Evangelion movie. It cost me $10 Australian from a shop in town that sells Asian import VCDs. Unfortunately, it is subtitled in Chinese (I think). The original Japanese soundtrack is fantastic.With a bit of testing I have come to believe it is matrix encoded sourround sound (ie. Dolby ProLogic compatible).
Very cool.
I also suspect that this is the full uncut version as there is all sorts of sex and nudity and gore that I didn't see in the TV series when it was broadcast in Australia on SBS. Does anybody know if what I saw on SBS was cut? It wouldn't surprise me since it was the dubbed version.
-- Your ad here $20 --
Gundam Wing: out of the two this is better in terms of animation. Also its plot is a little more plausable (although not by much) then DBZ. a little to much light though.
DragonBallZ:I agree CmdrTaco in that this is a anime, WWF style. They destroy planets for godsake without blinking an eye. It is the anime action flick.The animation is pretty good but I will admit could be better.
Other suggestions of cartoons that are like this are welcome.
"It's a mobile suit, It's A GUNDAM!!!!" -an Oz guard about to be killed by one of the Gundams (not really important which Gundam). not sure which episode. I think its in most of them. :)
-Teiresias
The Slayers OVA's are not terrible, they are, in fact, very good. What is terrible is what ADV did to them, it appears to be an attempt to make them politically correct.
If you can find them, get hold of the fansubs. I saw the version by Jimaku Animation, at a convention and they were hilarious, better than the TV series. I was then very disappointed when I saw the ADV version later.
-- Pika-Pika!
>(Can anyone explain to my why Subtitles cost
>more than Dubbed?!? Talk about logical
>fallacies...)
Simple.. you have to sell a certain number of copies for any particular release to be profitable..
Dubs outsell Subs by a figure that I believe is around 6:1, and if the sub was sold at the same price as the sub, it would be unprofitable, even though the sub is a bit cheaper to produce.
-- Pika-Pika!
Yay! Someone finally mentioned my favorite Studio Ghibli. Umi ni kikoeru (I can hear the sea/ocean). It feels much different than the other Miyazaki anime. I've pretty much seen them all (cept the latest). :)
It felt really cool going to kichijoji (the train station from the beginning), standing on the platform, and realizing that I'd seen it in anime a few years before. And no I'm not otaku.
I ate my sig.
You can check out teh series called Berzerk. The Dreamcast game "Sword of Berzerk: Guts' Rage" is based on teh series, but since teh gameplay didn't sound too thrilling I urge that you don't base an opinion on the game. The series is very, very cool and it's worth checking out for any anime fan. Try to find a fansubbed episode in realplayer format just to take a look. BTW, generally he is called Gatts, not Guts.
-Pasty
I don't think it gets much better than Kenshin. The action, the stories, the characters, and don't even try to forget the music. Kenshin is my favorite anime series and I've only seen the fansubs. I personally recomend the Shinsen Gumi's subtitles because I like their spelling conventions.
-Pasty
Anybody know where to get official info on the DVD release so I can keep up to date? I'd really like to have these on DVD as well as realplayer.
-Pasty
I wrote a Review of Lain for atanime.com. Its a nice mag. Good reviews, nice layout, and hey I write for them :)
no
Actually, it was 2 friends, one of whom loved the girl Kotori, the other being her brother. I liked for the simple fact that i saw it on the bog screen, but otherwise, the ending was horrid and the music made me gag.
Are there any Slashdot folks (besides myself) heading to Anime Expo this year? If so, would anyone be interested in doing some kind of get together? (lunch maybe?)
//Relayer
pretty good selection so far... but i needs some more =P first off, the Dragon Ball Z that you cant catch on cartoon network is far far superior. for whatever reason, CN continues to play the first 2 1/2 seasons over and over again... thats about when he animation really starts to get good too. after the garlic jr mini-saga, the series really takes off too. get a clue cartoon network : ) another entertaining series of mention is Outlaw Star ... A man with a damned good shot, his little brother, and a space-pirate/military jointly developed space-craft. silly and entertaining =P kinda like trigun. go to anime village for some more info, and check out MicroSoft er uh MobileSuit Gundam, and Vision of Escaflowne while your there all of the Gundam series are different... i think most of the animation is cell based (like transformers) but the stories are great, and the tapes are widely available. Vision of Escaflowne is pretty good too. Our heroin Hitomi is mysteriously transported to a medieval world where knights duel in giant armor (giant mobile suits if you will) and a war against choice is being waged. check it out. also of note are the fantastic shows from gainax incl. Neon Genesis: Evangelion and His & Her communication. completely opposite of each other but both fantastic. Eva is about three adolecents battling extraterestrial angels in giant living armor. jaw dropping, not quite up to lain standards, but pretty good... LONG. His & Her is done by the same guy as Eva, but is completely different... deals mostly on the subject of young love... deep, funny, enjoyable. hard as hell to find tho. that oughta do it... gotta go watch some pokemon soon =P
KareKano or Kareshi Kanojo no Jijyo (sp? sometimes abbreviated kknj) is a love story invovling two top performing highschool students. I love the music in this one. It has both serious and funny moments, and I love the way the drawing style changes to reflect the tone of the scenes.
These two (and Cowboy Bebop mentioned above) are my favourites and are highly recommended!
Only the Alternative World is available on DVD, but Yes, El Hazard is a favorite. Along with: Slayers, Ghost in the Shell, Tenchi, Lodoss, Macross Plus, and Vampire Hunter(Darkstalkers). Good stuff.
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Moo, Baby. Moo.
- tokengeekgrrl
"The spirit of resistance to government is so valuable on certain occasions
Patlabor: Action/mystery
It's a little strange but I find it quite good. Keep in mind that this is Girls (or shoujo) anime. Some info is here
Just wait. The remake (with faithful to Yoshitaka Amano's designs animation) will be out soon, it's gonna rock.
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Shinma
OVA means "Original Video Animation"... it's the equivelant of direct-to-video here. The original Bubble Gum Crash was released as OVA... the standard of animation is usually greater than that of a television series (Compare the OVA Record of Lodoss War with the present Lodoss War television series, only the opening sequence is better, and its been ten years since RoLW came out. ;))
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Shinma
Perfect Blue was good. Gunsmith Cats Bulletproof(imagine Girls-With-Guns movie with a Blues Brothers feel) is good too.
Battle Angel however... Horrible. They trashed an excellent manga and turned it into a gore fest. The second half of the video was acceptable, but the first half was so totally horrendous that I'd pay more money to buy just the second half and a couple vital scenes with Hugo in the first, than I did for the whole thing. Its just that bad. Nausicaa of the Valley of the wind was similarly massacred.
Sailor Moon is great, if you can get past the initial silliness. The movies are awesome. Go for the original Japanese if possible, the series actually has a far darker tone than the American fluff(of course you can make sailor moon ALOT darker before its considered dark on its own merits). The subtitled movies are great, they weren't done by DIC. As with Battle Angel and Nausicaa, the manga is better. Magic Knight Rayearth is another great magical girl series. Rei Rei and Magical Twilight are good for the animated porn stuff, they are funny on their own even without the sex. Macross(translated and strung together with other series as Robotech) and Macross II are good. Ranma 1/2... Imagine a teenage Jackie Chan that changes between male and female, and has suitors in both lives, who are often enemies in the other life. It is hillarious. Wings of Honnemaise is good too.
If you are looking for information on "what is to be released on DVD in the states", look at : http://www.animeondvd.com/
... to add to that, this was a Miyazaki work.
;)
;)
...
...
;)
First what is out on DVD :
Battle Angel (Gunnm) -- A cyber future vision of life of Gally (the manga is a pure piece of beauty)
Grave of the Fireflies -- drama -- this is the only Ghibli you do not want to see if you are feeling low, but it is a must see still; the story of two children during the 2nd world war
Castle of Cagliostro -- Adventure, action -- This a Lupin the IIIrd movie, that stands for action, laugh and good movie
Project A-ko -- humor, parodie -- It is a super story of A-ko fighting B-ko to save C-ko, clear ? No ? Well, you will see and btw you may have to watch it plenty of time to recognize all hidden characters
Tenchi Muyo! -- humor, adventure -- some fantastic adventures in a comedy packed action series with plenty of OAVs and 3 great movies (especially the 3rd one if you ask me)
Macross Plus -- adventure, action -- another set of Macross, with great musics
Now what should come to DVD (soon enough let's hope) :
Princess Mononoke -- we talked about it on slashdot earlier, the latest Miyazaki movie, a must see.
PatLabor Movie 1,2 -- Mecha, action, adventure, politics
Wings of Honeamise -- adventure -- or the conquest of space, in a fantastic movie
Urusei Yatsura -- romance, comedy -- the story of an alien (an oni actually) that comes to earth and find love; should be out soon
Rurouni Kenshin -- action, romance, adventure -- one of the best anime in the genre; the story of
What we hope is gonna come to DVD one day :
Maison Ikkoku -- by Rumiko Takahashi, my favorite TV serie, a beautiful romance.
All Ghibli movies not out yet
And a simple web page for anime fans to discover a cool comic strip on the subject :
http://www.sempai.org/comic/
Well hope that helps
-- Martial MICHEL
They're not for kids, but the Urotsukidoji series is just as much as classic as Akira.
Wiked City (also not for kids) is pretty good too.
Try a few of these, they're worth the trouble: Ghost in the Shell - An obvious choice for a geek crowd, the lines between human and machine grow rather thin at times. I recommend the subtitled version, particularly since the soundtrack was altered from the original natural-instrument version (reminiscent of Akira and making a good counterpoint with the relentless tech of the visuals) to a rather yawn-inducing techno mix. Patlabor - The movies were done by the same director as GitS above and are quite well done, but I recommend checking out some of the TV series first to get the background. Essentially, this is a near-future story where humanoid robots are used by the police and military, as well as criminals. Akira - A little old, but a classic of its type. Both high- and low-tech thrills covering the spectrum from orbital lasers to pipe-weilding motorcycle gangs with psychic powers and spontaneous mutation thrown in for fun. Slayers - A personal favourite, pure goofy sword-and-sorcery following Lina Inverse's quest to get lots of money and eat delicious meals. Her companions are every bit as odd and make for a very entertaining mix of personalities. Whisper of the Heart - Not commercially released in North America but available as a fansub I believe, this is my absolute favourite movie. Very low-key, the story hinges on a young girl discovering herself in urban Tokyo. The rendition of "Country Roads" in Japanese halfway through is an experience that you'll remember. Martian Successor Nadesico - The aliens from Jupiter (or further) have attacked humananity and it seems the only chance we have is a privately built battleship called the Nadesico. Unfortunately, the best and the brightest have all been snapped up by the military so they were forced to choose a bunch of talented lunatics as crew. Vision of Escaflowne - High fantasy at its best. A lovely series with a solid plot that gives little away lightly, the visuals are stunning and the music is even more stunning. Don't miss this one. There are literally tons more, but that's a good start. The best in Nova Scotia fandom - NSAMO
Vampire Hunter D. Fist of the North Star. 3 x 3 Eyes. Record of Lodoss War. Can't go wrong with those titles. Lester
'Sometimes I think about killing myself, no, wait, that's you.' -- Jack Handy
They couldn't sue the makers of Event Horizon. Look how they ripped off Darkman music in the soundtrack for Gundam 0083/CD 2?
Shoot, the Japanese are known for doing severe ripoffs in their anime shows and music...hehe...we're safe if we do it to them lol
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63,000 bugs in the code, 63,000 bugs,
ya get 1 whacked with a service pack,
--- Grow a pair, liberals... stop letting the Republicans bully you!
Insanity is the last line of defence for the master diplomat. But you have to lay the groundwork early.
If The Matrix counts, then check out most any of Yuen Woo Peng's kung-fu movies. Wing Chun, Drunken Master, or Iron Monkey are great to start with.
Other anime that I would strongly reccomend: Ninja Scroll (The sequal, Ninja Reserection, is OK but too short), Doomed Megalopolis, Grey, Area 88, Project A-Ko, and Wings of Honneamise.
Insanity is the last line of defence for the master diplomat. But you have to lay the groundwork early.
If your'e gonna watch anime, you gotta watch Bastard! Dark Snider (sp?) is by far one of the most entertaining characters in anime. Street Fighter II 'V' is an excellent series, kinda like dragonball with better animation. Others worthy of mentioning: Big Wars, Angel Cop, Macross II, Ogre Slayer, and Peacock King (very good!) Evangelion DEATH and Rebirth (or true death) YOU MUST WATCH THESE IF YOU WATCHED THE SERIES. there, i said my piece, how's your mom?
----------- destroy evil immediately!
Arg. I forgot The Wings of Hoannemise. The spelling might be off, but that is definately one of the ones that goes up there with Grave of the Fireflies. Wings is about a nascent space-flight program on an alternate world in the midst of a cold war similar to Russia vs. U.S. Specifically, it is about the pilot who somehow is involved in really moving the program forward and settin up a first manned spaceflight. Grave of the Fireflies is a story of a very young brother and sister in WWII whose home is destroyed and mother killed by American bombers.
B. Elgin
B. Elgin
"Read at your own risk; feel free to ignore."
!@#%#! Anyhoo, check out Rurouni Kenshin. It's a great anime about a wandering Samurai. Great if you're into martial arts. Also one of my other favs is Heavy Metal. Great to put on in the background at LAN parties *grin*
Akira is probablly one of the best I've ever seen. Has a great story and the animation is just amazing (look for the protest seen when the glass building shatters and rains sharreds of glass). Vampire Hunter D is another great story one and the style of animation is also great. Ghost in the Shell is a good movie but the series of comic books (put out by Dark Horse if I remember correctly) are much better because you get more of the story.
Well, I searched down a bit and no-one mentionned this, soooo:
-Rurouni Kenshin (DEFINITELY see the OAVs)
-Patlabour 1
Other things that people have mentionned are almost all good IMO. Lain rocked my world, ditto Ghost in the Shell, Akira, and Eva.
BoneShintai out.
Probably the best site for info, reviews, release dates, etc, is www.animeondvd.com. Plus, they even have a page that's exactly what you're looking for: check out their Essential Anime. I don't necessarily agree with all their opinions, but they usually have multiple reviews for each show, and their essential page has explanations. Users can even submit their own reviews. Check it out if you like anime on DVD.
A friend of mine is into this stuff big time. I think he has the second largest anime review site on the web. The link is:
d ir_anime/anime.html
http://www.serc.rmit.edu.au/~ashelton/dir_life/
I think his Slashdot user name is dfly or dragonfly.
Check it out, he has put a *lot* of time and effort into this.
Josh.
Battle Angel Alita isn't by Masamune Shirow it's by Yukito Kishiro.
DBZ and they must be Subtitled. IMHO You are wasting your time watching the English dubbed. You'd be suprised how much senseless violence they take out of one episode. Basicially if you want the swearing, the burtal mindless destruction of just about anything, Bulma smoking Lucky Strikes, the Afterlife, Beer, Old pervert men, Hell Brothers, Mr Satan, Hitler's army, and just about anything else that drives a censor to the looney bin. go with the subs.
The Slayers. All Seasons RPG like with a ton of comedy. basicially a group of three to five people go around destroying and eating everything in their path and save the world every once in awile. Funny as hell.
Those Who hunt Elves Like Slayers but even more screwed up. basicially a group of four people are stripping Female Elves in order to find spell fragments. Personally, i think this is the first anime I've seen where the Dubbed version was better than the subtitled version. Not to Mention I want the tank that thinks it's a Cat.
In Soviet Russia, Trojan exploits YOU!
thanks.
Okay. Akira is the default setting for 'Anime Everyone Should See At Least Once'. Whether you love it or hate it, I can guarantee you've never seen anything like it.
My own tastes run to the absurdist, generally. Dr Slump is great, and that show had talking poo years before South Park did.
It's also hard to top Bastard!! in the sick and twisted category, too ... having all the magic spells named after heavy metal bands provides just that last little twist of high weirdness.
Tenchi Muyo and Irresponsible Captain Taylor are both loads of fun; I think I'll give the edge to Tenchi here on the basis of a more consistent plot.
I never cared much for giant-robot anime, so I have nothing to add here.
Dragonball Z has it's moments, but those moments are dragged out in excruciating detail over dozens of episodes (the final battle, repeatedy referred to as only having five minutes to complete, took some eight or ten half-hour episodes).
Some of the old sentai anime are fun, too -- I've always rather liked
Saint Seiya
. Gatchaman is some great early-70s fun if you can first find a proper translation of it, and then put the two agonizingly bad mistranslations ('Battle of the Planets' and 'G-Force') completely and entirely out of your mind.(Slightly off-topic aside: anyone know if Sandy Frank is still around?)
Hey, Badgerman - what's the name of that one we were watching? I spaced on it, but that was real good, too ... good storyline, not at all predictable.
And every now and then, grab one of those one-shot titles at Mediaplay or somewhere equivalent, something that doesn't have several hundred episodes, only one or two. Almost no one's heard of them, but they can be kinda cool. Don't be afraid to just rent something for the hell of it, either.
ikaros, who took that advice hisself yesterday and found a cool little one-shot called 'Raven Tengu'.
You're only as young as the last time you changed your mind -- Timothy Leary
I have seen many good ones mentioned, but two that haven't been mentioned yet are:
Vampire Hunter D: A dark tale of an anti-hero varmipre hunter cleaning up the town.
Star Blazers (series): The Earth has been plastered with bombs, everybody is forced underground. The only way to save the Earth is to raise the Battleship Yamoto, outfit it with alien tech (including space capable engines, a hanger deck, and The Big Gun), and fly to the planet that has the technology to save us. Great fun.
Hello all, and especially CmdrTaco. I would first like to say that I am proud to be an Otaku. You might want to check out http://www.animeondvd.com, it is a very very good and professionally run anime site. As far as I know, it is the best reference for anime on dvd. This site has news, articles, and reviews, in which they rate both region 1 and 2 dvds, usually accoring to sound, video, content, and packaging. This is great to find out info about anime before you buy them. There are even primers for new anime fans, which explain the terms. http://www.animeondvd.com is kind of like the slashdot of anime on dvd, if I might say, and there are forums which you may like also. Now on to my personal anime favourites: Anything made by Studio Ghibli is good. Isao Takahata and Hayao Miyazaki have produced some of the best anime, and even best movies of all time. I strongly suggest everyone, not just anime fans, check out the 1988 movie "Grave of the fireflies" or "Hotaru no haka" it's original name. It is available on DVD. This is a wonderful movie about the hardships of war on two innocent children living in Kobe during the end of world war two. This movie is based on a book by Akiyuki Nosaka, and it was written in a partly biographical style. Roger Ebert liked this movie so much that he showed it at his own personal film festival. You can find what he had to say on it here: at http://www.ebertfest.com/grave_rev.htm The subtitled version is better than the dub, as is almost always, but the dub is good too. I cried watching this movie, that is how gopod it is. Another great movie produced by ghibli is Princess Mononoke, which was the highest budget to date, I believe. It will be released on DVD by Disney or it's subsidiraries sometime in the next 18 months. It came out in 1997, and is still in theatrical run around the world, through the form of Miramax's english dub, which is very good. Hideaki Anno worked on this movie, which may be of note. Those were mainstream movies. Another anime must see is Hiroyuki Yamaga's "Royal Space Force: Wings of Honneamise. Anno Hideaki worked on this movie, and it was produced by GAINAX. Both Anno and GAINAX went on to produce Neon Genesis Evangelion. This movie is simply one of the best works of art on the planet. When it was produced in 1988, everyone was stunned. This movie threw all of the conventional anime rules and styles and through them out of the window. The movie has a minimalist plot, and centres on real characters that are very unheroic. With all that said, I could identify with the characters in this movie more than almost all the others I have seen. The plot centres on a alternate world, which seems a little like a precolumbian civilization that had advanced to a modern society. On this world, no one had yet been into space, and the plot follows a man, Shiro Laddat, who becomes the first astronaut. This movie is very well done. The plot is great, the music is so good I spent $50 cdn on the soundtrack, and the ending is beyond words. I think that this movie has a religious conotation that is beyond words. If you see this movie in your video store, (it is quite common in my area), Rent it Now! Anno Hideaki went on to create Neon Genesis Evangelion (Shin Seiki Evangelion). If anything could top Wings of Honneamise, this would be it. Evangelion is mainstream too, but if were released theatrically, the reviewers, including the estute Roger Ebert, would FREAK! I mean it. This 26 episode TV series, which was done on a OAV budget (Original Anime Video, The Japanese equivalent to direct to video animation movie), and two movies, have to be some of the best sci fi on the planet. This show follows Shinji Ikari, a boy of 14, who becomes involved in one of the most intricate stories ever written. You thought Mission Impossible was complicated! Ha! EVA (or NGEva, or however you like to abbreviate it) is so complicated that every single brushstroke, in every frame, in every scene is almost integral to the plot. And I mean from the begining of the theme song till the end of the movies. You don't need to pay attention to all of it, but if you do, you will find that everything means something. All of the music and dialouge, even the dialouge of passing by characters is important. There are so many subplots and plot twists that the metaphors, forshawdoing and every other device don't simply push the story along, the become an entirely different dimension of the story. I could say, but Roger Ebert said "I would give anything to watch my favourite movies for the first time", and I agree, because I wouldn't want to wreck this. It might become your favourite fiction also. I haven't seen this entire series either, but I can't wait to! That's my otaku rant! Some other good anime you should watch are: BGC 2040 (Bubble Gum Crisis: Tokyo 2040) Gundam (Any and all, especially the original and 0080: War in the Pocket. Gundam was the first big robot (mech) anime AFAIK, and they are usually war movies that have an anti war moral.) There are some DVDs out. check http://www.animevillage.com for more info. Anything that Ghibli, Gainax, or their star employees (Anno, Miyazaki, Takahata, etc.) ever worked on. Patlabor is also great, and very complicated, more so than Mission impossible anyway, especially the second movie, which is all i have seen. It is supposed to be on DVD this year. I hear Escaflowne is great also. Super Atragon is drawn good and is ok, but has a silly plot and a lame ending. We can't forget Akira can we? It will be out on DVD sometime in the next 18 months. (DA DA DA DA!) Here are some anime to avoid: Kimera -- Four words: Sleazy Transvestite Vampire-from-outer-space porno Gowcaizer -- Someone told me it has graphic incest for no reason at all ... unless you go in for that sort of thing. Anyway, I'm glad CmdrTaco say the light, and I'm glad I had the chance to write this post. Now that I have missed my lunch break, I think I'll go eat before I pass out. Anime Otaku Forever!!!!! Rob Sollanych P.S. -- Don't buy any fake anime soundtracks!!! I bought $200 cdn. worth of SM (sonmay) Anime Ever, and Archer CDs. They are illegal pirated copies! I feel ripped, but now you don't have to go through that!
Whew! (big sigh of relief)
;) to the S. ^_^
Now that you mention it, I guess the D is really close (or clode
Leave the dubbed crap to all the poor saps who are too lazy to read (or just suck at it). They won't know what scenes and emotions they are really missing.
"You point your finger at the moon, the fool stares at your finger."
Agreed: Eva rocks! But whats with recommending dubbed? English voice "actors" are just plain horrible in most dubbed anime. Havn't seen any dubbed since Mononoke Hime in theatres and it was actually good (they did a frame by frame translation). It really doesn't matter though if it's on DVD, as you can choose your prefrence.
Macross Plus is awesome, I enjoyed Slayers but havn't seen the series.
The rest of what I have to say belongs in another post.
^_^
"You point your finger at the moon, the fool stares at your finger."
Lain - My latest addiction!
Recca no Honou - First saw it on the net, can't wait to get more episodes. Very good
Weiss Kreuz - Florists by day, assassin sleuths by night. Have only seen a few episodes, but good enough that I will be getting more.
Ninja Resurection - EXCELLENT if you liked Ninja Scroll. Get the DVD to avoid wasting money on 2 overpriced VHS tapes.
Slayers - Rival/partner sorceresses for hire. Fun; I would like to see the series.
Evangelion - My god!
Gundam X and Gundam Zeta - What can I say? I love big mecha and space combat ^_^ If you have seen the Toonami Gundam, I pity you for suffering some of the worst voice acting ever
Tekkaman Blade - Mecha fighting in space!
Macross Plus - More mecha tearing each other up! I can't get enough of this until some army starts producing this shit and recruits me!
Battleship Nadiseko - Mecha, space, aliens; gee can't figure out why I like this ^_^ Cool movie, but I need to see the series.
Battle Angel - trying to get my hands on this DVD, the preview blows me away.
Akira - List would be incomplete without it, but keep plenty of caffine handy because it is long.
Fist of the North Star - Really good series.
Fushigi Yuugi - Girl I'm seeing keeps telling me to watch it. It's probably good, she had true Japanese Eva years ago!
Super Cat Girl Nuku Nuku - Another recommendation from GF. Supposed to be pretty insane.
Dragon Ball Movies - If you thought the series lived up to its moniker (Drag-On Ball Z) then pick up some movies. I'm talking like movies number 4-13 here. 12 is probably my favorite because it starts with a Tenkaichi Budokai and in no time, it has Goku fighting his coolest opponent yet: Janenba! Movie 13 is also very good; it tells the tale of Brave Warrior Talbion and is also the story of how Trunks gets his sword.
Wow, I guess thats a good start of a list, but there is so much more I know I am forgetting (damn being at work). Now for proper viewing ritual:
1. Prepare green tea.
2. Make rice-balls as tea is brewing (you remembered to get good glucose covered rice, not that uncle ben crap, right?)
3. Put ice and fresh water into bon^H^H^H err, I mean waterpipe...
4. Eat, drink, smoke, watch and be merry! ^_^
Damn, I need the rest of the day off now!
"You point your finger at the moon, the fool stares at your finger."
That's the one that is in the "Girlfriend" video by Matthew Sweet. Awesome movie.
Up until two weeks ago, all I had heard about this show was that it was good.
I was wrong. This thing *rules*.
I'll try not to give away too much of the plot, but here goes: the time is late 1860's Japan,
just after the ending of the Tokugawa dynasty and at the beginning of the Meiji. One of the
fighters for the revolution, Himura Kenshin, forsakes his old life as an assassin and goes
ronin, vowing never to take another life again and instead using a 'sakaba' sword, a katana with
the sharp and blunt sides reversed (ie he hits people with the blunt side). While he may want
to atone for his past actions, the past isn't quite through with him . . .
I love this show. Every last minute of it. It meets all the criteria for a good anime: large,
intricate plot with numerous story arcs, comedy, a bit of romance and, most
importantly, a kickass sword fight every episode.
The show in Japan ran 98 episodes, ending some time in 1998, IIRC. There is
also a manga edition that the anime is based on, which is supposed to be top-notch.
There is no official North American release, so the only way to see this is to go
the way of fansubs. I'm not sure how many different fansubs are out there, but avoid the
Hecto fansub like the plague. They smell.
For more information check out any of the info sites listed at The Anime Web Turnpike
"Max, come over here. French-Canadian bean soup. I want to pay. Let them leave me alone." - Dutch Schultz
Neon Genesis Evangelion
Rurouni Kenshin
Slayers
Tenchi Muyo
Ah! My Goddess
Serial Experiments Lain
Trigun
Berserk
Kareshi Kanojo No Jijou
DragonBall/Z/GT
Ghost In The Shell
Macross Plus
Ninja Scroll
Kite
DNA^2
Ranma 1/2
When I first saw the series when I was about 10 I really didn't like cartoons. The plot was amazing for the first time on a cartoon series I had seen I saw some of my favorite people I got to know die (as many in my class at scool did -R.I.P. Roy Fokker-) it was a sad quiet day at school that next day. The marriage of a human and alien against all odds. I saw the planet earth demolished by 7 million warships women and children die cities tumble to ash and the genocide of a alien race then my new friends flew away in a new starship and the genration ended quickly gone forever it seemed. I never liked the second generation as much -but I always thought that those hovertanks ruled! Well Nova Satori was hot though. The third generation really made me thing about the outcome of the human race after 3 wars on the devastated planet. The books by Jack McKinney were brillant also and are a must read for any Robotech fan. THere has never been another anime series that I found with the depth, action, cool ass mechs and thought provoking then Robotech alas it freakin impossible to find it anymore. http://www.robotech.org/yhchan/ theres some links
Vaughn "Its always darkest before it goes pitch black."
What is with the whole /. community's obsession with Natalie Portman!!
I don't see where this goddess mentality comes from.
She's not that hot...
She's not that good of an actor...
Bottom line: Where's the Beef?
Remove the NOSPAM to spam me...
Star Blazers? Seems to ring a bell. I've never really had an opportunity to watch anim but when I was a kid, must've bean early 80's or real late 70's, I use to watch a really good japanese cartoon.
It was about a WWII battleship converted into a spaceship that had to fight its way across the galaxy to find some girl that had a potion or something to save the Earth.
Is that Star Blazers? Man that cartoon was cool, any of the new stuff that cool?
I dunno if anyone mentioned this, but the Cool Devices series is pretty cool if you're looking for fucked up porn and uh.. well, naughty tenticles a la Urotsukidoji. It's 13 episodes I think. You can get it on 6 VHS tapes. I'm not sure if it's on DVD or not. It would probably be a two disc set. Not for the squeemish. I think it's pretty funny though.
You might really enjoy the work of Hayao Miyazaki if you're not already familiar with it. Mononoke Hime, Tonari no Totoro and Castle of Cagliostro are particularly good (also Naushika, though haven't seen the whole thing). It's a bit different than the titles you listed (or at least those with which I'm familiar) but the quality is very good.
I am not going to tell you what is essential...but I am going to inform you of a site that will do that and more. It's called Anime on DVD...www.animeondvd.com I recently had a ressurgence in my addiction to anime and this site really brought fuel to the fire...THANKS GUYS! The best from telling you every aspect of the actually anime to what equipment to watch it on. Wow. And about Lain...Maybe I need to watch it again...because a show that leaves my jaw on the ground is Neon Genesis Evangelion...with great characters... Now Lain...I felt it was as if we were reading a fictional bible...trying to find out the philosophy of a world that doesn't exist. Now that might be cool for the Dune series or Wheel of Time...because we are easily involved in their world through billions of books...therefore the philosophy of that world intrigues. Lain on the other hand is just that philosophy which wasn't so intiguing...the world wasn't interesting. So basically for me fictional philosophy by itself does no' do anything for me.
There's too many choices of anime to pick "the best" from. What's your favorite genre? Mystery? Sci-fi? Comedy? Adventure?
I personally like "Tenchi Muyo" for comedy, "Neon Genesis Evangelion" for psychological thriller (it's also got some cool mechs), "Gunbuster" for cool mechs and heartwarming story, "Totoro" just because it's cool, and "City Hunter" when you're just in the mood for something odd, or if you're curious as to exactly what the term "hammer space" means. But there's many others that I enjoy as well. "Video Girl AI", occassional episodes of "Nurse Angel Ririka" or "Sailor Moon" when I'm in the mood to be silly, "Ranma 1/2", "Macross", "Shamanic Princess", etc. If you're really interested in getting into anime, find a convention nearby and drop in to their video rooms. Non-stop anime, and most conventions will supply a wide variety of titles to view. Just be prepared to look out of place if you're not dressed up like a character.
[pause for breath]
Get it, regardless. You'll thank yourself later.
Five tons of flax.
Everything else on the list, go for it. Prepare to be confused by Utena, though.
Oh, yeah, while I'm at it: Silent Moebius (the movie). Weird girl/magic/SF anime.
Whoops, before I forget: definitely track down Tenchi Muyo! (the OAVs are available in a DVD collection), and El Hazard: The Magnificent World. Granted, they've both got strong sex-farce elements, but the animation is just effing gorgeous, and they're extremely well written.
Five tons of flax.
I don't watch anime all that often, but I have seen Ninja Scroll and Vampire Hunter D and I like them more than most movies.. check them out.
Hrm. I guess I should start by explaining that the anime I enjoy generally follows a Rule of Threes; that is, "good anime should have at least two of the following three elements: Concept, Comedy, Kicking Ass".
Recommended Anime:
Akira: Concept--both Visual and Narrative--carries the day on this one. The animation was incredible in its day, and sets a high standard even now. And of course there's ample (dark) comedy, seasoned with a dash of ass-kicking action. I'm surprised it isn't at the top of everybody's list!
Wings of Honneamise: Again, it's about concept. A space race, a cold-to-hot war, a religious discussion, and some of the most visually stunning art that I've ever seen in any animation, Nipponese or otherwise. Also some dark and light comedy, and quite a bit of action.
Bubblegum Crisis/Crash: What can I say? It's the first anime I ever saw, and I've been in love with the Knight Sabers ever since. The obviously derivative ideas and stories are balanced by a fresh treatement that gives the whole series the feel of an homage, rather than the sour taste of "rip-off" that Armitage III left in my mouth. Concept isn't quite as strong here, but there's enough comedy and action to make up for it.
Ninja Scroll: Everybody's recommended this already, so I don't have to sing its praises here. I would like to mention that there is a sequel of sorts, titled Jubei's Revenge or something (at least when presented by the US vendors), that I still haven't seen, much to my regret.
Gunnm (Battle Angel Alita): A rare case of the anime being as good as--though different from--the original manga.
Neon Genesis Evangelion: This series is indescribable, but absolutely mandatory. Go watch it now!
Lupin III: I never really liked it, but there's no denying it's an anime classic. You can't really appreciate the genre without being exposed to this grandmaster funk of anime, from what I tend to think of as the "Speed Racer era".
My Anime To-Do List
Lain: Everybody I've spoken to says this is a must see. It's been so long since I've seen any really good anime that I'm willing to succumb to peer pressure on this one.
Sukeban Deka: I'm not sure I've spelled this correctly, but from what I understand this anime is unique in the Street-Fighter-Schoolgirl-Ninja-Yo-Yo category. The animation looks good in all the previews, and I keep pressuring my local dealer to put a copy on the rental shelf. As soon as he does, I'm there, man!
Not Recommended
Ghost in the Shell: I know this sounds heretical, but it really sucked, IMHO. I'd just finished the manga, which is absolutely Masamune Shirow's best work so far, and was horrified with the way the movie mangled all the concepts. Where the manga had deep, insightful dialog about the nature of consciousness and the values of an info/tech-based society, the anime had plodding, obfuscated drivel. All the neato visual tricks in the world couldn't make up for a total loss of meaning. It's really sad, too, since the story is actually very meaningful. Some people may argue that I'm just bent out of shape because the movie didn't spell out the concepts in small words for me to understand, but I know this isn't true. Shirow is always abstruse, and the best thing about his comics is that they contain so many layers if meaning that multiple readings are necessary. The movie was just clumsy where Shirow is deft and subtle.
Argh. This is turning into a rant. I'd apologise, but then you'd ask me why I didn't just delete the forgoing instead. What I will do, however, is recommend that you acquire and devour Shirow's Appleseed manga series as quickly as possible. It's a stunning analysis of humanity's relationship with technology, evolution, and apotheosis. And the art is good, too.
Anyhow, it's way past time for me to take my opinionated ass offline.
Any sufficiently well-organized community is indistinguishable from Government.
Ruroni Kenshin is a new release (the first dvds aren't out yet), but it's been out in Japanese for a long time. It's certainly one of the better series I've seen, and it's definitely something I'm buying as soon as it's released. The quality of the dub, I'm unsure about. But I've heard a few scattered good things about the sub. The DVD is supposed to have both available.
Just an adaptation of a small part of a much larger Manga called Gunnm(Battle Angel Alita in the US), translated and published by Viz. Consult your favorite online bookseller to purchase.
I'm giving up promoting my personal favorites... they aren't primarily comedies, they aren't all that well covered here, but... hey, what sane moderator will browse ~700 comments at 1 or less??
Try Rurouni Kenshin the OVA, great arts and great music. Don't even bother with the series, which is bad and slow. ^_^
I agree.. This is one of the most emotional movies, anime or not, I've seen. I saw it for the Nth time last week with a couple of friends, and you could see them just holding back their tears during most of the movie. It's great, it's powerful, and it's out on DVD.
How can you go wrong with hentai? La Blue Girl! I'm surprised i didn't see more geeks posting this. That and the hentai remake of Neon Genesis Evangelion. On the less lewd side, Bubblegum Crisis is good, Battle Dolls is good, Rorouni Kenshin is awesome. Hmm, what am i forgetting? Oh yeah, SPRIGGAN! Spriggan is amazing, check out Sailor Death Productions for two Anime Music Vids with Spriggan in the filmwork.
.cig - what you do after winning a good flame war
So I won't really give long recommendations, but if you want them, see: Rurouni Kenshin. Slayers. Lain. Bastard!!(I don't think I saw anyone mention this. It rules.) Ghost in the Shell. Etc.
Now, why did I post? If you like anime, odds are pretty good you'll get a kick out of some fanfiction. The best I have seen that has a lot of varied content is ImproFanfic, or round-robin style fiction. It is NOT like tradition round robins; for the most part, the quality level is high (especially on the newer ones. Older ones like Magical Girl Hunters don't have that.)
Alternatively, there's Twoflower's fics at Spoof Chase (Check MTCFF Beta.. hee hee) and his Slayers series.
For manga, there's ImproManga, although I'm not real fond of most of the stuff there.
Does anyone know where I can find this classic Japanese Anime. I watched it once while I was in Japan but have never been able to find it here in the United States.
Nathaniel P. Wilkerson
NPS Internet Solutions, LLC
www.npsis.com
Nathaniel P. Wilkerson
www.haidacarver.com
I thought this was probably one of the most enjoyable animes (not the best, though). I haven't seen anyone mention it yet, so... The original series was the better one, but that is only on VHS, not DVD.
Your sig has a quote from Rurouni Kenshin, and you don't even have it on your list? Sorry, just a random observation... I've only been watching anime for a short while, but Kenshin is most definitely my favourite anime! Also recommended (but already listed, guess that'll get me moderated as redundant :P) are Vision of Escaflowne (very stunning, I drool at the quality of the animation, and the music is great!), Neon Genesis Evangelion (I just wish I understood it! I kinda got in on that one about halfway through the series), and Kodomo no Omocha, also known as Child's Toy (this is one of the most spastic and hyper comedies I've ever seen. It's about a 6th-grade actress named Sana and her classmates at school. Unfortunately, they quit subbing it before the series was through because it's damn near impossible to do; everyone talks so fast and at the same time. But it's insane while it lasts!)
By far the best anime I've ever seen has to be Ghost in the Shell. I'm sure at least a thousand other people have already put that up, but it's just that good, and it deserves yet another mention.
peace and humptiness;
jim.
Some of the best anime I've ever seen is available from stile.
(Please browse at -1 to read this comment.)
I remember seeing some posts about this one on here earlier, and it hasn't been released on video yet, but it was definitely worth the ticket price. Princess Mononoke gets my vote. Grave of the Fireflies is another fav, but very tragic.
Two of the best cinematic anime movies out there are the Patlabor movies, and they are coming to DVD, the first on 7/25 and the second on 8/1 supposedly (according to Anime on DVD)...
I spent time growing up in Italy, and pretty much all the cartoons there came from Japan. There were all kinds of genres represented: the robot/war stuff (Mazinga Z, Daitarn, Goldrake (Grandizer in the US), Gilrlie soap opera like ones (Giorgie, yuck, about some girl from Australia), and ones more suitable for kids (Yattaman was cool, goofy robots, like big dogs or cats that opened up and released smaller robot animals that battled opponents, whacky but fun)...
:)
My question is why have these shows never caught on here in the US? I'm surprised the Cartoon Network doesn't invest in anime other that Gundam and DBZ.
In the New England area I remember wathing Force Five and Starblazers on TV, and to this day these shows have a large following as demonstrated by web pages you can find on search pages.
Maybe I'll start "The Anime Channel"
For me, the Belldandy/Keichi interplay was nice, but the cute techie goddess Skuld made me a fanatic, to the point where I created my Skuld Shrine with tons of images, stories, and even a Skuld Image search engine! Be warned, this is only for the diehard...
Spastic, hilarious:
Kodomo no Omocha (child's toy). I pity the subtitlers.
Fairy Princess Ren (start with ep 2). Same people, only worse.
Mind-bending:
Ok, lain is in first here, and evangelion second.
also of mention:
Kenji's Spring (story of a famous japanese writer)
Violent:
X (yes, thats the whole title, its made by clamp, they do very nice pretty art) (X is a bit trippy, mostly violent, near everyone dies).
Anything with the word "Battle" in it (aka, battle angel)
Armitage
All-around excelent:
Escaflowne
Mobile Battleship Nadesio
Fushigi Yuugi
Video Girl Ai (starts out a bit Ecci, but it gets very good)
Good for MST3k:
Gunbuster (can't believe this is made by gainax..)
Record of Lodoss War (actually, a good series, but the end especially works well for MST3k)
Generic, but good:
Tenchi Muyo (I love the second movie's soundtrack). (be warned, while the tv series and ova have the same characters, they have different histories)
Avoid at all costs:
Maison Ikkoku (its real life on a screen... maybee more boring)
Peon Hentai Evanjellyon (first episode of evangelion, missubtitled. Avoid at all costs, unless you're a pervert, in which case watch at all costs)
Anything with the word "bubblegum" in it.
Anything with the word "sailor" in it.
Wow... I should have a lot more than this to list... my mind is horridly blank today : ( Must be because I'm at work.
Hey, wait a minute... I guess I should actually be working then.
- Rei
Trump's plan to get rid of Mueller appears to be 'be so guilty of so many things that Mueller works himself to death.'
Ah, but watch the Uritsei Yatsura movies #2 and #4. They're more in the lain-ish, weirdness style than the typical Uritsei Yatsura comedy style.
- Rei
Trump's plan to get rid of Mueller appears to be 'be so guilty of so many things that Mueller works himself to death.'
Hehee... I like ;) (will change it after this post)
- Rei
Trump's plan to get rid of Mueller appears to be 'be so guilty of so many things that Mueller works himself to death.'
I've got all of the OAV, most of the 1st TV series, all of Tenchi in Tokyo and all three movies. I've also got the DVD boxed set of the OAV which includes the Tenchi Encyclopedia.
I cried at the end of the 3rd Tenchi film the first few times I watched it.
Ryoko is the ultimate incarnation of female perfection.
She is the one who really loves Tenchi, Ayeka is just a silly princess, and Sakuya is a hussy!
There is no spoon
Couldn't agree more. Akira is certainly the most beautiful and deep of all the anime I've seen. GITS is pretty much in the same vein. I don't think I've seen anything else that approaches either of them, except for Nausicca (sic) Valley of the Wind, which I don't think is available, at least in the Japanese version on DVD.
Check out Ghost in the Shell... has a very similar feel to lain, but different. great animation, great plot. gives me chills.
the mind is a terrible thing to taste --ministry
"The Wings of Honneamise" is pretty badass. I haven't been able to find it locally but it's probably on amazon or some such.
Tenchi Muyo is funny, very complex if you actually want to take the time to figure it out (the three 'goddesses', Ryoko's gems, etc) :)
Well thats all I can think of right now... All worth your time, just don't quit posting stories for us while watchingGhost in the shell is good stuff. Could have brought anime to the US, but unfortunately Pokemon&Co. are doing it instead.
Along those same lines, Princess Mononoke is one of the best movies I've seen (next to Matrix).
Slayers is hilarious. All the old D&D tricks abused, plus the characters are freaks
El Hazard (or however its spelled) is like Tenchi but not really. Lots of wierd humor and wierd characters, not to mention the fact that I know the real life Jinnai (yes, there is one).
Neon Genesis Evangelion is a good one too. Wierd plot and lotsa angst, plus giant robots destroying stuff.
-Elendale (BTW, I thought we were boycotting DVDs, right?)
IANAT (I Am Not A Troll)
-Elendale (I know the one near me is thinking about switching to mostly/all anime content)
IANAT (I Am Not A Troll)
-Elendale (honestly though, I don't think it'll be worth watching. It will be censored and they can't censor tenchi without removing the story :P)
IANAT (I Am Not A Troll)
Dragon Half is absolutely side-splitting. A cult classic and perhaps the definitive way to make fun of D&D (it even has the annoying 12 year old who abuses rules to create the god character and has no plot at all). If I remember correctly, Slayers gives it a nod in one of their episodes... can't remember exactly tho...
Record of Lodoss war (or whatever it is) is a great one too. Like Slayers, but serious.
Ninja Scroll/Devil Man for your mandatory 'ultra-violent-anime' catagory too.
-Elendale (actually, The Matrix is pretty much live action anime so it could be in here too, but I assume you've seen that...)
IANAT (I Am Not A Troll)
and
tags. :(
It really depends on what you wanna watch. There's ur Old Skool anime, Speed Racer, Astro Boy, and some other stuff I don't wanna mention, but it probably pretty distastful to people who just jumped into the anime bandwagon, especially when most of them have action frames of 10-2 fps(over exagerrating here). I don't know much about old skool. There's also some 70's stuff I'm not into that much. I don't feel like mentioning it. 80's was cool, remember voltron? I wonder if that was considered anime since it was aimed at the U.S. market. Cartoon network shows a lot of 80's stuff. Then there's the recent stuff. Breakthroughs like NGE (Neon Genesis Evangelion). It's more of a futuristic drama of 14 year olds with action galore. Rurouni Kenshin is one of my favs. It has tons of action and it ties in with Japanese legend taken place around the late 1800s/early 1900s (i think). Well there's a hell lot more. And most of the anime shouldn't be categorized the way I did it. There's plenty of series that strech those more than a decade, like the Dragonball ABC...Z Series and Gundamn. Have fun! PS Is there an ASF player for Linux I could get?
Oh yeah, I forgot to add the other stuff in anime. there's Manga, the comic book anime for those who like to read and there's hentai. Of course the first hentai wasn't made for the sake of porno, but of an art expression, sorta like nude paintings.
One more thing, if you ever go to an anime convention, go buy the subtitles, they're much better and the voices are actually carefully chosen for the role(most of the time at least)
If you haven't heard of half of the anime titles, they're usually import stuff which you can download(if you can find it)
Well, there is a little bit of horror/gothic element to it, but to classify it simply as that is like saying "star wars is just another sci-fi movie".
Mermaid Forest was the reason I stuck with anime (after the Cheese of Video Girl Ai, Bubble gum Crash (no where near as good as crisis) and a host of other cheesy vids).
4 thumbs up.
In the future, I would want to not be isolated from my friends in the Space Station.
I always like Operation Ako... it pokes fun at all the cliches in anime. You've got the random girl with super powers, mech battles in front of the school, alien invasions, etc etc etc. Quite amusing, actually.
It's an interesting story very told in a unique manner. It essentially starts in the middle, and fills in backstory as the action happens. It takes a bit to get into it, but I think it's worth it. Saw it on the local PBS station (they're playing Urersei Yatsura and Neon Genesis Evangalon now), but it's on video (DVD on the way).
Visit AnimeDen for LOTS of stuff on anime. Or contact Kallesin, the webmaster, directly: kallesin@animeden.com
How could Taco recommend Ninja Scroll? I've seen it, and perhaps I'm missing some underlying meaning, but I thought it was a gore-and-sex-fest (although the sex isn't that graphic) without much redeeming value at all. Yeah, the art's pretty, and Jubei's a cool character. But that's all. In addition, I've seen a lot of people recommend Akira. My advice to people who haven't seen Akira: Don't see it. The plot is horrible, both in content and how it was mutilated from the original manga. Although some of the animation is nice, the artwork is rather sub-par. I've got nothing against a good action flick, but there's something wrong about the last third of the movie involving the main character's body swelling, becoming a giant mutant baby, squishing the only good character in the movie, and all the while Tetsu and Kaneda yell "Kaneda!" and "Tetsuo!" at each other. Read the manga if you're at all interested in Akira... A few animes I'd recommend that fall into the action category are Iria, Armitage III (see the OAV rather than the movie, if at all possible), and Ghost in the Shell (many people have already mentioned the last). Vampire Hunter D is also decent, but again, it's a little gore-heavy and plot-thin for my tastes.
Karma: Terrifying (mostly affected by atrocities you've committed)
Romantic comedies like Video Girl Ai, DNA^2 and I's.
Check out X/1999 and EVA for cool story line.
Don't forget about the classic KOR (Orange Road).
UY TV Vol. 1 was the video rental that changed my life and turned me into an otaku back in '94. (Although I had seen anime back in the 80's like Capt. Harlock and Mazinger Z). Check both the american distributor's web site http://www.animeigo.com and the offical fan site http://www.tomobiki.com
I'm so tired I haven't slept a wink. I'm so tired my mind is on the brink. I wonder if I should get up and fix myself
While I consider Serial Experiments Lain to be on the top of my list as far as depth and complexity go, Eva is right up there as well. 27 episodes, with movies and an alternate ending as well. The ending crafted for the original series was something of a letdown after the amazing buildup; I found the alternate far more suitable. I've yet to meet anyone who's had anything negative to say about Eva after watching the entire series to its conclusion.
If you're interested in samurai-era Japan I would also suggest Rurouni Kenshin. Focus on the 4-part OVA, and chew on pieces of the massive series as you see fit before watching the movie. Personally I haven't seen much of the series, but the OVA itself is spectacular.
There are of course others, but being a "casual" aficionado of high-quality anime these few stick out as being particularly well-done.
http://www.a-kon.com/
June 2-4, 2000
I am not affiliated with A-kon, but I figured that some
slashdot readers might be headed that way.
And if so, might consider filing a report on what's new,
what cool, what's cosplay, when they get back.
I am submitting this as a thread idea for June 5th (Monday) or 6th;
to give more slashdotters who do attend more time to get home
and collect their thoughts before posting.
Please forgive this shameless plug for the Con I am volunteered
to: nandesukan - http://www.ndk.cc (Oct. 2000 / Denver CO.)
Unfortunately it can ring all too true, as Anime can fast become
a very expensive hobby; especially once you move past videos
into the realm of anime merchandise:
Posters, T-shirts, Art Books, Models and model kits, J-Pop,
Games, etc...
Before you get in too deep...
(or to help you on your slide into deeper addiction)
here are a few quick notes and a
few (more or less) obscure reccomendations of my favorites.
Definitions (from my POV) -
Anime: (Ah-knee-may)
In general this refers to animated stories produced primarily
by and for a Japanese audience. Specifically it refers to the artistic
style of using animation as a vehicle for the story presentation -
much in the same way Black-and-White film is used for Film Noir or
"classic" looking movies. Particularly (from the western viewpoint),
it refers to stories that are presented with the artistic and cultural
influences of Japanese society as the underlying theme.
From the Japanese point of view, however, anime refers to all animation;
so even Disney, Dreamworks, Pixar, Cartoon Network... would be considered
as "anime" to some audiences. The greater difference is that Western
producers still have the stigma of treating animation as a method
"for kids" to produce "cartoons"; while the Eastern producers did
not fall subject to the Comic Book Code of the 1950-60s, and as
such were able to provide a richer and wider range of story elements,
to include more mature, sophisticated, and even adult themes than
is generally available from American animation.
Another notable difference in the creation of Anime is that the
artistic style applied to a given story is generally made in the
same style as one "Master artist" with an emphasis on consistency
and attention to detail.
Manga: (Mon-gah)
This is the Japanese equivalent of the "Graphic Novel".
They are hand-drawn stories that also follow much of the same
artistic stylization that is applied to Anime. Most appear
to be drawn on Black-on-White, placing more emphasis on
the use of detail and drawing elements than color as
a means of expression.
Many popular anime shows are an offshoot of a popular Manga
storyline (more or less the same characters and plot are
carried over). And Manga itself is becoming more popular
as it is translated and brought over as Graphic Novels or
independent Comic books.
Reccomendations:
#1. Use the Net. As Anime gains more mainstream popularity, more
sites are developed to promote particular shows. Much information
that was once only posted in Japanese is being translated/ported
into English and other local fan languages.
#2. Find a local Anime group. As good as the Net is, there
is an additional benefit to developing friedships with people
who may be even greater anime enthusiasts. Not only can
they provide insight and information about many shows that is
not generally known; they are also a good source for good
but obscure anime that may never reach sufficient market
share to find a Western distributor.
Note: some of the recommendations below you may not be able to
find commercially available - that is another reason to check
with local groups that might be able to give you a special showing
of the material. I will mark (FAF) - "Find a Friend" after those
I do not think you will be easily able to find.
Robot Carnival (FAF)
This is the "Whitman's Sampler" of Anime.
Several different artists/studios tell stories all based around
the theme of Robots / the interaction of Robots with Humanity.
The greatest benefit of this classic is how it exposes the viewer
to many different styles and genre's that Anime can encompass.
If you like the idea of "concept" albums or science fiction
anthologies you will find this classic to be a thrill as well.
Key the Metal Idol
Before there was Lain, there was Key...
Key must make 30,000 friends to become human...
The opening and closing sequences are just as cool (as S.E. Lain),
and the rest is of the story is an exhilirating means to
make you say "What the ----?" after almost every episode.
Like a great mystery, It all fits together in the end.
Vision of Escaflowne
Most people I've spoken to about this are completely hooked after
the second episode.
Giant Robo
I've only seen one episode (the end), and I know I must see
the rest now to figure out what led to such a heroic epic.
Yuu Yuu Hakusho (FAF)
I don't know if the series is available over here yet but...
CmdrTaco, if you think DBZ is like the WWF, then YYH is
the anime equivalent of the Ultimate Fighting Challenge.
(You can get one, or both, of the movies - but like the
X-files movie, you don't get much from it unless you are already
familiar with the series.)
GunBuster (FAF)
An Anime classic; this show is both a parody of many sports
related and giant robot shows, and an epic space opera in
its own right.
Otaku no Video
This is the video you get when you're ready for the
anime "Twelve Step" program.
(Also, both Gunbuster and Otaku no Video are Gainax productions, the
same studio behind Neon Genesis Evangelion and Kareshi Kanojo No Jijou).
Ping Pong Club (FAF)
For those who may think the Japanese could never come up with
something like "South Park" or "Beavis and Butthead"...
Maho Tsukai Tai
A light hearted comedy about an alien invasion, and high schoolers
who try to fight it by learning... magic?
Patlabor (esp. the movies)
In a future where mecha are used as industrial machines, Police
mecha are needed when things go wrong.
Batsu and Terry / Dirty Pair: Project Eden (FAF)
This was originally shown as a double feature -
Batsu and Terry was described by one friend as "full contact baseball"
Project Eden is a classic example of the antics of two of anime's
most dangerous (collateral damage wise) secret agents.
also on Cartoon Network..i get more out of this series each time i watch it. The story seems at first to only be a front for cool Robot battles, however, its really much deeper than that. It explores man's desire to fight, honor, and the necessary precursors to peace. bruce
MD Geist one and two along with Akira and the Macross series. also just saw Princess Monanoke, pretty cool big budget dubbed Anime flick. although if you are looking for something that has a few off the wall ideas as well as the usual Anime girl with gun kickin ass scenes, you may wish to check out Armitage III, it's a pretty decent series, although I didn't like how the dubbing was done in the movie.
What strange dreams are these that so consume men's minds?
Revolutionary Girl Utena is available on DVD, but only the first story arc - the warning is - It's addictive. Incredibly, stupidly, wonderfully addictive.
Synopses and character bios at:
http://www.duellists.tj
"We're not allies."
"Then, what are we?"
"We're Duellists."
---------
---------
I'd kill for a Nobel Peace Prize.
the ramifications of sex with demons? there are no ramifactions because demons don't exist!!!
now, i know i've come across as simply bashing the flick, but i respect john's opinion and am offering a counter-argument. my favorite anime is akira, with battle angel a close second. urutsokidoji is what you watch if you are:
- a lame-ass who is simply trying to show off how perverted you are to your friends - "check this movie out guys, it's SOOO fucked, i love it, aren't i SOOO fucked, don't you view me with some sort of new respect now?"
- actually a sicko pervert - *sloshing noises*
- some frat-brat wannabes who sit around giggling at bad anime and drinking pabst - "ooh!!! duuuude! sweeeet!"
- someone who read a review of it written by one of the preceding and was misled into thinking it wouldn't be a waste of your time. - "wow. more rape and death. how novel."
unbiased as always!!!grizzo: totally insecure, but very convenient.
Kite - The Professional meets La Femme Nikita...fabulous.
Iria - Great OVA series.
Record Of Lodoss War - Nuff said.
Fushigi Yugi - Just got the first boxed set, now I gotta wait till November to see the end...nooooo!
All of these are available on DVD, and please god don't watch the dub...the american voice actors ALWAYS suck. Witness Keifer Sutherland in Armitage III.
Other series I'd recommend are as follows (apologies if any of these have already been mentioned):
Appears I haven't been keeping up on my information - Amazon is now listing the DVD release date on Mononoke Hime as 1/2001. Pity - I was looking forward to snapping it up the day it was released.
One of his first works, an amazing film, and an even better manga series. The story follows a young girl in a post-apocalyptic future, where jungles of toxic plant life has taken over. She attempt to understand and live among the forest, rather than see it destroyed by other humans. Highly reccommended. Laputa, Castle In the Sky
Again, amazing art and a fantastic story. It follows a young girl named Sheeta who holds a mystical stone that will unlock the treasures of the Laputa. This stone makes her the target of government agencies and sky pirates. Topped off with some of the greatest music in an anime that I've ever had the pleasure of listening to. Princess Mononoke
Probably the most popular Miyazaki film, very easy to find here in the US, and it was in theatres (art houses) for a short while. It's sort of based on Japanese folklore, a story about man and his fight with the surrounding environment. Some of his best work to date. Here's a good review if you're interested.
Fun/Action Guyver
This is just a fun anime series to watch. No real significance in the plot, but its got some good animation and a lot of good action. A boy named Sho Fukamachi finds a Bio-Booster armor, which transforms him into an alien fighting machine. The armor belonged to an evil corporation, controlled by alien/human hybrids who want to conquer the Earth. Gundam
This one should go without saying. One of the biggest anime series' ever in Japan, plus with Gundam Wing on Cartoon Network, its easily accessible. Macross Plus
If you don't remember Robotech from your childhood, then your childhood must have sucked. Awesome stuff, not much of a fan of the movies, though.
Other Reccommended Wings of Honneamise
Amazing animation, and a great story. Sort of an alternate world story, a young boy named Shirotsu wants to become a pilot, but ends up having to join the Space Force. (sort of like joining the foreign legion, last resort kinda thing) He ends up, through a series of events, attempting to become the first man to go into space. Just avoid the crappy dubbed version if possible. The Mysterious Cities of Gold
I cant say enough good things about one of my favorite series of all time. It follows a boy named Esteban in the early 1500s, who seems to have the power to bring out the sun. He was orphaned at sea, and has lived in Spain his whole life. Through a series of events, he sets off for the New World (America) to locate El Dorado, the cities of Gold. An amazing series, somewhere around 45 episodes. Also, the greatest anime soundtrack (IMHO) ever. If you didnt catch it on Nickelodeon as a kid, you missed out. I (thankfully) have all of the episodes on tape, so I'll be able to keep it forever. If you can get copies, then you're extremely lucky, since they don't make them and never have.
Thats all I can really think of right now. Those are some of the more interesting anime's I've seen. Hope it helps
Sharkeywww.badassmofo.com
Neon Gennisis Evangelion Produced by ADV.
This is by far my favorite anime. It has mecha fighting for the 6 year old in us all, love subplots for the romantics in us; it has a little religion in there to keep things interesting and mysterious, but the part that I enjoy best: The main characters are 14 year old kids with mental problems. It's 26 episodes long with two movies that will be produced by Manga sometime in the near future.
Those Who Hunt Elves also by ADV.
A light 10 episode comedy about three people trying to find spell fragments so they can get home. The problem is that the spell fragments are tattooed on the naked bodies of elves. This makes for some interesting viewing when one of the main characters -- A body builder that knows no manners -- tries to help out. It isn't the most sophisticated anime, and the art is so-so, but I enjoy it on a weekend with a Jolt or other caffinated beverage.
Macross Plus by Manga
A hardcore Jet/Robot anime in 8 episodes. The art is fantastic. It's been a while since I've seen this, but I remember the awesome scenes of dogfighting. It has a subplot of an AI falling in love with a pilot. All in all, good for a late night when you can't fall asleep.
Princess Mononoke by Miramax
This movie has brought back my respect for dubs. Due out soon on VHS and DVD, this is the most wonderful anime movie I've ever watched. It has Gillian Anderson as a giant wolf god. This movie tells the story of a cursed tribal leader and his quest to be reconciled with nature. A must see, no matter what you like.
That's my short list, I have a few other titles. If you'd like to see them, just E-Mail me.
Ja Ne!
"It's the little touches that make a future solid enough to be destroyed" --William S. Bourroughs
I agree - Ranma 1/2 is definitely some of the most hilarious anime.
Fushigi Yuugi is a well-crafted shoujo tale with all a good movie needs - swords and spells, archrivals, humor, romance, and epic adventure.
Tenkuu no Escaflowne (Vision of Escaflowne) is an interesting combination of Fantasy and Sci-fi, and Lodoss Wars is good-old-fashioned D&D fun.
Sailor Moon is something every anime fan should see at least once - although it's aimed somewhat at younger people, it is still hilarious and at the same time action-packed.
-- Qirien, Academy of Defenestration
-- Qirien, Academy of Defenestration
"Who do you want to defenestrate today?"
Classics: Battleship Yamoto (aka Star Blazers), originals much better than what aired on US TV. Devil Hunter Yohko Ghost in the Shell Gundam stuff Macross Plus Dominion Tank Police - Police with tanks, what more do you want? Ninja Scroll Records of the Lodoss Wars Maps I'd avoid Oh!My Goddess. I like the manga, but the anime causes cavities it's so syrupy.
I also like Giant Robo. It pretty much is an old-school giant robot anime, but on a grand scale, with a more complex plot (and more violence) than something like Voltron. I thought the first tape was weak, but it got a lot better.
Unfortunately, neither of these are available on DVD yet.
Urusei Yatsura or, "Those Obnoxious Aliens", is the creation of Rumiko Takahashi (who also did Ranma 1/2) has got to be one of the best anime series ever. It was ( I believe ) Japan's longest running TV series, and there are a bunch of movies and direct to video releases as well.
While it's not the total sci-fi bloodfest variety, U.Y. is hilarious and very sexy, as long as you're turned on by sexy demon women with green hair and fangs wearing tiger-striped bikinis. I highly recommend it for something a little lighter and weirder than usual.
-------------------------------------------------
I bent my wookie
I've seen all 26 episodes of Eva. It is a great series based on the Dead Sea Scrolls. The plot is incredible and the characters are fun. Since you're looking for DVDs you're in for a better deal too. The first DVD contains the first 4 episodes. I believe the VHS versions were all seperate or had only 2 episodes on them. Also, if you really get into this series and have seen all the episodes, there is an Eva movie also. Death and Rebirth, you'll probably only find the movie subtitled but its worth watching.
Here are just a few.
Area 88 - It even has a good story. Hired or Sold pilots fight in a Mercenary Airforce for a small country. 3 tape series
Robotec - Condensed Version is 9 hours, And you have to do it in one day.
...would be Lensman. I don't know if it's a "traditional" Anime, but it's definately a good movie.
Princess Mononoke - nature vs human excellent art...story line superb
Slayers - powerful female magic user saves world...art is pretty good and the story line is hilarious good stuff =)
Evangelion - young teens in armored suits battle creatures trying to destroy the earth...art is awesome...storyline great...very good stuff
Escaflowne - girl gets transported to an invisible planet where there men fight in armored suits...again art is wonderful and the story is great till it gets weird at the end
DNA^2 - art is good...storyline is hilarious...many gratuitous panty shots =) cute anime chickies too
Wicked City - art is great and a cool weird story
I know there is a lot of stuff I'm missing...
Oh yeah duh Gundam 083 =) awesome art another story about armored mobile suits...good story...cool fighting
My Home: Apartment6
Lain's a great show. One of the few that actually make you think. Don't watch it for the animation as there's really not much, but that doesn't take anything away.
Cowboy Bebop's a work of art. Fun storytelling, great animation, and superb music (Yoko Kanno is a goddess). Be sure to check out the other work that the animators did: Macross Plus, and Escaflowne (The latter being one of my all time favorite TV series).
You'll get a lot of mentions for Ranma and Tenchi Muyo, but I find both of them overrated. They are cute and fun at first, but then drag out to repition. Yawn.
While Ghost in the Shell is a great movie, it too is terribly overrated, and is not the "classic" that people make it out to be. Check out previous works by the director: the two Patlabor movies (which will hopefully be out on DVD by the end of the year). I consider Patlabor 2 to be of the three best anime movies ever made.
Speaking of anime movies, there's the definitive classic, Wings of Honneamise. This is generaly conisdered to be the best anime movie, or even animated movie, ever made. The DVD should be out soon, but then again they've been saying that for the last two years.
The people who made Honneamise is a group called Gainax, and everything they have made is brilliant. Luckily most of them have been released over here: Gunbuster, Nadia, Otaku no Video, Evangelion, and Kare Kano (coming soon). Sadly only Evangelion has been released on DVD so far.
Of course, one can't mention great anime without mentioning Studio Ghibli. They've finally gained popularity over here with the releases of Kiki's Delivery Service and Princess Mononoke. Everything they touch turns to gold and must be seen.
Another great is Castle of Cagliostro, which is by the director of Kiki and Mononoke. While it is from the late '70s many modern works can't touch it for action or plot.
Speaking of '70s anime, there's the true classic, Mobile Suit Gundam. There are three movies out that cover the original series. It may be 20 years old, but it still is one of the best science fiction series out there.
There's so much more to talk about, like titles coming soon to DVD (Video Girl Ai, Please Save My Earth, Key the Metal Idol), titles only available on VHS or LD (Here is Greenwood, Kimagure Orange Road), and stuff that'll never be released over here (Initial D, Arion, Weathering Continent).
If you want more info, I highly recommend EX Magazine. It is the best anime magazine out there, electronic or print.
...
If you're into romantic dramas at all, you have to see this series about a struggling college entrant who falls in love with his boarding house manager. The series is a bit long at 96 episodes, but is well-worth it. The accompanying music fits the series' various moods very well, and is also worth listening to by itself. The TV series' US domestic release is by Viz Video; there's also a movie and a 30-minute video, but those haven't been domestically licensed, AFAIK.
"Kimagure Orange Road" is another show that you should see. It's more of a fantasy with its "ESP-er" elements than the well-grounded Maison Ikkoku, but the basic storyline -- high-school boy falls in love with girl whose best friend falls in love (kinda) with him -- can't be beat. The 48-episode TV series, plus five 30-minute videos and two movies are available in the U.S. from AnimEigo.
Ayup. Slayers is just /too/ funny not to see! :-D
:-)
BTW, "guy surrounded by many girls" is Tenchi Syndrome!
The End of Evangelion movie, in my books, _the_ best movie ever made, bar none, anime or no anime. Some would call it, yet again, a glorified action-flick alternate ending as compared with the original episode 25 and 26, but it really is just so much more.
Not exactly the happiest movie that I've ever seen, and it certainly created about as many new confusing points as it clarified, but it really is, in many ways, Evangelion in its most concentrated form.
Taking a step back, we can also see that the entire series was heavily researched in terms of all the points that it tries to cover: adolescence, religion, philosophy, psychology, God, etc. While not exactly orthodox in any of its applications of the above, the work that they put in is obvious, and makes for a series that you come back to, time and time again.
Thought Experiments: Lain at
http://www.cjas.org/~leng/lain.htm
contains more than you'd ever want to know about Lain, including the desktops that were used. Hope that helps.
Lain: for the people who think they truly grok Evangelion. (a scientific impossibility, really, for anyone, including it's author).
And on the thread of poorly drawn, poorly [translated], this is a warning to stay the hell away from the Mixxzine translations of SailorMoon, especially if you've been watching the fansubs, and not the Cartoon Network versions. You _will_ be offended at the atrocity of the translation, which is bad, even by normal commerical dub/sub standards:
since when did Mixx start hiring people who speak exclusively Swahili and Esperanto to translate Japanese manga to English anyway?!!???!!
Parody: Slayers does parody quite well, actually, but in a more subtle form, that's all.
;)
It has everything from Gainax bounce, to bad-tempered protagonists, to insanely powerful demons that like to play games, to people whose appetites are directly responsible for world famine!
What more could ya want?
Since just about everything else I like has been mentioned here, I'll just plug Sakura wars a bit:
Sure, it's a video game conversion, but it's *a lot* better than stuff like Tekken: the movie, and Sonic: the movie. It actually has a plot, and really good opening music! ^_^
To summarize, it is/has: touch of Tenchi syndrome, some mecha fighting, theatrical productions!
Go watch! It's actually good.
On the side, Those Who Hunt Elves looks really good too.
RoLW has got to be some of the best Anime I have seen. I highly recommend it.
You can get the entire series on DVD, and it is much cheaper then the VHS version.
There is also a new spin-off on the original series, but I don't know much about it.
Please don't call "Perfect Blue" a thriller on Hitchcock's level. That is almost offensive. I have to say that in almost all aspects, Perfect Blue was below par compared to most anime. The plot was weak, the visuals ineffective, the themes poorly developed. I heartily dont recommend this. And I wouldn't bag on a movie like that unless I really meant it. I'm not a big fan of Evangelion or some others that were mentioned in the comments, but goddamn Perfect Blue sucked. Just want to let everyone know. As far as reommendations, Almost any Studio Ghibli film (Miyazaki and Takahata, directing.) My Neighbor Totoro is the obvious favorite, but Princess Mononoke is equally incredible. Almost all anime scholars agree anime doesn't get better than Studio Ghibli. Macross Plus, if you dont see any other Robotech/Macross based anime, you should definitely see this series. For me it defines the Macross universe. The first and third Macross series are also indispensible, but not quite as accessible as Plus. A series I checked out recently, Visions of Escaflowne, was very good, if derivative. Basically a mechs meet castes and magic kind of story, very entertaining. Also I have started checking out a series called "Kenshin." Basically a swords and honor type, so far it is pretty good. Maybe more later. Peace!
Let me reformat:
Please don't call "Perfect Blue" a thriller on Hitchcock's level. That is almost offensive. I have to say that in almost all aspects, Perfect Blue was below par compared to most anime.
The plot was weak, the visuals ineffective, the themes poorly developed. I heartily dont recommend this.
And I wouldn't bag on a movie like that unless I really meant it. I'm not a big fan of Evangelion or some others that were mentioned in the comments, but goddamn Perfect Blue sucked. Just want to let everyone know.
As far as reommendations, Almost any Studio Ghibli film (Miyazaki and Takahata, directing.) My Neighbor Totoro is the obvious favorite, but Princess Mononoke is equally incredible. Almost all anime scholars agree anime doesn't get better than Studio Ghibli.
Macross Plus, if you dont see any other Robotech/Macross based anime, you should definitely see this series. For me it defines the Macross universe. The first and third Macross series are also indispensible, but not quite as accessible as Plus.
A series I checked out recently, Visions of Escaflowne, was very good, if derivative. Basically a mechs meet castes and magic kind of story, very entertaining.
Also I have started checking out a series called "Kenshin." Basically a swords and honor type, so far it is pretty good.
Maybe more later. Peace!
Disregarding plot weaknesses, the first time I saw the Fifth Element, I was really stunned at how much I felt as if I had just watched a live-action Anime movie.
Something about the design of the characters, the design of the spaceships, and the nature of the action. I mean, it definitely didn't remind me of Star {Wars | Trek} at all. I consider the 5th E. to be the first of these Anime live-action, but that's just my reckoning.
Peace,
23_Elders (of Anime)
Tentical fetish.... Oh yeah....
One of the best is Wings of Honneamise, and I haven't seen it mentioned yet. An "elseworlds" sort of story where a Japanese type society gets into and arms/space race with a Chinese style society. Unforgetable visual design, good story. Character driven. Don't miss it.
I'm suprised noone has mentioned animeondvd.com. It's a wonderful site that focus's on the the whole anime scene from a purely dvd aspect.
Neon Genesis Evangelion A very good one with giant mecha, odd cabbalistic iconography, and a very dark undertone. The animation is great and if you get the subtitled version the voice acting is too. Run a web search on this if you want 10 million web pages extolling its virtues.
Escaflowne I've only seen one episode, but it was way sweet!
Monoke-hime This should have a major DVD release later this month, I think the 17th. Listen to the japanese soundtrack with english subtitles so you don't have to be annoyed by Claire Danes and Billy Bob Thornton.
Zeiram A cool sci-fi action one centered on the combat between a bounty hunter named Iria and monster/mutant/killer/criminal thing named Zeiram. As always avoid the word 'dubbed'.
Nausicaa of the Valley of the Wind (by Miyazaki of Princess Mononoke fame -- in fact, anything by him is good)
Gundam 0083: Stardust Memory (actually, most everything in the Universal Century timeline is good when it comes to Gundam -- The Gundam Project has lots of good background info
Patlabor: The Movie (Patlabor 2 is good as well as the Griffin Saga)
Record of Lodoss War
Macross: Do You Remember Love?
A couple others that aren't necessarily "must-see" but are still worth seeing:
Bubblegum Crisis (the prequel, A.D. Police Files, is pretty good as well)
Bastard!
The Professional (an animated Golgo 13 movie)
Megazone 23
hof
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Well, not all of it yet, but just yesterday I picked up episodes 1-4 on one disc (out of 26 episodes, and two feature films) for a mere $25. Even cheaper here at reel.com.
The great thing is, you can pick sub, or dub (in 4 different languages) on the same disc, and even flip on the fly.
The other 6 discs ought to come out about 2-3 months apart, starting soon. This is definetly one of the greatest animes out there, and I HIGHLY recommend it to newcomers of anime who value story and character development over action. Its very complex and well-made, giving it an awesome replay value. Check it out!
Any from the Gundam series is good, although "Gundam Wing" is the most accessible. Also try "Ghost in the Shell". Try to avoid "Kiki's Delivery Service". We just got some Gundam models at our house. They rock.
I love the smell of napalm in the morning....
I know everyone will have their own list, but I figured I'd contribute part of mine.
Some titles that I haven't seen much mention of here but are definately worth a look are Combustible Campus Guardress, and Dragon Half. I don't believe you can get anything but a fansub of CCG in the US, but I do believe Amazon has Dragon Half available on VHS, with a DVD imminent.
Another excellent, if somewhat confusing title is X/1999. This was in theaters recently in the US, and will be out on DVD this summer.
You can find oodles of info on these anime (and many others) at AniPike. Happy hunting!
I must agree Lain is quiet deep, but I would also suggest:
... I'm not sure whether or not you can get DVD's yet but I know you can order from them but I would check it out!
Rourini Kenshin (95 episodes plus 4 ovas) I believe the ovas come out on DVD in mid July, August.
Basic plot is that of a samuri (at the beginning of the Meji Era) with a dark past who now wants to pay back his debt to society by helping the poor and weak. I found it to be (I watched the episodes first) playful on some levels, but what needed to be said was said artistically and with meaning. (blah, blah, blah). I would highly suggest watching the episodes first because the ovas make a lot more sense.
Since you've also liked Lain, I think you might also want to try (Neo Genesis)Evangelion. It's my understanding that there are 26 episodes and 2 ovas... (I'm trying to work some overtime so I can by them). I have seen Ova 1 (please correct me if I'm mistaken) in DVD on amazon.com I have yet to find the episodes.... I may have missed it. [Yes other people have said]
The company that makes Rourini Kenshin (and I am impressed with their story telling) have a website Sakura Anime they have other titles that they are working on and have completed
Does anybody know if layer 08 - 11 of Lain is actually available?
Nuff Respec'
DeICQLady
7D3 CPE
>if you haven't seen the DVD version and all it's extras, do so.
My favorite comment in the interview stuff about the Warchowski (probably misspelled) brothers is about their directing style. Something like:
Here you have two guys trying to solve a problem with how to shoot a scene and they are talking it through and experimenting with different ideas... normally with one director this is all taking place in his head but here you get a glimpse into the process with these two guys doing it externally.
Cool stuff.
There is much cruelty in the universe, John.
Yeah, we seem to have the tour map.
INNSHO, Ghost in the Shell is the best anime movie around. The story is an interesting look at the future when computers and robotics are integrated into peoples bodies. They refer to your soul as your ghost, and even deal with a hacker that can reprogram the ghost. The animation is incredible and the story is one of the best I've seen. A must see!
/Hmmm... All my favorites are in the "surreal/creepy" category. Utena is very good, and EP 01-13 are available on DVD. Vampire Princess Miyu is great, but it is only available fansubbed.
I would also like to add another category to your list...
Opera
Marmalade Boy (soap)
Legend of the Galactic Heroes (space)
I saw Mononoke Hime (Princess Mononoke) mentioned a few times, but My Neighbor Totoro and Kiki's Delivery Service are also at the top of my list. Personally I can't stand the dubbed Kiki's. The dubbed Totoro isn't bad. But sub or dub, just watch them. Yeah, I know there isn't any gigantic battling robots and no naughty tentacles, but maybe that's what makes them so great.
Peace. Sway
Peace. Sway
1) Akira
2) Ghost in the Shell
3) Ninja Scroll
4) Vampire Hunter D
I've seen that. It is one of most twisted and sick movies you will ever see. I highly recommend it :)
-
I just remember watching a ton of Voltron, Grandizer, Mazinger Z, Robotech, Thundercats, etc. Are not these manga/anime also? I agree with most choices like Ninja Scroll rocks, Vampire Hunter D is also cool. -Groundhog 01357131719232729...
Another one you should consider is Fists of the North Star. An excellent anime
Lots of good suggestions here. Certainly agree that Lain is outstanding -- and that if you liked Lain, you should see Neon Genesis Evangelion .
Re. Bubblegum Crisis : The original is outstanding, and I think the new TV version is at least as good. Since it's a TV series rather than OVA, the writers/director has had more time to develop the story more subtly and more cleverly.
Re. Ranma 1/2 : the first season is a must-see. After that, it goes down hill fast.
I don't think anyone has mentioned Devil Hunter Yoko . I've only seen the first couple of eps, but it's a goofy, funny take on the magical-girl-versus-supernatural-baddies formula.
Gunbuster , while dated, is worth a look. At first it may seem like another Studio Gianax jiggle-fest, but it turns out to be an interesting look at the effect of relativity and time-dilation on those who live and work on high-speed spaceships.
I could ramble for another hour, but I'll stop now.
Speaking of anime: a no-prize goes to the first person to identify where my username comes from.
Shameless plug: Once it's actually on line, in about a week, TETSUJIN.ORG will be a fine place to talk about anime, or anything else having to do with Japan.
"It's that guy!"
- - - -
The real Tetsujin 28 is a giant robot.
Also, is it just me, or does every episode of DBZ consist of a half-hour of two dudes falling endlessly through the sky, screaming back and forth, and maybe punching each other every 90 seconds or so? Gives me a headache, personally..
Sheesh... well, to each his own I suppose..
seanmeister
Ruin Explorer is probably my favorite anime... it's funny and a good adventure... lots of twists and turns... i've seen it with japenese subtitles and then again in english and it's definitely better in japenese... it's a two tape series... Just my two cents :)
Krystalia
About 3 years ago I saw this great series about 3 or 4 brothers who each had a super power, I think it was called the Dragon Kings but I am not sure of the title... can anyone help me find out? one of the brothers could run really fast, one was a school teacher at the same private school his younger brothers attended, the parents are deceased (or were in the episode I saw... a link to a website would be great!
I know most of us may not have kids, but for those older geeks, I suggest Kiki's Delivery service... It is by the same guy who did Princess Mononoke, the art is great, the story is not horrible, and get this- THERE IS NO BAD GUY, VILLAIN, NEMESIS, ANTAGONIST!!!! It is perfect for kids, and for the true anime buff, they will appreciate its simplicity!
I never said they had value and prefaced it with the fact that they are perverse. You seem to have seen them, which are you? The sicko pervert?
Ok, I haven't really seen all that much, i've seen sailor moon (seasons 1 and 2 dubbed from CN (cartoon network) and fansubbed, and season 5 subbed.. .rm's available from .. http://senshitv.dhs.org i believe. That's off the top of my head. I think it also has Macross 7 .rm's.) Anyway, Dragon Ball Z from CN, Ronin Warriors from CN, Some of robotech (CN), Saber Marionette J(fansubbed), Bubble Gum Crisis 2040 (AnimEigo subbed), Nadesico (subbed somehow, forgot.), Oh! My Goddess, Gundam Wing (CN).. I think that's it. Will watch Neon Genesis Evangelion, Ranma 1/2, and Tenchi Muyo soon (Actually, I saw one of the movies on sci-fi before.. looked pretty good)
:)
Of those, I really recommend Saber Marionette I don't know of the other series (anything beyond J), but I really liked that series.. Essentially there's a spaceship, it has problems, escape pod ejects, crashes onto a planet, and only 6 males survive. Through cloning, they build a world (with 6 countries, each of the original survivors create a country similar to a nation from our current world). They have emotionless robots in the form of females called Marionettes.. But some were developed with emotion chips (maiden circuits, whatever you want to call them), that let them act like real females would. Great series.
I also liked Oh! My Goddess, and Bubble Gum Crisis 2040.
Personally, I couldn't tolerate Robotech or Macross 7, from the handful of episodes I watched of both. (Originally I didn't realize they were related, it had been over a year since I had seen Robotech, took me a while to recognize why it seemed so familiar, and a bunch of alusions to it.)
Gundam Wing was quite good, and the dubs actually weren't bad. I haven't seen the subs, but I enjoyed that one.
The others, I was kinda neutral on. Something to watch but nothing really exciting. I just watched Nadesico, but can barely even remember what happened in it.. it's something to do, and some of the characters were interesting to watch, but.. *shrug*
These are just my opinions, but I'd recommend those.. I can't believe up until now, I haven't seen Saber Marionette mentioned once. You people should be ashamed
Very good list. I'd say its the starters "need to have" list. Something to consider about anime is getting into the manga books that precede so many of these movies. Most of the critisism about "Ghost in the Shell" (still my overall favorite) was about it's mismatch with the comics. I saw the movie first and considered it fairly flawless (self consistent). The comics series is fun, a little lighter (less serious in places) and certainly has a different style but those differences didn't bother me.
Anybody know where I can find the movie soundtrack on cd? Was that cool or what!
Traa
---------------------------------
The Pincess Monomoke
Nausicca of the Valley of the Wind
My Neighour Totoro
Laputa
Kiki's Delivery Service
Porco Rosso
i.e. anything by the genius Myiazaki
also:
Neon Geneis Evangelion
Wings of Honnamise
Akira -is ok
tons of over stuff, but its late and i cant think
and no descriptions, here's a little backgound information on the most mentioned shows: Neon Genesis Evangelion: Giant robots, religion, and teen angst brought together to tell an incredably complex story. Also check out the movies, though see the entire series (INCLUDING the ending, even though some people don't like it) first. Akira: Psycopathic cyberpunk action anime. The manga (comic) is also highly recommended, as it details on the very complex plot which is has to be condensed into the movie. The end scene is pretty disturbing, not recommended for kiddies. Ghost in the Shell: Good action, a couple deep insights, but it really, really summerizes on the manga, which is much better. Again, not for the kiddies, the main hero spends most of the movie fighting completely nude (I didn't like this addition, it wasn't in the manga). Macross: One of the original big robot series (along with Gundam). Highly recommended in its original form. Macross Plus is also excellent, but in movie and OVA form. Gundam: The other original big robot series. Excellent plot, and it has been continuing on in different forms for over a decade. Gundam Wing (which is on Cartoon Network during toonami) is very highly rocommended. The Wings of Honneamise: This hasn't been mentioned much, but I really liked this movie. It excellently details the space program on a world in an alternate universe, which is much different, yet very recognizable. Vampire Hunter D: A classic of horror anime, pure and simple. It's a bit older, but if you can put up with the not-so-high-tech animation, this is a must see. Patlabor: Both of the movies are excellent, the first for its cinematogrophy and suspense, and the second for its excellent political intrigue. This is another big robots series, but it's a little more down-to-earth about them. Grave of the Fireflies: A very powerful story of war. Pretty much no action, but lots of emotions. Rojin Z (sp?): No one has mentioned this, but it's done by the same man as Akira. It has more of a silly tone to it, but at the same time is equally disturbing. Ranma 1/2: Transforming people, wacky martial arts, etc. Hilarious That's enough for now, these would probably be my highest recommendations.
I've been putting together a web-site with information and reviews on DVD Anime. You can find it here:
http://www.xalien.com/anime/
Let me know what you think.
-Steve
steve@xalien.com
I've been putting together a web-site with information and reviews on DVD Anime. You can find it here:
http://www.xalien.com/anime/
Let me know what you think.
-Steve
steve@xalien.com
Record of Lodoss War: Excellent Fantasy. Inspiration for Dungeons and Dragons Heroic Legend of Arislan: Another good fantasy epic. Battle Angel: Very good Sci Fi. It's got organ harvesting -- how bad can it be? Don't see: DNA^2: I thought it was an absolutely aweful flick. Animation was decent at best and story was poor. Sailor Moon: Very good animation. Cute girls (animated). Stupid story line. Welcome to the world of Anime. Enjoy your stay. You may not leave whenever you choose.
---------------------- "I have a firm grip on reality. Now I can strangle it."--Gordon Paynter
The release date is Jan 1, 2001, for DVD Am azon.com is pre-ordering. There does not seem to be a VHS release.
I would just like to throw in some good titles: Kite Bubblegum Crisis(and Crash for that matter) Macross(especially plus) Neon Genesis Evangelion Pet Shop of Horrors Laughing Target(most of the rumic world stuff is great) Plastic Little Dominion: Tank Police Appleseed
Super Atragon: The Movie - Definitely watch this if you like naval warfare and domination-of-earth themes.
Memories - This is really an anthology of short animes (about 40 mins each). They were made by the same person that made Ghost In The Shell. There are three shorts in there: Magnetic Rose Wonderful sci-fi art and story, with a nice operatic score from Madam Butterfly, Stink Bomb Pretty funny story of a biological weapon in the way wrong hands, and then Cannon Fodder which has a very good cinematic editing style, as well as showing you a very interesting culture.
Macross: Do You Remember Love? - This one is hard to find and if you've got it, watch it. It's simply one of the best Macross I've seen (even though the art is extremely dated).
Giant Robo - Very good, but not as good as the above.
GunSmith Cats - If you like women who pack huge guns, explosives and drive a Shelby Cobra GT500, watch this =).
God created the world in Basic, then He realized his mistake, and re-created the world in LISP.
/.'s 10 Millionth
Well not known as well in the USA than in Europe, but truly wonderful is "Space Adventure Cobra"... You got to see this one (VHS and DVD).
--- Bouh !!! ---
Actually, yes im aware that one was her brother. Despite that, he still loved her (hehe). I was just trying to keep my blurb short.
Easily one of the best anime i've seen (and i've seen lots). Very bloody, lots of action. Basically it's a bunch of super hero types investigating, hunting, and then fighting the super vilain. Cool idea behind the powers ("stands"), great animation, good storyline. 6 episodes, each about 25 min.
I've only managed to see the movie version of this, but i got the impression there was a series (or possibly a comic book) behind it. A group of magically endowed humans (called dragons in the movie, though im not sure its literal) on the sides of good and evil clash to decide the fate of earth. Caught up in (and the deciding combatants) are 2 friends both in love with the same woman. Eventually they are destined to face off. Great animation, great storyline, good characters (would have been better if it had been longer than 2 hours).
All i can say is wow. Great story, lots of twists and turns. Fantastic animation. Good balance of fighting and story, character development. Basic storyline goes... boy discovers vampires are among us, and decides to fight them, quickly discovers world isn't black and white, and must find a shade of gray to exist in.
There were only two episodes made of Dragon Half, both of which were put on the same tape by (whoever brought it over, can't think of them off the top of my head). On the other hand, try to get your hands on the manga. There's _a lot_ more covered in there. If nothing else, you'll learn exactly what that little demon kid was talking about when he said they cut his part out. I want The Godslayer of Hitpoints
Hmmm. Ah! No. Ummm. Well... There's always Monster Rancher. Though that's not a movie. That pisses me off, I was practically introduced to anime by SciFi (Vampire Hunter D).
See Demon City Shinjuku- odd but great charicters And the Record of Lodoss War - Great D&D type Also MDGeist, Vampire Hunter D, & Akira
Moderation is for monks. -Lazarus Long
My god, are there NO fans of KOR out there? I am shocked...
If you want a kickass, beautiful, smart heroine to lust after, look no further than Madoka Ayukawa the Pick.
Also check out Maison Ikkoku. The underlying angst in both of these series is almost unbearable.
--madoka
Rei,
How about this variation?
A woman's place is in the house...The White House.
--madoka
Try "Wild 7" A cool series about criminals recruited for a special anti-mob squad of motorcycle cops. Oh yeah, they don't bother with courts in this one either.
Everything's been downhill since the TRS-80
--Lain, which has already been mentioned
--Magic Knights Rayearth, subtitled
--Evangelion; there's also an EVA-02 action figure on my desk at work ^_^
--Sailor Moon, subtitled, not the ghodawful DiC dub
--Final Fantasy: Legend of the Crystals
--Golgo 13: The Professional
--some Ranma 1/2 or another I bought off a video store for $5
--Some old old old Voltron that probably doesn't really count
--a tape given to Mate, containing Fist of the North Star, Nightmare Campus, and something else with tentacles (title eludes me)
There is very little anime I will come right out and say I can't stand. Pokemon is one title that comes to mind. Dragonball Z is another. Pokemon, for what should be obvious reasons, and Dragonball because I just don't like the way it's drawn.
This is a Chao. A Chao says "Mu."
Mobile Suit Gundam Wing - Cartoon Network has this on currently. VERY VERY good. Very deep plot, and has a lot of action.
Dominion: Tank Police - The first two parts of this are EXCELLENT. The second two are kinda wacky, but the second of these two has one of the best battle scenes I've seen in a while.
Casshan, Robot Hunter - And you thought Mega Man was a badass!
Project A-Ko - Very funny, with lots of action. The poster above who mentioned this is right, it pokes fun at a lot of cliches.
Demon City Shinjuku - Another good one. Pretty violent.
Lily C.A.T. - VERY violent. Great one though. Reminds me of Alien/Aliens for some reason.
Lensman - This was the first anime I had ever seen. I forget the details on it, but I do remember liking it a lot.
Sort of soap-opera-ish, but quite a story. I wanna live on the SDF-1
hehehe too cool
i know that's not spelled correct, but it was a pretty good movie. i think. i don't know for sure. I was too stoned/drunk to comprehend. i think it had something to do with hitler's son. but like i said, i was too blasted to know.
This series is actually called "Urotsukidoji", while the tile of the first part is "Urotsukidoji : Legend of the Overfiend". I can't stress this enough, because nothing bothers me more than the number of Anime fans that hated the first part, and never bothered to watch the others.
Although I disagree that "Legend" sucked, I will definitely say it is not as good as the others, and nowhere as good as "Urotsukidoji III". I think this is a fault of the translation. The first time I saw it was while living in Japan, and my GF at the time translated what I didn't understand for me. When I saw it again dubbed in english, it was not nearly as good, and filled with poor puns. I've heard that the subbed version has better translations, but I've never seen it myself, so I can't say for sure.
Part III is broken into 5 episodes itself (Birth of the Overfiend, Curse of the Overfiend, Final Inferno, Legend of the Demon Womb, Battle at the Shinjuku Skyscrapers), and you don't really need to see the first 2 parts to follow. As a matter of fact, I think the first part would definitely make more sense if seen after part 3.
A truly Bizarre Anime series, one that absolutely everyone (of appropriate age, definitley not for kids) who is a fan of Anime should watch.
However, if you are absolutely offended by Violence, Pr0n, Demons, etc. (You're an Anime fan?) you should stay away.
-Tommy
------
"I do not think much of a man who is not wiser today than he was yesterday."
"I got a half gallon of Jack, and 2 dozen Ant Traps. I'm about to get wild." -me
Part III is broken into 5 episodes itself (Birth of the Overfiend, Curse of the Overfiend, Final Inferno, Legend of the Demon Womb, Battle at the Shinjuku Skyscrapers)
That statement is sooo incorrect. Those are the 5 episodes from the Perfect Collection.
Part III is actually "Urotsukidoji III: Return of the Overfiend" and is 4 episodes, 1 through 4.
My sincere apologies, I got excited and confused myself. I stand by the rest of my post.
-Tommy
------
"I do not think much of a man who is not wiser today than he was yesterday."
"I got a half gallon of Jack, and 2 dozen Ant Traps. I'm about to get wild." -me
I definitely second the mention of Nadesico (though I believe it is called Martian Successor Nadesico here in the states?). Well written, great characters, good story, and there is an anime-within-an-anime that is good for some wonderful fourth-wall-breaking of the series poking fun at itself. Unfortunately, it isn't out on DVD yet that I know.
-- Rob "Xemu" Fermier
Im really surprised the Heroic Legend of Prince Arislan series, one of my favorites, has only been mentioned once when nearly every other anime I would list has been repeated already, though I want to warn that Age of Heroes, or Part 5 should be ommitted, because its one of the worst series endings Ive ever seen, even though Parts 1 through 4 leave you craving the next one. Fantastic faux mideval setting, which leads me on...
Yes, the Record of Lodoss War is another must, but please dont confuse it with the lesser TV series [6 Parts is good, 9 Parts is bad]. It took a few times to make it all the way through, but it never got tedious.
Green Legend Ran, not Ran is also pretty good. Its not five star material, and maybe Im only mentioning it because its one of the most recent in my mind, but I thought it kept my eyes on the screen more than not.
Another that of course everyone has brought up, but I will hail is Akira. Even though I dont think its the flagship of anime, it certainly forged paths for works to follow, good and not-so-good alike.
Props go out to the ones that already have enough said about them like Ninja Scroll [one of my earliest experiences was with Jubei], MD Geist, Vampire Hunter D, Ghost in the Shell, Tenchi Muyo [yes, only the first movie, none of the show], Demon City, and Ranma 1/2.
btw, I cant remember if youve got a Family Video nearby, but here in Muskegon their selection far surpasses Blockbusters, and its not even owned by Viacom®. I am also a regular at AnimeNation .
...or you could just go back to Ultra 7 and Voltron.
Well, you've put up some good titles. It seems that your list is more toward the violence genre.
Here are some other titles, by genre, worth seeing:
Science-Fiction
Neon Genesis Evangelion -- Based off the Dead Sea Scrolls, man tries to create god through his inventions, and instead rains the destruction of the Earth upon its people.
Key the Metal Idol -- Though a bit less hyped up and known, Key still has not only a cuteness factor to it, but a dark and mezmorising feature to itself. It's a show you can't stop watching, because of the weird twists it takes. It's about a girl who's a machine built by a man, who continues giving her new bodies as she grows, just like a real girl. Unfortunately, he passes away before she can be completed. He leaves behind a message saying that she can become real if she can get 100,000 people to love her.
Fantasy
Vision of Escaflowne -- A girl with mystical powers has strange visions of the future, some of which involve tragedy with people close to her. One of the few fantasy animes with really cool mechas, as well.
Record of Lodoss War -- Based off role-playing adventures published in novel format, this series is a must-see for all fantasy buffs. Dragons, magic, warriors, kings, thieves, elves . . . It has it all.
Romance
Maison Ikkoku -- Though long, this series does have its great moments in nearly every episode. From the creator of Ranma 1/2, this series has a couple who fall in love with each other, but can't tell the other how they feel. Tons of comedy as well.
Comedy
Tenchi Muyo! -- An unintentional pun on the name, which was supposed to mean "Heaven and Earth", a common Japanese phrase for "everything", also translates to "This End Up". A space pirate, two princesses, two Galaxy police officers and a cute furry space ship all happen to end up living with the heir to the strongest throne in the universe.
Goldenboy -- Though very borderline adult, this series is full of comedic anecdotes and mature humour. A very short run of the series, it's easy to collect.
Dirty Pair -- Two female officers with licenses to kill end up doing a bit more than that, as busts usually end up with entire races, even planets, being wiped out in the process.
There are plenty more series out there to see. I could list over 100 titles easily. But these are some of the better ones, if you want to get into anime on the good side.
Dragon Magic
Human nature is the same everywhere; the modes only are different. -- Earl of Chesterfield
That's probably because your watching the sex-crave anime series! :) sersiously, stay away from that tentacle/penis stuff and watch Lain if you want to see a female anime character portrayed in a different light. I'm at episode 10 and even the dubbing is bad (makes the dialogue REALLY slow) the sotry is good enough to put up with!
They can be hard to find and they only come in the subbed flavor, but the berserk series is wonderful. The first 25 episodes of season 1 have be subbed and can be bought through fansubbers. Also Blue Submarine #6 is a nice anime set on earth in the future and is the first anime that has computer graphics blended in perfectly giving some nice visual effects. These can be sub or dub and I believe they can be bought on DVD. Rorouni Kenshin is also nice but only the first 53 and the movies follow the first story line.
wings of honnemaise - good flick.
Thats all i can think of for now, but There are all kinds of great series out there.
I've been watching Anime since I was a little kid. Anyways, the bestest everest Anime film I think is Gunbuster. It's a classic mecha flick from the 80's but I still haven't seen anything that can quite match its drama, scientific accuracy/slander, and its puns/parody and such.
The setting is in sometime in the future (2XXX). The first spaceship Leuksion (sp?) capable of traveling at relativstic speed is launched (by Japan, of course :P) This ship encounters a space creature that destroys it.
The earth, finding out of these space creatures, realizes their danger and mobilizes troops to fight against these creatures (they fight in robot suits, of course). One of the cadets is the daughter of the captain of Leuksion, Noriko. She wants to avenge her father's death but she doesn't measure up, and she doesn't have the zeal for the job.
For some reason, Noriko gets to be one of the two cadets from her school who gets to be part of the first ships to be launched to defend the earth against the space creatures. During their travel on this ship (now the technology has advanced enough to travel at warp speed that does not get affected too much by the relativistic effects), Noriko encounters her first love and learns to build strong relationships with her partner ("older sister") and her coach.
Anyways, going further than this would be ruining this wonderful movie. There are many surprises and twists. It also has a lot of real science stuff in it (Doppler effects, relativity) as well as all those sci-fi science (warp theory... among others). There are "science lessons" every thirty minutes that make a good comic relief.
Any science + Anime fans will fall in love with Gunbuster. Gunbuster link at Geocities (Just picked it out of Yahoo.)
Urusei Yatsura - Jealous space-oni Princess Lum gets engaged to Ataru Morobushi, the universe's most lecherous man. Ranma creator Rumiko Takahashi's breakthrough hit.
Key the Metal Idol - Robot-girl Key is told by her dying builder that she can become human only if she can get 30,000 people to love her. A science-fiction Pinocchio story. Great program for fans of Lain.
Irresponsible Captain Tylor - During an intersteller war, a bumbling idiot is made captain of a space destroyer. But, is he really all that stupid...
ANYTHING by Studio Ghibli and Hayao Miyazaki.
144l. ph34r my 133t l3g4l 5k1lz!
I was kinda indifferent towards Ranma 1/2 until I saw episodes where the Shampoo character was emphasized. Now I've seen the light. See http://www.geocities.com /Tokyo/Flats/2950/shampooincs.html for a good shine :-) Ni Hao Wo Ai Shampoo
The animation was a surprising contrast. Backgrounds as works of art while subjects represented by simple cartoon characters. I'm not so certain to condemn this though. It almost seems intentional. What early 80's animation is out there? I know of Urusei Yatsura as a classic example. I want to see Bubblegum Crisis, when I find a place to rent it. Project A-ko is even funnier with the music that reeks of the 80's, so sometimes it's an advantage :-)
GTO is one of the best animes i've seen in my life... better than many others mentioned here, i think.
it's funny and not for kids.
Psycho-Thriller/Strange Anime:
These are mainly wierd animes that tend to be very psychological, probably don't make any sense, but the confusion is what makes you want to see more (you expect there to be answers in the next episode so you keep watching and there are normally just more questions). Lain and Perfect Blue would fall into this category. Other titles that would fall in to this category would be Akira, Kite, Key: The Metal Idol, and Neon Genesis Evangelion. I would recommend Eva because it has quite a bit of humor mixed in too.
Ultraviolence:
These are your American stereotype anime. Lots of limbs being knocked off, blood everywhere, not much of a plot but enough to keep you interested (ok, some do have decent plots, this is just my bias). Ninja Scroll and (maybe) Battle Angel would fit into this category. I say maybe about Battle Angel because it actually has a decent story line about humanity, love, duty, and dreams of advancing in society. Other anime in this genre would be Fist of the North Star (martial arts and blood), 8Man After (Robocop-ish), and 3x3 Eyes (girl of an ancient race want to become human).
Goffy comedy:
Just plain silly, perhaps touching, but the type of humor that makes your side hurt from laughing. I would put Battle Athletes into this category and probably Trigun, although I haven't seen any Trigun. If you liked BA, then I would recommend Battle Athletes Victory which is the TV series. Same characters, different story line. While the TV series is not as funny as the OVA, it's still pretty funny. Yuna is another silly/cute/funny show. It might actually be too cutesy for most people. Bakuretsu Hunters (aka Sorcerer Hunters) is also silly humor. I would also recommend the Slayers series. It's a fantasy/comedy, very funny, great animation, great music, and great storyline. I'm waiting for Slayers DVDs to be released. I would also recommend Sailor Moon, but I assume you already know about it and it's not in the top 10 so you probably don't like it. Ranma would also be a good comedy to watch. Maison Ikkoku is a very good romantic comedy. Other comedies I recommend are Saber Marionette J and Tenchi Miyu stuff. Both series revolve around a guy main character who has lots of girls who are crazy about him (there's more to the plots).
Other stuff:
Well, I haven't seen Cowboy Bebop so I don't know where to classify it and I don't like Dragon Ball Z because it does move so slow (spending whole episodes watching people power up is absurb. But that does explain why there are so many episodes.)
Stuff not mentioned:
Well, my favorite genre of anime is romantic comedy. Maison Ikkoku would fit into this category. Kimagure Orange Road and Video Girl Ai are shows in this genre that I would recommend seeing. Other shows that aren't available yet except through fansubs are Marmalade Boy, His and Her Circumstance and Child's Toy to name a few. Other series that I would recommend are Fushigi Yuugi (aka Mysterious Play). It's about a girl who gets sucked into a book set in ancient China. It is a comedy that deals with a love triange and power struggles. Record of the Lodoss Wars is a classic AD&D type anime, lots of magic and fighting. Nadesico is a great comedy that involves mysteries, space fights, and a cute genious girl (I want this on DVD too). Bubble Gum Crisis is a classic cyber punk 80s anime (the music is very 80s) about a group of females who fight crime in power suits. El-Hazard is a comedy about a few students and their teacher who get sent into an alternate fantasy world. One of the characters joins forces with the "bad guys" and the others join with the "good guys." Pretty funny. Magic Knights Rayearth is another fantasy with lots of magic, cute girls, and power of friendship to overcome hardships. Maho Tsukai Tai (aka The Magic Users Club) hasn't been released in the US yet, but it's a hillarious comedy about a magic club that fights alien invaders. Anything by Miyazaki should be watch. All of the following are classics by him: Mononoke Hime (Princess Mononoke), My Neighbor Totoro, Kiki's Delivery Service, Poco Rosso, Grave of the Fireflies, and Nausicaa to name a few.
Well, I've probably left out lots of other great anime shows/series, but that should be plenty to get started on. Remember that anime isn't just for kids or just for adults, anime comes in all genres. So go out there and find the genre you like.
Ok, i'll give you a low down of anime's and what they're about. Evangelion - humans gain technology of incredable magnitude, and somehow challange god, god sends angels to destroy humans, and a select few humans defend the earth from god's wrath. (story and art = i forgot) Ranma1/2 (or ranma nibunno itchi) - hilarious gender bending comedy about 2 characters that have clashing personalities and are forced to marry cause there parents arranged it. (story and art = ramiko takahashi) Lum, Uresei Yatsuda - hilarious, unfortunately, it's really hard to sum up this plot. (story and art = ramiko takahashi) Masion Ikkoku - Kinda funny, collage student moves into somehwat of a dorm, with interesting people ( i think ) (story and art = ramiko takahashi) Dragon Ball series - traditional team earth defending the innocent, with a complex series of subplots (story and art = forgot) these are all comedy/adventure. maybe not what you're looking for, but if you're into gory or battle anime's, then check out anime's that feature video games. Like street fighter has a good anime, and battle arena toshiden. Khrysdam
-Khrysdam mpogd.com staff
Lodoss War - Kind of like Final Fantasy
Evangeleon - robots and technology and crap
Gundam Wing - very short series (50 episodes) but cool robots and weird political plot
Ranma 1/2 - funny shit
Dragonball Z/GT - My personal favorite, growing up in Japan I remember seeing this on Television (Dragonball) in the early 80's!
Blue Girl - my friend told me to suggest this(it's probably porn/hentai)
Ninja Scroll - pretty damn cool, but I would only watch it once
Macross - I don't know, another one my friend (avid anime fan) loves and draws sketches of the robots and crap in that
Robotech - I think this is the same as Macross?
My pick is Dragonball (Z/GT) because it's so long and time consuming and is almost better than coding (which I am desperately trying to learn)
The two sets that are available on dvd are fairly logical in and of themselves. For the really confusing stuff you still have to get fansubs. Utena is one of my favorites (though I can't disagree with Lain as #1). whether it all really makes sense at the end is a subject of intense debate.
all your base may never have existed at all
someone just posted the existence of this thread to rec.arts.anime.misc
all your base may never have existed at all
The English dubbed version is called Star Blazers - Japanese with subtitles is Space Battleship (or Cruiser) Yamato - different titled depending on the importer that year. Evil aliens attack Earth, our Space Navy is destroyed - our last hope is a mighty battleship, constructed from the hulk of the WWII Battleship Yamato, equipped with the alien Wave Motion Gun.
Even had a cool theme song. Check it out.
I love vegetarians - some of my favorite foods are vegetarians.
Ghost in the Shell
It's a kind of anime "do androids dream of electric sheep".
Battle Angel Alita
watch the whole series. anything with nano-technology in it has to be cool.
Silent Mobius
on of the chicks is a hacker. 'nuff said.
*
it's about a lone ronin stepped in bushido who wonders around killing 'bad-guys' with a big sword.
Mermaids Scar was pretty awesome, check it and Devil Hunter Yohko out if you like the darker-style anime, I always enjoyed the ranma 1/2 series.. even if it is a bit "cute" All the classics mentioned here are worth watching, ghost in the shell, akira etc.. Kimagure Orange Road is good for the cute sappy type stuff.. but it is a bit funny at times.
Can anyone confirm that there is to be a remake of Vampire Hunter D?
I am become Troll, destroyer of threads
"VAMPIRE HUNTER D"
The first, and best Anime flick Ive seen!
I am become Troll, destroyer of threads
My favorite animes are as follows:
Light comedy:
Project A-Ko series have to be my favorite! I think this is very funny, and the action is good too!
New Dominion Tank Police is also good, and has a decent storyline!
Dark Themes:
Ninja Scroll is very good, but is graphic enough to make sure that children do not see it (I have little ones, and this tape is definitely out of their reach!)
Casshan:Robot Hunter - I liked this one for the story, and the anime is decent too.
Armitage III - Great anime, lots of action! (Yeah, A3 is a spinoff of GitS, but for some reason, I liked A3 better).
Others I recommend:
Evangelion (even though I haven't finished the series yet - bummer), great story and graphics!
I haven't seen alot of titles that others have seen, these are just my favorites at this time!
John
Attention all planets of the Solar Federation! We have assumed control! - Neil Peart
I haven't seen anyone mention AD Police yet...
It's the only thing from the Bubblegum series I like. Crisis and Crash are what I would call "adolescent anime", basically chicks, robots, explosions and a weak plot. Also, since I saw AD Police first, I was annoyed that the cops who could take care of themselves before were suddenly getting cut down like so many blades of grass.
And what about all the Bladerunner tie-ins? Pris and the Replicants? C'mon...
-Dorsey
-Dorsey
If you can't beat them, exploit them. *Then* beat them... -Milk & Cheese
hey there.. i've been watching anime for a LONG time, and here is a list of good stuff (as far as i am concerned) Ninja Scroll Akira BubbleGum Crisis Gundam Wing Dragon Ball Z Riding Bean Macross Plus Street Fighter 2 (the music is great) there's a slew of other good ones, but those are some of my favorites... check em out, you'll like them :P
brian botkiller "Condensing fact from the vapor of nuance" - Neal Stephenson, Snow Crash
Subbed (subtitled) means that the audio track is preserved, and the english track is presented in word form.
Some people find subtitled annoying, since they have to read words when they should be watching, but I personally think it's awesome to hear the original track
ps - off topic, but Run Lola Run is an AWESOME foregn film from Germany. Be sure to watch it, and in the Subtited version. ;^)
-legolas
i've looked at love from both sides now. from win and lose, and still somehow...
Perhaps the BEST Anime to happen before the CGI revolution hit the scene. Incredible attention to visual detail, great action, excellent music, decent storyline with little loss of continuity.
That's not out on DVD yet is Escaflowne. I've become very attached to the series - the animation - the music - the story, they're all wonderful.
You can find out more information from the distributor website at http://www.animevillage.com/
I believe a DVD should be available in October, it's well worth the wait though!
The Slayers OVAs are absolutely terrible. I couldn't agree with you more. Stay away from them.
Here are my personal recommendations:
Some anime to Avoid:
"The further I get from the things that I care about, the less I care about how much further away I get." -Robert Smith
I have to agreee that Vampire Hunter D is one of the best. Most consider it to be a classic anime and an absolute must-watch. The character design is just beautiful. Very much like the Yoshitaka Amano Final Fantasy 6 style that a lot of you might remember. Also depending on who you talk to Vampire Hunter D might have been an inspiration for the Castlevania series of video games.
It used to be really rare, but you can find it almost everywhere now that it has been re-released.
rusty
Code Ninja, Java Assassin, Linux Newbie
"The further I get from the things that I care about, the less I care about how much further away I get." -Robert Smith
If you're into psychological fear and terror (you like Lain), then you must see Vampire Miyu.
For a vampire story, there's virtually no blood, but plenty of things to creep you out when you're alone in the dark.
Really nice. I once went to an Italian opera La Travita or something like that. Quite nice. Closest thing you get to the feeling of a universal translator.
A really nice device would be a device that can translate in realtime any spoken words to any other language.
What is power if not for the furtherance of power. Power is a gift in it's own right and a means unto itself.
Does it have to do with the captioning/translating?
What is power if not for the furtherance of power. Power is a gift in it's own right and a means unto itself.
I really havn't seen too much of this stuff in the US. I mean I guess not speaking fluent Japanese or something but that kinds of limits me.
Does Pokemon count? I mean some of the major networks seem to have taken an interest in Japanese animation I guess because a lot of American shows are stupid but I could be wrong.
Where do you persue this type of thing?
What is power if not for the furtherance of power. Power is a gift in it's own right and a means unto itself.
From what I read on /. and hear on GiS, you mostly seem to watched dubbed anime. Whilst this isn't a *bad* thing (it makes sense considering your info dense lifestyle) you are ultimately missing out on a lot of top notch anime. Here are my personal recommendations:
Gundam Movies I,II,III
Whilst they are aesthetically dated Yoshiyuki Tomino's original creative vision was, and still is, a redifining moment of the medium. Oodles of depth.
Gundam 0083: Stardust Memories
If you like BeBop then 0083 is a good anime to watch. Directed by the same guy as BeBop, Shinichiro Watanabe, for Gundam it is refreshingly
aesthetically accomplished. Happens chronologically 4 years after the movies and sets the scene for the exemplary Zeta Gundam.
Generally *any* UC timeline Gundam is preety good viewing (bar ZZ and F-91). Stay away from Wing and any of the other alternate universe series, they are steaming excrement!
Laputa Castle in the Sky
One of the many excellent films created by the wondrous Hayao Miyazaki. Beautifully crafted and refreshingly accessible.
Macross Plus
Yet again directed by the excellent Shinichiro Watanabe with mindblowing mecha choreography by veteran Ichiro Itano (he also directed Megazone 23 Part II). Mecha anime doesn't get prettier than this, however the story is a bit of a sell-out (unecessarily Gundam-esque).
My personal favourite...
Aura Battler Dunbine
Sumptuous story, earthy characters and truly original mecha design (by Yutaka Izubuchi of Patlabor and Lodoss fame - the guy also did the costume design for Wing ). Basically all the good stuff of Gundam (plus more!) in one series. Unsurprisingly it was created by Yoshiyuki Tomino (creator of Gundam). Only problem with watching this is that you Japanese needs to be good
Hope that helps...
Ollie
Cacophanus
http://cacophanus.net/
Boy, I bet you started a war here. Titles I think *any* anime fan should check out, based on genre: Comedy: Urusei Yatsura, hands down. It's a bit older than 'Ranma 1/2', but is widely considered to be well written and coherent as well as agognizingly funny. Adventure: Slayers (And Slayers Try and Next...) Swords and Sorcery with a high-powered kick. It's funny as hell, and just as exciting. Shojo Kakume Utena Romance: Kodomo no Omocha Marmalade Boy Science Fiction: Tenchi Muyo (duh..) Ramune vs Fire40
Who could forget Racer X? How about Chim Chim? The opening sequence with the car flying off the track with its wheel flying thru the air? And that song... come on, who doesn't know the lyrics?
I was entirely surpirsed to find out how many of the cartoons I watched as a child turned out to be classics of the genre, just retitled, badly dubbed and serialized...Star Blazers ("Space Battleship Yamato"), Robotech ("Macross"), G-Force ("Battle of the Planets" or something), Voltron and so forth. Wow. Seems I knew a lot more about anime as a kid than I ever realized.
I've got several friends who are deeply immersed in anime, manga and the like and I can't say I share their vast plethora of resources. But I do know what I like as far as film goes, and there are some that would make excellent watching reagrdless of whether they're animated or not. Evangelion, Ghost in the Shell and Cowboy Bebop Those got me hooked. And the fairly good Gundam Wing is on cartoon network daily so it's all becoming a lot more easy to get hold of.
----
----
"I used to listen to Null Device before they sold out."
FINALLY!
I was beginning to despair of seeing any mention of the ABSOLUTE BEST of all anime' -- the Patlabor duet of films.
In order, my favorite anime' would be:
First anime I ever saw was Vampire Hunter D. For the next three months I rented, borrowed, or whatever, anything anime. Battle Angel was very good, I also recommend: Irira - basicaly a young girl is an assasin, cool computers, wierd monsters, etc. Bubblegum Crisis - Kinda like the anime power rangers (but much better) Nice plot, cool weapons and toys. I also enjoy Dragonball Z, but not the cartoon network version. I like the real ones where half the violence and blood isn't cut out. Which is frightening if you see it on cartoon network and see how much violence is still in it.
Thank you all for your responses and I am especially surprised and happy to find that no-one was offended.
I would like to add, that the Anime (and I do wish I had remembered the names) which I had watched contained to real nudity. It only contained mature situations (somewhere between PG-13 and R).
Another point would be the seeming support of pedophilia. I have studied Japanese and Oriental culture and although pedophilia is against the law, it is an intense part of their culture. I have noticed that even the softest Anime (such as Pokemon) depicts girls in very short cheer-leader skirts and tight button-up sweater tops, emphasizing both their sexuality and their obvious youth. Has anyone done research on possible adverse effects of depicting women in this light? Arent we, as a society, attempting to evolve into a culture which does not revolve around male sex? Does this not upset the progress we are slowly making?
I have seen many of the movies which were recommended, and I have set myself to rent and view the rest. And while the plots improve greatly, the depiction of women barely does. Yes, they have some brains. But they are still primarally depicted as sex objects (even if dangerous or untouchable ones).
My $0.02 will always be worth more than your â0.02, so
Mobile Suit Gundham - long, but cool battles
Vampire Hunter
Star Blazers (Space Cruiser Yamato) - cheesy at times, but noble story.
Akira - not for the kiddies
Guyver - be sure to avoid the Mark Hammel blech live-action remake.
Project Ako - great action and cheesecake.
Macross anything - but Macross Plus if you must choose.
Robotech the Movie - avoid, avoid.
Robot Carnival
"Stop whining!" - Arnold, as Mr. Kimble
I remember seeing a video on MTV of a Ken Ishii tune. It used anime, does anyone have a clue to what I'm refering too. I'd love to find the rest of the clip in the form of a movie.
I remember seeing Robotech the Movie. I cant find it anywhere. Any clues anyone?
Pic up this tape, and fast-forward to "The Running Man" short anime. DAMN this is the BEST Anime ive seen.
Really powerful stuff! If Ninja Scroll got ya at the end, this will too. Hands down, The Running Man is one of the best Anime short films around!!
--- Tulsa T. Nawi, On Display @ Shattered.com
Anyway, Rob I really think that you should check out Goldenboy. It is a very funny series. The just of it is this maga smart guy who moves from job to job, always seems to piss off these woman he wants, in the end the woman fall for him just before he goes to the next job... Some of the funniest stuff that I've seen. Another great flick is Midnight Panther. This one is NOT FOR KIDS!!! ...need I say more;)
Hope that you will enjoy your viewing
This is a pretty kickin series. It's a 2 disk set on dvd and you probly won't want to stop watching it. It's got that mid-evil/fantasy theme to it. I think the total viewing time is around 7 hrs....But well worth the time. I have watched it like 12 times already or just listened to it in the background heh...Anyways well worth finding.
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To begin with, the animation and scenery is absolutely gorgeous. These folks put huge amounts of time into the detail of creating the forest in which the characters live. The scenes with the transformation of the nightwalker had me going "oooh, aaahhh" in the theater.
In addition, the plot is incredibly complex and may actually require two watchings in order to fully appreciate. The story takes place in Japan towards the end of the middle ages, as modern industry began to develop and encroach upon the forest. A young price of a hidden tribe finds himself cursed and must travel to find the source of the curse so that he can eliminate it.
What's wonderful about the film is that it paints everything in shades of gray and really makes you think about why the characters are behaving the way they do. Lady Eboshi, the leader of Iron Town may seem up front to simply hate the forest, but once you realize the altruism that motivates her, you really wonder about how she can try to survive in co-existence with it.
The American voices chosen for the parts are an all-star cast and do a wonderful job. I've been told that Neil "Sandman" Gaiman, who adapted the translation, did a really good job in making the story accessible to English-speaking audiences. Since I haven't seen the sub-titled Japanese version (called "Mononoke Hime"), I can't comment on that. I will say that both the words and the animation frequently have some subtle humor embedded into them.
(Brief plug for Gaiman: He's also written a children's book called "The Day I Swapped My Dad For Two Goldfish," which I recommend to anybody who wants to read some light-hearted fun.)
are two excellent ones.
.
Fist of the north star is old school but still worth it just for posterity sake.
Angel Cop is a six tape series that has some pretty sweet animation . .
Listen to Reality!
I live in a fairly underpopulated part of Canada (Newfoundland),so the amount of anime I can see without having to order it over the net is very limited. But there are some cool vids that I've seen worth taking a look at. Wings of honemesia: (I think thats spelled right),this is a incredible piece of work, it has everything u could ask for. Kick ass animation,cool and well developed characters and a interesting world based on a mix of old and new earth cultures and technology. Go and see this now! Akira: This anime is what has made the form so popular in the states the past few years. It was the first anime I had ever seen outside of watching astro boy on tv. Kicks major ass and comes highly recomended from me and a few of my friends who seen it with me. It's definitely not for kids though. Now I will let u in on a anime film to avoid,unless u are in the mood for a good laugh. The anime in which I speak of is Sword for truth. Me and my friends have never laughed so hard at a movie in our lives. I bought it on the same day a friend of mine bought Ninja scroll,it was the last copy so I had to get something else. And there it was glaring at me on the shelf with the words "the best action since Ninja scroll" on the box. I immediately grabbed it thinking it was going to kick ass but I was very wrong. I soon found out what kind of "action" the box was talking about. That night we watched Ninja scroll and were pumped for more of the same style action. So I put in the movie,at first it was fine,giant tigers were getting sliced in half and it seemed like the story was going to be cool. But then the lesbians came in! While they were doing a girl on girl sex mombo me and my friends were wondering what the f**k is this?! Long story made shorter,it was hentai. It was from manga video who supposidly don't publish that stuff but believe me, if it's not I'm not sure hentai could go any farther. I say a lot of panty sniffing men enjoyed that one in Japan. There are also hilarious one liners in the movie such as "I will show u both heaven and hell", spoken while the main character shuronosuke is breaking at least 8 federal laws performing...acts which I can't speak of. Anyways avoid that but otherwise u should check out the other 2 anime films I listed here.
Appleseed is cool.. kinda cops with cool battle armor - very cyberpunky.. anyone ever played that roll-play game??
anyway..
Project Ako is one of my favourite's - superpowered school girls kick ass. If you like books - DirtyPair (not as dirty as it sounds) is very cool.. similar deal.. just in space a lot.
Ramna 1/2 is.. wierd. I have a few books.. it scares me.
later
-Velocetta @ www.thedisc.org.uk
Fantastic series.
:->
Even if you don't speak Japanese.
semper ubi sub ubi
Hey, I cried when I watched it okay? Like, non-stop. But it's okay 'cos I'm a girl and girls do that :) Also worth noting is that it's available on DVD for $20 - $25 (not bad considering that some anime DVDs and even videos can get pricey.) And it really is one of my favorite animes because it's an excellent movie, not just an excellent anime. But be warned that it's not your typical hot-Japanese-schoolgirl-with-enormous-boobies-and- superpowers anime.
Hi. I'm Allan Cox, Open Source advocate, Linux advocate, and primary coder for Linux's TCP/IP stack. I hope I'm welcome in the SlashDot forums, as til this point, I've been a totally arrogant, antisocial bastard to the community which barely pays for my lifestyle.
In regards to the TCP/IP stack in Linux and my arrogant attitude, I must apologize: as you all already knew, and I just recently admitted to myself, FreeBSD's TCP/IP stack is far superior to Linux's, and to top it off, Microsoft has proven many a time that even the TCP/IP code found in Windows NT functions better than the drivel I have generated myself. Boy, what a humbler that is! It was like RMS and ESR yelling at me on my own front porch (well it's not really my front porch, it's the landlady's, in front of my one-bed, half-bathroom hovel, but you get the point)!
I'd also like to say, in regards to those who read and post in SlashDot's forums... I am sure I will be seeing Allan Cox. [note the period], Alien Cox, Allan Cocks, Allan Coox, and the like. Please, please, please, for those of you who take SlashDot posting seriously (as I do now, amen!) do not let these crank posters (heretofore to be called "trolls") ruin CmdrTaco's bountiful SlashDot experience! "Trolls" take some delight in confusing the populace and causing disparity in the community. Take the time to learn the real from the fake, as I have (re: how I admitted to myself my TCP/IP stack for Linux actually sucks)!
Thank you
One of my faves.. dont know if its on DVD though (I'm still stuck in the land of VHS.. although with all the MPAA stuff goin around, that might be a good thing:P).. anyway.. of few other of my faves (sorry, its mostly Shoujo..).. Slayers, Revolutionary Girl Utena, Gundam (all of them.. Gundam Wing is the best of them that I've seen so far though).. Captain Tylor (ok I know someone else said that already, but its good!).. Sol Bianca (only the first one.. the second sucked hard.. it ended approximately 5 minutes after they finally started getting a story line).. hmm.. Rurouni Kenshin (try to get it before Sony comes out with their butchered Samurai X.. I've not seen it but I've heard its utterly horrid).. uhmm.. for whoever mentioned Ako, its (at least the NA release) is called project A-ko, not operation (gotta love translation fun!).. Photon is utterly hilarious.. Macross 7 is good.. Macross plus is good (as a couple people said).. I dont know about the original.. havent seen it.. the Macross II movie was good.. hmm.. most of the stuff I've listed is probably fansubs only (and thus no DVD for sure.. and subtitled), but believe me.. if you give yourself enough time in front of subtitled anime to get used to it, you'll have a very difficult time going back to the cut-n-paste garbage that usually is dubs (not ALL are bad, but many are).. If you really get into anime and dont mind eyestrain and long queues, a really good place for anime I've found is IRC (I usually hang in #animedivx on dalnet).. I managed to get like 20gig (thats a whole lot, considering most of the stuff is either 50meg rm's or 100meg asf's).. burning a CD or two a day.. and thats not very much by a couple people's standards I've met there:).. Oh, and Sailor Moon is always good, if for nothing else than you can laugh at all the DiC'ies who dont know about the outer senshi (well.. at least until the end of this year.. they're finally getting the S season going)..
because, if you've seen some of the stuff listed, its not all like that (thats actually a rather small minority of anime.. it was just the stuff that was hyped first in north america because.. well.. it sells).. its only been in the past 3-5 years that major companies have gotten out of the two "regular" anime groups (namely, overly violent and overly sexual) and into the more comedic, story-based, etc.. obviously anime has its own quirks, just as north american movies do (try to find a hollywood movie with an overweight women where her weight isnt a major plot arc.. im sure they exist but they're few and far between).. but overall, its usually more developed, and they can do MUCH better special effects (they just have to change in colors.. or as is more and more the case, palette colors in photoshop/whatever), whereas typical live-action shows that are the norm over here require filming first, usually in specially-designed sets that make the CG easier later, and then the computer-added effects after that.. (just as a quick stat.. animation counts for as much as 55% of japanese television -- "cartoons" arent just for kids over there as they tend to be here).. oh.. and one excellent show I missed in my other post.. Fushigi Yuugi.. its pretty soap-opera-ish but the story is good.. also, flame of recca (rekka) is good, although they never finished it (they made it through the major story line, and then just died with loose ends hanging everywhere).. if you're looking for humor, check out elf princess rane (was dubbed "anime on speed" by my local club when they showed it.. its only two episodes but its hilarious) and dragon half ("if this doesnt make you laugh, check into the hospital":).. hmm.. and those who hunt elves for that matter.. theres just too much good anime out there for my limited memory capacity :)..
This series is one of the best! By the time you get to ep. 26 and see how far it has gotten since ep. 1 it is really cool. You get to know the characters real well. When Shinji has the last Angel in his grip and there is that minute long pause...
Macross Plus
Very visually impressive, and a good story to boot. It's mainly a story of two test pilots competing for the love of a woman, but it touches on many other issues as well.
El Hazard: The Magnificent World
This is actually a small 7-episode mini-series. The whole thing is about 4 hours, but it has very detailed and intricate story. Well worth seeing.
Princess Mononoke (Mononoke Hime)
Another excellently produced anime. This one features the voice talents of Claire Danes, Gillian Anderson, and several other well-known actors. What's best is that the screenplay was written be Neil Gaiman! No silliness or cheese in this movie.
I think it's mainly the story that makes Anime appealing to many people. American TV and movies seem to have given up making really good, intricate, believable stories, and Anime really provides a breath of fresh air.
Being living in Hong Kong, I believe i have the best expose to Anime other than Japanese. For the past 22 years I spent 20 years watching Anime, and these are the best I have encountered. 1. EVA - Religous-meets-Psycological-meets-Action with a(well, 2) twisting ending, i found it the best Anime in ... the history. 2. Gundam - A Saga. An Opus. But believe me, the earlier in the series the better. Wing Gundam and stuffs are crap when comparing to Gundam, Gundam Z, nu-Gundam, and 0083-Stardust memories. BTW, all these 4 series have the same history background, while wing gundam is in another world-time setting. 3. Laputa - Fantasy Story with nice songs.
*** *** *** *** *** *** I wish I was special You're so very special *** *** *** *** *** ***
I'm kidna surprised more people aren't raving about Record of Lodoss War, which is IMHO the coolest fantasy anime by a long shot. If you've ever been into D&D it'll make ya wanna dig up those books that have been rotting under your bed for god knows how many years. Beautiful animation, incredible music, wonderful story, intriguing characters, and on and on. Plus now they got the whole thing in a DVD set that's a lot cheaper than the VHS. Another series I was very surprised by was The Hakkenden. Basically about a cursed family in feudal Japan fighting off vengeful spirits. There are a lot of weird Shinto spiritual references that the typical American audience won't really follow, but I found it extremely enjoyaable. Just beware of (skip) those episodes that aren't part of the main storyline. The characters in those episodes aren't even recognizable. Only other problem I had with it is it kinda ends in medias res. Still a lot of fun.
All-Purpose Multi-Cultural Cat Girl Nuku Nuku: a custody battle with tanks, guns, and a cute-android-girl-with-the-brain-of-a-cat :) Great fun.
:)
Master of Mosquiton: Victorian-esque vampire anime with a film noir style feel to it. Excellent, if a bit too short.
Dragon Half: The funniest damn thing I've ever seen. Half-girl/half-dragon idolizes superstar dragon hunter, unwittingly avoids minions of evil king, that sort of thing.
Kimagure Orange Road: Mid-80's love comedy. Can give you a warm fuzzy feeling for days.
The Vision of Escaflowne: Many people didn't manage to see this one, as it was overshadowed by Evangelion (which ran the same season, in the same time slot). It's good. Damn good. Earth girl goes to medieval fantasy planet that has big mechas and a massive ongoing war. Extremely well done.
Most of these probably aren't available on DVD yet, though (not owning a DVD player) I haven't checked.
-tyoob.
This sig was blatantly stolen from someone else.
It's nowhere that drastic at all ... =) The video version only clocks in at 157 minutes, and after removing the multiple ending credits, it's quite close to the 115-minute running time of the Movie Edition. (The Movie Edition economizes on the running time by showing prologue/back story during its opening and ending credits.) In fact, there is 20 minutes of movie-only footage -- roughly the same amount of footage that exclusive to the video version.
Ironically, the creator Shoji Kawamori says that the movie edition is closer to the original script of his story. He and the scriptwriter (Cowboy Bebop's Keiko Nobumoto) originally wrote the script as a feature-length film, and it was only at the distributor's request that they rearranged the story with three tacked-on cliffhangers and released it on four videos first.
The moral? Watch both. =)
Macross Compendium on Macross PlusEscaflowne did get overshadowed by Evangelion (even its own producer admitted it ^^;), but it ran after Evangelion ended, in a different timeslot. It's just that almost *every* project for a few years afterwards were affected (positively or negatively) by Evangelion. The industry folks in Japan even have several names for it ("Eva Shock"), and one mainstream newspaper called the phenomenon the third wave of Japanese animation (after the ones launched by Space Battleship Yamato and Mobile Suit Gundam).
Fortunately, Escaflowne is experiencing something of an resurgence thanks to the upcoming movie and other releases on both sides of the Pacific.
Unfortunately, the DVD release in United States and Canada have been pushed back to October 3. =/ The good news is that Fox Kids will be showing it on American television this fall.
Escaflowne Compendium on DVDs
Escaflowne Compendium on television series broadcast
The producers decided not to go that route. ^^; Escaflowne the Movie will not be a followup to the series, but an entirely separate storyline. You can catch Escaflowne the Movie at its American premieres at Anime Expo and Otakon.
I second that EX recommendation, although I'm somewhat biased. =)
I know these are considered old standards, but I still think that they deserve to get recongnised in any top 10 Anime flicks....
of course if you just want Anime shack value you need "legend of the overfiend"
Of course, everyone's taste differs ... but it really boils down to as what kind of anime are you looking for? Japanese Anime, unlike historic American anime (read: Disney) doesn't just feature the cutesy animal stories ... there's a lot more variety in the Japanese anime world.
... figure it out :o) )to indicate the type.
... the Japanese equivalent of "My Little Pony" vs. "GI Joe".
... with the series, if you get hooked, you could end up paying through the nose to get the entire series. Some of the Anime vendors, such as Viz (who makes the aforementioned "Ranma" and "Pokemon" animes) sell tapes/dvds with only 2 episodes per disk/tape. And sells 'em for about $30 per. There is 8 seasons of Ranma, I believe ... imagine paying $30 per 2 episodes for the entire 8 years. It gets pricy.
... a very wise decision. The quality is much better, and the fact that they usually come subbed AND dubbed, with options to turn either one on/off as desired, makes the market less splintered than the VHS tapes and you always get what you want.
... I'd suggest checking out websites such as Animeigo ... they will be doing the Macross (aka Robotech) series very soon ... not the butchered American version that most of us are familiar with, but the original Japanese version ... and as such, there can't be an English track included, because they would have to re-record the English track to cover all the sections that was cut out of the original when the American version was made. They're also going to be doing the "Oh, My Goddess" anime, as well ... check 'em out, good stuff.
...
... be aware that they, more than other companies, pay attention to street dates, so don't expect to get your pre-ordered anime days/weeks sooner than everyone else! Though they sell all types of DVDs, anime typically makes its way into their "Top 15" list each week ... this week I think it's Neon Genesis Evangelion and Gundam Wing in the Top 15, at spots 3 and 4 ... very not bad. ...
The two main "categories" of Anime are "girl-type" and "boy-type" Of the examples given, Cowboy Bebop and Trigun fall into the "boy-type" while "Battle Athletes" falls into the "girl-type", for example. Obviously, the boy-type focuses more on action, violence, etc. The girl-type is more story and relationship driven. When I list my favs at the end of this post, I'll put a (b) or a (g) (or a (bg)
Most people, however, enjoy both sides of the fence, just be aware that there is a fence there
Also when looking at Japanese Anime, you need to determine whether or not you're interested in movies, or series
You mentioned that you prefer DVDs over VHS
Some companies are doing limited runs of the anime that they can get licensed for
The definitive source of information about Anime available on DVD is Anime On DVD They've got reviews of just about everything released in Region 1 DVD (including the Hentai stuff), and they're working on the Region 2 and 3
Purchasing your anime is a whole 'nother topic, however, you really can't go wrong with DVD Express. They've got a very large selection of anime, and ships fast
Now, on to the actual Anime (all on DVD)
5 Star Anime:
Ghost in the Shell (b)
Macross Plus, Vol. 1 & 2 (b)
Trigun Vol. 1 (b)
Armitage III (b)
Cowboy Bebop (b)
Fushigi Yugi (g)
Revolutionary Girl Utena, Vol. 1 & 2 (g)
Neon Genesis Evangelion 0:1 (b)
Lain, Vol. 1-4 (bg)
Iria, Vol. 1 (bg)
4 Star Anime
Ranma 1/2 OAV (bg)
Tenchi Muyo! (bg)
Record of the Lodoss War (b)
Trigun Vol 2 (b)
Battle Athletes Victory Vol. 1-8 (g)
Blue Submarine, Vol. 1 (b)
El Hazard: The Alternative World, Vol. 1-4 (bg)
Dominion Tank Police (b)
Bubblegum Crisis (b)
Ninja Scroll (b)
Sol Bianca (bg)
3 Star Anime
The Venus Wars (b)
Eatman 98 (b)
Battle Athletes OAV, Vol 1-3 (g)
Ninja Ressurection (b)
Ranma 1/2: Big Trouble in Nekonron, China (b)
Ranma 1/2: Naiho, My Concubine (b)
Tenchi in Tokyo, Vol. 1-8 (bg)
2 Star Anime
A Wind Named Amnesia (bg)
Ninja Cadets (b)
Cybernetics Guardian (b)
1 Star Anime
Fist of the North Star (b)
Project A-KO (g)
Green Legend Ran (b)
Kite (too much cutting) (bg)
MD Geist (no plot) (b)
Darkside Blues (b)
Demon City Shinjuku (b)
Go play with your "Hello Kitty" doll, you're wastin' my time!
haven't seen fushigi yuugi mentioned! 56 episodes of a great fantasy anime. the best character development of any anime i've seen, great art, and music. frighteningly addictive. saber marionnete j of all the anime i've seen (lots), this is a favorite. definitely worth checking out.
If you're patient, it is essential that you see "The Vision of Escaflowne", in its entirety (avoid the "Best" collection, which is an unforgivable edit job) and subtitled. animevillage.com has a good distribution, and DVDs are coming out shortly. Great characters, story, visuals, and my god, much of the music is simply incredible. I would call "Escaflowne" the best television series I have ever seen, animated or otherwise.
Also, I'd like to point you to (the sometimes flaky) nausicaa.net for an introduction to the films of Studio Ghibli. You're going to want to see as many of them as you can -- they're the cream of the crop. Princess Mononoke was good, but much better were My Neighbor Totoro (the Fox dubbed version is okay, but avoid the upcoming Disney dub which will surely suck), Kiki's Delivery Service (subtitles are IMPERATIVE, the Disney dub is AWFUL), Grave of the Fireflies (there's a good DVD release in the US for this one already), Nausicaa of the Valley of the Wind, and several more very very good films.
I would start with Totoro; if you don't fall in love with that movie, you have no more spirit... the marvelous Joe Hisaishi put a lot of very fine music into these films as well.
Subtitles fly by
My eyes to slow to read the words
I learn Japanese
Poetry too fast
My mind too slow to notice
Sylables, spelling
I can't add to much more but I support Tenchi, RAnma 1/2, Evangelion, Macross (any of them) and Gundam's not bad. But there is one that no one has mentioned, that's Key the Mteal Idol. Cool story, good art, nice animation, and killer music. I've heard that Blue Submarine No.6 is pretty cool.
Oh a heads up, Akira is head and shoulders above Ghost in the Shell. If you really want to get the full impact of Ghost in the Shell Check out the collected comics from Dark Horse Comics: Studio Pormetheous (whaile you're at it pickup Appleseed as well, it is very cool!)
But your beef is with the panty displaying winds and the violence. Have you ever gone to an Hollywood film that had say an R rating, the story was good the action was wonderful, but there is a nude scene and the characters curse a lot. Neither of the last two items "added" to the film they were there to get a rating. Anime is also subject to having things happen just because the film needed a certain rating.
Finally, there is innumeralbe anime that exceedes the "sexual content". Key the Metal Idol is a prime example. There is some nudity (once or twice unneceacry but it is not completely pointless) and some "sexual situations" but I would hardly classify it as porn. Furthur more the story is so friggin' cool, that the "sexual situations" are for the most part forgotten. Go watch some more anime and you will see why people are addicted. (and try to find some good ones. if you look at the list provided it offers some very useful titles to check out.)
Yes, I have seen the trailer for it. Unfortunately that was a while back, and the only thing I really remember was that the art looked a lot like the Final Fantasy 6 (3 US version) character portraits.
"early 80's"?? Have you seen early 80's animation?
Other titles well worth mentioning (many mentioning again):
Neon Genesis Evangelion (including movies)
Akira
Spriggan (not out in US as far as I know... fansub!)
Nausicaa in the Valley of the Wind (rumored to be released in the US in the near future by disney)
Mermaid's Scar
Ranma 1/2
Tenchi Muyo OAV
Golgo 13: The Professional (he's the japanese james bond)
The Slayers
Rurouni Kenshin
Lupin III
Laputa: Castle in the Sky
but for the love of all things sacred, DO NOT watch "Brother Dear Brother". that was the most putrid piece of filth that has ever passed before my eyes.
"People should get beat up for stating their beliefs."
Bishoujo Senshi Sailormoon is in my opinion (together with Mahou Kishi Reiasu, Fushigi Yuugi, Cardcaptor Sakura and Kodomo no Omocha), one of the best shoujo series out there, but is being underrated in the States because of the horrendous quality of the dub without even botering what the thing is really about. Sailormoon S, the third Sailormoon season and soon the be also destroyed on Cartoon Network, is by far one of the best, and it features an excellent plot, decent animation, and the usual humor factor that make Sailormoon a great mix. Something that I will never understand is why people underrate an anime series just for being cute, or even worse, because of the way it was destroyed, er, dubbed. Why is it that people underrate a series just because violence and gore is not it's main attraction? To all those who think that Ah Megami Sama! is bad because it is cute and/or romantic (and is more than one on these article comments), sorry to tell you this, but get out of the stupid stereotypes of Anime. Anime is good because independently of the target audience, it often combines a great plot with excellent character designs and good animation, and in terms of romantic comedy, Ah Megami Sama! is the best on its field. And yes, if you ask, I do think that the United States features one of the worse dubbing industries in the world.
I agree on the fact that the Powerpuff Girl are above the average quality of animation shown in the United States, however, the Powerpuff Girls are NOT Anime, since they are not of a Japanese origin.
I am not going to AnimeExpo 2000 for the following reasons: 1). Anime Expo 99 was a complete disaster. It was pretty obvious that the organizers were completely unable to handle the amount of people. The masquerade, for example, was more than 3 hours late. 2). Disney Hotel. More than one Anime fan dislikes Disney, and there are already reports that Disney is planning to put restrictions in what can be shown/used inside the hotel. An Anime convention restriced by a company like Disney? No thanks. I am rather going to Otakon 2000
My favorite anime: 1. Peacock King: there are only three available in my town, but I hear there are more in the series. Excellent supernatural sort of movie. 2. Akira: a MUST SEE! 3. Takegami: Certainly not the best, but decent stuff. Fighting dragons from the deep and such. 4. Princess Mononoke: If you missed it in the theater, TOO BAD! A completely rockin movie. Another MUST SEE.
When you're looking for anime, you should try to keep in mind that it typically plays first in Japan, and then in one of three forms: TV, movies, and original-run video series. I've heard enough complaints about "all that junk on TV" and "Hollywood movies are all the same crap" to think that maybe people might have a point. Japanese anime is the same way: it's TV and movies, for the most part, which means that while you'll find the occasional diamond in the rough, if you watch enough you'll eventually start seeing the same thing over and over again. Remember also that a lot of it is based around trying to sell toys to kids...do any of you have fond memories of G.I.Joe and Transformers? If so, you'll be seeing a lot of that again. That being said, there is, thankfully, a large variety of more mature material available...just don't start trying to convince yourself that anime is an entirely new form of media. Rather than simply give my list of faves, I'd like to list some development houses which do good work. If you see something you like, there's a good chance that you'll like other titles by the same studio/creator. Takahashi Rumiko: She's probably most famous for Ranma 1/2 and Maison Ikoku, although diehard fans probably know about Urusei Yatsura (LUM) as well. She's well known for making cute, romantic anime, but don't let that fool you: Mermaid's Forest and Mermaid's Scar can be rather disturbing. Otomo Katsuhiro: Best-known for Akira, although Roujin Z and Memories were also interesting. If I had to describe his animation style, the word "complex" comes to mind... Tezuka Osamu: The "father" of anime, you might know his work because you've seen Astroboy. His titles appeal primarily to children, although Dr. Slump is a notable exception to this...must watch this. Matsumoto Reiji: Possibly best known for Starblazers, everything I've seen from him seems to involve space travel. Galaxy Express 999 is simultaneously childlike and haunting. Shiro Masamune: Most famous for Ghost in the Shell, although Appleseed and Black Magic M-66 are also fairly well known. All of his anime revolve (loosely) around Cyberpunk genres. Miyazaki Hayao (Studio Ghibli): Probably Japan's most famous animator of the last 15 years, his films are legendary crowd pleasers of all ages. I personally love ALL of his work...what a shame that he has retired. Nausicaa, Laputa, Mononoke Hime...the list goes on. CLAMP: I love work from this studio primarily because I find the art extremely finely drawn. RG Veda is a short series which showcases their work and is easily found in North America. More recently, Card Captor Sakura seems to be on the verge of becoming the next Sailor Moon. Gainax: I suppose their most famous recent work is NG Evangelion. This studio is interesting in that all of their titles are fairly melodramatic, and usually have an interesting psychological element as well. Gunbuster and Nadia of the Mysterious Seas are older works by them. Oh well, I suppose that this has dragged on long enough...happy viewing.
A lot of people will disagree but i think Brain Powerd (sic) is a pretty good show as well. I haven't seen the whole series but i've liked what i've seen. Don't be discouraged by all the naked women foating around during the opening. There's no nudity (as far as i've seen) in the show itself.
i'm not really a slashdot folk. . . i registered _so_ i could post to this thread. . . but i'll be at ax! and yeah, we should get together. call ourselves the knights of the western calculus or something. ^_^
his and her circumstances (kare-kano) : i watched what i was told was a work-in-progress for the dvd at fanime 2000, and it was a few points off of being the best fansub i've ever seen. (i think that nod goes to kodocha for sheer difficulty of translation. . .) but anyway, i'm really looking forward to it, and you all should too!
chris
actually, i always thought that the religious allusions in eva were a bit arbitrary. very deep and well-done, but when i stepped back and examined it for consistency, i had real problems. to satisfactorily deal with the symbolism of rei, yui, shinji, and gendo is one of the all-time great otaku headaches, and i always felt the 'adam and eve' interpretation of the movie was too pat.
that said, my circle will release scriptures for rei at anime expo this year, so stay tuned. ^_^ religion is not required to be consistent.
and lain. . . lain has such a religious atmosphere. she's the patron saint of hackers and the heroine of the wired's fairy tales. i don't think it alludes to christianity much, though.
chris
Hmm, I don't really agree with you on DBZ. I think you need to be introduced to a bit of Anime I would call excellent, such as Slayers, and Slayers Next. Humour, action, and attitude wrapped in a fantasy world of gods and monsters. Lina Inverse and her pals battle evil, and must use their wits, not just their magic. Very exciting stuff. Another excellent series to look into is Vision of Escaflowne. Girl transported to another planet, where dragon hearts power machines, and guys seem to have a thing for waif girls. For more funny and cute stuff, Ranma 1/2 is a real hit. I suppose you might think this stuff is pretty cotton candy-ish compared with Lain, but then again, that's my personal preference. My ardour for these three series is tempored only with confusion over Japanese culture's obsession with suicide, and preteen girls. I grant that the preteen girls are pretty well endowed, but thier age mystifies me. A friend of mine who is a professor in Japan once told me should could never quit her job, because she is older than thirty, and no one hires a woman older than thirty. It seems that only young women are acceptable new employees, and even then they are discriminated against. I suppose the only free moment in a japanese woman's life is just before high school. Entrance exams for high school mean EVERYTHING, and what school you go to pretty much directs what you will do for the rest of your life. In that brief moment before, when anything can happen, anything DOES happen, like in Fushigi Yuugi. It seems all the other girl oriented stories occur at this point in life... Except of course for Lina Inverse, who is no teen waif, and just plain rocks. Seven
really, you over-fleshy introverts - don't you have any sense of rigorous esthetics? All purpose cultural cat girl Nuku Nuku (excessively female robot in fetish outfit, with a cats brain) is a low water mark to guiltily enjoy in your filthy den. Clear the doritos wrappers from the couch and get into it.
Actually, I believe an interview was had by one of the execs at one of the American anime companies who wished to remain annonymous and the reason he stated was that, "People will pay more money to see the original, unedited track."
Personnaly I prefer manga (japanese comics) over the anime. The Dragonball Z comic for example is far better than the anime. It lacks the color but it never moves slow like you said the anime does. And the Akira movie seems just terrible if you have seen the comic. If you want to check it out, you can download scanned Dragonball Z comic issues at Planet Namek. But be warned: you may not like the anime series anymore after that.
I live in Germany, and anime series here are rare. Any tips how to get anime that is not broadcasted in my country at reasonable prices?
- A.P.
--
"One World, one Web, one Program" - Microsoft promotional ad
"Remember when the U.S. had a drug problem, and then we declared a War On Drugs, and now you can't buy drugs anymore?"
Rob: Steal cowboyneal's La Blue Girl DVDs. I know he's hiding them somewhere.
If you like Slayers, you might like Ruin Explorers (aka Fam & Ihrie), which is another D&D-esque, humorous fantasy.
Cowboy Bebop is definitely the most amazing thing to come down the pike recently. The music is by Yoko Kanno, who also did the music for Macross Plus and Escaflowne. Yoko Kanno's music kicks, if you will pardon the expression, approximately six metric tons of ass.
Serial Experiments Lain ... well, I like it, but a lot of people can't deal with the surrealism and allegory. It wouldn't be too far off to say that in terms of weirditude, Lain picks up where the Evangelion series left off. Lain is heavily allegorical and makes many references to Gnostic religious ideas, and may make a good deal more sense -- especially around the ending -- if you are passingly familiar with Gnosticism.
(Can anyone explain the popularity of anime series based on Christian heresies? Christianity is not exactly common in Japan -- IIRC, about 2% of Japanese people in Japan consider themselves Christian -- and yet they make shows like Eva and Lain.)
Neon Genesis Evangelion is, naturally, mandatory. If you like Eva already, read Neon Exodus Evangelion and Evangelion: R -- two rather well-done fanfic series for Eva. (Warning: Some people do not like NXE because they are of the opinion that the character D. J. Croft is a "self-insert" character. He isn't. The authors have been very clear on this. NXE is not Undocumented Features.)
Continuing on with the recommendations ... The Ghost in the Shell anime is relatively pointless; read the manga instead. Shirow appears to be doomed to bad anime interpretations of his manga. FWIW, Shirow removed two pages from the American edition of the manga, so that it would not have to be labeled adults-only; they are available here. Warning: graphic sexual content.
In other areas ... if you're just amused by the whole Pokemon thing, check out Punkemon.
Maison Ikkoku and Inu Yasha are very good series. Ranma 1/2 was very good in the beginning but gets very silly later. Lum (Urusei Yatsura) however was silly (but nice) from the beginning. The mermaid series is very dark.
While I like the stories and characters very much, the art is light years away from the great art of Masamune Shirow or Akira's Katsuhiro Otomo or Johji Manabe (Outlanders - aah those space crafts..)
Same holds for Dragon Ball. Beautiful comedy and interesting fights and I really like it. But it is not in the same artistic league. Not to mention some of the European masters like Andre Franquin, Moebius, Christin/Mezieres, Vance/Van Hamme, Lawrence/Lodewijk, Kuipers and so on.
Interesting side note. Someone told me that Rumiko Takahashi managed to get Japan's richest woman with her art. Anyone knows if this is true?
Akira lists more studios in its credits than most films list individual artists. The art is superb. I am lucky to have the British collectors video, with one tap subtitled film and one tape with the making of documentary. Guess that beats the DVD available in Germany.
I had the luck to see the movie two times in cinema. That is a huge difference to the video. Very good is the scene where one of the characters falls from a twin skyskraper. All the little windows drawn - faboulous. Another thing is that this movie does a black/yellow/orange color scheme to portray night scences apart from the Terminator black/blue color scheme. I also liked the scene where Tetsu is put into that scanning aparatus with the two detector rings.
Ghost in the Shell is less advanced graphically. You see several cheap computer animations. Im am not sure if Akira contains computer graphics at all (heck, I have to rewatch the making of :). The best scene of Ghost in the shell is the making of Major Kusanagi as an android. Plus I love the views of the city in the rain, with the many Kanji characters and rain plus the very stylish music.
Like I wrote above, the story lines are far away from the complex sometimes philosophical story lines of the orininal manga comic book series.
So don*t forget to read the mangas!
Akira: I found this to be the best anime movie I have ever watched... be warned, however, that you can not watch it on a small screen in ugly quality... I unfortunately first watched it on my comp in 320x240 mpeg format, not good enough, I've beat myself ever since... the cinematic value is incredible, thus I wish I had watched it on a 15x40 foot screen ina theatre or something...
Why do you watch mpegs? Is that pirated stuff?
They stream Star Blazers on some internet site. Read this article about it.
The psychic power of Akira seems to be that he can ignite a Big Bang. The explosion bubble that comes up is rather a new universe thus.
Unfortunately that gives quite a huge mess if one tries that amidst the city of Tokyo.
The main story line is of course the friendship between Kaneda and Tetsuo. Plus we have the rebels misused by some political game of power (that weazel like guy). Plus lot of other stuff, including motor bike gangs. Folks that don't comply to the strict social rules of Japanese society. Drugs use. Orphans. Sex. Violance. Mutants. Oribital laser stations. The usual. :)
Or what part else was unclear?
From a technical point, Akira is brilliant. But the storyline pales compared to 20 or more volumes (guess about 1500 pages) of the comic book. And that one is available in a colored version (YUCK!) and the original black and white art, which is superb in style and atmosphere.
So don't forget to read the mangas!
Another example is Appleseed by Masamune Shirow. Best Manga I ever read. Brilliant, brilliant, brilliant. But the anime is a joke.
Ghost in the Shell by Shirow is another one, where you must read da book. However that had a quite nice anime (again the story sucks, but the atmosphere/music is very good).
Also read Orion by Shirow, which is really interesting mix between Buddism and Fantasy/SF.
My personal anime favourite is Bubblegum Crisis, which not only has great story but also a very fitting soundtrack.
From the newer stuff, Neon Genesis Evangelion is on the top.
I also saw Princess Mononoke (Mononoke Hime) in Paris some months ago. Definitely worth seeing, but this is more a mystery/ecological adventure.
From the same folks you get Wings of Honneamise, kind of "The Right Stuff" in anime. Grab it.
From Leiji Matsumoto (Star Blazers) is my second favourite that was broadcasted years ago on German TV as Queen of the thousand years. Too bad I can't get it on a dozen tapes.
That one brings me on a topic I really hate. There are some tapes available, like Odin, Lensmen or Venus Wars where some morons cut down 30 or 50 half hour episodes into a two hour tape. That stuff is hardly bearable.
Last tip: In a sense you can count in the Final Fantasy computer games as a kind of interactive anime. FF7 is very good. Possibly Play station folks will have a lot more of that stuff.
These guys author/draw one of the very best science fiction comic series ever: Valerian et Laureline
My proof for this was the bluish femal singer, she looks like right out of Valerian et Laureline.
By the way, the french fashion maker Jean-Paul Gauthier was involved in the costume designs, that makes too for the extraordinaire looks.
The anime part is loosely based on Gainax (transparently so from time to time) the live action parts are hilarious and the English translation of a Japanese translation of spoken English is not even vaguely accurate. ;)
If you truly love anime, you must watch this video! Tatakae! Otaking!
-- This and all my posts are in the public domain. I am a lawyer. I am not your lawyer, and this is not legal advice.
This is all good stuff, most of which is on DVD, so it's accessible. There are a lot of good series that aren't commercially available in the US though which can be obtained as fansubs (fan subtitled copies) or raw (sometimes with translated scripts that you can refer to ;)
1 part fantasy, 1 part mecha, 1 part brilliant music by Yoko Kanno (Japan's answer to John Williams), 1 part fun with physics and a dash of Bob Hope's nose. Excellent. On DVD in October.
Giant mecha and girls, but so much more. It gets heady with lots of religion and philosophy. Expect to watch it twice. It owes a lot to the old British Thunderbirds show, particularly in the realm of music. (sounds 50's and 60's) Excellent work by Gainax, as usual. Coming out on DVD now.
The best of the Lupin III films, largely because it's by Miyazaki (Nausicaa, Totoro, etc.) On DVD now, very good.
Weird and creepy. Good animation, gets hard to figure out what's happening towards the end. Which really just means that you should watch it again
Top Gun, with mecha and computer generated idol singers. Good animation, great music (Yoko Kanno again) especially fun for fans of Macross or Robotech. On DVD now.
Animation quality is fairly poor until halfway through, but it's actually a good series. It was done in the late 80's, it's cyberpunk and it owes more than a little to Blade Runner. Worth seeing, if only because most big anime otaku have seen it and it's still popular. Not to be confused with Bubblegum Crash (the awful sequel) or Bubblegum Crisis: 2040 (the 90's remake). On DVD now.
Miyazaki is good. Disney got a lot of rights, but there are no DVDs yet of his Studio Ghibli stuff. Some of it is on tape. If you like Spielberg movies (good, sense of adventure, happy ending) you're going to like his films.
Bounty hunters in a well-developed solar system. Can range from hilarious to gritty. Excellent characters, animation, Yoko Kanno music. A solid winner. Coming out on DVD now. A must-see.
Rumored for DVD for some time now. Early space exploration in an alternate world where no one treats the space forces seriously. The first big thing from Gainax. Very good. You can see it on tape, at least.
Tragic story of a brother and sister at the end of WW2. Good but really sad.
Really, the manga (comic) version is better. It's pretty deep for a cyberpunk special ops movie, but Shirow, the guy that does the manga (and another one, Appleseed) is like that. Sweet animation though. On DVD now.
The 2nd Patlabor movie. Since the backstory for the world relies on knowing more about Patlabor, it's a near future where labors (mecha) are used in construction of a global-warming-rising-seas-proof dam around Tokyo Bay. Naturally criminals start using the labors and so the police get a few PATrol LABORs of their own. Darker than the series, with conspiracies and terrorists. Same animation as Ghost in the Shell. Excellent movie. On DVD soon.
A 13 part series based, it's said, on the D&D campaign of the creators. Really quite good if you're into fantasy. Even has elf babes.
And of course there are a zillion anime series of every genre and sub genre. There are just not so many DVDs and not enough commercial releases on disc or tape. For those of you wanting to find more, check out:
Between all of these, you're sure to find some good stuff, and more information.
-- This and all my posts are in the public domain. I am a lawyer. I am not your lawyer, and this is not legal advice.
Beautiful movie. Can say no more than that. Should be shown in every middle/high school history class!
Totoro overwhelms with it quiet mystery, pervasive and relentless charm and moments of pure zen. See it with the original Japanese dialog first. I don't know if there's a sub-titled version out, but you HAVE to hear the original sound, exactly as Miyazaki intended. I have a copy that is Japanese, no subtitles. I can't understand most of the dialog, but the visual story-telling is crystal clear. I've since seen the American release to fill in the gaps. The American version is good, but misses the mark repeatedly in terms of subtlety and the Japanese mind-set. Not to mention the horrible packaging of the American version, with that hideous 3d airbrush shadow effect you see on all the cereal-box characters these days!
Laputa has much of the same with a greater emphasis on movement and change. When they first land on the island, the sense of age and quiet decrepitude is jaw-dropping. The moss-covered guardian handing them a flower...(sigh). I wish they could stretch that part out longer, and explore the island further before moving on with the story.
Miyazaki is a true Master in every sense of the word!
Gambatte Miyazaki san!
**>>BELCH
Perfect Blue I've heard good things about, and Ninja Scroll is a classic. Good Taco! *pats rob on the head*.
Akira is a classic. Just classic. A must see. Pushed around teenage kid gets mixed up with escaped children from some military project, gets incredible powers and he struggles to control his power and emotions. If you don't seen Akira I'll have no choice but to demote you to LtTaco!
Ghost in the Shell. For its time it was arguably some of the best animation to date. Female cyborg with an identity crisis attempts to take down what she thinks is one of the most notorious criminal masterminds.
Only two I'd recommend without fear of reprimand or backlash from the rest of the Slashdot community. =D
--
The good Cpt. Kangarooski dun said:
That's Biff Standard...but yes, "Revenge of the Electronic Brain" has to be the funniest pisstake I've ever seen of Micros~1, hands down. From the whole "world standardisation" bit to Tenchi furtively hunting down an illegal copy of a rather MacOS-like program to Biff Standard's real plan being revealed...it's just friggin' hilarious. Though I have my doubts we are EVER going to get the good Judge Jackson to dress up a la Sailor Moon shouting "Pretty Mutation"... :)
If you think Pretty Sammy is scary by itself, though...think of this...the lady who's the seiyuu for Sasami is apparently a big-league singer in Japan. And apparently Pretty Sammy is popular enough in Japan they've not only spun off a TV series, but spun off a series of Pretty Sammy radio plays on NHK Radio. (I've heard of radio plays of, say, Star Wars, but Pretty Sammy?!?)
Speaking of Mac-like devices...am I the only one who thinks Washu-chan has grounds to sue the everloving hell out of Steve Jobs? ;) Seriously...look at her notebook in "Revenge of the Electronic Brain", plus the artwork that came in the videotape...now compare it to a certain little product called the iBook...they look VERY similar, no? If I remember right, even the NAMES are similar...Washu-chan's box is called the i-Heart or something like that. I swear to Goddess (Tsunami?) that it's an iBook, though. ;)
Methinks that either Steve Jobs is a bit of a fan of Pretty Sammy (possible--that whole episode was a sort of salute to Apple anyways ;) or a certain exec is about to be turned into a kappa. ;) (Washu-chan wouldn't sue. She has more style than that. All hail Washu-chan, for she is Goddess (well, a goddess at least, at least in one continuity of Tenchi Muyo), and she haveth the iBook of Power, and she writeth her own OS blindfolded, and she knoweth verily when someone has been naughty on the Internet, for she is Washu-Chan, Goddess of Science And True Inventor Of The Internet, And Thou Shalt Not Fuck With Her Nor Call Her Anything Besides Washu-Chan Lest One Be Turned Into A Kappa. ;) (OK, so I like Washu-chan. ;)
-Windigo The Feral (NYAR!)
Robotech Master dun said:
O_o *double-takes the above*
That...gods...that is just asking for a wee bit of a nervous breakdown, no? (Mind, both are great movies. "Grave of the Fireflies" is possibly one of the most depressing movies (forget just anime) ever made, hands down, though...made even worse by the fact you know it's historically accurate. Trust me when I say that you want a good amount of your antidepressant of choice, and you want no sharp or even dull objects capable of causing puncture wounds nearby--by the first 45 minutes you'll be wanting to off yourself to end the emotional pain of it all.)
I just hope that they showed "My Neighbor Totoro" after "Grave of the Fireflies". I don't want to think how much the suicide rate in Japan must have gone up if they showed "Totoro" first...light-n-airy, then, *boom* Pain Au Grautin...gah. :P
(Did I mention that "Grave of the Fireflies" is quite possibly the most depressing film ever made, more so even than Bill Gates' testimony in the Monopoly Trial Of The Century, and you really shouldn't watch it "on a whim" or because you're bored or unless you're read for a good stiff dose of condensed misery? Not that it's a bad film for it--it's actually a damned good film...it would also cause suicidal depression in someone in the manic phase of being bipolar while he was hopped up on pot and amphetamines. :P Just so you know what depth of pain you're getting into. :)
-Windigo The Feral (NYAR!)
Some anonymous coward named Alan :) dun said:
Alas, I can't exactly say I'm looking forward to this:
a) Shin Tenchi Blows Goats (sorry, but that is my opinion and I stick to it, even though I do like the ending...and no, I'm not going to spoil it). Damn near anyone who likes Tenchi Muyo and has seen the other two series or even so much as the second Tenchi movie will tell you Shin Tenchi Blows Goats. About the only thing I can think of worse to show is the dubbed Sailor Moon. Or maybe the gawdawful Bubblegum Crisis dub with the songs dubbed (please, anyone, hunt down and kill the parties who made the decision to translate the songs to English...it's bad enough they did that, but the person they have singing carries a tune about as well as the Japanese actress for Ayeka--that is, she can't sing at all).
b) I'd have put the OAV's first then the TV series; there is a fairly major spoiler in Shin Tenchi unless one remembers these are essentially three different universes.
c) You know for a freakin' fact that the series will likely be butchered to Hell and back to satisfy the Censorship Boreds here in the States...just like Sailor Moon got totally ruined...just like Dragonball Z got ki--ki--ki--sent to another dimension :). Gods forbid we show our little friend Washu-chan in her full horror, much less Ryoko's tits, much less the entire scene in the hot-springs resort in the OVA...trust me, it's going to be positively BUTCHERED if they show it on Cartoon Network. I don't CARE that John Kricfalusi did a Yogi Bear cartoon--they showed it exactly TWICE, at 10 pm and 1 am at night, and unfortunately what with this being America (land of prudes who still, in the age of Mononoke Hime and even intelligent US animation like Titan A.E. and Iron Giant, are NOT going to be able to handle double entendres much less Nurse Washu) they have to deal with Censorship Boreds. :P
Now, what I REALLY wish is that the US had some equivalent to Anime X (an all-anime digital satellite channel run by TV Tokyo, the network that airs the vast majority of anime on Japanese TV)...a dedicated all-anime channel. Barring that, I'd be happy if the eastern US could start getting anime shown on public TV (where it is far less likely to be butchered to acceptability for folks Sasami's approximate physical age)--if one lives in the Western US, it's fairly common to see anime on public TV on weekends (much like it's common to see Britcoms like Red Dwarf in the eastern US). Perhaps we should start pestering public TV that we'll donate on the condition they start showing Rurouni Kenshin. ;)
Anyhoos...if you're going to watch Tenchi Muyo, start with the OVA's. Seriously. IMHO (and in the HO's of many others) that series was the best of all, though the first TV series isn't TOO bad. Avoid the movie "Tenchi Forever" like the Black Plague.
If you like Tenchi, you'll probably like El Hazard--done by the same folks. Coming from watching Tenchi, I'd recommend the TV series; if not, watch the OVA first then the TV series (sold as El Hazard: The Alternative World).
If one likes Tenchi + massive pisstaking of Sailor Moon (among other things), Pretty Sammy (also in two series--the Pretty Sammy OVAs and the Magical Project S TV series) is good if kawaii to the point it induces tooth decay. :) Anti-Microsoft types will especially enjoy Episode 2 of the OVAs ("Revenge of the Electric Brain")--quite possibly the most savage pisstake I have EVER seen of Microsoft. EVER. :)
If one is REALLY into Tenchi and/or Pretty Sammy, and can understand Japanese, there are supposedly radio airplays that have been done (this should give you an idea of the popularity). I do not speak Japanese well enough to understand them, alas. :)
Some fanfic is available at Gensao's Tenchi Muyo Fan-Fiction Archive, including some MSTings of fanfics. The archive does include some hentai (adult) material, but in a different section; the writing goes from very good ("Aikan Muyo" is actually a fairly good bit of fanfic) to the bad (avoid anything on the archive listed as being from "Tank Cop") to the...downright strange and probably more appropriate for alt.tasteless ("Tenchi on a Plate of Sashimi"--that's all I'll say on that...it'd be a good work on alt.tasteless, but tends to make most people physically ill at best...yes, it really IS that bad; do not read un-MSTed and with food in stomach).
Other picks of mine:
Must see Evangelion. Be forewarned: the "alternate" Episodes 25 and 26 (sold as "End of Evangelion"--the reason I heard was different--the original 25 and 26 were the real eps, folks weren't satisfied, so he created "End of Eva") are rather a mindfuck. For that matter, so is the entire series. :) But not bad at all, and one actually starts to enjoy it. (BTW, Asuka is annoying in English OR Japanese. Asuka Needs To Die. [Then again, I always rooted for Rei, so there. :)])
Must see Vision of Escaflowne. Fortunately, the series IS out officially Stateside (I've seen the fansub, haven't had the chance to see the official version yet). VERY pretty, a bit of a mindfuck in places but not to an extreme...one of the few crossovers between "shonen" anime (boy anime, like Rurouni Kenshin) and "shoujo" or girly anime (like Sailor Moon or Tenchi Muyo). Did I mention I probably like it more than Evangelion? ;)
You've seen Trigun and Cowboy Bebop; otherwise, I'd mention those. I'd recommend Slayers (again, avoid the movies like the plague, but up to Slayers Try is screamingly funny--imagine a Dungeons and Dragons game, gone horribly wrong. :) and Ranma 1/2 (werepigs, transsexuality, fighting, pandas and painty-raiding hentai old men...what else could you ask for? ;)
Roujin Z, if you can find it. All I will say on this is but one word: GEEZERTRON. ;) (Yes, you will have to find the joke behind this by yourself. :)
Bakuretsu Hunters, if you can find it. Another screamingly funny one (have you noticed I tend to stick towards comedies and shonen anime? ;).
Lost Universe is another must-see. Done by the same folks who did Slayers, so if you like Slayers you'll probably like this one. :)
Must see Nadeisco, if you've ever seen anything like Macross (yes, this includes the take-three-series-and-frappe mess known as Robotech in the US). Injokes all around, including a number of anime injokes (one character is a seiyuu or voice-actress; another is an otaku (fanboy) over a series known as Gekki Ganger ;).
Revolutionary Girl Utena is pretty darn good, at least what I've seen of it...even if it DOES go weird in parts. :) Not at all bad for borderline shoujo anime.
Card Captor Sakura, if you can find it (you will probably have to go with fansubs--it's not supposed to be out officially till later this year, possibly as Captor Sakura). VERY cute, VERY shoujo, but has enough dark bits I can watch without insulin shots. :) I'm REALLY surprised that Cartoon Network isn't talking of picking this up--there wouldn't even need to be much bobbitting (not like Tenchi Muyo, anyways ;). One of the few anime series NOT done by TV Tokyo (this is done by NHK, the main TV and radio network in Japan).
Rurouni Kenshin, if you can find it. I've not seen too many of the OVAs, mostly the TV series. Supposedly is shown out west as "Samurai X" and supposedly Sony is releasing it on video soon; you are probably going to have a hell of a time finding it from fansub groups as a result (as it's not officially out yet)--best bet is from someone who already has a fansub or lives out west and can tape the show off public TV for you. Should you find a fansub, try to avoid the HECTO fansub if possible (you almost need to be able to read Cantonese to understand it--it's that bad). Shinsen Gumi fansub is better (at least in semi-understandable English ;); supposedly a third fansub exists that is far better than the two groups mentioned. (Also, Sony execs, if you are reading this--Please hurry the hell up and bring the damn series over. :) My fourth-generation tapes are starting to wear thin, and I'd actually like to be able to watch without having a large red blob on the screen with Sanosuke-sama in the middle. Me like Sanosuke-sama. ;9)
Lupin isn't too bad...only seen a bit of it, but not bad at all...funny in the sort of Trigun/Cowboy Bebop vein.
Azakuzin Cha-Cha, if you can find it. Supposedly shown on Cartoon Network Asia (which does exactly Jack for us Stateside except give hope it may show up on Cartoon Network US)...another hyper-kawaii show in the vein of Card Captor Sakura but has its own twists. Not at all bad if you like the cute stuff.
Any Miazaki. Trust me when I say you cannot go wrong with Miazaki. You have to admire the guy for being the one artist whom Michael Eisner has NOT butchered his work in a distribution deal (most Miazaki work is distributed by Dizzney now; the first two being "Kiki's Delivery Service" and Mononoke Hime). You should be at least able to find Kiki's, and Mononoke Hime should be out on video in a few months. Only bad thing is that pretty much it's dub-only (though not bad dubs at all--I'm a purist and like the OPTION of getting a subtitled version, though)...if you want a subtitled version so badly, you might check out the fansub circuits (there was a fansub of Mononoke Hime floating about some months ago). Don't be offended if nobody wants you to tape them, though (most fansubbers put that condition on the fansubs when the Dizzney version was released--would YOU want to be sued for "piracy" by a company that has such a pack of lawyers and lobbyists that we will probably be listening to Radio Free Mars before Mickey Mouse ever goes into the public domain? Neither do they. :). There are also some Miazaki films that have NOT gone into Dizzney hell, most notably "Nausicaa of the Valley of Wind", which is a damned good anime.
Gatchaman (aka G-Force) is still a sentimental favourite of mine. Get the Japanese-language versions if possible--gives whole new life into the series. :) And besides, it's done by Amano-sama. Thou Shalt Not Say Ill About Amano-sama Or Else A Pack Of Sex-Crazed Kitsune Shall Infest Thy Underwear. ;)
Nazca, if you can find it. Very interesting anime about warriors reincarinated from Inca times...forget Incas didn't have katanas, and it's quite enjoyable. :) (Then again, if "Mysterious Cities of Gold" could get away with Mayans having freaking solar-powered AIRPLANES, they can get away with Incas using katanas. :)
Fushigi Yuugi (English dub sold as "Mysterious Play"--very nice they did that, no confusion there :) is pretty good, at least from what I've seen. I have also heard that, up until the very very end, it descends into being possibly the most depressing anime written since "Grave of the Fireflies" (more on that in a minute). Two tips from friends of mine who have seen this: 1) Do not get overly attached to ANY character. 2) Watch PAST the credits of the last episode, and keep any sharp objects away from you until you do so. :)
Record of Lodoss War is also fairly good, at least what I've seen. Interesting history behind it--reportedly, it's based off a Japanese RPG which in itself was loosely based off AD&D (so the real argument can be made that it's an animated D&D series, only done properly ;). At least one spinoff series, which I've not seen yet, exists.
Dragon Half, if you can find it. You will probably have to resort to fansubs. Damned hilarious series...laughed till I cried :)
Akira isn't that bad. Probably would be more understandable if they'd made it from the entire manga instead of the two graphic novels in the middle of the series, but not bad. Warning: UNLESS you have read the entire manga series, do NOT attempt to explain the plot of the movie--my husband made that mistake on a local anime BBS, and for the next fifteen months got spontaneous migraines whenever someone so much as MENTIONED the word "Akira". :)
Bubblegum Crisis/Crash isn't bad--try to view the original series first, and AVOID THE GODDAMN DUBS LIKE THE PLAGUE. They BUTCHER "Konya Wa Hurricane" which is one of the better J-rock songs in anime by having SOMEONE WHO CAN'T FRIGGING SING SING IT IN ENGLISH! Pure blasphemy.
I have heard good and bad about the "alternate universe" BCG series, "Bubblegum Crisis 2040". Uses a bit too much CGI eye-candy, but the four eps I saw weren't too bad as long as you remember that it is an alternate universe (just like the three Tenchi series ;). I miss the lesbian references, though...we all know Sylia Stingray and especially Nene are flaming. Out of the closet, girls ;)
And now for the hentai section (yes, I am hentai. I am not ashamed to state that I am mildly hentai. ;) But this is funny hentai, so I may be excused. :)...both of these probably count as "adult comedy"...
F-Cubed, especially "Night of the F-Cubed". Adult, yet screamingly funny...probably only funny if you think risque situations are funny, but I thought it was hilarious. :)
Ogenki Clinic--Imagine a sex counselor clinic run by Tenchi Muyo's own Noboyuki. (Read: Dirty Middle-Aged Man. :) The whole damn series is a riot...quite adult, but screamingly funny. :)
This should be enough to get you shopping for now. ;)
-Windigo The Feral (NYAR!)
A kinda sweet romance (and about the only anime I've seen) is Ah! My Goddess - the younger of the 3 goddess' is the Yggdrasil system's debugger. However I'm sure going to take suggestions from this article to the video rental store! Nice subject....
try { do() || do_not(); } catch (JediException err) { yoda(err); }
Rob,
If you're looking for great anime to see, here are the really good ones I think you'll enjoy:
1. Cowboy Bebop. I'm glad you have seen it, because not only does it have a GREAT storyline, but excellent quality animation and better yet, GREAT background music thanks to Yoko Kanno, perhaps the best composer of music for anime in Japan right now.
2. The Vision of Escaflowne. Excellent storyline, excellent interaction between characters, and OAV (read: high quality) animation all the way through the series from start to end. I consider it the second best anime series of the 1990's after Cowboy Bebop.
3. Saber Marionette J. A very pleasant surprise (especially after seeing the subtitled edition), because you really empathize with Lime, Cherry and Bloodberry as they "grow up" from the beginning to end.
4. Slayers, Slayers Next and Slayers Try. These three are the best "fun" series of the 1990's, with lots of great humor, character interaction and surprisingly serious storylines at the end of each series. The nice thing about the three Slayers series is the fact it really does parody all those bad sessions of role-playing games done on pencil and paper--think of it as "Knights of the Dinner Table" come alive. (^_^)
4. Revolutionary Girl Utena. I'm hoping that Central Park Media will have the guts to release all 39 episodes, because by the time you reach the end you'll be reaching for a bottle of painkillers trying to keep up with all the little details and plot twists that are important for this series. Utterly weird, and utterly brilliant.
5. New War Report Gundam W(ing). I'm hoping you can start collecting the series on DVD (Bandai is starting to do that now here in the USA), because it truely is one of the best of the Gundam series (and you on DVD you will hear the very catchy opening and closing themes done by the Japanese pop group Two-Mix).
IMHO, you can't got wrong with the series I've recommended. They are all top-notch and all are highly recommended by serious anime fans.
Raymond in Mountain View, CA
If you want silly, don't forget:
:-)
Riding Bean
Silly and realistic at the same time; can't beat that.
--
Fist of the North Star is one of those flicks that's so bad it flips the counter over and actually becomes good. It's best viewed together with friends, preferably of the MST3K persuasion. It's got a ridiculous storyline, huge over-muscled guys, over the top dialogue, and fountains of blood spraying everywhere. Who could ask for anything more? YATATATATATA! You... Are Already Dead!
Wings of Honnemaise is a film that requires both patience and attention to detail to be appreciated. I've seen both the dub and sub (repeatedly), and I'd have to say both are excellent.
The dub is by no means an exact translation -- there are dialogue changes that sometimes alter the meaning of a scene deliberately (Although I've heard Gainax was quite pleased with the dub). Nonetheless, I recommend either version of the film.
"Lain Perhaps the best Anime I've seen thus far. The story of a young girl, a drug culture, the future of the net, etc etc. It'll leave your jaw on the floor. It makes the internet look unreal but somehow believable at the same time."
Somewhat OT plug from an Otakon staffer:
Otakon 2000 will be hosting a number of guests associated with Serial Experiments Lain:
"...We would also like to take this opportunity to announce our first two guests of honor, Mr. Yoshitoshi ABe and Mr. Yasuyuki Ueda. Mr. ABe would best be known to us in the US as the character designer for serial experiments lain. Joining him will be Mr. Yasuyuki Ueda of production 2nd, the creator of lain. The pair are currently working on a new series together, and hope to have a preview ready by O2K..."
In addition, the band bôa, writers and performers of the Lain opening song Duvet will also be appearing at Otakon. Of course, as the largest anime convention on the east coast, Otakon will host numerous other guests, premiers, and a huge dealers room. The convention will take place August 4-6, at the Baltimore Convention Center in Maryland, USA. For more information, see our website, or call (814) 867-3478.
"Close the world. Otakunize the nExt..."
I don't know if that will include Streamline's dub or not, but it probably will include subtitles and the Japanese audio track, unless for some reason they couldn't get the rights.
--
Editor Emeritus and Senior Writer, TeleRead.org
Lupin is called "Wolf" in the Streamline dub of the film because Monkey Punch never bothered to get permission from the Leblanc estate before creating his Lupin III character. He was called all sorts of odd things in the American translations of the '90s. But he was never called Agent Wolf...and he's back to Lupin (pronounced Loo-PAHN in the dub) in the Manga version.
--
Editor Emeritus and Senior Writer, TeleRead.org
And I'd suggest anything by Miyazaki, too, but about the only work of his that's on DVD yet is Castle of Cagliostro . (Which is easily one of the best anime movies of all time, by the way, and hit Express.com's top-ten list the first week it was out, selling out over 2500 copies in just a couple weeks.)
The original Bubblegum Crisis is another good one, though you might be advised to wait for the re-pressing/additional disc set that's due out one of these days; the first set, being a relatively early DVD issuance, had some problems.
And hey, if someone can suggest The Matrix as anime, then I feel more than entitled to suggest Tampopo . It's Japanese live-action comedy (like anime except not animated!), and deals with another geek staple--ramen noodles. (It's a "noodle western," a parody of/homage to all the samurai movies/westerns of bygone days.) It's probably the best movie ever made that you've likely never heard of.
There are so many good anime, and I'm at least fond of most of them. A good place to check for tips is AnimeOnDVD; it has an "Essential Anime" section that hits a lot of the classics.
--
Editor Emeritus and Senior Writer, TeleRead.org
Castle of Cagliostro deals with the adventures of Arsène Lupin III, the grandson of the original Arsène Lupin (hero of the novels by Maurice Leblanc). There's a whole lot of other Lupin III anime, and most of it's pretty good, but only some is by Miyazaki.
--
Editor Emeritus and Senior Writer, TeleRead.org
Ironic that you should mention Grave of the Fireflies and My Neighbor Totoro in the same post; they were originally shown together in Japan as a double-feature.
--
Editor Emeritus and Senior Writer, TeleRead.org
Is there a subtitled version of this available yet? AFAIK the only US version is a dub by Streamline video which has really bad voice acting (at least for D himself).
I would also recommend "Demon City Shinjuku", "Wicked City", "Twilight of the Dark Master" (this is short). I recently finished the Lain series and it is seriously cool, only about 1 stinker episode (where they try, unsuccessfully, to explain everything) and have just stated working on Blue Seed as well as Neon Genesis Evangelon.
Anime is great, have fun and I hope you have a really good video store nearby (props to Four Star video in Madison WI).
-- Remember: Wherever you go, there you are!
Not many oldies were mentioned, so I'll focus mainly on those:
:-P).
First off, everything that has "Hayao Miyazaki", "Isao Takahata" or "Studio Ghibli" written on it. That stuff is poetry in images. Go see "Mononoke Hime", possibly in a good theater. Go twice (the message gets more powerful as you see it again, as it happens for many Studio Ghibli movies). Watch Nausicaa, Tonari no Totoro, Porco Rosso.
I'll pitch in another movie by Takahata: Grave of the Fireflies. It's a very very sad story, but it has a very powerful message indeed. After a while you'll forget you're even watching anime (I know: it happened to me), and the message will get straight to your heart (ok, so maybe you traded yours for a T1, but that's not the point
Lupin III (especially the first series) is relly funny, kind of slapstick sometimes, poetic sometimes. Cagliostro no Shiro is by Miyazaki, maybe the single best episode/movie/special in the whole series.
Stuff from Go Nagai. Some is good, some is not-as-good. But Devilman is always an all-time-big. Shin Getter Robot should be good too. And his CB-chara (super deformed) is fun, if properly adapted. (notice: I mostly watch the italian editions, so I have no clue about the level of the US version).
Gundam ('nuff said): RX-78 (TOS), Z, maybe ZZ, Shia's counterattack, 0083, 8th MS platoon. Avoid everything else (hope I have not missed anything in the include-list).
Lodoss is a good fantasy OVA series. Good detail, average animations, good D&D-type story.
A good no-strings-attached fun-story: Nadia, from Gainax (their first TV hit). Space-opera-giant-robots type comedy: GunBuster (also from Gainax).
On more recent stuff: Ghost in the Shell, Evangelion, Escaflowne, maybe Neoranga (in this order). I don't like Otomo's style, but Spriggan is visually impressive (if a bit confusing).
In no particular order:
Miyazaki anything: Totoro, Kiki, Crimson Pig, Nausicaa, Mononoke, Laputa
Tenchi Muyo
Combustable Campuss Guardress (but good luck finding anything other than Japanese language-only VCDs or fan subs. I WANT THIS!)
Anything by Masamune Shirow: Ghost In The Shell, Appleseed, Dominion
Patlabor 1
The Project A-Ko series
Akira (though I find it doesn't hold up over the years)
Rumiko Takahashi stuff: Ranma 1/2, Urusei Yastura
Gunsmith Cats!
Battle Angel Alita
I haven't seen a lot of the newer stuff, but there's a start.
Pope
Freedom is Slavery! Ignorance is Strength! Monopolies offer Choice!
It doesn't mean much now, it's built for the future.
Without a doubt, absolutely the best anime I have ever seen (and I've seen a lot...) is Kareshi Kanojo no Jijou. It makes me laugh, it makes me cry, it's simply the best thing I've ever seen on a television, period. It's coming out on DVD and VHS here in the US soon, too, if it's not out already. Be forewarned, though, it's not action-heavy... it's a pure love story, if done a little spastically. Everyone in the world should watch it. Right now.
Supreme Lord High Commander of the Interstellar Task Force for the Eradication of Stupidity
I am becomming a fan of Anime, also. I had never seen any until I got my DVD player. Some of my favorites are Ninja Scroll, Ghost in the Shell, Venus Wars, Tenchi Muyo, and I have 3x3 Eyes on laserdisc, which is also very cool.
But nothing beats Ranma 1/2. I started watching the thing and thought, "what the hell is this crap?" at the outset. Five minutes later I was on the floor laughing - especially when I started to understand everything that was going on and where all these weird animals were coming from. And the little guy who steals women's underwear (can't remember his name) is a total hoot!
Also by the same guy who did Grave of the Fireflies is Princess Mononoke, an incredible late-midieval fantasy about a kid going off to find the source of the magical disease which has infected him. Was out in the theatres last year (dubbed), with the translation done by Neil Gaiman, and one of the voices by Gillian Anderson.
I found the Akira film first. It was good! I stopped dodging Japanese animation.
:-(
Then I found the Akira graphic novel, which floored my jaw (and which incidentally, nobody can buy anywhere any more, they obviously don't want money)
Then I found the Battle Angel Alita books, and I was utterly... and completely... blown away.
The author wrote and drew the whole series. Anyone reading this MUST check them out.
Samples of artwork can be found here
The first two episode were made into a video, which was complete garbage in comparison with the books.
After you've bought, read, savoured, and reread the Alita series you may want to check out the vidoes of 'Macros Plus' (very very good), 'Tenchi Muyo' (absolutely hilarious), 'Armitage III' and any of the cinema released Anime films, which all seem to be pretty damned good.
I'm off to locate this Neon Genesis that I can't help hearing rave reviews about.
Haldane
Neon Genesis Evangelion: Excellent series, dealing with large bio-genetic robots built to protect the world from invading "Angels" Biblical overtones in this one. 13 tapes in all.
Bubble Gum Crisis Another good one this one dealing with a society that has built "boomer" robots to help them out in their everyday tasks. Some of the robots go "Rogue" and are battled by a vigilante group call the Knight Sabers
Record Of Loduss War Excellent D&D style anime, you've got your dwarves, elves, sorcerers, etc. Fairly long series, excellent animation.
Akira A classic.
These are just a few off the top of my head. I'll try and think of some more for you guys, I recently inherited about 100 tapes of Anime. I haven't got a chance to view them all
As a pretty hard core fan, some of my current picks may not even be available yet this side of the Pacific.
Anime fans remind me of ska fans back in the mid 90s. If it was a band you heard of, they suck. If it's some nobody, they're cool. If the nobody became popular, they become instantly (and retroactivly) sucky.
Stuff To Avoid:
Pokemon
PIIIIIKAAAAAACHUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUU!!!!!!!
DragonBall Z
Mr. Piccalo will kick your ass for that. It's just fun.
Sailor Moon
You're just jellous of Tuxedo Mask.
(no in all honesty it's not very good. About on level of Ronin Warriors *groan*.
Any "Alternate Universe" Gundam (ie Gundam Wing)
Now I haven't seen the other Gundams, but Gundam Wing cool. The animation is good. It's pretty. Sure, theres episodes that stop right when the action starts, but some how it all flows. Alot like B5 (which I was ever that big a fan of).
Plus, Noin is damn hot.
Very good move, very sad though. It's right up there with Wings (non-anime (Clara Bow, c. 1928)) for the saddest movie i've ever seen.
---
Play Six Pack Man. I
Present day! Present Time! HAHAHAHAHAH
But still, an excellent anime. Here are further suggestions, all on DVD. I suggest you check out NetFlix as well, as they have Anime for rental over the net.
Ghost in the Shell: Popularized anime, big guns, naked girls, mecha, complex plot, this has everything that *is* anime. I think it's the perfect representation of the genre. And my favorite.
Bubble Gum Crisis: Another representation of the genre, it covers more of the mecha aspects, and was well done for the time. Good looking girls in powered armor, etc.
Legend of the Overfiend: a series, they recently released a box set of the first 5 disks, and the only ones worth getting. This is a 'tenticle porn' anime, and is another 'representative of the genre' things. If you ever wanted something that made your friends go 'holy crap!' check this out. NOT FOR KIDS!
Tenchi Muyo: An excellent series, following the exploits of tenchi. it's a television series, but they also have some movies on it.
Queen Emeraldas: A surprisingly good anime following the exploits of a female pirate and this little kid trying to make it in the world. It's got some pretty funny scenes and they have some really cool weapons.
Macros Plus: Unlike the first one, Macros Plus is good! (well, if you don't dig on the Minmae defense!) They have some excellent graphics, and a well thought out plot line. a classic mecha.
Neon Genesis Evangelion: giant mecca, younger actors, and very well drawn. This is an excellent anime to investigate.
Record of the Lotus Wars: Just like AD&D brought to anime. very well done.
Princess Mononoke: Soon coming to DVD! well, at least they keep on saying that. someday we'll get this great movie. a fantasy series, very very well done. Was VERY good because I saw it in the theatres.
Ranma 1/2: If you like cutsey slightly funny young girlish comedies, you might dig on this. It's not my thing, but it's still somewhat funny.
Castle of Caligistro: The spy adventures of Agent Wolf, an excellent early anime. It just came out on DVD. Another genre definer.
Project A-ko: AAHHHNOOOOOOO!!!! My personal nemesis. I hate this anime, but only because i hate C-ko. if you dig on mostly girls whining with the occational super human battle... but i HIGHLY recommend against it!
MD Geist: Another classic, very violent. Post apoclyptic genre.
Golden Boy: a voyaging student wandering the country side, VERY funny. `8r) This is a good example of humor done well... everywhere the boy goes, he finds love in a new form. most likely not for kids though. Not on DVD that I know of.
Iszer: The worst anime i've ever seen. avoid it.
All Purpose Cultural Cat Girl Nuku Nuku: Just look at the title! `8r) It's a decent anime, a happy present day, young girl type of anime. Nuku Nuku is superhuman, and it's also pretty funny. Not on DVD I don't think, can't remember
Anyway, that's all I can think of right now. There are others that are also very good classics that are not on DVD, such as Riding Bean, Akira, Appleseed, Dirty Pair, Vampire Hunter D, AD Tank Police, 3x3 eyes, Sakura Wars, and a buttload of different TV series. I highly suggest you check out an anime con sometime, I recently went to one in Chicago, and it was excellent. even got to see Cowboy Bebop for free. Which I then turned around and bought.
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Gonzo Granzeau
Gonzo Granzeau
"Nothing the god of biomechanics wouldn't let you into heaven for.." -Roy Batty
He's called 'The Wolf' in the film, maybe if only as a nickname. Maybe if you had watched it recently, you might have known that. and yes, why there are more, this one just recently came out on DVD.
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Gonzo Granzeau
Gonzo Granzeau
"Nothing the god of biomechanics wouldn't let you into heaven for.." -Roy Batty
There are a wide variety of more gentle shows in anime. Anime is just another film media for Japan. Tragic real-life dramas like "Grave of the Fireflies," gentle kids movies like "My Neighbor Totoro," and charged psycho-dramas like the recent "Perfect Blue" all are animated. There is an entire genre called shoujo, which is young girls anime that tends to focus on romance, relationships between friends, and situational comedy. They also can be cute to the point of delivering insulin shock.
To be honest, I like a lot of the girls shows because they're so damn funny at times. Comedy is my biggest interest in anime. The above mentioned show "Trigun" is one of the better ones, and does not have any negative sexual portrayals of women. You should give anime a second chance. This time, do an informed search on the web and stay away from anything which has too sexed-up of a cover. (This may unfortunately make you miss a few good things to because of companies like A.D.V. Film's constant attempts at making their stuff look like it has more sex in it than it actually does.) Oh, and get some informed friends to show you some anime rather than whatever perv shoved the stuff you watched in your face. The Anime Turnpike is a good resource for finding fan sites that will give you a good idea of what kind of people are watching what.
I will recommend the following:
Trigun -- A funny slapstick comedy centered around a character who hides his competence, and a cool sci-fi tinted western.
Giant Robo -- Epic drama, badass fights between espers, and retro 70s animation. One of the best of all time.
Evangelion -- A psychological study in depression, with cool living robots, though there's a little fan-service they bring up constantly as a joke.
Visions of Escaflowne -- Beautiful visuals, cool fantasy, a tale of altered fate and romance.
Cowboy Bebop -- An ultra-cool vision of the future that's neither dystopian nor utopian. Lots of great action and intriguing characters.
Serial Experiments Lain -- Wow. What more can I say? This is the penultimate work of cyberspace mergine with the real world. See it, but be prepared to be confused as most of what happens in the plot is a mystery and much of it is allegorical or left unexplained.
Slayers -- The series from Software Sculptors, not the OAVs or the movies as they feature Naga, which fits the stereotype, though you never see her once do anything sexual. The series is a hillarious swords and sorcery romp that refuses to get serious for more than a few minutes at a time (much to the dismay of Zelgadis, one of the characters).
P.S. I'm not just the president of my college anime club, I'm also a client.
If it's for-profit but free, you're not the customer -- you're the product (e.g., the Slashdot Beta's "audience").
For those who don't know Megumi is the seiyuu (voice actor/actress) for a number of characters. Some of her most famous roles include:
Lina Inverse of the "Slayers" series.
Lime of "Saber Marionette J" and its sequels.
Ayanami Rei of "Evangelion"
Faye Valentine of "Cowboy Bebop"
Female Ranma of "Ranma 1/2"
Kitty of "Sanrio" (aka "Hello Kitty")
A more complete list can be found here. (In case you can't guess, she's one of my favorite voice actresses.)
If it's for-profit but free, you're not the customer -- you're the product (e.g., the Slashdot Beta's "audience").
In general, I don't like anime. It's mostly adolescent fantasy and/or angst, with few examples of literary merit. I do admit to being curious about Ghost in the Shell and Princess Mononoke, but most of the anime I've actually sat through -- Fists of the North Star, Nausicaa, Lensman, Gundam, Robotech, Vampire Hunter D, etc -- left me bored and puzzled about why the hell my friends liked this stuff.
:) I heartily recommend it.
Therefore I postulate that the only anime worth watching is anime that makes fun of anime. And as a result, I have become hooked on the Powerpuff Girls. They poke fun at every superhero genre but make extra effort to ridicule anime, and the end result leaves me howling with laughter. The powerpuff Mecha episode alone -- where it takes almost a full minute to reveal the missles popping out of every possible surface on the mechanoid -- is a stinging slap across the face to the japanese animation industry.
Genocide Man -- Life is funny. Death is funnier. Mass murder can be hilarious.
A great list, and I second whole-heartedly.
One addition, another 80's classic which everyone should check out is Vampire Hunter D . For early-eighties anime, it's extremely well done.
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Question: How do I leverage the power of the internet?
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There is no try at jedinite.com
GREAT series, but don't take my word for it: Digital Otaku-May 31,2000
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Here's a link to some more Utena info: www.duellists.tj
Hmm, this can be partly attributed to the fact that I pretend the Black Rose saga doesn't exist, for fear my head explodes. ^_~
Thanks for the link! Hilarious!
Princess Mononoke is great, with wonderful animation and quite a bit to think about. And after all the discussion it's received on /., I'm really surprised it hasn't been mentioned in the comments so far.
"You can never have too many elephants on your team."
Never heard of it so I found a website with some info:
Lain Serial
It's a little more oriented towards children, but it's still IMHO the best epic SciFi story there is!
Washington, DC: It's like Hollywood for ugly people.
I had this argument with my SO for weeks after seeing Mononoke. We struggled with the need for balance between a subtle, yet effective storyline and the need to actually penetrate American's thick skulls.
I'm not very anime-oriented, so I really only know anything about the Americanized version. To me, a heavy handed plot is justified if it manages to attack with any success the common American culture or convince a few Americans to reconsider their lifestyle (specifically when the attack is one I consider worthwhile. This is my criteria, after all).
While a more moderate plot might have been mentally stimulating for me and people who already understand the importance of protecting the planet, I fear that an uninitiated American would miss the point entirely and any social gain that might have resulted from the film is wasted preaching to the choir.
So I would argue that there were plenty of elements in the movie to keep the choir entertained and sacrificing the subtlety is not a crime. If, on the other hand, I found the movie heavy handed AND unentertaining in most other respects, I wouldn't give it quite the leeway.
Consider Battlefield Earth: for some people it might be a thrill-a-minute action flick, but to me it's a heavy-handed scientology flick with no redeeming values, so it doesn't get the same sort of leeway as Mononoke does.
Of course this is all premised on my lowly opinion of Americans (myself being one). I understand that places like cluetrain have a different perspective. It will take a lot to restore my faith in the Average American, but I'm certainly open to suggestions to the contrary.
I don't need large brains to have a good time.
Ghost in the Shell (by far my most favourite anime ever: gorgeous animation, cool story)
Akira (I was a bit disappointed in Akira, after all the stuff I'd heard about it... it was visually beautiful, but the story was very crammed, since it was originally an 1800pg manga)
Bubblegum Crash (this is the sequel to the Bubblegum Crisis series, ok, but not great)
Armitage III: Polymatrix (one of those anime where the heroine inexplicably looks like a dominatrix..., characters were interesting, some visuals were very reminiscent of Blade Runner)
Black Magic M-66 (ok, not great, about a mindless cyborg assasin who escapes)
Appleseed (pretty cool characters and ideas, perfect for my paper, but not that great to watch)
Armageddon (awful!!)
Some other stuff I've seen:
Record of Lodoss War (very D&D-ish, but an interesting group of adventurers)
Slayers (very silly and fun)
Oh My Goddess! (lighthearted and funny)
Space Warriors (really cheesy!)
Castle Cagliostro (one of many with the same main character, pretty goofy...)
Perfect Blue (as described by Taco, a very cool anime)
Almost all of these were subtitled, since I prefer to watch subtitled anime. I have heard that some of them, notably Akira, are worse in the dubbed version. They often get cut more, and the story is adjusted more for western audiences. IMHO, while subtitled versions still have these changes, I think they are generally better.
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I hope you're not pretending to be evil while secretly being good. That would be dishonest.
If you're looking for a good laugh... :)
Watch one of the City Hunter series, which is very goofy, but fun... then, rent the JACKIE CHAN live action version of City Hunter. It's hilarious. It's totally not your usual Jackie Chan, but it's got cool action and it's very funny. There's a great 'Streetfighter' sequence... I won't explain it, cuz I don't want to ruin the surprise, but trust me, it's great! Only be sure to watch the anime first, so you have some clue as to what's going on!
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I hope you're not pretending to be evil while secretly being good. That would be dishonest.
I grew up on the original Robotech series, and it still rules. The books based on the series (by Jack McKinney, if anyone's interested), are ten times better than the cartoon was (and a hundred times more in-depth), but 'Tech was still a gazillion times better than Voltron and whatever other American cartoons were on at the time.
I'm surprised no one else has mentioned it...
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One of my all time favorites is KOR. Besides, Bubblegum Crisis, KOR cemented my addiction to anime (and made me go out and by an LD player). It had it all - cute girls, a love triangle, and esp powers. What more could you ask for in anime? Back in the day, I must admit to having a slight crush on Ayukawa Madoka (what normal nerd wouldn't?). The KOR movie that resolved the series had an ending that was more realistic than most tv series (or movies) that I've seen. It was emotionally draining to say the least.
The complete tv series, OAV, and movie are available from those great guys at Animeigo.
Some other favs:
Record of Lodoss Wars - this is what the old d&d tv cartoon series should have been.
Tenchi Muyo - Very funny. Sasami-chan is the only cute character though.
Ranma 1/2 - slap stick at it's best.
Neon Genesis Evangelion - Story is really engaging.
Vampire Princess Muyo - Spooky. The soundtrack is really cool.
You should perhaps be warned that "Grave of the Fireflies" is extremely depressing. But it's also really good.
For another break from the robots, try "My Neighbor Totoro" ("tonari no totoro", I think). Don't be put off by the fact that it's a kid's movie (and that it's very cute, and that it's spawned a major stuffed-animal industry)--it's much more subtle and interesting than anything put out by Disney. Also, if you're interested in Japan, there's lots of wonderful cultural details--the shots of the countryside, the food the characters eat and the houses they live in, etc.
I don't know anyone (of any age) who's seen Totoro and not liked it.
In general, anything by the same director (Hayao Miyazaki) is worth watching--see "Nausicaa of the Valley of the Winds" if you're looking for science-fiction, or "Kiki's delivery service", if you can stand more cute kids.
--Bruce Fields
Miramax/Disney have been releasing some of Hayao Miyazaki's work here in the U.S, most notably Princess Mononoke last fall. This is one of the BEST animated movies I've ever seen. I've read that it is the second highest grossing film of all time in Japan (next to Titanic.The musical score is excellent, and, for once, the American voiceovers were done fairly well. The DVD is expected to be released sometime this summer. I highly recommend it.
:) Your jaw will be open most of the time and you will have no idea what's going on for the first few episodes.
Other than that, one of my favorite classics is Bubblegum Crisis, a kind of Bladrunner-esque sci-fi thriller with women in hard suits fighting an evil corporation that creates terminator style cyborgs. All 8 episodes are available on DVD.
As mentioned above, Serial Experiments Lain is a GREAT, must see anime and is available on 4 DVDs. It actually makes you think, unlike a lot of anime.
Visions of Escaflowne is a series that is just started to be released commercially in the U.S. It is set in an interesting fantasy style world yet they have mech and flying technologies. There's quite a lot of adventure with a fairly serious, epic fantasy plotline woven throughout. The first few episodes should be coming out in the summer on DVD. All in all, it's 26 episodes.
One of the best in Dark Anime...
If you watch enough anime you'll se a common theme in a lot of the series that reminds me of the daily plot from Power Rangers.
-Vel
currently showing on Cartoon network at 4pm and 12am eastern time...
The DVD's are supposed to start coming out this month, but at 5 episodes per DVD (out of, like, 50) at $25 a pop it gets a little pricey...
"You want to kiss the sky? Better learn how to kneel." - U2
Sig:
Barbeque is a noun. Not a verb.
I second your opinion on the Vision of Escaflowne, I was looking to see if anyone else recommended it before I put my two cents in. I myself was disappointed with the ending, felt it was rushed. The producers knew they had the leeway of making a movie to tie up loose ends (in production now).
My understanding is that VoE has been picked up by Fox Kids! for the 2000-2001 season, so there's a good chance you can see it for free. I'm just afraid, no I'm certain, that they'll dub it, and we'll lose Maaya Sakamoto's great performance as Hitomi. She even sings the theme song in character, don't see that enough.
For more information, everybody, on anime and manga, the best English language online resource I've seen is EX.org , which might be the best online magazine I've seen, period.
I used to be a cynic, then I got disillusioned with it.
I'm glad someone here brought this up. ^_^
If you are looking for some Anime resources on line, here is a short list off the top of my head:
- EX
This is a review site that reviews a ton of Anime, Anime Music, Manga(comics where a lot of Anime comes from), and other stuff(games, books, etc that are Anime related). One of the oldest and longest running online Anime e-zines.
- Hitoshi Doi's Seiyuu Database
Hitoshi's exploits as a Seiyuu(a voice actor/actress) are legendary and his database shows it. If there was a piece of animation made in Japan and there was a speaking role in it, it has been cataloged here. Great for crossref-ing your favorite actress!
Conventions(there are a bunch...to list them all would kill me ^_^)
- Anime Expo
Southern California con. Quite possibly, the "high profile Anime con" where a lot of the domestics and some of the Japanese companies make announcements.
- Anime Central
Chicago area con. Great con for those of us who live in the center of the country. ^_^;
Business...
- A.D. Films
Domestic distributor of stuff shows like Evangelion.
- Anime Village
Domestic distributor of stuff shows like Cowboy Bebop.
- Pioneer Anime
Domestic distributor of shows like Tenchi.
Finally....
- Anipike
An ambitious attempt to catalog all of the Anime content out there on the web. Has an interesting "Last Exit" column that showcases the best(and the worse) of Anime Online. This site is great to find anything and everything Anime.
Errr...when I said "Hitoshi's exploits as a Seiyuu(a voice actor/actress) are legendary and his database shows it." I meant to say..
Hitoshi's exploits as a Seiyuu(a voice actor/actress) FAN are legendary and his database shows it.
Hitoshi, as far as I know, doesn't work anywhere in the Japanese Anime industry(I think he works for DEC ^_^) and is just a fan like anyone else. If nothing else, it shows how one guy with a little hardware and programming knowledge can produce something truly useful and powerful.
Good list, just want to point out you want to get the subtitled version of Akira, NOT the dubbed version if possible. The original voice actors were carefully picked for their intonation/acting, the dubbed voices include one of the people who voiced the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles, 'nuff said.
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No matter what Anime you get, be sure to get the english subtitled versions whenever possible. Dubbed, sucks. Better still, get non-dubbed non-subtitled anime and start learning Japanese.
I'm trying to teach myself to set people on fire with my mind... Is it hot in here?
I was gonna write one, but I'll just be lazy and add to yours. ^_^
Anything by Miyazaki: thought provoking, stunning visuals, excellent story telling. Examples: Mononoke Hime, Kiki's Delivery Service, Naussica.
Amen! Add My Neighbor Totoro to this list. Also, "coming soon," Castle in the Sky (otherwise known as Laputa)
Another one by the same studio: Grave of the Fireflies. Guaranteed to make you and everyone around you cry. Stock up on the Kleenex.
Bubblegum Crisis (original and 2040): one of the most popular 80's series, a cyberpunk thriller. 2040 came out a couple of years ago and is a remodified verion.
If you see the original version, be sure and get the subtitled version. The original music rocked. The replacement band they used for the dub was lame.
AD Police is the prequel to this series, and is also good. My additions to this fine list:
Vampire Princess Miyu: Not your usual vampire thriller.
Kimagure Orange Road (aka: Whimsical Orange Road, KOR): High school kids, love triangles, a small amount of the supernatural. Sitcom-style comedy. Good scripts with well-formed characters.
Sol Bianca: Sci-fi. The best spaceship cloaking animation ever. Good story, also.
The link I haven't seen yet: Anime Turnpike
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NetInfo connection failed for server 127.0.0.1/local
I can't add anything about the complexity, emotional richness, or trippy fascination of Neon Genesis Evangelion, but I can tell you where ot get it. It's available on VHS for ~$260... or you can get it for ~$75 on VCD. VCD is viewable on any MPEG-capable computer. The resolution is only a bit worse than VHS, and you get the slow-motion, freeze-frame, and precise backup you'll need if you want to do in-depth analysis of this... phenomenon. There is some censoring (the discs are from Taiwan), but a friend who's doing part of her thesis on Evangelion and has watched both formats over and over and over assures me it is inconsequential.
Now -- where to get the discs? I've seen a few stores that offer them, but they're a bit hard to find and of unknown reliability. However, there are always a number being aucti oned on ebay. That's where my friend got hers...
note - After the bizarre and traumatic end of the series, two movies (usually called Death and Rebirth and End of Evangelion were released, comprising an alternate retelling and end of the story. These are offered on a separate VCD package, and while highly worthwhile to those who have seen the rest, you should make sure you get the 13-disc, 26-episode series first.
- Michael Cohn
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Go ahead, blame me... I voted for Nader!
As for the Matrix
You know what to do with the HELLO.
You know what to do with the HELLO. ...
Help create an open-source world
It makes sense in the end? That's great, because it sure as heck didn't in the middle!!!!
For a laugh, check out The Revolutionary Girl Utena Pants Page. Pure silliness.
bun-fhuinneog agam!
I just love the look of this. Miyazaki really captures the look of rural Japan, and his attention to detail and ability to portray everyday things very accurately, accentuates the magic and wonder and cuteness of Totoro and friends. Very simple, but this is its strength.
-jimbo
"Hold me Bob!" "I would if I could man!" -Larry and Bob in VeggieTales
That said, MasteroftheVoxel has pointed out some pretty good titles. Neon Genesis Evangelion and Vision of Escaflowne were probably to of the best tv series titles to come out in the 90's for Japan. Evangelion, as others have mentioned is a rollercoster ride of an action-comedy that effectively portrays the mentality of the main character Shini in a really bizarre and fairly depressing jaunt through adolesence during the Armageddon. Escaflowne is a nice mix of Shoujo (to give the plot some depth and feeling) and action. It has some excellent sword and mecha fighting combined with very good character development.
Of the little Miyazaki I have seen, I would strongly recommend Mononoke Hime, or Princess Mononoke as Mirimax is calling it. This is the most adult themed and serious of Miyazaki's works that I have seen.
In the comedy department, I can strongly recommend :
Ranma 1/2 (Again, but I'd say watch at least the first 2.5 seasons and the OVAs if possible.)
El Hazard (More cross-dressing fun in the OVAs and one of the best of the one guy being pursued by many girls genre.)
Irresponsible Captain Tyler (This is a great space comedy where you and all the other characters spend the entire series trying to figure out if Tylor is a genius or a rampaging moron.)
Lupin: Castle of Caglistro (Anything involving Lupin is going to be pretty darn funny as the super-thief and bunch of wierdos wander off to do strange things.)
Slayers (Take the whole D&D idea and remove rationality from the characters and respectable limits to power. Can be quite funny.)
Tenchi Muyo (Like El Hazard, but louder with a much less sane cast of characters. Avoid the second TV series as if your life depends on it, but the OVAs and first movie are good.)
If you like Trigun, I can recommend these (tough guy who acts like an idiot) titles :
City Hunter (The City Hunter is a famous bodyguard/private eye who is a complete worthless pervert until the situation gets serious.)
Sorcerer Hunters (A bunch of oddballs are sent out to take care of very unruly wizards who are enslaving the populous. Borders on bad taste at a few points but funny.)
In the sci-fi action genre, there are quite a few:
Macross Plus (The OVAs are simply some of the best animation I have ever seen. The plot is good and provides a worthy sucessor to Macross/Robotech.)
Orguss 2 (I didn't enjoy much of Orguss that I saw, but the sequel is excellent and little known. A good way to think of it is World War II with both sides unearthing mecha from some apparently previous civilization.)
Iria: Zeiram the Animation (This is a good bounty hunter series involving interesting technology clearly based on non-tradition physics.)
Ghost In the Shell (Others have covered this.)
Patlabor (The two movies are very good. This is the most realistic rendition of mecha that I have seen in an anime.)
Bubblegum Crisis (Think Bladerunner with really nasty androids and four women in battle armor fighting them for fun and profit.)
Gundam Wing (I haven't had the history and physics lessons necessary to tackle the main Gundam universe in depth, so I'll suggest an excellent spinoff.)
Dirty Pair (Comedic pair of Trouble Consultants (like police but not) who cause so much collateral damage that it is sometimes counted in planets.)
In the miscellaneous category come these gems:
Record of Lodoss War (The OVAs are what D&D was meant to be, and the TV series is good apart from the annoying ending segments.)
Key the Metal Idol (This is in my top five or ten favorites of all time. Mix Isaac Asimov, Japanese culture, massive psychic power, and stir. The story is of Key and her quest to become human by making 30,000 friends.)
Heroic Legend of Arslan (Cross the Lord of the Rings characters with Akira Kurasawa and get a good medieval yarn.)
Fushugi Yuugi (Or The Mysterious Play as I think the dubbed version is called. This is as close to the Sailor Moon style as I can get and still like it. Involves a girl transported to another dimension to fufill a prophesy a la Neverending Story.)
Oh My Goddess (Mostly Shoujo story of a boy in love with a Goddess. Her sisters don't exactly like the union though...)
Kishin Corp (This is steampunk mecha combat set in World War II. Wierd but good.)
I'd write up more, but these are the best ones I can think of offhand and I've been thinking about this for over half an hour. Time to post and be done with it.
B. Elgin
B. Elgin
"Read at your own risk; feel free to ignore."
Hello?! This movie is a must see in Japan. I mean that. Growing up, children in Japanese schools watch this horribly graphic account of one little boys experience during the bombing of Hiroshima. The creator of this movie actually did live through the bombing and this is how he decided to tell his story. A must see! I have a Japanese student who is trying to learn English. This was one fo the few things that we connected on!
If you grew up in the 80's Orange Road is a must see. Bad J-pop 80's music, Classic Love Triangle, , 80's clothing, and at times rather compelling story lines.
The best part of 80's Anime is watching the characters drink, smoke, etc. But at the same time pay homage to Japanesse Taboo's. It's like watching a Brat Pack movie with special effects.
I enjoyed picking up the box set from AnimeIgo on this series. For one thing they have a cultural guide included that explains all the little details. Like why some dude's nose is bleeding, what's the deal with the "famous cutlet sandwich". etc. etc.
Others worth a mention:
Armatage III (Both movie and OVA)
Tenchi: (OVA Great +++, TV Series, first movie, don't bother Tenchi in Tokyo)
If you want something like Golgo 13 or James Bond, except really, really cheesy and really, really 70s, watch some episodes of Lupin the 3rd. Fun stuff.
:)
Blue Submarine #6 is also good, but in an actually good way, rather than cheese-good: part hand-drawn anime, part CG, and the 5.1 sound on the DVD (I know, I know) is AMAZING...
If you liked watching "People Under The Stairs" (not animie, terrible terrible 'horror' movie) just to make fun of it, then you should definitely watch the dubbed version of the Fist Of The North Star movie
For further bad taste, Ping Pong Club can't be beat.
WMBC freeform/independent online radio.
Neon Genesis Evangelion... nuff said
Urutsokidoji I: Legend of the Overfiend
Urutsokidoji ][:
Urutsokidoji ]|[: The Return of the Overfiend
These will bend your mind.. recommend watching with something that kinda takes the edge off of reality.
One of the funniest series i've ever watched. The "hero" is a bumbling idiot 99% of the time, and yet can overcome both himself and any obstacle to selflessly help others as he "studies" the world around him. Some sexual overtones, definetely not family viewing. Good animation, good story, good characters. I understand there is a "Golden Girl" series as well. Although i haven't seen it, if its anything like this series, its hilarious.
Lain is nothing short of amazing. This and Evangelion are examples of just what can be done in the animation medium, which would cost millions in real action
i think a great factor to their success is the freedom given to the creator of the anime. there is no community of suits sitting around trying to figure out the best way to tie in a breakfest cereal, instead it's just one manga artist, doing whatever he wants to do.
of course it's hard to blame the american studios for not doing this, since they tend to invest some ridiculous amount of money into everything they do, so they cant afford to follow one man's vision. of course, without risk you dont get classics like that.
on a tangent, if anybody knows of litestep or enlightenemnet, or whatever themes which mimic the animations of Navi OS from Lain, i would kill for them. i cranked out some litestep stuff for it (yes yes, winblowz sucks) but i definitely was not satisfied with it.
double tangent: the last two episodes of Evangelion are in my opinion some of the greatest moments of any work ever. not exactly a very common opinion, but i think that sort of an ending was much more artistic then a huge kill em all finish.
shaolin punk, activist post-industrial
Check out Ebert's Sun-Times review of Ghost In The Shell. In this review, as well as some of his other essays, he touches on an interesting trend in dramatic anime (and Japanese pop culture in general): Female beauty is often used as a metaphorical symbol for power and independance. This is why the real heavy-hitters in Mononoke are women, as is the hero of GITS.
As for the cute, big-eyed ding-bats of comedic anime, I totally agree with you... although I can't help but notice that a lot of American women find those characters to be funny, while I can seldom stand to even watch them.
Information wants to be anthropomorphized.
Your list is simply incomplete without Akira.
And Ghost in the Shell is simply stunning. Watch it, now!
And The Matrix is one of the best Anime movies ever. It just happens to use live actors and not be from Japan.
While I'm a big fan of Miyazaki's, I wouldn't recommend this as his best work.
I was actually quite surprised that Mononoke was chosen to be the "breakthrough anime" that was supposed to reach a wider North American audience. If I were to choose an anime feature to bring in the big audiences, I'd go for Castle of Cagliostro with a summer release. It's your typical summer blockbust with action, adventure and humour - just animated. It's also a good one to recommend here since, as it's available in DVD.
My personal favourite is Totoro , but then again, I still like to read children's books so I don't think I can speak for everyone. I also like Maison Ikkoku (by Rumiko Takahashi, famous for Ranma 1/2 or Lum/Urusei Yatsura). I can't speak to the feature length film version (which I haven't seen), but some of the half-hour episodes are available on video and the entire story is now available in graphic novel format.
Respectfully, David Tallan
My favorite anime is "Grave of the Fireflies (Hotaru no haka)" It's a bit heavy, but it's awesome; it's a really good movie that happens to be an anime. It's about a boy and his sister trying to survive in Japan during WWII.
You can check out the info on it at IMDB.
Urusei Yatsura, Ranma 1/2, Maison Ikkoku - it's all really good stuff.
Ozamu Tezuka was the best at manga/anime. He's dead now, but he was responsible for a wide variety of classics.
I also like Key, the Metal Idol. In fact, I'd recommend that as my single favourite anime programme.
Ghost in the shell is by far my favorite Anime. I have the DVD version which provides English/Japanese Language and English/Japanese subtitles. The animation in this thing is beautiful--as high quality as you will find for a movie produced in 1996.
This futuristic sci-fi flick is just as much of a thinker movie as it is action. I had to watch it a couple times to "get it" so to say. The underlying question in the movie is concerned with what human existance actually is.
The film won the 1997 World Animation Celebration Awards for "Best Theatrical Feature Film" and "Best Director of a Theatrical Feature Film". Siskel and Ebert gave it two thumbs up too.
As much as it is against my policy to respond to flames, your comments reflect badly on anime.
.... cute... in a rather distrubing way. (You know... there are anime characters that are older then that.... Armitage just bugs me... )But the entire thing that seperates Anime from Disney is plot plot plot plot and more plot. Disney, sad to say, still does better body dynamics and better fluid animation then anything I have ever seen in Anime (btw, which is over 500 titles or thereabout).
Animation is nice. GiTS is the basis for the matrix (which has been publicly awknowledged by the creators) and Armitage III is
The later two titles that you mention really have no creativity or plot in them. Armitage III is a bad rip of Gibson, GiTS is a complete bastardization of the manga. (Matsumoto Shirow's Manga is excellent tho, and GiTS 2 is in the works).
(In other words, stick to the above is you just want action action action).
If you want plot, stick with EVA, Excel, Sol Bianca (the new OVA series is _awesome_ graphics wise, but the characters don't click yet), Slayers, Kenshin etc.
Macross Plus is also in that area, but much more for Yokko Kano's _awesome_ sound track then any other reason.
Finaly, a friend has pointed out to me that I completly neglected any mention of Shoujo anime. (They run in a magizine targeted at women, rather then men). Series I strongly suggest here (which are much harder to get your hands on)
X - Shoujo is _owned_ by a female group named CLAMP. That is all there is too it. X was a incredible manga, that was very poorly translated into a anime (something like 10 volumes of manga into 1 2hr movie). However, the animation is gorgeous, and the plot is interesting. Not for kids.
KareKano (sorry can't remember full title).
Anno's (the guy who did Eva) latest project, this one delves into masks that people wear, experencies, first loves, etc. It really is quite good, and very different from the standard Anime direction.
Kodomo no Omocha (Child's Toy).
Child's toy is about as insane as Anime ever gets. This series is like riding a roller coaster of humour, and then randomly crashing into brick walls of angst.
Fushigi Yuugi:
This is really a shonen (guys) series in disguise, but has some awesome angsty moements.
Here are some more recomendations:
Sol Bianca -> Computer Generated Anime. It is quite pretty, but the characterization and the story are not solid yet (first two episodes). The original series is excellent as well.
BGC 2040 ->
BGC is Anime's first Cyber Punk series. The new series is good, but nowhere near as cutting edge as the first series.
Excel Saga->
See my other post.
Eden's Bowey->
This series is decent, as is popular in Japan.
Nadesico ->
Excellent. Usual Big-Mecha fair, but solid character dynamics, and excellent plot line. Be sure to watch the movie as well.
Spriggin->
This will be released in theaters next year. Awesome animation, plot needs significant help.
Nadia of Blue Waters->
Classic. Jules Verne approach to Anime.
And there is always the classics as well:
Robotech -> Bastardization of three different anime series.
Nausciaa -> Pretty good. Nausciaa, Mononoke Hime, and Laputa are very very similar, both in animation and story. Of the three of them, I love Laputa. Done by Studio Ghibili.
I can hear the sea -> Very underated, excellent Ghibli anime, very different from Nausciaa, Mononoke Hime, Laptuta etc.
On your mark -> A music video done by Ghibili. Hard to get your hands on, but well worth it.
Blue Sub 9 -> Computer generated, good story, good character dynamics. All in all a very solid anime. Don't ever watch this unsubbed.
Gundam 0080/0083 -> Very good Gundam series that are released over here. Wing has been airing on TV and has done very well.
In the near future, Tenchi Muyo, Slayers, Blue Sub 9, Card Capture Sakura (which will be reneamed) and many other anime's will be on TV. Gundam wing is the most popular series ever on Cartoon Network, and Sci-Fi and CN are looking to cash in.
For the more fantasy-inclined viewer (no, not THAT kind of fantasy, you twisted and sick person, you!), try the Slayers and Record of Lodoss War. Slayers is a bit lighthearted, but fun. It has 3 seasons out so far (best viewed in order), as well as the movie (on DVD and VHS; seasons are only on VHS, sadly). For a more serious fantasy, try Record of Lodoss War (VHS and DVD). It's fairly long (6 tapes, or two discs) and is a compilation of a season. VERY good, though.
The show is very silly but it always cracks me up. It also has very deep character development. Be sure to check it out. (Make sure you start with season one so you can truely see the character development)
As a pretty hard core fan, some of my current picks may not even be available yet this side of the Pacific.
Serial Experiments Lain: A must for any Slashdotter. If you liked The Matrix, you'll love Lain. Watch this all at once.
Martian Successor Nadesico: The uber-parody of all Sci-Fi anime. Any Linux user will immediately enjoy the antics of Ruri-Ruri.
Excel Saga: Something to watch if you want to laugh your ass off for 30 minutes. Lots of parody, lots of pranks, and an ending theme sung by a dog.
Slayers: If you're into role playing games, Slayers is the ultimate parody of an RPG. Cities are blown up by an irresponsible sorceress, Lina, as she robs the rich and gives to herself.
Cowboy Bebop: Yes yes yes. This show rules! A very cool show indeed, with kick ass music.
Juubei-Chan: This one is just very silly with good animation.
Geobreeders: An interesting 3 Part OAV series featuring computer/monster cats!
Macross Plus: A classic. Pure and simple.
Ah! Megami-sama (aka Oh My Goddess!): Another classic. Keiichi is one lucky fellow. Also check out the Mini-Goddess TV shows for laughs.
TaihoShichauZo (aka You're Under Arrest!): It is a fun thing to watch.
Cardcaptor Sakura: The only Shoujo title I can really stomach. This one is coming to US TV pretty soon, but I recommend the original Japanese language.
Stuff To Avoid:
Pokemon
DragonBall Z
Sailor Moon
Any "Alternate Universe" Gundam (ie Gundam Wing)
"You spoony bard!" -Tellah
Actually this is not true. Grave of the Fireflies was directed by Isao Takahata. Princess Mononoke was directed by Hayao Miyazaki. These two have very distinct styles of direction in my opinion and should not be glommed together because they both work out of Studio Ghibli.
Which reminds me, one of the best anime movies ever was Takahata's Only Yesterday. This is possibly one of the most touching movies I have ever seen. A Japanese office woman travels to the countryside on vacation to revisit nature, and she is visited by many random memories from her youth. This movie is the pinnacle of Takahata's and Studio Ghibli's many depictions of childhood.
Because the memories of her childhood are not anchored to a continuos past storyline, they play directly on her modern life in unexpected ways. The also seem to abstract the nature of chldhood far more succinctly than even a movie such as Totoro. The use of memory in the place of fantasy, and then anchoring those to a life which is possibly not the one the woman would have chose, brings out those universal emotions of childhood in all of us.
Plus it has a happy ending, unlike Grave. I cannot recommend this movie highly enough. Unfortunately, it is not released in the US of A and you will have to keep an eye out for Studio Ghibli animation film festivals to be able to see it (of course, a movie like this should be seen on the big screen anyway. Miyazaki has been said that watching his movies on TV the same as listening to the soundtrack. I wholeheartedly agree.)
Peace,
23_Elders
For classic comedy check out:
Ranma 1/2, the first season (18 episodes) because after that it begins to really suck.
Good shojo SF:
Please Save My Earth (one of my favorites).
Don't forget Miyazaki!
especially, Nausicaa and Laputa
and of course,
Evangelion! (one of the best few years)
don't ignore these classics!
If your look for good anime music check out:
Macross Plus
Escaflowne
Any of the Miyazaki's films
Other good ones:
Jojo's bizarre adventure (short and weird, but good)
Dragon Half (really funny!)
Light hearted cute girl anime:
Devil Hunter Yohko.
Dirty Pair Flash.
Battle Athletes
Battle Athletes Victory (longer better series)
You're Under Arrest.
Romance anime:
Oh My Goddess!
My Dear Marie.
Episodes 5 and 6 of Here is Greenwood.
Sailor Moon (very long, awful in dub version)
Pure cheesecake
Cutey Honey
Aika
Megami Paradise
Not so light cute girl anime:
Sol Bianca
Dirty Pair (not flash)
Anime with female heroines over age 30 (rare in anime):
Phantom Quest Corp (very ghostbusters like)
City Hunter.
Princess Mononoke
Sci-Fi without so many battling robots.
Ghost in the Shell.
Armitage III (avoid the one with Kiefer Sutherland/Elizabeth Berkeley)
Macross Plus (ok, I know, but the robots are immaterial to the real story).
Slash and Gore anime:
Mermaid Forest.
Vampire Hunter D.
Really silly anime:
Episodes 1 through 4 of Here is Greenwood
Slayers
Roujin Z (why too much spending on healthcare is bad).
Fantasy:
Record of Lodoss War
RG Veda
Surreal/Creepy:
Serial Experiments Lain.
Perfect Blue.
Revolutionary Girl Utena
Vampire Miyu
Well, that should occupy you for some time.
I have been meaning to write lain up for a long long time. After all, any anime that revolves around IPv7 needs to be mentioned.
Here is a quick list of my favorite commedy:
Excel Saga - This is about as wacky as things get. ADV has this series, so it will be a while before anyone can get it. It makes fun of Aliens, Titanic, Anime in General, Star wars etc. If you can't take large doses of suger. Don't watch this.
Slayers - Final Fantasy with a sense of humour. Very slapstick, but the second season (or series since seasons usually are not consecutive in Japan) has the best ending of any Anime I have seen.
And of course, the Usual batch: Ranma 1/2, Tenchi Muyo, Urusai Yatsura etc.
Serious Trippy Anime:
Lain - Again. Need to write up a review for Slashdot.
Neon Genesis Evangelion - Rumour constantly states that MTV and Sci-Fi are trying to air this, but ADV won't let them because of the cuts they would have to make. Mix giant robots, the angst of adolecence, and a good amount of religon and philosophy. This series can be amazingly depressing, and the last two episodes need serious help, but this is literature in action.
For the more slice and dice fans, Ruroni Kenshin (also known as Samurai-X) recently was picked up. I strongly suggest the OVA series from ADV (which will be available on DVD as Samurai-X). Warning. This series is massivly gorey, and angsty, but it is the best anime I have ever seen, bar none.
Battle Athlese Victory, Tenchi Muyo, Photon, El-Hazard and Dual are the AIC "guy surrounded by many girls" anime which are very excellent as well.
Some good resources for anime:
Anime Web Turnpike This is the best Anime link site in general. Slayers Universe is a amazing Slayers Page. is a awesome store, which also covers anime news.
Check the whole series, not just the all-in-one volume. Also, someone else mentioned "The Professional." Definitely find and watch it, and any others with Golgo 13. Good, good stuff.
49 20 68 61 76 65 20 74 6F 6F 20 6D 75 63 68 20 66 72 65 65 20 74 69 6D 65 2E
Let me just say one thing for those who haven't researched anime very much. There's a lot of anime in different categories. Yes there's some pretty
;-) (some consider the heroine very annoying)
perverted stuff but there's plenty of sci-fi, action, romance, and dramatic anime too.
Many people have already listed several series/shows but here's my "favorites" list:
Anything by Miyazaki: thought provoking, stunning
visuals, excellent story telling. Examples: Mononoke Hime, Kiki's Delivery Service, Naussica.
Recca no Honou (Flame of Recca): the anime isn't as good as the manga (the comic books) but it's a pretty straight forward ninja/fantasy based action series.
Taiho Shichauzo (You're Under Arrest): light comedy based on the (mis)adventures of a local police precinct.
Bubblegum Crisis (original and 2040): one of the most popular 80's series, a cyberpunk thriller. 2040 came out a couple of years ago and is a remodified verion.
Silent Moebius: a gothic sci-fi thriller.
Kareshi Kanojo no Jijyou (His and Her Circumstances): high school based comedy that has its introspective moments.
Ranma 1/2: a wacky comedy, great laughs.
Urusei Yatsura: a wacky comedy, great laughs but a lot of cultural based humor
Fushigi Yuugi: a pretty good adventure series, a popular show aimed at a young girl audience (ducks for cover from the flamewars associated with the main heroine
Shin Seiki Evangelion: thought provoking, introspective, good sci-fi.
Gundam: action based sci-fi that spawned several series
Macross: action based sci-fi that spawned several series
Gunbuster: action based sci-fi
Slayers: action based dungeons and dragons style comedy that spawned several series
Before I get into the recommendations, there are a few things I'd like to say. I was actually a bit reluctant to post this at first. For one, judging by the 650+ posts already up, I didn't think that my suggestions would be original or insightful, and I also didn't want to overly influence anyone with my pre-determined convictions about things such as dubbing or certain series. I generally think that any good reviews anime in general gets is beneficial, because for too long it has been stigmatized as pornographic or violent cartoons, without any thought to the incredibly complex and intricate plots, beautiful artwork, and simply moving characterization some series express. I hesitate before calling it cartoons because it groups what is a work of art with production crap such as Scooby Doo. Of course, not all anime is top notch, but some, in my experience, is even better than the $140 million Hollywood movies (in fact, a lot of it is.)
It really disheartens me when people cite Dragon Ball Z (FUNimation/Cartoon Network Style) as an anime they've seen. The FUNimation english adaptation is perhaps the worst I've ever seen. I strongly suggest, if you have even the slightest liking of the English version, that you search around and find Fansubs of DBZ. (For those of you who are ill-informed, fansubs are anime, and sometimes other imports, that are subtitled by fans of the show, shows, or just anime in general. The advantage of fansubs being that they are cheaper, usually $25 for 4 tapes or so, completely uncut, and still contain the original japanese voice actors.) I also might note that fansubs of anime that has already been released in the U.S. is not wholly legal, but I don't think charging $29.95 before shipping and handling is all that legal either, or shouldn't be.
If you are interested, I'm fairly sure Planet Namek (http://www.planetnamek.com) still distributes fansubs, and if not, they do have links to other DBZ fansubbers. And not just DBZ can be gotten demi-legally through fansubs. Almost any anime you want can be found. Think of fansubbers as the open sourcers of the anime community and FUNimation as the Microsoft. Although, not all distributers are that evil, ADV, Pioneer, and others all do good jobs, but they still cost more than they should (Can anyone explain to my why Subtitles cost more than Dubbed?!? Talk about logical fallacies...)
Besides the FUNi DBZ, all the other animes written about by CmdrTaco get at least a B+ in my book. If you get the chance to watch the Cowboy Bebop intro scene -- it's just plain funny.
On to my recommendations:
- First comes Neon Genesis Evangelion (Shin Seiki Evangelion), a very intricate and complex story by Hideaki Anno about a young man named Shinji who forced to pilot an enormous biological robot under the command of his draconian father. This is possibly the best serialized anime I have ever seen (bet you haven't heard that before =P). Its plot follows 26 episodes and 2 movies, starting at what seems like a simply boy-piloting-giant-robot fighting series into a teen angst filled story about love, triumph, the meaning of life, and the existance of humanity. One of the greatest things about this series is that you can watch it a million times and pick up new foreshadowing, clues, and religious overtones every time (this series uses a lot of religious allusions, which is one of of its best features if you like that sort of thing.) NGE also features and excellent soundtrack, with some of the more catchy tunes I've heard. Beware watching large segments of this series at once: the Cicada sound gets _very_ irritating, and it will probably leave your mind lightly crispy. After you're done watching it (AND NOT BEFORE!) I strongly recommend you go read the fanfiction by those guys over at Eyrie productions (http://www.eyrie.net) called Neon Exodus Evangelion, which provides a very captivating spin on the series.
- Next on the list comes anything by the incredible manga artist Rumiko Takihashi. Her works include Ranma 1/2, Maison Ikkukou, and Urusei Yatsura, all of which are quite good. Most of her stories focus on comedy between somehow afflicted lovers, friends, or those stuck in awkward situations. Her works can be quite touching at times and can make even the stiffest upper lip crack a smile.
- Of course, the obligatory Ghost in the Shell comes in here. Interesting story about an android and the computer virus she loves, or something like that. Read other people's reviews for more in-depth.
- One of the less heralded, but no less great works is Peacock King, an interesting story about demons and all sorts of cool stuff there. One of the characters in this story led me and my friends to come up with a skill called "The Ability to Look Like a Bad-Ass", rated on a scale of 1 to 50, its how bad ass you look, reguardless of your actual skill or anything like that. See the anime, and you will understand.
- One comedy series that definitely needs menion is Tenchi-Muyo, a Rumiko Takahashi-esque story about a young man named Tenchi, beautiful alien space pirates, and all sorts of damn funny hijinks.
- While we're on the subject of comedy, perhaps the funniest anime series I've seen is Slayers. It's about a young sorceress who goes around and adventures. Think: DnD. It has a giant fish with legs, 'nuff said.
- If you like guns and shooting and Matrix-style fighting, check out Gunsmith Cats. Chicks with Guns. Funny and fun.
- I almost left out one of the first anime I ever saw, Guyver which was also made into a few American movies. It's a bit old school 80s in its animation, and the plot isn't super-intense, I still like it, and think it's worth watching. Some nice DBZ-style action and evil-megacorporation type menace with the thrown in alien over power for flavor.
- While I'm remembering good anime, BubbleGun Crisis is one of the neatest 80s mechanized fighting evil corporation type anime out there. This is actually just an 8 OAV (Original Animation Video, i.e. released straight to video) set, but still quite good. It also features poofy hair and 80s J-pop music if that floats your boat. On the other side it has very neato technology that'll keep you hooked afterwards. There's also an RPG based on it.
- An excellent movie to watch is Macross 7. It has a decent Mindfuck factor (a scale of 1 to 11 of how confusing it is; Evangelion being 11, Scooby Doo being 0) and some of the _most_beautiful_animation_ I've seen, ever. A definite watch if you can find it. Good music too.
Christ there's so many out there that's good, it's almost impossible to list them all. These few are just some that I can list off the top of my head. If you really want more information and many, many, many more reviews of hundreds, even thousands of anime, check out AniPike (http://www.anipike.com).- the Pfish
Jake
Dating: while( 1 ){ call_girl(); get_rejected(); drink_40(); } return 0;
It is absolutely imperative that you find and watch The Vision of Escaflowne, which is scheduled to be released on DVD shortly. This anime was created by Shoji Kawamori (whose most famous credits were for Macross, the TV series that became Robotech in the US), and Yoko Kanno, possibly the world's greatest living composer. I should preface this by saying that Escaflowne is not a typical anime by any means. This is an almost operatic story that constantly builds on the power of fate in an alternate universe. The characterizations are incredibly strong; the animation is fluid and beautiful; and when the music starts playing you'll forget you're even watching the television. There are 26 half-hour episodes that run a total of about 11 hours. Be warned: once you start watching, it's nearly impossible to avoid watching the entire 11 hours in one sitting. Oh yeah - Shoji Kawamori and Yoko Kanno also made Macross Plus, which is very good.
Well,
Obviously, we are starting with the two undisputed classics of the genre. The one that brought Japanese animation to the west in a big way more than a decade ago was
AKIRA, which still remains pretty much undisputed in terms of dramaturgical development and on-screen dynamics. Although an Anime masterpiece, it falls short of the outstanding graphic novels, which are quite possibly the best example of how to develop a story-arc in a graphic novel. (probably sharing that honour with Watchmen)
Then, seven or so years after Akira, Ghost in the Shell updated Anime in a way that struck a chord with western audiences in the outgoing 90s. At heart little more than a glorified action story, it didn't quite match Akira's superior characters and settings, but still belongs to the best action films of the 90s, bar none. And the animation is pretty much as good as it gets.
Anime feature films culminated with last year's Mononoke Hime, aka 'Princess Mononoke' in the US. Being an intricate, multi-layered story about man's interaction with nature and the world around us, it succeeded in ways that the gun-slinging examples mentioned above could not. There are no glorified mecha-style shootouts in Mononoke Hime, and it's not as action-packed as most others, but its story development succeeds where others would normally fail. Interestingly, unlike many other Anime products, Mononoke Hime also forsakes the display of super-villains bent on taking over the world in favour of more ambiguous shades of grey. Nobody should win, and everybody is right, in a certain way. Simplistic 'real' views of the world, maybe, but very successful. Er, and the US version is dubbed by Claire Danes, amongst others, if that's your thing.
With feature films out of the way, the best example of serialized Anime is undoubtedly Neon Genesis Evangelion (beating out the much more cartoony Appleseed, for instance), which strived to provide a cinematic experience in Anime format. Yeah, Eva does feature large Robots shooting the hell out of each other, but that's - blessedly - kept down to a minimum. The story arcs succeed reasonably well, and provide an experience of a scope and depth that most other Anime simply cannot match. One of the most popular Anime series in the west, deservedly so, and comparatively easy to get on tape. (not sure about DVD, but I'm certain it's on its way)
So much for that round-up. There's a lot of other good stuff as well, for instance the animated 'Street Fighter' full-length Anime film, which is superior to the Van Damme live-actioner in so many ways it's not funny. The ones above should serve as a good introduction to Anime - Akira and Ghost in the Shell are certainly the best ways to start, and probably not too difficult to get from your local video store.
Alex T-B