Recommended Anime/Manga?

[shinsage]

Different strokes for different folks, it's my favorite program of all-time.
On my second viewing I realized the final episode was Hideaki personally telling the audience to choose your own path, question the norm and understand who you are, not what you do that you think defines you. Much like Miyazaki and most of his movies (pollution is bad, love the earth, etc.) talking to the audience, except much more subtle. Brilliant show that really is a love it or hate it, except most love it until the final two mindfuck episodes (which I personally love).
I've never read anyone else's interpretation that resembles mine, which is a shame. I'd give nearly everything I have to just sit down and talk with Hideaki, because I can understand where he's coming from.

To see RahXephon shamefully imitate such a deep show without any gained philosophy is a crime.

[Twiddle]

I remember when Evangelion came out and we got a wave of pretty classic shows afterwards and then Maria-sama ga Miteru came out and we got a wave of pretty shitty shows afterwards

[Icarus]

There have been some pretty decent series out lately, but there doesn't look to be anything really mindblowing on the horizon. Most of the stuff that interests me are sequels to established series - Nanoha: StrikerS, Suzumiya Haruhi Season 2, Kanon '06 Remake, School Rumble Term 3 - and really good original concepts and series have thinned out a bit.

Oddly enough, I'm watching Akagi at the moment. Mahjong is a pretty complex game. -_-;;

[BulletMagnet]

"Neon Genesis Evangelion"

Sick of that show...

I like Eva too (in moderation anyways), but I can understand why people could get sick of it, since no one can market something to heck and back like Gainax, heh heh.

[JJG]

I've been avoiding this thread 'cause there's really too much to name or recommend, but I'll give a list of some stuff I like in no particular order.

Anime:

Haibane Renmei
Lain
Paranoia Agent
Mushishi
Gantz
Cowboy Bebop
Samurai 7
Excel Saga
Puni Puni Poemi
Azumanga Daioh
Genshiken


Manga:

Vagabond
Battle Angel Alita
Lone Wolf and Cub
Uzumaki
Gyo
Battle Royale
Iron Wok Jan
Parasyte


I know I'll end up looking at this later and saying how could I forget that, but this is what I've got right now off the top of my head.

[Twiddle]

Nanoha: StrikerS, Suzumiya Haruhi Season 2, Kanon '06 Remake, School Rumble Term 3

one of these do not belong

and by do not belong i mean has not been announced or hinted at by the actual producers themselves

in fact it's infinitely more probable that kyoto animation will do yet more full metal panic after kanon

I'd like to pimp again Ergo Proxy only because the new episode made up for the bullshit that was the previous one

Sci-Fi Harry is pretty good, so far. Psychic powers, people dying for no other apparent reason, also ominous secret organization intrigue

Kemonozume is incredible, both technically and emotionally. If you can appreciate a show that doesn't have a generic art style, this is for you.

[Strider77]

I just don't care for anime that has alot of slap stick goofyness... I find very few actually funny and I hate it when everything is serious or believable then someone does something retarded.

Only things I liked that I guess you would say are not serious or light was Dirty Pair Project Eden and Cowboy Beebop.... They're goofyness or jokes were amusing...

[Twiddle]

Ouran character scoreboard final results

Code: Select all

Kyouya  9,999,990 COUNTER STOP  Rx2 Bx0
Mori    9,999,990 COUNTER STOP  Rx2 Bx1
Haruhi  9,999,990 COUNTER STOP  Rx2 Bx9
Tamaki  9,875,630               Rx1 Bx3
Kaoru   7,452,120               Rx1 Bx2
Honey   7,366,590               Rx2 Bx0
Hikaru  7,151,220               Rx0 Bx2

[Shocky]

I've also noticed that the phrase of: "God's All Right in His Heaven..." presented in Submarine 707R series. Wasn't that a subtle reference to Gainax's sci-fi masterpiece known as "Neon Genesis Evangelion" anime series? ^_~

"God's In His Heaven, All's Right With The World" are lines from a poem by Robert Browning.
I'm certain that it is a reference to Eva, tho.

I noticed that too, and a bunch of other Evangelion references, and anyway the NGE-creator Hideaki Anno has done the drawings in the opening sequence. There's also something like that sentence (can't remember exactly) written in one of the A-bomb memorial monuments in Hiroshima.

Personally the only anime I'm looking forward to now is Ninja Scroll 2 (I guess it would be called Jubei: Wind Ninja Chronicles 2 in Japan), and that was announced back in 2003.

Was it really announced by the producers of the first film, or was it just "announced" by some anonymous indivudual in the net? Anyway, I hope it emerges... Yoshiaki Kawajiri is THE genius, move over Miyazaki and co. Other sequels I'd love to see are anime versions of the remaining 15 Vampire Hunter D novels.

[xpandr_tek]

Hello all,

I've recenlty finished watching the whole series of Gankutsuou: The Count of Monte Cristo and Karas. Both have their own artistic style are also done very well. I can't wait for the second DVD of Karas.

[shinsage]

Was it really announced by the producers of the first film, or was it just "announced" by some anonymous indivudual in the net? Anyway, I hope it emerges... Yoshiaki Kawajiri is THE genius, move over Miyazaki and co. Other sequels I'd love to see are anime versions of the remaining 15 Vampire Hunter D novels.

Kawajiri himself announced it in an interview 3 years ago; if you have Ninja Scroll: 10th Anniversary SE then check out extras and the interview is there. Back then he said they were working on it.
I am a little worried if it got canceled, which would suck big time, because I haven't heard a thing about it since then. wikipedia says it's going to be released in 2006 so...
Wasn't such a big fan of the series, tho.

[1up]

is there any good anime out there that is in the same spirit as Cowboy Bebop and Outlaw Star?

Ive finished watching these and crave for more in the same genre

[Icarus]

is there any good anime out there that is in the same spirit as Cowboy Bebop and Outlaw Star?

Ive finished watching these and crave for more in the same genre

To be honest, there isn't really much in the way of Wild West-ish anime. Besides Trigun (bleh). And Bakuretsu Tenshi (excessive fanservice). And the Sakura Taisen set in the US with Gemini Sunrise as the main character, which is actually pretty good, but only if you like that kind of stuff.

If you like your anime serious though, try something different, like Paranoia Agent. ^_-

[Twiddle]

Black Lagoon: The Second Loop^H^H^H^HBarrage is starting.

[Twiddle]

hahaha

[Twiddle]

http://www.ayu-anime.net/torrents/torre ... 12.torrent

Yes, people who don't like anime can enjoy this as well.

[JJG]

is there any good anime out there that is in the same spirit as Cowboy Bebop and Outlaw Star?

You might wanna check out Vandread, I'm not really a fan but you might like it.

[Icarus]

Last night myself and the Anonymii of 4chan's /a/ had some fun speed-scanlating various Mahou Shoujo Lyrical Nanoha related comics. It's still going on right now, actually, with the Nanoha R's Chinese fancomics.

However, that's not why I'm here. ^_-

The first chapter of the new Lyrical Nanoha: A's to StrikerS manga translation is completed and available for reading.

http://rapidshare.de/files/36184408/Nan ... _.rar.html

Chapter 2 is released in its respective Japanese magazine within the next month. Definitely worth a read if you're a fan of the first two seasons of Nanoha and are looking forward to StrikerS when it hits.

[shinsage]

is there any good anime out there that is in the same spirit as Cowboy Bebop and Outlaw Star?

Ive finished watching these and crave for more in the same genre

I dunno why, but whenever I think gritty and space, I think about Galaxy Express 999.

Anyone check out that new Fist of the Blue Sky anime (Souten no Ken)? It'd be wicked if someone localised it for the States.

[Sword]

The first chapter of the new Lyrical Nanoha: A's to StrikerS manga translation is completed and available for reading.

Yay! I was actually waiting for someone to translate this. Thanks!

[Icarus]

The first chapter of the new Lyrical Nanoha: A's to StrikerS manga translation is completed and available for reading.

Yay! I was actually waiting for someone to translate this. Thanks!

There's the updated, cleaner, better edited version of it here:
http://rapidshare.de/files/36235494/Nan ... 1.zip.html

When Chapter 2 is released and translated, I'll post it up here.
(Right now, trying to persuade some Anonymii to get started on translating Fate/Stay Night: Sword Dancers 1 and 2. ^_-)

[Icarus]

Kanon '06 is airing.

If you're familiar with the first adaptation, or the original PC visual novel by Key and Visual Arts the anime is based on, then you're in for a treat. In fact, you're in for a treat even if you're not already familiar with Kanon. Animated by Kyoto Animation, the quality is on par with their brilliant adaptation of Air, also by Key and Visual Arts, and the story is typically well presented and keeps you watching. Nice likeable characters too. Recommended for the autumn and winter season if you're a fansub watcher.



Auu~! （；へ：）

[Twiddle]

fuck that shit

watch bartender instead

[Twiddle]

I have no idea why there is little fanfare for Black Lagoon itt it seems like a show most people here would like

[Shocky]

Kawajiri himself announced it in an interview 3 years ago; if you have Ninja Scroll: 10th Anniversary SE then check out extras and the interview is there. Back then he said they were working on it.
I am a little worried if it got canceled, which would suck big time, because I haven't heard a thing about it since then. wikipedia says it's going to be released in 2006 Confused so...
Wasn't such a big fan of the series, tho.

I've been planning to get that SE release, now all I got is a lousy old vhs
Anyway, great to hear that Kawajiri is at least planning the sequel. I wasn't impressed by the tv-series either, it was too blatant a monster-of-the-week show (the monsters were quite impressing, gotta admit). The opening theme was cool.

Anyone check out that new Fist of the Blue Sky anime (Souten no Ken)? It'd be wicked if someone localised it for the States.

Being a big Hokuto no Ken fan I had to see this too, but the first episode was disappointing. Interesting, but very... mild. Some would even label this as sacrilege: to have this Ken (Kenshiro's grandfather or uncle?) being some nerdy high school teacher and only maiming a few weakling gangsters. There was only one off-screen head explosion

The opening/closing music sucked big time, which is unforgivable. I liked the animation quality though, it looked better than the sloppy chinese inbetweening and bad cgi of Shin Hokuto no Ken.

Here's one recommendation: Colorful.

It's a crazy little series that concentrates on the moment when a man catches a glimpse of panties and tries to savor the moment to the max. There are so many variations of this, all hilarious... Some examples: A guy is checking out a sleeping girl in the subway, but this other, sadistic man blocks his view on purpose; when a guy gets mad and pulls off his long hair when the wind repeatedly blows it over his eyes when he's trying to check out passing girls... ok doesn't maybe sound so amazing but the graphic style is awesome and the situations are cleverly presented.

[Twiddle]

Souten no Ken, the prequel to Hokuto no Ken, might shape up to be quite hardcore, though it isn't as liberal with the violence its release-wise predecessor was.

That was just the first episode as well, so don't expect too much from it.

[CIT]

I remember when Evangelion came out and we got a wave of pretty classic shows afterwards

"The End of Evangelion" also marked the end of anime. There has been absolutely nothing of value since, just endless simulacrum.
...



Anyway, time to recommend some more quality reads:


Satoshi Fukushima - "Shonen Shojo"

Great collection of short stories (4 vols. in total), some continued, some one-offs. The unifying theme is always "coming of age", but don't let the cutesey cover fool you, mostly the view, especially of childhood, is quite dark and disturbing, and sometimes intense.
I know this was recently translated into German so it should be available in other languages too, I suspect.

[Twiddle]

I remember when Evangelion came out and we got a wave of pretty classic shows afterwards

"The End of Evangelion" also marked the end of anime. There has been absolutely nothing of value since, just endless simulacrum.

How so? If you're not looking for "haha we fucked the audience so hard" behind psuedo-philosophical wankery, there are a few shows worth watching, at least.

[CIT]

Yeah, there is some stuff that is entertaining, but nothing that's really interesting from a cultural perspective, imo.

I don't know what you mean by "pseudo-philosophical wankery", but to me the perfect example of that would be GitS2. Visuals all "aah!" and content all "blah!".

Evangelion has metaphysical bits too, but those are not actually relevant. They're just for decoration, just like the robots. In Eva it's really all about the "how". The accelerated dysfunction of all relationships and how all the anime tropes are deconstructed by the end of the series.

Of course, ironically, rather than opening up the field for something new, these tropes only became reinforced after Eva. (e.g. the appearance of "moe" since the turn of the century) Thus, rather than any specific anime being interesting to watch it is now simply anime/otakism on a whole that has become interesting to observe, e.g. by reading Hiroki Azuma and Takashi Murakami. Of course there is still anime that is totally well-made and entertaining, but just nothing that has this level of self-awareness as Eva.



(I might have to check out Ergo Proxy though. Apparently all the characters are named after pomo theorists like Deleuze or Baudrillard... hmmm, might just be for show though...)

[greg]

is there any good anime out there that is in the same spirit as Cowboy Bebop and Outlaw Star?

Ive finished watching these and crave for more in the same genre

I haven't seen Outlaw Star, but the "space opera heroes who go from planet to planet saving the day" type of genre was more abundant in the classic anime days. Dirty Pair and Crusher Joe are great series, and they're both by the same guy. I just recently watched Crusher Joe, and the 2 disc set can be found for under $10 on the Net. For sci-fi bounty hunter stuff, check out Iria.