Recommended Anime/Manga?

[Raytrace]

I'm still trawling through Last Exile must...finish..........

I'm at episode 17 and some marginal excitement happened, I will say that one episode (the 'betting' one) was great and actually exciting from start to finish and I thought to myself 'oh great' it's over that '2nd quarter slow pacing anime' thing, but it seems to have returned to just I dunno too much silence or something. Maybe it's just 2deep4me ;o.

[Skykid]

Taiyo Matsumoto's Takemitsu Zamurai is a piece of art, one of the best manga I've read in my life. Read it! (yes, I'm talking to you Skykid)

With that recommendation it's next on the list. I'm just finishing Akira at the moment, first time I've read it through since I was a kid and managed to complete the Marvel releases (in colour.)

[BrianC]

I miss the old Toon Disney that showed reruns of shows like Duck Tales and Rescue Rangers. Stuff like Doremon getting stupid edits and replacing good Marvel shows with inferior ones make me think the XD in Disney XD stands for extra dumb.

[KAI]

Rewatched the first 6 eps of Gundam Unicorn and then watched the last episode. Loved every second of it, "that scene" moved me to tears. It was the perfect concusion for the Universal Century chronology.
Now I think I should finish all the other UC series for once and for all (I've droped ZZ thrice, can't stand all that silly comedy).

[Raytrace]

Rewatched the first 6 eps of Gundam Unicorn and then watched the last episode. Loved every second of it, "that scene" moved me to tears. It was the perfect concusion for the Universal Century chronology.
Now I think I should finish all the other UC series for once and for all (I've droped ZZ thrice, can't stand all that silly comedy).

I have to say it really didn't get me that much (and trust me I wanted it to) apart from the 'scene' of which I'm pretty sure you're talking about. Then again I could only watch a dub, and I remember the same thing happened me with Unicorn 6, where I was kinda all 'ah it was ok I suppose', but then when I watched the sub I loved it, so I will definitely watch a sub of it soon.

I of course liked it a lot, I just wanted something more I suppose, but then again as people were saying on MAHQ etc, it of course isn't really possible to do much dramatic stuff with the ending as it is sandwiched between well established canon.

ZZ is pretty trying at times, but the parts of the 'main' story which happen in it are interesting IMO. Plus:

http://r4ytrace.tumblr.com/tagged/charasoon

Watching the whole of UC is a noble, epic and confusing (well for me) mess, which I've actually just completed (including G-Saviour ). I had watched all the main series before, but this time I also read pretty much all extant scanlated manga from the relevant time periods along the way, though no doubt by the time I was finished a good deal more stuff would have been translated.

I am verily looking forward to both Origin and Reconguista In G (or wotever teh fvck it's called) .

[Lord Satori]

What I find interesting is that more of the gundam series than you think seems to take place within the UC canon.

[Raytrace]

What I find interesting is that more of the gundam series than you think seems to take place within the UC canon.

are you talking of the links in Turn A ? Or the way that After War Gundam X is sortof an alternate parallel post One Year War universe?

[KAI]

THIS! HYPE! Better than waiting for a scanlation...

[Ixmucane2]

I watched Elfen Lied, and although probably condensed and simplified compared to the manga it's fairly good. I particularly liked the unexpectedly sophisticated story, in which later developments put many circumstances and events of earlier episodes into a new light. The ending, although reasonable, leaves major loose ends: maybe a second season was originally planned.
Genre is a mixture of tragedy (a lot of coincidences) and drama (many social and ethical issues), under a superficial layer of fantasy and sparse harem comedy elements.

Many interesting characters, including extremely cute puppies and fairly original choices like a stupid protagonist who has a valid plot-based reason to be stupid

Spoiler

multiple layers of amnesia

and multiple personality disorder distilling the completely different evil side of ... a nasty serial killer.

Backgrounds and characters are designed and drawn quite well, in a traditional and unsurprising style (but watch out for the sudden and apparently deliberate Neon Genesis Evangelion citations).
Nudity and gore are abundant but qualitatively restrained (tits but no girly bits, sprayed blood without sputtered brains, even some offscreen deaths); on the other hand the intense cruelty of many scenes might be disturbing.

[Raytrace]

THIS! HYPE! Better than waiting for a scanlation...

that shall be fuckin ace

[Raytrace]

Finished Last Exile - I admit the last 6 or so episodes were great, but I really don't think the middle dip was worth it (and I rarely say that, usually I end up forgiving all because of a great ending). Maybe it's just 2deep4me .

Honestly if it was a 6 or even 8 part OVA I'd probably have loved it, it really set an interesting, otherworldy mood, in the same way that Honneamise did, it was pretty funny reading a lot of the Greek letters which were mostly phonetics of english words. And again I cannot reiterate how much I loved Claidheamh Solas being the name of one of the ships in it (even if they did pronounce it wrong :p). But overall for me it had that usual 2nd quarter dip in pacing which seems to effect me a lot when watching anime, except it really didn't pick up for a long time.

I'm glad I watched it overall I suppose though.

[Raytrace]

Am now watching Layzner - it is great - so much depress per episode in the first 5 episodes so far.
Layzner itself is a great mecha, with so many Gundam elements, the red chin, the chest vent shape, also the legs look a little Zaku II.
Interesting soundtrack too - one piece had pads that sounded like a PPG Wave.

[BryanM]

Completed Full Metal Panic, can't think of any reason to or to not watch it, even for genre enthusiasts.

It has an 80's vibe to it, you know what I mean. Before the zazz inflation really kicked in. When the sexual fanservice was just a brief panty shot before it turned into full blown frog-rape. And the harem was just a couple of girls before it turned into the entire female population of the world in addition to the pretty half of the males.

There's the back burner go-nowhere romance, the mecha powered by Warrior Spirit, the shonen hero being the only one who can ever do anything in a fight, the worse-than-Hitler cartoon supervillians that are death proof...

Just saying to avoid unless you have literally nothing better to do to kill some time with.

---

Is it just me or are anime aggregate ratings super inflated? Let's take MyAnimelist:

Madoka Magica: 8.66
Shiki: 8.16
Full Metal Panic: 7.93

Magica is 5/5, in that it can be rated a 4/5 or a 5/5. Not much of a problem there, just the regular issue of using a ten point system where the points don't mean anything. Shiki, is 1/5 or 2/5 being generous. Full Metal Panic, is not close to Madoka, but it's even further away from the (un)quality of Shiki, it's 3/5. The only explanation for such a consistently flat score curve is people only vote for things they like and pretend the things that they don't don't exist. Anime is niche enough that there's rarely a blockbuster everyone feels obligated to go watch and then bitch about afterward. What's-His-Face is never going to see Madoka in a million years, no matter how much everyone loves decapitations, and therefore it'll never get downvoted by weirdos.

[BryanM]

On that note, let's all share what we think was the worst anime you've ever seen.

I've still gotta say Nabari No Ou so far. I've watched some horrible things; seen some very lax attitudes when it comes to basic hygiene, seen an entire anime that tries to talk you into committing suicide, seen some very questionable parenting from some fathers in the world of hentai; but Nabari No Ou refuses to even try to do anything.

[Raytrace]

the worst anime I have watched by a long shot is Rinne No Lagrange -just pure nothing.

Gundam Wing and yes I even include the sh1tty movie, would come a close second.

[DaneSaga]

Completed Full Metal Panic, can't think of any reason to or to not watch it, even for genre enthusiasts.

It has an 80's vibe to it, you know what I mean. Before the zazz inflation really kicked in. When the sexual fanservice was just a brief panty shot before it turned into full blown frog-rape. And the harem was just a couple of girls before it turned into the entire female population of the world in addition to the pretty half of the males.

There's the back burner go-nowhere romance, the mecha powered by Warrior Spirit, the shonen hero being the only one who can ever do anything in a fight, the worse-than-Hitler cartoon supervillians that are death proof...

Just saying to avoid unless you have literally nothing better to do to kill some time with.

Hardly qualifies as an essay, nevertheless these words don’t fill me with much vigour regarding the shows watch-ability, so I think Full Metal Panic will continue to reside in the box under my bed.
Perhaps to be found and enjoyed by a master race of Apes with less discriminatory tastes, who will undoubtedly inhabit our planet in the centuries to come.
Hmm…should probably find another place to store my Sailor Moon cosplay gear. Would hate to think those Apes might judge me. Sometimes a man just needs to feel special. The kind of special only achievable in a Japanese school girl outfit and tiara. Did I mention I can do a hundred push-ups?

[Xyga]

I will never forget Pony in fumoffu http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_KXf3kwjKQ0

[Raytrace]

I'm on episode 6 of Knights Of Sidonia it is brilliant, yes it is all CG (except backgrounds) though.

[Ghegs]

I'm on episode 6 of Knights Of Sidonia it is brilliant, yes it is all CG (except backgrounds) though.

Thanks for the hint, I watched all available seven episodes today. I thought the art pieces framing the place for ads looked familiar, and sure enough, same guy who made Blame!

I watched Gundam Unicorn a little while ago and wasn't as impressed...all the usual Gundam tropes once again.

[Raytrace]

I'm on episode 6 of Knights Of Sidonia it is brilliant, yes it is all CG (except backgrounds) though.

Thanks for the hint, I watched all available seven episodes today. I thought the art pieces framing the place for ads looked familiar, and sure enough, same guy who made Blame!

I watched Gundam Unicorn a little while ago and wasn't as impressed...all the usual Gundam tropes once again.

Yeah I'm going to watch Episode 7 now - it is very good - quite 'hard' but also with the same sortof epic humanity on the edge feeling of Gunbuster (I think).
And while I do probably wish the charas weren't polygonal, I would say they're probably the best polygonal models I've seen, and they definitely fit in with their environments. Yeah It is the same guy that does Blame which I've never read, in fact I think all his manga are in the same universe, so I will probably read them all.
I love the mecha and architecture in Sidonia - very Zeta Gundam actually - in particular these two MS:

http://www.mahq.net/mecha/gundam/z/pmx-000.htm

http://www.mahq.net/mecha/gundam/z/orx-005.htm

One scene I thought was amazingly cold/stark minimalist looking was the bit when they went to the 'grave' with the picture on the wall - that was so picturesque.

The only thing I dislike are those 'distorting on purpose' sound effects they use during the battle scenes :s.

About Unicorn well of course it has the teenage protagonist and a Char etc., but I really liked the first four OVAs, I was dissapointed by the ending of 7 definitely though.

[Raytrace]

Apart from those sound effects in the fight scenes though - the music and atmospheric sounds are perfect, ultra clean ambienty techno sounds etc, which I like a lot. OP is ok in a sort of Wagnerian kinda way.

[KAI]

CHAR!!!

[Raytrace]

I know man and - RAMBA RAL!!!!!!

On a side note Sidonia episode 8 was incredible.

[Ixmucane2]

Project A-ko
I suggest watching the movie, which is quite self-contained should you get tired, and if at all possible its three immediate direct-to-video sequels (which fit together, expanding and enriching the story and a number of running gags, admirably well).
The "A-ko the VS" alternate-universe late sequel is mostly stupid, badly drawn and only slightly related to the original, watch it only if you are a fan (it features A-ko particularly undressed, B-ko in love, C-ko at the more appropriate age of 10 years, and a few good action scenes).

The story is basically comedy, revolving around three 16 years old girls: A-ko, who is tomboyish and extraordinarily strong; her rival B-ko, who is pretty, very rich and a talented inventor of mecha; and her friend C-ko, who is cute and annoyingly childish (and childishly annoying). As a general pattern, A-ko and B-ko fight but join forces to save C-ko, and all three are indestructible.

There are plenty of obvious (and, 30 years later, less obvious) parodies of other anime (and comics, and many other things), mostly specific references (e.g. detailed reproductions of mecha and characters) but also delicious deconstructions (e.g. the city militia or the archeological expedition); some are just an homage, some are hilarious, some are ridiculously over the top, all are a reasonable part of the story rather than arbitrary wackiness like in other parody series like Excel Saga.

Why is it good? Simply because it's very fun; many single scenes and running gags are awesome. Good screenplays in anime appear to be a lost art; even "A-ko the VS", made only about 5 years later, shows major symptoms of degeneration.

[Lord Satori]

Watching Fate/ Zero. Was going to watch Fate/ Stay Night but It was recommended that I watch Zero first, even though it was made after.

[null1024]

Project A-ko

This is a damn classic. Watched it with some friends a month ago. The big fight with A-ko and B-ko in the school is probably one of the most iconic battle scenes I can think of in anime.

Probably will watch the sequel OVAs soon.

[BryanM]

Watched Welcome to the NHK. Liked it.

[Raytrace]

Watched Welcome to the NHK. Liked it.

I liked it - though I thought while maybe 'brave' it's handling of suicide was a bit TOO blazé. Still very intense viewing.

[d3vak]

Did anyone say...Hunter X Hunter? xD

[Lord Satori]

Did anyone say...Hunter X Hunter? xD

Oh god, yeah. I got into that one around a year ago (or more, idk) and it's awesome!