Recommended Anime/Manga?

[KAI]

I just read all 12 volumes of Vinland Saga in 2 days, now the monthly wait for new chapters.
any recommended manga to read while waiting?

[Hagane]

I knew you would like it.

Have you read anything by Taiyo Matsumoto? Art is wacky and not for everyone, but he writes great stories. Go for Takemitsu Zamurai if you haven't already.

[Raytrace]

I just read all 12 volumes of Vinland Saga in 2 days, now the monthly wait for new chapters.
any recommended manga to read while waiting?

I have been meaning to read this for a while - Norse and indeed Gael (Brendan) journeys across have always interested me - is the manga about Leif Eriksson?

[KAI]

Nope, is about bearded men and the war for the crown of England. Leif appears as a secondary character.

[Raytrace]

Nope, is about bearded men and the war for the crown of England. Leif appears as a secondary character.

right ok - hahah no interest now o_O - do they even go to 'Vinland' in it?

[KAI]

do they even go to 'Vinland' in it?

The main character is always dreaming about it, and the manga is still ongoing.
If you like Norse–Gaels stories, you will love this.

[Obiwanshinobi]

DMC is making me laugh so hard, I need more series like this one.

Soil. Not sure if the English scanlation's finished yet, and it's not too long, so...
(Seriously, for whatever reason it was the first title that came to my mind.)

[Raytrace]

do they even go to 'Vinland' in it?

The main character is always dreaming about it, and the manga is still ongoing.
If you like Norse–Gaels stories, you will love this.

yes Norse-Gael history etc. I very much like - I shall check out Vinland definitely, does sound cool

[Skykid]

Just finished all 270 odd chapters of Naoki Arasawa's 20th Century Boys. Highly recommended, one of the best manga I've read in years. The ending is kind of a bum note tho, be warned; somewhat rectified by the 21st Century Boys 16 chapter addendum.

The live action movie adaptations, like most Japanese live action movies generally, are to be avoided like an ungodly plague.

[Hagane]

I really liked it at first, but later on it starts to throw ridiculous plot twists every single volume so I got tired of it.

Pluto is a much more accomplished Urasawa manga IMO.

[Skykid]

I really liked it at first, but later on it starts to throw ridiculous plot twists every single volume so I got tired of it.

That's not the problem IMO, rather that it only has a single overarching cliffhanger: the Scooby Doo identity riddle. It rides that out for about 150 chapters, before reintroducing it 20 chapters later.

Clearly stretched out because of its success, and that's a bit of a shame, but it's extremely well composed nontheless. The end is a little on the damp side, unfortunately. I might look into Pluto, thanks for the tip.

[MX7]

Watched the first three Bubblegum Crisis OVAs. Blimey. Wish I'd seen them earlier, but at least I have another five to look forward to. Some of the best use of music music I've ever heard. I was lucky enough to pick up volume 5 subbed on VHS. Might be worth searching out the other ones. Watching this in digital format seems like such a waste.

[Raytrace]

Watched the first three Bubblegum Crisis OVAs. Blimey. Wish I'd seen them earlier, but at least I have another five to look forward to. Some of the best use of music music I've ever heard. I was lucky enough to pick up volume 5 subbed on VHS. Might be worth searching out the other ones. Watching this in digital format seems like such a waste.

yep - 'Mad Machine' intro is just sublime.......

[MX7]

My personal favourite track is 'Funky Doll' that plays during the strobe-tastic disco scene in the second OVA. That scene manages to ecapulate a fully realised yet wonderfully idiosyncratic vision of 'the future' better than most sci-fi manages over many hours. Speculative fiction at its best. In fact its these little moments of attention to detail that are gripping me far more than the narrative at the moment.

[Raytrace]

My personal favourite track is 'Funky Doll' that plays during the strobe-tastic disco scene in the second OVA. That scene manages to ecapulate a fully realised yet wonderfully idiosyncratic vision of 'the future' better than most sci-fi manages over many hours. Speculative fiction at its best. In fact its these little moments of attention to detail that are gripping me far more than the narrative at the moment.

yeah Funky Doll is brilliant too, I actually intend to put that in Raytrace's next mixtape (if ever made).....

yeah the little detailsa re incredible - the truck with 'Priss and The Replicants' on it, the button thing the guy presses with the 'G' on it. Just incredible art, nonstop.....

[MX7]

I'm not an expert on animation processes by any manner of means (I think the forum award for that would have to go to JDE), but I really think the whole OVA process tends to (potentially) lead towards a better quality of animation. Small team, longer time spent on each episode than TV stuff, less censorship restrictions, etc. BC seems to be a perfect example of the medium. Of course there are 10000000 absolutely shoddy and awful looking OVas too, so it's by no means a rule...

[Raytrace]

I'm not an expert on animation processes by any manner of means (I think the forum award for that would have to go to JDE), but I really think the whole OVA process tends to (potentially) lead towards a better quality of animation. Small team, longer time spent on each episode than TV stuff, less censorship restrictions, etc. BC seems to be a perfect example of the medium. Of course there are 10000000 absolutely shoddy and awful looking OVas too, so it's by no means a rule...

yeah it's weird because as I'm sure you know, in 'the west' 'direct to video' was hardly usually a seal of quality :p, but in anime it can often be perfect, like film quality production with longer storyline, (with the longer storylines being something I really like about anime).

Have you seen Megazone 23 or Dominion Tank Police?, I think they're great OVAs.

And of course Gunbuster!!!!! - but I'm sure you've already seen that

[MX7]

I've actually never seen Gunbuster... Something I should probably address as quickly as possible :p

I have a Megazone 23 OVA on video, need to dig out my VCR and get through some stuff that's been piling up...

[Raytrace]

I've actually never seen Gunbuster... Something I should probably address as quickly as possible :p

I have a Megazone 23 OVA on video, need to dig out my VCR and get through some stuff that's been piling up...

Gunbuster is just incredible, you won't be dissapointed:

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

The first MZ23 is brilliant, the later ones aren't liked as much, but tbh, I love em all...

[DaneSaga]

Bubblegum Crisis is fantastic, and one of the most stylish and aesthetically pleasing shows I’ve had the pleasure to witness. Though it’s a shame they couldn’t go beyond ep 8, and how Bubblegum Crash was lesser quality and didn’t really resolve a great deal….and that the Bubblegum Crisis Tokyo 2040 series exists

Gunbuster, Dominion Tank Police and Megazone 23 are class choices for top notch OVA action, good calls.
I’ll throw my hat in and suggest a few good ones like Area 88, Appleseed, Dirty Pair (all of them), Crusher Joe, Mobile Police Patlabor, Robot Carnival, Otaku no Video, Gall Force (all of them), Gundam War in the Pocket, Riding Bean….blah blah the list goes on.

Just can’t beat a good OVA, especially ones from the mid-late 80’s. The peak of Japanese animation in my book.

The first MZ23 is brilliant, the later ones aren't liked as much, but tbh, I love em all...

I favor part 2 the most. Better chara design/ animation than the first and also comes off a little less Macross-ish too. Part 3 left me quite frigid tbh. Totally devoid of the high production values and bike culture from the first two

[Raytrace]

Bubblegum Crisis is fantastic, and one of the most stylish and aesthetically pleasing shows I’ve had the pleasure to witness. Though it’s a shame they couldn’t go beyond ep 8, and how Bubblegum Crash was lesser quality and didn’t really resolve a great deal….and that the Bubblegum Crisis Tokyo 2040 series exists

Gunbuster, Dominion Tank Police and Megazone 23 are class choices for top notch OVA action, good calls.
I’ll throw my hat in and suggest a few good ones like Area 88, Appleseed, Dirty Pair (all of them), Crusher Joe, Mobile Police Patlabor, Robot Carnival, Otaku no Video, Gall Force (all of them), Gundam War in the Pocket, Riding Bean….blah blah the list goes on.

Just can’t beat a good OVA, especially ones from the mid-late 80’s. The peak of Japanese animation in my book.



I favor part 2 the most. Better chara design/ animation than the first and also comes off a little less Macross-ish too. Part 3 left me quite frigid tbh. Totally devoid of the high production values and bike culture from the first two

Yeah Area 88 is an amazing OVA, and obviously this being the forum it is - I don't need to mention that it's a good game too :p

Yeah Dirty Pair also, the Crusher Joe OVA is brilliant, but I do just about prefer the movie. 0080 I'm all for, and in fact I'm rewatching at the moment, a classic Christmas tear-jerker (for Gundam fans ). Can't not mention 08th MS Team also. Yeah I seem to remember i did like MZ23 II the most, but the first one is still brilliant, that scene on the news haha with the BMW line, that's pure classic. Patlabor OVA's (1) are brilliant too - what an OP! - I have yet to see the 2nd OVA, I'm watching 'On TV' atm...

Riding Bean: Bean Bandit's so tough he can chew chestnuts while staring you in the fvcking face!!! :p -

http://r4ytrace.tumblr.com/post/29910880660/ridingbean2

[DaneSaga]

http://r4ytrace.tumblr.com/post/29910880660/ridingbean2

Poor Bean, forever trapped in that one episode OVA and brief manga. I assume you’ve seen/ or at least maybe read Gunsmith Cats? More Kenichi Sonoda greatness.

[Raytrace]

http://r4ytrace.tumblr.com/post/29910880660/ridingbean2

Poor Bean, forever trapped in that one episode OVA and brief manga. I assume you’ve seen/ or at least maybe read Gunsmith Cats? More Kenichi Sonoda greatness.

Yes I've watched and read them - great stuff - though I'm not really into 'certain elements' of it (I think you know what I mean), but I suppose it is maybe an accurate portrayal of underworld culture.

[DaneSaga]

http://r4ytrace.tumblr.com/post/29910880660/ridingbean2

Poor Bean, forever trapped in that one episode OVA and brief manga. I assume you’ve seen/ or at least maybe read Gunsmith Cats? More Kenichi Sonoda greatness.

Yes I've watched and read them - great stuff - though I'm not really into 'certain elements' of it (I think you know what I mean), but I suppose it is maybe an accurate portrayal of underworld culture.

lol, yeah there's certainly some cringe worthy stuff in there. But not everything can be roses and rainbows I guess

How could I forget the mother of all OVAs?!? "LEGEND OF THE GALACTIC HEROES"
simply masterful.

[Raytrace]

lol, yeah there's certainly some cringe worthy stuff in there. But not everything can be roses and rainbows I guess

How could I forget the mother of all OVAs?!? "LEGEND OF THE GALACTIC HEROES"
simply masterful.

yeah, just because it's so long, I always think of that as a 'series' - but my god it is so beyond perfect, I honestly did have even 1 minute of boredom during the entire 110 OVAs...

[DaneSaga]

yeah, just because it's so long, I always think of that as a 'series' - but my god it is so beyond perfect, I honestly did have even 1 minute of boredom during the entire 110 OVAs...

Til this day I still can’t fathom how for almost 10 years they kept the show running at such a considerably high standard with only a very modest amount of dribble and filler. Movies and prequel OVAs are great as well.
Absolutely top shelf stuff, rivals and easily sits alongside any of Leiji Matsumoto's works.

[KAI]

Reading Pluto Vol.4, so good, the only thing this manga needs is a female character like Kanna in it.
That Black Jack cameo was awesome!

[Drum]

I just watched a couple of episodes of Turn A Gundam. I never watched anything Gundam before. It seems ok. Convince me to stop.

[Obiwanshinobi]

If you MUST, watch 0080: War in the Pocket. It's short and everything that is wrong with Gundam is rampant there.
If you're in it for the graphics, watch Zeta (prettier but longer and just as wince-worthy).

[Raytrace]

If you MUST, watch 0080: War in the Pocket. It's short and everything that is wrong with Gundam is rampant there.
If you're in it for the graphics, watch Zeta (prettier but longer and just as wince-worthy).

are you fucking joking?, or trolling for the sake of it? - even people who openly say they 'hate Gundam' usually say that 0080 is an exception (followed by sometimes 08th MS). 0080 is massively different to any other Gundam series or film, so to say that common negative elements of 'what's wrong with Gundam' are accentuated in it is ridiculous, the main character doesn't even become a pilot ffs, secondly it's brilliant.

It's also one of the only ones if not the only one where you really see the effects of giant robots smashing up shit from the civilian's perspective, I know obviously there are scenes in other Gundam series which deal with this, but nowhere near as engagingly as 0080.

I would kinda agree with you on Zeta though, I do overall love it, but to call the plot 'messy' would be an understatement.