Any Anime Recommendations?

evil_ash_xero · Post by **evil_ash_xero** » Fri Dec 26, 2008 2:42 pm

I signed up to Netflix to get some Asian movies(anime and live action), and have been trying to figure out what to get in the anime department.

I love anime, but I don't like a lot of it. I don't tend to like the recent TV shows which are kinda melodramatic, and not to my liking.

Here's a list of the animes that I think are ace, so you can sorta gauge what to recommend.

ACE: akira, royal space force, ninja scroll, vampire hunter d bloodlust, perfect blue, metropolis, princess monanoke, spirited away, grave of the fireflies

There's others I have seen like Howl's Moving Castle, Vampire Hunter D, Venus Wars, Appleseed, Project AKo 1 2 and 3, Devil Hunter Yoko, Robot Carnival, Wicked City, Demon City Shenjuku, Devil Man, The Guyver, Escaflowne, The Wolf Brigade(didn't like this one a whole lot), Street Fighter 2, the all time classic La Blue Girl(ha ha), Tenchi Miyu In Love(blah), Blood, Ghost In The Shell, and Violence Jack. I liked some of those, some I did not.

I have Tokyo Godfathers, Paprika, Evanglion, Highlander SFV, Millenium Actress, and Paranoia Agent on my list of movies that i'll be getting soon.

On the movies i'm getting, can you guys tell me if they're good or not? I'm wondering about Evangelion, since I don't tend to like series too much. Also, i'm particuarly interested in that dude who directed Perfect Blue, since I just watched it. Are the movies I have listed above(Paprika, TG, PA, MA) any good?

Anything else you guys can recommend, let me know. I don't like Samurai Champloo or stuff like that, so keep that in mind.

s/m

Momijitsuki · Post by **Momijitsuki** » Fri Dec 26, 2008 2:44 pm

I strongly recommend Tengen-Toppa Gurren Lagann (released to the rest of the world as 'Gurren Lagann') to pretty much anyone who asks for recommendations.

bob · Post by **bob** » Fri Dec 26, 2008 2:46 pm

Death Note. It is a series yes... but once you started you want to watch it like a movie because it's so thrilling! STOP READING! WATCH IT!

Lordstar · Post by **Lordstar** » Fri Dec 26, 2008 3:06 pm

I was less enthralled in death note. There is a lot buzz about not a whole lot in my opinion.

I am watching escaflowne right now which im enjoying. lucky star was the last thing which had me belly laughing all the way though it for all the anime and game references.

I too can recommend Gurren laggan. one of the good things about it is that its a short series and there wont be anymore made. Which is a nice bonus for all the anime which just carry on forever these days.

neist · Post by **neist** » Fri Dec 26, 2008 3:25 pm

FLCL. It is a series, but its only 6 episodes. It's not much more than a movie.

It's way out there though, and don't honestly expect that you'll realize whats going on, but its fun.

Jockel · Post by **Jockel** » Fri Dec 26, 2008 4:13 pm

Jungle Wa Itsumo Hale Nochi Guu.
Nuff said.

Aru-san · Post by **Aru-san** » Fri Dec 26, 2008 4:31 pm

Serial Experiments Lain. I personally haven't watched it, but seeing from the few episodes that my 11th grade English teacher last year watched, it's pretty twisted.

Post by **BulletMagnet** » Fri Dec 26, 2008 4:55 pm

Jockel wrote:Jungle Wa Itsumo Hale Nochi Guu.
Nuff said.

Some time ago a friend of mine showed me this, and I was honestly less than impressed with it - I only watched a couple of episodes, but they struck me as rehashes of the old "Michigan J. Frog" Looney Tunes. When nobody's looking the frog sings, but as soon as anyone except the protagonist might notice, he stops! Hilarity ensues!

Also, there's already a topic for this.

Jockel · Post by **Jockel** » Fri Dec 26, 2008 5:01 pm

I started with the 1st episode, and instantly loved it ^^
The bizarre humor is pretty cool. And eating stuff is always funny xD

elfhentaifan · Post by **elfhentaifan** » Sat Dec 27, 2008 1:14 am

Aru-san wrote:Serial Experiments Lain. I personally haven't watched it, but seeing from the few episodes that my 11th grade English teacher last year watched, it's pretty twisted.

dont watch lain, it kills your brain.
not easy to swallow for people who get easily affected.
incredibly dark cyberpunk anime.

myself i may recommend speedgrapher, one of my alltime favourites.
Im not watching that much anime though.

Observer · Post by **Observer** » Sat Dec 27, 2008 2:24 am

*walls of text alert*

I never got all the hype over Gurren Lagann... I just think it's ok but not the oh-so-great thing people seem to be making out of it. Same deal with Higurashi, Code Geass or all those names of the current animu scene. Maybe I just don't "get" them nor find 'em appealing and got stuck in the '80s/early '90s (Pre Evangelion and Shinji).

From that era of the transformable manly mecha anime (see the old thread about manly anime) and missile barrages:

Macross (original series)
Macross Plus
Macross: Do you Remember Love?
Fist of the North Star (aka: Fist of the Motherfucking North Star)

I was going to recommend Montecristo (Gankutsuou) if only for the trippy artstyle and how badass everything seems... but Albert will probably piss you off through the entire series. It's worth watching nevertheless.

Probably nobody will agree with me but Mushishi (蟲師) is the best shit I've seen coming from Japan in a while in terms of animation. It's like Miyazaki for TV (the first episode kinda gives this away).

26 self-conclusive episodes that feel like short movies, each one starting and finishing in a poetic way with the credits slowly showing up for additional epic value and a pretty opening song. You'll not see big, exaggerated things but, I don't know, I just loved it. The music is pure ambience most of the time (crank up the volume) and the fact that little is explained about the main character makes it even better and mysterious. Sucks when they start revealing and explaining everything, it kinda loses its 'magic'. Hopefully that doesn't happen here: the little they explained is enough to keep things intriguing.

A living swamp that wants to go to the sea, a boy with horns that literally eat sounds, another boy whose words come alive when he writes with his left hand, a man born from a seed, a swordmaster whose dreams would come alive and provide him premonitions, an architect chasing a rainbow (I particularly loved this one; heh, I'll never look at rainbows the same way) and much more stuff. Dunno, I just loved how this would let me get lost in my thoughts...

Yeah, I know, I'm lame. Please bear with me.

There is also a live action movie with the same name, directed by Katsushiro Otomo.

Seconding Speed Grapher, quite nice indeed.

Strider77 · Post by **Strider77** » Sat Dec 27, 2008 6:30 am

Berserk... watch it, do yourself a favor

Lordstar · Post by **Lordstar** » Sat Dec 27, 2008 8:51 am

Strider77 wrote:Berserk... watch it, do yourself a favor

but it ends just as the story started. I really have no idea why they never decided to carry on. Do yourself an even bigger favor and read the pulp manga. Its the only manga I endorse which has man rape in it.

Arcatech · Post by **Arcatech** » Sat Dec 27, 2008 8:51 am

There is also another thread started here recently. I think the topic title is like " What happened to all the cool manly anime".

Check out that thread because there are a lot of really good recommendations in there.

Lordstar · Post by **Lordstar** » Sat Dec 27, 2008 8:53 am

im so glad no one has said wolfs rain. its the worst over hyped piece of shit ever more so than afro samurai.

MX7 · Post by **MX7** » Sat Dec 27, 2008 10:57 am

Lol, I liked Afro Samurai. Maybe it's because I watched it in a big group of mates, and I didn't take it too seriously, but I thought it was great fun

evil_ash_xero · Post by **evil_ash_xero** » Sat Dec 27, 2008 11:18 am

AFXisatwin wrote:There is also another thread started here recently. I think the topic title is like " What happened to all the cool manly anime".

Check out that thread because there are a lot of really good recommendations in there.

Yeah, but I like stuff like Metropolis and Perfect Blue, so i'm not really just looking for that.

s/m

emphatic · Post by **emphatic** » Sat Dec 27, 2008 12:16 pm

Nausicaä of the Valley of Wind. Apparently the main inspiration behind Mushihime Sama. I really liked this film.

Kiki's Delivery Service. Very sweet movie. And lots of fun.

Emph

Lordstar · Post by **Lordstar** » Sat Dec 27, 2008 12:20 pm

evil_ash_xero wrote:
AFXisatwin wrote:There is also another thread started here recently. I think the topic title is like " What happened to all the cool manly anime".

Check out that thread because there are a lot of really good recommendations in there.
Yeah, but I like stuff like Metropolis and Perfect Blue, so i'm not really just looking for that.

s/m

I recommend you track down the OST for metropolis its fantastic.

Lordstar · Post by **Lordstar** » Sat Dec 27, 2008 12:22 pm

emphatic wrote:Nausicaä of the Valley of Wind. Apparently the main inspiration behind Mushihime Sama. I really liked this film.

now that you mention this it makes so much sense. I guess having an air glider and setting it in a post apocalyptic world would of been a bit much though

evil_ash_xero · Post by **evil_ash_xero** » Sat Dec 27, 2008 3:24 pm

Strider77 wrote:Berserk... watch it, do yourself a favor

I've been looking into it. Looks up my alley. I'll rent the first disc off of NF and see what's up.

s/m

Momijitsuki · Post by **Momijitsuki** » Sat Dec 27, 2008 4:19 pm

Lordstar wrote:
emphatic wrote:Nausicaä of the Valley of Wind. Apparently the main inspiration behind Mushihime Sama. I really liked this film.
now that you mention this it makes so much sense. I guess having an air glider and setting it in a post apocalyptic world would of been a bit much though

Wasn't another Progear inspired by a Miyazaki film too? Porco Rosso?

Post by **BulletMagnet** » Sat Dec 27, 2008 5:27 pm

Momijitsuki wrote:Wasn't another Progear inspired by a Miyazaki film too? Porco Rosso?

Nah, the latter inspired Muchi Muchi Pork.

They took a few liberties.

Zeether · Post by **Zeether** » Sat Dec 27, 2008 6:16 pm

Dead Leaves. Great dub and generally wacky.

Lordstar · Post by **Lordstar** » Sat Dec 27, 2008 6:22 pm

ZeetherKID77 wrote:Dead Leaves. Great dub and generally wacky.

I really could not enjoy dead leaves at all before it had started it was over. The whole thing smaks of tank girl which is not a bad thing though.

PROMETHEUS · Post by **PROMETHEUS** » Sat Dec 27, 2008 6:32 pm

Observer wrote:I never got all the hype over Gurren Lagann... I just think it's ok but not the oh-so-great thing people seem to be making out of it.

I personally think it just really sucks.

Observer wrote: Probably nobody will agree with me but Mushishi (蟲師) is the best shit I've seen coming from Japan in a while in terms of animation. It's like Miyazaki for TV (the first episode kinda gives this away).

Yeah, I agree on that one, Mushishi is the kind of anime that's worth watching. Mostly nice, original stuff with a unique atmosphere.

Lordstar · Post by **Lordstar** » Sat Dec 27, 2008 6:47 pm

i have this but have not sat down and watched it. I will have to give it some time if everyone is enjoying it.

Domino · Post by **Domino** » Sat Dec 27, 2008 7:54 pm

GaoGaiGar is a cool Mecha show.

PC Engine Fan X! · Post by **PC Engine Fan X!** » Sat Dec 27, 2008 8:18 pm

Domino wrote:GaoGaiGar is a cool Mecha show.

Yeah, GaoGaiGar is a cool anime series worth checking out. Granted that it's 49 episodes long, it's the second half that really ramps up the storyline arc that you really do care about what happens to the GGG crew. Too bad that Media Blasters isn't distributing GaoGaiGar Final DVD for the USA anytime soon. It would've have been cool to see what further adventures await the GGG crew plus the fact that GaoGaiGar mecha suit gets an entire new makeover/upgrade. Vintage mecha robot series that is badass circa 1997 and is comprised of hand-drawn animation (a lost art form considering what passes for CGI-generated anime nowdays). ^_~

PC Engine Fan X! ^_~

evil_ash_xero · Post by **evil_ash_xero** » Sun Dec 28, 2008 2:39 am

Well, what did you guys think of that Perfect Blue guy's films?

Millenium Actress
Paprika
Paranoia Agent(series)
Tokyo Godfathers

I am really psyched to see Paprika, since I have seen some of it on TV, and thought it looked good, but always caught it in the middle of it. Now that I have seen PB, and have seen the reviews of it on Rotten Tomatoes, i'm very psyched.

MA and TG...I am not sure if they'll be up my alley, but they are supposed to be good. They just don't seem to be sci-fi or anything like that. But I am going to watch them.

I know that Paprika is about a person who is trying to catch someone in dreams, so it looks pretty far out(sorta like PB).

PA I can't tell much about it.

Come on guys, fill me in. I know someone has seen these.

s/m