-
Hey, guest user. Hope you're enjoying NeoGAF! Have you considered registering for an account? Come join us and add your take to the daily discourse.
Must watch animes to a newcomer ?
- Thread starter mp1990
- Start date
- Status
I would add Monster to a new comer's anime must-watch list, as it is pretty different from other anime, especially if you're looking for something more grounded mature, character-driven without a fantasy/sci-fi setting, or the typical wacky sense of anime humor. Monster's a long series that starts off slowly, but it's definitely worthwhile and provides well-rounded characters, a compelling mystery that cohesively unravels into different directions and introduces memorable minor characters along the way. The art style is old school with a somewhat muted color palette, but there's a good sense of attention to detail and the animation is consistently good.
Chairmanchuck
Member
It depends what you like.
For more mature themed ones:
Monster
One Outs
Tatami Galaxy
Kaiba
Uchouten Kazoku
For more mature themed ones:
Monster
One Outs
Tatami Galaxy
Kaiba
Uchouten Kazoku
WhiskerFrisker
Member
I suppose but those moments are far and in between episodes. Besides, many fantasy animes feature bizarrely extravagant high schools. But I understand what you mean. I myself haven't had much time to watch anime like I used to so I just read mangas which can get quite bizarre lol.
George Oscar Bluth II
Banned
Hayao Miyazaki stuff.
Mamoru Hosoda stuff (Digimon included - watch it in sub).
Check out Cowboy Bebop, I hear it's great.
Mamoru Hosoda stuff (Digimon included - watch it in sub).
Check out Cowboy Bebop, I hear it's great.
Yeah this probably the best writing I've viewed in manga or anime.
I just watched this. It was nice. Very serene, and sensitive... What's that phrase again? Mono no aware? Yeah... I think that applies here. I can safely recommend this series. I thought it was neat how they took inspiration from both Buddhism and Catholicism for their interpretation of purgatory. Even though it is short (13 episodes), it has a very slow and peaceful pace that may be off-putting or boring to someone looking for a more thrilling show. I really enjoyed it though.
Captainbojanglesiii
Banned
Akame ga Kill
Everything else posted already
Everything else posted already
GraveHorizon
poop meter feature creep
Puella Magi Madoka Magica. I don't care about magical girl se4ies, but that one is actually legit. It also negates any reason to watch any other magical girl series. That's how awesome it is.
From what I've read or watched:
Series:
Hunter x Hunter (2011)
Fullmetal Alchemist: Brotherhood
Cowboy Bebop
Black Lagoon
Samurai Champloo
Jojo's Bizarre Adventure
Mononoke
The Eccentric Family
Movies:
Nausicaa
Castle in the Sky
Lupin Castle of Cagliostro
Wolf Children
I've also heard a lot of good things about Millenium Actress, Tokyo Godfathers, The Tatami Galaxy, Monster and Space Battleship Yamato 2199.
Series:
Hunter x Hunter (2011)
Fullmetal Alchemist: Brotherhood
Cowboy Bebop
Black Lagoon
Samurai Champloo
Jojo's Bizarre Adventure
Mononoke
The Eccentric Family
Movies:
Nausicaa
Castle in the Sky
Lupin Castle of Cagliostro
Wolf Children
I've also heard a lot of good things about Millenium Actress, Tokyo Godfathers, The Tatami Galaxy, Monster and Space Battleship Yamato 2199.
That's because Madoka is really more of a science-fiction horror than anything else. It only uses the magical girl setting as a pretense. It's awesome, but I'd imagine that it's also a pretty hard sell for anyone outside of the anime fandom.
fredrancour
Member
Are you aware what happened with fma? they were making the original, caught up to the manga they were adapting, and made a unique ending from like the halfway point of the anime.
brotherhood was a faithful manga adaptation. the early part of brotherhood, rather than slavishly remake the things that had already been turned into tv episodes, rushed through the early stuff. it all feels kind of disappointing, like "we know you know what happens here already, this is just a formality to get to the new part of the show." i'd imagine it might be kind of frustrating if you DON'T know already, but i can't say because i saw the original first.
so ideally watch both, with regular fma first.
John Kowalski
Banned
Hmm. I think GITS, Cowboy Bebop, NGE, something Kyoani, and the usual movie list (Ghibli, Osoda, some Oshii stuff) make up essentials, past that you're looking at more involved and demanding stuff that requires a certain comfort with the medium. Not that the aforementioned shows and movies don't, but i feel like they're permeated general culture enough that one can watch then without knowing a lot about it and comfortably appreciate them to a degree that other animes simply don't enjoy, requiring investments in time, research, or simply more knowledge about animation/direction/yaddayadda.
Cowboy
Mother
Fucking
Bebop.
Also, in regards to Neon Genesis Evangelion, you better be psychologically ready for the last quarter of that series, especially since you'll likely watch the End of Evangelion movie with it.
Oh, and Miyazaki's popular works are a must.
Mother
Fucking
Bebop.
Also, in regards to Neon Genesis Evangelion, you better be psychologically ready for the last quarter of that series, especially since you'll likely watch the End of Evangelion movie with it.
Oh, and Miyazaki's popular works are a must.
Seconded.
Just be aware that both CB and GiTS are heavily episodic shows. If that's no your kind of thing then abort and look for something with stronger main narrative.
FMA. Brotherhood is dumb. Don't hurt me GAF.
Make sure you watch GITS the movie, GITS the show is kind of a commitment to listening to people talk about technophilosophy for a really long time.
DoktorEvil
Banned
GURREN
MOTHERFUCKING
BLACK LAGOON
KUROKO NO BASKET
HAJIME NO IPPO
DRAGONBALL Z
MACROSS/ROBOTECH
MOBILE SUIT GUNDAM
NEON GENESIS EVANGELION
Vaudeville Villain
Member
If you want to watch a shonen show that's long, I suggest gintama. One of my favorite shows.
Some if the following I have seen, some I haven't but have heard great things:
Mushi-shi
Berserk
FLCL
Paranoia
Monster
Samurai Champloo
Don't listen to this man
There both great in there own ways. Imo though, brother has a superior second half.
Some if the following I have seen, some I haven't but have heard great things:
Mushi-shi
Berserk
FLCL
Paranoia
Monster
Samurai Champloo
Don't listen to this man
There both great in there own ways. Imo though, brother has a superior second half.
Note to OP: If this manages to catch your interest, you may want to make a different thread entirely or go to the Gundam OT to get recommendations on which Gundam series to follow because this franchise is an entirely different beast to tackle in itself.
JooseBawcks
Member
skLaFarebear
Member
Death Note and Code Geass. Gurren Lagann is really good, but might be a little...much if you've never even seen an animated mech before
plasmawave
Banned
Patlabor.
Patlabor.
Patlabor.
Patlabor.
Patlabor.
Patlabor.
Patlabor.
Patlabor.
Patlabor.
- Anything by Watanabe is pretty good for newcomers. Cowboy Bebop, Samurai Champloo, Space Dandy all come to mind (although Bebop and Champloo are in a league above Dandy, Dandy is the newest show of those three mentioned so it has that going for it). They tend to combine a good combo of action/fighting and humor, have great soundtracks, and the character development in those shows is big too. Can go with either subs or dubs, as both options are pretty good in all of those shows for the most part.
- Akira also comes to mind if Ghost in the Shell interests you (Cyberpunk influences). It is several years older than than the original Ghost in the Shell movie, so the art in Akira shows what era it was made in but it is as nice of an anime in terms of animation that you will probably find from the late 1980s. Would recommend subs for it.
- Attack on Titan isn't the best anime out there, but it is still fairly new and pretty accessible to someone not all that familiar with anime. Good all around gateway show in the similar way that Death Note is even if it isn't as good as Death Note (which is another great anime for a newcomer btw).
- Akira also comes to mind if Ghost in the Shell interests you (Cyberpunk influences). It is several years older than than the original Ghost in the Shell movie, so the art in Akira shows what era it was made in but it is as nice of an anime in terms of animation that you will probably find from the late 1980s. Would recommend subs for it.
- Attack on Titan isn't the best anime out there, but it is still fairly new and pretty accessible to someone not all that familiar with anime. Good all around gateway show in the similar way that Death Note is even if it isn't as good as Death Note (which is another great anime for a newcomer btw).
WhiskerFrisker
Member
Hmmm?
Cowboy Bebop
One of the most unique TV series of all time, Shinichiro Watanabe's Cowboy Bebop is a pastiche of noir and other western genres, mixing and remixing them into something new in the true spirit of jazz. The art direction, animation, and music are among the best there's ever been for an animated series, and the direction pays homage to the past while never getting distracted from its own story.
Princess Mononoke
One of the best ecological parables ever made and a beautifully animated film. It refuses to settle for an easy, cartoonish answer and instead examines why intelligent beings can be so self-destructive and violent.
Haibane Renmei
A great character drama and psychological examination of the mystery of death. Yoshitoshi ABe's art is great and the series was one of the first in the "healing" genre. It takes a few episodes to set up the world before the drama takes off in earnest.
Grave of the Fireflies
Haunting and moving film about two children trying to survive during WWII. A very believable and realistic portrayal of childish pride and suffering. One of Takahata's best.
Laputa
One of the best pure adventure films ever made. An example of nearly-perfect pacing and full to the brim with Miyazaki's inventive designs. Great soundtrack from Joe Hisaishi too, especially the extended international OST.
Spirited Away
A visually stunning film with multiple layers of depth and mythological underpinnings. Inventive designs and quirky animation breathe life into the various ghosts, spirits, and demons.
The Girl Who Leapt Through Time
One of the funniest, most charming, and most moving time travel movies ever made. Mamoru Hosoda demonstrates his ability to juggle humor, irony, and drama, and the animation is a joy to watch,
Wolf Children
A fantastic film that uses the unique strengths of animation to illustrate the difficulties of raising children. Hosoda's film uses montage to great effect in illustrating the passage of time, and the snow scene in the middle is pure cinema. You'll laugh and you'll cry.
The Wings of Honneamise
Hard sci-fi movie about an alternate Earth's space race and the way it affects the people living on it. Gainax's most serious work.
Little Witch Academia
A charming and exquisitely animated short film by Yoh Yoshinori. Still the best thing Trigger has ever done.
Time of Eve
Asimov as anime. It examines what it would mean to have a society full of highly intelligent robots in a gentle and charming way.
My Neighbor Totoro
A really unique fantasy story about two young girls in the countryside and the magical creature they meet. Miyazaki's naturalistic style and flair for fantasy combine to great effect here.
The Vision of Escaflowne
One of the best fantasy series out there with knights, mecha, monsters, romance, and more. The increasingly outrageous plot is kept in check by the strong archetypal characters, and director Kazuki Akane demonstrates his mastery of dynamic, exciting action sequences.
Monster
Psychological thriller that examines what it means to be a monster. Features a great sense of atmosphere and an unusual setting for anime, along with a large cast of interesting, complex characters.
The Garden of Words
A beautifully drawn film about responding to the pressures of life and feet. Makoto Shinkai's strongest movie so far.
Whisper of the Heart
A coming-of-age story with wonderful animation and charm.
Space Battleship Yamato 2199
One of the greatest space adventures in anime.
Flowers of Evil
The story of an introverted teen and how he deals or fails to deal with puberty and its extreme effects on his psyche. The rotoscoping takes some getting used to, especially in its cheaper moments, but Nagahama's ability to depict internal psychological states through external symbolism works wonderfully with Studio Pablo's stunning background art.
The Tatami Galaxy
A love comedy that explores the meaning behind the pursuit of romance. Masaaki Yuasa's fast-paced, unique visual style complements wonderfully the breakneck narration and chronologically confused story.
Fate/Zero
An incredibly well-done urban fantasy in the "Battle Royale" mode. A rather silly premise taken seriously, with the help of Ei Aoki's mature direction and Ufotable's strong production value.
Only Yesterday
An imaginative film that examines a young girl's childhood and the effects it's had on her as an adult. Takahata's ability to depict normal events in a magical way through the freedom of animation has never been more evident.
From the New World
A post-apocalyptic sci-fi series that deals with the malleable and manipulatable nature of the human mind. True speculative fiction in the sense that the story examines the natural consequences of humans gaining psychic powers. Despite some stumbles, Masashi Ishihama gives the series a sense of palpable, brooding horror and unease.
Colorful
A dead boy gets one more chance at life, but he has to solve the mystery of his sin while inhabiting the body of another boy who attempted suicide. The realism of the characters depicted can be crushing, but it's ultimately a hopeful story.
Gunslinger Girl
An action drama that deals with a fictional agency in Italy using pre-teen cyborg assassins and the toll the work takes on the girls and their handlers. Despite the inherent silliness of the premise, the series works hard to portray the characters believably and sympathetically.
Beautiful Dreamer
Mamoru Oshii at his best. A story about silly characters in a disturbing and mystical situation.
Angel's Egg
Mamoru Oshii at his most allegorical, in a slow-paced and deeply symbolic film featuring two characters in a lonely and deeply symbolic world. Features amazing art from Yoshitaka Amano.
Kino's Journey
An exploration of anthropologically-minded short stories. Ryuutarou Nakamura gives the series a consistent and even-handed tone as it explores the kinds of societies that humanity tends to build.
Baccano!
A violent, complex, and non-linear story about supernatural powers and gangsters in 1930s New York.
Macross Plus
A stunningly directed OVA series about a group of estranged friends, experimental mecha, and an insane A.I.
Summer Wars
An epically fun movie about family ties, the internet, and communication.
Rozen Maiden Zurückspulen
If you can get past the bad first episode and weird dolls, it's a surprisingly effective depiction of a psychologically damaged shut-in.
Space Dandy
An anthology of stand-alone short films built around the framing device of a bumbling alien hunter and his wacky sidekicks. From the creator of Cowboy Bebop and Samurai Champloo.
Harmonie
A short film about communication and miscommunication.
Hyouka
One of the most richly animated TV series ever made, Hyouka is a surprisingly well-written school life anime focused on mundane mysteries and the people who solve them. What at first glance appear to be stock characters slowly reveal hidden layers and complicated, human motivations, presented with a deliberate pacing and engulfed in the series' lavish, melancholy atmosphere.
One of the most unique TV series of all time, Shinichiro Watanabe's Cowboy Bebop is a pastiche of noir and other western genres, mixing and remixing them into something new in the true spirit of jazz. The art direction, animation, and music are among the best there's ever been for an animated series, and the direction pays homage to the past while never getting distracted from its own story.
Princess Mononoke
One of the best ecological parables ever made and a beautifully animated film. It refuses to settle for an easy, cartoonish answer and instead examines why intelligent beings can be so self-destructive and violent.
Haibane Renmei
A great character drama and psychological examination of the mystery of death. Yoshitoshi ABe's art is great and the series was one of the first in the "healing" genre. It takes a few episodes to set up the world before the drama takes off in earnest.
Grave of the Fireflies
Haunting and moving film about two children trying to survive during WWII. A very believable and realistic portrayal of childish pride and suffering. One of Takahata's best.
Laputa
One of the best pure adventure films ever made. An example of nearly-perfect pacing and full to the brim with Miyazaki's inventive designs. Great soundtrack from Joe Hisaishi too, especially the extended international OST.
Spirited Away
A visually stunning film with multiple layers of depth and mythological underpinnings. Inventive designs and quirky animation breathe life into the various ghosts, spirits, and demons.
The Girl Who Leapt Through Time
One of the funniest, most charming, and most moving time travel movies ever made. Mamoru Hosoda demonstrates his ability to juggle humor, irony, and drama, and the animation is a joy to watch,
Wolf Children
A fantastic film that uses the unique strengths of animation to illustrate the difficulties of raising children. Hosoda's film uses montage to great effect in illustrating the passage of time, and the snow scene in the middle is pure cinema. You'll laugh and you'll cry.
The Wings of Honneamise
Hard sci-fi movie about an alternate Earth's space race and the way it affects the people living on it. Gainax's most serious work.
Little Witch Academia
A charming and exquisitely animated short film by Yoh Yoshinori. Still the best thing Trigger has ever done.
Time of Eve
Asimov as anime. It examines what it would mean to have a society full of highly intelligent robots in a gentle and charming way.
My Neighbor Totoro
A really unique fantasy story about two young girls in the countryside and the magical creature they meet. Miyazaki's naturalistic style and flair for fantasy combine to great effect here.
The Vision of Escaflowne
One of the best fantasy series out there with knights, mecha, monsters, romance, and more. The increasingly outrageous plot is kept in check by the strong archetypal characters, and director Kazuki Akane demonstrates his mastery of dynamic, exciting action sequences.
Monster
Psychological thriller that examines what it means to be a monster. Features a great sense of atmosphere and an unusual setting for anime, along with a large cast of interesting, complex characters.
The Garden of Words
A beautifully drawn film about responding to the pressures of life and feet. Makoto Shinkai's strongest movie so far.
Whisper of the Heart
A coming-of-age story with wonderful animation and charm.
Space Battleship Yamato 2199
One of the greatest space adventures in anime.
Flowers of Evil
The story of an introverted teen and how he deals or fails to deal with puberty and its extreme effects on his psyche. The rotoscoping takes some getting used to, especially in its cheaper moments, but Nagahama's ability to depict internal psychological states through external symbolism works wonderfully with Studio Pablo's stunning background art.
The Tatami Galaxy
A love comedy that explores the meaning behind the pursuit of romance. Masaaki Yuasa's fast-paced, unique visual style complements wonderfully the breakneck narration and chronologically confused story.
Fate/Zero
An incredibly well-done urban fantasy in the "Battle Royale" mode. A rather silly premise taken seriously, with the help of Ei Aoki's mature direction and Ufotable's strong production value.
Only Yesterday
An imaginative film that examines a young girl's childhood and the effects it's had on her as an adult. Takahata's ability to depict normal events in a magical way through the freedom of animation has never been more evident.
From the New World
A post-apocalyptic sci-fi series that deals with the malleable and manipulatable nature of the human mind. True speculative fiction in the sense that the story examines the natural consequences of humans gaining psychic powers. Despite some stumbles, Masashi Ishihama gives the series a sense of palpable, brooding horror and unease.
Colorful
A dead boy gets one more chance at life, but he has to solve the mystery of his sin while inhabiting the body of another boy who attempted suicide. The realism of the characters depicted can be crushing, but it's ultimately a hopeful story.
Gunslinger Girl
An action drama that deals with a fictional agency in Italy using pre-teen cyborg assassins and the toll the work takes on the girls and their handlers. Despite the inherent silliness of the premise, the series works hard to portray the characters believably and sympathetically.
Beautiful Dreamer
Mamoru Oshii at his best. A story about silly characters in a disturbing and mystical situation.
Angel's Egg
Mamoru Oshii at his most allegorical, in a slow-paced and deeply symbolic film featuring two characters in a lonely and deeply symbolic world. Features amazing art from Yoshitaka Amano.
Kino's Journey
An exploration of anthropologically-minded short stories. Ryuutarou Nakamura gives the series a consistent and even-handed tone as it explores the kinds of societies that humanity tends to build.
Baccano!
A violent, complex, and non-linear story about supernatural powers and gangsters in 1930s New York.
Macross Plus
A stunningly directed OVA series about a group of estranged friends, experimental mecha, and an insane A.I.
Summer Wars
An epically fun movie about family ties, the internet, and communication.
Rozen Maiden Zurückspulen
If you can get past the bad first episode and weird dolls, it's a surprisingly effective depiction of a psychologically damaged shut-in.
Space Dandy
An anthology of stand-alone short films built around the framing device of a bumbling alien hunter and his wacky sidekicks. From the creator of Cowboy Bebop and Samurai Champloo.
Harmonie
A short film about communication and miscommunication.
Hyouka
One of the most richly animated TV series ever made, Hyouka is a surprisingly well-written school life anime focused on mundane mysteries and the people who solve them. What at first glance appear to be stock characters slowly reveal hidden layers and complicated, human motivations, presented with a deliberate pacing and engulfed in the series' lavish, melancholy atmosphere.
George Oscar Bluth II
Banned
Only Yesterday
An imaginative film that examines a young girl's childhood and the effects it's had on her as an adult. Takahata's ability to depict normal events in a magical way through the freedom of animation has never been more evident.
My sister loves this film, but I have to admit that I find it really boring. I guess it just isn't my cup of tea.
fuck yea
Baccano Baccano Baccano a thousand times Baccano.
A super fun story, great characters, a few twists, and just oozes style, and all this crammed into 16 episodes. It's really amazingly fun. It got me back into anime after I'd been gone a while. It's on hulu right now, check it out for free.
Another good one is Noir. If you liked gits:sac then you'd probably like noir. It's less cyberpunkmore film noir (obviously) but still has a great mystery to it. The animation is beautiful and full of character (Paris really looks like Paris) and some great (albeit slightly overused) music. It may not be an absolute must watch but still very good.
GlassEmpires
Member
Gekkan Shoujo Nozaki-kun. Comedy of the Year, accept substitutes.
Because opinions and whatnot.
Only Yesterday is my favourite from Studio Ghibli, haha. That might be because I can kind of somewhat relate to the main girl's growing up story though since I grew up in a somewhat similar environment. I can certainly see it being boring to others since it lacks the fantastical setting and spectacles of Laputa/Valley of the Wind... etc.
Oh, and my personal recommendation that's not strictly anime...
What?
WhiskerFrisker
Member
John Kowalski
Banned
Oh, and Boku no Pico too, btw. Having a core understanding of CoCo's character is particularly helpful when dissecting contemporary romance.
IDKAboutThat
Member
Gurren Lagann
FMA: Brotherhood
Cowboy Bebop
FMA: Brotherhood
Cowboy Bebop
checkeredknight
Member
Hello. Here I am in another anime thread with my usual.
If you're not afraid to delve into older anime, give Lupin a shot! The series began as a comic strip back in the 1960's and the first full TV series hit in 1971. Since then, there have been four TV series and a fifth one is to hit next year. In addition, there have been a bunch of theatrical and straight-to-television movies that have trickled into existence over the past thirty or so years. They vary in quality, but most are enjoyable.
Recommended starting points:
Coming next spring:
If you're not afraid to delve into older anime, give Lupin a shot! The series began as a comic strip back in the 1960's and the first full TV series hit in 1971. Since then, there have been four TV series and a fifth one is to hit next year. In addition, there have been a bunch of theatrical and straight-to-television movies that have trickled into existence over the past thirty or so years. They vary in quality, but most are enjoyable.
Recommended starting points:
Coming next spring:
A new Lupin III TV series is on its way to both Italy and Japan. The series features a blue-jacket wearing Lupin, much like in the recent Takeshi Koike spin-off feature film, The Gravestone of Daisuke Jigen.
The story of the new series will take place in Italy and San Marino. The series is set to have its world premiere on Italy's RTI channel next spring.
The show will feature a lovely new art style and much of the exciting, humorous hi-jinx seen in the 1977 - 1980 Shin Lupin series. It looks like all the gang will be making an appearance, including Inspector Zenigata and the Fiat 500!
More information: NeoGAF Thread
I should have elaborated more on that.... I made the AoT-Death Note anime comparison because they have the same director, and they are both great and addicting gateway shows to someone not familiar with the medium. Not a knock against AoT personally but if you want my 2 cents, Death Note is the better show of the two if I had to put them against each other.
WhiskerFrisker
Member
Ohhh that's what you meant. You said Death Note twice so I wasn't sure what you meant. In that case, I agree.
fucking christ! it's worse than i remember it. how is titan so high?
hunter x hunter was robbed.
- Status