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Getting back into anime

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ZoddGutts said:
Texhnolyze

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Which is much better.
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I watched this over the span of a few days and still have no idea what I saw. More confusing than Lain.

As for suggestions, mostly everything's been listed. From what you've enjoyed, there might end up being like 30+ series you would like. I'll just give another recommendation for Death Note.

Oh, and also Jigoku Shojo. A little girl is a central character but it's not pedophilic or anything (at least from what I've seen).
 
Alucard said:
Just watched the first twelve episodes of Black Lagoon. It's pretty fun stuff, with some existential philosophy thrown in from time to time. The storylines can get to be a little confusing at times, but the series' focus on character relationships, and on their own internal struggles, particularly that of Rock and Revy, have kept me interested. Looking forward to seeing how the remaining twelve episodes pan out.
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The 3rd Barrage (3rd season) starts in August Alucard so look for it!
 
All of these recs and no one said Honey and Clover?

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OP, if you want something substantial, watch this. It's a story about a group of 5 college students dealing with their future and love life. The characters are very easy to relate.
 
Alucard said:
Well, I'm going to try again. There is very little anime that I actually like, so please read A friend of mine is going to give me a copy of Avatar: The Last Airbender. I know it's not from Japan, but he talked about it at length, and it sounds like something I might enjoy.

I'm only looking for the cream of the crop. Help me, GAF!
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Why Avatar may be for you.
 
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Finished watching Black Lagoon. I thought the show got far too bogged down in details a lot of the time, and I admittedly barely grasped all of the backstabbing and mafia conflicts that went on, but the characters were quite interesting, and the dialogue was fun as well. Despite the awful English dubbing in the last few episodes, it was a pretty fun, light trip. The philosophical choices and perspectives of the characters really added a welcome cerebral edge to the show. I'll check out the third season, once it becomes available. 7.5/10.

Also watched...

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For a 23 minute OVA, I thought it was fairly stunning. The visuals were incredible, and the glazing of the importance of history, as well as its environmentalist edge, weren't overbearing. I was genuinely touched at the end. Really though, the mix of music and visuals really made this one stand out for me, and beautifully accented the message at the end.
How did the guy make it all the way to the top to see the earth?
8/10.

Next series: Samurai Champloo.
 
Alucard said:
Well, I'm going to try again. There is very little anime that I actually like, so please read this entire thread before spouting off stuff you like and thinking I should check it out just because.

Here is a list of anime shows I have enjoyed in the past:

Cowboy Bebop
Vision of Escaflowne
Trigun
Now and Then, Here and There
Serial Experiments LAIN
Haibane Renmei
Neon Genesis Evangelion

...and here is a list of films:

Grave of the Fireflies
Whisper of the Heart
Spirited Away
Millennium Actress
Paprika
Castle in the Sky
Wings of Honneamise

....

I'm only looking for the cream of the crop. Help me, GAF!
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Well, if you like drama and Gainax (as it seems you do), go watch His and Her Circumstances (Kareshi Kanojo no Jijou).
If you like the mindfuckery that is Eva, NTHT, and Lain, you may want to try Revolutionary Girl Utena (Shoujo Kakumei Utena). At the very least, try the movie, it's separate from the TV story but pretty crazy too. Also, Blue Gender is a pretty decent show, though I don't think it was as well received by most people as say, Eva.
Others mentions Outlaw Star and the more recent GITS TV series, and I would deffinitely echo that. Though the former is a bit lighter on the story part of things.
Oh! And if you like the idea of Sci-Fi Comedy, try Irresponsible Captain Tyler (TV). It's a real classic. And then there's Martian Successor Nadesico, which is a bit airy at times, but well animated and quite entertaining. The latest Macross series (Macross Frontier) may not be up your alley, but it does have some really nice music in it, and is decently animated.
If you have any love for music-oriented shows, you might want to check out Beck: Mongolian Chop Squad.
 
Wasn't feeling Samurai Champloo too much, so I've decided to give Paranoia Agent a try. I've loved most of Satoshi Kon's films, so I think I'll like this too.
 
Try Berserk.

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Guts, a man who calls himself "The Black Swordsman" looks upon his days serving as a member of a group of mercenaries, the Band of the Hawk, nicknamed "the Grim Reaper of the Battlefield." Led by an ambitious, ruthless, and intelligent man named Griffith, together they battle their way into the royal court, and are forced into a fate that may change their entire lives.
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Somewhat new here, so I'm curious if Anime GAF has a concurrence of opinion on a few other shows I haven't seen listed here:

Full Metal Panic! (Imagine someone hired a teenage Jason Bourne to protect a high school girl, only with more social awkwardness-turned-humor. Plus, he pilots a giant robot.)

Nerima Daikon Brothers (Nabeshin's musical comedy about farmers get-rich-quick schemes, and a love-quadrangle including three cousins and a small panda. You can't make that up!)

Dai-Guard (Defense company uses old, giant robot as corporate mascot....so only the HR department knows how to use it when the S hits the F.)


I would easily recommend any of these to anime fans who like a little comedy mixed in.
 
I have just finished watching the first five episodes of Paranoia Agent.

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I think the meat of the story is just beginning to be exposed, and I'm absolutely loving it. Satoshi Kon's imagination and his ability to explore the perversity and secrecy of society's regular people are second to none. I love how he largely targets his storylines towards adults, and not towards children. It makes them far more interesting, and truly allows him to let loose. Depending on how this all turns out, I can see Paranoia Agent becoming one of my all-time favourites.
 
Alucard said:
I have just finished watching the first five episodes of Paranoia Agent.

paranoa+agent.jpg


I think the meat of the story is just beginning to be exposed, and I'm absolutely loving it. Satoshi Kon's imagination and his ability to explore the perversity and secrecy of society's regular people are second to none. I love how he largely targets his storylines towards adults, and not towards children. It makes them far more interesting, and truly allows him to let loose. Depending on how this all turns out, I can see Paranoia Agent becoming one of my all-time favourites.
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It might not, i thought the first 5 episodes were the peak of the series in terms of quality, after that it kinda goes downhill in quality, but picks up again for the ending.
 
Berserk (Series)
Samurai X: Trust and Betrayal (OVA)
Samurai Champloo (Series)
Last Exile (Series)
Mezzo Forte (1st Season ONLY)
 
Lafiel said:
It might not, i thought the first 5 episodes were the peak of the series in terms of quality, after that it kinda goes downhill in quality, but picks up again for the ending.
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Episode 8 was really off the rails, with the two older men and young girl with a death wish, but I thought the two before that were pretty decent. Certainly not as gripping as the first five, but still solid.

EDIT: Episode 9 was a bit of a sidebar too, but I get that the writers were trying to show how criminals become celebrities, and that regardless of their heinous actions, people will still want a piece of the fame, to feel connected to what everyone else is talking about. Still not as good as the other episodes, and a definite detour, but still decent.
 
I havent bothered with Anime for over 5 years, but this thread made me check out a few recently.

Mind Game: amazing, psychedelic , violent, crazy, sexy, beautiful, wtf movie!
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Yakitate Japan: funny, who know bread could be so interesting?
yakitate-japan.jpg
 
Alucard said:
My g/f and I are watching it together. We're four episodes in and enjoying it. I really love the mythical creatures and worlds so far.
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Wait till you get to season 2. It is absolutely awesome.
 
Finished Paranoia Agent, and really enjoyed it. After watching most of Satoshi Kon's films, I think I have a pretty decent feel for his storytelling style. I always trick myself into thinking he's going to stick to reality and that the fantasy segments are mostly played out in the characters' minds, but I have also come to the conclusion that he will add a dash of the supernatural, as if it were actually happening, as a form of symbolism.
For example,
the black goo that overtakes most of the city in the final episode.
Despite wanting to scream, "this doesn't make sense, and not everything is explained!", I have learned to just roll with it in his films and then do some of my own analysis, as well as read up on what others have been able to glean from the storyline. I have also accepted that he enjoys playing with the medium, and that he likely enjoys messing with the viewer's expectations. No matter how much I want to explain everything and have it fit into reality, there are points when I have to accept that Kon really does delve into the supernatural and uses it as true element in his narratives. Even when he does this, I have come to accept it as symbolic.

Anyway, it was a great series, despite three or four episodes out of thirteen that seemed like they could have been cut out. The first five episodes truly were the best. Well worth seeing!

paranoia-agent-cartoons.jpg

8.5/10.
 
Has anyone here seen the film, Green Legend Ran? It sounds like something I would enjoy, and I can get a used copy off amazon for $15.

Right now, I have decided to start watching Outlaw Star. It is a show I watched random episodes of over a decade ago. Considering that it has been so long, I have completely forgotten what the show is about. I just watched the first episode, and it is balls-out fantastic. This is the type of classic anime I can really get behind. I already love the characters, dramatic 80s rock music, the pacing, and the fluid fighting animations. Yes, there is a bit of fan service, but it does not make me cringe here, as it is obviously placed in for well-timed comic relief. This is a series I feel I will get a real kick out of. It's light and entertaining, but it seems to have a darker edge to it as well; not to mention a memorable protagonist.

outlawstar.jpg


This should keep me busy for a few days.
 
typhonsentra said:
Outlaw Star was fun for the time but I dunno if it's aged all that well.
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I am honestly not a stickler when it comes to animation quality, as long as it is not glaringly terrible. I have now watched the first two episodes of the series and I have no problem with the quality. As long as the dialogue, characters, and storyline keep me interested, I doubt I will have many qualms with it. Plus, I am a sucker for science fiction, and I have really enjoyed the parts of the Outlaw Star universe I have seen so far. Yes, it is somewhat a piece of pulp fiction, but so far I feel that there is real heart behind it.
 
ZoddGutts said:
The Sixth Movie Kara no Kyoukai was just subbed. Considering your age you should get into it, there's no moe (cute) crap that most anime these days have.
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That said, the kara no kyoukai movies are amazing, i cant believe i forgot to recc them.
 
Alucard said:
Looks like too much loli. :p
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i dont understand.
individually the words all make perfect sense, but you've ordered them in a way that confuses me.

[KnK movies have no loli, the picture is just a comment on the moe hate]
 
Pandaman said:
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anyway, i'm glad it was mentioned on the last page, but Kino's Journey is easily the best anime i've ever seen. it's made such an impression on me, in fact, that i could be classified as this forum's resident Kino SuperFanboy. i can understand if it's not someone's cup of tea, but i start sharpening my ax whenever someone decides do badmouth it...
 
typhonsentra said:
I recognize 7/15 characters in that picture. Is that bad?
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i only know 8/15: osaka, cirno, kotomi (<3), miyuki, nia, hartman, sanya & ayu.
i recognize three others, but i cant remember their names.

its not THAT bad, it really depends on which 7 you recognize.
 
Alucard said:
I have just watched the first three episodes of Elfen Lied and think the show is pretty much awful, with an interesting plot, but horrible characters and inept writing and directing.
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lol you may want to give that shit up already. This is the perfect example of what makes anime often pathetic.
 
Shoogoo said:
lol you may want to give that shit up already. This is the perfect example of what makes anime often pathetic.
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Yeah, I don't think I'll be going back to it. The characters are just too brainless and idiotic for me to get almost any enjoyment from the show. Never mind the nauseating fan service. Again, I think the main plot is pretty interesting, but the execution is like someone shitting and spitting all over my eyes and brain.
 
Seems like you really like Shounen Anime.

Avatar was the only anime I've enjoyed so much since Death Note. A great Shonen action adventure with amazing pacing. Each episode packs so much entertainment. Also, the budget and animation quality + choreography pretty much destroys all of the other anime series I've seen. Out of the 50-60 episodes, there are only 3-4 that I found dull.

Highly recommended.
 
AAK said:
Seems like you really like Shounen Anime.

Avatar was the only anime I've enjoyed so much since Death Note. A great Shonen action adventure with amazing pacing. Each episode packs so much entertainment. Also, the budget and animation quality + choreography pretty much destroys all of the other anime series I've seen. Out of the 50-60 episodes, there are only 3-4 that I found dull.

Highly recommended.
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... Except Avatar is a western show. It may implement some "Anime" techniques, but it was made BY Nickelodeon.
 
ZephyrFate said:
Is this really that good? Because that art is awesome.
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Ergo Proxy was one of those borderline cult animes that made it to the states and overcame the niche hurdle....

the action/story telling was balanced and when spike TV did their airing, the marketed as well as they did with
Afro Samurai....

It is similar in story telling to appleseed (which I am surprised is not getting as many mentions)
but more futury/religousy (AI being more than just machine)
 
If you like Outlaw Star, watch Gurren Lagann right the fuck now. Ignore everyone who says it gets worse after episode 15. It gets better.
Also Simon grows up to be manlier than Kamina.
 
JSnake said:
If you like Outlaw Star, watch Gurren Lagann right the fuck now. Ignore everyone who says it gets worse after episode 15. It gets better.
Also Simon grows up to be manlier than Kamina.
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Stop lying. It doesn't. DOESN'T :(

It suffers from the Death Note syndrome. First half is good, the rest is meh.
 
Ergo Proxy is, in my opinion, HIGHLY overrated. It's pretty dull most of the time, really.

If you liked Serial Experiments Lain, I recommend Dennou Coil. Trust me on this. Watch Dennou Coil.

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Screencaps:

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dennoucoil-isako.jpg
 
Rewrite said:
Stop lying. It doesn't. DOESN'T :(

It suffers from the Death Note syndrome. First half is good, the rest is meh.
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Utterly false. I guess you don't like ball-bustingly awesome showcases of manliness and power. Because compared to the first half, the second half has like a billion times more manly.
 
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