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Getting back into anime

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Alucard

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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 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. I have also seen some of Claymore, and was put off by the excessive violence and gore. I guess I don't really like "omg kawaiiiiiii!" and extreme violence anime, so please don't recommend any.

I'm looking for something with substance. No pedophilia, please, and no boom boom giant robots, unless there's some thought placed behind it. 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!
 
Yakitate!! Ja-Pan
Comedy anime about a boy with a natural gift for bread baking. Family business rivalry, Iron Chef-ish cookoffs, crazy reactions, puns, great characters. All-around great show.

One Piece
Epic shounen anime with an awesome cast of characters, lots of action/adventure, big fights, special powers, pirates, etc. Not too violent, and very funny at times, it's hard to go wrong with.

Start there.
 
Dennō Coil
B000O5B0IW.09.LZZZZZZZ.jpg
 
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
Click to expand...
Fascinating, those are about the only things I really like as well. I haven't seen (or even heard of) Wings of Honneamise, however. I'll have to keep an eye on this thread.

I kind of miss enjoying good anime, but holy shit, it has become revolting to me in the past few years. A friend of mine is all into that loli pedo crap and that's only making it worse.

To contribute to the thread, did you ever watch Gungrave? I believe it was handled by many of the same people responsible for Trigun and I thought it was really enjoyable. The first episode is a poor representation of what is to come, but I HIGHLY recommend it. Seeing how similar our tastes are, I think you'd enjoy it.

gungrave_bigdaddy_brandon.jpg
 
dark10x said:
Fascinating, those are about the only things I really like as well. I haven't seen (or even heard of) Wings of Honneamise, however. I'll have to keep an eye on this thread.
Click to expand...


might often get listed as Royal Space Force, very good, and not typical.
 
I'm in the same boat,Having not really watched a series proper in a couple of years.I keep having the urge to go back,but when I start browsing and noticing the stupid fan service and Cliché plots I kinda have the feeling I'm getting too old(23)

Going to re-watch Noir or Haibane Renmei tonight I remember loving those shows.Hopefully that will spark my interest again.

OP: Watch Porco Rosso,One of my favourite movies.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Porco_Rosso
 
Dabookerman said:
Gurren Lagann for the wonderous delights of Yoko Ritona.
Click to expand...

He said no "boom boom giant robots". But if I was going to suggest making an exception to one of your rules it would definitely be for the incredibleness of Gurren Lagann.
 
You might like Kenshin OVA (aka Samuri X) Trust & Betrayal I think. If you haven't seen it already.

If you're into romance drama at all you might consider Rumbling Hearts. I forget what it's title is in Japanese but it was way cooler than Rumbling Hearts.

Both are very devoid of the kawaii.

edit: Kenshin is a bit violent, sorry.
 
Well my recomendations don't have much to do with your previous series but they are all character heavy animes.

Beck is about group of JP teenagers who form a band. No anime cliches in this one. Really good show. Has good amount comedy and drama. 26 episodes.

Hajime No Ippo. It's a sport anime about boxing. I know doesn't sound very appealing for non-boxin fans but believe me it has tremendous appeal. Characters are great, fights are cool even for people who don't watch boxing (like me). There is just something about this show that will take you away. There is two seasons of Ippo, be sure to start from first season. Ippo is really comedy heavy so be prepared to laugh :) 76 episodes.

GTO is one of the best shows ever made and it's one of those shows that every anime watcher should watch. 42 episodes.
 
Anticitizen One said:
Your best bet is princess mononoke and Howl's Moving Castle

Im no anime fan but those happen to be very good movies that engross you in the story.
Click to expand...

I really loved Princess Mononoke when I saw it years ago as well. I know that Miyazaki is usually a good bet. I have yet to see Howl's Moving Castle.

Ergo Proxy is something I've read up on a bit, and remember watching a few episodes of, and enjoying it. Liked the dark atmosphere and sci-fi overtones.
 
Kemonozume
Kaiba
Eden of the East
Boogiepop Phantom
Patlabor (start with the first OVA)
Flag
Detroit Metal City

My tastes tend to run toward something different, something new, so any of the above should fit the bill for you.
 
spunibard said:
You might like Kenshin OVA (aka Samuri X) Trust & Betrayal I think. If you haven't seen it already.

If you're into romance drama at all you might consider Rumbling Hearts. I forget what it's title is in Japanese but it was way cooler than Rumbling Hearts.

Both are very devoid of the kawaii.

edit: Kenshin is a bit violent, sorry.
Click to expand...

I actually enjoyed Kenshin, because the violence had a point. The OVAs were incredible!

Thanks for all the suggestions, guys. I'll keep checking back to this thread periodically and let you know what I've gone through.

I really loved anime at one point, but got bored as there was so much crap shoveled out there as well. I'm 28 now, and wouldn't mind enjoying an anime show or movie from time to time, when I have some time to spare.
 
.

jungle wa itsumo hale nochi guu

230px-HareGuu_Cover.jpg


The surreal, comical and occasionally serious series focuses on the story of a 10 year-old jungle boy named Haré and his misadventures with Guu, a liminal being who usually presents herself as a young girl.
Click to expand...
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Haré+Guu


Link to Episode 1:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JmcKjsIUghE&feature=related





Yakitate!! Japan

yakitate.jpg



The story focuses on Kazuma Azuma, a boy on his quest to create "Ja-pan", a national bread for Japan itself. He initially heads to Tokyo to expand his horizons at the bread-making chain Pantasia; the story continues with Azuma's exploits with his other coworkers.

The title of this series itself is a play on words; Yakitate translates to "freshly baked", but Japan has a double meaning. Besides referring to the country of Japan, pan is the Japanese word for "bread" (stemming from Portuguese pão[3]). Ja-pan is a pun for this series. This mimics the style of the names of other varieties of bread in Japanese, such as "furansupan" (French Bread), "doitsupan" (German rye-based bread), "itariapan" (Italian bread), etc.

Besides the desire to create his Ja-pan, Azuma also possesses the legendary Solar Hands (太陽の手, taiyō no te?). These hands are warmer than normal human hand temperature, and allow the dough to ferment faster. This gives him some advantage at the beginning of the series, but his innovation is his greater talent.

Although the story has baking as its main theme, the parts that generate the most interest are the outrageous puns in the story. Especially notable are the "reaction" based puns made by the judges, who go to great lengths to prove a single point about the bread that they had tasted. The series in general also pokes fun at the shōnen genre's tendency to be melodramatic over mundane tasks.
Click to expand...
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Yakitate!!_Japan


Link to Episode 1:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ImIPiOZgG1c
 
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
Click to expand...
If you like the bolded ones you will love this film for sure:
Lupin III : Castle of Cagliostro
4931.jpg


Please do yourself a favor and watch it! Edit: Oh, it's directed by Hayao Miyazaki, btw.
 
Some stuff I think you'll like.

Ghost in the Shell: Stand alone Complex
TV: 24 Episodes
Episodes are serious for the most part but there are a few light hearted ones.
2cenpqq.jpg


Gankutsuou
TV: 24 Episodes
Pretty serious all around with a animation style all its own.
28qyd5d.jpg


Mind Game
Movie: Region 2 release but has english subs
One of the best anime movies of all time.
zmmuck.jpg


Pale Cocoon
OVA: 1 Episode / Watch it online right now.
http://www.crunchyroll.com/library/Pale_Cocoon

qz4sxd.jpg


Dead Leaves
OVA: 1 Episode
Really over the top but if you like FLCL you like it.
xpu5bt.jpg
 
Your criteria for recommendations are contradictory to some of the things you claim to have enjoyed. I'm gonna go ahead and make some recommendations based on what you said you liked rather than what you seem to think you want.

Akira - One of the greatest animated films of all time on a technical level. This movie really SHOULD need no introduction but here goes: Akira follows a group of delinquents who get caught up in a power struggle between a group of anti-government activists and a group of people involved in a top secret human augmentation experiment.

Freedom - From the man who brought you Akira! A different group of delinquents live on the moon in a post nuclear winter future. Their lives are micromanaged and through various circumstances they learn that the earth is not the wasteland they have been led to believe it is. The group attempts to make their way to earth and then back to expose the lie.

Crest of the Stars - First arc of the "of the Stars" series. Follows the story of a young man who becomes nobility through a deal made via fathers surrender during alien occupation of his planet. He encounters and befriends a girl who he later finds out is royalty among the alien race, and their relationship is explored as they are thrust into situations filled with danger and political intrigue.

The Twelve Kingdoms - A high school student is thrust into a dangerous fantasy world and told she is the destined queen of one of it's nations. Superficially similar to titles like The Mysterious Play, but quickly differentiates itself with a deliciously fleshed out eastern tinged mythology and strong characters who show some impressive development.

Mobile Suit Gundam (Movie trilogy ONLY) - War story about a young boy thrust into the role of soldier on an undermanned and out gunned warship due to unfortunate circumstances and his fathers involvement in weapons development. He later encounters a man who would be come his bitter rival in spite of their similar ideals who is on a quest for revenge against the empire that wronged his family.

Ghost in the Shell: Stand Alone Complex - Follows the goings on of special cyber-police force section nine. Smart detective stories involving far future super technology where the line between man and machine is blurred.

Black Lagoon - A typical Japanese businessman gets himself involved with and hired by some South China sea pirates. Action packed and gritty with really strong characters.

Birdy the Mighty (Original OVA) - Space cop accidentally kills a high school kid while tracking space criminals and is forced to share a body with him both to keep the kid alive and as penance for her mistake. The reluctant team attempts to track down a shady figure from the space cop's past who is up to no good in the 'burbs of Japan.

Cyber City Oedo - Three episode OVA following criminals turned cops in a bizarre parole program where time is taken off of their sentence in exchange for their work as special police officers. The prisoners are kept in line and doing their jobs by explosive collars around their necks controlled by a shady warden voiced by Norio motherfuckin Wakamoto.

Demon Prince Enma - Smart horror OVA based on a Go Nagai comic. Takes the horror with a dash of comedy angle, but mostly errs towards horror. Prince of the underworld sets up a supernatural detective agency to track down demons who are up to no good and take them back to hell.

Gunbuster - Through various circumstances a klutzy girl training in a military academy becomes the co-pilot of a weapon which can save the universe from an alien invasion. Hard work and guts, time dilation, and the explosive power of raw emotion! Arguably gainax's best work.

Iria: Zeiram the Animation - Spunky bounty hunter get's involved in a death match with an unstoppable biological weapon named Zeiram. Tightly paced, action packed and likable characters.

The Legend of Black Heaven - Zany comedy about a washed up rock star who has settled down into an white collar desk job. The rock star is contacted by an alien beauty who tells him that they need his "sound" to power a super weapon they will use to save the universe from different group of hostile aliens.

Patlabor the Movie 1-2 - Brainy detective stories involving the colorful cast of Tokyo Metropolitan Police Special Vehicles Secion 2. Slow paced, complex, and wildly different from the goofier television series and OVA's which spawned them. The movies stand alone with no prior experience with the series.

Planetes - Triumphant stories of a group of debris collectors, a garbage men of space. Well written plots with a colorful cast of characters, boss animation, and a hard science fiction angle.

Giant Robo - Follows the the agents of justice in their struggle against "big fire" and organization bent on world domination. Less of a giant robot show than it's name would have you believe, GR is full of incredible animation, bombastic action sequences, and a killer story.

Great Teacher Onizuka - Dramedy about a delinquent turned teacher who wins over the class of hell through unconventional teaching methods, calling them out, and one upping them on their own bullshit. If you don't smile during the first episode you are probably dead inside.

That's all I have for now. Watch a few things on that list, especially a few of the ones you think you WON'T like, as they may expand your horizons a bit in ways you may not have on your own.
 
Seconding the recommendations for Tengen Toppa Gurren Lagann and Ghost In The Shell. The GitS movies are ok, but the series is awesome.
 
Because you said you liked LAIN and Haibane:

Dennou Coil - Set in the future where augmented reality internet has become a reality. A group of kids trying to solve a mystery. Art is very Miyazaki-esk, probably one of the best shows I've ever seen.

Boogiepop Phantom - A mystery involving some high school students and strange unexplained deaths. Art is similiar to LAIN.

Mushishi - Folktale like stories about a man named Ginko who tries to solve peoples problems with mushi, otherworldy organisms that often cause more harm than good. Funimation has the series up online for watching.

Because you like Cowboy Bebop:

Darker than BLACK - Science-fiction show taking place in Tokyo after a strange incident caused the sky to dissapear and caused some people to turn into 'contractors', sociopaths who various organizations use as assassins in espionage. Not super violent, Yoko Kanno music, episodic like Bebop.

Baccano! - Ok, this does get super-violent... but I love it so I have to throw it in here. Gangsters & Bootleggers in the 1930's converge on a train heading for New York. All hell breaks loose.

Because you like Escaflowne:

Moribito: Guardian of the Spirit - Fantasy series about a female bodyguard trying to protect a prince from being killed by his father. Awesome art, good action.

The Twelve Kingdoms - Already mentioned. Great world building, interesting characters.
 
ZephyrFate said:
Is this really that good? Because that art is awesome.
Click to expand...

Yes, Ergo Proxy is really that good. Deep, dark, sci-fi that is not your stereo typical anime. Very thoughtful and philosophical. If you are into this sort of thing this is the anime.
 
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