good anime suggestions?

[Failure]

A friend recently got me interested in anime when he loaned me Akira and Spriggan. I've also seen Princess Mononoke since then. And now feeling greedy, I want more.

He suggested I check out the Neon Genesis: Evangelion series, which he said is the greatest anime series ever made, in addition to a couple other movies like Macross Plus, Ghost in the Shell. So I figure I'll check those out when I find them somewhere. But I was also wondering what other favorites you all had, movies I shouldnt miss out on. In addition, are there any suggestions where I would find these movies, well, besides ebay? Thanks.

[Bird Boy]

I'm also looking for some good ones..preferably, ones that are PG-13 or lower..hehe..my parents won't let me watch any R movie things...

What about Gundam Wing:Endless Waltz? I was thinking of buying the DVD of it. Do you have to have been following the series to get what its about?

-BB

[RockItShipper]

Originally posted by Bird_Boy
I'm also looking for some good ones..preferably, ones that are PG-13 or lower..hehe..my parents won't let me watch any R movie things...

What about Gundam Wing:Endless Waltz? I was thinking of buying the DVD of it. Do you have to have been following the series to get what its about?

-BB

Well, I picked up the first manga issue of GW... And I learned quite a bit about it when I was on the RRyaoi list... Seen a couple episodes, too, and I understood 'EW' fine. Even made comments about 1x2(hehehe), 5X13, and how pigtails could do wonders for Zechs. But I do want to see it subbed, preferably as a rental or freebie.

[killercroc]

Originally posted by Bird_Boy

What about Gundam Wing:Endless Waltz? I was thinking of buying the DVD of it. Do you have to have been following the series to get what its about?

-BB
Well, I've only seen the CN version, but I think I can get by with saying no. It can stand alone.

[Lachesis]

>Failure Man

Lessee. . . pretty heavy titles there. Guess I should refrain from mentioning shoujo. For the action fiend in you, try "Cowboy Bebop," "Trigun," and "Evangelion" definitely. I'd throw in "Wings of Honneamise" for a good movie.

Suncoast and Amazon have just about everything, but for rentals it depends. Big chains like Blockbuster will usually carry the more popular movies in dubs, but if you're looking to rent subs and series, it'll take more effort to find them.

[Leaping Larry Jojo]

Originally posted by Failure
A friend recently got me interested in anime when he loaned me Akira and Spriggan. I've also seen Princess Mononoke since then. And now feeling greedy, I want more.

He suggested I check out the Neon Genesis: Evangelion series, which he said is the greatest anime series ever made, in addition to a couple other movies like Macross Plus, Ghost in the Shell. So I figure I'll check those out when I find them somewhere. But I was also wondering what other favorites you all had, movies I shouldnt miss out on. In addition, are there any suggestions where I would find these movies, well, besides ebay? Thanks.

Anyone who ever uses hyperbole like, "This is the greatest series ever made!!!" has to be taken with a few grains of salt. ;)

Still, I do recommend Neon Genesis Evangelion. It IS the anime of the 90s, and it is one of the most scholarly explorations of human nature in animation. Ingmar Bergman fans would enjoy this show. Very similar style.

Samurai X: Trust and Samurai X: Betrayal are often overlooked. Very nice stuff. Don't be put off by the lousy title. If you like Kurosawa then you can't go wrong here.

Perfect Blue is also worth a look. Reminds me of films like Roman Polanski's "Repulsion."

There are a lot of older series I'd recommend, but they are always a risk as some people don't like dated animation.

[Calhoun07]

Perfect Blue is a great, unique movie worthy to be seen. It was supposed to be live action but for varying reasons, it became an animated feature. It is said to be Hichcockian by several.

Cowboy Bebop is a great series too. I know some of these were already mentioned, but sometimes knowing more than a couple people like it means something. I recommend Cowboy Bebop very highly.

Robotech Macross. Forget the others, start with the first series. ADV Films is putting them out on awesome box set collections.

Grave of the Fireflies and Barefoot Gen are incredible movies about WWII.

A Chinese Ghost Story is also a great animated movie.

Castle of Cagliostro. It's from the creator of Princess Mononoke, and is also said to be a mix of Hitchcock (there's that name again!) and the Marx Brothers.

Please Save My Earth is also a great collection, tho the series ended too early and the last episode is rushed to get to the conclusion.

[DerekPowers]

lets see ANIME!!!!!!! here's my suggestions...

first, i personally prefer watching series over movies (although both are great), mainly cause w/ a series the characters are much more developed, the issues and philosophies dealt with are explored much more, and overall its just a much more memorable experience to watch a series. but i do both and you should too, soo....

NEON GENESIS EVANGELION is by far one of the best series, so see that first. its just superb.

GUNDAM WING was great, one of my all time favs, and imo the series didnt need the endless waltz, but tew was still good. if i were you i'd see the seires first then tew, it hightens the experience by like a million. plus the series is way better.

RUROUNI KENSHIN is really great, w/ great characters, awesome fights and chill music. And its also good cause there is not major story line (even though i prefer a major story line), so many eps are self-contained, so if your not sure if you can see the whole series, its okay. if you like samuris and swords and fighting youll really like this series.

HIS AND HER CIRCUMSTANCES is a great "girl" anime, although i liked it alot. it was really hilarious and had some great lessons in it. its about high schoolers.

THE VISION OF ESCAFLOWNE is pretty good. It has great characters and mechas and for whoever said they needed a pg-13 recomendation, here it is.

Now, some movies....

basically all the ones mentioned already are great. id add SPRIGGAN and REVOLUTIONARY GIRL UTENA, which are 2 of my favorites. Spriggan is sort of like indianna jones meets anime and utena is a really surreal, kind of artsy flick, but it rocks big time.

well those are my suggestions. PEACE.

[Leaping Larry Jojo]

Originally posted by DerekPowers
lets see ANIME!!!!!!! here's my suggestions...

RUROUNI KENSHIN is really great, w/ great characters, awesome fights and chill music. And its also good cause there is not major story line (even though i prefer a major story line), so many eps are self-contained, so if your not sure if you can see the whole series, its okay. if you like samuris and swords and fighting youll really like this series.

HIS AND HER CIRCUMSTANCES is a great "girl" anime, although i liked it alot. it was really hilarious and had some great lessons in it. its about high schoolers.



well those are my suggestions. PEACE.

Actually, Rurouni Kenshin picks up a main story by episode 29 or so. After that it's a fairly long arc that lasts 30+ episodes. Recommended, but try it first.

I like Kare-Kano. It's by the same director of Evangelion and I would recommend it as a companion series to Evangelion. While Eva explored the dark side of human nature, Kare-Kano explored the hopeful, redeemable side of human nature. It's also very weird, funny, and sweet.

[Lonestarr]

I advise you to seek out "Tenchi Muyo", "Tenchi Universe" and "Tenchi in Tokyo".

[Calhoun07]

I have the Tenchi box set. That's great stuff.

[Green-eye Glow]

one really cannot come to appreciate the true quality of akira unless they've read the manga (the anime feature does the series absolutely no justice.)

but getting bad to the suggestions, my personal favorites:
-trigun
-ghost in the shell
-ninja scroll
-bastard!
-cowboy beebop

and of course:
-dragonball and dragonabll z (not dbgt so much, because toriyama had no involvement in that series whatsoever.) i recommend watching db w/ subtitles and in it's uneditted glory. seeing it on cn really takes away from the series.

[Robin2099]

Just out curious, but has anyone ever seen Recorde of Lodoss War or Vampire Hunter D? They sound intersting and I want to watch them but I can't find them for rental at my chains.

[redDragon]

Originally posted by Robin2099
Just out curious, but has anyone ever seen Recorde of Lodoss War or Vampire Hunter D? They sound intersting and I want to watch them but I can't find them for rental at my chains.

I've seen Record of Lodoss War, it's good. Haven't seen Vampire Hunter D though. Have you tried the library? They might have it there, that's where I borrowed ROLW from.

[Jowy Blight]

Well, these are some I liked alot:

Dragonball/Dragonball Z (only see the GT episodes after the first 23)
Trigun
Kenshin
Macross/Robotech
Cowboy Bebop
Mobile Suit Gundam (I have yet to see Char's Counterattack)
Tenchi (all except "in Tokyo" that one stunk)
Neon Genesis Evangelion (It's pretty good, some people kinda overrate it through)
Vision of Escaflowne
Yu Yu Hakusho

Argh! That's all I can think of right now.

[Trent Lane]

Ghost in the Shell was awesome, and I heard Ninja Scroll was really good too, but haven't seen it yet. Mononoke (sp?) was alright; visually, it was spectacular, but the story was a little odd to me...

[Vigo Sprax]

I watched Ninja Scroll just last night actually. I thought it was okay, nothing spectacular. Theres better stuff out there if you want to get into anime.

[Tim Drake]

I personally am a big fan of The Street Fighter Alpha series. Though I must admit its fun but not the best anime. Also Akira is a must see.

[Leaping Larry Jojo]

Originally posted by redDragon


I've seen Record of Lodoss War, it's good. Haven't seen Vampire Hunter D though. Have you tried the library? They might have it there, that's where I borrowed ROLW from.

I would hold out for the upcoming vampire Hunter D 2000 instead. The original VHD has not aged well.

As for Record of Lodoss War, one must distinguish between the OAV series and the TV series. Both are pretty good, but somewhat simplistic if you're into more complex plotting. Which means that in mainstream American terms, it's just right.

[Leaping Larry Jojo]

Originally posted by flhero311
Ghost in the Shell was awesome, and I heard Ninja Scroll was really good too, but haven't seen it yet. Mononoke (sp?) was alright; visually, it was spectacular, but the story was a little odd to me...

Ack! Another "I heard Ninja Scroll was good..."

Has anyone even SEEN the Rurouni Kenshin/Samurai X OAV series? It's only 4 episodes, but it is head and shoulders the most superior "samurai" (thought Kenshin isn't a samurai technically...) anime I've ever seen.

If you ever can get the DVDs, get it. They are very good.

Princess Mononoke struck a lot of people as strange, but personally, I think it was no different from most fantasy fiction I've read. If you've read Beowulf or Michael Moorcock's Elric series, Mononoke is familiar ground. That said, it is one of the best "heroic fantasy" films out there.

[Fish]

Oh no you people! If there is a great anime out there it has to be Furi Kuri (or FLCL for short)
Check it out one day it's great!!
Also Serial Experiments Lain is very very good.
Both series are very wierd and maybe not suited for the novice anime watcher, but they are great IMO


oh...if non anime is ok I would suggest AEON FLUX...I'm listening to the soundtrack right now...


<>< F I S H ><>

[Leaping Larry Jojo]

FLCL? Yeah, that's more of a trip than a story, but still entertaining.

I'm more into Kare-Kano myself, though.

And I just remembered the space time-travel threads that popped up a couple of times on this forum, and I mentioned Gunbuster. Sadly, it's only available on VHS in the U.S., but if you can, check it out. The last episode is really good...

I also like Galaxy Express 999, and I believe the Sci-fi channel has aired an edited version of it...

[Robin2099]

I think the ROLW I was looking at was the TV series. I'm not real sure because there were two DVD boxed sets of it. One that had a lot of special features and one that didn't. And thnks for the advice on VHD.

[Leaping Larry Jojo]

Originally posted by Jowy Blight
Well, these are some I liked alot:


Mobile Suit Gundam (I have yet to see Char's Counterattack)
Tenchi (all except "in Tokyo" that one stunk)
Neon Genesis Evangelion (It's pretty good, some people kinda overrate it through)
Vision of Escaflowne
Yu Yu Hakusho

Argh! That's all I can think of right now.

Some people like Tenchi in Tokyo...I haven't seen it, though. Too bad it won't ever air on KWB's Toonami block so I can check it out myself...

I think the most interesting Evangelion episodes are eps 16-26. Not a perfect series by far, but definitely worth seeing, and unlike anything most American mainstream viewers have seen.

[oranthal]

yes, eps 16-26 is where things start to get kind of wacky in a good way. the first 15 episodes were typical anime with some humor, fan service (of course), and action, so they were fun to watch. those episodes also set up the characters quite nicely, so you sort of get the feel of what kind of people the characters are. animation in Evangelion is actually pretty average compared to other anime shows, but its strength lies not on animation but on the story. and as LLJ stated, it is very different from mainstream anime that is seen in the states.

Originally posted by Leaping Larry Jojo


I think the most interesting Evangelion episodes are eps 16-26. Not a perfect series by far, but definitely worth seeing, and unlike anything most American mainstream viewers have seen.

[Kal-el]

Anime has a way of being great for some and not so great for others. I think everyone has a few personal favorites. I'd have to go with:

Robotech (US version of 3 different Japanese series)
Macross Saga (excellent animation, somewhat difficult story to follow)
Vampire Hunter
Akira (definitely)
Gundam Wing (one of my favs)
Tank Police

There are others, but they are more secondary on my list.