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Your Top 10 / Worst 5 things. Why? (w/ index).


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Kruszer



Joined: 19 Nov 2004
Posts: 7981
Location: Minnesota, USA
PostPosted: Tue Dec 07, 2004 11:01 pm Reply with quote
The Good (Not counting series I haven't finished yet):
1. Hellsing:
I don't normally go for the horror genre of anime but this one was just great. Lots of action, great characters, and music as well.

2. Cowboy Bebop:
Bounty hunters, sci-fi, comedy, drama this show has it all and then some. Very well done and entertaining.

3. Noir:
I really enjoyed this one it had me from the first episode with the great storyline and music.

4. Crest of the Stars/Banner of the Stars I and II:
Being a big sci-fi fan and enjoying stuff like Star Trek, Star Wars and B5, I found this series to be very good but not very well recieved by most anime fans. Great story and characters.

5. S-CRY-ed:
I began looking into this one after seeing a promo for it on one of my other DVD and it turned out to be a pretty darn good series, well worth the effort.

6. Bubblegum Crisis Tokyo 2040:
The other BGC series are good as well but this one is the best in my opinion. Great storyline and interesting characters, with a hard rockin' techno soundtrack.

7. Vision of Escaflowne:
An interesting blend of the fantasy genre and mecha. Entertaining to the last, with more plot twists than you can shake a stick at.

8. Anything in the Gundam Universe(s):
...and there's plenty to choose from as well. For the most part all good stuff, the only one that I've seen and didn't like was SD Gundam. Great storylines, usually complicated characters, and giant robots destroying things is always good. Cool

9. ROD OAV:
Fun and fresh this one surprised me. It didn't sound very entertaining but turned out to be a blast.

10. Excel Saga:
Has to be the funniest thing I have ever seen, very clever. Makes fun of just about everything including many different types of anime.

Honorable mentions go to Last Exile, and Infinite Ryvius, which were both excellent, and Ghost in the Shell: Stand Alone Complex, Gungrave, and ROD The TV. The last three I haven't finished watching yet but am liking a lot so far.

The Bad
1. X: The Movie
Has to be the worst I've seen. Sure the animation was nice but the characters were very shallow and the storyline rushed and unsatisfyiing. spoiler[Fuma really had no motivation for becomming a villain either and the end was rather anti-climactic. ] I did like the series though.

2. Reign: The Conqueror:
The storyline wasn't all that entertaining and being a guy I just find the animation style...disturbing. All the men looking like women and wearing speedos, no thanks.

3. Canidate for Goddess (Pilot Canidate):
Just plain boring, I mean noting of any interest happened, the plot went nowhere, and I don't think the series was ever completed.

4. Ninja Resurrection:
Didn't like it at all, it just seemed a be a pointless gross-out fest that never got finished off. It may sound simmiliar and have a main character with the same name but it's in no way releated to Ninja Scroll which was actually good.

5. Soul Taker:
I absolutely hated the animation style of this series, it made my eyes ache watching it, literally. Watching an anime should never be a physical strain. I just hate it when I can't tell what's going on. The plot didn't grab me either. So for ugliness and boredom I never bothered to tune in after the second episode.


Last edited by Kruszer on Sun Feb 06, 2005 4:55 pm; edited 4 times in total
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Sarki-Kun



Joined: 16 Jun 2004
Posts: 594
Location: Spain
PostPosted: Wed Dec 08, 2004 2:44 am Reply with quote
dozi wrote:
I was wondering what is KGNE.


Yes, it is awful when you can't recognize an acronym...u.u

Kimi Ga Nozomu Eien
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ParaParaJMo



Joined: 06 Jun 2004
Posts: 333
Location: Gilbert, AZ, USA
PostPosted: Wed Dec 08, 2004 1:42 pm Reply with quote
Candidate for Goddess was technically never completed since it didn't follow the manga the whole way. I can't stand animes based off mangas that don't go through all of it. Berserk is a perfect example along with Flame of Recca.

Anyway, the majority of the anime I love is Gundam, but I'll put one Gundam series on this list.

1. Mobile Suit Z Gundam
-Two reasons, I am a hardcore mech fan, and I am a hardcore Gundam fan and this is just one of the best Gundam series' I have ever seen along with one of the best animes. I thought it had a good story, a great equally spotlighted cast of characters, great action, great mechs, just great everything and is a must see anime and a must see Gundam series. It pretty much surpasses it's prequel, the original Gundam series in every aspect.

2. Hajime no Ippo
-Though (counting the ova and tv special) the anime goes up to only volume 33 of the manga (out of 71 volumes as of right now), it does a good job of putting the manga into movement and to "life". It is a great coming of age story about a bullied boy who discovers his true abilities, learns how to make friends (whether it would be his gym mates, his former tormentors, or even his opponents), and discovers how to live life. Unlike Ashita no Joe or the Rocky movies (Rocky's 10x title defense in the beginning of 3), it does not montage through his fights. Every fight is built up for Ippo (and in some cases for Kimura and Aoki). Plus, Takamura despite how much of an invincible force he is to the public, he shows he is subject to weakness and to fatal flaws and to pain. It's probably a realistic version of what could go on in the world of boxing at times. And to add in the fact that it has spinned off into the best boxing game ever.

3. Macross (Both Series and Do You Remember Love)
-Just a really awesome series. I really love the Valkyrie planes and how they just transform. I think it covers romance, comedy, action, and drama equally well. Though it is a little cheesy, I still think it brings out emotions and tries to teach about prejudice and misunderstandings between people and "cultures" very well. I thought it gave introductions to typical bad ass characters like Roy Fokker.

4. Dragon Ball Z
-As much as a lot of people here would see me hate to say this, but it is an undeniable fact that DBZ is a huge fraction of the reason why anime is becoming more widespread world wide despite how long it had to take to get to America. I'll admit that right now that I wouldn't have found my identity as an anime fan if it weren't for Dragon Ball Z. I put this on my list not just because I find it to be a great anime, but it has done a lot for the anime community. As for the dragged out fights and pointless fillers, that's what the manga is for. You can pretty much finish the fights like 10-15 pages rather than in episodes. I pretty much like the manga a lot more because of those reasons but it pretty much set the standard of anime in the mid-1990s. As much as I am not out of touch with this one, I still hold it in a place within my heart.

5. Aura Battler Dunbine
-A very underrated anime outside of Japan. I had to go to the Philippines to get an import DVD boxset of this. I keep hearing it's licenced but I can never find it. Anyway, buying this anime on my trip over there was worth it. Without this anime, there would never have been Escaflowne. This anime was made by Tomino Yoshiyuki of Gundam in between the first Gundam, and Zeta. It pretty much started the whole idea of people being trapped in another world that seems ancient (like Fushigi Yuugi, Magic Knight Rayaerth, Inuyasha, and Escaflowne) and developing certain powers. I just wish more people knew about this and talked about it more.

6. Initial D
-I just love cars and I just love Eurobeat. Because of anime, animation shows it is full of imagination, not just slap stick comedy like you see in most American cartoons like Tom and Jerry. Sure the designs are not the best and the whole idea of racing may not appeal to some people but I just like the originality behind it. Using real cars (and somewhat real physics) in an anime and in some ways, accuratley demonstrating some of their actual abilities and limits. Plus, I think it has very interesting (and cool) characters like Ryousuke and Bunta. And adding into the fact that it has spinned off into the best arcade racer ever.

7. Ashita no Joe
-I've only seen the movies, very little of the anime, and have read a certain portion of the manga. It's very old school and is pretty much Hajime no Ippo's prodecessor. It also has an interesting cast of characters. Hajime no Ippo tends to be more about the boxing and the boxers, while Ashita no Joe is more about the life of Joe from cleaning up his act to becoming a world champion contender. The fights are not as exciting or mind blowing as Hajime no Ippo's, but the results and the build up is what gets to you sometimes.

8. Sailor Moon
-Well, I also pretty much watched this one a year before it came to America and one of my first animes to watch as a fan of anime. Plus the fact that I am a huge sentai fan so this stuff was pretty unique to me. I like it because whether you love it or hate it, it's going to be an all time world wide classic in the world of anime.

9. Marmalade Boy
-Pretty much one of the first romance based/shoujo animes I ever got into. Though the story may seem weird to some people, I never grew up with my parents divorced nor do I have step-siblings so it was pretty much easier for me to get into and enjoy. It's pretty much one huge ass drama, but it is very unpredictable and has a very relaxing soundtrack.

10. GTO
-Just pretty much a hilarious anime.

Top 5 I despite the most
1. Tekken
-No reasons at all needed to be explained

2. TokyoPop's Initial D
-Bad dubbing, stupid (and pointless) name changes, they screw up Ryousuke's character and personality, lame garage band music, and the "trick outs" in the races look like an end of they year 3rd rate high school video.

3. Dragon Ball GT
-Other than marketing reasons to help keep the Dragon Ball franchise "alive," it really served no purpose. Toriyama-sensei originally intended to end it with Freeza (I HATE the Frieza spelling), the fans pretty much kept the series alive, while this time it was the staff. It pretty much contradicted certain story elements and it just pretty much became pointless. The only good thing about this series is it's soundtrack.

4. Final Fantasy Legend of the Crystals
-Just plain sucks

5. Onegai Twins
-Just shows that some anime can't rely on pointless fan service forever
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Craeyst Raygal



Joined: 30 Apr 2002
Posts: 1383
Location: In the garage, beneath a 1970 MGB GT.
PostPosted: Thu Dec 09, 2004 5:05 am Reply with quote
I reserve the right to edit this according to my whim. You hear that, MY WHIM.

Now then, in descending order.

#10 - Vampire Hunter D: Bloodlust

Beyond the obviously gorgeous visuals and superb presentation, VHD:Bloodlust is a startlingly good love story thats at both times gripping, uplifting, and sorrowing. I've always enjoyed it and still get a little misty whenever I see spoiler[the starship lifting off at the very end of the film]

#9 - Tenchi Muyo in Love 2 (aka Tenchi Forever)

Being the only Masaki Kajishima written story of the three released really changes the dynamic of this phenomeonal piece. What's more, the striking, realistic character designs (honestly, it looks like Kajishima replaced himself with Abe or Kawajiri for this one) and dramatic storyline bring the Tenchi canon into a wholly different place and yet good direction, writing, and animation make it seem like it should've been there all along.

More over, this was the first movie that honestly made me cry.

#8 - Interstella 5555: The 5tory of the 5ecret 5tar 5ystem

While I'm a huge fan of all of Matsumoto's work (I even like Harlock Saga and Maetel Legend, folks), it's Interstella 5555 that really fancies my tickle. It's incredibly good and has a wonderful free-spirit to it that makes it enjoyable for anyone, anime fan or not. By relying only on music and image, I do believe Matsumoto achieved an ideal of a pure anime opera.

Plus it's one of the few works I've seen Zac actually rave about.

#7 - Bubblegum Crisis

This is 2032, folks. The original and one of the most fun romps through a cyberpunk landscape you'll ever encounter. It launched the careers of many anime greats (including esteemed character designer Kenichi Sonoda and Tenchi OAV director Hiroki Hayashi) and featured a great mix of character examination and witty comedy, poking fun at Sci-fi action anime's idiosyncracies. Its a grand OAV and a good example of how music should be woven into the fabric of anime.

#6 - Ah! My Goddess OAV's

Bell and K1, they're one of the longest running couples in anime and deservedly so. These 1992 OAV's brought goddess Belldandy and all-around good guy Keiichi Morisato to life with lovely animation and superb acting. Even if a little "abridged" and not 100% accurate to the manga, the OAV's brought a depth of love to the screen that's rarely (if ever) matched in anime. Couple that to one of the absolute finest dubs ever produced in America, and you have an anime immortal.

#5 - Gundam

Though I'm partial to Wing and love the OAV Mobile Suit Gundam side stories. Gundam is anime's Trek. You embrace it as a canon, enjoy it as a series, or revile it as a whole, but you know it no matter how you go.

#4 - Initial D

Being a car guy, I was naturally drawn to this series because it has cars in it. However, the draw of the racing (even though it is some good stuff and the direction is phenomeonal) would be short lived if not for the truly remarkable character interaction.

There's a depth here that really shows an understanding of life. Initial D goes beyond sports or shonen anime to become slice of life, portraying its characters as real people with real lives. Racing is a sidebar to these characters, a way of linking them together and giving them a common goal, but its not the end all of their existence.

Unlike the angsty and heavy handed shoujo writers or the high-handed artsy directors (Anno and His & Her Circumstances, I'm looking right at you) humble Shuichi Shigeno writes young men as they really are, faults, ambitions, hopes, loves, sorrows, and all.

#3 - Tenchi Muyo GXP

This one, honestly, caught me off guard. It's genuinely funny, but genuinely sweet. The new characters are welcome additions to the Tenchi canon, and direction from good ol' Nabeshin himself gave this series an incredible amount of laughes. GXP not only lives down the spinoff stigmata, but is a wonderful example of how a good funny anime can be.

#2 - Project A-ko

I owe my anime fandom to this movie. Hysterical to no end, beautifully animated, and completely timeless, it's impossible not to get a good laugh and a pleased smile out of a viewing of this anime staple. Excel Saga may have launched parody in anime to new heights, but Project A-ko put parody alongside absurdity and a well and truly funny story to make comic gold.

And Craeyst Raygal's #1 anime is...

...and if you've been on these boards long enough, you should see this coming...

...the Tenchi Muyo OAV's

I have never enjoyed an anime as much as I've enjoyed the Tenchi OAV's, and quite possibly I never will. They have such a good combination of fun, adventure, love, and comedy that they're fresh to me every time I view them.

Which, at current last tally, is well over 200 times total.

There's an inexplainable vitality to the series, a quality that doesn't diminsh with age, increased viewings, or even "superior" new creations. The beauty of the character designs, the honest balance of the story, and the sprawling expanse of the universe let the mind play in Kajishima's fantasy world of space faring pirates and magic wielding goddesses. Masaki Kajishima didn't go about making some grand artistic statement or enter into some wild philosophical debate when he made Tenchi Muyo. He didn't need to. Instead, he told us a story about some fun, lovable, and wonderfully human (no matter what planet they're from) characters and about how they care for one another.

Anno can have his desperately bleak outlook. Kon his dark psychoanalysis. When all is said and done, I infinitely prefer Masaki Kajishima showing us that no matter who we are, where we're from, and how we ended up here, if we value life - our life and the life of others - we're family.
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Sarki-Kun



Joined: 16 Jun 2004
Posts: 594
Location: Spain
PostPosted: Fri Dec 10, 2004 7:35 am Reply with quote
Ok, I still had to put the five animes that I dislike more, so...

1.- Revolutionary Girl Utena

I got a headache for a few days when I saw this anime. I heard so many people saying it was so good, but in my opinion, it is excessively overrated. The characters aren't well drawn. They are ALL thin, well, THIN (you know what's that, right?), and the college...In my country, that's not a place where people goes to learn, that's more similar to a huge castle...Confused

The story is repetitive (there's that song and that fight at every chapter), and it doesn't make any kind of real sense (it's just for those who think that it can have one).

And I can't find any more animes that I dislike so much, but I can't stand most of Clamp's manga...Anime hyper. I don't find any sense of them, things that can't happen, with characters where stupidity must be their principal worry...
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Maclam



Joined: 01 Oct 2004
Posts: 104
PostPosted: Sat Dec 11, 2004 1:30 am Reply with quote
1- Samurai X (ova)
The storyline was awesome and the music moving. I was totaly moved by Tomoe personnality... although i was kinda expecting her hatred for Kenshin since her fiance murder will gradually turn into love, but how the story evolve was astounding...She hated Kenshin from the bottom of her heart, then he saved her...she slowly learned more and more about him. Why did he become an assasin? Their conversation was sometime kinda plain, but how Tomoe reacted to each and everyone of those discussion was interesting...this Ova was soooo well made, her hatred lead to curiosity, then sympathy and finally love...this evolution was perfect. Since nothing's perfect i'll gladly give this anime an 9.9999999/10

2- Ai Yori Aoshi (both season)
This is by far my favorite romantic anime...i know there's a lot a childish scene in this serie, but as a whole i have never enjoyed a romantic piece of work like this one... Every single detail in the relationship Kaoru-Aoi was sweet and enjoyable, how Gloomy Kaoru WAS and then how he changed... Aoi always strong and very refine, but how cry baby she could be but then again only in front of Kaoru. I didn't like Tina's bad habit really much then again nothing major there. This is also the most dreamy anime for me Wink

3- Graves of the fireflies
This is a..... sad...very sad anime... it's real, touching, moving and will make you cry over and over again. I always feel so aweful after i've watched it but yet i keep watching it over and over again... this is a classic and a must see by everyone

4- Voice of the distant stars
Only half an hour long, but it's completed... A little like grave of the fireflies it made me feel awful every single time i've watched it, but unlike graves it wasn't because how sad it was, but only because how they've closed it...the ending was not an ending at least not for me, but if it ended differently it wont be the same... it's hard to explain but the ending was great, but it piss me off.... gahhhh just watch it and see what i mean Smile

5- Vampire Princess Miyu (ova)
I've always love vampire stuff and all and vampire princess Miyu really impress me. Miyu personnality really reflect a vampire...how cold she seemed, how tricky and full of life she can be and how constantly depress she seem to be...the story wasn't really complicated but the details was kinda nice the music also fit the atmosphere perfectly probably one of the best anime soundtrack i've bought Smile

6- Lodoss war (first serie)
Medieval stuff always interested me, and as i said Lodoss was THE anime that introduce me to the whole Anime world, so this serie always keep me nostalgic, i love Deedlit char and the relationship between Parn and her was so cute. The storyline was incredible, i like each and evryone of the char in the serie Ashram as much as Parn...also the vey thin line between good and evil was very well showed Lodoss vs Marmo.... beside Wagnar no one is really evil...not even Karla.

7- Ayashi no Ceres
This serie first disturb me since i wasn't really use to see cousin and brother trying to rape her sister or cousin... it was weird, but i kept watching the rest and god how glad i am that i did... this serie is incredible it's different from most of the other anime... it's a little like a drama fairy tale...The dub Version was awful but beside that the whole serie was intertaining, the story very interesting and Ceres sooo pretty Smile

8- GTO
Well to tell the truth i'm not a really big fan of comedy usually, but GTO is somehow different i rented the first DVD by mistake and actually enjoyed it so much that i end up watching the rest of the serie and even bought it...Nothing really special, just an unconventional teacher dealing with some students everyday, but this teacher is something else Smile

9- Argentosoma
Yup most people will suggest me to watch Eva which i did, but i did enjoy Argentosoma more than eva, probably because i didn't like Shinji from eva very much but i did like Ryu Soma a lot. Personnally i think we have to stop comparing Eva to Argentosoma and try to focus on each and everyone of them as a different serie, Eva was really great too, but i much prefer the contrast in Ryu Soma personnality, how kind hearted he was, then how cruel he'd become, but not totally cruel... it's hard to explain because i really think he did went through a lot. His every move and reaction toward Harriet was so hard to predict...how heartless he sounds to her but how much he cared for her or maybe was it because he cared for Maki...the twist was very fascinating and that's really why i love thise serie so much Smile

10- Happy Lesson
i've watch Love Hina before and it was fun and all but nothing really impress me much, then i rented this serie and it had the same atmosphere and all but how the story evolve and the main idea was much more enjoyable the Hina... i did not like Keitaro all that much kinda weak and whiny.... maybe to much... and didn't really get into the that stuff where a guy got beaten all day long by 5 different girls... well more like 4 since Shinobu was kinda kind and all... Chitose in the other hand was very normal not the best in school, bot the worst, not the strongest, not the cutest and certainly not the kindest, but the teachers or the mom play an essential role in the serie, how they changed him... i dunno maybe it's just me but this serie is much more funny and enjoyable than Hina Smile



Well there a lot more anime i like but those are pretty much my top 10 FOR NOW
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elniro



Joined: 11 Nov 2004
Posts: 98
PostPosted: Sat Dec 11, 2004 4:27 pm Reply with quote
Here's my list:

1) Full metal panic! and full metal panic?fumoffu - this was the first anime i saw that wasnt a mainstream anime shown on UK TV such as pokemon and DBZ. Its got everything an anime should have with the extra element of mecha. FMP2 is of one of very few anime that keeps me laughing throughout

2)Fruits basket - it may sound boring but it the opposite. I dunno why but it just made me love it. When it finished i was left with a sense of loss.

3) Naruto - Now i know quite a few people say this drags on and is uninteresting but it's addictive to watch and quite fun too. It does drag on in few parts but thats ok for such a large series.

4) Initial d - Cars and street racing, whats not to like? The soundtrack also kicks a**.

5) Samurai champloo - samurai anime blended with my favourite music genre (hip hop). And the main characters do not mess around like in other samurai anime, they goe straight to the point in lovely samurai action.

WORST
I haven't seen that many anime but my worst list in no particular order is:

Ultimate muscle - this seemed interesting when i heard about it, but it was just plain rubbish, their jokes werent funny at all and the characters were ridicolous

Najica blitz tactics - lot of people like this, but im not one of them. The plot was good and it would have been good if they didn't hav so many needless panty shots, i just find this sort of stuff sad. panty shots here and there is all good,but every second it gets annoying.

FLCL - I know lot of people love this but i dont, i need to know whats going on in an anime and need to understand it, this was exact opposite.

Sailor moon - i just found it plain boring

cant think of any other rubbish anime i've seen at moment
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Diedrupo



Joined: 15 May 2002
Posts: 58
PostPosted: Sun Dec 12, 2004 1:08 pm Reply with quote
my top 5:

1. Azumanga Daioh - Brilliant schoolgirl comedy. Slice of life is my favorite genre, and the situations and characters were absolutely brilliant. One of the few anime where I enjoyed every single episode to the fullest.

2. Hana Yori Dango - This was my all-time favorite for the longest time (since 2000) until Azumanga came along. I wasn't very familiar with shoujo drama until I watched HYD, and it was so damn awesome, with cliff hangers at the end of every ep. Still the best 'shoujo high school romance drama' that i've seen to date.

3. Kimi ga Nozomu Eien - Extremely gripping, no other show made me cry as much as this one. It's not depressing, just extremely emotional and moving.

4. To Heart - To Heart still has a special place for me because it was the first slice of life show to really move me. Every episode was slow-paced and beautifully scripted.

5. Kanon - Before KGNE, there was Kanon. The first half of the show is build up and character development for the last half, which proceeds to destroy or reveal each character's true nature, resulting in an awesome tearfest. The episodes involving Ayu near the end were especially moving. This and Kiminozo are the cream of the crop of so-called bishoujo anime.

My bottom 5:

1. Reign the Conquerer - men in thongs and a completely senseless plot. This is about Alexander? WTF is going on? I don't have a clue. Apparently neither does the korean staff that made this show.

2. Konjiki no Gash Bell - Quite frankly I still have no idea why people find this show appealing. It's about a boy, and his naked doll-friend. The humor is retarded (I don't understand why it's funny that the doll speaks in old japanese), and the plot seems Pokemon/Digimon-esque with people using dolls against each other. BORING!

3. Prince of Tennis - quite possibly the worst sports anime ever made.
I happen to love sports anime, and there is a distinct formula for a GOOD sports anime show: most notably there are two flavors:
1) the main character is extremely talented but does not like displaying this talent, and others go to lengths to force that character to use it until they enjoy doing it (aka Yawara).
2) the main character sucks at first, but has a hidden talent that they cultivate after many matches/events. We watch the character grow (aka Battle Athletes).

Prince of Tennis is neither. In Prince of Tennis, we have some little snot-nosed junior high/freshman kid arrive on court who proceeds to beat the crap out of EVERY SINGLE OPPONENT he faces with ease. From the very start there is absolutely no suspense or drama. The dragonball-like chanting of special tennis moves was also annoying. The addition of good looking tennis players later on, and the fact that they fight each other is pretty meaningless filler for an otherwise lifeless sports anime.

In short, I have no idea why people like this show.

4. King of Bandit Jing - Just very very very boring.

I can't think of the other 2 I hate, will add them later.
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Renaisance Otaku



Joined: 15 Jan 2004
Posts: 469
Location: Modesto, CA
PostPosted: Tue Dec 14, 2004 1:34 am Reply with quote
Posting a list of favorites is hard for me, as I'm never sure what I really like. I enjoy most of what I see. I can only really judge by if I get emotionally into it, or how long I still think of it. As such, most of what I consider favorites are things I saw months back, I still like to think about. Some are more obvious than others. Still, since this is a worthwhile favorites thread, I'll try to complete it.

In no real order.

1 Gunbuster - Having been a huge fan of Evangelion, I picked this up upon learning of it's director. Initially, it came off as a slightly enjoyable shojo show. Then I saw more of it. I loved the science used. It added a level of realism and dramatic effect. I identified with Noriko. I was going through a depressing time as well. Its one of the few shows I couldn't stop watching. Gunbuster is easy at the top of my list.

2. Macross - A lot of the shows I put on these lists are shows I couldn't stop watching. I tend to watch a show one episode a day. When I start going through whole videos at a time, it's got to be good. Macross is one of them. There was something about how all the elements(the love triangle, the Macross' struggle, etc) seemed to combine so well. The characters were easy to like, and rather distinct as well. I even loved the movie version.

3. Patlabor - I love this show for its realistic take at trying to make the workplace mecha plausible. The setup is so well done that the show can jump from pure hilarity to drama and even political suspense. There are very few shows that can work so much into its premise like this one.

4. Kimi ga Nozomu Eien - This is the newest addition to my list. I was rather amazed at how much plot the show squeezed into the first two episodes. With good reason though, as it was neccessary to setup a very well done show. The characters are very realistic, and you can't help but feel for them. Everyones motives are easy to understand, and the show evolves in a believable way. Even the comedy infused into the show is able to lighten the mood, without damaging it. I love the themes used throughout it as well. The ending was also heartrending yet believable. This is easily one of the few shows I've seen recently that I feel truly deserves to be one of my favorites.

5. Nadesico - While I don't hold it as fond as I used to, this show still remains. I loved the mix of sci-fi action and a subtle parody of anime fandom.

6. Escaflowne - Beautifully told, this was another show I'd watch in marathons. Escaflowne has this great mix of action with a wonderful focus on characters. The ending was also well done without going for the usual.

7. Neon Genesis Evangelion - One of, if not the first show I ever really loved. I was somehow able to follow it without being confused as so many have. It was the first show in which I felt I really understood the characters. I loved the psychological elements, and enjoyed both endings. While I have moved on, this show does hold a place of honor, and I'd easily take it over Rahxephon any day(though I like that one too, and don't really compare them).

8. Urusei Yatsura - Having long been a fan of Rumiko Takahashi, this is my favorite of her works. i love the heavy use of Japanese myth. The characters all have their lovable quirks; and the show's so weird that it never comes off as redundant.

To be honest I have to tink about the rest. There are shows like Fushigi Yugi, Utena, El Hazard and so on that I really enjoy, but am no longer sure if I'd consider them in my top 10 any more. Even some of the above like Esca and Nadesico I'm having doubts too. There's just too much I like. I might edit this later.

Bottom Five

This is much easier. While there are hundreds of shows I loved, there's little I down right didn't. Most of these I don't so much hate, more like don't bother with. Again, in no real order.

1 Hellsing - I just couldn't get into this. I found most of the characters uninteresting. Alucard(whom everyone seems to love) is just too one-dimensional. He's also too powerful, making the battles terribly predictable and boring. There was never any suspense, and I never really cared about what was happening. The ending resolved little to nothing as far as I can remember. It's hard to care when one can't connect to the characters.

2 Blue Sub no. 6 All I can really remember of this show is how much it seemed to be a CGI vehicle only. It seemed like it was only made so Gonzo could show off their talents. Also, of the fans of it I've met, only one said he enjoyed it for the story. Everyone else tells me to get a surround system. To be fair, I saw it on CN a long time ago. So it more forgettable than hateable. Still, its cast a shadow on every title I've seen by Gonzo since.

3 Dragon Ball Z Before I was an anime fan, this is what I knew of it. I hated the art style. Most of the characters were just plain unlikable, and the show is horribly redundant. Its like you've seen the whole show if you've seen one episode. This singlehandedly delayed my intrest in anime for years.

4 Bakuretsu Tenshi - Recently, I've been trying to find shows from Gonzo that I actually enjoy. So far, I've found Vandread (Nadesico clone), Full Metal Panic, Samurai 7, and Gankutsuou. Then there's Baku Ten. The characters are cliched, the episodes uninspired. Some elements are just plain uncomfortable. Worse, over ten episode in, and I still haven't figured out what they are trying to accomplish with this. The verdicts still out, but its not looking good.

5 Yu-gi-oh - Basically, its a half hour strategy guide for an over rated card game. Even Pokemon and Hamtaro have more substance then this. I know there are plenty of shows like this, but its never been this obvious that its really a commercial in disguise.
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the_soultaker



Joined: 25 Mar 2004
Posts: 685
PostPosted: Tue Dec 14, 2004 1:05 pm Reply with quote
Hellsing and Blue sub no.6 are the worst?!? that's blasphemy,how dare ye. Twisted Evil LOL oh wellz, to each his her own. Yeah i have a few that are on my top ten. (or more like top 20) but i'm sure few of you have already seen my lists already. But of course there's always room for the bottom five:
Twisted Evil

1. Anything that is Dragon Ball Z,Sub plots and sagas are over 6 episodes long and at times 2 episodes before the actual battle scenes. *cough* Freeza saga*cough* and silly subliminal rhetoric like the Aryanesque super saiyan and one character who looks like he came outta a minstral show. Rolling Eyes

2.Colorful, poor attempt at adult humor. accompanied by the silliest intro ever to grace thine eyes.

3.Tekken the motion Picture; this game is what helped to put sony's Playstation in the limelight, but when you have lame animation,chessy voiceovers (especially the english dub) and dionsaurs running around as if the producers were capatilizing off the Jurassic park movies, Tekknen should have been taken off the shelves.

4.MD Geist Death Force: dumb story...what...! there was actually a story? If i'm not mistaken, this was the first Anime joint venture between both japanese and american companies.
(I guess That explains why CPM fell off. Laughing )



5. tie:waste and bad tastes Ninja ressurection,Kimera, Dog soldier; shadows of the past,Odin,Blue Sonnet,Z.O.E. delores and practically any Hentai.
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Renaisance Otaku



Joined: 15 Jan 2004
Posts: 469
Location: Modesto, CA
PostPosted: Wed Dec 15, 2004 9:45 am Reply with quote
Give me a sixth and Witch Hunter Robin would've made that list due to it's awful pacing and boring characters. Twisted Evil

I haven't seen too much of it though, so I still give it the benefit of the doubt like Last Exile. Wink

Hellsing's just plain bad in my opinion though, and I've seen it twice. I can't like something if I hate the lead character. Rolling Eyes


Last edited by Renaisance Otaku on Thu Dec 16, 2004 12:16 am; edited 1 time in total
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bloodlust



Joined: 13 Dec 2004
Posts: 6
Location: United States
PostPosted: Thu Dec 16, 2004 12:19 pm Reply with quote
The following are my top ten anime --

1. Hellsing This is currently my obession at the moment, though I've read the current posts those are simply other peoples opionons, as this is mine that I adore the goth like vampire anime. Even if Alucard's battles are a bit one-sided, but you have to give it to them with the Incognito/Alucard battle. BUT I do enjoy the battles in the manga more, also I love the plot and story line of this anime and the manga! Though this is a top ten anime, I do enjoy the manga alot. =D Which I've read all five volumes so far that's been translated in the states.

2. Twelve Kingdoms Well, at first I wasn't too sure about the anime, I really didn't know anything about it. . BUT then my fiance told me to buy it and told me a bit of the plot to get me to urge for it and urged I did as I went out and bought the 49 episodes right off. =D Though, at the end I saw a opening for maybe a second season? Not too sure. Anime dazed But, if more comes out I'll surely buy it out. ^^

3. Vampire Princess Miyu[TV] I found this to be a good anime because I'm an odd fellow with one of those freakish vampire urgings. I found it to be a good anime over all and thought it was pretty cool, but I did find most episodes to end with more of a down point or just plain out depressing. If you're one to enjoy happy moments this isn't one of those animes. x_x Larva is one of my fave's in the series! And the two Miyu/Larva boat episodes didn't really end too depressing sorry I can't think of the names of the episodes off the top of my head. But this anime is surely in my top three. =D

4. Gun Grave Heh, another one of my dark anime obessions, though I read about it on sites and articles I at once bought the first sets of episodes that came out in the states and enjoyed it, so then I went off to a-h and bought up every episode I could in the fan-subs so I basically watched about the whole series besides a few episodes missing here and there. I adore the main character Brandon in the series. =D One of those silent gun men type of people, also can get very violent when he needs to.

5. InuYasha I know this has alot of fans because of it being on network televison but that doesn't bother me that much. I myself bought alot of the fan subs' up to about 140 something and heard of the series ending about 160 I believe not too sure. Anime dazed But it's a nice series though it is large, but I sort of became bored with the series. .=/ But I do have a fave section of the series which I adore and it'll always be my fave. Anime hyper Which is about episode 109 - 125 or so. o_x Of course I forgot the exact episodes mainly the episodes with the Schinintai that I heart. =D

6. Tenchi Muyo Can't help to always revert back to this anime, I'll always love it! =D Was one my first animes that I saw about the age of twelve or thirteen and now I'm eighteen. Anime dazed I find it to be a funny series full of many characters and some exciting moments along with tragic moments. ;-; But who can not heart Ayeka (Aeka) and Ryoko (Ryokou) =D

7. Tenchi GXP Yet, another Tenchi series that I found funny and worth the buy. Though, I found out a few things that wasn't great. =/ But I did love the comedy in this series, along with the women! ^^ A Tenchi series can't be complete without one male and about five to six wonderful women. =D And in this one ecchi robot. Anime dazed

8. Chobits Heh, I just found this series a bit cute even though I'm a dark horror, kill anime type of person. =D This anime does have it all though. ^^ Comedy, Romance, and action. Hideki is a Hentai! Words I'll never forget. ^^ Of course Chii being one of the most adorable anime characters ever and Zimma (Jimma) and Dita being some of the coolest I've seen. =D

9. Outlaw Star Well, I can't say I don't love this anime! Gun's, violence, space, death! Even though is was aired on CN (Cartoon Network) in the states I found myself buying the DVD boxset once I found it!. . Which I watch every other month when I feel the urge for this anime.

10. Cowboy Bebop Another anime I first caught a glimsp on CN but I did myself buying this anime, along with the movie that came out on DVD. This series was great! Another one of those violent shot them up with twists and turns! ^^ Of course I adore Spike the main character along with his rival. =D As well, I'd have to say my fave episode would have to be the fifth episode, Ballet Of Fallen Angels it'll always be one of my fave's that always has much replay vaule! But I don't think that alone. I believe the whole series has replay vaule and that it's one of the top animes out there even though it's a bit too well-known I'll always love it. ^^

That's my top ten, I really don't have a top ten worst or really a five worst. x_X Though I think I might have one or two. Really don't hate that much anime. =D

1. Dragon Ball Z Only reason I really hate this anime is because of the talking. . =/ I mean the action was decent most of the time it just took WAY too long for them to get to the actual action. I don't really totally hate this anime I just found it a bit boring after awhile. =/

Erm that's really all I can think of, if I can add to my worst list I'll do it later. =D But for now I'll just leave it at that.
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Inu-Yasha



Joined: 21 Sep 2003
Posts: 373
Location: Quad Cities, Iowa
PostPosted: Thu Dec 16, 2004 8:51 pm Reply with quote
I have many favorities so I try to keep my list short and consice.

1. Full Metal Alchemist My new favorite fantasy/supernatural anime. It's suspenseful(especially near the end) some of the characters I did hate like the Fuhrer. Animation is superb, music very well done.

2. Berserk I love the manga way more but I'm still very fond of what I have seen of the anime. I like dark fantasy animes. Animation is old but oh well. I feel sorry for most of the characters in this mature series.

3. Vision of Escaflowne my first anime. The only thing I don't like about is most of episode one but everything else I like and I wish it was longer.

4. Inuyasha A Feudal Fairy Tale I've always like the music, the somewhat slow character deveoplment. I really wished a certain villian would just DIE ALREADY. Inuyasha in my mind is at its peak around the Shichiniin-Tai(Seven Man Army) arc then goes downhill.

5. Yu Yu Hakusho the Ghost Files I admire and love tounrey figthing the plot is rather simple. Yusuke I didn't expect him to be the hero.

6. Naruto Another tounrey fighter anime I like. Naruto is like the ulimate underdog just watching him suceed makes this anime worth watching.

7. Elfen Lied I always liked horror and suspence and I'm also a fan of Carrie and Frankenstein this series reminds me of those two. Probably the darkest, sickest anime I like and even seen thus far.

8. Ruin Explorers Extremely short. I like most the characters and the villian I feel sorry for.

9. Rurouni Kenshin A character that did a vow of not killing and having a dark past appeals to me and its original(the vow I mean). The music, animation I like up to and after the Kyoto Arc then my respect for the series goes out of the window.

10. Any Other Anime I seen in my Anime list. I'm not a picky person if I like the animation, characters, or music then I probably like the anime.

And now for Animes that I don't really care for:

1.Hamtaro There voices are soooo [insert various curse words here] annyoing!!! Ugh and the plot is so wretched....

2. Kikaider the story was good but the animation somehow hurts my eyes and I kinda didn't like it in the first place.

3. Beet It reminds me of Pokemon and Yu-gi-oh. Not fun or amusing at all.

4. Lupin the 3rd Usually I like old anime/old animation but I don't like this anime...Lupin is annyoing to me and I don't like the characters.

5. Soul Taker It didn't appeal to me at all and it was very confusing plot wise.
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Gecko Zero



Joined: 24 Aug 2004
Posts: 18
PostPosted: Thu Dec 16, 2004 9:43 pm Reply with quote
Don't know if I can do a top ten, but a list of my favorites (kept to series I've seen at least 3/4 of) looks like this:

Top 3:
Cowboy Bebop. Love the art, the character designs, the overall structure to the series (mixing single episode stories with an over-arcing general plotline), the directing--the whole anime as cinema thing has knocked me flat since I first saw it years ago. It's one of the few series I've seen that I feel is actually directed with consideration to style and story; most shows go for just one.

Samurai Champloo. All of the same reasons I list for Bebop, plus I like the actual characters (not just the way they're drawn) in SC somewhat better than I do CB's. I think they're currently tied for first place in my world.

Trigun. I like shows that aren't afraid to be a bit goofy, particularly ones that are also serious. Good characters, fun mix of westerns and outer space, and some parts that are as sad as they get.

Lupin III. And then there are goofy shows that aren't afraid to be serious... Love the characters, the comraderie between them, and the fact that tv specials are still being made.

..that's the top four. The rest of the best varies considerably, depending on what day of the week it is, apparently. It always contains Outlaw Star (the show the lured me back into anime after a fifteen year hiatus).

Least favorites include (but are not limited to):
Wolf's Rain. No pacing, flawed plotting, no characterization other than a quick sketch of each character. But still, far better than

Kikader. Just flat bored me. But, I'd rather watch it than be in the same room with

Blue Gender. Unpleasant end to end. Too high a body count, too many bugs, no characters I liked at all. Better than Super Milk Chan, but not by much.

But my all time least favorite is Saint Seiya. Sure, the guys are all pretty cute, but other than that, why? This was the show that drove me away from anime decades ago, when I had two roommates who were totally obssessed with it--years before it was ever translated into English. It was bad then, and it's bad now.
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Syko



Joined: 13 Oct 2004
Posts: 5
Location: Melbourne, Australia
PostPosted: Mon Dec 20, 2004 3:14 am Reply with quote
I've only been an anime fan for 2 years, but from what I have watched, these were my favourites from what I have seen from 6 to 1.

6. Crayon Shinchan
This series sure takes me back to the time where I was 7 years old when I started watching it. It was Cantonese-dubbed and it was a great show at my age. Too bad the Western society don't quite understand Eastern humour and fail to see how good this series is actually in the eyes of a kid. However this is far from the best anime I've seen.

5. Pokemon
This brings me back to primary schooling/early secondary schooling years of around age 12. I too was caught in the Pokemon hype. The series was good until midway through the Johto Journey when CheezTV Australia ran out of new episodes to air, and began the series from the start!! Mad I stopped there.

4. Serial Experiments Lain
Number 4 is not bad.. in fact, #1 to 4 are very close together in my favourites...
This I must admit is an intruiging series. I loved Lain's innocence but I had a hard time understanding it the first time through, mosty because of an extremely bad encoding effort by the FanSubs. I will get the boxset DVDs later and understand the theme fully. This series had a KILLER opening theme, Duvet by Boa. The best opening theme with Evangelion's close behind.

3. Chobits
Should've been a series I hate. I really dislike lovey-dovey cutesy animes, but when I read the manga, it seemed like it but also quite opposite, with the pervert protagonist Hideki. It's most beautifully drawn and the quality of the video is astounding. Its also in widescreen! Finally an anime series that fits properly on my widescreen plasma screen! The story isn't as engrossing as Lain but Chii is just the cutest thing! It also had a very good english dub.

2. Neon Genesis Evangelion
This should be no.1 with GTO but I had to give it second due to the fact that everyone dies and the ending itself was hard to understand. This was psychological thriller to the max. Character development happens, but its the detail of the characters have that make this series one of the best of all time. I have the 8 DVD box-set and the first platinum disc with collector's box. Warning, the first time I watched Evangelion, it watched the WHOLE SERIES + MOVIES IN 13 HOURS. Do not attempt at home folks, especially if there are new people to this. It can bore and it can mash up your brains.

1. Great Teacher Onizuka
This is by far the most "normal" anime series. Character development, insane slapstick comedy, drama and Onizuka's super-demented facial expressions make this my favourite series of all time. The only gripe I have against this series is the *horrible* english dub. Some of the voices girl's voices are painful! I own the 10DVD box set, and starting the manga collection now. For those who thought the Anime ending was inadequate, look to the manga... there's a lot of action you're missing!
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