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


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DKL



Joined: 08 May 2005
Posts: 1933
Location: California, USA
PostPosted: Sat May 21, 2005 3:34 am Reply with quote
bump! *I need to do this since there's this glitch*

anyway, I've come up with my own solution! *haha*

I'll simply change my pesrspective and look at it like this...

LIST YOUR TOP TEN FAVORITE SHOWS

and then...

LIST THE 5 *or so* SHOWS THAT OTHER PEOPLE LIKE BUT YOU DIDN'T *or let's say, list the 5 most over-rated shows*

now that I'm looking at it like this, it makes the thread much better and acceptable to me

because really, I belive that somewhere down the road, most people see something worse, but they can't seem to remember it *It's just THAT bad*
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brightredglow



Joined: 15 May 2005
Posts: 35
PostPosted: Sat May 21, 2005 3:25 pm Reply with quote
DKL wrote:
LIST YOUR TOP TEN FAVORITE SHOWS

and then...

LIST THE 5 *or so* SHOWS THAT OTHER PEOPLE LIKE BUT YOU DIDN'T *or let's say, list the 5 most over-rated shows


*confused*

What exactly is wrong with just using "What is your 5 least favorites?"

I agree that we each have our biases. It is part of what helps each of us determine our own, personal opinion and someone's "least favorite" is their opinion and it may not be a reaction to a show being "overrated".

"Gasaraki", for example, was not overrated and I have rarely seen it listed as a fan favorite. To be fair, it did have an interesting premise and the presentation was thoughtful, but it was painfully boring to me and hence, it is not one of my favorites. "Super Milk Chan" is not overrated. If anything, a lot of people can't stand it and I happen to be one of those people. "Evangelion" elicits a LOVE IT or HATE IT opinion. I fall into the HATE IT category because I truly hated the ending. I felt it ruined an otherwise good show. Others are free to disagree. And "Gundam SEED"... *sigh* I am really trying to like it because my son loves this show but it isn't happening for me. I like Athrun and Cagalli just fine, but the character designs are too damn pretty for me and and I keep getting this feeling that I have already seen the story in another Gundam arc and that grates on me.

Now, I suppose I could put an anime like "Gundress" down as one of my least favorites, but why? It didn't elicit enough of a response from me. I don't know if it is bad or good because I can't remember enough about it to really care one way or another.

Whereas I do have an opinion about Evangelion and Super Milk Chan, etc. Of the anime that I put time into thinking about, the 5 that I listed are my least favorites and I didn't list the shows because I "have it out for them". They just aren't my favorites.

I don't expect others to agree with my opinions, but I don't exactly like someone telling me that my opinion is wrong just because it doesn't agree with theirs.

-BRG
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DKL



Joined: 08 May 2005
Posts: 1933
Location: California, USA
PostPosted: Sat May 21, 2005 8:23 pm Reply with quote
I'm actually just plain confused now *also*

but I dunno, it's just I feel sometimes that... not EVERYONE is playing straight with you... you know? *I can't seem to explain it any better... so I guess you're stuck with this bland response Razz *

anyway, I'd say, carry on as is, I just want to encourage everyone to ask themselves:

"Is it THAT bad?"

... truth is though, I don't really hate a lot of shows, I usually blame my inability to enjoy them, so maybe this is why I feel like this

... yup, that didn't make any sense! *hooray*
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DKL



Joined: 08 May 2005
Posts: 1933
Location: California, USA
PostPosted: Sat May 21, 2005 9:55 pm Reply with quote
hmmm... I've been contemplating this a lot *nonstop*, but people from both sides are making sense *cloe, Mr. Mania, Bright, etc. , just about everyone commenting on the thing... this is definately productive*

... okay, I'll change direction a bit...

Does having a bitter reaction against a show contribute to making a show you don't like worse?

and

Is there a show that you believe that REALLY REALLY sucks on the surface...

you know you don't like it, but then you don't care for it too much to HATE it...

does this make it less worse than it has to be or really is? *let's not cite examples, let's just look at it... as is*

... err... even in the context of your opinion?

so does HATING something result in making the experience worse than not hating the same thing?

er... but this inevitably leads to the conclusion that if it wasn't so BAD in the first place, then you wouldn't hate it Confused

don't ask me how these questions popped up, I have no idea where this came from...

sorry, this is just incoherent, but if for some reason, you get it, it'd be cool if we look at it

I'm pretty sure people are going...

"Wh-wha-what!? DKL, are you HIGH?" Laughing

this isn't neccesarily aimed at a SET of people, it's just something I thought that I should ask everyone...

err... I'm not even sure if there is an answer... but still, try reading through it...

OH DAMN! we are completely moving off topic! what do we do? I sort of want to keep going with this... do we make another thread?

we might end up having this locked... anyway, what do we do?
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smutchi



Joined: 16 Apr 2005
Posts: 189
PostPosted: Sun May 22, 2005 5:49 am Reply with quote
DKL wrote:
OH DAMN! we are completely moving off topic! what do we do? I sort of want to keep going with this... do we make another thread?

we might end up having this locked... anyway, what do we do?


You're right. Smile
I felt free to start a new thread in the anime forum. After all, I find the discussion quite interesting. Smile

Why don't you all post here.
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dormcat
Encyclopedia Editor


Joined: 08 Dec 2003
Posts: 9902
Location: New Taipei City, Taiwan, ROC
PostPosted: Mon May 23, 2005 1:03 am Reply with quote
DKL wrote:
OH DAMN! we are completely moving off topic! what do we do? I sort of want to keep going with this... do we make another thread?

we might end up having this locked... anyway, what do we do?

Stop babbling and get back on topic. It's that simple.

To see my favorite anime, click here. I found it very difficult to pick up two remaining slots for my 10 favorites (8 are occupied by 'masterpieces'). For reasons and comments, read my 'seen all' list -- if you have enough time.
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DKL



Joined: 08 May 2005
Posts: 1933
Location: California, USA
PostPosted: Mon May 23, 2005 1:24 am Reply with quote
dormcat wrote:


Stop babbling and get back on topic. It's that simple.



actually, we did allocate the thread *which has been apparently locked... anyway, we covered enough ground, so I'm satisfied*

is it just me or did a post disappear? I could've sworn that there was another post here...
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darkinusgurl



Joined: 17 May 2005
Posts: 23
Location: I live in Florida City,Florida
PostPosted: Tue May 24, 2005 1:03 pm Reply with quote
No duh! Where I live and at my school they're considered to be anime because of their relations to the Japanese culture. I KNOW THEY'RE NOT ANIME. I put them because they're still in a way Asian. SO GET OVER IT LOSER. Mad Ask anyone who lives in South Florida.
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Nagisa
Moderator


Joined: 19 Aug 2003
Posts: 6128
Location: Atlanta-ish, Jawjuh
PostPosted: Tue May 24, 2005 2:57 pm Reply with quote
darkinusgurl wrote:
No duh! Where I live and at my school they're considered to be anime because of their relations to the Japanese culture. I KNOW THEY'RE NOT ANIME. I put them because they're still in a way Asian. SO GET OVER IT LOSER. Mad Ask anyone who lives in South Florida.


Way to freak out. Do you pitch fits often over insignificant little things? And since this is an anime-exclusive thread, and since you knew they weren't anime, why simply list them "because they're Asian" (Power Rangers isn't animated and I don't see where Teen Titans is really "Asian" at all) or because "everyone else says so?" That would be like me making a "Top 10 Favourite Anime/Top 5 Least Favourite Anime" list full of Akira Kurosana films & entries from the Godzilla series, interspersed with references to Winx Club, Totally Spies, Thundercats, & Aeon Flux.

BTW, if you're exclusively replying to someone's post from about 2+ pages back (or even a half-a-page up), you may want to quote it so you sound less random and trolling.
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Lord_Ilpalazzo



Joined: 27 May 2005
Posts: 10
Location: Where I dun't wanna be - Texas
PostPosted: Fri May 27, 2005 6:53 pm Reply with quote
Heya, my first post on these forums!

So here is my list of my top 5 favorites, I shall abstain from posting my personal worsts, because there are many I do not like for a plethora of reasons, and would rather just list the good.

1. Excel Saga - This anime is the funniest I have ever seen; imagine if you will, Monty Python and the Holy Grail, but with all the characters on speed, crack, and every drug known to man - In comparison, Excel Saga makes MPatHG look like a documentary on English history. This series is more random than anything I've ever watched, not only that, but it parodies many, many anime and other shows/movies which only adds to the hilarity. When watching this I suggest that you temporarily place any sensibilities you have on hold, and be prepared to laugh for about 10 minutes straight at a time!

2. Full Metal Panic! - Again, another hilarious anime, but this one also has a great storyline woven into it. At times the humor in this rivals that in the aforementioned, but with a bit less randomness, however also manages to have a great and compelling story that it follows that contains plenty of drama in it - a true accomplishment indeed. You will grow to love the characters, and the humor that each brings to the series, while at the same time managing to add romance and drama. I definately recommend this one!

3. Elfen Lied - Absoultely breathtaking anime indeed, however I am, when ya get right down to it, a bigger fan of the comedy anime genre than any other, ergo this isn't my favorite - however it does have a bit of humor intertwined in its amazingly well done story. This is definately a rather dark anime, and quite violent as well, however beyond that lies a various serious and moving plot that will keep you glued to your computer/tv as you watch it! It has great character development, and a very nice blend of action, romance, and some of the supernatural that makes it a must-have for any anime fan, otaku or otherwise.

4. Gunslinger Girl - Again, another more seirous anime, but a very, very, moving and thought-provoking plot. This one is very unique indeed, and in the more serious genre of anime, the second best in my opinion to Elfen Lied. The story is undoubtably very well done, and the idea of giving the terminally ill a second chance at life at a dire cost is indeed one that will inspire thought in the viewer. I very much suggest this one for anyone looking for a more serious and dramatic, yet action-packed anime.

5. Chobits - One of the best romanic anime series ever, while at the same time being one of the funniest! No doubt about it, this anime is great, and the characters are awesome; after one look at the unbelievably adorable Chii, you'll be hooked! As the series progresses a deeper plot begins to unravel that questions the way the robatic humanoids or persocons should be allowed to live - a plot that will keep you watching it as you can't help but laugh at the hilarious antics of Chii and her somewhat perverse owner, Hideki![/b]

-Ilpalazzo
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Vampire_hunter



Joined: 25 May 2005
Posts: 39
Location: Quezon City, Philippines
PostPosted: Fri Jun 03, 2005 3:49 am Reply with quote
Top 5 anime

1. Hajime No Ippo
- My best anime I've ever seen. I watched in TV series and
VCD. The box-fighting styles are cool Cool

2. Vampire Hunter D
- I consider it one of my most scary anime Twisted Evil

3. Phantom- the animation
- The story is about a strange guy who'se recruited as a
assassin to kill their opponents. In first he don't want to kill
his oppponents but when he killed one, he realized that he
must kill all of his opponent.

Very fantastic!!!! the gun fighting styles is enjoying. You
will not be bored if you watched it.

4. Night of Darkstalkers - I've seen it in a video game
and even in VCD.

5. Naruto
- I always watched it every weekdays. The Kagebushin
and his Sexy Technique are amazing. My favorite
character here is Sasuke because he can release a
ninja technique on his branch family.
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Anime^fangirl^shenlu



Joined: 02 Jun 2005
Posts: 6
Location: United kingdom
PostPosted: Fri Jun 03, 2005 5:43 am Reply with quote
Okay... top 5 anime i think would have to be...

1. E's otherwise/Naruto. Two completely different styles of anime but I love both!
2. RahXephon/ S-cry-ed. Both of these titles are great. Interesting plot and lots of action.
3. Yami no Matsuei. Love it.
4. Noir. This was like... the 5th anime I ever watched and I loved if from beginning to end.
5. Kiddy grade. I love the art and the characters and just so fun.

Er... bottom 5 I think would have to be... Nope I can't think of any that I really hate...
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RainOfSteel



Joined: 14 Jun 2003
Posts: 30
PostPosted: Mon Jun 06, 2005 3:33 pm Reply with quote
My apologies for the length of this post, but I had a lot to say.

This will actually be quite difficult, as there are so many tremendously strong anime that I like. There will probably be an overuse of certain adjectives, like stunning and beautiful, etc. How can it be otherwise when discussing such an assemblage of craftsmanship, skill, and visionary imagination?

I don't have many "worst" anime, and so finding room for them will be easier.


WARNING!! **SPOILERS** WARNING!!
WARNING!! **SPOILERS** WARNING!!
WARNING!! **SPOILERS** WARNING!!
WARNING!! **SPOILERS** WARNING!!
WARNING!! **SPOILERS** WARNING!!
WARNING!! **SPOILERS** WARNING!!
WARNING!! **SPOILERS** WARNING!!
WARNING!! **SPOILERS** WARNING!!


The following does contain many SPOILERS.


The spoiler tags would not properly encompass the list tags, and since there are spoilers in virtually every list element, I've left them out.


Best Series (to date 06/06/2005)



  1. Ghost in the Shell: SAC: The animation is fantastic, the storylines (both the episodic and the arcs) gripping, and the designs stellar. I've been buying the DVDs the instant they come out. Quite simply a masterpiece of the craft. I await Second Gig with great anticipation.
  2. Figure 17: I just watched all 13 episodes in a marathon of sitting in front of the television. I don't know what to say. I'm a 35 year old male gamer-geek and quasi-otaku, and yet tears were pouring down my face for about one-quarter of the series. If you watch this and your heart isn't wrenched out of your chest, you're a tougher being than I. The story begins as a standard technological version of a "magical girl" story, with good-old fashioned Japanese values/morality messages tossed in, and then transforms itself into something that goes far beyond that.
  3. Rah Xephon: A complicated weaving of interpersonal stories set amidst the background of an Earth timeline gone awry with the appearance of a new race, the Mu, who appear human but whose veins and arteries are filled with a blue to almost purplish substance that separates them from the rest of mankind forever. The people of the story struggle to come to grips with their past, present, and future, while trying to win their side human/Mu war (and there are more than just two sides to this war). And inside the human/Mu conflict, and the conflict of the souls of the characters, is the conflict over Rah Xephon, and who will be the next to tune the world. I was impressed by the ending, for the series actually did end, though I must say, I wasn't really happy with that ending (and yet, the anime still reaches #3 on my list).
  4. Gunslinger Girl: A powerful tale of the ability of government to exploit anything, even its children, to an unlimited degree, in the most monstrous of ways, in order to accomplish its dirtiest work. The relationships between the girls and their handlers, and between the girls, is touching; the dissociation between their touching relationships and the stark reality of the violence and bloodiness of their work is riveting; the action and choreography is excellent; the animation is stunning; and the soundtrack is beautiful. Get it. Watch it.
  5. Last Exile: An entire, fully realized world. It seems a grand tribute to the masters of the past, especially Miyazaki, in a way that salutes, rather than robs. The animation quality is the best I've ever seen, and the soundtrack is staggering in its complex triumph. I still fondly remember my first time through the series (I eventually bought it and now have watched it four times so far), on downloaded fansubbed copies. We could only watch 1-3 episodes at a time, and the cliffhangers left us hanging on the edge of our seat for more. When we reached episode 10, there was an encoding error, and it was flipped right to left, and top to bottom. A friend and I, unwilling to wait, immediately flipped ourselves from our upright seated positions on the couch, to being upside down (a very awkward position from which to watch an anime), and put up with reading the mirror-inverted subtitled text. It is only fifth on my list because a few nagging questions raised by the storyline weren't answered. Otherwise, it would be #1.
  6. Trigun: I admit, the first time I watched this anime, I though it was too lighthearted and Vash just a little too over the top and inappropriately silly. How wrong I was. Vash acts this way because it is his way of dealing with the horror of his life, and partially to help conceal his true nature from those around him. The series starts out with Comedy 100 and Drama 0 in episode 1, and proceeds to Comedy 0 and Drama 100 by episode 26, in an almost linear and precise fashion. All the complicated feelings and issues related to the various characters, I liked them all. The anime did have some problems. One, the barely there relationship between Vash and Meryl, I wish they'd gone somewhere with that. Two, Knives is hardly there in his adult form. His viciousness and evil are shown to us via the actions of his subordinates, but we really don't get to the see the adult Knives and have him become a developed character; perhaps this is a way of the author's stating that he hadn't changed, but really, I'd have liked to have been shown that.
  7. Outlaw Star: It possesses the appearance of a complete and developed background, history, and milieu in which everything fits together with clarity and purpose. Not all of it was explained, but enough to make it all understandable. The story of Jean Starwind and the quest for the Galactic Ley Line was of great interest to me, with many memorable characters and moments along the way. Especially Hot-Ice Hilda and her fate. Good animation, excellent battle choreography, a reasonably structured, communicated, and consistent Science Fiction setting, and a soundtrack that I liked a lot (especially the title and credits songs). It even found itself an excellent ending and politely showed us some snippets of the characters lives for a short span of time after the end of the story (a major plus with me). The only thing I don't like is that there has been nothing since then.
  8. Gasaraki: A complex tale of interwoven corporate and government conspiracies, crisscrossed with the interpersonal relationships of a family dreaming, in turns, of past grandeur, personal exaltation, and of a simpler life (depending on which member of the family is in question). A love story is present, and while I liked it, it seems a bit unfulfilled. The story ended with what I can only describe as the only explanation available that worked and that wasn't complete balderdash or hand-waving, even though it was somewhat odd and a bit abrupt in its appearance. I was quite happy with the whole series as a result of that. The soundtrack is excellent, the animation is excellent, and the designs are all excellent, and much more important, the scriptwriting is outstanding, a high level tour de force that leaves most scripts sitting in the dust.
  9. Wolf's Rain: It is the far future of the Earth, civilizations have come and gone, and the current civilization is on its last legs, crumbling before our eyes (quite reminiscent of the world in Gene Wolfe's The Shadow of the Torturer). Many, many species are now extinct, including wolves. Or so men have thought. Wolves are, in fact, an intelligent race with extraordinary abilities, including the ability to appear as human to humans, along with great physical strength and endurance (including the ability to receive nourishment from the moon alone). A disparate collection of four such wolves are thrown together in desperate times on a quest of such scope that even the search for the Grail might not compare, these wolves are only looking for Paradise itself; although, perhaps, they do not quite know what they are searching for, and in such a quest, can anyone truly know what they are looking for? Good to excellent animation, a top flight soundtrack, and excellent character designs. There are two major flaws, though, that I must point out. The story does not end so much as it screeches to a halt before a cliff, and then cuts off. Also, there is an "arc" of three episodes of "remembering past episodes"; it is traditional to have one in a full length series, but three, I think not. Those things aside, though, and this still makes #9 on my list.
  10. Fruit's Basket: I had trouble writing about this series for this list. I really liked the series, right up until the last moment of the last episode: The story wasn't over! Nevertheless, I am still able to have good thoughts about it. I guess I like it and place it upon my list of the best because of all the touching moments, both up and down, found throughout. The ocean of tragedies heaped upon the main character, Tohru, seemed a bit much when viewed as a whole, unless one wishes to view it as a statement of her enormous strength of will (which seems to border upon General Products Hull Material level). I liked virtually all the supporting characters, especially Hana (who knew electricity could be so much fun). The one serious problem I found was that the characters of the story had a huge blind spot. Akito, head of the family, was the obvious source of all their problems. He terrorized them for his pleasure, and they let him get away with it. Not enough information was given in the anime about the "curse", but to me, it seemed like the family's real curse was Akito. He needed a swift kick in the head followed by everyone ignoring him for a lengthy period of time. Hmm, it may seem I've criticized more than I've praised. I watched the first 11 episodes last weekend, and as I neared awakening the morning after that, I found I was dreaming about the anime! I completed the remaining 16 episodes that evening after work. I did like the series, a lot, and it makes it here on my "best" list.



Best OAVs (to date 06/06/2005)


  1. Macross Plus OAV: This story has it all. A love triangle. Old school rivalry. Misunderstanding and misidentification aplenty. Transformational journey (although with a sad touch). A Can't-lose contest/competition. Conspiracy. Suspense. Action. Adventure. Actual, genuine, real Science Fiction. Great characters and characterization. And, as if all that weren't enough, the animation is stunning, the score is unearthly in its beauty, and the mecha and character designs are a wonder to gaze upon.
  2. Read or Die OAV: A thundering laugh a minute combined cut through with dramatic moments, and a flashing sense of style. A salute to Cowboy Bebop, James Bond flicks, and a great deal in between. Excellent animation and a great soundtrack.
  3. Five Star Stories OAV: I am a major fan of all things Five Star Stories, so my list could not be complete without including this. It really is a complement to the Manga.
  4. Tenchi OAV: Ah, there is humor in the universe, and one of its finest expressions in anime is here.
  5. Super Dimension Century: Orguss II OAV: A lot is packed into this six volume OAV, but it is well worth it. An almost traditional mixture of action, romance, mecha, and just a dash of tragedy. The stellar quality pre-CG animation is beautiful, and I wish more series could look this good.



Best Movies (to date 06/06/2005)


  1. Ghost in the Shell: The Movie: Many have credited this movie with the modern scale of anime popularity in the US. The story is the journey of Major Kusinagi Motoko, from her never changing role as the premiere operative of Japan's elite counter-terrorism unit, Section 9, to a transformation into . . . I'll leave that to those who have seen the movie. This movie deals with what it means to be human, and what it takes to be human, and we discover that flesh and bone alone are not enough to allow anyone to make the cut.
  2. Miyazaki Movies: Nausicaa, Laputa, Howl's Moving Castle, Spirited Away, Kiki's Delivery Service, Princess Mononoke, virtually everything except Porco Rosso.
  3. Rah Xephon: The capstone of the TV series, and most certainly not to be seen before watching that series. It is quite unfortunate that its contents were not included in the series itself, but as they were not, I was quite happy to receive them here. So few series that were so good ever generated a follow-on of answers and additional material such as this.
  4. Patlabor II: A number of my friends have told me they found this to be boring and ponderous. I found it to be an almost entirely suspense based conspiracy thriller soaring in a higher plane of socio-political engineering and terrorism absent an obvious responsibility claimant. Slowly, ever so slowly, our Patlabor unit leaders are drawn into the story, but are never quite fooled by the story being fed to them, until they turn the tables and snatch victory from the jaws of defeat. It is not a character driven story, to be sure, but then that is not what the movie is about. And, of course, the animation quality is a mind-blower.



Honorable Mentions, Any format (to date 06/06/2005)


  1. Azumanga Daioh: I'm sorry, there just wasn't room to cram it into the Top 10. It is the not-so ordinary story of Japanese high-school girls and their teachers through their time together. A total slice of-life in a Japanese high-school and all that surrounds it. The whole is far greater than the sum of the parts.
  2. Cowboy Bebop: The majority of the series was good enough to be in the Top 10, but my personal dislike of the events in the last few episodes pushes it off the list.
  3. Escaflowne TV: I liked the characters, the majority of the story, the animation, and the soundtrack. I was moved substantially on concluding my original viewing. However, successive viewings have revaled an ugly fact, a single glaring problem that prevents it from being in my Top 10. Midway through the story, our heroine is told that the source of all the problems and difficulties she and her friends have faced, is her use of the wishing-power. Immediately after this, she continues to use the wishing-power, and then whines a lot about how bad things are, when she's the one who is causing the problems, and she knows this because she's been told that this is true. The series has one of my all-time favorite mecha combat scenes, when Van single handedly defeats an entire squadron of enemies as he reaches a new height in his skills, only to be taken down by the uncontrollable bloodlust he is using to win.
  4. Kiddy Grade: Another great series from Gonzo. Great Science Fiction ideas abound throughout. I could have done with the main characters appearing as something other than underage girls in super skimpy clothes or lingerie, and the ending seemed a little, well, trite. But other than that, the series is full of hard-hitting stories that made me sit back, amazed that they could come up with such complexity.
  5. Full Metal Panic: TV and Fumoffu: Great action, suspense, and some romance comedy thrown together in different measures. If only Sagara wasn't portrayed as being so completely beyond bone-headed about romance, in a story with romance in it!
  6. World of Narue: I have seen only the first seven episodes, so my personal jury is still out. However, I'm becoming quite attached to this story as it goes on. It is the story of a young boy who befriends a girl in his class. She is, of course, an alien (who, of course, looks human and is as human compatible as the Juraians from Tenchi) who has super strength and a variety of powers and technologically granted capabilities. The stories so far have been less about her battles than about the interpersonal relationships of the primary and secondary characters (which is pretty normal for most anime by this point).



Worst, Any Format (to date 06/06/2005)


  1. Neon Genesis Evangelion TV Series: Let's start with the single most worthless, irredeemable, and unsympathetic character in the history of all Anime, Shinji Ikari. The entire cast of characters after him are hardly better, all of them have a nasty side (quite deliberately done), and this and how they behaved made me not like or care about any of them. It took only a few episodes before I was rooting for the Angels to take out NERV and its staff. Perhaps if the whole series was a cautionary tale with a message of, "Don't be like these people," it might have had some merit. The story was presented in the beginning, in no uncertain terms, as the journey of Shinji Ikari, and the implicit promise with the viewer is made right there, that Shinji will somehow be transformed into, I don't know, a worthwhile human being. Then, we have many episodes where Shinji dodges this, going to great lengths not to improve or transform (we see a few hints that it might be happening throughout the anime, but the viewer's hopes are dashed every time). Then, things get mysterious, a bit of NERV background and purpose are revealed, along with SEELE's existence, but none of it is ever really explained. Lots of stuff gets tossed in and never explained, possibly in an attempt to grab a "coolness via mystery" factor; and all the attempts fail miserably. Then, at the end, when the story has been painted into a corner, the writer tosses out the Apotheosis of all mankind as a way of getting out of the problem. Ha, ha! Let's slay the human race, and we won't need to have a real ending! A bone is also tossed, in the pathetic final two episodes (the production quality nadir reached in these two episodes are by themselves an unforgivable offense against the craft), in which the spirit of the murdered Shinji Ikari is supposed to come to terms with himself and surpass all his previous psychological difficulties by conversing with the spirits of his murdered friends and associates (none of whom remind him that his father just murdered the human race), and this is most definitely not a fulfillment of the promise made at the beginning of the anime, a promise that is totally broken. Yes, the mecha and character designs were beautiful, and the animation was good for the day, and the score was good to great, but all that wasn't enough to save it from the other disasters wrought upon it. To summarize, characters that I not only didn't care about, but actively disliked, a theme and plot that zig-zag around like a drunken mosquito, the villain gets off scot-free, and a giant authorial cop-out in the end. If there were a "Pits of ****" rating I could give to this series, it would receive it. Anime cannot get worse than this for me.
  2. NieA_7 TV Series: Our Anime club only got through seven episodes, but I was writhing in pain by that point, and nobody raised even so much as an eyelash in objection when one person called for a switch to a different show. Overall it is an endless depressing story about the monetary privations faced by a university girl, who accepts the presence of an alien being into her life. The alien inflicts various financial difficulties and indignities on the university girl, who accepts this with poor graces but never gets rid of the alien. The girl was somewhat sympathetic (except for her blind spot about the alien), and was likeable enough for her ability to stand up to her trials. The alien, though, is totally unsympathetic, and completely oblivious to the problems it inflicts upon the person who is attempting to be generous to it. Stir into the pot an equally endlessly depressing series of sub-stories about the horrible difficulties faced by a certain bathhouse that is trying to remain financially afloat, and I was ready to open a vein by episode seven (ok, not quite, but you get the idea). I found the movie Gattaca to be of merrier disposition. I'll never willingly watch another episode.
  3. Earth Girl Arjuna: The first episode was so good I ran out and bought the series. Oops. Episodes 2-13 are completely different than episode 1. The main character whines and whines, and refused to accept her destiny, despite the fact that it seems to be a pretty cool one. The character named "Chris", the psychic, was a bright red ******* who needed a kick in the head by the end of episode two; he was without manners and refused to help Arjuna by explaining things and resorting to the "I'm the master and you will learn from me in my way because that is the way of the universe and it's what you signed on for when you became my student," when, in fact, he knew that she didn't want to be his student, and that she wasn't suited for that type learning, anyway. And yet he continues to berate her for his own shortcomings the whole way through the series, right until the end. In episode one he asks Arjuna "to fight for the Earth", and every episode later calls her a fool every time she tried to fight, a nasty contradiction, but given Chris' other behavior, it wasn't too surprising, although quite annoying. I guess I can see how Arjuna fought against her destiny in the light of Chris' abusive and stupid treatment of her. Oh yes, a vast slush pile of psycho-babble worst of the worst environmentalist falsehoods, distortions, and nonsense filled most of episodes 2-13, as well. What can I say? I'm sorry I bought these. Whatever you do, don't waste your money.
  4. Appleseed: The Movie (2005): Hong Kong Rip: If there were ever an argument (beyond mere copyright theft) against Hong Kong rips, this is it. The most disgustingly stupid subtitling job it has ever been my displeasure to read. Excuse me, I have to go brush my teeth now to get this stinking rotten flavor out of my mouth.
  5. Escaflowne: The Movie: As much as I liked the TV series, I disliked the movie. It was a terrible distortion of the original story, without replacing it with a decent shorter story. The characters were all shallow and underdeveloped, their motivations unclear, and the plot weak, and . . . you get the picture.
  6. FLCL: I guess this represents a failure of the imagination on my part. I literally couldn't stand watching even five minutes of this show, so I'm really just reporting my gut-level reaction.
  7. Fist of the North Star: Let's watch people and heads explode left and right combined with tremendously cheesy dialogue. A death-fest extraordinaire. (I did find the manga to be slightly more appealing.)
  8. Revolutionary Girl Utena TV Series: I didn't hate this series, in fact, I thought most of its individual elements were brilliant. However, it has, in my opinion, several fatal flaws. 1) The primary story arc of the entire series is revealed in the end to be a meaningless smokescreen (the promise made in episode 1 is broken and unfulfilled in episode 39). 2) The story fails to find an ending. 3) A new story is started in the last moment of episode 39! Anthy marches off into the sunset in search of Utena, and AFAIK, there is no continuation. While this might be viewed as a more "end of series" glimpse into the future, the fact that we don't know what really happened to Utena is maddening (and the little voice-over that says she was injured, and yet no one knows where she is, <grrrrrr />). 4) The villain of the story, the individual who caused all the problems and everyone's difficulties, comes through without the slightest scratch and only one setback (the loss of Anthy, and only he would consider that a setback), and he deserved to be imprisoned for life, too, at the very least (the death penalty wouldn't have been too harsh). These factors force me to reluctantly add this series onto this list.
  9. All Animal/Monster/Card Dueling Anime: Pokemon, Digimon, Yu-Gi-Oh, whatever, I despise it all. Maybe if I were still 7-12 they might be more interesting.


Last edited by RainOfSteel on Mon Aug 29, 2005 6:10 pm; edited 2 times in total
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Tony K.
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Joined: 18 Nov 2003
Posts: 11265
Location: Frisco, TX
PostPosted: Tue Jun 07, 2005 10:43 pm Reply with quote
miacane007 wrote:
hi, i am new, just wanted to say hi to everyone Very Happy

(*whispers*) Psst... You can introduce yourself in more detail in this thread Wink. Welcome.
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kobe8byrant



Joined: 09 Jun 2005
Posts: 2
PostPosted: Thu Jun 09, 2005 8:30 am Reply with quote
well..i have got to say Steamboy is quite good although most of you bombarded it in other forums, I personally prefer the Japanese version compared withe the English dub done by Sony, anyhow, I must say that movies are movies, no matter how illogical they maybe, they are meant to entertain...

I will not compare to Akira as if that were the case, there'll bound to be disappointments. If Studio Ghilbli aren;t capable of pulling of another Kiki's Delivery Express or Sprited Away, they suck? No!

Anyway top few would be:

1) Sprited Away
2) Princess Mononoke
3) Lupin III
4) Voices of a Distant Star
5) Kiki's Service
6) Animatrix

WORST:

1) Naruto (like a series that'll never stop and the storyline is too repititive...
2) Sailormoon Very Happy
3) Vampire Hunter D (can't see anything in it)
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