×
  • remind me tomorrow
  • remind me next week
  • never remind me
Subscribe to the ANN Newsletter • Wake up every Sunday to a curated list of ANN's most interesting posts of the week. read more

Forum - View topic
Your Top 10 / Worst 5 things. Why? (w/ index).


Goto page Previous    Next

Anime News Network Forum Index -> General -> Anime
View previous topic :: View next topic  
Author Message
zawa113



Joined: 19 Jan 2008
Posts: 7357
PostPosted: Fri Sep 19, 2008 12:31 pm Reply with quote
i edited mine on page 71, I didn't feel like reposting the whole thing.
Back to top
View user's profile Send private message My Anime My Manga
Pixeltendo



Joined: 19 Sep 2008
Posts: 1
PostPosted: Fri Sep 19, 2008 10:19 pm Reply with quote
Worst Animes

1: One Piece: I am sorry, but I really thought this anime was stupid and tasteless. Not just the 4kids dubb, but the Manga as well.

2: Dragon Ball GT: A basterdization of an Anime I already don't like, but at least can tolerate.

3: Gurren Lagan: I don't care what ANYONE says. I would say why I hate this, but you would probably think I'm nuts, so don't even ask. Not to mention it's fanbase.

4: Naruto: Another anime were the fanbase sucks, as well as the anime.

5: Macross Plus: Not really bad, but quite boring.



Top 5 Favorites

1: Cowboy Beebop: Yep, I'm a fan of that anime. I can't go into too much depth, but it was complicated and was quite funny as well. Oh, and cool soundtrack as well.

2: Magical Shopping Arcade Abenobashi: While it seems like the same dumb humor of One Piece, I found it much more funny than One Piece. But that's just it, the humor really isn't as dumb as it seems. You would have to think for a bit, or watch with Joke Explainers to get the jokes.

3: Outlaw Star: I feal the same about this that I do about Cowboy Beebop, but to a lesser extent.

4: Naussica: This has always been a favorite of mine since Childhood. I watch it... well... not very often. But now I want to watch it soon.

5: Slayers: Another funny anime, although I have only watched the first season... and one movie. And I haven't even watched the last episode. But I still liked this anime alot.
Back to top
View user's profile Send private message
Elfen12



Joined: 14 Oct 2007
Posts: 479
Location: Bay Area
PostPosted: Wed Sep 24, 2008 12:10 am Reply with quote
Over the past month, there has been a dramatic change in my favorites... meaning i've seen quite a few the past couple months that are now in my top 10 and a couple that i've removed and just some adjustments... so although i've posted here before, here's a new one. (Besides these are always fun to type, makes you like the anime all the more... or dislike it all the more ah). Plus the order of them changed.

Top 10 Anime

1. Fruits Basket - Go ahead and think what you want... lol, but this series will always have a special place in me. I just thought that it was so funny and there is so much about it. To me, characters are nearly everything in an anime, (aside form the obvious stuff that one seeks in an anime, good plot, fluent etc...). It just was great... I'll refrain from yelling my opinion to a certian someone here though... (seen it 18 times) ... This will always be my number 1, no doubt about it.

2. Kino's Journey - This has moved from number 3 to number 2... it's just so intricate, the plotlines are amazing, and the ideas expressed are so just fascinating. I love it.... but hey, we all know why this show is good... acutally it is sort of hard to describe (for those who enjoyed it) (seen it 7 times)

3. Kaze No Yojimbo - This show i must say just has my name written all over it, it's just my type of show. I like the characters, and the main character... well he's juts so cool. I'll try to avoid spoilers becusae they are annoying when trying to descrbie a show esepcially for those who come here to perhaps find reccomendations. But they did the show in a way that has some elemtents that are differetn then any other show i've seen, and thus earns it's #3 spot... but otherwise it's just a great show and i really enjoy the plotline, it's like big city problems in a tiny tiny city. It's really great.

4. Fantastic Children - I don't know what it is about this one either... no one ever talks about it, it really is great though... i find it to be probably the best plot of all of the anime i've seen... but there are other things about it that push it back to Number 4. But yeah the plot is so full of life that it jumps out at you and it's not just like you're watching television, your'e like living it, it's pretty amazing.

5. Speed Grapher - I like this show in the same reason i liked Kaze No Yojimbo... it was rather simular in many aspects, but the differnece here that will excite many viewers is the fact that the fighting and action in this show is so unique and differnet. I'm not going to put any spoiling information here, but it really is just such a unique type of action style, and also again i like the character a lot and the characters and just i like that whole, poverty trying to survive through whatever means type of city where a plot takes place... it's cool.

6. Great Teacher Onizuka - It was such a relaxing thing to watch you know... it was like i was looking into someones life for a breif period of time... it perfeclty fits the definition of "Slice of life" (well there is a more horrific definition looking at it literally).

7. Gad Gaurd - Again i very much enjoy that inner city life thing, and in this anime, it is very much what teh show is ran on. I like the character and how he's actually a child tryin' to make it and that aspect alone already is something i recognize in it, and it stands out in my mind. Although that thought alone isn't intricate, it's unique in it that no one else has really done it in the way that this show does. But yeah the characters again are great, like 'em a lot, and the mecha aspect is also a tad unusual in it that they just have it in there so casually however it also runs the show. It's wiiicked.

8. Mushi-shi - This show, i like in the same way i liked Kino's Journey... i don't really know why it's not farther up on this list... but hey... (And Tony K's Mush-shi thread has indeed made me see the anime for more what it really is, I thank you for that... on a new note, my "source" so to speak for watching episodes and talking about them in that forum has dissapeared, thus i'll have to post a HUUUGE post later on all the episodes i missed... that is going to be one lonng post, it'll be more like a newspaper rather than a post, hah).

9. Saiyuki (All 3 of them, Saiyuki, Saiyuki: Reload, Saiyuki: Gunlocked) - Although each of the individual shows had thigns about them i can't say i liked, looking at the whole entire enterprise of a show as one, well it certinaly makes up for each of their mishaps...

10. Noir - I just thought it was cool, and the music was definatly one that i will remember (literally... i do listen to music in the anime from time to time). I didn't like it becuase i like the whole idea of guns and girls thing, i just like the way they did it, and same with madlax.

Honorable Mentions would be... Noein, E's Otherwise, Boys Be, GEnshiken, Detective Loki, Outlaw Star, Aquarion and Elfen Lied.

Eh... I don't really have a Top 5 Worst anime, i think that's too pessimistic for my tastes, i don't certian animes, but no need to put them on an opposite pedestal of unworthy praise, no need at all, i just like to leave it for what it is.

-Elfen12-
Back to top
View user's profile Send private message My Anime
Zalis116
Moderator


Joined: 31 Mar 2005
Posts: 6864
Location: Kazune City
PostPosted: Wed Sep 24, 2008 4:08 am Reply with quote
Dorcas_Aurelia wrote:
1. Negima - Hideous character designs and art in general, and the butchery of the manga plot ruined this for me. That, or the use of such uninspired comedy. Then again, it might have been the tendency to use as many characters as possible while scraping the barest one-dimensional personalities over them. Or the deus ex machina and plot holes in the final plot arc.
If you're using faithfulness to the manga as a benchmark, how can you hold the second Negima adaptation so high above the first? Sure, the '05 series had its issues and a made-up ending, but it at least bore some resemblance to the manga. From what I've seen of the '06 series, it looked more like a sequel to Pani Poni Dash! that happened to use Negima! characters, while completely making up plot elements that had nothing to do with the manga.
Back to top
View user's profile Send private message My Anime My Manga
zawa113



Joined: 19 Jan 2008
Posts: 7357
PostPosted: Thu Sep 25, 2008 11:59 pm Reply with quote
Ha! Way to go, I watch something amazing, and must edit my list immediatly. Its page 71, there's a link to it in the first post. I also elaborated on stuff I wrote before.
Back to top
View user's profile Send private message My Anime My Manga
Dorcas_Aurelia



Joined: 23 Jul 2006
Posts: 5344
Location: Philly
PostPosted: Fri Sep 26, 2008 1:42 pm Reply with quote
Zalis116 wrote:
Dorcas_Aurelia wrote:
1. Negima - Hideous character designs and art in general, and the butchery of the manga plot ruined this for me. That, or the use of such uninspired comedy. Then again, it might have been the tendency to use as many characters as possible while scraping the barest one-dimensional personalities over them. Or the deus ex machina and plot holes in the final plot arc.
If you're using faithfulness to the manga as a benchmark, how can you hold the second Negima adaptation so high above the first? Sure, the '05 series had its issues and a made-up ending, but it at least bore some resemblance to the manga. From what I've seen of the '06 series, it looked more like a sequel to Pani Poni Dash! that happened to use Negima! characters, while completely making up plot elements that had nothing to do with the manga.

Because I'm not using faithfulness as a benchmark. My favorite episode from the first series is one where the story is original to the anime, and the ending arc was okay until it pulled a deus ex machina. My complaint about butchery was meant as a disappointment in seeing an actual plot spanning more than two episodes being dissected into as many stand-alone ones as possible, or unneeded insertion of extra characters into stories where they added nothing.

Besides that, the first series was trying to imitate the manga, while the second made it quite obvious that it wasn't going to bother with that. Therefor, I reason that the first series failed in a goal it attempted, but the second was trying for something else, so the criterion doesn't apply.
Back to top
View user's profile Send private message Send e-mail My Anime My Manga
braves



Joined: 29 Dec 2007
Posts: 2309
Location: Puerto Rico (but living in Texas)
PostPosted: Fri Sep 26, 2008 2:13 pm Reply with quote
classicalzawa wrote:
Its page 71, there's a link to it in the first post.


Same here, though I only did my top 4.
Back to top
View user's profile Send private message Visit poster's website My Anime My Manga
CrispyCritter



Joined: 26 Sep 2008
Posts: 12
PostPosted: Sat Sep 27, 2008 12:25 pm Reply with quote
I've appreciated this thread over the past few months - I think I eventually read all of it! I'm new to anime; except for scattered Ghost in the Shell episodes I hadn't seen any until this past year, and now I'm trying to make up for it. Here's my "payback" for all the help this thread's been to me.


1. Elfen Lied: A main attractive feature of anime is that the creators get to invent a world in which the conflicts they are interested in can be deeply explored. Unlike most of the other anime on this list, Elfen Lied explores these conflicts via emotional contrasts rather than intellectual contrasts. Looking back at it, I'm amazed at the range of emotional responses I had (it was interesting ranking scenes by which had the biggest emotional impact on me), all without feeling overly manipulated. A very sweet horror story, filled with beauty, innocence, and incredible violence.

2. Serial Experiments Lain: A very thought-provoking look at what the nature of reality is in the modern world where we no longer have the ground truth of our own senses, and where the shadows of the real objects in the virtual world may contain as much or more information than we can perceive the real object itself has. It's also amazing how the stylized simplistic animation can convey as much emotion as it does.

3. Neon Genesis Evangelion: I can understand why it's controversial, but I think this remains a masterpiece in psychological and philosophical explorations. I just wish I didn't empathize as much with so many messed-up characters! (true for several of the animes here.)

4. Ghost in the Shell (all versions): More intriguing looks at the boundaries of man and machine, virtual and real worlds. They feature conversations and interactions between adults, not children or teens. They can be appreciated for both the pseudo-realistic action and the philosophical insights.

5. Monster: (I downloaded it solely on the basis of the comments and rankings in this thread - people who liked the anime I liked, liked Monster. Thanks! (Though it is my only fansub so far, and I'm feeling quite conflicted about that.)) Great story, great characters throughout, both major and minor, although it is somewhat disconcerting to get to understand Johan even a bit. It maintains a high level of intensity throughout 74 episodes.

6. Gunslinger Girls: The strength is the character studies. The girls are all quite different while still sharing the same purposes and conditioning. But the characters with internal conflicts are the handlers (and us) who find it very difficult to interact with the single purpose girls, and the horrible, but attractive, things that have been done to them. A great last episode - I'm not sure I want to see any sequels.

7. Witch Hunter Robin: A nice world of "grays" with adult-style minimal conversation. Sort of the antithesis of Shinji in Evangelion: as Robin begins to see more clearly and moves from her black and white world to the world of gray uncertainty during the "witch-hunt of the week" episodes, we hear almost nothing of her growing internal conflicts and doubts; we just have to infer them from her actions and our reactions. Refreshing! And it's certainly one of the more nonverbal, nonphysical romances around. Seems to be strongly influenced by the TV series La Femme Nikita (a personal favorite).

8. Noir: Another somewhat slow moving. moody anime (I just wish they hadn't established moods via flashbacks quite as much.) Quite stylish with very nice music. Again, emotions and relationships are implied non-verbally; it's nice to be treated as a thinking viewer rather than have everything spelled out.


Honorable Mention:
Cowboy Bepop: Good episodes and characters, great music, but the overall plot and theme are like the music - improvisational. The characters don't develop as much as they just heal, while they take refuge from life by living aboard the Bepop.

Texhnolyze: Likely to be a top 10, but it took me two weeks after seeing it before I decided what it all meant, so I need to see it a second time! Definitely has a plot, but the themes dictate what gets seen by the viewer as much as the plot does, so figuring out the themes is important. Very dark and moody, with a complete examination of its themes on so many levels spoiler[Evolution and how its required deaths are faced by: parts of bodies, thoughts, a person, a family, several variants of organizations, city, human race]

FLCL: Weird. Won't ever be a top 10, but I bet I re-watch it more often than many of my top 10, especially when I'm in the mood for zaniness with some depth.

Paranoia Agent: Intellectually, I'm not really sure why I don't consider this a top10 anime for me. Good dark themes, well explored. Perhaps I need stronger character linkage between episodes, but that contradicts the theme of Paranoia Agent.

Boogiepop Phantom: This has possible potential of being a top10, but I made the mistake of watching it before seeing "Boogiepop and others" or reading Wikipedia, and was very unsuccessful at keeping the main characters straight. A dark look at some of the horrors of high school life; very well done in an unconventional presentation (I may have to construct a time-line the next time I watch it!)


5 Rejected Anime Series:

I haven't seen enough bad anime to have a 5 worst anime list; I'm still trying to skim the top of the cream of the psychological/reflective category in my purchases (any obvious "serious must-sees" I've missed?). What I can list is series on TV that I gave a good shot to and gave up on. Most TV anime doesn't appeal to me enough to even start watching.

Bleach: saw about 20 episodes and it was clear it was going to continue with growth in character power and not growth in character.

DeathNote: saw a dozen episodes in the middle. It had great potential, but then turned into a chess match between characters rather than a conflict of ideas or philosophies, either within Light or between Light and others. I came back for the last couple of episodes, and it really didn't look like I missed anything.

Inuyasha:
.hack:
Gurren Lagann: Just not much there for me for any of them. I'm not their target audience. I object much more to DeathNote than I do to these. I'm much more DeathNote's target, but it failed in what it was trying to do, IMO.
Back to top
View user's profile Send private message
TheTheory



Joined: 23 Mar 2008
Posts: 1029
Location: Central PA
PostPosted: Sat Sep 27, 2008 1:19 pm Reply with quote
a brief, probably-going-to-be-inaccurate-by-tomorrow list for me.

01. Elfen Lied- Not the first anime I watched by any stretch of the imagination, but the first to be so graphic. I was engaged from the get-go, and the show kept me engaged through the whole thing.

02. Howl's Moving Castle- I love Hayo Miyazaki, and for this this is the epitome of what I love from him. This movie's plot isn't amazing, but the way he brings characters to life is just fantastic.

03. Bleach- I wanted this to be lower on the list, but I wanted to be honest. Despite a slow (but necessary) first season, by the time you get to Soul Society the show really starts clicking. I started watching this only because a random friend declared it better than Naruto, but danged if I'm hard pressed to disagree with him. I'll be the first to admit that the show is flawed in a lot of ways... but that is why this isn't a list of the top 10 Bestest Animes Ever From An Impartial, Critical Mindset.

04. Cromartie High School- This is absurd and slightly surreal Monty Python-esque humor. Gets as close to sketch comedy as the animated form allows. Episodes tend to stand on their own, but will also play off of prior jokes. The seriousness of the characters is really what allows this anime to succeed.

05. Spirited Away- This is what really made me love anime. Miyazaki reached deep into my heart for this one. It (along with the previously listed Howl's Moving Castle) does a great job of presenting antagonists who feel like real people: flawed, but we also get to see the good sides of them as well.

06. Death Note- It probably won't take too long for this one to drop off the list completely, but the chess-match nature of this series really appeals to me. This would have potential to be perfect, except for the realization that the writers are much dumber than their characters... thus creating some skewed logic. (Not to say that the writers are dumb... but as presented, Light and L and Near are pretty much the smartest people on Earth).

07. ef - a tale of memories- I have a love of the romance anime, even though I'm a guy. I'd take a romance title over a mecha title in a heartbeat. This is perhaps one of the most beautiful-looking animes ever. The story is touching and the characters good (without ever being amazing). Everything holds together nicely.

08. Black Blood Brothers- It will be interesting to see how time treats this one... either it will drop drastically, or it could stay in the top. Anyway, a vampire story that actually feels focused less on "OMG we've got vampires!" and more on the characters and who they are apart from their fangs. Also has the scene that I've laughed the hardest at in any anime, ever.

09. Perfect Blue- I am on a quest to find the best horror-related anime ever. Because I feel like anime should do a better job of horror than they have to date. If you make interesting and believable characters it shouldn't matter that the medium is drawn and not filmed. As such, Perfect Blue comes as close to capturing what I envision as anything that I've seen.

10. Naruto- I was tempted to leave this off the list, but I wasn't swimming in options that I felt had to be on here, plus Naruto is so instrumental in developing my taste in anime that, really, it deserves its spot. During the canon material it is fantastic... during the brutal filler seasons, well, it is as bad as it gets. Still, without Naruto I probably would not have regotten into anime.

Won't do honorable mentions, but there are some titles that I am either in the middle of now, or which are still being produced, that will probably bump a lot of the above off when I finish them: Soul Eater, Paranoia Agent, Fullmetal Alchemist, and Kino's Journey, just to name a few.

My Least Favorites:
Zaion: Wish You Were Here- Acquired due to being cheap on ebay, but there is a reason it is cheap on ebay. Brutal. Kind of a romantic-mecha, only without a coherent plot or interesting characters.

Voices of a Distant Star- I don't get these shorter OVAs which have a good thing going, only to leave the viewer hanging at the end. I want a real conclusion, goshdarnit.

Steamboy- Horrid plot, and completely lifeless characters. Enough said.

Neon Genesis Evangelion- Yup, I'm a hater. I saw it when I was around 18 and it really jived with me. However, when I picked it up at the age of 23 I realized how wretched and uninteresting this show really is.

Akira- Yup, another anime holy grail that is despised by me. Pacing feels all wrong, characters either boring or repulsive, and the ending totally wusses out. It is one of those movies I say all anime fans should see once, due to how groundbreaking it was... but at the same time I argue they should form their own opinions and not feel the need to idolize it.
Back to top
View user's profile Send private message Send e-mail Visit poster's website My Anime My Manga
spoon89



Joined: 07 Mar 2008
Posts: 45
PostPosted: Fri Oct 03, 2008 10:24 am Reply with quote
TOP 10 BEST
1. Code Geass/R2: impressive anime, that gives the ability to think, it is a definite stress reliever, the kind of mecha, a good dictionary, an anime of logic and excitement, and would definitely stun u with surprise at the end.
2. Gurren Lagann: Awesome action packed and exciting anime, definitely worth watching and not a waste of time at all, this is without a doubt an astonishingly unique anime.
3. Bleach: Nice action packed anime, and is definitely a must for all those who love the occasionally beat em up kinda animes.
4. Blood +: Seriously nice, and entertaining, it is absolutely not disgusting and does everything in accordance.
5. Claymore: This anime definitely rules, and i cant decide whether to put this as my 3rd most favorite.
6. D. Gray-Man: Awesome, action packed and definitely worth everyones time.
7. School Rumble: The king of all comedies is all i can say for this one.
8. Naruto/Shippuuden: Nice anime, and definitely worth it
9. Soul Eater: Nice and uniquely done anime
10. Fate Stay Night

Top 5 Worst
1. Neon Genesis Evangellion: this anime bears a good storyline in my opinion but there is a limit to how disgusting and gore it could get.
2. Shuffle Memories: this was pointless, it was just a recap of a nice harem anime and was definitely made in order to gain the production more bucks.
3. Kanazuki no Miko: definitely awesome when it comes to pissing off people who want to watch an actual Yuri that does not involve weak ass people.
4. Touka Gettan : i always end up falling asleep when i try to watch this o_O
Back to top
View user's profile Send private message
Olliff



Joined: 28 Feb 2008
Posts: 550
PostPosted: Fri Oct 03, 2008 2:16 pm Reply with quote
CrispyCritter wrote:

Gurren Lagann: Just not much there for me for any of them. I'm not their target audience. I object much more to DeathNote than I do to these. I'm much more DeathNote's target, but it failed in what it was trying to do, IMO.


Just curious how is target audience for these two shows substantially different? I believe they are both shounens. There are differences. Death Note is quite a bit darker and Gurren Lagann has a lot more more fanservice. However, I believe the target audience is fairly similar unless you are talking about the differences in genres.
Back to top
View user's profile Send private message
doctordoom85



Joined: 12 Jun 2008
Posts: 2091
PostPosted: Fri Oct 03, 2008 9:27 pm Reply with quote
Top 10 best:

1. Cowboy Bebop. Anime Insider put it perfectly, it's the anime where everything is done well. The characters are interesting and well-developed over time, the writing is sharp, the themes are slowly built on, the music is the best in anime IMHO, and the ending is my favorite fictional series' ending of all time. Maybe one day it will drop to #2 in my list, but it'd take one heck of a series to pull that off.

2. Fullmetal Alchemist. Bones is my favorite anime studio, and this is their magnus opus as far as I'm concerned. Ironically, it does follow some of the typical shonen patterns, but takes them in very different directions. The story and character development is extremely well-done, great animation, the music is tied with #2 along with FLCL and Eureka Seven, and personally, there are only a few complaints I had with the movie ending, and they're all very minor. To top it off, the original manga is my personal favorite manga, and it was this series (and to a slightly lesser extent, Naruto) that made me start looking into anime again instead of remembering it as "those shows that came on Toonami a few years ago".

3. Neon Genesis Evangelion. I watched Evangelion before hearing all the hype and controversy about it. As such, I generally can't relate to the complaints aimed at it. I thought the final two episodes were pretty easy to understand, and the movie wrapped up any remaining subplots/questions I had. Shinji did not irritate me, he came across as someone who had been given far too much responsibilty with little preparation, and I can relate to feeling insecure and isolated at that age (which irks me about all the "emo" labelers. Teenage life wasn't fun for all of us, you know). The characters and story are very engaging and intriguing. I respect that's it not everyone's cup of tea, but I do think that some of the show's vocal opponents can go overboard.

4. FLCL. Now, I'm not trying to brag, but this was another series where I was confused about what was supposed to be so confusing. After watching it all together for the first time, the only subplot I was confused on was the "iron company" (can't remember name) and its intentions. Everything else was incredible. Haruko was hilarious and unpredictable, Naota was very well-developed considering it was only 6 episodes long, and on the second watch I realized how many layers Mamimi had to her. Add in hilarious humor, incredible animation, and a wonderful soundtrack, and you've got something that will be fondly remembered for a long time.

5. Tengen Toppa Gurren Lagann. Generally, I've never been into the mecha genre as much as some of my friends. Sure, Evangelion was incredible, I enjoyed Eureka Seven for the animation/music/characters/love story, and I did enjoy Gundam Seed after my friend finally convinced me to watch it (might try Wing next year). However, I always felt all mecha was too consistent in being generally downbeat, or at the very least, overall serious. Couldn't it just be.....FUN once in a while? Enter this series, which threw logic out the window, thrived on the "rule of cool", and even somehow spoiler[offed the 2nd main character in the EIGHTH episode in an incredible and satisfying way]. Even the freakin' recap episodes are awesome. Add in great animation, a story that slowly develops into something grand, and an incredible soundtrack, and it's no wonder the vast popularity this series has gotten.

6. The Melancholy of Haruhi Suzumiya. Generally, shows like this don't rank too highly on my lists (not saying I don't enjoy them, but shows with mostly realistic situations with some fantasy/sci-fi elements thrown in generally don't impress me as much, I'm too much of a adventure-obsessed geek). But this show took me by surprise. Kyon's hilarious commentary on his daily life was the addicting point, and things only got better from there. Haruhi walked the line in terms of being someone unlikable, but the explanation for her behavior was sensible and she slowly matured as the series progressed. The other characters were interesting and fun, the animation was great, and the story and writing would often catch me off guard (spoiler[best example: "I'm going to have to kill you now". Kyon: "....what?"]). Makes me very excited to read the first novel when it comes out officially next year.

7. Samurai Champloo. I'm a huge fan of "journey" stories, with characters traveling wherever the road takes them. It's often a big drawing point to me for certain series (One Piece probably being the best example). This series captured that perfectly. Unlike Bebop, a lot of the episodes had exclusive themes that didn't affect the overall story, but the characters were so engaging and the writing so excellent that it didn't matter (zombie episode aside, the one episode I didn't like), plus given that they were on a journey I saw it as showing all the places and people they met along the way ("getting there is half the fun", after all). Mugen was an excellent way to do an anti-hero (a character type I usually don't care for), Jin was serious but could often be humorous or sympathetic, and Fuu was quite humorous. The series had some incrediblely choreographed swordfights (the fight against Kariya is probably one of the few moments in fiction where I've been insanely nervous, other examples being Mustang/Havoc vs. Lust in the FMA manga and the final battle in Serenity), superb animation, and is another strong entry in Watanabe's accomplishments. I remember someone complaining about how long it takes him to do something new. Hey, if the next series is just as good, it'll be worth the wait!

8. Noein: To Your Other Self. I probably wouldn't have got around to this series if it hadn't been for the very reasonable price tag. A compelling story that slowly develops and takes the "alternate future/dimension" and successfully combines it with teenage life by showing them their fears and concerns for their uncertainty of what lies ahead of them in their lives. Also deserves props for having spoiler[Atori go from one of my least favorite characters to one of my favorites]. Excellent ending as well, no complaints there.

9. Eureka Seven. Takes so many elements and blends them in successfully: mecha, romance, adventure, war, slice-of-life, etc. Renton and Eureka's slowly-building relationship is probably one of the few anime relationships I've enjoyed watching (probably because it didn't feel like an afterthought). The supporting cast is great as well, the animation is great, and the music is incredible. It's not a perfect series (Renton could occasionally be a little TOO whiny, but he usually snaps out of it eventually after getting a better handle of the situation, and some earlier episodes felt a little too slow), but its strengths more than make up for its few weaknesses.

10. One Piece. Oda has accomplished something very few mangaka have done. We are past chapter 500, the series is clearly only past the halfway point, and very few people are complaining. One Piece is a series that truly evolves into something more epic and incredible with each passing arc, turning the overall world into a vast adventure that keeps us invested and eager to see what lays on the horizon. It's only fault is the fact that the anime has to slow down in a few arcs (Alabasta, for example) to avoid catching up with the manga, but add in engaging characters and stories, brilliant humor, great animation for a long-running series' standard, and filler arcs that are actually GOOD, and you've got a series that I'll keep watching no matter how long it lasts.

Honorable mentions: Beck:Mongolian Chop Squad, Death Note, Hunter x Hunter, Fantastic Children, Gintama, Naruto, School Rumble, Gundam Seed, Tweeny Witches, Miyazaki movies (don't like mixing movies with series in lists)

No bottom 5, because A) I've only watched one anime I feel worthy of total flaming (Dragonball GT), B) this list is long enough, and C) I can be brutal in ripping series apart, so I'll just leave well enough alone.
Back to top
View user's profile Send private message
ArtisticOtaku



Joined: 04 Oct 2008
Posts: 4
PostPosted: Sat Oct 04, 2008 8:14 pm Reply with quote
I didn't really watch enough series to have a top ten, so here are my top five:

1. Haibane Renmei: This anime became my favorite before I was even half done with it. Everything about this series immediately appealed to me: the animation style, music, plot and especially the characters. Rakka and Reki are given an incredible amount of depth and character development despite the short length of the series. None of the characters felt clichéd or sterotypical and allowed the viewer to sympathize with them. The ending remains one that left me satisfied, while feeling that it was bittersweet at the same time.

2. Elfen Lied: I disagree with the people who claim that this series is all about the blood and nudity. Yes, there are copious amounts of both, but no, that is not all that there is to this series. All of the characters are put through hell by the time the series comes to an end, especially Lucy. She is given plausible reasons for her violent and hateful behavior, and while you may not agree with them, you certainly must see her reasons for doing so. The series does an excellent job of showing how dark and twisted human nature can really be. The music and animation are also important aspects of this anime. The backrounds are incredibly detailed and colorful, and the opening has some very nice animated art from Klimt. The OP Lilium is used in several variations throughout the series and is perfect for the scenes they are featured in.

3. The Melancholy of Haruhi Suzumiya: I watched this show without any prior knowledge of it whatsoever. What started out as what I thought was a typical school life/comedy show turned into so much more. The sci-fi elements completely threw me off guard at first, but where incorporated in a way that made sense. Despite this, the characters were my favorite part of the show. Between Kyon's hilarious commentary, Haruhi's antics, and the rest of the S.O.S Brigade, every epsode managed to make me laugh. I disliked Haruhi at first, but by the end she had matured and became my favorite character.

4. Aria: The episodic nature of this series prevented me from watching it until I heard great reviews about it and decided to give it a try. The show does have a slow pacing, which may be boring to some people. However, this show is perfect for fans of peaceful, slice-of-life anime. Everything about this show is relaxing. The slow opening is one I never got tired of listening to, and the insert music is soothing as well. The characters are incredibly diverse and surprisingly funny, and each charater has a distinct personality that sets them apart. The animation uses nice colors and the detailed shots of Aqua were great.

5. Higurashi no Naku Koro ni: The plot of this series is what made me put it in my favorites list. The way each arc was structured was something I never saw in an anime series before. Instead of giving it a disjointed feel, each arc ties in with the others to solve the mystery of Hinamizawa. The way the story is presented gives viewers the opportunity to decide what was true and what wasn't. The voice acting for this series was great, showing an incredible amount of versatility. The OP fit the mood of the show perfectly. The only fault I saw was the animation. The emo facial distortions don't seem to fit at certain times and are extremely exaggerated.

I'll probably post my bottom five later.
Back to top
View user's profile Send private message
Metal Superman



Joined: 10 Oct 2008
Posts: 18
PostPosted: Fri Oct 10, 2008 3:50 am Reply with quote
Top 10 Best

1) Eureka seveN
It has been a longtime favorite of mine, which I can’t seem to stop rewatching. I have seen it at least a dozen times or more. Mech has never quite been my genre preference, but even so, this anime blew me out of the water. Its visuals are absolutely stunning, the story itself is brilliantly written. I haven’t seen an anime executed so well in ages, and this one does it with flying colors.

2) Higurashi no Naku Koro ni
I have to be honest; this anime threw me a curveball at first. It’s easy to mistake the series for a slice-of-life bit, but it’s actually much more than that. I loved the suspense the first series carried with it, along with the fact that it was shrouded in mystery. After the fog lifted, it wasn’t quite as entertaining, but that’s alright with me. The first season is still amazing.

3) Neon Genesis Evangelion
Okay, so this one’s a bit obvious as to why it’s my favorite…

4) 5 Centimeters per Second
This story is a little bit more near and dear to my heart, because it’s almost like the anime is portraying a good portion of my life. However, our stories differ in the sense that the girl that I loved came back after high school and we attempted to hook up, but the sparks ended up fading away after about five months.

5) True Tears
Not every anime needs a longwinded explanation as to why it’s a favorite. It’s simple, I liked the story. I might not have cared for the ending that well, but it was a good story while it lasted.

6) Death Note
You can ask any bloke off the street and I’m sure the answer would be pretty much the same…

7) Cowboy Bebop
I loved the realistic depiction of the world as it would be in the future. It’s kind of cool to think about. Not to mention the characters were amazing.

8) Hajime no Ippo
While it might not have had the best storyline, the portrayal of boxing peeked my interested. I got into kickboxing not too long after finishing the series.

9) Detective Conan
Murder Mystery… can you say AWESOME?! I’m always up for a good mystery.

10) Elfen Lied
It has a twisted tale of love and an unwavering fixation on blood and violence. I thought it had an interesting and unique story, although the ending was obviously way too open ended.

Top 5 Worst

1) Baki the Grappler
After putting myself through 15 episodes of this series, I decided to put it to rest. It wasn’t interesting, whatsoever. I hated the story and the characters alike.

2) SD Gundam Force
Do I even need to explain why this is the worst?

3) Okusama wa Joshikousei
It had a ridiculous plot. The characters were totally unrealistic.

4) Hamtaro
Too kiddy for me.

5) Busou Renkin
I thought the comedy was rather misplaced and that’s probably why I couldn’t get into it.
Back to top
View user's profile Send private message
CrispyCritter



Joined: 26 Sep 2008
Posts: 12
PostPosted: Mon Oct 13, 2008 12:41 pm Reply with quote
Olliff wrote:
CrispyCritter wrote:

Gurren Lagann: Just not much there for me for any of them. I'm not their target audience. I object much more to DeathNote than I do to these. I'm much more DeathNote's target, but it failed in what it was trying to do, IMO.


Just curious how is target audience for these two shows substantially different? I believe they are both shounens. There are differences. Death Note is quite a bit darker and Gurren Lagann has a lot more more fanservice. However, I believe the target audience is fairly similar unless you are talking about the differences in genres.

Yes, they are both shounen, but they really are meant to viewed in fundamentally different ways, with viewers getting very different things out of them.

Gurren Lagann is an energetic, action filled (sf) fantasy where anything can happen next. There's little effort spent on being realistic or presenting a consistent world, and that's fine. The viewer is just going along for a wild ride with enjoyable characters, waiting to admire whatever over-the-top mecha or city or new plot line will come next. It doesn't engage the intellect and is a much more passive viewing style.

DeathNote, on the other hand, requires a much more intellectually active viewer. It's a much more constrained, rule-bound world. When a new fact comes along, the viewer is supposed to figure out how that fits in with everything they've see in the series so far, and how the other characters will react to this new info. The intellectual chess match is the focus. (What I object to in DeathNote, is that great anime that engages the intellect will do so on multiple levels, and DeathNote had those possibilities. But alas, it ended up focusing only on engaging the viewer on the plot level, and not the theme levels.)

Can a single viewer enjoy both animes? Of course! But there are substantial number of viewers who just want to go along for the ride of GL, and another set (including me) who can't watch GL without trying to think about the world in ways it is not meant to be thought about (eg, what is the technology level, and how does the infrastructure support both that level, and the style of warfare being presented (it doesn't)). GL simply isn't targeted toward that set of viewers.
Back to top
View user's profile Send private message
Display posts from previous:   
Reply to topic    Anime News Network Forum Index -> General -> Anime All times are GMT - 5 Hours
Goto page Previous    Next
Page 80 of 122

 


Powered by phpBB © 2001, 2005 phpBB Group