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The Human Spider



Joined: 19 Jan 2007
Posts: 334
PostPosted: Sun Feb 18, 2007 10:31 am Reply with quote
1. GALAXY ANGEL(all original cast series) - I love humor that's weird, stupid, absurd and ridiculous and nothing I've seen tops GA in all four catagories. The fact that it looks like some kind of show for little girls just makes it look weirder, stupider, and more ridiculous and absurd. And it has one of my favorite anime casts, the most outstanding being Mint(especially when her evil, and cotume-freak sides come out) and Milfeulle(I have to "admire" a character who when given three wishes, uses one of those wishes to spoiler[become ice cream].

2. OVERMAN KING GAINER - I can't point out any specific great thing in the show--I was just blown away by how much fun I had watching it. It was one of those things where I just enjoyed it on a pure, gut-level that defies analysis.

3. PING PONG CLUB - The lowest-of-the-lowbrow in humor; the level of it's mentality isn't merely Neandrathal, it's primordial slime, and that's why I love it. Maeno and Izawa are one of the best comedy teams in anime, kind of like a smarter, but more perverted version of Beavis and Butthead.

4. KAMICHU! Nowdays the general trend in entertainment seems, to me, to be toward "edginess", and "darkness", or the ironic treatment of anything not considered hip or "edgy" , which is why I found this show's naiveity, child-like sense of wonder, and easy-going lack of sophistication so refreshing. It's a great example of the horror writer H.P. Lovecraft's description of a "true fantaisiste" as a "child in a child's world of dream."

5. ZETA GUNDAM movie trilogy -- I could have filled half the list with Gundam shows, but I chose Zeta to represent Gundam as a whole because I thought it was the most balanced as it had many of my favorite characters and mobile suits in the franchise. I actually thought the tv series was better as a show: one of the biggest problems I had with the Zeta movies(and the original movie trilogy) was that the U.C. Gundam series always had some of the most likeable enemy characters in any kind of show, but in the movie versions they come across a more generic bad guys because their scenes are cut so much(this is especially true of Buran and Lila in ZETA) and while I haven't seen the last movie I don't like what I heard of the ending spoiler[as a fan of Gundam bad-guys I prefer Axis' default win at the end of ZETA.] The main reason I chose the movies over the tv shows is I'm a fan of Gunpla and MSIA even more than I am a fan of the shows themselves, and if it wasn't for the movies I would probably have had to wait a lot longer for Gunpla and MSIA of stuff like the Palace Athene, Gabthley, Baund Doc, and Gabaldy B.

6. NINJA NONSENSE - How can you not love a show that portrays the typical life of a ninja as pretty much lounging around looking at dirty magazines and talking about dating girls that they will never have a chance with. All the charcters are cute and entertaining, especially the crazy and perverted Onsokumaru--I'm never bored when he's on screen. And thong gags are ALWAYS funny.

7. COLORFUL - I admire a show that knows excactly what it's about: panty-shots on demand and without apology. It's so single-mindedly mindless that it approaches a sort of post-post-modern genius.

8. MIDORI - I came across this show by accident just this past week. I would give it a place on this list simply for being a Suehiro Maruo adaption(of MR. ARASHI'S AMAZING FREAK SHOW) but it really is an excellent movie. Some people might have problems with the minimal animation, in fact I'd say the majority of the film is still shots but the look is very beautiful and I think the minimal animation fits the fairy-tale-like feel of the show as does the old fashioned art-style look of the characters(which is a very good copy of Maruo's art though the backgrounds are more stylized--they reminded me of REQUIEM OF DARKNESS's backgrounds, but not so oddly angled) especially the title-character who looks like she could have come from an old Japanese childrens' book. But this being Maruo there's also some gore and grotesque sex but not so much and so "extreme" as I've seen in some of his other works(though I haven't seen much, there needs to be more Maruo available in English.) The film also manages to duplicate the surreal dream-nightmarish feel of Maruo very well. Unfortunately from what I've read of MIDORI on this site's encyclopedia, it looks like this film might never get liscensed. I had to watch it raw but could more-or-less follow it since I've read the graphic novel.

9. CROMARTIE HIGH SCHOOL - I love the low-key rambling feel of the show, with its almost MONTY-PYTHON-like sense of absurdity. Robots, gorillas, a Freddie Mercury lookalike...why couldn't my high school have been like that.

10. PARANOIA AGENT - Great mix of mystery, horror, black humor, and just plain weirdness. The characters were all very psychologically interesting and accurate. I'll forgive almost any crap Adult Swim puts on because it introduced me to this show.
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Torhu_San



Joined: 02 Jan 2007
Posts: 133
Location: Upstate Ny
PostPosted: Mon Feb 19, 2007 10:39 am Reply with quote
Ok, here are my five favorite. Although I am not sure I can give explainations for all of them other than the standard "they were entertaining and had good art and character development, and plot lines" I mean, when it comes down to it, an overwhelming majority of people give the same reasons written differently for the titles that they chose. But mainly it comes down to I enjoyed it very much because I was entertained (whether it be by laughing, crying, or on the edge of your seat suspense.) Sometimes you can't quite explain why you love something, you only know that you do. I feel that way a lot of times with anime and manga.

5 most favorite:

1. Sailor Moon. "I loved the character development (although it was much deeper in the manga). The story lines were good although they varied greatly from the manga, making both series enjoyable."

2. Cowboy Bebop. "Who couldn't like this title. Great stories, that could be enjoyed as a single episode or as an entire series. The characters interact beautifuly too. The music was pretty great too."

3. The Vision of Escaflowne "Again, this title has a great story behind it. The characters are funny and keep wondering how it will end until the very end."

4. Trigun. "I like this one so much for it's comedy. I find myself laughing out loud at least once an episode. That's pretty much it on that one. I like the story and the characters, but it's the comedy that sells it for me."

5. The Princess Nine. "It's a good story, but if nothing else, it's about baseball, and that will always be a winner in my book. I kept wondering if the characters would come together or not and how it would end. My only compaint was that there wasn't a second or third season to it."

Honorable Mention : Lupin III (both movies and series) "It is well written and keeps you entertained. But if nothing else....gotta love it for Lupin's voice in Japanese. Smile"

Gatchaman & Voltron "If nothing else, because I watched these series as a kid and they will always have a special place in my heart."

Least Favorite 5

1. Ai Yori Aoshi. "I wasn't too much a fan of the story, and I felt that the anime was rushed in some way. I guess sometimes you just need more episodes."

2. Wedding Peach. "I made the mistake of picking this up because I am such a huge Sailor Moon fan. Most reviews that that you will love it if you are a Sailor Moon fan. The story was weak (more so than the manga) and the art wasn't very good. Luckily my 6 year old niece saw it and loved it, so I pawned my DVD's off on her. hahaha"

3. Speed Racer. "I will admit, that I have only seen the English version, so my opinion might be different if I had seen the uncut original, but it just got on my nerves. Although I will admit that I did like the old school animation. I just think that they drew out certian aspects of the plot." Although I do like chim-chim

I can't really think of any others that I really dislike, so I guess this is my 3 least favorite. Although I will admit that I am a much bigger Manga fan than Anime, so the number of titles I have to draw from is limited.

Ps: One anime I would like to see, and can't wait for it to be released in America is Sugar Sugar Rune. Just adore the Manga. So cute and had good characters. Smile


Last edited by Torhu_San on Wed Mar 21, 2007 9:09 am; edited 1 time in total
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Isikari



Joined: 23 Feb 2007
Posts: 118
PostPosted: Fri Feb 23, 2007 3:05 am Reply with quote
Favorites:

1) Death Note - I started watching this two days ago and am hooked. An intellectual anime which manages to cram a lot of dialogue and character development into a relatively short time-frame without bogging the viewer down or ruining the suspense.

2) Scrapped Princess - This will never drop off my top five, simply because Episode 1 of this show was my introduction to anime. Based off that one episode I bought the series online and re-watch it once a year. Superb sci-fi/fantasy combo, action as well as character development and of course, huge robots.

3) Trigun - Hilarious. The weirdest western you will ever see, a wacky combination of a lone marksman, an incredibly sci-fi plot, and zany humor throughout the show. Definitely one of my all-time favorites.

4) Rurouni Kenshin - Why did this not make more people's top five (Those of you who made top 10 lists, you have no excuse!). Also one of my earlier anime excursions, it was and still is the best samurai (Ronin for the true nit-pickers) anime in my opinion. Humor, deep characters, a great plot, and even a bit of romance thrown in the mix. Incredible.

5) Naruto - I am ecstatic since Naruto Shippuuden released (Just watched episode 003!), finally the fillers are done. I've seen a lot of criticism and acclaim for this particular show, but for me the decision is easy since it combines my favorite elements in a show. Ninja (Who, everyone agrees, can beat pirates any day of the week), humor, characters with a lot of background (With 200+ episodes how can they not?), and a pretty good storyline.

And I just realized that I didn't leave room for FullMetal Alchemist. I can't bring myself to take anything off, but FMA definitely gets an honorable mention, I am SO buying the boxed set when it comes out, great fantasy / magic anime with a great storyline, and, of course, humor.

Anime I Really Despise - None. Now, this is mainl if I don't like a show from the first episode, I just stop watching. I haven't watched all that much anime (The six shows above are around a third to half of everythig I've seen), which also leads me to this conclusion.

Honorable Mention: I want to despise DBZ, but its hard. To me, DBZ was exactly the same as Diablo II. It was great until you realized you'd played it for 50 hours more than you ever wanted and quit immediately.

~ Isikari
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Kidder



Joined: 15 May 2006
Posts: 188
Location: Bat country! >.<
PostPosted: Tue Feb 27, 2007 10:14 am Reply with quote
Isikari wrote:

And I just realized that I didn't leave room for FullMetal Alchemist. I can't bring myself to take anything off, but FMA definitely gets an honorable mention, I am SO buying the boxed set when it comes out, great fantasy / magic anime with a great storyline, and, of course, humor.


lol you probably didn't notice that the subject of this thread is 10 favorite and 5 least favorite anime?
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Senshi Mizaka



Joined: 22 Apr 2005
Posts: 45
PostPosted: Tue Feb 27, 2007 9:02 pm Reply with quote
My top 3 least favorite animes:


3. Dragonball Z: Sure, this was a really entertaining show back when I was still in middle school. But in retrospect, it's easy to notice how flawed this anime was. The main reason I don't like it is how the fights get dragged for 30 episodes, maybe even longer, which gets boring and dry in the long run.

2. Negima: This is one example of a bad adaptation of a great manga. At first it seemed promising, and it would be faithful to the original story, but alot of important details were missing in the story. And to top it all off, the bright colors seemed distracting.

1. Eyeshield 21: Another instance where the anime fails to its manga counterpart. The character designs looked off-model all the time, and the animation is choppy at times. But, my main argument with the anime is the censorship (Changing Apollo's racism towards Panther).
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Meyham



Joined: 05 Feb 2007
Posts: 14
Location: Pennsylvania, USA
PostPosted: Thu Mar 01, 2007 1:10 pm Reply with quote
Favorites:
Full Metal Alchemist The only series I've watched twice because it was THAT good. Great dubbing (VIC!!!) and excellent music (NANA KITADE!!!). Music could rival Kenshin, which is also good, but I've only seen one episode.....five years ago.
The Melancholy of Haruhi Suzumiya Best animation ever. So detailed, funny, and DEEP. Great voices and music. Catchy dance.
Eureka Seven Another great mecha from BONES. Great dubbing and animation. Good plot line.
Azumanga Daioh FUNNY. ADDICTIVE. Best in Japanese version. Best 'slice-of-life' I know.
Naruto Good dubbing, catchy theme song. Intricate plotline.
Ties for 6th place: Bleach (animation okay, love Orange Range), FLCL (Best WTF?! anime, great ending song), Loveless (Best shounen-ai, lovely theme song, lovely animation), Scrapped Princess (Cool steam-punk, kinda long though...., and Inuyasha Classic anime, even if it is like a million episodes long, some great music, good dubbing)

Worst:
Any anime with monsters sealed in cards or red and white tennis balls, anthing slaughtered by 4Kids (Tokyo Mew Mew.....nooooooo!!!! You killed Ichigo!!!.....and Sailor Moon.......and Card Captor Sakura)
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bonbonsrus



Joined: 15 Oct 2003
Posts: 1537
Location: Michigan, USA
PostPosted: Thu Mar 01, 2007 1:27 pm Reply with quote
I had a really hard time narrowing this down, so I hope I did ok...

Favorites (in no particular order, that would have taken so much thought my brain may have exploded)

Cardcaptor Sakura - this show is just so cute it's irresistable...and who would want to resist anyway? Be swept away by the sweetness of all the characters and enjoy. (Like ~ Sugar: A Little Snow Fairy, Kaleido Star)

Super Gals - This show is as much about superstar gal Ran Kotobuki as it is the rest of the cast. There is just so much to like here it's almost hard to define in a short paragraph...it can appeal to so many different people as it covers so much and it's just a FUN show...I can't watch this without having a smile on my face...and the opening song always makes me wanna parapara dance as well, which I had no idea what that was before this show.

Full Metal Panic - the original was a wonderful blend, combining high school comedy with more serious polital issues and mecha. Fumoffu is high comedy at it best, and from what I have seen of The Second Raid so far, the drama is much higher and it all works in this series...that is so rare to find a show where so many elements can be carried off so well.

Princess Tutu - don't let the name fool you, this show isn't just for kids. The dark fairy tale and strong classical score draw you in and I think I held my breath thru disk 4 of this series...it does a wonderful job drawing you in and caring so much...and hey, who doesn't love the thought of doing battle with ballet? How cool is that?

Loveless - ok, this one is strictly a guilty pleasure perhaps for me. Would it be in top 10 (or 20) recomendations for others from me? Probably not, however it contains so many little kinks of mine (boys/bondage/bandages/blood/BL), I can't resist adding it in my favorite. (Like ~ Sukisho)

His and Her Circumstances - A shoujo romantic comedy at some of it's best. The score carries along a wonderful story full of the prerequisite angst and emotions in a very believable way, you can't help but identify with some of the feelings, even if you can't match the super deformed expressions. This was an excellent sub OR dub in my opinion too. (~For massive shoujo romance see Boys over Flowers, or a romantic comedy for everyone would be Ai Yori Aoshi)

Noir - in the girls with guns category, female assasine don't get better than this. Female empowerment and a great score and a storyline with a slightly dark feel adds up to a wonderful anime. (Like ~ Madlax, Kite)

Marian Successor Nadesico - I am going to say something that some of you will think heretical now...I may have liked this better than Evangelion. Yes, that are very similar, but somehow the comedy spoof was wonderful and still seemed so original to me even though it wasn't. That's gotta get some props...ne? (Like ~ Evangelion)

Death Note - I hesitated to add this as I haven't finished the series, but it has to go here...the tension and drama is wonderful, the plot twist and thrill of watching are very high... (Like ~ Spiral perhaps)

Spirited Away - this is one I can watch over and over and over and over and I never get tired of it, so I guess it goes here. (Like ~ Howl's moving Castle, My Beautiful Girl Mari)

Honorable mentions: (a limit of 10 is so harsh) Elfin Lied, The Place Promised in Our Early Days, Fruits Basket, Now and Then, Here and There, Peacemaker, and Kino's Journey

Least Favorites There are some I have seen in a genre I just don't like, so these, while they may not be the worst animes ever, were to me...

Knights of Ramune - ok, this one really was one of the worst ever...ugh From what I recall this was basically a soft-core hentai with no plot really, no good characters and no good animation. Soft core means no sex either, so there is NO reason for anyone to have to watch left. Skip at all costs.

Lain - this seems to be one some love and some hate, I fall into the latter group. Actually I have always wanted to watch again to see if I could like, but I just can't bring myself to. I had a very hard time staying awake thru the often sparce dialogue and any time I can't stay awake thru an anime generally it end up in my "didn't like" list.

Malice@ Doll - If you didn't read the plot description on the disk, you wouldn't be able to tell by watching the disk what was happening. That can't ever be good in my opinion. Even knowing what was going on didn't help...the characters were very hard to connect with...they were dolls, so therefore no personality, so that doesn't help. I couldn't bring myself to care about what I was watching at all.

Blame- I didn't read the manga which apparently you absolutely need to have knowledge of to understand the "mood" disk you are watching. Very very very sparce in dialogue, and what there is is filtered so as to be undiscipherable...the animation runs from decent at times, to looking like blobs at other times...seems they were trying to set a mood more than tell a story...a dark mood. I had NO idea at ANY point what was going on in this anime. The menu is impossible to figure out what it is either, it's not explained, just click around random stuff till you find what you want. You couldn't try to make something less viewer friendly if you tried.

Texhnolyze - I wanted to like this show, I really did. The animation I thought was very good over-all, and I kept thinking if I watched more I would "get it" but I just never did. Honestly, anything very political in nature loses interest for me, and I think this falls into that catagory to me.

Gundam (in any form...so boring...like Fafner, boring...zzz) OK these are shows that are loved by many, however they fall into a certain genre that doesn't appeal to me much and therefore make my personal list of didn't like. Overly political for my taste with mecha that isn't my taste either (yes, I like some mecha shows, but only if they are much more character driven) The characters I never connected with and so I couldn't I didn't care about what was going on. If I can't care in some way about a show and what happens, why watch?
whoops, my time's up here...


Last edited by bonbonsrus on Sat Mar 03, 2007 9:46 am; edited 4 times in total
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hinamorichan



Joined: 01 Mar 2007
Posts: 1
PostPosted: Thu Mar 01, 2007 5:08 pm Reply with quote
I don't have an order of my favourite animes/most hated animes, so i'll just write down what i can think of.

Favourite Anime:
Chobits It's such a touching anime/manga. At the last episode i was crying so bad and i love the character designs. ^ ^

The Melancholy of Haruhi Suzumiya The thing i love the most about this anime is the songs. Then the Ending theme dance. Drawings are cool, too and the plot is somewhat funny and weird. I cannot explain why.

Ouran High School Host Club Hilarious. Though when i first started watching it, i thought tamaki acted pretty sissy, which was actually funny.

Bleach I just like it for no specific reasons. 1 good thing about it though the fight don't last about 10 episodes or more. But the Bount arc is not that interesting and i would advise not to watch when you feel tired. It made me go to sleep once or twice.

There are more animes i liked, but not as much as the ones above. Vandread's cool and Azumanga Daioh is funny (Osaka!). School Rumble is a good one, too, and .hack//SIGN, but it takes time before something new happens, though the soundtrack is good.

Worst Animes I Have Watched:

Final Fantasy Unlimited I love the games but the anime is bad. It was pretty boring.

.hack//Legend of the Twillight Manga was way better. They seemed more childish in the anime.
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Nagisa
Moderator


Joined: 19 Aug 2003
Posts: 6128
Location: Atlanta-ish, Jawjuh
PostPosted: Thu Mar 01, 2007 6:12 pm Reply with quote
Meyham wrote:
FLCL (Best WTF?! anime,


I'm sure you can go into a bit more detail than that.

Meyham wrote:
Any anime with monsters sealed in cards or red and white tennis balls, anthing slaughtered by 4Kids (Tokyo Mew Mew.....nooooooo!!!! You killed Ichigo!!!.....and Sailor Moon.......and Card Captor Sakura)


Mind telling us why? At all? Seeing as it's a rule?

bonbonsrus wrote:
Knights of Ramune - ok, this one really was one of the worst ever...ugh


Why?

bonbonsrus wrote:
Lain - this seems to be one some love and some hate, I fall into the latter group.


Because?

bonbonsrus wrote:
Malice@ Doll
Blame


...Why?

bonbonsrus wrote:
Texhnolyze (the series, the movie was much better)


...Because?

bonbonsrus wrote:
Gundam (in any form...so boring...


Given the incredibly variety that Gundam has, and the wide, wide range of tastes it's catered to over the years, I can't honestly see this as a fair statement unless you have honestly sat down and watched every single Gundam anime out there. OR, you could specify precisely which of the 20+ Gundam titles earned your ire and come up with a better reason for disliking it than "lol boring."

bonbonsrus wrote:
Fafner, boring...zzz)


Your Least Favorites list is abysmal, you know that, right? Having to explain why you put something in this thread doesn't stop at stuff you like, and given how well you actually explained your favorites, I can't help but be extremely disappointed here.
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Zalis116
Moderator


Joined: 31 Mar 2005
Posts: 6864
Location: Kazune City
PostPosted: Thu Mar 01, 2007 11:37 pm Reply with quote
bonbonsrus wrote:
Texhnolyze (the series, the movie was much better)
Since when did Texhnolyze even have a movie?
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bonbonsrus



Joined: 15 Oct 2003
Posts: 1537
Location: Michigan, USA
PostPosted: Fri Mar 02, 2007 7:52 am Reply with quote
I actually realized late last night I had did that, (when I was nowhere near a comp). I was trying to come up with the name and maybe it's the X had me thinking of RahXephone which I would have put that comment for, but that still wasn't going on the worst ever list.
I suppose it was too much to hope it would go unnoticed until I fixed this morning.
Thanks for paying such close attention Zalis. Embarassed

Nagisa, sorry to have been an "extreme disappointment" to you.
(You have high expectations of me? I am flattered, thank you)
It was simply too much to muster comments for anime I found boring, which I prefaced by saying some of these were simply in a genre not to my liking (and Gundam and Fafner belong in that genre.) These were viewed a long time ago and not watched to write a review on.
I will rethink and edit that later to please you...anything for a fan I guess. Wink

Edit: done! Thank you for making me a better poster Nagisa sensei.


Last edited by bonbonsrus on Sat Mar 03, 2007 9:47 am; edited 1 time in total
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oyukisamaUY



Joined: 23 Feb 2007
Posts: 11
Location: Tampa FL, the wang of the U.S.
PostPosted: Fri Mar 02, 2007 1:21 pm Reply with quote
These are in no order, as I can't put one over the other.

1. NieA_7. This is the type of anime that helps you relax after a long hard day. I can just pop in any of the four discs and watch an episode at any time. It is truly beautiful, the ending theme is excelent, and the characters are real and comfortable.

2. The Slayers. Every one of the three series was great. It has the right amount of seriousness and funniness. The characters are exactly like my friends in real life (in personality). Its got romance, action, magic, and likeable characters. What more could an anime want?

3. Urusei Yatsura. By far, the longest series on my "like" list. Eventhough it last forever, it never loses its appeal to me. Takahashi-esque hyjinks, love triangles, electrocution, aliens, destruction, explosions, all overlying a wonderful romance (sort of Wink ). It just makes me feel good inside.

4. Excel Saga. Craziness and hilarity. Both the subtitled and the dubbed have their own flavor. Nabeshin is my hero, Excel is my personality. With a few exceptions, I tend to love nonsensical, funny anime that makes you say, "did she just say what I thought she said!?" With Excel Saga, you say, "yeah....yeah...she did"

5. Azmanga Daioh. Hilarious and wacky, yet comfortable. The character are well defined and everyone is predisposed to have their favorites. The anime flows very nicely and is light and airy. There are a few strange spots, but all in all an excellent anime.

6. Patlabor. I wish there was more manga in the U.S. This is the only robot-oriented anime that I ever enjoyed or even watched all the way through. I think its because it focused more on the human characters and their work and relationships, rather than on robot fighting.

7. Otaku no Video. I challenge any hardcore otaku to keep from crying at the end of this movie. This is an otaku's wet dream, loosely based on the formation of Gainex. This pretty much sums it up, mmmm.....otakuland!

8. Lupin the 3rd. Both the movies and the T.V. serieses(did I spell that right?). Lupin holds a special place in my heart because, along with the Urusei Yatsura T.V. series, Castle of Cagliostro was one of the first animes I had ever seen. I especially like the relationship between Zenigata and Lupin, the mutual respect even though they will be enemies until Lupin is caught or one of them dies. Part James Bond and part Pink Panther, you gotta love it!

9. Magical Shopping Arcade Abenobashi. Besides being set in Osaka, Abenobashi is a gag anime with a story line! Not that I really care if there is a story line in a gag anime (I mean, look at my #4 and my #10), but I loved the background given on the characters and the sense of place and time the BGM gave to the different episodes. Hilarious with a touch of sadness and nostalgia.

10. Sakigake! Cromartie High School. I like the 15 min episodes, the absurdness of the different characters, and the way there is no continuity. I just like it, there is no explanation. Especially Freddie, the bannana sushi, Takenouchi, Mechazawa motorcycle, and Cromartie High School for girls Wink The live action movie was a riot!

Now for my 5 least favorite. It should be known, that I HATE no anime, and if these are your favorites (as I am sure they will be), please note that this is not a judgement, but my opinions.

1. Dragonball Z and GT. Toooooooooo long!!!! When it takes 7 dvds to complete one fight, then you know its just to draw it out and make otaku spend more money. What a time waster! I found my self trying to watch it, and saying in my head "gee, I could be doing someting like homework or something." Then I turned it off and did HOMEWORK!!!!

2. Inu Yasha. Too repetitive. The characters I liked, however it got boring really quickly. The same stuff over and over and over and over.....(snore). It got annoying after a while.

3. Saiyuki. Athough, i have to admit, its a bishi lovers dream, I always though an action/adventure anime had to have continuity. It started off with a goal, a good goal, yet quickly disolved into something else entirely. I won't even go into reload.

4. Kare Kano (His and Her Circumstances). My favorite MANGA of all time and I really like the anime until the end. I know its only because it didn't get renewed for another season in Japan, but IT STOPPED AT THE BEST PART!!!! Right before Aya's awsome play!!! It made me so upset that I (to this day) can't watch the last dvd. They could have done so much more. Also, it had so many filler episodes, that it made me angry.

5. .hack//Liminality. The animation was good, the characters were good, so what was wrong, you ask? It was too short. There was so much material that should have been put in that was left out because it was only four episodes. They needed more character and plot development and a better ending. This should have been at least a 13-episode anime series, if not a 26-episode.

Well, there you have it. I hope I haven't offended anyone, and if I did, I am sorry in advance. It's nothing against you personally, and if you like these series, then who am I to tell you not to.
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The Punisher.



Joined: 19 Feb 2007
Posts: 16
Location: Las Vegas, Nevada
PostPosted: Fri Mar 02, 2007 8:10 pm Reply with quote
1. Yu Yu Hakusho: You know, I can freely admit this isn’t the best anime I’ve seen, but it is certainly my favorite. This is one of the shows I started anime with back in 2003 when they were showing it on Toonami. Everyday I was anticipating the next episode, waiting with eagerness to see how the current fight would play out. Apart from that, they show’s biggest success are the characters and story. The ‘Big Four’ are unmatched in the shounen fighting genre, in my opinion. I don’t think I’ve seen a more diverse and interesting cast in a shounen. Next is the story, which progresses from small to epic at the perfect pace. From coming back to life(a rebirth!), to the stolen artifacts, to the small Genkai tournament, to Maze Castle, to rescuing a girl, to the long and arduous tournament against what is perhaps the ultimate antagonist, to attempting to avert the apocalypse, to fighting over control of an entire plane of existence! All that and they have time to flesh out all the characters to their full potential, explore their diverse pasts, and even resolve the relationships and have a proper conclusion. Breathtaking.
2. Cowboy Bebop: This, along with Kenshin and YYH, make up the ‘Holy Trinity’ of sorts. These were the shows that got me into anime. My experience with Bebop started, naturally, on Adult Swim. The series’ distinctly adult themes, excellent music, brilliant animation, episodic content, superbly realized characters, and noir-ish futuristic setting pretty much stole my heart. The writing of the main story arc, in my opinion, was spot on. Instead of focusing whole blocks of the show on it, they spread it out over the series. Vicious rears his ugly head in the beginning, the middle, and the end, essentially keeping us in suspense of his presence throughout the entire series. I know it will never happen, but a sequel to this series would be great, in my opinion. I fell in love with the universe of Cowboy Bebop, and I want more Jet and Faye. Hell, maybe ole Spike can cheat death again.
3. Rurouni Kenshin the series proper and the Trust and Betrayal OVA: I can’t separate these two. Trust and Betrayal is the back story of Kenshin, even though I realize the tone and presentation are totally different. One can’t exist without the other, in my opinion, because TnB is Kenshin’s past which the series barley touches on(thanks to it being cancelled). If you ask me, Kenshin is the ultimate ubermensch in anime. He is short and skinny, yes, but powerful physically and mentally. He knows when to be goofy, when to be serious, when to be humble, when to be aggressive, and he is always true to himself and his friends. He has the power to murder his enemies, but chooses not to in order to be true to himself. If you ask me, he is a great role model…animated or not. The first two seasons of Kenshin are absolute gold. It is a shame they cancelled before the Jinchu arc from the manga could be animated, because this series could easily contend for the number one spot. I also want to throw in that I believe his relationship with Kaoru is the most beautiful I’ve seen in an anime.
4. Ghost in the Shell Stand Alone Complex: I’m a sucker for cyperpunk. On top of that, I’m a sucker for intricate writing, superb animation, suspense, a generally well-rounded main cast, and a strong female lead. I can a lot of people being turned off or bored by the philosophical grandstanding in the show, but I personally found it all very interesting. Both first season and 2nd GiG touch upon two different concepts about the self and society, and both are put together beautifully. In the end, Motoko’s character had developed so fluidly that I felt her pain in the finale of 2nd GiG. With SSS being confirmed as NOT the end of the SAC universe, I can only hope this means a 3rd season.
5. The Melancholy of Haruhi Suzumiya: I don’t think I speak to soon when I put this in the top five. I’ve only seen it once, on YouTube, and thus can’t watch it again until all the DVDs are out because they’ve taken it down. What I did see was hilarious, with clever writing, great animation, and a cast of memorable goofball characters. Haruhi herself is probably a representation of what we all wish we could be: totally bold and fearless. Even though she is the focus, we obviously relate more with Kyon, the reserved and banal everyman, who observes Haruhi’s excesses with natural disdain and confused admiration. We are left with no doubt that the two are soul mates, electrons and protons destined to attract one another. Bring on season 2!
6. Fullmetal Alchemist: Two brothers, one goal, one Hell of a journey. FMA is another series that combines the best elements of anime into a package of great storytelling. Like all the best shows, a strong cast and stronger story make this one of the best. Ed and Al’s devotion to each other is inspiring to watch, and aside from them is a great cast of villains that aren’t always what they seem. Scar and Lust, for example, are perfect example of two characters you begin hating, and end up sympathizing with. Basically, FMA is an example of great storytelling, bar none, and I feel it is memorable enough for a spot on the top ten.
7. Bleach: Here we go, another shounen series. Bleach is becoming a good example of why canceling Kenshin was mistake. Bleach is closely related with YYH, in my eyes, but it goes off in its own distinct direction. Instead of four core characters that we get intimate with, Bleach(somehow) manages to introduce a plethora of characters that all manage to keep your attention. They do this, somehow, without drawing attention away from the central characters. The large and diverse cast is only one key to Bleach’s success, though. While I was watching the SS arc, I was put through the same exciting, “what can possibly happen next!?”, feeling I had when I first watch the Dark Tournament saga of YYH. I knew then this show was a winner, and with the fillers over(which actually ended up good), the show is back to being a gift that keeps on giving. As a side note, I’m convinced Rukia is the ideal woman.
8. Azumanga Daioh: Hilarious, in a word. If I wasn’t laughing out loud, I was giggling, and if I wasn’t doing that I was smiling. The characters and the situations the script puts them through are excellent in the scope of irreverent humor. I particularly enjoyed how the show can make people laugh with out too much crude humor. Most of it is very innocent and sweet, really. My favorite aspect of the series is the friendship between the girls. The relationship is beautiful, really, and the last show of the group walking together, never to be forgotten in our minds, put a tear in my eye. It was a profoundly resonant moment in an otherwise completely zany and random program.
9. Samurai Champloo: I labored over which Watanabe production I would put in my top ten. Cowboy Bebop is, overall, a superior series but I cannot deny the absolute fun and joy of watching this series. I’m a big fan of jidaigeki, and to see it turned on its head like this was too much for me to deny that it deserves a spot on this list. And, through all the lampooning and homage, we get what I feel is amoung the best jidaigeki fiction to ever be committed to the world. Episodes 20 and 21, I feel, are the best or at least among the best in anime and jidaigeki in general. It comes at a point in which he have gotten to know and love the characters the most, and is the most emotional part of the series. Superbly done.
10. Ninja Scroll: If you’re ever hungry for a quick dose of action and killing, just fire this baby up. It isn’t epic, or deep, or profound. Ninja Scroll is a balls to the wall action movie, overflowing with male aggression and posturing. I love it if only for that sake. Not a very descriptive analyses I know, but it is what I have to say about this movie.

Some other greats: Trigun, Eva, Inuyasha, Elfen Lied, Street Fighter 2, Witch Hunter Robin, Rahxephon

Bottom series:
Saiyuki: To be honest, I've only seen the first episode. What I did see was off-putting. It didn't make a whole lot of sense, the animation seemed poor, and the character design did not appeal to me. I will have to watch the rest to make my final judgement, but I don't know if I will ver get around to that.

Saiyuki is about it, really. I try to avoid anime that I think I'll end up not liking.
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denisuki~



Joined: 03 Mar 2007
Posts: 1
PostPosted: Sat Mar 03, 2007 3:23 am Reply with quote
My top 10 favourite anime:
(there's no order, for the most part of it)

Mermaid's Forest: This is by far the most exciting series I've ever watched. I generally like Japanese mythology but this one was too good, honestly. I liked the humanity it inspires to the audience, the magical feeling that a mermaid tale gives anyway, but in a much more different way than I thought it was. Maybe that was the reason I liked it so much, I didn't have a clue about the point of view the series face the mermaid concept, it's very unique!

Rumbling Hearts: The genre that generally put me into anime was dramatic romance really. I've watched most anime of that type but I've still haven't watched any that comes even close to the feelings Kimi ga Nozomu Eien did. The best part of this anime is it's realism. It made me become one with the hero and feel exactly the way he does. The fact that it can be a real story, nothing supernatural occurs is making it only more exciting for me. It's the saddest and most realistic story I've ever seen on an anime.

Full Metal Panic? Fumoffu: I could pick any out of the 3 (FMP-Fumoffu-TSR) since the main attractive point of this series is the relationship between Sousuke and Chidori, but I couldn't help picking Fumoffu at the end, since it's the most funny anime I've ever watched. And it's fun in a very unique way! Bonta-kun or the "Pony" guy for example are just killing me. I've already watched it ~10 times and it can still produce serious amounts of laughter. But make sure you watch FMP first, since the first few introductory episodes are a must to understand the concept at the fullest.

Elfen Lied: This is the first anime I watched, knowing I was watching anime, self-consciously. I mean, yeah, I've watched Pokemon and Dragonball before it but I didn't do it intentionally to watch anime. What makes Elfen Lied so great is that it hooks you up, and you can't stop watching it until you watch all the episodes. Of course that will happen only if you're up for some intensive violence and gore, packed around a very dramatic, sad (not the most unique though, but it works) story. After watching Elfen Lied I became an anime fan so it's very special for me. I totally disagree with people that find a harem within Elfen Lied.

The Moment Cicadas Cry: Lolitas and extreme violence (doesn't show much, except for tons of blood, but it happens) packed together in a winner package if you ask me. The cute/chibi character design and the very dark story concept made it very attractive to me. And it's also quite realistic, I'd say, since it shows the "dark side" that exists in everyone.

Ah! My Goddess: I downloaded this one of my early anime days and I didn't have a clue what it was about. I found the first episode kinda boring to be honest, but I couldn't expect what would happen at the end of it! What happened was the unique presentation of a very nice story concept. The episodes were really fun and I mostly liked the romantic aspect of whatever happens between Belldandy and Keiichi. Very relaxing, sweet and fresh series that I could recommend for anyone.

Death Note: Heck, I've heard so much about the anime until I actually started watching the anime, that I was actually so prejudiced about it. I thought it would be your usual totally overrated series (like SaiKano for example -.-). I started watching it since day 1 of it's release and I got so hooked up, I couldn't wait for the next episode each week. This anime's total winner point is the intellect. The ideas L and Light come up with are so smart and the twists are so brilliant they nearly blow me away for sure... at least at the first 15 episodes or so. After that it has become fairly weak and even a bit boring. Misa is so cliche character I can't stand it. But the first episodes were that great that it surely gets it's top 10 spot, even if the last ones are uber crap. Maybe it would be better if it was shorter, who knows...

Loveless: I've made a rather long review of this series on AnimeNfo because the scale of virtues it touches is so large, I've never seen something close to it. The Shounen-Ai thing really didn't matter at all, you won't even notice it. The quality of the picture and sound and also the top-notch story and the further life-teaching it gives are astonishing, I just can't describe how superb this series is in every aspect. The opening song is one of the best Japanese songs I've ever listened to as well (and I'm a big J-music fan, so that's a lot of songs).

Mai Hime: This series is one of those that have it all. Not only does it have a very intriguing story that becomes more interesting and absorbing as the episodes pass, but it can also provide humour and romance at the right analogy from time to time. A very well balanced series I'd say. One of it's best points is the characters that have very unique personalities, without becoming annoying and/or fake. And, also, I have to mention that Mai Otome is just as good.

Neon Genesis Evangelion: I couldn't finish my top ten without mentioning one of the most unique series ever created! The sound and visuals are high quality, especially if you think that it's quite old, but that doesn't matter at all. What matters is the sickest feelings and the confusion it produces to the viewer amongst its episodes (and the End of Evangelion OVAs of course). Shinji is really quite a unique character they made there. He isn't annoying in my opinion, I can't stand series with annoying protagonists, to be honest. But he sure is sick. I'm almost sure everyone could be the same, were he in his shoes, but the visualisation of that is pretty disturbing, to say the least. It stands out among the mecha animes, it's not the shounen type mecha that's so freaking cliche. It's one-of-a-kind. But I can't say I reccomend it to anyone, try it at your own risk!

My top 5 least favourite anime:

Naruto: I don't feel like analysing deeply why I don't like this series, it sure ain't worth it, so I'll make it fast. I find the characters pretty lame, your casual cliche shounen characters. The plot is also your cliche shounen plot and the presentation is worse than casual shounen presentation. It's not what I would call 'disgusting', but it sure is 'BORING' (in capitals). Totally uninteresting series. Oh by the way, I find Naruto to be the most interesting character of them all (the one-eyed among the blind...).

Noir: Sure it has some artistic value and the musical score is one of the very best, but why is the plot so damn slow paced? I find it to be one of the most boring series I've ever watched. Could be compressed in 13 episodes for the greater good.

SaiKano: The single anime I despise more than anything in this world. The characters are so fake, the plot is so biased, the sound is so bad and the design is probably the worst ever. 'Nuff said, this is the most overrated anime.

.hack//SIGN: For an anime with such an interesting story, they really screwed it up. Very slow paced and boring. The most boring series I've ever watched, actually, without being very bad, though, I have exactly the same feelings towards it as towards Noir.

Mouse: Having 3 girls with ultra-huge breasts swinging them around while having cliche Kaitou concept that as a whole is not funny at all isn't helping. Just bad. Avoid at all costs.
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Sakuchan



Joined: 13 Jan 2007
Posts: 9
PostPosted: Sun Mar 04, 2007 2:41 pm Reply with quote
In no particular order: Top 10
Cardcaptor Sakura: one of my fave. anime because of the depth of the characters and the story line is long but there is no filler.
Fushigi Yuugi: I love this anime because of the story line and character interaction, the music has some of the best instrumental pieces I have listened too.
InuYasha: I like the story line and music the best. The characters are unique and play off each very well. Plus the show has some hot characters in it. Sesshomaru
Noir: I love the idea of assassins and that it is set in France and not Japan for a change lol. The animation is gorgeous and the music fits this piece to a T.
Paradise Kiss: I like this because the animation is different and it is a short anime and it gets to the point. The opening theme song fits this show so well and the idea of an anime being about fashion is unique.
Rurouni Kenshin: I love the historical aspect of the show as well as the characters. The music fits this show especially Heart of Sword.
Sailor Moon: All time fave. because of the characters, music, story, and astronomy aspect. The best Sailor Moon seasons is Sailor Moon S and Sailor Moon Stars, because my fave. characters the Outer Senshi and Sailor Moon are in them. This show is classic among anime and it is highly recommended if you want a well rounded anime and you can see the characters grow and change throughout the series. Also, this is the first anime series I watched and it is what got me into anime.
Saiyuki: I like how is it based on Journey to the West and the voice actors fits the roles of the characters. I love the music especially For Real piano version and the other instrumental [pieces that sets the show on a higher pedestal than others.
Witch Hunter Robin: I like the sci-fi/fantasy story line and i Love Robin and Amon. The music is okay but it fits the show and the there are a lot of twists and turns that were not expected.
X TV: The animation is absolutely gorgeous and the music is perfect. This show is highly recommend as another well rounded anime.

I need to add some honorable mentions that deserve to be in my top 10 but couldn't make it:
Cowboy Bebop, Ayashi no Ceres, Full Metal Panic, Kiddy Grade, MADLAX and Marmalade Boy


Last edited by Sakuchan on Sun Mar 25, 2007 10:07 pm; edited 9 times in total
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