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iCake



Joined: 02 Jul 2008
Posts: 1
Location: Norway
PostPosted: Thu Jul 03, 2008 5:33 am Reply with quote
My top ten anime, uhm... This is at least in a random order. But these are the animes I've loved the most.


Elfen Lied
This.. Is the anime i've seen that made my biggest "must have more" experience ever. This anime is just and intense mix of drama, romance, gore and psychological pressure all over. Just my mix. And it's so well made. The story has an epic flow that makes you want to see more. More. More! Only thing I think of negativity towards is that I want more, so I think it was abit short :<

Full Metal Alchemist
This was actually the first anime I ever saw. And I would never regret it. It's well animated. It's funny. It's serious. It all makes up. The voice actors are good. The story is long and complicated but has a nice flow, that doesn't make the watchers confused.
And the fact that spoiler[ Edward dies for his brother ] makes it all. Because the story of their brotherhood was the main story, and reason behind the big scene! That's what make this anime so good.

Code Geass / R2
Oh yes. It can still turn into crap if they do like naruto and jumps of the main story with a whole freakin year of fillers. But at this moment. This anime is like crack to me. I can't wait for the next episode. This anime is fun, dead serious, cool and addicting. If you want, you can think of it as an sophisticated anime with a mix of Light from deathnote and Full metal panic!.

Scrapped Princess
This is a masterpiece, totally. The scheme is really big, and they manage to tell the story great, even though the last episode seemed a bit rushed. But this anime, made me cry several times. (Yes, seriously) The soundtrack is really well fit, the animations are good. The humour keeps on going. The more serious part is there all the time, hanging over the characthers like a blanket. What makes this anime so great, is the feelings behind the main story.

Fate/Stay night
Gah. This anime made me cry at the end. That was so seriously well executed. This anime has a kinda slow start. People who would only watch the first episode would easily fall off. But when it start, it's a emotional intense and good looking fighting anime. It basicly builds up on the feelings of love, desire, rightiousness (spellor :3) and similar.

Studio Gibli
Im going to pull this one. Like a couple of others. Studio gibli has the most amazing collection of seriously good quality movies. Every new movies get's me in "baaw" mode. They are all emotionally strong, they are fun, well drawn. And ... I can't put words on it.
Perfect.

Paprika
Allright. Paprika. This is thus the story something that could never happen. You can't mix up reality and dreams. But, in the movie where they created the DC mini, a device which makes the bearer available of watching, and even interfering with other species dreams. Hold one of the most colourful and spectacular conspiracy stories ever. (In my opinion.)

Ergo Proxy
Oh yes. Ergo proxy. I am the one who likes abit psychological animes. And this is the top of those. This anime is really focusing on the personalities of the main characters and some smaller characters in the story. BUT, this anime explains, executes their personalities so well. It's hard to explain, but this anime does really go into the human brain, showing you how it works or so. I recommend it anyway.

Eureka seven
Mecha anime with tons of lovable characters and personalities! It's fun, colourful, emotional, actionful, dramatic! It's Eureka seven! Even though I still don't understand why they added "seven" to the title. This is one of the greatest animes i've ever watched. This anime really builds up, has a nice flow of the main story. Tells the story from different angles. Explains all well, and it doesn't leave you with any questions.

Genshiken
Ok I am a bit rushed now. Genshiken is the only anime that has had me smiling all the time. This is the anime where you really see yourself in the characters. It's a daily life anime about anime otakus and how anime is effecting their life. Has a nice soundtrack, well animated. Fun and charming.

First post on the forum \o/
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Ageon



Joined: 03 Jul 2008
Posts: 7
Location: South Africa
PostPosted: Thu Jul 03, 2008 7:45 am Reply with quote
My top 10 best anime not in any particular order

Mushi-Shi - Perhaps it's just the way the story is told "a different story in each episode not directly following the previous but somehow contributing to the whole."

xxxHolic - I think it was CLAMP that drew this one. I'm not not too happy with the drawing style but on the whole this idea of using short stories to sort of tell a longer one... I just think it works here.

Love Hina - It has been a while since I last saw it but if I remember correctly... it was good.

Rurouni Kenshin - I enjoyed the story, up to a point. I prefer the OVAs though. And I haven't met anyone yet who has watched this anime and can honestly say that they hated it.

Death Note - Of course this is a no brainer for a top 10 finalist. And the ending, well... How would you have ended it?

Samurai Champloo - I thought it was better than I thought it would be. The story itself was thin and there are other animes out there with better fighting. It isn't particularly deep or enticing but it surpassed my expectations nonetheless.

Hikaru no Go - Perhaps I associate too much with the main characters Hikaru and Sai but if I could really create my own universe on a Go board I'd go out and buy one right now. It gives that you that sort of feeling. Plus I think the second or/and the third opening theme songs are excellent.

Elfen Lied - Short... Sweet... Wonderful.

Great Teacher Onizuka - Either you like it or you don't and I like it.

One Piece - It takes a bit of time to get through the first 100 episodes but the next 200 are easier. It has many flaws but it makes me laugh and I hope the next 300 are just as enjoyable.


My top five worst anime. You are welcome to disagree with me but we all have to face the fact that different people have different tastes.

Azumanga Daioh - Pisses me off. What the hell was that thing on about. I'm all for cute school anime but this one just gets on my nerves. Watch School Rumble instead... atleast some of those episodes were good.

Evangelion - Hated it. Hated the movies aswell. Maybe RahXephon or Full Metal Panic. If you want, badly, to see giant robots you can search through the gundam sagas. Trust me you'll find loads of stuff better than Evangelion.

Pokemon - The idea of pokemon was a good one. To have creatures that you could train and use in battles. It all sounds good in theory but it fails somehow... who do we blame for this? Sorry there are no substitutes for the horror that is pokemon... oh wait a minute we have digimon and Yugi-oh and beyblade and Metabots... All crappy animes to waste your time on.

Serial Experiment Lain - Maybe if I had pushed through till the end of the series it wouldn't be here but alas it is probably the only anime that I have never finished. And I finished Ergo Proxy and Wolf's Rain and Furi Kuri and Paranoia Agent and Azumanga - AARGH.

Excel Saga - I don't know of any other anime that is as pointless and stupid as this one. Maybe my sense of humour needs fine tuning but was that anime really supposed to be funny? No alternatives come to mind.
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kaizen-dono



Joined: 01 Jul 2008
Posts: 383
Location: NE England
PostPosted: Thu Jul 03, 2008 11:07 am Reply with quote
Ill start with films(movies) as I’ve put more thought into it.


10: : Stink Bomb
This one is actually just the second short film in otomo’s memories but I thought I’d include it the animations great the story is simple but ingenious and its really funny if you’ve not seen it check it out

09: Pokemon The First Movie 1999 (mew vs mewtwo)
ok I was 11 when this came out its nostalgic for me and it was one of (if not the first) feature length anime Id ever seen and was probably the reason for me getting into anime plus Mewtwo is dope as F***

08: DEAD LEAVES
this one probably devided anime fans due to the style as it was supposedly more American comic book style but innovation is the spirit of animation and this crazy short is quality

07: Graveyard of the Fireflies
I've only seen this once so saying its one of my favourites is a bit strange, but this is the most moving film I've ever seen.

06 Fist of the North Star
this film is great a classic you might even say (if you like gore, fantasy martial arts and mad max) underlying all that tho is actually a really good film an epic soundtrack and in places some really good dialogue.

05: Final Fantasy VII AC
Yes its CGI but its still anime right……………………RIGHT!!!? Mmyep I have my issues with CGI outside of video games but this is an amazing film beautifully animated and a decent contender for my favourite ost of all time see it unless you haven't played the game in which case play it then see it or don’t whatever!

04: Ninja Scroll
I didn’t really want to use this but I felt compelled when it comes to all out ninja action anime there isn’t much that comes close (with the exception of basilisk)

03: Metropolis
I liked this a whole lot more than first thought I would I must admit I've never been all that keen on the late Osamu Tezuka’s style but the guy was the granddaddy of manga so what can you say? but style aside this film is really great with an all star production team including Katsuhiro Otomo and Rintaro this film has some very grown up themes such as revolution, class struggle and apartheid culture

02: Ghost in the Shell
I wont even bother talking about this one if your looking at this list you’ve probably seen it already a true masterpeice

NUMERO UNO #1: AKIRA
What else could be number1 other than AKIRA there is no better movie in existence every scene every cell is superb. What I like so much about this is the lack of any real hero or villain and the many themes the story has like no doubt many people have stated the manga is better overall but the thing is 6 tomes long and the film doesn’t even hit the 2hr mark.

Ill continue with fave series and worst whatever later these lists are pretty hard


Last edited by kaizen-dono on Thu Jul 03, 2008 11:21 pm; edited 1 time in total
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pedopeto



Joined: 12 Mar 2008
Posts: 16
PostPosted: Thu Jul 03, 2008 12:27 pm Reply with quote
TOP 10

01:Crest/Banner of the Stars
The only product of the Sci-fi genre I can watch, and what a great series it is indeed. Lovable characters; thought-out, interesting dialogue, this series abandons the humanocentrism and treats the technology in a sort of a believable way. The battles are brutal and well developed.

02:Princess Nine
What a gem we have here. An inspiring main character, lots of interesting side characters. Very well written, the tension lasts throughout the whole series offering an extremely satisfying ending. The orchestral music deserves special praise.

03:Full Metal Panic! (The 2nd Raid)
One of the few animes with mechas that I like. The 1st season was good, everything done better here. Good dialogue and character development really shines. Hilarious bad guy. Interesting action sequences.

04:Hana Yori Dango
Especially during the first half of the series I just couldn't stop watching. A delightful main character. Very good depiction of the relationships. I wish there was more of this sort of shojo available.

05:Hunter X Hunter
What an inspiring series! What delightful characters! Shades of grey. Fast paced. Brutal. Unpredictable. Intelligent.

06:Rurouni Kenshin
Oh, I saw this series 4 years ago and I still haven't gotten over how cool some of the lines are. Excellent characters, a good mix of action and drama. The 3rd arc utterly fails, in both formats.

07:Gunslinger Girl
Oh, I completely fell for these cute little monsters. The different relationships between the girls and their handlers were very interesting to watch. Good action sequences and animation.

08:Hellsing OVA
The author of Hellsing really knows how to treat his vampires. The Nazi major is hilarious.

09:Elfen Lied
I don't care if it's been done before. Whether it was people being cut to pieces or the characters comforting each other, this series made me feel warm inside. Superb animation.

10:Kare Kano
Whether it's the manga or the anime, the good stuff doesn't last long, but in the beginning we get one of the best slice of life treatments here. Yukino and Arima are just an adorable pair.

WORST 5

01:Saikano
I had to fight myself to watch more than half an episode of this. The red cheeked, whiny characters and inane plot turned me completely off.

02:Excell Saga
I suppose I have a little more knowledge of Japanese culture and language than the average anime viewer, but I never laughed once when watching this.

03:Trigun
The first episode was funny. The arrival of the Gung-ho Guns was hilarious. The rest: DUUUUUUL...

04:Fullmetal Alchemist
One of my favorite mangas twisted into a travesty. Story makes no sense, pacing is broken, laden with filler episodes.

05:Cowboy Bebop
ZZZ...out of the 26 episodes, the ones with Viscious where worth viewing. Totally uninspired characters, unimaginative plot. Definition of boredom.
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JackCox



Joined: 22 Jun 2006
Posts: 386
PostPosted: Thu Jul 03, 2008 8:06 pm Reply with quote
Here we go with mine

1. Mushi-shi

Is it a strange choice? Not really, It's one of the most logical choices, though it has only been around for a few years, it is without a doubt the easiest choice for a Number One I've had to make. This Show is one of the most Beautiful shows I have laid eye on. The Animation is gorgeous and breath-taking. The stories that we find in each episode truly catch your attention, and in the span of 30 minutes you will find yourself grow attached to characters who only appear in that one episode. This is what makes this show so special. It should be seen by all.

2. Cowboy Bebop

This is one of only a handful of Anime Shows I ever watch again and do you want to know why? It's awesome music, it's kick ass story and its great characters. But seriously, this is the ultimate space epic, you will absolutely love every episode of this, just how can you not like the characters and also the acting. This may very well be the Best Dub ever made.

3. Hellsing Ultimate OVA

Of everything i could have put here, there really can be only one, This has it all awesome plot, amazing action sequences and Gobs O Blood-a-plenty. The Animation is superb and even though this show hasn't finished yet it was destined for this list before it even finished.

4. Haibane Renmei

Utterly Beautiful Series, the music in this series is absolutely gorgeous not to mention the very whimsical plot.

5. Golden Boy

This is without a doubt, the funniest anime Dub I have ever heard, but more so it is probably one of the funniest comedies I have ever seen, it's even better then most live action comedies. The premise is very simple but the gags are executed in such a way that I had to pause the DVD to catch my breath laughing.

6. Code Geass: Lelouch of the Rebellion

This series is epic, A huge cast of characters, a series with so many great action sequences and it just gets better into the second season.

7. Paranoia Agent

Yes, I'm a Satoshi Kon fan and this is probably his best work to date even though it's not a movie, This anime doesn't really have a main character, although the Police Detectives generally qualify as the main characters they are just background people relegated to viewing the situation. Not that there is anything wrong with that.

8. Gungrave

The better half of Yasuhiro Nightow's Works, this show is a very serious mafia show, no f*&^ing around is the name of the game. Animation is superb, but what makes this show great is the relationship between Harry and Brandon.

9. Gankutsuou: The Count of Monte Cristo

The animation is simply striking, it's art style is completely unique and thus you will remember this show quite fondly. The fact it takes on a novel is also what drove me to this show

10. Le Chevalier D'Eon

It just barely edges out NieA Under 7 and Red Garden to earn this spot. Truth be told the animation from Production I.G. is gorgeous but more importantly the show will really catch you and suck you in once you start watching it.


WORST 5

1. .Hack//Sign

Hands down the worst show I've ever seen, the pacing is slower then a dog's dead legs. I wanted die just watching this show. Yes it's truly truly awful.

2. Love Hina

Truly an unholy hell. The main character Keitaro is one of the most pathetic men in anime history. He is simply a wimp to the nth degree and getting his ass kicked by Naru made me lose all respect for this show

3. Magikano

Please, somebody assassinate this show. It beyond awful. I'd rather pour salt on an open wound then watch this show.

4. The Melancholy of Haruhi Suzumiya

What else should be said about the main character, she is an absolute c**t and if I ever came across I'd put her in her place.

5. Moonlight Mile

What a ripoff! I thought this was going to be Planetes, Boy how wrong I was.
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quakeaddict



Joined: 29 May 2008
Posts: 23
PostPosted: Fri Jul 04, 2008 2:26 am Reply with quote
My top five best, in order:

5. Dragon Ball Z

Truly a great anime. Yes, there is a ton of filler. Yes, this filler can be the horrible. But it makes up for it with great comedy and amazing fight scenes. Truly one of the greats. But watch the subbed version, the dub is horrible.

4. Trigun

Trigun is, of course, a very popular one, and it's easy to see why. This great western anime had great comedy and action, good characters, and an interesting plot. Really fun to watch, and simply incredible.

3. Cowboy Bebop

Again, an extremely popular and somewhat generic choice for a "best anime" list, but it truly deserves it. Most of the episodes are inspired by different styles of music, and each episode does something different than the last. It's exciting, filled with great characters, an intriguing overarching plot, amazing action, and, of course, one of the greatest anime soundtracks of all time. Should be seen by everybody.

2. Princess Mononoke

I first saw this film when I was younger, and it blew me away. The imagery is majestic, the animation quality wonderful, and the plot is deep. There is great character development and the relationships are very well done. The action, is, of course, amazing. The music beats out Cowboy Bebop (at least for me) for best music. Truly a landmark anime film and essential for all.

1. Neon Genesis Evangelion

Of course this is going to be at the top of my list. Words cannot describe my love for this series. The plot is brilliant, complex, deep, and meaningful. The series is exciting. It's groundbreaking. It has some of the best character development in existence. It's filled with psychoanalysis, and the psychology behind some of the character's actions is fascinating. It's filled with symbolism. The action is great. It's deep and philosophical. And the film, The End of Evangelion, is one of the best and most awe-inspiring film I have ever seen. I have never and will never see another anime (or normal film) that will reach the level of Neon Genesis Evangelion. If there is a flaw, it is that the show becomes TOO complex to the point where it has trouble wrapping up all the loose ends. But this leaves the series open to interpretation, and is not necessarily a flaw, and it is easily overlooked by the sheer brilliance of the series. Not to be missed by anyone, and truly the greatest anime of all time.
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kaizen-dono



Joined: 01 Jul 2008
Posts: 383
Location: NE England
PostPosted: Fri Jul 04, 2008 11:19 am Reply with quote
For me End of Evangelion seemed pretty weak as an anime film made off the back of a series as it was just a cut and paste selection of certain episodes crammed into a 2hr slot so that it made absolutely no sense to a casual watcher who hadnt already seen the series.
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quakeaddict



Joined: 29 May 2008
Posts: 23
PostPosted: Fri Jul 04, 2008 1:44 pm Reply with quote
kaizen-dono wrote:
For me End of Evangelion seemed pretty weak as an anime film made off the back of a series as it was just a cut and paste selection of certain episodes crammed into a 2hr slot so that it made absolutely no sense to a casual watcher who hadnt already seen the series.


perhaps you are thinking of NGE: Death and Rebirth? End of Evangelion was all new footage meant to be watched as an ending, not a cut and paste recap.
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kaizen-dono



Joined: 01 Jul 2008
Posts: 383
Location: NE England
PostPosted: Sat Jul 05, 2008 10:22 am Reply with quote
Okay Top 10 Anime series list

10:Hokuto no ken
You can either love this or hate it I don’t believe there is any middle ground.

09:Transformers Takara Choujin Master force
This is probably the rarest choice in this thread but I don’t care this series really tapped into the whole human transformer bonding which the Americans never got to grips with enough the over the top transformation scenes were great too *transform God on head on Double on Choujin Gattai*

08:New dominion Tank Police
This short ova series is in my opinion one of the best manga entertainment releases. Shirow’s sense of humour is great and I had to include this one its far superior to the first ova.

07:3x3 eyes
This is one of the first anime I saw and will always be special to me some of the episodes feel like there are huge gaps in the story which is probably due to the poor adaptation from the manga which I hear is a lot better.

06:Tengen Toppa Gurenn lagann
I only just started watching this but I’m in love with it already. The main reasons being the style and the crazy charaters

05:Basilisk
I first rerad the manga of this then I started watching the series which I discovered wasn’t much different (apart from the lack of nudity) it’s a great Romeo + Juliet esque story with all kinds of cool ninja powers and some great historical fact mixed in with the fiction.

04:Paranoia Agent
This is probably Satoshi Kons greatest work it is absolutely brilliant nuff sed

03:Stand alone complex 1
The first series of this was in my opinion easily the best. the 2nd gig never really grabbed me like the laughing man case.

02:Samurai Champloo
Ok I love hip hop I love samurai Nujabes kicks ass what else can I say. This is an excellent anime that never takes itself too seriously it is more or less purely episodic which is great (I’m still praying for a season 2)

01:Bleach
Ok no other anime has taken up so much of my time (with the exception of the amount of times I've rewatched AKIRA) The comedy the characters The shikai’s the Bankai’s this one is pure gold (apart from the filler of course *RRRrrrrrrreeeeeeeeeeeeeaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaarrrrrrrrrrggggghhhhhhh*)
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sorimimi



Joined: 06 Jul 2008
Posts: 1
PostPosted: Sun Jul 06, 2008 2:45 pm Reply with quote
Ehhh.
Okay. This is probably going to be in a random order but...
I'll try. xDDD
I'll start with ten best...

D.Gray-Man

I have absolutely fallen in love with this anime. Sure, it has it's moments, but the plot and all the characters...
God I love it so much. <3

Tengen Toppa Gurren Lagann

I just started watching this...and I looove it so much~! I'll be honest, Gundam didn't exactly spark interest but this...you just have to love it.

Higurashi no Naku Koro ni

I'll just say now, you'd have to have a freaking strong stomach to watch this. If you're into anime teens killing one another in a variety of different ways, this is the anime for you. I just got done watching season one and it was SO amazing. I can't wait to watch season two; Higurashi no Naku Koro ni Kai. So suspenseful.

Death Note

Please! Who doesn't love Death Note!

[b]
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FireMiko-Kagomechan



Joined: 26 Jun 2008
Posts: 8
PostPosted: Tue Jul 08, 2008 8:26 pm Reply with quote
Zalis116 wrote:
You have to remember though, at the time they made the anime, Akito's true nature hadn't been revealed in the manga, or at least I don't think it had been. So you can't exactly blame them for coming up with something to explain him. As far as cutting things out, I don't even remember anything being cut from the anime aside from spoiler[Kyo's hat that Yuki gave to Tohru]. Yeah, they re-arranged some events, but it was all in the name of creating an anime that could stand on its own. Given a budget and timeslots for only 26 episodes, what would you have done differently? Would the FB anime really have been better if the events of eps 24-26 (manga v6) had been moved to eps 20-22, to make way for the dramatic conclusion of, let's say, v8c45 (Tohru meeting Ritsu) in episode 26? Sure, that would've been a more faithful adaptation of the manga, but it would've been a pretty lackluster ending for the anime. Can you really blame them for trying to go out with a bang? And it wasn't even a made-up ending for the most part, since most of the events actually do come from the manga. Granted, there are a few anime inventions (like the 2nd half of ep 26), but compared to eps 23-26 of the Negima! anime, it's not "made up out of thin air." In terms of anime that ended way before their source mangas did, Fruits Basket fared far better than most. Negima!, Berserk, Rurouni Kenshin, Spiral, Love Hina, Ai yori aoshi, His & Her Circumstances...all of these had far worse "go get the manga if you want more" endings compared to Fruits Basket.

As for "no actual plot," was the manga really any different at that point in time? A lot of the manga in the early going was [meet member of Zodiac] -> [hear about that person's tragic backstory] -> [help them solve their problem]. Aside from a few little clues that wouldn't be relevant until many volumes in the future, the manga itself didn't have that much of an overarching plot at the time the anime was made.

If you want to hate the anime, that's your business, but at least give it a fair shake as an independent product before declaring how much it fails in relation to the manga. After all, the same thing is said about most comic- and book-based movies and TV shows anyway.

I don't think anime's should always be the same as the manga, I mean look at FMA and Sailor Moon, those anime's deviated from their original mangas greatly. It's just that the Furuba anime was too short to even make a good original story.

They didn't just cut out spoiler[Kyo's hat that Yuki gave to Tohru]. They also cut out Shigure's dream from volume 3 and his talks with Hatori about his "plan." They basically cut out his whole dark nature. And while I agree that anime's don't ALWAYS have to stick to the manga, they could have at least made the Furuba anime longer in order to give it a reasonable explanation of a story-line. Basically that was the problem with the anime, it's just too short to get to see it's anime story's potential.

[EDIT: Do a better job quoting next time. Do not quote excessively when half of the text is either useless or a repetition of points already made. Next time, I will outright delete your post. -TK]
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spooksmagee



Joined: 02 Apr 2007
Posts: 182
Location: Rochester, NY
PostPosted: Sat Jul 12, 2008 3:39 am Reply with quote
In no particular order, since it would take me ages to rank them. Wink

Top 10 Best

Tengen Toppa Gurren Lagaan
I actually just finished this show last week, and...wow. I wasn't sure what to expect going in, other than it was another title from the awesome GAINAX, and I was caught off guard at just how good the show was. Stellar animation, memorable characters (Kamina <3) and enough random zaniness to keep me laughing. If FLCL and NGE were able to produce a child, it would be TTGL.

FLCL
I have a hard time describing to people what makes FLCL so good, it's one of those shows you just kind of have to see firsthand. The thing that impresses me most about the anime is how much subtlety is crammed into each episode; it's nearly impossible to catch everything in a single viewing. Coupled with a killer soundtrack and awesome action sequences, my only complaint is that it wasn't longer!


Haibane Renmei
I love this series, it sucks you right into the story from the get-go and barely lets you come up for air. Even though the pacing is a bit slower than most shows, it allows you time to really think about the characters and the true nature of the world they live in. Each character is well written and has more depth to them than I expected at first, and Haibane remains the only series that I have completed in one sitting. (Man was that a late night ).

Cowboy Bebop
I like Bebop because of its balance. Strong characters that I can easily like, great action, one of the best soundtracks I've ever heard, and a underlying story all come together perfectly into a neat package that I've watched at least 5 times now. I'm also a bit biased towards it, as it was my "gateway" into anime, but it still remains one of my favorites.

Full Metal Panic! TSR
I enjoyed the first season of FMP well enough, laughed my way through Fumoffu, but TSR really hooked me. Kyoto Animation manged to one-up themselves again with this installment of the FMP franchise. While the action was very, very good, I thought it was outshone by the character development. The scene in which spoiler[Chidori gives Sousuke a haircut] is probably my all time favorite of any show, and is just one example of the great story.

The Melancholy of Haruhi Suzumiya
Another heroic effort from Kyoto Animation, Haruhi had me from the first episode. (I admit I was suckered in by the broadcast order, and I still prefer to watch it that way now). Haruhi's quests to fend off her boredom had me quite frequently laughing, but as others have said, Kyon totally steals the show. His internal monologue and perspective are hilarious, and I thought a unique way to tell the story. Even for all of its silliness, it slowly builds into something more, and culminates in a fantastic final episode. (Again, broadcast order).

Azumanga Daioh
I bought this series on a whim - I had heard it was funny and decided to give it a go. I just didn't know it was that funny. I've never laughed so hard at any other anime, ever. While the show is essentially about nothing (I've heard it described as Seinfeld w/ japanese school girls) the relationships the characters form with each other make for a nice connecting arc throughout the series. The definition of "heartwarming."

Black Lagoon
For pure action, you really can't go wrong with BL. I found Rock instantly likable, and that feeling soon extended to the crew of the Lagoon, Balalaika, and pretty much every other major character. I think that's why the show works so well: Amazing action and very likable characters. Not to mention the coolest maid in the history of animation. Cool

Elfen Lied
The first 6 minutes of the first episode were enough to grab my attention to this series, and while I got plenty more bloody action, I also got something unexpected: A good story. Lucy and her relationship with Kouta really drove the series for me, and I admit I was a little choked up (in the most manly way possible) during the final few episodes.

Full Metal Alchemist
Another series I recently finished, and another series that just blew me away. I thought at first "oh god 50 episodes of 2 kids looking for a rock" but then the more "peripheral" characters, most notably the ones in the military, got their screen time, and the show just opened up for me. The world and the characters in it are just so well imagined, I found myself watching 5,6 episodes in one sitting. Not to mention, the show tackles tough and intriguing issues, like what it means to be a good/evil, or what it means to be a true friend. While the ending was a little disappointing, the ride up to it was so amazing, I can't fault the series for it.

Top 5 Worst

X (TV) I hated this show from the get-go, but I made a promise to a friend that we would finish what we started. I barely made it through. Annoying character designs, clunky dialogue, bad music, and a boring/predictable story. Not to mention, spoiler[the only character I liked died early in the show. ] Ugh.
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Mr Adventure



Joined: 14 Jul 2008
Posts: 1598
PostPosted: Mon Jul 14, 2008 3:55 am Reply with quote
I guess this is the place to spell out our base tastes eh? Since I'm new to the board I'll throw out mine.

TOP 10 BEST (no particular order)


Super Dimensional Fortress Macross - Like most, I'm sure, I watched this when it was Robotech: The Macross Saga. Watching it in its original form (through ADV's release) was such an eye opening. Now the franchise is one of my most favorites of all time. Robotech just can't compete.

Macross Frontier - Better get all my Macross love out of the way... Frontier is currently rocking my face off. Its got everything I loved about SDF-Macross with fantastic animation. Its like Macross 7 but done right.

Planetes - Hard Sci-Fi is one of my favorite genres (you're going to see a pretty obvious pattern on this list), and this handles it better then most. With great characters and themes.

Ghost in the Shell: Stand Alone Complex - I enjoy the series a lot more then the movies. Cyberpunk is another of my favorite genres, and using it married to a police procedural is just about the most brilliant thing ever.

The Venus Wars - This film has a special place in my heart as the first real anime I ever watched, on some Saturday morning on the Sci-Fi channel. I still say it holds up really well.

Read or Die - Over the top action at its best. R.O.D the TV is really REALLY good too. But not as good as the OVA

Armored Trooper Votoms - Have I mentioned how much I dig military based mecha shows? This one fell on my lap a short while ago and I've been digging it ever since.

Steamboy
- Steampunk is a tough genre to get anything really good for. But Steamboy is a work of art, its gets everything right. Needs a sequal or a TV series follow up, badly.

Giant Robo - Another classic that hit me out of no where. It's just so... over the top. Super Powered individuals, giant robots, action, violence, its got everything.

Macross Plus - Best to end the list on another Macross title I suppose (have I mentioned how much I love Macross?) This one is probably my favorite of the bunch. Because its just a good solid drama. Without too much of the silliness the other sometimes fall into.

HONORABLE MENTIONS
(not quite "my top favorites" but I really do enjoy them.)


Zipang
Noein
Black Lagoon
Moonlight Mile
Dragon Ball
Dragon Ball Z
(Up to the end of the Freza Saga anyway, after that... not so good)
Now and Then, Here and There
Royal Space Force: The Wings of Honneamise




5 BIGGEST LET DOWNS (I'm not doing a "worst" list, just the series that I went into thinking they'd be great and they didn't quite deliver)


Macross 7
- Good God. Its like, "lets take all the worst things from SDF-Macross and multiply them by 100!"

Cowboy Bebop - I can hear your collective gasps from here. But let me explain. It has aspects that I did like, and Jet's a great character. Its just that I simply could not get into anyone else's character. Especially Spike's. His metaplot was just cliche MEH. And he was the main character.

Appleseed
- The newish CGI movie. Had great potential, but the characters and story just fell flat.

Excel Saga - Just long and a bit inane.

Ghost in the Shell 2: Innocence
- Just pseudo-psychological pap through and through. But it is very shiny.
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Daftish Punk



Joined: 04 May 2008
Posts: 6
Location: Shefield, England
PostPosted: Sat Jul 19, 2008 7:17 pm Reply with quote
Top 5


1. Hellsing - I absolutly love the horror genre of Anime, so this one pushes all the right buttons. Alucard ROCKS! He's one of those characters that you have no problems with not knowing more about his past, you kinda dont want to know, it adds more by not knowing

2. Black Lagoon - The only anime I've watched that doesnt involve magic/unrealistic plots/space ect that kept me entertained from the first episode right through to the last. Revy and Rock's relationship is fasinating at times. Plus Red Fraction by MELL (the opening theme) is a fantastic song, so good I have it on iTunes! The dub voices are pretty good too.

3. Gundam Wing - I inclued the OVA's and the movie in this one too. I love Gundam Wing because its the one I can rember watching when I was a child, and I would stay up and watch it religiously no matter what time it was on. The characters are so relatable and just all around likable!! I also like the fact that it shows that there is always hope when everything seems lost (yeahyeah sentimental I know....'scuse me while I grab a tissue)

4. Elfen Lied - I remember watching the first scene with Lucy and my mouth, quite literally, falling to the floor. It was one of those scenes that well and truly shocked me.....and for that, I love it!!! Its darker and more horrific than anything I've ever seen. Lithium is a beautiful song too, which just adds to the drak beauty of the anime.

5. Inuyasha up untill episode 64 - A fantastic mix of comedy, action and a dash of romance! The Inuyasha - Kagome - Koga triangle makes me howl with laughter, while the Kikyo - Inuyasha - Kagome triangle makes me want 2 slap Inuyasha!

Honourable mentions - Death Note, Beyblade (Yeah, I said it) Dragonball Z (Yeah, I said that too Razz)

Worst Anime

Inuyasha past episode 64 - The reason I've put this is because I always watch an anime to the end, but when I got to episode 64 I found i was having to force myself to watch it, I was bored of the comedy (No matter how much it made me laugh before) I hated the same love triangles, and the battles just seemed to repeat themselves.

Dragonball GT - A total marketing stunt, people need to realise when to leave well alone, which, unfortunatly, the didn't with this...the music wasnt great at all, the characters became plain wierd (I mean HELLO!! Since when did Trunks become a geek?!?!) And the plot was just the same as the many Dragonball Z saga's, except on a larger scale, just didn't need to be done

Any Gundam Series that isn't Wing or Wing movies/OVA's - There not particully bad, its just the whole reason I liked Wing so much was because of the characters, take those away and what do you really have.....

Wolfs Rain- Now, I've only just started watching this, so I cant really say much. However, I can say that with the way people rave about this one, I was expecting fireworks, which I haven't yet gotten. But watch this space, it might grow on me.....
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Steel Angel



Joined: 19 Aug 2004
Posts: 274
Location: Texas
PostPosted: Sat Jul 19, 2008 8:18 pm Reply with quote
Hand't done so yet, so guess i'll throw mine out there since its a quiet day at work.

BEST
So here they are in alphabetical order:

Elfin Lied (TV): A story that had a little bit of everything thrown in, but its bottom line was simple to see. A work that showed just how cruel our species can be at times, and delves into the concept of "if there was another species" what would likely befall them. Add in the characters interactions and the plot involving the main characters, and i found a story that actually made me think. Not an over abundance of series can claim that.

Fullmetal Alchemist (TV): Good old fashioned family, meets the usual tale of hardship but builds upon it and the interactions of people they meet. Overall i like how the series went, and it kept me interested.

Ghost in the Shell: Stand Alone Complex (TV): Mostly an episodic series, but all to be bundled together into a much larger plot at the end. Given that I enjoy episodic series, it's a given that this will likely be a favorite for a long time to come. Action, adventure, and characters that make everything seem real in an unrealistic environment, what more could i ask for?

Hell Girl (TV): Another episodic series I adore, because it has both its single episodes and a larger story to be told. This series is enjoyable to me because I always want to see the "hows" and "whys" of what happens in each episode and how it intermingles with the main characters.

Kanon (TV 2006): While I have not been able to finish the series (Volume 6 is AWOL until later this year), this series is great. I enjoyed the emotional roller coaster that this series gives, and very few anime have ever made me physically laugh aloud as often and hard as this one did. The interactions, the snide comments and a guy who enjoys picking on all the girls around him is some fine entertainment. Yet the story arcs, often lend themselves to some endearing moments of friendship and realization among the characters and this is one of the things that makes this series great.

MoonPhase (TV): Everyone has to have a vampire series/film they like right? Well, this one is mine. The interactions and comedy among the characters is great, and add in some fine action and drama and it is a winner in my book.

Mushi-Shi (TV): Can you tell by the titles that i really enjoy episodic series? Well if you couldn't tell before, now ya know. This series was fascinating because it brought up a "scientific" world that looks for the unknown and tries to explore it in depth on a variety of personal levels. Sometimes just finding out why certain events were happening, made this series a joy to watch.

Samurai X: Trust & Betrayal (OAV): A tragedy based on real world events. A story that grabs you and keeps you interested until the plot twist at the end. It then takes your emotions and does a number on them. In the end, you have to ask yourself what would you do, or could you even say? That alone made it endearing to me, and shall remain a favorite for me.

Shakugan no Shana (TV): My current favorite series of all time. I suppose my biggest reason is that I saw a lot in myself with in Shana. She's blunt, to the point, and not afraid to speak her mind, well provided they don't count some emotional feelings she develops.
I could identify with that, cause I'm pretty much the same way. One of the very first episodes she says to another main character "Go away, you annoy me". I mean a majority of people would never do such things because it is neither tactful nor polite. It was one of many endearing qualities that made me think "I like her already".
I've been a collector of this series ever since.

The Familiar of Zero (TV): A series I have longed to be released and one of only three I have ever seen fansubbed. I enjoy the magical world and the often hysterical interactions of the characters. When you want something that is far removed from real life, this series is great for that. Needless to say, I'll not only be buying it upon its release state side, I plan to enjoy the series many times over. Too many times there are days when I just need a good laugh, or the ability to think "look at what that guy has to deal with", and some how it puts a smile on my face when few things can.

Worst
In no particular order:

Colorful (TV): Oh my, how many ways could i describe the words "bad" with adjectives. Every definition of that should have a reference to this film. No plot, no story, just fanservice, and it's not even the best in that vein, i mean what is the point?

Green Green: First and foremost this series tries to give a sense of a story but it ultimately fails because it is so busy trying to give fanservice and give screen time to the worst annoyances (the three guys) and obnoxious characters to ever grace a work through any medium. Sure its got a story in there somewhere, but if you can stomach this one, you should get an award. I think this could be a licensed use of torture in some countries.

Ninja Resurrection (OAV): My personal "worst ever" anime. A lot of this has to do with the title. It's like some producer or company that saw the original Ninja Scroll, wanted to cash in on the name of the series and just rolled out something that has nothing to do with the original movie. Even if this wasn't the case, the series takes a stab at pretty much everything and just becomes worse the more it tries. It is just that bad.

Steel Angel Kurumi 2 (TV): Oh yea, i went there. Here's another little love drop that some one let fall from their hind side. It has nothing to do with the original story, goes off in left field from the manga and didn't even try to improve on it to make a better story. This little "lovelog" was only sold because it was sold mostly in the boxset that has both series in it. While the first is well worth the watch, I'm not even sure the second series disk(s) qualifies as being coaster worthy.

Eden's Bowy (TV): The best expression you can give after seeing this little show is, "WTF was that?" Lets jump around a lot in a story, so much so that even Pulp Fiction would be amazed, then lets make everything not "fit together" as possible. I understand i'm simple minded at times, and also easily entertained, but this series was as far removed from both aspects even if viewed intelligently (is that possible?) that it was far more of a chore then any actual enjoyment.
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