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Must have, must see anime?


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Tauris



Joined: 25 Oct 2009
Posts: 21
PostPosted: Tue Mar 16, 2010 10:41 pm Reply with quote
What are some anime you feel must be watched. Anime you feel that any TRUE anime fan would have seen?

Anime I would include in that list would be:

Akira, for obvious reasons.

Tenchi Muyo because of the interesting characters and for what it did for harem anime.

Escaflowne, I think this one is also pretty obvious.

Cowboy Bebop, Need I say more? If I do, you have some catching up to do.

Full Metal Alchemist, I'm going to put this in the list also because I feel that its a very good show and that it will become a new classic.

I'll continue my list at a later time.
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egoist



Joined: 20 Jun 2008
Posts: 7762
PostPosted: Tue Mar 16, 2010 10:47 pm Reply with quote
I've never seen Akira and Escaflowne, so it's not that obvious to me.
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Tauris



Joined: 25 Oct 2009
Posts: 21
PostPosted: Tue Mar 16, 2010 10:49 pm Reply with quote
egoist wrote:
I've never seen Akira and Escaflowne, so it's not that obvious to me.



Then you have some catching up to do.
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HaruhiToy



Joined: 15 Apr 2008
Posts: 4118
PostPosted: Tue Mar 16, 2010 10:58 pm Reply with quote
egoist wrote:
I've never seen Akira and Escaflowne, so it's not that obvious to me.


I will probably be denounced for saying this, but I didn't think much of either. Both these titles have a stellar reputation, but from my personal preference I would not rate either "must see."
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Mushi-Man



Joined: 17 Nov 2008
Posts: 1537
Location: KCMO
PostPosted: Tue Mar 16, 2010 11:27 pm Reply with quote
I don't think you can make a list of anime that a "TURE anime fan" would have seen. Mainly because different people have different tastes. For example: I may say that "every anime fan needs to see the original Gundam series." But not everyone is a mecha fan so of course they wouldn't watch something like Gundam, and why would they? Look at your list, I don't like Tenchi Muyo and I don't think everyone should watch it. I thought it was a pretty bland show. Sure it arguably created the harem genre but thats not always something to brag about.
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sailorsarah08



Joined: 30 Aug 2008
Posts: 471
Location: Houston, Texas
PostPosted: Wed Mar 17, 2010 12:02 am Reply with quote
Tauris wrote:

Akira,
Tenchi Muyo
Escaflowne
Cowboy Bebop
Full Metal Alchemist


I haven't seen any of these, unless you are counting Sasami Magic Girls Club as a Tenchi Muyo show, even though Tenchi isn't in it at all. This seems like a pretty Shounen list, more like an "anime that fit well in AS time slot" list than must see.

You left out Haibane Renmei, which is the only show that I tell my friends they have to see. It was just so tragically perfect, and it's characterization was awe-inspiring. The backgrounds alone is an eye feast. It's the one show I'd say you have to see, not to be an anime fan, but just to see it.

I'm not saying these are bad shows, because I haven't seen any of them, nor do I care too, excluding FMA which I've had a weary eye on for a while, but why should I have to see them to be considered an anime fan? Am I less of a fan because I like shows aimed at girls? Princess Tutu is just as good in my eyes as Cowboy Bebop is in yours.

Isn't anime a medium and not a genre?

Quote:
Sure it arguably created the harem genre but thats not always something to brag about.


Could we survive in this newfangled world with out such harem jewels as Sister Princess? I don't know about you, but that seems like a scary place for me. Laughing


Last edited by sailorsarah08 on Wed Mar 17, 2010 12:04 am; edited 1 time in total
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ShinobiX



Joined: 03 Jun 2005
Posts: 889
Location: NY
PostPosted: Wed Mar 17, 2010 12:04 am Reply with quote
No new? Well thats good I guess. Have too many so I'll just pick some I really like:

Michiko to Hatchin, Monster, Princess Mononoke, Gungrave, Ghost in the Shell, Wolf's Rain, Noir, DBZ, YuYu....

Michiko to Hatchin- simply because it's very unique, exposes us to a different culture, and it's one of the few colorful animes. Very few exists so even if you don't like the story just look at the art. It's really something. The art alone separates itself from most animes.

Monster- never seen, but everyone says it's very good. Hype must mean something. Either that or it really sucks and no one wants to admit it.

Princess Mononoke- this and all things Miyazaki. Enough said. If I have to explain stop pretending to be an anime fan or go watch one of his shows. The good ones.

Gungrave- pretty sure it didn't start the whole mafia genre, but nonetheless it had a decent story an average person would like and a good story for those who like The Godfather, Goodfellas... those type of movies. Plus it's one of the few animes that is westernized and was made for us. It would be a crime to not to at least try it. Also I think the undead fits nicely in the story.

Ghost in the Shell- because it was one of the first animes that America saw and it has a lot a hype. Again I didn't see the show but I did watch all the movies. Its unique, sci-fi, and it's nicely done. You're put in a futuristic believable world and the problems the characters face make it seem more real. Also it gives us an idea of what Japan may look like in the future. The show is not too real and it's not too fake. For those who play video games it's like kz2. The guns were fake yet they looked and seemed real. You can relate to the show. Something you can not do with many of the unrealistic animes that are out their.

Wolf's Rain- what other anime you know has wolves turn into people? No not those crappy kiddy animes that were made in the last 5 years. Graphics awesome primarily because your put in another world. A world after the apocalypse. It's not colorful like MTH. The characters is what makes this series colorful. You will like one character. You will hate one character. Again it falls between science fiction, fantasy, and realism. Another unique anime.

Noir- well this depends. People hate this one or they don't. If you like assassin themed animes, watch the one that started it all. Like originals. Noir, Madlax, Phantom... idk couldn't watch Phantom after episode 13. Probably will when I'm bored. Finished Madlax and that was ok. It's like after he made the first one, he started to slack off in each girls w/ guns anime he made. Don't get me wrong though. In the girl w/ guns category Noir wins hands down. Yeah girl power. One of it's good points is that your not only in Japan. You travel around the world and get exposed to many different cultures. Learn a bit of history too.

DBZ/ YuYu Hakusho- um no despite what you all say I know when you were kids and the show came on we made sure we watched it. The addictive games that came out with it helped too. Obviously the show had something for millions of people to like it. Why miss out? Personally I think the show is very similar to YuYu Hakusho. When you come down to it both shows were about light beams, yelling, spirit aura power, punching...action. Most of the kids didn't care about the story. Although what separates Yuyu from dbz is that it actually had a non repetitive story. Well no last two story arcs in Yuyu were the same. 3 story arcs in total. It's not perfect. Anyway yeah you just want an action show watch those two.

If you haven't noticed already I mostly like adult themed, violent, and serious animes. Don't wanna waste my time watching kiddy crap and laughing at jokes that I don't understand. Also the harems seriously. Boob jokes are not funny if every other anime does the exact same joke. However, I did find myself liking Baka whatever, first season of Hayate, and NANA. Well NANA doesn't really fit that category of anime. It was more serious.
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Ausdoerrt



Joined: 27 Oct 2008
Posts: 481
PostPosted: Wed Mar 17, 2010 12:29 am Reply with quote
Not sure how this is different from the top 10 thread?

Basically, I'd expect everyone's top 10 to be not that different from what they post here. So if you wanna see what I think, go to my list and see the series/movies I rated as 10-11.
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DragonsRevenge



Joined: 15 Nov 2004
Posts: 1150
PostPosted: Wed Mar 17, 2010 1:39 am Reply with quote
HaruhiToy wrote:
egoist wrote:
I've never seen Akira and Escaflowne, so it's not that obvious to me.


I will probably be denounced for saying this, but I didn't think much of either. Both these titles have a stellar reputation, but from my personal preference I would not rate either "must see."



I think Akira matters more to the older generations of anime fans and film/sci fi fans. It's not something I can see the current generation of anime fans would get into. When I was first getting into anime around '98, it still had a level of notoriety carried with it, and when I saw stuck with me for months after.

God, the scene with the teddy bear and the milk.... *shudders*

Escaflowne I can take or leave. The series was sheer melodrama and the movie a god-awful mess.
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Tauris



Joined: 25 Oct 2009
Posts: 21
PostPosted: Wed Mar 17, 2010 1:50 am Reply with quote
Mushi-Man wrote:
I don't think you can make a list of anime that a "TURE anime fan" would have seen. Mainly because different people have different tastes. For example: I may say that "every anime fan needs to see the original Gundam series." But not everyone is a mecha fan so of course they wouldn't watch something like Gundam, and why would they? Look at your list, I don't like Tenchi Muyo and I don't think everyone should watch it. I thought it was a pretty bland show. Sure it arguably created the harem genre but thats not always something to brag about.



Well of course you can't make a true list, but there are classics out there and they're classics for a reason.
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RedLeader



Joined: 28 Mar 2009
Posts: 310
PostPosted: Wed Mar 17, 2010 2:15 am Reply with quote
I'd agree on Akira, definately, but I'd replace Escaflowne with Aura Battler Dunbine. Of course, that's just me. :p
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DuskyPredator



Joined: 10 Mar 2009
Posts: 15433
Location: Brisbane, Australia
PostPosted: Wed Mar 17, 2010 3:40 am Reply with quote
Some people would say a lot of the studio Ghibli films. But it is not really fair to say some are "the must sees of anime, and if you have not seen them, then you are not an anime fan."

You have your classics, highlights of different genres and the ones that are really popular. I for one have not seen a lot of the clasics. But I wouldnt even say that I feel FMA is a much watch.
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dtm42



Joined: 05 Feb 2008
Posts: 14084
Location: currently stalking my waifu
PostPosted: Wed Mar 17, 2010 3:57 am Reply with quote
Not a single mention of Neon Genesis Evangelion? You guys sicken me.

And that's about it. The great thing about Anime is that it is not a genre but an entire medium. It caters to everyone. But, you will never get everyone to agree on a single title. Even Evangelion is hated by many people. The thing is, it is a title that everyone should watch, or at least try to watch, at least once. If nothing else, just to pay homage to a show which changed Anime and Anime fandom forever.
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Maryohki



Joined: 01 Aug 2006
Posts: 526
PostPosted: Wed Mar 17, 2010 4:05 am Reply with quote
None. Different people have different tastes, and there isn't a single anime that every anime fan will like. The medium is too broad to say "Any true anime fan has to have seen this series". That would be like saying "Anyone who is a true literature fan has to have read Pride and Prejudice"; Jane Austen isn't for everyone.

The idea that you have to watch certain "requisite" titles to call yourself a "true" anime fan is just absurd. Maybe something like that could fly with anime fandom in the 90's or even early 2000's, but not now. There's too much out there that's easily accessible for it to make sense to expect people to waste their time watching a show that isn't even to their tastes solely because some people on the internet won't think they're "true fans" if they haven't watched it.

None of the titles on your list are so spectacular that everyone should consider them must-sees, either. All of them (except FMA) were crucial building blocks for anime fandom as we know it today, and are important to the history of Western anime fandom, sure. But they're not so great that newer fans should feel obligated to see them. Heck, I've been an anime fan for 10 years now and I still haven't watched Akira or Escaflowne. None of these shows, with the exception of Cowboy Bebop, earned their place as classics on their merit alone. They became so important to anime fandom because at the time, they were what we could get. Now, that isn't an issue, and these shows really aren't the be all end all of the medium anymore.

As good as Cowboy Bebop is, it's just one show. If someone's seen 100 anime series all the way through, but hasn't seen Cowboy Bebop, I certainly would still consider them to be a serious anime fan.

As for FMA, whether or not it has any real staying power has yet to be determined.

There are titles that I think more people should at least give a chance, Haibane Renmei, Princess Tutu, and Gankutsuou in particular, but I'm not about to say someone isn't a true anime fan if they haven't seen or don't like those titles, even if they are the three anime that I personally believe to be the best I've seen.
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Ausdoerrt



Joined: 27 Oct 2008
Posts: 481
PostPosted: Wed Mar 17, 2010 7:02 am Reply with quote
DuskyPredator wrote:
Some people would say a lot of the studio Ghibli films. But it is not really fair to say some are "the must sees of anime, and if you have not seen them, then you are not an anime fan."


I don't know, I just can't count Ghibli stuff as anime. All of the ones I've seen (and I've seen most except the recent ones) are closer to Disney than traditional anime trends, except for maybe Mononoke Hime.

Quote:
Not a single mention of Neon Genesis Evangelion? You guys sicken me.


I have gone for years without watching it. I've seen the series last year, and it hasn't changed my life or view of anime at all. If anything, it felt rushed, underfunded and overall comfortably average. Can't say it's had as huge an impact as everyone says. Classical sci-fi stuff like Gundam, VOTOMS or Akira (for American fans) is heaps more important.

And again, I still don't see how this thread is different from the "name your top 10" thread.
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