demagogue on 3/5/2006 at 00:39
Yeah, I like those two series a lot, too.
I thought the Bebop movie was just like a glorified episode ... I liked it though. The whole series is really the best face of anime outside of Japan (not the most popular, just the best IMO).
I also like the Ghost in the Shell: Standalone Complex series they have playing on cable now ... pretty much the gold standard for cyberpunk.
But I have to put my two cents in for Lupin III as my favorite. It's aging, and the comic is better than the anime, but still so much fun.
henke on 3/5/2006 at 04:52
Watched about half of Samurai 7 season 1, meh.
Need to check out this Beserk stuff.
Anyone seen GunGrave? The first half of the series is like Goodfellas, the second is like The Crow. The first half is better.
BEAR on 3/5/2006 at 11:51
Gungrave was awsome. First half was great, 2nd half was starting to get kind of too animeish but I thought they did the ending really well.
Samurai Champloo was actually really good I thought. It was serious but not lame anime serious, and goofy but not retarded anime goofy, goofier than cowboy bebop but still pretty good. That intro song with the japanese rap kind of makes me want to cry though, I really like the rest of the soundtrack though.
Berserk was the absolute shit. There are like 5 really great animes that I can watch any time, there is so much teenie-boper shit that I cant fucking stand though it makes me sick. OMG KIDS RIDING ROBOTS AND CRYING YEAH! Which probably make up all the ones SS listed below (Glad you like em, I cant fucking stand them) none of which I recognize.
system shocker on 3/5/2006 at 14:15
My favorite actually new anime shows now are Ergo Proxy and The Melancholy of Haruhi Suzimahara. Other shows I liked were REC, Gants, and DearS. His and Her Circumstances keeps it's rightfull place on my video ipod.
TheOutrider on 4/5/2006 at 11:46
One of my recent favourites is (
http://youtube.com/watch?v=xjY_j5tcsWc) Gankutsuou (I'd recommend to avoid the second part of the trailer, which can't remotely keep up with the glory of the first part). Japan + Count of Monte Cristo = INSTANT AWESOME.
Directed by Maeda Mahiro (Animatrix, durr) and produced by Gonzo (who also did the aforementioned Samurai7), with an awesome soundtrack and a rather unique way of implementing CGI - actually, I've never seen the concept before, and while it looks a bit odd at first, it is pretty damn awesome when you look at the nobles' pompous clothes and houses and see the insane amounts of detail brought about by the textures.
also mecha
Briareos H on 4/5/2006 at 12:02
I was utterly disappointed by Ergo Proxy (as much as I was with Blood+).
I'm a huge fan of everything Ghost in the Shell so I won't say a word about it.
Gankutsuou is pretty good. My recommendations (not very well known, even in Japan. Thus obviously good):
* Windy Tales
* Noein
* The 'Kumo no mukou, Yakusoku no basho' movie ("Beyond the clouds, the place of our promise")
Oddly enough, all three of these anime are centered around children as main characters but are far, very very far, from being childish.
As for older stuff not mentioned :
* Gasaraki (WARNING : realistic mecha with rather deep plot and a lot of traditional Japanese culture thrown in [like gyooen theatre, temples and the such]. People expecting gundam (oh man, how I hate everything gundam), you will get bored.
* Witch Hunter Robin. Not very deep, not very original but quite pleasant to watch. For casual anime fans I'd say.
* FLCL, obviously.
GoldenNugget on 4/5/2006 at 13:12
Surprised no one has mentioned trigun...
I have a huge list a great anime... lets see...
Bleach (good till the filler started to come in...)
Hellsing
Last Exile
Macross Zero
Monster
Serial Experiments Lain
Shingetsutan Tsukihime
Full Metal Alchemist
Azumanga Daioh
Read or Die
movies...
Beyond the Clouds
Millenium Actress
Ghost in the Shell 1 + 2
any Miyazaki film
FMA movie
Vampire Hunter D: Bloodlust
Jin Roh: The Wolf Bridgade
and probably more I can't think of atm.
Kroakie on 4/5/2006 at 13:23
Oh yes Gankutsuou is good. The style may take some getting used to, but the storyline, pacing, presentation and overall production value is just amazing. Not suitable for children though.
For anyone looking for a more light-hearted offering, check out School Rumble. One of the funniest anime I've watched.
Other decent animes I've recently watched (or still watching):
* Bleach (though the constant use of deus ex machina is starting to get on my nerves. It's like the writer is just making up stuffs as he goes along.)
* Full Metal Alchemist
* Monster (the story seems to drag towards the end though, and it's still ongoing)
* Elfen Lied
* Full Metal Panic (all 3 series, but I found Second Raid and Fumoffu to be much better than the first series)
Selkie on 4/5/2006 at 13:47
I got into anime recently, but I've mostly stuck to movies until 2 days ago when the Ghost In The Shell Standalone Complex box set arrived. 26 episodes and i've got my 2nd year exams to revise for :tsktsk:
Got Spirited Away, Ninja Scroll (yet to watch) and bought Sky Blue (the film intended to put Korean animation on the map, visually very impressive, a nice blend of CGI and traditional techniques).
Does anybody have any opinions on either GitS 2 or Howl's Moving Castle - I can't decide which one to get first, and they both look promising.
Sorry for the meandering post, recovering from a heavy night :nono:
Briareos H on 4/5/2006 at 13:57
Go for Miyazaki's work. Don't think twice.
Oshii seems to be getting older, because all his works are exactly the same. Innocence is (my opinion of course) a waste of time and quality animation always showing the same rethorical questions (that don't originate from Masamune Shirow's original GitS mangas), the story is uninspired (covering only one chapter of the manga !). The psychology of the characters, on the other hand, is very interesting. As is the global design.
Don't get me wrong, the movie is beautiful (even if the CGI sometimes seems cheap) and the music is awesome. But the whole thing is oh so hollow (despite what it wants to make you believe).
