Anime

[Priellan]

I prefer the lighter anime- school stuff, funny stuff, sappy stuff.

Have you ever watched Lucky Star? I loved it - it's school and funny. It's pretty much made for anime fans. Just try to watch at least the first two episodes to start with - I know a few people who stopped at the first episode just because it's slightly more odd than the rest of the series.

I've also heard Azumanga Daioh is good, and fits in the same kind of school funny slice-of-life category as Lucky Star, but I've never tried watching it. Ouran High School Host Club is again school and funny, but it has some darker episodes later on. I know the full anime is on Funimation's youtube and website, both sub and dub.

My friends are trying to convince me to watch Evangelion. Would anyone here recommend or naysay it?

[SilveredBlue]

Bumpity bumpity bump.

So I just finished Shugo Chara, all three seasons, and was wondering if anyone else has seen it...

...and had as much of a love/hate relationship with it as I did.

It was cute, and the beginning was good, but there was a lot of repetitive filler in the 1st and 2nd seasons. Luckily crunchyroll had descripitions turned up to "Verbose" ("Back it down to 'vaguely tantalizing' guys..." One of my favorite lines.), thus allowing me to take a quick peek and skip or fast-forward quite a lot. The third season called for quite a lot of this. like, a LOT. I think I watched about 30 minutes, total, of the third season, and I didn't miss anything because it had nothing to do with the plot.

But it was cute, definitely, and light. Silly, yes, but there were some crowning-awesomeness moments and so many cliches that it was really funny. If you watched it, then you know what I mean.

So there's my bump of the day. (And don't anyone mention that this might have something to do with the fact that I'm self-excluded from almost all threads except ToGR because of AWoM, and wanted to resurrect a thread that I COULD use. Because if you do, I will do something drastic. )

[dorotheia]

I notice nobody has mentioned Emma: A Victorian Romance, which I really loved, by Kaoru Mori. There's an anime, but it's much slower than reading the manga. It's more of a historical series, so I'm not sure how closely it corresponds to most of the manga/anime style. It is one of the series that got me into it!

Also, I liked Land of the Blindfolded, which is the second manga series I have read. It's about these three students who can see the future, or the past, when they touch a person. But what does it mean to have that kind of power, and how should one wield it? It's more philosophical and sweet than comedic, but it's still quietly powerful. Both of these are PG rating.

[I read the novel The Melancholy of Haruhi Suzumiya

[NickRyan]

I have been reading a lot of anime and watching a lot too. I have read the first 10 of Naruto, the first 13 of Ruruoni Kenshin (but I watched every single episode on youtube), and I have read the first 15 of Bleach. I can't find any of the next ones I need at the libraries and my parents won't let me buy them since they only take about an hour to read. I also read a more American anime called It Takes a Wizard. It was a long book but really good and there is only one that combines the original series I think. I just started watching Full Metal Alchemist and so far they are good. I watch any other anime when I get the chance but they are only on late when I can't watch tv

[dorotheia]

Thanks for all the recommendations, guys! I watched almost all of them. Liked some quite a lot.
Especially helpful to me were Skip Beat, Fruits Basket, Ouran HS Host Club, Haruhi Suzumiya, Spice and Wolf, Fullmetal Alchemist: Brotherhood and Natsume YuujinchouVampire Knight (vampire love story, so if you don't like Twilight, don't even try)
Time of Eve (robots in various situations)
Wandering Son (boy wants to be a girl is friends with a girl who wants to be a boy)
***Holic and Tsubasa ReservoirPumpkin Scissors (post WWI Germany type setting; soldiers unearth the remnants of illegal experiments, one subject of which joins the squad, and try to bring relief to the wasted country)
Hetalia: Axis Powers and Hetalia: World Series (countries personified, cultural stereotypes explored... hilarious)
Honey and CloverBlack Butler (the butler is a demon under contract. Look at the manga for the stunning black & white art, though)
East of Eden (naked guy wakes up with a gun, cell phone, and without any memories)
Canaan

[Johnny]

Very Manly

I just watched the Gurren Lagan series.

Woah... If you've seen it, you'll know what I mean. As a guy it was a total hit. I really don't even know how to describe it. I've heard good things about it for years but unless you actually sit down and watch it, the show is really hard to quantify simply due to the scope of the series. Generally I hope for a sequel or continuation for stories I like but the folks behind the Gurren Lagan series finish the idea they want to get across in some 26 or so episodes and it is complete. Utterly complete.

As a kid, beginning to read, my first biography and among my first chapter books was the story of John Paul Jones. J.P. Jones was a Navy Captain and In that book, it described the navy battle in which he said the famous words "I have only just begun to fight," at the moment when things seemed bleakest, and he went on to win the fight. That left an impression on me. I've always loved those words.

And that carries right into the heard of the Gurren Lagan series. It pretty much embodies a large portion of the ideals behind the core theme of the story.
Hmm... I seem to be rambling. Anyway, best anime I've seen in years. Totally and utterly ridiculous but heartfelt and somehow serious about every subject it broaches while at the same time retaining a sense of humor.

[LifeSong]

Hmm . . . I've heard about the Gurren Lagann series but never watched it. Checked it out on TV Tropes and received a warning of great magnitude to Go Watch It First. Am still getting around to that . . . And unfortunately I didn't heed that warning about Not Watching It First, and ended up reading the TV Tropes page and it sounds AWESOME. Even though I've now spoilered everything for myself.

But in the meanwhile . . . Fullmetal Alchemist! I love that series so much. I'm still reading the manga, but I've also seen some of the anime. I am such a sucker for Royai (Roy/Riza) moments. Roy and Riza are just so awesome. I mean, there is ZERO mushiness between them, because they're both in the military and there's some kind of anti-fraternization law, but that's what makes it so great, that they would willingly die for each other but aren't allowed to "be together". It's almost painful

Now I'm turning into a pathetic Royai fangirl. Must . . . . snap out of this . . . now. Sorry, I'm not usually like this But FMA is probably the best manga/anime I've ever seen. Their concept of alchemy and equivalent exchange is really cool and kind of similar to YW wizardry.

I tend to enjoy anime that's really philosophical but doesn't have a lot of mush or anything. Basically I don't like either extreme, either really mushy or too detached/relying too much on action scenes to keep interest.

Anyway just my 2 cents

LifeSong

[lennan]

I mostly read the threads here, but here's my two cents:

I think Mahou Shoujo Madoka Magica is a pretty good recent series, it was a big hit this last fall and has an interesting spin on the magical genre, which since it seems like a lot of people are familiar with, might enjoy the nods to series like CCS and Sailor Moon.

I love, love FMA, although I've only read the Manga, I haven't had a chance to watch the Brotherhood series, which is closer to the manga.

I've watched part of Maimai Miracle/ Maimai Shinjo and the Thousand Year old magic, which so far is an interesting movie taking place in post war Japan focusing on the relationship between two girls a country girl with a viivd imagination and a city-born transplant who moved to the country with her father.

Although, I'm frankly kind of baffled by the comments that Wolf and Spice were Christian Church bashing, since it didn't seem that way to me in either Season 1 or 2. I don't know if this is the difference between dub and the original Japanese (I've only seen the subbed Japanese and I know enough Japanese to know when the sub's not as accurate as it could be), but it seemed like the author (having read the first volume of the light novel) and the anime were noting the conflicts that would inevitably occur considering that Holo is a pagan wolf god and the Church is the new religion trying to establish itself. Even Holo herself while more than likely having a negative view towards the Church since its goal would (understandably) be to kill her, is more or less resigned to the fate that her kind will fade away. I found the story was non-judgmental about the Church even if the characters themselves were. It was in no way like His Dark Materials, where in particularly the third novel he was writing the treatise against religion. It was a good series and showed how economy places a role in how communities deal with each other and themselves.

[dorotheia]

Lennan -- I know, right? I thought Spice and Wolf was actually pretty neutral regarding religion. Clearly a force to be respected, and definitely not in the right all the time (but the Catholic Church at the time wasn't, either), but the story and the characters didn't go out of their way to criticize or tear it down. It's just a religious organization that has problems, like many others.

This season's anime simulcasts at Crunchyroll are pretty good. I like Ao no Ekusorshisuto (Blue Exorcist), Usagi Doroppu (Bunny Drop), No.6, and Steins;Gate.

Blue Exorcist is such a perfect idea... the son of Satan's goal is to exorcise his own "father". Sensible decision, huh? It's fun. I was surprised and impressed by how many Bible references/quotes were in there, although it's clear that exorcist activities are really a hodgepodge of the major world religions.(Which is interesting to observe in its own way. And yes, I know Christianity is "exotic" in Japan... but it's amusing to catch the contradictions and, at the same time, what they got right about it.)

Usagi Drop is really cute, but not in an over-the-top way -- in fact, the art style is very simple. It's about a single man who adopts the daughter of his own grandfather after the grandfather dies and everyone else in the family has washed their hands of raising another kid. Of course, it's not a totally ideal situation: there are lots of real-world practicalities to be taken care of. I like the anime's thoroughness in going through them.

No.6 is a rather typical future perfect city/dystopia dichotomy (think The Giver & sequels, or UgliesWhy did Makise Kurisu die, how did Okabe's D-mail allow her to live, why did the message change her position / beliefs about time travel...

[Kathy Li]

I know. I was surprised when the 3rd season of Natsume Yuujincho showed up, too. I keep wondering if he's ever going to learn to take the names of some of the nastier yokai/kaidan, though.

I'm enjoying Usagi Drop, too, but my other fave is Hanasaku Iroha. Slice of life fan, I.

[dorotheia]

Sword Art Online seems to have turned into a big thing, and with reason. It actually reminds me quite a lot of DD's OmnitopiaSummer Wars as well, although I found Summer Wars No.6 kind of exploded, and ended with much head-desk-ing. It did feel like a gamble...

Since then, let's see, since my last post, I've gotten into Durarara, Nichijou: My Ordinary Life (sheer ridiculous comedy), Arakawa Under the Bridge (also sheer ridiculous comedy, but with more character arc), Natsuyuki Rendezvous, Utakoi (I didn't like the first episode, but the ones after it are fine, and the subject/time period/art style is fascinating), Bakemonogatari and Nisemonogatari, Shiki (warning: cynical ending), and Fate/Zero (but I do NOT recommend Fate/Stay Night which came before it, simply because of the jump in quality between them).

I am really getting sick of half-recognizing all the seiyuus' voices. Oddly enough, I recognize more males' than females'... Sometimes if I wonder if that's just me, or because of my own gender, or because of type-casting. In any case, I have started to notice it enough for it to bother me...

[Kathy Li]

So, just wanted to mention that I'm completely and totally addicted to Yowamushi Pedal on Crunchyroll. It's bicycle racing. The second series is about to start up next week on 10/8.

I think my previous CR addiction was Chihayafuru, which was a traditional poetry/card game type series. That is, it's a sports series, but the sport is a Japanese traditional card game, karuta. I avoided watching it for a while, because I thought "card game" in the description meant something like Magic: The Gathering cards.

Oh, and I've been entertained by Sword Art Online, but I'm not sure it's good enough to recommend, unless you're really really really into the MMORPG thang. And even then...

[nangke]

It's a wonder how I have time for anything else, now that I'm looking at an actual list of anime that I'm currently watching...

• Shouwa Genroku Rakugo Shinjuu
• Haikyuu!!
• Osomatsu-san
• Gatchaman Crowds Insight
• Erased: Boku dake ga inai machi
• Mobile Suit Gundam: Iron-Blooded Orphans
• Gintama
• Sekkou Boys

[dorotheia]

Oh dear. I'm glad I started trimming down on my rampant ellipsis usage. Also, younger self doesn't have quite the same refinement in taste. XP I know what I'm looking for a little better now.

Looking back I wouldn't recommend SAO that heavily, either. I like the background visuals of the first season mostly.

• Shouwa Genroku Rakugo Shinjuu - I really, really appreciated this one, especially since I was able to study abroad in Japan and watch kabuki and some rakugo on a previous trip as well. Think of it this way: it's a play about Japanese stage drama through the conventions of Japanese stage drama about trying to revive the Japanese stage drama of rakugo. But it's all about character. It'll tear your heart out.
• Boku Dake ga Inai Machi has the tightest storytelling I've seen in a while, to the point that it's almost too compact. It's an interesting exploration of the limits of what children can do alone, and past/future selves - that's how I looked at it. Sort of like if you smashed Ano Hana (re: pathos and tugging on emotions) and Steins;Gate together and threw in kidnapping. (Also, it does deal with child abuse.) If you can't stand Ano Hana, though, then maybe this one's not for you; the time travel gimmick is good, but the mechanics of the story don't stand up to scrutiny as well. Boku Dake ga Inai Machi as a multiple-ending VN game giving the player more control over the protagonist's choices would interest me more and serve the story better, perhaps.
• Haikyuu!! - Probably the best sports anime I've seen to date. I like it better than Free. My friend and I have discussed this, and while the characters by themselves aren't always interesting to us, certain pairs of characters create something new that's incredibly interesting. Also, rival schools are nearly as well characterized as the home team.
• I'd recommend Blood Blockade Battlefront for fans of Baccano. It's not the most intelligible story out there, but I don't really care, because it's entertaining. Wild wacky shonen.
• Tokyo Ghoul and Gangsta were pretty great and addressed their themes and other issues well but were also terriby violent (I won't list the triggers here, but you might want to look them up before watching). They aren't for the faint of heart, to say the least. They have interesting ways of looking at disenfranchisement and cycles of pain and revenge.
• Nagi no Asukara / A Lull in the Sea: It's good and very pretty. Earn your love dodecahedron.
• Seraph of the End: Cool, more vampires and vampire angst for me. Kinda breaks a lot of tropey rules about "How 2 Equip Ur Protag" at the beginning. But you might want to read the manga once you're done with the first season.
• Knights of Sidonia: Haven't finished the second season yet, but I will eventually. It's hard to describe. The sci-fi elements and the visuals make it worth it. I'm not sure if I'm in love with the plot or not, especially since it nixed my favorite relationship, but the story choices are interesting.

I've started being able to watch anime without subtitles, so I'm collecting a list of stuff that I can watch without subtitles without too much difficulty, or that I have watched so many times with subtitles that I won't miss much without them.

[dorotheia]

Annnnnd a year later, here we are. Hm.

I finished a rewatch of Fulmetal Alchemist Brotherhood recently. It's so much better on the first watch when you don't know what's going to happen, but even then, it's still so good! I don't think I quite grasped what was going on all the time the first time I watched the finale, but it was easier to follow this time.

I did finish Knights of Sidonia. The ending did its job, but I wish the author had made some different narrative choices.

Of course, the most popular anime of the year is Yuri on Ice!!! I really loved it as it came out, but I thought the ending was a bit of a letdown for an otherwise fairly solid anime.

Eccentric Family (Uchouten Kazoku) has a second season! I'm really excited! The first season was so enigmatic, I'm really hoping for more exploration of the world.

I've been going back to some older anime to watch: ShirobakoGhost in the Shell and let the characters capture my attention so I could form an opinion on this classic! I watched the first two anime movies, and I'm making my way through the TV series Stand-alone Complex at the moment. Nope, not watching the live-action.

You know, I probably wouldn't be where I am today without this thread and the recommendations I found on here to get me started and kindle my curiosity. Over the course of six years, I've now got a BA in Japanese, my passion is Japanese translation, and I'm starting to read and listen to Japanese fluently. So...thanks.