Recommend me some anime

Yeah, that show is quite a trip. It's better if you experience the show on your own without much context and just keep sticking with it.

I also liked Attack on Titan, though I'm not necessarily as excited for a new season. Not that I think its a bad show (the art style used in the show is a lot cleaner compared to the source material) but rather if you watched the show in its first run, you can tell that the studio had a lot of trouble finishing the animation on time. Guess its better if you've experienced the show now instead of when it was simulcasted.

Another thing is that I wouldn't call the plot to be great and I admit it has a lot to do with also following the source material. In the beginning, when you actually don't know as much of the plot its still pretty intriguing and you hope it would lead to somewhere. That was the general feeling I got by the end of the season. If you're following the story in the manga, its starting to delve into pretty convoluted territory where there are more revelations that are leading to even more questions and its done in a way that is a bit worrying IMO. When that happens, that usually gives me pause since trying to loop itself back in and trying to stick the landing with a somewhat convoluted plot is not the easiest thing to do and more often than not, it ends up doing too much for its own good. Hopefully, the plot doesn't go haywire as the manga continues.

Oh yeah, I'll also second @aetheldod's suggestion on Silver Spoon/Gin no Saji. It is a bit educational, very grounded and it was fun to watch. It's personally my favorite anime of last year. Fun fact: the creator of the manga that this show was based on also wrote Full Metal Alchemist.

The plot and "continuity" of Cowboy Bepop is in the characters. The whole show is about seeing the situations that the main cast gets into and learning more about them in how each of them deal with the problems. As the show "progresses" the characters actually grow and change. Cowboy Bepop isn't about some grand journey or quest to save the world, it's just about some broken people finding their way again.

As for other recommendations? Madoka Magica and Psycho-Pass might be the two best ones people have been suggesting. Samurai Champloo is really good as well but if you don't like Cowboy Bepop, you won't like it. Not the greatest anime but I really liked Shiki. It is just about the best piece of vampire fiction i've ever seen. It really does the myth justice.

I need to recommend some Claymore up in this bitch. The world has a pretty interesting mythology like Attack on Titan and FMA, also it is fun to see the main character go super saiyan like in DBZ and Gurren Lagann.

@pyrodactyl It seems you want someone to explain why they like the show so much, so I might as well try.

I think the shows greatest strength is its malleability; it can seamlessly shift from drama to action to comedy without ever feeling insincere or forced. The episodic nature means that most of the show consists of self-contained stories strung together by the presence of the main characters. Despite the independence of the episodes there is a lot of subtle character development, and obvious world building that occurs in all of them. And, while you felt that there was no continuity, I can assure you that there are definite character story-arcs across the episodes, resulting in one of the most emotionally poignant endings to a television show I can think of. The main characters are all very endearing, and possess way more depth than a cursory look at the show's synopsis would indicate. Also, the soundtrack and choreography are incredible and blended in a way that very few shows (that aren't directed by Shinichiro Watanabe) have emulated.

At the end of the day you may still not like it (taste is subjective, after all), but I think some of your complaints will resolve themselves as the show progresses. The show is revered for a reason, and to my mind there are very few shows that approach its quality, animated or not. Also, I have been racking my brain for like 20 minutes and I have zero recollection of cat-people in Cowboy Bebop. Were they possibly just guys in suits?

As for other anime you may actually enjoy, you may want to try Monster, Tokyo Ghoul, or Fullmetal Alchemist: Brotherhood.

Monster. Then Legend of the Galactic Heroes. Then Trigun and Rose of Versailles if you're feeling more open.

What I found insulting is that after endless eight was over, the story was leading into how they made the video from the first episode of the first season. I stopped watching right after endless eight ended.

@gnosislord: @jesna: Sorry guys, my bad. I was thinking about the virus that turns people into monkeys in episode 4.

@flasaltine: Ah shit forget that one, Claymore is fucking great. Teresa of the faint smile is the biggest OG.

I'm a jaded old fart. Especially when it comes to anime. I am thoroughly of the opinion that 99.9% of anime is trope riddled, steaming pig shit. Especially anything that's come out in the past ten years.

That said. I also consider myself a fan of anime. Many of my favorites have been mentioned. I will just reiterate regardless.

• Cowboy Bebop - You really need to give it another chance. I think some people get their expectations up because it's so highly regarded, and then are let down when it's not what they expect. Go into it with no expectations and enjoy the ride. Also, only watching the first 5-10 episodes and complaining about lack of continuity is really disingenuous. Something like a quarter of the 26 episodes deal with the major, overarching plot mostly concerning Spike, and then there are number of episodes that delve deep into the other individual character's backstories. It really is a masterpiece of storytelling all put together.
• Haibane Renmei - A very short, slow paced, incredibly imaginative and effective drama. No action here, but some of the best character growth ever put to any medium, ever.
• Kino no Tabi - Similar to Haibane Renmei in tone, but episodic. Just another very well done drama less about its characters and more about the settings.
• Astro Fighter Sunred - A completely ridiculous Power Rangers parody. Episodes are something like 12 minutes long. Funny as shit.
• All of the Ghost in the Shells - Start with the first movie, and work your way through it in order of release. I haven't seen some of newest iterations, so dunno.
• Patlabor - The first and second movies at least. They're a slow burn, but the payoff is worth it. See also: Wings of Honneamise if this particular brand of late 80s, early 90s highly detailed, mature storied anime appeals.

I'm probably forgetting a bunch. Like anything by Miyazaki, but he goes without saying. There's also some of the more traditionally popular stuff like Ninja Scroll and Vampire Hunter D that are at least entertaining if not too deep. If you're not opposed to manga and like horror, Junji Ito writes and draws some of the craziest, creepiest, most original shit ever. I would love to see an anime adaptation of Uzumaki. I guess the live action movie that it did get isn't terrible.

I am going to second this. I saw the recommendation, decided to give it a shot, watched it in 2 days, then immediately recommended to a friend, who loved it as well. So thanks !

Started watching psycho pass. Seems pretty good although I don't know about the characters yet...

Tried samurai flamenco but I don't know. That goofy, slice of life stuff might not be for me.

You should probably watch a little more. It is anything but slice of life.

Eh, figured as much from the presentation on Netflix. Maybe I just can't hang with goofier stuff.

I never found the criticism of Cowboy Bebop to be all filler worthwhile. It's just a different way to approach a series. Like Jeff said on UPF, Star Trek sets itself up as a framework in which to tell random sci-fi stories. Cowboy Bebop has very much the same structure. Now if that's not your thing, that's fine, but it's a totally valid format.

You like Gurren Lagann so watch Kill La Kill around same level of crazy fun.

Mecha anime: Zeta Gundam and all of UC Gundam, Full metal panic, Evangelion the TV show, Rahxephon, Escaflowne my personal favorite show, Aura Battler Dunbine, I guess Code Geass

Others: Great Teacher Onizuka, Hajime no Ippo, Gungrave, Berserk, Paranoia Agent, Rurouni Kenshin, Chrono Crusade, X, Gankutsuou, Azumanga Daioh, Full Metal Alchemist Brotherhood (Better than the other one), Black Lagoon, Legend of the Galactic Heroes ( The best space opera around), FLCL, Trigun, Haibane Renmei, Desert Punk, kaleido star.

If you are into Shounen shows: One Piece and Fairy Tail are worth checking out.

All are quality shows I would try Berserk it has a dark tone similar to Attack on Titan and is the shit if you watch it the 1st episode is kindof bad but get passed that and it is good. Cowboy Bebop is a great show and the last 2 episodes are epic.

Man Gundam is good.

As much as I enjoyed Zeta Gundam, I would not recommend that for someone who is still relatively new to anime. I'm not sure I'd recommend any of the old UC Gundam series without having seen some of the newer series first. You need some serious investment in that franchise to make it through the density of MGS level nonsense in those early series. I'm not even sure where you'd start. Gundam Wing was the first Gundam series I watched, but I doubt it holds up well anymore. Gundam 00 was popular, but I couldn't stand it. I have no idea if that new Gundam Reconquista in G series is any good, I'll probably get around to it as some point. Gundam Unicorn might be the best entry point right now, but it may be too short to create the necessary investment in the franchise.

Yea I kind of put that as a joke but UC Gundam is really good if he has an open mind and can stand the old animation. If you are interested in anime, watching one of if not the biggest anime franchises cannot hurt. It is anime's Star Trek. As for where to start I would probably recommend the OVAs like 8th MS Team and Gundam 0080 War the pocket as good starting points. You do not need too much background, they are good shows and illustrate what UC Gundam is about, it has mechs but it is a war show. Also they are short 13 and 6 episodes respectively. Going on from there watch the Gundam 0079 movies and Zeta Gundam then Victory Gundam.

If the old animation is too much for you watch Gundam Seed as it is basically a retelling of the original Gundam show. Gundam Wing has a lot of Toonami nostalgia but is pretty good.

Hey does attack on Titan have a Japanese name? (what is it?)

Shingeki no Kyojin

I'm a big fan of Ghost in the Shell: Stand Alone Complex (and Second GiG) and Fullmetal Alchemist Brotherhood

I recommend Sword Art Online.

I'm not sure I'm the best candidate for recs, since I did like Cowboy Bebop (not my favorite anime ever, and a bit slowly paced, definitely, but still brilliant) and think Attack on Titan is the most overrated, overhyped thing since sliced bread, but what the hey. I also didn't care for Gurren Lagan and gave up on it after eight episodes or so, just so you know where my biases are.

Mushi-Shi

Dog-whisperer-esque traveler helps people deal with the issues of cohabiting with a mostly imperceptible genus of animals call mushis, that can often have drastic, fantastic, and terrible effects on the environment and people around them. Almost feels like a nature doc about fantastical creatures. Slowly paced, somber, existentialist, and introspective. Perhaps not for you, but give it a shot anyway. I know a lot of people that don't typically like shows like that, but they like Mushi-Shi. If the first episode doesn't grab you though don't feel bad giving up. It's not one of those shows that "gets better", it's just consistently great at what it does.

Valvrave the Liberator

Brace yourself. This is a show that's basically a highschool/mecha/zombie/vampire hybrid. I know that sounds terrible, but it's surprisingly not. While the show is definitely not a flawless masterpiece (the ending in particular was rather unsatisfying), it does a lot of things incredibly well. It portrays social media in a far flung future very genuinely. It deals with an interesting idea about a very different source of energy. I won't spoil it, but it's pretty cool, if overly simplified. The characters are almost across the board well-developed. It's a show that refuses to demonize it's villains. If you like stories that are about people and species who are simply at cross purposes rather than intentionally malevolent (well, with maybe one exception), and like the philosophical discussion that can evoke, this is a one-stop shop.

Outlaw Star

A fun, romping space scifi with a Han Solo type wisecracking character that eventually culminates in some interesting philosophical themes at the very end. Make no mistake though, it's not a thinker for most of the show, instead being super fun, dramatic, tense, and quickly paced. It's the Firefly of anime, but way better than Firefly imo (don't hurt me!).

The Big O

This is one I remember seeing bits and pieces of on toonami as a kid and hating it. I recently watched it start to finish as an adult, and it's probably my favorite mecha anime. It has a very unique noir style that is remeniscient of Batman: the Animated Series. The mechs are super chunky and move like machines should. Big O himself has giant pistons for elbows that he cocks to punch people with and he's held together with visible rivets.It has a catchy high-concept premise (everyone in a supercity lost their memories at the same time), and also deals with existentialist themes (yeah, I know, I'm a broken record with this. Sorry).

The Vision of Escaflowne

This show mixes the male and female crowds better than any I've ever seen. It is simultaneously a romance/love triangle, an epic fantasy like lord of the rings, a mecha about fighting an uphill battle against an unreasonable and unconscionable enemy, and and philosophical musing on how dreams and desires shape the world around us. If there's any anime here that you are immediately put off by, but should go out of your way to give a shot, this is it. This is my favorite anime of all time.

Well if you don't finish it then you'll never know.

Already recommended but I'll second Full Metal Alchemist: Brotherhood and Hunter x Hunter (2011). I had the same experience with Bebop, I'd try Trigun instead.

Once you've watched a few different anime's I'd recommend Gintama, it's mostly a comedy that pokes fun at other anime and occasionally Japanese culture (Which I still enjoyed despite knowing nothing about it), but it also has some very interesting semi-serious arcs with plenty of action and interesting characters. It's also coming back around April, though I'd be impressed if you can catch up by then.

If you want some weirder stuff, I enjoyed
Tokyo Ghoul, though I felt like it was a bit vague about what's actually happening,
Seirei no Moribito, a bit of a slow burn but the characters are enjoyable and an interesting plot,
Ergo Proxy is probably the strangest thing I've watched, it's right off the weird end of the scale and has long sections where nothing seems to be happening, but it's certainly interesting, I'd kind of compare it to a Terry Gilliam film? I guess?

Welcome to the NHK is just an incredible show. It's basically about a college drop-out shut-in living in Tokyo and him trying to improve himself as a person. He experiences addictions, setbacks, and meets numerous people on the way that all differently affect his journey. I guess it's kind of a slice of life anime but it's hands down the best. I was 15 the first time I watched it and I go back to it every 1-2 years and every single time I watch it I find something new that really speaks to me at that point in my life.

Gugure! Kokkuri-san is really funny.

Devoured the 2 seasons of psycho pass and that show is pretty awesome. Love me some dystopian utopia cyber puck type stuff. The amount of philosophy in the first season was just right to not be overbearing. That second season is different in many ways but still great. Thanks to @believer258 for recommanding that. Now I have to get my mind off of that so if you still have more recommandations, recommand away.

You're welcome, though I don't think I was the first person to mention it. The guy who wrote the story for Psycho-Pass is named Gen Urobuchi, it might be worth Googl'ing his name to see what other anime shows he has written. I'm watching episodes of Fate/Zero right now and I think it's pretty good so far.

Darker Than Black seems like something you might like.

You probably know this already, but Full Metal Alchemist. Judging by your tastes, I'd say that you should watch the original show first, as Brotherhood has a lot more "animeness" about it.

You might like Samurai Champloo more than you did Cowboy Bebop. More funny and/or awesome stuff happening.

And I can't let you go without recommending Baccano. But note, Baccano isn't the kind of thing that you can watch for three episodes and know for certain whether you like it or not. The story - or, rather, stories, as there are several that touch upon each other - is told in a nonlinear fashion, and you won't really know what's up with the show after only three episodes. The show only totals 16, though, so definitely watch it.

EDIT: Trigun is worth trying but man, I didn't like that show too much. I am not a fan of protagonists that whine so much about having to shoot back at someone who is already shooting at you and/or is just hurting people in general.

FLCL, Fullmetal Alchemist. Those are the ones I've seen most recently that I love.