Recommend me some Anime!

Lately I've been watching some anime, which I don't normally do.

However, I've come to figure out and realize that:

1. I still find Dragon Ball Z very corny and annoying, but I still like the art style very much.

2. I still don't like Naruto... and never will.

3. Wonder why I liked Tenchi Muyo in the first place as it was crazy. Makes me wonder why I even watched it again... memory lane perhaps?

4. I still very much love Avatar: The Last Airbender and Samurai Jack, though it's predictable and silly. I do want to see the sequel to Avatar as it looks awesome. (Legend of Korra)

5. I tried out the first episode of Fullmetal Alchemist Brotherhood yesterday, but ended up hating it. (Sorry to those who love it, because I know that it's supposed to be a highly praised anime.)

6. Ended up loving Howl's Moving Castle, and I plan to see other movies made by Hayao Miyazaki... though I don't know which one to watch next.

7. I still can't get back into liking Pokemon or Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles again show wise and game wise.

8. After all these years, I still like anime cartoons though I ain't involved into watching it like I used to.

9. I crave something new and something I may have missed out on in shows or films.

10. I still cannot get into the super hero anime or manga, but I like the major films like Superman and Batman.

So, recommend me some anime! I mostly like comedies, mystery and suspense, Sci-Fi, Disney or Pixar like films, and a little action. I'm not a huge fan of seeing gore. If ya'll don't mind, also tell me why you like an anime show or film when you send me your recommendations. If a show or film is on Netflix streaming, it'll be easier for me to see a show or film more quickly.

I'm eagerly waiting! =-D

Tyler

Edit: Thank you all for the recommendations! This will definitely give me something to do during free time, and perhaps there will be a blog later in the Spring or Summer letting you all know how my tastes in anime has evolved because of your recommendations! If you cannot wait that long just PM me, and I'll let you know if I watched your recommendation yet. I'm convinced to try out Cowboy Bebop first as it sounds very popular among the users here. =-)

Galaxy Express 999

http://myanimelist.net Look up the things you like, check out some well written recommendations, go nuts.

I honestly can't really recommend you anything without knowing some more about your tastes.

5. Which version? Brotherhood or the Original? I like the original better, but Brotherhood has a better start.

Also, don't judge it based on one episode. It is the only anime I have ever gotten into. From someone who thinks most anime is trash, that's saying something.

I think Cowboy Bebop is great for people trying to get into anime

Watch Gurren Lagann. You will become a manly man for it.

Cowboy Bebop. Always be bebopin', son.

@BrockNRolla said:

5. Which version? Brotherhood or the Original? I like the original better, but Brotherhood has a better start.

Also, don't judge it based on one episode. It is the only anime I have ever gotten into. From someone who thinks most anime is trash, that's saying something.

Actually Brotherhood's first few eps were non-cannon and horrible. The original opening followed the manga to the letter and was much better imo. Brotherhood is a better show overall though.

As far as anime to watch I recommend:

Samurai Champloo

TTGL

Bakemonogatari

Nisemonogatari (still airing)

If only there was a Whiskey Media site dedicated to anime...

@fini_fly said:

If only there was a Whiskey Media site dedicated to anime...

I know its a joke but you dont want to go there...better to stay up here where its safe.

@Pazy said:

@fini_fly said:

If only there was a Whiskey Media site dedicated to anime...

I know its a joke but you dont want to go there...better to stay up here where its safe.

I really couldn't resist, but when you are right you are right.

@Commisar123 said:

I think Cowboy Bebop is great for people trying to get into anime

I'm currently watching Cowboy Bebop(20 ep in) and it's good but not as good as people are saying.

I would recommend:

1-25ep of Death Note. Don't watch ep 26-37. YOU WILL BE VERY DISAPPOINTED.

@Enigma777 said:

@BrockNRolla said:

5. Which version? Brotherhood or the Original? I like the original better, but Brotherhood has a better start.

Also, don't judge it based on one episode. It is the only anime I have ever gotten into. From someone who thinks most anime is trash, that's saying something.

Actually Brotherhood's first few eps were non-cannon and horrible. The original opening followed the manga to the letter and was much better imo. Brotherhood is a better show overall though.

As far as anime to watch I recommend:

Samurai Champloo

TTGL

Bakemonogatari

Nisemonogatari (still airing)

I second Bakemonogatari and Nisemonogatari, but be prepared for lots of dialogue (but it is smartly written dialogue).

I haven't watched very much anime but did enjoy FLCL and The Big O.

Like you, I was once really into watching anime. Lately though I've been finding that most of the weekly shows haven't been my thing. Since we seem to have similar tastes I would suggest doing what I do by avoiding the current shows and sticking with films. If you're planning to watch more Miyazaki I would highly recommend Castle in the Sky. It was the first anime I ever saw and remains one of my all-time favorites. Another more recent movie you might like is Summer Wars. Summer Wars is very Pixar-esqe in that there is an engaging story that is simultaneously kid-friendly fun and super deep. It's one of those films where if you're not bawling at the end, I may doubt your humanity. I don't have Netflix so I can't tell you if they're available or not. Either way, have fun watching.

@BrockNRolla: I mentioned that it was the Brotherhood version because the first one wasn't on Netflix. Maybe I'll try the second episode.

@fini_fly said:

@Pazy said:

@fini_fly said:

If only there was a Whiskey Media site dedicated to anime...

I know its a joke but you dont want to go there...better to stay up here where its safe.

I really couldn't resist, but when you are right you are right.

I'm more of a bomber than an animevicer.

Thank you for the recommendations everyone! Keep it coming! I like obscure stuff too!

COWBOY BEBOP!

...or anything from Studio Ghibli.

@justamat: Doubt my humanity all you want! but Summer Wars was so horrible compared to his previous movie!

Oh well, I still have hope for his next movie! : )

If you are into mystery and suspense, then I would recommend these shows:

Mouryou no Hako (Creepy show about a serial killer traveling around with a girl's head in a box)

Monster (Physiological drama based entirely around a dark mystery the main character is trying to solve; basically The Fugitive if it were an anime)

Baccano! (Complete insanity, told in a nonlinear fashion, but a very good show)

Shiki (A tense story about a strange sickness occurring in a small rural village. The show never loses its pacing and like Monster questions what makes people human or monsters)

@Cloudenvy said:

http://myanimelist.net Look up the things you like, check out some well written recommendations, go nuts.

I honestly can't really recommend you anything without knowing some more about your tastes.

seriously, this website has been invaluable to find me anime whenever i decide to pick a series to watch. Do some research, download a bunch of episode 1s of shows that look intersesting and start at it.

also TT Gurren Lagann

Space Adventure Cobra

Kaibo

Planetes

Cowboy Bebop sci-fi comedy/drama I don't think there is anyone into anime that doesn't appreciate this show. Amazing soundtrack.

Evangelion one of the most popular anime ever, a bit on the emo side, not so much that it should be avoided though

Ranma 1/2 classic anime relationship comedy that doesn't really feel dated the way a lot of old anime does

Nadesico great sci-fi comedy

Excel Saga pure madness, makes fun of all anime tropes

Perfect Blue this movie blew me away when I first saw it, not sure how well it's aged as it's fairly old

Castle of Cagliostro my favourite Miyazaki film(not a huge fan but this film is amazing)

just thought of something. If you have a decent base line knowledge of Japanese culture I would recommend Gintama. One of the funniest tv programs currently on the air in the entire world today.

Perfect Blue this movie blew me away when I first saw it, not sure how well it's aged as it's fairly old

Stiens;gate

Soul eater

Tiger and bunny

FLCL

Neon Genesis Evangelion.

The Boondocks

@Cloudenvy said:

http://myanimelist.net Look up the things you like, check out some well written recommendations, go nuts.

I honestly can't really recommend you anything without knowing some more about your tastes.

Totally agree with this. The top-rated anime is probably a good place to start.

So Yu Yu Hakusho is still a ton of fun to watch. It was sorta the next big thing after DBZ both in Japan and the U.S. The dvds are cheap to get a hold of, and it's just a great, old-school shounen anime all around. My friends still swear by G Gundam, but you have to be in the mood for something pretty goofy. It's got that Saturday morning kung-fu movie vibe to it, which some find endearing. I feel like Setokai Yakuindomo is a truly under-appreciated gem. Most people wrote it off as just another shitty fan-service anime, but really it's just a foul-mouthed romantic comedy. I mean sure, the jokes are all about sex, but it's not filled with all that panty-flashing crap that other shows like strike witches thrive on. It's not for everybody, but it's worth a look. Level E is also a pretty great show. There are few lengths they aren't willing to go to deliver a joke, and the second half of the season is filled with some pretty good video game humor as well.

There's some good stuff on netflix too. Ouran Host Club is a great show to watch if you've seen a lot of romance and comedy anime. It's got a super subversive sense of genre saviness and that makes up a great deal of what's fun about the show. It sorta does with romantic anime what Lucky Star did with slice of life comedy. Kenichi: The Mightiest Disciple is a really charming martial arts comedy with a bit of romance thrown in for good measure. It's got a lot of heart and follows a wimpy kid growing up and becoming a great martial artist. Most other anime would completely screw this premise up, but this show really nails it. Netflix also has the best anime movie ever made, which is Dead Leaves. The show basically consists of non-stop action with a super simple animation style that's super fluid and amazingly gorgeous to look at. I can't recommend this show highly enough.

I've been watching Yu Yu Hakusho lately and really enjoy it. I like the characters and I like how it seems to just keep going. By that I mean that it doesn't take like 5+ episodes to get through one fight...has a good pace to me. It might not fit in with your preferences, but I thought of it mainly because I'm currently watching it. One that fits in better with the comedy/mystery style would be Case Closed. I hate that they don't seem to be releasing any more of those over here....it's still ongoing in Japan. Shit has over 600 episodes.

I would also recommend the movie Summer Wars.

@Tireyo643 said:

4. I still very much love Avatar: The Last Airbender and Samurai Jack, though it's predictable and silly. I do want to see the sequel to Avatar as it looks awesome. (Legend of Korra)

• Cowboy Bebop (and its movie)
• Trigun
• Outlaw Star
• Ghost in the Shell (movies and series)
• FLCL
• Eureka Seven
• FMA/FMA: Brotherhood
• Samurai Champloo
• Black Lagoon
• Tengen Toppa Gurren Lagann
• Neon Genesis Evengelion

@Cloudenvy said:

@justamat: Doubt my humanity all you want! but Summer Wars was so horrible compared to his previous movie!

Oh well, I still have hope for his next movie! : )

I wouldn't say it's horrible, but the girl who leapt through time might be my favorite anime movie so it's hard to live up to it

now I wanna watch that movie again goddamnit D:

@Animasta said:

the girl who leapt through time might be my favorite anime movie so it's hard to live up to it

now I wanna watch that movie again goddamnit D:

I forgot about that one. I would recommend that one too.

@B0nd07 said:

@Tireyo643 said:

4. I still very much love Avatar: The Last Airbender and Samurai Jack, though it's predictable and silly. I do want to see the sequel to Avatar as it looks awesome. (Legend of Korra)

To start with, neither of these are anime, so... yeah.

5. I tried out the first episode of Fullmetal Alchemist Brotherhood yesterday, but ended up hating it. (Sorry to those who love it, because I know that it's supposed to be a highly praised anime.)

You can't base your enjoyment of an entire series, especially one as long as Brotherhood, on one episode. It's currently being re-run on Adult Swim, so give it another shot (not sure how far along they are though). It's one of my top anime. Also, it has a bit of a slow start.

6. Ended up loving Howl's Moving Castle, and I plan to see other movies made by Hayao Miyazaki... though I don't know which one to watch next.

Spirited Away or My Neighbor Totoro are a good place to start. You can't really go wrong with a Miyazaki film, so pick whichever one looks most interesting.

7. I still can't get back into liking Pokemon or Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles again show wise and game wise.

Can't blame you. Pokemon hasn't changed much since the first few seasons. I only ever catch it in the off chance that nothing else is on. Also, agian, TMNT isn't anime.

So, recommend me some anime!...

Here's a short list of some of my favorites:

• Cowboy Bebop (and its movie)
• Trigun
• Outlaw Star
• Ghost in the Shell (movies and series)
• FLCL
• Eureka Seven
• FMA/FMA: Brotherhood
• Samurai Champloo
• Black Lagoon
• Tengen Toppa Gurren Lagann
• Neon Genesis Evengelion

Spirited Away was made by the same guy!? Well, I'll definitely will have to see what Miyazaki made! I might see Spirited Away again, because it's been a long time! I always thought that Avatar and Samurai Jack was anime-like, but don't know it wasn't actually anime. It was stupid of me to mention TMNT. =-P Thank you for the recommendations. I'll give FMA Brotherhood another chance.

@Animasta: There's never a good reason not to rewatch The Girl Who Leapt Through Time!

Most of my favorites have already been recommended. Still, Monster is a great psychological thriller-ish story. Definitely worth checking out if you like a more down-to-earth story that can still have some great twists and turns. Murders, brainwashing, and an all around enjoyable trek across Europe with a man trying desperately to clear his name after being framed for several heinous crimes... and by a boy whose life he saved in an emergency room years before.

Tokyo Godfathers is like having optimism shot directly into your veins in the best way imaginable, telling the story of three homeless street dwellers and their adventures after happening upon an abandoned baby in a trash pile. It's pretty much fantastic through and through.

Baccanno is similarly great, being a sort of insane, out-of-order story that takes place over several settings and time periods, focusing on mafia battles, a train robbery, a boat full of settlers with a demon hitching a ride, a mysterious formula being carted around and hunted after, a pair of extremely clueless thieves, and somewhere in all that there's a mysterious group of immortals hanging around to screw things up further. It's pretty good, and the music is catchy.

Shin Chan (netflix)

Slam Dunk (hulu) *find the manga to see the end.

Redline (movie)

@Lykos said:

Watch Gurren Lagann. You will become a manly man for it.

This. believe in the me that believes in you. Also really great art, genuinely funny at ttimes, great action scenes/ Even a non-cringeworthy j pop intro song.

FLCL remains really good

I really am liking Hellgirl which you can get on Demand via comcast or crunchyroll (i think)

Bacanno

and I dont know Voltron? There is a ton out there, and more ways then ever. Those anime vice guys aren't bad people they have good stuff over there.

Don't watch Gurren Laggan, it's shit.

Watch The Tatami Galaxy instead, it's much more interesting, funny and mature.

Also, FMA: B is one of those shows that starts a bit slow, it gets much more interesting as the story progresses. But hey, if you don't like it, you don't like it.

I'm not an anime guy at all so take notice when I tell you that Full Metal Alchemist is a fantastic show. It made me get over my apprehension towards anime. It's also on Netflix. Trigun and Cowboy Beebop are amazing shows as well.

• Darker Than Black
• Mushishi
• Ghost In The Shell
• Baccano!
• Durarara!!
• Gintama (My favorite)
• Usagi Drop (You would probably not like it, but I mention it anyway)
• Sayonara Zetsubo Sensei
• Great Teacher Onizuka

@Gerhabio: What turned you off about Gurren Lagann?

Tengen Toppa Gurren Lagann, Full Metal Alchemist, Yu Yu Hakusho, Jubei Chan 2

@Tireyo643: Afro Samurai! The best non-anime fan's Anime!

Currently enjoying Durarara at the moment. Also, Time of Eve is a great way to spend 90 or so minutes.

Here's my experience with anime:

• Summer Wars was a pretty cool movie with some awesome animation. Not sure if that counts, though.
• Persona 4 is pretty cool, too, even if the thread for it has gone downhill (maybe people will move on with this week's episode).
• Durarara is also pretty awesome, I guess.

Now you know why those descriptions are such shit.

Beyblades.

Ghost in the Shell , Skycrawlers , Jin Roh , Ninja Scroll (altho it does get gory) , Vampire Hunter D , from Miyazaki´s I would recommend Nausicaa it was his first film and also Mononoke Hima (altho this one has a bit of gore in there). For series Well pretty much everyone has told you which ones to see , but I would highly recommend Death Note. The one I havent seen mentioned is Serial Experiments Lain (it is a good one and short , 13 episodes). I would tell you to see Elfen Lied but that one you may not like it one bit (I love it tho ) it is way gory and has nudity , also very harsh themes.

Well, I have a few lists over on Anime Vice (this is just two of them)

• My Personal Favorite Animes
• Under-suggested shows for the anime novice (nothing too deep here)

And for specific genres here are a few suggestions:

Straight Comedy (I don't mean opposed to homosexual comedy, I just mean comedy is main focus unlike romantic comedies and action comedies)

• Squid Girl (aka Shinryaku! Ika Musume) ~ a young girl who lives in the ocean intends to take over the surface world but ends up working in a seaside cafe.
• Mitsudomoe ~ Three sisters with distinct personalities attend sixth grade and wackiness follows. The comedy is very much of the miscommunication type like in Three's Company.
• Yakitate!! Japan ~ A young boy wants to bake the perfect bread for Japan and is pulled into many cooking tournaments while on his culinary quest.
• Panty & Stocking with Garterbelt ~ Two lewd and lowbrow angels fight demon monsters in a nondescript American-styled town. Very crude. but funny. Art style is strongly influenced by Western cartoons like The Powerpuff Girls, Dexter's Lab, My Life as a Teenage Robot and My Little Pony: Friendship is Magic.
• Sgt. Frog (aka Keroro Gunsou) ~ 5 alien space frogs come to Earth ("Pekopon") but end up living with a few different human families while coming up with new destined-to-fail world domination schemes...when not building Gundam models. Art style looks kiddy but the stories are all ages like Adventure Time or Invader Zim.
• GTO (Great Teacher Onizuka) ~ A former delinquent becomes a teacher for a new group of troubled teens. His teen life can be seen in the OVA series, Shonan Junai Gumi, but it lacks the complexity of GTO.

Romantic Comedy

• Baka and Test - Summoned Beasts (aka Baka to Test to Shoukanjuu) ~ a mediocre boy and a genius girl find themselves assigned to a worst class in school; a school were classmates compete through grades-powered techno-magic beasts.
• My Bride is a Mermaid (aka Seto no Hanayome) ~ A boy finds himself accidentally engaged to a mermaid whose father happens to be a Yazuka boss, a mermaid-yakuza boss. Extremely fast-paced and over-the-top crazy. Uses a variety of animation styles back and forth.
• Maison Ikkoku ~ an older show (late 80's) but worth the effort to seek out. A 96 episode love story that spans 5 years of the characters lives. A boy in his early twenties who failed his college entrance exams twice rooms with a bunch of odd characters in a run down boarding house when a new building manager arrives and he becomes smitten with her.
• Nodame Cantible ~ A gifted would-be conductor meets a genius but quirky pianist and she quickly decides that he's her fiancés. The series spans 3 seasons and could use a 4th to wrap up, but the characters are great and the music is top notch. Like Maison Ikkoku, this is a more mature love story than your average high school rom-coms. There was a live-action version of this show, too.
• Cheeky Angel (akaTenshi na Konamaiki) ~ A girl who claims she was transformed into a girl from being a boy by a book-wizard adjusts to life and the pursuit of boys while in high school. This is a reverse harem meaning one girl and several romantic male leads.

Mystery and Suspense

• xxxHolic ~ A boy who can see ghosts finds himself working for a woman who has ties to the world of the paranormal. This series is part of the CLAMP universe which also houses Carcaptor Sakura. Unlike Sakura, this show can be rather pessimistic,
• Kaiji ~ The most depressing show I've seen in sometime ~ A man is pulled into the world of odd death-games and competes to pay off a huge debt he accrued with the Yakuza. Dark and absolutely full of tension without much violence.
• Ghost Hunt ~ A teenage girl gets a job assisting a well known ghostbuster (of sorts). This is a lot like the 90's TV show, Psi-Factor but set in Japan. There are 5 cases in the series run with each case lasting about 4 or 5 episodes.
• Witch Hunter Robin ~ A young "witch" comes to Japan to work for an organization that investigates and captures magic-using criminals. Very gothic in style.

Action and Action-comedy

• Dororon Enma-kun Meeramera ~ An updated version of a 1970's Go Nagai series about a son of the devil whose job it is to capture escaped demons and souls who've returned to Earth. A good amount of action and lots of over-the-top comedy (some sexual). Not for the easily offended but funny just the same.
• Desert Punk ~ A horny guy tries to survive in a post apocalyptic world by doing bounty hunter work and odd jobs. Later he gets a partner. The end comes too suddenly and without enough explanation (read the manga) but good enough to recommend.
• City Hunter ~ another older one (late 80's) involving a perpetually on the make private investigator/trouble-shooter and his giant-mallet wielding partner. Balances action with your standard "beat up the horny guy" comedy. Fun likable characters if you're not opposed to that humor format. A Korean live-action TV series is out as well as a Jackie Chan movie for this one.

Unclassified

• The Pretty Cure/PreCure franchise. Basically the most fun "magical girl" franchise around. The first two and seventh (HeartCatch PreCure) are my favorites. Surprisingly violent for a magical girl show; sometimes, for short bursts, DBZ or Naruto level violent. This is a HeartCatch fight near the end of the series and below is one from Pretty Cure Splash Star near the finale.

All the links lead to opening credit videos unless otherwise noted. Almost all can be viewed on Crunchyroll, Hulu, AnimeNewsNetwork or Netflix but not all. Some are only out via fansubs and will have to be hunted down through alternate channels. Everything I've listed has an English subtitled version in the wild.