Looking for "different" titles

[desperado]

I am looking for anime that doesn't really fit well into any category. I guess I am just wanting something new and different (mainly refreshing new looks on past genres or unique combinations of genres).

I guess what got me started on it was rozen maiden. I saw it realized I had never saw anything quite like it before and began a search. Havent found to much the way of liscened anime, but have found a series or two that is unliscened. Noteworthy is a weird blending of vampire show, high school drama, and comedy that is known as karin. <sigh> I just wish it didnt have so much fanservice... anyways thats not the point I am wanting some liscened or nonliscened anime that does unique blendings of genres or is something new.

[uc pseudonym]

Would you accept manga? Though fairly mainstream, reading Death Note is definitely a "different" experience. An anime version has been declared, so if you really don't want to read a manga you can just wait.

Mushishi is another series that steps outside traditional genre boundaries. You can find the discussion thread for it in this very forum:
http://www.christiananime.net/showthread.php?t=36083

Those are the two that come to mind quickly, though I'm sure there are others. But almost by nature, they aren't nearly as well known.

[Tenshi no Ai]

xxHOLiC maybe? It's a VERY different series, and I much enjoy it^^ Don't think there's too many anime/manga like it^^ ....plus it's CLAMP.

[eva-boy7985]

Such anime is sometimes referred to as progressive anime, in that it breaks cliches' or stereotypical molds with its story, content, art style, etc. Here's some that I greatly recommend :-)

Gankutsuou
Haibane Renmei
Serial Experiments Lain
Wolf's Rain
Metropolis
Miyazaki's films
Gilgamesh (I didn't finish this one; felt unsettling to me for some reason, but definitely an intriguing show!)
.hack SIGN (don't know if this would be seen as "progressive" but it's definitely a unique show amongst anime!)

[desperado]

I have seen most of those eva-boy though ill look into gakutsuou and haibane renmei on animenfo.

UC unless its being scanned i just dont have the money to get manga, barely can get dvds as is (HaHa was quite pleased at finding raxaphone used for 7 bucks a dvd, that kind of deal is how i buy them since im in college and poor...)
Also mushishi sounds interesting but the idea that its similar to american cartoons in the aspect of it being many unrelated events turns me off to it, but i may try it.

I have considered xxholic but I heard someone say its a really weepy series, now I dont know this for sure but the one thing I stay away from is weepy/angsty series. If it isn't ill definetly look into it.

[Tenshi no Ai]

I have considered xxholic but I heard someone say its a really weepy series, now I dont know this for sure but the one thing I stay away from is weepy/angsty series. If it isn't ill definetly look into it.

Riiiiight... I wouldn't really concider it angsty, and it's a far cry from "weepy" (heh) it deals with a ton of things, since each ep is pretty stand-aloneish. You can always give a couple eps a try^^ Everyone's a little different, although a loosely connected series (aka, no big plot to really tie all the eps together... yet). *shrugs* Like I said, it's a different series^^

[desperado]

Ill look into it and musashi probably, i had just heard someone complaining about it and so I didn't download it.

[Shao Feng-Li]

If you like suspense thrillers look into Monster from Viz's Signature manga line.

[MorwenLaicoriel]

I definately second Gankutsuou. VERY different--both the plot (taking a classic novel and setting it in a sci-fi setting? And actually making it work?), and the art style (which is absolutely GORGEOUS). I'm going through the series right now--I definately suggest it.

Also...this might not be the best suggestion...^^;...but have you tried Princess Tutu? It's techinically a 'magical girl' anime, but it centers more around telling the story like a fairy tale or ballet--if you like classic fairy tales (the dark ones!), you'll enjoy it, I think. It's gotten high reviews, but it's not doing so well commerscially. It's one of my favorites, though, so I recommend it. ^^

It is a tad girly, though, so I can understand if you didn't want to try it. XD

[eva-boy7985]

Gankutsuou is gonna run a bit pricey since it's put out by Geneon, but if you can find the discs cheap via half.com or eBay or something then go for it! Otherwise, Hastings can sometimes have great selections of anime for rent, so you could check that out. Haibane is available in a boxset now, so you could either rent it as previously mentioned or try to score the set on eBay for a good price! It's only 4 discs long so it won't be as expensive as those 6-8 disc shows O.o I'll put some more titles down if they come to mind!

[Maledicte]

I shall third Gankutsuou.

Also I'd recommend:
-Boogiepop Phantom (I just marathoned it tonight! My brain...)
-Pet Shop of Horrors
-Giant Robo
-Le Portrait de Petite Cossette
-Now and Then, Here and There

We have reviews here for all the anime I've listed. (And I've written three of them, tee hee.)

[MorwenLaicoriel]

Be reeeeally careful with eBay, though...know what you're looking for, lest you stumble apon bootlegs.

DeepDiscountDVD.com is a great place to look for decently price anime, too. They have the boxset for Haibane for about $54, free shipping, for example.

[avidrkfan]

I also recommend 'Gankutsuou', and I second the 'Monster' recommendation too.

If you want a frankly bizarre series, there's always 'FLCL', and though I haven't seen the end of it, 'Excel Saga' parodies ALL genres of anime.

[eva-boy7985]

Oh eBay can be bootleg evil fo sho if you're not careful. Just check the seller's feedback rating first and foremost, and then preferrably don't buy unless they have pictures of the DVDS and/or it says for sure region 1 in the item specs/description. If there's no picture just message them and ask whether or not it's region 1. I've bought tons of anime and series via eBay and have yet to get anything bootleg. You just have to be careful and strategic. a good tactic is to have say a site like Rightstuf open in one window and eBay in the other. Rightstuf will have the proper disc art/case photo to show you what the region 1 release of any given disc should look like so that's helpful :-)

[Ichigo_89]

Paranoia Agent is just about as different as it gets...

[Eric]

Gungrave
Blue Gender
Dead Leaves
Steamboy