Anime Recommendations Thread

[AnimeGirl]

Hello, I am looking for some real good anime to watch! Don't care how long it is (except if it goes on forever, like Pokemon XD).

Content Guidelines:
- MUST be dubbed. I don't mind subs, I can watch both, but I want it with the option of hearing it in English.
- Preferrably none, but I can tolerate minor language. A little here and there won't kill me, but I prefer not to hear so much of it.
- No graphic violence, please! A little blood is fine, but please no gore, people's limbs being torn, eyes being pulled out, etc.! Just nothing above PG-13!
- No yaoi/yuri, please!
- No sexual content, no nudity, clothes must not be too skimpy.
- Magic is okay, as long as it is contained in the "fantasy realm", no realistic witches and wizards, potion mixing, and casting spells on people. A 'magic girl' type thing would be okay. Or something based on a video game.
- Genres I like: slice-of-life, fantasy, magic girl, sci-fi, mecha, shojo, shonen, comedy, or even something weird and surreal.
- I don't want anything over 13+ in rating.

Here's a list of anime I like, to give you an idea of what I'm looking for:
- Tsubasa Reservoir Chronicles
- Cardcaptors
- Angelic Layer
- Pokemon (first 3 seasons)
- xxxHOLIC
- Robotech
- Spirited Away

Animes I am trying out:
- .HACK (the first one)
- Hikaru no Go
- Hamtaro

Thank you so much!!!!

[Mr. Hat'n'Clogs]

Depends on how the demons are portrayed, and how close it is to being fantasy or "the real thing". I've heard about Sakura Wars a lot but I never really knew what it was about... What is it about?

Same with Darker Than Black.

And thanks - I'll definitely check out A's sometime.

Sorry that I missed this, I feel compelled to respond now, even if it goes unread.

Darker than Black is about when the night sky as we know it disappears, and the people begin gaining superpowers. These superpowers come at a price(such as smoking a cigarette or breaking one of your fingers), so they became know as Contractors. Basically, no one has any idea how they got these powers, and as of the sixth episode of the second season they still don't. There is brief nudity on one character who can teleport near the end, but the camera is conveniently angled, so you never see the full front. There is some blood, but never in excess, and some characters will drink. Uhh, I think that's all the offensive content in there.

[Maokun]

Hello, I am looking for some real good anime to watch! Don't care how long it is (except if it goes on forever, like Pokemon XD).

Content Guidelines:
- MUST be dubbed. I don't mind subs, I can watch both, but I want it with the option of hearing it in English.
- Preferrably none, but I can tolerate minor language. A little here and there won't kill me, but I prefer not to hear so much of it.
- No graphic violence, please! A little blood is fine, but please no gore, people's limbs being torn, eyes being pulled out, etc.! Just nothing above PG-13!
- No yaoi/yuri, please!
- No sexual content, no nudity, clothes must not be too skimpy.
- Magic is okay, as long as it is contained in the "fantasy realm", no realistic witches and wizards, potion mixing, and casting spells on people. A 'magic girl' type thing would be okay. Or something based on a video game.
- Genres I like: slice-of-life, fantasy, magic girl, sci-fi, mecha, shojo, shonen, comedy, or even something weird and surreal.
- I don't want anything over 13+ in rating.

Here's a list of anime I like, to give you an idea of what I'm looking for:
- Tsubasa Reservoir Chronicles
- Cardcaptors
- Angelic Layer
- Pokemon (first 3 seasons)
- xxxHOLIC
- Robotech
- Spirited Away

Animes I am trying out:
- .HACK (the first one)
- Hikaru no Go
- Hamtaro

Thank you so much!!!!

Hmm, you drive a hard bargain, that's a pretty stern list. It indeed barely leaves room in for magical girl and kids' shows. However, seeing how you liked XXXholic, I'm guessing you don't mind paranormal/spiritual-world stuff, so I'll recommend Gakko no Kaidan (Ghost Stories in English.) It's a pretty harmless anime with the only caveat that it deals with heavy paranormal stuff. However, while the intention is decidedly horror, they make it quite lighthearted while building towards a heartwarming ending. It's much more innocent than XXXholic, so it should satisfy most of your demands. Licensed by ADV, so you shouldn't have too much problem finding a dub.

In unrelated matters, whenever you say "Cardcaptors" or "Robotech", kami-sama kills a catgirl. Please think of the catgirls.

[blkmage]

There is only one magical girl show that I will watch and that is Magical Girl Lyrical Nanoha (and of course, its sequels, A's and StrikerS, and the various manga and sound stages). And that is the magical girl show that I will recommend every time someone mentions magical girl or mecha.

[mysngoeshere56]

Mr. Hat'n'Clogs - Ironic enough, I was just reading and saw that... Thanks! Looks like posting wasn't a waste after all.

Okay guys so I always want to watch something super romantic among all the battle/fighting stuff I'm watching just for the sake of fulfilling the romance lover in me. I've watched all of Fruits Basket and Ouran and loved both of them exceptionally (I watched Furuba twice, actually). I've seen all of Vampire Knight and over half of VK Guilty. I really like all of it except... (spoiler for Guilty ahead)

[spoiler]...the whole thing about Kaname being Yuuki's brother.[/spoiler]

I also watched the original Kanon and thought it was cute. I'm going through the 2006 version and so far I'm liking a lot too. So far, I prefer 2006, but I have quite a way to go before I finish it.

All right, so... Any ideas? One that I found that I was thinking of starting was Peach Girl. Do you think that would suffice?

[blkmage]

Mr. Hat'n'Clogs - Ironic enough, I was just reading and saw that... Thanks! Looks like posting wasn't a waste after all.

Okay guys so I always want to watch something super romantic among all the battle/fighting stuff I'm watching just for the sake of fulfilling the romance lover in me. I've watched all of Fruits Basket and Ouran and loved both of them exceptionally (I watched Furuba twice, actually). I've seen all of Vampire Knight and over half of VK Guilty. I really like all of it except... (spoiler for Guilty ahead)

[spoiler]...the whole thing about Kaname being Yuuki's brother.[/spoiler]

I also watched the original Kanon and thought it was cute. I'm going through the 2006 version and so far I'm liking a lot too. So far, I prefer 2006, but I have quite a way to go before I finish it.

All right, so... Any ideas? One that I found that I was thinking of starting was Peach Girl. Do you think that would suffice?

CLANNAD CLANNAD CLANNAD, you should watch CLANNAD and CLANNAD ~After Story~. It is like Kanon except 4297% better. I'm not saying Kanon's bad, it's a good show (I've only seen the 2006 version btw), but CLANNAD is superior to it in pretty much every way conceivable.

Clannad is by the same studio as the 2006 Kanon, Kyoto Animation. Their source material are also by the same people: Key. So, the animation and storytelling style and character designs in Clannad will be very similar to that of Kanon. What's different is the theme of the show and that's what separates Clannad from Kanon.

You should watch Clannad.

And after you're done watching Clannad because it is one of the best shows ever, other shows you might want to check out are Toradora, ef, Nodame Cantabile, Honey and Clover, and maybe Kimikiss and True Tears.

[Maokun]

Peach Girl focuses much more in angsty teenager drama than in the romance that drives the story. Not saying it is bad, it's just perhaps not the sappy happy stuff you are looking forward right now. Definitely go for Clannad.

[Falx]

Hello, I am looking for some real good anime to watch! Don't care how long it is (except if it goes on forever, like Pokemon XD).

Content Guidelines:
- MUST be dubbed. I don't mind subs, I can watch both, but I want it with the option of hearing it in English.
- Preferrably none, but I can tolerate minor language. A little here and there won't kill me, but I prefer not to hear so much of it.
- No graphic violence, please! A little blood is fine, but please no gore, people's limbs being torn, eyes being pulled out, etc.! Just nothing above PG-13!
- No yaoi/yuri, please!
- No sexual content, no nudity, clothes must not be too skimpy.
- Magic is okay, as long as it is contained in the "fantasy realm", no realistic witches and wizards, potion mixing, and casting spells on people. A 'magic girl' type thing would be okay. Or something based on a video game.
- Genres I like: slice-of-life, fantasy, magic girl, sci-fi, mecha, shojo, shonen, comedy, or even something weird and surreal.
- I don't want anything over 13+ in rating.

Here's a list of anime I like, to give you an idea of what I'm looking for:
- Tsubasa Reservoir Chronicles
- Cardcaptors
- Angelic Layer
- Pokemon (first 3 seasons)
- xxxHOLIC
- Robotech
- Spirited Away

Animes I am trying out:
- .HACK (the first one)
- Hikaru no Go
- Hamtaro

Thank you so much!!!!

I see you like slice-of-life stuff... excellent! You should start watching Sketchbook and Ichigo Mashimaro immediately, as they fulfill all your requirements!

[AnimeGirl]

Okay, thanks for some of your recommendations! I will look it up!

[impact777]

Hi folks! Does anbody know the anime TrueTears?
I've seen the intro and it looked very nice. Is there any bad content in it?
Thanks a lot!

[blkmage]

I found True Tears to be average. It's not terrible, but there's nothing about it that stands out to me. I'd also imagine it'd be a lot less entertaining if you're watching it without the Hiromi vs. Noe flamewars going on that engulfed the Internet while it was airing.

[Shadowfax]

Hello, I am looking for some real good anime to watch! Don't care how long it is (except if it goes on forever, like Pokemon XD).

Content Guidelines:
- MUST be dubbed. I don't mind subs, I can watch both, but I want it with the option of hearing it in English.
- Preferrably none, but I can tolerate minor language. A little here and there won't kill me, but I prefer not to hear so much of it.
- No graphic violence, please! A little blood is fine, but please no gore, people's limbs being torn, eyes being pulled out, etc.! Just nothing above PG-13!
- No yaoi/yuri, please!
- No sexual content, no nudity, clothes must not be too skimpy.
- Magic is okay, as long as it is contained in the "fantasy realm", no realistic witches and wizards, potion mixing, and casting spells on people. A 'magic girl' type thing would be okay. Or something based on a video game.
- Genres I like: slice-of-life, fantasy, magic girl, sci-fi, mecha, shojo, shonen, comedy, or even something weird and surreal.
- I don't want anything over 13+ in rating.

Here's a list of anime I like, to give you an idea of what I'm looking for:
- Tsubasa Reservoir Chronicles
- Cardcaptors
- Angelic Layer
- Pokemon (first 3 seasons)
- xxxHOLIC
- Robotech
- Spirited Away

Animes I am trying out:
- .HACK (the first one)
- Hikaru no Go
- Hamtaro

Thank you so much!!!!

Wait... so you just want good family-friendly shows with dubs? Preferably in those listed genres?

Then you have a lot of choices my friend.

This is a HUGE list... most are in those limits you gave, though there's a couple exceptions as they're really excellent stories I think you'll enjoy. They're at the end of the list.

==================

[color="PaleTurquoise"]Laputa: Castle In The Sky[/color] (Movie & Adventure / Pazu is a young boy with a life's dream: to find the legendary floating island of Laputa, hidden somewhere in the clouds)
PG (violence, very mild profanity)
Excellent

[color="PaleTurquoise"]My Neighbor Totoro[/color] (Movie & Fantasy / Story of a family that just moved to the countryside, and the young children's interaction with the strange creatures that live there)
G (nothing objectionable)
Excellent

[color="PaleTurquoise"]Nausicaä][/color] (Movie & Adventure / A young princess in a battered world tries to save her village and humanity)
PG (violence)
Excellent

[color="PaleGreen"]All are Easily Recommended for your Tastes[/color]
If you haven't seen these movies, you should. They're made by the same director of Spirited Away, Hayao Miyazaki.

[color="PaleTurquoise"][B]Crest of the Stars[/color] (Sci-Fi Adventure / Jinto, whose world was taken over by the Abh empire, meets a princess of the Abh Empire, Lafiel, whom he quickly befriends despite her cold exterior. When the both of them are shot down during a patrol flight, they are stranded on a planet controlled by the enemy. They have to work together in order to survive in this hostile territory.)
PG-13 (violence, brief nudity)
Very Good

I only suggest this series because, 1. It is a truly good sci-fi adventure, and I think worth your time. And 2. The nudity moments go by so fast, you could miss them if you blink. 99% of this saga has no revealing moments. I recommend you give this series a try... if you like sci-fi as much as I do, you'll realize this is a great classic. Don't forget its sequel Banner of the Stars!

[color="PaleTurquoise"]Whisper Of The Heart[/color] (Movie & Drama Romance / The story of Shizuku, a girl finishing up junior high who’s just not sure what her place will be in life. Now, she finds herself struggling with questions of her talent, future, self-worth, and maybe love? The movie takes you on a journey through her imagination and daily life as she makes choices that will ultimately guide her future.)
G (nothing to worry about)
Excellent

My description does not do this movie justice. It's an awesome captivating tale, based on a screenplay by Miyazaki actually... go watch this!

[color="PaleTurquoise"]Fruits Basket[/color] (Comedy Drama / Shortly after entering high school, Tohru Honda’s mother lost her life in a tragic accident. After a brief period of living in a tent in the woods, Tohru eventually comes to reside at the Souma residence with her classmate, Yuki Souma, and his relatives. A series of mishaps reveals a surprise about the Soumas though... . when hugged by members of the opposite sex, they change into animals from the zodiac! It seems life just became a bit more complicated.)
PG (mild violence, mild language)
Very Good - [color="PaleGreen"]Easily Recommended for your Tastes[/color]

The series is incredible, simply put. It brings together a light humor with a touching story and thoughtful life-lessons. One particular character's constant desire to fight and use of the word d**n is a little offputting, but the rest of the series really shines. Definitely recommended.

[color="PaleTurquoise"]Millenium Actress[/color] (Movie & Drama / Genya Tachibana is a man on a mission: to film a documentary profiling one of Japan’s most famous and intriguing actresses, Chiyoko Fujiwara. For over a decade, she graced Japanese screens, but for the past 30 years, she has been a recluse. Not only does Tachibana want to interview the actress, but he also wants to give her something; something vital that will unlock her memories and, most importantly, something that is very dear to her.)
PG (mild violence)
Excellent

Yet another movie that's difficult to portray in a synopsis. It's not simply a biography. It's a touching, poignant and moving story, presented in the form a biography. With powerful emotion and genuine drama, Millennium Actress is a beautiful story with a unique presentation that can take your breath away. A genuine movie classic.

[color="PaleTurquoise"]Haré+Guu[/color] (Jungle wa Itsumo Hare nochi Guu) (Comedy / Hale and his mother live peacefully in the jungle, until he awakens to find Guu, a strange girl with even stranger abilities, being adopted into his family. Notably, she has the ability to switch from a cute, lovable Guu, to a menacing delinquent who eats anything. Anything. Now Hale must live with Guu, and lead a normal life, despite her oddities.)
PG (some adult situations, mild innuendo)
Excellent

An excellent slice-of-life comedy, despite the average story. It’s stupid, it’s silly and it’s fun. If you can enjoy slapstick humor (or one-liners), you'll be laughing every single episode. It's sad that its 2 sequels are a little racier in their jokes, but this first season is fairly clean (occassionally jokes are almost inappropriate but they never cross the line). One of the best comedies you can find.

[color="PaleTurquoise"]Azumanga Daioh[/color] (Comedy / The everyday lives of several schoolgirl friends as they hang out and try to get through their studies.)
G (mild slapstick violence, childish innuendo)
Good

If the summary makes it seem like there isn’t much plot in Azumanga Daioh that’s because there isn’t any. The directors focused exclusively on the characters and the comedy, which makes Azumanga Daioh unique among other anime in that everything works surprisingly well despite having little plot to hold things together. The best comparison I can make would be to compare Azumanga Daioh to Seinfeld, a “show about nothing.” It's a great example of a “love it or hate it” anime. As for me, I loved it! =)

[color="PaleTurquoise"]Haibane Renmei[/color] (Fantasy Slice-of-Life Drama / A girl dreams of falling from the sky and awakens in a strange cocoon. She breaks free and meets strange angelic beings with gray wings and halos, the haibane (”ash-gray feathers”). Soon, she grows a pair of wings and receives her own halo - now she is a haibane too. Why did Rakka become a haibane, and what is the mystery behind her new companions?)
PG-13 (mature themes - that is, it's clean, but would only be appreciated by teens and adults for its deep underlying lessons)
Very Good

A very difficult show to describe. It follows the everyday life of Rakka, yes, but that doesn't tell how lovable the characters in this world are, how emotionally charged the story becomes as mysteries are unravelled, how soothing the atmosphere and the quiet plot is, and how this all ties together into a beautiful something that's best experienced than described. Basically, it's a unique work of art, and there's nothing out there quite like it to compare it against. Check it out.

[Shadowfax]

[color="PaleTurquoise"]Voices of a Distant Star[/color] (Movie & Sci-Fi Drama / A high-school girl, Mikako, is called to help fight off an alien invasion, leaving behind her boyfriend, Noboru. She uses her cellular phone to send him periodic e-mails expressing her love for him. But though she feels the passing of weeks and months, he feels the passing of years due to the effects of time dilation. Even then, they realize that they can never truly be apart.)
PG (violence, mild blood)
Good

This is not a normal anime. In the same amount of time (twenty-five minutes) that most anime titles use to barely scrape the surface of their worlds and stories, this will lead you through a well-realized and intriguing universe, with likable and understandable characters, and a simple gripping romance. This is, quite simply, one of the best short anime releases. There's a very interesting story behind how it was made too.

[color="PaleTurquoise"]Searching for the Full Moon[/color] (Full Moon wo Sagashite) (Magical Fantasy Drama / Kouyama Mitsuki is a 12-year-old girl who loves to sing. One day, two shinigami (gods of death) named Takuto and Meroko appear in Mitsuki's room, and tell her that she only has one year to live. At first, they disapprove of Mitsuki wanting to become a professional singer. However, Takuto is sympathetic, and transforms Mitsuki into a 16-year-old girl so she can audition for a singing position before her death. And so a young girl's journey begins.)
PG (some mature themes)
Excellent - [color="PaleGreen"]Easily Recommended for your Tastes[/color]

This is one of those rare series that can actually put you into tears, not just because of sad moments, but because of sheer happiness as well. It sends its viewers on a roller coaster of emotions as it showcases every character’s ambitions and dreams, and unfolds an unforgettable story. Mostly family-friendly, touching on a few morbid themes, though never becomes too depressing. In fact, I'm surprised at how many lighthearted or happy moments are in it. It's a great, poignant show that's destined to become a classic.

[color="PaleTurquoise"]Mushishi[/color] (Fantasy Drama / Tells a story about ordinary people, living in the quiet areas of medieval Japan and their encounters with the creatures called Mushi. Only a select few can see them, they’re living beings, just like any other animal or plant, though at times, their lifestyles clash with humans, making them sick, or giving them strange abilities. Ginko, a Mushi-shi, travels around to uncover the mysteries of the Mushi. As he investigates, he helps people who struggle with problems caused by these strange creatures.)
PG-13 (mature themes)
Excellent

Mushishi is entirely episodic. There are neither story arcs nor any cliffhangers, but at the same time, just about every episode has something interesting about it. In fact, its pacing is slow, focusing more on the actual scenes and situations, allowing the viewer to absorb and enjoy the background of each individual episode and the guest characters in that episode. Thus, Mushishi is an experience to be enjoyed, in addition to being a special story. Not for everyone, but I think it's extremely enjoyable. Highly recommended.

[color="PaleTurquoise"]The Girl Who Leapt Through Time[/color] (Slice-of-Life Sci-Fi / Something strange has happened to Makoto Konno. Time has suddenly stopped and moved her backwards. With her newly discovered ability to literally leap backwards in time, Makoto finds that her efforts to improve the present backfire, making school, friendship, and romance even more complicated and difficult.)
G (nothing to worry about)
Excellent - [color="PaleGreen"]Easily Recommended for your Tastes[/color]

It is rare to find a simple but thoroughly charming film. This is a great slice of life title with just the right splash of sci-fi. Very highly recommended.

[color="PaleTurquoise"]Kanon 2006[/color] (Slice-of-Life Surreal Drama / Aizawa Yuuichi returns to the city where he once spent his childhood. For some reason, he can scarcely remember a thing about it. However, the girls he meets seem to have something to do with his past and his memories, perhaps these new friends can help him recover.)
PG-13 (some violence, some dark themes)
Excellent

The one is a little bit too cute for many viewers, but if you're watching Cardcaptor and Angelic Layer (which I also love), you're obviously not suffering an anti-cute phase. xD This tale is quite an effective character-driven drama, where the characters and their personality traits and backstories just make it an unforgettable experience. This was the first anime that actually induced tears out of me, the story can get very emotional. It somehow also made me laugh more than any other drama I've seen. It's just well written.

[color="PaleTurquoise"]Saiunkoku Monogatari[/color] (Shoujo Drama / A poor but noble woman is asked to work at the royal palace and look after the lazy young emperor.)
PG
Excellent

I haven't seen this yet but plan to, which is partly why I don't have a detailed family rating above. But from what I've read, it's a love-it-or-hate-it-anime. It starts off like a shojo romance and quickly backgrounds that for a deep political tale. Most people love the balance of comedy, drama, and unique characters. Others love it for its character development... it's about a woman who grows into positions of power or responsibility and works hard at it, even when people keep telling her it's not something she can handle.

[color="PaleTurquoise"]Guardian of the Spirit[/color] (Seirei no Moribito) (Fantasy Adventure / A young prince is discovered to have the egg of an evil water spirit residing inside him. His father the emperor is deeply saddened by the news, but must give the order for his son's execution. The mother however is not so willing to let her son be killed, and hires a female bodyguard named Balsa to help him escape and protect him.)
PG (violence)
Very Good

From the way it starts out, you’d expect Seirei no Moribito to be an action show, but many of the episodes are actually more slice-of-life than anything else. Fortunately, Chagum and Balsa have a fairly exciting life, and so the overall package is very engaging. The storytelling and pacing were very good (especially towards the end), and its especially interesting to see how the mystery of the egg finally unfolds. This show also has ridiculously good visuals.

==================

These sadly were not dubbed into American English. However, they are [color="PaleTurquoise"]excellent animes[/color] and real classics in their genres. I think you might really enjoy them, despite the subtitles.

[color="PaleTurquoise"]Aria the Animation[/color] (Slice of Life / All about the everyday life and atmosphere of several gondola-rowers in Neo-Venezia ("new venice").)
PG (some mature themes)
Excellent - [color="PaleGreen"]Easily Recommended for your Tastes[/color]

A personal favorite which almost never fails to put me in a really good mood. Aria is a show about life, about friends, about everyday situations and challenges and about all the small things we sometimes take for granted. And for that, I love this show. Its unforgettable atmosphere, lovable characters, intriguing stories, all work together really well... I hope you'll consider this one.

[color="PaleTurquoise"]Dennou Coil[/color] (Sci-Fi Adventure / In a future time, the world is layered with an extra cyberspace one that can be seen by putting on special glasses. You can still see the real world, but you can also see your virtual pets walking with you, a voice-command lets your browse emails out of thin air, etc. In Daikoku City, this cyberspace is behaving strangely: cyberpets are going missing, and dark entities known as "the Illegal" are appearing. Sixth grader Yuko Okonogi has just moved to Daikoku City, and after cyberdetective children help her rescue her lost dog, she soon joins the others in a search for the truth behind these strange occurrences.)
PG-13 (intense moments, brief mild nudity)
Excellent

A near-perfect package of adventure, science fiction, spine-tingling mystery, and human drama. Its characters and the world around them were just so interesting to get to know. And as the mysterious story deepened, it became a gripping tale that I'll always fondly look back on. Basically, if you like sci-fi, you'll probably enjoy this very much.

==================

There's a few other excellent family-friendly animes out there... but I figure this list is long enough. Some examples you might want to research later are...
Honey and Clover, Natsume Yuujinchou, Nodame Cantabile, Shion no Ou, and Tsukikage Ran: Carried by the Wind.

Hope this helps!

[AnimeGirl]

Wow, long lists, but thank you!! No I'll have alot of stuff to check out, it'll keep me busy for awhile. Arigato, arigato, arigato!

[steenajack]

OOooooooo, now I may wanna try some of these out too. XD

[That Dude]

So does anybody have any anime recommendations of somewhat darker more serious shows in the vain of Ergo Proxy, Monster, Noien, Now And Then, Here And There?

[Maokun]

Wow Shadowfax, and I thought I was the only person here to recommend Hale + Guu. Good one!

As for That Dude's request, you may try Serial Experiments Lain, Boogiepop Phantom, Petshop of Horrors and, if you haven't, Neon Genesis Evangelion.

[blkmage]

Kara no Kyoukai for sures. Then Kaiba if you can tolerate the weird art, and Casshern Sins.

[That Dude]

I own the whole series of Lain, seen all of Evangelion, and about half of Boogiepop. Haven't seen any of Petshop though...

Any more story driven darker ones? I'll check out the Kara no Kyoukai though...

[Mithrandir]

Wow Shadowfax, and I thought I was the only person here to recommend Hale + Guu. Good one!

As for That Dude's request, you may try Serial Experiments Lain, Boogiepop Phantom, Petshop of Horrors and, if you haven't, Neon Genesis Evangelion.

I think SEL and NGE are great recommendations, comparing them to Noein, at least. I haven't seen the others, so I don't have much to say about them. If you like dark, Bubble Gum Crisis, Macross, and Vampire Hunter D are pretty good, and you may also want to consider Elfin Lied if you want what I consider the reasonable edge of "dark and serious" before you hit splattercore (See the review section though; it's pretty intense and I don't normally recommend it). 3x3 Eyes may appeal to you as well.

HIH!

[impact777]

I found True Tears to be average. It's not terrible, but there's nothing about it that stands out to me. I'd also imagine it'd be a lot less entertaining if you're watching it without the Hiromi vs. Noe flamewars going on that engulfed the Internet while it was airing.

Thanks a lot for the information!

[MasterDias]

I own the whole series of Lain, seen all of Evangelion, and about half of Boogiepop. Haven't seen any of Petshop though...

Any more story driven darker ones? I'll check out the Kara no Kyoukai though...

Well, if you like Noein (and, from what I know, Lain), I'd recommend Dennou Coil to you. It's not as "dark" as some of those listed...although it does have some pretty creepy and sinister bits. However, it is an intelligently written science-fiction mystery with virtual reality/hacking as a motif.

[Shadowfax]

So does anybody have any anime recommendations of somewhat darker more serious shows in the vain of Ergo Proxy, Monster, Noien, Now And Then, Here And There?

In no particular order,

[color="PaleTurquoise"]Gungrave
Paranoia Agent
Serial Experiments Lain
Gankutsuou: The Count of Monte Cristo
Death Note
Kino's Journey
Grave of the Fireflies
Bokura no
Ghost in the Shell 2
Gambling Apocalypse Kaiji[/color]

...all have excellent reviews. On the other hand, these aren't really serious but often carry that dark mysterious atmosphere that's so addicting...

[color="PaleTurquoise"]xxxHOLiC
Dennou Coil[/color]

And then there's the less-popular but definitely still worth investigating serious/dark shows...

[color="PaleTurquoise"]Noir
Jigoku Shoujo
Mouryou no Hako
Casshern Sins
Red Garden
Night Head Genesis
The Skull Man
Ayakashi Japanese Classic Horror
Mononoke[/color]

Always look up reviews to see if a show falls within your interest range or not.

Wow Shadowfax, and I thought I was the only person here to recommend Hale + Guu. Good one!

Yay! That show doesn't get enough popularity. Everytime I do hear about it, it's in a positive way, but still not many people know about it.

[Shadowfax]

Well, if you like Noein (and, from what I know, Lain), I'd recommend Dennou Coil to you. It's not as "dark" as some of those listed...although it does have some pretty creepy and sinister bits. However, it is an intelligently written science-fiction mystery with virtual reality/hacking as a motif.

*gasp* Someone else knows about Dennou Coil? Have a cookie.

[That Dude]

I think SEL and NGE are great recommendations, comparing them to Noein, at least. I haven't seen the others, so I don't have much to say about them. If you like dark, Bubble Gum Crisis, Macross, and Vampire Hunter D are pretty good, and you may also want to consider Elfin Lied if you want what I consider the reasonable edge of "dark and serious" before you hit splattercore (See the review section though]

I've seen all those you listed above except Elfin Lied and 3x3 Eyes. I'll put them on my list to check out.

Well, if you like Noein (and, from what I know, Lain), I'd recommend Dennou Coil to you. It's not as "dark" as some of those listed...although it does have some pretty creepy and sinister bits. However, it is an intelligently written science-fiction mystery with virtual reality/hacking as a motif.

Ooh that one sounds really neat.

Gungrave
Paranoia Agent
Serial Experiments Lain
Gankutsuou: The Count of Monte Cristo
Death Note
Kino's Journey
Grave of the Fireflies
Bokura no
Ghost in the Shell 2
Gambling Apocalypse Kaiji

...all have excellent reviews. On the other hand, these aren't really serious but often carry that dark mysterious atmosphere that's so addicting...

xxxHOLiC
Dennou Coil

And then there's the less-popular but definitely still worth investigating serious/dark shows...

Noir
Jigoku Shoujo
Mouryou no Hako
Casshern Sins
Red Garden
Night Head Genesis
The Skull Man
Ayakashi Japanese Classic Horror
Mononoke

Always look up reviews to see if a show falls within your interest range or not.

Well of those listed above I've seen; Gungrave, Serial Experiments Lain, Noir, GITS2, Grave Of The Fireflies, Gankotsuou, Paranoia Agent, Kino's Journey, and Death Note.

Thanks for the list. I'll check out some of the others.

Thanks for all the recommendations. Now I just need to find some sketch paper to write these down on somewhere.

[blkmage]

Dennou Coil's pretty good, but I found the quality to be really varying. There were some pretty long stretches that tried my patience, but when it's good, it's fantastic. It was also overlooked because it had the misfortune of airing in the same season as Gurren Lagann and Lucky Star, not to mention a bunch of other pretty popular stuff.

Last I checked, Mouryo no Hako was drifting in subs-where land. I am also not sure about what to think of Bokurano. Having read Bokurano, I raised my eyebrow when I heard that the director for the anime said he changed it because he didn't like it.

[MasterDias]

In Japan, Dennou Coil actually won several awards, tieing with Gurren Lagann in two of them. However, I don't think it was exceptionally popular among western fans unfortunately. It still hasn't been licensed.

[blkmage]

Dennou Coil was a critical success, with the awards and stuff, and it got pretty good ratings when it was airing if I remember correctly. Unfortunately, that didn't translate into DVD sales (<4000 for the first volume, dropping to 2000-2500 for each subsequent volume), and so financially, it didn't fare so well. Gurren Lagann, on the other hand, was pushing 18000 per volume on average.

[Mr. Hat'n'Clogs]

Has anyone seen both Kino's Journey and Gunslinger Girl? If so, could you tell me which is better, and give me a little more info than ANN gives about the two? I'm trying to decide which to buy first, and since they cost the same, I can't decide.

[Shadowfax]

Has anyone seen both Kino's Journey and Gunslinger Girl? If so, could you tell me which is better, and give me a little more info than ANN gives about the two? I'm trying to decide which to buy first, and since they cost the same, I can't decide.

Since no one else has responded yet, I'll just put my 2 cents in.

I haven't seen either but I've read plenty about both. Kino's Journey is usually rated slightly ahead of Gunslinger Girl. But I think it's because so many pick up "Gunslinger" just for its title, expecting an action show (which it isn't). Ignoring that small percentage of people, these shows are about on par with each other. They're both very good. But they still have totally different stories.

So it really comes down to... what do you want? What are you in the mood for? If you need to know about these shows, there's plenty of helpful reviews out there...

[color="PaleTurquoise"]Gunslinger Girl[/color] (includes links to reviews)
AAW: 4/5
THEM: 4/5
AMR: Worthy
AniDB: 8.5/10
AAcademy: 81/100
AnimeNfo: 8.4/10
APlanet: 8/10
"All in all, I really enjoyed this series. Others may be put off by its generally philosophical nature, but those with an open mind will most likely be pleasantly surprised."
ASource: 8/10
MyAList: 7.7/10
Nihon: 9/10
"All in all, Gunslinger Girl is a very good series bordering on greatness with only a few flaws. The slow opening may lose some, but the deep and captivating story makes more than up for it. New and exciting? Definitely. If you’re into big drama with a slight note of action, this one’s for you."

Average Score: 8.1

[color="PaleTurquoise"]Kino's Journey[/color]
CAA: 8/10
FunBlog: 4/5
"The story-telling in this show is first-rate. The stories are clever and ironic. Some are charming]THEM[/URL]: 4/5
AniDb: 8.7/10
AAcademy: 88/100
AnimeNfo: 8.9/10
APlanet: 8.8/10
ASource: 8.8/10
MyAList: 8.5/10
Nihon: 9/10
"Kino’s Journey will make you take a good look at humanity and think about the way you live your life. The world is not beautiful (and yet it is), but Kino’s Journey itself is an elegant masterpiece. Do not let the character designs or the lack of a strong plot cause you to miss this unique and intelligent work of art."

Average Score: 8.5