Anime Recommendations Thread

[impact777]

Kite Liberator is a sequel to a movie that had explicit underage sex in it
So, yeah... extreme violence is a given as well.

Nabari no Ou seems alright, depending on how you feel about ninja powers is whether you would feel offended by it or not.

Dunno much about Sola, unfortunately, but there is definitely a supernatural element to it.

Allright. Thanks a lot for the fast answer.

[Falx]

You're welcome, just wish I had more info on the other two for you.

[Mr. Hat'n'Clogs]

[quote="Radical Dreamer (post: 1361686)"]Thanks for the recommendations! I had TOTALLY forgotten about Eden of the East]

Wasn't sure which one to quote, so I'll go with this.

I totally second Darker than Black and it's second season. It's starts a little slow, but once it picks up, it gets really good.

[steenajack]

I've got a question about the new FMA series, just in case I want to get into that too. FMA actually sounds really good. What's the content in it exactly? And how violent do both series get exactly? Any scenes in particular that I may wanna fast-forward? Are there a ton of sexual innuendo's in it that maybe the review forgot to mention? Any help would be awesome to me.

[Jeikobu]

I tried watching the new FMA and stopped after the 2nd episode. It was a lot more bothersome to me than the first in a spiritual way, and what really did it was when Ed talks to this demonic being inside the gate and says he is what people call God or whatever else. This greatly offended me and made me swear the whole series off. I'll stick with the original!

[Shadowfax]

Hi! I have three requests that I'd be delighted to see filled. Please, if you have any ideas, let me know!

1) I'm looking for a good fantasy anime, one that's more godly and spiritually clean. I LOVE fantasy. Unfortunately, fantasy often invites witchcraft and bad religion, especially when it comes from places like Japan. I've seen lots of fantasy in my time, but most of it I have problems with, usually to an extreme. Here are the fantasy anime I've seen:
-Cardcaptor Sakura (like the characters, emotion, writing, and music a lot, but let's face it, it's full of problems. Not only is it packed with sorcery, but it tries to put a deceptively cute and friendly label on it)
-Fullmetal Alchemist (I guess you could call that a fantasy) (like the same things I do with CCS, but this also has a lot of issues, largely to do with the alchemy)
-Howl's Moving Castle (lots of sorcery, not to mention demons)
-Inuyasha (filled with Shintouism)
-Laputa: Castle in the Sky (not quite the kind of fantasy I'm looking for, but this one at least is quite good)
-A Little Snow Fairy Sugar (I'm looking for something a lot more epic than this)
-Naruto (never again! Way too much underlying new age stuff. When it started getting too much into demons and junk, I finally had it)
-Nausicaa of the Valley of the Wind (good one. Not quite what I'm after, but close)
-Neon Genesis Evangelion (worst anime I've ever seen)
-Pocket Monsters (it has problems but is still my all time favorite anime)
-Pom Poko (too much Shintouism and Buddhism)
-Princess Mononoke (blasphemous and FILLED with false gods and junk)
-Spirited Away (excellent imagination and storytelling but far too much on the sorcery and false gods)
-Tsubasa Chronicle (would be a STRONG favorite if not for all the sorcery...argh)
-X TV (way too spiritually dark, and lots of sorcery and bad imagery...ugh, glad I dropped this one)

As you can see, not much luck. Outside of Japan I can always enjoy things like Narnia and LOTR, but I want something that reaches me where me heart is. Any ideas, please?

Thanks everyone for your time with this!

Cool! I am a huge HUGE fan of fantasy as well. I love being given an interesting world to get to know. But there are not a lot of good fantasy-esque shows... here's the few I know:

[color="PaleTurquoise"]Record of Lodoss War[/color] / The definitive fantasy anime. In fact it was not until Peter Jackson's "Lord of the Rings" adaptation that Lodoss War was dethroned as the leader of cinematic fantasy. Magic does appear in this tale but it's no worse than LOTR, where a team character is a wizard, but magic really isn't the focus of the show. If you've ever played an RPG you know what to expect in Lodoss War... heroes, warriors, elfs, dwarfs, mages, clerics, thieves, monsters, forests, dragons, mighty kings, powerful sorcerors, fierce dragons, etc.

This is not the greatest anime in the world, but it is pretty good and one of the few true fantasy stories around. If you consider the use of fantasy magic too distracting, then pass on this. But if you enjoyed LOTR or Narnia (which bother had plenty of evil magic moments, but not really in an encouraging way), then this is in the same genre. Don't forget its sequel Chronicles of the Heroic Knight.

[color="PaleTurquoise"]Samurai 7[/color] / Easily recommended for you, check this one out. Its a remarkably good show (story isn't particularly strong, but it's still really enjoyable). Lovable characters, cool battles, an interesting world to watch,... it's proof that an adventure fantasy can be both quality and clean.

[color="PaleTurquoise"]Hunter X Hunter[/color] / A really addictive story, you'll love the characters. Though like FMA and it's 'alchemy', it employs its own form of almost-magical abilities, avoiding the word 'magic' and calling it 'nen' instead. I won't lie, it sounds like new-age stuff, but it never struck me as a sorcery or strange art though... just a way to give characters superpowers. In fact, the first 30 episodes are rather clean, only in the series second half did they introduce nen abilities. It's your choice though]Twelve Kingdoms[/color] / Probably THE first show that comes to mind when people think "fantasy anime" these days. This show is relatively good, but as MasterDias said, it's influenced by mythology... as you get to know the land's history, references to false gods do come up. However, it's not in your face and it's not a focus in the show. So if you can get past those few mentions, this is probably one of the more epic and great fantasies around. It is a love-or-hate-it anime... half the reviews I read on this are screaming positive, the other half are tragic disappointments. I'd give it a shot though... it has problems, but not as extreme as a Miyazaki film.


And maybe I just like showing off long lists... in fact, it could be a medical condition... but I see your list of animes there, and you seem to enjoy (or dislike) a lot of the same stuff as I do. So if it's alright with you, I'd also recommend trying these out... I think you'll like them...

[color="PaleTurquoise"]The Place Promised in Our Early Days
The Girl Who Leapt Through Time[/color] / I noticed you were checking out Miyzaki's movies, even non fantasy ones. These two movies are very good. And very clean. The writing and art is excellent in both. Watch them both, you will not regret it.

[color="PaleTurquoise"]Dennou Coil[/color] / This is what a modern fantasy should be like. Great gripping story, memorable characters, perhaps it doesn't belong in the fantasy genre, but it so many of the same traits: an interesting imaginative (cyber)world, characters that are always getting cooler and more developed, gripping moments, nice effects, just a very good show. Has a couple brief scenes of rear nudity, but otherwise totally clean.

[color="PaleTurquoise"]Crest of the Stars[/color] / Great sci-fi series - along with its Banner of the Stars sequels - I think this just might be a level of good fiction you'd enjoy. It was interesting to see this world of space travel and the complexities of futuristic war, with awesome friends in the middle of it all. Clean but for a scene or two of very brief nudity (you could miss them if you blink).

[color="PaleTurquoise"]Angelic Layer[/color] / Alright, this *really* isn't a fantasy story. But seeing that you enjoyed things like CCS, Pocket Monsters, etc, I'd recommend this one to you as a side-note. It is a 100% clean, just plain 'fun' story. I can't put my finger on it, but there's something about the characters and ligh atmosphere that I really loved. Even more than CCS (though I only just started watching that).

[color="PaleTurquoise"]Searching for the Full Moon[/color] / Strangely, this is one of the most wholesome fictions I've ever seen, despite its use of shinigamis. If you don't know what that means, a shinigami is a spirit who takes and guides human souls to the afterlife when their time is up... "grim reapers" per se. So yes, Shintouism exists here, but so do angels apparently (no demons or human sorcery in this show), and it results in a very heart-touching beautiful wholesome show that rivals even CCS. Basically, if you enjoyed CCS, yes it has the same problems, but it also has an even more well-written story. Very recommended.

[color="PaleTurquoise"]Aria the Animation[/color] / Again, for me, anything that gives a beautiful new world to experience counts as a fantasy. A surreal place that just draws you in, a place that until anime and modern movies came along, you could only experience in well-written books. Aria is one such experience. It's somewhat slow and has a seemingly uninteresting synopsis, but give it a try anyway. Aria is a show about life, about friends, about everyday situations and challenges and about all the small things we sometimes take for granted. Its unforgettable atmosphere, lovable characters, intriguing stories, all work together really well... I hope you'll consider this one. Very recommended.

[AngelicTotoro]

Thank you Blkmage and Steenajack for your help on some of the anime titles I was wondering about.

I'll edit my anime questions now.
Remember the things I dislike most.


1. Rozen Maiden (I've watched the opening and this one looks a bit dark, I'm not to sure about it.)

2. Letter Bee

3. Pani Poni Dash!

4. Gakuen Alice

5. Tales from Earthsea

6. Lost Universe

7. Digi Charat

8. Clamp School Detectives

9. Sakura Taisen (Sakura Wars)

10. Mermaid Melody

11. Romio x Juliet

12. Eureka 7

13. Jyu Oh Sei

[AngelicTotoro]

(Sorry for the double post)

[Shadowfax]

12. Eureka 7

Haha, I asked the same thing at CAA a while ago. Eureka Seven's a pretty unique adventure that is definitely worth watching. It stumbles a bit in its beginning and ending with pacing issues, but if you’re willing to overlook that, it's a pretty good gem of a show. But a warning... it starts off feeling pretty light, but it's not a show about traveling rebel nomads on surfboards, it gets a little bit dark and serious toward the end.

I wrote a long review about that a while ago... I'll just copy the age-rating here:

Appropriate for the 16-up crowd for bloody violence and some nudity.

Violence: A few battles do have blood spilling, though it’s never gratuitous]Sexual Content[/B]: With the exception of Talho flaunting her too-short tank top for attention and a couple moments of mild innuendo, there is no sexual content in this show.

Nudity: One completely unnecessary spa episode has rear nudity. There are two or three scenes in the entire series with frontal nudity, though they are completely undetailed (like a Barbie doll). Also, one of the paper books in this show (which was never explained in the rushed ending) has a cover with a detailed naked woman on the front; thankfully, these scenes go by fairly quickly.

Religious Material: There is an alternate religion in this show, though it’s peaceful for the most part and frequently persecuted. Unless you consider the existence of another religion offensive, there’s nothing in this section to worry about.

[Jeikobu]

[color="PaleTurquoise"]Record of Lodoss War[/color] / The definitive fantasy anime. In fact it was not until Peter Jackson's "Lord of the Rings" adaptation that Lodoss War was dethroned as the leader of cinematic fantasy. Magic does appear in this tale but it's no worse than LOTR, where a team character is a wizard, but magic really isn't the focus of the show. If you've ever played an RPG you know what to expect in Lodoss War... heroes, warriors, elfs, dwarfs, mages, clerics, thieves, monsters, forests, dragons, mighty kings, powerful sorcerors, fierce dragons, etc.

This is not the greatest anime in the world, but it is pretty good and one of the few true fantasy stories around. If you consider the use of fantasy magic too distracting, then pass on this. But if you enjoyed LOTR or Narnia (which bother had plenty of evil magic moments, but not really in an encouraging way), then this is in the same genre. Don't forget its sequel Chronicles of the Heroic Knight.

Whoa! That light blue text is very hard to read. ^^][color="PaleTurquoise"]Samurai 7[/color] / Easily recommended for you, check this one out. Its a remarkably good show (story isn't particularly strong, but it's still really enjoyable). Lovable characters, cool battles, an interesting world to watch,... it's proof that an adventure fantasy can be both quality and clean.[/quote]
I watched this until around the 20th episode and stopped, because 1) it was bothersome in places (like that creepy mask-wearing villain), and 2) it was dragging a lot. I just decided it wasn't worth it.

[color="PaleTurquoise"]Hunter X Hunter[/color] / A really addictive story, you'll love the characters. Though like FMA and it's 'alchemy', it employs its own form of almost-magical abilities, avoiding the word 'magic' and calling it 'nen' instead. I won't lie, it sounds like new-age stuff, but it never struck me as a sorcery or strange art though... just a way to give characters superpowers. In fact, the first 30 episodes are rather clean, only in the series second half did they introduce nen abilities. It's your choice though; but if you could enjoy FMA despite the alchemy system, I think you'll like this too (I know I did).

Almost sounds a little likes Naruto's chakra concepts (which is very satanic). I just worry since a lot anime use this stuff to get into new age junk, like "inner ki" and all of that.

[color="PaleTurquoise"]The Place Promised in Our Early Days
The Girl Who Leapt Through Time[/color] / I noticed you were checking out Miyzaki's movies, even non fantasy ones. These two movies are very good. And very clean. The writing and art is excellent in both. Watch them both, you will not regret it.

I've seen both of those. I don't know know if I'd call them fantasy, but I can see why you listed them. Place Promised is one of my favorite movies ever, probably in my top 10 (anime or not!). I liked Girl Who Leapt Through Time too.

[color="PaleTurquoise"]Dennou Coil[/color] / This is what a modern fantasy should be like. Great gripping story, memorable characters, perhaps it doesn't belong in the fantasy genre, but it so many of the same traits: an interesting imaginative (cyber)world, characters that are always getting cooler and more developed, gripping moments, nice effects, just a very good show. Has a couple brief scenes of rear nudity, but otherwise totally clean.

Doesn't really fit the criteria of what I'm after, but sounds interesting nevertheless. I may consider that one sometime down the road.

[color="PaleTurquoise"]Crest of the Stars[/color] / Great sci-fi series - along with its Banner of the Stars sequels - I think this just might be a level of good fiction you'd enjoy. It was interesting to see this world of space travel and the complexities of futuristic war, with awesome friends in the middle of it all. Clean but for a scene or two of very brief nudity (you could miss them if you blink).

Even though this one sounds like more of a sci-fi than a fantasy (I guess it's both, though not quite what I had in mind (sorry if I'm being too picky! ^^; )), it does look like it could be very good. At this point I would definitely be interested in seeing this someday.

[color="PaleTurquoise"]Angelic Layer[/color] / Alright, this *really* isn't a fantasy story. But seeing that you enjoyed things like CCS, Pocket Monsters, etc, I'd recommend this one to you as a side-note. It is a 100% clean, just plain 'fun' story. I can't put my finger on it, but there's something about the characters and ligh atmosphere that I really loved. Even more than CCS (though I only just started watching that).

I've considered this one before. On a side note, I do really like many things about CCS, but I could never recommend it. I feel it is ok for me to have, but I'm very careful, because there's a lot of bad stuff in it. I'd say the same for Spirited Away, Howl's Moving Castle, and Ponyo. Great quality, but bad spiritual content, enough that I couldn't recommend them to probably anyone.

[color="PaleTurquoise"]Searching for the Full Moon[/color] / Strangely, this is one of the most wholesome fictions I've ever seen, despite its use of shinigamis. If you don't know what that means, a shinigami is a spirit who takes and guides human souls to the afterlife when their time is up... "grim reapers" per se. So yes, Shintouism exists here, but so do angels apparently (no demons or human sorcery in this show), and it results in a very heart-touching beautiful wholesome show that rivals even CCS. Basically, if you enjoyed CCS, yes it has the same problems, but it also has an even more well-written story. Very recommended.

I was very interested in this one until I heard about the shini"gami". That's a no-go for me, sorry.

[color="PaleTurquoise"]Aria the Animation[/color] / Again, for me, anything that gives a beautiful new world to experience counts as a fantasy. A surreal place that just draws you in, a place that until anime and modern movies came along, you could only experience in well-written books. Aria is one such experience. It's somewhat slow and has a seemingly uninteresting synopsis, but give it a try anyway. Aria is a show about life, about friends, about everyday situations and challenges and about all the small things we sometimes take for granted. Its unforgettable atmosphere, lovable characters, intriguing stories, all work together really well... I hope you'll consider this one. Very recommended.

Sounds quite interesting. Is there any bad spiritual content to be aware of?

[AngelicTotoro]

Haha, I asked the same thing at CAA a while ago. Eureka Seven's a pretty unique adventure that is definitely worth watching. It stumbles a bit in its beginning and ending with pacing issues, but if you’re willing to overlook that, it's a pretty good gem of a show. But a warning... it starts off feeling pretty light, but it's not a show about traveling rebel nomads on surfboards, it gets a little bit dark and serious toward the end.

I wrote a long review about that a while ago... I'll just copy the age-rating here:

Appropriate for the 16-up crowd for bloody violence and some nudity.

Violence: A few battles do have blood spilling, though it’s never gratuitous]Sexual Content[/B]: With the exception of Talho flaunting her too-short tank top for attention and a couple moments of mild innuendo, there is no sexual content in this show.

Nudity: One completely unnecessary spa episode has rear nudity. There are two or three scenes in the entire series with frontal nudity, though they are completely undetailed (like a Barbie doll). Also, one of the paper books in this show (which was never explained in the rushed ending) has a cover with a detailed naked woman on the front; thankfully, these scenes go by fairly quickly.

Religious Material: There is an alternate religion in this show, though it’s peaceful for the most part and frequently persecuted. Unless you consider the existence of another religion offensive, there’s nothing in this section to worry about.

Thank you, this helps a lot.
I think I'll try out the first episode even though theres an alternate religion in it. You never know, it might not be to in-your-face.

[goldenspines]

Hi! I have three requests that I'd be delighted to see filled. Please, if you have any ideas, let me know!

1) I'm looking for a good fantasy anime, one that's more godly and spiritually clean. I LOVE fantasy. Unfortunately, fantasy often invites witchcraft and bad religion, especially when it comes from places like Japan. I've seen lots of fantasy in my time, but most of it I have problems with, usually to an extreme. Here are the fantasy anime I've seen:
-Cardcaptor Sakura (like the characters, emotion, writing, and music a lot, but let's face it, it's full of problems. Not only is it packed with sorcery, but it tries to put a deceptively cute and friendly label on it)
-Fullmetal Alchemist (I guess you could call that a fantasy) (like the same things I do with CCS, but this also has a lot of issues, largely to do with the alchemy)
-Howl's Moving Castle (lots of sorcery, not to mention demons)
-Inuyasha (filled with Shintouism)
-Laputa: Castle in the Sky (not quite the kind of fantasy I'm looking for, but this one at least is quite good)
-A Little Snow Fairy Sugar (I'm looking for something a lot more epic than this)
-Naruto (never again! Way too much underlying new age stuff. When it started getting too much into demons and junk, I finally had it)
-Nausicaa of the Valley of the Wind (good one. Not quite what I'm after, but close)
-Neon Genesis Evangelion (worst anime I've ever seen)
-Pocket Monsters (it has problems but is still my all time favorite anime)
-Pom Poko (too much Shintouism and Buddhism)
-Princess Mononoke (blasphemous and FILLED with false gods and junk)
-Spirited Away (excellent imagination and storytelling but far too much on the sorcery and false gods)
-Tsubasa Chronicle (would be a STRONG favorite if not for all the sorcery...argh)
-X TV (way too spiritually dark, and lots of sorcery and bad imagery...ugh, glad I dropped this one)

As you can see, not much luck. Outside of Japan I can always enjoy things like Narnia and LOTR, but I want something that reaches me where me heart is. Any ideas, please?

2) Ok I'm kind of sick of not finding what I want and so I'm hoping to find some help here. Please don't make fun or anything like that. I know this'll sound funny.
I like seeing female characters with false nails. It's not common in anime, which is odd since there's a big fanbase in Japan for that. For the ones that do have characters with them, the problem is they fall victim to the typical stereotypes, i.e.: the character is a tramp, a vampire, a witch, or some other ungodly, evil thing. They also are almost always antagonists, and I'm so sick of that occurrence I could just puke. So far the only anime that really has pleased me in this area is Super Gals, and although it often feels as though the character just sport the nails because it's the Gal code or something, it beats everything else I've found. Please, I'd really appreciate any assistance on this.

3) While we're on the subject of stereotypes, I'd like to see more anime defeating most other stereotypes we see, though it's hard to think of too many examples. I would like to see more biracial relationships. I'm also sick of glasses and/or braces signifying a nerd (this could also go for fat characters).

Thanks everyone for your time with this!

That's Japan for you, though. You will see a lot of fantasy content having to do with religious practices. Therefore, if you dislike even watching all that (even knowing it's not real) your anime choices are extremely limited. In fact, almost all fantasy anime involves some form of religious influence from buddism or shintouism. It's part of Japanese culture, and since anime is from Japan, they don't often leave that stuff out of the series they make.

If you're looking for magic like Narnia or LOTR, you may be out of luck in the fantasy department of anime. There is little to no Christian influence in the anime world, although, some anime can be applied to the Christian faith and its beliefs (even though it was not made to do so).

I can't think of any titles right now to recommend to you that doesn't have some type of religious/magic content in it, yet I'll give it some thought. But, I just want to let you know that your search may not go well considering all anime will probably not be changing a lot of its themes any time soon.

P.S. The fake nails thing is something you may not have any luck with either, sorry.

[Shadowfax]

Whoa! That light blue text is very hard to read. ^^]
Hmm... you bring up a good point... has anyone else in these forums seen Lodoss? How seriously is the magic factor used in this?

I watched this until around the 20th episode and stopped, because 1) it was bothersome in places (like that creepy mask-wearing villain), and 2) it was dragging a lot. I just decided it wasn't worth it.

Well to each his own. I rather enjoyed it, but would say it's no more than a 7/10 "Good" show anyway, so I can see why you'd pass it up.

Almost sounds a little likes Naruto's chakra concepts (which is very satanic). I just worry since a lot anime use this stuff to get into new age junk, like "inner ki" and all of that.

In that case, feel free to pass on Hunter X Hunter.

As far as I'm concerned, the Holy Spirit knows what's best for us, and just because other people can love and watch horror animes, it's just nothing He's put in me and He warns me away from it. So if the whole inner chi/aura/chakra/manipulation sin is something He has you avoid, I'd totally understand, there's plenty of other good wholesome entertainment out there.

I've considered this one before. On a side note, I do really like many things about CCS, but I could never recommend it. I feel it is ok for me to have, but I'm very careful, because there's a lot of bad stuff in it. I'd say the same for Spirited Away, Howl's Moving Castle, and Ponyo. Great quality, but bad spiritual content, enough that I couldn't recommend them to probably anyone.

I can agree. CCS is enjoyable, but there's a couple elements I could do without, I couldn't easily recommend it to someone, unless I really knew what they could handle.

I was very interested in this one until I heard about the shini"gami". That's a no-go for me, sorry.

No worries. Finding out the facts like that, and determining if it's for you or not... that's like the whole point of the Christian Anime Forum.

Sounds quite interesting. Is there any bad spiritual content to be aware of?

Some. One episode of Aria involves an evil ghost, and another involves a Buddhist shrine and some "fox spirits" that live there. To me, they felt like oddballs in the series, since they were the only 2 out of 52 episodes with spiritual content in it.

A lot of supernatural moments (usually involving super-intelligent cats - this is on another planet) do happen in this show... like our hero Akari goes back in time once, said uber-smart cats get her out of trouble a couple times... okay, I'm making this show sounds weird xD... but except for that shrine episode, the rest has nothing to do with religion, or sorcery, or anything against God's word.

Small spoiler... unlike other supernatural anime, the 'cats' are very metaphorical of angels, and the 'king cat' seemed metaphorical of Jesus' character, except portrayed like a creature as we saw in Aslan from Narnia. The cats look like animal creatures, but they're smart, mysterious, and possibly beyond human comprehension. The king is a little frightening and dangerous, someone to respect and fear, yet his kindness and loving nature beckons you want to know him even more. These cats make the world more beautiful, and just as Akari wants to get to know them and the king more, maybe they want to get to know her more. So for me, it was just like in Narnia, when Aslan's not just some powerful lion, he's something more... as with Jesus, for some reason, He loves and watches over us little humans and makes us adopted family. xD

At least, that's what I got out of it. =)

[blkmage]

Aria takes place far in the future when people have gotten good enough at terraforming to settle on Mars and make a neat little replica of Venice. Most of the traditions and oddities that goes on in Neo-Venezia are based on and rooted in those from real world, historical Venice. Well, other than the few blatantly Japanese ones.

[Shadowfax]

That's Japan for you, though. You will see a lot of fantasy content having to do with religious practices. Therefore, if you dislike even watching all that (even knowing it's not real) your anime choices are extremely limited. In fact, almost all fantasy anime involves some form of religious influence from buddism or shintouism. It's part of Japanese culture, and since anime is from Japan, they don't often leave that stuff out of the series they make.

If you're looking for magic like Narnia or LOTR, you may be out of luck in the fantasy department of anime. There is little to no Christian influence in the anime world, although, some anime can be applied to the Christian faith and its beliefs (even though it was not made to do so).

I can't think of any titles right now to recommend to you that doesn't have some type of religious/magic content in it, yet I'll give it some thought. But, I just want to let you know that your search may not go well considering all anime will probably not be changing a lot of its themes any time soon.

P.S. The fake nails thing is something you may not have any luck with either, sorry.

I would agree. But keep in mind, it's not just Japan. Every other show on American TV involves violence, sex, dysfunctional families, other religions, newage religions, or any other manner of sin.

But this is the world we live in. We live in a world of sin. As such, most worldly entertainment isn't afraid to showcase that... it's the world they live in. Which is why Jesus says to not love this world or the things in it... He gives us a much greater life than anything the world can give.

There are fairly clean animes out there (I said fairly - if you want fully clean, sorry, but American Christian entertainment has better options), but you'll have to put in some effort to find them. It mainly depends on 1. Your tastes, and 2. Your limits from the Holy Spirit (people think boundaries are evil, but usually Father knows what's best for each of his kids ).

For example...
Whisper of the Heart, Tsukikage Ran, Legend of Galactic Heroes, Fruits Basket, Millenium Actress, Planetes, Mushishi, Honey and Clover, Kanon 2006, Saiunkoku Monogatari, Nodame Cantabile, Major, Bartender, all The World Masterpiece Theater works, Shion no Ou, You're Under Arrest, They Were 11, Azumanga Daioh, Hidamari Sketch, Sketchbook ~ Full Color’s ~, Ristorante Paradiso, Bamboo Blade, Hitohira, Ookiku Fruikabatte, Cross Game,...

...just listing these off fast (my memory might be hazy about how clean they are), but as I remember, these are pretty clean overall. A couple have supernatural moments, but nothing to do with bad religion or spiritual stuff.

Now if you're less bothered by violence, but still want to avoid bad religion or spiritual stuff, there's even more...
Hajime no Ippo, Kurau: Phantom Memory

Or if you're less bothered by dark themes... I enjoy such because they give me food-for-thought about the human nature... it's not for everyone, but I appreciate them...
Trigun, Haibane Renmei, Paranoia Agent, Kino's Journey

There's a lot of variety out there. It's partly why I enjoy anime... it's just a huge world to explore. Most of its bad, but there's a lot of good wholesome stuff too. Just trust the Lord to help you find out what's good, and enjoy whatever He sends your way...

[goldenspines]

@ ShadowFax: Oh, I agree with you wholeheartedly, I'm sorry if it seemed like I was bashing Japan or anything, but I was merely explaining why Jeikobu might not have much luck in finding an anime he would enjoy since most anime does involve some sort of religion that is not Christian (even if it is still clean otherwise).
The issue of other religions in anime does not bother me personally (I'm sorry if it sounded that way, that was my mistake), I was just responding to Jeikobu's request, not my own. I enjoy all types of anime because, like you say, it's just a huge world to explore. Thank you for your well thought out response though.

But I fear we're getting off topic. While I don't have a request for an anime recommendation, I will highly recommend Tegami Bachi to anyone willing to watch it. It's a fairly new series, but very heart warming so far. ^_^

[Mr. Hat'n'Clogs]

I read a review on ANN for it, are the battles with the CG monster thingies as bad as they said?

[MasterDias]

It looks awkward and clunky. Other than Satelight, I haven't seen very many studios that can pull off consistent CG work. That said, I wouldn't think it should be too much of an issue unless you absolutely hate CG.

As for AngelicTotoro's question about it: there's a few panty shots and the religion appears to be some form of empress worship. But, so far, this has only been mentioned in passing in a conversation. It's all pretty mild, honestly.

[Jeikobu]

:rant: I would agree. But keep in mind, it's not just Japan. Every other show on American TV involves violence, sex, dysfunctional families, other religions, newage religions, or any other manner of sin.

But this is the world we live in. We live in a world of sin. As such, most worldly entertainment isn't afraid to showcase that... it's the world they live in. Which is why Jesus says to not love this world or the things in it... He gives us a much greater life than anything the world can give.

Very, very well put. Thanks.

For example...
Whisper of the Heart, Tsukikage Ran, Legend of Galactic Heroes, Fruits Basket, Millenium Actress, Planetes, Mushishi, Honey and Clover, Kanon 2006, Saiunkoku Monogatari, Nodame Cantabile, Major, Bartender, all The World Masterpiece Theater works, Shion no Ou, You're Under Arrest, They Were 11, Azumanga Daioh, Hidamari Sketch, Sketchbook ~ Full Color’s ~, Ristorante Paradiso, Bamboo Blade, Hitohira, Ookiku Fruikabatte, Cross Game,...

...just listing these off fast (my memory might be hazy about how clean they are), but as I remember, these are pretty clean overall. A couple have supernatural moments, but nothing to do with bad religion or spiritual stuff.

Now if you're less bothered by violence, but still want to avoid bad religion or spiritual stuff, there's even more...
Hajime no Ippo, Kurau: Phantom Memory

-Loved Whisper of the Heart and Fruits Basket.
-I really enjoyed Millennium Actress, though I do remember this creepy old hag showing up periodically.
-Azumanga Daioo was great. Very, very funny.
-I just recently saw the first several episodes of Honey and Clover. Not that impressed so far, but I may try renting another disc soon.
-Mushishi would normally look interesting, but the spiritual content looks iffy...
-Kanon looks like it could be really good. Could you please tell me more?
-While looking at Kanon on Netflix, I noticed a series called "Clannad". Anyone seen this? What's it like? This also looks like something I'd enjoy.
-Wow, Netflix is missing a lot of the titles you mentioned. Are many of these not out in America?

Again, thanks for all of the recommendations! I appreciate that. ^^

Or if you're less bothered by dark themes... I enjoy such because they give me food-for-thought about the human nature... it's not for everyone, but I appreciate them...
Trigun, Haibane Renmei, Paranoia Agent, Kino's Journey

Love Trigun. Saw Haibane Renmei, but I'm not wild about it. The big reason is because I found it very offensive when they wanted to give the Book of Genesis to a friend but some of it was missing, and so they chose to make up the missing parts. We must never add to God's Word. (Revelation 22:18) They also act as if God made a mistake when creating the angels. God never makes mistakes. Never.

There's a lot of variety out there. It's partly why I enjoy anime... it's just a huge world to explore. Most of its bad, but there's a lot of good wholesome stuff too. Just trust the Lord to help you find out what's good, and enjoy whatever He sends your way...

Indeed. Thank a lot for the advice and encouragement, I really appreciate it.

[SeraphicCharm]

okay, i would really like to know of some other good anime shows that i should watch!!! so far i've seen:
~Oban Star Racers (it's a French/Japanese project, English dubbed, but still great!)
~Piano: The Melody of a Young Girl's Heart
~Neo Angelique Abyss and Second Age
~Shugo Chara (still working on the second season though)

i've watched the first few episodes of Hanasakeru Seishounen, but i don't know if i should continue it or not. Thoughts on this would be most helpful too!

so i like some cute anime, but i also love fantasy and action, as long as there's not a lot of blood involved.

[steenajack]

I highly recomend Tsubasa Chronicles as well as maybe the series movie Land of the Birdcage (avoid the OAVs due to violence) to you, as well as Moribito. Both are great fanasy anime and are rather clean. Moribito does have a little bit of blood, but nothing gruesome.
Keep in mind though that I have not seen these all the way, so I can't guarentee the content. There is a review about the Tsubasa Chronicles movie on this site in case you are interested.

[Mr. Hat'n'Clogs]

If you want a cute anime, I would reccomend Azumanga Daioh, which is very clean and funny.

[Shadowfax]

-Loved Whisper of the Heart and Fruits Basket.
-I really enjoyed Millennium Actress, though I do remember this creepy old hag showing up periodically.
-Azumanga Daioo was great. Very, very funny.
-I just recently saw the first several episodes of Honey and Clover. Not that impressed so far, but I may try renting another disc soon.

Wow, you've seen a lot of good anime already! Sometimes I get a little worried that I'm going to run out before long, but would probably take a few more years, and I'm sure the Lord'll have put a new random hobby on my mind by then. xD

For the record, while Honey and Clover has a few moments that I really liked, it wasn't particularly impressive to me.

It gave me some food for thought... the character have to ask some hard questions about life... but I couldn't help but think this through the entire series: "These people need the Lord! They wouldn't torture their hearts over real life's drama so much."

It was an interviewing view on how lost humans deal with life. Don't get me wrong... I grew to love all the characters, though it took a while... but it was less than impressive, because it was awfully realistic, true slice-of-life... I hate seeing people I like stress their minds out when God has a way that's so much simpler.

-Mushishi would normally look interesting, but the spiritual content looks iffy...

Mushishi might be considered offensive because it deals with supernatural things, like creatures that are practically in "another realm", people with strange abilities... but none of it involves religion or God. In fact, as I recall, the lessons in it don't contradict God's word at all.

Normally in anime, supernatural things are based on strange religion or spiritual ideas. But for once - it's based on a completely original idea - there's primitive creatures in this world we can't see, and they have strange abilities, and can do strange things to humans.

So it has lots of supernatural elements, but it tries to base it on scientific means, rather than spiritual means. Is the supernatural part still too iffy? It's entirely up to you, but I would say watch Episode 1, the rest of the series is much the same, see if it's acceptable or not.

-Kanon looks like it could be really good. Could you please tell me more?

Kanon 2006 (the original 2002 version really isn't as good) is a show that had me crying one minute, and laughing out the loud the next. I loved it sooo much!!! It was the first DVD collection I ever bought.

It's a story about a young man who goes back to the city where he spent most of his childhood. For some reason, he can barely remember anything about it. The show follows his daily life there and the various friends and situations he runs into along the way.

But like most Kyoto Animation shows, there is a supernatural theme to it... though again it has nothing to do with religion or anything contradictory to God's word. Like an animal that becomes a human, a girl with an ability to heal with her hands, sometimes they're attacked by invisible "demons" (though you find out later they were never demons or even spirits), a bedridden character dreams about walking in town and then it inexplicablly happens. That's pretty much all the supernatural points right there. It calls them "miracles", as no one truly understands why these things happen]http://www.themanime.org/viewreview.php?id=1003[/url]

Ignore the complaints about the art style... if you could handle Fruits Basket, you can handle this.

-While looking at Kanon on Netflix, I noticed a series called "Clannad". Anyone seen this? What's it like? This also looks like something I'd enjoy.
-Wow, Netflix is missing a lot of the titles you mentioned. Are many of these not out in America?

Haven't seen Clannad yet. Since I liked Kanon '06, I assume I'll like it.

Haha-- many of those are already licensed, but many were not. Half of those didn't get a lot of recognition so I wouldn't be surprised if Netflix wasn't carrying them. >_<

Again, thanks for all of the recommendations! I appreciate that. ^^

Glad to serve.

[steenajack]

Has anyone seen an anime called Romeo x Juliet? It looks really good, but can anyone give me some info about some of the content in it? This includes all the catagories of violence, sex, nudity, language, magic, bad religion, drugs...etc.
Also, here is some other anime I'm curious about:
True Tears
Air TV series
Orphen
Saiyuki
Origin

Anyway, any help would be sweet. ! BTW: Thank you so much for those of you who helped me before with recomendations. XD

[Jeikobu]

It gave me some food for thought... the character have to ask some hard questions about life... but I couldn't help but think this through the entire series: "These people need the Lord! They wouldn't torture their hearts over real life's drama so much."

Yeah, I think that constantly when watching anime. I can't wait to see more people there who believe in and follow the Lord!

So it has lots of supernatural elements, but it tries to base it on scientific means, rather than spiritual means. Is the supernatural part still too iffy? It's entirely up to you, but I would say watch Episode 1, the rest of the series is much the same, see if it's acceptable or not.

Thanks for the advice! I may do that sometime. We'll see! :-)

But like most Kyoto Animation shows, there is a supernatural theme to it... though again it has nothing to do with religion or anything contradictory to God's word. Like an animal that becomes a human, a girl with an ability to heal with her hands, sometimes they're attacked by invisible "demons" (though you find out later they were never demons or even spirits), a bedridden character dreams about walking in town and then it inexplicablly happens. That's pretty much all the supernatural points right there. It calls them "miracles", as no one truly understands why these things happen]http://www.themanime.org/viewreview.php?id=1003[/url]

I don't mind a human turning into an animal as a super power (or something like Fruits Basket), but vise versa bothers me. That was one of many things that bothered me in the movie Ponyo on a Cliff. I feel that such a concept as a non-human creature becoming human takes away from the uniqueness of humans that God gave us. Only humans have God's breath of life and we are unique creatures. I really dislike people acting like animals can be as we are. It just seems to reflect that evolutionist mindset that has no type of creature having more specialness or meaning than the next. It's so empty and false...

"Demons". Is that oni (ogre is probably the best translation but it's often translated as demon), akuma (devils, demons), yuurei (ghosts), youkai (mythical Japanese beasts. If you've seen Inuyasha you'll know what I mean), what?

Thanks for the link and all the info. God bless. ^^

[Shadowfax]

I don't mind a human turning into an animal as a super power (or something like Fruits Basket), but vise versa bothers me. That was one of many things that bothered me in the movie Ponyo on a Cliff. I feel that such a concept as a non-human creature becoming human takes away from the uniqueness of humans that God gave us. Only humans have God's breath of life and we are unique creatures. I really dislike people acting like animals can be as we are. It just seems to reflect that evolutionist mindset that has no type of creature having more specialness or meaning than the next. It's so empty and false...

I can see where you're coming from... it completely obscures the truth of who we really are, the meaning behind why God made us. Implying that we're the same as the animals in this world is... well... a strange doctrine the Lord never taught us. xD

In relations to Kanon '06, keep in mind that it's not trying to portray a message, it just wants to tell a basic story about love and friendships. Basically it describes how, "in this city of miracles, a pet long separated from its master wakes up one day as a human, and searches him out again". Take from that what you will.

"Demons". Is that oni (ogre is probably the best translation but it's often translated as demon), akuma (devils, demons), yuurei (ghosts), youkai (mythical Japanese beasts. If you've seen Inuyasha you'll know what I mean), what?

The demons are more like Yuurei, they're invisible ghosts that can interact with the physical world. But... *small spoiler* you find later that the girl with healing hands power, when she started blaming her misfortunes on imaginary demons - and started fearing her gift after years of ridicule - that unconsciously her power was coming out in the form of those invisible demons she always imagined. Once she comes to grips with it, and accepts herself and her gift as they are, the "demons" disappear and her life stabilizes a bit.

Hope this helps.

[Maokun]

@Jeikobu

I'm afraid to say that following your strict views on the several recommendations posted, you might as well give up about finding a fantasy anime that will not offend you. Fantasy by definition is something that strays from reality, which you could perfectly say "it's the world that God intended us to live in."

I'm not trying to say that your views are wrong, I'm just curious why you feel the need at all of finding a fantasy anime. I'm also curious why exactly you think that the wizardy, enchantry and sorcery in LOTR is tolerable but not in other works.

Saw Haibane Renmei, but I'm not wild about it. The big reason is because I found it very offensive when they wanted to give the Book of Genesis to a friend but some of it was missing, and so they chose to make up the missing parts. We must never add to God's Word. (Revelation 22:18) They also act as if God made a mistake when creating the angels. God never makes mistakes. Never.

Haibanes are not angels. This is repeated several times and the author keeps stressing it in each interview. They are absolutely unrelated to our concept of angels and belong to a totally different mythos. In fact, Haibane Renmei has a series of valuable moral and philosophical teachings that sadly seem to have been lost on you for hanging on technicalities.

"Prove all things; hold fast that which is good." 1 Thessalonians 5:21

[Mr. Hat'n'Clogs]

So, umm, yeah. I love Soul Eater and all, but it seems to be kind of dragging, so I figured I'd watch something else right now. A good fantasy anime would be nice, or something with a setting like Baccano!. Slice of Life, Mecha, and Sci-Fi are fine though, any genre probably would work, as long as it's pulled off well.

I'll give you some anime I liked, so you can get a hint of my tastes.

Tengen Toppa Gurren Lagann
Both FMA's
Baccano!
Cowboy Bebop
Ouran High School Host Club
Neon Genesis Evangelion
Darker than BLACK
Full Metal Panic!
Early Bleach, with the best being the opening arc, and Soul Society was pretty good as well.

[Falx]

So, umm, yeah. I love Soul Eater and all, but it seems to be kind of dragging, so I figured I'd watch something else right now. A good fantasy anime would be nice, or something with a setting like Baccano!. Slice of Life, Mecha, and Sci-Fi are fine though, any genre probably would work, as long as it's pulled off well.

I'll give you some anime I liked, so you can get a hint of my tastes.

Tengen Toppa Gurren Lagann
Both FMA's
Baccano!
Cowboy Bebop
Ouran High School Host Club
Neon Genesis Evangelion
Darker than BLACK
Full Metal Panic!
Early Bleach, with the best being the opening arc, and Soul Society was pretty good as well.

Dennou Coil and ARIA. They're both Sci-fi/Urban fantasy and absolutely amazing. ARIA is slice of life as well, while Dennou Coil is plot-driven.

[steenajack]

Some of these may be up your Fantasy ally:
Tsubasa Chronicles:http://www.animenewsnetwork.com/encyclopedia/anime.php?id=4591
Twelve Kingdoms:http://www.animenewsnetwork.com/encyclopedia/anime.php?id=840
Moribito:http://www.animenewsnetwork.com/encyclopedia/anime.php?id=6634

You could also try out Hikaru no Go:http://www.animenewsnetwork.com/encyclopedia/anime.php?id=912 It's not really fantasy, it's more of a sports type anime. But it is REALLY GOOD. I highly recommend it to just about anyone. Oh, and don't forget most of the Hayao Miyazaki films. There might be a few of his movies that you would like. They have reviews for almost all of them here.

They have reviews here for The Twelve Kingdoms, Hikaru no Go, and the Tsubasa Chronicles Movie in case you are interested.