Anime Recommendations Thread

[steenajack]

Thank you so much Atria! This was very helpful.

[mysngoeshere56]

Okay, so I’m looking for some more anime to watch. My teeth have hardened over the years so it’s getting harder and harder for me to find stuff to get into. I’ll leave all the stuff I’ve watched recently enough to remember the impression I got from it so you guys can give me some suggestions.

1. Angelic Layer – Nothing I’d put in my top ten, but it’s a cute little series. I found the concept of it very fun. I wish games like that existed in real life.
2. Bleach – It’s good. Really the only one of the “big 3” shonen series I still watch, honestly.
3. Cardcaptor Sakura – The first magical girl series I really watched, and loved. Sakura and Syaoran are one of my favorite couples. Always have been, always will be.
4. D.Gray-man – I stopped after 1 episode… The way they worded things spiritually in the series bothered me quite a bit. I’m a bit touchy on Christianity when it’s used in anime and try to be careful. FMA was borderline for me at times, but the first episode of this was a tad much for me. Especially since one character said my LEAST favorite word in the first episode (and in the dub, too! I was shocked…).
5. Darker Than BLACK – I’ve only seen about 7 episodes, but it’s very interesting. I’m not sure where it’s going and it’s quite a bit of a mystery… And so, I watch!
6. D.N.Angel – One of my two favorites, and one of the two that got me into anime to begin with.
7. Fruits Basket – My favorite romance shojo series. The manga story’s better because it’s more developed, but I still love the anime.
8. Fairy Tail – I watched out of curiosity… I liked the concept, but I don’t like how it’s played out, especially among the two female protagonists. Erza’s okay, but she’s way too extreme. I don’t really like Lucy at all… She just makes me think of a more fanservicy version of Cardcaptor Sakura. It’s pretty much the prime example of “annoying female protagonists” in anime.
9. Fullmetal Alchemist – I’ve watched the entire first series and liked it quite a bit. I still have to watch Brotherhood but heard it’s pretty much a unanimous agreement among fans to be the superior, so I’m almost certain I’d prefer it too.
10. Kanon – I watched both the original and 2006. The 2006 was better, but I liked both quite a bit. Probably something I’d put in my top 10, if not, close.
11. Magic Knight Rayearth – I was super into the manga, but the anime’s harder for me to get into. Not really sure why.
12. Magical Girl Lyrical Nanoha – DEFINITELY not something I’d put in my top 10, but something that I found interesting to watch. I plan on getting around to the later series sometime. It was interesting, but I didn’t feel it interesting enough to make me want to jump in to the rest of the series ASAP.
13. Mamotte! Lollipop – I didn’t care much for the series at first, but it grew on me. The running gag about Nina’s bust line got pretty old, pretty fast, but other than that, I liked most of it. Nina got annoying after awhile but Zero and Icchi were pretty cool, and their rival mages were hysterical.
14. Mermaid Melody Pichi Pichi Pitch – I watched out of boredom, and then out of curiosity until I just got tired of it. It’s a cute love story, but the shallow characterization is just too much… I got through the whole first season and a good chunk of the second before giving up. The characters are all very 2D without much development, and some of them are just annoying (Hanon especially). Catchy songs, though.
15. Ouran High School Host Club – Okay, yeah there were some inappropriate aspects of it… But those aside, it was an enjoyable series. I found it very addicting and I could relate to just about all seven of the main characters in some way. Haruhi is one of the few female anime characters I like.
16. Pandora Hearts – I’ve only seen a few episodes, so I’m not sure exactly how I feel about it yet… But it’s definitely a very interesting series.
17. Princess Tutu – It’s cute. Strange? Definitely. But still cute. I’m not sure how high I’d put it on my list of things to re-watch (mostly because the ending left a lot to be desired romantically), but it’s still worth going through once.
18. Revolutionary Girl Utena – Since this is a “do not discuss” title, I’ll refrain from posting my opinion.
19. Rurouni Kenshin – Love Kenshin and Sano. Yahiko and Kaoru are really annoying, though… I like the story and plot behind it all.
20. Sailor Moon – Watched every season, every special, and every movie. Didn’t like it at first, but it grew on me. Usagi was pretty annoying, and Ami and Minako were both very shallow characters. I loved Setsuna, Mamoru, and Hotaru, though. My least favorite was Chibiusa. Despite some annoying characters, it still made a fun series, and I liked that Usagi matured by the end.
21. Shugo Chara! – My favorite magical girl series. It’s cute, it’s funny, and I love Amu’s charcter.
22. Soul Eater – Only watched 2 episodes thus far, but I’m planning on watching more. Reminds me very much of Bleach gone Nightmare Before Christmas.
23. Tokyo Mew Mew – Better than Wedding Peach and Mermaid Melody as far as action goes, but it almost feels like a direct carbon copy of Sailor Moon. It’s cute, but I quit because I figured I wouldn’t want to watch the same anime twice. Plus, Masaya’s just TOO PERFECT!
24. Tsubasa Chronicle – My other favorite, and the other one that got me into anime to begin with.
25. Vampire Knight – Only about a million times better than Twilight. Don’t like Guilty as much, though.
26. Wedding Peach – Got through about 12 episodes before giving up. Just a carbon copy of Sailor Moon with the powers turned all love-themed… The action wasn’t very exciting, either. I liked their attacks and transformations in DX, but the ones in the series were just too frilly for me.
27. Wolf’s Rain – The perfect melancholy and action-packed story for me.
28. xxxHOLiC – I’ve grown to like it. The first few episodes were a bit much with occultism for me, but the series grew on me as I pressed down into the later series.

As you've probably noticed, I'm mostly leaning toward shonen or darker/gothic themed shows, but I'm willing to watch anything I find interesting.

[MightiMidget]

Hmmm.....let's see.

Cat Soup -- it's just a 30 minute OVA that is trippy as all get-out. But it has a black humor type to it that is kind of like xxxHolic? but less clear. with like...no dialogue. It is twistsed though, and a bit gory here and there. Reading the review might give you a better idea...but I really enjoyed it.

Air TV -- is very whimsical...it actually reminds me of a more serious D.N.Angel. The ending is kind of "say wha...?" but, overall I think you may enjoy it.

Ergo Proxy -- is gothic, mystery, sci-fi. Like a gothier Darker Than Black...and for the most part clean...there are a couple instances of almost-nudity? I think...two? But that's it.

Trinity Blood -- you might have issues with theologically. (I shared the D.Gray-Man discomfort, I had the initial same response but went back to it and felt less disturbed...but I /do/ understand where you're coming from) Because it is the Vatican in the far-ish future? But it's a title to read the review for and maybe make up your mind then.

07-Ghost -- people claim this is gothic. HOW it is gothic I am not entirely sure. It is rather touchy-feely, some people are like "whatever" others think it's shounen ai. But. I don't know, I didn't really think so...but once again...maybe theological issues? It kind of...rips off Catholicism and manages to mess it up so much I found it funny over insulting. (though I'm Protestant) It's also about as emo as Vampire Knight (I love VK, I did not mean that as an insult). So another one to maybe look into if you're really desperate.

aaannnddd....that's all I've got.

EDIT:

ohh... and of things airing currently? (meaning I can't give a general overview or content review)

Shiki -- is a gothic horror smalltown thing, and so far rather interesting.

Kaichou wa Maid-Sama! -- is like Ouran's humor? without the attempt at witty-over-the-head tact. It's still very very witty, but it's much more blunt. You may find it hilarious or offensive though...

Legend of Legendary Heroes -- is not...gothic. But it is a lot darker than it lets on by the first episode. Seems to lean toward a typical shounen thrown into a stereotypical fantasy setting. (Religious note: Pentagrams are present, though not for any occult purpose that I can determine.) But the story is leaning toward a darker, angstier tale with a lovable (at least to me), goofball.

...now I think that's it.

[Mr. Hat'n'Clogs]

Durarara!!. If you thought Ouran had inappropriate content, I'd have to know how you feel about blood and violence to suggest it's brother Baccano!.

Kure-nai, again, I would suggest, but I'd have to know how you feel about content. Nothing particularly bad happens in the series, but the whole plot is about something squicky, so I need to know what you're comfortable with.

Eureka Seven is something I feel comfortable recommending though, as long as you know that giant robots are awesome.

[mysngoeshere56]

Blood and violence are fine with me, as long as it's nothing over the top for no reason. Kure-nai... I think I've heard the name before but I don't know what it's about... *he looks it up on MAL* What's the "squicky" aspect of it?

[Mr. Hat'n'Clogs]

Blood and violence are fine with me, as long as it's nothing over the top for no reason. Kure-nai... I think I've heard the name before but I don't know what it's about... *he looks it up on MAL* What's the "squicky" aspect of it?

So I probably can't recommend Baccano! then. That would probably be considered over-the-top.

As for Kure-nai...
[spoiler]The eldest son and daughter of the Kuhouin family are married as the way of keeping the family alive. The whole point of Kure-nai is that the daughter(who is only around eight or so) has run away from the family to escape this tradition.[/spoiler]

So yeah, nothing onscreen. But it's alluded to, and I know one person on this sight who didn't want to watch after learning about that.

[Falx]

Okay, so I’m looking for some more anime to watch. My teeth have hardened over the years so it’s getting harder and harder for me to find stuff to get into. I’ll leave all the stuff I’ve watched recently enough to remember the impression I got from it so you guys can give me some suggestions.


As you've probably noticed, I'm mostly leaning toward shonen or darker/gothic themed shows, but I'm willing to watch anything I find interesting.

Serial Experiments Lain
Haibane Renmei
Noein

[MightiMidget]

Oo! I second Serial Experiments Lain. I think it will hit the perfect level of dark and sci-fi for you (as you seem to like sci-fi, go you! ).

As for Baccano! if you can get past people being dragged along railroad tracks (ie blender effect). It's very good. And a lot of the gore happens on a really dark setting (as in literally, nighttime dark) so might not bug you as much...? But I watched the entire thing on an itty bitty screen with the sound low-ish first time around. So. Yeah. Heh. :6:

[TheSubtleDoctor]

@mysn

If you're insistent on dark, sort of gothic shonen, Death Note might be your speed. It can be nihilistic at times, and, if I remember correctly, there is a bit of skin shown (though not full, outright nudity).

As far as non-gothic darker shows go, Fantastic Children comes to mind. Should you be willing to trade gothic trappings for sci-fi ones, you will find a true gem. There isn't any objectionable content, aside from the mature story and psychological drama,. Some people think it is a bit slow in the beginning, but, rest assured, it is an excellent show.

[Atria35]

Okay, so I’m looking for some more anime to watch. My teeth have hardened over the years so it’s getting harder and harder for me to find stuff to get into. I’ll leave all the stuff I’ve watched recently enough to remember the impression I got from it so you guys can give me some suggestions.

As you've probably noticed, I'm mostly leaning toward shonen or darker/gothic themed shows, but I'm willing to watch anything I find interesting.

Okay, I'm totally seconding Ergo Proxy, Serial Experiments Lain, Haibane Renmei.

Araing right now is Shiki, as MightiMidget mentioned.

Adding Gankutsuou: The Count of Monte Cristo- early on there are a few instances of nudity and one of sex, but it's also incredibly dark and suspenseful.

Ghost Hound- psychological to an extreme. Explores terms right out of the psychology textbook,a nd applies them to each episode. Don't know how you'd feel above some low-key spiritual aspects.

Kino's Journey- Very philisophical on the human condition. Seen up to ep 5, nothing really questionable here.

Dennou Coil- darker than it appears at first. Nothing really questionable, very psychological at the end.

Eve no Jikan- nothing terribly questionable, it's like I, Robot or Bicentennial Man in how it deals with the interactions between people and robots.

Monster- This one I highly, highly recommend. Dark and psychological, about a man who saves a boy, and later the boy becomes a serial killer. It's a story about the man's quest to find out about the boy's past and stop him.

Summer Wars- Not that dark, but a fun, wild adventure into a boy who's trying to stop a hacking machine from wreaking havoc on the world's computers and eventually threatening to destroy the world.

Tokyo Magnitude 8.0- about a brother and sister who are caught in an earthquake in Tokyo, and must find a way out from the wreckage and back home. If you can keep going past the first episode, you will be well-rewarded with a heartwrenching series.

[MightiMidget]

As a side note on Monster, although it is AMAZING!!!! and I think it is an utter masterpiece? I'd suggest still reading the content review for it. It has sexual content, and whereas there isn't a ton..? The bit that is there is rather explicit. Not of it is fanservice.

[Falx]

Sora no Woto... no really, it has many instances that remind you that the world it is set in is VERY dark.

[TheSubtleDoctor]

As a side note on Monster, although it is AMAZING!!!! and I think it is an utter masterpiece? I'd suggest still reading the content review for it. It has sexual content, and whereas there isn't a ton..? The bit that is there is rather explicit. Not of it is fanservice.

This is the only reason I didn't recommend it outright.

[mysngoeshere56]

Thanks for the recommendations, everybody! I've looked into all the titles that you've recommended thus far. They all seem pretty interesting, so I will definitely have some new shows to check out.

And about Monster's content - I read the review on this site, so I think I can more or less picture how bad it would get. I'll look into it a bit more to see if it's something I'd feel comfortable watching.

Thanks again, everyone! If you can think of anything else, feel free to send.

[Atria35]

And about Monster's content - I read the review on this site, so I think I can more or less picture how bad it would get. I'll look into it a bit more to see if it's something I'd feel comfortable watching.

Totally understood- it's one of those shows that, even if you choose not to watch it, seems like a show that should be mentioned because of how well it fits the theme.

Just figured I'd go ahead and mention Occult Academy- it's a show about a girl who inherit's her dad's 'schooil of the occult'- which she despises. She says constantly that she hates/doesn't believe in the occult, but wierd things are happening, and it might lead to the destruction of the world.

Also the Kara no Kyoukai movies- they're fairly dark/violent, about a girl who can see the 'life lines' of things and cut them, killing the thing that has them. There are supposed 'witches and wizards', but nothing particularly supernatural happens directly, just really really creepy stuff.

[knightlee]

I'm looking for a relatively clean, well-drawn sports anime to start my sister out on. She's very skeptical of anime, but she looked intrigued when I showed her Eureka Seven, so I thought that there might be hope. She loves soccer, so would <i>Giant Killing</i> be a good starter series for her? (She's 16, btw)

[TheSubtleDoctor]

[quote="knightlee (post: 1416465)"]I'm looking for a relatively clean, well-drawn sports anime to start my sister out on. She's very skeptical of anime, but she looked intrigued when I showed her Eureka Seven, so I thought that there might be hope. ]OHHECKYES

...ahem...

Yeah, GK is an awesome show and is totally clean up to this point in the series (I've seen through episode 18). Here is the one caveat I will make upon my recommendation: in sports series like, say, Cross Game, the characters and their relationships carry the show. They come before the sports. In GK, it would be an overstatement to say that the sports carry the characters, since there is a diverse cast with unique problems and who have enjoyable interactions w/ one another; however, these elements do not garner as much focus as in Cross Game. The actual soccer matches and the excitement contained therein really drive the show. Soccer-savvy people will absolutely love this show as well because it delves into details about both the game on the pitch and the business side of soccer (while remaining non-boring). It explores certain aspects sports psychology (aging and losing athletic ability; coping with role changes; pressure to perform; perfectionism in sport and others) really, really well IMO, as many sports anime do.

In short: I highly, highly recommend this anime for your sis.

[knightlee]

Fantastic. I watched the first half of the first episode (then got interrupted), but I'm looking forward to finishing it tonight. The drawing looks really good, which is important (to me, at least, not sure about sis), and the action shots are great for an anime. Now all I have to do is point her to crunchyroll and hope for the best. As for myself, I'll be watching it too, but only because I can't help it. *sigh* Too much anime. Too little time.

[That Dude]

[quote="knightlee (post: 1416465)"]I'm looking for a relatively clean, well-drawn sports anime to start my sister out on. She's very skeptical of anime, but she looked intrigued when I showed her Eureka Seven, so I thought that there might be hope. ]

You could also try checking out Whistle. It's a good soccer manga, and I'm pretty sure that there is an anime of it.

[steenajack]

(NOTE: This will also be copied to the manga recommendations section) Okay, since I'm officially an anime fan, I thought I'd try some of Osamu Tezuka's stuff for historic-sentimental-curiousity purposes. I want to find out WHY he's called "The God of Anime/Manga". Can anyone recommend me anything by him that is good and fits the content below? (And yes, I've already decided to try Astro Boy, Metropolis, and Pluto)

Violence: This one depends. I won't read/watch anything graphic or excessively gorey/bloody, but so far things like Lord of the Rings, Twelve Kingdoms, and Tsubasa Chronicles (manga) don't bother me so much. (Although I do plan on watching FMA and Rouroni Kenshin.) I'm able to take more in manga than in anime, since the blood is all black and white.

Language: Mild swears don't bother me, but I generally don't want to watch anything with usless and unessesary just-for-the-heck-of-it swearing. If the swearing has a meaning, I'll be fine. Also, if they start dropping the f-bombs and using God's and Jesus' names as a cuss-word, that's usually when I drop a series. S-bombs or iffy, if it's only once or twice or a few, I'm fine. But if they spout it a buncha times, it just kinda turns me off.

Sexual Content/Nudity: This is where I'm the most sensative. PLEASE no sex scenes, or explicit nudity. I can take undetailed-non-sexual nudity, and a VERY LIGHT amount of fanservice. (Princess Nine will probably be has far as I go when it comes to fanservice.) I can take LIGHT sexual humor, something similar to the content level of +Anima would be acceptable. OH, and no yaoi/yuri please. No accidental-same-gender-kisses-and-the-like, or characters who are explicity homosexual and express such...even when it's lightly implied it's kinda iffy. >.<! That imediatly turns me off from an anime...unless I can skip the episode that contained it. Also, if there's an "intense" scene of fanservice in a filler episode, I'd gladly skip it so long as I knew which episode to skip. Such as the certain scene in FMA episode 10 with Psiren the Thief. Yah, this is an area that really depends. Sometimes, to me, it's how everything is portrayed an whatnot. This is just in general of what I absolutely WILL NOT watch.

Religious: Just about anything can go here, so long as it isn't blasphemous to my faith. ! However, and IDK if this counts, when things get very REALISTICLY emotionally/psycologically intense (such as accurate portrayal of psycologial disorders and whatnot), that's a bit iffy. It depends on what they show, how it's all portrayed and whatnot.

Also, and this is possibly one of the most IMPORTANT NOTES, the work HAS to be lisenced in America so I can watch it LEGALLY. I'll only watch/read it if I can do it by legal means.

On a minor note, I'm also a dub fan, and I'll only watch a sub if there is no dub available (or if the dub is just REALLY bad.)

So yah, any help would be awesome, and greatly appreciated. !

-steen

[Atria35]

(NOTE: This will also be copied to the manga recommendations section) Okay, since I'm officially an anime fan, I thought I'd try some of Osamu Tezuka's stuff for historic-sentimental-curiousity purposes. I want to find out WHY he's called "The God of Anime/Manga". Can anyone recommend me anything by him that is good and fits the content below? (And yes, I've already decided to try Astro Boy, Metropolis, and Pluto)
-steen

A lot of shows by Tezuka can be considered young-teen-friendly. He started very early, making shows that were aimed at kids/teens, and essentially created what we today call 'anime'.

Black Jack would be a good choice. It's like House, but more family-friendly. No real gore, no real sexuality, and I think some VERY rare minor swears.... it's definitely what you're looking for. As to whether it's licensed... *quick search* Yes, it's licensed. No idea where you'd get a copy or watch it, though.

He also created "In the Beginning- The Bible Stories". Probably not licensed.

Jungle Emperor Leo- basically, what Disney ripped off to create "The Lion King". Definitely licensed and able to be gotten legally.

.... and I'll link you to a list of his works, and you can ask about ones that look interesting! http://myanimelist.net/people/1938/Tezuka_Osamu

[steenajack]

Thank you Atria! XD! I Shall be adding Jungle Emperor Leo to my list. I was actually considering Black Jack. Now, do you mean the OVA series or the TV series?

[Atria35]

Thank you Atria! XD! I Shall be adding Jungle Emperor Leo to my list. I was actually considering Black Jack. Now, do you mean the OVA series or the TV series?

Both would be fine- they have the same level of content. Or do you mean can be gotten legally? Erm.... It looks like both. The original OVA came over on DVD in 2001, while the Black Jack tv series came out on DVD in 2004. They're available on Amazon.com

The tv series only is available on Rightstuf, for perhaps a bit cheaper than what you'd be paying on Amazon, though. All 6 dvds can be found there.

[TheSubtleDoctor]

I'm pretty sure Phoenix is clean, and you can find the whole show for 12 bucks on amazon, 13 on rightstuf.

*EDIT Also the 1980 and 2003 versions of Astro Boy are free/legal on hulu, English dubbed. I think the 80s version is considered better b/c 2003 got a bad release.

[blkmage]

Clannad After Story.

If you've watched that, then there's Air, I guess. There's also ef. Maybe True Tears or Kimikiss.

[Cloud500]

Both would be fine- they have the same level of content. Or do you mean can be gotten legally? Erm.... It looks like both. The original OVA came over on DVD in 2001, while the Black Jack tv series came out on DVD in 2004. They're available on Amazon.com

The tv series only is available on Rightstuf, for perhaps a bit cheaper than what you'd be paying on Amazon, though. All 6 dvds can be found there.

Rightstuf only has the OVA DVDs. The 2004 TV series was never licensed over here, however, it's available subbed on Crunchyroll.

[MightiMidget]

Anyone know anything about this Ga-Rei-Zero thing? It's on Hulu and sounds potentially interesting according to ANN, but I know zip about it. Content (language, sex, nudity, gore) rundown please? And also, quality rundown?

[steenajack]

I've never seen that anime, but here's a review for that anime:
http://www.themanime.org/viewreview.php?id=1133


And here's some more info on the series:
http://www.animenewsnetwork.com/encyclopedia/anime.php?id=10052

Apparently, from what I read about this, it's also a yuri anime. IDK if that's something you can handle or not. Just thought I'd let you know just in case.

Hope that was of help.

[Wyntre Rose]

I'm not sure that I'd say Black Jack is exactly clean...I know at least one episode where he is in the jungle with a group of guerrillas, I think, and is guarded by a woman who decides to sleep with him naked. As far as I remember, they only sleep, but they show her nude upper body and it's not doll-like. Also, you sometimes see inside incisions that Black Jack is making, I think - though I may be mixing that one up with the manga? In any case, not really kid friendly, at least here and there. And I've only see a small handful of episodes - Black Jack's little lisping morality pet got on my nerves and I dropped it - so tread with caution.

[CrimsonRyu17]

Anyone know anything about this Ga-Rei-Zero thing? It's on Hulu and sounds potentially interesting according to ANN, but I know zip about it. Content (language, sex, nudity, gore) rundown please? And also, quality rundown?

O ho I just saw this. GRZ is a pretty awesome anime if you can handle the content. Don't mistake it as a typical exorcism Shounen by the first episode though, it's fairly misleading. Instead, it's a fairly tragic and emotional tale with fun stuff thrown in. I highly recommend it if you can handle it.

I don't remember any nudity but there were a few moments where some female characters had their chests exposed from a slash in their clothing but no breasts were shown at all. Then there's one moment where one female character's bandages from her wounds practically floated off but nothing was shown and none of it was sexual. Oh! There's a bath house scene too but it was purely innocent and not fanservice-y at all.

Expect the typical Sh-t and D-mns and maybe a B-stard here or there, I don't really remember anything over that level.

Gore wise.. hoboy. This is where some might find an issue with GRZ. It's a bloody anime and it doesn't shy away from it. Expect lots of blood, impalements, stabs, slashes, giant creatures biting into undead and some people and there was one moment where a character was being slowly killed in front of another to taunt him although it's not too graphic.

Apparently, from what I read about this, it's also a yuri anime. IDK if that's something you can handle or not. Just thought I'd let you know just in case.

It is absolutely not a yuri anime. There was only one single kiss between the two main characters but it wasn't out of love or anything, it was pretty funny if you ask me. Their "love" never goes beyond sisterly love and one of them even has a fiancé. They even call themselves sisters.