Anime that changed your life

[Ditalover]

Watching Anime like Naruto, Neon Genisis Evangelion, And especially Vandread 1st and 2nd Stage changed my life, way of thinking, and my personality. What about you?

[TriezGamer]

I think it's hard to have an anime genuinely change your life ... but then again, it's happened to me.

Spoilers for Kimi ga Nozomu Eien ~ Rumbling Hearts

[spoiler]The indecisiveness of Narumi Takayuki throughout the entire series was something I could relate to very well the first time I saw the show. As I thought over and over again about the series, and how Takayuki's behavior hurt just about everyone in the show in various ways, even though he wasn't trying to hurt anyone, I realized how much like him I really was, and how much I was hurting the people around me.[/spoiler]

My behavior had alienated me from my friends and family, and I once I came to that realization, I couldn't get it out of my head. The end result was that I actually decided to change myself for the better. Now I'm much more healthy, emotionally and physically, because I actually like myself. I became closer to God, closer to family, and closer to friends because I watched an anime that exposed to myself what I was really doing.

[Chii]

Fruits Basket....(is that dumb?)
I think generally it helps you become a good person... with all those wonderful leasons and advice that Tohru gives. Truly, a wonderful anime ^.^


(hasn't watched enough anime to change her life)

[Azier the Swordsman]

Blame!. Because I had just finished telling myself nothing could suck worse than that AD Police OVA. Then I popped Blame! in the DVD player. A more shocking and profound revelation I could have never known.

I fear of even giving Blame! the blame as the worst anime ever now for fear somebody could actually top it, as impossible as it seems.

[eva-boy7985]

Neon Genesis Evangelion
RahXephon (perhaps the most)
Samurai X OVAs
The Place Promised in Our Early Days

Games:
Final Fantasy VII
Kingdom Hearts
Kingdom Hearts 2

If anyone is at all interested in why I put down any particular title, PM me as any one of them would probably take a somewhat more in depth explanation on my part :-) Amazing stuff.....

[Warrior 4 Jesus]

Didn't change my life but gave me a deeper appreciation of anime as an artform.

Last Exile (extraordinary animation, great characters and 'world' creation)
Noir (deep, strangely moral, great music. Only negatives are the endless flashbacks and endless sad atmosphere)
Grave of the Fireflies (great story, characters, very human, very sad, deep)
Whisper of the Heart (a journey of self-discovery and innocent love - great animation, human characters, very moving)
Nausicaa (great 'world' creation, some good animation, great story, characters, deep)
Spirited Away (great animation and imagination, story, characters)
Princess Mononoke (great action, good story, characters, great animation, deep)
Metropolis (funky music, great animation (despite Astro Boy style characters), great characters, good story)
The Cat Returns (very funny, imaginative, unusual, good animation and story)

[mitsuki lover]

*Silent Mobius because it was the first serious anime I had seen and got me hooked on anime.

*Inuyasha because I wish I was more like Kagome.

[dragonshimmer]

It didn't "change my life", but Fruits Basket definitely gave me a new outlook on life. It helped me to view others differently, and always look for the good in other people. It gets me into trouble sometimes, but I try to believe that people CAN be good and that they just need a little faith and confidence n_n

[Mr. SmartyPants]

I guess Paranoia Agent would hit the spot greater than any other title. It's an amazing moral allegory, and changed the way I thought.

[Negotiatrix]

Trite as it may seem, yes, there are a few anime that changed my life. Not because of any lesson they may have taught, but because they were just really good stories.

When I was little, I watched Starblazers every morning before school. I remember being struck by how different it was from the other cartoons because of its ongoing storyline. I had never seen anything like it, and I wouldn't again for a long time.

Then, in high school, I came across Warriors of the Wind on HBO. I now know it was a chopped up version of Nausicca of the Valley of the Wind. In spite of all the bad things you hear about it, that movie totally captivated me. The music in particular (what they left of it!) was so moving. I started watching all the anime I could find, which at that time was about 4 movies! Once I had watched everthing available, I moved on to other things and forgot about anime.

Finally, a few years ago I stumbled across something called The Big O in the onscreen tv guide and decided to check it out. The rest is history. . .and a lot of money invested in my rediscovered hobby!

[Ratrace]

I dont think any anime changed my life on its own. As a hobby it did though.

[Ditalover]

Cool this means I ain't that wierd! Unless we're all really wierd,...JUST KIDDING I know they changed my values and how I see myself and others, Vandread helped the most though, this is way I like it so much,...not just cause of Dita!^-^

[Blitzkrieg1701]

Clearly, we're all really wierd.

Superbook and The Flying House were pretty important in my life because they were the first anime I ever saw, so they gave me my first appreciation of the style.

More importantly, the move Robot Carnival (the first anime motion picture I ever saw) really had an effect on me. Having previously experienced only the most mainstream of Disney-style movies, seeing that sort of artsiness and scifi content in a "cartoon" altered my perception of the medium very deeply.

Finally, while I realize how many people will laugh at this, Digimon was pretty important to me because it was the first anime that went into full-blown fanboy mode over. (haven't really gotten over it, actually)

[CrimsonRyu17]

Anime has actually changed my life, really. Sounds silly but it's true.

Full Metal Alchemist helped me appreciate my family more. Especially Ed and Al's bond with eachother.

Also, anime has led me to pursue learning the japanese language and going to Japan. Hopefully, I'll be able to go there some day. Oh, and who could forget the music? JPop's one of the best types of music I've heard.

Overall, it's changed my life. If I hadn't of learned of it, I'd probably still be the immature country girl who never spoke up for what she believed in I was. Luckily, I've matured. But I give this credit more to God than to anime, but who says He can't work through things like these?

[Mushishi]

Aaah, sugoi.

The above post earns my respect. *bows* Arigato gozaimasu. Wise and sincere words.

Many things have changed my life, and anime has played its part. Unfortantely, watching shows such as Ah! My Goddess and Chobits turned my hardened heart soft.

Mushishi has definately led me to stay outside more. A lot more. Mushishi also had all sorts of stories of human emotion and life; suffering, loss, vengeance, love, friendship, fright, and so much more. It showed hope through the most dreary stories, and it can translate so well into the reality of the hope of God. If you haven't guessed by now, I love Mushishi.

Bleach....led me to take up kendo. =_=

[Sammy Boy]

I remember watching Laputa: Castle in the Sky for the first time on the big screen when I was five. It left a big impression on me, but I am not sure what that impression was, exactly. Probably feeling grateful that I have parents who look after me, unlike Pazu.

[Conner999]

Three letters:

D B Z

I mean, without DBZ, I would have never known that screaming at the top of my lungs makes me so much stronger. *Jumps out of window*



Haha, seriously though...

Cowboy Bebop was the first anime I really watched. It was so different than anything I had seen before (American cartoons, and Disney stuff.) I had a great apreciation for the characters, music, art style, and story. It broadened my horizons, and opened the door for some other positive things.

I also really enjoyed Last Exile, and Laputa: Castle in the Sky. But I haven't watched much anime. Haven't seen most of the ones listed in this thread. =/

[ClosetOtaku]

Haibane Renmei. As a result of watching this anime, I became active in watching anime again; traveled to Japan (partially in search of the rare Haibane Renmei doujin); took up drawing and started to learn to play piano; made some good online friends; did some creative writing; and helped SP1 put together an HR-based Christian study posted on CAA, to name a few. It also appeared at a very pivotal point in my life, and helped encourage me to make a few changes in my direction. Overall, it is something I won't ever forget.

[Fionn Fael]

Most of these didn't exactly "change my life", per se, but they did change my way of thinking:

Cowboy Bebop- the first really mature anime I ever watched. It's what got me hooked in the first place. (I also have this show to thank for inspiring me to name my Welsh Corgi "Ein".) The characters, music, action, quotes, and overall uniqueness are hard to top.

Trigun- I didn't know that sci-fi and westerns could mix until I watched this show. Plus, Vash is just such a compelling character.

FLCL- Crazy, lightning-fast-paced, and with more puns than you can shake a baseball bat at. Even with all the aliens, guitars, robots and disfunction, the story is still somehow identifiable. I had to watch the whole series a couple times through before I could even understand it, but once I did, I realized just how awesome it was.

Spirited Away- How can I explain my love for this show? Well, after the first time I saw it, I watched it every following day for the next two weeks. No, I'm not exaggerating. I was that obsessed.

Princess Mononoke- Hayao Miyazaki is a genius. That's all I can say.

Since I've already named so many, I'll leave the rest for a later post. Sorry about the length.

[CatHCG11]

I think that Fruits Basket and Fullmetal Alchemist kind of worked together to change my life. After getting really into those animes (and anime in general I guess) I really started to struggle with how, as a christian, I am supposed to feel about anime. But now, after having figured out where I stand with being a christian anime fan, I feel like I have a stronger and more honest relationship with God.
Also, anime really inspired me to learn more about culture and folk lore from other placed.

[Fish and Chips]

FullMetal Alchemist was my first true Anime love, got me into the genre. And nobody can be denied their "First" Anime, whatever it is.

[Majic]

Haibane Renmei

No surprise there, I suppose.

But I happened to watch it at what could probably be considered the most perfect time in my life to watch it, and it literally changed my life forever -- for the better, I should add.

I think most people who've seen the show would know what I mean.

[Radical Dreamer]

Technically, no anime has "changed" my life on any level other than the fact that I wasn't an anime fan before I saw Rurouni Kenshin. XD

[Cognitive Gear]

Wow, Gravedug. Anyways...

Neon Genesis Evangelion made me realize that anime was just like anything else. There are gems of great value amongst the large amount of trash. Before that my exposure to anime was limited to stuff that had no real depth to it.

[Adie]

I'm gonna have to agree with Fruits Basket and Haibane Renmei. Both are shows that affected me in a positive way.

Also, there's Piano. It didn't exactly 'change my life,' but I watched it at a time where I thought playing the piano was boring. The series really brought back my fondness for the instrument.

[KhakiBlueSocks]

There are two anime that are sticking out in my head:

Digimon Season 1: First real introduction to Anime -- Gave me my screen name!

Yu Yu Hakusho: First introduced me to REAL anime and Adult Swim--swearing and all!

[Telakyte]

Anime changed my life only in the respect that it gave me a hobby to enjoy. Where I have had to watch the balance is in the area of which part influences more. Does the Christian side of me influence my anime hobby, or does my anime hobby influence my Christianity. I think priority was the key for me. Though I'll admit I still struggle with it.

[macguy]

Dragonball Z anyone? I believe this anime series was the reason that I got into anime. In fact, I've found quite a few individuals who have experienced the same. At least this is the starting point of my influence. Plus, just having a memory to abide by such as DBZ reminds of me of when I was a child and spoke like a child.

I'm not sure whether this has occurred with everyone else but I learned some valuable lessons from Dragonball z. For some reason, I took the Evil (power) vs. good and applied it to to my thinking to things such as money. We take things for granted and should be thankful for what has been given to us and try our best. Many wish to gain popularity or get rich in this day & age. In my opinion, anime does give some real-life situations that we can take note of.

Now this is not the say that anime is the greatest influence. Far from it. The everyday sufferings that God provides is something that started a "learning" process in the first place. Good day.

[Splitter 2.0]

Kaleido Star: Never give up on your dream, even if the odds are against you

Air: The love of family is more important than anything else in this world

Evangelion: Everyone has problems. Yours are never the worst

Fruits Basket: You can't help everyone, but a hug always helps

[DragonSlayer]

Naruto, just because Naruto is so much like me, it influenced me a lot in the past few months.