Series that Appeal to Ages 14-19

[Eviltape]

...but this audience has never met or seen anime outside of Cartoon Network in their early childhood. The audience is a male-only high school ranging in age from 14-19, and some faculty. (they aren't idiots and are open-minded. Wub the school.)

The best part is, I got the approval of the staff to display anything except porn or excessive ecchi. That calls for you, my weeaboos in crime. What is a series/OVA/movie that isn't too deep, is awesome enough to appeal to non-anime watchers, and has no boring parts? (no harem or romance), Most likely, the series bit will only consist of single 2-5 episode arcs and maybe the first episodes as introductory ones. Dubs preferred, fansubs accepted. I've got some money to go and order stuff, but I own a couple of them.

tl;dr - No sappy romance; action or mindscrewing preferred. Broadcasted to 14-19 year old males.

Here's what I've thought out.

Black Lagoon: Most any arc except Greenback Jane, intro, and Yakuza due to length, the Romanian Twins are a bit of an iffy subject
Gundam SEED/Destiny Movies
TT Gurren Lagaan: Just before timeskip, maybe the episodes I haven't watched yet near the end...
a Higurashi chapter (Onikakushi-hen or shortened Tsumihoroboshi-hen)
Ghost in the Shell Movies

[KholdStare]

No mindscrewing allowed? That's like...all of my top ten list. :(

Maybe Cowboy Bebop? That has the best dub and is overall enjoyable every episode. It's also episodic so you don't have to worry about them not understanding anything.

Shakugan no Shana could be impressive or even the Teresa arc of Claymore, but that's only available in subs.

[jedinat]

Movie- Mononoke Hime (http://anidb.net/perl-bin/animedb.pl?show=anime&aid=7)- I guess... a decent movie with a relatively wide appeal, lots of action
OVA- Karas (http://anidb.net/perl-bin/animedb.pl?show=anime&aid=2179)- impressive visuals
2nd Cowboy Bebop

[Oi.]

No mindscrewing and you're showing Higurashi? >_>

Show something like an epic Bleach or One Piece battle.

[Deus ex Digital Boy]

he said he DOES want mindscrewing. I highly suggest Baccano and Mnemosyne. Assuming you don't mind turbo-violence and, in the latter one, lots of nudity. Both are action-packed, badass funfilled romps with plenty of great pseudophilosophical dialogue. Mnemosyne is only 1 ep so far though.

[KholdStare]

he said he DOES want mindscrewing. I highly suggest Baccano and Mnemosyne. Assuming you don't mind turbo-violence and, in the latter one, lots of nudity. Both are action-packed, badass funfilled romps with plenty of great pseudophilosophical dialogue. Mnemosyne is only 1 ep so far though.

Wow, my reading comprehension skills are not up to par lately.

Are you sure you can't show Elfen Lied? It's a bit much on the violence and nudity side, but I think it would fit.

Byousoku 5 Centimeter is a must.

Also, Gunslinger Girl.

[Telmah]

I'll second the Theresa arc of Claymore...5-7 on the numbers. It's very good. I almost felt like I was watching a movie. Bloody though, very bloody.

On the same tune, I'll suggest Murder Princess. Its a bit more based on comedy, but still alright.

I'll second Princess Monoke. Princess Mononoke is pretty bloody, some heads get shot off by arrows. Pretty complicated plot, with different sides fighting, hard to say what's evil and what's not. It has a quasi nature vs society theme.

[SeijiSensei]

FLCL has a lot of appeal in that demographic I believe. I think it did pretty well on Adult Swim.

If you're willing to try something a bit "artsy," yet still something with action and pacing, you might try the "Bakeneko" arc of Ayakashi Samurai Horror Tales. It's available on a single DVD in R1 with the name "Goblin Cat." The successor series, Mononoke, is pretty impressive as well, but I'd stick with Bakeneko. (Warning: the subject matter is "mature" though not "adult.") Mononoke isn't licensed, so you can get a feel for the show before deciding.

I'd obviously endorse Mononoke Hime (see my sig); another movie that might appeal to the faculty is Millenium Actress, which traces 20th-centtury Japanese history by following the career of a film actress.

CLAMP's xxxHolLic might be another choice. Most of its stories are over in a single episode, and there's certainly a lot of Japanese atmosphere about it. Not a lot of action in the fighting sense, though.

Finally, I'd recommend School Rumble. While it's currently 52 episodes in length, there are a lot of arcs as well as an ongoing story line. After watching the first few episodes and getting to know the characters, you can pick and choose arcs from the rest of the show.

I'm not sure Black Lagoon is quite the right choice if you have an "anime evangelism" agenda. It has a very B-movie feel about it, and it's not very culturally Japanese until the final arc. As for Baccano!, you really need to watch all 13 episodes; it doesn't have any well-defined arcs because there are many parallel stories that take place at various points in time.

Oh, and what do the school authorities think of torrented, unlicensed shows? I'd stick to licensed properties in a school setting myself. That leaves out most of Black Lagoon and all of Baccano!

[marth1244]

FLCL has a lot of appeal in that demographic I believe. I think it did pretty well on Adult Swim.

If you're willing to try something a bit "artsy," yet still something with action and pacing, you might try the "Bakeneko" arc of Ayakashi Samurai Horror Tales. It's available on a single DVD in R1 with the name "Goblin Cat." The successor series, Mononoke, is pretty impressive as well, but I'd stick with Bakeneko. (Warning: the subject matter is "mature" though not "adult.") Mononoke isn't licensed, so you can get a feel for the show before deciding.

I'd obviously endorse Mononoke Hime (see my sig); another movie that might appeal to the faculty is Millenium Actress, which traces 20th-centtury Japanese history by following the career of a film actress.

CLAMP's xxxHolLic might be another choice. Most of its stories are over in a single episode, and there's certainly a lot of Japanese atmosphere about it. Not a lot of action in the fighting sense, though.

Finally, I'd recommend School Rumble. While it's currently 52 episodes in length, there are a lot of arcs as well as an ongoing story line. After watching the first few episodes and getting to know the characters, you can pick and choose arcs from the rest of the show.

I'm not sure Black Lagoon is quite the right choice if you have an "anime evangelism" agenda. It has a very B-movie feel about it, and it's not very culturally Japanese until the final arc. As for Baccano!, you really need to watch all 13 episodes; it doesn't have any well-defined arcs because there are many parallel stories that take place at various points in time.

CLAMP made xxxHolic? wow they did a pretty wierd job considering its not loli like they ussually do(what I mean to say is that I second xxxHolic)

[Eviltape]

I'll rewatch FLCL in English, maybe rent Princess Mononoke later on. I never thought of Gunslinger Girl. Whoops.

Seji, (with all due respect) I really don't think people my age would even give two shats about most of School Rumble or anime being culturally Japanese. I'm not trying to crusade anime onto the school, just giving them something to watch after they are done playing Halo/CoD4 or GH3/Rock Band and want to rest or chill in the cafeteria. We can hug our really good romance, deep thinking, and GAR anime in this corner over here called Animesuki and /a/. :D I do remember the last 2 or 3 episodes ending School Rumble S1 being so damn funny that I literally lol'd with headphones on while my family was watching TV in the same room. Gotta find that DVD.

Kay, noisy keyboard waking up parents. I'll type more tomorrow.

[Cyz]

Ah Gunslinger Girl might be a little disturbing since it shows children as assassins. Let me see, Fate/Stay Night, Kanon (2006), or AIR (ouf course if you don't want them to cry then I suggest passing this one -- but if you want emotional then go ahead).

[SeijiSensei]

Seji, (with all due respect) I really don't think people my age would even give two shats about most of School Rumble or anime being culturally Japanese. I'm not trying to crusade anime onto the school, just giving them something to watch after they are done playing Halo/CoD4 or GH3/Rock Band and want to rest or chill in the cafeteria.

You know your situation better than I do, of course, but you make it sound like any show without a whole lot of violence just won't have any appeal to your intended audience. Your, yourself, said you found some of SR hysterically funny? Why won't the other students?

As for shows with Japanese culture, I'm thinking about this from the perspective of the school's administrators and faculty as well. Don't you think they have an interest in the educational value these anime might have? If all you show them is Revy falling out of her clothes as she guns down dozens of opponents, I'm not sure you're going to make a very good impression on the adults around you. Perhaps you don't care, but maybe they do?

I recall starting to watch foreign films at this age (Godard, Fellini, etc., for me). I didn't have any problem enjoying 8 1/2 or Alphaville at 16 and truly enjoyed seeing stories portrayed from another cultural perspective. There must be a few people in your school who might feel the same way about anime.

[Troilism]

Well darker than black is good since it's arc based so possibly an arc from that would be good, plus they don't have to see the terribad ending!

EDIT: Ah! Almost forgot, you might also want to check out Afro samurai. The story isn't good but I am guessing this is more for entertainment right? Afro samurai has great fight scenes as well as very impressive visuals, I would think it should be something worth checking out for what you are looking for.

[ChibiMenos]

Princess Mononoke, as several other people have already said, should be good.

What about Fullmetal Alchemist? Great dub, funny, and there's enough going on to keep it interesting--though I suppose that is one they're more likely to have seen already. Trigun might also be good... Maybe Witch Hunter Robin? Action, darkness, and a cute redhead as the lead... :)

I'm probably thinking of a slightly younger target audience that what you wanted, though, as those are just what my brothers (13-16) really enjoyed.

[Sterling01]

The Hellsing OVAs maybe

[gh0stmice]

2nd hellsing.....

[Phantasmagoria]

Seto no Hanayome?

Make sure your chairs are deeply stucked into the ground :D

[Deus ex Digital Boy]

CLAMP made xxxHolic? wow they did a pretty wierd job considering its not loli like they ussually do(what I mean to say is that I second xxxHolic)

no ones even going to say something about this? Clamp doing loli? Are you braindead?

Anyway, I'm seconding FLCL because it is both short and incredible.

[tripperazn]

Definitely consider Code Geass. Works perfectly for the target audience with action and enough depth to keep things appealing. I literally could not stop myself from marathoning the entire series.

[Eviltape]

I am rethinking Gunslinger Girl, I'd get in so much trouble. I just thought "Henrietta! P90s! Fabeique Nationale! SIG-550!" last night instead of "Child labor! Minors shooting guns! A reverse pedophilia-like affection!" Elfen Lied is out of the question since there's little episode independence and the opening episodes are, well, a naked woman killing people.

Won't do any Key/KyoAni series since, even though they are the founders of crying games, it's an upbeat day and there aren't many romance nuts in this school besides me and the Literature teachers. :heh:
Seto no Hanayome?Oh god, I've got to do those terminator parody episodes. Why doesn't Your-Mom/Ayako have a batch MKV torrent; SnH went away with a hard drive failure. :(
As for shows with Japanese culture, I'm thinking about this from the perspective of the school's administrators and faculty as well. Don't you think they have an interest in the educational value these anime might have? If all you show them is Revy falling out of her clothes as she guns down dozens of opponents, I'm not sure you're going to make a very good impression on the adults around you.Forgot about that aspect. That's what the Studio Ghibli and [maybe] School Rumble are for. (That reminds me, S2 opening gun fight episodes) 5 Centimetres/second would be gold to show to the faculty at the end of the day. I can see my female teachers now...

Well, I've got 2 months and some spare time away from homework to go and pursue the anime listed. Wish me luck.

By the way, the politics debate team would be chilling in said display area after their own bout of mindscrewing. So anything besides GITS (and Gundam 00, but it's too long) with political intrigue or just making you press the pause button and go to Animesuki's discussion threads before you understand it?

[Deus ex Digital Boy]

Serial Experiments Lain MUST be watched multiple times, because even if you fully understand the plot like I did, there is a ton of hidden symbolism and stuff. It's nothing like GitS but then again I don't consider GitS even remotely psychological.

[gh0stmice]

i always caught the odd episode of GITS when it was on adult swim...so i really never got to understanding it...its one of those " gotta watch a few times" kinda shows...alot like "donnie darko", i had to watch that 2x to understand what the hell was going on...

and i agree Lain also reminds me of donie darko in a way...

[qtipbrit]

Ah Gunslinger Girl might be a little disturbing since it shows children as assassins. Let me see, Fate/Stay Night, Kanon (2006), or AIR (ouf course if you don't want them to cry then I suggest passing this one -- but if you want emotional then go ahead).
He specifically states no harem/romance and discourages sappy romance and you still suggest Kanon and Air? :rolleyes:
Fate/Stay Night may be okay, but the dub isn't great, from what little I've seen.
Wow, my reading comprehension skills are not up to par lately.

Are you sure you can't show Elfen Lied? It's a bit much on the violence and nudity side, but I think it would fit.

Byousoku 5 Centimeter is a must.

Also, Gunslinger Girl.
I also missed that semicolon, those things are evil when skimming.
And yeah, no Elfen Lied. "Nothing overly ecchi" he said, and it might be a bit too extreme for some high schoolers, keep in mind these are probably students who watch Naruto and such.
Though 5 Centimeters per Second is probably the most amazing anime feature I've ever seen, it's also not something to be showing to a group of high school guys.

I would second Fullmetal Alchemist, though it would probably take too long. The anime club at my school had decided on Death Note, which I thought was a good idea, though they weren't really able to go through with it due to many difficulties. I would recommend Code Geass or Tengen Toppa Gurren Lagann for more recent series, I believe they're both licensed, and from a glance, the dub casts seem to be decent (Though Bandai as the distributor of Code Geass will probably make DVDs quite expensive.)
If you don't mind fansubs, these two series could probably be found somewhere on the internet, I believe I found Code Geass in a very unexpected corner of the web. Full Metal Panic! may also be a good choice, as it's technically a 49-episode series, but can be cut down to 37, 36, or just the first seasons 24 if need be; however, it's a mecha anime, so you'll probably want to get a concensus first, as mecha doesn't always appeal to everyone (though honestly, the greater majority of us have seen some sort of Gundam or Zoids.)

Though it's a great series, I wouldn't suggest Shakugan no Shana. It probably won't appeal to your current fanbase much, and the dub is also quite weak in my opinion, though the subs would be fine if you decide on it.

Oh, and definately consider Maria-sama ga Miteru, it's every real man's anime.

[Irenicus]

OP: Does the school has a problem with fansubs (i.e. do they turn a blind eye? ;))

Oh, and definately consider Maria-sama ga Miteru, it's every real man's anime.
That's sarcasm, right?

OP: Are you going to show these to all your audiences at once or are faculty and high school students separate?

Faculty tend to have a different taste to the 14-19 years old male demographic. You're right of course that every female teacher will love 5 Centimeter Per Second: it's sentimental, it's a love story, and it's utterly beautiful. It also utterly lacks action and that rules out 14-19 years old male mass appeal. :heh:

Shana is not recommended. It's more otaku than many other shows. Yoshida's bouncing boobs in one of those episodes in Season 1 might also raise an eyebrow or two.

On the debate team: don't underestimate the variety of tastes those debate kids have! :p I've been to a debate camp once and I can tell you that some people definitely got laid while there. >_<

Random recommendations:

FLCL recommended. High energy + mindscrewing + hot alien babe, hot high school babe (with problems), and hot, err, elementary? :uhoh: Of course, people might have already seen it because of its frequent [AS] showings.

Echoing various posters before me, Code Geass, if fansubs are acceptable, is highly recommended. Great action, cool lead, deep plot (but relatively episodic in nature: i.e. not too much of those annoying cliffhangers even though the plot is continuous: you can watch an episode and doesn't feel betrayed having to wait). Preempt the upcoming [AS] debut I say! :heh:

On a similar note, I second, third, fourth, whatever, Tengen Toppa Gurren Lagann. Action, action, action; and it isn't mindless like a lot of action-focused shows. Before timeskip is definitely more or less episodic. After timeskip...isn't. But the third arc was bloody cool anyway so why not?

If 13-episodes with cliffhangers are acceptable (not episodic), Baccano! is high on the quality and action list, also with American Tarantino pulp fiction taste, except that I think Tarantino is a hack and Baccano! is awesome, but y'know. A good "educational" argument (if needed) would be something like, "It's the Japanese perspective on American popular culture!" :D

Also support your preference for Seto no Hayanome. Comedies are hit-or-miss, but I thought the Chivalric Mermaids are pretty solidly funny. Also, it doesn't take a degree in East Asian Culture to understand crossdressing buff guys purring. :p

On the same line, I second School Rumble for general accessibility and the occasional brilliant parodies. Harima is also a universally likable guy in general.

If people haven't already seen it on [AS] en mass already (likely), GITS is a brilliant show. You probably already know that though.

I'm still not sure about non-episodic shows, but Gankutsuou and its less experimental but equally awesome cousin Le Chevalier d'Eon provide excellent entertainment high in dramatics, twists, violence, and general awesomeness that only something originally French can bring. Two caveats: *someone* in the audience will find Gankutsuou's patterned clothes to be a complete turn-off, and the bipolar gender identity of d'Eon might disturb a few others.

They are 26-episodes anime though, so those might be too big of a commitment. Both are available on DVD in the North American market.

For mindscrew and an introduction course into modern Japanese anime, the permanently controversial Neon Genesis Evangelion is a good choice. Be sure to get the Platinum version or later because they're remastered: the video quality before that is generally crap in comparison. Robot action, disturbed people, Freudian and Christian symbolism put in for the lulz, and the cultural milestone of otaku culture for educational value: what could go wrong?

Don't answer: rhetorical question!

For extra mind rape for the brave (i.e. you should not try this first: see if your audience appreciates the artsy side of anime and is willing for, well, a mind game: it's an excellent closer to a successful program though, and will likely invalidate any complaints from the faculty about the lack of artistic quality in your roster should that happen), seek out the movie Mind Game. It combines extremely experimental animation (have you ever seen Expressionist art animated?) with quite a number of mind-blowing sequences, including a brilliant car chase (and a reference to Figo and the legendary Zidane for World Football enthusiasts) and a mind-blowing plot. It *is* violent, however, even though not offensively so except to those Puritanical types. Think of it as "mature."

[fuzzles]

Full Metal Panic! may also be a good choice, as it's technically a 49-episode series, but can be cut down to 37, 36, or just the first seasons 24 if need be; however, it's a mecha anime, so you'll probably want to get a concensus first, as mecha doesn't always appeal to everyone



I'll second Full Metal Panic! but I'd reccomend Fumoffu if you want people to laugh their ass off and enjoy a series that doesn't really require you to watch every episode(like you requested) And it's got a boxset so it isn't that expensive, the other two FMP series are great but all the episodes are tied together and you seem to have only a day to show some episodes that's not gonna be enough time to show the entire series so everyone would know what would happen also the emotional level of the other two may not be to everyone's liking, but Fumoffu will have no attachment to it and is just there to make you laugh like crazy

[Eviltape]

Just so you people know, everyone in our school thinks that the Cartoon Network stuff is meager compared to most. They at least know that there are better things out there, as most of us watched Spirited Away when it stormed into the USA market. I liked that dub very much.
OP: Does the school has a problem with fansubs (i.e. do they turn a blind eye? ;))
OP: Are you going to show these to all your audiences at once or are faculty and high school students separate?They don't even know fansubbing exists, and if needed I'll explain that it's not copyrighted in the USA. (yeah, I myself spell the metric system like that, rest of the world. I blame the intarwebs)

I'll be showing it in the cafeteria, where everyone just chills if they're done doing something. Faculty and students included in different amounts, although the whole theater system will be there until about 2 hours after school hours. So 2 hours of the faculty's (and student government/volunteers resting from cleaning the rest of the campus up) serious anime. (5 Centimetres per second, GITS2: Innocence)

Never watched Baccano! or most of the experimental series/films. The only ones I've watched were FLCL and ef - a tale of memories. :p Will look back at Fumoffu! and queue up some of the experimental ones Irenicus mentioned.

Oh, and definately consider Maria-sama ga Miteru, it's every real man's anime.I'll do that. (We love our lesbo-love and schoolgirls! :P) If I put it in, I wonder how I'd explain to the staff how we're not watching it for the happy-down-under. Cultural acceptance of homosexuals? :D

[Deus ex Digital Boy]

the thing about marimite is that it starts off so goddamn complicated, the small amount of episodes wont do it justice. I liked all of marimite, but it's the type of show you need to see a lot of to get into.

[Yotsuba]

Samurai Champloo? It definitely has the action, and isn't boring at all. It's hilarious, too. The fight scenes are badass.
All my guy friends love it, even the ones who aren't into anime. Some of them are hard to please, too.

There is a bit of sexual situations, I guess? But I'm pretty sure the dub cuts them out, and it's nothing more than like, the outline of a breast or whatever. I don't think there's anything one would find offensive. I like the sub better, only because I think the voice actors do a much better job.

I WOULD recommend School Rumble if it wasn't for the fact that so many of the jokes are the type that you have to be at least partially familiar with Japanese language or culture to understand. (Kinda like Azumanga.)

But it's still great for the crack value.

[blewin]

Full Metal Panic is absolutely hilarious, yet presents some very pressing issues of the real world.

[Phantasmagoria]

I'll do that. (We love our lesbo-love and schoolgirls! :P) If I put it in, I wonder how I'd explain to the staff how we're not watching it for the happy-down-under. Cultural acceptance of homosexuals?

Categorize it under "esu" and not "yuri."

Just keep using Japanese terms, make them go "Wtf are you trying to say?" and it will be fine.

[Quzor]

A couple people have mentioned Samurai Champloo, Cowboy Bebop, and Princess Mononoke, all of which I'd second. Someone also mentioned Witch Hunter: Robin, and I definitely second that. I think that's an anime that sort of slid under the radar as far as anime are concerned; it's not hard to follow, and it's really interesting (or at least, I thought so).

If you want something that's mind-bending, I'd suggest Neon Genesis Evangelion.

Something action packed that lots of people can get in to; maybe the tournament arc of Yu Yu Hakusho.

Something ridiculous: I'd go with Excel Saga all the way. That show is so out there, you can't help but laugh.

Maybe Rune Soldier too. It's dreadfully easy to follow, but has it's emotional moments (at both ends of the spectrum), and would easily be something that could entertain people in that age range.

Paranoia Agent might be another interesting one to try out. It's only 13 episodes long, and it has a very interesting story. It can be hard to follow if you don't specifically pay attention to certain things, or if you come in part-way through the story, but it's pretty funny and very entertaining.