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ZaelART 2013-03-19 04:54

Looking for anime to watch with partner
 
Hi, am looking for a new anime to watch with my partner and would appreciate any suggestions.

Shows that we have watched together and enjoyed:

Sakimichi no Apollon
Tari Tari
K-ON! and K-ON!!
Welcome to the NHK
Monster
The Melancholy of Haruhi Suzumiya
Mushishi

I have watched a lot of anime in the past but she is really just starting to get into it, unfortunately, this means she is having trouble watching shows that are old and dated looking or that have an unusual art style or 'typical' anime style. So I would really appreciate anime suggestions that are high budget, post 2010 or at the very least have a well done and visually pleasing art style.

Anything containing robots, magic, ninja, fighting, supernatural creatures and wild beasts, space and or time travel or crazy super powers is probably out.

Anything that contains the building of interpersonal relationships romantic or otherwise is good. Anything that might contain realistic situations and generally more serious conversations/events is a plus.

She is seriously picky and will probably stop watching something within the first five seconds (frustrating for me) if it does not 'fit the bill' or evokes even the slightest memories of shows like Pokemon etc.

As an aside and just incase it helps, these are some non-anime shows we have watched an enjoyed:

Game of Thrones
Downton Abbey
Battlestar Galactica
Firefly (it seems that Live-Action series tend to get away with more of the turn-offs)
Carnivale
Community
Chuck
New Girl

I am tempted to show her PlanetES as that is one of my favourite animes of all time, though I would like her to watch a lot more anime first to ease her in and to help make sure it wont get turned off in the first five minutes. I am sure that sooner or later we will be able to get into a lot more wackier and out-there anime but for now please, please give me some post-2010 quasi-serious, slice of life drama/comedy anime with realistic relationships and great art/animation!

Thanks go out to anyone who reads and replies!

ZaelART 2013-03-19 04:56

Forgot to mention under anime that we have enjoyed:

Summer Wars

A perfect animated movie!!!

NoemiChan 2013-03-19 05:00

Amagami SS
Kanon
Clannad


*romance, superb animation but is before 2010.. BUT I recommend it... It's a favorites!

Also for consideration

Hiiro No Kakera
Sukiite na Yo

Cold~as~Ice 2013-03-19 05:47

since both of you enjoyed the the melancholy oh haruhi I highly recommend these shows since they're pretty similar

kokoro connect-17 episodes in total
http://www.animenewsnetwork.com/ency...e.php?id=14113

hyouka
http://www.animenewsnetwork.com/ency...e.php?id=13817

there's a good chance she will like these
http://myanimelist.net/anime/11433/Ano_Natsu_de_Matteru
http://myanimelist.net/anime/6114/Ra...u_no_Shichinin

if you and your partner enjoyed any of these shows tell me and I'll suggest more

Sackett 2013-03-19 08:50

Hmm... you didn't say if having a dub is important.

Based on what anime you've already watched I'd say:

Cross Game
Clannad
and Bunny Drop

Cross Game has the advantage of having a very strong first episode. It's also one of the two masterpieces by Adachi, a writer known for his appeal to both men and women. Cross Game is best described as a combination of The Wonder Years (or Boy Meets World) with baseball romance classics like For The Love Of The Game. It's available streamed on both the Viz channel and Hulu. However, it does have a older style of animation (despite just coming out a couple years ago), and there is no English dub.

Clannad was done by KyoAni, the same studio that did Haruhi and K-On, so she'll probably like the animation. The strongest part of the show is generally acclaimed as the second season After Story. However, the first season is good too, just different. The first season is a school based romantic comedy, heavy on the comedy. You can find plenty of "Funny Clannad" clips on Youtube. After Story focuses on the romance, and drops the comedy in favor of some serious drama. Has some terrific music. Has a dub, though I've never watched it.

Bunny Drop has a strong first episode, and I think you'll both enjoy it. Doesn't have a dub, and it looks like Crunchyroll stopped streaming it (at least to non-premium members).

However, based on your TV shows I'd suggest the following:

Madoka Magica
and Crest of the Stars

Madoka Magica is the best among recent anime. I'm sure you've heard of it, maybe even watched it. It has a very strong opening five minutes. Being a dark Magical Girl show designed to appeal to adults, I think that it should appeal to your partner. Oh and that Official Trailer? Not deceptive at all, not at all... trust me :) Movie Trailer kind of spoils it though. Has amazing music, animation is great during the witch scenes. Has a good English dub.

Crest of the Stars is from 2000, and is one of the better classic Space Opera's out there. Well developed characters, with both a strong male lead and strong female lead that have good chemistry. If she likes Battlestar Galactica she might like this one. Has a dub, but I haven't heard it.

SeijiSensei 2013-03-19 09:46

You list Nodame Cantabile as a favorite in your profile but not here. Did she not like that? Have you seen the sequels as well as the original series? If a dubbed version is preferable, the Animax release of the original series is streamed at Crackle.

Usagi Drop ("Bunny Drop") was the first show to come to mind for me as well. As Sackett notes, it is no longer streaming at Crunchy after being licensed by NISA. Subtitles only, though.

If you are looking for an adventure show, you should give Seirei no Moribito a try. It features one of the best female leads in anime, Balsa the spear-wielding bodyguard. Crunchyroll has the subtitled version, with a powerful acting performance by stage actress, Andou Mabuki. The DVDs are currently quite inexpensive at Amazon though their stock is limited. It appears that Media Blasters has bumped the price for this show back up to the $50 range, still pretty reasonable for 26 episodes.

If you liked the "senpai romance" aspects of Planetes and Nodame, I'll add Toshokan Sensou to the list. It follows a young woman who joins a group of armed librarians who defend the freedom to read from an opposing group of armed censors. She falls for the young solider who is in charge of her training. You'll need to search for the subs for the original TV series; there is also a movie version with subs out there.

Take a look at this post for a lengthy list of recommendations with an emphasis on stories and characters that might appeal to more mature viewers.

Sackett 2013-03-19 19:46

She'd probably also like Whisper of the Heart.

Urzu 7 2013-03-19 23:13

Try Wolf's Rain. It isn't a fast moving series, but if she sticks with it, she might really like it. I think it is a series that would appeal to many females.

creb 2013-03-20 02:21

I actually prefer the dub for Crest/Banner of the Stars. I know some "professional" reviewers had issues with it, but I thought the cast did a great job capturing the essence of Abh speech. To each their own though.

I wasn't particularly fond of Banner of the Stars 2, even if it had some of my favorite individual moments in the franchise (as well as the most screentime for my favorite character in the franchise), so I'm always a bit apprehensive over recommending that one. That said, if you enjoyed Crest and Banner of the Stars 1, you'll likely have developed enough emotional attachment to overlook many of the negatives of BotS 2.

The fact that she enjoyed something like Welcome to the NHK would suggest to me that you may be vastly underestimating her ability to enjoy some of the anime tropes longer term anime fans don't blink an eye to (and, yes, I can understand your possible apprehension over the initial reaction an anime neophyte may have towards the first episode of Planetes...but...Welcome to the NHK....heh), but, maybe that's just me. :heh:

I know you said robots are out, but I would still highly recommend Time of Eve.
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It borrows principles and ideas from the Asimov school of robotics, and the robots within are almost indistinguishable from humans. It's also fantastically gorgeous (OVA and Movie, so not a TV budget weighing it down). Most of this character drama is set in a cafe, as it explores the Asimov laws of robotics and how they're not quite as cut and dry as they may seem. If you were to only watch one version, I'd say go for the movie. They did a very good job of distilling the OVAs into a movie, without the more common issue of losing things in the process, though it also has a few moments that were obviously made with the OVA viewer in mind.

Oh, and the film was released in 2010 :p, and yes, mixed in with all the character drama is a subtle unwinding of interpersonal relationships as well.

ZaelART 2013-03-20 06:44

Wow, amazed by the responses so far, thanks everyone for the suggestions.

I actually forgot about Nodame Cantabile (all seasons), that was another fantastic anime that we both loved!

We have started watching Usagi Drop and are both enjoying it, very nice and cute with some mature themes, thanks for this.

Regarding dubs, we generally prefer to avoid them as we always feel there is something a little lost with the English voice acting.

I actually haven't watched much recent anime, in fact I haven't even seen some of the older ones mentioned. I am just getting back into it after a long hiatus and it looks like I have a lot of anime to look forward to.

Again, thanks to all!

mit7059 2013-03-20 06:50

I'll give strong seconds to Usagi Drop and Cross Game
I'd also strongly suggest Honey & Clover (both seasons) and Natsume Yuujinchou

I long considered Honey & Clover my favorite anime, and still might, it's the best coming of age story I've ever seen. Natsume Yuujinchou is available on Crunchyroll and don't be turned off by the whole spirit/ghost element as I was for far too long; it's one of the most touching series I've ever watched. Both series are headlined by one of my favorite voice actors, Hiroshi Kamiya.

SeijiSensei 2013-03-20 16:39

I'll also suggest Chihayafuru, now in its second season at Crunchyroll. It's about a girl who starts playing an obscure Japanese game called karuta using a set of cards with each of the famous 100 Poems. There's a hint of romance, a triangle in fact, but most of the show focuses on personal development, friendship, and the value of teamwork. It's among the best shows I've watched in the past year.

totoum 2013-03-20 19:01

Well based upon K-on and Harushi I feel safe in suggesting some shows from Kyoto Animation so I'll second Hyouka ( OP here ) and add in Tamako Market , though she'd have to deal with a talking bird (OP here)

I'll second Chihayafuru and Cross Game as well.

I'll add in Ikoku Meiro no Croisée , about a japanese girl coming to live in Paris during the 19th century (trailer here)

I'll also add Tamayura , just a fun slice of life show there's a 4 episode OVA as well as a TV show (OP here)

A bit on the fantasy side but quite grounded in reality there's Wolf Children (trailer here)

Another slightly fantasyish movie is Hotarubi no Mori e (trailer here)

Phantom: Requiem for the phantom , a tragic story about assassins (OP here) (there's some fighting but it's not anything like fighting with superpowers)

5cm per second , from 2007 but that's a movie quite well known for having great visuals so I figure they won't be a problem ( trailer here)


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