Looking for recent anime.

[Qwazar]

Salutations,

I have not watched any anime, or followed any news on animes for about a year now. The request is a simple one- just give me what you believe to be the best anime of past year or so. I have no real preferences in genre, but I would prefer something original/weird/mysterious.

You can suggest slightly older anime, though chances are good I will have seen it.

Thank you in advance!

[tera_ha]

darker than black
FMA- Brotherhood
B Gata H Kei
Fairty Tail(on going)
Reborn(on going)
High school of the dead(on going)
Soul Eater

EDIT: Almost forgot One Piece(best on going series IMOH)

[Sackett]

Cross Game
Fullmetal Alchemist: Brotherhood

Are the two best from last year.

If you are counting movies, include The Disappearance of Haruhi Suzumiya

I also thought Kimi Ni Todoke was good, but probably not what you're looking for.

Ones that are decent and might fit your request:

Eden of the East
Angel Beats
Baka to Test
Tokyo Magnitude 8.0
Occult Academy
Haruhi Suzumiya season 1.5

[Qwazar]

This is great, thank you.

I'd like to add that I am not limiting this to purely fantasy/mystery- some romance is fine, almost anything that is not too clicheed is great. Slice of life would actualy also be great.

Is the FMA:B following the manga again, or is it a completely original series, and if so, a short recap would be awesome.

[Sackett]

Originally Posted by Qwazar

This is great, thank you.

I'd like to add that I am not limiting this to purely fantasy/mystery- some romance is fine, almost anything that is not too clicheed is great. Slice of life would actualy also be great.

Is the FMA:B following the manga again, or is it a completely original series, and if so, a short recap would be awesome.

Then you might really like Kimi Ni Todoke. It's just a sweet little love story. I found it quite refreshing. Kind of like drinking a glass of clear water as opposed to all the soda pop running around.

FMA:B is following the manga. As opposed to the first anime series which diverted from the manga greatly. (Around the time Greed appeared).

So basically the first 16 to 18 episodes of Brotherhood tend to match pretty well with the first anime storyline. I think they rushed it a bit, probably because everyone wanted to get to the new stuff more quickly.

The only major plot difference in the early episodes is that the homoculii are not trying to get an alchemist to create a philosopher stone for them. Instead they are interested in alchemists as "potential sacrifices" and Ed particularly as a "confirmed sacrifice".

So personally I tend to just mash the two up together in my head, as I think the first anime did a better job with pacing and early character development in the early episodes, but Brotherhood is better in the middle plot and character development, and far far far better in the ending and climax.

Seriously, if you liked the first FMA you need to watch Brotherhood.

Spoiler for One of the first epic arcs that is different in Brotherhood:

Mustang vs Lust = epic battle.

Oh, and Armstrong's sister... amazing character. Lots of good new characters in the second half. You definitely do not want to miss it.

[Qwazar]

I'll make sure to try watching it then.

Thanks.

A couple more suggestions would not hurt, but I have a basis to start now.

[Guardian Enzo]

I'll second Cross Game, and add Sarai ya Goyou for a thoughtful, exquisitely patient and detailed period piece and character study. To that I'll add Seitoaki no Ichizon and Baka-test for excellent comedies, the former an "insider" meta-comedy and the latter a smart school-life farce.

[Haladflire65]

I think Durarara!! would be a great choice, especially if you're looking for the unorthodox. It's a very interesting story that takes place in Ikebukuro, Tokyo. There's comedy, supernatural stuff, action, violence, drama and everything else in between, and the characters are quirky and fantastic.

And yeah, I'd definitely watch FMA:B. It was epic greatness, especially near the end.

[Sackett]

Have you seen Neon Genesis Evangelion?

It's an older one of course, but it's quite different. And so many anime have been effected by it. (The FMA finale had some End of Evangelion references hidden in it).

[Kotohono]

If you want a great, weird, original, and mysterious anime then you definitely want to watch Bakemogatari, my opinion was best series out of 2009, and it fits all those words. Also if you enjoy I'd highly recommend Katanagatari as it's same author, but vastly different setting, though similar in dialogue heavy nature.

And I'd say B Gata H Kei is a rather original, hilarious, and recent romance series.

Also I'd second to Angel Beats, or Haruhi Suzumiya 1.5

[SeijiSensei]

I'm going to suggest two very different shows that I suspect you haven't watched. One is Kemono no Sou-ja Erin, another fantasy by the author of Moribito. Erin tells the story of a young girl who wants to follow in her mother's footsteps and become a veterinarian to magical beasts. While it's based on a light novel for older children, the story is definitely powerful enough to appeal to adults as well.

My other suggestion is Mouryou no Hako, a mystery that begins when a high-school girl is hit by a train. It's almost entirely populated by adults.

Seconds for Cross Game and Saraiya Goyou, both of which are streaming at the links I gave.

[Haak]

So far my favourites from this year have been Cross Game, Durarara!! and Katanagatari. You can't go wrong with Saraiya Goyou.

[Qwazar]

Thanks all around, I'll make sure to watch most of your suggestions!