AnimeSuki Forums

Alyj · 2013-11-21, 00:01

Hi all. New here!

I was hoping for some suggestions of anime to watch. English dub only please! I haven't watched many and I don't really know where to start looking..

Watched:
Chobits(favorite)
DearS(it was ok)
Ah! my goddess
Sekirei(loved it, sad it wasn't complete)
Eden of the East
Inyuasha
Infinite Stratos
Elfen Lied

One of my big things is art style I think. I can't watch them if I don't like the art style.. as you can see from the list all the styles are very similar.
I guess I like romance-comedy-drama (not just 100% silliness), not so much action.

Looking forward to any suggestions c:

SeijiSensei · 2013-11-21, 08:44

Most of us here watch subs, but here are a few suggestions for dubbed titles that I have watched in subs and sampled in dubs.

First, given your tastes, I strongly recommend Nodame Cantabile, a story about young adults attending a college-level classical music conservatory. The main characters are a talented but egotistical young man who wants to be a conductor and a somewhat ditzy but equally talented young woman who is a pianist. The first season was dubbed by Aniplex and can be watched for free on Sony's Crackle site linked above. There are two sequels that are only available in fansubs.

For a more psychological story with similarly aged characters I'll recommend Welcome to the NHK!. The main character is a "hikikomori." He encounters a young woman who offers to cure him of this affliction by holding meetings in a park. Most of the characters in this show have psychological problems, creating a strong dramatic undertone to a show which can often be hilariously funny.

Next, how about Baccano!, a story about gangsters and immortals set in Prohibition America. There's a bit of romance sprinkled in, though mostly it's a comedy with dramatic overtones. It does have fighting and quite a bit of blood in places, so it may not be your cup of tea.

I'll end with four suggestions that all occur in earlier historical periods, or are based on them.

One is the classic Junni Kokki, or "Twelve Kingdoms," about a Japanese high-school girl who is whisked off to a fantasy world where she discovers her true fate. There's no place to watch this legally online, but it's on a well-known video site.

Saiunkoku Monogatari ("The Story of Saiunkoku") is sadly no longer available on DVDs, but again it's available on that same site. It tells the story of a feisty young woman who wants to become an imperial official in a land (modelled on T'ang China) where only men may govern. There's a romantic subplot, a bit of action, and a lot of politics, drama, and comedy.

For a more zany experience, there's Oh! Edo Rocket, a satire about political repression set in 1840's Edo (Tokyo) starring a young fireworks maker and a young lady who asks him to build her a rocket that can reach the moon. You'll have to make up your own mind about the art style, though it didn't take long for it to grow on me. Some of the characters are historical personages or, like the fireworks maker Tamaya, derived from them. The story itself is much more serious than it looks on the surface.

Finally, I'll suggest a drama, Seirei no Moribito, or "Moribito: Guardian of the Sacred Spirit" in English. A 30-year-old female bodyguard, the spear-wielding Balsa, is tasked with the protection of a young prince targeted for assassination. You can watch this show for free on Crunchyroll, but it is subtitled. The DVDs are a great bargain, though. This is a beautiful piece of work from director Kamiyama Kenji and his team at Production I.G.

I've linked to the free licensed online versions of these shows where they exist. Some of them may also be available via Netflix. As far as I know, Amazon Instant doesn't have any anime as part of its Prime service, though some are available for purchase. Often the price isn't a whole lot less than buying the DVD sets, especially for older shows like these.

Sackett · 2013-11-22, 23:53

Quote:

Originally Posted by Alyj

I was hoping for some suggestions of anime to watch. English dub only please!

Watched:
Chobits(favorite)
DearS(it was ok)
Ah! my goddess
Sekirei(loved it, sad it wasn't complete)
Eden of the East
Inyuasha
Infinite Stratos
Elfen Lied

One of my big things is art style I think. I can't watch them if I don't like the art style.. as you can see from the list all the styles are very similar.
I guess I like romance-comedy-drama (not just 100% silliness), not so much action.

Hmmm.... romantic comedies aren't dubbed as much as action. I'll split things into a few lists.

Match your requirements:

Since you like Inuyasha, for the first two I'll suggest the obvious (other romantic comedies by Rumiko Takahashi)

Ranma 1/2 Same dub actors as Inuyasha. I think the Inuyasha dub was terrific, but I greatly prefer subs for Ranma. Still ought to be good for you. Note that the animation quality is much better the last few seasons.

Maison Ikkoku The greatest of Takahashi's rom-com, and maybe the best rom-com in anime. None of the action/fighter tropes like Inuyasha either, just a college boy meets widow. The dub isn't bad I guess. I just tend to prefer the subs (probably because I prefer the Japanese Kyoko).

Full Metal Panic is a romantic comedy drama slapstick action show, with a rather good dub. It's also known for it's strong appeal to audiences outside Japan.

The Melancholy of Haruhi Suzumiya is a genre buster, but it does have some rom-com elements, and it has a terrific dub.

Tenchi Muyo and Tenchi Universe. They even dubbed the songs.

Clannad and Clannad After Story of course. A very good show. Has a dub, but I strongly recommend you try the subs first.

The World God Only Knows Ostracized nerd must save the world by romancing girls. It's actually a pretty fun show.

High quality dubs and well done shows:

Madoka Magica Really a great show, and pretty good dub. Every anime fan ought to watch it.

Neon Genesis Evangelion One of the classics of anime, and endlessly referenced by other anime. I guess some hate the dub, but I actually think it's pretty well done, even if I do prefer the subs. You can jump straight in or if you want to aviod missing some of the subtext you could check out a classic mecha anime first (Mobile Suit Gundam, Gundam Wing). Some romance, and plenty of drama.

Fullmetal Alchemist and Fullmetal Alchemist: Brotherhood. I guess Brotherhood does have some romance, and quite a bit of drama and comedy.

Read Or Die (OVA) Mousy Librarian James Bond meets X-Men.

Great romantic/comedy/drama (but subs):

Cross Game If there was one romantic comedy drama that I think competes with Maison Ikkoku for the best in anime it would be Cross Game.

Kimi Ni Todoke is a sweet and innocent love story.

Toradora is one of the better balances of romance, comedy, and drama out there.

Touch is another good one from Adachi.

2013-11-21, 00:01	Link #1
Alyj Junior Member Join Date: Nov 2013	Need something to watch! Hi all. New here! I was hoping for some suggestions of anime to watch. English dub only please! I haven't watched many and I don't really know where to start looking.. Watched: Chobits(favorite) DearS(it was ok) Ah! my goddess Sekirei(loved it, sad it wasn't complete) Eden of the East Inyuasha Infinite Stratos Elfen Lied One of my big things is art style I think. I can't watch them if I don't like the art style.. as you can see from the list all the styles are very similar. I guess I like romance-comedy-drama (not just 100% silliness), not so much action. Looking forward to any suggestions c:

2013-11-21, 08:44	Link #2
SeijiSensei AS Oji-kun Join Date: Nov 2006 Age: 74	Most of us here watch subs, but here are a few suggestions for dubbed titles that I have watched in subs and sampled in dubs. First, given your tastes, I strongly recommend Nodame Cantabile, a story about young adults attending a college-level classical music conservatory. The main characters are a talented but egotistical young man who wants to be a conductor and a somewhat ditzy but equally talented young woman who is a pianist. The first season was dubbed by Aniplex and can be watched for free on Sony's Crackle site linked above. There are two sequels that are only available in fansubs. For a more psychological story with similarly aged characters I'll recommend Welcome to the NHK!. The main character is a "hikikomori." He encounters a young woman who offers to cure him of this affliction by holding meetings in a park. Most of the characters in this show have psychological problems, creating a strong dramatic undertone to a show which can often be hilariously funny. Next, how about Baccano!, a story about gangsters and immortals set in Prohibition America. There's a bit of romance sprinkled in, though mostly it's a comedy with dramatic overtones. It does have fighting and quite a bit of blood in places, so it may not be your cup of tea. I'll end with four suggestions that all occur in earlier historical periods, or are based on them. One is the classic Junni Kokki, or "Twelve Kingdoms," about a Japanese high-school girl who is whisked off to a fantasy world where she discovers her true fate. There's no place to watch this legally online, but it's on a well-known video site. Saiunkoku Monogatari ("The Story of Saiunkoku") is sadly no longer available on DVDs, but again it's available on that same site. It tells the story of a feisty young woman who wants to become an imperial official in a land (modelled on T'ang China) where only men may govern. There's a romantic subplot, a bit of action, and a lot of politics, drama, and comedy. For a more zany experience, there's Oh! Edo Rocket, a satire about political repression set in 1840's Edo (Tokyo) starring a young fireworks maker and a young lady who asks him to build her a rocket that can reach the moon. You'll have to make up your own mind about the art style, though it didn't take long for it to grow on me. Some of the characters are historical personages or, like the fireworks maker Tamaya, derived from them. The story itself is much more serious than it looks on the surface. Finally, I'll suggest a drama, Seirei no Moribito, or "Moribito: Guardian of the Sacred Spirit" in English. A 30-year-old female bodyguard, the spear-wielding Balsa, is tasked with the protection of a young prince targeted for assassination. You can watch this show for free on Crunchyroll, but it is subtitled. The DVDs are a great bargain, though. This is a beautiful piece of work from director Kamiyama Kenji and his team at Production I.G. I've linked to the free licensed online versions of these shows where they exist. Some of them may also be available via Netflix. As far as I know, Amazon Instant doesn't have any anime as part of its Prime service, though some are available for purchase. Often the price isn't a whole lot less than buying the DVD sets, especially for older shows like these. __________________ Taking Anime Seriously - Politics by the Numbers - Sports by the Numbers - MAL List - Avatars - Images Last edited by SeijiSensei; 2013-11-21 at 09:17.