A once in a liftetime Masterpiece

[Lostdreams]

I like watching animes that are masterpieces. However, these days those are hard to find. Anybody know any animes that could go into the masterpiece range? I don't want to watch another oh this is a good anime which turns out to be bull and I waste my time

[The Chaos]

Try Rurouni Kenshin

[Echoes]

When you merely say you want a "masterpiece", how do you expect people to pinpoint exactly what you *would* enjoy, and what would simply be "bull and a waste of your time"?

Tastes differ.

I'll recommend Mushishi, but I obviously can't make any guarantees that you won't think it's a waste of space.

[KholdStare]

Well, this is purely or heavily opinionated. For example, I expect more than half of the people posting below me to disagree about my listing of "masterpieces." But still, I will list the series I consider a masterpiece or close to it so you can check them out.

Rurouni Kenshin: Trust and Betrayal - I don't consider the series Rurouni Kenshin itself a masterpiece, but I do consider this OVA one. You should watch the series before watching the OVA, however, since it will help you a lot.

Elfen Lied - Let's get this one out of the way since most will disagree with me. Elfen Lied is mostly hit or miss, but when it hits, and it did for me, people often love it.

Haibane Renmei - This is a masterpiece beyond masterpieces for me at least.

The Place Promised in Our Early Days - Ah, the power of music and animation to tell the story instead of dialogue... I truly adore this series for its unique yet beautiful methods of presentation.

Gakuen Utopia Manabi Straight! - If this series is only regarded to be a masterpiece by me because it's unique, then that alone might just be enough. I love it, and I expect many to at least like it as well.

Listing more would lower my credibility or the credibility of my definition of masterpiece, so I will stop me.

[kk2extreme]

last exile, the best of gonzo

[Arkuatic]

Rurouni Kenshin: seisouhen-Another Kenshin OVA, though its not as epic as TxB its still pretty awesome for the last installment of OVAs

Cowboy Bebop-it puts bounter hunters and space on a whole different level, though its more for a mature audience its still pretty epic

Deathnote-

Spoiler for spoiler:

The most epic battle of wits anime ever...until L died then it kinda went downhill

Hantsuki-its short but its just the right amount

Fate/Stay Night-Sacrafices in many areas, ones that can make you cry, smile, or laugh...mostly cry

Samurai Champloo-Good story, characters, animation, action;obviously a great series

Utawarerumono-Happiness and saddness from begining to the end.

True Tears-Animation is awesome, not your average romance in the common scene

[Reckoner]

Texhnolyze - Dystopia setting, I love it.

Ergo Proxy - Another dystopia setting, great philosophy involved.

Neon Genesis Evangelion - My favorite of all time, of course it is not up to everyone.

Paranoia Agent - A great anime with some interesting social commentary.

Cowboy Bebop - What can I say, no anime is as classy as this one.

[Deus ex Digital Boy]

MASTERPIECE?!

Serial Experiments Lain and Martian Successor Nadesico are the only perfect anime out there. And if you don't need ABSOLUTE PERFECTION, Tengen Toppa Gurren Lagann, Eureka Seven, ef ~a tale of memories~, Earth Maiden Arjuna, and Baccano! are all masterpieces in their own right.

[incube]

Fate Stay Night, Full Metal Panic and Black Lagoon would be the top 3 of action / fantasy animes.

Honey & Clover is one of the best slice of life animes i've seen. Not sure if i would call it a masterpiece but one of the best of its kind.

For romance animes i would go for Clannad, Kanon, Air and Hantsuki.

And as for comedy alone, Seto no Hanayome would be right.

[Telmah]

I've seen alot of good animes, even more fun ones, but when you say a master piece, there's very little that actually holds up to that standard. Most people say some of the Ghibili movies are the best.

Personally I have to agree with Kholdstare---Haibane Renmei is the best of the best. I really think it competes with other works of art regardless of medium...it tackles hard questions (hard enough to give it a rating 8 on the parental warning disks...from a show with little objectable but the religious undertones), has rife symbolism (even the blurry animation at points gives it a surreal feel), interesting but flawed characters...much like humans really are, and at least it my case, I walked away alittle better of a person after watching it. Nothing else I've seen is in par--everything else is mainly entertainment. Haibane Renmei is again, the very best of the best.

[Irenicus]

Put me on a stake and burn me on this one, but I honestly didn't like the drama at the end of Haibane Renmei.

The world-building was beautiful, the philosophical questions quietly asked interesting (though it's hardly unique in asking so), the landscape picturesque, and the characters are nice...but despite that the drama involving Suiginto...erm, anyway...at the end felt really ordinary to me.

On Topic: to OP, this is what I'd do: go on ANN (or some other big database sites with a rating system), use the search function or just the "top-rated" list and find the ones with the highest rating -- on ANN it'll be visually expressive by a very long green line on top and little else -- and watch what's on there.

This is a much more reliable way of finding out "masterpieces," or what I think you're meaning by that phrase, than reading us rant on and on about how much we think this piece of crap or another is so bloody awesome. Popular opinions work.

However, check the number of votes! You need a big sample, not a few fanbois and haters who bothered to vote out of the larger user base. Try mangafox for one, every shitty manga out there has like 4+ ratings out of 5. Mangaupdates, the popular "find out about this manga and its scan" site, isn't much better. Same reason you shouldn't listen to us here. Each poster is just one person/sample. We can tell you what each of us think is the best thing ever, but I think you want the big picture.

[NervZero]

Crest of the Stars
Banner of the Stars
Eureka Seven
Seven Samruai
Basilisk
Berserk

[SeijiSensei]

I'm amazed that Monster has yet to be mentioned; it and Miyazaki's Mononoke Hime are the two works to which I might attribute the word "masterpiece."

[Supah Em]

Yes, there's little love for Monster here.

Also, if Grave of the Fireflies isn't a masterpiece, I don't know what is. Never has such a film/anime evoked such powerful emotions from me.

[Saleh]

Seconding Grave of the Fireflies, Rurouni Kenshin: Trust and Betrayal, Haibane Renmei, True tears. Aren't Seirei no Moribito, Higurashi (Both of them), Toki o Kakeru Shoujo, Kaze no Tani no Nausicaa masterpieces of their time too.

Edit - Forgot to mention Dragonaut, a real masterpiece by gonzo that you will never forget after watching it once :.

[AceD]

first 14 or so EPs of deathnote are a masterpiece for sure. the last 14 are very good...but its hard to top a masterpiece isnt it?

[Lostdreams]

Originally Posted by Echoes

When you merely say you want a "masterpiece", how do you expect people to pinpoint exactly what you *would* enjoy, and what would simply be "bull and a waste of your time"?

Tastes differ.

I'll recommend Mushishi, but I obviously can't make any guarantees that you won't think it's a waste of space.

I like a wide variety of tastes. Also, I saw all top 10 of anime news network's list. I haven't seen Haibane Renmei yet, but I'll watch that. Ty for your opinion guys.
Also, I went and like looked up the animes listed here. Man, I can't wait to watch them. Ty again

[Niji]

Seconding Mushishi, my all time favorite.
Also Kino no Tabi, Shounen Onmiyouji, Shinigami's ballad, Wolf's Rain.

And I am still wondering what people like about Haibane Renmei. Mediocre at most, in my rating

[khryoleoz]

I agree with Last Exile being Gonzo's masterpiece. What I love from them even more is Kaleido Star.

However, I think Moetan is THE definitive anime masterpiece. Look up anime masterpiece in the encyclopedia, and you'll see a picture of Ah-kun and Magical Teacher Pastel Ink.

[bbduece]

What i think are great animes are:

Rurouni Kenshin
Last Exile
Elfen Lied
Seirei no Moribito



Are these masterpiece?