Looking for something new or old

[Vagrant0]

I've run out of titles which look interesting, so need some suggestions. I would prefer things which are done as opposed to still being aired.

Most of my list, atleast what I can recognize/remember, grouped by Genre(ish).

ratings are in groups by; entertainment (enjoyment, comedy), value (interesting concepts), tolerability (How much I want to see next episode)

1 is low, 10 is high
New entries marked with * and bolded

Spoiler for List:

Haruhi - 7 8 8
Haruhi redux - 5 5 6 (and yes, I watched most of the infinity 8 episodes, and literally cheered when it was done. Movie episodes were a good addition though)
Abenobashi Mahou Shoutengai - 5 7 7
Sayonara Zetsubou Sensei (first) - 8 7 5
Lucky Star - 8 6 6
Pani poni dash - 7 8 6
*Baka to Test to Shokanju - 7 5 6
*Maria Holic - 7 6 6 (good, but left too much unresolved for the sake of fanservice)
Excel Saga - 7 7 6
Galaxy Angel (orig cast) - 7 7 6
Puni Puni Poemi - 5 4 x
Hare + Guu - 6 3 3 (Animation is a bit dated, just a bit too strange to watch in succession)
Penguin Musume Heart - 5 4 4
Genshiken (all) - 7 7 5
Gintama - 9 9 8
Azumanga Daiou - 5 7 5
Hyakko - 7 4 5
*K-ON - 6 6 6 (A little too cutesy, but had its moments.)
Minami-Ke - 6 7 6
Minami-Ke2 - 6 6 6
Minami-Ke3 - 4 6 5
Geijutsuka Art Design Class - 6 5 4 (A little too cutesy. Probably better if I was more into art. Tag is a win.)
GTO - 6 5 6

Aria (all) - 6 7 4
Planetes - 5 8 6
Someday`s Dreamers - 4 5 3 (forgot I'd even seen it)
*Mokke (eps1-12) - 5 6 4 (Good series, but moves a bit slow)
Kino no Tabi - 5 8 5
Honey & Clover - 5 6 7
Honey & Clover2 - 3 5 5 (too much drama)
Mushishi - 5 9 6
Natsume Yuujinchou (both) - 4 6 7
NHK ni Youkoso! - 6 7 5
Eden of the East - 7 7 8 (kinda had to rush through it since I was watching it from borrowed DVDs (too short))
Haibane Renmei - 6 8 6

Maria Mite - 2 2 1 (Could not stand past 6 or 7 episodes)
Strawberry Panic - 3 3 4
Yami to Boushi to Hon no Tabibito - 4 8 6
Blue Drop - 3 4 3
Kashimashi - 4 5 5
Otome wa Boku ni Koishiteru - 5 6 4
Tenshi na Konamaiki - 4 7 4
Cinderella Boy - 3 3 3
Fushigi Yuugi - 3 6 5
Haruka Naru Toki no Naka de - 4 4 3 (started watching it, got about half-way, didn't really bother going back)
I My Me! Strawberry Egg - 5 3 4


Nanoha (1 and 2) - 4 6 4
Manabi Straight! - 3 5 5
Moetan (to 4) - 4 5 3 (wrong on too many levels)
Mai Hime - 4 5 5
Mai Otome - 4 6 4
Shakugan no Shana - 5 6 6
Shakugan no Shana II - 6 6 5
Simoun - 4 8 5
Night Wizard - 5 4 4


Ranma 1/2 (series and ova) - 4 5 5
Urusei Yatsura (series) - 6 8 7
Love Hina (series) - 4 4 5
Kimagure Orange Road - 2 3 2 (lasted till about 20)
Tenchi (all series) - 5 7 5
He is my Master - 5 4 4
Seto no Hanayome - 6 4 3 (by the time I could get interested in the story between all the interuptions from secondary characters, the series was over)
Hayate - 5 6 5
Hayaye !! - 4 4 5 (too linear, too much drama)
KenIchi - 6 6 6 (kinda lost its way near the end, but not too bad, main characters voice always annoyed me though)
*Kampfer - 5 4 6 (ending was a bit rushed, mascot characters were too unusual)
Elfen Leid - 2 5 3 (too much graphic dismemberment)
Aa! Megami-sama - 5 7 6
Aa! Megami-sama 2nd - 5 7 5
Rizelmine - 4 6 4 (Very, very wrong)
Maburaho - 3 5 4 (3 5 6 if wanting to see lead character die counts)
Kamen no Maid Guy - 4 2 3 (blatent fanservice gets old fast)
Green Green (Series and Ova) - 4 4 4
Koikoi 7 (1-8) - 5 5 5 (9-13) - W T F
Chobits - 4 6 6
Midori no Hibi - 5 5 5

*Toaru Kagaku no Railgun - 7 8 8 (A little too much Yuri, but I'm mostly desensitized to it at this point).
*Toaru Majutsu no Index - 6 6 7 (+2 for Index-tan)
Full Metal Panic - 4 6 7
Full Metal Panic 2nd raid - 3 5 5
Full Metal Panic FF - 6 5 7
D.N. Angel - 3 7 4
Black Cat - 4 6 5
Initial D (all) - 5 5 6
*Hikaru no Go - 4 6 4 (some episodes just seemed to drag on. Like watching paint dry.)
.hack (first series) - 3 7 5
Code Geass - 5 6 6
Code Geass 2nd - 5 4 5
Darker than Black - 4 6 7
*Darker than Black 2 (Gemini) - 5 4 5 (Good story, but all the good characters go to pot rather quickly.)
*Kekkaishi - 7 7 7
Berserk - 5 6 6
Bleach (non-fillers) - 4 6 6
Naruto (non-fillers) - 4 6 5
Soul Eater (1-25) - 5 5 4 (licensed, aggressively)
Law of Ueki - 3 5 4
D Gray - 3 4 5 (lasted till about 90)
Chrono Crusade (watched till ep 5, fell asleep) - 4 3 2 (even if you can look past the poor portrayal of Christianity, still seemed a bit too forced.)
Kiddie Grade - 4 3 3 (decent until about episode 19, then things stopped making any sort of sense)
*Fafner - 3 4 4 (Robots, teenage angst, and politics. Walked into this one expecting something different. Seemed too much like a wannabe EVA)
Claymore - 4 6 7

Noin - 4 6 5
Last Exile - 5 6 8
Ergo Proxy - 4 7 7
Escaflowne (series?) - 4 5 5
Utawarerumono - 5 6 5 (too much furry)
El Hazard: The Magnificent World - 4 4 3
Bokura no - 5 7 7
Samurai 7 - 5 6 6
Sol Bianca (series?) - 4 7 5
Crest of the Stars - 5 7 4
Banner of the Stars - 4 4 5 (too much dialogue between commanders at the end)
Banner of the Stars II - 5 3 3
Banner of the Stars III Ova - 3 2 x (Crazy Ahb pilot girl is only redeeming component)
Dennou Coil 5 6 5 (thought it kinda tried explaining too much near the end)
Koko wa Green Wood (ova 1-6?) - 4 5 4

J-Drama
*Densha Otoko - 7 6 6
*Shinsengumi - 5 7 7 (kinda dragged on near the end when everyone was getting killed, but that's history (compressed, simplified, and dramatized) for you.)

We'll work off the assumption that anything which has been dubbed, or shown on Cartoon Network / Scifi channel, I've seen and given a non-rating.

Basically, what I'm looking for is something which I havn't seen yet, which is particularly worthwhile for one reason or another. With the following limitations.

No dull romance. No Shonen Ai, no Yaoi. Shojo Ai, or Yuri, or other (normal) romance is acceptable if there are other elements that make the anime interesting. Low drama. No harem/polygon unless it involves something original.

No Shojo, Mahou or otherwise unless it is sugar free, and has some deeper value. Too much cutesy gives me ulcers. No Sakura, no Sailor Moon, no Tokyo Mew Mew, no Precure, ect.

No pointless fighting, no powering up, no calling of attacks (except in parody), no fights that last 20 episodes (you hear me over there DBZ?). Action is fine as long as it's cool, has a point, and doesn't involve people tossing around anything larger than a Buick.

Low gore, no horror. Enough of that in reality.

No gundam. Mecha only if there is more to the anime than robots fighting, teenage angst, and politics.

No sports, card, pokemon-esque anime. Falls under that "no pointless fighting, no powering up, no calling of attacks" stuff mentioned above. Willing to make exceptions if there is more going on.

No hentai. Ecchi only if there is some other value, blatant fanservice gets old fast.

Prefer it to be a something with atleast 4+ episodes. Too many OVAs out there. Old is fine, but nothing too dated.

Thanks in advance.

[Haak]

Can I recommend Eden of the East? It doesn't have anything you don't want except maybe dull romance and fanservice depending on how you view it. Eleven episodes. Only just finished a week ago:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0Q4cc46wym4

[Sackett]

I didn't see Full Metal Alchemist (the first version which is complete and finished) on your list, watch at least the first three episodes before deciding if you want to continue.

Other than that...

Starblazers might be a bit too dated.

No idea what you would make of Chrono Crusade

Cross Game is still airing, but might interest you as it is calmer and more low key.

Afraid that's all I can think of.

[Vagrant0]

Originally Posted by Sackett

I didn't see Full Metal Alchemist (the first version which is complete and finished) on your list, watch at least the first three episodes before deciding if you want to continue.

Other than that...

Starblazers might be a bit too dated.

No idea what you would make of Chrono Crusade

Cross Game is still airing, but might interest you as it is calmer and more low key.

Afraid that's all I can think of.

Seen the original FMA dubs, part of that whole "if on cartoon network, just assume that I've seen it, know about it, and don't have anything to say since it was the butchered dub". The newer series is already licensed, so would have to wait a few years to see how badly it's been butchered. Unfortunately, once I've seen something bastardized to fit with censors, or totally mistranslated, I really can't stand sitting through the series again just for those few gems that were removed.

Think I started starblazers awhile ago, was a bit too dated, only saw enough to where I was confident that I could get most of the parody references to it from other series.

Cross Game looks a bit too sports/"going nowhere" romance for my tastes.

Might look at the other suggestions a bit. Anything else I might be missing out on?

*edit* Eden of the East is only in high resolution format, which means that I can't watch it without stuttering, pausing, sync issues that prevents me from watching it more than 1-5 minutes at a time... Knew there was some reason why I didn't try it yet.

[Rab]

Samurai Champloo http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Samurai_Champloo

Basilisk http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Basilisk_(manga)

Have a look at those two for now and give us your opinion. I'll recommend more later if you're still interested.

[Vagrant0]

Originally Posted by Rab

Samurai Champloo http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Samurai_Champloo

Dubbed, bastardized, cartoon network, ect... Wasn't bad, kinda liked the mix of action, but as it is the dubbed version I saw, and have been ruined by, can't really rate it appropriately. It's kinda like watching Romeo and Juliet, the one with Leonardo DiCaprio, then watching a version of the play which is truer to the original. Once you've seen one, you really can't appreciate the other in the same light, and already know how what is said and how things will play out, so loses some of its excitement. It's a bad analogy, but is about as close as I can get to explaining it.

Originally Posted by Rab

Basilisk http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Basilisk_(manga)

Have a look at those two for now and give us your opinion. I'll recommend more later if you're still interested.

Second one is a manga, so not really much help there. There's an anime, but as it's liscensed, might be a bit harder to find in a video store for rent, provided that it is even released (don't have money to buy a series just to tell you what I think).

But thanks for trying.

[Rawgers]

A show that you may enjoy is Kino no Tabi. Pretty much about a girl and her motor bike (who can talk) traveling to different countries and meeting/learning about different societies and people. No romance, not mahou, the protagonist only fights to survive, a bit of gore, and not a sport series. Only problem I see with this show is that it is licensed. But I do not believe it will be hard to find/rent.

Other shows you may enjoy: Kaiba and Spice and Wolf.

[Rab]

You seem to like Haruhi and Lucky Star, somewhat. Then how about K-ON! and Hyakko?

Also give New Fist of the North Star and Shin Kyūseishu Densetsu Hokuto no Ken, which are OVA's.

[Telmah]

I applaud the effort you made in your request, from the information there, hopefully you'll find a few gems you've missed.

I've actually not seen it myself, but Maison Ikkoku seems like something you'd enjoy. It was created by Rumiko Takahashi, the famous creator of Urusei Yatsura, Ranma 1/2, and Inuyasha. From what I've read it is more like UY than Ranma, focused on characters and comedy, rather than the action of her later works.

I'll second Kino's Journey. I actually kept hearing good things about it and it being compared to Mushi-shi, so I bought it back when Best Buy had their crazy price sale--I bought so much it has sat on myself until I have time to process it all.

I strongly suggest Dennou Coil under the interesting concept catergory. DC is set i in the near future--while many anime seem to be radically different from our own world, the concept of DC is there's virtual glasses that let you see virtual items in the city. Without a doubt, the line between reality and illusion is a major theme of the anime. The action scenes are slick and steamless, making it a treat to wash, though they aren't the focus of the show, which blends character development and philosophy. It seemed alot like a Ghibli film, in terms of quality and interest.

If you don't mind slow paced, then I'll suggest Zettai Shonen. I finished ZS awhile back and while its certainly slow and boring for some people, I've actually found it to be interesting--the characters are rather true to life, no brash young heroes wielding swords or girls with magical power, instead we have a kid spending his summer in a rural town with his dad (his parents have divorced). There's an underling mystery there too, but it comes out not through events as much as the characters talking and interacting--the dialogue while realistic is often boring for some people to watch.

You might enjoy Utawarerumono, it has a feel much like the old Romance of Three Kingdoms games--it does some wonderful world building too, which sadly most shows largely lack--it borrows a bit from the aino culture as well. The thing that really makes this show stand out among the dozens of fantasy shows I've seen is the main character is an adult and acts like one. He thinks through his decisions and pays the piper when he makes mistakes. He's not the best fighter on the show, but instead he's the best thinker. There's a touch of philosophy in the show as well, which is pretty interesting to me.

Heck, while I am out it, I'd be remiss not to mention Kure-nai. Kure-nai is a hybrid of shows, it has large amounts of slice of life, short and spectular action scenes, plenty of comedy, but what really makes it stand out to me is the character development. It isn't a show you'll necessarily appreciate episode by episode, though they are certainly entertaining. The comedy is first rate and the dialogue is probably the best I've seen, with characters really sounding like they should. Perhaps Murasaki is a bit too wise for her years, but she makes plenty of mistakes too--and learns from them rather than being stubborn, like so very, very many anime characters. The characters develop scene by scene and they spiral very quickly. You can't let your eyes glaze over--you really have to pay attention or they'll pass you by. There were alot of "minor" scenes that really were important to how the characters developed. The show poses a central conflict and then over the course of the journey, decisively solves it. At first I was rather unhappy with the ending, but over time and musing, I found it to be the only ending that confronts the central conflict--indeed the only possible good ending. The symbolism isn't as readily apparent as something like Haibane Renmei, however it is still there, especially if you consider it from an Eastern perspective. The only bad thing I felt about it was the opening and ending sequences, neither which fit the anime.

There is one taboo in the show that some might find distrubing.

Spoiler for Taboo:

Incest is an element in the plot...not that the show is really sexual in any way, but it's talked about, so I thought I should at least put the warning up.

I've hear Bartender is amazing but its still on my want to watch list.

I'd rather like to suggest Serial Expertiments Lain (same creator as Haibane Renmei, but its fairly dark, even more than Ergo Proxy in my opinion, so you might not like it. Likewise, I'd like suggest Higurashi (It starts out almost like a bad harem, with minium gore to maxium effect but wow it takes you on a different path entirely and becomes very intriguing within the first few episodes--and from there it really never lets go at keeping you guessing). Maybe even something like Ghost Hound, though I am still in the process of watching it myself.

Finally, there's a host of good movies or ovas out there, but you didn't seem that interested in them. If you change your mind, I'd suggest Voices of a Distant Star and 5 Centimeters per Second but Makoto Shinkai. Voices is merely a 30 minute ova, but there's more plot and depth than characters often recieve in seasons of anime...the first part of 5 Centimeters is probably one of the most touching things I've seen period. Both also have incredibly animation, with attention to detail on every frame and simply amazing use of light. Finally among movies, I'd suggest The Girl Who Leapt through Time--trite concept of time travel, but amazing executation on making it fresh and entertaining.

[Vagrant0]

Any other suggestions? Hopefully something that isn't in h.264 or which I'd have to track down a VHS? (I know, kinda ruins both the "new" and "old" part of things, can't help it that groups have decided to discriminate against those of us with dated systems.)

[deathreape98]

Eureka Seven is a mecha anime, but the main theme of the show is the romance between the two main characters.

Clannad is also another "normal" romance, and is realistic with a hidden "other worlds" theme that doesn't really interact with the anime at all until the second to last episode of the second season. There isn't much drama, except for near the end of the anime. It is a hilarious anime most of the time, and the few fights there are that aren't parodies are "real" fights, with no special moves or magic.

I would also want to suggest G.A. Geijutsu Art Design Class, which is an anime I find very similar to Lucky Star, but it is not finished airing yet.

[Shadow Kira01]

That's very specific anime, almost the non-existent type..

Here are some suggestions:

5 Centimeters per Second: This anime fits your description almost perfectly except it isn't 4 episodes but just 3.. More over, it is considered as drama but perhaps, there seems to be a difference in how you define drama animes as opposed to how I define it meaning you should give this short ova series a try.

Chocolate Underground: Its on my drop list as that I didn't watch it and isn't going to but I think it fits your long description pretty well. However, it may have drama as that it doesn't have comedy, action, horror, or any of that sort. It is also suitable for all ages.

Speed Grapher: I have yet to watch this one, so I wouldn't know much about it except that it fits your description quite well with just one or two incompatible points. This is for 17+..

[Vagrant0]

Updated list. Working through Banner of the Stars II and III right now so that I can return the borrowed DVDs to a friend.

Yoku Wakaru Gendai Mahou
and
Geijutsuka Art Design Class
are on my list of things to watch next.

Souten Kouro is something I plan to watch, or try to in the future, but am waiting for subs to catch up (understand why they might be a bit slow).

Also planning to go back to Zetsubou Sensei once I feel like reading alot again.


Any more suggestions to throw my way?

[Kleo Scanti]

Our dislikes are pretty similar, so I guess I can recommend you few things. However, I'm not sure which genre you prefer.

Ryoko's Case File (mystery detective, mature leads)
Hataraki Man (realistic, mature leads)
Jikuu Tenshou Nazca (not sure if it was dubbed into English as it's an old series, but the concept is very interesting)
You're Under Arrest! (partially dubbed, partially not, realistic and entertaining)

[Vagrant0]

Originally Posted by Kleo Scanti

Our dislikes are pretty similar, so I guess I can recommend you few things. However, I'm not sure which genre you prefer.

Not really one for a specific genre, I like a bit of variety, as you can tell from the list. I tend to prefer more relaxing or comedy based animes to heavy drama, suspense, or horror. And my ratings have pretty much shown that, except for the horror/suspense part... since I havn't cared to even try those to rate them.

Hataraki Man looks interesting, if however depressing. Not sure about any of the other ones.

Didn't realize that I had over 90 anime (93 at current) listed above... That's alot of anime, and isn't counting some of the older stuff that I've seen, but didn't feel like trying to rate from memory. Most of these are OVAs, movies, and dubbed crap though, so don't mean much. Too bad I wasn't counting from the start, it'd be interesting to figure out which series was number 100.

[Vagrant0]

Added a few more to the list and some I forgot about.

Can anyone suggest something maybe a bit more along the lines of action/comedy?

[Vagrant0]

Didn't update for awhile since I wasn't getting much of a response and I thought it would be too much necromancy for just a few new entries. Added 10 anime series and 2 jdrama to the list, but have a feeling like I watched more than that. It's over 200 hours worth of viewing since last update, so keeping track of it all isn't that easy.

Still working through Mokke, Toaru Majutsu no Index, and am going back to Zetsubou Sensei, but am in need of something which can be watched more casually, or series to watch after I'm done with these. With summer fast approaching, I thought it would be nice to have a watch-list to work from instead of trying to find another needle in the haystack. I'm also open to some comedy/action j-drama, but of course those are often harder to find information on or good recommendations (I take it that Japan doesn't make Sci-Fi live action (Like Stargate SG1, ect), or nobody subs them).

Any help or direction is appreciated.

[Sackett]

How about Neon Genesis Evangelion?

[Vagrant0]

Originally Posted by Sackett

How about Neon Genesis Evangelion?

No... Just no... Already seen the bastardized dubbed version, and not really a fan of the genre because 9/10 times it's just the same garbage rehashed with a slightly different look. Mecha is fine, but not with all the political and philosophical baggage. And no Gurren Lagann or Gravion either... The fanboys ruined Gurren Lagann and don't care for Yaoi and would prefer to steer clear of it when advisable. Or didn't you see the rating for Fafner?

[SeijiSensei]

Our tastes are pretty different, but you might like these:

Yakushiji Ryoko no Kaiki Jikenbo
Hataraki Man (torrents exist but a bit hard to find)
Bartender