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Old 2018-11-10, 20:03   Link #1
TheHuffers
Junior Member
 
Join Date: Nov 2018
Crikey, this stuff is actually good

I just finished watching my first ever anime series. I'd seen features - Howl's Moving Castle, Ghost in the Shell, etc., but never a TV show.

The series?



Don't ask me why. I saw a few episodes years ago, and remembered feeling positive about it.

And it's great! The worldbuilding! The score! A long arc storyline! The courage to do a complete switch of tone halfway through, so the whole first half of the series sets up a world you like, and then it's jeopardized! Brilliant!

Western TV would never, ever do that sort of thing. It'd be too busy with product placement and ensuring the episodes could all be seen out of order.

The animation isn't what you'd get from a feature film, but the music and particularly the sound design are excellent. The superpowered outfits don't creak like leather or rubber, they tinkle, furthering the idea that they're some sort of strange tech you've never seen before.

The level of originality is huge, to the point where it's almost slightly strange, and they're very willing to do things (extreme daddy issues, schoolkid crushes gone wild) that make TheHuffers frown slightly, but what're you going to do - it's Japan. But its' clear this thing has had way more effort put into it than it really deserved, for something that went out on TV Tokyo at 1.30am. It wasn't even a big deal in Japan, but everyone who touched this thing clearly cared a bit, and it shows. It's really a daft little magical girl story, but execution is everything.

I'm hooked. Everyone says have a look at Neon Genesis Evangelion next. Other suggestions?

The Huffers.
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Old 2018-11-11, 04:12   Link #2
AnimeFan188
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Join Date: Jan 2008
Quote:
Originally Posted by TheHuffers View Post
I'm hooked. Everyone says have a look at Neon Genesis Evangelion next. Other suggestions?
The Huffers.
There's also the series before "My Otome"; Mai Hime:

https://www.animenewsnetwork.com/enc...me.php?id=4155

Has it ever been revealed what the link is between the Hime and the Otome?

Another series worth your while:

https://www.animenewsnetwork.com/enc...nime.php?id=13
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Old 2018-11-11, 17:42   Link #3
TheHuffers
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Join Date: Nov 2018
Thanks, I'll have a look. I found HiME a bit offputting given the fact that it has the same characters in an entirely different storyline that seems to pit friends against each other, but OK!

Am I daft, though, for thinking that the people who make these series are going slightly above and beyond the call of duty on them? I mean, presumably, Mai Otome was not intended to be great art. There is lots of fanservice. It's designed to appeal to a demographic that's pretty narrow even in Japan, let alone internationally. But... someone cared.

Is that why people like this stuff, or are they just into schoolgirls?



TH
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Old 2018-11-12, 21:34   Link #4
Solace
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Otome and Hime were great. They were my first big dive into these forums, actually.

The tone of anime was definitely different a decade ago. Here's two you'll probably like.

Read or Die. This one is an OVA:

YouTube
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And of course, Read or Die the TV, a full series:

YouTube
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Old 2018-11-12, 23:40   Link #5
TinyRedLeaf
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Join Date: Apr 2006
Location: Singapore
Age: 49
I can't tell if you're bowled over more by the aesthetic style and sensibilities of Japanese TV anime versus Western TV animation. If that is the case, then Neon Genesis Evangelion is certainly something worth watching, but be warned that the original TV series ended controversially, and won't make much sense until you've watched one of the two movies that followed it.

It's always a good bet that those new to anime would enjoy Cowboy Bepop and Samurai Champloo, as both series were heavily influenced by Western sensibilities, while still delivering something unique to Japanese anime.

But if it's "world-building" and "long-arc" plots that you're interested in and, if you're looking for the kinds of stories that are virtually never explored in Western popular entertainment for children and young adults, then I'd recommend Seirei no Moribito and Kemono Souja no Erin. Both series are far less flashy than the Hime series, but deliver much more in terms of realistic character development over two or more seasons of episodes. Both anime are also based on the novels of an anthropology professor, and therefore reflect the source material's expertise in socio-political influences on communities.

If by some chance Kemono Souja no Erin doesn't bore you to tears, then I'd highly suggest an even older series: Twelve Kingdoms, which is based in a fantasy world that imagines what ideal societies run along Confucian principles would look like. Twelve Kingdoms technically belongs to the isekai genre, but it flourished in a time long before the genre got overrun with childish recreations of game worlds populated with tropes and stock characters.

If you've enjoyed Seirei no Moribito, there's a chance that you might also enjoy Last Exile, which created a fascinating steampunk world, with "retro-industrial" mecha designs unlike anything you've seen in most other anime and Western animation.
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Old 2018-11-15, 18:46   Link #6
kitten320
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Join Date: Jul 2007
Quote:
Originally Posted by TheHuffers View Post
Thanks, I'll have a look. I found HiME a bit offputting given the fact that it has the same characters in an entirely different storyline that seems to pit friends against each other, but OK!

Am I daft, though, for thinking that the people who make these series are going slightly above and beyond the call of duty on them? I mean, presumably, Mai Otome was not intended to be great art. There is lots of fanservice. It's designed to appeal to a demographic that's pretty narrow even in Japan, let alone internationally. But... someone cared.

Is that why people like this stuff, or are they just into schoolgirls?



TH
Mai HiME is the original. It is Mai Otome that's weird for messing up the characters personalities and story lines.

Otome completely destroyed Natsuki's complicated character, the best character of the series. Mashiro has a 180 personality change same as Midori. Lol Reito isn't even human in Otome. Could never get into Otome mess after HiME series.

So yeh, watch Mai HiME. Also Otome has a sequel in 4 OVA episodes in case you missed them.

Otherwise there is also Madoka Magica, an improved version of Mai HiME story line. Kinda a mix of HiME and Otome. Music done by Yuki Kajiura as well.


Otherwise I'm guessing you are into an idea where series take a dark turn hmmm...

Akame ga Kill - manga would be better since anime messed up the ending but series start as casual action that suddenly takes a dramatic turn. Dark, nice animation and fun characters.

Angel Beats! - not exactly going dark but series explore human tragedies, covering topics like abuse, disabilities, accidents and etc. Not to mention beautiful animation and soundtracks.

Baccano! - a very unique way of story telling that turns simple train robbery into something exciting and new. Some plot twists and dark elements.

Boku dake ga Inai Machi - MC has an ability to time travel. Usually just by couple minutes. But because of big shock he travels years into the past, in a past where several children got mysteriously killed including his classmate and now he is determined to help. Family abuse and things like this are covered.

FMA - has 2 versions. One that has anime original story and one that follows manga. Both are good and have tons of great characters. Great soundtracks and animation. Anime original has a darker tone so fits with your light to dark criteria better but over all they both fit.

Ga-Rei Zero - has a unique way of story telling. To start with, episode 1 took me completely off guard. I thought I knew how it would end and I was wrong. First 2 episodes are a tragic present and then series go into cheery flashback mode that shows us how things ended up the way they did. Dark and some unpredictable turns. Highly recommend.

GTO - just lots of different character backgrounds that cover lots of different topics like mother complex, bullying, suicide and much more. All done in entertaining but emotional way. Anime is a shortened version of manga so manga would be better but anime is great as well.

Hunter x Hunter - starts as cheery adventure series that starts to take darker tones. The original series is darker over all and has more prolonged arcs while 2011 version slightly skips through things and keeps it more fast paced until it reaches new material. I enjoyed both. New one might be easier to get into cause of pace and newer animation.

Kamisama no Inai Nichiyoubi - beautiful soundtracks and animation. Has it's problems but over all I enjoyed. I think everyone loved first arc, even those who disliked the series. Idea is that God left our world and as farewell gift fulfilled everyone's last wish. Not all of them went well. Starts all nice and innocent and then BAM!

Kokoro Connect - nothing too extreme but series do take some dark turns and deal with multiple issues like sort of split personalities, fright of men and etc.


I think this should keep you busy for time being. If you'll like anything of the list, I'll be able to recommend more.
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