Been watching anime for years but the water runs dry..

[Fathem]

Hi, this is my first post on the fourm but I've been a regular vistor for years.

I started watching anime in the early 90's with the american release of
Bio Booster armor Guyver.

From there it's been a love story that goes sweet and sometimes sour.

Some of my favorate series are

His and her circumstances
Fruits Basket
Samuri 7
Last Exile
Naruto + S
The first two arc's of Rurouni Kenshin (Im watching samuri X now)
Bleach (Minus the Bounto arc)
One Piece (Im somewhere past the foxy arc)
Clannad (What a funny smart season 1, I haven't gotten around to season 2 yet)
I loved Pumpkin Sissors but it looks like no season 2 is in sight.
Hunter X hunter

I watched and loved most of Monster
Legends of the Galatic Heros has to be in my top 3 ever.

Im currently watching and likeing Planetes.

I watched most of D gray man- some of it was good I cant say I think its better than mediocre.

I am on the last set of Gurren Lagann disks (Netflix takes forever).

I have seen death note (I loved it- I hated it!)

And Im watching through Code Geass, I feel it makes for a solid C series. I haven't been really impressed with it.

I enjoyed Read or Die (the dubbing was actually decent).

I started watching Blood + (And I liked it) but it looks like the entire series isn't available for rent so I've put it on the bookshelf for later reconsideration.


Can anyone point me to some solid complete series? Is there an ongong series that has the same quality of story as LOGH or is as funny as Clannad, or has a story as touching as Last Exile?

I'm also all for picking up another long running series like Naruto S or One piece!

Thank you!!!

[Shadow Kira01]

Welcome to AS!

A few suggestions would include:

Kanon: If you liked Clannad, you might like this one too since it is both a work of Key and also animated by Kyoto Animation.

Meitantei Conan: A very long series that is also pretty good. It is even longer than Naruto and One Piece.

Toshokan Sensou: This one is similar to Pumpkin Scissors in the aspect of war but the setting is different and unique.

Trinity Blood: Like Blood+, this one is about vampire hunting.

[C.A.]

One Piece is great, do you watch dubs or subs? The dubs are terrible compared to the original Japanese voices.

Sicne you watched Gurren Lagann, you'll need to complete the circle:

Top wo Nerae!
Evangelion
FLCL
Top wo Nerae! 2

The above are predecessors of Gurren Lagann, they all homaged the one above, before them, and Gurren Lagann homaged all of them for being the latest of Gainax's mecha anime.

Eureka 7
Gaogaigar and Gaogaigar FINAL

Yep all of these I just pointed out are the greatest of mecha anime.

I'd like to recommend a series that currently airing, Sora wo Kakeru Shoujo. Wonderful mecha anime that will definitely entertain anyone. It has an amusing cast, tasteful fanservice, lots of great laughs, intriguing plot and keeps coming. currently its 6 out of 26 episodes and probably a second season.

[wao]

Before anybody notices I'm going to just come right here and suggest Dennou Coil

Solid, complete, very well-produced, decently-written, featuring technology fascinating as hell and it's not even licensed! It does revolve around 12-year-olds, but they don't feel like irritating brats for the most part. The first half of the show is more like Ghibli x Ghost in the Shell, with the second half veering over to the latter half of the combination.

Also, I have a feeling you will like Baccano! - try that out, I was skeptical of it from the first episode alone but when I continued on it turned out to be pretty enthralling even if it might not be the most authentic portrayal of 30's America The characters are real fun.

Speaking of fun characters, I might want to recommend Turn A Gundam but it's nothing like the other Gundams, it's fairly low-key and the story might not feel exciting enough but I think it's just fun seeing the characters. Also, it has a kickass soundtrack.

[signorRossi]

I rewatched 'Gankutsou - The Count of Monte Cristo' recently and would classify it as a very solid series with interesting and unusual art (just don't expect it to be a faithful adaptation of the novel as some who don't like it do, that is not the point of it). Since you like Planetes and RoD you should also give Dennou Coil a try, a lovely series. Don't bother with Blood+, after a while it goes nowhere and just goes in circles. Ha, I stopped watching Death Note after Ls' death.
If you want something out of the ordinary you could try Mononoke (not licensed), and to watch Honey and Clover is also never wrong.

SignorRossi.

EDIT: missed that rec before me was also for Dennou Coil, so I second that

[SeijiSensei]

You sound old enough to enjoy Bartender

The other series I think everyone should at least try is Nodame Cantabile. It's even made a few AS members (and my daughter) more interested in classical music.

I second Coil and Mononoke. If you like sci-fi, you should also give Noein a try. (I'm a bit surprised wao didn't mention it, to be honest.) It's an intriguing show, and a great deal at just $20 for the entire 26 episodes. If you decide to pick this up, spend an extra $7 and buy the Goblin Cat ("Bakeneko") DVD, which is the predecessor to Mononoke. You don't need to watch Bakeneko first, but it might help provide some context for Mononoke.

signorRossi's warnings about Blood+ are spot on. It's one of the few shows where I got so angry at the writers that I stopped watching it. As he said, the final third isn't anywhere near as good at the earlier portions.

Finally, I'll add Kure-nai into the mix. It's just a remarkably well-written series with excellent characterizations. It looks like a shounen fighting show at first glance, but the fighting actually plays a small role.

I would nominate Seirei no Moribito, but it's licensing situation is up in the air right now. It could be a long wait to see the complete series.

[TinyRedLeaf]

Originally Posted by SeijiSensei

I would nominate Seirei no Moribito, but it's licensing situation is up in the air right now. It could be a long wait to see the complete series.

Nooooo...are you kidding? Since when has licensing been an issue to people who just want to watch their favourite shows? This is the era of the Interwebs! Information wants to be free!!






*ahem*

(1)
For an anime to remind you how "mainstream" the medium can get, try Hataraki Man:

Hiroko Matsukata is a woman who works for a magazine company. She puts all she has into her work, and is known as a strong, highly-committed working girl, who can at will turn herself into Hataraki Man ("working man") mode. Despite Hiroko's success at work, she eventually starts to question why she is sacrificing so much for her career.

It's a great show, especially for those are currently struggling to find a healthy work-life balance.

(2)
For a bit of that notoriously wacky humour that can come only from the Japanese, try Moyashimon:

College freshman Tadayasu Souemon Sawaki has a unique ability: he can see and communicate with bacteria and other microorganisms. That makes him a highly valuable asset, a human equivalent of a 1-million-yen electron microscope at the agricultural university. Together with his childhood friend, Kei, he begins a new life as an undergraduate, struggling to find his purpose in life.

Spoiler for the way bacteria and microbes appear to Tadayasu:

(3)
For something a bit more on the artistic fringe, try Kaiba:

One day, a man wakes up in a broken room. He has no memories and no possessions save a locket with the picture of a woman he does not know. Before he could even find out where he was, he finds himself pursued by the authorities. He escapes on board a space-cruise liner and thus begins a journey through various planets in search of his identity.

Kaiba's story is an intriguing retelling of a familiar tale that has been explored in several Japanese sci-fi anime, but it's biggest drawing point lies in its art and animation style:

Spoiler for Kaiba's OP:

(4)
If you're keen to test your level of otaku-ness, I recommend Lucky Star:

Adapted from a popular 4-koma manga series, Lucky Star portrays the lives of several school girls attending a Japanese high school. The main heroine is Konata Izumi, an athletic and intelligent girl who, despite these attributes, is not in a sports club, and her grades remain low. Her laziness at school is due to her love for anime and video games, and she is not interested in much else.

(5)
But, if it's the usual high-school/harem drama that you're looking for, you may want to give the ongoing series Toradora! a try:

Despite Ryuuji Takasu's gentle personality, his eyes make him look like an intimidating delinquent, which pretty much ruins his chance of making close friends, let alone scoring a girlfriend. Ryuuji goes to school and is happy to find that he will be in the same class as his best friend, Yuusaku Kitamura, and his crush, Minori Kushieda. However, he then knocks into "the school's most dangerous animal of the highest risk level" — Taiga Aisaka — who just happens to also be in his class, and is a good friend of Minori.

(6)
Finally, if it's mecha you're looking for, RideBack is the one to watch this season:

In a future world where an organization called the GGP has taken control of the world, Rin Ogata was a promising up-and-comming ballet dancer, but suffered a serious injury and decided to quit. Years later in college she comes across a club building and soon finds herself intrigued by a transforming motorcycle-like vehicle called a rideBack. She soon finds that her unique ballet skills with balance and finesse make her a born natural on the unique mecha.

Hot chicks on bikes. What more can you ask for?

[cerrian]

If you're looking for something similar to Last Exile, a show that has adventure, a solid storyline, good character development, and deals with issues on a global scale, then the following meets that criteria:

Scrapped Princess - very similar to Last Exile in terms of feel. Has a bit more humor, but the characters are way more endearing.

Eureka 7 - The first 6 episodes come off kinda childish because of all the character introduction eps, but the story does take a very serious turn later on. Slow start with immense payoffs in the end.

Terra e - not so much adventure, but more space operaish. Very solid story.

Bōnen no Xamdou - this one is a visual beauty. Probably the closest to Last Exile in terms of feel.

Simoun - If you ever wondered what Last Exile would be like with lesbians in it.

Uchuu no Stellvia - saving the universe before moe was moe. Less adventureous in terms of travel but a bit more focused on character development.

Originally Posted by Fathem

...
Legends of the Galatic Heros has to be in my top 3 ever.
...
...
Can anyone point me to some solid complete series? Is there an ongong series that has the same quality of story as LOGH

Be sure to check out Tytania since it is another space opera by the same author of LOGH.

[Fathem]

Thanks everyone for their suggestions!

I've seen scrapped princess and liked it though not as much as Last exile- for some reason it reminded me of the little bit of slayers I've seen.

I have watched the entire Evangelion series plus the movies- I liked it but it was disturbing. Know what I mean?

I should have put Denno Coil and Esclaflowne on my list of fav's but I forgot! They were both fantastic, though denno seemed to lose some of its momentum towards the end.

I loved FLCL.

I started watching Gankutsou - The Count of Monte Cristo a few years back but the boy love killed it for me.

I started watching Eureka 7 but netflix has a serious problem with having disks missing in the middle of a series or at the beginning so I'm waiting to see if it becomes a direct download.

I started watching Bartender on crunchyroll (and I liked it a lot) a while back but they pulled off all the anime there except for a few series... which also reminds me I liked Akagi (A series about Majong) but it ended abruptly.


Again thanks for all the suggestions- for the unliscenced stuff are there specific fan subbing groups that are the best to check out?

And before I forget, I watch the subbed One Piece I think Kaizoku does the best job but takes them a while to catch up

[Asfad]

Originally Posted by Fathem

which also reminds me I liked Akagi (A series about Majong) but it ended abruptly.

Give Kaiji a shot if u haven't already. Made by the same people. It even ends abruptly like Akagi, but a second season is more likely.

[SeijiSensei]

Two other shows about board games are the licensed Hikaru no Go and the unlicensed Shion no Ou. They both do an excellent job of injecting drama into the interactions over, respectively, a Go and a Shougi board. Both are shows about child prodigies in their respective games, though Shion is much further along in her career despite being no older than Hikaru. There's also a murder mystery is Shion; Hikaru is a more conventional shounen "levelling-up" type of show, though there's lots of that in Shion as well.

In general I refrain from comparing fansubbing groups. I think many of them display an admirable devotion to what is a volunteer, and largely anonymous, effort, and without them we wouldn't be here at all. I have preferences, as do I'm sure most people here, but I generally keep them to myself. Besides I wouldn't want to hurt anyone's feelings; a lot of fansubbers hang out here after all!

[Fathem]

Point well taken!

I think what I really appreciate about Kaizoku's one piece work is their use of Namaka instead of the english translation would could be friend or gang. Sometimes a direct translation in context can add a whole world of depth to the worlds we watch.

Thanks for the suggestions regarding the board game anime genre! All together it should make for a month or two of anime watching.

I was supprised no one mentioned LAIN (I thought it was a well made series), but hey I've seen it already
(And since I am once again naming series I watched and loved Touch blew me away.)

I've been wondering if this huge recession would affect Japan's anime production. How sad would that be!!

Thanks again guys, you are the best.

[Fathem]

I figured I would follow up with my impressions of the series I watched or am currently watching.

I watched Monoke and absolutely loved it! I was sad it was only several episodes long. The art style was bizzare and the stories were interesting. The main character was an antihero sort, which when done right I love.

I watched all of Moyashimon, it was funny, quirky and light hearted I wish it would have gone for a full 26 eps. Now I want more funny stuff! The concept behind the series was super and it made it a unique watch.

Nodame Cantabile is super fun so far (I've watched 5 episodes). The characters are awesome, it reminds me of his and her circumstances for some reason. Is the pairs series worth watching?

I am still watching Clannad after story and Kanon, kanons story seems a bit weaker and Im having trouble staying interested in it.

I picked up Casshen Sins on my own and watched the first 11 episodes, I think its a really solid series. The character development is slow but they are really taking their time to tell the story right. The animation style is interesting and the world is desolate.

I just finished watching black brothers and have mixed feeling about it. It has the worn in feeling of been there done that but its interesting enough to watch if you want to see "another vamp" series with some humor.

I have tytania, chromed shell regios, and kurinai to watch for the time being but I would love some more suggestions

Have a good one guys!

[signorRossi]

You haven't watched Honey and Clover yet? H&C is better than Nodame, and don't bother with Tytania, watch LoGH instead.

[SeijiSensei]

I discovered the other day that Lunar's Bartender subs are up on YouTube, though you can still get the show from torrents of course.

The voice actor Sakurai Takahiro, whose awesome performance made Mononoke so compelling, is now voicing Genji in the beautifully-animated Genji Monogatari Sennenki. Only episode one has been subbed so far, though.

Nodame Cantabile Paris-Hen hews closely to the romance and comedy aspects of the series to the exclusion of the performance segments. Some people, like me, missed that part of the show; others didn't care. You can see what other AS members thought about the Paris arc by reading its thread. For me, it wasn't as interesting as the first season, though having to compress the story into just eleven episodes had a lot to do with that.

If you like vampire shows you should take a look at Kurozuka.

Two other, now-licensed action shows you might enjoy are Baccano! and Claymore. The first mixes 1930's American gangsters, immortality, romance, and comedy into a strangely entertaining brew. Claymore is a shounen action show about beautiful women who use huge swords to fight giant demons. What makes the show work for me is the strong characterizations, excellent acting and, of course, the women. Neither show is yet complete on DVD, though.

[Asfad]

Originally Posted by Fathem

I watched Monoke and absolutely loved it! I was sad it was only several episodes long. The art style was bizzare and the stories were interesting. The main character was an antihero sort, which when done right I love.

If you haven't already seen it from the recommendation before, check out the last three episodes of Ayakashi - Japanese Classic Horror. Those episodes were pretty much a prototype for Mononoke. Although the episode arcs are called Bakeneko for both series', they are different enough to warrant watching both. I personally liked the Ayakashi version more and hopefully you will too Here's a link to the series:

http://anidb.net/perl-bin/animedb.pl...anime&aid=3654


Also strongly third that Honey and Clover recommendation since you are liking Nodame Cantabile

[SeijiSensei]

Just a hint that you can watch the original Bakeneko arc on YouTube as well, and like Asfad, I thought this was much the better version of the story. However I still encourage people to buy the DVD from RightStuf; it's the best $7 you can spend on anime.

[Fathem]

I'll have to watch a few of the tytania eps to see if I like it first. I loved LOGH.

I tried to find Honey and clover on Netflix but no go there. I'll put bartender on my next list of series to watch. I added Baccano!. I caught a few episodes of Claymore and the characters were a little detached for me so I couldn't really engage in the story.

Where can I find the first season cheep?
And should I watch the second season to HandC.

Thanks for the follow up guys!

Anyone want to share their thoughts on Captain Harlock?

[idiffer]

Originally Posted by Fathem

I'll have to watch a few of the tytania eps to see if I like it first. I loved LOGH.

I tried to find Honey and clover on Netflix but no go there. I'll put bartender on my next list of series to watch. I added Baccano!. I caught a few episodes of Claymore and the characters were a little detached for me so I couldn't really engage in the story.

Where can I find the first season cheep?
And should I watch the second season to HandC.

Thanks for the follow up guys!

Anyone want to share their thoughts on Captain Harlock?

2nd season has absolutely no humor and is very sad, but it finishes the story.

if you liked FLCL, try Futakoi alternative (dont confuse with Futakoi). its almost as crazy, although its extremely underrated.
I second Toradora. it reminds me somewhat of his and her circumstances.

think nobody mentioned Scycrawlers. it has air battles on propeller planes (which is rare) like Last exile, only MUCH better and its very melancholic and gives you smth to think about.

[signorRossi]

Captain Harlock is a difficult beast. Some things are good, some terribly bad, and it is crude, crude, crude. Sometimes? strange philosophy/character reasoning, logic (and I am not picky in that regard with space operas) most of the time completely absent. I watched the 42 episode TV series and sometimes think I wasted my time on it and I also didn't like the short OVA. Harlock SSX instead seems pretty decent so far, though.
So my resume is that you can watch it for nostalgic reasons, but not really for enjoyment.

EDIT: And let me say it again, don't bother with Tytania. Go and watch the 24 episode LoGH prequel 'A Hundred Billion Stars, A Hundred Billion Lights' instead if you haven't already.