Something moving

[MUAHAHAHAHAHA]

Saiunkoku has many bishounens, and this no doubt appeals to female audience, but the politics in the show is very engaging. I think male audience will appreciate that.

[SeijiSensei]

Audience for a SaiMono live seiyuu interview show on NHK

There are a couple of guys in there; probably they were just looking for dates!

I'll warn you that SaiMono is now in licensing limbo. There are torrents if you look in the right places, but Funimation no longer distributes the R1 release on Geneon's behalf. Amazon third-party sellers want $hundreds for their copies; there are a couple on eBay that look to be Asian bootlegs.

[jesh462]

I just finished Crest of the Stars and the sequels. Sigh.. so content. What a great show! I also started reading the Yu-Gi-Oh! manga at work. Multi tasking!

As I stated before, I don't really mind watching shows that are "for a female audience" as long as it's good. Interpersonal conflict works for me just as well as lasers.

Edit:
I finished Anohana and Usagi Drop. Usagi drop really was the first show to ever make me feel like I'd like to have my own little girl. I've never been one to think much of the thought of fatherhood, but Rin is beyond adorable.

Spoiler:

I was so relieved that the worst thing that happened to her was catching the flu. I would have cried like a baby if they had killed her off before the end of the show.

Anohana also had some good moments for me also. I enjoyed watching Anaru's parts, even if Jin-tan was a little too angsty for me. It was very cute.
Thank you again for the recommendations guys, I'll keep moving down them. =D

[jesh462]

I just finished Solty Rei. I really enjoyed it. Thanks MisaoFan! I thought it was very unique having the overarching themes of happiness and adoption. I haven't seen that before and I did cry like a baby a few times.

[thundrakkon]

I'm glad you found Crest of the Stars so entertaining. It is one of my favorite series. Also, Solty Rei is a unique and good one as well. However, it was more sci-fi mech type. It is kind of funny that you felt that way about Usagi Drop. Another series similar to Usagi Drop is Aishiteru ze Baby.

As for additional recommendations, I present:

Maria-sama ga Miteru (a.k.a. Maria Watches Over Us)
True Tears
Tenshi na Konamaiki (a.k.a. Cheeky Angel)

Maria-sama ga Miteru and all of its sequels have such an endearing feel to them. It's one of those series that you just continually crave for the next episode.

As for True Tears, it's heavy on drama and has some very interesting characters.

Tensh na Konamaiki is one of those series that went under the radar due to its unusual drawing styles. It has a nostalgic feel to it, the series gets better and better as you go further. I don't remember if I cried in any of the scenes, but I do remember that I got really attached to the characters.

Edit:
I forgot to add another recommendation.

Uchuu no Stellvia (a.k.a. Stellvia of the Universe)

It's one of my favorites, and they never, ever have this on sale for DVDs whenever I look (although I do admit, I haven't looked for about 3 years now). It is always at full price, and hard to come by. (okay, I just checked. $120 for the cheapest full set. Seriously, why don't they ever have this series below full retail price). Any other series with the same number of episodes would have sold for around $40. This series has a little of everything. It might not be mind blowing mecha, but the story really makes up for it. I think I cried a few times as well.

[Sackett]

Glad you liked Crest of the Stars and Bunny Drop.

You definitely need to watch some Adachi, and that means either Cross Game or Touch.

[jesh462]

I like your title Sackett.
I guess those 2 are next in queue.
Before those I'm watching Dennou Coil and Tengen Toppa Gurren Lagann. I'm trying my hardest to watch suggestions from everyone.

[thundrakkon]

After watching Mouretsu Pirates today, I was reminded of one of the first anime series I'd ever watched. It helped launch me as an anime fan. That series was Gunbuster. I still remember my best friend and I after we saw the last episode. We were both stunned. We just sat there speechless. It had such a huge emotional impact, that we just could not describe.

Gunbuster 2 was entertaining as well, but it's approach was absolutely different. It had a lot of fun in it, with a lot of crazy super powers. In the end, it brings everything together.

[Ebullition]

You could try Kanon 2006.

[jesh462]

I just finished Tengen Toppa Gurren Lagann. I'm glad that this suggestion was posted. Even though it's completely different than any shows I've really seen before, I loved it!
It was just so awesome and over the top that I found myself smiling and yes, sometimes moved, at the twists and turns throughout the show. The ending.. sigh. Whatever. I guess it didn't exactly end like a fairy tale, though the rest of the show seemed to go that way. I loved it. It's the chuck norris of anime.

Ebullition, I've been meaning to check out Kanon 2006 since I did like Clannad so much. I'll just have to try and not compare them to each other too much. You've convinced me. After Dennou Coil, I'll Watch Cross Game or touch, then maybe Spice and Wolf and Stein's Gate and Kanon after. Idk, I work pretty randomly.

thundrakkon, I'll get around to more of the shows you've suggested but I've already watched three that you posted, so I have to give everyone else a chance. xD

[SeijiSensei]

Given your reaction to Usagi Drop, I'm going to add Ikoku Meiro no Croiseé to your list. It recounts the adventures of a petite Japanese girl of 16 who comes to work in a Parisian ironmonger's shop in the 1890's. Not much happens except both she and new-found French friends learn about each other's customs and beliefs, but it's heartfelt throughout and beautifully illustrated by the folks at Satelight.

[Obelisk ze Tormentor]

Originally Posted by jesh462

I just finished Tengen Toppa Gurren Lagann. I'm glad that this suggestion was posted. Even though it's completely different than any shows I've really seen before, I loved it!
It was just so awesome and over the top that I found myself smiling and yes, sometimes moved, at the twists and turns throughout the show. The ending.. sigh. Whatever. I guess it didn't exactly end like a fairy tale, though the rest of the show seemed to go that way. I loved it. It's the chuck norris of anime.

I’m glad you can enjoy Gurren Lagann coz some people really can’t stand its over-the-top hilarity in the first episodes.

Oh yeah, about one other title that I suggested: Basilisk. I gotta warn you that if you can’t stand some brutality (people get stabbed & sliced by swords, women being used and raped, and other gruesome things), I suggest you NOT to watch it. Although the main story about the main protagonists/lovers is indeed moving (in a way). It’s like a ninja version of Romeo & Juliet. Oh, speaking of that classic from Shakespeare, there’s also an anime called Romeo X Juliet IIRC.

[Midnight2352]

If by moving ,you mean lots of drama then i recommend Aishiteruze Baby. I had just recently finished it. LOVE that show. made me cry in some of the episodes. Hope that helped.....

[jesh462]

I finished Dennou Coil and loved it. The technology aspect is what drew me in and the thickening plot and Isako kept me there. Hottest 12 yr old ever.

I'm not sure if any of you have been following technology news lately, but it made this show much more interesting for me.
Google has been developing Android glasses lately, and they have working prototypes. These will actually be a real product soon! Link, Link

Video game developers are increasingly looking to incorporate their games into a real life backdrop, like Spaces in the anime. Link, Link
Combined, we pretty much have the foundations of the show already in place. The future will be an exciting place, for sure.

Watching Cross Game now. =D

[Darthtabby]

I'm kind of reluctant to bring it up since I've recommended it to others recently and I don't want to seem like a one track record, but since you specifically mentioned something emotionally moving I'm going to recommend a favorite of mine -Mai-HiME. It may seem a bit typical at first but it does a fantastic job of developing its characters and their relationships and it also makes their struggles central to the storyline. It is definitely a slow building series though -the big payoff for all the build starts around the two thirds mark. Plus the ending can be a bit of a love it or hate it thing. But I still rate it very highly.

(Please note that I am specifically recommending the Mai-HiME anime. Not the AU manga, and not any of the AU spin offs like Mai-Otome (My-Z-HiME in the US). Don't bother with them unless you're really desperate for something to do.)

Ga-Rei Zero is another series that I think packs some serious emotional punch. It seems like a supernatural action series and to some degree it is, but at its core its a drama/tragedy.

Feel free to PM me some questions about the series if you feel that will help you make a decision on whether you want to watch them or not.

[flack]

ef - a tale memories, ef - a tale of melodies, black god, futakoi alternative, saikano, sola.

[arachni42]

I'll throw in a couple of my favorites:
Haruhi Suzumiya -- it doesn't seem like a cohesive whole at first. On the surface it's got some wacky, sarcastically-narrated adventures with aliens, time travelers, and espers, but underneath that it's really about the characters and their relationships with each other. It's not necessarily clear until the Disappearance movie, which has many sad, sweet, and touching moments in of itself, but it also sheds new light on the events leading up to it. It's endearing in a way that can sneak up on you.

Princess Tutu -- a series known for being not as dumb as it sounds, but my recommendation does has a caveat: up until episode 6 or so, it really seems like it's going to be an episodic magical girl series, but with ballet and an adorable duck. These episodes do all serve a purpose in establishing the groundwork for the story. But then the formula gets curtly shoved out the window and the plot/characters begin to have some interesting turns. Things really get going in the second season. I've found it to be one of the more touching series I've watched.

[jesh462]

I can tell you put some effort into your suggestion Darth Tabby and I'll make sure to take a look at Mai-HiME. I have a very open mind.

I just finished Cross Game and I loved every minute of it. So good!
Now, being 25, I'm a little worn out on the whole end-the-series-with-a-single-kiss type thing that seems to be so common in anime. Is this a Japanese cultural thing? Do they view anime as a medium for mostly children? I've been thinking about that lately.
Anyways Cross Game was great, and I loved it despite the ending. Tsukishima Aoba is definitely one of my favorite characters of all time, right up there with Lafiel Abriel and Battle Angel Alita. <3

Spice and Wolf is next!

[kuroishinigami]

Even the more adult romance story is like that. You have to remember that Japan culture is much more reserved. They might be all pervert in their private time and in dark places, but even holding hand in public is already considered quite daring(except in christmas ).

[SeijiSensei]

Originally Posted by jesh462

Now, being 25, I'm a little worn out on the whole end-the-series-with-a-single-kiss type thing that seems to be so common in anime.

Every so often someone asks here for series where the characters actually have sex, and the list is typically pretty short if we exclude hentai. I'll try to be circumspect in these comments to avoid needing spoiler tags.

Your observation seems to apply even for series where the characters are in their twenties. The excellent Nodame Cantabile is a good case in point. It takes some 35-40 episodes (the original series and sequels) before we see evidence that the two mains are sleeping together, and even then the evidence is pretty indirect. The heroine of Hataraki Man, a 28-year-old female magazine editor, is clearly sleeping with her boyfriend, but we only know this because they talk about it from time to time. One whole theme of the show is how they never have sex any more because they're both too exhausted from the demands of their jobs.

Sometimes characters are portrayed as sexually active, but it all takes place off-screen and usually hinted at in the dialogue. In Saiunkoku Monogatari, for instance, one of the imperial advisors is clearly a "player," and the other characters sometimes remark on how he spends his evenings in the city's red-light district. The current Kids on the Slope has another "player" character whose behavior is only indicated by comments from his neighbors.

Shows with adults where romance isn't the focus often acknowledge mature relationships but don't focus on them. An early episode of Monster shows the main character, the neurosurgeon Tenma Kenji, in bed with his fiancee, and some story arcs have scenes that take place in a red-light district, but that's about it. It's pretty likely that some of the couples in Baccano! are having sex, but we neither hear about it nor see any evidence of it on-screen. Sexuality lies at the root of some of the stories in Nakamura Kenji's Apothecary anthologies, Bakeneko and Mononoke, but it's neither shown nor is it romantic.

I'll suggest REC, the opening story of Aoi Bungaku, "No Longer Human," and Kurozuka, if you haven't yet watched them. They all contain at least one scene where the main characters have a sexual encounter, but in none of them is it the culmination of a romance. There's also a lovely, though brief, scene of marital intimacy in the incompletely-subtitled Hyouge Mono.

One other problem facing animators is their audience. Japanese otaku have ridiculous expectations that female characters, and even their seiyuu (both links NSFW), remain pristine. The controversies surrounding Hirano Aya, the voice of Haruhi and Konata, are perhaps the best-known example of this phenomenon.