Underrepresented anime masterpieces. Evangelize here!

[Kempis Curious]

Musing on how I had never heard of the wonderful Mahoujin Guru Guru (available for dowload now!), I was wondering what other awesome anime is out there which doesn't get much press?

Do y'all have a favorite that doesn't seem to get mentioned much at all?

Please tell me why you like it.

I'll start off with a few:

• Mahou Tsukai Tai - I think this anime is truly a masterpiece. Animation, storyline, characters, music are all excellent. The writing is absolutely stunning... even the timing of facial expressions and gestures tells a funny and touching story. There's so much, that I usually catch something new every time I watch it... rarely does an anime have so much repeat viewing potential.
• Orguss 2 - You don't need to see Orguss 1 to like this anime. I think it beats Macross Plus in storyline, writing, and characters, though not music and animation. And Mac Plus is no slouch in those other departments, either. Even the dubbed version of this anime is really good!
• The Ping Pong Club - If you think South Park is funny, this anime will make you pee your pants. Adolescent humor at its finest, this anime is hideously filthy and disgusting. And extremely funny. It's even better if you watch it with someone who's uptight.

-k

[Esperchld]

Hell Teacher Nube - horror comedy that takes place in a school. The teacher has a demon hand and uses it to fight demons. Quite Amusing.

[boneyjellyfish]

Infinite Ryvius - Space action and a fantastic story.

El Hazard: The Wanderers - Good story and it's really funny.

[Kempis Curious]

Originally Posted by Esperchld

Hell Teacher Nube - horror comedy that takes place in a school. The teacher has a demon hand and uses it to fight demons. Quite Amusing.

Wow. Yep, never heard of that one. ^_^

I better start writing these down.


-k

very curious

[K_R]

Hakaima Sadamitsu

Surprisingly good, but not well known.

[AnimeFangirl]

Originally Posted by Kempis Curious

• Orguss 2 - You don't need to see Orguss 1 to like this anime. I think it beats Macross Plus in storyline, writing, and characters, though not music and animation. And Mac Plus is no slouch in those other departments, either. Even the dubbed version of this anime is really good!

I like that one a lot, it's one of the earliest mecha animes I watched (Transformers doesn't count ) and I thought it was really really good. Even the dub was relatively good, the characters were fairly likeable, the plot was a bit weak and rushed in some places, but it ended very well. And at only 6 episodes, it shouldn't take long to watch at all. I think there's a site that has it available streaming, but it's licensed, so I can't tell you.

[Lambda]

Nothing too obscure from me, but I'd rather rave about something brilliant and just not known well enough, rather than something good and completely unknown.

Princess Tutu: Don't be put off by the name! Pretty soon you get a great plot with fascinating themes, brilliant characters, and it's just about the only anime that you could describe as inpeccably choreographed. Best consistent use of classical music ever.

Kodocha: An extremely funny comedy of the "manic" variety that rises above the rest by actually having a really good serious story behind it all, and being able to "slow down" on occasion and get some good emotional moments.

Gunbuster: As a very effective mixture of hard science fiction, melodrama and parody it's inherently extremely interesting, but it's the great characters and incredible direction which really drive it.

Vampire Princess Miyu OVAs: Dark, haunting and beautiful. Very different from the norm, and it's difficult to see how it could be any better.

Originally Posted by Kempis Curious

The Ping Pong Club - If you think South Park is funny, this anime will make you pee your pants. Adolescent humor at its finest, this anime is hideously filthy and disgusting. And extremely funny. It's even better if you watch it with someone who's uptight.

Question about the South Park comparison: I love South Park for its mixture of political satire and pythonesque wierdness. How prominent are such things in Ping Pong Club?

[ElvenPath]

Now and then, here and there: a 13 Ep TV series, real masterpiece. See it for yourselves.

[Vulkar]

Sexy Commando Gaiden: Sugoiyo Masaru! This show is one of the most random and humorous I've seen. It's very funny stuff. I reccomend it highly.

[Anlushac11]

One of my first fansubs was a VHS or Orguss. I watched Orguss 2 streaming on Sputnik 7 and loved it.

Animes I feel didnt get the respect they deserve and are never mentioned?

1) Happy Lesson Advance - I never hear anyone talk about this show

2) Guardian Hearts - I wish this was a 13 ep series. It has a good sense of humor and has some good characters and some tender moments that endear it to me, like Chelsea's birthday episode.

3) Denshin Mamotte Shugogetten - the OVA's are fairly new and noone talks about this.

4) Triangle Hearts - This is too short at only a 3 OVA series but has some very good scenes. I showed to my friend who is a devout GITS and Bubblegum Crisis fan and he loved it.

[Kempis Curious]

Originally Posted by Lambda

Question about the South Park comparison: I love South Park for its mixture of political satire and pythonesque wierdness. How prominent are such things in Ping Pong Club?

Not much. Actually everybody digs South Park's raunchy humor but it wouldn't be such a hit without its satire and greater messages behind the filth. Ping Pong Club does the filth extremely well, but there's no message. That's probably why few people watch it... in fact a lot of people I've lent it to turn it off after the nasty jokes start. No one has said it was boring or stupid, though.

I liked your choices of Princess Tutu and Kodocha, though they do get metioned here and there. They're in the top 5 of all the hundreds of anime I've seen. And since you've mentioned them I'll trust your recommendation for Gunbuster and go look for it.

Originally Posted by Anlushac11

Denshin Mamotte Shugogetten OVA ...

I downloaded this not remembering its name... I had read a little of the manga, dismissed it as a blatant OMG ripoff, and forgot about it.
The OVA was a pleasant surprise. One of the best manga2anime conversions and a very good "shy romance" anime. I also wonder why it didn't get much talk.

-k

[squonjon]

Cosplay Complex: Very few anime have Italian lesbian paedophiles as main characters. Cosplay Complex remedies this.

Alien 9: Just plain brilliant. Less obvious than Narutaru, but equally corrupt. I would have included a picture of Ootani-san at her most terrified but the CD with episode 4 on claims it's blank. This worries me... Anyway, here she is in preparation for said scene: -


And slightly less obscure...
Galaxy Angel: It has its off days, but when it gets it right is absolutely hilarious.
NieA_7: Lain & Haibane Renmei's ugly sister with a nice personality.

[Kid]

The Violinist of Hameln TV series. Very underrated. Very few fans seem to have watched this one. It's probably never going to get licensed, so fansubs are the only way to go. The story is dark and controversial and thought-provoking and the artwork is beautiful. Only drawback is... the relative lack of animation.

[AnimeFangirl]

I've been sorta reading the VoH manga. It was totally hilarious in the beginning, but now it has become darker and more serious, I'm not sure I like it so serious.

[Go-lytely]

Originally Posted by Lambda

Nothing too obscure from me, but I'd rather rave about something brilliant and just not known well enough, rather than something good and completely unknown.

Princess Tutu: Don't be put off by the name! Pretty soon you get a great plot with fascinating themes, brilliant characters, and it's just about the only anime that you could describe as inpeccably choreographed. Best consistent use of classical music ever.

Kodocha: An extremely funny comedy of the "manic" variety that rises above the rest by actually having a really good serious story behind it all, and being able to "slow down" on occasion and get some good emotional moments.

Gunbuster: As a very effective mixture of hard science fiction, melodrama and parody it's inherently extremely interesting, but it's the great characters and incredible direction which really drive it.

Vampire Princess Miyu OVAs: Dark, haunting and beautiful. Very different from the norm, and it's difficult to see how it could be any better.

Besides Princess Tutu, all the other ones are pretty popular among anime circles. I think because they are sort of getting old now you dont hear much about them anymore.

[GipFace]

Mao-chan ... oh, the cuteness, the cuteness ...

But um ... Princess Nine is underrated too.

[Flash_Squirrel]

Originally Posted by squonjon

Alien 9: Just plain brilliant. Less obvious than Narutaru, but equally corrupt. I would have included a picture of Ootani-san at her most terrified but the CD with episode 4 on claims it's blank. This worries me... Anyway, here she is in preparation for said scene: -

Note: This post will be pretty much textless, only because there is no real way to describe Alien nine without spoiling some story.
thats why I will express my love for this series with an ascii art.
\o/

[Shenlong]

You're Under Arrest - This is an earlier series by the guy behind Ah! My Goddess and I believe its far superior as well. Its a police comedy-romance and blows any similiar show out of the water. The box sets are pretty cheap right now

[Kempis Curious]

Originally Posted by Kid

The Violinist of Hameln TV series. Very underrated. Very few fans seem to have watched this one. ... Only drawback is... the relative lack of animation.

I saw the movie of this a very long time ago, and also got a recent download of it.
It was interesting that I still liked it after not seeing it for 6-7 years... great characters, music, and writing. The animation was just fine in the movie... should we go look for the series?

Originally Posted by squonjon

Alien 9: Just plain brilliant. Less obvious than Narutaru, but equally corrupt.
NieA_7: Lain & Haibane Renmei's ugly sister with a nice personality.

Alien 9 corrupt? Are you talking about the nausiating lolicon fanservice or something dark in the storyline?

I never got past ep 6 on NieA_7... the ideas were fun but the crushing sense of desparate poverty brought back too many memories for me. NieA herself was a very selfish jerk, too. Did she ever redeem herself later on?

-k

[squonjon]

Originally Posted by Kempis Curious

Alien 9 corrupt? Are you talking about the nausiating lolicon fanservice or something dark in the storyline?

I couldn't think of a better word. Malign, maybe? I was referring to the characters' "hidden depths" (dont want to give any spoilers).

Lolicon fanservice o_0^? I can only remember three scenes with any nudity, each of which was relevant to the story. Plus, I don't think the story would work without the characters being pre-pubescent (with my interpretation of the symbolism anyway...). Anyway, with my lack of examples, this post is almost completely devoid of content.

So I can only quote Radiohead: NO NO NO NO NO NO NO NO NO NO NO NO NO NO NO NO NO NO NO NO NO NO NO NO NO NO NO NO NO NO NO NO NO NO NO NO NO NO NO NO NO NO NO NO NO NO NO NO.

Originally Posted by Kempis Curious

I never got past ep 6 on NieA_7... the ideas were fun but the crushing sense of desparate poverty brought back too many memories for me. NieA herself was a very selfish jerk, too. Did she ever redeem herself later on?

I think episode 7 is the most touching part (Mayuko dealing with the Go-Con). More "important" things happen to NieA too (spoiler avoidance) - she doesn't really change but you do find yourself empathising more. Much of the plot is relatively inconsequential (and very obscure at the end), with more emphasis on atmosphere and character development. I.e. if you don't like the atmosphere, or the characters, maybe it's not for you....