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What's a good series from someone new to Anime?

racketboy - Feb 12, 2003

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		racketboy		Feb 12, 2003
			What's a good series from someone new to Anime? I know very little about anime, but would like to check some out due to curiousity. What's a good series to get started in?

		alpharogue		Feb 12, 2003
			What's a good series from someone new to Anime? It depends on what would interest you as far as genres. I would recommend checking out the Macross Plus series or Evangelion. A good one to start with is Akira; this one is the first anime I saw and I was in awe. Ghost In The Shell is also really good and follows similar technological themes. For the more gothic and dark genres, look at "X" the movie, Vampire Hunter D, Ninja Scroll, Vampire Princess Miyu, Demon City, etc... The list goes on and on. Another series to check out would be the Rouroni Kenshin episodes. A lot of action and depth is in this one. It depends on what you like and what interests you in books, movies, and TV.

		Taelon		Feb 12, 2003
			What's a good series from someone new to Anime? I can't believe Trigun and The Vision of Escaflowne weren't mentioned!!!!!!!!! I thought both of these series captured the essence of anime very well...

		TakaIsSilly		Feb 12, 2003
			What's a good series from someone new to Anime? As alpharogue said, it depends very mutch on your liking... I'd suggest a couple of series myself (mainly stuff more recent): Cowboy Bebop : this 26 eps series is a nice introduction to common themes in anime, from mechas to dark and gloomy stories, passing by some defenitively trippy stuff. It also has a very unnusual jazz-inspired soundtrack. This is a anime by SUNRISE, famous for their mecha series. FLCL : This is not something I'd usually recommend to someone without some anime knowledge, but I'm tring to go picking only really good stuff... This short 6 OAV anime borderlines on experimental animation and has a wonderfull rock soundtrack as well, by a band called The Pillows. This one is by GAINAX, name you'll hear more than often in anime circles - they did Evangelion as well, and a few dozen more classics. Serial Experiments Lain : This is another brainer title. If you're into real, Gibson-esque cyberspace concepts it's the new mark. It's also very artsy/rave like, and the soundtrack here is heavy, lots of dance music and experimental-type tunes. Now for some movies: Perfect Blue - This is a wonderfull animated thriller. The blurb says that "If Walt Disney met Alfred Hitchcock, this would be the movie thew would have done"... what's somewhat correct, and displays the prowness of japanese animation in making scary titles actually work. This is a work that carrys the name of Katsuhiro Otomo, that is also involved in stuff like Ghost in the Shell and Blood : The last vampire, all good movies that easily please both american and japanese audiences. Castle of Caliagostro : I just picked this one because i'd be accused of not giving old-timers a shot. This is a famous movie by Studio Ghibli, based on a even more famous series called "Lupin the Third". Amazing animation for it's age, quite funny, and Steven Spielberg once claimed the first few minutes to be the best example of a good car-chase ever made. Princess Mononoke : Another Ghibli movie, this one was a huge hit in Japan, and failed to some extent in America dispite their all-star cast of dubbing actors. It is a quite beautifull, somewhat ecologic tale. Spirited Away : Heck, it just got an Oscar nomination(sic?) as Best Long Feature Animation! It can't be that bad

		yashiro		Feb 12, 2003
			What's a good series from someone new to Anime? longer series (episodes): love hina (24 + specials) the irresponsible captain tylor (26 + ovas) rurouni kenshin (96 + ovas) vision of escaflowne (26) trigun (26) cowboy bebop (26) outlaw star (26) singles and short series: akira perfect blue riding bean gunsmith cats (3) you're under arrest! (4) the one other thing to keep in mind is that anime varies as much as the movies we've got in north america (sometimes more...) which basically means that there is a lot of quality stuff, and a lot of crap. also, a lot of them have very dark (mysticism, demons, magic...) themes. so when people say that it depends on what you like, it's something to keep in mind. for example, the 'robots' in neon genesis evangelion are some of the coolest designs and scenes out there, but the plot is enough to turn a lot of people away, because of the degree to which it messes with the Judeo-Christian faiths and worldviews. similarly, a lot of series will play equally loose with other religions, faiths, and scriptures. while it doesn't matter to some, it will definitely matter to others. so i thought i'd just mention that. plus, there's always the nudity/violence/gore issues. they aren't all children's programs. i'm sure everyone here realizes that, but it's often worth mentioning. anime doesn't suffer from the same stereotypes that north american cartoons do. they're not all nice. grin. what does all this mean? if you let people know what kinds of shows and movies you really like and dislike, they might be more able to suggest anime shows and series that you will really enjoy...

		racketboy		Feb 12, 2003
			What's a good series from someone new to Anime? thanks for the suggestions ok -- here's some stuff to narrow down suggestions: -- don't really want and "dark" stuff -- don't really want nudity/violence/gore -- some violence is ok, but nothing too much -- I just want some fun/cool stuff that's entertaining -- good story is nice does that narrow it down some?

		Gallstaff		Feb 12, 2003
			What's a good series from someone new to Anime? You guys come on! Ok well those are the kinds that i'm into to so i'll help you out. Ranma 1/2 - really funny. About this kid who slips into a puddle and when cold water touches him he becomes a girl and um his dad becomes a panda.... .. .... it's cooler than it sounds. Tenchi Muyo - One of my favorites. About a teenager named tenchi then all these hot alien babes land on earth and have to stay with him each one hitting on him but Ayeka, the beautful alien princess learns he's the master of the lighthawk sword, a very powerful device and it's mystery is only excedeed by it's power Akira - Best...movie...EVER! Ok it's a bit dark and definately a league all it's own. You've probably seen it parodied in a few things. It's a great great movie and i'm sure no matter what genre you like you'll fall in love with this. Who doesn't love bikers with laser guns who have to shoot their best friend before his massive lobbing self crushes the world and devours the universe? Dragon Ball GT - Ok Ok yes I hate dragonball z too, who doesn't? Dragon Ball GT though takes place several years in the future and isn't just every five episodes someone from space comes and then it's a 50 episode long energery blast. This actually has some story and it's pretty cool. Music's pretty awesome as well. Other than that I don't think I've said anything anybody else hasn't already. So check them there out.

		googlefest1		Feb 12, 2003
			What's a good series from someone new to Anime? DAMN just saw this --- defiantlly the vision of escaflone and super dimentional fortress macross (watch all anime subtitled) also macross plus- X -- if you like cutesy action comedy with all chicks then project Ako -- if you like porn dont ask me i saw one and thought it was so so so f'n stupid and if your into more rated R type stuff try ninja scroll edit : just took a look at what people sugested most of it is good for first timers -- but i definately dont think evangelion is a first timer story also looked at your narowing down list -- for fun and short id say project ako - macross plus -- patlabor (episodes are more like an american tv show [as in they dont follow each other ] so you can pick up any set from the video store) -- ninja scroll ------- in trying to pick out things you may find in a video store also galforce, sol bianca -- also you can just pick anything and give a 3 strike shot

Cuzkey

Feb 12, 2003

What's a good series from someone new to Anime?

	
	
		
		
			Originally posted by Gallstaff@Feb 13, 2003 @ 12:55 AM



 ...I hate dragonball z too, who doesn't?...

ummm, thats an ignorant statement.

Are u to good to be able to watch something that has been mainstreamed?

In the near future GT will be aired on cartoon network(they have allready bought the episodes), are u gonna hate that too then?

ExCyber

Feb 14, 2003

What's a good series from someone new to Anime?

	
	
		
		
			Akira - Best...movie...EVER! Ok it's a bit dark and definately a league all it's own.

Akira is a fantastic movie, but not one to see if you just want a good time. It's really a sci-fi/horror hybrid, and much of the story can be difficult to follow due to the fact that they tried to cram something like 4 volumes of manga into 2 hours (if you've seen LotR and had trouble keeping track of what the hell was going on, Akira will likely inspire much the same feeling if you don't know anything about the backstory going in). Akira was a lot of peoples' introduction to anime, and I'd recommend it in terms of something that would shatter preconceptions about what kinds of stories and themes animation can convey (as well as the kind of production value an animated film can have; Akira is truly stunning in places), but given your qualifiers I don't think it's appropriate.

As for nudity, this is an issue that requires some care in considering. Many anime series/movies, including some targeted at children, feature occasional brief nudity that is not particularly intended to be erotic. Usually this is either for humor, or because the character is simply in a situation in which he/she should logically be nude; bathing is a typical example. If this sort of thing bothers you, you're going to have to get censored releases or otherwise be rather careful about what you watch. On the other hand, if you're only worried about "serious" nudity, you shouldn't have much of a problem avoiding it.

To beat a dead horse:

	
	
		
		
			Are u to good to be able to watch something that has been mainstreamed?

He more or less explained his reasoning in his post; trying to say that an argument that amounts to "the fights take too long and the plot is repetitive" is a holier-than-thou anti-mainstream one is pretty ridiculous, especially since he recommends Tenchi Muyo in the same post. Before you decide to attack me for elitism, note that I was a DBZ fan (and still enjoy DB when I happen to catch it), until I just got sick of seeing the same thing over and over and over again. Based on various comments I've seen floating around, I very much doubt that I'm alone in this experience. I am not an anime fanatic, and DBZ was not displaced by a more "hip" series - I simply stopped watching it and largely shifted my attention to live-action science fiction series that I found more compelling (particularly Babylon 5, which was already 7+ years old at the time).

		PUNJABEE		Feb 14, 2003
			What's a good series from someone new to Anime? I just wanted to throw in my suggestions, and opinions. You need to watch Robotech - some dont consider this Anime, because its a US only series. But its based on Macross in Japan, so it really is Anime. Its actually 3 differing and unrelated series in Japan. Macross Southern Cross Genesis Climber Mospeada God, otherwise known as Carl Macek then melded all 3 series into one long series (with 3 generations) for america. Personally, I think its better than macross, but thats just me. There are some kickass novels written off of this series, and expand on it. They are by Jack McKinney. If you like to read, check em out. Ok enough about Robotech. Evangelion is very good, but very confusing towards the end. Bubblegum Crisis is very good, and I dont mean Bubblegum Crisis 2040. There was an 8 episode series released in the 80s that is way better. (then a 3 episode epilogue called Bubblegum Crash, which i have never seen) the 2040 series is actually the prequel series. Anyway, one to check out. AD Police - sort of related to the Bubblegum Crisis series. Dragon Ball Z - people that hate this series are complete idiots, or have only seen the US release. Again.. they are idiots. DBZ is a great series. Its long, drawn out, has great battles, and you learn to love characters. GT is ok to me, but still good. Too short. SSJ 4 Gogeta is the SHEEEIT. -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Movies: Akira - without a doubt, is a must see. The Manga is WAYYYY better than the film though. The way you can look at the film is as if someone read the Manga, and is telling you the story in a conversation, but telling you parts that are not in order. There are 6 fatass parts to the Manga, recently re-released by Dark Horse. Worth picking up. Much more detail, and information and story than the movie. But the film is still one of the best out there, and contrary to popular hearsay... there is NO 12 hour version of this movie. Ghost in the Shell - excellent movie. Ive never read the Manga. Spirited Away Wind Named Amnesia Princess Mononoke Green Legend Ran Ninja Scroll DO NOT WATCH NINJA RESURRECTION. IT IS CRAP. Escaflowne the Movie - seen most of it. Great film. I cant think of anymore. Im tired.

		googlefest1		Feb 14, 2003
			What's a good series from someone new to Anime? yea ghost in the shell is a good choice so is bublegum crisis (my first real exposure to anime (besides robotech) - i forgot about that if you can find it in the video store the 8 ep bubblegum crisis is a good bet for - fun and exciting view have you tried any out yet?

		Cuzkey		Feb 14, 2003
			What's a good series from someone new to Anime? Watch all the studio Ghibli films, they are all incredable. in my book at least.

		Gallstaff		Feb 15, 2003
			What's a good series from someone new to Anime? Another one I forgot to mention was Hellsing, DUUR! Who doesn't love Hellsing? That's WAY WAY WAY up on my list I completely forgot about it. SPOILER Hellsing is about this police officer and she goes after this priest in the first episode who is now a vampire master (in control of his zombie slaves) and she tries to kill him and he kills her instead. Then Alucard, a very old and fuckin wicked stylish vampire (Think Dante from Devil may Cry and give him shades -Boom you have Alucard) and he overpowers the evil priest guy and asks the police officer if she wants to live forever as a vampire or die as a human. She chooses to live forever and now she works for an organization called hellsing. THey're the good vampires who try to root out all the evil ones and kill 'em. Sorry if I got a little too into that one but trust me it's great.

		PUNJABEE		Feb 15, 2003
			What's a good series from someone new to Anime? That hellsing sounds kinda cool. Ive never seen it. I THINK i saw a clip of an ep one time. There was this guy in red, and he held up someone with a gun, or something... Shot at the person, and the person was a shadow, or SOMEthing of the sort, reflected the bullet, and TOTALLY destroyed the character, with BOOKOOS of blood. Looked really cool!

		Taelon		Feb 16, 2003
			What's a good series from someone new to Anime? Trigun !!!!

Gallstaff

Feb 16, 2003

What's a good series from someone new to Anime?

	
	
		
		
			Originally posted by PUNJABEE@Feb 16, 2003 @ 06:58 AM



 That hellsing sounds kinda cool. Ive never seen it.



I THINK i saw a clip of an ep one time.  There was this guy in red, and he held up someone with a gun, or something... Shot at the person, and the person was a shadow, or SOMEthing of the sort, reflected the bullet, and TOTALLY destroyed the character, with BOOKOOS of blood.



Looked really cool!

yes that is hellsing.

		Pycckuu		Mar 24, 2003
			What's a good series from someone new to Anime? Hellsing is, in my opinion, the best anime ever. Alucard owns.

		Gaz_2_k		Mar 29, 2003
			What's a good series from someone new to Anime? go for evangelion or trigun

		Cloud121		Mar 30, 2003
			What's a good series from someone new to Anime? Valley of The Wind Nausicaa is the best anime movie I've ever seen! Never seen Akira though hides Other than that, and a few Miyazaki movies, most the anime I have is mainstream or has been shown on Cartoon Network. I really don't wanna mention any anime that CN has shown... but here goes: Series: Rurouni Kenshin (My new favorite Anime) Any & All Gundam (Second only to Rurouni Kenshin) Dragonball Z (up until the end of Season 3/Freeza's death, after that it all goes downhill. Too predictable, and the plot blows as well, Season 4 and beyond) Sailor Moon (May be not to your tastes, but the first two seasons (Classic and R) have great plots, and are worth watching, after that starts downhill just a BIT, but Season 4 and later are crap. Picks up a bit at the series final six episodes) Yu Yu Hakusho (GREAT ANIME! If you hate you buy commercial anime (like myself) wait for it to come back on Adult Swim, for full enjoyment) Movies: Ninja Scroll (Already been mentioned, I know) Goku: Midnight Eye Wicked City Ghost in The Shell (Already been mentioned, weird-ass plot) My Neighbor Totoro (Miyazaki, funny as hell) Princess Mononoke (Also Miyazaki, Already been mentioned, fairly good, not as good as Totoro or Nausicaa however) Valley of the Wind Nausicaa (Miyazaki, BEST ANIME MOVIE EVER!)

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