# Recommend: Anime



## Brian G Turner

I've surprised myself by little I know about Anime.

Does anyone here have any particular experience of it? If so, what are the more outstanding films of the genre, and why?

I'm simply looking to learn a little more about something perhaps its time for myself to know,


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## Foxbat

I'm not too clued up on this myself (is Anime the same as Manga?)
Akira is one that I have and it's not bad..kind of Matrixy.

Return of the Overfiend...quite violent - sort of demonic end of the world stuff. I was quite surprised at the amount of sex in this one...maybe I'm just a prude.

My favourite (and only other one that I own) is Sin: The Movie. It's based on a computer game and I bought it on a whim but was pleasantly surprised at the quality of action, characterisation and animation.

I've heard that the Neon Genesis series is meant to be good. And another called Perfect Blue.

And that's about all I can say on the subject. There are quite a few websites out there to check out.


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## Twelve

Anime is animated. 

Manga comes in comic form.

I'm a SERIOUS fan of anime, manga, and mostly anything hand-drawn or imagined out of Japan.

Let's see...good anime and manga...

The *Akira* MANGA is great...a must read. The movie doesn't do it justice.

The *Kenshin* anime is classic.

*Ninja Scroll* is considered to be one of the best pieces of art and story ever, though it is rather gross.

*Princess Mononoke* is the best selling Japanese movie ever...and it's a cartoon. _Titanic_ BARELY beat it.

*Hellsing* is a very intriguing vampire anime. Great imagination, great story...wonderful mysteries.

*Cowboy Bebop* is nice...try combining the old west with sci-fi.

*Animatrix* contains some very good Japanese anime.

I can go on, but those are good recommendations for starters...


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## Brian G Turner

Maybe my memory is acting up, but wasn't there an Akira by Frank Miller? If so, is it the same one? I'll definitely have to start checking out some titles in the video shop (rental store) and see what's there, and try and search out some of those recommendations.


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## Twelve

Well, I know that he was influenced by the AKIRA manga, and that he worked with a guy named Akira Kurosawa to make a work called RONIN.

Kind of confusing.

Here's some info:  

http://www.moebiusgraphics.com/miller.php


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## Brian G Turner

Ah - now that could be why I'm mistaking the name.


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## dwndrgn

I know this isn't the place for it but Japanese film-making made me think of it...

Am I the only person who REALLY likes the old Godzilla films?  The cornier, cheesier, the better.  I could sit and watch them over and over.


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## Foxbat

Yep. I like a good cheesy film myself. I'm not so much a Godzilla fan but more of a 50s sci-fi guy. But I understand your feelings towards those types of films. The bad acting, terrible effects, laughable plot, ridiculous dialogue....there's just something magical about it all.
Somebody once said that, no matter what time of day you watch these films, it feels like you're watching it at 3:00 in the morning. So true ;D


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## Twelve

Oh yes...I looove Godzilla movies. Great fights. I can watch them over and over again for some reason as well. Don't know why.

I mean, I can do the same with The Godfather, but I KNOW that the latter is a much better movie. Strange how the mind works.

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## scifimoth

Ohhh...Anime! Me and my little sister watch a lot of Anime together. She is by far more the expert. 
And yes, some Anime is very violent and sexual in context ( I believe there are some movies and series that are not available here in the U.S. because of this.)
I agree with Twelve and his recommendation of Ninja Scroll...simply awsome.


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## GnomeoftheWest

Rent "Cowboy Bebop - the Movie"  There is a history of anime on the DVD.  And the movie's great too!


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## Brian G Turner

Okay - I intend to go to the video shop (rental store) and take a look this Saturday, and see what anime they have in.


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## Brian G Turner

Okay, I actually went _this afternoon_ instead. Trouble is, they didn't have _any_ anime!

(In fact, I didn;t even know how to pronounce "anime" - is it "an-knee-may", or "ah-neem" or "ah-nigh-m"???) - so I asked for "manga film things" instead. 

I'll keep on looking...


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## Twelve

It's pronounced:

A- like animal

ni- like nifty

me- like MAY

It surprise me that this store had no anime...

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## Brian G Turner

They said they used to have some, but changed a lot of stocked titles when they moved up the road. I was told it was likely they would be restocking the genre, as it seems to be getting popular again.

So I'll keep watching.


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## mac1

Mononoke Hime was the film that turned me. I had seen Akira when it was first released on video in the UK and loved it then, however after rewatching it recently its really not as good as I remember. However having heard great things about Mononoke Hime I decided to aquire a copy, and I think the reason it works so well is that beautiful animation aside, it stands up a fantasy epic on the grounds of its story as much as its style. I don't know how you stand on subtitles, but an english language (dubbed) version is available on video (as Princess Mononoke), and the region 2 DVD has both the english and japanese soundtracks included, as is fortunately becoming standard.

Also if its just the Anime style you fancy investigating (ie. sans the jap language), give Animatrix a try. There is lots of very beautiful Anime on the DVD, and unlike you may expect the stories are actually quite deep and add a lot of backstory to the Matrix films, if you are a fan of them. And its only £13 on DVD - a steal really.


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## GnomeoftheWest

Princess Mononoke - yes, very very good!
Metropolis - Very good animation tied to relevant
                    story.
Cowboy Bebop - the most excessible, hip, 
                           GREAT MUSIC!!!!


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## Sci-fi_gEEk

I went out and bought Princess Monoke because I liked it so much.  I think that all of Hayao Miyazaki work is awsome!!  His attention to detail makes it so that you can watch his movie again and again.  Although I did find Totoro alittle too cute and fuzzy, I can't say that it wasn't any good, my little brothers  loved it.  When Spirited Away came out here in the US my friend and I acctually went and saw it in the theater, it was great.  If you haven't seen it I'd say that you need to.

Anime that I'd recommend:

Outlaw Star
Cowboy Bebop (the movie rocked to)
Trigun
Robotech
Gundum
Vampire Hunter D
FLCL
Runouni Kenshin
Evangelion
Blue Gender
Inuasha

Although Evangelion was good I was to warn people that when you watch it be prepared to be weirded out, and left thinking,"What the !@*$ just happened!!"
Also the earlier Dragon Balls were prettty good, after awhile though it just starts getting old.  If you just want a taste of anime check out Cartoon network's Adult Swim, they show some of the anime I listed above.  The only problem is that some times the dubbed versions they show on TV aren't as good.  I really think that Princess Monoke is better watched subtitled than dubbed.

the gEEk


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## mac1

Just started watching Hellsing, really enjoying it .


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## Twelve

Bigmacscanlan said:
			
		

> Just started watching Hellsing, really enjoying it .


OH YEAH!!!

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## dwndrgn

Has anyone here seen Spirited Away?  My mother was interested in getting this DVD for my niece but since I don't really know anything about the story I hesitate to recommend it for a six-year old.


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## jerchar

I like animes a lot, my favourite is Chihiro's trip (in french le Voyage de Chihiro) just pure magic.


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## Zero

Hi I'm new and I love Anime but I dont know much about it i have a few favorites.

Trigun (AWESOME!!!)
DBZ (Dragon Ball Z)
Vampire Hunter D (SWEET)

So what are you all up to anyways


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## scifimoth

dwndrgn said:
			
		

> Has anyone here seen Spirited Away? My mother was interested in getting this DVD for my niece but since I don't really know anything about the story I hesitate to recommend it for a six-year old.


It's actually a very lovely anime...reminicent of a fairy tale in a way. I think it would be okay for your niece.


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## Iorek

The anime version of Metropolis is quite good, it reminds me alot of the animatrix for some reason. it has a bit of a matrix story to it. Also ghost in the shell is a great anime movie and the TV series is good. i heard the manga was also good. There is also a TV series of Ninja scroll called Ninja Ressurection


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## McMurphy

*My Introductiion to the Anime World*

I have only recently been introduced to the anime world and have been taken up by what I have seen.  All the following is best viewed in the original Japanese language with English subtitles.  Often, the voice actors treat their characters as cartoon figures instead of understanding that the genre is supposed to be viewed on a more adult level.  Sunrise Studios, based out of Canada, did a decent job with voice acting but even it pales in comparison to hearing how the characters were meant to be heard.  Below are some examples of anime I have seen:

*Dragonball Z* has been horribly edited in the States by the cable television channel "Cartoon Network" for some years now in attempts to make the series more kid friendly.  If you chose to experiment with viewing, do not bother with dubs derived from Cartoon Network.  This series is for those who like a lot of fighting.

*Fushigi Yuugi* is more of a fantasy epic than Dragonball Z.  It is typically viewed as more of a female oriented series to watch, but I personally enjoy this series much more.  It tells the tale about a school girl being sucked into a fantasy world and finding herself a key player in the fate of the populace.  You will get sick of hearing her scream Tamahome's name over and over again in the series, but such flaws are easily overlooked.  Later, there was a movie adaption to the 52 episode series, but steer clear from it.  It was an impossible job to squeeze such a long anime series into a single movie and keep the impact of the storytelling intact.

*Escaflowne* is my personal favorite anime of all time.  The premise of it is quite similiar to that of Fushigi Yuugi, but done so with better art and greater elegance in storytelling.  Even the "villians" of the tale are tragic in nature and have stories behind why they are in their respect positions instead of being the victim to lazy storytelling:  being evil just to be evil.  24 episodes in all and highly recommended.

*Ranma 1/2* is silly and should be taken on an entertainment level only.  Ranma depicts the school lives of two teenagers, Ranma and Akane, too stubborn to admit to themselves that they have a crush on each other.  Of course, the fact that Ranma turns into a female when doused with cold water and that his father morphs into a large Panda Bear when likewise inflicted keeps the series from being anything but normal.

*Cowboy Bebop* is hip, stylish, violent, and witty.  It showcases a Japanese interest in American spy and detective films from the 1970s.  Easily accessible and a very popular anime for older aged Westen fans of anime.

*Dragon Knight* is an example of the anime sub genre that you should avoid.  I list it only for this reason.  The film showcases the anime obession of depicting naked women raped.  Even the male "hero" of the movie enjoys copping a feel or a lick as he rescues the dame(s) in distress.  Supposely a modern interpretation of an old Japanese folktale.

*Spirited Away,* the winner of "Best Animated Film" Oscar award, deserves as much postivie attention as it can be given.  An all-ages film that is rich with story and animation.  This is one of the very few examples of anime where you will lose almost nothing in quality film experience by watching the English dubbed version.  The distributor of the Western releases, Disney Studios, did an excellant job of casting voice actors.  Not only one of the most important anime films to ever be released (it is the highest grossing film ever in the history of Japan), it is a must buy.


_Suggested Reading:  _The Anime Encyclopedia:  A Guide to Japanese Animation Since 1917, Clements, Jonathan and McCarthy, Helen, Stone Bridge Press, California, 2001.


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## Brian G Turner

*Re: My Introductiion to the Anime World*

Good recommendations - thanks for that. I'll have to visit the rental store again and cast a close eye over it all again.


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## Sci-fi_gEEk

I'v been watching a lot of anime lately and so I thought that I'd recommend some more. 

The Flame of Recca
Dual
Fruit Baskets
Zone of the Enders (ZOE)
Lupin the Third
Love Hina

I'd like to give summaries for them all, but it's take to long, and well, I'm lazy.  I promise you thought that they're all excellent.  You should be able to find out what you need to know online.  Happy watching!!:-D

the gEEk


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## SDNess

Ya...I'm really into anime/manga. I'll give you a big list of stuff to check out in a week or so - when I have more time.


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## Aeolus14Umbra

Tho' off-topic, I'm thrilled to see some fellow Godzilla fans out there!



> Somebody once said that, no matter what time of day you watch these films, it feels like you're watching it at 3:00 in the morning.


Very poignant point, Mr Foxbat! This might have something to do with the fact that some of us "older" nutters can vividly remember watching these fabulous, magical films when we were little kids, during those great all-night "creature feature" marathons they used to have!! They certainly leave an impression...I've spent a good part of my adult life chasing this stuff up on the internet! ...Ah, TV in the '70s, what magic! But then 1980 arrived, and everything went SOUR...(sob sob)...I feel sorry for kids born post-1980, they missed out on some real culture!!!

I'm a novice when it comes to anime/manga...but I like what I've seen: AKIRA, LEGEND OF THE OVERFIEND, PERFECT BLUE...!!


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## mac1

Anyone ever seen "Prince of Tennis"?

I watched my first episode the other day, its basically a cross between Dragonball-Z and tennis! Yes I know its sounds ridiculaus, and quite frankly it is, but thats the great thing about it, all the players have ludicrous anime special moves, if you want something to make you laugh, check it out. The episode I watched was about a player who could mimic any other professional like a chameleon (though the only one I'd really heard of was Pete Sampras), he got to play a guy who's special move was called "snake", with which he could bend the ball in the motion of a snake. Very very silly, and very very enjoyable!


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## silvercloak

*Re: My Introductiion to the Anime World*



			
				McMurphy said:
			
		

> I have only recently been introduced to the anime world and have been taken up by what I have seen. All the following is best viewed in the original Japanese language with English subtitles. Often, the voice actors treat their characters as cartoon figures instead of understanding that the genre is supposed to be viewed on a more adult level. Sunrise Studios, based out of Canada, did a decent job with voice acting but even it pales in comparison to hearing how the characters were meant to be heard. Below are some examples of anime I have seen:
> 
> *Dragonball Z* has been horribly edited in the States by the cable television channel "Cartoon Network" for some years now in attempts to make the series more kid friendly. If you chose to experiment with viewing, do not bother with dubs derived from Cartoon Network. This series is for those who like a lot of fighting.
> 
> *Fushigi Yuugi* is more of a fantasy epic than Dragonball Z. It is typically viewed as more of a female oriented series to watch, but I personally enjoy this series much more. It tells the tale about a school girl being sucked into a fantasy world and finding herself a key player in the fate of the populace. You will get sick of hearing her scream Tamahome's name over and over again in the series, but such flaws are easily overlooked. Later, there was a movie adaption to the 52 episode series, but steer clear from it. It was an impossible job to squeeze such a long anime series into a single movie and keep the impact of the storytelling intact.
> 
> *Escaflowne* is my personal favorite anime of all time. The premise of it is quite similiar to that of Fushigi Yuugi, but done so with better art and greater elegance in storytelling. Even the "villians" of the tale are tragic in nature and have stories behind why they are in their respect positions instead of being the victim to lazy storytelling: being evil just to be evil. 24 episodes in all and highly recommended.
> 
> *Ranma 1/2* is silly and should be taken on an entertainment level only. Ranma depicts the school lives of two teenagers, Ranma and Akane, too stubborn to admit to themselves that they have a crush on each other. Of course, the fact that Ranma turns into a female when doused with cold water and that his father morphs into a large Panda Bear when likewise inflicted keeps the series from being anything but normal.
> 
> *Cowboy Bebop* is hip, stylish, violent, and witty. It showcases a Japanese interest in American spy and detective films from the 1970s. Easily accessible and a very popular anime for older aged Westen fans of anime.
> 
> *Dragon Knight* is an example of the anime sub genre that you should avoid. I list it only for this reason. The film showcases the anime obession of depicting naked women raped. Even the male "hero" of the movie enjoys copping a feel or a lick as he rescues the dame(s) in distress. Supposely a modern interpretation of an old Japanese folktale.
> 
> *Spirited Away,* the winner of "Best Animated Film" Oscar award, deserves as much postivie attention as it can be given. An all-ages film that is rich with story and animation. This is one of the very few examples of anime where you will lose almost nothing in quality film experience by watching the English dubbed version. The distributor of the Western releases, Disney Studios, did an excellant job of casting voice actors. Not only one of the most important anime films to ever be released (it is the highest grossing film ever in the history of Japan), it is a must buy.
> 
> 
> _Suggested Reading: _The Anime Encyclopedia: A Guide to Japanese Animation Since 1917, Clements, Jonathan and McCarthy, Helen, Stone Bridge Press, California, 2001.


 
Escaflowne would have to be my favourite too, then Cowboy Bebop, but the dubbed english version of Escaflowne sucks hard.


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## McMurphy

*My Introduction to the Anime Mistake*



			
				silvercloak said:
			
		

> Escaflowne would have to be my favourite too, then Cowboy Bebop, but the dubbed english version of Escaflowne sucks hard.


I totally agree.  For most anime, I refuse to watch the English dubbed versions.  

Also, thanks for reposting my post in your message.  I noticed a pretty embarrassing factional mistake.  *Escaflowne* suffered the mediocre movie adaption, not *Fushigi Yuugi.*  Aside from the OVAs, I don't believe there has been any film versions of the latter series.


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## Blue Mythril

*Re: My Introduction to the Anime Mistake*

Okay, i love anime! I have been a big fan since I was about fourteen now.
Actually, my mistake, I've loved it since I was a little girl . Just realised my first experiences with it were Sailor Moon, Astro Boy, and i'm not too sure on Samurai Pizza Cats... It was more a kids cartoon I think.
But yeah, when I was fourteen I got hooked on _Neon Genesis Evangelion_. Loved it to bits. Though whoever said "prepare to be weirded out" before is totally right. Lmao, I brought episode 13 into my Japanese class for them to watch  It was the only video I actually owned at the time (had been watching it on SBS) but just happens to be probably the most trippy episode of the whole lot. Though I recently watched the movies for the first time, they spin you out a bit, but they also put the whole Instrumentaliry thing in context.

My absolute favourite at the moment has to be _Rorouni Kenshin_. Fantastic, especially if you are as interested in Japanese history and sword fighting as I am (although yeah, it isn't entirely historically acurate  I understand this). It truly is fantastic, the character of Kenshin is great. it may seem a bit slow at the beggining of the first series, but its just such an incerdible anime. You also need to see the two Samurai X movies which come first.

_Witch Hunter Robin_ is another I have only recently watched, but I'm loving it. It seems very slow compared to other anime, but I think thats almost what I like about it, its subtle but the characters are so complex. Its atmospheric qualities stand out too.

_Dragon Ball Z_ and _GT_ I don't have much respect for. I kinda enjoyed them at first, but you get bored quickly, especially with the English Dubbed version. The battles take forever and the development is just bigger and badder baddies, the heroes push themselves to the edge, and then win. It has its high points, but you have to wade through a lot of mundanity to get to them.
I hate Pokemon -.-

My sister has _Slayers_ too, its not too bad, bit of the stereotypical excuse for boob shots but meh, its still ok. I think itsa younger age group though...

_Bubblegum Crisis Tokyo 2040_ is mad. I like it a lot, different style yet again, and a lot older than many other series. But still pretty sweet.

I've seen _Trigun_, but I fell asleep after 4 or so episodes. it didn't really grab me sorry.

the _robotech/ Macross plus_ series is great, I really love the music for Macross Plus actually. Though it is a very short series.

_Cowboy bebop_ is great. Some people don't like it, find it too dull. But I love the funky Jazz/ Blues music and the notion of an apathetic hero. 

_Excel Saga_ is weird. I watched it way too late at night and was only vaguely able to realise that it was a comedy and a take off of anime and manga in general. I was hoping for something with a plot when I sat down to watch it... probably why I didn't like it at first. However, I have been convinced by others to give it a prpoer try 

_Twelve Kingdoms_ was great. Its a fantasy type saga, but at the beggining it was so easy to get confused. But I think thats what I like about it, (and Japanese style storylines in general) its subtle. They leave you to work things out, they don't go overly into much explanatory detail like american story lines. By the end of the first disc I was hooked.

_Onegai Teacher_. Omfg this is funny. Its obviously some writer playing out his childhood teacher crush/ fantasy thingies. But it just has you in stitches. My friend and I made up a drinking game: whenever a character blushes you drink, if you see a boob shot, you take a double shot. You'd be smashed by the first episode's ending. Its classic. But it has some elements that go beyond the light hearted. i particularly like the notion of "Standstills". Don't know why, just do.

hmm, let me see... Oh, _Spirited Away_ was quite beautiful. Wish it was around when I was a little girl.
_Animatrix _is sweet, covers so many different styles.
_Perfect Blue_: Awesome movie. More graphic than I was expecting, but still, it leads you in so many directions, even though the clues are there right from the beginning. By the time you finally put two and two together, you've come up with so many theories and "what ifs" or "oh oh, its so and so, this is what they are doing" that you just don't want to pipe up again. Very good.
_Akira_: Hmm, yeah this was good, but I think I had already seen too much anime to be truly impressed by it.
What else? I've seen _Totoro_ and _Count of Cagliostro_. Liked em both, found Cagliostro entertaining and Totoro beautiful. I really really want to see _princess Mononoke_ 
Oh, I bought _X_ in Japan. Seemed pretty cool, but there were no subtitles, so my limited Japanese couldn't really grasp the story line.
_Angel Sanctuary_ is great (though I know it mainly from the Manga). Awesome animation.
Oh, _Spiggen_ is a sweet little action anime.

*My hitlist:* (in no particular order) _Oh My Goddess_, _Hellsing_, _Vampire Hunter D_, _Naruto_, Bloodlust, _Ninja Scroll_, 3 x 3 eyes, Angelic Layer, _Inuyasha_, Fruit's Basket, Chobits, _Escaflowne_, Fullmetal panic, ._Hack_, _Noir_, _Lain_, _Ghost in the Shell_, _Scryed_, _Nausicaa_, Ranma, _Sakura Wars_, and i guess Steel Angel Kurumi. Oh and also that Great Teacher someone (I forgot his name).
That's all I can be bothered to think of toaday  I know of missed some here and there.

Oh, and anime is usually best watched in Japanese, though sometimes the English versions arn't too bad. I don't really mind in most cases, I often change between the two depending on my mood and options. But there are some cases that should definately only be in Japanese. Lol, the funniest I think I had was somehow I managed to get noth English and English subtitles whilst watching Witch Hunter Robin. You realise just how different the translations/ interpretations can be then, especially when they have to match the dubbing with the mouths as best as possible.


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## Sci-fi_gEEk

Holy crapanoly!!  Thats a monster list!!  But you named a ton of good ones!! And amen to watching anime in japanese!!  Some of those dub jobs are just horrible, very seldom do you find good dub job, they do exist but not much. 

Anyhow I just finished off two series, *Gun Grave* and *RahXephon*.  They were both great.  Gun Grave has kinda a mafia story line with a sci-fi twist.  Excellent animation and a really good story line.

RahXephon has taken high honors one my list of great anime.  At first I thought it was going to be too Evangalion-esque, but it turned out not be totaly different.  It's really a love story at heart but it has plenty of action.  Best of all was the ending.  I won't say what happened ( I'm not that stupid) but I will say that when it finished I was very...content.  I guess, what I mean is that so much anime is left rather open ended.  I hate not haveing at least some closure.  RahXephon had that closure and I was left extremly satisfied.

Well then I think I've said enough, I'm off to go watch Witch Hunter Robin and try to get Noir to play on my computer.  Curse Microsoft and their incompatibilty with other operating systems!!

gEEk


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## McMurphy

*Noir?*

Has anyone seen the series, Noir?  If so, what are your opinions on it?

My girlfriend's brother-in-law sent her a bunch of anime DVDs that a newly launched anime television station was giving out.  Among the give-aways, there was the first 5 episodes of this series.  I watched it, and, judging from the beginning of the series, it seems overly violent yet oddly slow paced.  Does anyone know if it ever picks up the speed, and if it is worth checking out?


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## Blue Mythril

*Re: Noir?*

It doesn't pick up speed, but its still highly rated. I think you have to be in the right mood for it though, kinda like Perfect Blue or excel Saga (both different "moods" I know but still, you get the picture)


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## McMurphy

*Thanks for Responding*



			
				Blue Mythril said:
			
		

> It doesn't pick up speed, but its still highly rated. I think you have to be in the right mood for it though, kinda like Perfect Blue or excel Saga (both different "moods" I know but still, you get the picture)


Okay, thanks for the information. If I can ever see the rest of the series for free, I will check it out, but I don't think I will be buying or renting it out soon. I know that the Anime Network is playing the series as part of its line-up, but it appears my cable server will not be adding the station anytime soon. 

On a less sad note, check out the new anime link below if you are really into this genre of entertainment.   

Now, I may not be well versed in the math of smilies, but I do believe that a frown and a smile cancel each other out....


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## Lacedaemonian

I was going to ask which order to watch Rorouni Kenshin in, but the beautiful but menacing Blue has already posted the answer.  I did not realise that there were two movies either.

Question:  Are there two different Vampire D movies?


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## Blue Mythril

I was thinking yes, but I've only ever seen or heard of Bloodlust, I think you are gonna have to wait til McMurphy appears...
 BTW Rorouni kenshin is awesome! My favouritist ever.


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## Lacedaemonian

I am looking forward to getting a hold of the TV series of Kenshin, but am downloading the movie first.  What are the titles of the movies?  The Japanese are tricky buggers when it come to working out what order things should be watched.  The Vampire D problem may well be solved when my download is complete.


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## McMurphy

*Vampire Hunter D*

Like Blue, I am only aware of two Vampire Hunter D films: Vampire Hunter D (1985) directed by Toyoo Ashida and Bloodlust (2001) directed and scripted by Yoshiaki Kawajiri (famous from Ninja Scroll).

The films are based on the novel series by Hideyuki Kikuchi, who has also authored Wind of Amnesia, Wicked City, and Darkside Blues. VHD: Bloodlust is actually based on the third book of the series and is entitled Demon Deathchase.


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## McMurphy

Lacedaemonian said:
			
		

> I am looking forward to getting a hold of the TV series of Kenshin, but am downloading the movie first. What are the titles of the movies? The Japanese are tricky buggers when it come to working out what order things should be watched. The Vampire D problem may well be solved when my download is complete.


I didn't know either; I had to look it up. It is confusing! The following is what I believe is available for the series:



*Series:* 94 episodes (Ruro Ni Kenshin)

*Films:* Kenshin the Ronin (?)(1997); there is only one, I believe

*Videos:* Samurai X (1999, there is also a movie edit that reduces the video series down to 125 minutes), Popular Characters (which is merely a "best moments" collection, eight videos), and Seisohen (2001, two videos, considered the sequel to Samurai X).


From what I can tell, the confusion is furthered by the fact that there are numerous DVD collections out at the moment with different titles that are only repackaging and regrouping episodes from the television series. For example, if you see Shadow of the Wolf, don't bother with it. It is really just episodes 28-31 with a new collection title.

Heh, am I way off base, Blue?


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## Blue Mythril

Well, there is the three series that I know of (the series is actually finished and wrapped up). I have seen two of the Rorouni videos- Samurai X: Trust and Samurai X: Betrayal.
There is one final movie, Samurai X: Reflections I think it is called. That wraps up the series once and for all... Havn't seen it yet, its gonna really mess with my emotions I think.

But that is the complete Rorouni as I know it: Three movies (two at the begginning, one at the end) and the three series.


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## McMurphy

*Translation*



			
				Blue Mythril said:
			
		

> Well, there is the three series that I know of (the series is actually finished and wrapped up). I have seen two of the Rorouni videos- Samurai X: Trust and Samurai X: Betrayal.
> There is one final movie, Samurai X: Reflections I think it is called. That wraps up the series once and for all... Havn't seen it yet, its gonna really mess with my emotions I think.
> 
> But that is the complete Rorouni as I know it: Three movies (two at the begginning, one at the end) and the three series.


*L* so, yes, I am way off base. Thanks for the info!

PS:  Are the three series split with the titles "Sword of Ruro", "Vagabond Sword", and "Kenshin the Wanderer"?  I am asking because my source (The Anime Encyclopedia) placed those titles as "aka"s to the series.  Do you know if all three of the series would add up to a total of 94 episodes?


----------



## Lacedaemonian

Bloody confusing!!  I suspected that there was two Vampire D movies, although dialogue on this matter is scarce.  The Samurai X/Kenshin matter is far too confusing.  Hmmmmm


----------



## aftermath

Has anyone watched Full Metal Alchemist? Or Flame of Recca? These two are really good.I think I have all the flame of recca episodes, and most of the FMA. 

What else?um...

i have lain, hellsing, kiki's delivery service, tonari no totoro, pirncess mononoke, spirited away, perfect blue, ghost in the shell 1/2/SAC ep 1-4, sword for truth, ninja scroll/seires 1-3, chrono crusade1-18, elfen lied 1-6, X, macross plus 1-4, cowboy beebop,arika. and i can't remember the rest of what i own. i think i got most of it though.

Then you have all the stuff I have watched that I don't own, which is a lot. My friends have not as much as me, but its all different series and movies. 

Oh, i forgot FLCL. That is a mind trip. Almost and just as much as lain. it's crazy. and the manga is also really good  I think there is only 6 episodes in the series and I'm missing 5! AGH! the file was coruppted on the disk. I was very sad.


----------



## willb

I have to say, all of the Studio Ghibli I've seen are great: Spirited Away, Mononoke, Kiki, Totoro, Naucissa were mentioned.  My favourites though are probably 'Laputa: Castle in the Sky' and 'The Crimson Pig'.  I was fortunate enough to catch them both at a Studio Ghibli season at my local independent cinema.

Laputa is a sort of steampunk adventure with the coolest robots I have ever seen.

The Crimson Pig is about a pig who is a fighter pilot in the second world war (he is not crimson, his plane is).  Really dry humour and some great dogfights.

(Guilty admission) Sorry if someone has mentioned either of these earlier in the thread, I only read the last 10 or so postings.

Has anyone seen 'Blood: The Last Vampire' (from the creators of 'Ghost in the Shell')?  I bought it on a whim and it's only about 45 minutes long, so I can't decide whether I like it or not.  It looks beautiful but there is hardly any time for character development or anything else much.


----------



## Brian G Turner

Hi willb, and welcome to the chronicles network.


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## willb

Thank you.  It's quite intimidating seeing the 'posts' statistics, but u have to start somewhere .  

I forgot to mention I really enjoyed 'Ghost in the Shell', and also Evangelion, especially the penguin.


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## Brian G Turner

I have to admit, I haven't seen much anime, but I have "Pincess Mononoke" down to buy when I see it. 

 And stats are nothing - you'll soon catch up.


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## Skindog

I am surprised no one has mentioned one of the largest anime franchises.

"Gundam", I love gundam something about giant robots fighting just takes me back to my childhood, another one of my favourite animes is Tenchi Muyo and is absolutley hilarious, anyway heres a list of my anime, any questions about them just give me a shout, ohh yeah and Hi I am new to the forums

Gundam Wing complete
Gundam Wing Endless Waltz
Gundam Fighter G Complete
Fushigi Yugi Complete
Tenchi Muyo Complete (plus the movies)
Visions of Escaflowne Complete
Trigun Complete
Cowboy bebop Complete
Hellsing Complete
Outlaw star Complete
Doomed Megapolis Complete
Dominion Tank police Complete
Crying Freeman Complete
Roujin Z
Judge 
Akira
Blood the last Vampire
Project Ako complete
Spirited Away
Neon Genesis Evangelion Complete
End of Evangelion 

and some others can't quite remember right now, so any questions about the above animes give me a shout.


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## Neon

I was addicted to Gundam Wing when it aired on the Cartoon Network several years ago.  I never really got into the other Gundam shows however.  Brian, have you checked out Princess Mononoke yet?  It is excellent.  Another name I will add to the list is Fist of the North Star, the original movie version (not the series that came out later).


----------



## Leto

Ok time to show my age again I guess :

Favorite Anime froml when I was a young and naive girl (seen on TV) : 

- Captain Harlock (that's Albator from french speakers from France and Québec) and Galaxy Express 999 - in general all of Leiji Matsumoto work's, very dark and tragedies, but some touching and beautiful to watch.

- Lady Oscar

- Grendizer (same as above, that's Goldorak) - love mecha - recently was in love with Big O and Neon Genesis Evangelion

- Space adventure Cobra

- Cat's eye

- Captain Future

- Saint Seya

More recently, loved : 

- Blood the last vampire

- Most of Studio Ghibli productions : Princess Mononoke, Porco Rosso (must be the Crimson pig mentioned above), Howl's moving Castle, etc...

- Evangelion serie mentionned above

- Ghost in the Shell

- Akira

- Cowboy bebop

- the Big O

In general, I like anime - the greatest as the cheesiest ones.


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## Esioul

Iv'e never seen any anime. How was he Howl's Moving Castle film? I'd like to see that, when it comes out here.


----------



## Neon

Oh, I forgot to mention my favorite is probably Vampire Hunter D: Bloodlust.


----------



## Fitz

I have only one thing to say when it comes to recommending anime: 
watch subbed ones, don't watch dubs, especially english dubs, they're REALLY bad...


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## Shige

Subbed vs. Dubbed an age-old dispute. 

Subs - For non-lazy people that don't mind reading through out the whole anime. Voice acting is slightly better (depending), and it is also slightly more accurate. 

Dubbed - People that don't want to sit there and listen to japanese they cannot understand, and would rather not read it. Not all dubs are bad. 


Honestly it is up to the person's preference. Both have pros and cons. Subs may have better voice acting, but sometimes the text flies by too fast or the person is a slow reader. Or the subs much like dubs do not do the anime much justice. 

Me? I watch it both ways, it does not make me any less of an anime fan. =)

Reccomendation: Watch whatever you can get a hold of. Watch it however you want. Decide what you like and don't like and how you like to watch it.

Animes I have seen/Would Reccomend: El Hazard, Final Fantasy: Legend of the Crystals, Final Fantasy: Unlimited, Hellsing, Metropolis (Recommended: very good, I think), Spirited Away, Grave of the Fireflies (Reccomended: very good, but very sad.), Saiyuki, Outlaw Star, Cowboy Bebop, Ruin Explorers, Slayers, Legend of Crystania, Excel Saga.


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## Leto

Esioul said:
			
		

> Iv'e never seen any anime. How was he Howl's Moving Castle film? I'd like to see that, when it comes out here.



Very good, although from what I've read not very faithful to the oginal novel. But it really worth it.


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## Kai

If your just getting into anime then some essentials are:

Laputa - Miyizaki/Studio Ghibli - beatiful visuals and heart-warming story
Princess Mononoke - has it all
Spirited Away - Miyizaki/Studio Ghibli - great story
Wings of Honneamise - First of the Big budget animes i think
Perfect Blue - amazing story
Metropolis - An amazing mix of early 90's jazz feel with robots, giving a pre-matrix feel to the world (especially if you've seen Animatrix's second renaissance)
Blood the Last Vampire - Amazing visuals

All are very good to look at and with plenty of story too.


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## rougetrader

somehow you have all managed to miss the greatest anime series(plus movies)of all time. Lupen the Third


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## Quokka

Aeolus14Umbra said:
			
		

> Tho' off-topic, I'm thrilled to see some fellow Godzilla fans out there!
> 
> 
> Very poignant point, Mr Foxbat! This might have something to do with the fact that some of us "older" nutters can vividly remember watching these fabulous, magical films when we were little kids, during those great all-night "creature feature" marathons they used to have!! They certainly leave an impression...I've spent a good part of my adult life chasing this stuff up on the internet! ...Ah, TV in the '70s, what magic! But then 1980 arrived, and everything went SOUR...(sob sob)...I feel sorry for kids born post-1980, they missed out on some real culture!!!
> 
> I'm a novice when it comes to anime/manga...but I like what I've seen: AKIRA, LEGEND OF THE OVERFIEND, PERFECT BLUE...!!


 
It's not all bad for us kids of the 80's though. There's alot of 50's SF movies that i love (When worlds collide being a particular favourite) but my love of Asian animation is firmly based in the cartoons I grew up watching and there were quite a few of them.

Speed racer, Battle of the planets (this one had quite a few names depending on where you saw it, G-force/gatchaman apparently the wetern cartoon was a mix of several Asian cartoons), Robotech (amazing storyline for a young kid, when all the western cartoons were just half an hour storys that lead nowhere this really developed as the series went on), Voltron, Astroboy, Starblazer and non-anime the classic Monkey Magic.... Ok so alot of these are not strictly from after 1980 but they were certainly still being shown in the early to mid 80's where i was.


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## Amber

Gundam Wing the movie... though a child's movie really I'd guess, there's something quite moving in it's portrayal of life and politics


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## Eradius Lore

Amber said:
			
		

> Gundam Wing the movie... though a child's movie really I'd guess, there's something quite moving in it's portrayal of life and politics


 
i have to say i cant stand for that, its not a child's movie.

as for anime i recommend: 
Gundam wing-film & series
Full metal panic
Rune Soldiers
Dirty Pair
zone of the enders-film & series
Bubblegum crisis tokyo 2040
Cowboy Bebop


----------



## Terrorflame The Droo

_Vampire Hunter D_ is great but I can only find it dubbed for some reason, would love to find a sub version. D is great and good looking.  Love it but it is very padded out espesially at the end with fancy sky artwork that goes on for ages.

_Vampire Hunter D Bloodlust_ also good, recorded originally in English. But it was very nealry ruined by the talking hand that thing wouldn't shut up, seemed like they were trying to introduce the comedy sidekick we see so often in Disney films, that didn't really work for me.


----------



## Habernakle

I love Trigun. I LUV it. Serrouisly, I'm spelling words wrong because I love it so much. Faviorate charecture is Vash. OHHHHHH! LUV HIM, LUV HIM, LUV HIM! Sorry. I also like a few other animes.

Full Metal Acelmist(Spelling Bad)
s-CRY-ed
Wolfs Rain
One Piece(Cool Style of anime is also funny)
Dragon Ball
Dragon Ball Z
Dragon Ball GT
Trigun(Of Course)
Inuyasha
Vampire Hunter D
Cowboy Bebop
Sailor Moon(It may be chessy and full of girls with short skirts but I like it)
Gundam Seed
Fooly Cooly

I said a few. It is drawfed to the amout other people watch....


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## Thadlerian

It's about a year since I "discovered" animè, watching a pirate version of *Mononoke* at a friend's (purchased the DVD later). I thought it was just OK.

I used to be in two minds about animè; the style was interesting, but there seemed to be a certain threat of lewdness always lurking nearby.

I have come to the conclusion that I'll see the movies, and steer clear of just about about everything else (except some mangas). As for the animè movies, most of them are the greatest I've ever seen, and all of them superior to anything Disney has manufactured the last 30 or so years.

Some sort of "best-to-not-best" (you can't talk about "worst" here) order:

Ghiblies first.

*Spirited Away* - The best of the best. It does everything perfect, except for the wave of the train running thorugh the sea.

*Whisper of the Heart* - Sweet movie, as down-to-earth as it gets, recommended for any aspiring writer.

*Pom Poko* - Weirdness. Totally hilarious, and, what's better, very sad.

*Porco Rosso* - Nice, calm, ponderous. Sort of alternative history set in the Mediterranean.

*Princess Mononoke* - Work of epic proportions, but I think it can be even more enjoyable if you sit down to ponder the meaning of the main character.

*Only Yesterday* - Even more down-to-earth than *Whisper*. Remember to watch the full credits afterwards!

*Nausicäa of the Valley of the Wind* - Cool ecologically themed science fiction. But the manga is a thousand times better.

*My Neighbour Totoro* - Excellent kids' movie.

*Kiki's Delivery Service* - Feelgood film. I consider it socially "nutritious". See if you figure.

*Grave of the Fireflies* - Sad war movie.

*Castle in the Sky* - Like the first *Star Wars*, this is an excellent science fiction adventure.

*Lupin III - Castle of Cagliostro* - Amusing, but after having peeked into a Lupin III manga, it seems like the movie completely reinvents the character to its own purposes.

*The Cat Returns* - Not a sequel to *Whisper*, but using some of the same characters. Nice kids' movie, done differently from other Ghiblies.

Those were Studio Ghibli. There are some others:

*Metropolis* - The style is overwhelming; i simply love it, it's so simple, yet so excessively elaborate and sophisticated.

*Ghost in the Shell* - Interesting but too short cyberpunk about life and soul.

*Wonderful Days* - South Korean anime combining CGI and 2d, with weird results. A mixed blessing.

*Tokyo Godfathers* - Down-to-earth and beautiful. Very sentimental; watch this around Christmas!

And last:

*Steamboy* - Abysmal. Lots of nice graphics, but hopeless characters and lots of implausible morality soap-boxing.


----------



## Winters_Sorrow

Yup - some good movies up there (although you could get in a spirited debate about whether or not Hayao Miyazaki's work is technically anime or is "Japanese animation" which is apparently very different so I'm told  ).

I loved *Castle in the Sky* - the first 'anime' I ever saw and recently purchased it on dvd and enjoyed it all over again.

If you haven't seen them yet, I recommend *Cowboy Bebop* which is very good and *Voices of a Distant Star* which is surperb considering it was created by 1 guy in his own home with his he & his girlfriend performing the voices. Amazing!


----------



## don sky

Guyver's pretty cool. Ghost in the shell and Spirited away were also good flicks!


----------



## GOLLUM

rougetrader said:
			
		

> somehow you have all managed to miss the greatest anime series(plus movies)of all time. Lupen the Third


Well I for one agree with you on this.

_The Castle of Cagliostro_ as Miyazaki's directorial debut film is one of my favs that I remember fondly when growing up.


----------



## Jason_Taverner

I saw an advert in the back of a mag for Sky Blue has anyone seen it any thoughts and my fav manga is legend of the overfiend just for the record


----------



## SukiTrek

Project Ako 
Bubblegum Crises and Crash
Ghost in the Shell 1 and 2
Amitage Dual Matrix
Spirited Away
There are a bunch!


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## Winters_Sorrow

Jason_Taverner said:
			
		

> I saw an advert in the back of a mag for Sky Blue has anyone seen it any thoughts and my fav manga is legend of the overfiend just for the record


 
Well, it's no overfiend, that's for sure!!  

Basically Sky Blue is just a visually stunning anime, blending in traditional animation, CGI & modelwork and 'live' shots into one film. 
It's groundbreaking visually, and whilst the story is the usual rather thin sci-fi post-apocalyptic nonsense, it's alright.
Watch it for the amazing graphics and try to ignore the hackneyed plot and dialogue as best you can


----------



## Zan

I really like Sakura Wars, the story develops nicely and the characters growth along the episodes. Spirited Away is also a great movie with a very magical world within


----------



## Crymic

3x3 Eyes < good just wish there was more to the anime.
Mini-Goddess < funny
Ah My Goddess! tv/oav/Movie
Arc The Lad < is ok
Argentosoma
*******!! < comic is better then anime
Battle Athletes TV/OAV
Berserk < comic is better
Black Heaven < 80's rock
Bubble Gum Crisis/Crash and 2040
Ceres: Celestial Legend
Chobits
Dragon half < very funny
Dual!
El-Hazard: Series
Excel Saga < Random parodies Very funny
Fruits Basket < cute emo anime 
Full Metal Panic series
Gatekeepers and 21 series 
GTO < heard the comic and live action were better
Hand Maid May < tons of fan service
Hellsing and Ulitmate < Think I like Ulitmate better
His and Her Circumstances 
I'm Gonna Be An Angel 
Idol Project 
Kiki's Delivery Service
Laputa: Castle in the Sky
Love Hina < alright but afterwhile I got sick of it
Magic User's Club < cute anime
Mahoromatic
Maze < main character is a girl during the day, a guy at night
Photon < very funny
Princess Mononoke
RahXephon < very good
Revolutionary Girl Utena < you either love or hate this series
Rurouni Kenshin
Shamanic Princess < wish they woulda made more
Slayers < very funny
Spirited Away
Sorcerer Hunters
Soultaker
Steel Angel Kurumi < cute anime, fan service
Those Who Hunt Elves < or was it Those who strip elves
Trigun
Vampire Hunter D: Bloodlust
Vandread
X tv/Movie
Angelic Layer < cute series
Azumanga Daioh < very funny
Bottle Fairy < very funny parody
Chrno Crusade 
Cowboy Bebop < don't ever look for Man faye
Digi Charat <cute and funny
DNAngel
Escaflowne < best anime soundtrack ever
FLCL < gainax did some hardcore drugs when they were making this
Full Metal Alchemist + movie
Ghost in the shell: SAC
Gunslinger Girl < loli girls with guns
Haibane Renmei 
Ikkitousen < fan service fighting girls
Last Exile
Mahoujin Guru < parody of fantasy adventures
Melody of Oblivion < pretty good
Midori no hibi < very funny in a cracked out way
Naruto < skip the gap fillers and you'll be fine
Ninja Scroll tv
Noir
Now and then, Here and now
Onegai Teacher
Peacemaker Kurogane < you can miss the middle and not miss anything
Popotan < total fanservice
Princess Tutu < a must to get. This show may look very cute, total lies
Record of the Lodoss War
Read or Die/Dream tv/oav
Scrapped Princess < very good
Scryed-r
Serial Experimental Lain < ok what were they smoking?
Star Ocean EX < based on the video game
Stellvia < they should have ended this show at ep 12
Super Gals
Tales of Eternia
Tenjou Tenge
Tokyo Underground
Ultra Maniac 
Voices of a Distant Star
Witch Hunter Robin 
Wolf's Rain 
Wonderful Days Movie
Yami to Boushi to Hon no Tabibito < yuri themes
Yumeria
Fate/stay Night < very good show
Air < really wish they put in the whole story
Basilisk
Black Cat
Black lagoon
Bleach
Blood + tv < movie version kind sucked
Chevalier < could be awesome
Ergo Proxy
Eureka Seven
Inukami! < pretty funny if you can survive past the second ep
Keroro Gunso < Lets invade earth! Oh wait, I must build more gundam models
Kiba
Ouran High School Host Club
Rozen Maiden
School Rumble
Shakugan no Shana
Shingetsutan Tsukihime < they cut out alot of stuff
Strawberry Panic < yuri
The Third < this show would be soo much better if the narraitor would just die
Tsubasa Chronicles
Utawarerumono < very good
Zegapain
Zero no Tsukaima < Cross between Harry potter and Shakugan no Shana


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## mikeo

I admit I don't know a huge amount about anime, but thought I'd mention for UK members that Film 4 seems to be showing a fair amount of anime at the moment. It's on freeview, and I've seen Princess Mononoke, Porco Rosso, and Graveyard of the Fireflies on it just in the past few days.


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## BookStop

My kids have just discovered Escaflowne - they are in a trance!


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## The Upright Man

i have just discovered full metal alchemist and im wondering is there any other anime that is similar to this and if so can someone tell me them plzzz


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## Alurny

BookStop said:


> My kids have just discovered Escaflowne - they are in a trance!



Haha I remember the day I first watched it. Prince Van is annoying though!


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## Talysia

Oh, I remember Escaflowne.  It was good to see some anime on television for a change.  Nice to see some fantasy anime, too.  Usually it's the "giant robots fighting each other type of anime".  Oh, wait.  I forgot about the Guymelfs...


----------



## ras'matroi

I loved the idea of the guymelefs.
I think my favorite character was Folken. He was a bit more 'deep'. (Don't know the right word) I mean the attitudes of all the others were so clear but his weren't.
But it has been a long time since I watched it the last time.


----------



## Talysia

I liked Folken, too.  It was a shame, what happened to him, but I suppose it was inevitable given the storyline.  And you're right about his motives being unclear right until the end.  Everyone else seemed like the usual fantasy stereotypes.  Still, it was one of my favourites for a while.  I must watch it again, too.


----------



## Thadlerian

After having d/l'd the series, I've watched the two first episodes (subbed) of _Escaflowne_. It seems rather silly and tiresome, but so were the first episodes of _Babylon 5_ and _Farscape_, so I'm giving the series a chance for a while.

But then again, animé being concerned, I'm spoiled with gems like _Wolf's Rain_ and _Haibane Renmei_. _Escaflowne_ seems closer to how I initially imagined animé would be, before I started watching Miyazaki.


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## ras'matroi

Another film I wathed some time ago was called The Hakkenden (or something like that).
It was about I think 10 or 12 young man who were, even if they came from different families, brothers in spirit and had the same birthmark.
As the story went on the found each other and in spite of their differences became a well working group/team.
But the plotline has long faded away.

Does anyone else knows this movie?


----------



## Talysia

I didn't see this one, but I have heard of it.  (Gets out her anime movie guide) Wasn't it something to do with 8 spiritually linked brothers with interesting parentage - the title Hakkenden translates as The Eight Dogs Legend - who are reunited to fight evil and restore the honour of their mother's clan.  I wanted to see this one, but sadly missed it.


----------



## ras'matroi

Then it was probably 8 istead of 10-12 
As I said it was a long time since, too.


----------



## Talysia

That was one of the titles that I always picked up off the shelf, but never got around to watching as there were other titles released at the time. I wanted to watch it, too.  
Yet another old school title I wish they would bring to region2 dvd...


----------



## Crymic

BookStop said:


> My kids have just discovered Escaflowne - they are in a trance!


The soundtrack for Escaflowne is just pure awesome. Really sucks the ending was rushed due to budget. I'm not sure if they went Bankrupt or almost.


Alurny said:


> Haha I remember the day I first watched it. Prince Van is annoying though!


Which version did you watch? The 4kids or the original?
There's a huge difference.. 4kids totally changed alot of stuff.


ras'matroi said:


> Another film I wathed some time ago was called The Hakkenden (or something like that).
> It was about I think 10 or 12 young man who were, even if they came from different families, brothers in spirit and had the same birthmark.
> As the story went on the found each other and in spite of their differences became a well working group/team.
> But the plotline has long faded away.
> 
> Does anyone else knows this movie?


Well I know there was a oav series of this.. Maybe they did a movie version of it too. But I think it's a Pioneer title. Think I only saw a few eps of it.


----------



## Dave

*Re: Steamboy*



Thadlerian said:


> *Steamboy* - Abysmal. Lots of nice graphics, but hopeless characters and lots of implausible morality soap-boxing.


I'd been waiting some time to see this. I'm a fan of Steampunk. It had good voice actors and the graphics were nice, but unfortunately I have to agree with you on everything else.

I'd like to see more Anime though, so I'll take up some of these other suggestions sometime. I've not seen anything apart from Pokemon and YuGiOh, not even Akira.


----------



## Munkeygames

Sorry if its mentioned earlier in the thread - but if you want a really good anime i recommend "The Cat Returns" it really is an amazing film another great one is "The castle of Cagliostro"

Both of these are pure adventure - a real rarity in cimema these days

 But please please please only watch with subtitles - dubbing ruins the entire feel of anime


----------



## The Upright Man

yep The Cat Returns is pure magic, was on tv while back.  i sat down only meanin to watch the first ten mins. hour and a half later, i was still screaming at the tele for the likle girl to escape. i got sooo absorbed into it
good ole Ghibli


----------



## spaceseed

I like stuff like the old Gundam and the sci-fi oriented stuff but haven't followed it for a while. I've been trying to learn about it since I have friends into it.

I found this clip on Youtube and was wondering if anyone knows anything about this. It looks cool but wanted to know more about it. I liked the song but knew nothing about the anime bit.

YouTube - Tenjho Tenge - Dirty


----------



## Talysia

I haven't seen any of Tenjho Tenge, so I can't really comment on it.  I would definitely agree with all of the recommendations for just about anything by Ghibli/Miyazaki, though, as well as Ghost in the Shell and Cowboy Bebop.  (Anyone who knows me knows that those last two won't come as a surprise.)


----------



## Momoka

Well, I read the Tenjo Tenge manga, and if it's anything like it expect lots of martial-arts-school versus school fighting, mystical fighting styles and large-chested girls 

I recommend anything Ghibli/Miyazaki (as always), Zero no Tsukaima and Project A-ko for comedy, Eden's Bowy for fantasy/rpg-ish anime, Ayashi no Ceres and Jigoku Shoujo/ Jigoku Shoujo Futakomori for something darker, Revolutionary Girl Utena for shoujo-ai-ness and strangeness and Elfen Lied for more action/horror.

There will be a ton more, but I'm having trouble recalling them right now


----------



## Constantine Opal

On DVD I have: 

Pom Poko
Kiki's Delivery Service
Castle in the Sky
Porco Rosso
My Neighbour Totoro
Nausicaa of the Valley of the Wind (my absolute favourite)
Princess Mononoke
Grave of the Fireflies
Only Yesterday
The Ocean Waves
Spirited Away
Whisper of the Heart 
and a couple of other DVD's all in a Studio Ghibli boxset in Japanese. Most of them have English subtitles bar the two I'm not sure of! 

I also have the Spirited Away, Princess Mononoke and Nausicaa that were released dubbed in English (voices from such actors as Patrick Stewart, Clare Danes etc). I would say that anyone wanting to start of gentle should give these a try! 

Other random DVD's: Akira, Macross Plus, Interstella 5555: The Story of the Secret Star System (feature length film from the animated Daft Punk videos), Evangelion, Ghost in the Shell, Blood: The Last Vampire and Vampire Hunter D. 

(takes a breath)

Videos: MD Geist, Ghost in the Shell (again!), Akira (again!), Appleseed, Lensman, Fist of the North Star, The Guyver and Crying Freeman. 

I also buy a magazine about Anime and Manga called Neo as and when I see it poking out of a shelf... all alone! Despite all this, I am by no means and expert and still haven't managed to pick up any Japanese!!! 

All I know is, I love it and I love the animation which is, at times, breathtaking.


----------



## Troo

Well on the plus side picking up Japanese from Anime alone usually leaves you with stilted vocabulary such as "Neko genki wai!" and "Kawaii! Baka!"


----------

