Forum - View topicYour Top 10 / Worst 5 things. Why? (w/ index).
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Mai Yukino
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After watching a few other anime titles, I wanted to make a new list, so here is my top 10 best anime, some from my old list will be in the new and many of my favorites are character driven series.
Legend of the Galactic Heroes-After I watched this series, I thought that this was the best space opera anime I ever seen and surpassed Crest/Banner of the Stars, with LOGH the series goes into detail of the conflicts concerning all sides and offers a rich cast of characters and a splendid cast of seiyuu to voice the roles. The series shows the story of the Galactic Empire's Reinhard von Lohengramm and his allies and the Free Planets Alliance's Yang Wenli and his allies as well as both individuals rise to power. I was truly impressed on how the series was presented and I see LOGH as a character driven series considering how diverse the cast is. The space battles were a splendid sight to see as well. All in all, LOGH is truly an epic series. Kanon 2006-This is my favorite title of the trilogy between Air and Clannad. I enjoy Kanon the best due to the heartwarming tale of the male lead, Yuuichi Aizawa and his relationships with those around him as well as the stories between the lead female cast, I could connect to all five of the girls, and their stories were filled with many emotions that made me cry in some places and made me smile in others. Bubblegum Crisis-One great piece of 80's-early 90's nostalgia, I fell in love with this series after listening to the awesome songs and drove me to watch the series and after I have, my love of the series doubled. With seiyuu like Yoshiko Sakakibara and Toshio Furukawa among the cast along with the talents of Kinuko Ohmori and Maiko Hashimoto made the series even more enjoyable. Neon Genesis Evangelion-I love Evangelion due to it being a very character driven series with the cast. Sure some of the character personalities can be a turn-off, but after learning of the tragic pasts of these characters, I can understand why they act the way they do. Blue Seed-Loved this series as it had awesome action, a well told story, endearing romance, and a likeable cast. As it began with monster of the week fare, it delved out of that to bring a dramatic story of two sisters in conflict with each other, one wanting to save Japan from destruction(Momji) and the other(Kaede) wanting to destroy Japan to revert it back to the way it was during ancient times. Momiji turned out to be a strong heroine, seeking to become stronger in her own right and not always relying on Kusanagi as most heroines do and I connected to Kaede's pain and why she became the way she did. Macross Plus-This was my favorite of the Macross franchise as it dealt with a love triangle between adult characters, a rarity in anime, and a complex story between man vs. machine and the leads dealing with their own inner demons. Sharon Apple was quite the interesting character too as most of the Macross idols were those that brought love and harmony through songs, but Sharon was quite unique as she could bring out the darkest desires within the hearts of her listeners with her siren song. It was quite the mature series and a rich character drama. Cowboy Bebop-I love Bebop as like Macross Plus, a rich character drama and having Yoko Kanno doing the music of the series. Between this and Black Lagoon, a series smilar to Bebop and also a series I like, I liked Bebop more as it went into detail of all the lead characters and their pasts and the kinds of people they were and made them more well rounded and I could connect to them. I was deeply touched by Spike and Faye's backstories. Bebop had moments that made me laugh, smile, and cry. Kimagure Orange Road-One of the romance comedies I enjoyed the most because of two things, one the character of Madoka Ayukawa, a likable tsundere and two, an interesting twist on a love triangle, two best friends, Madoka and Hikaru Hiyama both in love with Kyosuke Kasuga, the male lead, and executed rather well where the TV series and the OVA keep the triangle light hearted and the first movie taking the love triangle into a dramatic turn where Kyosuke finally is decisive. I was rather pleased with how the series/films played out. Tekkaman Blade-I loved this series as it goes beyond the run of the mill mecha/sentai series, but adds character drama dealing with the story of Takaya "D-Boy" Aiba and his conflict with the alien threat that had taken his family and friends and turned them against him, except for his younger sister who wasn't fully taken control of . D-Boy is not alone in his struggle as his new comrades stay loyally by his side, throughout the good times and bad. This series is more enjoyable in the original Japanese language version instead of the heavily edited Teknoman version of the series. Full Metal Panic!/Fumoffu/TSR-With this series, I enjoyed the many elements brought together to make it as a whole, with the comedic high school hijinks, with the mecha action and the dramatic political intrigue, made FMP another unique kind of series. Worst...those I have seen and don't like Gundam SEED/Destiny-As a Gundam fan, I didn't like the SEED universe as most of the cast was unlikeable and couldn't connect with either of them and I didn't care for the romance. It also lacked a solid, well told story and the sequel repeated the same themes as the first series. The Melancholy of Haruhi Suzumiya-I tried to like it, but I found myself not caring too much for it, I was irritated with the lead character herself as well as most of the other characters(although I could tolerate Yuki). Like with most people, the Endless Eight arc drove me nuts. Inuyasha-I didn't like Inuyasha due in part to most of the series having stereotypical elements in it and most of the gags in the series got old, like Miroku's constant groping of Sango and other females, Kagome's relentless "Sit!" commands, and Naraku's hide and seek act. The series would've been solid if it were shorter. Naruto/Bleach-These two series tie because of both series storylines being dragged out way too far combined with useless filler arcs. Ninja Ressurrection/Tekken:the Motion Picture-These were on my old list as being horrible titles to begin with and me asking myself why ADV bothered licensing them to begin with. Last edited by Mai Yukino on Wed Jan 12, 2011 7:36 am; edited 2 times in total |
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Aoi_Sakaraba
 Posts: 312 Location: Des Moines, Iowa |
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@28etc.
Once you watch the second season of when they cry your mind will be blown. [EDIT: Please don't make giant-ass quotes and reply with one-liners. Just address the user directly or quote relevant parts of the post. -TK] |
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28076004505531
 Posts: 124 Location: Ohio, USA |
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since you insisted, i'll try for sure....
[EDIT: You too, don't make giant-ass quotes. It fuglifies the page. In fact, when replying directly to a user, you don't even have to quote or anything. Just reply directly underneath. -TK] |
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Hikikomori Safari
 Posts: 44 Location: Calgary |
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Well here goes, I feel Like I'm cutting so many excellent series out, but These are my current top 10 favorites. I've excluded movies as I cant seem to rate them against series.
1. Eureka Seven My all time favorite anime. A sci-fi romance mecha that takes a more character based focus and follows the life of a boy growing up. It's hard to put into words why this is such a special work. Everything in the series just felt like it was done right. The overall plot and writing was so unique and fantastic, a story hasn't grabbed me and pulled me in quite like this. There are so many beautiful moments throughout the series that I look back on and just don't see in other series. Renton and Eureka's relationship feels believable and I cant help but understand their true need for each other. Over the series they overcome hardship and grow along with the rest of the large and lovable cast. The next wonder of the series is the amazing musical score. So many remarkable pieces used throughout the series, from epic orchestral to new age techno, they all fit in perfectly. I also love the openings and endings and felt they were well chosen for the overall feeling of the series at the time. The last thing I'll mention is conclusion. This has one of the most powerful and enjoyable endings I've seen in an anime. The insert song "rainbow" was really well chosen for that moment. Now the show is not without it's flaws, but I've never been so emotionally invested in a series than when I was watching eureka seven. 2. Kare no Kyoukai - The Garden of Sinners A show steeped in mystery. It follows a girl named shiki with a multiple personality disorder through supernatural investigations. The story is told in a non-linear fashion, each movie taking place at a different time slowly revealing the truth over the works. I enjoyed the way it was delivered and trying to piece everything together. The visuals are the highlight of the series. Beautiful backrounds and animation, there is just so much detail in every scene. The character interactions felt genuine and complex. Again another solid soundtrack wraps up another well made production. I Just think this was a well told mystery that became very deep and complex as the story progressed and that's why it gets me number 2. 3. Paradise Kiss This one wrecked me. A modern day love story that takes a more realistic approach to relationships. The writing and artwork is what I really fell in love with. The characters were something else, fully developed, interesting, and unique. Then, match that with amazing character designs and an interesting take on modern fashion. The opening "lonely and gorgeous" is so perfect for the series and the ED by Franz Ferdinand is something I'll never get sick of. The series is an emotional roller coaster and the ending left me in tears. 4. Planetes When I think of plausible space exploration, this is the first series that first comes to mind. I really liked the entire premise of this, but then again I am partial to Sci-fi. It's so much more than trash men cleaning up outer space, It's a wonderful character drama with two incredibly likable leads. Overall I found the cast charming and the story believable. 5. Haibane Renmaei I think this one caught me with the first episode. I have never felt so much empathy for a character in pain like I did for Rakka. I think the scene when the wings are trying to break through the skin was incredibly well done, probably one of the best scenes I've ever witnessed. There were just so many moments in this anime that I could connect with. If I could sum up the entire series in a word, it would be Beautiful. The opening song Freebird feels so uplifting every time i hear it. I think this is a series everyone should watch once. 6. BECK: Mongolian Chop Squad This show just felt very authentic to me. I loved the music, and that being a large part of the show probably helped. The main thing that drew me in and made me enjoy it as much as I did was the interactions between Koyuki and Maho. They just felt sincere. When Koyuki got up on stage alone in front of the huge crowd I couldn't help but cheer inside for him. I think this series did an excellent job of connecting me with the characters and wanting them to succeed. 7. Nana Another music heavy anime, but this one has by far the best sound track of any anime in my opinion. Anna Tsuchiya and Olivia make this anime come alive with the most inspired sound track to date. Sharing the same writer as my number 3, paradise kiss, this is again another mature romantic drama with a realistic approach. Hachi's naivete is absolutely charming and Nana's tough but fragile character is as well. I love the character designs, I love the Story, I love everything about this, except having to wait for another season that may not come. 8. Infinite Ryvius I only watched this recently but it made a big impact. A character study with a space travel backdrop. While it took the time to create an intriguing setting of a galaxy with gravitational anomalies and creatures who lived within them, almost the whole focus was on the characters and their ordeals with one another. I found this incredibly unique of both the writing and directing to take the approach they did with the series.It's just a very human story about societies and rules, but it feels like something so much more than "lord of the flies" in space. 9. Kemono no Souja Erin There's something unique and refreshing about this series. I like how it's accessible to all audiences but doesn't sacrifice depth. I liked the fantasy world they created, both the creatures and the society. It's just one of the series I can still sit down and enjoy without being inundated with panty shots or blood. Watching Erin go through so many tragedies can be tough at times, but the show continues with a wonderfully uplifting spirit. Although slow at times this show has a lot of heart and is well worth taking the scenic route. 10. Legend of the Galactic Heroes 110 episodes of pure awesome. I don't think I've ever marathoned a series harder. I was averaging about 10 episodes a day, which for me is a lot considering work. I just always wanted more. The series was so compelling and having the story told from both sides with no one really being the bad guy in the conflict. The characters were all memorable and interesting. Even when it was over I still wanted more. Honorable Mentions Princess Tutu - For transcending your genre and becoming the masterpiece that you are. Kare Kano - For being the best romantic comedy but running out of budget in the end Bakemonogatari - For being so witty and pretty. Kurau: Phantom Memory - For your wonderful Sci-fi story and beautiful relationships. Flag - For showing us a very human story through a unique perspective. 5 Least Favorites 1. Mezzo DSA I really hated this. I tried to like it, I did. The plots were absolutely garbage and the writing was terrible. It had so much potential as an action series, all thrown away. 2. Umineko no Naku Koro ni nonsense, that's how to best describe this series. There was no sense. I'm sure if I had finished it maybe everything would have come together, but when I'm 21 episodes in and cannot make it to 26, something is wrong. No payout is worth those 21 episodes. 3. Shangri-la This one did not sit well with me, I was anticipating it that season. Interesting premise of global warming and carbon trading and a pink haired girl with a killer boomerang. It's just nothing worked. The show was everywhere, no focus, bad writing. 4. The Melancholy of Haruhi Suzumiya: Endless Eight I'm not a big fan of the series in general, I just never "got it" and cant see why people are so in love with it. But, that's not enough to put the whole series on my hate list. I will refrain from putting it all on there, and just go with the endless eight. What a terrible idea, I mean was this a test of biblical proportions? Will I now be denied entrance to haruhi heaven? I just don't understand how anyone can stand 8 of the exact same episode. They have different outfits on... oh look a different angle to the same damn scene. 5. Insert Random Ecchi fanservice anime : Queens Blade. Just not my thing. Fanservice in moderation can be a good thing. But some of the titles these days I can't help but feel they are in poor taste. |
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Zalis116
Moderator
 Posts: 6900 Location: Kazune City |
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skulljoke90
Posts: 11 |
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MY TOP 10 BEST ANIMES
1. One Piece I know! A "major" anime but it's so good. The story is amazing. Just perfect. Sure there are a lot of cliches but all animes have them! This is an anime you can watch all over again 2. FMA Brotherhood Great story, awesome characters and leaves a little to complain about. Unique story and world. Keeps you interested. Lots of comedy which is important to me in a series if it's a longer one. 3. Hellsing Ultimate Well this thing is just great! So much action. I love Alucard and his style! PLUS Vampires are cool! 4. Ginga Nagareboshi Gin This anime got really big in northern Europe (Finland, Sweden, Norway). Not many people know this but it's a great story. Sure it''s old but it still manages to entertain you. VERY good series and you should watch it if you haven't!!! It's a series that got me hooked up in anime when i was like 6. And no it is not a kids anime. Very raw and brutal but good! 5. Bleach Very good story if you read the manga but can be boring if you watch the anime. 6. DBZ Amazing battles! Great series...even though it's old! 
7. Black Lagoon SICKKKKK!!! BUT SOO AWESOME! Revy is such a bad-ass! 8. Code Geass Usually i don't care for mecha series but this ha such a great plot that i kept me addicted for both seasons. 9. Rainbow Realistic and describes the darkest sides of humans very well. I could see this happeing at the time the story is told. WORTH CHECKING OUT! 10. Sherlock Hound Miyazaki's great series and an awesome take on Sherlock Holmes. Characters are funny as ****! 
MY TOP 5 WORST ANIMES 1. Hitman Reborn Never got interesting. Pice of crap......boring ....oh so boring. I hoped for it to turn good but it just kept being childish and repeatitive. 2. Final Fantasy Unlimited NOW the reason this is here is not that it's bad. Infact i loved this but I T GOT EFFIN CANCELLED!!!! This is why it's the second "worst" anime ever made because the incrdible story was left without a conclusion 3. DB GT I was excited to hear that DBZ was getting a "sequel" except that it's not a sequel. Basically the first series only with Trunks and that annoying little girl 4. Bleach (it's good and bad at the same time) Fillers suck! 5. Basilisk I like ninjas but this got kinda boring spoiler[when EVERY good character died during the first 6 episodes]!! X( |
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Aoi_Sakaraba
Posts: 312 Location: Des Moines, Iowa |
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Umineko makes sense, it just takes a certain mind set, and an acquired taste of anime to enjoy it. For example I've seen many genres and themes in series within the 178 animes I've seen (179 in 40 min when I finish maid guy). For me after seen all the fail Thriller and problem solving series (such as spiral which was still great but lacked the problem solving near the end), This one actually goes deeper and describes more than the others. Oh yeah Shangri-La... It's not included on my 178 entries because I haven't seen every episode yet. But what I can say is, that when it was a new series through a democratic vote in my college's anime club that series won because all the "yaoi fan girls" and stuff were like YAY Transvestites... Then a few episodes in they released they made a big mistake, and we had to watch that series all semester. Moral of the story, YOU CAN'T JUDGE A SERIES ON THE FIRST FEW EPISODES. 
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an.atticus
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1/Code Geass Lelouch of the Rebellion - Have always been a fan of a good mecha, but this one in particular had so much more going for it. Lulu was a great character love his twisted ways of getting what he wants also love the fact spoiler[ that Lulu is kinda like the bad guy here, like the whole evil guy that wants to take over the world (like the typical villian) but he actually achieves his goal.] Story was big one here too, loved everything about it. Captured me with Britannia invading different countries
2/His and her Circumstances (Kare Kano) - The only shitty thing here was, their budget went to shit. Other then that, the best romantic comedy of two high school kids ever. Also read the manga cause all I wanted was more. (it was also the series that got me to read manga) The end first episode hooked me Yukino is one of my all time favorite characters. 3/The Vision of Escaflowne - A great mecha/fantasy. First time I saw it was on tv and I didn't think to much of it. Eventually bought the whole series (bootlegged and later on the official release). Watched it all in 3 days. The romance didn't to much for me, it was the story and the characters, only character that slightly irritated me was merl(?) the cat girl. 4/Fruits Basket - One of my favorite romantic/comedies. Can't say I was a big fan of the ending the anime gave me, which is what eventually brought me to read the whole manga. Now the story it gives you in the first couple episodes. Girl is homeless moves in with two guys whoes family is cursed and turns into cute animals from the zodiac when hugged from opposite gender. Well I don't see the appeal, Yet it holds it place at my number 4. It was funny, well done, I cared about the characters. Even the story I ended up caring about what was going to happen next, what animal was going to be introduced next. 5/Gantz - Selected individuals who die get sent to a room forced to fight aliens hiding within our society. What can I say, theres action a curious story, a little point system to be free of the whole mess. I loved it. And i'm still reading the manga. Also Kai the lead character, became a real (slight spoiler) spoiler[badass] and I loved that. 6/My-Hime - A select few of highschool girls who have powers. Sounds cliche. But I saw very little cliche here. And the show gets real serious at the second half. Story, characters, fighting, the plot twist, loved it all. My-Otome was nowhere near this level of anime. 7/Romeo X Juliet - Iv'e never seen a play about it, I somehow have avoided all movies, TV shows, and books to do with the original or re telling. I knew the story kinda as far as girl meets boy in a forbidden love and they die, thats all I knew period. But this fantasy anime re telling version of it, was captivating. I could not stop watching it. Knowing how the original went, I still wanted to know what was going to happen next, and the way the Red whirlwind opens up in the first episode was epic. Great series. 8/Kurau Phantom Memory - First episode, I wasn't to sure if I was going to like the series, but that all changed very quickly. The relationships we see in this series are on a level of their own. Every relationship (and of course Kuraus with christmas) that we see throughout the series had me on the verge of tears. And the incident with the (the detectives father) police chief and his family, and then you think those are lights in the windows....Oh man I love this series thats all there is to it. 9/ Ouran High School Host Club - Highschool comedy of a girl who gets mistaken as a boy and joins a host club out of blackmail/debt. This show is my favorite highschool comedy and just for the comedy. I enjoyed every minute of it. 10/Kinos Journey - A collection of events that happen throughout Kinos journey of the world. These episodes are all crative and unique. Most from the way I remember it, with incredibly sad endings. And sometimes funny in a dark kinda way (referring to the prophecy). Honorable mentions I feel like these just need to be mentioned Gundam 8th MS team Gundam 00 Fushigi Yugi Samurai X Trust and Betrayal One Piece Baccano Anime I like the least 1/Green Green - boys at summer camp school thingy, a bunch of girls show up. Fan service probably nose bleeds, i don't remember. Girl who travels through time to meet the man of her dreams or something.......its bad 2/Koi Kaze - Yes i'm biased, I hated the fact that he was like or is a older brother, hated the age gap, hated how perverted he was, hated he was a loser in life, I hated this show. 3/ Galaxy Fraulein Yuna - This show can be described with one word. Obnoxious. 4/Murder Princess - Did not like the whole evil princess destroys giant monsters. In fact I hated the whole evil princess with pumpkin head friends and shit. 5/SD Gundam - Big gundam fan, could not take this one serious, did not want to take this one serious, I understand who its aimed it. Still I hate it. |
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EventHorizon
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Top eight, as of now anyway:
1. Higurashi no naku koro ni: Magnificent in every sense of the word. Nothing can beat the first run through of this show, where everything is 'WTF' and you keep running theories through your head only to watch them collapse in the next episode. Some of the moe stuff grates after a while, but the myriad pains of the residents of Hinamizawa, surely the most unlucky village ever to live through a July day, more than compensates. Everyone should watch this at least once. 2. Code Geass R1/2: A true populist anime, and all the better for it. Apes multiple genres to produce something that should appeal to pretty much anyone, for me it was the political intrigue, antihero persona and slow burn build-up of the protagonist (antagonist?). Drops off significantly in the second series, a decline that even a great (if slightly obvious) twist can't save. It's probably been said elsewhere, but if you do have positive memories of this series because of that final reveal, those memories that are not entirely justified. Code Geass is a great series, but it has flaws, repetition and convolution being two of them. For me however, the former greatly outweighs the latter. 3. Mushishi: A masterpiece, both beautiful and thought provoking. Like a very fine wine, should be enjoyed only a few episodes at a time to give the flavour time to linger on the palate and ponder what you've just had the good fortune to witness. Probably too slow-paced for some people, and the episodic nature will likely deflect interest from some of those who may otherwise enjoy a slow-burning, intelligent and very comforting anime that, for me, re-affirmed the inherent beauty and impartiality of life. 4. Ghost in the Shell: Grabs you with a wonderful atmosphere from the first episode and never lets go. A complex, interweaving storyline that actually demands the viewer's undivided attention, I really appreciated that this was a show that didn't talk down to its audience but rather demanded that they keep up or be left standing. Amazing dub too, preferred it to the sub by quite a margin. Some of the stand alone episodes were a little on the weak side however. 5. Requiem From the Darkness: A lovely collection of traditional stories, exploring an area that few shows tend to tread. I enjoy this period of history and folklore in general, so the two combined made a show I was personally very interested in. I also thought the visual style really suited the subject matter as well: dark, somewhat reality-defying and rough around the edges, just like the stories the show visits upon the viewer. 6. Durarara!!: Better than Baccano! by a considerable margin, which in itself was very good. Appreciated the character study approach and overarching storyline which tied them all togeher, as well as the concept of a 'world within a district', with all the attendant intricacies one might expect from just a typical group of people in just a typical town. 7. Naruto: Yeah, I loved this show. Yes, it's classic shonen powering up anime, and it's not going to win any intelligence or beauty contests, but I've had more fun watching this than most other things I can think of. Skip the fillers and blast through a dozen episodes for a great way to spend a lazy afternoon. 8. Bakemonogatari: No idea why I like this. I have to watch every episode at least twice to understand what the heck is going on and I hate ecchi shows typically, but something just clicked and now I recommend this show to everyone who watches anime without being able to give any good reason as to why. And now, onto the worst four I've seen up to press: 1. Higurashi no naku koro ni Kai: First season good, second season bad. That simple really. Kai was to Higurashi what midichlorians were to the Force. 2. Welcome to the NHK: I feel a bit bad putting this in here, because it probably is a decent anime. But I watched this for the first time in my first year of college, and, as someone prone to worrying about the future anyway, it completely freaked me out. If I managed to erase the negative connotations it has now irrevocably etched into my mind, I might enjoy it. Alas, that can probably never happen. 3. Gantz: Getting through this was like trying to swim upstream against rapids, this is either quite a deep show that I'm missing the point of entirely or it's meaningless SPLODES! without a semblance of plot and, because I went into it expecting more, I hated it. Like Mushishi, if you watch this it should only be viewed a few episodes at a time. Unlike Mushishi, that's because it's like cheap, shoddily-made vodka that will gut your tastebuds if you take in too much at once. 4. Shigurui Gave up half way through. If it somehow transforms from loathesome crap without any redeeming quality to Tarantino-esque magnificence after this point, then I guess I've robbed myself. Somehow though, I doubt it. |
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rojse
 Posts: 234 |
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Just as an aside, I've currently reading through this entire thread (up to page forty-one so far and plan to continue up to this post and read all newer posts) and I've found it quite helpful, after you ignore the useless "list posts" - I've gotten some very interesting anime recommendations from it - some because of their well-written summations, others because they like similar shows to me and include some I had previously ignored or missed.
Best Anime (Alphabetical Order) Akira Tetsuo is a delinquent teenage motorcycle club member, seemingly without a future in front of him. One day, he suffers from an accident, and starts to develop psychic powers. This development escalates into an all-out war between several different groups of people, all with their own goals, desires and ambitions in mind, Tetsuo in the centre of it all. “Akira” manages to do a rather neat trick that few other shows or movies manage. On one hand, it’s violent and exciting enough to be enjoyed as an action piece – there’s plenty of variety in the action, it’s all done extremely well without feeling repetitive, and it’s all relevant in telling the story. On the other hand, the movie manages to use its setting and concept to provide plenty of intellectual meat to chew on underneath all of that, without distracting or detracting from the action pieces - it's more than able to stand up as a simple action movie if you’re after something fun and dumb. It’s also rather stylishly done, too – the animation is beautiful, not even taking into account the fact that the movie is over twenty years old, the setting of Neo-Tokyo is well-drawn and believable – imposing geometric city skylines, down to the dirty underbelly of the city and its filthy denizens - and the action pieces are all well-choreographed, too. It’s no wonder “Akira” hooked so many people onto anime in the late eighties and early nineties. Dennō Coil In the near-future, Yūko and her family move to Daikoku City, a city which leads the way in the development of a virtual world, overlaid on the real world. Yūko quickly becomes involved in the virtual world, at first, only as a form of leisure and entertainment, but begins to be embroiled in some very serious situations. Dennō Coil" manages to be a brilliant television series for both children and adults. For children, it has interesting and fun ideas that aren’t repeated in a million other shows – I particularly loved the virtual-reality world – and it’s exciting and entertaining to watch. For adults, it doesn't have the repetitive storylines, plot holes and inconsistencies, stereotyped and simplistic characters, or lack of ideas and imagination that one would normally associate with a children's show. And it’s also exciting and entertaining to watch. I consider it a tragedy that this show has not yet been given an English release. Elfen Lied There are two completely different shows here, melded together like a demonic hybrid creature. One is a sadistically violent and bloody action and horror anime, the sole goal of which is to completely destroy the lives and psyches of each of the characters that inhabit the world which is depicted. The other is a light-hearted harem anime. Somehow, the two manage to both work together and play off each other at the same time – the harem part of the show provides the characterization and gratuitous fan service, the action and horror part provides the excitement and drama, and adds a dark and twisted spin on the harem aspect of the show. Oh, and the mood whiplash between the humour and the darker elements of the show works quite well, too. Certainly, it’s not a show that everyone will enjoy, but well worth looking at, nonetheless. Ghost in the Shell: Stand Alone Complex “Ghost in the Shell: SAC” is about the adventures of a group of cyborgs who work for an elite, high-tech police agency in Japan. The show can be quite complex at times, with an intricate overarching plot, complex ideas, and deep philosophical ruminations on a variety of subjects. And while you need to have some understanding of the high-brow stuff to actually understand the plot, the show does manage to break this up quite well with both suspense and action to provide a break the complex ideas, while remaining relevant to the plot. There’s even a bit of fan service too, by the way of Major Kusanagi, but at the same time in no way demeans her strong and independent character. Legend of Galactic Heroes There's so many aspects of the show that are done with a rare brilliance here. There's the sheer scope of the story, encompassing the important characters and events of a major interstellar war in the far future. There are the well-developed characters on both sides of this war, with a multitude of major characters on both sides depicted as both morally complex and believable – there are no clichéd evil empires here. There are intelligent debates and discussions about a variety of topics, from religion to politics to terrorism to war, with difficult moral dilemmas presented, and how the story manages to span over one hundred episodes yet each episode builds upon the previous episode and is integral to the entire story being told, too – there’s no filler episodes here. Oh, and there’s that stunning classical music score, too – hundreds of pieces of classical music, ranging from dramatic to melancholy to light-hearted, all of which add to the grandiose feel of the show. Don’t let the vintage of this show put you off – the oldest episodes are over twenty years old – this is a true anime masterpiece indeed. Monster A serial killer is loose in Germany in the mid-nineties, after the fall of Communism and the Berlin Wall, and only a single vigilante on the run from the law is able to stop him. Anyone who has watched Monster knows that this summation doesn’t do justice to “Monster” at all, though – it makes the show seem like simple action fare, when the exact opposite is the case – the premise and back story of the show is built upon slowly and deliberately, little pieces slowly revealed, without feeling overly padded, and uses both suspense and tension quite well. There are also some very deep and dark themes here, and some ideas present that don’t get examined often in anime. The masterpiece of this show, though, is the serial killer itself, who, in spite of making no threats and rarely using direct violence against his victims, manages to exude an aura of malevolence that places him in a realm far beyond reach of any clichéd villain. Oh, and the animation is gorgeous, too, particularly the care in creating unique and memorable character designs. If you’re after something that is different from the usual conventions and genres within anime, I’d highly recommend this. My Neighbour Totoro It’s hard to argue that any of Studio Ghibli’s films are less than brilliant. Certainly, everyone will have their own personal favourites, but I think that is based more upon personal tastes and preferences rather than an objective and dispassionate assessment in quality. I’ve picked “My Neighbour Totoro” because it’s such a charming children’s film, the joy and wonder of being a child and having a fantastical (in all senses of the word) adventure on display in a way only Hayao Miyazaki can capture, yet it never insults the adults in the audience. There’s believeable characters and situations here, too. Oh, and the ambiguity as to whether the Totoro exists or is the product of the imagination of the child characters is really well-done, too. “Neon Genesis Evangelion”, “Death and Rebirth” and “End of Evangelion” In “Neon Genesis Evangelion”, it’s 2015, fifteen years after the world nearly ended. The mysterious entities only know as Angels have come to earth, bringing death and destruction in their wake, and the only things capable of stopping them are Evangelions, giant mecha devised solely to combat the threat, and their pilots. “Neon Genesis Evangelion” is a very divisive show, nearly guaranteed to start arguments about it’s quality and popularity the moment it gets mentioned. As for me, I loved the intelligent and dark story, and the well-developed settings and various ideas, but the real story, and what I enjoyed most, was how the various complex and deeply-flawed characters dealt with the responsibility of being shouldered with the burden of saving the world, and the psychological issues that stem to this. There are also two movies that are directly related to the original series that I would recommend in conjunction with the original series. (I’m not talking about the four-movie rebuild currently in production). “Death and Rebirth” is a retelling of the show, storylines grouped to show how the characters develop, rather than in chronological order, which is quite interesting, and in keeping with the central theme of the show. There’s also “End of Evangelion”, which either retells the original ending from an entirely different perspective, or gives the show an entirely different ending, depending on which Evangelion fan you ask. But then, that’s the sort of thing that Evangelion does, and why we love it so. Serial Experiments Lain Lain Iwakura is a girl who is introduced to the world of the Wired, a highly-advanced form of internet, and Lain quickly becomes engrossed in the virtual reality world. Soon, she is forced to question everything about her life and the world in which she lives, even the nature and form of her own existence. “Serial Experiments Lain” is a puzzle in every sense of the word. It takes a lot of time and effort to figure out, the pieces come out so that they don’t belong anywhere near each other, there’s a lot of different pieces and somehow, and you’re expected to put it all together. But for those that have the patience for this sort of thing are amply rewarded with a show that deeply delves into so many complex themes like religion, self-identity, and a variety of complex philosophical themes, too. Vampire Hunter D: Bloodlust For something that's so often done as an action movie, there are very few that actually manage to get everything right. "Vampire Hunter D: Bloodlust" does just that. The setting and characters of this post-apocalypse fantasy-science fiction world are inventive and well-realized - there's all manner of futuristic weaponry and machinery, mixed with strange, fantastical beasts and foes with unique abilities, yet it all seems to have some consistency and believability behind it all. The story here is interesting and inventive, when so many people have done their best to pound the idea of vampires to death. The main characters and protagonist are well-developed and have believable motivations, and there’s enough difficulty had by the various characters to make their fights seem credible and believeble, particularly when the movie will kill major characters with little fanfare. And it's gorgeously animated, too. All of these seem like simple things, but when it is put together as well as this, it’s a rare thing indeed. Worst Five Anime (Alphabetical Order) Chobits I might be in the minority here, but I don’t think that making fun of retarded people is fair game for comedy - they need our help and support, not derisive mockery. Our male lead character, Hideki, is a country bumpkin that suffers from a severe mental handicap – you can only dismiss so much of his idiocy and social ineptitude due to him being a country boy. Our female lead character, Chi, is apparently a rare and extremely intelligent robot (can you call a robot a female?), and also acts like she suffers from a mental handicap, constantly replying to everything with the word “Chi”. Repeating "Chi" all the time is not cute. it is a preview for the background music they will play in hell. Apart from that, the ubiquitous fan service ruins what little chance there was of this show being a sweet love story, the characters are poorly developed, and there are numerous gaping plot holes and inconsistencies in the show. Even the high-quality animation used for this show annoys me, because it’s just been used to show complete and utter dreck. Orphen: Revenge The first season of Orphen was decently entertaining fare, even though it was nothing special – some interesting characters and ideas, a bit of effort was put in developing a fantasy world, there was a well-developed plot, and it was occasionally funny, too. All of this is sadly lacking in the second television series, though – the story has largely descended into unamusing farce and silliness, the cast have largely become a bunch of broadly-defined anime tropes, and about eighty percent of the show is pointless filler. All of the bad stuff is front-loaded, too – to get to the more enjoyable parts of the show (and it does get better) you have to wade through all of the bad stuff first. Towards the end, the clichés become proper characters, an overarching plot becomes apparent, and the show decides to become serious. It’s not enough to make up for that fact that most of the show was dreck, though, but credit given when it’s due. Pokémon I used to love this when I was a kid. Reading through this thread, so did everyone else. Coming back to this show as an adult, the flaws of the show are painfully obvious. The show is blatantly formulaic, repetitive, and clichéd, and is compounded by poorly-written storylines that are neither exciting nor enjoyable. And I hate Ash – surely someone that wants to go on a Pokemon journey might put in some effort to learn about Pokémon. I would have preferred the anime to be about Gary instead; he’s far cooler and more entertaining as a character. In fact, I would have preferred the story to be about any character that wasn’t Ash. Stick with the video games, the stories there mightn’t be much either, but at least the other traits there make up for it. RahXephon There are two ways that I've been recommended this show. It’s awful by both standards. The first is as a recommendation on the basis of my enjoyment of "Neon Genesis Evangelion". Unfortunately, it comes across as the slower cousin of the two. The one that everyone is told to be nice to and not to make fun of. There's a lack of setting development in the setting of the show, and what could have been interesting plot lines get dropped throught the series. The mecha battles are sparse and boring, nor does the show make up for this by way of interesting characters or storylines. In fact, apart from Reika and Haruka, I have significant trouble telling any of the other characters apart because there is so little to differentiate between them, apart from their appearance. The only positive quality I can single out is the decent quality of the animation, but when it’s showing nothing that I find interesting, it isn’t much to get excited about. The second way that I've been recommended this show is as a harem anime, that just happens to occasionally involve mecha. Unfortunately, it loses to "Neon Genesis Evangelion" again in that comparison, too. Think about “Neon Genesis Evangelion” as a harem anime for a few moments. I found those few moments far more interesting and entertaining than all of what I've seen in RahXephon. |
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ArsenicSteel
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Since you only made it through 4 or 5 episodes it would be more truthful to say you were the one that stopped at meat cleavers, the muse that inspired this particular series. Animation does not do scary well however horrifying, creepy, and disturbing are within the grasp of that media. There really is no convincing that can be done when you seem so set in your decision. I will say this. The first season is known as the questions season and second season is known as the answers season. In between those two seasons just maybe, just maybe there will be some information that explains what is going on with the Groundhound Day-esque murder romp. I would have been gained more from reading the 5 worst anime you have seen and not the 5 anime that you feel should not have ratings higher than Paprika. |
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Errinundra
Moderator
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I didn't find those episodes horrifying, creepy or disturbing either. I found them ridiculous, the same way I find Alucard and the kids of Evangelion ridiculous. Once something has lost credibility in my mind it takes a lot to get it back. I persevered with Evangelion and I am watching Hellsing as it comes out. I intend to watch Higurashi eventually because I like to finish series I start. Perhaps my opinion of it will improve. There are higher priorities, though. |
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ArsenicSteel
Posts: 2370 |
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I never said you would feel those things. I said animation as whole can't really do scary well but visual depictions of creepy and horrifying things can be done. When they Cry depicted some things that are consistently disturbing to the human psyche like bamboo splints in fingernails, needles in food, maggots coming from your eyes, etc. But since this is fiction the prime requirement for a viewer to feel bothered by these images is getting immersed into the story and characters.
Clearly for the sake of your "worst" list you are not immersed in this particular story in order to provide your whimsical comments. Your description of the idea of When They Cry is a cute girl with a meat cleaver after 5 episodes. Which is essentially like saying Paranoia Agent is about a boy with a baseball bat. Those are fine at a glance assessments but insulting if you say that is all there is to the story. You are making quite the effort at being contrary and making up a list of 5 worst anime based on the rating of Paprika. I would think an actual list of 5 bad anime which you have seen would produce a list with more substantial gripes then Hellsing has gore, When They Cry has cute girls with weapons, or that an anime from 1995 uses monster of the week rules from 1995. Then again I know I am asking too much to get a worst list composed of actual bad anime someone has watched. These worst lists have to be used to bring down popular anime because they are popular. We must have vengeance. |
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Errinundra
Moderator
Posts: 6584 Location: Melbourne, Oz |
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Herewith is how I rate the ANN’s ten most popular anime (ie watched by many and liked by many). You can read my comments on them by clicking on “My anime” below. Fullmetal Alchemist – very good Cowboy Bebop – very good Death Note - decent The Melancholy of Haruhi Suzumiya – very good Spirited Away - excellent Princess Mononoke - good Neon Genesis Evangelion – not really good Elfen Lied – very good FLCL - decent Bleach – haven’t seen The evidence belies the allegations. Spirited Away even made it into my top ten (and it's more popular than Neon Genesis Evangelion). As requested here are my five worst anime (worst to least worst). 1. Limit Cycle This isn’t so bad, it’s good. It goes way beyond that. It’s so bad it’s unbearable. Don’t just take my word on that. Justin Sevakis gave it a thoroughly deserved rubbishing on a recent ANN broadcast. This anime, part of the Genius Party anthology, has reasonable production standards and, as far as I can tell, is taking itself seriously. So seriously and so tediously and so stupidly that it’s offensive. 2. Deathtic 4 Another of the clangers from Genius Party. To its credit it has a relatively unusual visual style but nothing else about it works. Should you get a chance, watch this year's Academy Award winning animated short, The Lost Thing, which has a similar surreal 3D approach. Much, much better. 3. Gigantor Relying largely on memories of watching it maybe 40 years ago, I am perhaps being a tad harsh on this one. I much preferred Kimba the White Lion and even Astro Boy at the time. When adding the comment to “My anime” I briefly re-watched some on YouTube. It certainly comes across as prehistoric. 4. Stink Bomb If you can forgive the oxymoron there’s a smart-arse stupidity in much of Katsuhiro Otomo’s work. Sure, someone else directed this but he was the producer and it’s adapted from one of his stories. To me there’s a hatefulness in his anime that goes beyond satire. It took Koji Morimoto and Satoshi Kon to transform a fragment of Otomo’s and bring out the best in him: Magnetic Rose from the same anthology, Memories. I rate the above four as bad or awful in “My anime”. I rate the following as weak. Chibits (an extra that came with the Chobits collection) Doorbell (from the Genius Party anthology) Elfen Lied (not the series, the OAV extra episode) Innocent Venus Love Hina X'mas Special - Silent Eve Trigun Urotsukidoji: Legend of the Overfiend The coveted fifth position goes to… 5. Doorbell Actually, there’s a great idea here. A young man is haunted by his own doppelganger, the two competing to establish themselves as the real person. It’s just done so badly that it’s ruined. Genius Party sure gets a hammering in my worst five! I would like to make the point that my five worst anime are, basically, insignificant (Gigantor, perhaps, excepted - it's the start of all the giant robot idiocy that followed). I think it's much more interesting to discuss significant anime, such as Gigantor's spiritual successor, Evangelion. What I wanted to do was generate discussion and I succeeded at that. <edit> This post caused me to re-evaluate some of the anime I rated as weak. People re-reading it may notice a difference in the list above.</edit> |
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astralproxy
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Top 10 Best Anime
1. Ghost in the Shell and 2nd GIG - Has an amazing sci-fi storyline but also works tremendously well on a per-episode basis. Super high production value and dynamic characters make this my favorite far above any other anime. 2. Cowboy Bebop - My first full series. Again, this is tops for me because of a compelling storyline underlying a bunch of great individual episodes. What's not to love about bounty hunters in space? The music is amazing too. 3. Ergo Proxy - Combines all my favorite themes and genres (dramatic, psychological, cyberpunk, post-apoc sci-fi) with an amazing art style and story. 4. Gunbuster 2 (OAV) - "A clumsy waitress dreams of becoming a space pilot." This is one of the most interesting protagonist's I've ever heard of. This anime just struck a chord with me, maybe because I love to dream. The original Gunbuster is great as well, but I prefer the sequel because of the graphics. 5. FLCL - It's just insane! This is the only anime I've re-watched more than twice (at least 5 times in fact), probably helped by it only being 6 episdoes. I don't usually go for parody comedy, but the sci-fi element really made it interesting to me. 6. Last Exile - It's simply beautiful. Great pacing and appropriate amounts of action with a heart-gripping story. I also really like steampunk. 7. Now and Then, Here and There - Post-apocalypse + time travel? Yes. I really appreciate when anime's have a more realistic look (no exaggerated expressions). Sure there's a lot of violence, but it's all in context, and the character developmont is fantastic. Watching the first episode made me decide I'd watch the rest. 8. Neon Genesis Evangelion - So many animes have derived from this one, but none come close to its brilliance. The characters all have interesting personalities (though I hate Shinji), and there are lots of moments of psychological and dramatic intrigue. This was my second full series. Gotta respect it. 9. Air - The most touching anime I've seen. This is very different from everything else in my top 10, but deep down I must have a soft side for cute things like this, though that's really only a mask over the tragedy and mystery within. Starts out slow but takes a great turn (episode 7) before slowing down again. 10. Elfen Lied - I'm a sucker for psychological sci-fi. This one made the top 10 because it's just fun to watch a cute girl with superhuman abilities used for evil. Top 5 Movies 1. Ghost in the Shell (Movie) 2. Nausicaä of the Valley of the Wind 3. Princess Mononoke 4. The Girl Who Leapt Through Time 5. Akira Honorable Mentions These shows are too recent to have left as deep an impression on me, but in time they might become favorites. Claymore, Fractale, and Kurokami The Animation The 5 Worst Anime (I've Seen) Note: I usually avoid anime that don't look interesting to me, so take this list as you will. Revolutionary Girl Utena - Tried watching this before I knew what niche I prefer. All the focus on sex was just off-putting for me. RahXephon - Eva ripoff that looks great but never really pulls it together or answer the questions it brings up. Genshiken - Even if it was actually funny it would still be boring. Pumpkin Scissors - Interesting idea ruined by flat characters and a worthless last few episodes. BECK: Mongolian Chop Squad - The acting in general has quite a few bad moments, but mostly I just couldn't get over the Engrish (sic). I might have loved this anime if I'd ever had an inkling to start my own band. Last edited by astralproxy on Mon Mar 21, 2011 10:00 pm; edited 1 time in total |
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