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Hi there everybody! This is my first msg around here and I hope that it won't be the last!

I hope some of you can help me, but first of all, let me tell you what brings me here:

After watching some episodes of Dragon Ball Z, Pokemon, Digi Mon, Knights of Zodiac etc I was totally convinced that anime was somehow like "Jaspion" and the like, which totally sucked in my opinion (hey, this is the opinion of a 26 year old lawyer who can't stand that kind of thing...).

I bragged so much about how stupid anime was that some of my friends decided to convince me that I was wrong because I was watching the wrong animes...

So they told me to watch Evangelion...

I was amazed. THAT was the thing I've been missing.

After that they told me to watch Rurouni Kenshin... The 6 OVA's were AWESOME but then... I started to watch the series and all my excitement was suddenly gone...

Months later, my friends tried again, much against my will, to show me that there should me something for me in the anime world. And then.. they showed me Cowboy Bebop!

"WOW!" - I said again.

With that spark of life, I realised what made me dislike animes so much and what made me thirsty for more.

So, even though I didn't finish watching all Cowboy Bebop episodes yet, I thought that maybe it would be a good idea to ask for some advice among some anime fans, so I don't get disapointed in my next "choice".

Could you help me out ?

What I REALLY don't like in animes/comics/etc:

- "Ok, now I will use my ultra mega power blast to shatter your gama energy shield and throw you into oblivion" (kinda of DBZ)
- "Look, he has been brought back to life for the 3rd time!" (DBZ)
- Be hit in the head: "ORO!". Be hit in the butt: "ORO!". Be hit in the stomach: "ORO!" (Kenshin).
- With lots of those scenes of extreme exclamation where the characters open up a melon sized eye or mouth. (exception: if it should be a funny anime, like Love Hina, it should be ok).
- Episode 1: Big Green Man. Episode 2: Big Green Man with sword. Episode 3: Big Green Man with Magic Sword. Episode 4: Big Green Man with Magic Sword and Full Plate Armor. Episode 5: Big Green Jedi with LightSaber mounting the Death Star. (Kenshin, DBZ).
- 0-5 minutes: all is fine. 5-10 minutes: the world will be destroyed. 10-15 mintues: The main char is beaten up badly. 15-17 minutes: The main char kicks the villain ass. 17-20 minutes: someone makes a joke and all ends fine.
- John Doe has an ultra laser bazooka that could destroy the evil monster with a single shot, but he decides to use it only after he tried everything found in a kitchen first.
- super powers banalization. That's exactly why I hate DC Comics and the like: everyone has a super power, and it has no end to how powerful one can be.

What I expect from a good anime:

- a mature history. In Evangelion, lots of chars died, and they DIDN'T ressurect. In Cowboy Bebop if one is to be killed, they get killed, period. They smoke. They get laid. They cry. They get angry. It's not just a couple of benefactors risking their neck for nothing.
- a good development of the "inner self" of the main characters: the first 6 OVA's from Kenshin is very good at that. In Evangelion, all main characters "spirits" are very well explored and we have a feeling about how they feel and why the act like that).
- a good "physics": I haven't seen someone from Cowboy Bebop walking through the space without a space suit. I haven't seen anyone dodging lasers.
- of course, good drawing, music, voice etc.

Some hints:

*The anime can be of any "theme", i.e., fantasy, sci-fi, futuristic, cyberpunk, western, medieval, etc.
* I love twisted plots!
* I love when the main characters dies in the end *grin*.

Well, I think that that is it for now. Sorry if I displeased anyone, but I'm really looking to find something that I would enjoy watching.

Thanks in advance!
Yours.
Jh00

I definitely think Last Exile might interest you. It's an excellent series IMO. It's a sci-fi/fantasy/action anime. The animation and CG were very well blended, and the characters are nicely fleshed out; none of that 2D sterotypical character crap. The background/history in which the anime is set in is pretty interesting, as well. It's also got some subtle humour to it, but it's not over-the-top like some series, and the anime deals with some pretty important issues too. The music is great, too; "Over the Sky", its ending song, is one of my favourites. I think what I really like the most about Last Exile, though, is the whole subtlety thing it seems to be going for (and succeeds brilliantly). Oh, and spoiler[a few important characters do die at the end].

If you need to know anything else, just let me know Smile

Later,
Ames

Jh00 wrote:

Some hints:

*The anime can be of any "theme", i.e., fantasy, sci-fi, futuristic, cyberpunk, western, medieval, etc.
* I love twisted plots!
*I love when the main characters dies in the end*grin*.

Well, I think that that is it for now. Sorry if I displeased anyone, but I'm really looking to find something that I would enjoy watching.

Thanks in advance!
Yours.
Jh00

Then you're gonna LOVE Saikano. Now I'm not sure if you want spoilers but spoiler[ everyone (and I mean EVERYONE) dies in the end]

Oh, and welcome to the forums!!

Last edited by ShellBullet on Wed Nov 17, 2004 7:17 pm; edited 1 time in total

Yeah, I felt the same way about Kenshin. When I saw the OVA's I was impressed and couldn't wait to see more of a historically themed anime, but the series was too much slapstick and duels. Sorry Tony K., it did have its moments but just didn't do it for me. Anyway, back to the subject, jh00, you've discovered that not all anime is created equal. It's a really diverse market, with something for every taste; and trust me I've seen some crappy anime, but I've also seen some really good anime that keeps me coming back for more.

Lets's see, since you like Cowboy Bebop so much you might enjoy screenwriter Keiko Nobumoto's other work Wolf's Rain. It certainly meets all of your requirements; despite the fantastical setting the show feels realistic, using character drama to move the story forward. Also check out director Shinichiro Watanabe on The Animatrix; and even though it's a bit early he has a new show called Samurai Champloo that should be out sometime next year.

For Evangelion (commomly called EVA) try the IMO superior Serial Experiment Lain, which emulates the psychological part of EVA sans the giant robots. Another show that is very much like EVA is Rahxaphean, which I haven't seen so can't really comment on.

These are just a few suggestions, but there are dozens of other good series out there that you might enjoy. you might flip through the Encyclopedia to find info on all sorts of different shows or look at the suggestions thread at the top of the forum. From what you said I think I'll go out on a limb and suggest Paranoia Agent, one of the most unique series I've ever seen. The review here does far more justice to this one than I can. On a final note, I don't want you going away thinking that all shounen fighting genre series (DBZ, etc.) are bad. If you think the genre has an intrinsic lack of depth check out Scryed, hey that's where I got my handle. Wink

Vision of Escaflowne - Has a blend of Fantasy and Sci-fi. Good character development, interesting love triangle and story moves at a pretty good pace.

Bastard - It is a Fantasy Anime. But has a lot of USA heavy metal referrences and mature innuendos. It's novel.
You might not like it because of all the flashy magic and martial arts. But the characters inner self is a state of flux as the ex-bad guy leader decides to work for "good" and has to convince his ex-followers to do the same.

Please save my Earth - Sci-Fi anime. Focuses mostly on character development and love triangles. Has very nice psionic battles at a realistic level.

Wolf Rain- Fantasy Anime in Apocolytic future earth. Wolves, Flower.

Berserk - Fantasy anime. War in medevil period. People die and die and die. Fate is invoked. You want a dark anime about war, power, politics, and unrequited love, this is the one.

Battle Angel - Sci-Fi, discontinued. If you can find it. It's dark.

Blood the last Vampire- Gory

Ikki Tousen - Girls fighting in High school. It's pretty interesting stuff.

Technolyze - Oh this is some very twisted stuff. Druggies, mafia, vendettas.

Witch Hunter Robin - Catholism and witches. X-file conspiracy theory abound.

yeah, i agree that the "oro!" thing in kenshin is pretty annoying, but it still entertains me.

If you want a strait up anime with little of those "things you hate" you might wanna try:

Kite-ment for older people, bloody, and full of people dieing, brief nudity

Gundam Wing-full of the philosphical ideals of "pacifism

Iria-Bounty hunters fighting an alien whom doesn't seem to die
(not die is what you dont like, but it is, in no way, like DBZ)

Hellsing-Vampires shooting one another
(two of them cant die but, its is no way like DBZ)

Thats all i can think off the top of my head at the moment, check them out, not like you lawyers have any thing better to do. Or you could be lieing to us in order to get accepted in out "anime cult" and make fun of us. LOL. just kidding. have fun in the forums Very Happy

Berserk - You will love this, it's a very bloody anime with an interesting plot.
Akira - Is another of those mind trips, I only met one person that didn't like it, but he also loved dbz so I veto his opinion.
Full Metal Panic - This is a sci-fi/comedy anime, worth seeing, not very realistic in terms of people getting hurt, but still a very nice piece.
Hellsing - Is a great vampire anime, lots of action and charecter development.
Now and Then, Here and There - If you can get past the first 2-3 episodes you'll see that this at first glance childish anime is very sadistic.IMO.
RahXephon - Since you said you loved Evangelion, you will enjoy this piece too, RahXephon explores the world of mayan mythology.

All the anime I listed above are considered for a mature audience, so I would advice against watching this with your kids unless you have seen it first and deem it ok.

-Rendart

X/1999: Now I know you were looking for something without all the "powers," but I still have to suggest this. There are plenty of plot twists, and believe it or not spoiler[the main character dies at the end]. There's really good character developement, plus the characters seem very real. Oh, and definitely do not watch the movie first.

Yukikaze: This is an OVA with only the first disc out, but so far it's very good. Basically there's a war where aliens opened a gap from their world to ours, and are trying to take over the world. So to fight these creatures off, they built a base there and that's where our main character works. There's really no magic in it, just some very interesting things that happen. I know, the whole thing with aliens trying to take over the world is kinda corny, but please don't judge it by that.

Boogiepop Phantom: A masterpiece of an anime, many people compare this to Serial Experiment Lain, but I like Boogiepop more. If you don't like to rewatch anime, then this wouldn't be for you. It took me a couple of times through to understand, but I still love the last disc. This is one of my most favorite animes.

Infinite Ryvius: Takes place on a training center in space, and after a terrorist attack, about 400 kids are left all alone on a ship that no one knows about. They have to fend for themselves, and soon are labeled terrorists by the people wanting their top-secret ship back. I found this anime to be very interesting, and it's comparable to Lord of the Flies. <just thought to mention that.[/b]

ShellBullet wrote:

Yeah, I felt the same way about Kenshin. When I saw the OVA's I was impressed and couldn't wait to see more of a historically themed anime, but the series was too much slapstick and duels. Sorry Tony K., it did have its moments but just didn't do it for me.

(*sigh*)... this is why I always tell people to watch the TV series FIRST.

Yes, the TV series is much lighter in spirit than the OAVs, and the terrible dubbing doesn't help it either. I'm not going to go into detail because one, I don't feel like it, and two, I think I've said it enough now.

I'm sorry if I like a little comedy between my action, drama, and suspense. Regardless of the faults some people see in the TV series, I still like it a lot (up to episode 62, of course Razz

).

In any case, Mr. Lawyer, if you like dark, violent dramas with a lot of plot twists, then you'll LOVE Berserk.

(*sighs*) -_- sorry I can't go into more detail, but I'm in kind of a bad mood now. Not that any of you all's Kenshin comments got to me, but I'm just having... personal problems at the moment. Sad

Welcome!

Here are some suggestions:
Trigun
Master Keaton
Vampire Hunter D: Bloodlust
Witch Hunter Robin
Wolf's Rain
RahXephon
Gundam Seed

All the trash talking about Pokemon, Digimon, etc. from several years ago I thought was pretty asinine. Its obvious those were little kid's shows, even when they first came out.

Hey, I like Digimon. The first two seasons, anyway.

I used to like Digimon. I got tired of it of course, sometime during the 2nd season. I never watched it religously or anything. Same thing with Pokemon, although I think its repetitive nature became aparent more quickly. The gameboy game is still fun once in a while though.

Jh00 wrote:

What I REALLY don't like in animes/comics/etc:
- With lots of those scenes of extreme exclamation where the characters open up a melon sized eye or mouth. (exception: if it should be a funny anime, like Love Hina, it should be ok).

What you're describing is called "deformed" style manga/anime, or "super deformed", depending on the level of exaggeration. Hard to avoid, since it's basically a part of the manga/anime style. It occurs even in the most realistically illustrated anime and manga.

Jh00 wrote:

- John Doe has an ultra laser bazooka that could destroy the evil monster with a single shot, but he decides to use it only after he tried everything found in a kitchen first.

Ah, the moronic hero who willfully ignores the tactically optimal solution in favour of brawn. Without him, the stroy would be over too soon.

This corresponds to the evil master villain who takes the time to explain his plot to a captive hero, then leaves him alive in a "death trap" (do those things ever work?), later to break free and wreak havoc on the carefully laid nefarious schemes of the villain.

"Memo to self: kill hero. Do it now." - from the desk of Evil Overlord Spung

Jh00 wrote:

- super powers banalization. That's exactly why I hate DC Comics and the like: everyone has a super power, and it has no end to how powerful one can be.

Whatever you do, stay away from Psychic Academy. Exclamation

Any fight anime (Tenjou Tenge, Airmaster, etc.) will also be rife with sort of thing - but viewed with the proper attitude, these can actually be hilarious (certainly, Airmaster is a wonderful spoof of the genre, carried off with such panache that some people still think it's serious).

Jh00 wrote:

What I expect from a good anime:

- a mature history. In Evangelion, lots of chars died, and they DIDN'T ressurect. In Cowboy Bebop if one is to be killed, they get killed, period. They smoke. They get laid. They cry. They get angry. It's not just a couple of benefactors risking their neck for nothing.

* Planetes,
* Saishuu heiki kanojo,
* Ima, soko ni iru boku

Jh00 wrote:

- a good development of the "inner self" of the main characters: the first 6 OVA's from Kenshin is very good at that. In Evangelion, all main characters "spirits" are very well explored and we have a feeling about how they feel and why the act like that).

* Kareshi kanojo no jijou,
* Please save my Earth,
* Planetes,
* Kurau: Pantom Memory

Jh00 wrote:

- a good "physics": I haven't seen someone from Cowboy Bebop walking through the space without a space suit. I haven't seen anyone dodging lasers.

* Planetes,
* Planetes,
* Planetes Smile

Jh00 wrote:

- of course, good drawing, music, voice etc.

* Haibane Renmei (art, music, voice)

Jh00 wrote:

*The anime can be of any "theme", i.e., fantasy, sci-fi, futuristic, cyberpunk, western, medieval, etc.
* I love twisted plots!
* I love when the main characters dies in the end *grin*.

* Saishuu heiki kanojo
* Planetes,
* Haibane Renmei

-abunai

Perfectsword wrote:

Kite-ment for older people, bloody, and full of people dieing, brief nudity

Huh?! "Brief nudity" for Kite?! You must have seen the heavily edited first version. I don't dare to introduce the uncut Kite to most of my male friends, not to mention female ones.

I haven't watched many hentai, but Kite has the most uncomfortable sex scenes I've ever seen, even when compared with tentacle-fested ones. However, those scenes are required for the story of Kite, which is an excellent one.

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