Forum - View topicEasily Underestimated Anime Series
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utawoutau
 Posts: 209 |
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Let's face it, there is a lot of anime out there, and most of us simply don't have the time to watch all of it. Even if I know someone who strenuously recommends a series, if I am only mildly interested in it in the first place, I will only give the series a couple of episodes before I decide whether or not to watch the rest of it. I am sure that many people do the same.
But what about those shows that start of as "average" or "just okay" but then get exponentially more interesting later on in the series? I am not talking about shows that simply 'grow' on you - but that genuinely have a strong and more compelling plot later in the show. In such a situation, I'm sure that many people watch a few episodes, figure that the series isn't for them, give the series a "blah" rating, and move on to the next thing. I myself have realized how stupid it seems to tell someone "Oh, but you really can't tell anything about ### until you've watched the first 30 episodes - after that you'll definitely be hooked!" Most of those series that I can think of that are like this follow a specific pattern. Namely they start off fairly innocent and simple but then take a turn and get much darker and more complex. They don't necessarily have to follow that pattern though. Also, the series to have to start off badly to fit into this description. They could be perfectly interesting all throughout - simply that it almost seems like an entirely different show to someone who has watched the entire series than to someone who hasn't. Quick example, for those familiar with Evangelion. Imagine if you had to summarize the show if you only had seen the first five episodes? Now how would you summarize it if you've seen the entire series? I was wondering if anyone could share series that they believe fit this description? Maybe there is a show out there that I have three or four or even ten episodes of and gave up on, but that could possibly be my favorite show if I stuck with it till episode 22 (for example). Oh, and if possible, please let us know past what point people should watch to get a real fell for the show. As for myself: Utena - is I believe a perfect example of this. It is extremely easy to walk away from this show after a couple of episodes thinking that it is simply a cute breezy albeit fun anime. But that cute facade gives way to something much more dark and twisted beginning in episode 14 and goes into crazy full tilt sinister mode post episode 30. This is where I came up with the ""Oh, but you really can't tell anything about it until you've watched the first 30 episodes" line. Hunter X Hunter - This show is good clean adventure fun from the get go - albeit almost a little too generic. However, it becomes a must-see after episode 50 - an unfortunately substantial investment. I seriously hate the bad guy in this show more than any other anime villain (in a "wow, this show really makes my blood boil" good kind of way). Bleach - Unlike the shows above this doesn't really take a dark turn. However, from episode 16 on, it changes into almost an entirely different series. Evangelion - Mentioned above.[/i] |
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Kruszer
 Posts: 7992 Location: Minnesota, USA |
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Witch Hunter Robin the main plotline doesn't really get going until episode 13, although the previous episodes are good for character development though. I personally love the series while there are others who don't like it.
.hack//SIGN Lots of people are turned off by the serious lack of action in this one but it's more of an introspective, character driven show. |
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Key
Moderator
 Posts: 18392 Location: Indianapolis, IN (formerly Mimiho Valley) |
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Blue Gender might fit this description. It starts out looking strictly like an action/horror-oriented sci-fi "bug hunt," but after the first few episodes it gradually becomes as much about character development and the relationship between the two main characters - and, IMO, becomes a much better series as a result.
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Kruszer
Posts: 7992 Location: Minnesota, USA |
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True, I liked the series a lot better as the main characters finally started to get over their hangups. I considered owning the series at one point but it was too expensive so I didn't buy it. I may have to check the price again to see if it's gone down some.
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v1cious
 Posts: 6221 Location: Houston, TX |
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Scrapped Princess
i gave into the hype and checked it out recently. at first it seems like your typical medieval Slayers ripoff, but HOLY CRAP this series does a 360 on you after about 14 episodes. honestly one of the best twists i've ever seen in an anime series. |
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Shinigami-Seishou
 Posts: 123 Location: Traveling |
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Dragon Drive is hard to get into. The amount of episodes it has is one thing. The middle slows down but the beginning and ending are really good. The action and character relationships make you want more of it later on in the series. At times it makes you want to think why you're even watching this show because you may think it is a little obvious. Some parts can shock you though
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Shiki MSHTS
 Posts: 738 Location: NoVA |
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Da Capo is probably my favorite of any underestimated series. The beginning... acctually... more like the first 15 episodes are all basically not connected, and starting in the episode 2 til I think it was like... 7, the show set's aside 5 mins or so to show a character image music video, live-action and sung by the voice actors of the characters represented. Later, the music videos are replaced with side episodes which have almost no real impact on the main story whatsoever. These, seem like they'd might be a major turn off for some. The series, as some might say, gets off to somewhat of a slow start, as introductions are done after episode 5, and every episode til 16 is basically a slice-of-life comedy episode.
However, after 16, the series takes a radical turn storywise. At this point, the episodes do continue off each other, and the tone goes from comedy to more a serious tone. As much fun as the first 16 episodes were, the second half had me absolutely captivated. Also, it's somewhat a refreshing change to see the main male lead role, Junichi, to not be a total loser, and in fact, invoke feelings of envy on the viewers in respects to personality. At the same time, he's not unrealistically charming or absolutely lavish. He's really one of the few male characters in most any series I've seen that I've felt I was able to relate to. I started the series as just a way to pass time, but defintlely felt that it was very rewarding afterwards. One of my favorite series yet. =P |
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Ohoni
Posts: 3421 |
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I agree wtih HXH, Bleach, Robin, and .Hack. Also I'd add Rozen Maiden (episode 5 is HILARIOUS and it does get more interesting as the main plot develops from ep3 on), Naruto (Popular as it is, some people are turned off, but most seem to enjoy the show more Chuunin-exam on), MAR (similar to Bleach, the main plot takes a while to materialize), and One Piece (each major arc is better than the last, once they hit the Grand Line, ~ep70, the series kicks into overdrive).
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angel_lover
 Posts: 645 Location: UK |
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I'll go for Neo Ranga. For most of its 48 half-length episodes, it's constantly changing and never quite working out what sort of show, but near the end it finally settles and gets very dark.
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Orokazama
Posts: 4 Location: Toronto, Ontario |
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For me i'm going to go with Gungrave. The beginning is very character driven and doesn't show much in terms of action or suspense. It really picks up near the end i think the last 5-6 episodes are just off the hook after enduring the long haul of the first 14+. However on a good note the amount of story and character developpment in the beinning really lends to the crazyiness that is the last few episodes. I loves this one and was blown away neaer the end as it was somewhat unexpected.
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v1cious
Posts: 6221 Location: Houston, TX |
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Gungrave is the only show i know where the flashbacks are the only good part. the episodes with Grave just suck. boring action sequences, poor animation, etc. Last edited by v1cious on Thu Jun 16, 2005 12:17 pm; edited 1 time in total |
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wao
Posts: 224 |
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I'd say Princess Tutu for one, I really was ready to drop that show in the middle of the first season. For one thing I *HATE* shoujo, and I *HATE* mahou shoujo, and I really couldn't care less for happy girly frilly stuff.
But still, the production values (nice backdrops, effective atmosphere, and the music of course) were enough to keep me going a little (as well as the fact that the person who introduced it to me was practically forcing me to watch some more). Also, Neko-sensei is too funny to give up. So then by the end of the first season it was kind of interesting now. I sensed that from then on it would get more complicated and perhaps darker, and WOW, the second season suddenly got really really really good. My opinion of the series changed so much that by the last episode I seriously almost cried at the ending. It's a show *very* easy to underestimate/get the wrong idea about, I mean everything about it is so misleading: the cute girls, the generic set-up, the frilliness and pinkness, the *name* itself.... But it turned out to be one of the best mahou shoujo shows I have ever seen. Another one would be Melody of Oblivion, in a way. I didn't care much for it at first but when it went into the Pyramid Scheme arc I got hooked. I just liked the bizarre atmosphere of the series, and I started accepting the series for what it was. |
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Bruce Lee
 Posts: 715 Location: Seattle, Washington |
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Never underestimate Studio Bones! I've loved everything I've seen from them so far, and have yet to be letdown. Here's hoping Eureka7 keeps down it's promising start. |
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Seraph
Posts: 12 Location: Under the sakura tree, listing to the wind |
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Haunted Junction A great comedy that no one seems to appreciate. You have the son of a priest, a son of a monk, and a daughter of a Shinto priest heading the student council of there "haunted" school and their dealings, especially the president that wants out, with the schools deceased student body.
Great show, cheep buy! |
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thejetman
Posts: 10 |
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I've been thinking about this since bef this thread was posted and was planning to start my own. Folks, the creators of anime don't put a fraction of the effort into scripting that goes into the visuals. BTW, I'm not as hard-core anime fan as some of the other members, but I've been a fan since Astro Boy originally came to the States in the early '60s. Nowadays, ALL attention is focussed on incredible graphics, not on scripting.
Case in point, take Ghost In The Shell. There was virtually no character development in the 1st season and the only character that has a life is Togusa, but that only goes as far as showing (in one or two episodes) that he has a wife and small child. The prinicipal character, the Major, has no life to speak of, however the character chose a hyper-sexual bod, but the creators are too timid or clueless to imagine that someone like that would want to have sex. We're not talking about graphic scenes of intercourse, just sugestions of normal adult sexual tendencies. Oh yeah, even though the series is set (per the 1st epsiode) twenty-five years from our present day, she reports she had a total body replacement when she was six years old. You do the math.... Moreover, don't get me started on the mess called Gundam (all of the various series.) Most of the time, that is twenty out of twenty-five mins, I mute the audio and simply watch the pretty pictures. I'm also ready to give up on Paranoia Agent and s-CRY-Ed, esp PA as it is totally pointless and incomprehensible. What is needed, IMO, is the companies that import this stuf (like Funimation) need to hire serious writers, to rework this stuf after they've been translated. Unfortunately, that won't cure all ills, bec in the case of GITS, certain episodes are DOA bec they're all talk, no action, and no amount of rewriting can fix that. Anyway, that's one person's POV. Later....Jet |
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