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Alestal



Joined: 22 Apr 2005
Posts: 605
Location: Dallas, Texas
PostPosted: Wed Aug 15, 2007 5:25 am Reply with quote
Top Anime Movies
-Studio Ghilbli Films
Spirited Away
Princess Mononoke
Howls Moving Caste
Only Yesterday
My Neighbor Totoro
Porco Rosso
The Cat Returns
-Satoshi Kon
Millenium Actress
Paprika
Tokyo Godfathers
Perfect Blue
-Katsuhiro Otomo
Steamboy


Top 10 Anime Series

Beck- Subbed & Dubbed
A whimpy average kid is rescued from his boring high school life and thrown into rockers life. The music, the characters (especially Maho), and the determination make this an unforgettable tale. I wish I played guitar, because It'd be amazing to rock out with this group.

FLCL
A young kid lives in a "boring town", filled with giant irons, crazy aliens, and epic battles, is run over by a mysterious woman on a vespa. Filled with referances, humor, music, and lessons about life this anime is awesome to the max.
The first time anyone sees this show they all say the same thing, "wtf, I don't get it.. but the music was awesome", I was no different. I'm glad I watched this series over and over again, it puts me at ease and takes you for a ride.

Ouran High School Host Club
A middle class girl is accepted into a prostegous school, she wanders into the club room of a group of womanizing students and through an accident owes them a huge debt. Exciting storyline, overdramatic characters, and level-head Harumi make this show a brillant and moving comedy/romance.

Record of Lodoss wars
Set in a medieval fantasy world, full of knights, dragons, magic, and battles. In the cursed bloodstreaked continent of Lodoss, one boy from a small village forges his own way with powerful friends, and shapes a new future for this war-torn land. A classic in the fantasy-anime genre, a truly epic story with beatiful artistry and magical characters.


The Twelve Kingdoms
In Japan, an every day student is thrown into a fantasy world of fuedal Japan, she must fight to survive, conquer her enemies and discover her own self in an unknown magical world. A fully imagined setting full of interesting characters, and beautiful creatures.

Nana
Two girls both named Nana, both 20 years old, are both moving to Tokyo to pursure their own dreams. They survive heartbreak, dissapointment, unemployment,living together, and become great friends through it all. Nana is a mature bad-ass muscian with a raspy rocker voice and Hachi(other Nana) is a imature clingy happy-go-lucky girl, the story revolves around the girls,thier friendship, and thier relationships with the people around them.

Para-kiss
Another coming of age tale about a girl who just studies for exams, goes to school, and goes home to study some more. Then she meets the members of Paradise Kiss, a fashion label produced by a group of high school kids, they change her life and set her life in motion. Beautiful art, gripping drama,amazing music are found in this story, this story makes you want to reach for your own dreams.

Slayers (Indvidual Movies not series)
A fiery sorcerer for hire travels the country, fighting bandits, dragons, and everything else with her crazy companion Naga. I find this series incredably entertaining.

Rec
A young girl (who just lost her home to a fire) moves in with an almost complete stranger.
In the few short episodes of this series you get a full meal with this gripping tale of love in the real world. Funny, dramatic, and realistic.

His and Her Circumstances
A young girl and guy find who they really are together, make new friends of the way, and learn about themselves and their relantionships. An absolutely amazing anime, the writing, music, and characters are so memorable that this anime is raised on a level above the rest.

Honorable Mentions
Bokura Ga Ita,Lovely Complex, Chrono Crusade,Magical Shopping Arcade Abenobashi, Hataraki Man,The Melancholy of Haruhi Suzumiya, and Welcome to the NHK

-These are the titles that make me appreciate and value anime.




WORST ANIME

Kimera
My dad picked this smut up at blockbuster and my brothers and sister and I watched it quite some time ago... i vividly remember it for the PIECE OF SHIT IT IS. The storyline is thus, A vampire that can suck the life out of people by fuckin them, CATCH is... that she can also mother a race of aliens. If you want to make a hentai... make a hentai.. if you want to make a sci-fi... MAKE SURE IT DOESNT SUCK.

Inuyasha
The story itself is wonderful, but it was bitten by its own fame and was turned into a huge enless filler.

Fushigi Yugi
I picked up the first disc years ago.. and at the time I loved this series... but looking back on it and the collection of discs i bought soon after the first.... i shake my head so hard i want to throw up. This shows love-triangles and cheap plot twists earn it a spot on my list.


Last edited by Alestal on Wed Jul 30, 2008 5:07 pm; edited 3 times in total
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Arcwave



Joined: 07 Jul 2007
Posts: 246
Location: Seattle
PostPosted: Wed Aug 15, 2007 5:27 am Reply with quote
Favs:

1. Neon Genesis: Evangelion
Probably the most sophisticated anime title I have ever watched. The psychological aspects that are covered and conveyed in the series truly showed the brilliant yet twisted mind of Anno Hideaki. I still get emotionally drained when I watch the series on occasion. The film, End of Evangelion was on par, too. A sure masterpiece.

2. Dragon Ball Z
After Gohan showed Videl how to use powers in the Saiyaman saga, what middle-aged kid didn't try it himself? If the son of Goku could teach ki to an average human, didn't that give us the chance to try it ourselves? Sure it never worked, but it was worth the try! DBZ will always remain a classic in my heart, it's what helped me get into the wonderful world of anime in the first place.

3. Gundam Wing
I don't remember too much about this series, only that it was super bad ass when it came to space battles. I remember Toonami would do an all-day GW marathon on Saturday's and I would just beach and watch it. I also remember that Duo was my favorite of the group, and then came that Hiro Yui(sp?) guy. Great music, great show!

4. Elfen Lied
Oh man what do I say? Depressing at times, moving, sexy, and violent. I will always remember the first episode and thinking to myself, "What in the sh*t am I watching?" I loved the OP theme and the rest of the soundtrack; the Latin lyrics were a good touch.

5. Armitage III: Poly Matrix

I know this film really isn't that great to today's standards, but it was like my second anime movie I ever saw. I remember it debuted on the old SciFi Channel anime lineup back in '98-99. At that time, the film was fairly new and the visuals were insane; and I was very young. I loved it! I also liked the acting coming from actual Hollywood actors (Kiefer Sutherland, etc).

6. Tenchi the Movie: Tenchi Muyo! In Love.
Again, another old classic which I adored. I actually saw this before I even knew about the television series, which was (again) back in '98-99 on the old SciFi anime lineup. This is one of those movies where you don't necessarily have to see any of the previous episodes to get what's going on. I mean, sure it would probably help, but in the case of an epic film revolving around Tenchi's mother being hunted by a real badass A-1 Class Criminal? It doesn't get any better then that.

7. The Animatrix
Was this even considered an anime? I could never figure that out. But it was cool nonetheless! I actually picked it up at Blockbuster (in the Anime section) back when it was released. I was always a fan of The Matrix, and this topped off my urge one day. Awesome visuals, but strange stories. All in all, good stuff.

8. Afro Samurai
It may have been made for the U.S., but it is anime. I have the directors extended cut, and I must say, it is a real nice looking piece of work. The story is a bit cliche, but the visuals were stunning! This five episode tale had a budget of nearly $5.5 million (approx: $1,000,000 per episode), and certainly served its purpose. Samuel Jackson was also great to hear.

9. Macross Plus
Old, but revolutionary for its time. I've always loved the air force and anything that had to do with jets and planes, and this anime fulfilled that childhood yearning. I haven't seen it in awhile, but I plan to rent it one of these days.

10. Pokemon
Yes! Every kid needs to admit that this was indeed a HUGE part of their lives. It sure was for me back in '00 (when I was in middle school). Pokemon, like DBZ, will always remain a classic. I remember my parents spending countless numbers of $$ just to get me that certain card. The show was great, the games were phenomenal, and the merchandise was just plain fun.

Cons:
Eh, it's late. I'll just list them and then discuss later.

1. Naruto
2. Tenchi Muyo! (The TV Series)
3. Sailor Moon
4. Full Metal Panic AND Alchemist
5. Street Fighter

/j
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Zalis116
Moderator


Joined: 31 Mar 2005
Posts: 6900
Location: Kazune City
PostPosted: Wed Aug 15, 2007 6:22 am Reply with quote
Arcwave wrote:
Cons:
Eh, it's late. I'll just list them and then discuss later.

1. Naruto
2. Tenchi Muyo! (The TV Series)
3. Sailor Moon
4. Full Metal Panic AND Alchemist
5. Street Fighter
Which Tenchi TV series? There were three of them, after all. And hey, no fair putting "Full Metal Panic AND Alchemist" on the same line just because they both have "Full Metal" in their title.[/quote]


Last edited by Zalis116 on Wed Aug 15, 2007 1:27 pm; edited 1 time in total
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ehrsatzmessiah



Joined: 15 Aug 2007
Posts: 3
Location: Finland
PostPosted: Wed Aug 15, 2007 10:25 am Reply with quote
1. Full Metal Panic! - all seasons
- Well this series is to blame for me getting addicted to anime in the first place so I think it will always be THE series for me. It's the only anime so far that has made me search and read all the novels and stuff for what happens next.

2. GTO
- Onizuka owns all! the best comedy series I've ever seen

3. Berserk
- I gotta get my hands on the manga... damn... pure brilliance!
No ending has ever pissed me off as much as on this one AAAARRGRGGHHH!

4. Bleach
- Kenpachi Zaraki is my all time fave anime character plus this show rules all together so fricking much! This series kicks Naruto's ass from every aspect...

5.Gantz
- After the first episode I though that if Tarantino wrote an anime series it would be exactly like this. The animation is awesome, storyline fascinating, characters cool (except Kato... too goody two shoes for me) and the atmosphere...wow... so intense, dark and oppressive

6.School Rumble
- hahaha I never thought that I could like this series but BZZZZ wroooong! I laughed watching this show almost as much as I did with GTO. There is some boring episodes too but as long as Kenji is in the middle of attention all goes well.

7. Chrno Crusade
-This show got my attention 'cause I thought it had something to do with "Chrono Trigger". Well I wasn't disappointed at all and to be honest in the end I totally forgot what I was looking for when I got lost into the story.

8. Fullmetal Alchemist
- Great story plus interesting setting. I'm very much into these kinda animes that mix dark and oppressive stuff with comical filler episodes.

9. Basilisk
- Nice ninja stuff... brutal deaths and very innovative abilities. DARK!

10. Utawarerumono
- Although I didn't like all the characters very much I found this series to be very entertaining. The chick with larger-than-life-blade owned!

hmmm I can't really name the 5 worst shows I've seen 'cause I usually can tell If the series is worth watching or not after couple episodes... so I don't really remember the titles for the crappy animes I've seen.
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Arcwave



Joined: 07 Jul 2007
Posts: 246
Location: Seattle
PostPosted: Wed Aug 15, 2007 2:21 pm Reply with quote
Zalis116 wrote:
Arcwave wrote:
Cons:
Eh, it's late. I'll just list them and then discuss later.

1. Naruto
2. Tenchi Muyo! (The TV Series)
3. Sailor Moon
4. Full Metal Panic AND Alchemist
5. Street Fighter
Which Tenchi TV series? There were three of them, after all. And hey, no fair putting "Full Metal Panic AND Alchemist" on the same line just because they both have "Full Metal" in their title.
[/quote]

Eh, I don't really have specific reasons, only that I didn't really like them. I didn't like any of the Tenchi series, only the movies. Why? Well.. I could only take so much of Tenchi and his girlfriends. They would usually drive me crazy. Full Metal Panic and Alchemist is kinda the same deal; I watched a few episodes and didn't like them. I know if I probably watched more that my opinion would slide, but this is how it is for now. I actually don't watch much anime, so my selections were limited to what I saw on TV. Although, I'm open to new stuff!

/j
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Alestal



Joined: 22 Apr 2005
Posts: 605
Location: Dallas, Texas
PostPosted: Thu Aug 16, 2007 2:55 am Reply with quote
Zalis116 wrote:
Arcwave wrote:
Cons:
Eh, it's late. I'll just list them and then discuss later.

1. Naruto
2. Tenchi Muyo! (The TV Series)
3. Sailor Moon
4. Full Metal Panic AND Alchemist
5. Street Fighter
Which Tenchi TV series? There were three of them, after all. And hey, no fair putting "Full Metal Panic AND Alchemist" on the same line just because they both have "Full Metal" in their title.
[/quote] agreed!
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nikandros



Joined: 12 Aug 2007
Posts: 58
PostPosted: Thu Aug 16, 2007 10:46 am Reply with quote
1.) Azumanga Daioh.(This is the first anime I really fell in love with. I really felt myself liking all the characters, and it seemed to flow, dialog didn't ever seem forced to me, and the animation was good. Also memorable characters like Osaka And Chiyo. Furthermore it gave me a brief view of the Japanese school system that I knew nothing about)
2.)Cowboy Beebop(Good music, good dialog, and I thought it had enough action and all of that to make it good entertainment. It didn't have a stellar plot but the show didn't need it, it seems to me it was fun with no strings attached.)
3.)Elfen Lied(It has one of the most fitting opening songs, beautiful, but eerie in a way. Nyuu brought a level of humor and a means of helping you cope with the violence death and other negative aspects of the show with out destroying the whole thing. After all, with out some "cuteness" in there, it would be way too dark.)
4.)Berserk(a good show that helped bring me into anime. Even now I think it is one of the better english dubbed anime to date.)
5.)Full metal panic(While I think the romance aspect of it is rather slow moving for high school students, that isn't the main draw to it. It adds a lot of humor action and drama merged into a plot that isn't hard to follow and manages to stay entertaining. It has a good english cast and japanese cast.)
6.)2x2=shinobuden(a very entertaining random comedy that pokes fun at the japanese entertainment system like family guy does to the wests. It really allows you to see what japan thinks about japan.)
7.)Gankutsou(while I dislike the anime for imo destroying the fundamental plot of a book I very much loved, the series pulled at me at times, like when Franz died. It also had a decent op song, the animation was original, and had very little fan service if any at all, it also didn't make ultra cute characters, or ultra sexy characters. It built a gritty story that draws you in and attempts to shred your emotions. The first 3/4ths of the series follows the novels its loosely based on rather well, while making it futuristic.)
8.)xxxholic(a half comedy half supernatural... adventure? it was really different, it kind of reminds me of some of the cartoons on nikolodien(sp? been forever since i watched the channel pardon my spelling) or nightmare before Christmas in the way its done the animation I thought was different and interesting, the characters fit in the way the short stories that were made into episodes fit. It isn't like normal anime art, and the stories themselves are rather interesting, although watanuki's voice actor started to grate on me after a while, also its hard to really like the main protagonist.)
9.)Lucky Star(Like Azumanga Daioh, and shinobuden. The characters do not seem to be as developed, but it pokes more fun at Otakus and hard core anime fans. I really can sort of get the protagonist. and building an empathic bond with a character draws you into the series imo.)
10.)Ah! My Goddess!(I really liked Beldandy as a character, it just is hard to dislike her. The plot moves rather slow as the relationship seems loath to progress and it ends in a way that leaves you hanging and it doesn't seem to want to pick up again. Despite that, with my limited anime viewership, it is the first real pure romance anime I picked up and enjoyed. I also like how some characters are better dubbed and others are with Japanese cast. Like Urd is better in English, Skuld at times can go either way, but Beldandy and Kenichi are both better in Japanese. It had good opening songs.)

Honorable mentions:
School Rumble(Good comedy with romance drama that is also rather good. It wont be a top 10 of mine until the whole series is finished off as It is hard for me to judge the merits of an anime like this with out knowing if my favorite characters end up dating or not etc.)
Death Note(The animation is good, the music is good, the problem is that it is supposed to be intellectual but it seems Light made a lot of mistakes that he didn't need to that I clearly noticed as he did them. This really sort of struck me as odd considering he is supposed to be a genius and it detracted from it, thats my personal view. Otherwise great show.)
Haibane Renmi(A great show, good art interesting story with memorable characters, there is nothing not to like about this, but I kind of wish it had some romance or something in it, I can see why it didn't but, still part of me wishes there was more to it as well you know?)

Least Favs:
1.)Kenshin(I know a lot of people love this, I just don't. I couldn't get into it. thats personal opinion though.)
2.)Dragon Ball Z{and dragon ball and dragon ball gt}(Dialog seemed forced at times and in others it seemed too... fake, it didn't flow together, animation to me seemed choppy, overly drawn out dialog with little action for a show that was supposed to be all about the action. It just took to long to get anywhere good, and when it got there it just didn't pull me in. Some people love it, I hate it.)
3.)Naruto(Too many episodes, with too large of a cast, having only seen the dub and no desire to watch it subbed, annoying voice actors for naruto who just seems too annoying. The plot looks insipid and just the few times i've watched it, unappealing.)
4.)Paranoia agent(I started out liking this show, but as it progressed it started to make me just dislike it. I dont know why, the animation looked good, but as the story progressed I found myself disliking the characters more and more and that makes it hard for me to enjoy. It seemed like a good plot over all, but I just never could find a way to like or dislike those involved.)
5.)Inuyasha(What I dislike about the series is that Inuyasha never manages to get ahead at all. He finds a new way to fight and Naraku already has a counter, or he has one near instantly and is so impossible to kill. It would be better if the characters made SOME head way. I like the characters, and some of the end music is really good, but the plot just sort of drags on and then slows to a stop. Naraku just seemed capable of killing Inuyasha as well but never did it, if he gathered all his incarnations or w/e together and brought them all down on Inuyasha at the same time how could he live? It just did not make sense to me.)

I am sure there are a lot of good series on here I missed, I haven't been into anime very long, about a year, and have only seriously started watching series for about a month. So I am sure theres a lot I have yet to see.
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ElementSun



Joined: 02 Aug 2007
Posts: 106
PostPosted: Thu Aug 16, 2007 4:54 pm Reply with quote
Top 5 Favorite

1. Fullmetal Alchemist - Personally, this anime is the pinnacle of modern anime. Everything is done so well that it brings a frighteningly sense of realism to the anime. Character development is executed so well that the main protagonists ascend 3 dimensional characteristics. The storyline is beyond the scope of my imagination, and I was just completely astounded by the intricacy of the setting and the whole concept of using alchemy. It's ingenious how they resurrected an old and extinct concept of science and portrayed the ideal use of such a subject. Animation is top notch and the music blends wonderfully with the context. Although the tone of the overall series is somewhat dark, there's enough comic relief to prevent from going overboard. For a 51 series, I was dragged through the entire anime in an exhausting marathon, and I have absolutely no regrets.

2. Rurouni Kenshin - One of the most classic animes. I love Kenshin because he always has that face of innocence wherever he goes, until he faces his opponent and his piercing eyes just penetrates what's left of your confidence. I find the historical setting of the series quite enojyable and animation is top notch. The cast of characters are very well done, however I feel that character development mostly focuses on Kenshin, while leaving the others a little narrow-minded. The action has a realistic, and yet supernatural feel to it. I like how the battles arent prolonged with repeated images (i'm looking at you DBZ.). They're swift, pragmatic, and still retain a high level of suspense.

3. Gurren Lagann - I watched this anime with somewhat low expectations, and I must say, I got a HUGE bitchslap in the face. This series is awesome beyond words, from its style of execution with a hybrid of comedy and over-the-edge satire action, I was pulled into this anime like a maelstrom. The characters themselves are uniquely developed, and the plot is just... insanely juicy. The epic scale of this anime is just massive, especially from seeing just the prologue of episode 1. This anime is a definite must-watch for any kind of a shonen fan.

4. Mushi-Shi - One of the greatest surprises that I've seen in anime. I was expecting to watch something slow and boring with too much dialogue, but instead, I got something that was inspiring, profound, thought-provoking, and emotionally moving. Be warned hardcore shonen fans, there is little to no action at all in this show. However, it is possibly one of the greatest philosophical work of modern art. Although the series is episodic, the ending of each episode will leave you the same feeling of watching the finale at the end of an anime series. Each episode is a stand-alone piece of brilliance.

5. Trigun - the deadliest man in the world has a 60 billion dollar bounty on his head.... and he's the most peaceful, generous, dorkiest, comical and benevolent person you will ever meet on the face of the planet (sound familiar? read 2 paragraphs up Razz). Not exactly the characteristics of "a human typhoon". Although the story may not be as sophisticated as other animes, the setting and characters are shrouded by a sense of complexity. Vash is an enigma that has taken the form of a human being. Each episode delves into the mysterious background of Vash, and with each new chronicle, you become even more sucked into this series. Personally, I love this anime because of the I-can-totally-kick-your-ass-but-I-choose-not-to appeal, and Vash's aura of eliteness is suffocatingly sweet.
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Murasakisuishou



Joined: 22 Jun 2006
Posts: 1469
Location: NE Ohio
PostPosted: Thu Aug 16, 2007 8:20 pm Reply with quote
I figured it was time to revise.

Top 10 Favorite Anime

1. Shaman King - The greatest, most unloved shounen series ever, and I really don't understand how Naruto can have so many fans while SK is largely overlooked. I completely fell in love with this anime back when I was secretly watching the dub all through 8th grade, then, when it ended, thought it had just been a kid thing and largely forgot about it. Four years later I got my hands on a subbed version and fell in love with it all over again, and this time forever. There is just nothing to dislike in this anime. The characters are fun, energetic, and generate so much sympathy it hurts (even the bad guys), the fight scenes are totally over the top and exciting no matter how many times you see them, and the whole plot is cute, funny, and thoroughly heartwarming. The best thing about SK, though, is that it doesn't take itself seriously at all; it's almost like a parody of stereotypical shounen tournament anime. Now I just wish someone else would license it so I could buy DVDs -_-

2. Ghost in the Shell: Stand Alone Complex - While I didn't really care for the original GitS movies, I found the TV series to be completely absorbing. The plot is expertly paced and well thought out, and the visuals and music are just stunning. It's also impressive that this series can be so engaging when half of it is just the characters standing around and explaining everything. The first time I watched it I was completely drawn in, but I though that maybe I'd just been wowed by the animation and action scenes, so I watched it again and found it just as amazing. A good series for those who don't really care for 'action anime', but appreciate good art and a strong plot.

3. NANA - Easily the most human and emotional anime I've ever seen. I'm usually not a shoujo person, but after watching this series I've been making more and more exceptions to my 'male protagonists or Motoko only' rule. The character interaction was probably the biggest factor in my enjoyment of this anime. I loved how, at the beginning, they just sort of turned Nana and Hachi loose in Tokyo and let their personalities bounce off each other, and then let their relationship grow from there. By the time you got to the end of the series, it wasn't so much "I care about Nana" or "I care about Hachi" but "I care about how Nana and Hachi's relationship will work out". This series is just magical, and cannot by missed by anyone who enjoys a plain old, well-told story.

4. Haibane Renmei - Moving, sweet, dreamy, and unforgettable. There wasn't a single aspect of this anime that I didn't like. The characters were real and well thought out, the art was stunning, and last but not least, the story was quite intriguing. I also thought it was just the right length; we see Rakka come into the world of the haibane, and we leave her far better off than she was, but still at the beginning of her story. I sort of wondered what was going to happen to her, but more of this series would have been unnecessary and made it draggy. Again, this is just a really well-told story with great characters.

5. Galaxy Angel - I'm not quite done with this one yet, but what I've seen is pure love. Cute girls, awesome spacecraft, totally wacky situations....what's not to like? My first impression was "Wow, SK in space with girls and Envy. Sweet." I also like how the more serious episodes still fit in with the general atmosphere of the series, and I'm looking forward to the many more incarnations of the adventures of the Angel Brigade.

6. Cowboy Bebop - The bottom line of this series is cool. Everything from the theme song to the main character's nemesis is just too darn cool to believe. This is an all around great action series, even for non-anime fans. There's humor, there's technology, there's kung fu wisdom stuff, and there's a fair amount of painful backstory too. I also liked how there was no history of how the solar system got to be how it was; it was there, and you just accepted that and and went along for the ride. One of those classic anime that everyone should see at least once.

7. Serial Experiments Lain - Every time I watch this anime I think "Oh my God, this is so boring, why the heck did I buy it?" but when I finish I think it's the best thing I've ever seen, just because there's so much to chew on. It took me at least three viewings to get down the general plot, and next time I hope to start understanding some of the symbolism and what have you. Every episode is a mindf*ck within itself, but still you want to watch more. Masochism in anime form. Weird.

8. Earth Maiden Arjuna - Simply beautiful. I enjoyed this anime not so much for the story (the environmental thing was overdone, IMO) but for the dreamy atmosphere, the animation, and the way the soundtrack fit in with both. The sequence in the first episode with the mountain road and the song Cloe is breathtaking, and I still get a little 'lurch' of excitement every time I watch it, not to mention the urge to go buy a motorcycle. This is really more of an art anime than anything else, so just sit back and let the story wash over you. It's worth it.

9. Fullmetal Alchemist - I used to really love this anime, but then I watched the whole thing dubbed and it killed my enthusiasm. In a while I'll dust it off again and watch it subbed, and it'll probably move up a few places. Anyway, the story and animation of this series is still good enough to merit a spot on the top 10 list, so here it is. Also, this anime contains several of my favorite characters/pairings in any series ever.

10. Appleseed - The story is so-so (I prefer the manga), but the totally badass characters gave the first movie a load of potential, and since it seems that a lot of the issues I had with the animation have been fixed in the sequel, I can't wait to see the continuation. I hope they bring in more of the manga!

5 Least Favorite Anime:
1. Samurai Deeper Kyo - The premise was kind of cool, but the execution was....eh. If only it had tried to be darker and not so much about fanservice, maybe I would have liked it more.

2. Inuyasha - Once again, a cool premise (albeit one that's been redone several times), but the characters are tried stereotypes, the art isn't that great, the whole Inuyasha/Kikyo/Kagome thing gets old fast, and why bother sitting through the whole series when 75% is filler and it doesn't have an ending? I think I gave up after a little past the halfway point.

3. Naruto - I tried to like it. They lured me in by saying it was like SK. They lured me in more by saying that Paku Romi's in it (I will usually watch anything that meets this condition). Still, it just never grabbed me. What turned me against this anime, though, is that most of my friends question my lack of ability to enjoy Naruto, and try to make me watch it even though they never watch any of what I try to expose them to. How irritating.

4. Gravitation - Another series that I thought I'd like, but which just turned out to be stupid. It was entertaining, but not in the way I'd hoped.

5. Death Note - This anime was okay the first time around, but has no rewatch value once you know what's going to happen. I also think that it's severely overrated; the plot is rather novel, but the writing really isn't as good as everyone says it is, and it seems like the story would have been better suited to an OAV- length thing.
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Xenofan 29A



Joined: 09 Aug 2007
Posts: 378
PostPosted: Thu Aug 16, 2007 10:55 pm Reply with quote
I'm not going to rank my favorites, because they're all so good. Several films, a few TV series, and one OVA series make my top 10.

Neon Genesis Evangelion: This is the very reason I watch anime. I've seen it more times than I'd like to count, and I still find new things in this amazing series. The animation holds up today, for the most part, and the music is top-notch, but it's the writing and storyboarding that really keeps me fascinated. Add to that some great voice acting from the leads, and....okay, I'll shut up now.

Princess Mononoke: One of my favorite Miyazaki movies. It's opinionated but not heavy-handed, and beautiful to look at. Hisaishi's score is imbued with a distinctly Japanese sensibility and some memorable motifs. The bittersweet ending still resonates with me to this day.

The Wings of Honneamise: Evangelion made me an anime fan; Honneamise made me a GAINAX fan. The melancholy opening monologue sets the stage for this subtle, bombastic, dramatic, and comedic movie. Made by a team of amateurs, it defies all genre classifications. Still some of the best animation I've seen, with meticulously detailed backgrounds and fluid motion throughout.

Haibane Renmei: ABe's character designs always look great, and he writes well too, as this show proves. The digtal compilation looks a little off, sometimes, but the animation looks fine, otherwise, and the level of detail is superb. Renmei's themes are explored quietly and yet with significant weight; the emotions feel very realistic.

Jin-Roh: A tragedy, set against a harsh backdrop, muted colors permeating every scene of this romantic political thriller. Oshii's dialogue feels a little stilted at times, but it only adds to the amazing atmosphere of this film. The music still haunts me.

Kare Kano: It has problems, it has episodes that don't work well or at all, but the parts that do work, work exceptionally. Abundant use of visual symbolism and experimental techniques enhances the show, rather than feeling like a gimmick, and the characters are truly interesting people.

Millennium Actress: My favorite Satoshi Kon film, and I've loved everything he's directed. A thematically resonant work, with humor and pathos in equal measure, Millennium Actress has enough layers to merit repeated viewing.

Diebuster: Diebuster took the spirit of Anno's Gunbuster, and infused it with new life. Diebuster goes far over the top, featuring spoiler[temperatures below absolute zero] and spoiler[a plan to move earth...physically], and yet manages to have a real emotional core.

Voices of a Distant Star: This independent short took me by surprise. Like Honneamise, it was made by an amateur, and feels like a youthful work, full of life. The battles and emotional bursts serve as counterpoint to the calm recollections of its protagonists.

Honey and Clover: Visually, like no other anime I've seen, HachiKuro was also spectacularly written and directed. The humor is some of the funniest I've seen in anime, and rather than feeling disconnected from the show, as in Fullmetal Alchemist, it is an expression of the hectic and calm life of a group of college students.

And then...there are these shows. None of them deserve a 0 on the rating scale, but they all left me unsatisfied.

Gundam Wing: I tried to like it, but 7 or 8 episodes in, I just couldn't find it interesting. It was badly paced, and the characters all felt superficial.

Star Ocean EX: A horrific adaptation of a video game I liked. I should have learned, though, after watching...

Xenosaga: The Animation: Toei took one of the most well thought out, philosophical, and meaningful RPGs I've ever played, and drained everything good from it. This shoddy series has poor animation, odd-looking character designs, and some awful acting from the original voice actors, who did a great job in the game. Not the worst anime of all time, but my biggest disappointment, to be sure.
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CrazyIdiots



Joined: 06 Aug 2007
Posts: 17
PostPosted: Fri Aug 17, 2007 11:19 am Reply with quote
Xenofan 29A wrote:
Xenosaga: The Animation: Toei took one of the most well thought out, philosophical, and meaningful RPGs I've ever played, and drained everything good from it. This shoddy series has poor animation, odd-looking character designs, and some awful acting from the original voice actors, who did a great job in the game. Not the worst anime of all time, but my biggest disappointment, to be sure.


I agree.
Playing the game is 10x better even though the game and show had some minor differences in the plot.
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Xenofan 29A



Joined: 09 Aug 2007
Posts: 378
PostPosted: Fri Aug 17, 2007 2:10 pm Reply with quote
CrazyIdiots wrote:
Playing the game is 10x better even though the game and show had some minor differences in the plot.


They cut out an entire segment of the plot, one of the best parts of it I might add, and had the nerve to have a filler episode. A filler episode, in a 12 episode series????
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Alestal



Joined: 22 Apr 2005
Posts: 605
Location: Dallas, Texas
PostPosted: Fri Aug 17, 2007 5:41 pm Reply with quote
Meaneko wrote:

4. Zero no Tsukaima

this anime really similars to Harry Potter, magic school from a different dimension..just wanna say it's really funny

5. Rec

this anime is about a girl who wanted to be a seiyuu [voice actress]~
the best 'Quickwatch anime' that is shown only for 11-12 minutes and only 9 eps. [no wonder the commercials in the animax are long.. =.="]
--total of it for 9 eps are 108+ minutes only..I could say it's like a movie but it was seperated into 9 parts , but still it's a very interesting short and 'quickwatch' anime I've seen for the first time..

Finally some one thats seen "Rec", I like this series a lot too.

And as for "Zero no Tsukaima" , I thought this anime was pretty bad, i kept waiting for it to get better. It never did. spoiler[the slave and master thing was pretty funny though.]
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Contrer6



Joined: 18 Aug 2007
Posts: 2
PostPosted: Sat Aug 18, 2007 10:55 pm Reply with quote
Favorite:

1.- Death Note - Is the best series i've seen, beautiful animation (with great attention to details), fitting music and great voice acting, a very interesting/fascinating/exiting history with the most amazing twist plot and my 2 favourite characters ever, L and Yagami Light.

2.- Monster: In the beginning I question myself if this series will maintain the quality of his "novel plot" during 74 eps. the answers is YES, masterpiece Wink.

3.- Bleach:The best fights and history i've seen in a shonen, and his universe charmed me(Seiretei FTW) (I don't count filler).


Hated:

-The Melancholy of Haruhi Suzumiya:
The plot of this series is nonexistent. It was dead boring and pointless.
The characters are totally cliche and Suzumiya annoying. The only good thing is the animation.

Naruto:
Totally anonoying, and is based in an intolerable protagonist who wants to prove that is the best ninja ever (original, Hunter x Hunter?)... and in 3 words he says 4 times Hokage...
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Kaguzuchi



Joined: 03 Jul 2007
Posts: 18
Location: Monterey Park, CA
PostPosted: Sun Aug 19, 2007 3:40 am Reply with quote
Can't rank them, they're all masterpieces to me Surprised I'm just gonna list them randomly [Edit: Added more descriptive content after reading earlier post. And list determined mostly by amount of merchandise bought and the impact the animes had on me during their prime ie number of times I've rewatched certain scenes]

1. Kenshin (1 - 60 and first OVA)(Shishio's arc was awesome, kept hoping to see Kenshin revert back to the Hitokiri Battousai. I love characters that are underestimated all the time. Also, Shishio Makoto is thee greatest villian ever!) (Plus, I watched the first OVA after the Shishio arc ended so my Battousai crave was wonderfully answered Laughing )

2. Macross (Good music, Valkyries and Love Triangles Smile ) (My first anime, great story line which was highly believable pending an alien invasion Shocked, Lots of key character deaths which gave a feel that they were really in a war. Plus, the animations for missile trajectory and smoke trail were revolutionary for its time. Finally, the music for all the Macross series are just plain beautiful)

3. Berserk (crazy ending, but what a ride it was Razz ) (Big fan for strategic planning. Building relationship between Gutsu and Caska was a big plus for me. It also gives a good view of the treachery and politics which goes on behind the scene and pushes the bar with spoiler[Gutsu killing a child witness] and actually showing the key character spoiler[Griffith] getting tortured)

4. Hunter X Hunter (Ah Killua...I love good guys that aren't afraid to kill people. Also, The Spiders vs. The Ten Godfathers Exclamation it was an awesome concept.)

5. Noir (Not on most list but i just love it for some reason. Two female assassins (Kirika, Mirielle) vs the world, throw in one lesbian super assassin (Chloe) whose loyalty is unknown and having them all get into mass gunfights to superb music (Yuki Kajiura) just seems to click for me Laughing )

6. Dragon Ball Z (the first series to have ground breaking fighting scenes) (Also first anime to span different generation of fighters)

7. Naruto (before the fillers) (Great story and fight scenes) (I think the main problem that a lot people have with this series along with Bleach and Dragonball is over saturation of the series with the long long sequences of filler material that are more often then not ridiculous. Add in the newbee anime fans that continually rant on these series is enough to make even the most veteren of fans sick of it. Luckily for me, I was able to have minimal contact with Narutards and had the will to stop watching the series immediately after Sasuke left and thus avoiding fillers which slowly destroyed the image of the series. So essentially, I only remember the good times I had with this series Razz. And good times they were too! Sasuke vs. Orochimaru in the Chuunin exam..Rock Lee vs. Gaara..Sasuke vs. Gaara..The entire chase scene with dark Sasuke..and finally Naruto vs. Sasuke...Good times...Cool )

8. Bleach (before the fillers) (Great alternate world and fight scenes) (Soul Society was great with each captain and sub captain seemingly stronger than the next and all with unique backgrounds and circumstances that could probably generate interest to their own stories. Add in a plot in which the bad guy pulls strings so that the good guys seemingly fight each other to the death and you have a masterpiece anime.)


9. One Piece (GREAT story, awesome fight scenes, Nami's arc nearly brought me to tears Shocked. Almost every story, with the exception of fillers is deep and dramatic. Also one of the few animes with constant multifaceted wars...theres always three groups or more in every large battle. Also, awesome humor Smile )

10. Claymore (A new One! its gonna be one of the next great animes. Awesome stories with so many twists and turns that you have no idea whats going to happen next. It has one scene which is probably the most shocking and unexpected thing I've ever seen in my 10 plus years of watching anime. It's an awesome fast past action series)

[Edit: Honorable Mentions: Evangelion (which really should be in there somewhere but I don't know which to take out...) and Mai Hime (spoiler[the concept of fighting by risking the person closest to you as a power source just clicks with me, It really affects the self sacrificing type of hero... even to the point to attacking other friends..])]

Hmm... I guess I'm rather action oriented Shocked

As for my least favorite animes....
I can't really think of any. I usually don't sit through watching an entire series and come out thinking that was the worst series ever x.x And if i have i sure as hell dont remembering them.


Last edited by Kaguzuchi on Sat Aug 25, 2007 3:59 am; edited 2 times in total
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