Forum - View topicYour Top 10 / Worst 5 things. Why? (w/ index).
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Crisha
Moderator
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I've decided to distinguish between anime that I watched all the way through and those that I dropped like a messy dump.
Worst 5 Anime (That I've Completed)
Worst 5 Anime (That I've Dropped)
Honorable mentions go out to comedy shows that I really didn't find all that funny but are popular with anime fans: Nichijou, Azumanga Daioh, Lucky Star, and Hayate the Combat Butler. I am usually not interested in shows that are primarily comedies in the first place, since that tends to contradict the character growth and dramatic story lines I prefer. |
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Adzik
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1. Spirited Away- i've loved this movie ever since my friend gave it to me for my birthday. it's just so magical and wonderful and i just love it. this is also when i started watching more anime and more miyazaki movies.
2. Peacemaker- This show helped me understand japanese history better and made me become more interested in samurai shows and stuffs. it's also really good i've gotten a lot of my friends addicted to it. 3. Fullmetal Alchemist- I just like this show because it has a deeper meaning sort of and it also gave me a good grade on my medieval project because i was an alchemist, even though the alchemy in FMA is totally different from medieval alchemy LoL. 4. Azumanga Daioh- This show is just too funny and random and the characters are sorta like my friends and i crazy and insane. it's just too funny. 5. Dragonball Z- Some of this show is actually funny ok so don't murder me Anime I Don't like: Yugioh- I dunno i just don't like it really it repeats a lot too he always has to win Inuyasha- The beginning was good then it got dragged out and boring |
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InfiniteJest
 Posts: 136 |
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I'm so clueless about the deeper artistic inspirations and styles of anime that I realize my opinions are nothing more than that. I have no objective best and all my subjective thoughts are based on simple "what I enjoyed and might watch again" viewing. Or conversely what I hate and won't watch again. And these things aren't always consistent. I have several that I don't know if I should include because they are western (Invincible, Critical Role, Castlevania, etc.) so I'll leave them to the side
My top 10 (based on a not huge sampling) 1. Chivalry of a Failed Knight 2. Sword Art Online (seasons 1/2) -not Aliceization 3. Overlord (seasons 1& 2 but not 3) 4. Akami Go Kill 5. High School DxD (Season 1&2) 6. Claymore 7 Death Note (while L was around) 8. Chainsaw Man (really enjoyed this) 9. Spirited Away (My first Myazaki - saw it in the theaters) 10. Vampire Hunter D (one of my first Anime experiences) 11. Shakugan no Shana (can't even say why I just really liked it) 12. Kaze no Stigma (another that got me more interested in the genre. sad it ended the way it did and can't be revived) Clearly, I have a preference for fantasy action (starting to develop some interest in slice of life). The Harem stuff is seldom that interesting but in most cases I prefer older characters who don't have as much cutesy focus, and the two things seem to fall together (open to suggestions)...that or watching one thing seems to generate a suggestion to watch the next so it's just been some kind flow? Worst things (for me): 1. Characters who are 16+ acting like 8-12yr olds consistently to ensure that the romance angle is perpetually sabotaged. MC's who freak out publicly every time a girl looks at them. I get the point being that the MC is socially awkward. I get the tropes. But sometimes it's laid on way too thick. And I like seeing progression in romances (though it does need to take time or it ruins the show). Just find different reasons for the two MC to not hook up, it doesn't always have to be the "Freak out". Being innocent or sheltered doesn't have to mean being emotionally behind by 10 years. 2. Incest themes. I am not bothered by step-sibs who just moved in together at age 16 (heck I saw that happen with some cousins). I am grossed out when bio-sibs suddenly go full psycho stalker. I realize there's a cultural component here, but it seems like it's inserted for some reasons in many shows that I just can't process. Just not getting it and tend to avoid or at least fast forward through things that delve too deep into it (and yes it does crop up in a few on my top 10 list sadly for the shows). 3. Excessive Tsundere. For some reason I could deal with (even finding it endearing) to hear Shana yell "Shut up shut up shut up", It worked. And Koneko could get away with being meanie (is that a form of tsundere?) as well. But too often it's just shrill, punching, attacking, "To the moon" behavior that fails as slapstick comedy because it's overused. And punching someone is too often behavior that's way younger than the characters engaged in it. Just needs to be toned down in a lot of the stuff I've seen so far. 4. Bad dub voice choices. I'm pretty much restricted to dubs at this point because I have crappy eyes and end up watching in ways and times when I can't keep up with reading all the dialogue and still know what's happening on the screen. In this case I would say I hate characters whose voices don't match their age. I don't really like squeaky voices that are clearly adults trying to sound like teens but ending up soundling like toddlers. (oh and while I loved Princess Mononoke, having Billy Bob voice it was horribly distracting). - Also, I haven't been involved enough to know who the voice actors are, but some are also grossly overused to the point where it seems like the same character is following me from show to show because the voice is always the same. This is still true for shows and voices that I really like. Great example of this is Jad Saxton (just looked it up) who's voice is AMAZING as the cynical and critical sidekick in a lot of shows (just looked that up too). She brings real character to the characters she voices but now Koneko appears in just about every show. Glad she's getting work, but it does something to the dubs to always have one character be Jad. I suspect this is an issue with several other actors you could all name. 5. All forms of Scrappy-doo characters. Any time there is a set of adults (15+ for anime purposes) and some cute fluffy, whiney, bouncy addition comes in it annoys me. I don't want someone's little sister there, or the little dragon that looks like a puppy...and I was cringing when Kohaku went from beast to kitty...blah. Anyway I'm sure these things will all change as I watch more in the coming year or so, but that's where I am setting my baseline. I really can't even say what genre I fall into but I'm starting to get a general sense of what I like...though I haven't seen a lot of many types of anime so may have whole areas yet to explore. |
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The King Of Weebs
 Posts: 9 Location: N/A |
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I haven't watched any new anime for some time though so this list is going to be somewhat short
1. Spy X Family- The anime is just simply amazing, The ways that the show expresses the emotions of the characters are fascinating to me, and the way Endo portrays the characters and his art is beyond excellent 2. The Ancient Magus's Bride- TAMB was my first time watching my first anime without reading the manga was different since I usually have already gotten 4 volumes ahead in the manga, hell, I even thought that It was an anime original series before I watched the behind the scenes extras on my Blue Ray disk for the anime. But enough of that TAMB is one of the only anime that holds a very special place in my heart, The writing wasn't terrible, but there were some scenes that felt like the characters went out of character, but It perfectly made up for It by was still an enjoyable anime 3. Missions Of Love- While some of the two previous manga had an anime adapation, Missions Of Love is the only manga I read that never recived an anime adaptation, while those who know this manga shutter at the thought of remembering this manga, I think this manga is actually a pretty good manga for those who just want to read a good addictive romance manga, and while the manga is relatively short, the writing is espisally all right, the art is amazing and some panels look gorgeous and amazing, and while I depress over the fact that there is no anime adaptation, I still like the manga THINGS I DON'T LIKE Incest in hentai or harem anime- I just try to stay away from things like that, but even if the siblings are blood- related or not It's still creepy to me Side characters that are beloved and popular with fans in an anime but the character themselves only appear in a handful of episodes- As long as the characters themselves have a personality and not a cardboard box then I'm good with It The Sixth Ranger Trope- Again, it depends on the character's personality in the episode, but In most anime I don't really like this trope in most of the anime I watch, the only exception for this trope is Kaworu Nagisa in Neon Genesis Evangelion, even though he appeared in episode 24 his appearance in episode 24 is rewarding, I espiscally enjoyed his appearance in End Of Evangelion, And that's about it, oh and I almost forgot, I hate NTR for life, anyways since this is my first post I'll probably update this post |
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Flash33
 Posts: 89 Location: Florida |
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Obviously how much one enjoys something can be subjective, but for me there's no one right answer.
1. Is the English dub solid all around? A bad performance here or there is not a deal breaker, and sometimes VAs of all languages just take time to find their footing and fully settle into a role. 2. Are the characters interesting/entertaining? Self-explanatory. 3. What kind of show is it trying to be and when did it come out? This can help with my expectations going into a show. For instance is it a comedy, an action/adventure or a slice-of-life? 4. How well does it recover after a mediocre or bad episode? Almost all shows have bad episodes here and there, with some being their very first ones. Rarely will I write off a show after a bad first episode as more often than not it's the exception, not the norm, and it'd be unfair to write a show off entirely just because of one bad episode or two. There's probably more that I'm not thinking of but that's the basic gist of it. With that said here's some I've enjoyed the most in no particular order: 1. Chivalry of a Failed Knight: A really solid show all-around with an interesting premise, a likable main cast and a solid enough supporting cast. Also, the main duo of Stella and Ikki after becoming a couple early on do their best to talk out their issues (even if they initially need a gentle push from their friends to do so) and respect each others boundaries, feelings and skills. They're not perfect but they have a good support group around them to help them when they mess up. Shout-out to the main duos VAs of Luci Christian and Clint Bickham as Stella & Ikki respectively, as they do a solid job as the characters. 2. Frieren: Rarely do shows talk about what happens after the final battle, and Frieren the show does a solid job discussing that. Mallorie Rodak also does a good job as Freiren, having a good mix of serious moments and goofy moments. 3. Bofuri: A fun show about a girl playing a fun game with her friends, who also just so happens to stumble into being a beast of a player while still remaining her lovable goofy self despite that. While Maple and Sally (VAs: Megan Shipman and Jad Saxton) are opposites when it comes to their approach to games they still have a healthy and wholesome friendship both in and out of game, which is always nice to see. 4. Akashic Records of Bastard Magical Instructor: An example I always think of when it comes to shows with a mediocre first episode but solid remaining ones. Glenn Radars (VA: Jessie James (Josh) Grelle) isn't the most likable person out there due to his lazy & sometimes overconfident demeanor personality, but he's not afraid to put in the work and get serious when the situation calls for it, such as teaching his students different ways to use magic (i.e. splitting up parts of the Thunder Sprite Shock spell changes how it behaves, such as curving right or lowering the output). Rachael Messer & Monica Rial as Sistine and Rumia respectively also give solid performances as well. 5. Trapped in a Dating Sim: Similar to Glenn Leon Bartfort (Jordan Dash Cruz) isn't the most likable MC out there, but dang if he isn't entertaining despite that. It helps that while he's arrogant and can be a bit mean spirited at times he is willing to admit when he messes up & tries to fix it, even if sometimes he goes too far in the other direction while doing so. I also really like his dynamic with Luxion (Jim Foronda), Olivia (Jad Saxton) and Angie (Kristen McGuire) and how the characters grow & develop over the course of the series. 6. My Dress-Up Darling: If you told me during my first watch that Wakana Gojo was Paul Dateh's first role I'd have a hard time believing you, as he gives a great performance as a socially awkward kid who's nonetheless earnest and passionate about his work. Amanda Lee's performance as the very sociable but sometimes over-eager Marin Kitagawa is no slouch either. Both characters have a healthy dynamic with one another, and while they are passionate about their interests (sewing & cosplay respectively) they'd never intentionally define them to the point where the other feels super uncomfortable or unwell, and do their best to apologize & make up for it if they do. 7. Sword Art Online: While I won't deny the series has some issues in its writing and plot progression, I feel like they can be overblown at times in what I feel is overall a solid & entertaining series. This is thanks in part to the voice actors giving solid performances such as Bryce Papenbrook (Kirito), Cherami Leigh (Asuna), Cassandra Lee Morris (Leafa), Yui (Stephanie Sheh), Eugeo (Brandon Winckler), Sinon (Michelle Ruff), Yuuki (Erica Mendez), Lizbeth (Sarah Anne Williams) and Alice (Kayli Mills). Despite multiple girls having romantic feelings for Kirito, it's obvious to everyone early on that Asuna is the only girl for him, and despite some teasing here and there they still remain good friends with each other. 8. Welcome to Demon School, Iruma-Kun!: A good mix of comedy and seriousness, with a solid voice cast as well. Special shout-out must be given to Stephen Fu, who does a good job as Alice Asmodeus in S3, replacing the late Billy Kametz who also gave a solid performance as him in S1-2. The voice change is obvious and notable, but considering this isn't the first time he's successfully taken on one of Billy's roles (Naofumi Iwatani in The Rising of the Shield Hero S2+) he was a solid choice for the role in my opinion. 9. 86: Another show with a solid premise and solid main cast, with special praise going to Billy Kametz and later Aleks Le as Shin and Seuzie Yeung as Lena. 10. Black Clover: Recap/filler episodes aside this is a show that hooked me from the end of E1 by the premise, visuals and of course the voice acting. The main duo of Asta (Dallas Reid) and Yuno (Micah Solusad) are both interesting and entertaining characters in their own right, with enough flaws to make them believable, as are the rest of the Black Bulls and some of the other characters as well. 11. DanMachi: I recently rewatched the whole series and really enjoyed it. While Hestia's (Luci Christian) jealousy-prone antics can get old at times as a whole she does her best to be a good and supportive goddess for her familia, especially for Bell Cranel (Bryson Baugus), who goes from an easily frightened rookie adventurer to a solid leader and combatant. Really the majority of characters are solid, including Lili (Hilary Haag), Welf (David Wald), Mikoto (Margaret Lewis), Ryu (Genevieve Simmons) and Haruhime (Allison Sumrall) and even some of the other gods including Hermes (Benjamin McLaughlin), Hephaistos (Stephanie Wittels), Miach (Mike Yager) and Takemikazuchi (Adam Gibbs). I was also really impressed with Labraska Washington as Jura Halmer in S4 when I recently rewatched it, really making him sound like the despicable villain he is. 12. Sacrificial Princess & The King of Beasts: A nice Beauty and the Beast sort of tale with solid character and a solid ending to boot. Emi Lo and Ray Hurd as the leads Sariphi and Leonhart respectively give excellent performances, and Sean Letourneau as Set really does a good job of being stern and condescending but also fair and understanding. 13. The Duke of Death & His Maid: For a show where all the characters are 3D CGI you'd think it'd be mediocre, but actually it gives the show a special charm that I think wouldn't work too well in 2D, and if nothing else you remember this show because of its unique visual style that no other anime that I know of does. The story itself is sad but also hopeful, thanks in part to the main duo of the Duke and Alice, also helped by the fact that their VAs Clifford Chapin & Kristen McGuire are engaged in real life, so there's a natural chemistry in their performances that you don't get too often. As for least favorites or one's I found ok there's not that many honestly. Again in no particular order: 1. Now and Then, Here and There: It wasn't terrible by any means, and I can see why people like it so much, but for me I just found it ok. 2. Raven of the Inner Palace: I recently rewatched this, and while I did enjoy it it wasn't particularly amazing. 3. The Weakest Tamer: Another case of a mediocre first episode but stronger following ones. What makes this unique is I've actually read both the LNs and Manga before I saw the Anime and really enjoy them, and while the anime overall is good (especially after that bad first episode) I felt that it wasn't that good and could have been better than it ended up being. Maybe my feelings will change somewhat if I do end up rewatching it somewhere down the line but for now that's how I feel. 4. Fractale: Not a terrible show by any means, but I've seen better honestly. |
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Jose Cruz
 Posts: 1809 Location: South America |
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Time for another update (as I enjoy doing these lists and I rewatched my favorites this year): 6 years later, and my favorite anime shows are: 1. Simoun (2006) I actually though it wasn't that good as I remembered, placing it 1st, it so i re-watched it this year, and yes, it is that good. I still agree what I wrote about it 6 years ago. Although I disagree with myself from 2018 that male leads are not as a good as female leads, since my number 2 below has male lead. 2. Clannad: Afterstory (2008) This is a kinda a guilty pleasure of mine but re-watching it this year and it is the strongest emotional reaction I remember having relative to a piece of fiction. I didn't have it in my top 10 in 2018, however, I had it in a previous top 10 I made. Anyway, the experience of rewatching it this year was so powerful that I couldn't leave it out. It is just the ultimate otaku highschool anime in my opinion. It also had among the highest quality art and animation for the time it was made (although KyoAni would surpass themselves in that department over the new years). 3. Madoka (2011) Ranked 5th in 2018, now I rank it 3rd. I would say that it was this show that made me obssessed with anime. Before Madoka I watched a good amount of anime but I was interested in movies and TV shows in general, but after watching Madoka I thought: what I am doing wasting my time with live action shows and novels when I can watch stuff this good? 4. Haibane Renmei (2002) The art and the low resolution look quite dated, but I like the style: the character designs do not look hypercute like more recent anime but instead they look rather more real while still being obviously Japanese in style. Its a truly poetic but also unusually powerful iyashikei, my favorite of the genre. Watching it is like a religious experience at this point. 5. K-On!! (2010) Was 10th in my previous top 10, now I upgraded it to 5th. Like Clannad: Afterstory reaches the climax of Clannad, K-On!! is the climax of K-On franchise. Its just the best cute girls doing cute things anime ever and features some of the best art and animation even committed to a TV show (Haibane Renmei is also of a similar genre to K-On overall but I wouldn't classify it strictly into the CGDCT genre). If the best feelings of my teenager years were condensed into a show it would be basically this. 6. From the New World (2012-13) The other shows shifted positions but FTNW kept its 6th place. I remember when I first watched it back in 2013 that I didn't notice it was a masterpiece (that also happened with K-On!!), but it is just an extremely memorable and intelligent show: its the best show/movie about dehumanization I ever watched. The art and animation are also of great quality (except for the use of CG in some large scale action scenes, a regular problem with anime show). 7. Gurren Lagann (2007) Sorry EVA, but I rewatched both EVA and Gurren Lagann in recent years and I noticed that actually GL is my favorite Gainax show and not EVA. While EVA is a good show, fact is that I cannot identify as much with these socially alienated characters mental problems while GL's message of "just blow everything standing in your path with raw aggression" resonates much more universally. It is Imaishi's masterpiece as it stands as the achievment of his style in its purest form. 8. JoJo's Bizarre Adventure: Diamond is Unbreakable (2016) Talking about style, this is a show that is indeed an unique masterpiece in anime. JoJo is fairly unique and this particular title in the franchise is very special, superior to any other JoJo anime by a longshot in my opinion. 9. Aria the Origination (2008) Whoever has never watched Aria, has never truly lived IMO. This is a stellar iyashikei, I would say its the 3rd one in my top 10 list (considering that K-On!! is a type of iyashikei) but its the purest iyashikei of the 3: Aria is just awesome in that its over 50 episodes, climaxing in the 3rd season, of true positivity. The artstyle is also one of the reasons why its so great: it mixes a very animeish artstyle with a beautiful European setting: Venice and stuff (like Miyazaki's Kiki's Delivery Service). 10. Made in Abyss (2017) I had this at 3rd in 2018 list, now I still include it in my top 10, but I placed it a little lower. Back in 2018, this show had been released recently so I had a very excited perspective about it, still today it is hard to think about a more powerful anime show than the 1st season of Made in Abyss, one of the best horror anime ever. Overall, my top 10 didn't change much, 7 out of the 10 in 2018 showed up again, while Clannad: Afterstory I had in an earlier top 10, didn't show up in my 2018 top 10, but showed up now in my 2024 top 10 anime shows. In regards to movies, my opinion didn't change since I have not watched any great anime movie over the past 6 years (Miyazaki released a new one recently but while great experimental fantasy it was not up to the level of his earlier classics). |
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Redbeard 101
Oscar the Grouch
Forums Superstar  Posts: 16974 |
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Might have to do my own update soon. It's been 6 years since my last one. I looked over it and I am pretty sure 1/2 might not still be there for the series.
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Errinundra
Moderator
 Posts: 6607 Location: Melbourne, Oz |
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A few things have prompted me to do a new top ten.
-- Yesterday I reached my 1000th completed anime as per ANN's My Anime (link below). -- In July Red Fox / Sly Fox closed down, so I don't have the encryption keys for any BDs I play for the first time after that date. I've imported a lot of BDs from the US so I need the software to play them. -- I pretty much have every historical anime I want either on BD/DVD/my hard drive so, along with encryption issues, I'm expecting my BD/DVD purchasing to come to a near complete stop. -- With over 600 anime discs on my shelves, I'm running out of space. Recently, I was looking at them and thinking they made for expensive wallpaper in my lounge room. Could they be culled? There are plenty of titles I won't ever watch again, ie Jungle de Ikou!. Maybe I could get rid of everything I rated Not Really Good or below? Or just kept my best 200? You may see where this is going. The thought struck me some months ago, What if I could only keep my ten most beloved anime? My Desert Island Discs you might say. Such a list is different from a best 10 list. For example, my best 10 would have 2 Satoshi Kon movies but, on a desert island I want more variety. Millennium Actress didn't make the cut. I'd include Hyouge Mono in a top 10 best list but it isn't something I'd be watching over and over again on those lonely desert island nights. It was tempting to choose some really, really long series, ie Galaxy Express 999, but that's not really in the spirit of the exercise. I'm going to choose 10 anime I love to pieces. Once the list was compiled I found I didn't have any second thoughts. I can't think of anything among the other 990 anime that could supplant any of the 10 I've chosen. If I have any doubts, it's whether the newest title on the list - from 2022 - will have the same staying power as the others. Time will tell. My list is in date order. Two are from the 20th century and another two are from 2017 and 2022 respectively. The other six premiered between 6 April 2001 and 6 January 2011 - my favourite decade in anime - as might be expected with such a personal list. I've fanboyed over them all and, as well as the discs, I have figurines for all of them except Time of Eve. Some other rules I've set for myself: I must have a BD or DVD (in fact, they're are all BDs) and each selection must be a single release. In one instance it allows me to cheat a bit. 
7 January 1979 (compiled 1989 into this movie): Anne of Green Gables - The Movie. The original 50 episode series starts off in tremendous fashion, telling the story of Anne's unexpected arrival into the lives of the elderly brother and sister - Marilla and Matthew Cuthbertson - farmers in 19th century Canada. The first episode buggy ride shared by Anne and Matthew is one of my all-time favourite scenes in anime. Anne is somehow simultaneously entrancing and borderline irritating, leaving Matthew equally charmed and bewildered. Add Marilla and various narrow-minded neighbours into the dynamic and, for six episodes, Isao Takahata (director) and Hayao Miyazaki (artwork) provide a wonderful story of a precocious child desperate for acceptance meeting hostility and misunderstanding. Once she's accepted into the family by the end of episode six, the story becomes progressively duller, although love interest Gilbert Blythe livens things up a little from time to time. The movie compiles those first six episodes and gives us most everything that's best about it, while leaving out the dross. 12 June 1992 - Porco Rosso. The occasional kiddy humour doesn't always fit tonally with some of the more serious themes, but this is the Hayao Miyazaki film I keep coming back to. Hey, how often do you see an anime about a middle aged pig going through a mid-live crisis? Add in my favourite Miyazaki female character - Fio Piccolo - and my favourite Ghibli sequence - Porco's Milan visit to repair his plane - and it's my go to Ghibli movie. 6 April 2001 - Noir. Mireille Bouquet's search for the truth behind the nightmare that's her life as a professional assassin was the first anime series that had me totally hooked. I found myself continually re-watching it over the following couple of years. Mireille is only shaded by Homura Akemi (Puella Magi Madoka Magica) as my favourite anime character and only Rin Tohsaka (Fate franchise) otherwise comes close, but nothing she's in makesthe list. Noir is rightly known for its wonderful soundtrack from Yuki Kajiura - still, in my opinion, her best. Her later work is more polished, and less exciting. 16 August 2002 - Princess Tutu. My marathon binged start time and finish time are recorded for posterity here at ANN. Unlike Noir, which was a slow burn love affair, this was love at first sight. It's one of two magical girls shows to make the list and the more fun of the two. The ending is totally twisted, and totally perfect. The anime also gave us an awesome AMV, and a fan is credited as the originator of the now forgotten but once ubiquitous duelling guitar ninjas meme. 
2 September 2006 - Paprika. I'd watched Astro Boy, Gigantor and Kimba the White Lion as a boy and, because I loved them, tried out some anime movies in the 90s and 00s: Legend of the Overfiend, Howl's Moving Castle and Tales from Earthsea. The first wasn't good while I enjoyed the others moderately. Paprika changed everything in two minutes. Before the opening credits were over, I wanted to know what milieu could possibly produce something so unlike anything I'd ever seen before, yet so amazing, and so right for me. I remember sinking into the cinema seat during the credits and letting go - I was happy to go along for the wildest ride. 8 January 2008 - Spice and Wolf Seasons 1 & 2 collection. Yeah, it's a bit of cheat getting both seasons but, hey, they're in the one case. And, together, they make 26 episodes, the same as Noir or Princess Tutu. Holo the wise wolf (she's a harvest goddess, you know) and merchant Kraft Lawrence are my favourite couple in anime - their banter is unmatched anywhere else in anime, including in the recent re-make. (The new version has won me over nonetheless, so I'm eagerly awaiting to see how it adapts the later novels.) The banter is not only funny, it's witty and, above all, is a barometer into their growing regard for each other. 31 July 2008 - Time of Eve. This tale of two school boys having their worlds gently upended by the inscrutable patrons of the titular cafe - are they human or android? - was one of my formative fan experiences in anime. Although not quite the first, the original series was a very early direct to internet release. The freshly legal Crunchyroll sold the episodes as .avi downloads, with the last two of the six episodes each taking months to appear. I later discovered it was available on blu-ray in Japan with English subtitles and, guessing the delivery options, chose the most expensive one. I ordered it online from Japan on Saturday - it was delivered to me in Melbourne on Monday. It was later compiled into a movie with extra scenes and finally became officially available outside Japan in one of the best Kick Starter campaigns I've participated in, reaching all its goals within 24 hours. Fans volunteered to provide subtitles as part of the campaign so, thanks to them, the movie is available with subtitles in English, French, German, Italian, Spanish Portuguese, Chinese, Russian and Hebrew. As bonuses the Kick Starter release came with two of director Yasuhiro Yoshiura's short films, Aquatic Language and Pale Cocoon. 6 January 2011 - Puella Magi Madoka Magica. My first choice to take to a deserted island, ahead of Noir and Paprika. I may have watched this beautifully written (Gen Urobochi), directed (Yukihiro Miyamoto and Akiyuki Shinbo) and scored (Yuki Kajiura) series to death. If it's finally beginning to lose some of its lustre, it's from over-watching, not any inherent shortcoming. Homura Akemi remains my favourite character who, like Mireille Bouquet and Atsuka Chiba (Paprika) above dourly sets about setting things right no matter what the odds. Her tragedy, and it's hers alone, is that she only manages to make things worse before Madoka Kaname can see a way through. 
10 June 2017 - Girls' Last Tour. Two girls drive a World War 2 German half-tracked motorcycle through a post-apocalyptic world set way into the future. It's episodic (2-3 mostly unrelated segments in each of its 12 episodes), whimsical, tragic, funny and brilliant. The raindrop segment and their drunk dancing in the moonlight segment are simply glorious. Chito and Yuri make another great anime couple. 8 October 2022 - Bocchi the Rock. It's all about an immensely talented but acutely shy young woman coming out into the world after an extended period of seclusion. Yes. It's the COVID aftermath show you never knew you'd watched. Hitori Goto (Hitori and her nickname Bocchi are a play on "alone") was relatable for anime viewers everywhere. Because of that, no matter how ridiculous her situation - it's a very funny show - I wasn't laughing at her so much as rooting for her. The animation is up to the mark, especially the impeccable timing of the gags as is the left-field imagery. The slide guitar solo with a broken string and a loose peg still leaves in me in tears, it's so good. |
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Blood-
 Bargain Hunter Posts: 24478 |
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Very interesting list, Errinundra. If I'm ever stuck on a deserted island, I sure hope it's a decent size because there is no way I could whittle down my "must haves" to a mere ten. I'd struggle to do so even if the "rules" allowed me 10 TV series, 10 OVAs and 10 movie/specials... but at least that would give me fighting chance. As for actually whittling down my physical collection by selling titles I've watched and know I will never rewatch... yes, there are some in that category but I really am way more of a buyer than a seller.
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Jose Cruz
Posts: 1809 Location: South America |
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Great top 10 list. I watched 9 out of 10 and liked all. I need to re-watch Noir because I watched it over a decade ago and I wasnt paying full attention at the time to get the most of it. |
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