Forum - View topicYour Top 10 / Worst 5 things. Why? (w/ index).
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ikillchicken
 Posts: 7272 Location: Vancouver |
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Honestly though, what did you guys expect? For it to not be a show about Hamsters? And if you did expect a show about hamsters, did you really expect it to be deep or complex on in any way about more than hamsters? |
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egoist
 Posts: 7762 |
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Did you ever expect anything from an anime when you were a kid? Well, I didn't. |
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The Human Spider
Posts: 334 |
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Didn't want to mess up the index so I'm updating my list as a seperate post. SLAYERS and M.D. GEIST are replacing CROMARTIE and PARANOIA AGENT.
1. SLAYERS: This is currently my second favorite anime franchise after Gundam. It's one of the funniest anime comedies I've seen, even with all the epic fights and seriousness getting in the way of the comedy. While I like the movies and OVAs for their greater focus on comedy, overall I prefer the TV series because it's funnier at its funniest and it has better interaction between its main cast. And Lina is one of the most entertaining characters in anime. She seems to come from a time when a girl could be loud, short-tempered, and violent without getting dumped into some moe catagory. Her somewhat amoral nature is also really fun as is her indiscriminate mass destruction. I'll NEVER get tired of Dragon Slave 2. M.D.GEIST: "Classic" OVAs are one of my current obsessions. While there are others I like more, I chose M.D.GEIST because it seems to be considered the "iconic" classic OVA for good and bad. Like many similar OVAs from its era it takes a crazy B-movie aesthetic and pushes it to ridiculous almost self parodic extremes but with a seriousness like they actually believed they were producing something really serious and cool. I think that's where a lot of the awesomeness of these classic OVAs come from. If something like M.D. GEIST were to be attempted today I think there would be too much of a desire to "improve" it by treating it with an ironic "we're-too-cool-to-really-take-this-seriously" attitude. But that would just kill the awesomeness. A show like M.D. GEIST must simply exist for the sake of Awesome--nothing else is needed. And my least favorites: 1. SISTER PRINCESS RE;PURE: The most boring anime I watched all of. I only watched the whole thing because I liked the first series so much and the ED songs were great(the only thing that made the show worth watching.) The frustrating thing is a good show could have been made by simply continuing where the first series left off. 2. PRINCE OF TENNIS: I don't like tennis, but I've seen several shows about subjects I don't like and ended up liking them , so I decided to give this one a try. But it just ended up confirming how much I hate watching tennis. Not exactly a bad show--I just can't get past the tennis. 3. YU GI OH: I don't like cards. That's it. It's like how some people don't like mecha or moe or fanservice shows, I just don't like card shows at all. Though they can occasionally be good if the cards are completely ignored(as in AQUARION AGE.) 4. PERSONA TRINITY SOUL: Interesting but ultimately frustrating and confusing. I think I would have definately liked it more if I played the video games, but I'm not really a video game guy. Same goes for the .HACK shows, though I did enjoy them more. 5. Some show about a kid trying to be a champion yo-yo yo-yo-er. I don't remember the title but that's what the show was about. The great anime about yo-yo-ing has yet to be made. |
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rainbowcourage
 Posts: 1216 Location: what is commonly known as "hell week" |
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I updated my list a fourth time, with Planetes and Last Exile supplanting Full Metal Alchemist and Gurren Lagann. I love Full Metal dearly, but I may have outgrown it just a teensy bit. On the other hand, both Planetes and Last Exile blew me away on rewatches. Finally, GL is due for a rewatch very soon since it's been almost four years and it needs some reassessment.
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Ardlien
 Posts: 59 |
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Top 5 Anime Series
1. Kino's Journey - Episodic, understated, brilliant. It's one of the rare anime that convey complex ideas with grace and subtlety and the only one I could see deservedly studied as literature. 1. FLCL - A hectic, adolescent, alien-filled, self aware, ironic, sexual innuendo-laden, guitar-smashing, vespa-crashing romp that at some point apparently covers coming-of-age. Personally I was in it for the ride. 1. Mushishi - Beautiful; wondrously so. I did not see the meaning that others see here, but in its place there is so much green. Lush and soft describe how the bizarre world it creates looks and sounds, and the tales that issue forth from it capture the heart uncannily. 1. School Rumble - As easily could be Azumanga Daioh or even Excel saga, they are pure energetic hilarity. Some of their humor is lost in translation, but the sheer volume to begin with makes the loss of little consequence. 1. Gurren Lagaan - All the comedic energy of insert anime here, Shounen-style level up to infinity or insert anime here, with a dollop of pure manly ambition. Oh yeah and giant robots. Gurren Lagaan aims for the impossible and makes it work. Top 5 Anime Movies 1. Mind Game - Stylistically kaleidoscopic, humorous, and genuinely life affirming. Difficult to fault. 1. Princess Mononoke - This is what an adventure should be. Miyazaki's characters are distinct and generally likeable. Violence and chaos is perfectly mixed with tranquility that doesn't feel forced, in an environment that truly has it's own life. As always Joe Hisaishi's score is flawless. 1. Jin Roh - A familiar dystopian setting, but the story is told in a unique and powerful style. 1. Millenium Actress - Kon's style is his own, and Millenium Actress is perhaps the best example of it. There is an unmistakable feeling of momentum as the film moves forward, and Kon plays with images as often as he does characters or dialogue, Diffucult to explain but not so to appreciate. 1. Samurai X - Trust and Betrayal - It's hard to say how it fares without knowledge of the Rorouni Kenshin series to back it up. Nevertheless it is a simple, beautiful story. The Unfortunate Few Shakugan no Shana - I approached this optimistically due to positive reviews, but it quickly devolved into formulaic fight-of-the-week mixed with catchphrase ridden 'romantic comedy' stereotypes. "Shut up shut up shut up" sounds surprisingly whiny in Japanese. The Sky Crawlers(movie) - This isn't necessarily a terrible movie, but it was not for me. I felt the messages were overplayed and unoriginal; a bad sign for a slow, brooding film. Naruto - It was new, and I was new to anime, they were different times, heady days. I followed the adventures of Naruto and co. until it dawned on me that it was just like DBZ. An entire genre telling the same story, none of them having an aim. Meh. Kurozuka - Got my hopes up with a cool colour scheme change early on (thought it might be something innovative), but from there the story seemed to fizzle out, and the animation became less of a saving grace. Higurashi no Naku Koroni Kai - Note, this is not Higurashi, Higurashi is fantastic. This is the sequel series that attempts to answer question that had been left unanswered by the first. Either I'm not a fan of this style of storytelling, or I'm not a fan of the specific answers given (or a bit of both). This series removed the eerie atmosphere of the first and replaced it with at best second-rate detective work, at worst feel-good-comedy? |
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LewsTherin
Posts: 13 |
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Top Ten Anime:
1. Welcome To The NHK I love NHK because of the ending. I was kind of expecting the spoiler[suicide attempt], but what I was not expecting was the explanation of spoiler[Misaki's reasoning behind rescuing Tatsuhiro from his social withdrawal. That there was no actual romance or goodwill there at all, it was just an attempt by Misaki to deal with her abandonment issues is a refreshing way to finish off what was looking to be a typical boy meets perfect girl and they fall in love at the end situation.] 2. Chobits Another anime I love for the ending, Chobits started off so/so, with the fanservice and overly cutesy stuff. But once the plot got deeper, and it started dealing with some major philosophical issues, I was drawn in. The ending is one of the three moments in any anime that gave me goosebumps. 3. Spice And Wolf The one thing about Spice and Wolf that makes it a favourite of mine is how Horo and Lawrence interact. 4. Bakemonogatari Bakemonogatari is outright hilarious. All the other things about it are well done, which is a plus, but the comedy is what makes it great. The amount of times I've laughed in the first 9 episodes of the show due to something clever/witty is greater than any two other anime combined, excluding Spice and Wolf. 5. One Piece My first anime excluding what I had seen on the Saturday morning cartoons. I love it still, though nothing has been quite as good as the Arlong Park arc and Captain Kuro arc. 6. Ah! My Goddess One of the prototypes for a harem, it's still the best. And I think the anime version does the series justice, and skips out on a few little things I didn't like so much, like most of what goes on surrounding spoiler[Banpei and the other Robot Skuld made(which is thankfully completely missing from the anime)]. 7. xxxHolic Yuuko <3 8. Shakugan No Shana Alot of people rag on it for being a generic shonen romance, but I really like it because I feel it executes those elements that make it generic better than any other show of it's type. 9. Sora No Manimani I don't know why I like it as much as I do, but I do. 10. Black Lagoon Just plain badass. Honorable mention to the first dozen episodes of Death Note. Bottom 5 Anime: 1. Hayate The Combat Butler So unquestionably stupid, I had to struggle to get past episode 4, and gave up on episode 6. 2. Inukami Another anime that was just plain stupid. 3. Gunslinger Girl I was bored the entire time. I've watched anime that are slowly paced like this one seems to be, but I have never been so thoroughly bored by any of them. 4. Princess Lover Episode 6. Enough said. 5. Pokemon I enjoyed it when I was little, but not only have I outgrown it, the show has gotten way worse. |
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TheTheory
 Posts: 1029 Location: Central PA |
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It's been a while since I've posted here and a lot of shuffling has occurred, so I'm going to re-post (because I don't believe in editing posts or whatever other people do).
Listed Alphabetically, because at this point it is too tough to try and really arrange order (English distributor listed just for reference. because I'm pretentious like that!) Azumanga Daioh (ADV) ...It is no accident that this comedy scores so highly by a large portion of the anime fans. (The median rating on ANN is "excellent for crying out loud"). While it is funny, it also manages to really make the characters endearing. The presentation is fabulous (with a great OP, and fun music as a whole in general) and is one of those shows you just wish would continue for another episode... and another episode... Cromartie High School (ADV) ...Another comedy, this one goes the direction of sketch comedy. Totally random and the closest thing I've seen in anime to Monty Python or British humor in general. Of course, seeing how anime isn't FROM Europe one shouldn't really expect to find any British-style humor in anime, right? Whatever the case, Cromartie is totally fantastic. Heck, the ADV singles menus are worth the price of admission alone. Elfen Lied (ADV) ...I don't know if this was the first series I watched to totally grab me, but it was certainly very early on in my anime-watching-career. Yes, it has extreme violence and it has gratuitous nudity. But I thought at the time (and without going back to re-watch the series my opinion remains the same) that it was very tastefully done. Of course it has to be for a mature audience, but that shouldn't take away from the beauty of the series. Fullmetal Alchemist (FUNI) ...So this is one of those series I'd always heard about, but never really bothered with. So when I actually sat down to watch it I was surprised that not only did it live up to expectations, but it moved quite forcefully into my top two or three series of all time. I've not bothered with Brotherhood, but rumor has it that it pales in comparison. Well, that's all fine and dandy... at least the original is a thing of beauty. Hare+Guu (AN/Bang-Zoom) ...oh hey, another comedy! I like to laugh, I guess, in between terrific battles between alchemists and naked chicks blasting away whole armies. Despite the sunny and kiddie visuals of the series, this explores some fairly adult themes and humor. While the deluge of sexual jokes would probably go over the head of most kids, don't make the mistake of considering this a kiddie show. It is, in fact, absolutely hilarious. Great pairing of characters. Some ridiculous situations. A few truly heartwarming moments. Win win. Haibane Renmei (Geneon) ...This series battles with FMA as my favorite of all time. It starts off as a great slice of life set in a beautifully textured fantasy world. But when the second disc rolls around it starts taking on a dark tinge... and the darkness grows as the series tumbles on. Excellent pacing, exciting characters, completely beautiful artwork, amazing OP, even more amazing ED... wow. Kamichu (Geneon) ...Kooky little plot (girl suddenly becomes a god) delivered in slice-of-life fashion. The concept alone might have carried the series... but it wouldn't have risen out of kiddie-fare. Instead, the nice collage of characters and situations bring some great zip to it. Even better, the main character is kind of the exact opposite of not just a god, but of most main characters anywhere. Even beyond those issues there is just something totally endearing about the series that I can't quite put my finger on. Mermaid Forest (Geneon) ...What a deliciously twisted series. I mean... it is about mermaids. But these are mermaids like you haven't seen before! This is mermaids without the Disney-ification that (while nice and effective) totally make mermaids seem like fun little pals. These mermaids blend into society and a lot of dark things happen. Great flow to the series with a fun pairing of main characters. Paranoia Agent (Geneon) ...Satoshi Kon just doesn't disappoint. S'all there is to it. His only tv series (that I'm aware of) is brilliant, twisting multiple characters, turning convention on its head, lots of circular plotting, with lots of creativity thrown in for good measure. A few episodes drag (RPG eps, I'm looking at you), but they're evened out by some thoroughly amazing episodes. Saikano (VIZ) ...I wish I could have put another romance series on this list, but unfortunately Saikano will have to be the sole representative. While it is debatable which series affected me the most (probably this one), it can't be debated that this one had much more empathetical characters, making the whole experience much more immersive. Honorable mentions to: Witch Hunter Robin (Bandai), Paradise Kiss (Geneon), Rozen Maiden (Geneon), Kino's Journey (ADV), Paradise Kiss (Geneon), Koi Kaze (Geneon) |
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IllConstruct
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I tend to bunch series's together as one entry rather separating them into sequels and such.
Top 10: 10. Elfen Lied If there’s one thing I respect more than anything else, it would be originality and part of being original involves taking risks. Elfen Lied eagerly jumps at the chance to jettison convention and safety with such gusto that it’s nothing short of admirable compared to everything else that’s content with hiding under its security blanket for the umpteenth time. Yes, the violence is gratuitous, and yes the patchwork of genres fails miserably more than it succeeds (especially the frequent attempts at humor), but the wonderfully dark plot, surprisingly touching (and totally out-of-left-field) romance story, and unreserved risk-taking at every turn more than make up for its rampant flaws. 9. Cowboy Bebop Undoubtedly a classic, Cowboy Bebop deserves the mountain of acclaim constantly lavished upon it and more. Conceptually, intergalactic bounty hunters sounds like it should fail right out of the gate, but the stunning method in which it is executed makes it work beautifully. In particular, the incorporation of wildly diverse (and wonderfully composed) music is pulled off seamlessly as it feels as if every single tune is matched perfectly with whatever is onscreen. Yes, the soundtrack is simply amazing and the way it is masterfully integrated into the series as a sentient force as if it were the very essence of the story itself makes Bebop the slick, stylish, and smart sensation that it is. 8. FLCL I think nostalgia has a lot to with FLCL’s position in my Top 10 (especially with it outranking the likes of Cowboy Bebop), but I’ve always been drawn to FLCL’s sheer overload of incredibly fast-paced, high-octane insanity. Unlike something like Excel Saga where the overdose of unleaded zaniness was often unfettered, FLCL manages to control and direct the energy, using it to drive a young boy’s coming-of-age tale with surprising effectiveness. The music is great, the characters are endearingly quirky and everything is just so wacky that I just couldn’t help but smile at how crazily charming every passing second was. 7. Kino's Journey Here we have one hell of a mature and philosophical journey packaged with the one of the most engrossing and elegant tales of walking the earth. Unlike a series like say Evangelion, where all of the symbolism is in-your-face, Kino’s Journey delivers its philosophical messages in a much more subtle and smooth fashion. Decisively thought-provoking and always leaves you feeling enriched from both an intellectual and entertainment standpoint. I would be remiss if I didn’t mention that Kino is one of the best protagonists of all time. Kino is shrouded in mystery; always portrayed as aloof and enigmatic, but with a profound sense of purpose and a strong sense of reason, giving off an enchanting air of wisdom. Few characters have as much depth or as many sides to their personality, making Kino, and the entire series for that matter, entrancing and inspiring. 6. Kara no Kyoukai - the Garden of Sinners (All movies) Talk about brutally stunning in pretty much every respect. Kara no Kyoukai excels in essentially every major department with distinctive art, a chilling overarching plot compounded with low-key yet captivating dialogue, great characters, and some of the most fluid and visceral animated fight scenes ever. More than anything, the visual style deserves the most praise as it is simply masterful. The sterilized nature of the background art creates a subtle and uncomfortable sense of aloofness and yet visuals as a whole can still be vibrant and lively when they need to be, such as in all the amazing fight sequences due to some spectacularly detailed lighting effects. High production values don’t detract at all from a highly engaging and gruesomely dark storyline, the latter of which I definitely have a soft spot for. 5. Ouran High School Host Club Yes, it’s shoujo, but I don’t care. Simply put, Ouran is a riot. It unabashedly lampoons everything shoujo yet when asked to rise to the occasion and deliver some genuine romantic substance, it manages to succeed with flying colors as well. Ouran’s “serious” un-satirical moments are every bit as flawless as its sublime parody, so much so that they manage to outshine most authentic shoujo series’s to date. Ouran is both a side-splittingly hilarious parody and a wonderfully heartwarming homage to the good old romantic-comedy genre. I can’t in good conscience not mention the crazily well-done characterization. Haruhi is one of the strongest and most sincere protagonists and such a flat-out rejection of gender roles make her irresistibly appealing. Personally, I feel that Haruhi is the driving force of the series and that Ouran could have easily done away with developing every other host (which it seems like the series is intending to do at the beginning), but it chooses to give each one just as much care and depth as her, making Ouran a paragon of character development. 4. Clannad + Clannad ~After Story~ When I say that I value originality higher than everything else, I get to Clannad and find that it is the perfect exception that proves the rule. This is romantic dramedy done at its absolute best. Clannad can probably be summed up as saying that will leave you in tears, either due to the unrivaled, outrageously hilarious humor or to the most emotionally heartwrenching and tearjerking sequences, animated or otherwise. There’s never a second where you are not emotionally involved in some fashion, whether it be by feeling uplifted or disheartened (to the extreme in some situations). To top it all off, the series as a whole is just plain gorgeous to look at, sporting a mesmerizingly vibrant art style. 3. Aria the Animation + Aria the Natural + Aria the Origination Sweet, simple, and serene, Aria tackles slice-of-life with grace and elegance by using quaint normalcy dusted with low-key fantasy as a medium to deliver its tales of unbridled, uplifting joy. Aria flows very naturally and smoothly in conjunction with the beautiful Neo-Venezia in which it takes place. Appropriately, Aria might as well be the perfect metaphor for itself, being a series centered around the humble wonder of gondola rides. It definitely invites you to sit back, take in the sights, and enjoy the ride. 2. Monster As I mentioned, I have an affinity for the darker and more psychological side of things, so Monster should come as no surprise. Whereas something like Death Note only dabbles with psychology in a somewhat amateurish fashion, Monster takes it a step further by exploring the frightening and twisted depths of the human mind and skillfully weaving it into a dark detective mystery tale. Though one hell of a long trip at 74 episodes, Monster is rich, detailed, and interesting enough to perpetually sustain an aura of dread and suspense throughout the entire journey. All of the characters are complex and well-developed, even the supporting cast, and Johan is perhaps the best villain in all of anime, if not the creepiest. 1. The Melancholy of Haruhi Suzumiya Despite being extremely overhyped, this is still easily my favorite series of all time. The concept is nice and refreshing, and the amalgamation of genres (high school/slice-of-life/comedy/sci-fi/supernatural) actually WORKS. TMoHS effortlessly excels in every one of its myriad of genres so well that it’s simply awe-inspiring. Above all else, however, the cast of characters really bring this series to life. Despite being stereotypes, the characters shine brilliantly because of their perfect balance of "played straight" and "outlandishly subverted.” Haruhi’s fierce, free-spirited vivacity is a force to be reckoned with and Kyon’s down-to-earth cynicism serves as a perfect foil. The humor is top-notch-be it parody or otherwise-, the dialogue is exceptionally well-written, the production quality is stellar, every genre in the melting pot is showcased at its best, and, as mentioned, the characters are unforgettable, proving why the series very resolutely occupies the top spot on my personal list. Bottom 10?: I consider myself a fairly discerning viewer, so I will generally do a healthy amount of research when choosing a series. As such, I don’t often come across something that I am intrigued enough to see all the way through while simultaneously hating it enough that I'd put it on such a list. The only one that comes to mind is the ever-popular candidate for this category: School Days In a nutshell, School Days falls short in just about everything it attempts. The humor consists of old recycled gags that aren't funny, the romantic angle, while certainly tragic, feels totally artificial, contrived, and shoddily constructed, and the music and animation are subpar at best. The pacing is all over the place with relationships blazing by so quickly that the entire series could have been wrapped up in a flash in about 5 or 6 episodes, but the series drags everything out mercilessly with literally episodes' worth of pointless school-oriented interactions. And yes, even the wildly controversial conclusion does not rescue the series from being thoroughly brain-rotting. |
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Skylark
 Posts: 827 Location: ORE NO TSHIRT |
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Time to update my list. It's been 2.5 years since I wrote the first one, and since then I have not only watched a lot more anime, but also matured a lot in my analysis thereof. Hopefully by reading my list I can encourage you to watch my favourites, and find a place in your heart for them as I have. These are in no particular order, as I can't really rate them one against the other.
1. 5 Centimeters Per Second (movie) Where to start. Beautiful visuals. The artwork is absolutely stunning, with some of the best stills and backgrounds I've seen in any animation to date. This movie tells the tale of a young couple who are friends throughout school; then follows their struggle to remain connected as they grow apart from each other when one moves away. There are some real heart-wrenching moments in this movie; the voice acting is excellent and the mood is set incredibly well. You can feel the agony from your armchair, as the train grinds to a halt in the snow. When the piece of paper flutters out of his hands, leaving him only his memory to dictate his path by train to his faraway lover, it's very difficult to stymie the rising emotions in your chest. I was absolutely captivated by this anime, and it is a must watch for anybody. It's not overly-dramatised, but simply and at times brutally realistic. However it captures the moments splendidly, and really leaves you longing for more when it is over. If you feel like being put through an emotional wringer, holding your breath and feeling warm inside, then give it a go. 2. Ef ~ a tale of memories ~ Another romance anime, and much more engaging than it's somewhat disappointing (though still excellent) sequel. This anime makes use of some excellent abstract artistic devices to help portray emotions, and the "camera" work and clean, beautiful art certainly aid in the enjoyability overall. I do feel often it is a bit... drama-ish, and that the voice-acting is a little overdone in some places. But this is a grain of sand of a complaint in the massive beaches of this anime's brilliance. The complexity of the characters personalities, and the way the stories intertwine is wonderful. You can't help but fall in love with Chihiro, who's story is so painful that often you'll find yourself on the brink of tears. The story basically covers the development of two couples who live in twin cities with the same name, one in Japan and one in Australia. Chihiro suffers from a memory-loss ailment in that she cannot remember what has happened anything prior to 13 hours of her life, since a car accident when she was a girl. She happens upon Renji, who befriends her and eventually falls in love with her. However, all Chihiro has to go on is her own writing of herself on the previous day in a series of diaries - though Renji sees their relationship as developing, every day she must face a stranger that she has to trust her yesterday's self to describe. On the other side of the coin, in another city, a love triangle spawns between the manga writer Hirono Hiro, a random chance meeting with Miyamura Miyako, and Chihiro's twin sister, Kei. It is not one of your overdone, harem-style love triangles, however, and you will find yourself just as intrigued and captivated with this half of the story as you do the other. Overall, I'm a sucker for a tearjerker and this anime does not fail to deliver. Throw in a fantastic musical score and great mood-setting, character development and story and you have a masterpiece. 3. Elfen Lied One word for this anime: incredible. The plot is far too convoluted and complex to really overview, but basically the diclonius are a species that are born with the ability to utilise 4 invisible vectors to wreak destruction and havoc on anything they choose as a target. Identified by the horns on her head, Lucy was the subject of torment through school, and had no friends. In a world of suffering and misery, knowing nothing but cold indifference, Lucy meets Kouta, after hearing his musical box playing Lilium. The story revolves around Lucy's breakout from a prison/research facility, and her split personality after being shot by a glancing blow to the head by a 50 cal sniper rifle. Kouta, who can't remember his past because of a violent "accident" which killed his father and sister, takes in "Nyuu" (Lucy's alter-ego, incapable of speech) and slowly regains his memory. Plenty of violence and gore in this one, and some nudity as well; definitely not for the faint of heart/underage. However, the stories of Lucy and also of Nana, another diclonius who ends up thrown into the mix as well, are incredibly touching. It's a love/hate kind of anime, and I happen to love it. Reasonably good artwork, fantastic and deep characters and a strong story make this a great watch by anyone's standards. Also, the theme song "Lilium" to this day chokes me up. Probably my favourite opening theme song ever. 4. Kara no Kyoukai (movies) Holy. Crap. This series of movies has the best fight scenes ever. That's one way to start off. The animation is both beautiful, but moreso INCREDIBLY fluid. Add to the mix a complex plot (and I'm a sucker for Type Moon), fascinating characters and some supernatural themes and mystery intrigue, and you have some very stylish, very captivating anime in your hands. The way the story slowly unlocks the secrets of the characters interweb of relationships, and the history of each individual really is quite unique. Add to that a plot that will have you doing double takes at the end of each movie, and (if you're like me) have you rewatching several times both for entertainment and understanding's sake, and you have a really classy, high quality viewing experience. The settings are very surreal, and the characters are believable even given very unbelievable, non-real circumstances. Everyone who calls themselves a fan of animation should see this series of movies. 5. Now and Then, Here and There Whoo boy. This is probably the single most depressing anime I've seen in my life. Although I find the character design to be somewhat annoying (it is, after all, 10 years old), the story is both brilliant and terribly tragic. Shu is taken to another world while trying to save Lalaru, a mysterious and mostly silent girl (whom he'd never met before), from being captured by the tyrannical and somewhat insane Hamdo. There, he (a young boy) is taken prisoner, beaten and hung out, left for dead. His inmate, who was captured merely because she looked similar to Lalaru, is raped to breed children for the dictator's army of children and teenagers, in his never-ending quest to supply water to his machine so that he can rule wherever he wishes to. As the anime progresses, the true brutality of war and also a dark look into the depths of the human psyche will leave you struggling to figure out what is right and what is wrong, and possibly have you questioning your own moral compass as you are confronted with some very ugly characteristics of human nature. An emotional roller coaster with less ups than downs, this anime is a masterpiece and if you have the stomach for it, should definitely be on your shelf. 6. Toradora! What anime list would be complete without a high school love comedy? However, Toradora stands out from a large crowd in a full-to-the-brim genre, moving away from old stereotypes and towards and wonderfully crafted, well told story of mutual bonding growing into a love that would outshine the typical high-school crush. Ryuuji and Taiga are next-door neighbors, and both are in love with each other's best friends. They make a deal with each other to help out, such that in mutual agreement they might both be able to realise their crushes. Although the artwork _is_ fantastic, the real standout thing about this anime are the characters. Managing to be both believable and yet larger-than-life, the characters are what really will captivate you in this series. Ryuuji, with his peaceful personality, yet severe facial expression and scary reputation. Taiga, with her violent outbursts coupled with an underlying strength and courage, and willingness to help out her friends regardless of the reflected consequences upon herself. Kitamura, somewhat quirky but hardworking class representative. Minori, the apparently docile but incredibly deep and caring best friend. Ami, the watcher; she wears a mask for the public, but wants nothing more than to be accepted for her true face, her true personality. Seriously, don't just flick this one away on the pretense that it is just another high school romance. It manages to be funny, but at the same time powerful and complex. A strong achievement in a genre swimming with mediocre titles. 7. Death Note This anime's huge fanbase is not misplaced in its love of this fantastic psychological thriller. Yagami Light is sick of the world, when he happens across a notebook that kills the person who's name is written therein. Under his delusion of becoming a "god" that can judge mankind and stop worldwide crime, he begins massacring criminals in the name of justice, under the alias "Kira". However, when the nameless, faceless detective "L" begins to trace his tail, he must find away both to stay one step ahead of the law, and maintain his worldwide policing. Every episode will have you on the edge of your seat; but you can't sit back and let it wash over you. Your mind will race along with Light's, trying to connect the dots and piece the puzzles together, as this anime absolutely grips you from start to finish with its clever writing, great visuals, complex characters and relationships and a thrilling plot which is sure to have you guessing, and turn you on your head when you think you've figured it out. Overall a very well polished, excellent anime. 8. Koi Kaze Well, talk about conflicting emotions. Given the subject matter you may be inclined to give this a miss altogether, as it both deals with a large age gap, and also an incestuous relationship between a brother and his younger sister. However, I'd implore you to reconsider as this is by far one of the most touching romance anime I've ever seen. After spontaneously accompanying a student to a local carnival, Koushirou later discovers that this girl is his sister; but even when she begins living with him and his father, he can't help the emotions that slowly fill his heart - and she too finds that her feelings towards him are hard to describe under the pretext of siblings. It might seem weird to recommend an anime themed on incest to anyone, but this particular anime hits very close to home for me. Regardless, the story is very touching; you will curl up into a ball in frustration, watching as they try desperately to reject their true feelings, and come to grips with their forbidden love; and don't feel to sickened with yourself if you find yourself feeling elated and happy with the outcome either. This one is sure to push you one way or the other emotionally, and question some of the core ideals you hold on a pedestal. Whether you accept or reject their feelings for each other, you are sure to be captivated by this suspenseful love story. 9. Eureka Seven Now, I'm not particularly a fan of mech anime (in fact, in general I tend to hate them). However, I think you'd have a hard time finding much to dislike about this anime. The story is a lot less happy and fluffy than you might expect from the way that it begins, and watching Renton grow throughout the series is really a testament to character development on any medium. The intertwining relationships of the members of Gekkostate are really what make this series, although everything about it really is fantastic. There were some budgeting issues later in the series which somewhat affected the animation quality, however the story persevered through the gray patch and even so, the whole thing is an incredibly captivating viewing experience. If you like adventure and romance, this series is probably as close to the best mix of the two as I would be able to think of. I'm a sucker for a good romance, and this anime will have you both gripping your knuckles til they're white with frustration and anguish for the characters, holding back tears for their pain, and laughing out loud with elation in other parts. It's very easy to get taken away to this alternate earth, and let yourself be emersed in the atmosphere - really, you become absorbed by it. Just incredibly well written, enjoyable stuff. 10. Darker than BLACK Style, style, style. This is probably the coolest anime I've ever seen; the music has that kind of 80's funk theme, but with a futuristic setting in which personality-less people with unique powers exist - at a cost for each use. We follow the protagonist, Hei, who works for an organisation which utilises contractors for its own profiteering. The story leads through Hei's past, as he tries to locate his sister, whom he lost contact with. Throw into the mix some fast paced action, clever dialogue and cloak and dagger, and you have Darker than Black. Again, characters are what make anime for me, and this one is in abundance with interesting characters and relationships, eerie settings and mysterious pasts and stories. Some of the best fight scenes are contained within, too; each new contracter has a different power, and watching the fights and combinations of powers with contractors who work together is really fun. There are plenty of laughs in this anime as well, sometimes in odd places (which make the things even funnier). For example, after attempting to kill a fleeing Hei, one contracter renumerates by picking a flower from a nearby garden and eating it. Just a classy, stylish and action-packed series, with great rewatch value too. I'm not going to do a worst 5. Hope you enjoyed reading my rather short reviews, and hopefully you can pick up a great anime or two that you might not have seen already. EDIT: changed to "no particular order" as opposed to its originally intended alphabetical ordering. Last edited by Skylark on Tue Sep 29, 2009 12:40 am; edited 1 time in total |
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egoist
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I could swear Darker than Black was in your top 3 Skylark. But, oh well.
My top 10 was made over a year ago and I'm thinking about redoing it soon, well maybe during my next day off in 2 weeks, or 3, well I'm not really sure when that's gonna be. But it sure felt really refreshing to see Darker than Black was my second favorite back when I did it. It's probably going as my first this time. |
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Skylark
Posts: 827 Location: ORE NO TSHIRT |
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You must have missed the part where I said "In alphabetical order" although as it turned out I did it in "no particular order" (because I selected them from my anime list which wasn't as in order as I'd first thought). But thanks for reading it, it took an ass-long time to write all of that. EDIT: I don't know whether you thought some of this post was sarcastic or something, but I was being honest, not .. er... stressed. There's nothing to defend yourself for, I was actually genuinely glad that someone had read it. Last edited by Skylark on Sun Sep 20, 2009 10:54 pm; edited 1 time in total |
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Ggultra2764
 Subscriber Posts: 3966 Location: New York state. |
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It's been over a year, so here are my updated lists:
Top 10 Best Anime Titles 10. Kare Kano- Despite it's open ending and subpar animation, Kare Kano is still a strong romance title that delves into the minds of Yukino, Arima and their friends as they go through the awkward times of relationships and high school. 9. RahXephon- My personal favorite mecha anime title with excellent visuals, a powerful soundtrack and enough developments in plot and characters that keep me hooked to the series. 8. Key the Metal Idol- An underrated anime from the mid-1990s that features a suspenseful drama focused around the developments of Key's quest to find 20,000 friends. Features enough plot twists and a hauntingly dramatic soundtrack to boot. 7. Kino's Journey- An interesting episodic look into different philosophical elements of the human condition through Kino's eyes without the incessant need of preaching. 6. Now and Then, Here and There- A brutal and intense title delving into the limits of human morality in a hellish future that Shu endures. The ED song, "Lullaby," is a gentle song worth listening to which serves as the reliever from the intensity this show puts you through. 5. Serial Experiments Lain- An intriguing cyberpunk anime that delves into the blurring line between reality and the world of cyberspace, as well as the mysteries surrounding Lain's true self. The OP song, "Duvet", is one of my personal favorite anime songs of all time. 4. Koi Kaze- A unique take on romance going on the forbidden route looking into the awkward and questionable developments of an increasingly taboo relationship between reunited siblings. 3. Monster- A dark roller-coaster ride of a mystery suspense-drama that features enough psychological elements on the limits of human morality as Dr. Tenma plunges deeper into the dark world that the titular 'monster', Johan, inhabits. 2. Grave of the Fireflies- In my personal opinion, the best film made by Studio Ghibli and perhaps the most emotionally powerful one I've seen in an anime title, focused on what the harsh realities of war bring to two struggling orphaned siblings. 1. Rurouni Kenshin: Tsuiokuhen- Action, romance and drama fit perfectly well in this OAV series prequel to the Rurouni Kenshin series as Kenshin's exploits in the OAV feature powerful character drama and fluid battle scenes with impressively detailed artwork and character designs. The soundtrack's one of the best I've listened to in an anime series with enough powerful musical pieces that flow well into this title's intense drama. Top 5 Worst Anime Titles: 5. Street Fighter Alpha: Generations- The worst of Capcom's anime movie adaptations of their hit fighting game series featuring sloppy visuals and enough liberties with the backgrounds and personalities to Ryu and Akuma just to create an excuse for their fight towards the later half of the movie, which was Manga Entertainment's marketing hype for the movie. 4. X (movie)- A compressed adaptation of CLAMP's fantasy action-drama manga series which while it looks good, rushes through its plot giving little time for character depth thus leaving me not caring for the characters spoiler[when nearly the entire main cast gets killed off] by the end of the movie. 3. Freedom- The worst work I've seen from Katsuhiro Otomo as the mindless comedy, blatant Cup Noodle product placements and lack of in-depth focus on its post-apocalyptic world and characters made me ditch the title after getting half way through the series. 2. Boku wa Imouto ni Koi wo Suru- Compared to Koi Kaze, this one-shot OAV felt unnatural in the developments of its incest relationship thanks to the limited time of the OAV format. 1. Eiken- Hearing the name of this series just makes me shutter from my painful exposure to it on TV. The ridiculously-endowed girls of the series combined with the tasteless fan service in it had me going for the remote as quickly as possible. |
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Prede
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I'm just listing TV series and OVA's. I consider movies to be different, so no need to include them in this list.
Top 10 Favorite Series 10. Gunslinger Girl - The animation was really top of the line for this show. With stunning backgrounds, amazing character designs, and real attention to detail it's hard not to like what's being displayed for you. And if that's not enough for yah, madhouse paid special attentions to the guns in this anime, making it all very realistic looking, and the sounds represent the guns being fired. It's very well resourced. I love the illusion of real physical space for each character and object in this show. It looks more like live action, then a 2-d animated show. But visuals alone cannot win me over, not by a long shot. So how's the story? Exellent!! They could have easily made this a cliche "woah that girl has a gun! Awesome!" kinda-show, with large focus on unrealistic action scenes, and gratueous violence. But instead the masters behind this made it into a tragic drama about how these girls are forced to be cold-blooded killers. Each girl gets more then enough time on screen, and they are all very well developed. But perhaps the best part of this show, is all the different relationships between each child and their handler's. They all contrast each other in a really intellegent way. The plot moves at an amazing pace as well. Some say it's "too slow", I say it's heavenly paceing. And boy is the show sad. It really makes you care about each and every character, and to me that's great storytelling. The ending is touching too... 9. Speed Grapher - Dark, gritty, violent and sexual, this is a little edgier then your normal show. The gun fights are exiting, the supernatual showdowns are all very interesting, and there's just enough dark humor to get yah. The villian, Suitengu, really sticks out , as just a total badass character. The plot is a real rollercoaster, going to places you'd never imagine, and the ending is perfect. Gonzo outdid themselves with this one, they really did. 8. Eureka Seven - This is a very well written show right here. The characters all felt very real, and within 50 episodes you watch each and everyone grow up. Although I found the villians much more interestng of course. I also liked how it didn't focus on mecha fight scenes, but had a good amount of drama and romance mixed in there as well. The use of comedy in the show was great, because it really helps one not become too depressed, because there are some heavy scenes within the show. I'm not really a fan of the style of artwork Bones used here, but I easily got used to it. And the music was fantastic, really it was. 7. Death Note - This is just an all around exellent psychological thriller. The suspense and exitement this anime produces will probally never be replicated by any other show, anime or live action. It's really an intense, dramatic, and gripping experience. There was never a dull moment in the show, despite claims of "The second half sucking". Personally I kept waiting for it to get bad but it never did. Exiting, suspenseful, and thrilling up until the heart racing conclusion (I was practically shaking during the last few minutes of the show). And what a conclusion at that! One of the best in all of anime as far as I'm concerned. It's a great bookend to the series. It's a dark, well written, and amazingly directed anime. It's a real rollercoaster ride, with great ups and downs, and amazing plot twists . What a wild ride! The artwork was fantastic, with a great Gothic element to it all. The character designs were exellent, the backgrounds were great, and the color palette was amazing. And don't even get me started on the soundtrack, one of the best in all of anime as far as I'm concerned. The background music was oh so good! It helps that the show is entirely original, asks some great moral questions, and has some very interesting characters to boot. There's really nothing else like it... 6. Hell Girl - Traditional Japanese horror, done as an all around great anime. How can you not like this? It's very disturbing, twisted, and dark, and the themes it deals with are great. The characters are all 3 dimensional, real life people, and you really feel for them. it's a very dramatic show, and it's also quite scary at times. Sure it starts out simple enough, good people are placed in terrible situations, and are so desperate that they have to send their tormentor to hell, at the cost of their own souls. I mean we all know who is clearly evil and good in the first few episodes, right? But as the show progresses the line is blurred. And what happens when the Hell Correspondence website is used by terrible, terrible people. Throw in some tragic episodes as well, and you have a brilliant series, that raises some great moral questions, and really makes you think "what would I do in that situation"? And the introduction of Hajime, the reporter, is really a brilliant move. He and his daughter tie into the story very nicely, and helps it move toward a very dramatic and exiting conclusion. And they add a very real human element to the entire series, and it's touching to see him try and stop all these people from selling their souls. And his daughter's feelings toward all this contrast very nicely. A very serious show, but a very good one. I loved the art style, and Mariko Oka's character desings are really amazing. And pay attention to the emphasis on the contrast of modern Japan to the place Hell Girl lives. The music was very good as well. 5. Kino's Journey - Laid back, yet still very gripping. This series throws more philosophy at you then you could imagine. It's a mature, thought provoking anime, with great themes, and amazing characters (Kino and Hermes anyone?). It's a very intellegent series, and each episode proves to be much deeper then series that have houndreds of episode to develop their plots. The artstyle is very simple, just like all the stories, and just like the stories there's so much more too it all. The music is great, when it's there, and the character designs are incredbly simple, yet stand out very well. Nakamura's masterfull hand is all over this, with his use of characters, and great use of "on screen text" popping up now and then. It's a very dark series, but also shows the great side of humanity as well. And I just love the idea of traveling place to place, studying lands that have been seperated for eons. Each country contrasts the others very nicely. Overall the series is a collection of parables, and I like the way they dealt with that. This series could have been a real mess, but thanks to some great talent behind it, it's not at all pretentious or condescending. And despite being episodic, each episode is so different then all the others, that it's all very great to watch. And the paceing in this series is also great! And all around exellent and unique series, with very high replay value. 4. Neon Genesis Evangelion - Because it's Neon Genesis Evangelion. No really...this is an all around great show, and really lives up the hype. From the great characters, to the inside look on depression, to the top of the line anaimation (at least in the first half), this series has it all. It's a great character study, and a very deep peice of work. Try wrapping your mind around some of the things this show brings up. Plus it's a very involving show. And despite some claims of Shinji "being whiny", I did not think so at all. He is not the superhero from generic mecha-9000, he is not a happy-go-lucky cliche male lead, he is a realistic 14 year old with father issues. "He's not who you want to be, or want to be with, but he is who you secretly know yourself to be, and that's far more interesting". Sure to some he may not be likeable, but why does a character in a coming-of-age story have to be likable all the time? The way all the characters interact is very great, and the philosophy is brilliant. And what an ending! No really I liked the Tv Series ending, I truly did. It's a dark mature story, that everyone should watch at least once. And the opening and ending theme songs are classics. This is Anno's masterpeice, among masterpeices, his Magnum opus if you will. A very personal series for the director, and a very good one at that. This has more heart and soul in it then most anime out there. 3. Case Closed - The never ending amount of original mysterious, and very slow progession of the main plot makes for a real winner in my book. The way everything is handled is exellent, and it's a very addictive show. This is a show that can go on for 500+ episodes and still stay fresh. The path to Jimmy returning to normal is a long one, but a fun one at that. I love how it teases you with just enough plot every now and then to keep you hooked. And all the great mysterious to solve in-between plot are brilliantly thought out. And it's a very dark show too at times, which is something I really like. 2. Now and Then, Here and There - Incredibly depressing, but immensely rewarding. The story is so simple, but it's really brillaint. This is an incredbly emotional show, one that impacted me far more then anything I've ever seen before, anime or otherise. And the conclusion is my all time favorite in regards to anime. This is more of an emotional journey then some TV series. You really grow up, with Shu as you watch this. Brutal, but very grounded in reality, despite it's setting. With brillaint writing and directing, amazing characters, and one of the best soundtracks in all of anime (my favorite Opening and Ending themes are in this show), this has a place on any fans top ten list. It's a series about how war effects people, and how one dictator can upset the balance of power in the world. But it's also a story that proves maybe you really can make a difference in the world after all. Deus Ex Machina? Hardly. And besides being an emotional gripping show, where you love the good guys, and hate the bad guys (yes you truly care for each and every character), it's a slap to the face to the DBZ's and Naruto's as well as many American war movies and novels of our current era. It also has some very powerful messages, and makes you question your own set of morals more then once. 1. FLCL - I have called "FLCL" mankinds greatest accomplishment, and place it ahead of the automobile, the computer, the airplane, and the invention of the wheel. And I will defend that statement. Don't look for something better, you won't find it. Nuff said. Most Hated Series (in no order) *Mr. Stain on Junk Alley *Inuyasha *xxxHOLiC, Chobits *Elfen Lied *Full Metal Alchemist *Princess Mononoke (oops this is a movie, and I said I wouldn't include movies, my bad) Last edited by Prede on Sun Oct 04, 2009 6:36 pm; edited 4 times in total |
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Skylark
Posts: 827 Location: ORE NO TSHIRT |
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Mind elaborating on your least favourites? Given the heroic effort on your top 10, I'd at least like to see how you justify putting Elfen Lied (one of my favourite series) in your bottom 5.
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Prede
Posts: 388 |
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I was really tired by the time I got to my least favorites. I've written why I dislike that show a few times already, and it's never fun. Perhaps when I feel up to it I'll explain my dislike for all those shows.
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