Forum - View topicYour Top 10 / Worst 5 things. Why? (w/ index).
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Zin5ki
 Posts: 6680 Location: London, UK |
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I request that you explain the significance of the word "well" in passing this judgement, preferably without making recourse to obvious synonyms of such a term. I make this request due to a suspicion that you consider 86mikekl to have violated a normative standard of appraisal —and to thus be in want of education on the matter— by merely expressing a dislike of the titles in question. (Needless to say, I am myself a detractor of such notions.)
This is a reasonable request, and has fortunately been subsequently addressed by the person to whom it was directed. Nonetheless, I ask you the following: If someone were to fully express how they are moved in one way by their favourite title, and moved in another by their least favourite, would you still suggest they may need to "understand why [the titles of which they express a low opinion] are well told"? If you affirm this, two corollary questions follow from this: 1) If someone were to dislike a "well told" work of fiction whilst in full recognition of the fact it is well told, would you suggest their dislike ought to be precluded by this recognition? 2) Is declaring a work of fiction to be "well told" a value judgement of prescriptive fiat, or merely a convenient and neutral means of describing the work? As you can see, the second of these questions would be addressed by responding to my primary request. |
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PetrifiedJello
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Because it was bumped, I'm updating my list but with a little twist which gets spoiled at the end. Now, onto the Top 10:
I Aria (franchise) - Simply put: The Greatest Anime Ever Made. I'm sure many will disagree, and I'm cool with that. Why it's the greatest to me comes down to the sheer enjoyment of watching every single episode without worrying about excessive worthless rhetoric, fanservice, and stupid antagonists seeking global domination. This series is just pure enjoyment. One can even consider it the "Seinfeld of anime", given it's a show about nothing. Each episode is independent and covered with so much sugar, cavities form while watching it. What really sets this off is the background art, and is, quite frankly, one of the best I've ever seen that's drawn by hand. There have been plenty of episodes where the background art is the star, not the characters. Toss in the soothing melodies and it can be difficult for some to stay awake. II Ramen Fighter Miki - If there's any honor this series will receive, it's the "Fell Well Under the Radar" award as many probably have never heard of this series. Despite the title, there's really no fighting in the series. Instead, it focuses on Miki, who just started working as a poster girl for the family's ramen shop. Using the term "Intelligent Comedy" comes with a caveat given we each perceive comedy differently. With this series, however, it deserves this honor because the comedy came at me without warning. Just when you think you're watching a tired cliche, the comedy comes out of nowhere and kicks you in the ribs. There are times the comedy is so well written, by the time you're done laughing, you'll realize the series just poked fun at itself. It is an incredible shame this series just didn't get put on the radar because it is definitely worth a rental. Even at $12.99, the purchase price for the 13 episodes is well worth it. If this series doesn't at least force a smile on you, then you're made of stone. I freakin' dare you not to laugh when Megumi meets Tomoko. III Lucky Star - Recently added to my collection, it seems a bit premature to list this. However, even with one viewing, this series is one I fell in love with and it only took one episode to do it. Not only is this series also about "nothing", the anime opening is the best I've ever seen. In fact, it's so good, I watched each and every one, a feat never done before. "Motteke! Sailor Fuku" remains the catchiest song I've ever heard. Addictive, indeed. Before acquiring this series, I've read many enjoyed Konata but I feel the true star is Kagami. Without her wit and demeanor, Konata would have nothing to work off. The two definitely compliment each other and many a smile was put on my face because of them. IV Ghost Hunt - This series may garner a few raised eyebrows, but I stand by its position. Horror stories are rarely told well enough anymore in that we don't share the "Been there. Done that." feeling while viewing them. Truthfully, this series includes much of the same, but what I enjoyed the most were the character interactions. As the series progresses, we get to see the team grow closer and begin to work well with each other in the variety of cases they're assigned. One case in particular, The Bloodstained Labyrinth, was very well told. I definitely enjoyed Mai's dream sequence in it and it's been quite some time I felt the "horror". Very well done. Speaking of Mai, I also find her drop dead gorgeous, and that certainly helped the series. Don't even try to figure out why I think this. Just accept it and move on. V Higurashi (When They Cry) - Okay, now I'm sure you're perplexed in how this series rated lower than #4. Well, this comes down to repetition, honestly. Now, there's absolutely no mistake these same elements are fun to watch, but they do lose their luster as the episodes progress. Tell me you didn't think you'd like to see something different. Thought so. Watching little girls go on a psychopathic murder spree shocks the senses. We don't want our little girls murdering. We want them cute and lovable. The artists definitely knew what they were doing with the character designs of this series, as it's just not natural to see cute little girls wielding blood-stained knives. Yet... While this series doesn't portray any horror for me, it's still fantastic to watch the episodes. The opening theme also gets a bonus, as the hauntingly-eerie theme sets up the series quite nicely. VI Kanon - Cute girls, lost memories, cute girls, friendships, cute girls, and tragic events make this series very enjoyable for me. Although the Mokoto arc isn't one I appreciate, the rest of the series does a very good job to make up for it. While I understand many don't appreciate the characters, I still recommend this for a viewing if you've not seen it. Hell, how can you dislike something until you've tried it? With the gorgeous animation and setting, it's difficult not to list this series somewhere in the top ten, so here it is. The main story of Yuichi's lost memories is told rather well, even though there's the air of "seen it already" throughout. Of course this is to be expected. How often can a story discuss lost memories without feeling deja vu. VII Kodocha - There's a huge issue of anime featuring little girls in it. If one isn't blasted for being a lolicon, then there's the assumption that's why people enjoy a series. Screw that. This series is a pure delivery of an 11 year old child star as she lives her daily life. Sana's world is turned upside down when she meets Akito, and from there, we get to watch an incredibly fun series work itself into our hearts. There isn't an ounce of fanservice in this show and gets quite serious at times. It's great fun and the entire family can watch it. It's very unusual in anime to see an 11 year old girl act like... hell, an 11 year old girl. Her hyperactivity can grate the nerves, but well worth a viewing. VIII Pani Poni Dash and Azumanga Daioh (tied) - When working on projects, you can bet one of these two series will be playing for background noise. The independent stories are delivered very well and it helps me from watching them while working, though I still can't resist the scene when Osaka's introduced to the class. Since these series have been out for quite some time, I don't think any further discussion is warranted on them. For those who are new to anime, I highly recommend reading up on them. Both are rated very well and there's a good reason for it. IX School Rumble (franchise) - Here is a series about love, or rather the failed attempts at expressing it. When I first viewed this series, I thought it annoying. However, a second viewing allowed me to appreciate what the premise was about. I guess when we walk through with an expectation, and it's let down, it becomes difficult to see the forest for the trees. With the new approach, I fell in love with this series. It's so ridiculous, it becomes a parody of itself. Tenma certainly has Murphy's Law working against her, and this seems to be contagious as everyone has problems communicating. The goal for the series is comedy, and there are a few shining moments guaranteed to make you smile. If this wasn't enough, there's Eri, and she's just gorgeous. Toss in Yakumo and... wait, I'd spoil a scene if I continued. Nevermind. Just enjoy the pretties. For the record, the manga version of Eri is even better looking, though I don't read it. Season 2 shows a few manga images during the opening, so judge for yourself. X Popotan - Okay, just kidding. Shakugan no Shana gets to round up the listing. This one series is the reason I'm back to buying anime. Found for $15, I was completely floored how much anime had changed. Before this, I often rented, and most of the rentals were older cel-produced series, so imagine what my eyes did when watching this one. I guess there's a special place for this series in my heart. Though, honestly, because it was one of the first purchased since last year, it goes without saying why it's listed here. I was going to throw in Cowboy Bebop, but that series is in its own category. For those unaware of this series, I recommend you check it out. Compared to the rest of my collection, I can't say it's the greatest, but it certainly is entertaining even to this day. Now, before LordRedHand comes in and trashes my list, I should point out this is my Top 10 Rewatch list, not the best in anime. Hell, there's no damn way I can list my favorites in the top 10 order. Aria, of course, would be #1, but 2-9? Yeah, you try it and see how easy it is. There's my anime collection. Go. As for the 5 worst, I'll leave that up to you. Do know the #1 spot for this will be Suzuka, but again, that's a series most people wouldn't put in the Worst list. Thus, by trying to list out 4 more would probably make people feel a little sick and we wouldn't want that. Thanks for reading and looking forward to your updated top 10 list. *bows* |
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TheTheory
 Posts: 1029 Location: Central PA |
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It has been a long time since I've updated my list. Might as well try... though it seems like every time I try I get stalled and it never happens. Well, we'll see.
1. Haibane Renmei I need to re-watch this, but I loved every moment of this show. Gorgeous to look at, engaging characters that I was pulling for and emotionally connected to, and a very original plot that is darker than the first four episodes would indicate. 2. Fullmetal Alchemist (Original Series) Some of the most shocking scenes that I've seen. Even though the plot of the series goes here and there and around-and-about, the characters keep the show easy to digest and interesting. Asks larger questions about life that aren't easy to answer. 3. R.O.D. the TV Exhilarating from beginning to end. The characters are remarkably fun. The battles ridiculously epic. The tensions feel real and important. One of those titles that makes me "squeee!" like a fangirl. 4. Kyo Kara Maoh! My fantasy anime of choice. People tend to dismiss it as simply a yaoi title, but that does it a great disservice. It's a long series (which I'm a sucker for), but breaks it up nicely into arcs that have their own purpose, while fitting into the larger picture. As with all the titles on my list, the characters are a whole heckuvalotta fun. 5. Ping Pong Club Juvenile male comedy would be really easy to get wrong, but somehow Ping Pong Club manages to make everything absolutely hilarious. The characters are--chaos. The featured relationship is subtle-yet-charming. Just a feel-good series all the way around. 6. Azumanga Daioh Similar kind of ensemble-school-comedy as Ping Pong Club, but without the lewd humor. Much more prestigious with characters you laugh with instead of at. 7. Baccano! Totally mystifying within the first three or so episodes, but then it becomes an eye-opening tale that mixes fantasy with horror with a Tarantino-style story-telling ability. It is all wrapped in a lovely noir blanket which helps the gangster atmosphere. 8. Saikano Considering my love of romance-flavored anime it is odd that it takes 8 positions to reach my first one. This one barely edged out Koi Kaze, another favorite of mine. For a viewer who becomes engaged in the characters, Saikano plunges into the deepest depths of despair. The journey is aching and the ending proper. 9. Saint Tail For me, Saint Tail epitomizes the whole magical girl genre. It is dominantly episodic with a fun premise and just enough episode-to-episode links to want to keep watching. Include a coy-yet-complicated relationship and moral ambiguity to keep things fresh. 10. Hare+Guu Another riotous comedy. Ridiculously absurd from beginning to end. Great gags, a lovable straight man, and throw in some hair for good measure. While not grounded on reality, the series provides an excellent "what if" premise and follows it to its extreme. |
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LordRedhand
 Posts: 1472 Location: Middle of Nowhere, Indiana |
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Must have not done a lot on story structure and theory. as most of the series lack or have very poor returns. So from an objective stand point they (FLCL and Grave of the Fireflies) have all the structural elements that a story needs to have while the series that were being labeled as best (Fate Stay/Night, Elfen Lied, Shana, Appleseed) did not. So when one says they have no story or it's poorly constructed one should point it out. Note a ton of our movies and T.V. series as well as anime and manga suffer from this, thus a lot of them are average. The truly bad ones manage to somehow fail at the tropes and elements and structure they do have or execute them poorly.
Determining best is tricky and thus I don't fully know what will touch or move one person but in essence a well told story (and well constructed) story will be able to get a response out of the viewer as opposed to "meh" poorly constructed ones can have this effect as well but it's generally more negative emotions (mostly anger). So asking the question how these stories moved you can be a gauge to what they actually think of the series. Also it's not normal to watch a "Worst" series 3 times in order to understand it (Unless it becomes so bad it's good kind of thing, a comedy of errors if you will.), as was done, normally you watch once and recoil from the sight of what you saw. So with that in mind a story like FLCL requires some reflection, so really the question that would have helped is what did I see in this, instead of giving up and saying I see nothing. Found a link to what I'm talking about http://www.channel101.com/articles/article.php?article_id=29 |
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egoist
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No need to figure out, as she truly is gorgeous. I'm currently at episode 20 of Ghost Hunt, and I must say, I simply love her. But one thing that really disappointed me were the many different facial expressions, which she used to make in the beginning of the series, fading as the series moved on. Why did it happen? My only guess is that she's not as surprised, and confused as she used to be. I wouldn't hesitate to put her in my top-10 favorite female characters, and my top-1 favorite female character when it comes to facial expressions. The series wouldn't be dull without her(as it truly absorbed me), but it'd definitely lose its touch. The opening is also enchanting, and it captivates me every time(I haven't skipped it even once). I still have many other horror titles in my list that I want to see, but so far this one gets the trophy for mixing horror with so many other elements this smoothly. Surprisingly, I didn't feel bored even once, and note that it sometimes happens even with my favorites. You can assume that Ghost Hunt is officially one of my favorites as of now. 
Heh, your list is really well defined. Simply put, I couldn't do that as whenever I think of a list all my favorites would come to mind, and it's really hard to kick them out once they're there! Slackers! But if I ever renew my top-10, that will definitely happen naturally; nothing exactly devised. Just surprised Spice and Wolf isn't there. I could swear.... |
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86mikekl
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After watching Saiunkoku Monogatari S2 I decided to increase my rating from 8 to 9. Hence I added it on my top 10 list and updated the order of the others and added some further explanations on a few of them.
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Len-chan
 Posts: 2 Location: Canada |
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This is my list (note this is from a 13 year olds perspective k?)
1.) Ranma 1/2 - full of action,fantasy and its a good laugh at the desperateness some people have of love (Tatewaki Kuno is in over his head)Plus it's one of my fave manga's. 1./2 (COUNTS AS 2 BUT same rank) Fushigi Yuugi-AHHHHHHHH Omigawd all the guys in it, rivalry,unexpected twists,deaths,loves, descending all the way back to Ancient China- and I looooove Tasuki absolutely loooove him!! 
3.)Maison Ikkoku-yes it's another Rumiko Takahashi one- but this has strange people which I love to laugh with, all in a attempt for Godai the Ronin to get the girl of his dreams (the housekeeper Kyoko) with another more in her league Coach Mitaka in the way and with even cute little kids in it!! 4.) Boys over flowers Anime- First series of manga I've ever read in my entire life when I was 11-Features a weird twist of Tsukushi Makino against the bully's and most hottest guy's in school the F4, rivaling with their leader Tsukasa Domyoji, being the only poor girl in Eitoku (rich kind of school) Academy, she gets eggs thrown at, fights, weird love sequences never expected but make sense and are pretty awesome and yeah there's Rui Hanazawa(Tsukushi always calls him by his full name)- who she likes and I LOOOVE HIM TOOO!!!! And there's some strange love twists
5.)High School Rumble-I've only read tree volume so it 's not from the beggining but like 5-7 and there are alot of characters so it was confusing for me when I first read the book now It's not even though I haven't read it in awhile not like in 5 months.-But it's about people falling in love and not suceeding definitly sometimes, this was hilarious too!!Oooh I like how people always mess up alot though so I laugh with them not at them or maybe I do?? |
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dirkusbirkus
 Posts: 699 Location: Manchester, UK |
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This has long been overdue an update for me, my original thread was over 2 years ago. i've seen a lot of anime in those 2 years! Whilst none of my original choices are cringeworthy now, the majority have been surpassed with stuff I've watched more recently. Without further ado:
The Good Kare Kano still remains within my top three anime. I've mentioned it as a recommendation, I've defended its flaws, I've lauded over the chemistry of the two leads. I feel like this was the first benchmark anime for me. It was certainly the series that made me realise that not only is it OK for a grown man to like romance anime, romance anime is actually freakin' awesome, and very often moves me on a level a lot of western romances are unable to. It's a combination of elements usually, but it all just seems so much more... Sincere. Kare Kano takes the unparalleled sincerity award. Kemonozume is another returnee from the previous list. You know when you go out on a limb and pick something up you've not heard anything about, just investigate on a whim? How good do you feel when that impulse leads to you discovering something you really, really enjoy? Kemonozume was one such whim. If you're currently watching The Tatami Galaxy, or have seen Kaiba, then the oddball animation here will be familiar to you. At its heart, like so many of my top ten, it's a love story. This one just happens to involve a flesh eating beast and the man who falls for her, despite being the one responsible for hunting her kind. It's equal parts funny, bizarre, charming and action-packed. Cowboy Bebop requires little introduction, and it's difficult to say anything that hasn't already been said regarding this series. The fact that it crops up so often in peoples Top Ten lists and the fact so many people reference it as an influence is testament enough to how big an impact it had on us. It'd be another 8 years before a certain girl became interested in espers, time travellers and aliens, but for those 8 years Spike and the crew were more than good enough company. It remains unmatched in the sheer amount of cool it oozes. Clannad was my first encounter with the one-two punch of KyoAni and Key. It opened my eyes to how far the medium had progressed since the 90s in terms of animation. It was the sweetest eye candy I'd encountered up til that point, and if Cowboy Bebop got me interested in anime, Clannad was the one that made me fall in love with it. It wasn't purely physical attraction; I loved the dame for her story as well. Is it a bit melodramatic to say I found there was a lot of soul interweaved here? It's a strange word to play with when talking about an anime but it felt like it was reaching my own soul at some points. Woah, that's a bit deep for me. It's a beautiful story, beautifully drawn. True Tears was a recent watch, and it took me by surprise. It was watched during a period where I went on a romance binge, and was sandwiched inbetween a few other highly rated romance anime. It blew each and every one of them out of the water. Its charm lies within the love triangle the story is based around... One of the girls is an absolute pleasure to watch, every minute she's onscreen I felt more and more endearment towards her. spoiler[If all had gone as it should, it could have been just another run-of-the-mill ending, but no! Controversially, at least for some, the guy picked the wrong girl. But wait, did he?] Both girls had their plusses. The fact that the series didn't seem to show one girl in a more favourable light than the other left it to you, the viewer, to decide who was more 'worthy' of our protagonist's love. To add to the common theme running through many of my favourites, this was also another beautifully animated series, and marked P. A. Works as a studio I'm very, very interested in. In a time where it's often safer for studios to produce anime that sometimes cuts corners, either with regards to visuals or storyline, they consistently put out involving, beautifully drawn series. ef- A Tale of Memories i've chosen over it's sibling Melodies, though both occupy the same berth in my list. Both these seasons were, to me, a revelation in terms of direction. Some of the shots and sequences seemed ingenious to me at the time, and that rings true today also. SHAFT outdid themselves on both of these series, and that's saying something considering the calibre of animation you can expect from them. It's another duo of romance anime, you can blatantly tell from my list I'm obsessed with the genre. Why would you pick either of these series over any other romance? Because they deal with very adult themes in a very adult way, without actually featuring too many adults. There's a depth to the characters that's uncommon in the generic stuff we see churned out every season. I'd say try Memories, if you like it, you'll love Melodies. They're great companion pieces. Okay, okay. Must pick a non-romance anime. How's about Lucky Star? There's no romance in that, right? Good. The quintessential slice-of-life anime (although Azumanga Daioh runs it very, very close), it's a love it or hate it kind of affair. I found it very easy to get drawn into the girls' world and loved reference spotting wherever I could. The animation style is pretty unique, the seiyuu all on top, top form and the soundtrack... Well, if you've seen that OP then you'll never, ever forget it. If Haruhi hadn't debuted a year prior, I wonder if Lucky Star would have been talked about in the same hallowed tones. Of course, without Haruhi it loses a good third of its parody material, heh. And it's not a romance! Now my obligatory non-romance pick is dealt with, back to the mushy stuff. Toradora! had been on my to-watch list for a long, long time before I got round to it. After watching, I was cursing myself for putting it off so long. It's the best blend of comedy and romance I've seen animated thus far, and there were as many belly laughs as there were heart warming moments. Despite being a full 26 episode run, I don't think I felt lke there was a lull at any point, and it keeps you involved right til the end. It also contains my single favourite scene in anime, spoiler[the first kiss between Taiga and Ryuji... Then the second and third kisses.] They made me wait til the very end before slaying me with that, and it's probably twice as powerful because everything has been building up to that point. Again, genuinely likeable characters, including probably one of my favourite male leads in the form of Ryuji. it's coming close to the end, but I'm saving the best til last. Before we get there, there's time to mention Mahou Tsukai ni Taisetsu na Koto ~Natsu no Sora~. Wait, what? You've never heard of it? It crept very quietly onto my radar in the Summer 2008 season, and crept almost as quietly back out again, to very little fanfare. This has been the anime that's grown on me most over the past two years. It's just so endearing, in every respect. Initially I was impressed by the animation, it seems to use a technique of painting over actual photograph background pictures, if that makes sense? I'd never seen that done before watching Sora, and it was a lovely postcard for parts of the Japanese countryside, and made me very interested in seeing Hokkaido. It's like an animated painting, and that holds steady throughout the season. Storywise, it's slice-of-life with a little bit of magic sprinkled on top. Everything about it is just so... Likeable. It consistantly tugged at my heartstrings. The ending, whilst initially saddening, is apt and beautifully executed. I don't hear a lot of people talking about this anime, and that seems a damn shame to me, because it's full of charm. I think if you like your Ghiblis then you'll like this little gem. Kara no Kyoukai is my top pick, and it won't come as a surprise to many. It's possibly my favourite piece of fiction, animated or not, because every single element of it impressed me. The whole production was just... Stunning. The soundtrack enhanced the visuals which in turn enhanced the story, I've never encountered anything that came so close to my own idea of perfection. There is no easy way to describe what's involved in the plot, and it's not an anime i can recommend to everyone. But, have you ever seen something that's pushed all your buttons, in the right order? This is it for me. I love the darkness, I love the themes it deals with, I love the characters and the dynamic between them all, I love the atmospheric music and I love expending superlatives when talking about this series of movies. The Bad Kämpfer had no redeeming features to me, whatsoever. I soldiered through to the end, though I honestly cannot tell you why I bothered. The gender bending has been done before to great effect, sadly not the case here. The fight scenes are flat, the 'twist' not even remotely shocking, the humour is tired. It's just about as generic as it comes and I'd use it frequently as an example of what happens when a studio goes into a project half assed and attempts to mass produce anime for the sole purpose of sales. Challenging and diverse? This one certainly ain't. Kiddy Girl -and, or as it is better known to myself, How To Take a Popular Franchise and Ruin It. Another one I saw through to the bitter end, though that was through loyalty to Kiddy Grade. It's not even a patch on its predecessor, which built it's success around the excellent interaction of its two very strong lead characters. Kiddy Girl -and is like a parody of what Lumiere and Eclair had. Absolute travesty! Suzuka is a very popular anime. To this day, I can't understand why. I disliked almost every character in it, and really couldn't care less who ended up with who. The sports sequences were weak, as was the dialogue and humour. I've seen people claim it's a good representation of someone suffering from Post Traumatic Stress Disorder. I honestly can't comment on that, but judging it purely on what I saw and understand, it's a horrible letdown. Naruto was mentioned in my last 5 worst and since it's STILL going I can justify mentioning it again. Not only is it fillertastic, not only is Naruto an absolute cretin, not only are the characters extremely one dimensional... It remains insanely popular. It irks me that anime as a whole has its most prominent representation in the west by a throwaway anime like this. There's so, so much better out there. On the plus side, if people are getting into anime through the popularity of Naruto, that can only be a good thing, right? I also really enjoyed that fight between Rock Lee and the dude with the bones that time. ... And the Ugly Trinity Blood. Need I say more? 
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Mai Yukino
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Before I go on with the best, I'll get the top 5 worst out of the way.
1.Ninja Ressurrection-This was so horribly done and the plot was bad. I have a hard time understanding why ADV licensed this horrible anime, it wasn't worth licensing. 2.Tekken:The Motion Picture-Another worthless title ADV licensed back in the past, it also had a terrible plot that had no meaning whatsoever. 3.Reign the Conquerer-The most ugliest character designs ever seen in anime, I have no idea why this was also licensed either. I like my anime to be visually pleasing to the eyes. 4.Naruto-This series has to stick in 70+ episodes worth of stupid fillers. Fillers aside, the main story is dragging out too much. 5.Shuffle!-It's a too oversexed harem show where it becomes the main focus of the series, I prefer harem-related shows to be in good taste. Now For My Top 10 favorites... 1-2. AIR and Kanon 2006 -These 2 series have heartfelt stories that draw a viewer in and both stories are unique and each story different. Highly reccommended titles, with some moments that make you laugh, while others bring a tear in your eyes. The voice acting is well done in both Japanese and English. KyoAni did a fine job in animating these series with their rich quality animation. 3. Cowboy Bebop-I truly enjoyed this anime title because of the rich cast of characters, both main and supporting, the different styles of music used, great voice acting in both English and Japanese. It also incorporated some CGI elements and it blended in well with the 2D animation. So I was pleased with the series. 4-5.Super Dimensional Fortress Macross and Macross, Do You Remember Love-After I saw this series and the film retelling, this is by far the best mecha show I've ever seen with the rich story, the well-plotted love-triangle between the three main protagonists(yes, Hikaru does choose someone in the end), and having a rich human drama. I also loved the songs sung by Minmay's seiyuu, Mari Iijima. 6.Macross Plus-Like its' predecessor, this series also does well in terms of telling a compelling human drama and taking it in a new direction. It also has a great incorporation of 2D animation and CGI effects and it blends in well together, so it was visually appealing. Also, the songs fit with the tone of the anime, from Myung's calming song, "Voices" to Sharon Apple's seductive tunes. 7.Bubblegum Crisis OVA-This anime has great music that is the keystone of the entire series, all the songs are quite catchy for 80's anime music and the songs alone was what made me decide to see the series. I enjoyed watching the episodes and the characters are likeable. It's a good piece of the cyberpunk genre and I reccommend it(but only watch in Japanese, the dub is the only bad thing about it). 8.Full Metal Panic!-A great anime that blends in so many good stuff in it that makes it so enjoyable, such as the mecha battles, high-school hijinks, and political intrigue mixed in. 9.Ranma 1/2-I throughly enjoyed this anime due to its' funny nature and the colorful cast of characters. I also enjoyed the songs performed by the cast members, especially the one sung by Ranma and Akane's seiyuu that spoke their true feelings for one another through the song. 10.Neon Genesis Evangelion-I liked this anime due to its' gripping nature, sure Shinji and Asuka come off as being unlikeable, but both had gone through so much in their past, it's understandable they act the way they do. I liked how Evangelion was presented overall, in showing a sci-fi series which was more like a human drama, but also showed some funny moments that showed a different side to the characters who usually are more serious. The final episode of the TV series I view as an alternate ending, which is on a more positive note than the "true" ending from The End of Evangelion. I also enjoyed the music score and an excellent cast of seiyuu like Kotono Mitsuishi and Megumi Hayashibara. Last edited by Mai Yukino on Fri Jun 18, 2010 10:33 am; edited 1 time in total |
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the Rancorous
 Posts: 2248 Location: Hunting the Dragon in Gransys |
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I haven't updated in years, it's long overdue. Note that I'm not numbering mine since there's really no order in rank of which I like/dislike the most. These are simply the ones I like the most/least in no particular order.
I'll also start with the BAD. Green Green and Popotan: I'll admit that I've only seen 3 episodes of each, but those are the worst 6 episodes of anime I have ever seen. Ugly, inconsistent art, irritating characters, terrible writing, and just all around crap, both of them. Bleh! Dragonaut: The main thing that made this series so aggravating is that it could have easily been a good show. It had an interesting concept, potentially likable characters, and a good (if a bit cliched) setup. The writing destroyed it beyond all repair. It dragged out elements until they were boring, it convoluted itself with unnecessary BS, and it made its characters look stupid. Shuffle!: This is the #1 show that I love to hate. Starts off with lame, by-the-numbers and uninspired harem-comedy. The cheesiest, most gag-inducing romance lines I've heard in a long time. Then comes the second half where it tries to take itself seriously. Oh man, was it laughable. So many inconsistencies and nonsensical "revelations" there were. They managed to turn the main female characters into mental-patients who's only cure was spoiler[being rejected by Rin.] 
Clannad: Placing this here simply because it is the most overrated anime out there, I do not think it's one of the worst. The first series starts strong, but delves into haremville in the second half: "No Tomoya, eat my bento!" "We saw him first!" Squawk, squawk, squawk. And after that, time to follow the mopey Nagisa around. After Story, ironically, starts off very weak with uninspired shorts. There was the irritating Sunohara story and then the two stories after wards ranged from quite boring to 'what the hell was that?' It does get good not too long after that, though, once they get past the exploitation of Nagisa's sickness that is. However, it then drives itself off the Hoover Dam with an ending that turned a touching and inspiring story into mere wish fulfillment. Ikki Tousen: NOTE: I went into this one just expecting mindless entertainment. Terrible, terrible, terrible. There is nothing redeeming about this title at all. The fight-scenes suck, the fanservice ranges from gross to degrading, the animation isn't, and the characters themselves are completely stupid and useless. People say all the time, "Nah man, just watch it for the boobies!" to which I say "there are far too many better booby-titles out there for me to tolerate this trash." I have no idea how this series got the fanbase it did. Now, with the GOOD. Again, in no particular order: Black Lagoon: Both seasons. It's gritty, great animation and character designs, writing is good, and its not afraid to go balls-out crazy. The soundtrack is also pretty awesome. I also love the fact that it's about an office-drone business man who ends up being a merc. Vandread: Ironically, I initially didn't care for this show when I caught a couple of random episodes on Encore WHAM (I think it was). But then I caught one of the battles, and added it to my Netflix queue. Now it's one of the most rewatched sets in my collection. The characters are all fun and pretty well defined through out the series, the story is solid, and the battles are pretty awesome. And, another great element, it actually has a satisfying ending! You see, it can be done. Kanon: I never liked Air, so I went in to this one very hesitantly, expecting to not like it at all. I guess you can blame the dub, but I fell right into it and although I had one main complaint (Uguu), I soon didn't notice it anymore. It's just a really pretty, nicely written, and rather heart-touching show. However, I can certainly understand why people can dislike or even hate it. And although the ending did get kind of cheesy, it was still a good one. Noir: Some people might be scratching their heads at this inclusion. Well, yeah, Noir is one of my favorites, with all of its flashbacks and repetitive soundtrack. The balance between the mystery and the action is effectively handled as it draws you in and then, once you think you have things figured out, it throws you a wild-card and the mystery is back. I'm long overdue for a rewatch... Macross Frontier: All around awesome. The visuals, the designs, writing, characters, etc. The inclusion of music in this one seemed a hell of a lot less cheesy than the original (to me anyways), plus I actually like the music in Frontier. And, Sheryl; possibly my favorite female anime character out there. Just an all around awesome show; its a shame that we'll most likely never see it licensed  ...
Outlaw Star: Because it's just cool and nostalgic for me. I first saw it back when it first aired on Toonami, and have been a fan ever since, thus making it the anime that I have liked the longest. The cast is pretty solid and although it does have a couple of needless episodes, its story is still pretty solid as well. It also has villains that are actually pretty believably intimidating. It gets cheesy here and there, but that's part of its charm. My Bride is a Mermaid: I watched it all subbed on FUNi's site, and now that I've confirmed that the dub is indeed good, I can place this here since I know it's going to be my favorite anime-comedy for at least sometime. This series made me laugh harder and longer than any other anime out there. It never overused its jokes, and it never did anything halfway (just look at the premise; mermaid yakuzas?!?!). With the fact that the dub captures the same energy and charm, I know I'm going to buy it, and watch it many times. Full Metal Panic: The Second Raid: What FMP should have been from the get-go. The lame comedy is less apparent and far less distracting, and the intensity was heightened to effective levels. Also, they gave more depth to the characters in just 13 eps than all 26 eps of the first series. The over-the-top villains are s sort of morbid joy as well. The final showdown is somewhat anti-climatic and rushed, but what they did with Kaname, Tessa, and especially Sousuke more than made up for it. I'm really getting impatient for more to be made, come on Japan! Princess Mononoke: Sure, the nature theme is pretty big, but it didn't hinder my enjoyment. Again, it was just all around awesome; visually, audibly, storywise, etc. It's actually one of my favorite movies in general, not just anime. Love it. Samurai 7: Excellent adaptation. Even if you've seen the original Seven Samurai, there's still much that this series offers. The steampunk world was an interesting and effective choice, as was the choice to continue after the battle of the village. It also is home to another one of my favorite female anime characters; Kirara. Her character doesn't exist in the original film, but she ends up being the main driving force for the series. It also has epic battle scenes that are pretty awesomely ridiculous (even if they do use repeated animation here and there). Wow, I didn't think I'd get through all 15. Now I'm tired of writing, bye. |
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ikillchicken
 Posts: 7272 Location: Vancouver |
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Yeah, that's my opinion of Ikki Tousen as well. It's not that it's bad because it's a mindless fun, fanservice show. It's just a bad show period. It's not fun. It's not sexy, it's just crap. |
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ninetynineproblems
 Posts: 20 |
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Top Five
Last Exile The first time I watched Last Exile, I got bored within the first episodes and gave up on it; however, I eventually returned to give it another try, and I fell in love. In fact, after I completed the series for the first time, it became my favorite anime. Although the first episodes can be slow, once this show picks up, it does not slow down again; and I guarantee, if you are into the steam punk culture, that you will not be disappointed. Although there are many characters, they are very easy to keep track of; and I found relying mainly on flashbacks (from times before the show takes place) to be a great approach at expanding upon the characters' current situations and their relationships. Last Exile has just the right amounts of adventure, action, and romance to keep each episode fresh while sticking to one major plot. Along with the storyline, Last Exile also offers amazing visuals and a fitting soundtrack which both satisfied my senses. Wolf's Rain I'd first like to start off by saying that this is one of the few anime or television series that I actually wish had been extended. By the final episode of anything, I am usually satisfied or fed-up with the show, and I am ready for it to end; however, Wolf's Rain is unlike the rest: I find myself constantly rewatching it with futile hopes that, just maybe, more episodes are going to magically appear after the finale. The artwork and soundtrack are phenomenal, and the characters and relationships are very relatable to my own life. I think that the pairings of Hige and Blue and Hubb and Cher and the brotherly connection between Tsume and Toboe add a sense of warmth and hope which really makes this show so great to me. My only problem with the show, like I stated before, is that I feel that it ends too soon: by the time I begin to love the characters and get into their relationships, the show is over. Cowboy Bebop, Samurai Champloo, and s-CRY-ed Not only am I too lazy to finish writing up about these three, but I haven't much to say about them that nobody else has mentioned because I have not watched any of them in over a year. I like the soundtracks used in each of these three series, the artwork is amazing, and they succumb to the three notes below which really attract me to the shows that I enjoy watching. ☆ A common theme of being able to make me cry while maintaining a decent level of action was present in all five of these shows. ☆ I enjoyed that, while being shows directed more towards a pubescent male audience, they maintained hints of romance among the various couples. If anyone knows of any anime series that meet the previous two characteristics and wrap-up in around fifty episodes or less, I would like to be informed of their names so that I may watch them. ☆ The fact that these shows aired accessibly on television when I was younger has probably had a large impact on my choosing them as favorites. I do not really have much of a Bottom Five; however, I did find the series of Inu-Yasha and Detective Conan to be a bit tedious if not watched in moderation. They both have a bit too many episodes, a majority of which tend to stray away from the centralized plot; and I find that the common hack / slash / kill of Inu-Yasha and the similarities of many of the cases in Detective Conan tend to bore me after awhile. Although I cannot say that I have watched all of Inu-Yasha, I can say that that I have seen the first 130 episodes and all of the movies. I also cannot say that I am caught up with Detective Conan; however, I have seen a majority of the first 200 episodes, every "major" episode (meaning those with relevance to the main plot of the story and the introduction of major characters), and the first ten movies. |
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undeadben
 Posts: 1212 Location: West Texas |
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My post needed an update. I hadn't done an edit since 5/3/2008. I especially wanted to do it now since recently an anime has done what I honestly never expected and actually bumped my beloved Ranma from my top spot.
Even with that big change, there has only been one other show added to my top ten in the past 2 years so it was not really a complete renovation of my top 10 list, and I actually made no changes to my 5 worst. Here's a link to the post if anyone is interested: My top 10 Oh, and, "hello!" to all of you. |
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otakursed
Posts: 5 |
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hmm, never easy, especially when you're a relative old timer compared to the average fan base. Let's see:
10. Ranma 1/2 - Yeah, I know the whole thing is pretty much an Itchy/Scratchy theme, but the characters were fun and the rivalries amusing. 9. Tenchi Muyo(any series BUT Tenchi In Tokyo X( ) - Mummy or space pirate, Ryoko would fillet those pissant Jedi and not break a sweat. 8. Irresponsible Captain Tylor - Would that I could be as carefree as this heroic military embarrassment. 7. Nodame Cantabile - Classical music with slapstick action ftw!! 6. Slayers - Sore wa himitsu desu, bitches. 5. Street Fighter 2V - If there's ANY interest in the franchise remaining after that Chun Li farce, this series will reawaken it with a vengeance. Seems the only respect the source material will get is from animators. 4. Evangelion - The only series where mecha plays a major role that I not only finished, but was far more taken with that was probably healthy. 3. Trigun - Self evident. Badass slacker pwns all. 2. Ruroni Kenshin - Local club got me interested in this, and was the main common point of interest when I had the time and money to attend cons. Samurai treading that thin line, always compelling. 1. And may label me as yaoi for life, Lovely Complex - Yeah, it's yet another schooltime romantic comedy, but these characters all get developed pretty well, and the relationships feel real, not just thrown together. Alright, that took some time to work through . . . now to share some hate: Shadow Skill - Character progression? Forget it! Gowcaizer - Every flaw you could imagine in every video game adaptation imaginable was incorporated into this piece of idiocy. Ninja Resurrection - The sheer nad to advertise this fecal smear as a sequel to that beautiful warrior's tale, Ninja Scroll, was a crime deserving of a forced week long marathon of William Hung's vocal *cough* talents *choke* Tenchi In Tokyo - There's keeping a series alive, and then there's zombifying it in order to have it feast on the entrails of unsuspecting fanboys. Guess which path this took. Ogre Slayer - Derivative, painfully so. That's my 2 cents, anyway. |
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Achilles001
 Posts: 8 Location: AZ |
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1. Samurai Champloo - Great characters, beautiful artwork, touching stories, and cool music. Very satisfying ending.
2. Cowboy Bebop - A fantastic sci-fi series with a great vision of what I'd like to see our future in space come to be. I love that it takes place in our solar system. Unforgettable characters, impressive artisty, and the classy stylings of Yoko Kanno are here in abundance. 3. Fullmetal Alchemist: Brotherhood - Ok, this series has the largest cast of likeable characters I've ever seen. Armstrong, Hughes, Riza, Mustang, King Bradley, Alphonse, Scar, Lin, Mei, just to name a few, and of course, the star of the show - Van Hohenheim. The original series did him absolutely zero justice, which is just unforgivable. His story is the story of Fullmetal Alchemist, as far as I'm concerned. 4. Wolf's Rain - The best dub out there, IMO. Every character feels authentic, which makes it much easier to connect with all the hell they have to go through. Has a nice bleak, dark , dystopian atmosphere, and the Yoko Kanno soundtrack compliments it well. 5. Neon Genesis Evangelion - One thing I've never heard anyone say about this show, and this is what got me into it in the first place, is how well it convinces its audience that every battle with an Angel could end with someone's death. Too many shows out there have you rolling your eyes at the battles, because you just know X character is too important to the story to get killed here, etc. Makes for a boring watch. I remember genuinely not knowing whether Shinji, Asuka, or Rei would die every single time they stepped into an EVA, and even now, the show has managed to preserve that feeling of dread. 6. Spice and Wolf - The best handling of any anime romance I've ever seen. What sets the main characters' relationship apart from that of so many others is this - they talk to each other. Sounds crazy, right? Whether it be simple conversations about the goings on in the town they're visiting, what kind of scheme they tried to pull on someone, what they're going to do for dinner, or what city they're going to visit next, the characters constantly converse with one another. Those conversations about the price of wheat in town x don't primarily exist because the audience really wants to know about that sort of thing, they exist to serve as a window into Holo & Lawrence's character. To give some insight into their thought processes, how intelligently they communicate with with each other(rare for anime characters) and to give some sort of steady premise to keep the show trotting forward. The focus of the series as always been, to me, the relationship between Holo & lawrence. The economic element simply serves as a foundation to keep the story moving forward. The interplay between the characters throughout the entirety of the series felt very authentic and endearing to me, partly because I could tell that the creators tried very hard to go light on the fanservice and avoid crappy anime romance memes. The teasing, arguing, flirting, fighting, etc. all felt very well executed. It doesn't hurt that the girl, Holo, is pretty idealistic of what most guys would look for in a girl. That is, she is "strong and confident, yet simultaneously both charming and feminine" as one reviewer described her. Holo said this during the OVA (as she was reflecting on her life on the road with Lawrence), which I think is a good summary of what kind of approach the creators wanted to take in developing their relationship: When you travel, every day is a new experience. The few months I spent with that young merchant were easily worth several years. When we would fight in the morning, we'd reconcile by noon and I would tease him as he picked a crumb of bread off my lips. We'd start fighting again shortly afterwards, scrambling to find something for dinner, and at night, we'd talk quietly about what we would do the following day... I have lived and traveled with many others before, but I don't even have the time to remember them now. What did he do yesterday? How was his morning? I was too busy wondering about all of that. When every day is full of thrills doing nothing out of the ordinary, I can't stay sad. It'd be a lie if I said it wasn't fun, and that my days were brighter as a result...... 7. Mobile Suit Gundam: The 08th Ms Team - Good old fashioned Gundam at its' finest. Not as angsty or technically impressive as its successors, but more believable and relatable by far. The team isn't made up of genetically altered, beautiful looking teenagers full of psychological drama. They're grunts, footsoldiers. Even so, they have a unique perspective on the war and their story was interesting to follow as a result. 8. Gungrave - Very good dub, cool setting, good characters 9. Claymore - Elegantly designed characters, lots of good bloody action, interesting premise (an organization of half-human, half-demon female warriors for hire) , and Raki.....F*** Raki. 10. Ergo Proxy - Outstanding opening sequence, great dystopian setting, nice aura of mystery and intrigue (though I was a little disappointed by the ending). |
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