Forum

this is not an anime hunting post. i swear! It's just that I'm trying to find a few new series that i might be able to show non-anime fans based on certain criteria, and I'm lost. Let me explain.

{MODERATION EDIT: Well, it is an anime hunting post, and we generally don't allow that. But you have managed to word it in a borderline allowable way, and the responses have been interesting enough that we'll let it go, for now. Title edited to reflect tenor of discussion. -- abunai}

Haibane Renmei is one of my favorite shows. In my top ten some where. But if I wanted to find more anime like it, I think I would get lost some where along the way. Example, people can compare Haibane with Lain or Niea_7 because of character designer/producer Yoshitoshi ABe. Or maybe some one will recommend Evangelion or Oh! My Goddess! because they both have "angles" (OK that's a stretch but I'm just making an example).

Maybe some one will recommend Elfen Lied because both have wonderful soundtracks. Or maybe Kaiba or Cat Soup since they are a bit different like Haibane. But what if I was looking for certain thematic qualities rather than similar story ideas or visual similarities? Such as the fact Haibane has no nudity. No fowl language. Very little violence/gore. No cutesy talking animal side kicks. Doesn't go for cheap thrills (i.e. panty-shot style fan service). Yet it has deep and thought provoking ideas and an intriguing story.

I know that Haiyo Miazaki's movies and a couple Satoshi Kon flicks would fit this bill perfectly, but I'm looking more for a tv series or two. I want to expose a few friends to what anime can be (without reinforcing their narrow minded stereotypes about it. such as all anime is porn or is for little kids or overly violent).

Is there a site or book or any other way I can find series with these requirements? or am I being way to picky? I know some sites will list anime that is similar with one another, but is that the only way? Again, I am not asking for people to list specific anime (for fear of the all mighty mod!).

I guess I'm looking for the anime equivalent of "The Straight Story". Its a Disney G-rated movie that came out in 1999. Yet this is NOT a kids movie. AT ALL. Very touching, based on the true story of Alvin Straight, who, at the age of 73, embarked on a journey to visit his dying older brother. It took 6 weeks for him to journey over 240 miles. And he did this all on an old John Deere lawn mower! Anyway, the movie is great, has some touching moments, is a bit unusual compared to other Hollywood movies, and contains nothing offensive. At all.

How would I find an anime like that? HOW?! (besides angering the mods by posting a recommendation thread lol Very Happy

) In the end I'm hoping I can use such titles to ease my friends into this great medium (as well as entertain myself!).

[EDIT: Use paragraph breaks. It makes things easier for everyone else to read. -TK]

I think your looking for something that probably every anime fan asks and deal with at somepoint "What's a good Gateway series?" or "How do I change others perceptions about anime so that they no longer think it's porn/kiddy stuff?"

In some respects however I'm going to ask a question, do you think that a series like Haibane Renmei will work on the target audience your seekiing to change their minds on? As that isn't normally what comes up when thinking about a gateway series, so if they are of the opinion of "kiddy" you might be better trying a gateway series that is for an older audience (re-gatewaying/reintroducing them if you will) over something that is a little more appealing to an anime fan.

Now assuming that yes a series that isn't as "deep" as Haibane Renmei is what your target audience is wanting to see, I can think of a few series that might work, you've already nailed some Miyazaki and Kon will work as well as slice-of-life shows if your wanting to work that angle (not my cup of tea but I do own a few, Genshiken leaps to mind but I don't think that's the series your looking for)

So I'd say you need to know what your audience likes (movies, television) and then deliver an anime series that you have that's as close as possible to their likes, if they bite you can introduce them into Haibane Renmei and others later as you pull them deeper into the anime fandom.

Last edited by David.Seth on Mon Mar 09, 2009 2:51 pm; edited 1 time in total

yeah, i am kinda looking for a gateway series. but this time its different. Before, I could show a movie or series to a friend or relative that had what they liked in regular movies. My cousin likes a lot of action so I lent him Ninja Scroll, Spriggan, and Samurai X. One of my friends liked all things sci-fi so I lent him Ghost in the Shell, Akira, Cowboy Bebop, Lain and Evangelion. Another friend wanted something lite and cutesy so I lent her Saber Marionette J and Dual! Parallel Trouble Adventure. But the friends I have now that I want to give gateway anime to aren't easily swayed. They've seen bits of anime, such as Bebop, Eureka 7, Trigun, FLCL (mostly the stuff that's been on Adult Swim). And whenever I asked them what they thought about it, they just always mentioned the anime-cliches (like how it seems that all female anime characters have huge breasts, the humor is weird or perverted, etc... even though those shows don't have that stuff in them. well, except flcl. it is kinda weird). I just realized though that Moribito: Guardian of the Spirit is another example of the kind of anime I'm looking for. Its a good adventure, with some drama, but nothing objectionable in the least (or that I can remember.... I know there is some fighting, but nothing over the top). I guess when it comes down to it, I'm trying to find a clean, family-friendly anime drama. But just because its "family friendly" I don't want it to be a kids show. Something that hopefully will make them think or at least realize how diverse an animated show can be.

hmmm

Well if your wanting straight family-drama my collection and tastes aren't quite up to it although I can still point you to other series that might work (although I do not know of their contents so be forewarned) Aria springs to mind first as it simply "is" in terms of what the series is about, defeinetly something that is laid back and can be refreshing for some. Something that I have that might work is Genshiken but again some of the characters are focused on some of the things that your friends don't like about anime in general. So in essence though you are looking for something that is slice-of-life genre wise, Ghost Hunt actually springs up for me as it is kinda like watching an actual show on the Sci-Fi channel (especially when it starts in the first few episodes) and would be family safe.

So, basically you're looking for serious shows that don't pander to the audience, and without extreme content? I can't promise that these are all safe for every child, but they don't have gratuitous violence or fanservice:

Kino's Journey is a series of stories about a girl and her talking motorcycle as they travel the land, staying no more than three days in one place. The show has a sort of allegorical feel to it, and the stories often border on parables. It is a good thought provoking show, but it can get rather dark at times, and there is some violence (with a little blood). ADV is streaming the whole series on their Anime Network site, so those of us in the US get to sample it.

Mushi-shi is about a wondering 'Mushi-master' who helps people who are troubled by 'mushi' (essentially spirits, although the show has a pseudo-biological explanation for them). It has a contemplative feel similar to Kino's Journey, but is much more subtle and refined. Quite simply one of the best anime shows ever. There isn't any mature content, but some parts may be scary to kids. FUNimation is streaming it on HULU, Youtube, and their own website.

The Girl Who Leapt Through Time is also very good. It is the story of a highschool girl who gets the power to travel through time, which she tries to use to help friends (in addition to stealing the last cup of pudding). However, she finds that there are consequences to her actions. The only objectionable content I noticed was a highschooler jokes (once) about masturbation, which may have been edited out of the dub for all I know.

Makoto Shinkai has made three movies (or made the same movie three times), all dealing with love, separation, and angst. But it's good angst. I think they'd put most kids to sleep though.

You could also look into the following (which I can't vouch for or against): Fantastic Children, Kamichu, Shigofumi, Honey & Clover.

You can also hit up the Child-Safe recommendation thread here:
animenewsnetwork.com/bbs/phpBB2/viewtopic.php?t=25171[/b]

I'll add:

Aquarian Age-Sign for Evolution- Kyota, a vocalist in a rock band, starts receiving strange visions of strange women battling it out in the city. He soon learns that his visions are reality and that five spiritually powered factions, Darklore, The Aria-Shiki, EGO, WIZ-DOM, and the Mind Breakers are waging a war unseen by normal humans. Kyota and his girlfriend Yoriko soon find themselves becoming involved. I could be wrong but I don't recall anything objectionable in it.

Crest of the Stars- Jinto Lyn's planet Martine is conquered by a genetically engineered race called the Abh and his father, the president makes a deal with them to surrender in exchange for retaining his position. Agreeing, he is made part of the Abh nobility and his son Jinto is now made a Count. After learning the Abh language and culture he now is to be conscripted into mandatory military service. He meets his first Abh, a beautiful pilot trainee named Lafiel, and the two of them become fast friends. He's shocked to learn that she's actually also the imperial princess and didn't tell him because he was the only person she ever met who treated her like a normal person. However, the ship transporting him to the academy is attacked and Jinto and Lafiel are sent away in a shuttle for their own safety with a warning for a nearby planetary system. It is the start of a long war, their adventures together, and a romance. Also has 3 sequels Banner of the Stars, Banner of the Stars II, and Banner of the Stars III

David.Seth wrote:

But the friends I have now that I want to give gateway anime to aren't easily swayed. They've seen bits of anime, such as Bebop, Eureka 7, Trigun, FLCL (mostly the stuff that's been on Adult Swim). And whenever I asked them what they thought about it, they just always mentioned the anime-cliches (like how it seems that all female anime characters have huge breasts, the humor is weird or perverted, etc... even though those shows don't have that stuff in them. well, except flcl. it is kinda weird).

If they're seeing the anime cliches in shows that don't have them, your friends may be too close-minded to ever accept anime as valid.

As for how to find certain kinds of anime, what you'll inevitably end up with is a recommendations thread - like this one. What you're looking for is gateway anime that avoids the cliches and ecchi elements, right?

Firstly, have your friends seen Animatrix? The sections are of variable quality, but if your friends liked the Matrix, they should see this at some point (and the DVD comes with a documentary about the history of anime!).

Victorian Romance Emma might change their idea of anime a bit, being a gentle romance set in Victorian England.

Gankutsuou: The Count of Monte Cristo is hardly realistic, but the revolutionary visuals will impress your friends, and the story is a classic French thriller.

Paranoia Agent might suit, having a present-day setting with symbolic plot elements, IF your friends have a taste for the weird.

If your friends dig action, Samurai Champloo might be a good recommend. The historical setting would make the show seem more "normal" than most anime.

Spirited Away is a high-quality classic inspired by Alice in Wonderland, but should be avoided if your friends dislike fantasy.

Wolf's Rain has some fantasy, but has pretty normal character design and a quiet, serious tone. No fan service that I recall.

If it's a gateway anime title that your looking for, you can't go wrong with something that's very westernized. People wonder why series like Cowboy Bebop and Trigun fail in Japan but are the big things in the west. That's because they are very westernized. It repels allot of people over there, but attracts allot of people over here. So go with something like Cowboy Bebop, Big O, Trigun, Samurai Champloo, ext. These are all heavy in the western ideas and can attract a non anime fan base.

Mushi-Man wrote:

People wonder why series like Cowboy Bebop and Trigun fail in Japan but are the big things in the west. That's because they are very westernized.

It's also because they were heavily pushed in the US, and there wasn't much other anime to watch.

I'm a little reluctant to say this one, but try Gilgamesh. It's a bit complicated, and i'd say it's rather difficult to explain the story but read here and here. Those should explain well.

Also I think, previously mentioned before, Fantastic Children which is also very good, it's more interesting than it sounds here on this summary, maybe read the back of a box if it's available and if it says something else.

I agree with Mushi-shi and Kino's Journey as well as Aquarian Age-Sign for Evolution which i bought on a wim and it actually turned out to be rather good, esepically for a blind buy. So check all those out if you can, and ... i don't know if this quite fits the requirement, but Kaze no Yojimbo is a good story that keeps you on your toes.

-Elfen12-

Ian K wrote:

So, basically you're looking for serious shows that don't pander to the audience, and without extreme content?

Yes. this is exactly what I meant (thank you for articulating it perfectly). This is exactly what I meant by family-friendly. Something that is serious, but safe enough that if a kid happens to walk in he/she won't be scared for life by seeing naked "cartoons" that are disemboweling each other. Anyway, thank you all for your suggestions. I have seen The Girl Who Leapt Through Time, and it would fit the bill nicely. As for Kino's Journey, haven't seen it but have heard good things about it. The only reason I am having a tough time with this is because some of my friends are very turned off with anime, whereas my other friends were open to the idea to watching a few shows to see what it was like. A couple of them I got hooked! Who would've thought Dual! Parallel Trouble Adventure would be some ones gate way anime? Then again, Saber Marionette J did it for me (well, more like solidified my love for anime. Until that series all I had watched was the violent/action movies).

@Mushi-Man
I was thinking about Bebop. Probably will suggest it. But Trigun I'll hold off for a bit. I have been trying to get my friends to watch both Akira and Bebop since there are hollywood movies being made based on those properties.

@eyesresist
I forgot about the Animatrix! And I still have it! Good idea. I just hope that my friends liked the matrix enough to give that a shot.

As for the rest of the suggestions, again, thank you all. I now have to go read some reviews/synopsis to see what might be good (considering I would most likely buy one of these series so I can lend them out).

So the raging fury of the Moderators has not descended upon this thread in all its fiery justice, eh? I'm glad, and I hope you get some good stuff from it.

You probably know this, but it's worth repeating: Sharing your hobbies and interests with your friends is great, but you don't want to cross the line into being pushy - no one likes having something forced down their throat, that will just push them away. I try to get a feel for someone's interests, and recommend titles that they might enjoy, but I try not to press the issue too much.

Anyways, good hunting!

oh, i know! the thing is, i probably would have never made it an issue. Live and let live and all that jazz. But, once they found out that I was into anime, they bring it up more often than not and basically give me the "its animated porn" or "its all for kids" spiel. And they really think that too (well, except one, she kinda feels that way but mostly uses it to make fun of me. but its all in good fun. most of the time Confused

). That is why I am hell-bent to find a good series that will not reinforce any of their narrow minded views. They may not become anime fans, but at least it will give them an idea of why people like me (ie everyone on this site) likes the art form so much. But I'm not going to force it on them. If they don't want to watch it that's fine, but its worth a try.

ANN (animenewsnetwork.com/encyclopedia/search/)
and aNFO have genre search. Sounds like what you're looking for is a cross between genre search and taste matching. I don't know any taste matching engines but it shouldn't be too hard to build an algorithm from the genre matching, rating, degree of staff overlap, etc. Wouldn't help as a gateway from Stateside programming but it's easier than updating "if you liked X, you'll also like Y" recommendations manually.

Funny that you used the movie "The Straight Story" as an example. That movie held no appeal for me, but I recently watched an anime series that reminded me of it. I think someone mentioned it earlier, but "Aria" should be exactly what you're looking for. Like "The Straight Story," it has very little plot, lots of pretty scenery, no objectionable content, and some nice character insights. To me, both the movie "The Straight Story" and "Aria The Animation" were incredibly boring, but they were well-produced and similar enough in certain ways that I imagine if you like one of them, you would like the other one.

Two other anime I'd recommend, though they have much stronger plots, would be the series "Last Exile" and the movie "Metropolis." Neither have any objectionable language, sexual content or gore, but both do have some action. These both have excellent plots, solid voice acting and beautiful visuals, without exploiting any of the stereotypes people have about anime.

If you're looking for famliy-friendly anime, one good resource would be THEM Anime reviews (http://www.themanime.org), which provides reviews for full series (instead of release-by-release reviews) and includes a section within each review on whether there is any objectionable content, and whether the show would be appropriate for children.

Forum - View topic
Useful gateway anime for recruiting new fans?

Your Anime Rankings - Best of Winter 2025, Jan 1-21

Demon Lord, Retry! R Anime Series Review

As a Reincarnated Aristocrat, I'll Use My Appraisal Skill Season 2 Anime Series Review

Hell is Dark with No Flowers Volume 1 Manga Review

This Week in Games - Remembering David Lynch and His Influence on Games

A Chat with Lena Atanassova, Editor-in-Chief of TOKYOPOP

Most Notorious "Talker" Runs the World's Greatest Clan Anime Series Review

This Week in Anime - Viewer Discretion is Advised

Phantom Brave: The Lost Hero Game Review

	Anime News Network Forum Index -> General -> Anime	All times are GMT - 5 Hours Goto page 1, 2, 3 Next
Page 1 of 3

Forum - View topicUseful gateway anime for recruiting new fans?

Forum

Forum - View topic
Useful gateway anime for recruiting new fans?