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rukaio101

The Anime Thread- Summer 2015

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I spotted this hadn't been made yet, so I decided to make it. While this section of the forums is usually dedicated to movie discussions, I figured it makes sense to discuss all anime here rather than create another separate thread in the TV section.
 
So yeah, this is the place to discuss all things anime. And maybe a little bit of manga. But mostly anime. For those who don't know what anime is.... I'm surprised at your curiosity for clicking on this thread. But anyway, Anime is basically Japanese Animation. Unlike Western Animation, anime isn't solely aimed at kids (or shows like Simpsons/Family Guy/South Park). Yes, there are kids shows among them, but a lot of them are surprisingly dark and dramatic, some even more so than our live-action shows. And no, it's not all Hentai and Tentacle Porn. Don't act like you weren't thinking it.
 
Since I'm certain quite a few people here are probably new to anime, I figured I might as well post a few good recommendations for those taking their first steps into this fun, bizarre and sometimes surprisingly dramatic world of Japanese animation.

 
Recommended Movies
 
Princess Mononoke
 
Princess_Mononoke_Japanese_Poster_(Movie
 

'While protecting his village from rampaging boar-god/demon, a confident young warrior, Ashitaka, is stricken by a deadly curse. To save his life, he must journey to the forests of the west. Once there, he's embroiled in a fierce campaign that humans were waging on the forest. The ambitious Lady Eboshi and her loyal clan use their guns against the gods of the forest and a brave young woman, Princess Mononoke, who was raised by a wolf-god. Ashitaka sees the good in both sides and tries to stem the flood of blood. This is met be animosity by both sides as they each see him as supporting the enemy.'

 
One of Studio Ghibli's darkest films and widely considered one of their best, Princess Mononoke is the perfect film to demonstrate that anime isn't just for kids. Dark, violent, philosophical and sometimes even scary, Princess Mononoke takes a surprisingly balanced and fair look at enviromentalism, imbued with bizarre, fascinating, fantasy elements from Japanese culture. Throw in some gorgeous animation (something Studio Ghibli is famous for) and a beautiful soundtrack and you have an animation classic.
 
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8XOV2L-eM38
 
My Neighbour Totoro
 
My_Neighbor_Totoro_-_Tonari_no_Totoro_(M
 

'Two young girls, Satsuki and her younger sister Mei, move into a house in the country with their father to be closer to their hospitalized mother. Satsuki and Mei discover that the nearby forest is inhabited by magical creatures called Totoros (pronounced toe-toe-ro). They soon befriend these Totoros, and have several magical adventures.'

 

If Princess Mononoke is the darker side of Studio Ghibli, then this is definitely the lighter side. My Neighbour Totoro is a simple, fun flick that both kids and adults can enjoy. It's imbued with the same bizarre, fascinating fantasy elements that Princess Mononoke is, but they're much more friendly than in Mononoke, but equally interesting. 
 
Porco Rosso
Porco_Rosso_(Movie_Poster).jpg
 

'In Early 1930's era Italy air pirates, bounty hunters and high fliers of all sorts rule the skies. The most cunning and skilled of these pilots is Porco Rosso. A former Ace, he now makes a living flying contract jobs, such as rescuing those kidnapped by air pirates. Donald Curtis, Porco's rival in the air and in catching the affections of women, provides a constant challenge to the hero, culminating in a hilarious, action packed finale.'

 

I decided only to put three Ghibli's on this list, simply so I could actually get onto talking about other anime, and honestly I had quite a lot of trouble deciding which to put. Every single Ghibli is a masterpiece in and of itself (except Earthsea and, to a lesser extent Meet the Yamadas). Eventually though, I went for Porco, one of the lesser known Ghibli's but also one of their best. It's closer to Totoro on the light-to-dark scale of tone, but there are some fantastically emotional moments. In particular, there's one scene involving what I'd describe as a 'plane heaven' which (despite what it sounds) is one of the most hauntingly beautiful scenes I've seen in any movie. The movie is that delightful mix of fun and beautiful that so perfectly sums up Studio Ghibli.
 
 
The Girl Who Leapt Through Time, Summer Wars and Wolf Children (not pictured)
The_Girl_Who_Leapt_Through_Time_poster.jSummer_Wars_poster.jpg
 

'All three of these films are modern, slice-of-life dramas, each with an added sci-fi/fantasy element. The Girl who Leapt Through Time is about a school girl who discovers how to 'leap' back a short amount in time and uses it to fix her mistakes. Summer Wars is about a young boy who is invited to meet the family of a friend, under the pretence of being her boyfriend. Then the film's equivalent of Facebook goes rogue and almost starts a nuclear war. And Wolf Children is about a young single mother raising two children in the countryside after their father drowns in an accident. Except the two kids are both werewolves and must keep their identities secret for their own safety. '

 
I put these three together because they're all directed by the same guy, Mamoru Hosoda, who is currently the only living anime director (that I know of) that I think can hold a candle to Studio Ghibli. Okay, that's a minor lie. I think he's better than Studio Ghibli. Honestly, he's my favourite director of all time. His films mix beautiful animation, a fantastic soundtrack, interesting story, likable characters, the lot. Summer Wars and Wolf Children are my joint second favourite films of all. And while The Girl Who Leapt Through Time isn't quite as good as the other two (in my opinion), it's still more than worth a watch.
 
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UbmdYasVDDg
 
Perfect Blue
 
450px-Pblue.jpg
 

'A retired pop singer turned actress' sense of reality is shaken when she is stalked by an obsessed fan and seemingly a ghost of her past.'

 

Satoshi Kon (who directed this film) is considered one of the all-time great anime directors and honestly, I could probably put his entire filmography on here. But I've decided just to put his first and, in my opinion, best film here. Described (by Roger Corman no less) as a combination of Alfred Hitchcock and Walt Disney, Perfect Blue is dark, brutal, haunting and constantly blurs the line between fantasy and reality. 
 
 Redline
 
Redline_(2009_film)_poster.jpg
 

'An action drama centered on a deadly racing tournament held every five years and the reckless dare-devil driver who wants to win it.'

 

I'd best describe Redline as 'Wacky Races on acid'. While there isn't much depth to it, what there is here is almost two hours of sheer, balls-to-the-wall awesome. Redline one hell of a fun movie, no doubt about it. The fact that it's animated lets it get away with incredible car stunts that Fast and Furious has wet dreams about. And the animation is fantastic. Just look at that trailer
 
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2t26m_Q6ENo
 
That's friggin' gorgeous. 
 
That's all the movies I'm going to cover in depth for now, but here's a list of other films that you might enjoy.
 
The remaining Ghibli films (Castle in the Sky*, Grave of the Fireflies*, Kiki's Delivery Service*, Only Yesterday, Pom Poko*, Whisper of the Heart*, Spirited Away, The Cat Returns, Howl's Moving Castle,  Ponyo, Arriety, From Up on Poppy Hill and, when it comes out, The Wind Rises. (The ones with *'s are my favourites))
The rest of Satoshi Kon's filmography (Tokyo Godfathers, Paprika and Millenium Actress)
Akira
Sword of the Stranger
Ghost in the Shell
Nausicaa (since technically it doesn't count as a Ghibli despite being directed by Miyazaki)
Lupin III: Castle of Cagliostro (also technically not Ghibli despite being directed by Miyazaki (It's his first film too))
The Little Norse Prince (also also technically not Ghibli but Miyazaki only worked on this one. Takahata directed it though.)
5 Centimetres per second
Rebuild of Evangelion (although I'd advise watching Neon Genesis Evangelion first)

Edited by Rukaio Alter
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Recommended Series
 

Death Note

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'An intelligent high school student goes on a secret crusade to eliminate criminals from the world after discovering a notebook capable of killing anyone whose name is written into it.'

 
One of my favourite series and one of the best for newcomers, Death Note is dark, intelligent, morally ambiguous and fiercely addictive. The cat and mouse game between the two main characters (since I hesitate to call either of them 'good') is incredible to behold. While unfortunately, the series takes a sharp dip in quality in the final third, it's still enjoyable to watch and completely worth it for those first two thirds.

 

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PkXw1iBgzoY
 

Fullmetal Alchemist and Fullmetal Alchemist: Brotherhood

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'The Elric brothers' mother is dead and their father has long since abandoned them. Deciding to perform a forbidden human transmutation to bring their mother back, the elder brother, Edward, ends up losing his arm and leg and the younger brother, Alphonse, loses his entire body, instead bonding his soul with a suit of armour. Now Edward must join the military in order to gain certain alchemical privileges, with his one goal being to restore his brother to his original state. But with war on the horizon it's only a matter of time before they are both forced to question their morals and ultimately decide the value of human life.'

 

Bit of explaining to do here. Both Fullmetal Alchemist and Fullmetal Alchemist: Brotherhood are adaptations of the Fullmetal Alchemist manga. However, the manga wasn't finished when the first anime was made, so they ended up creating a new second half completely from scratch. When the manga did finish, the entirety of it was adapted into Fullmetal Alchemist: Brotherhood. So now you know.
 
That being said, both series of Fullmetal Alchemist are widely considered to be two of the greatest animes ever made and Fullmetal Alchemist: Brotherhood is my favourite anime of all time (although it occasionally switches places with Baccano below). These are phenomenal. Both have an interesting story, lovable characters and a fascinating and thought-out world. Both series manage to balance humour, drama, action, tragedy and everything else so perfectly, although the first anime takes a very dark and depressing tone in the second half, compared to Brotherhood (and whether that makes it better or worse than Brotherhood is up to you (although Brotherhood is often considered the better for other reasons as well)). While I do consider Brotherhood to be better, I'd advise watching the original first. Since the original also follows the manga in its early stages, Brotherhood skips through those same stages very quickly and with little depth, to reach the original material, so

to get the full quality of those early stages, you need to watch the original.

 

Link to one of the many many awesome opening themes in the series.

 

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=V31rBAQrhQQ]

 

Baccano

 
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'A crazy fantasy caper involving alchemists, immortals, gangsters, outlaws and an elixir of immortality, spread over several decades.'

 

Ah, my sometimes-first-sometimes-second favourite anime (along with FMA: Brotherhood). There are just so many things to love about this series. The great story, the fluid animation, the fantastic soundtrack- no seriously, listen to this opening song-

 

 

The characters in particular deserve some mention. While there are a lot of them, they all have their own energy and life to them. Isaac, Miria, Jacuzzi Splot, Ladd Russo and Claire Stadfield are noticeable standouts even in this exceptional class. The only mild problem with the series is that it's told in anachronistic order, so it may be a bit confusing to begin with. It typically cycles between 3 main stories (each taking place at a different time), with a few cuts to side stories. It does get a lot easier to follow later on and it gives plenty of rewatch bonus when a bizarre, forgettable short scene in the first episode becomes very understandable.

 

It's also worth checking out Baccano's sister series, Durarara, which is a lot easier to follow and equally good in its own right.

 

Cowboy Bebop

 

Posted Image

 

'Spike Spiegel is a bounty hunter in the far future with an easy going attitude and some deadly skill at martial arts. Together with his partners, Jet Black, and later Faye Valentine as well, they go to job to job across the galaxy looking for the high priced fugitives to bag.'

 

This is widely considered one of, if not the greatest anime ever made. And with very good reason. Go watch it. Seriously.

 

Also check out Samurai Champloo, by the same director. (Yes, anime have directors)

 

 

Neon Genesis Evangelion

 

Posted Image

 

'When the Angels start attacking the planet Earth in the year 2015, only a handful of 14-year-old EVA pilots are able to stop them. Young Shinji Ikari suddenly finds himself forced to pilot EVA-01, a giant organic mecha, designed and constructed by NERV, that is the only thing that can stop the Angels.' 

 

When people talk about influential mecha anime, this is what they're talking about. Neon Genesis Evangelion is a revolutionary series and has influenced series of all kinds since it released, in both animation and story. For a recent example, Pacific Rim took a lot of inspiration from this series (although Del Toro claims he's never seen it, screenwriter Travis Beecham almost certainly has).

 

A quick note here, if you're expecting a light-hearted, action packed series, this isn't going to be your thing. This series is very dark and concentrates as much on the psychological issues of the main characters as it does the mecha battles. And these are some messed up characters.

 

Also, quick note, the last two episodes are a complete, almost-incomprehensible mind f**k. Enjoy.

 

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qXoIEDYCF-A

Edited by rukaio101
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Tengen Toppa Gurren Lagann

 

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'In their closed-off underground village, Kamina and Simon chafe at the limits imposed by the village elder. Yet all this will change, when Simon stumbles across a fantastic device - just as the village's peace is broken by a violent intrusion.'

 

If Evangelion is the dark, psychological side of mecha anime, TTGL is the balls-to-the-wall insane side of it and revels if in every single minute. It's not an exaggeration when I say that this world literally runs on sheer manly awesomeness. However, unlike, say Power Rangers, this shows doesn't feel like it's for kids. It has its share of dark moments and the characters are all pretty 3 Dimensional. It's just the bat-shit, awesome insanity of it overshadows everything else. While it may come off as stupid to some people (who have no sense of fun), it's one hell of a ride for everyone else and I guarantee you'll likely never see anything like it. 

 

Below isn't the opening for it but is instead one of its most famous, and beloved, soundtrack pieces. 

 

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0V7aUT13qtM

 

I guess the only thing left to say is Row Row Fight the Power!!

 

Higurashi no Naku Koro ni

 

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'Higurashi no Naku Koro ni is a story of many chapters. It's about the town of Hinamizawa, and the people who live there, Rena Ryugu, Mion Sonozaki, Satoko Hojo, and Rika Furude, as well as friends, relatives, and visitors dealing with Lord Oyashiro's curse. Every year on the night of Watanagashi, people mysteriously disappear and are murdered which is rumored to be a curse, though it has yet to be proven. However, certain people don't believe it, especially with the odd behaviors of some of of the residents of Hinamizawa.'

 

Well, this looks like the sort of cutesy, adorable, slice-of-life anime that you hear of so often. What's that? It's a horror series? Don't be ridiculous. How could something like that ever be horrifi-

Posted Image 

OH GOD! KILL IT WITH FIRE!!!

 

Yes, make no mistake, Higurashi is a horror series. And a pretty damn good one too. It takes you off guard with the cutesy activities of our main characters, then slowly builds up the tension and next thing you know, someone's having a nail hammered into every joint in their hand. It works perfectly as a psychological horror and it's damn creepy to boot. Just look at that opening!

 

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nRtsIJXrhqc

 

Creepy as hell....

 

Azumanga Daioh

 

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'An animated series based off of the four panel managa of the same name, Azumanga Daioh is a whimsical, hilarious and very cute look at the lives of an ecclectic group of high school girls and their teachers at a Tokyo high school. As the series progresses, small bits of their lives are shown, slowly painting a bigger picture as the cast shares the ups and downs of high school life, revolving around a close-knit friendship and a lot of silliness.'

 

Ohoh, another apparent cutesy, adorable slice-of-life series? Well, you're not fooling me this time, Japan! Who knows what untold horror lie beneath this seri-

 

Posted Image

OH GOD! KILL IT WITH FIRE!!!

 

Okay, jokes aside, Azumanga Daioh is a cutesy, slice-of-life anime. However, it's a really good cutesy, slice-of-life anime that's just a joy to sit back and watch. The characters are likeable, the plot is simple and likable and the jokes are pretty funny. Just a good all-round series.

 

Planetes

 

Posted Image

 

'The story of Planetes follows the crew of the DS-12 "Toy Box" of the Space Debris Section, a unit of Technora Corporation. Debris Section's purpose is to prevent the damage or destruction of satellitesspace stations and spacecraft from collision with debris in Earth's and the Moon's orbits. Basically, they're space garbage collectors.'

 

While admittedly a bit more obscure than most of the other examples on this list, Planetes is a true anime gem, with one of the more realistic portrayals of space travel I've ever seen. You'd never expect a series about space garbage collectors to be so heartfelt, interesting or dramatic.

 

It's actually rather close to Alfonso Cuaron's recent classic 'Gravity' in some ways, especially its portrayals of debris and an episode where a certain character ends up drifting alone in space after an accident. Admittedly, it's also very different to Gravity in a lot of other ways, especially since it focuses much more on the characters than the story/visuals, but if you told me that Alfonso was at least partially inspired by this series I wouldn't be surprised in the slightest.

 

Mushishi

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'They are neither plants nor animals. They differ from other forms of life such as the micro-organisms and the fungi. Instead they resemble the primeval body of life and are generally known as "Mushi". Their existence and appearance are unknown to many and only a limited number of humans are aware of them. Ginko is a "Mushi-shi" who travels around to investigate and find out more about the "Mushi". In the process, he also lends a helping hand to people who face problems with supernatural occurrences which may be related to the "Mushi".'

 

Mushishi is very different from anything else on this list. In fact, it's pretty different from anything I've watched period. However, there's an odd sort of serenity and beauty to it. The episodes mix from light-hearted to dark and don't follow much of a real story. Aside from one or two recurring characters, the only real recurring element is Ginko and the Mushishi, who differ each week. Yet each episode tells its own story and does it well. So give this series a shot. You probably won't regret it.

 

 

Okay, that's all the series I'm going to talk about in depth for now. Here's a list of other recommended series I didn't get around to talking about.

 

Trigun

Gintama

Paranoia Agent

FLCL

Bamboo Blade

Ouran High School Host Club

Durarara

Code Geass

Soul Eater

Edited by rukaio101
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Recommended Manga

 

For those wondering, Manga is the Japanese equivalent of comic books. However, unlike Western comicbooks, there are very few superhero manga and manga can cover a wide variety of topics. Most anime are based, if not direct adaptations of manga. Similar to how the book is usually better than the film, manga are often superior to their anime adaption (except for a few rare exceptions), even in the case of really good anime like Fullmetal Alchemist and Death Note. So, anyway, here are my suggestions.

 

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One Piece

 

'There once lived a pirate named Gol D. Roger. He obtained wealth, fame, and power to earn the title of Pirate King. When he was captured and about to be executed, he revealed that his treasure called One Piece was hidden somewhere at the Grand Line. This made all people set out to search and uncover the One Piece treasure, but no one ever found the location of Gol D. Roger's treasure, and the Grand Line was too dangerous a place to overcome. Twenty-two years after Gol D. Roger's death, a boy named Monkey D. Luffy decided to become a pirate and search for Gol D. Roger's treasure to become the next Pirate King.'

 

One Piece is the biggest selling manga series in Japan. And it more than deserves that title. It has everything. Action, drama, humour, tragedy, hundreds of characters each unique and memorable and one of the best and most thought through fictional worlds I've ever seen. The only problem is, there's over 600 chapters of it, which can be a crawl for some people. Also, it has somewhat of a weak beginning and doesn't truly hit its stride until the Arlong Park arc. But when it hits its stride, it takes off running and doesn't stop for a second. I read a large amount of weekly manga, but One Piece is one of the few series that I can say is good every week. And it's been running for 15 years. I cannot recommend it enough

 

Also, as a note, there is an anime adaptation, but that's also over 600 episodes, and I tend to find that manga is easier to digest. And there's no non-canon filler episodes in the manga, unlike the anime. Also, not that many of the anime episodes have been dubbed by Funimation, the company in charge of dubbing them. Partially because the license used to belong to 4Kids who promptly butchered the anime in what's widely considered the worst english dub to any anime ever.

 

Posted Image

 

Bakuman

 

'Moritaka Mashiro, a junior high school student, content to live out a relatively normal life as any other does, is persuaded by his classmate, Akito Takagi, to become an aspiring mangaka when the latter realizes his natural talent as an artist. However, Moritaka is reluctant to pursue his dream as his uncle, once a mangaka with his own serializations, died from overwork trying to regain his lost status. With Akito's help, Takagi gets another classmate and his school crush, Azuki Miho, who is an aspiring voice actress, to voice in the anime adaptation of their future manga once it is completed. However, Mashiro also proposes to Azuki, who surprisingly accepts only on the condition she will marry him when both of them have achieved their dreams. With a goal set before him, Mashiro begins a long and struggling path to become a famous mangaka.'

 

Bakuman is a slice-of-life series about two aspiring mangaka (manga authors). It's also done by the same guys who did Death Note. Which really shows their range, because this series is almost nothing like Death Note. Instead, it gives us an interesting insight into the manga industry and how things work. While being very entertaining at the same time.

 

There's also an anime adaptation of this but, from what I've heard, it isn't very good. 

 

<ahttp://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/3/3a/Yotsuba_vol1_cover.jpg' alt='Posted Image' class='bbc_img' />

 

Yotsuba&!

 

'Yotsuba's daily life is full of adventure. She is energetic, curious, and a bit odd—odd enough to be called strange by her father as well as ignorant of many things that even a five-year-old should know. Because of this, the most ordinary experience can become an adventure for her. As the days progress, she makes new friends and shows those around her that every day can be enjoyable.'

 

There's no other way of saying this, this series is adorable. If you're feeling down/depressed, then this is the perfect cure. You cannot read through this series without having a happy grin on your face. It's that lovely mix of heartwarming, adorable (without being overly saccharine) and hilarity. It may even bring back some nostalgic memories. So if all the darkness/violence in modern media is getting you down..... you're a wuss. But you should read this series. It'll perk you up.

 

<ahttp://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/4/45/Berserk_vol01.jpg' alt='Posted Image' class='bbc_img' />

 

Berserk

 

'Guts, known as the Black Swordsman, seeks sanctuary from the demonic forces that pursue him and his woman, and also vengeance against the man who branded him as an unholy sacrifice. Aided only by his titanic strength, skill, and sword, Guts must struggle against his bleak destiny, all the while fighting with a rage that might strip him of his humanity. Berserk is a dark and brooding story of outrageous swordplay and ominous fate, in the theme of Shakespeare's Macbeth.'

 

Now we move from one of the most light hearted series I've ever read to one of the darkest. And believe me when I say Berserk is really dark. It's so dark it makes The Dark Knight look like a Care Bears movie. It's an even darker fantasy than Game of Thrones. We're regularly treated to sights of horrific gore and women/children being very brutally murdered. And, unlike some other series where the violence starts to lose its edge, Berserk keeps finding new ways to make you feel unsettled.

 

I suppose you're wondering, after all that, if I find Berserk to be so dark/unsettling, why do I still read it? Well, while Berserk is certainly a very dark series, it's also really really good.

 

The story is fantastic, the characters are multi-layered and interesting (even if Guts annoyed me in the first few volumes) and the art is incredible. Some of the best art I've ever seen in any series. Even if most of it is used to show us the most horrific images the author can muster. In particular it has one of the best (and longest) flashbacks/backstories I've ever seen in the Golden Age Arc. The Golden Age Arc was so good (and long) that they decided to base the entire 25 ep anime around it. Speaking of the anime, I've never seen it but it's widely considered a classic by anime fans, so definitely check it out if you prefer anime. Even if it's supposedly lighter than the manga.

 

One bad thing I will say about the manga is that, like One Piece, it doesn't have the strongest of starts. At the beginning, I found Guts to be an unlikable jerkass. However, the series starts to get into its stride at about Volume 4 where the Golden Age Arc starts. It says something about the strength of that arc that, before it, I considered Guts an unlikable douche and after it, despite him not acting much different, I considered him one of the most interesting (and badass) characters I'd ever read about it.

 

Anyway, I'll finish off my comments on Berserk by saying if you thought Friday the 13th was too light and fluffy then seek some serious mental help.Then maybe read this series.

 

<ahttp://s5.mangareader.net/cover/holyland/holyland-l0.jpg' alt='Posted Image' class='bbc_img' />

 

Holyland

 

'Yuu is a high school kid who doesn't really fit anywhere. To find a place he can belong, be accepted, he will do anything. However one thing leads to another and he is forced to fight to keep his place, his holyland.'

 

This one's quite an obscure, overlooked series. It hasn't had an English release. Heck, it doesn't even have a wikipedia page at the moment. Which is a shame because it's really one of the better series I've read, and definitely one of the more interesting. 

 

To put it simply, this is a streetfighting series. Now, before you ask, it's not related to that Street Fighter. It's not even close. This is a realistic streetfighting series and, when I say realistic, I mean realistic. The author obviously knows what he's talking about and we get a narration of the fight moves which is not only easy to understand but really quite fascinating too. However, while the action is the selling point of the series, the characters and story are both really good too. Admittedly, the series doesn't have the greatest start, with a little too much angst from our main character, but once it gets into its groove, it's really good and an excellent education in practical self defense/fighting.

 

<ahttp://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/5/51/Vinland_Saga_volume_01_cover.jpg' alt='Posted Image' class='bbc_img' />

 

Vinland Saga

 

'Thorfinn is a young viking whose father was killed when he was young by a viking captain called Askeladd. After many years, Thorfinn has joined Askeladd's crew to take revenge on him while conquering territories in Northen Europe.'

 

If I had to quickly describe Vinland Saga, I'd say it was like Berserk but with less fantasy elements and better story/characters. And Vikings.

 

This manga is by the same author who did Planetes and the two series are simultaneously very different and very similar. While they're very different in both setting and tone, both delve into the deep psychology of their characters, making them complex and interesting, compared to many other anime, or heck, media in general.

 

While I don't think it's quite as dark as Berserk (although, to be fair, a puppy eating contest probably isn't as dark as Berserk), it's still a very dark series in its own right, with lots of gore and slaughters of innocents. However, the artwork is absolutely gorgeous, even better than Berserk's. Each character's clothing and background is rendered in painstaking detail and the series looks outstanding.

 

So excellent storytelling mixed with excellent artwork. What's not to like? 

 

Anyway, I'm starting to get a bit tired, so I'm going to stop for now with the indepth recommendations. I'll fill some more in later, along with a few anime I never got around to (like Trigun and Mushishi, both some of my favourites). For now, here's a list of recommended manga.

 

Silver Spoon

Magi

The World God Only Knows

Black Cat

Slam Dunk

One Punch Man

Pokemon Adventures (which blows the anime out of the water.

Toriko

Shingeki no Kyojin (which also has a fantastic anime adaptation which isn't quite finished yet so I can't list it on the anime page)

Majin Tantei Nougami Neuro

Assassination Classroom

Kuroko no Basket

 

So yeah, discuss, recommend and enjoy. Now if you'll excuse me, I'm going to go dump my typing hand in a bucket of ice water.

Edited by rukaio101
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Wow very detailed posts, I haven't watched any anime or read any manga in a while, but recently I started watching Polar Bear Cafe.  It's such a light hearted fun show.

I've heard that's supposed to be pretty good. If I didn't already have a lot of anime to catch up with, I'd really consider it. That and it's 50 episodes, which might be a bit of a long crawl for me.

 

 

Ponyo is my favourite

Which others have you seen? Just asking, 'cause Ponyo's generally considered one of the weaker (but still fantastic) Ghibli's.

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Princess Mononoke

Spirited Away

Arrietty 

My Neighbor Totoro

Howl's moving Castle

Ponyo

Kiki's Delivery Service

Yeah, those are probably the best known Ghibli's. But a lot of their best work is among the more obscure films. Porco Rosso, I've already mentioned, but I very nearly put Pom Poko on the list instead. I honestly can't decide whether I like Mononoke, Porco Rosso or Pom Poko the most. Whisper of the Heart is also very underrated and the director was expected to be Miyazaki's successor until he sadly passed away. It's also the only Ghibli film to get a sequel (although it's more of a spin-off involving one character (who's fictional nonetheless)) in The Cat Returns which, while I don't think it's as good a film as some of the higher class Ghibli's, is one of the easier to watch and probably my most rewatched.

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I've heard that's supposed to be pretty good. If I didn't already have a lot of anime to catch up with, I'd really consider it. That and it's 50 episodes, which might be a bit of a long crawl for me. Which others have you seen? Just asking, 'cause Ponyo's generally considered one of the weaker (but still fantastic) Ghibli's.

None others that I remember though I believe I've seen spirited away.got arriety, moving castle on DVD but not watche Dthem yet
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For the sake of not repeating myself about Ghibli, I figured I'd do a list ranking the Ghibli's from best to worst (although this is all my opinion, obviously.) I'd note I haven't yet seen Only Yesterday and Ocean Waves, so they're not on the list. Also, I decided to include Nausicaa, Castle of Cagliostro and Norse Prince since while they're not officially Ghibli films, they're kinda considered honorary Ghibli's by a lot of people.

 

Princess Mononoke/Porco Rosso > Pom Poko/Castle in the Sky> My Neighbour Totoro > Grave of the Fireflies > Kiki's Delivery Service > Whisper of the Heart > Arriety > Spirited Away > Nausicaa > The Cat Returns > From Up on Poppy Hill > Lupin the 3rd: Castle of Cagliostro > Howl's Moving Castle > Ponyo > Little Norse Prince > My Neighbours the Yamadas > Earthsea

 

And out of all of these, the only one I'd call bad is Earthsea. Despite what I've said before, Yamadas isn't necessarily bad, but it's very much an acquired taste and most people will probably not be fond of it.

 

Also, I'd note that this isn't a list of my most-to-least favourites (otherwise Nausicaa would be much lower and The Cat Returns and Howl's Moving Castle would be much higher (because I have some serious nostalgic love for Howl (being the first Ghibli I ever saw and one of my favourite films as a kid))). This is me trying to be as impartial as possible and selecting what I think most people would consider the best and the worst Ghibli's.

Edited by rukaio101
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Nice recommendations man, I specially like The Girl Who Leapt Through Time and Baccano. You mentioned some of the best anime movies I know, I don't think I have much to add apart from Eve no Jikan, Mind Game and Only Yesterday.

 

Now, about TV Series, which other stuff are you into? If I could mention my favorites:

 

Clannad

Lucky Star

K-On!

Joshiraku

Nichijou

Tatami Galaxy

Kimi ni Todoke

Soredemo Machi wa Mawatteiru

Utena

xxxHolic

Sayonara Zetsubou Sensei

Tokyo Magnitude 8.0

Yumeiro Patissiere

Edited by JohnnY
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Nice recommendations man, I specially like The Girl Who Leapt Through Time and Baccano. You mentioned some of the best anime movies I know, I don't think I have much to add apart from Eve no Jikan, Mind Game and Only Yesterday.

 

Now, about TV Series, which other stuff are you into? If I could mention my favorites:

 

Clannad

Lucky Star

K-On!

Joshiraku

Nichijou

Tatami Galaxy

Kimi ni Todoke

Soredemo Machi wa Mawatteiru

Utena

xxxHolic

Sayonara Zetsubou Sensei

Tokyo Magnitude 8.0

Yumeiro Patissiere

I watched most of Lucky Star when I was younger and just starting to get into anime, but I never really got much into it, unlike Azumanga Daioh. I also watched the first episode of Sayonara Zetsubou Sensei but didn't really enjoy it enough to continue. As for the rest of the list, I've heard of most of them (and heard quite a few good things too), so I'll have to check them out some time. Although, currently, I already have a huge backlog of series I need to watch. 

 

Just a brief (although probably inaccurate) recommendation, based on your tastes, I'd suggest checking out Pani Poni Dash, a slightly hyperactive (and bizarre) school comedy, which I really enjoyed.

 

 As for my favourite shows, I covered most of them in the list of recommended series (although Trigun and Mushishi are two of my favourites and series I really wish I'd covered in more detail.) If you want to see more, I've got an account on myanimelist.net (under the username rukaio101) which covers most of the shows/movies/manga I've watched/read, although I'm certain it's missing quite a lot, since I  tend to end up waiting months between updates. 

Edited by rukaio101
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I watched most of Lucky Star when I was younger and just starting to get into anime, but I never really got much into it, unlike Azumanga Daioh. I also watched the first episode of Sayonara Zetsubou Sensei but didn't really enjoy it enough to continue. As for the rest of the list, I've heard of most of them (and heard quite a few good things too), so I'll have to check them out some time. Although, currently, I already have a huge backlog of series I need to watch. 

 

Just a brief (although probably inaccurate) recommendation, based on your tastes, I'd suggest checking out Pani Poni Dash, a slightly hyperactive (and bizarre) school comedy, which I really enjoyed.

 

 As for my favourite shows, I covered most of them in the list of recommended series (although Trigun and Mushishi are two of my favourites and series I really wish I'd covered in more detail.) If you want to see more, I've got an account on myanimelist.net (under the username rukaio101) which covers most of the shows/movies/manga I've watched/read, although I'm certain it's missing quite a lot, since I  tend to end up waiting months between updates. 

 

 

I know Pani Poni Dash, I have a friend who really likes it, I've never seen it, though, I'll check it out later. 

 

Nice animelist, I still haven't seen Planetes, I've heard it's very good. I also have an account, username is dionni.

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I know Pani Poni Dash, I have a friend who really likes it, I've never seen it, though, I'll check it out later. 

 

Nice animelist, I still haven't seen Planetes, I've heard it's very good. I also have an account, username is dionni.

Can't recommend Planetes enough. It's an underrated gem of a series.

 

Anyway, I've just started watching Gatchman Crowds, on the advice of a friend. For those interested, it's kinda like Power Rangers meets Summer Wars. While I admit I didn't really enjoy the first episode very much, it's really grown on me a lot. Hajime went from being annoyingly hyperactive to a really interesting character once it became clear she was a lot smarter than she first appeared. Most of the characters are actually pretty likeable. Also, Berg-Katze is a fantastic villain who's somehow hilarious and terrifying at the same time.

 

That makes two series I'm following this season (although I plan on catching up with Shingeki no Kyojin once the series finishes). I suppose I might as well talk about the other series I'm watching at the moment, Danganronpa: The Animation. It's kinda like a mix between Battle Royale and Phoenix Wright, if that makes any sense. But it's an enjoyable watch. Admittedly, due to being based on a longish game, it does suffer from some pacing problems, having to shove everything into 13 episodes, but it's still good to watch. Makes me want to check out the game some time (even if it's probably never been released over here.)

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nice job with these posts rukaio, looks great and you know you're anime. :) You should add berserk and black butler to the t.v series, nice job though gonna check out a few of these.

Thanks. Berserk is a series that I actually do own on DVD, but I've never gotten around to watching it. As for Black Butler, I started reading the manga and found it kinda interesting, but it never really sucked me in enough to continue.

 

Anyway, I just finished watching the final episodes of Danganronpa: The Animation and Gatchaman Crowds.. Crowds's finale kinda let me down. While I liked the way they solved the crisis, there was a noticeable lack of a conclusion for many characters (I don't think some even appeared), the fight against the Big Bad was underwhelming and they left the fate of one of my favourite characters ambiguous.

 

Danganronpa's ending was fantastic though. While I've criticised the series in the past for rushing through things, particularly Case 3, they made sure to dedicate a whole episode for the final battle of wits and it works perfectly. While it's pretty heavy on the friendship speeches, they genuinely work well here and make sense.

 

I'm not yet sure which anime's I'm going to be following this Autumn yet, though. So I may just end up waiting a few weeks for any outstanding ones to appear. Although I really need to finish Shingeki no Kyojin now the series has finished.

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I'm not really into anime series (mostly watched anime movies). I'm a manga enthusiast though; or I was (don't have much time to read/follow mangas these past couple years)

 

But I absolutely love love love Death Note. It was simply an incredible show.

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