Yet another recommendation thread - Anime
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Do you *know* what Wolf's Rain is about? Plenty of action scenes, death, lots of blood, swearing, some romance, adult content and suggestive-ness-ity, religious content,Superbeast said:
One Mech series that I would recommend is Escaflowne, one of the best romances. I got Romeo x Juliet for Christmas and it's my current fav. (Romance that is, not mech) Another popular mech series is the many Gundam serieses, but they didn't do it for me. Neither are for kids. (Hey, I love Transformers)
If the Vampire series interest you, you might enjoy Descendants of Darkness, sortof a short suspenseful detective series about Death gods investigating unusual deaths, etc.
While you are checking out Death Note, be sure to look into the two (three) Death Note Live Action movies. They are very well written, with the first half mirroring the setup of the anime, but with a twist halfway through, different than the series to keep you guessing. Personally, I didn't care much for the third. They're available on DVD, and just to be awesome, the anime VA's dubbed it as well.
Ah, you have broken the cardinal rule about starting the great Subs v Dubs debate. There is no right answer, and this debate has no beginning and has no end. Truthfully, most people will enjoy whatever version they see first. Personally, I usually watch Dub more often. Since both DeathNote and Wolf's Rain were on Cartoon Network, I watched them entirely dubbed and thoroughly enjoyed it. Brad Swaile is made of awesome. Plus, a lot of my fav VAs do Wolf's Rain.
Especially if you are new to anime and aren't used to reading subs. Personally, I find that when I watch something subbed and then see it dubbed, I see a lot of visuals I missed the first time since I'm not focused on reading what's going on. You can always watch it Dubtitled, or watch it subbed later.
Utena the series is a little tamer than the movie. The movie, well, it's a good movie to watch with friends. To watch their reactions. It also helps if you're drunk.Naheal said:
It's a far cry from Wolf's Rain though, the movie is, obviously, confusing as all getout, um, mind-freaky,
Have you seen the Final Fantasy VII: Advent Children movie?
Vampire Hunter D has two movies, I didn't much care for them but other people seem to like them. I hear it's based on a real book. The second one, Bloodlust, was better.
I'll second D.Greyman, Bleach,
Gankutsuo is kinda dark.
Princess Mononoke and "Spice and Wolf" have wolves in them
Ignoring the ones that EVERYONE will post. You might check out Kenichi: The Mightiest Disciple/History's Strongest Disciple Kenichi (It has many different English names, those are the two most common) though the anime had a cheap budget so it doesn't capture the same spark that the manga did. Manga's much better. Since you were in the 80's, I'm sure you saw Ranma, but I'll throw it out there. Black Lagoon is awesome, as is Basilisk.
Gurren Lagann is the greatest anime ever. It's about being manly.
Nabari no Ou I watch. I don't love it, but for some reason I get excited about it. It's really weird. I'm not freaking out at how good it is as I'm watching, but I can't wait to find out what happens next...
Gurren Lagann is the greatest anime ever. It's about being manly.
Nabari no Ou I watch. I don't love it, but for some reason I get excited about it. It's really weird. I'm not freaking out at how good it is as I'm watching, but I can't wait to find out what happens next...
Thanks for all the recommendations folks.
I went out today and bought Appleseed and Appleseed Ex Machina, loved them both.
Couple of questions the second one raised:
1) Are there more animes animated in the Ex Machina style? I think I remember the Final Fantasy movies being done like this (or similar anyway), and I enjoyed those too...at the very least I liked Spirits Within, I've only seen Advent Children in a very butchered, badly dubbed series of clips whilst drunk. I remember something to do with bikes and a desert, then a funny lake, that's about it. I think I prefer these to the Naruto-style animation (if you understand what I mean), at least for serious movies - the first episode of Chrono Crusade was brilliant as it was quite funny, I think that style of anime works better there. Is there a name for the Appleseed/FF style of animation so I know what to look out for in the future?
2) When I was previewing the films I came across this YouTube video:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CYl77kvKbBU&feature=related
There was nowt like that in the two movies I have. Is there a third movie, is this from a game, or is it entirely fan-made? Because this looks utterly awesome, and wasn't in either of the movies I watched.
+EDIT+ Hmm, Wiki tells me there's another movie out there (I watched the 88 OVA and the 07 Ex Machina). Bugger, I thought I had them all (well, no HMV stocked more than the two I had). Would this be the correct (2004) one that I'm missing:
http://hmv.com/hmvweb/displayProductDetails.do?ctx=280;0;-1;-1;-1&sku=423116
+END+
When I was browsing in the shop, I saw complete collections for Ghost in the Shell, Elfen Lied and Deathnote - though at £50 a pop I decided to pass at this moment in time. Student loan comes through in a week :evilgrin:
But I did notice some packs of movies called "Black Lagoon" or something. The blurb on the back sounded really interesting, and I note it's been recommended once or twice above (I couldn't remember when shopping) - take it that would be a good pick?
I have sourced a pre-order for the complete collection of Wolf's Rain for about £15 too which I'm very happy about.
So yes, in summary:
1) I thought Appleseed was excellent (both 80s and 07), love that style of anime of the 07.
2) I love epicness of Wolf's Rain.
3) Mindfuckery sounds good - as long as it's in a "psychological" sense like Deathnote, not the "giant purple panda hipthrusting across the screen to a shower of fireworks and tears, as the main characters undress and reveal they haven't got any skin" mindfuckery.
What movies/series should I be looking out for that are similar to either of those (if they haven't been mentioned already)? Just thought I'd ask again now that I've managed to narrow my preferences down.
I can safely say that Naruto or Dragonball Z aren't for me at this stage, nor is Gundam or Robotech or that stuff. Might give Code Geass/Evangelion another shot somepoint in the near future though - it's not just the mechs, it's the style of animation for the most part (as I said, I think I love Chrono Crusade and Darker than Black as exceptions) - and people carrying swords larger than themselves outside of Final Fantasy tends to put me off a bit (probably quite a problem for a budding anime fan)
I went out today and bought Appleseed and Appleseed Ex Machina, loved them both.
Couple of questions the second one raised:
1) Are there more animes animated in the Ex Machina style? I think I remember the Final Fantasy movies being done like this (or similar anyway), and I enjoyed those too...at the very least I liked Spirits Within, I've only seen Advent Children in a very butchered, badly dubbed series of clips whilst drunk. I remember something to do with bikes and a desert, then a funny lake, that's about it. I think I prefer these to the Naruto-style animation (if you understand what I mean), at least for serious movies - the first episode of Chrono Crusade was brilliant as it was quite funny, I think that style of anime works better there. Is there a name for the Appleseed/FF style of animation so I know what to look out for in the future?
2) When I was previewing the films I came across this YouTube video:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CYl77kvKbBU&feature=related
There was nowt like that in the two movies I have. Is there a third movie, is this from a game, or is it entirely fan-made? Because this looks utterly awesome, and wasn't in either of the movies I watched.
+EDIT+ Hmm, Wiki tells me there's another movie out there (I watched the 88 OVA and the 07 Ex Machina). Bugger, I thought I had them all (well, no HMV stocked more than the two I had). Would this be the correct (2004) one that I'm missing:
http://hmv.com/hmvweb/displayProductDetails.do?ctx=280;0;-1;-1;-1&sku=423116
+END+
When I was browsing in the shop, I saw complete collections for Ghost in the Shell, Elfen Lied and Deathnote - though at £50 a pop I decided to pass at this moment in time. Student loan comes through in a week :evilgrin:
But I did notice some packs of movies called "Black Lagoon" or something. The blurb on the back sounded really interesting, and I note it's been recommended once or twice above (I couldn't remember when shopping) - take it that would be a good pick?
I have sourced a pre-order for the complete collection of Wolf's Rain for about £15 too which I'm very happy about.
So yes, in summary:
1) I thought Appleseed was excellent (both 80s and 07), love that style of anime of the 07.
2) I love epicness of Wolf's Rain.
3) Mindfuckery sounds good - as long as it's in a "psychological" sense like Deathnote, not the "giant purple panda hipthrusting across the screen to a shower of fireworks and tears, as the main characters undress and reveal they haven't got any skin" mindfuckery.
What movies/series should I be looking out for that are similar to either of those (if they haven't been mentioned already)? Just thought I'd ask again now that I've managed to narrow my preferences down.
I can safely say that Naruto or Dragonball Z aren't for me at this stage, nor is Gundam or Robotech or that stuff. Might give Code Geass/Evangelion another shot somepoint in the near future though - it's not just the mechs, it's the style of animation for the most part (as I said, I think I love Chrono Crusade and Darker than Black as exceptions) - and people carrying swords larger than themselves outside of Final Fantasy tends to put me off a bit (probably quite a problem for a budding anime fan)
Yeah, Utena is not the Deathnote kind of mindfuckery, it's in the Yellow Submarine kind of mind fuckery.
I believe Death Note might be re-running on Cartoon Network if you can catch it in order.
Vampire Hunter D has two movies, I didn't much care for them but other people seem to like them. I hear it's based on a real book. The second one, Bloodlust, was better.
I'll second D.Greyman, Bleach,
Gankutsuo is kinda dark.
Princess Mononoke and "Spice and Wolf" have wolves in them
I believe Death Note might be re-running on Cartoon Network if you can catch it in order.
Vampire Hunter D has two movies, I didn't much care for them but other people seem to like them. I hear it's based on a real book. The second one, Bloodlust, was better.
I'll second D.Greyman, Bleach,
Gankutsuo is kinda dark.
Princess Mononoke and "Spice and Wolf" have wolves in them
Oops - but hey, it was a long time ago (I don't think I've even seen it as a reference in the last 12-14 years).Sevre90210 said:
Code Geass is on my list of "Not to keen on it yet, will try it again later on". I do hear that it's good, but it's just not my thing at the moment. Will wait until I see it cheap in a shop and grab it anyway most likely.
As a child of the 80's myself, I would suggest Bubblegum Crisis 2032. (BGC 2040 was not as good.) But if you watch it, watch it with the original Japanese audio and English subs. The American voice acting is just a wee bit lacking in the talent department.
Beyond that Ghost in the Shell: Stand Alone Complex, which has a very good dub and works just as well in English as it does in Japanese; FLCL is REALLY fun to watch; Cowboy Bebop; and while I am not a huge fan of Dragonball Z, I would suggest watching it anyway for no other reason than to giggle at the needlessly long power up sequences that sound like someone grunting like they're constipated for a 15 minute stretch.
Beyond that Ghost in the Shell: Stand Alone Complex, which has a very good dub and works just as well in English as it does in Japanese; FLCL is REALLY fun to watch; Cowboy Bebop; and while I am not a huge fan of Dragonball Z, I would suggest watching it anyway for no other reason than to giggle at the needlessly long power up sequences that sound like someone grunting like they're constipated for a 15 minute stretch.
RAHXEPHON!
Sorry, I get excited. Seriously, though, RahXephon is probably one of the best anime series of the last decade. Even aside from the absolutely superb voice acting and animation, the characters are compelling, and the story is fantastically written. It's not often that I feel as emotionally attached to the characters (chalk it up to Monica Rial, Chris Patton, Hillary Haag, et. al being fantastic, in addition to everything else), especially the "bad guys". Not many series exist which give their antagonists a real backstory, rather than "Draco-in-Leather-Pants badass". It has some mind games (and watching it a second time, knowing everything you learn toward the end is a real treat), but it's never out of control, and feels like the hints are really supposed to be understood.
Utena has some good psychological games, and excellent replay value. Watch it as an allegory for feminism, or like it's about overcoming psychological trauma, or different parts as representative of different things (like retrieving a sword being a symbol of sex). Again, the psychological elements are subtle, but clear. It does some mind-fuckery, but never to the point that it gets so wrapped up in it that it loses perspective and storytelling. Watch it, for it is good.
Evangelion. More a right of passage than anything else. You have to watch it if you want to claim any kind of props for watching anime, and it's a common experience most of us have. If you remember the entire time that the writer/director pretty much went bat-shit-insane over the course of the series, and that there's no intentional deeper meaning, it's much easier to swallow. If you go in for the mind-bending, prepare for something which will either leave you nodding and contemplative, or screaming "what the hell just happened" every fifteen minutes.
Nadesico. Taking the piss out of Evangelion (and most other giant robot anime) one step at a time. It's all of the tropes, and could easily have been done as pure parody (a la Excel Saga. But it isn't, and that makes it even better. Some moments of pure comedic brilliance, balanced against an honestly intriguing plot, and characters who compel you to care about them. Did I mention that it'll leave you laughing for minutes, and having to rewind? Watch it, preferably, in English, since most of the jokes were translated to be better in English.
Full Metal Panic. PANIC. Sorry, again, for the emphasis. I hate people who think I misunderstood the name of Full Metal Alchemist. Two different shows, I promise. FMP is among the best giant robot shows I've ever seen, mostly because the giant robots aren't the focus of the show (see also: Nadesico, RahXephon). When the robots are used mostly for "hey, it's cool" and "incidental to the rest of the story", you get the best of both worlds; you get all the big-gun action without losing the human element of the story. Sousuke Sagara is a fantastic character, and watching his growth through the series is a real treat. As before, you really do feel an emotional connection to the characters, and some of it is damned funny. Lots of fish-out-of-water humor around Sousuke being a military man thrust into civilian situations.
D.N Angel. Okay, it's pure sitcom. It's pure romantic comedy. But it's a lot of fun. Yes, it's set up with a bunch of teens. Yes, it's a lot of angst. But, the characters are worthwhile, and it's a very sweet story. Nothing really big by way of thought-provoking, but it's nice. Voice-acting was well-done, the localization worked brilliantly.
Sorry, I get excited. Seriously, though, RahXephon is probably one of the best anime series of the last decade. Even aside from the absolutely superb voice acting and animation, the characters are compelling, and the story is fantastically written. It's not often that I feel as emotionally attached to the characters (chalk it up to Monica Rial, Chris Patton, Hillary Haag, et. al being fantastic, in addition to everything else), especially the "bad guys". Not many series exist which give their antagonists a real backstory, rather than "Draco-in-Leather-Pants badass". It has some mind games (and watching it a second time, knowing everything you learn toward the end is a real treat), but it's never out of control, and feels like the hints are really supposed to be understood.
Utena has some good psychological games, and excellent replay value. Watch it as an allegory for feminism, or like it's about overcoming psychological trauma, or different parts as representative of different things (like retrieving a sword being a symbol of sex). Again, the psychological elements are subtle, but clear. It does some mind-fuckery, but never to the point that it gets so wrapped up in it that it loses perspective and storytelling. Watch it, for it is good.
Evangelion. More a right of passage than anything else. You have to watch it if you want to claim any kind of props for watching anime, and it's a common experience most of us have. If you remember the entire time that the writer/director pretty much went bat-shit-insane over the course of the series, and that there's no intentional deeper meaning, it's much easier to swallow. If you go in for the mind-bending, prepare for something which will either leave you nodding and contemplative, or screaming "what the hell just happened" every fifteen minutes.
Nadesico. Taking the piss out of Evangelion (and most other giant robot anime) one step at a time. It's all of the tropes, and could easily have been done as pure parody (a la Excel Saga. But it isn't, and that makes it even better. Some moments of pure comedic brilliance, balanced against an honestly intriguing plot, and characters who compel you to care about them. Did I mention that it'll leave you laughing for minutes, and having to rewind? Watch it, preferably, in English, since most of the jokes were translated to be better in English.
Full Metal Panic. PANIC. Sorry, again, for the emphasis. I hate people who think I misunderstood the name of Full Metal Alchemist. Two different shows, I promise. FMP is among the best giant robot shows I've ever seen, mostly because the giant robots aren't the focus of the show (see also: Nadesico, RahXephon). When the robots are used mostly for "hey, it's cool" and "incidental to the rest of the story", you get the best of both worlds; you get all the big-gun action without losing the human element of the story. Sousuke Sagara is a fantastic character, and watching his growth through the series is a real treat. As before, you really do feel an emotional connection to the characters, and some of it is damned funny. Lots of fish-out-of-water humor around Sousuke being a military man thrust into civilian situations.
D.N Angel. Okay, it's pure sitcom. It's pure romantic comedy. But it's a lot of fun. Yes, it's set up with a bunch of teens. Yes, it's a lot of angst. But, the characters are worthwhile, and it's a very sweet story. Nothing really big by way of thought-provoking, but it's nice. Voice-acting was well-done, the localization worked brilliantly.