Anime?

[the Gleeman he/him]

DBZ being my 1st anime really set the bar high for me. I've  watched DBZ, FMA:B, and Deathnote all the way through, and am watching Fairy Tail and Bleach develop. Personally most of the other popular animes, such as Naruto, are lacking in story for me and some manga trump the anime so much that I cannot watch the anime (One Piece). Is Cowboy Bebop any good though? I've been meaning to watch that one. 

[kari-no-sugata]

Is Cowboy Bebop any good though? I've been meaning to watch that one. 

 

I would rate it as a "classic", though if you want a Big Plot you might be disappointed - most of the episodes are pretty stand-alone and self contained.

[Cracknut he/him]

I personally wouldn't skip any canon episodes of One Piece... If you're getting into 600+ episode anime watching 40 or so meh episodes isn't much. Even though I don't agree on them being bad

DBZ being my 1st anime really set the bar high for me. I've  watched DBZ, FMA:B, and Deathnote all the way through, and am watching Fairy Tail and Bleach develop. Personally most of the other popular animes, such as Naruto, are lacking in story for me and some manga trump the anime so much that I cannot watch the anime (One Piece). Is Cowboy Bebop any good though? I've been meaning to watch that one. 

Well I love Fairy Tail and have fond memories of Bleach but I wouldn't go comparing them to Naruto and One Piece. Especially Bleach which has most repetitive and inconsistent story I've ever read/seen...

Edited October 3, 2014 by Cracknut

[traceria she/her]

Is Cowboy Bebop any good though? I've been meaning to watch that one. 

 

I would rate it as a "classic", though if you want a Big Plot you might be disappointed - most of the episodes are pretty stand-alone and self contained.

 

If you're acceptant of that, those stand-alone episodes are pretty amazing!  It's one of my all-time favorites.

[PeterAhlstrom he/him]

Cowboy Bebop does have some episodes that I'm not fond of. As a whole, the series should be viewed as an artistic endeavor that's more ambitious than the average anime. Most series are there to tell a story, and while Cowboy Bebop does have a story, it's more meta that usual (essentially, the series is about Spike's karma). Each episode is also based around a specific musical genre, and more effort goes into the music than on any other show.

 

I long considered Cowboy Bebop to be the best series ever, but after rewatching it I have to cede that crown to FMA:B. There are many things that Cowboy Bebop puts more effort into than FMA:B, but ultimately FMA:B is loads more satisfying.

 

On another note, we watched the first four episodes of Ergo Proxy last night, due to the recommendation on the previous page. It's hard to figure out at first what's going on, but it's interesting. Also, very bloody in some parts.

[Titan Arum]

I couldn't agree with Peter and kari-no-sugata more. Cowboy Bebop is great and self-contained, but there is no major overarching storyline. I am fond of the ending, however, and it makes me think of Firefly (one of the best live-action shows ever!)

 

I also have to say that I love the OP's choice of Mushishi. What a beautiful anime. 

[Ryan he/him]

Log horizon is back! First episode had a couple flash-forwards that left me confused, but other than that it was great. I give it 4 out of 5 glasses pushed up the nose.

[PeterAhlstrom he/him]

Yep. Good Log Horizon ep.

12 or 13 years ago I watched the first half of Bubblegum Crisis Tokyo 2040. Now I have finally watched the second half. And I really shouldn't have bothered. There were many things I liked about the show, but once Galatea showed up it just got weirder and weirder, and the ending made no sense whatsoever.

[Voidus]

New Log Horizon! XD
Agree with wanting more No Game No Life but with less Fanservice, was episode 6 the one with that angel-girl and the game where they create heaps of stuff? I thought it was pretty creative too, though yeah Fanservice stuff can get in the way of enjoying it sometimes.

I'm letting most of my long running Anime run for a while before I catch up on them again so I haven't seen any of the more recent Naruto or Fairy Tail but I still enjoy the old episodes.

Doing a re-watch of Mirrai Nikki (Future Diaries) at the moment, still one of my favourites to date.

[traceria she/her]

Cowboy Bebop does have some episodes that I'm not fond of. As a whole, the series should be viewed as an artistic endeavor that's more ambitious than the average anime. Most series are there to tell a story, and while Cowboy Bebop does have a story, it's more meta that usual (essentially, the series is about Spike's karma). Each episode is also based around a specific musical genre, and more effort goes into the music than on any other show.

 

I long considered Cowboy Bebop to be the best series ever, but after rewatching it I have to cede that crown to FMA:B. There are many things that Cowboy Bebop puts more effort into than FMA:B, but ultimately FMA:B is loads more satisfying.

 

On another note, we watched the first four episodes of Ergo Proxy last night, due to the recommendation on the previous page. It's hard to figure out at first what's going on, but it's interesting. Also, very bloody in some parts.

I liked Ergo Proxy over all, but it's been too long since I watched it to say much more.  I seem to recall the ending wrapping most things up but leaving me a little confused still.

[PeterAhlstrom he/him]

I'm a bit exhausted with books and shows where people are mean to each other. So I'm going with happier shows for now.

 

We had been stalled in Girls und Panzer. Watched 3 episodes last night and enjoyed it. Only the final episode is left. (Skip the recap episodes...)

 

We also watched the first 3 episodes of When Supernatural Battles Became Commonplace and Your Lie in April. So far so good. Your Lie in April is definitely more ambitious. I'll compare it to Chiyahafuru at this point. Good characters and an interesting look at a competitive specialty, with a guy who has quit for some reason. (I never experienced Nodame Cantabile, so this is my first look at this artist's work.)

 

Of what we're already watching, I thought the juxtaposition of Log Horizon and the new Sword Art Online arc is interesting. Both are doing a major quest raid. In SAO they have like half an hour to complete the quest. In Log Horizon they've been at it for weeks and it will take more weeks to complete, dying and trying again and again, refining their tactics. Totally different understanding of how MMORPGs work.

[Ryan he/him]

Something like a year ago, I stopped watching Naruto because I was sick of fillers. Naruto fillers are extremely hit or miss, with more miss, by and large, than hit. I let them build a nice runway so I could skip the fillers that had been coming so frequently.

 

Turns out I stopped right where all the fillers stopped. Extend palm, apply face. And the arc I'm on is dropping the payoffs, one after another. Some of these have been around 500 episodes in the making. It's a good time to be a Naruto fan. Or, well, it *was*, a year ago. You know what I mean.

[Arachiel she/her]

I just recently finished the first season of Psychopass on Netflix, and I must say, I was really impressed. It starts out like your average dystopian storyline, but the ending is fantastic. The first episode is a little grimy, but the characters are pretty decent people to each other, and the villian is a really good villian. I really recommend it if you're looking for something exciting that doesn't take too long to finish (though season 2 just recently came out).

[traceria she/her]

Something like a year ago, I stopped watching Naruto because I was sick of fillers. Naruto fillers are extremely hit or miss, with more miss, by and large, than hit. I let them build a nice runway so I could skip the fillers that had been coming so frequently.

 

Turns out I stopped right where all the fillers stopped. Extend palm, apply face. And the arc I'm on is dropping the payoffs, one after another. Some of these have been around 500 episodes in the making. It's a good time to be a Naruto fan. Or, well, it *was*, a year ago. You know what I mean.

Maybe I should take some time to catch up.  I forget where I was, somewhere in the 80's (subtitled version).

[Unhinged he/him]

Black Lagoon & Baccano all the way both series were violent, and mature with out relying on that to sell the story. Also they had by far the best english dubs I have ever heard.

 

Some other ones that I like were hellsing ultimate although this one did go a bit overboard on the blood. but in a story involving Nazi vampires I think that's acceptable. Gundam Seed and 00 I do have a bit of disdain for Destiny though. FMA and brotherhood were awesome and I really liked SAO. As for big name series well Bleach started out great but it really went downhill after episode 60 or so Naruto and One piece are both alright but I really love fairy tail although I haven't watched it in a while and it did seem to be falling into the trap that claimed the other 3 series (drawing out the story to sell more copies) 

 

As for Manga I really only read Berserk regularly, Claymore was great to but that just ended.

 

In the future I'm really looking forward to the new Pacific rim Anime.

 

Edit: also Blue gender was amazing and managed to end on a high note despite the fact that nearly every character who so much as spoke a line was dead.

Edited November 12, 2014 by Unhinged

[Ryan he/him]

Maybe I should take some time to catch up.  I forget where I was, somewhere in the 80's (subtitled version).

 

IIRC that's right in the middle of Sasuke's big arc. There's some pretty epic stuff in there, mixed of course with annoyance at Sasuke.

[Voidus]

Maybe I should take some time to catch up.  I forget where I was, somewhere in the 80's (subtitled version).

Of the original series or Shippuden?

[traceria she/her]

Of the original series or Shippuden?

Shippuden.  My brother was getting imports with good subtitles for awhile, but he kind of slacked off and now we're both behind.

 

Edit to add:  Ryan, sorry for the confusion...should have specified!

Edited November 12, 2014 by traceria

[PeterAhlstrom he/him]

Borrowed Princess Jellyfish DVDs and am very much enjoying them. It's a different type of show from what I usually watch, since it has no genre elements other than characters who are huge geeks about very specific interests.

[Ryan he/him]

Shippuden.  My brother was getting imports with good subtitles for awhile, but he kind of slacked off and now we're both behind.

 

Edit to add:  Ryan, sorry for the confusion...should have specified!

 

I assumed you were on Shippuden. Sasuke has a bigger arc in the second series than he does in the first.

[Titan Arum]

Hey All. I'm bringing this thread back because I've just recently gotten back into Anime. I don't really have the time to try and find things on the internet and I enjoy watching Anime on my TV better, so does anyone have any recommendations for Anime that is on Netflix that I can stream right now? I'm leaning towards watching Death Note next, but the premise doesn't seem that exciting for me.

 

For added information, I like anime that isn't overly cartoony/kiddy (for example I don't like where crying is unrealistic because it's spraying from their faces). However, I do like anime like Samurai Champloo and Cowboy Bebop that pushes the boundaries of the standard trope of anime. For further context, I just finished bingeing Attack on Titan and thought it was brilliant. I also really enjoyed the art in Mushi-shi. Maybe these could give you an idea of what I enjoy?

 

Thanks in advance for any recommendations!

[Kurkistan he/him]

Death Note is a classic, and not really "cartoony". First half is better than the second, but worth watching overall.

[PeterAhlstrom he/him]

Not really a reply to that, but here's what I've been watching recently.

 

Finished Haikyuu! and really liked it. One of the best straight sports anime I've watched in a while. It's about volleyball and a short kid who is good at jumping. Good character relationships.

 

I'm obsessed with Glass Mask right now. Parts of it are essentially like a sports anime, but the sport is acting. Girl runs away from home to become an actor, with a rival, competing teams, corrupt enemy coach, etc. I'm about halfway through the show. The art style is really retro (like Captain Harlock retro)—which makes sense, since the manga has been running since 1976, even though the anime is from 2005. 

 

For newer shows I'm watching on Crunchyroll, my favorite this season is Your Lie in April. It's about competitive piano and violin playing, and a boy who was abused by his control-freak mom.

 

When Supernatural Battles Became Commonplace was a fun one for me. It's about kids in high school who get super powers, but there's nothing for them to fight, so they just continue their normal lives.

 

I also watched Celestial Method. I think there's one episode left. It's a bunch of 14-year-olds but the "cute" art style makes them look younger. When they were 7 they summoned a flying saucer to sit over the town one of them moved away. The saucer is just a tourist attraction and doesn't do anything. I've enjoyed this series as a way to relax, but the 12th episode was just dumb, after a great 11th episode. Hopefully the 13th episode can redeem it.

 

Shirobako was also a really good one this season, but not at all relaxing. It's everything that goes on behind the scenes at a small anime studio, and it can get really stressful as they're always in danger of not hitting their deadlines. The look at how this industry works in Japan is fascinating, and I like the characters.

 

For the holdovers, Sword Art Online season 2 was good. Good first arc if a bit Mary Sueish, so-so middle arc, great last arc. I'll keep watching more seasons of this because I assume they're eventually coming.

 

Log Horizon season 2 continues to be an interesting contrast to SAO. This season has felt a little draggy in places, but it's also more true to an MMORPG experience. The worldbuilding continues to be interesting.

 

Did I mention watching the end of Hunter X Hunter? That was a great show all the way through, though the beginning of the Chimera Ant arc got really bleak and hard to watch. It picked up after that though. The anime stopping point was a great place to stop it, even if I do want to see more later. The manga is ongoing so more anime could return later, but the mangaka is super rich with little motivation to do very many chapters a year.

 

We also hit the end of Space Brothers. A very different show, and the hardest science fiction I've seen in quite a while. I hope there's more later, but I may end up reading the manga.

 

Watched Princess Jellyfish and loved it. It's about a house with 6 or so different types of otaku living in it, and the crossdressing rich boy who becomes fascinated with them. Main character is obsessed with jellyfish. This is a great relationships show. I'll probably continue with the manga.

 

Started watching World Trigger after I got a subscription to Shonen Jump and started reading the manga. I'm enjoying it. The transformation sequences in the anime make it clear that this is a Magical Boy show.

 

My favorite manga in the English Shonen Jump right now is Food Wars. Another sports manga plot, with the sport being competitive cooking at a culinary school. I love it.

Edited December 30, 2014 by PeterAhlstrom

[Witty Username he/him]

JoJo's Bizarre Adventure is possibly your most fabulous choice - it's not exactly the most subtle series, but the Stand powers are pretty creative and the combat is very much based on wits rather than pure power a lot of the time. Plus, the art in parts 7 and 8 is absolutely gorgeous, some of the best in manga. It's also a good one to look into if you don't like series that take forever to finish - each individual part has a beginning, middle and end, so you get some closure on the story pretty quick.

[Ryan he/him]

Hey All. I'm bringing this thread back because I've just recently gotten back into Anime. I don't really have the time to try and find things on the internet and I enjoy watching Anime on my TV better, so does anyone have any recommendations for Anime that is on Netflix that I can stream right now? I'm leaning towards watching Death Note next, but the premise doesn't seem that exciting for me.

 

For added information, I like anime that isn't overly cartoony/kiddy (for example I don't like where crying is unrealistic because it's spraying from their faces). However, I do like anime like Samurai Champloo and Cowboy Bebop that pushes the boundaries of the standard trope of anime. For further context, I just finished bingeing Attack on Titan and thought it was brilliant. I also really enjoyed the art in Mushi-shi. Maybe these could give you an idea of what I enjoy?

 

Thanks in advance for any recommendations!

 

You would probably like Baccano! (The ! is part of the title.) I watched it on Netflix, but I don't think it's on there anymore. I generally don't prefer dubbed anime, which is all that Netflix offers, but the dub of Baccano! is probably better than the original due to all the different accents.

 

The show is set in 1930's America. There's a train heist and a gang war, a bunch of different competing factions, and a complex thread tying everything together. The whole thing is told in a non-linear fashion, so it takes about six episodes before you wrap your head around what's going on, but it's worth it.

 

My second recommendation is "Moribito: Guardian of the Spirit". People on this thread are probably sick of me going on about it. It's about a female bodyguard charged by an emperor's second wife to protect her youngest son from his father, who wants to kill him because he believes he harbors a water demon that would bring drought and destruction on the entire empire.

 

It's set in a very creative fantasy world, has gorgeous animation, great music, engaging characters, and a few breathtaking fight scenes rendered in a realistic style. I can't recommend it enough.