Help me find even more anime to watch!

May 4, 2009 1:12 PM

What anime series are still out there that I haven't seen yet? (I already tried everything that's been recommended here before.)

I've been flying through serialized anime vie my iPod as a way to make my train commute suck less. It's starting to look like I'm going to run out of series soon, though.

So, having already gone through all the previously existing AMF questions on Anime recommendations, I'm looking for more shows that I haven't seen. Anyone got any good ones? I'll try anything that isn't total Shoujou I-can't-believe-he's-got-a-crush-on-me stuff. In particular, if there's something really recent (or, even current) that I haven't watched, I'll give it a try. Thanks, everybody!

[p.s. I'm already current on Bleach and 07 Ghost, and I actually don't care much for Naruto. (Which is a shame, because they've made a ridiculous number of episodes.)]

posted by Citrus to media & arts (38 comments total)

This is kind of tricky without knowing what you've seen (assuming it's not just the two series, because then there are many you haven't seen). The top of my list is the Death Note series: best ever.
posted by Eicats at 1:33 PM on May 4

Lain. It's been suggested on other threads, so I'll assume you've already seen it. If not, LAIN!
posted by sacrifix at 1:42 PM on May 4 [1 favorite has favorites]

TengenToppaGurrenLagann
posted by Oktober at 1:55 PM on May 4 [1 favorite has favorites]

I don't know what's in the other anime recommendation threads but my favorite anime show ever is Last Exile.
posted by shmegegge at 2:00 PM on May 4

I don't know if you've seen it or not, but I always have to give mad props word dawg to Gankutsuou. I think the art style has been imitated quite a bit, but I really think it's a beautiful show. Plus the story's based (as much as superpowerful space... spirit things can be) on the Count of Monte Christo. Not too shabby.

Also, the 4 part OAV of Rurouni Kenshin is also of interest due to it's Greek Tragedyish storyline.
posted by OrangeDrink at 2:01 PM on May 4

My anime-liking friends really liked Baccano!; I enjoyed it enough, but haven't had time to finish it. I don't see it in a quick search of AskMe. It's a period piece, mobsters, magical stuff, the usual.
posted by cobaltnine at 2:21 PM on May 4

+1 on the Last Exile (netflix FTW)

Banner of the Stars is in a similar vein and not uninteresting. 10X better than the Star Wars arc -- what Star Wars could have been. Kinda flat in spots so 4 stars not 5 though.

Not anime but if you haven't done the BSG series it's schweet on an iPod touch. I watch it while walking and it works well as a radio drama for me.

Zipang is kinda cool if you like WW2, but the series only covers the first third or so of the story so you won't get any conclusion.
posted by mrt at 2:25 PM on May 4

Samurai Champloo and One Piece. There are a TON of One Piece eps.
posted by InsanePenguin at 2:55 PM on May 4

I second Gurren Lagann, it starts out as a fairly standard series but adds some twists along the way that keep getting exponentially crazier. The animation quality is great too
posted by ManyNinjas at 2:56 PM on May 4

Gintama - over 100 episodes now, a good mix of silly and serious. Skip episodes 1 and 2, and start with episode 4.
posted by betweenthebars at 3:13 PM on May 4

All of these are fully enjoyable by adults:

Honey & Clover
Denno Coil
Kamichu
Nodame Cantabile
Haibane Renmei
Emma
Kannagi
posted by shii at 3:18 PM on May 4

The following didn't come up when I searched AskMe and haven't already been mentioned above: Chi's Sweet Home (Chii's Sweet Home), Sayonara Zetsubou Sensei (I don't understand--I must have missed it), Genji Monogatari Sennenki, Mononoke (not Mononoke Hime, it's a series), Yokohama Kaidashi Kikou (it's only mentioned in a "kid-friendly anime" thread, so you may have missed it).
posted by wintersweet at 3:29 PM on May 4

I third the Last Exile series. Not only my favorite anime series, but one of my favorite of ANY series (including live action). Brilliantly conceived, composed, animated, acted (you MUST watch it in the original Japanese with subtitles, not an English dub). Even just thinking of the intro theme song still gives me chills and it's been a few years since I've seen it.
posted by ViolaGrinder at 3:30 PM on May 4

I've seen 4 episodes of Eden of the East (Higashi no Eden) and it looks pretty good. Terrorism and conspiracy stuff, plus a bit of romance (but not too much). The characters might look cute, but it's because they hired a famous shoujo mangaka to design them. It's a current show, so you won't find it on Netflix.

I'm pretty sure Paranoia Agent was recommended in past threads, see it if you haven't.

I haven't seen Mushishi, but it's highly recommended everywhere. Also, I haven't seen Monster, but the manga is excellent.

My favorite, though, is Oruchuban Ebichu, about an office lady and her hamster, both of them complete idiots. The hamster takes care of the house and her mistress, who has an awful boyfriend and treats her pet like crap. The humor is kind of dirty and violent (towards the hamster), but it's one of the few animes that make me laugh out loud. Maybe not very convenient to watch during your commute, as there is occasional nudity (in a very cartoonish style).
posted by clearlydemon at 3:30 PM on May 4

Reading past comments, I can second Emma (the manga is excellent and enjoyable by adults of both sexes —looks like shoujo but it isn't), Chi's Sweet Home (very cute), and Sayonara Zetsubou Sensei, a very neurotic comedy. You might miss some of the jokes if you are not a big otaku/japanophile, but it's ok.
posted by clearlydemon at 3:34 PM on May 4

Codename Geass and Rideback.
posted by spec80 at 3:34 PM on May 4

If you were a fan of Macross back in the 80s, the new Macross Frontier is very good. It's not been brought to the english world yet officially, so you'll have to rely on fansubs to watch it right now. If you have the option to watch Macross Zero first (or have already done so) it hooks in with the story somewhat, but isn't really required as you'll get caught up quickly enough at the appropriate time.
posted by barc0001 at 3:46 PM on May 4

I'm sure Fullmetal Alchemist has been reccomended on the green a few times by now, so maybe you've seen it - if not, go give it a shot. If you have, well, they're doing a reboot called "Fullmetal Alchemist Brotherhood"... there have been four episodes so far, I think. So far it's been very pretty, but a little dull because it's covering the same arcs as the first series - eventually the new show will branch off and do its own thing, but it hasn't yet except for a few details. It seems like the new show is sticking to the manga, which means down the line it'll get very different than the original. But so far it's been very similar, except for the first episode, which was more or less completely new.
posted by Rinku at 4:26 PM on May 4

I'm a fan of Future Boy Conan. I got my roommate hooked too, so that's two votes yes.
posted by Dmenet at 5:07 PM on May 4

Wow. thank you so far, everyone! This is great!

There's a lot of stuff to parse here.

Already watched: Death Note and Last Exile. Both most excellent.
Current on: Code Geass. I'm watching the Viz dub on [as]. Perhaps I have a masochistic streak, because I put up with their scheduling choices.
Not crazy about: One Piece. Didn't do it for me, same as Naruto. Didn't like Eureka 7 either, but those are the only series (shounen-style, anyway) that I just didn't care for.

I've already got Haibane Renmei in the queue, and almost every other rec is new-to-me.

Keep 'em coming! :)
posted by Citrus at 5:38 PM on May 4

Magical Shopping Arcade Abenobashi is pretty funny.
posted by sciencegeek at 6:12 PM on May 4 [1 favorite has favorites]

it's a little too hard to search old threads on my phone, so some of these might be repeats.

-great teacher onizuka
-hikaru no go

and these must have been mentioned, but it would be shame if they hadn't
-ghost in the shell
-hellsing
-cowboy bebop
posted by jacalata at 6:14 PM on May 4

Black Lagoon is a wonderfully violent and amoral show about a gang of criminal odd job doers that I've been quiet enjoying. And nthing Gurren Lagann. It's got that wonderful Gainax energy.
posted by Lentrohamsanin at 6:57 PM on May 4

Seconding Black Lagoon. You may also want to look into Ergo Proxy.
posted by nikkorizz at 7:22 PM on May 4

Juuni Kokuki
SaiKano (Saishū Heiki Kanojo/She, The Ultimate Weapon)
Ouran High School Host Club
Wolf's Rain
posted by emmling at 8:15 PM on May 4 [1 favorite has favorites]

Speed Grapher
The Melancholy of Haruhi Suzumiya
posted by Iosephus at 8:38 PM on May 4

Oops, forgot one I wanted to mention:

Initial D
posted by emmling at 8:56 PM on May 4

I'm gonna throw a bunch of stuff out at you that I've personally enjoyed. I'm sorry if I repeat anything you've already heard!

If you like folkloric morality plays and Japanese monsters, you'll probably dig Requiem from the Darkness. In the show, a hapless writer gets involved in the workings of Japan's spiritual underground. The series gets darker as it goes along.

You might also like Boogiepop Phantom if you end up digging Lain. I liked Boogiepop Phantom quite a bit more--it's really psychological and a bit trippy--but it's all to taste. It's really hard to describe.

If you like kind of crack-ish, off-the-wall comedy, Hare + Guu (original title: Jungle wa Itsumo Hale Nochi Guu) is perfect for you. How crack-ish? Well, for starters, the titular Guu has a universe in her stomach. I found it laugh-out-loud hilarious, and you might too!

Paradise Kiss is about a girl finding her way through life by getting involved with a group of fashion design students. That's a simplification, of course: the show's strength is its unique style and funky sort of humor. I fell in love with the manga, and I think the anime was a pretty decent adaptation.

If you like detective stories, you really can't go wrong with Detective Conan (also known as Case Closed in the States). There's romance! Murder! Secret organizations! Plus, if you start getting into the series, you have huuuuundreds of episodes (many that can stand alone!) to choose from. Not to mention that it's still running and the creators put out a Detective Conan movie every year!

If you like bread and Japanese puns, then Yakitate! Japan will be your Lieblingsanime. Of course, it's a very specific taste, but... :)

Whew! Hope that helps. Have fun!

Plus, of the newest recs, I'm nth-ing Hikaru no Go, Cowboy Bebop, and Ouran High School Host Club. Of the three, Cowboy Bebop is probably the most guaranteed to please. The English dub is top-notch, too!
posted by ElectricBlue at 12:28 AM on May 5 [1 favorite has favorites]

I absolutely can't recommend this highly enough: Kaiba. It's a heart-wrenching, sweet, perceptive, terrifying, beautifully creative, and also bug-fuck crazy story of love, tyranny, and a future so far-removed from our own it's like a Dr Seuss book. The animation is also a work of art. Here's the wikipedia page, with mild spoilers.

It's made by Studio 4°C, whose work (especially Mind-Game, Sweat Punch and Tekkon Kinkreet) has almost put me off all other animé because in comparison so much of it is derivative, adolescent, un-self-aware and badly-animated.

Having said that, I've still recently gone back to and enjoyed:

Mushi-shi, a subtle and contemplative portrait of a man trying to bring balance between humanity and nature.

Anything by an interesting dude called Satoshi Kon, especially Paprika, Millenium Actress and Paranoia Agent.

Gambling Apocalypse Kaiji: nail-bitingly tense thriller about gambling low-lifes trapped by greed and cruelty, with an interesting art style.

And on the more fun side:

Any of the shounen stuff from Gainax, especially FLCL, Gunbuster II, and Tengen Toppa Gurren Lagan.

Yakitate! Japan: Righteous shounen bread-making ACTION!!

Damekko Doubutsu: Horrifically cynical comedy featuring ridiculous, utterly useless animals. Short but extremely sweet.
posted by teresci at 3:46 AM on May 5

Clannad.
posted by Shebear at 4:52 AM on May 5

Xamd (Bounen no Xamd or Xamd: Lost Memories) just came out in early 09, it was on the PS3 network or something, but is available through other channels for those of us without such items. Young man caught in (terrorist? Suicide bomber?) explosion gets a creature/monster of great power stuck in him, transformation ensues as he joins the crew of a post office airship in the middle of a conflict. Catchy theme song by the Boom Boom Satellites.
posted by subbes at 7:24 AM on May 5

I just finished Black Blood Brothers, which is about modern-day vampires. It had a great mix of action, drama, and comedy and was really hard to walk away from. It's fairly short, I think 13 episodes. Trinity Blood is another good vampire show. The aesthetic is darker than Black Blood Brothers. Both shows are very compelling.

I also recommend Gantz. It's deliciously weird and has tons of action, questions of morals and ethics, psychological stuff, and one of my favorite anime themes(Super Shooter by Rip Slyme). The potential downside is a faird amount of sex/nudity, if you don't want to have that on your player in public.

I'd also second Mushi-shi and Speed Grapher, and throw in a few other titles you may enjoy: Samurai 7, Gungrave(Beyond the Grave), Excel Saga(super-manic comedy; every episode is a style parody of a different type of anime series).
posted by owtytrof at 7:58 AM on May 5

Perennial favorite recommendations:
Kino no Tabi (a.k.a. Kino's Journey)
Gankutsuou
FLCL
Genshiken

and the requisite:
Samurai Champloo
Cowboy Bebop

recent movies:
Toki Wo Kakeru Shoujo (The Girl Who Leapt Through Time)
Paprika
posted by robofunk at 9:37 AM on May 5

You've already got some awesome recommendations. (Totally nthing all of these: Kino's Journey, Gankutsuou, Genshiken, Honey & Clover, Haibane Renmei, Emma, Sayonara Zetsubou Sensei, Eden of the East, Fullmetal Alchemist, Hikaru no Go, Ouran High School Host Club, Dennou Coil, Mushishi.)

A few more recs:

• Bokurano - a group of children are convinced to play a game where the stakes are higher than they realize.
• Kurau - Phantom Memory - about a woman who was possessed by an alien being as a child, due to a catastrophic experiment.
• Scrapped Princess - a princess is destined to destroy the world on her 16th birthday.
• The Twelve Kingdoms - a girl finds herself stranded in a strange world. (Not much like Fushigi Yuugi, if you've seen that, though it does share a similar premise. The novels are also very good.)
• Brigadoon: Marin and Melan - an orphaned girl becomes caught in a battle between Monomakia (robot-like creatures). The artwork is very cartoony and the show has a lot of slapstick humor, which makes it all the more disorienting when it rips out your heart and stomps on it. (This is one of those series where I wasn't impressed at all by the first 5 episodes or so, but it gets much better, IMHO.)
• Princess Tutu - about a duck who becomes a girl who transforms into a magical girl to collect the pieces of a prince's shattered heart. Drosselmeyer, one of the main antagonists, is an insane storyteller who died in the midst of completing his story. (Yes, this is magical girl shoujo, and it loses a lot of potential viewers based on the name and synopsis...which is a shame, because it's well worth watching. Especially if you've watched and liked Utena. Here's a music video which is a pretty good introduction, if you don't mind some spoilers.)

For more recommendations, check out Nihon Reviews - it's a very good anime review site. Mania.com/AnimeOnDVD's Recommendation Forum may also help.
posted by anthy at 10:42 AM on May 5

If you haven't seen them already, you *have to* see FLCL (also called furi kuri) and excel saga.

Among other ideas, let me suggest the slayers series, berserk, ergo proxy, trigun, Sexy commando gaiden sugoiyo! masarusan, puni puni poemi, bakuretsu hunters.

And if you still want more maybe spiral line of reasoning, kiddy grade, onegai twins, onegai teacher,
posted by izwalito at 10:56 AM on May 5

Tenchi Muyo! (I think that there were at least four or five different series with multiple episodes) and Ranma 1/2 (which ran for several seasons) both rock!!
posted by Hanuman1960 at 11:45 AM on May 5

Whoops, forgot to recommend Fantastic Children. It's about a group of white-haired children (the Children of Befort) who have been spotted around Europe for centuries, never aging, and always searching for something. Very good and very mysterious, and might appeal particularly if you like Miyazaki films (since IMHO it has a similar "feel.") Also, absolutely beautiful soundtrack.
posted by anthy at 12:32 PM on May 5

Continued Thanks to all of you! This list should keep me busy for quite some time.

My current queue has:
Noir (currently watching)
Haibane Renmei
Serial Experiments Lain
The Twelve Kingdoms

I'll start adding more from your suggestions once I get through these. (I only have so much space on my iPod!)
posted by Citrus at 8:40 AM on May 6