What anime is this?

December 14, 2005 5:48 PM

AnimeFilter: about two years ago on Adult Swim there was an anime featuring, in one of its more iconic shots, a sort of gothic-waify-schoolgirly-Alice-esque girl standing atop a building. I seem to recall the color palette as having been heavy on the slate and black, with many skyscrapers. It may have been set in the future, but with retro sensibilities. Does anyone know what I'm talking about? What show was this?

Sorry this is so vague. I caught a glimpse of it then, but never really watched it.

posted by Sticherbeast to media & arts (17 comments total)

Was it Witch Hunter Robin? I don't normally go for the typical Anime style, but the episodes I saw had a really cool vibe.
posted by Eamon at 5:54 PM on December 14, 2005

Check out this section of the Adult Swim page on Wikipedia -- it lists series that are finished/no longer running/expired. Several of them appear to be anime series that aired at the time you specified (2003 or so) and their individual Wikipedia pages link to their official sites with screencaps and such. It's bound to be one of those shows.
posted by Gator at 5:57 PM on December 14, 2005

It sounds like witch hunter robin, but it could have also been Flcl.
posted by JackarypQQ at 5:58 PM on December 14, 2005

This image ring a bell by chance?
posted by Mr.Encyclopedia at 6:07 PM on December 14, 2005

The dark/goth palette sounds like Witch Hunter Robin. FLCL was pretty much full of bright flashy supercoolness, very different from the staid slow storytelling of this series
posted by pantsrobot at 6:08 PM on December 14, 2005

Perhaps Big O? The timing would be right, since it aired in 2003.
posted by Vervain at 6:18 PM on December 14, 2005

It's gotta be Big O. I was thinking Robin first too, but Dorothy definately fits as "gothic-waify-schoolgirly-Alice-esque".
posted by luftmensch at 6:31 PM on December 14, 2005

dammit! Big O totally slipped my mind. And Dorothy is definitely schoolgirly
posted by pantsrobot at 6:38 PM on December 14, 2005

It's Big O. Boom! Next time I go a-rentin', I'll pick it up.

However, I'm glad people pointed out Witch Hunter Robin as well, because that also looks cool. I'm with Eamon in not normally being an anime fan, but a cool vibe is a cool vibe.

As for Serial Experiments: Lain, a friend had thought it was my mystery show, but then rescinded her guess after we fondled the DVD and determined it wasn't the same thing. Nonetheless, that also looks like an interesting show.

And as for FLCL, I'm already a fan.

Thanks for the help, folks!
posted by Sticherbeast at 6:49 PM on December 14, 2005

Big O! I loved that!
posted by amberglow at 7:35 PM on December 14, 2005

However, I'm glad people pointed out Witch Hunter Robin

If an entire cast of low/no affect characters is your bag, go for it.
posted by PinkStainlessTail at 8:08 PM on December 14, 2005

Big O! Show time!

Trivia: The show was canceled in Japan, but revived due to it's popularity with American fans, mostly due its strong showing on cartoon network.

It's a great show. I loved that the art style is so clearly influenced by Batman: The Animated Series.
posted by kosher_jenny at 8:22 PM on December 14, 2005

Quite possibly my favorite CN/Adult Swim release, Big-O. Bought the 1st season set a while ago @ half.ebay.com for appx $20. It seemed like a perfect blend of animated Batman, Blade Runner atmosphere, a little Gundam/Voltron action and absolutely superior full-orchestra scored soundtrack (available on CD).

I could use me a house android like Dorothy ;-P
posted by vanoakenfold at 6:50 AM on December 15, 2005

Heh, my take on most Big O episodes:

18 minutes of existential dialog and monologue as the characters try to figure out what the heck they are doing in an absurdly ordered universe with thematic references to Lathe of Heaven, Metropolis, and Stanislaw Lem, SUDDENLY, MASSIVE ROBOTS FIGHTING EACH OTHER IN CITY STREETS! Conclusion highlighting the existential absurdity of the whole thing. Closing credits. Phone call introducing the next episode.
posted by KirkJobSluder at 7:21 AM on December 15, 2005

Oh, I should have added Dark City as a reference as well, as well as Evangelion.
posted by KirkJobSluder at 7:24 AM on December 15, 2005

I agree entirely with KirkJobSluder...I was not impressed by it when I watched some last spring.
posted by limeonaire at 10:21 AM on December 15, 2005

I rented the first disc, comprising the first four episodes, and just in the past few minutes I have watched them all with my roommate.

Thus far, I like it. It looks great, and I'm intrigued to see where it's going. Sure, there's a lot of silly GIANT ROBOT GO SUPER CRAZY NOW! action, but I'm very much allowing it. It's entertaining, it's pretty, it's smart-ish, it's got potential - we shall see, we shall see.

However, I must say that my favorite part of the show so far is the ending titles featuring the Negotiator leaning on an hour glass, which in the next episode is followed by the Negotiator AND the Android sitting on the hour glass.

For no good reason at all, it made us laugh like hyenas, and it's a shame that they didn't go all the way with that idea. Add a new character each time - perhaps Alice crouching by it in the next episode, followed by Big O in a tire swing in the following. Get the electric sea monster in there.

Anyhoo. It's good times. I look forward to seeing the rest of the series!
posted by Sticherbeast at 5:15 PM on December 15, 2005