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Anime anyone?

Discussion in 'Fred's House of Pancakes' started by wbuttler, Sep 29, 2007.

  1. wbuttler

    wbuttler New Member

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    In the past year I decided to investigate anime...

    As a geezer I believe that the way to keep the little gray cells firing
    properly as you age is to open yourself to new art forms,
    that may have previously escaped one's attention....an anime was
    an art form i never had a chance to pursue till now...

    I started reading reviews, researching, purchasing and watching used dvd titles
    that seemingly align to my film and reading interests of cyberpunk & cybernoir
    steampunk, science fiction etc...anime's such as ghost in the shell, last exile
    steamboy, afro samurai, cowboy bebop, animatrix etc....I really have come to enjoy watching a decent anime on my little xps laptop---during lunch at work....

    I have however come to the end of the list i made of the sort of "classic's?" that i am aware of
    in my area's of anime intrest..and am looking for suggestions

    if anyone else here is into anime i'd appreciate hearing suggestions on
    good sci-fi, cybernoir, anime to purchase---

    the rules for me however---

    the anime must be non-perverted (i've got nothing against it, but it's not for me thanks)
    science fiction or future orientated
    japanese language with english subtitles ( i hate dubbing)

    Even with the anime encyclopedia it's tough to tell what is cool
    and i appreciate any suggestions anyone may have....
    thanks
    Froley
     
  2. Rae Vynn

    Rae Vynn Artist In Residence

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    Kiki's Delivery Service
    Metropolis (okay, it isn't anime, but it is an essential movie)
    Spirited Away
    Princess Mononoke
     
  3. mseebode

    mseebode New Member

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    Please Save My Earth
    Gunbuster
    Vision of Escaflowne
    Fushigi Yuugi
    anything Gundam (I like Gundam Wing these days)
    Marmalade Boy
    Vampire Hunter D
    X (not as good as the Manga, but beautiful animation)
    Tenchi Muyo
    Neo Genesis Evangelion (still confused by the ending...)
    Record of Lodoss War
    anything Macross

    That's all right now.
     
  4. jweale

    jweale Junior Member

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    I'm a casual anime user, so I have a pretty limited range, but a few I'd recommend are:

    Trigun. One of my favorite series, above even Cowboy Bebop. Started out silly but built naturally into a serious flick.

    Maybe Evangelion - a true classic, but the ending is comically random (endings, there are movies that were basically made to try to give a real ending or, arguably, to give the finger to fans demanding a more comprehensible ending). To this day, to describe a series that has an incomprehensible, unsatisfying ending without giving away spoilers I just warn people It has an Evangelion type ending. Watch it strictly to appreciate the artwork and earn the right to complain about it's random story line with friends.

    For a bit of nostalgia, Starblazers can be fun. Same with early Transformers. Seriously.

    Hack//sign. Great music, but a bit of an odd concept. The whole story takes place in an online video game world. The real world is very rarely seen, but it is there. The concept has grown on me as I've seen how friends take to things like World of Warcraft.

    On the non-classic front:
    Eureka Seven. There is a sci-fi story in there if you can get over the surfing motif wince factor (if the first ep doesn't drive you nuts, it's worth watching the rest). It was a fun series that came to a tight conclusion.

    Outlaw Star. Same flavor as Cowboy Bebop, I think its the same folks. A little stronger big story arc and much stronger mystical component than Bebop.

    Witch Hunter Robin. A bit of the Ghost in the Shell grit, but with magic worked in a semi-scientific fashion.

    If you want to branch into the samurai motif, I was addicted to Bleach through its first arc. I have friends who swear by Naruto, which has amazing popularity. Both have 100+ eps, although I felt Bleach has a natural stopping point in the 60's. I have heard the second arc is also very good, but it goes a bit blah in the third. Naruto actually started another series recently.

    Ones on my to-see list that I have yet to go through:
    Dual. Classic parallel universe and big robots series.
    Gundam. There are a billion series here, and I feel almost anime-illiterate for never have seen any :) THE mecha franchise.
    Lain. (serial experiments Lain maybe) This may most closely match your cybernoir objective but I haven't seen it. I do have a friend who regularly dresses up as a teddybear in homage.
     
  5. wbuttler

    wbuttler New Member

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    thanks so much and I hope the recommendations continue.

    I had been considering Neo Genesis Evangelion from the
    entry's in the anime reference books i have seen
    but i could not get a clear line on this anime or a recommendation till now......
    Tri-gun and many of the other recommendations were on my
    mental listing--but without a "friends" review and recommendation
    again anime's a tough world to figure out.

    i am making a listing based on everyone's suggestions and thank you
    all for the responses----

    Froley
     
  6. Stev0

    Stev0 Honorary Hong Kong Cavalier

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    Lupin III at the Castle of Cagliostro

    It's like James Bond, only cooler.
     
  7. hobbit

    hobbit Senior Member

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    Tentacle porn?
    .
    _H*
     
  8. TonyPSchaefer

    TonyPSchaefer Your Friendly Moderator
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    A couple years ago I stumbled upon Full Metal Alchemist on [Adult Swim] on Comedy Central. Luckily they replayed the entire series from start to finish and I caught the whole storyline. I honestly enjoyed it.

    Though I admit that I have yet to see the movie conclusion.
     
  9. ohershey

    ohershey New Member

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    Is it possible that you haven't watched Akira? I see that it isn't on your initial list. That's about as classic as they get. Bubblegum crisis. Definitely , absolutely, if you haven't watched it already. Also “classicâ€. These are some of the really significant anime from the late 1980s, which I think really helped to get widespread interest in anime going, and they meet your Sci-Fi criteria.



    I've always liked Cyber City Oedo 808. I always thought it was under appreciated.
     
  10. mseebode

    mseebode New Member

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    <div class='quotetop'>QUOTE(Mad Hatter @ Sep 30 2007, 02:48 PM) [snapback]519512[/snapback]</div>
    I knew I forgot to include something! I loved Bubblegum Crisis/Crash!

    I should also mention Patlabor. It wasn't one of my favorites, but a lot of other people seemed to love it. Also, Nausicaa was a good one. Actually, anything by Miyazaki would be a winner - Rae Vynn listed a few of them, including my favorite, Kiki's Delivery Service.
     
  11. ScottY

    ScottY New Member

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    Not a huge anime fan, here's a few that I like...

    Sci-fi/futuristics:
    Macross Zero
    Gundam Seed
    Both had great plots and amazing graphics

    Dramatic/a little futuristic:
    Death Note
    This one can get VERY addictive due to its suspense. A little disappointed at the ending tho. Fans had draw up alternate endings that I like much more. If you ever got to watch this and want to see alternate endings, PM me.

    Currently watching Heroic Age
     
  12. wbuttler

    wbuttler New Member

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    Akira i just have'nt gotten around to yet---although it is on my list
    as is gundam and alchemist and all three are refered to in all the literature
    ---it's just there seems to be so much to choose from when you are attempting
    to get a handle on anime------------
    I did just order The Third: The Girl with the Blue Eye Volume 1 which is
    supposedly desert apocalyptic--girl with a cybertank thing----
    and am looking at that "desert dogs" (i think that's the right title)
    bubblegum crisis i've seen refered to alot in all the literature
    on anime and will have to definately get it-------------
    ----that cyber city oedo 808 i'll look up in my anime encyclopedia
    sounds excellent--thanks to all very much.

    Froley
     
  13. Bob64

    Bob64 Sapphire of the Blue Sky

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    I second the vote for Heroic Age. Awesome story that isn't all about meaningless destruction and the music is awesome.
    Oh and it has The. Best. Lasers. Ever. Animated.
    [​IMG]

    If you into 3D CGI, I highly recommend Mobile Suit Gundam MS IGLOO: The Hidden One-Year War and it's sequel Mobile Suit Gundam MS IGLOO: Apocalypse 0079

    Gundam Seed is also one of the best. Highly recommended.

    I also recommend Banner of the Stars and it's sequels.

    As well as the below:
    Nausicaä of the Valley of Wind
    Laputa: The Castle in the Sky

    Another anime that just FINISHED airing in Japan is Tengen Toppa Gurren Lagann awesome story that is action packed and thrilling... sure to give you that rush of adrenaline
    [​IMG]
     
  14. Starbug

    Starbug New Member

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    A lot of the anime mentioned above, I have seen and loved (the rest I've not seen yet).

    Not mentioned above since it's not cyber-anything, but still pretty good is Wolf's Rain. It's kind of an alternate reality/future where we've hunted wolves to extinction, and they are believed gone forever (though still hugely feared). A few still remain, however, and they (telepathically?) cause us to see them as human. A small group of them find eachother and begin a search for a Wolf Paradise where humans can nolonger hunt them. Journey is full of peril, of course.

    The art is very good, the story sad, and the ending sadder.

    Another you might enjoy if you like ninjas is Naruto. It's pretty hilarious, actually. The Japanese w/English subtitles is better than the English dubbed version.

    It's about a group of kids from various villages that aspire to be ninjas (and in the case of Naruto himself, village Hokkoge [pls excuse horrible spelling!] ). It follows their lessons in "ninja school" and the social relationships between them as they learn to deal with eachother and become a good team.

    Ruroni Kenshin/Samuri X are another samuri anime that is very good too. Takes place back in the midevil times, and follows Ruroni Kenshin through his travels.


    I'm trying to remember the others I've seen, but am not having any luck with their titles....grrr! There's one about a futuristic submarine and "Island of Dr. Moreau" type characters, Blue 6 or something. Saw it once on Adult Swim. Been a long time, so can't really remember the plot.

    Do you like Vampire stories? There's a few gothic future scifi vampire animes I can think of, including Van Helsing.
     
  15. wbuttler

    wbuttler New Member

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    I am definately into the
    "underworld" vampire kinda styling thing
    and thought that once i worked my way through
    the cyberpunk styling i would start in on that area of
    the art form since goth seems to be an entire anime subject area
    that stands alone---was the "Blue 6 or something"
    sound like blue submarine 6 ? I've seen that written
    up in several of the books I've purchased which have written great reviews
    on it and on the wolf rain anime as well. The books discuss how the wolf transition
    animals to humans or vice-versa has a tradition japanese folk basis being carried
    on in anime---it sounds very cool.....
    I appreciate the input on the gundam series--thank you...i noticed there is a complete
    wide ranging concept both in anime and the written material surrounding
    it on the "robot-suit-body" thing--very interesting and i will
    definately have to pick up one or two titles after the
    recommendations i've received here...

    I have been truly amazed at how interested i have become in this art form----
    and i can now really understand how one can become involved in the art-technique and
    story lines--wanting to know, collect and see more and more---i've started using anime
    screen savers etc---i am enjoying this tremendously---and enjoying learning a completely
    new subject area....

    thank you for the input
    Froley
     
  16. Starbug

    Starbug New Member

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    Yes, Blue Submarine 6! Ah, I knew I couldn't have been too far off on the title. Yeah, be sure to watch that one, and Wolf's Rain. Read up on the Japanese folk history on the wolf-human transition thing as well. I know of it, but have yet to actually read up on it....I'm sure it will give some good insight into the story and it's characters if you have a good background knowledge the concept.

    Vampire animes:
    Vampire Hunter D
    Helsing

    ...there's another, but I have to confirm the correct title with my friend first......will get back to you on that one.


    LOL, just wait til you find yourself collecting manga (book form of anime)....good lord each series is huge! :lol: There's often a lot more in the manga than what is shown on the anime (due to time constraints, or editing for US audiences, etc). So yeah....a particular anime could have, say, 10 episodes, but 30 mangas! :blink: And then there's mangas that have never been adapted to anime form, so you've got these beautifully drawn books with great stories within them that you might otherwise have never known.



    <div class='quotetop'>QUOTE(Froley @ Oct 5 2007, 03:29 PM) [snapback]521973[/snapback]</div>
     
  17. mseebode

    mseebode New Member

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    <div class='quotetop'>QUOTE(Starbug @ Oct 6 2007, 02:26 AM) [snapback]522104[/snapback]</div>
    I don't know if this is the one you were thinking of, but Vampire Princess Miyu is another one. I never saw the whole thing, so I have no idea if it's any good or not. There was another one that I just can't remember. Maybe that's the one you are thinking of... I have all of my random anime (fansubs and demo tapes from my days as an anime distributor) packed away. I really should go through it all and refresh my memory.
     
  18. Starbug

    Starbug New Member

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    I have not seen Vamprire Princess Miyu yet. I'll have to check it out. :)

    The one I was thinking of is not about vampires (I forgot!), but it is still very interesting. The art is unlike the other animes, very unique. It's called the Count of Monte Cristo.
     
  19. wbuttler

    wbuttler New Member

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    <div class='quotetop'>QUOTE(Mad Hatter @ Sep 30 2007, 11:48 AM) [snapback]519512[/snapback]</div>

    Just as an update I rented and watched Akira night before last and it was excellent!!
    especially the motorcycle scenes--with the whipping taillights--thanks for the suggestion
    which reminded me to pick it up.....you are absolutely correct it's a classic...

    thanks
    Froley