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HI
My favorite animes are:

Sailor Moon
Naruto
Bleach
Higurashi No Naku Koro Ni
Trigun
Cowboy Bebop
Gintama
Full Metal alchemist

I'm not a fan of Anime in general. Unlike some people, I actually like the artwork style and enjoy (some) of the plots. Soundtracks are usually pretty awesome, too. I'm just... not into it. It's not because it's childish (because it certainly is not), nor because it's weird (because it certainly is). It's hard to define.

However, watching Bleach is always a pleasure. I reckon it's not the best, hell, it's pretty average and I know it. I started watching it out of peer pressure, I admit it. But when those "peers" moved on and lost interest, I didn't. Bleach caught me. Despite having lots and lots of fillers (which I don't watch for some unknown reason, since people assure me they're not half bad) and having pretty much immediately moved from a humble story to some battle of epic proportions, I like Bleach.

I just don't get all the hate or all the love Anime gets. If you suggested me another Anime for me to follow, I wouldn't watch it. No matter how good. No matter if it's a thousand times better than Bleach.

You could say I grew attached to it.

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Snooping as usual, I see?

I should probably say that I haven't watched nearly as much anime as other people. This is all just my perspective and experience. You could say I'm missing out by being so withdrawn from the genre, and you could very well be right.

I'm like Toransu Kuja in that I don't really enjoy anime much either. We've already talked about all the reasons in the 'cartoons v. anime' thread or whatever it was called. Basically, I don't enjoy watching male characters who don't act like male characters, I don't like anything that's looks or feels unnecessary -- for instance the fights where some of the actions have to be shown a minimum of three times from different angles -- and I don't like the art style I'm afraid, I never have, it just doesn't do it for me. Give me the simple innocence of South Park any day, that actually has a purpose and contributes more to the point of the episodes than just to make it look flashy or pretty.

And on that basis, that's why I enjoy Ghost in the Shell so much. Everything has a point to make or a story to tell, and clearly a lot of thought has gone into making it that way. When they do their flashy fight scenes it usually lasts about a minute and the whole episode has been building up to that point. As a viewer I'd actually be disappointed if there wasn't an opportunity for a good fight. The series isn't worried that people will start to switch off and watch something else so it doesn't need to have gimmicks, like a comedy character or an aesthetic that doesn't contribute to the story or the genre. Speaking of genre, GitS does cyberpunk brilliantly well, and reminds me of what cyberpunk is and why I like it so much. You have a 'punk', a central character who does things their way or has a wide discretion over their work, like Case in Neuromancer or the Major in GitS, then you bring 'cyber' into it by exploring the future, artificial intelligence and unbridled science. Most importantly, the future has to be frightening in some way, for instance the mighty faceless corporations that run people lives, or a dystopia like Blade Runner, or just big cities and buildings, and a sense of insecurity which GitS brings so well to the table.

Actually screw all that. The real reason I have such a problem with anime is because I used to have a friend who would act like some kind of professional distinguished artistic designer when she would watch and talk about anime. I find that everyone I've met who I've watched anime with lauds it far too much, and acts like they're somehow superior to people who watch anything else. This seems to be the 'Mac-user rule', where if something is in the marginals of the mainstream and still cool then people will celebrate their appreciation of it in an aggressive manner to the complete and utter indifference or annoyance of everyone else.

Sorry, I'm not having a go at anyone here who likes anime or Macs, I'm just venting a bit of frustration at the world outside CoN.

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Scepticism, that dry rot of the intellect, had not left one entire idea in his mind.

Me on the Starcraft.

Best ones I've seen:

Bleach
Code Geass
Death Note
Fullmetal Alchemist
Hellsing
Lucky Star
The Melancholy of Haruhi Suzimiya
Ouran High School Host Club
Shin Chan
Tengen Toppa Gurren Lagann

With Bleach being my favorite out of all of these.

Tried watching Trigun, but couldn't get into it.

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"Though the hours take no notice of what fate might have in store, our love come what may, will never age a day! I'll wait forever more!"- "Aria de Mezzo Carattere" Final Fantasy VI

Being the japanophile that I am this statement might seem weird, but I have this to say:
Most anime is crap.
Pretentiousness cranked up to eleven, plot driven by pointless fighting, really awkward if not outright unfunny jokes.
I am more of a manga person and seeing most series adapted into animation makes me cringe. Most times any charm and strenght of character the main cast has is washed out, the plot becomes littered with irrelevant filler if not outright changed. The fanbase does not help this, swooning over boring, stereotypical "dark" characters and females (I dare not call these constructs girls nor women) consisting almost entirely of jiggle physics and obsessing over power levels or bankai or whatever.

Naruto is a capital offender, since even the plot of the manga derailed itself hundreds of chapters ago, and the anime made things worse with really sub-par realization (are the artists and animators sleeping or something?) and absolutely snooze-worthy pacing, but then there are the series that decided to change the plot totally, because they outran the original mangas, like the first FMA TV series or Shaman King (which is a colossal shame, becasue I'd love to see

Possible spoilers: highlight to view

Yoh's White Swan Armor OverSoul in animation and I wonder how they would narrate the scene where Horo-Horo freezes off Ryuu's arms. And one of Yoh's.

No, seriously.)
And then there's Death Note, which decided to follow the plot of the original closely enough, but make every slightest thing so over-the-top, that I can't bear watching the narm-fest that it is.

And then there's the moe. Series made of sugar poured over with syrup, with a side-dish of candy-cane until your mind dies of diabetes, full of clumsy-cute characters, whose watery eyes just beg you to cuddle them and take them home so you can care for them all their lives, since they can't fend for themselves, ever.

Of course there are anime series that I like and endorse, like Kino's Travels, which, as stories with talking bikes go, is as high as you can get on the narrative.
Cowboy Bebop and Samurai Champloo are masterpieces, combining blazing action, clever episode plots, accurate use of humor and musical refernces with well-developed stories.

If a series is light-hearted, with careful and precise use of mood whiplash I also am inclined to like it, see Martian Successor Nadesico - the story of a spaceship crew consisting of...people of questionable mental health and possesing very strange moral compasses, but a wonderfully wacky bunch, even in the setting that is interplanetary war.

And if a series is not trying to take itself too seriously, then I'll take over-the-top any day of the week, what with GaoGaiGar, Getter Robo and their spiritual successor - Tengen Toppa Gurren Laggann, which is a lot more over-the-top than the former two, but it's by Gainax, the weirdos who brought us Evangelion, FLCL and Magical Shopping Arcade Abenobashi. (WTF FTW!)

And then there's the series with the completely wrong fanbases:
Ouran Highschool Host Club was made to parody as many boys-love manga stereotypes per second as is possible. The main fanbase: boys-love fangirls.

Code Geass is a story of a typical Byronic Hero on his way to revenge. Most fans of the series won't accept him for the villainous character he is. As an afterthought: same goes for Death Note.

Neon Genesis Evangelion: the cast is absolutely and completely sick in their collective head, totally unsympathetic, disrespectful and creepy. Tell me now: why do fans keep squeeing for them?

Watch less anime, read more manga.

This post has been edited by SilverMaduin on 25th January 2010 20:43

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"I fell off the mountain of words at around the 10,000ft mark. Tell my family...they owe me money." -Narratorway

"If you retort against this, so help me God I'll shove any part of your anatomy I can find into some other part. Figuratively, of course." - Josh

"We have more, can deliver tuesday." - Del S

Good old CoN

Quote (SilverMaduin @ 25th January 2010 15:42)

Watch less anime, read more manga.

This. My favorite manga are Slam Dunk, Great Teacher Onizuka, Shin Angyo Onshi, One Piece, Monster, and Vagabond. Each of them is fantastic, for completely different reasons.

To my knowledge, all of my favorites listed above have an adaptation other than Vagabond. In 100% of the cases I've seen, the manga is superior. In recent years I've just lost patience with anime's time-consuming nature and lack of general quality, so I only watch it if I'm part of a large group watching it on a big screen.

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this is a blog mostly about comics and videogames
END SPOILER

I love:

Darker Than BLACK -- All seasons
Eureka Seven
Ghost in the Shell
Naruto
Bleach
Blood+
Gundam
Elfen Lied
Burst Angel -- when it played.

All of those are great animes, although Elfen Lied is really sad.

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A Magitek Elite knight! :P

Bringing back what crashed. A FFVI community!

I've found that I dislike the majority of anime I have seen. I especially don't care for the typical art styles unless they have a really absorbing story, which doesn't happen often. However, I have always enjoyed works like Cowboy Beebop, Samurai Champloo, and Afro Samurai. That animation in those gives a smooth liquid felling while the action takes place.
On a side note though, my favorite anime is Rurouni Kenshin. I tend to dig anything having to do with Eastern history, especially historical fiction.

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Climhazzard is the timeless evil robot who runs some of the cool stuff at CoN (mostly logging chat, since there are no quizzes at the moment), all the while watching and waiting for his moment to take over the world. -Tiddles

picking a straight up favorite would be pretty hard for me. i've seen so many shows that are, in their own way, the best.

Hellsing Ultimate
i wasnt expecting the OVAs to be that much better than the original show. how wrong i was. the way they portray the characters in Ultimate is so much more satisfying. Alucard is played up to be exactly what he is--a monster. he's every bit as ruthless and sadistic in battle as you'd expect an immortal soulless being to be. and Seras got a HUGE improvement over the original show. she started out much the same, a helpless little girl in over her head. but by the end of OVA 7, she really comes into her own and becomes a force all her own. and then, of course, there's Alexander Anderson. nuff said. the art style isnt drastically different from the original series, but something about is just...better. i cant wait until they finish up all the OVAs and then get them all dubbed.

Rin ~Daughters of Mnemosyne~
picked this one up recently by suggestion of a friend. and i am so glad i did. the anime came out in early 2008 in Japan and was recently picked up and dubbed by the good folks over at FUNimation. be warned, this one is NOT for the kids. scenes of graphic violence, torture, and sex abound. but none of it is done for shock value. if you like a good horror/fantasy/mystery, i highly recommend this one. what so many animes nowadays fail to do in 100+, Rin does in 6 hour-long episodes.

Ghost in the Shell: Stand Alone Complex (both seasons)
i wont deny it. i have a huge soft spot for cyberpunk and techno-babble. this show delivers in spades. along with all the tech-speak, you get a great story, a cast of likeable characters(even if some of them dont feel fully fleshed out), and an amazing setting for it all to take place in. if you didnt catch it when it was running on Adult Swim, considering tracking it down.

The Melancholy of Haruhi Suzumiya
a perfectly paced story of a high-school kid named Kyon who unwittingly stumbles headlong into the imagination of Haruhi Suzumiya. i wont bother summing up the story. but suffice it to say, it's one of the best best fantasy/slice-of-life stories put in quite some time.(it's a shame about that Endless Eight arc, though. god that was awful.)

but, there's one show that that blew me away like no other show before it or since...

Cowboy Bebop
There's not much i can say about the show that hasn't already been said. the music, the characters, the setting, and the noir-ish story are done absolutely perfectly. and as just about anyone who's seen the show will tell you, it has probably the greatest ending ever.


honorable mention: Rurouni Kenshin
Kenshin probably would've been a favorite if they had just stopped after the Shishio arc.


dishonorable mention: Code Geass
without a doubt the worst show i have seen in years. the convoluted plot, ridiculous and unnecessary supporting cast, the awful art style, and one of the worst protagonists ever conceived all fuse into something truly awful. "train wreck" doesnt even begin to describe this tripe. i could go on for days about why this show is horrible, but i wont.





as far as manga goes, i'm really only following two. Chibi Vampire(Karin in Japan) and Bleach. both are guilty pleasures for me.

This post has been edited by Malevolence on 27th January 2010 03:57

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moé in the streets, senpai in the sheets

My favs are...

Digimon
Sailor Moon
Final Fantasy Legend of the Crystals
Escaflowne
Night Warriors Darkstalkers Revenge
Monster Rancher
Pokemon... kind of

I'm not as big of a fan of anime as I once was though. I haven't watched Final Fantasy Unlimited yet because I'm trying to collect the whole series before watching it.



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I treasure those who I love that love me in return. <3

As much as I staunchly support the anime that I do, I must admit that the vast majority of anime out there is junk; it is, as SilverMaduin noted, "Pretentiousness cranked up to eleven, plot driven by pointless fighting, really awkward if not outright unfunny jokes."

However, as I began, I absolutely love several series out there, including the following:

Cowboy Bebop (Yes, everyone and there mom loves Bebop, but there's a good reason for this trend: it's brilliant.)
Full Metal Alchemist (It occasionally uses filler, and has a few jokes which aren't funny, or aren't as funny as the creators would like to believe--I'm looking at you "Ed is short" jokes, but it also has some serious, interesting material to go along with it.)
Trigun (Vash is a character. Wolfwood is a character. It is at some times serious and at other times quite the opposite, but it is balanced nicely in that way.)
Ghost in the Shell (Cyberpunk done right. And that's all that matters. I prefer the original, but 2nd Gig is good, too.)

Quote (Kane @ 28th January 2010 21:11)

Full Metal Alchemist (It occasionally uses filler...

which is why i'm excited about Fullmetal Alchemist: Brotherhood. apparently it's gonna do for FMA what Ultimate did for Hellsing. should be good

EDIT: apparently FUNimation is streaming subtitled episodes on their website. might just wait for the dubbed version, though >_>

This post has been edited by Malevolence on 29th January 2010 16:43

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moé in the streets, senpai in the sheets

With trepidation, here is a list of shows that I like that no one else has mentioned:

Patalliro - Everyone I've forced to watch this show has been traumatized, but eventually they came back for more. (Of course, I only showed it to people who'd be amenable.) Badass classic shoujo art style, a dash of '70s style international espionage, and lots of 'is this really a kids show?' moments. Beware.

Saint Seiya - It's hyperbole of itself. There has not been a supernatrual martial arts series since that could rival its epic feats of over-the-top-ness. It's ability to keep finding new ways to be awesome is nothing short of heroic.

Revolutionary Girl Utena - My favorite; sort of a fairy tale turned askew. It's notoriously weird and has an uncanny way of always upping the weird ante. (Thanks to that, you don't even have to suspend your disbelief.)

Infinite Ryvius - Easily summed up as Lord of the Flies in space; it's both ambitious and well-executed. And when I say ambitious, I mean it has an ensemble cast of 500. Owes a large debt to Eva, but if you like narrative consistency (or don't like to think that humanity is essentially irredeemable) this show's better.

Scrapped Princess - I didn't say so, but Scrapped Princess is "one of the better series you're probably not watching". If you ask me, it's just the sort of thing that J-RPG lovers could get into.

Quote (SilverMaduin)

Watch less anime, read more manga.

The best shows aren't adapted from something else.

This post has been edited by Shiva Indis on 1st February 2010 22:56

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"Cavefish is delicious, but only if cooked."

I prefer more serious, dramatic anime. I don't like the silly ones very much.

Red Garden
Claymore, though I only saw one disc, was wonderful.
Cowboy Bebop
Moon Phase (cutesy, but it's ok)
Paprika!
The first half of season one of His and Her Circumstances

I like the Chobits manga, but not the anime. It was too low budget. I also liked the manga "Magical Miracle," as lame as the name was.

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You're telling me that there's no hope.

I'm telling you you're wrong.

Quote (Shiva Indis @ 2nd February 2010 00:49)

Patalliro - ... lots of 'is this really a kids show?' moments.

It's not. It most definetly is not.

Quote (Shiva Indis @ 2nd February 2010 00:49)

Quote (SilverMaduin)

Watch less anime, read more manga.

The best shows aren't adapted from something else.

Actually, some of them are. From light novels instead of manga.
Points in case: 'The Melancholy of Haruhi Suzumiya', 'Kino's Travels', 'Baccano!'.

I heartily recommend "Baccano!".

This post has been edited by SilverMaduin on 2nd February 2010 05:58

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"I fell off the mountain of words at around the 10,000ft mark. Tell my family...they owe me money." -Narratorway

"If you retort against this, so help me God I'll shove any part of your anatomy I can find into some other part. Figuratively, of course." - Josh

"We have more, can deliver tuesday." - Del S

Good old CoN

Quote (SilverMaduin @ 2nd February 2010 00:57)

Actually, some of them are. From light novels instead of manga.

Do you think you'd prefer the books if they were available?

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"Cavefish is delicious, but only if cooked."

Quote (Malevolence @ 29th January 2010 08:41)

Quote (Kane @ 28th January 2010 21:11)

Full Metal Alchemist (It occasionally uses filler...

which is why i'm excited about Fullmetal Alchemist: Brotherhood. apparently it's gonna do for FMA what Ultimate did for Hellsing. should be good

EDIT: apparently FUNimation is streaming subtitled episodes on their website. might just wait for the dubbed version, though >_>

Yes, please.

I'll also probably wait for the dubbed version.*

*Hopes this doesn't turn into a sub vs dub debate.

Berserk.

I was traumatized for weeks after watching. Haven't read the manga yet, but don't plan on to

@ShivaIndis: I've had Infinite Ryvius on my to-watch list for a while.

My favorites are...well, listed in the link in my signature, to some extent, but they might not be readily apparent since my favorite shows aren't necessarily the highest-rated ones.

Kiddy Grade - Best summarized by the following:

What I expected: fanservice, panty shots, and an excuse plot to justify it. The ending theme drew me in first, but I didn't have high expectations for this show at all after the first few episodes.

What I got: themes about idealism, class conflict, political intrigue, and

Possible spoilers: highlight to view

eternal life

, along with an interesting cast of characters and a VERY impressive soundtrack (by Shiro Hamaguchi of Final Fantasy orchestration fame). And enough plot holes that I'm now inspired to make a fix-it fic.

Neon Genesis Evangelion

An old favorite. I've found myself relating to Shinji and Asuka in personal ways. The angels were also very interesting, to say the least. Didn't care much about the mecha battles, but I was entertained by the characteriztion job and the soundtrack.

Rocket Girls

High school girl goes on search for missing father on the Solomon Islands, and lands a job while she's there...as an astronaut.

This is a hilarious comedy series with lots of subtle bonuses for nerdy people--where else would you get jokes about reverse Polish notation?

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Check the "What games are you playing at the moment?" thread for updates on what I've been playing.

You can find me on the Fediverse! I use Mastodon, where I am @[email protected] ( https://sakurajima.moe/@glennmagusharvey )

Dragonball & Dragonball Z - the starter anime, if it wasn't for Dragonball Z I probably would have never become the anime fan I am today. Dragonball, for me, is the same as Final Fantasy 7. With out it I would have never play any RPG video game. To this day I'm amaze by Sensei Toriyama-sama's work when I think about the fact that he started this masterpiece back in the mid 1980's.

One Piece - It reminds me so much about the original Dragonball. Even Eiichiro Oda, the author, says that Dragonball is the one gag anime that influenced his work the most. With all the modern anime out there that look exactly the same is nice to see something that is so funny and yet so serious. Fans of One Piece are in for a great year in the series as The Marineford Saga is about to begin. Whitebeard assault is about to unfold as he along with Monkey D. Luffy and the rest of Impel Down's escaped prisoners attempt to rescue Luffy's brother, Portgaz D. Ace, from World Goverment's Marine HQ. At the end of Marineford, Red Haired Shanks finally reappears to put an end to the war. For those who read the manga the stuff that just happened was heart breaking.

Bleach - Love how each character is able to put up a good fight. If there wasn't a filler every 20 episodes I would love this anime more than I love it right now.

Yu Yu Hakusho - clearly the inspiration behind Bleach, I just recently bought the entire seties in DVD and so far I like it.

Full Meta Alchemist - i just too powerful to describe.

Naruto - I love the animation, the music and the fact that almost evey character I like eventualy dies. Poor Naruto eveything around him is turning so dark. Hopefuly once he becomes the new Toad Sage things begin to change... Sasuke is way too cool.

Kenishi
Rahxephon
Samurai 7
Vampire Hunter D
Afro Samurai
Avatar The Last Airbender, I know it's american, but DAMN
Gintama
Ruruoni Kenshin Samurai X
Akira


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PS3 tag: TipoDLuffy

"...quite possibly the greatest game ever made"

Full Metal Alchemist Naruto and love to read Chibi Vampire and Bleach is a on/ off depending on mood sometimes like the anime to death and sometimes hate it

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Currently playing Chrono Trigger !!
Currently looking forward to Don't Know.