Anime Recomendations

[Kjata]

I'm bored, and I have a lot of free time, so I was thinking I should start an anime series... Problem is, I don't know one that fit s what I want to see.

First off, ones i have watched and liked, in order from favorite to least, and why:
Death Note: A chess game between geniuses, with lives at the stake. Following the "villain" as the main character when his ideals are relatable, even if his methods aren't... Plus life not being sacred and many characters dying is a plus.

Code Geass: Similar reasons as death note, only an actual war instead of a mental one. I'm not a fan of Mecha Anime, but the characters were interesting (well Lelouch was anyway). This would have been my favorite except for the massive power creep in the last 15 episodes or so. Southerlands are the peak of weaponry other than an "experimental" frame, then a year later they are obsolete? I hated how the Gunner Mecha never killed a Sword Mecha. So ya, grim warfare, interesting overall plot, and the amount of battle vs interaction were good, mechas not so much.

Now for so-so ones.
Trigun: Interesting plot, setting, and characters. Disliked how the point of the series was Vash's refusal to kill, and how the overall plot didn't exist til episode 15 ish. Its been a while, so I may be wrong about that, but whatever.
Plus gun battles are hard to make epic, the work MUCH better for wars, not 1v1 fights.

Cowboy Bepop: Got about 10 episodes in, didn't see an overarching plot yet except for an early hint at one, gave up. Plus I already know how it ends.

Full Metal Alchemist: Watched it dubbed, which didn't bug me for any of the above, but this one did. Nothing special, but nothing bad either.

Paranoia Agent: Creepy but fairly uninteresting. Disliked the characters and didn't watch the whole series, just episodes here and there on Adult Swim.

Bad:
Naruto: Not mature enough. And what the hell kind of ninja wears orange? Hated all the characters except their sensei huy with the eyepatch. Note: This was how I felt at 13, I'm 17 now, so ya. I'm sure the feeling would just multiply now.

DBZ: Campy action. Not a fan of camp.

Inuyasha: Just terrible.

So ya, I dont watch a lot of anime. But what I would like to see is:
-Storyline over action. This is most important.
-Swords over guns for fighting, unless the gunfights are big battle scenes.
-Overarching story apparent from fairly close to the beginning. Maybe not knowing from the get-go what it is, but that it begins unfolding from the start and its more of a series, not individual adventures. I'm on episode 6 of Chrono Crusade, and the plot is moving at a good rate.
-Tragedy and character death are good. I decided on Chrono Crusade because I heard it was tragic (don't tell me if thats wrong).
-Anyone Can Die is better than Kill 'Em All, thats why I haven't watched Evangelion.
-Bittersweet Endings are the best; Downer Endings are just that, a downer, and really happy endings are uninteresting.
-Unless it was really tragic to get that far. Think the first Land Before Time movie through the eyes of a child for what a mean. Damn its a struggle, but its a helluva payoff.

I didn't post this in any existing Anime thread because I didn't want any spoilers at all.

[Cubey]

-Anyone Can Die is better than Kill 'Em All, thats why I haven't watched Evangelion.

That's... not really how Evangelion ends. As for End of Evangelion (the movie), it's a colossal mind screw so it could be interpreted either way.

[Yora]

Hm, those are a lot of those I've been recomended to watch or planed to watch myself. So I guess we'd probably have similar tastes.

I highly recommend Ghost in the Shell for you. The two films are about the best things I've ever seen anywhere and the two-season series is also pretty good. (Just stay away from Solid State Society, the movie to the series.)

Appleseed is fun cyberpunk-action, but only in the stupid-movie department. The action and the setting of both movies (I don't know about the really old one from the 80's) is great, but the plots of both are rather dumb and things often don't make much sense. But it's still very cool, if you do sometimes enjoy films for the visual spectacle alone. (It's not more stupid than Mission Impossible 2 or Independence Day.)

In the fantasy category, Princess Mononoke is really quite impressive. As it's a single movie, you don't get the character depth you could get in an anime or manga series, but they are still highly interesting and the story is definately something different.

And I just love Rune Soldier! It's apparently somewhat of a spin-off to Records of Lodoss War (but with no plot-related connections, I think), but mostly a fantasy-comedy-show. And I think it's hilarious, espacially for RPG players, as they make rpg-related jokes all the time.

[Kjata]

That's... not really how Evangelion ends. As for End of Evangelion (the movie), it's a colossal mind screw so it could be interpreted either way.

Well I didn't know that, because I haven't watched it :smalltongue:

And Yora, I'll check those out, Starting with Rune Soldier once I finish Chrono Crusade.

[Cubey]

What I mean is Evangelion is a classic. You may like it or not, but you have to watch it to know what the fuss is all about. But I think it more or less fits your tastes so I'd give it a shot if I were you.

[Yora]

Rune Soldier is about three female adventurers who need a wizard to open a sealed vault. The only one they can get would be best described as a Str18/Wis7 sorcerer. Who likes to beat up monsters with his fists. :smallbiggrin:

Oh, and Azumanga Daioh. It's a bit like Calvin and Hobbes meets Peanuts on LSD. It's just random silliness and chaos. The characters range from somewhat quirky to totaly crazy, but are all very likeable.
I guess I could understand if anyone would not like it or think it's not funny. But I think it's the funniest thing I've ever seen.

[Kjata]

What I mean is Evangelion is a classic. You may like it or not, but you have to watch it to know what the fuss is all about. But I think it more or less fits your tastes so I'd give it a shot if I were you.

Hmm... Eventually.

Rune Soldier sounds great! But is it finished? Thats something I forgot in the first post that is important. I hate following series. OotS is the only webcomic I follow.

Edit: I just googled Rune Soldier, and found what appears to be the entire series online. Episode 24 is the last one, correct?

[Yora]

Yes, that's all of them. With a real ending and stuff. ^^

And it's one of the few cases where the english dub is really excellent. I tried to watch it subbed once, but got back to dubbed.

[Kjata]

I watched all of those dubbed, except Chrono Crusade. I liked Death Note's dub better than the sub, its just worked better imo. Code Geass was about the same, but only up to 16 of R2 was translated so i had to switch. Whatever I can find online is what I'll watch.

Another plus in an anime: a chessmaster main character. I loved how in DN and CG it was a game to the main character, and some of their opponents...

[shadzar]

So ya, I dont watch a lot of anime. But what I would like to see is:
-Storyline over action. This is most important.
-Swords over guns for fighting, unless the gunfights are big battle scenes.
-Overarching story apparent from fairly close to the beginning. Maybe not knowing from the get-go what it is, but that it begins unfolding from the start and its more of a series, not individual adventures. I'm on episode 6 of Chrono Crusade, and the plot is moving at a good rate.
-Tragedy and character death are good. I decided on Chrono Crusade because I heard it was tragic (don't tell me if thats wrong).
-Anyone Can Die is better than Kill 'Em All, thats why I haven't watched Evangelion.
-Bittersweet Endings are the best; Downer Endings are just that, a downer, and really happy endings are uninteresting.
-Unless it was really tragic to get that far. Think the first Land Before Time movie through the eyes of a child for what a mean. Damn its a struggle, but its a helluva payoff.

-Storyline over action. Check
-Swords over guns/magic/super powers. Check.
-Overarching story...Check.
-Tragedy. Check. Character death...well answering this would spoil parts of it so cannot answer that.
-Anyone can die. Again answering this would give things away.
-Bittersweet endings. Check.

You want Spice and Wolf (http://www.funimation.com/spiceandwolf/). 13 episodes so far from the first season, and the second season airing now in Japan with another 13 episodes. $44.99 for pre-order from RightStuf (http://www.rightstuf.com/cgi-bin/catalogmgr/yZDELa8eNhXhkYjGHc/browse/item/84585/4/0/0).

You also might want to try out some of the things on The Anime Network (http://www.theanimenetwork.com). You can check some shows out for free on the online player, and also there is a subscription service to watch shows. About 80 titles currently from the former ADV properties. That way you can see some of the stuff before you decide what to watch.

[pita]

When I asked my friend for an anime to watch after Deathnote, he gave me Elfen Lied. Haven't watched it yet, but I have faith in his choices.

[shadzar]

Elfen Lied is one of those sadly where the story is cut short because they didn't want to finish the series....Still good if you can piece it together what the story is.

[Kjata]

You want Spice and Wolf (http://www.funimation.com/spiceandwolf/). 13 episodes so far from the first season, and the second season airing now in Japan with another 13 episodes.

Urgh... Will it have a definate end? The ending of a story is really what matters most. So thats a negatory on Elfin Lied if its unfinished.

Ill look for this Spice and Wolf, you've piqued my curiosity :smallwink:.

[endoperez]

Cowboy Bepop:

Please spoiler this. I was also spoilered about the ending, and would've preferred otherwise.

Cowboy Bebop has some of the best episodes I've ever seen in anime. Even if you don't want to look through the whole series, you should give the following episodes a try: 11 "Toys in the Attic",
17 "Mushroom Samba",
20 "Pierrot le Fou",
22 "Cowboy Funk"

The episodes contain everything from comedy to horror, although none of them are overly serious. Not much character development, but great otherwise.


You might want to try Shura No Toki. It has three unconnected arcs (although it does re-use some character designs :smallannoyed:), swordfights in historical Japan, and guns used in a war a century later. Also violence and several deaths. Stories aren't great, but they're also short (8-10 episodes or so).


EDIT:
Spice and Wolf season 1 didn't have a definite end. I don't know what is planned for season 2. It's mostly NOT about fights, but about 1) world 2) characters 3) economy. Hopefully it'll get a well-thought ending.

[shadzar]

Urgh... Will it have a definate end? The ending of a story is really what matters most. So thats a negatory on Elfin Lied if its unfinished.

Ill look for this Spice and Wolf, you've piqued my curiosity :smallwink:.

Well Elfen Lied has an end but it differs than what was intended. Kind of like how Matrix could have stopped there but they made 2 more sequels for it.

Spice and Wolf actually follows...for lack of a better word...the chapters of some people's lives. Really hard to talk about it without giving anything away.

It does have a story, and they are working towards getting all 11 volumes of the light novel into anime format. A season covers 2 volumes.

If you ignore that there is a second season, you will be quite happy with how the first season ends. It CAN be an end point for the entire thing, but you have the option to continue the story.

Again too hard to explain without spoiling it. I will just say it has a great story in it and isn't just a bunch of stuff like Naruto, One Piece and Bleach whose story is drawn out forever. So it does have an end in sight and planned, just hoping it gets fully made into anime with the current state of economy. Each copy sold will help with that though. :smallbiggrin:

[Kjata]

Please spoiler this. I was also spoilered about the ending, and would've preferred otherwise.

Cowboy Bebop has some of the best episodes I've ever seen in anime. Even if you don't want to look through the whole series, you should give the following episodes a try: 11 "Toys in the Attic",
17 "Mushroom Samba",
20 "Pierrot le Fou",
22 "Cowboy Funk"


Good call. Removed spoilers. I think Toys in the Attic was the last one I watched actually, because I remember that name.

Okay, so here is how it is looking:
1. Rune Soldier
2. Ghost in the Shell
3. Spice and Wolf (very curious about this)
4. I guess I have to try Evangelion... Cubey says so :smalltongue:
5. I'll eventually check Appleseed out...

I'm going to hit Google to try to find Princess Mononoke now actually.

So there it stands. Any more recomendations you enjoyed more than these?

And sorry shadzr, but I won't be buying anything. I spend my money on gas, beer, and warhammer minis. I can't find any of those for free with a google search. So hopefully more dedicated fans like you will keep the series afloat.

[shadzar]

You could always hit up this place and check it out....

http://www.anime-planet.com/images/users/signatures/shadzar.jpg (http://www.anime-planet.com/users/shadzar/anime/watched)

Just go digging around and browsing anime to see what you might like. :smallsmile:

[Innis Cabal]

Mushi Shi is great. So is all of Slayers.

[Douglas]

I recommend Avatar: The Last Airbender. I'm not sure it technically counts as anime, as it's an American original series, but it's very much in the anime style.


So ya, I dont watch a lot of anime. But what I would like to see is:
-Storyline over action. This is most important.
Got it. There is quite a bit of action, but it is not drawn out, and the story gets the main focus. Most fights only last a fraction of a single episode, and I don't think any of them go into a second episode except in the series finale if you split it into sections the length of normal episodes.

-Swords over guns for fighting, unless the gunfights are big battle scenes.
Guns don't exist.

-Overarching story apparent from fairly close to the beginning. Maybe not knowing from the get-go what it is, but that it begins unfolding from the start and its more of a series, not individual adventures. I'm on episode 6 of Chrono Crusade, and the plot is moving at a good rate.
The focus of the main plot is readily apparent in the first episode or two. Heck, the opening sequence of each episode gives the most crucial details right there.

-Tragedy and character death are good. I decided on Chrono Crusade because I heard it was tragic (don't tell me if thats wrong).
-Anyone Can Die is better than Kill 'Em All, thats why I haven't watched Evangelion.
This is the one sticking point I see for it. Outright death is rather rare.

-Bittersweet Endings are the best; Downer Endings are just that, a downer, and really happy endings are uninteresting.
-Unless it was really tragic to get that far. Think the first Land Before Time movie through the eyes of a child for what a mean. Damn its a struggle, but its a helluva payoff.
I haven't actually seen the Land Before Time so I don't really know where that sets the bar, but I'm fairly certain Avatar at least comes close to meeting it and it's an interesting journey.

[Kjata]

shadzar: I could do that, but atm I have like 4 series to check out.

Innis: Explations please?

douglas: I have watched some of Avatar, and it was okay, but the fact that it was a kids show and therefore none of the characters died kind of turned me off it. There was literally no suspense, because I knew from the get go that nobody was dying. No risk, if you know what I mean.

[Douglas]

So, what, it's not possible for there to be suspense over anything other than whether people die?

The series gets better as it goes along. Oh, and there actually is at least one death.

[Athaniar]

Don't know if you'll like it or not, but watch Last Exile. It's not too long.

[Kjata]

So, what, it's not possible for there to be suspense over anything other than whether people die?

The series gets better as it goes along. Oh, and there actually is at least one death.

Thats not it, but I have watched about half of it, and its pretty long. Its all-around average in my opinion. Worth watching if its on tv, not something I would want to sit down and watch 20+ hours of.

I guess suspense was the wrong word, willing suspension of disbelief fits better. It is hard to get absorbed into the action when potentially fatal combat remains potentially.

[The Evil Thing]

I can't speak for the movies, but I heartily recommend Ghost in the Shell: Stand Alone Complex. The story is pretty intelligent as most anime shows go. Some people mention that there's an awful lot of talking in it, but it all feels natural so I don't see where the problem is.

You said you're not a fan of mecha anime, but you might consider trying Zeta Gundam. The art is... what you'd expect from a show older than most of the people here, but the plot's pretty good. My only complaint is that it kills off the most annoying characters (for me at least) last. If it tickles your fancy, you might want to have a gander at The 08th MS Team too.

Spice and Wolf is something to watch almost as a breather; however, it's still very good. What's unique is its focus - it's not what you'd expect from something ostensibly fantasy in nature.

shadzar, re: S&W, do you know something we don't?

If you want to see something interesting and beautiful then watch Pale Cocoon.

Also, it's not really an anime per se, but check out the Phantom of Inferno VN. The DVD has been discontinued so you may have to buy second hand or... consult the less salubrious avenues of the internet but it's really worth it. Also, you need the latest version of VLC player (if you play it on a PC) to not want to slit your wrists in frustration. You'll know why when you get it. Phantom of Inferno: Requiem for the Phantom (the anime currently airing) is an adequate approximation but no substitute for the original.

[Yora]

When I asked my friend for an anime to watch after Deathnote, he gave me Elfen Lied. Haven't watched it yet, but I have faith in his choices.
The Elfen Lied anime is unfortunately a great example of Fail.

Not that it is really bad, but I think it mostly misses the point of the manga. Which I think is really great. The plot does not make too much sense and could hardly be seen as realistic. But if you approach it more as an "artistic expression" than "leisure entertainment", I think it's pretty good. If you care more about the subtext and the deeper meaning, and the emotional resposes it evokes, I can clearly recommend it.
Though it has to be said, that Elfen Lied is probably not for everyone and can be quite hard stuff. The absolutly insane amounts of blood and torn of limbs is one thing, but I think the psychological abuse and violence and the emotional wounds are far more worse. About every character is emotionally damaged and a bit insane. But the real creepiness comes from the fact, that even the most evil and depraved characters and their cruel and sick ideas and actions, are not too far from reality. And those who are more professional seem to not care at all what their work does to the people they experiment on. People have done similar and worse things in the past, and that far more than once.
I'd say Elfen Lied is about exploring the darkest aspects of human existance and nature, that people usually rather not want to think about. And I think the anime really is missing that point.

Though I have to say I had no problems reading it, and Saving Private Ryan is my upper tolerance limit for realistic violence. And I enjoyed it greatly, so don't feel to much chased away from the warning. :smallbiggrin:

I can't speak for the movies, but I heartily recommend Ghost in the Shell: Stand Alone Complex. The story is pretty intelligent as most anime shows go. Some people mention that there's an awful lot of talking in it, but it all feels natural so I don't see where the problem is.
I'd say Ghost in the Shell is 20% science fiction, 30% cop-show, and 50% philosophy. :smallbiggrin: It's rather heavy stuff compared to other animes.
The two movies are worse (in a good sense). They are more like french expressionist films from the 70's or something by Ingmar Bergmann. :smallbiggrin:
But if you like intelectual animes for grown-ups, I most highly recommend it.

[Kiren]

I would recommend Spirited Away by Hayao Miyazaki. Its my favorite of his works next to Princess Mononoke.

[shadzar]

shadzar, re: S&W, do you know something we don't?

Other than volume 4 being skipped to volume 5 in the second season? not really. :smalltongue:

Volume 1~2 Season 1, Volume 3,5 season 2. There are 6 more volumes to it, and I have done some work on the wikipedia page, so kind of read a bit about it while doing copy-editting and such for its article. :smallsmile:

[Brewdude]

If you liked the idea of Naruto, but got turned off by the young adult themes, you should try Basilisk, which is basically an R rated narutoish one season series.

The plot is laied out right at the get go: the shogun has decided to end the cold war between the two ninja houses once and for all, and declared his moratorium on violence between them ended until only one house remains. Let the violence commence!

Pity, because the heirs to each house were just about to pull a romeo/juliet.....

[F.H. Zebedee]

You might want to try Baccano!. It's not exactly a pile up of Xanatos Gambits like your two favorites, but it is a pileup of all sorts of insane stuff and entangled plots. Kinda like Pulp Fiction meets Full Metal Alchemist, maybe? Hard to explain. It is kinda jumbled as part of the storytelling, but that's a large part of its charm.

[Douglas]

Naruto: Not mature enough. And what the hell kind of ninja wears orange? Hated all the characters except their sensei huy with the eyepatch. Note: This was how I felt at 13, I'm 17 now, so ya. I'm sure the feeling would just multiply now.
If the lack of maturity is your main problem, it might be worth trying it again. Naruto gets a lot more mature eventually. It's a rather long running anime and takes a while for that shift to happen, though, so you'd be better off skipping a large portion of it and reading plot summaries for what you skip. If you decide to give it another chance, I'd suggest starting after the 3 year time skip with Naruto Shippuuden. It does get a fair bit more mature before that, but it's still a pretty big jump. Sadly, Naruto still wears orange. In a world where ninjas have the kind of disguise abilities Naruto-style ninjas do it doesn't really matter as anything but a fashion statement, but even taken just for that it's still not pretty. The action/story balance may also be tilted too far in favor of action for your taste, too. The rest seems to fit what you want pretty well, I think, but the amount of action and length of the fights (though they do at least make them highly varied and interesting) may still be too much.

[Innis Cabal]

If you want a good ninja anime that is both mature and realistic, Nabari no Ou is good.

[shadowxknight]

Just like in every other anime recommendation threads I have posted in, I recommend AirTV.
The story is engaging and tragic, yet there are still comedic moments(in the beginning at least). The ending is either bittersweet or downer depending on how you view things.

I would also recommend Gundam Seed to you. The story can get you surprisingly emotion, although sometimes the fighting gets a little repetitive(even with giant robots).

[littlebottom]

just wondering, but the amount of anime recomendation threads or even book or film etc etc recomendation threads that pop up all the time, wouldnt it be easier to sticky one of them and make it a permanant thing? you know? so people who want to have things recomended for them go there, and say "im looking for a book thats funny but also dark and gritty" etc etc, and people chuck their suggestions at them in that thread?

im only thinking.


also i recomend (although you asked for a more proper story fighting anime, most of them have already been mentioned so i thought id throw in something different...) azumanga daioh, just for the laughs.

[shadzar]

just wondering, but the amount of anime recomendation threads or even book or film etc etc recomendation threads that pop up all the time, wouldnt it be easier to sticky one of them and make it a permanant thing? you know? so people who want to have things recomended for them go there, and say "im looking for a book thats funny but also dark and gritty" etc etc, and people chuck their suggestions at them in that thread?

im only thinking.

Good thought, but sadly no. The fact that so many recommendations to so many people will violate the concept of the thread since it will be just utter chaos and people wanting help finding something specific will get lost in the shuffle. Also the size of the thread could grow quite large, and you would need some kind of organized first post to collect the bits and pieces of info about genre and synopsis of the anime and such. It is better to have a small thread that dies off in a day or two with fewer threads directly addressing the specific person asking.

Maybe a sticky with links to places telling about anime would be a good idea to help people find things on their own, and then return if they are still confused. Anime News Network, and all the other major related sites dedicated to anime, or movies or whatever.

It would amount to the same a just trying to lump all Star Trek, Star Wars, BSG, etc topics to one thread because they are all Space oriented programs. Chaos and arguments is all it would yield.

[Peaches!]

Here I'll put a few of my favorites.
Casshern Sins.
Black Lagoon
Eden of the East
Outlaw Star
Furi Kuri
Canaan

[Arakune]

And I just love Rune Soldier! It's apparently somewhat of a spin-off to Records of Lodoss War (but with no plot-related connections, I think), but mostly a fantasy-comedy-show. And I think it's hilarious, espacially for RPG players, as they make rpg-related jokes all the time.

Rune Soldier Loie (don't know about the actual spelling, in japanese they spell 'rui', I guess) is in the same world as RLW but while one of the settings are in a island (I guess it's RLW) the other one is set in the main continent. The authors didn't made that clear if both events happen at the same time, thoght.


It would amount to the same a just trying to lump all Star Trek, Star Wars, BSG, etc topics to one thread because they are all Space oriented programs. Chaos and arguments is all it would yield.

They could, horever, be in a thread called 'All sci-fi programs' in the sub section 'space opera', star trek since they spend a lot of time in the ships or traveling, 'space fantasy', star wars since it's basicaly D&D IN SPACE!, etc, etc etc.

And when some thread pops up about "recomend me some sci-fi shows" you can point out the thread with a link and some personal opinion.

[shadzar]

They could, horever, be in a thread called 'All sci-fi programs' in the sub section 'space opera', star trek since they spend a lot of time in the ships or traveling, 'space fantasy', star wars since it's basicaly D&D IN SPACE!, etc, etc etc.

And when some thread pops up about "recomend me some sci-fi shows" you can point out the thread with a link and some personal opinion.

While a good discussion topic, and something that only Rich or whoever would have any real say in here...we are way off topic. But in over a decade or more of forums and such with high volumes on them, lumped threads only upset people more than they help the forums themselves. It boils down to looking like only certain people have a right to make a thread, or certain people have a right to their questions, or opinions, and devolves from there other than just the general chaos of trying to read the thread. Now a thread talking about them in the context of what is similar without a series war over them might work, but a thread with select opinions form a few people highlighted just looks like elitism more than helpful along with the other problems of chaotic replies and unorganized opinions.

They will come and go and die out on their own over time as the necro policy exists, and cluster-threads are beter served with the Simple Q&A type stickies, or just a sticky with links to goood review sites or sites with databases of genres, etc.

[Hida Reju]

Read Or Die - Short 3 episode OVA then a 26 Episode series that I found quiet enjoyable.

Basicly superhuman spies with powers beyond the norm revolving around the Special branch of the British library.

[Echowinds]

-Storyline over action. This is most important.
-Swords over guns for fighting, unless the gunfights are big battle scenes.
-Overarching story apparent from fairly close to the beginning. Maybe not knowing from the get-go what it is, but that it begins unfolding from the start and its more of a series, not individual adventures. I'm on episode 6 of Chrono Crusade, and the plot is moving at a good rate.
-Tragedy and character death are good. I decided on Chrono Crusade because I heard it was tragic (don't tell me if thats wrong).
-Anyone Can Die is better than Kill 'Em All, thats why I haven't watched Evangelion.
-Bittersweet Endings are the best; Downer Endings are just that, a downer, and really happy endings are uninteresting.
-Unless it was really tragic to get that far. Think the first Land Before Time movie through the eyes of a child for what a mean. Damn its a struggle, but its a helluva payoff.

Random Suggestions:

Seirei no Moribito satisfy a number of these criteria. First three is certain. Next three not as much, surprising for a realistic looking fantasy. The art is very nice, and the setting feels realistic for a fantasy. It has a more positive ending.

The Twelve Kingdoms satisfy also a bunch of these criteria. Again, first three is definite, although it does go through a couple side stories. It ends abruptly at episode 45, although you can treat 40-45 as a side story and have the real ending at 39, which is pretty epic.

The above two has little to no romance, if that matters to you. They are also heavy on plot and light on comedy. They also have the impression of Anyone Can Die, because no character feels invincible.

Romeo x Juliet. It's obvious what it's based on, although it's significantly altered that you can't really guess at the plot. The ending may be bittersweet or a downer depending how you look at it. It's also a Anyone Can Die.

Le Chevalier D'eon. Mystery/horror/historical reference based on the years before the French Revolution. It looks pretty nice, and it's more swords than muskets. It can be tragic. The ending can be a downer, but it fits the whole mood. And definitely an Anyone Can Die. It almost touches on Kill 'Em All.

[Lord of Rapture]

Monster. Just watch it. Not very heavy on action, and even then it fits your requirements of only guns, but it has a compelling cast and is intensely suspenseful and well plotted, with one of the most eerie antagonists I have ever seen. Go see it.

And consider yourself lucky you never finished Code Geass. Trust me on this one. Why Sunrise, why did you ruin that awesome show so much?:smallsigh:


The Elfen Lied anime is unfortunately a great example of Fail.

Not that it is really bad, but I think it mostly misses the point of the manga. Which I think is really great. The plot does not make too much sense and could hardly be seen as realistic. But if you approach it more as an "artistic expression" than "leisure entertainment", I think it's pretty good. If you care more about the subtext and the deeper meaning, and the emotional resposes it evokes, I can clearly recommend it.
Though it has to be said, that Elfen Lied is probably not for everyone and can be quite hard stuff. The absolutly insane amounts of blood and torn of limbs is one thing, but I think the psychological abuse and violence and the emotional wounds are far more worse. About every character is emotionally damaged and a bit insane. But the real creepiness comes from the fact, that even the most evil and depraved characters and their cruel and sick ideas and actions, are not too far from reality. And those who are more professional seem to not care at all what their work does to the people they experiment on. People have done similar and worse things in the past, and that far more than once.
I'd say Elfen Lied is about exploring the darkest aspects of human existance and nature, that people usually rather not want to think about. And I think the anime really is missing that point.

Yeah, but then the manga went and hit Dominic Deegan levels of stupidity at the end.
Characters all suddenly coming back to life after you see them die, thereby nullifying a lot of the drama right before the end of the series. The eradication of the remaining Diclonius treated as a good thing. The two twin diclonius girls being reincarnations of Lucy and Nyu without any explanations. Nana wanting to get into her Papa's pants.
I felt the anime captured the spirit of the anime without devolving into that much stupidity and having vastly improved art on top of that as well.