Asking about recommendations for animes

[Sleverin]

Since there seems to be no coherent anime thread focusing on general anime I thought I would just create a new thread.

Getting back into anime lately by starting with Cowboy Bebop and I'm almost finished with watching the series and wondering where to go next. So far I'm thinking of going with Outlaw Star, but following the death fo sci-fi anime legend Noburo Ishiguro I picked up Space Battleship Yamato (Star Blazers) as well and am wondering where to go. I've always been interested in what I thought were 70's sci fi animes and apparently Noburo is the man to go to for that.

Other than those I was thinking of Samurai Champloo to follow up with, since it's a nice 26 episode series (or somewhere around there) it might be a bit easier to get through than the complete Rurouni Kenshin series I was thinking of watching...I also have the complete Astro Boy from the early 1980's which I may have a go at as well. So many choices it's just so hard to choose. Also! What with the new Lupin the III trailer I saw, it reminds me that I have heard that show and related media is apparently very good but it's been around for quite some time and that I have no idea where to start...so yeah, suggestions, ideas?

[Tengu_temp]

General Anime Discussion (http://www.giantitp.com/forums/showthread.php?t=200541&page=29). It just fell to second page after Negima finished.

Anyway, if you want recommendations, you'll need to specify. What are you looking for in particular?

[Terraoblivion]

Yeah, it is hard to give recommendations without knowing the one asking for them's taste and any specific desires they might have. I mean, I consider Maria-Sama ga Miteru and excellent show and one that I've watched in full twice and the first season of four times, but that doesn't mean I'd typically recommend it without specific reason to.

It is generally useful to not just say what shows you've liked, but also why you have liked them, what you haven't liked and why and some general words on what kind of fiction you prefer in general. Something to work with really. Otherwise you'll get the standard list of recommendations which seems to be Tengen Toppa Gurren Lagann, Melancholy of Haruhi Suzumiya, Full Metal Panic and Baccano! regardless of whether any of them are even remotely appropriate for what you like and are looking for.

[Mewtarthio]

So long as we're on the subject of anime recommendations...

I actually haven't watched that much anime. I have, however, seen a few shows thanks to a friend back in college who was into it. I also recently got a Hulu+ account and decided to give this Gurren Lagann thing I've heard so much about a shot.

So, a few shows I've liked: Code Geass was great, though I haven't seen the second season. What I've seen so far of Fullmetal Alchemist is also quite promising (though could someone explain to me how that franchise works? I mean, is Brotherhood a sequel or a spinoff or what?). Also, as I said above, I gave Gurren Lagann a chance, and found myself enjoying it despite all the impractically silly giant robots running around, though I didn't find it as badass as all the hype led me to believe.

In particular, I actually thought Kamina was kind of pathetic. Amusing and charismatic, yes, but still, the guy's own father abandoned him, and now it looks like he's acting all hyperagressive and masculine to make up for it. Given the cave-in story we hear after his death--not to mention the apparent symbolism of Simon's Lagann being the real power behind Gurren Lagann--I can't help but feel there's some canon support to that view.

Not that I hated the character; I just took a different view of him than what I gathered from the internet.

Also, if it makes any difference, I didn't think the Tengen Toppa Gurren Lagann itself was very awesome at all, and I consider the last truly badass moment of the series to be Kitan's sacrifice.

Shows I didn't like: I thought Fate Stay Night was bogged down in pointless exposition and filler. Death Note was too boringly dark for my tastes (and, bear in mind, I'm not opposed to darkness at all: It's just that pretty much everyone was either a cardboard cut-out or an unlikable sociopath, with no interesting character arcs at all). The one episode of Full Metal Panic I saw didn't do anything for me--I'm not saying it was bad or anything, it just left no impression, and I wouldn't even be mentioning it if Terra didn't just claim it was a common recommendation.

I have no frelling idea what I thought of FLCL and frankly I'm not too sure I want to find out.

[Terraoblivion]

I just know the people around here and how quite a few like Full Metal Panic. That said, I'm one of those people and do consider it among my favorite shows, though mostly for the second and third season. The first is still good and does have some truly funny moments, but the funny moments generally aren't as funny as in the second season and the drama is never as good as in the third. Also, it isn't really a show to judge on just one episode given that it mostly relies on the build-up of Sousuke's mental state and the interplay between him, Kaname and Tessa and none of that would come through in just one episode.

[Soras Teva Gee]

What I've seen so far of Fullmetal Alchemist is also quite promising (though could someone explain to me how that franchise works? I mean, is Brotherhood a sequel or a spinoff or what?).

The 2003 anime was created years before the manga finished, particularly before MANY revelations happened so it goes off several lame tangents and alternatives particularly in the nature of the Gate.

FMA Brotherhood follows the now finished manga, well more closely at any rate I can't comment on details but all the major points are there.

Oh and for TTGL... shhh!... you figured out the point of Kamina, don't tell anyone.

[Dr. Roboto]

What I've seen so far of Fullmetal Alchemist is also quite promising (though could someone explain to me how that franchise works? I mean, is Brotherhood a sequel or a spinoff or what?).

The series started with a manga, and an anime began being produced. It followed the manga faithfully until the brothers got to Dublith, at which point the producers of the anime overtook the manga and (with the creator's permission) decided to split it off into a completely different storyline, with a whole different canon. Then, after the manga was finished, a second anime series, Brotherhood, was produced, which was a straight adaption of the manga.

I don't have many suggestions for the OP, unfortunately, as I mostly watch anime with friends, and only catch a few episodes at a time. I would wholeheartedly recommend Fullmetal Alchemist: Brotherhood. I haven't seen the first anime, but I've heard good things. An interesting take on the monster-battling genre is a recent anime, called C: The Money of Soul and Possibility Control, which I only saw a few episodes of, but liked. Other than that, I don't really have any suggestions.

[Raistlin1040]

Death Note is a little over the top (although I think it knows that fact and plays with it), but still great. Haruhi Suzumiya is excellent (Season 1 and the film. Season 2 is sort of uneven, but not bad). Full Metal Alchemist is good (original over Brotherhood for me, but that's a matter of taste). Honestly, they get a lot of hate, but a lot of the Shonen anime is actually decent (Bleach, for example. Specifically, the first season before the Soul Society is pretty damn good taken as a standalone). I have not actually seen it yet, but I have heard good things about Neon Genesis Evangelion and it is on my list of things to watch.

I would also suggest checking out movies in addition to just serieses. In particular, I suggest Akira.

[CarpeGuitarrem]

Well, here's some generic off-my-list recommendations...

Angel Beats! (13 episodes): a funny, sad, action-packed seinen/shounen that takes place in a surreal afterlife, touching on some very human themes regarding redemption et al.

Baccano! (15?? episodes): a chaotic, violent romp in gangsterland, told in a non-chronological way with a massive cast...and it's somehow all coherent.

Gankutsuou (26 episodes): a lavish, visually illuminated (in the style of Gustave Klimt) retelling of The Count of Monte Cristo, blending 19th Century France and science fantasy into a tightly plotted gothic drama.

I've also been watching Monster, and it's a doozy so far. Like Alfred Hitchcock does anime...

[Seraph]

>OP mentions liking 70s-ish stuff
>CTRL-F "Getter Robo Armageddon"
>No hits

for shame, forumers.

I seriously recommend it to anyone interested in mecha anime at all. its a 13 episode OVA from 1998, with a deliberately retro design aesthetic. to put it in a modern perspective, its sort of like if you took the first half of Gurren lagann, made it a lot less comedic, and replaced the beastmen with The Thing. That is, admittedly, a fairly terrible way to describe it, but the series itself is most definitely worth a watch.

[Feytalist]

Gankutsuou (26 episodes): a lavish, visually illuminated (in the style of Gustave Klimt) retelling of The Count of Monte Cristo, blending 19th Century France and science fantasy into a tightly plotted gothic drama.

Gankutsuou gave me a headache the first two episodes, it was so ridiculously colourful. But it's a unique, great series that is really worth watching. Some great voice work in the original as well.

I'm also reminded of Noir, now. It's not really mentioned often, but it has been one of my favourites for a long time. Original spy/mystery type story, ridiculously violent but not at all over the top. Great soundtrack as well.

[Sleverin]

Okay cool I'm seeing some interesting suggestions here. And yeah, I realized right when I hit the post button that I kinda meandered on the point and got a little lost along the way. But I mainly like science fiction, outer space stuff that I guess falls under the sci-fi genre, action oriented animes are a personal favorite especially because Japan is one of the few countries that does over the top fight scenes so over the top it goes too far which is just fine for me (I LOVE Fist of the North Star). I don't really know of that many good Mech series but again I just looked up some stuff done by renowned (and now deceased) Noburo Ishiguro (which I mentioned before) which sounded interesting and looked like good stuff. I have Evangelion, though I have yet to watch it though I know it's a good one to go with, from what I hear.

Oh right, looking for anyone who knows a good place to start with Lupin the III, I've always been interested in the series since reading about it years ago, from what I understand its a good series. Aaaaaaand I just totally forgot what else to ask about, but I thank you folks for the suggestions and hope to hear more from you guys.