General Anime/Manga Discussion 14: Second Cour

[Weimann]

Hey there. I need some help.

Among the many things I want to do at some point is trying to learn some basic Japanese, because I'm a language nerd on top of being just a regular nerd. I'm thinking that it could be a smart move to combine this with getting myself back into anime again, as a way to expose myself to the language in a bigger way, and pick up more of the vocabulary. I might do something similar with manga for the written language.

Now all I need is a couple good anime to watch. That's where you come in.

When I was younger, I and my friends were into anime in a pretty big way. I wasn't the most hardcore, but I have watched my share. As time went on, I found that I was getting irritated with some of the stereotypes of the anime genre, sometimes with the pacing of the shows, and also with what I can only describe as Japanese-centric cultural assumptions and references that I don't understand. When my friends started getting their own lives and move away, I completely dropped anime. I can still think back to when I was binging Naruto and thought it was the coolest **** ever, though.

So, what do I want? There's a list of stuff I've watched and liked below (just the things I can recall off the top of my head). What I know that I don't want, though, is easier. I don't want Love Hina, where the same stereotype getting played for laughs over and over is the one trick it has. I don't want Ranma ½, where the status quo didn't even get resolved by the comic ending. And, frankly, I don't want Naruto, One Piece, Bleach or Dragon Ball, because while I do like them, it gets so shounen that I can barely breathe, and if I'm looking to learn some vocabulary, I'm not sure this where I'm looking to go anyway. I can like a good fight scene, even a combat focus, but it needs some other spin as well.

Spoiler: Good stuff I've watched

Show

Cowboy Bebop: One of the first ones I ever watched. It possibly lost a bit of punch due to me not quite understanding just how different it was, as I had no base of comparison. None the less, awesome show with a unique sparse and understated atmosphere.

Neon Genesis Evangelion: It's a classic. Wonderful character work. Again, I probably lacked the genre knowledge (as well as possibly the maturity) to really appreciate the nuances, but it is certainly it's own thing. I could probably stand to rewatch it, come to think of it.

Tengen Toppa Gurren Lagann: This one is just awesome. The tight pacing, the constant ramp-up, the efficient character building and the strength of theme makes it possibly my favourite anime ever.

Ai Yori Aoshi: Pretty standard romance thing, I think, but damn was I hooked on this one for a while. Can't really qualify it with anything but being too damn cute.

Trigun: Funny and with spots of deepened character growth, particularly towards the end. Good solid entertainment.

Feel free to ask me questions. I'm up for new stuff or classics. Anyone got a suggestion for me?