Anime and Manga Recommendations
 

Egh, links are all wonked up. I'll get those fixed in a bit D:
Please read the guidelines before recommending a title. Feel free to write a review for titles that already have a review and or thread. :) Also, feel free to review shows that aren't that spectacular, even though I do realize this is a recommendations thread. You might change some minds.

The recommendations are indexed according to type. If you wish to search for a genre, use the search feature for this thread. Numbers in parentheses do no indicate sequels, but multiple reviews. Also, I have only indexed full reviews, but if you look around, you'll probably run into short suggestions and followups to reviews. Obviously, you can do a search for these shorter tidbits. Happy browsing!

Updates:
-6.1.08: Updated Index
-3.19.06: Added new suggestions concerning images and alternate titles ;) (See here)



Recommendations

Anime Series
.Hack//SIGN
Air
Azumanga Daioh
Bleach (2)
Eureka Seven
FullMetal Alchemist (Hagane no Renkijutsi)
Gankutsuou: The Count of Monte Cristo
Gungrave
Hachimitsu to Clover (Honey and Clover)
Hagane no Renkijutsi (FullMetal Alchemist)
Honey and Clover (Hachimitsu to Clover) Iron Wok Jan!
Juuni Kokki (Twelve Kingdoms) (2)
Love Hina
MAISON IKKOKU
Marmalade Boy
Monster
NANA (2)
Naruto
Noein - To Your Other Self
The One Being Sung (Utawarerumono)
Ouran High School Host Club (2)
Saiunkoku Monogatari
Seirei no Moribito
Tenkuu no Escaflowne (The Vision of Escaflowne)
Those Who Hunt Elves
Tsubasa Chronicle
Twelve Kingdoms (Juuni Kokki) (2)
Utawarerumono (The One Being Sung)
The Vision of Escaflowne (Tenkuu no Escaflowne)
Witch Hunter Robin
Wolf's Rain
Yakitate!! Japan


OVA
Golden Boy
Samurai X: Trust and Betrayal, Reflections (Seisouhen)


Movies
X


Manga
Chun Rhang Yhur Jhun
Eden (It's an Endless World!)
Love Roma
Now
Petshop of Horrors


Other Related Threads
Anime/Manga Series About or Related to Music
The Games-To-Anime Database

Just like the old thread, the first post should provide links to posts for each anime series recommended.

Juuni Kokki (Twelve Kingdoms) Anime

When I saw the early episodes, I was instantly reminded of Fushigi Yuugi. Just like the latter, a high school girl is taken to an alternate world where she plays an important role. The viewer is able to learn more about each of the kingdoms as well, so it's slightly more complex. I actually found the story in Junni Kokki more interesting than Fushigi Yuugi because nothing seems out of place. There isn't as much emphasis on romance either, and the heroine experiences interesting character development. The pace of the story felt just right as well, and the main character was more tolerable than Miaka from Fushigi Yuugi. The music is also very well done.

I'd highly recommend this one to those who enjoy fantasy anime.

I guess I'll throw in my review for Honey and Clover!

Honey and Clover
Type: Anime
Genre: Comedy, Light Romance, Character
Length 24 episodes + some special episodes; there is also a sequel and a live action movie
Setting: Modern

(Click HERE for a review from ANN.)

Honey and Clover is one of the best series I've ever seen. In fact, it's my absolute favorite. If you do actually decide to watch this, don't let the opening bother you too much. ;) The anime starts with introducing a group of college students going about their daily lives. One day, a new, although very childish-looking, girl named Hagu appears and changes the lives of many of the characters. The series then goes on to focus on those characters, as well as one of the professors at the school, and their journey through life. As this is more of a "character" anime, there really isn't a main, central conflict in the story, excluding the relationships between characters. Throughout the episodes, seemingly small challenges arise which help to reveal more about a character or bring about a new development. If I were to explain what this anime was about, I'd have to say, envy, fear, unrequited love, and never-ending friendships.

While the series focuses a lot on character, it doesn't get boring. I was pleasantly surprised at the tasteful blend of various elements. The funny scenes are charming and hilarious. The sad scenes are touching and beautifully played out. The number of memorable scenes that can be found in this anime is pretty impressive. There's something special about Honey and Clover that seems to touch a tender string in the viewer's heart and connect them to the characters, and this is done without excessive cheesiness and lesson-teaching techniques, which really adds more realism to the whole story. In fact, it is likely that the viewers are able to connect and identify with the characters and events.

The art and music in the series are wonderful. The watercolor-ish art compliments the story and adds a very nice tone to it, while the music really helps bring out the essence of the anime. Insert songs are frequently, but very cleverly, used in most of the episodes, making the viewing experience even more enjoyable. (The best example of this can be seen in episode 15 ;) ) I was actually about to turn the first episode off during an insert song when I thought it was the ending theme. :p Don't make that mistake!

Anyways, I highly recommend this anime! This here is simply a work of art; there no are words that can sufficiently describe its greatness. Surreal visuals, excellent music, and realistic, human characters all combine flawlessly to create a masterpiece. Maybe give it a couple episodes if it doesn't interest you right away. I, myself, was surprised at how much I liked this series, especially since I'm more of an "action person" who loves sword fights.


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I'm moving the guidelines over to this post in order to keep the index clean. :)

Guidelines

Mandatory Items to be Included:
-Provide the full title for the anime or manga
-Is it an anime series? A manga? An OAV or movie? Please make sure you clearly state what it is.
-Please provide which genre (comedy, action, etc) it falls under. If it fits in more than one category, feel free to list them all.
-You must somehow mention what the anime, movie, OAV, or manga is about. Avoid spoiling the plot for others, and use spoiler tags when appropriate. Also, try not to copy-paste summaries from other sites. ;)
-As this is a recommendation thread, please voice your thoughts!

Helpful Things You May Want to Provide:
-Length of the series
-A non-spoiler screenshot or two
....Try not to stretch tables
....2000x2000, 98324kb images really aren't necessary :D
....For larger images, please either resize or use thumbnails
-Music Composer
-Rating/Score
-Setting (modern-day city, a cloud, etc.)
-Alternate Titles (i.e. Honey and Clover/Hachimitsu to Clover)
Please please please please please please please thumbnail gianormous images! As to what qualifies as gianormous, please use proper judgement. :) If you wish, you may put multiple images in spoiler tags if you happen to have a lot, as this means less scrolling to get to the next post. Thank you much.

That's about it! Remember to try and add some substance to your post! Posts containing only, "I agree!," or, "I love (Insert Title Here)" won't be tolerated. Questions concerning certain series should be put into the General Questions thread or the appropriate thread for the series, if one already exists. :)

RYDIA! I love you, seriously. >___>;; I didn't think anyone on these forums had seen Twelve Kingdoms other than I, and I'm glad someone else have.

I've never seen Fushigi Yuugi, though I have heard about the similarities between it and Twelve Kingdoms. But you know what? WHO CARES.

The Twelve Kingdoms is a spectacular anime! I'll go down the list of what this anime does right.

Animation: Spectacular. It's not Ghost in the Shell: Stand Alone Complex, but the animation is very sharp and very artisitic. From the pan-outs to the close-ups, everything is very well-drawn and up-to-date. The action squences are as fun to watch as gazing over the kingdom from atop a castle. Fabulous.

Sound & Voices: The music has an ancient Chinese appeal to it which sets a nice, atmospheric tone. It's probably not memorable enough to say "Hey, I have that song on a CD!" but it's appropriate with a hint of ambience. The voice actors are all top-notch too, with a lot of easily recognizable voices; Kenshin and Kaoru's VAs are present, as are Spike, Jet, and Faye from Cowboy Bebop. Forgive my lack of knowing their names. :/ Anyway, they're all really, really well done. You Japanese audiophiles shouldn't have any problem listening to the English dub.

Story: Oh, the story's the best part. Sure the animation's nice, the voices are well done and the music is good, but the story is everything. If I have to say one bad thing about the series, it's that it ends a little offbeat compared to the pace of the series, but what a ride you'll have getting there. All in all, there are close to, if not more than, 100 terms you'll learn for the series, such as sen-nin, Taiki, Taiho, Nyosen, Nyokai, Shitsudou, Shirei, etc. Not to mention that, when the anime refers to Japan, they call it two other names as well -- Hourai and Wa. And you get to Japan through a Shoku...see what I mean? Fear not, since you'll actually understand them through the course of the series. You don't have to study it.

It's a very deep, enthralling anime that reels you in and takes you one of the best story-telling adventures you'll ever watch. As far as I'm concerned, no other anime has pulled me in so deeply for ALL of 45 episodes than Twelve Kingdoms has. Every episode leaves you wanting more and it's hard to refuse. You'll find yourself having watched 4 or 5 hours of it without even knowing.

Twelve Kingdoms (Juuni Kokki): 12/10. Fucking fantastic.

Edit: I just wanted to add that Twelve Kingdoms falls under a few different categories throughout its course -- you'll find action, drama, suspense, and bits of comedy mixed in. It's a 45-episode length anime series with no current plans to make a movie. I wouldn't be surprised if there's a manga associated with it though.
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Those Who Hunt Elves
Type: Anime
Genre: Comedy, Fantasy, Adventure
Year: 1996
Length 12 episodes
Setting: Alternate Fantasy World

Those Who Hunt Elves is your typical fantasy story about a group of people trapped in a fantasy world full of fantasy elements...sort of. Okay, not really.

Airi, an award-winning actress, Junpei, a martial artist, and Ritsuko, a gun-obsessed high school student (who is transported along with her tank), are transported from Japan to a magical world, full of elves and...magic. Celcia, the leader of the elves, attempts a magic spell to try and get the trio back home, but it somehow gets messed up, resulting in the spell being broken into five fragments. The problem is, these fragments are scattered throughout the world. Even worse, they are imprinted onto the bodies of random elves. The only way to find the fragments is to strip every elf they can find naked!

This show works on all levels, as a comedy, an adventure, and a fantasy story. The show is full of jokes and other funny elements, though the english dub changes some of the jokes. Even so, it still manages to be as funny (and sometimes funnier) as the original Japanese version.

The animation was about average for its time, and still holds up today. There's nothing spectacular about it, but it's not bad either. The same could be said about Hideki Tsutsumi's soundtrack for the show. It fits the show, but it's nothing you're probably gonna remember too much after the show. The exception is the opening theme song, "Angel Blue", by Naoko Hamasaki. I found myself listening to this song a lot, and playing it in my mind when I wasn't actually listening to it. Sometimes I skip theme songs just to get to the show faster, but this was a show where I didn't do that.

But overall, the main draw here is the story. Though it has a few flaws, it's pretty good for the most part. The fantasy elemets are incorporated into the story very well, as are the adventure elements. If you want a comedy with more meat to it than just being funny, then Those Who Hunt Elves is the show for you. 7/10

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Eureka Seven
Genre: Mecha, Science Fiction, Drama
Length: 30 Episodes+
Setting: Alternate-Future
Torrents: http://www.nanashi-fansubs.com/

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Summary: Renton Thurston is a 14-year-old boy who lived with his mechanic grandfather in a backwater town. Every day he dreamed of being with the mercenary "Light Finding Operation (LFO)" aircraft pilot group "Gekkostate" and riding "Trapar" particle waves-- a sport called "reffing"-- with their charismatic leader Holland, especially when faced with his father's acclaimed past or his grandfather's desire to protect him.

When a young girl named Eureka riding the original LFO, the "Nirvash typeZERO", asks his grandfather for a tune-up, she inadvertently brings the attention of the military to the garage; as a result, the garage is destroyed and Renton is forced to deliver a new type of interface-- the "Amita Drive"-- to the Nirvash. After a heated fight in which the Nirvash destroys the military LFOs by unleashing an immense amount of power, Renton is invited into Gekkostate. However, he quickly realizes that behind the facade of a traveling group of mercenaries is a very bitter reality.

=======

I'm actually in the middle of watching this myself, but I'm already pretty well addicted and can see this as one of my favorite Animes in a long, long while. The constant back and forth drama between Renton learning about his place in the world and the world trying to assert Renton's place is really well done.

The dream sequences littered around the series, however, give me bad flashbacks of Evangelion, but Eureka Seven doesn't force you to assume much. If you start to get lost, chances are theres a reveal showing up soon that's going to knock you back on track. And aside from the first episodes of a new season, there's very little filler.

If you liked Evangelion, or are currently plowing through Gundam Seed, give Eureka a shot. It's fantastic in every way imaginable (Animation, style, character development, awesome music) and it keeps getting better.

Rating: 9/10

Wolf's Rain
Genre: Science Fiction, Drama
Length: 30
Setting: Alternate

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Wolf's Rain, By far one of the best series i have ever had the prillage to see. The art, the music, the story, are all A material.
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v4...cam/bullet.gifPlot Summary: In some distant future, it's common knowledge that all wolves have been extinct for 200 years. However, it seems this is false as wolves have not disappeared but rather have taken human form. Kiba, a lone wolf, wanders into a city, trying to sniff out the Lunar Flowers that are supposed to lead whoever follows the scent to paradise. The source of the smell is Cheza, a girl who sleeps in what appears to be suspended animation in a lab. She and the wolves are drawn to each other, and Kiba hopes to find paradise once he finds the source of the scent of Lunar Flowers. However, once Kiba finds Cheza, she is kidnapped by a mysterious person called Darcia, and his search begins anew. Before he leaves the city, he meets 3 other wolves, Tsume, Hige and Toboe. All four wolves have very different personalities and ideas, and their friendliness towards each other is a little rough around the edges. However, they soon band together to continue to search for paradise.

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v4...cam/bullet.gif Music - Yoko Kanno - some her BEST WORK for sure!
OST 1
OST 2
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v4...cam/bullet.gif ART!
The charators all have their own personalitys, and have great designs!
You can Download the series, dual audio Here
Rating 9.5/10

Gungrave
Type: Anime
Genre: Action, Drama
Year: 2003-2004
Length 26 episodes
Setting: Modern

Gungrave is one of the best video game based anime series out there, if not the best. It manages to not only adapt the story of the game in a greater way, but also manages to expand on it in a way that makes it even more superior than the game. This ultimately makes the series great regardless of whether or not you've played the game.

Gungrave is the story of Brandon Heat. When the series starts off, he's the quiet, tough guy of a group of friends. Among this group is his best friend, Harry McDowell. They're basically just a group of thugs, getting into to fights and scrounging on what little to have to get by. However, after getting mixed up with some of the wrong people, everyone except Brandon and Harry wind up dead. Also winding up dead is the father of the girl that Brandon loves, Maria. After these events, they all get involved with the mafia organization Millennion. Maria is involved because the leader of the organization was friends with her father, so he takes her in. Harry joins in attempt to gain power, and Brandon joins at first to follow Harry, but stays because of Maria. This is what starts a story of friendship, love, and ultimately, revenge.

Though that last paragraph gives you a general idea of how the series starts, it in no way tells you all the exciting things that happen within the entire run of the series. The story takes many twists and turns, and most of those are tragic. This is at heart a dark story, and as such is full of violence among other dark themes. But violence is not the focus of the series, but rather a way of enhancing the main draw of the story, the character relationships.

The animation in the show is superb for what it is, a TV series. The action scenes are stylistic, and everything just flows fluidly as well. The colors are bright while still being dark enough to keep with the dark mood of the show. And while the show employs the use of CG, it fits in pretty well with the rest of the animation, and isn't that intruding.

Tsuneo Imahori's soundtrack for the series is excellent. A few sentences can't describe its greatness, as it deserves its own review itself. But to sum it up, from the smooth, jazzy feel of the opening, "Family", to everything else in the series, ranging from western to rock, there is nothing in there you won't like. All the music compliments its scenes well, and nothing really feels out of place.

In closing, I can find no faults in this series. It does different things (especially its transition to the second half of the series) but it does them all well, all the while being complimented by excellent music and animation. One thing to note, this series, along with the game it's based on, was created by Yasuhiro Nightow, who is also the creator of Trigun. While I enjoyed that series, I feel that Gungrave is the better work of his. Overall, I give this series a 10/10. Truly a masterpiece.

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Ooooh I forgot about Gungrave. That is truly a great anime save for one thing -- the monsters. I mean sure, it's great and everything...but I dunno. It felt like a gangster anime and a well-done one at that, but then they throw in zombies? Still, it's a really good series.

Yeah, that's the one downfall of being based on a video game. However, comparing that part of the anime to the source material, I'd say they did a pretty good job of adapting it.

Petshop of Horrors
A 10 volume manga set by Matsuri Akino
Genre: Horror, Moral Stories, Short Stories, Humour

Petshop of Horrors is a compilation of stories involving the strangest adventures of a mysterious man known only as Count D and the ever-suspicious detective Leon Orcott (intriguing pre-amble follows):
You never know what you can find lying around in Count D's mysterious petshop in Chinatown...Once inside, you will find that it is much bigger than it seems. Twisting corridors lead to fantastic and dangerous environs. If you're not careful, you could get lost within seconds!
It is said that anybody can find a pet suited for them within this mystical petshop. Sometimes the price may be incredibly steep, involving unfathomable sums of money. However, the whimsical Count D may offer one a pet at the mere price of a box of sugar treats. What is the catch? Everyone has to sign a contract, and abide to the strict terms and conditions of raising these "animals". Failing to adhere to the contract, we find that these animals have the unfortunate tendency of bringing about disastrous events. After all, they are the rarest of the rare...
What? These are not animals, but people? That's was most of the petshop's clientele seem to perceive. To everyone else though, these are just your run of the mill cats, dogs, and other household friends. Although, buying a pet from this particular shop seems to teach the owners life lessons...assuming they live to tell the tale.
Apparently, the animals' true forms can only be seen by those who are destined to link with them. Their caretakers see them as human beings; perhaps with animal-like tendencies. What purpose does this pet serve in the owner's life? Count D seems to have an uncanny habit of picking the right pet for the right person, although some people are unfortunately blindly motivated by greed and fail to see these mystical beings' true value.

"Cut to the chase why don't you!?"

All right... Each volume of manga encompasses four short stories (give or take one periodically). All tying in with the mystery of the almost superhuman Count D, we see tales of Dragons, Doom, Discovery, Deja Vu, and other fantastic stories of D-themed material. The short stories deal with people who are looking for pets from Count D's shop for some (un)known reason. Count D will lead them to the pet they are destined to be with and lets the eager buyer sign a contract.
Sometimes, the people unwittingly break the contract and unleash terrible results. Other times, people faithfully care for their pets and receive the same loyalty back in times of crisis. In rare instances, Count D is just screwing with these people in order to "preserve the flow of nature."
Detective Leon Orcott is highly suspect of Count D and all of the mysteries that D holds, such as his youthful looks and nonchalant nature. He gradually comes to realize just how much of an enigma Count D really is, and becomes involve in all the strange incidents involving the petshop.

My Biased Rating: 10/10
Despite my attempt at a fantastic description, it's still something you'll have to read for yourself to see what I'm talking about.


A depiction of Count D holding an apple for a snake, adorning the cover of the ninth volume.
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A beautiful depiction of Count D holding one of three-headed dragon's heads, as per the short story: "December" in Volume 6.
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A graphic and bloody death; check the context in Volume 6.
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I found that I managed to get through the entire series in less than four days. For some reason, it didn't seem like I was flying through the episodes, but they certainly did go quickly.

I especially adored the episodes with Taiki. The story seemed to really catch my attention even more during that part.

Really? I found the campaign to overthrow Shoukou and Gahou to be really interesting. I probably felt a little more giddy during that arc than I did the rest of them, but the Taiki bit was pretty cool and interesting.

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Bleach
Type: Anime
Genre: Action, Drama, Comedy, Mystery (sort of)
Length: Long. As of now, it's over 70
Setting: Modern & Fantasy

See thread here.

Bleach starts out with a high-schooler, Kurosaki Ichigo, who gains the ability to see ghosts. He then meets a Shinigami, or Death God, whose job is to protect the human world from "evil ghosts" (the Hollows) and bring peace to the good ghosts still walking the earth. When Ichigo "unexpectedly" (don't want to spoil anything...) gains the power of the Shinigami, he soon finds himself protecting his town from Hollows. However, with his new power, he finds much more than he bargained for.

I had heard many good things about this series prior to watching it, but since I read that it was about ghosts, I decided that it wasn't my cup of tea. After my cousins forced me to watch it, I was pretty impressed by the extreme quirkniness and decent plot. As the series went on, I became even more impressed by the plot as the story moved away from hunting Hollows. However, the "Beat boss 1! Power up! Beat boss 2! Power up!" did come up quite often, but the suspenseful plot did manage to bring the anime back up when it started to get repetitive.


The music in the series is quite nice. While it's not something I'd listen to all the time, there are a couple of nice songs, aside from the excellent opening and ending themes. However, I wasn't too enthusiastic about the art. I found it to be too "in your face" for my tastes, with it's 'extreme' shading and lines. (The images I included look pretty nice--none of that "extreme shading" I mentioned)

Overall, I'd give the series a 8/10. It's biggest fault is that it gets awfully repetitive when you watch fights stretch on for episodes and episodes. I'd recommend this series to anyone who's into action and plot and won't mind watching the whole "Beat boss 1! Beat boss 2!" thing. :D

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The Vision of Escaflowne (AKA Tenkuu no Escaflowne)

Type:Anime
Genre: Action, Drama, Romance
Format: 26 half-hour episodes
Setting: Fantasy

Story:
Hitomi Kanzaki is a typical high school girl, with all the regular high school problems. But when a vision of a young man battling a dragon becomes a reality, her life changes forever. Drawn into a strange vortex with the swordsman, Van, Hitomi is thrust into the strange world of Gaia.

Entangled in a struggle over life and death, Van must learn to master the suit of armor, Escaflowne. Chased by the Empire of Zaibach, Van and Hitomi will encounter both allies and enemies in an effort to unlock the secrets within Escaflowne.

Personal Views:
Before Escaflowne, I could have been described as a passing fan of anime. I had seen Akira and Ghost in the Shell, and of course the original Gundam "film." Vision of Escaflowne however, turned me on to conciously searching out the newest works coming out of Japan, and I've been a fan of anime and manga ever since.

In a word, this series is beautiful. The characters will grab you instantly, and the story will hold your attention all the way through to the end. Few of the episodes are self-contained, often ending on a cliffhanger of some sort. This is due to the fact that the series as a whole was shortened, but the result is a pacing that could easily have you going through the whole thing in one marathon session. It's that gripping.

The anime itself has it all. The action scenes featuring both mecha and man are well-choreographed, and exciting to watch. The battle which is waged in the second epsiode between a certain bastard-sword-wielding-badass will have you putting your fist to your mouth in excited awe. The characters are all likeable in their own way, and despite the rushed feel of the show in some areas, are all fleshed out very capably. These aren't your simple two-dimensional archetypes found all to often in anime. Its the romantic aspect the show that will make this one a memorable experience though. I'm not much for the mushy stuff usually, but Escaflowne came to me at a time in my life where it struck all the right chords, and the story stays close to my heart to this day because of that.

Animation of the series is fluid and budgeted accordingly. There's plenty of motion where there needs to be, demonstrating that this isn't a manga set to motion, but an anime first and foremost. Nobuteru Yuki's character designs seem to have a love it or hate it air about them, but the style used here is one I'm very fond of, and often mimic when I pull out my sketch pad. Conversely, I've never heard debate concerning the mecha designs. Koji Sugiura and company did a nice job of blending the mechanical with the fantastic in this series, creating suits that were nice to look at, and believable enough for them not to get in the way of the story.

On the sound front, there's little not to like. Maaya Sakamoto remains one of my favorite seiyuu, and in her debut performance as Hitomi Kanzaki she delivers a memorable role that doesn't come off as whiney or weak, but rather frightened and strong. She creates a character that you instantly feel, worry, and hope for. Tomokazu Seki isn't quite on her level for me, but delivers a strong performance as well. Also worthy of note is Minami Takayama, who's performance as Dilandau is one of the most memorable in anime history as far as I'm concerned. Her shriek is chill-inducing. And I'd be doing a disservice if I didn't give credit to the English vocal cast as well. They all put in a good effort, and I've no problem with watching this series in my native tongue, something I actually prefer to do when the track is good.

But it doesn't end with the performances of the cast. The music here is done by the one and only Yoko Kanno. The mere mention of this woman's name will draw me to an anime I know absolutely nothing about, and the soundtrack here is her best work as far I'm concerned. If you aren't blown away by "Dance of Curse" and "Chain," there's something wrong with your hearing.

I could go on and on about this series. I love all the characters here; the brave, yet confused Hitomi; the brash, though well-intentioned Van; the loveable, if a bit overbearing Merle; the heroic Allen; the twisted Dilandau; there's someone here for everyone to root for. The twists and turns the plot takes will have you wanting to watch it again and again. The story itself will urge you to share it with your friends, anime fans or not. The beautiful and enchanting melodies littered throughout will have you importing the soundtracks in no time, and the look will have you scouring eBay for the art books.

The Vision of Escaflowne is a series that captured my imagination for its countless strong points, and few, if even present weak points. My fanship of anime as a whole stems largely from this show, and I would recommend it to anyone who even has a passing interest in the medium. It's being rereleased in April for an MSRP of $50, and I would urge anyone not to rent, not download, but to buy this series. It's one any otaku should be proud to have on their shelf. It continues to be my favorite series of all time, and I can't imagine anything ever taking its place. 10/10. See it.


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Air
Type: Anime
Genre: Drama, Character, Mythological
Length: 13 Episodes + Summer Specials The review doesn't include the specials
Setting: Modern, Fantasy

Plot Summary
Legend tells of a girl with wings who suffers endlessly. Enter Yukito, a young man searching the land for this girl in order to bring her happiness. During a nap on the beach, he is awakened by Misuzu, a lonely girl who looks at each day with optimism. Little does he know that this peculiar girl will change his life forever.


My Thoughts
The first thing that I noticed upon seeing this anime was the animation. It was fluid and beautiful, and the colors were vivid and lively. Right at the beginning, the series gave itself a couple points. Next up was the music, which was refreshing and beautiful. More points there.

However, I couldn't find anything spectacular with the main plot, as it's pretty much on autopilot for the whole anime once it starts up. I felt that the story about the winged girl was thrust into my face at every second. From the first episode on, the girl was constantly alluded to. I understand that she's one of the main characters, but the anime could do a better job with making it a tad more subtle. It might just be me on this, as nobody seems to agree with me on this.

While I wasn't impressed witht the slow-moving plot, I have to admit that that characters' stories were beautiful and moving. This was the second most moving anime I've seen. I won't spoil anything, but this series contains some of the best scenes I've ever had the privilege of coming across. I found myself crying hysterically whether I was filled with joy or sorrow.



I would recommend this to anyone who likes a good plot-anime without twists and suspense. While it may be too slow-moving for some (like me), I've found that my friends generally liked it. As for me, it was good while it lasted. Overall, I give this a 7.5/10. My friends gave it a 10/10.

http://img240.imageshack.us/img240/4261/air059al.th.jpg
http://img159.imageshack.us/img159/5...mall4rk.th.jpg

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Monster
Type: Anime
Genre: Drama, Mystery, Suspense
Length: 74 Episodes
Setting: Modern Europe (Germany, Czechoslovakia...)
Warnings: Not suitable for younger audiences due to brief nudity, sex, drugs, alcohol, mature themes, violence


Plot Summary
Tenma, a talented, rising neurosurgeon, has it all--the skills of a prodigy, the love of his patients, the respect of the hospital's director, and the director's daughter's hand in marriage. With a bright future and a promotion to the head of surgery coming ahead, what more could a man ask for? However, Tenma soon learns that a construction worker had died because he had operated on a famous opera singer at the director's request, although the construction worker had arrived to the hospital first. It is from that moment on that Tenma decides to see his patients on a first-come-first-serve basis. Unforutnately, the director has something else in mind.

When a young shooting victim is brought in, Temna immediately prepares to save the boy's life, but before he can start the operation, the director requests that he operates on the mayor, who is expected to arrive in a couple minutes. Tenma, following his heart, ignores his instructions and saves the boy's life. As a result, his dreams of advancing in his career are completely destroyed when the director chooses another man to become the cheif of surgery. Before he knows it, Tenma is soon dumped by his fiancee. As if things couldnt' get worse, the director of the hospital and the newly-promoted cheif of surgery are found dead, and Tenma is the chief suspect.
Years later, a mysterious string of murders start appearing.

Who is the true killer? What does the boy, whose life was saved by Tenma, have to do with this? What is this monster that was born into the world? Tenma takes justice into his own hands and tries to get to the bottom of the mystery before any more lives are taken.



My Thoughts
I'll say right up front that Monster is now my favorite anime in the drama genre. The story is deep, suspenseful, and well-thought-out. Sure, there are moments where I have to question the plot, but otherwise, I found myself sucked into the series as soon as the plot really starts to fall in place. Each detail is carefully incorporated, and every twist is presented in a professional manner that leaves you thinking, "I knew it!" even though you may have never thought of it on your own, rather than "Oh, um, that was random." The suspense that spans the series is also rather effective, since it never lets you go. In fact, with each new discovery, you're drawn deeper and deeper into the story. Yes, it's that involving. :p

The characters in the series are also pretty realistic. I found myself yelling at their stupidity a lot, but then again, they're not superheroes or anything. ;) What I found very nice was the development of the characters and the little hint of darkness (or goodness) in all of them, which brought the viewer to question whether a character was completely innocent or completely evil.

The music, while it isn't anything I'd listen to in my free time, except for the instrumental opening, compliments the series very well. The same can be said of the art, which is done in a dark, realistic manner.

Overall, I HIGHLY recommend this series to those suspense and drama fans out there. It's a must-see! There's also a lot of irony in there, if you happen to keep an eye out for it. The deep, detailed plot is also excellent. Each and every little bit of detail eventually falls in place beautifully like an elaborate puzzle. I can't even begin to say enough about this series. I'm really glad that I ended up watching it, because it was worth every minute.

11/10 (I'm almost done with the series...)

http://img132.imageshack.us/img132/3...ertenma5ve.jpghttp://img220.imageshack.us/img220/8...ercover5rh.jpg

http://img366.imageshack.us/img366/3...anna5cu.th.jpghttp://img132.imageshack.us/img132/5...reva3tc.th.jpghttp://img132.imageshack.us/img132/1...ning4lg.th.jpg

http://www.animenewsnetwork.com/imag...eases/5174.jpg

Title: Eden (It's an Endless World!)
Mangaka: Endo Hiroki
Genre: Science-Fiction, Drama, Action, Post-Apocalyptic, Cyber-Punk?
Length: Thirteen Serialized Volumes
Release Dates: Japan: 1998-2005 (Kodansha), US: 2005-???? (Dark Horse)
Warnings: Sex, Violence, Language, Drugs

Summary: The last three humans (two preteens named Enoah and Hannah, and gaurdian Professor Layne) on a specific island are living in an isolated laboratory. Sometime before, a brutal plague wiped out most of the population. Everything changes when a rebel force led by Enoah's father raids the lab in order to abduct the children, who are immune to the epidemic. Twenty years later, Enoah and Hannah have been seperated. What becomes of the two? What happens when they come into contact with other survivors? What lies in store for the world?

My Thoughts: Well, the first thing I'll admit is that I've only read the first volume, so I don't know how the plot ends, and if the story goes completely to shit. However, I was so engrossed in the first volume that I'll take my chances and write up a reccomendation. The first thing I noticed was the manga's beautiful, realistic art. Then there are two important points: 1) there are no magic/powers/etc and 2) it's not set in Japan. It's been a while since I've read a manga in this vein, so this aspect pleased me quite a bit. Issues not even touched in most animanga like homosexuality and race are dealt with on believable levels. However, this is a very complicated plot that might have you going back a few pages to make sure you didn't miss anything. There are a few pages that are laden with footnotes explaining scientific processes and governmental groups. And this story is quite blatant with it's philosiphization and questioning of political and religious issues. THIS COMIC WILL MAKE YOU THINK. However, I believe that the spectacular art, intricate plot, and dystopian musings make for an excellent read - as I pick up the rest of the series, hopefully my opinion won't change.

Name: Witch Hunter Robin
Viewing Information: 26 episodes
Publication Information: Sunrise Inc.: licensed by Bandai Entertainment
Original Release: 7-2-02
U.S. Television Debut: 2-16-04
Creator: Hajime Yatate


Synopsis:

Witch Hunter Robin follows the lives of the STN-J (STN Japan) team who protect the public from the powers of modern-day witches. To counteract the powers that the witches posses, the STN-J uses instruments called “Orbo’s”, which somehow nullifies the effect of most witches powers.

The story opens with the arrival of a Robin, a witch hunter, to replace a member of the STN-J who had died six months prior. Her abilities as a witch allow her to create and manipulate fire. She finds the STN-J team in the middle of a witch capture and uses her craft to immobilize the enemy. Throughout the series, she develops a special bond with each member of the STN-J, which ultimately leads to a truly thought-provoking conclusion.


Characters:

Robin Sena. Age: 15. Abilities: Craft-User (Fire)

Born in Japan and raised in a convent under the watchful eye of the STN, Robin returns to Japan as a replacement for a fallen member of the STN-J who had died six months earlier. Her craft allows her to create and control fire.


Amon. Age: 25. Abilities: None

Leader of the STN-J. His steely resolve and witch hunting skills are virtually unrivaled. He answers only to Zaizen for his orders. Although he does develop a somewhat soft spot for Robin. Amon is not known to have any soft of craft abilities and refuses to discuss such matters.


Miho Karasuma. Age: 19. Abilities: Craft-User (Psychic Scrying)

Like Amon, she takes her profession very seriously. Her craft abilities allow her to sense or learn information pertaining to a person or event that occurred there. Her attitude toward her job and ability make her seem a lot older than nineteen. (After watching there series I couldn’t believe she was that young)…


Haruto Sakaki. Age: 18. Abilities: None.

Somewhat brash and reckless, Sakaki usually ends up making a mess of situations and getting himself hurt most of the time. A newer member of the STN-J, he is full of energy and enthusiasm and is ready to take on any assignment.


Michael Lee. Age: 16. Abilities: Computer Expert (Hacker)

A computer specialist, Michael joined the STN-J after being caught trying to hack into the STN-J’s mainframe. Zaizen gave him and ultimatum; to either join the STN-J or face the consequences. Choosing to side with the hunters, Michael now is confined to the
office unable to leave under any circumstances. He spends his time there hacking into other networks mostly to provide information about certain cases that involve witches.


Yurika Dojima. Age: 18. Abilities: None

You can usually find Dojima being lazy around the STN-J office. Her parents pressure Zaizen into giving her a job there, and she takes advantage of that by slacking off. She is often reprimanded by Kosaka for her attitude toward her job.


Kosaka. Age: 45. Abilities: None

Chief Kosaka is un charge of operation at the STN-J office. He makes sure the jobs are doing quickly and efficiently. Dojima is usually on the receiving end of his disciplinary actions. His assistant, Hattori helps him manage things around the office. Kosaka is strict and overbearing, yet resourceful and understanding.


Takuma Zaizen. Age: 52. Abilities: None

Administrator Zaizen is responsible for all STN operations in Japan. He has given authority of the SN-J to Amon and trusts his judgment. He introduced the “Orbo” device and is overseeing it’s production from a new division of the STN-J called “The Factory”. He has equipped the STN-J with the Orbo amulets to reduce or negate the witches powers and the Orbo guns to immobilize the witches.


Series Overall:

Plot- The plot I took was very deep and involving. It was a lot easier to enjoy since the anime is targeted for somewhat older individuals. Loved the storyline as well, there really wasn’t a boring episode in this series in my opinion. It kept my attention. They kept the filler to a minimum, for which I am glad.

Character Development- This area was under constant evolution. Throughout the series the relationships of the characters between each other, their attitude toward their job, and their reactions to Robin’s arrival were highly emphasized.

Music- I really enjoyed the opening and closing themes, "SHell" and "Half-Pain" respectively. I suggest you download and at least listen to them. The background music was good and fit well with the show and in certain situations.


In Conclusion:

When I first began watching this anime I really didn’t know what to make of it. It has now become one of my favorite anime to watch. I recommend this to anyone and everyone with any slight interest in anime. This is a great one that shouldn’t be missed.

9.5/10

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v6...CLoud/WHR2.jpg

From Right to Left: Dojima, Amon, Robin, Sakaki, Karasuma, and Michael

Not to mention the DVD Box Set is awesome looking:

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v6...Loud/27948.jpg

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Golden Boy
Type: Anime OVA
Genre: Comedy, Echi
Length: 6 Episodes
Running time: 30 min each episode
Setting: Modern Japan
Original Creator: Tetsuya Egawa
Rating:For 17 and older

Summary:
Kintaro Oe is a 25 year-old guy who dropped out of college. His specialities are daydreaming, part-time jobs and - naturally - pretty girls. He roams the land on his trusted pink bike, happily living his life.

Each episode follows the same plan. Kintaro finds a job somewhere. Usually, his boss is a beautiful woman who doesn't care what he does, especially when he starts to act silly. From each job he takes he brings along a notebook in which he writes downs all of his "important" notes learning the way of the world in his own unique way. Weather he's a genius or an idiot, he always gets the job done.


http://img76.imageshack.us/img76/8268/golden16lr.jpg
My Thoughts:

At first I was hesitent to watch this since it wasn't something that I ever heard of. I kept on hearing good things about it so I decided to give the first episode a download and from the first few minute of watching it I was hooked. I went out a few days later and got myself the 2 dvds and I counldn't have been more pleased. The first episode hooks you in since anybody that likes computer and anime will find this hilarious. The faces that Kintaro makes are just so random and out of this world.
I actually let a few of my friends borrow the 2 dvds and they couldn't get enough of it. All they said after watching it "are there anymore episodes?" And sadly there isn't but but the current ones are enough to keep you coming back for more.
The animation changes to fit the comedy of the situation and it may not look as clean as newer titles its still fits in quite well. Every episode puts kintaro in an interesting job and makes you wish you were him.
This is one of my all time favorite anime's. Kintaro is such a great rolemodel, "study study study" ^_^
I'd reccommend this to anyone who liked GTO or any comedy with a little maturity. I Give it the hightest score possible^_^
http://img208.imageshack.us/img208/1170/golden24el.jpg

Samurai X: Trust and Betrayal and Reflections (Seisouhen)
Type: OVA
Genre: Action, Plot, Historical
Length: 6 episodes (2 for each OVA, ~205 minutes total)
Setting: Historical Japan
Note: You should watch the TV series first, or maybe read the manga

First off, this OVA series is very different than the TV series, Rurouni Kenshin. It's much more serious, bloody, poetic, and the art is very different. Don't expect to see any of Kenshin's silliness and "oro!" remarks here. Don't worry--you still have the voice actors from the TV series in Japanese.

Basically, Trust and Betrayal are centered around Kenshin and Tomoe before the anime series took place. Reflection takes place after the anime series and offers a quick recap of it, as well as what occurs afterwards. There's the gist of it. I didn't want to give too much away. :p

In Trust and Betrayal, you get to find out more about Kenshin's past as a Hitokiri and how he got his cross-chaped scar. These 2 OVAs were my favorite. The music was breathtaking and wonderful, as was the animation, although I preferred the TV series' style. There was also a lot of symbolism going on--the crosses in the graveyard and Kenshin's scar, the white plum, etc. The sheer beauty of these OVAs can also be seen in several scenes such as the part in Trust where Kenshin is attacked by an assassin as Tomoe is walking down the street. That whole sequence with the "bloody rain" is silently powerful and very memorable. The ending of Betrayal was very moving as well, but I wont' say more about it. ;)

Reflection takes the viewer 15 years after the TV series. All the characters have obviously aged, especially Kenshin. This OVA consists of many flashbacks to the events in the TV series. For those of you who haven't seen the series, some of these flashbacks may not make too much sense, as they're fast and are shown without much explanation.

If you're familiar with the happy, funny Kenshin from the manga or TV series, you'll be surprised at this. The characters, although they have matured, seem to have undergone extreme personality reconditioning. For some viewers, it might be horrible to see the characters like this. Kenshin is all depressed and guilty, and he's also rather selfish in a way. With that aside, Reflection is a very moving conclusion (or not, as many don't consider this a fitting conclusion) to Samurai X that brought me to tears several times.

Now that I'm done rambling about why I like the OVAs, I'll point out a couple of things I didn't like:

-While the English dub was okay, I really preferred the Japanese voice actors.

-There are a couple scenes where "real life" shots were put in. (Real water, real trees, real fire, etc) They were a little awkward and made me chuckle at its cheesiness.

-Kenshin doesn't really use his special sword techniques that were shown in the anime. You just see him slashing and hacking a lot. Well, I guess this makes it fit into the general feel of the OAVs.



And I'll sum up the good parts:

-One of the BEST musical scores I have heard in my life--ranging from exciting percussion rythmns to sad, moving, and beautiful pieces. (There are 2 scores to the OAVs--one for Trust and Betrayal, and another for Reflection, both of which were composed by Taku Iwasaki)

-Action!

-Beautiful--art, story, the way it was told.


Yeah, that's about it. I think that any Kenshin fan should give these OVAs a try after watching the TV series. If you find that you easily get bored with other movies or shows, you might want to skip this one. It's not one of those edge-of-your-seat presentations, but, rather, a beautiful, poetic one that can be a bit slow-moving at times.
Overall: 10/10

NANA
Type: Anime Series
Genre: Drama, Romance, Comedy, Music
Length: Ongoing, currently listed as 50
Setting: Modern Japan
Note: Based on the manga by Yazawa Ai, the same creator of Paradise Kiss. There is also a Nana Live Action movie.

http://i18.photobucket.com/albums/b1...nana01_009.jpg
Komatsu Nana (left), Osaki Nana (right)

http://i18.photobucket.com/albums/b1...nana01_020.jpg

http://i18.photobucket.com/albums/b136/Rydeee/144.jpg

Nana is the story about two young women who meet one night on a train. After some brief conversation, they realize that they share the same first name, Nana. The two are separated after their arrival in Tokyo, but an apartment tour later on brings them together again.

Character development plays a large role in this anime. The first episode introduces Komatsu Nana and Osaki Nana when they are both twenty, but the anime dedicates several episodes to explain why each woman was on her way to Tokyo. The story revolves around the friendship between the two main characters, friends from each character's past, and the drama that unfolds.

One noteworthy characteristic about the anime is the clothing. In each episode, the characters are often seen wearing different and fashionable outfits. Paradise Kiss is also similar in terms of clothing, but whereas Nana focuses on drama and elements of music, the former involves a design school and fashion.

Although Nana is a shoujo title, it's very different from typical high school stories. The characters' personalities are presented to the viewer slowly, and the drama is more mature.

Nana has a stylish atmosphere, and is a good title to watch to take a break from action. I'd recommend this one to shoujo fans who want to see something different, and viewers who are interested in a mature anime that can still be fun to watch.

Nana
Type: Anime
Genre: Romance, Comedy, Music, Drama, Shojo / Shoujo
Length: Ongoing; I've seen 8
Setting: Modern Japan
Warnings: Not suitable for younger audiences due to brief nudity, sex, etc. So don't go watching it with your 7-year-old cousin!

Plot
Two women with the same name (Nana), both 20 years of age, meet one snowy night on a train headed towards Tokyo. One of these women is a happy, perky person who can't seem to help falling in love at first sight. The other is a rockstar with an attitude. Nevertheless, the two, realizing that they're alike in many ways, become acquainted on their long trip, but upon their arrival at Tokyo, they become separated. However, a chance encounter causes both Nanas to meet again.

The series then focuses around the relationship between both women, as well as their past lives, mainly focusing on romance.


My Thoughts
After reading Rydia's review, I decided to give this series a go since I wasn't watching anything. Upon viewing the first episode, I was pleasantly surprised, and I was looking forward to the next. Although I've only seen 8 episodes, this series looks very promising. The characters are varied and interesting, and their pasts are both detailed and intriguing.

The highest point in this anime, in my opinoin, lies within the characters and their lives, as this isn't a simple, poorly written story about love. On the contrary, it's depth and maturity are evident throught the series. Although both Nanas seems entirely different in their personalities, they do share similar experiences about love. Almost immediately, I found myself wishing each character happiness in their love lives after the flashbacks of how their relationships ended up.

As far as the art goes, I wasn't too sure at first about whether or not it suited the story, but I've gotten used to it. :) However, I like how the characters aren't wearing the exact same outfit every day!

The OP/ED for this series is very nice. The opening features an all-out rock tune, and each episode closes with a beautiful one. The videos for both are well-done and are some of the best I've seen in a while.

Overall, I would recommend this title to anyone who wants to watch a good anime about romance, although I probably should mention that this series seems to be directed towards the female audience.
8.5/10

Iron Wok Jan!

Category: MANGA: Comedy/Drama, Career Themed (like sports themed, but with a career. :eyebrow: :doh: ), and SoapOpera-esque.
Number of Vols. Thus Far: 21

This is the story of an EXTREMELY arrogant chef (Jan) who simply walks into Gobancho Restaraunt in Tokyo and tells them that they aren't cooking worth crap. He's the new employee and he's really good.

Turns out that his granddad and Jan's nemesis Kiriko granddad were both hailed as the best Chinese Chefs in Japan. This, however is only a small part of the story.

Jan feels that he HAS to be the best, period. No one can get in his way. Not even his employer. He thinks cooking is all about getting a name for yourself.

Kiriko is the exact opposite, she's focused to the point of insanity and cooks with her heart (let me find a trashcan to puke in...).

http://www.animefringe.com/magazine/...ews/11/pic.jpg
http://www.popimage.com/content/images/ironwokint.jpg
http://www.popimage.com/content/images/ironwok3.jpg

In my personal opinion, the whole thing was completely insane. There isn't a natural thing about it.
For instance:
*When Jan walks in, he looks like an Egyptian who put on too much makeup.
*Kiriko has a protruding forehead in some shots, and looks totally normal in others.
*Jan looks posessed half the time. Whenever he's cooking, it's like he needs an exorcist or something.
Even though, it's a wild read. If you really feel like reading something while you're completely bored, this is the thing to read. Definately.

EDIT: Arrrgh! Some of the pics are being ghetto... wish I could find more...

Yakitate
 

*sorry, I tried to post images and urls but I don't have enough post counts to do this. I will try to come back and insert them later.

Yakitate

Type: Anime/Manga
Genre: Comedy
Length: I think there are over 60 episodes. I'm only up to 12.
Setting: Modern Japan
Rated: Everyone. It's family-fun safe (as far as I have seen.) No violence and no romance, from what I've seen, just a really great story.

Paperback Manga: amazon.com/Yakitate-Japan-Takashi-Hashiguchi/dp/1421507196/sr=8-1/qid=1164986925/ref=pd_bbs_sr_1/102-5029583-3377748?ie=UTF8&s=books[/url]

Episodes on Youtube for your enjoyment: Episode 1: youtube.com/watch?v=CTNf8JYNLz0[/url]

Story: Kazuma Azuma (or Azuma Kazuma on the English cartoon) has a life dream to be a baker - but not just any baker. He dreams to be the one who makes a national bread for Japan. He wants Japan to have a staple bread that will be as well loved as rice. And many countries have their own signature breads (France, Germany, etc.) and he wants Japan to also have one.

So he does all these bread experiments and names them Ja-Pan (it's a play/pun on the word pan which is a Japanese word for bread). So with each Ja-Pan # experiment, he gets closer to creating that national bread.

My thoughts: The show is very fun once you start watching. It's quite comical. Also with the end of each episode you can't wait to watch the next because you must find out what happens! I like the play on words and seeing all the interesting bread combinations that Azuma makes. What is REALLY funny is when someone tastes one of his breads. They're whisked off to other worlds in their minds, other places. It's funny to see their reactions.

I bought the first manga, and it seems to cover quite a few of the anime episodes. The cartoons keep quite in line with the manga, but expand a bit on it - so when I read the manga I noticed really that nothing was missing that was in the anime episodes.

Quite enjoyable stuff, and I'd be interested in finding more anime/manga that run along these lines. There's no violence and no romance from what I've seen, just a really great story.

Utawarerumono: The One Being Sung

-Type: Anime Series
-Genre: Fantasy

-Length: 26 Episodes
-Some Screenshots: Coming soon once I re-hookup my hard drive.

http://www.geocities.com/PianoSaxoph...1211105308.jpg
Eruruu (left) and Aruruu(right) holding Mukuru

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Hakouro (well, his back), Aruruu on Mukuru, and Benawi (back)

http://www.geocities.com/PianoSaxoph...1211110100.jpg
Clockwise from left: Hakouro, Benawi, Eruruu, Munto, Urutorii

http://www.geocities.com/PianoSaxoph...1211111615.jpg
Clockwise from Hakouro: Hakouro (obvoiusly), Benawi, Karura, Kurou, Dori, Gura (or visa versa, I dunno, they're twins), Oboro, and Eruruu

http://www.geocities.com/PianoSaxoph...1211111748.jpg
Touka with Kurou's Arm.

http://www.geocities.com/PianoSaxoph...1211112236.jpg
Karura ready to open a can of whoopass.

-Music Composer: Hijiri Anze, Miyu Nakamura, Suara (Opening)

This is some good music in this anime. The Opening theme is probably one of the more memorable ones I've heard, and unlike most others, I actually don't mind listening through this EVERY episode since it really doesn't get old. During the actual episode, the music fits the atmosphere and mood very nicely and they compliment each other very well. The Ending theme isn't nearly as good as the opening (then again, not much else is on the same level as the opening), but it's definitely not bad.
Music Found here: http://www.geocities.com/PianoSaxoph...arerumono.html

MUSIC: 19/20

The plot of Utawarerumono follows a protagonist who, like many protagonists, is an amnesiac and has little to no recollection of his past. He is found severely wounded and is nursed back to health by Tusukuru, a town elder of a small village, and her two granddaughters, Eruruu and Aruruu. After getting acquainted with the town, the protagonist joins the townspeople in fending off a mythological creature who comes at some nights and causes destruction. After this, the protagonist, who up to this point is more or less nameless, is given the name Hakouro, the name of Tusukuru's son, and the name of the father of the two granddaughters. Later on, the small town rises up and rebells against the government and overtakes it and becomes a powerful nation named after Tusukuru.

Personally, I love the plot (partially because I love the fantasy genre of anime) and the story advances at a perfect pace with the right amount of action and deep, emotional moments at the right times.

STORY: 30/30

The cast for Utawarerumono is pretty well rounded with the initially small party of Hakouro/Eruruu/Aruruu quickly expands to include many more memorable characters like Oboro (dual-sword wielding fighter), Benawi (captain of the army - polearm user), Touka (a swordmaster), and many more. Each character is developed fully and their motives and emotions are crafted beautifully, as if they were real people. Each has their background and past that they recall at certain points of the anime, and we also see exactly how each character develops and how their personality forms and changes as the series goes on. Their pasts are also exposed and we see exactly what their motivations are and just marvel at how much they've grown since you first saw them.

CHARACTERS: 30/30

It's a rather generic art style that is typical for Fantasy type anime. Not saying that it's bad, but it doesn't set itself apart in this respect. The characters, however, are well designed physically. There are a few sections that are CG rendered, but for brief periods of time. Otherwise, the animation is smooth, and the art is clean, albeit somewhat generic.

ANIMATION/ART: 15/20

Overall Score: 94/100

Final Thoughts: It's a really good anime if you love fantasy anime (like me). There's enough action to keep you engrossed in the story and more than enough dramatic moments, and even some romantic moments. You grow fond of all the characters as you watch them develop.

Here's the Opening Sequence if you're curious. The fighting here is, unfortunately, probably the best you'll see (for Oboro at least, and probably the twins too). But it's damn good.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3zd14...elated&search=

or

You can listen to the FULL theme song complimented with some good (non-spoiling) clips of the anime.
http://youtube.com/watch?v=rFzhIBlMyfg

That looks like a really good anime, Omni. Any idea when the first volume's set to be released in the US?

OK I'm gonna give this a shot:

MAISON IKKOKU
manga/anime (never saw the anime)
1980's
humor/romance
setting: 80's Japan
length of manga: 15 volumes

This is my absolute favorite manga of all time. It is so funny. It is about this failing college student named Godai. He lives in this old, run-down boarding house with the most insane neighbors you can find. They party all day and night, keeping Godai from ever studying. The only reason he stays is because he is secretly in love with his landlord....she's a woman, but he won't confess his feelings until he feels that he can support her and take her away from all the crazy tenants.

The writer/artist is Rumiko Takahashi the creator of Ranma 1/2 and Inu Yasha

(I don't know how to post any images. Sorry...)

Well, might as well donate some of my favorites

the older one first;

FullMetal Alchemist - Hagane no renkijutsi
(anime)

(copy paste it into another browser, sorry but i am too new to be allowed to post images or hotlinks in general >_>)
http://www.zstore.com/images/fma_april.jpg
from the right (if you can spot them that is) Roy Mustang, Riza Hawkeye, Alfonse Elric (yep, the armor dude, and its empty O_O)m and Finally Edward Elric.

Genres: Fantasy, Horror(themes in a few of the episodes. not every one of them.) Mecha (slightly, look at Edwards arm)

Episodes (anime) 51 INCLUDING a movie.

Main plot:
The two main characters, Edward Elric and his younger brother Alfonse Elric lives alone with their mother, because their father left them for unknown reasons. Their mother dies in the beginning of the show, and their tries to get her back using alchemy. however, within alhcemy, there are 2 golden rules that HAS to be followed. 1. you can NEVER create gold. 2. you can't ressurect someone already dead. because of "equivallent trade" you also need something to create something else of the same value.

the whole story revovles around the Elric brothers trying to regain what they lost then they tried ressuructing their mother. Edward was the lucky one and only lost a arm and a leg, while his younger brother lost his whole body.

when you try to resuruct someone, they will become "sins" and given a name therefrom. to become a true human again, they will need something far greater, and anything you could possible use for the equivallent trade, INCLUDING several human lives. and that is what is called, the phillosophers stone (most like heard that name before, it is an actual legend, about a red material which could be used to create life elixer which could lengthen your life, or the source to create gold. Harry Potter uses the same legend) The Elric brothers are also looking for the philosophers stone, believing it to be the only thing that could return them to normal, and the sins, (greed, lust, gluttony, wrath, pride, envy and sloth) seeks this out because they think they can become humans after achiving it.

It starts out kinda strange, as episode one would fit better as a episode 12 or more (too long ago to remember i'm afraid -.-) but later takes it from the very beginning.

i honestly don't know what this is rated, but i'd say 13+ or even 15+ because of gore. it is tied pretty well to the horror genre, and most likely something you should stay away from if you are easily scared, or just hates that kind of thing.

overall; 8/10
i loved the story, and the whole thing about alchemy is amazing. the background is unbelievably detailed, giving us the feel that whoever made this really thought about EVERYTHING.

as a last note, while the manga and anime starts the same, they develop differently. don't ask why, and since i haven't read the manga yet, i can't tell the huge difference, it is just what i've been told.

more to go....

Ouran high school host club

Genre: comedy, romance, shounen/shoujo-ai (not the main one though) high school.
episodes (anime) : 26

http://www.pour-soi.net/images/diary...410/host02.jpg

This one really got me. i was hooked the moment i first saw this. the first episode shows us this transfer student Haruhi, who tries to find a place to read. when she enters the third music room, she finds the host club, who consist of (from the left) Mori (the silent, cool guy) Honey (the cute one) Haruhi (the "natural one" and a GIRL on top of that) Tamaki (the "leader/chairman") beneath him, the twins, the uber one is hikaru, and the lower one is kaoru (xO how did i know? xDD) and finally in the uber left corner, Kyouya, (the "SHADOW king". all the members of the host club follows HIS ideas, NOT tamaki's xP

the whole idea of the host club is to amuse rich girl with too much time on their hands. ("those rich bastards" -quote Haruhi xD) Haruhi is somehow forced into the club *cough* and because she looks like a boy (don't ask why no one on the whole damn school knows) she also becomes a host.

the whole thing lacks a plot, but it is still funny as hell, and i enjoyed most of the episodes. the only thing that kinda sucked was too many flashbacks where they use a whole episode showing how the characters were when they were younger. some of em can be funny, but sometimes, all those fillers bores you to death >_>

The funny part is their personallities.
Tamaki is the stupid one. his iq seems to be waaaay below 100, but he is amazingly good at charming girls for some reason. (maybe dumbness makes him cute xP)
Kyouya is incredibly intelligent, but has a darker side because of a huge pressure his father puts on him. even if he always seems quite friendly, and always wears a "im-happy" smile, he is wicked to the core, and that makes him incredible funny xD
Honey, the little cute CAKE freak. he eats sweets all the time. even though he looks very young, he is actually a senior, and he is deffinatly not stupid either. he is also told not ever to use his full strenght whenever he gets in a fight, because japan is afraid that other countries will think they hold mass destruction weapons O_o he is very strong xP
Mori is like the protector of Honey (as if that would be needed) and he is a master in kendo (what a pair O_x)
The twins are EVIL! they act like homos when they amuse the girls, and it REALLY works. everything they do, no matter HOW innocent it may look, has an evil meaning behind it. the two are almost ALWAYS together.
Kaoru however, is far more intelligent than his brother, or at least more mature. Hikaru seems to like haruhi (because of the fact that she can instantly see the difference in those two no matter what they do to conceal it.) but is too stupid to realize this himself (or so says kaoru xP)

Haruhi is the girl who looks a little too much like a boy. the first episode involves the whole host club slowly figuring out that she is a girl. She is the only poor student in the school, and is only there because she is extremely intelligent.

other than what i just wrote, the whole host club except for haruhi all have VERY powerful families.
Tamakis father is by FAR the most powerful, and he even owns the school itself.
Kyouya's family owns quite a bit of companies as well, (hospitals and police forces)
Mori's family has always been there to aid honeys.
Honey's family trains elite forces in close combat, and is highly regarded within the military.
the twins also have powerful parents, but i actually don't know/remember why they are...

overall 8/10. definatly a must see if you like the comedy genre and either likes the non action animes, or just want to get a like break from bleach ect.

WELL since i am APPARENTLY not allowed to split it into more posts it'll have to do like this. sorry if it is too confusing....

Tsubasa Chronicle

Lenght: 46 tv episodes and 1 movie (dunno about manga, never read those)

Genre: action, adventure, fantasy, comedy and romance (in my opinion at least)

the story itself is about a princess named Sakura, who loses her "heart". this suddenly happens when she gets near an archeoligist site with an ancient structure. Her "heart" takes form as HUGE wings, and when her childhood friend and crush (he doesn't know though) tries to save her, her wings scatter and so does her memory. they are then send to another dimension, where they meet yuuko the dimensional witch (xxxholic anyone? it is actually the one and same person we are talking about, and as far i as i've heard, cardcaptor sakura is also related to this anime) along with Sakura and her friend, called Shaoran, 2 other persons appear. one of them, a knight, who only wants to become stronger and get back to his own dimension again, and the other, a mage who wants to get away from someone he sealed away in his own dimension.

the dimensional witch yuuko, tells them that to save Sakura from death, they'll have to gather her feathers (to complete the wings, or more correctly, her memory, once again.) but since they are scattered across many dimensions. that can only be done, if you give up the most important thing to you (except for your own, or someone elses life of course)

the wings that emerged are a fysical form of the "will-of-the-heart" the person has. since Sakura has a very strong heart, her wings a HUGE. and not just that, every feather holds a lot of power, causing quite a lot of trouble for our friends.

http://kss.mysticalaura.com/info/tsubasa/trcanime.jpg

from left to right:
Sakura; the girl who lost her memory. the most important thing to her was the same as shaorans. their relationship. no matter how much she tries to remember herself, she wont be able to remember anything about shaoran ever again. she has lost both of her parents, and were living with her older brother (or the king) who didn't quite liked the idea of her and shaoran being together.
Shaoran; a martial artist, and also an archeoligist, who has lost both of her parents.
Kurogane; the swordsman, who gave up his most precious sword in exchange to be able to travel through the dimensions. he was cursed by a princess from his own dimension, which causes him to get weaker if he kills someone (he did that alot) and truth to be told, he only wants to get back home. unfortunatly, he can't before they have completly gathered Sakuras memory.
Mokona; the little white... thing. it is this little fellas job to give them messages from yuuko, and tell them where the feather is (not really, but it has an ability to help making it easier) REALLY likes to mock kurogane.
FINALLY!
Fey D. Flowright; my favorite character in this anime. he is a mage, but doesn't use magic because he promised never to use magic without a certain tatoo on his back (which were taken to allow dimension travelling) He is the funniest character i have seen for long, and he really ENJOYS mocking Kurogane, especially by giving him names (like kuro wan-wan/kurorin/kuropuu, and other dog names.) he is VERY strong even though he is a mage, and appears to be stronger than Kurogane. my favorite quote from his; "Hyuu" which is something he says alot... his reason; "well i can't whistle!" Fey is the exact oposite of Kurogane. Fey is ALWAYS smiling, except when playing serious. other than that, he RARELY removes his smile (this means he does) Kurogane on the other hand is cold and serious at all times, which is probably why Fey and Mokona likes mocking him with stupid names xP

In my opinion, a GREAT anime, but to be honest, i don't watch it because of the main couple (Sakura and Shaoran) i watch it because i like the cute and innocent Sakura and the funny pair consisting of Kurogane and Fey (no shounen ai tho xP)

i'd give it 7/10 because of good animations, but because of lacking background history, and a somewhat boring plot. every episode seems to be Shaoran fighting for his life for 1 of Sakuras feathers, and thats about it... thank god they put Kurogane and Fey in there as well xP

might as well add some more, but this post is starting to get quite long don't you think? O_o

My Animes
 

Okay.. I hope i do this right O.o

Anime

Marmalade Boy

Genre: Romantic Comedy

Episodes: 76, Completed

OVA's?: No.

Marmalade Boy is a great anime for Romantic Comedy fans. The main character is Miki Koishkiwa who got alot of love problems. Many boys are starting to like her, causing problems with her boyfriend. But i wont spoil too much =)

My Rating: 8/10


Ouran High School Host Club

Genre: Romantic Comedy

Episodes: 26(I think), Completed

OVA's?: No.

Well, this anime isn't that great, but its a good spare time anime to watch =) i Don't remember the main character name... But she (He in episode 1) breaks a 6 million yen vase, and works part time at Ouran High School's Host Club. After a while she gets promoted to a Host, and a lot of things happen.

My Rating: 6/10


Naruto

Genre: Action Comedy

Episodes: 211, Not Completed, Possible Stopped.

OVA's?: No, not yet, if to come.

Naruto has to be my favorite anime ever. It's packed with action and comedy, so great it made the 211 episodes go past quickly! It's about a young boy named Naruto, who desperately tries to become a ninja, but since a Nine Tailed Demon Fox is sealed within him, he has problems making friends. But after graduating from the Ninja Academy he becomes a Genin, and goes with epic adventures with Sakura, Sasuke and many other fellow ninjas!

My Rating: 9 1\2 /10


Bleach

Genre: Action, Partly Comedy

Episodes: 109, Not Completed, Still in Making.

OVA's?: No, not yet, if to Come.

Bleach is an Action anime, with partly Comedy.. Okay a little more comedy :P It's about a boy named Ichigo, who can see ghosts. Suddenly some wierd monsters, only seen by Ichigo appears, and when the girl Rukia whom has the Death God/Soul Reaper/Shinigami Power, gives Ichigo her powers, his life changes big time!

My Rating: 9/10

finally

Love Hina

Genre: Romantic Comedy

Episodes: 27 if i remember correctly.

OVA's?: Yes, i only know of "Love Hina Again" though.

Love Hina is about a boy named Keitaro, who is desperately trying to get into Tokyo.U (Tokyo University) because of a girl he made a promise with when he was a kid. After failing several times, he decides to live with his Grandmother, since his parents can't feed him, but when he gets there, he cant find her, and suddenly gets into a bath with a pretty woman. After some times he discovers that his Grandmothers inn has been turned into a "All-Girls Dormitory"! And from there on, his aunt makes him the manager there, and a funny tale of romance begins... Who is the girl he made the promise with? You will find out =)

Ratings: 8 1\2 /10


other animes:
Tokyo Mew Mew, Ratings: 7/10
Ai Yori Aoshi, Ratings: 5/10 *perverted alert*
Gantz, Ratings, 5/10 *Head splattering, blood and kind hentai alert*
Powerpuff Girls Z, Ratings 3/10 *LOL*
Fruits Basket, Ratings: 6/10

thats all i can remember now

You might want to read that over before whoever's in charge of this gets here first.

I may as well try and offer one of my favorites up.. Please sirs, don't flog me.




.Hack//SIGN

Type: Anime
Number of episodes: I count 27
Genre: A dash of comedy and action with a heaping amount of mystery.
Setting: Fantasy


Almost the entirety of .hack//SIGN takes place within a game otherwise known as "The World" Which happens to be a hit MMORPG, or Massive Multiplayer Online Role-Playing Game.

The anime follows the interactions between the characters Bear, Mimiru, BT, Sora, Crim, Silver Knight, Subaru and most importantly, Tsukasa within this game. For the most part, the story focuses around Tsukasa.. Y'see.. he has a little bit of a problem: He can't log out of the game for some reason.. Additionally various strange things tend to happen around him, things that would be deemed impossible by anyone else in the game world...

pictures: sorry folks, no pictures for you.

My Opinion: Personally I think this series is a work of art. The musical score from the opening theme to background music throughout the episode fits in very well. The character animations were pretty average, but I loved the art. So many different scenes and all of them done extremely well in my opinion.

The storyline is both confusing and enthralling at the same time... sometimes It jumps a little bit outside of the game dealing with some aspects of the character user's life and is never truly straightforward, meaning you have to pay attention to glean any sort of information on the user's back story. other times the story focuses on Tsukasa's dilemmas and how the other characters tie in to them.

The story picks up it's steam, but it picks it up slowly. Don't come into this expecting a lot of action, this anime is more based around mystery than it is action.

Pros:

-The story is enthralling, at least it was to me. You never truly know everything about a character or user and what you do find out you had to really pay attention in order to learn.

-It takes place in an MMORPG, that in and of itself was amusing to me.

Cons:

-Others will complain that the storyline is to slow and even more will complain that it lacks action.

Rating: 7/10

Noein - to your other self
 

Noein - to your other self

Genres: Adventure, Drama, Romance, Science Fiction, Slice of Life
24 Episodes

Summery: Fifteen years in the future, by high-level scientific power, a violent battle takes place between La'crima, that protects humanity, and Shangri-La, where Noein plans the annihilation of all space-time. The key to stopping Shangri-La's invasion is a mysterious object known as "the Dragon's Torque." A group known as the Dragon Cavalry is being sent through space and time to find it and bring it back to La'crima to stop Shangri-La's invasion.
In the present, twelve-year old Haruka and her friends are investigating where a "ghost" had been seen in a grave yard, where they run into these Dragon Cavalry. Where they had trouble traveling through space-time. Being frieghtened by this group in black cloaks they run away, where Haruka having a strange feeling leaves her friends where she meet Karasu, one of the Dragon Cavalry, one of her friends, Yuu, comes to her aid agains this 'ghost'. Karasu tells Yuu that he can not safe that girl, because He is Yuu from the future.

Music: Hikaru Nanase

My opinion: WOW! That is all I have to say. I was Amazed that i had not hear more about this. The art style slightly more crude than alot of other anime, but over all it is WONDERFUL! The animation is some of the smoothest animation I have seen in a while. The fight scenes are smooth, and not just a bunch of teleporting about. The characters are likable, and the anime while having a large amount of SciFi as a lot of down to earth family type issues in it. A very VERY well thought out complex issue brining the world of Shang-La and La'crima at ends. The Music is Wonderful, it flows great into the environment and makes the story come even more alive.

(will come back and ad some pictures)

Can someone recommend something to me?
 

Ok, so I'm a big sci-fi geek, and was wondering if there was anything that was good that was had alot of space-action, or fighters, etc... Please help me :) Just finishing up Robotech now :)

Outlaw Star. Lots of action, spaceships with arms, and plenty of humor.

You might also like Planetes. Although it doesn't have much fighting (if any), the better part of the series takes place in space and is very realistic.

VanDread.* Very comical and has a lot of spaceships and a pretty good plot. It's a must see.

Well theres always the popular Gundam series if you want to watch it~

Hmm Sci-Fi doesn't count Mechas right? What about Mechas in space? :)

There are also:
* Stellvia of the Universe (comedy/action/adventure/sci-fi)
* Xenosaga: The Animation (Base on the PS2 game)
* Stratos 4 (lotsa action but not in space)
* Crest of the Stars (very popular series)
* Martian Successor Nadesico (comedy/action/sci-fi)

Well I guess thats all I can come up with right from top of my head :p

Locke you've been around to know there is a General questions and an anime recommendation threads, to be honest I'm kinda surprised the mods haven't pounced on this and closed it.
But if your looking for Sci-fi Space action I would recommend ot you

• Outlaw Star, good animation, cool plot, awesome art, great story pretty funny
• Nadesico, AWESOME stuff, alittle bit of everything that is awesome there
• Banner and Crest of the Stars, its a more serous plot, but from what i have seen of the show i like it personally.
• Macross, if you Liked robot tech you will propably like this
• Gundam, you might like these some are deffenly better than others, just check into them
• Cowboy Bebop, If you havn't seen this, i would recommend it anyway, there is some really cool space action in it.
• Vandread, Awesome, amazing, a must watch for comedy!

Well, still i would check www.animenewsnetwork.com and check out all the series recommended to you here, and see what you do like of them.

I see all my favourites have been mentioned already :)

I'd recommend Planetes, but it's more of a "salaryman in space" show than one with epic space battles, so I'd point you to the Crest/Banner of the Stars series instead. There's four seasons of this, the last one in OVA form. An absolute pleasure to watch from beginning to end.

Starship Operators might be a good watch too, if you want something slightly more intellectual.

Nobody is recommending The Irresponsible Captain Tylor. What's wrong with you people? >=/

Also, I want to beat you for not prefixing this shit, Locke. With a stick!

I loved Planetes, but I doesn't sound like what he'd be looking for.

Outlaw Star and Vandread are very solid bets.

I especially recommend Vandread. It's everything you'll be looking for. Sci-Fi, comedy, action and a solid story. Outlaw Star is pretty much the same, but the fighting isn't necessarily in space.

Woohoo. I finally updated the links. Hopefully, they're all working correctly. Please do let me know if there are any problems. As for the sketchy reviews--I'll try to clear these up. ='D

Outlaw Star is good indeed, but IMO the english dubb it's freacking terrible, another one of the greatest cartoon network fucked ups... If you don't mind, or you find a good "outlaw" fansubber, go for it.

Try these.

• Galaxy Angel. This is a must-be-watched series, although it depicted very few combats, because...THIS IS A FUCKING GOOD COMEDY! A very crazy one, indeed. I cannot promise that you WON'T laugh after seeing this series. You may also want to check:
• Galaxy Ange-lune. It's sequel.
• Gene Shaft. Not very popular (at least in my country), but cool enough.
• Garasu no Kantai. Awesome! expect if you DON'T like political issues.
• Getsumen To Heiki MINA. A bit crazy. It's a comedy-type, though...

Btw, why does it all begin with G? I don't know; don't ask!
Maybe Haruhi wants it...

EDIT: I forgot these.

• Galaxy Express 999
• Harlock Saga, and Space Pirate Captain Herlock

They both takes place in space, despite the story itself is a bit murky.

Why would you recommend Galaxy Angel Rune when only three episodes have been subbed? With the last being subbed in March there's a slim chance Katana-Fansubs will start working on it again any time soon. I mean, sure I happen to have it all RAW but there's something about understanding the show that could probably add to the enjoyment. Probably.

Eureka sevN is pure awesome, but it's not really space. Still awesome.

Hey...I'm just recommending. It doesn't really matter whether it will be subbed in this time soon or not. At least he knows that there is a sequel. Look at the bright side: although the sub will come in the next 5 years, hey! He'll recognize it in a glance and won't be judging from the word 'lune'.

At least he knows.

Yeah, by the time he'd get through all 4 seasons of Galaxy Angel I suppose so.

I T-O-L-D Y-O-U S-O------:D

It's worth waiting though...

I haven't seen anyone mention Iria Zeiram the Animation and I think that'd be right up your alley. It's a bit old and it's a OVA (it has 6 episodes in all I think). I'm not all that fond of sci-fi for the most part, but I love this title. I also think Cowboy Bebop is a good choice if you haven't seen it yet.

If you all don't mind me asking, how is Vampire Hunter D? I like Anime, but I've never really gotten into it.

Vampire Hunter D wouldn't be a bad place to start out if you haven't watched much anime. The first movie is pretty old, so the art style may put you off. I thought it was a pretty good movie for the time. The second movie was fun to watch and the animation wasn't bad from what I can recall (it's been a while since I've seen both x.x). Just stay away from the books.

Awesome, thank you! Can you recommend other anime as well? Thanks!

What genre? Still about sci-fis or all genres in general? The choice is yours...

I'm almost done watching Noein (Props Aku), I was wondering if there is any anime similar to that? Sci-fi animes, I mean.

I guess it'd help to know what genres you might prefer as Ozma stated, but I don't think it's all that big a deal. I'm more of a manga person, so I only have a few titles to suggest. I'm pretty picky, so I think these are pretty decent and you might like them as well:

Cowboy Bebop
Mushishi
Ghost in the Shell: Stand Alone Complex (and the movie called Solid State Society which is a sequel)
Howl's Moving Castle (lots of movies by Studio Ghibli are fun to watch, that's just one of many)

I tried to suggest stuff that isn't too strange. I'll edit these with summaries if you really want, but you're better off just looking up info elsewhere. I'm pretty terrible at them. >.>;

To the Opener: if you like Twilight Zone-ish stuff, Warau Se-rusu man (trans: Laughing Salesman) is one I can recommend. It's a tad old though so you might have some trouble finding it.

Let's see...

• AIR TV (very sad, watch out)*
• Elfen Lied*, BLOOD+ (lots of blood)
• Higurashi no Naku Koro ni, Berserk (same prob as above)
• TEXHNOLYZE* (heavy story plot)
• NHK ni Youkoso!
• Suzumiya Haruhi no Yuutsu*
• Kino no Tabi
• RahXephon* (touching mecha story)
• Utawarerumono
• once again, Galaxy Angel*!

*highly recommended

I'm just a bit late but I see you both have responded.

I am interested in sci-fi / horror / action anime series & films. Films would be better for recommendation because they are shorter and easier to download, however I am still interested in getting recommendations for anime series. Thanks!

I highly recommend Love Roma. It's comedy/slice of life/romance.

I've got 5 volumes of it now (in the US through Del Rey books). I don't remember exactly how I found it, I might have picked it up randomly in a bookstore.

The art style is a bit simple, but the writing more than makes up for it. A lot of tsukkomi/boke style gags. Hoshino is usually the boke, and Negi is the tsukkomi. She is also a bit tsundere.

One of the interesting things about Love Roma is that while it is about love/relationships, courtship is not the primary focus of the manga. Hoshino and Negi start dating in the first few chapters. Rather, the central focus of the manga is Hoshino and Negi's relationship. The things that happen during a first relationship, trying to make it work through boredom, jealousy, etc. (I am a big fan of slice of life stuff).

I find all the characters funny, and I definitely recommend checking it out. It's not that hard to find, but you might have to Amazon it. Del Rey is #3 behind Viz and Tokyopop, iirc.

i heard code geass was good. i dunno what type of anime you're looking into but if you like mecha, this is good for you too.

Any anime like Record of Lodoss War? I loved it.

Ive seen Scrapped Princess(was ok) and Escaflowne(awesome)

Any other pure fantasy animes?

Twelve Kingdoms is a really good anime if you're looking for fantasy. There's a recommendation for it in this thread (link).

There's also a thread topic about it, found here. (Link)

Any comedy recommendation?
I'm kinda sick of evangelion type and don't really find that galaxy angel is funny.

Well, you have GTO (which is one of the funniest animes I've seen in a looong time) and Genshiken (2nd season started a few weeks ago).

I need some cyber punk recommendations. I absolutely adore GITS, Armitage, Bubblegum Crisis and Alita. Any other that I should check out?

History's Strongest Disciple Kenichi is a good martial arts/comedy anime.

For the drama/romantic/comedy anime lovers, Kanon is a very good anime but heavier on the drama part.

Also, Hayate no Gotoku! is a great anime for comedy and some romance, but the unique aspect of this anime is the constant breaking of the fourth wall. Meaning, there are a lot of moments when the cast speaks directly to the audience.

I think that you should be able to find all these here.

Enjoy! :D

Fansub TV, Anime - Pictures, Downloads, Torrents, Tube Videos

My friend is looking to get his boyfriend some anime for Xmas. He's a huge fan of Haibane Renmei. Can you guys think of anything philosophical like that to recommend? Thanks.

Lain is by the same creator and is rather good, Texhnolyze is also by the same people, and I've been told its really good haven't watched it myself.
Lain you can get at a releasable price in a boxset at best buy Texhnolyze is guna be more expensive and harder to find off line.

Er...I can't recommend Lain unless you're into weird stuff relating to mindfuck anime.

But that's just me, I don't know about other people, but I didn't like it much when I watched it.

As for philosophical anime, nothing really comes to mind. But if you like Drama/Slice of Life, I'd recommend Asatte no Houkou.

Dizzy : I've watched GTO long time ago, thanks anyway.
Yojimbo : thanks, it's exactly what I want. I'm going to read the manga as well. (History's Strongest Disciple Kenichi) :D

Every male will definitely love "Tengen Toppa Gurren Lagann"; comedy,action,romance,philosophy it has them all, it also have many great quote as well.
Eg. "Go beyond the impossible and kick reason to the curb!" :D

Mmm... anything of the like of Gankutsuou or Chevalier D' Eon? not exactly as of beign based on novels or something like that, but more as of being series oriented to the telling of serious, well written stories... er, dunno if I am I understood here -_-'

It might be worth taking a look at Seirei no Moribito. The action is extremely brilliant with a well-developed cast of characters and a rather serious plot. It also helps that the lead, a spearwoman named Balsa, is an extremely strong character and that the story doesn't feel contrived. The brilliantly-done animation and artwork as well as the soundtrack helps draw you into the setting and the story. If you're looking for a well-written story, I'd have to toss Seirei no Moribito your way for you to give it a shot. It easily gets my vote for the best fantasy series of 2007.

Thread here.
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Agh, late reply... sorry. Looks like just what I was looking for :D much thanks to you!!

But err... any fansub group reccomended? :D It's just that I have only been able to find torrents of it in french :eagletear:

X (the movie)
it's anime

genre - It think it would be classified as action and gory flick.
about - The story takes place in 1999, the Year of Destiny, and the beginning of the end of the world. The future of the universe rests on one young man, Kamui Shiro, who must destroy either the Dragons of Earth or the Dragons of Heaven - two opposing armies. He alone must decide whether humanity should be destroyed to create a purified universe, or whether it should be protected to preserve civilization. Two oracles, the sisters Hinoto and Kanoe foresee the coming of the Dragons and predict opposite outcomes. Each sister gathers strength and ammunition to insure her own vision for the future. However, neither sister realizes that there is one man who has an even greater power than the Dragons, and that ultimately he will determine the fate of the earth. Which sister will prevail and how does Kamui fit into their struggle? The answer to this question will forever affect humanity.

voice our thoughts - This is an intriguing anime. It should be in everyone's collection. It may start slow at first but it's very in depth and complex, but as the movie goes on, it has an amazing story line that is a jaw dropper.

our rating - 75%/100%

Based on appearances alone, X/1999 would seem to be a promising anime. However, this film really drops the ball and never lives up to the quality of the animation. There really are not too many positive things to say except that it's easy on the eyes.

http://www.knowlton.clara.net/family...ist/hinoto.jpg
http://tbn0.google.com/images?q=tbn:...m/x-subkam.jpg
http://www.designchronicle.com/memento/images/x04.jpg
http://tbn0.google.com/images?q=tbn:...images/x02.jpg

Gonna throw in a manga recommendation. I've got a ton to add, but I won't do them all today. Maybe one a day or so. First off...

Chun Rhang Yhur Jhun

Holy shit, say that three times fast. No images since I can't find any decent ones, and they're all a fair bit large. Google Image search or visit the publisher's website for images, which I'd recommend because the art is nothing short of spectacular. Anyway ~

Publisher: Infinity Studios Infinity Studios
Length: Currently up to Volume 5 out of 10, I believe.

CRYJ, as I'll refer to it from now on, is an amazing manhwa drawn and written by Sung-Woo Park, who also has a sequel to this called NOW, which has actually been available longer, if I'm not mistaken. Might be more accurate to call CRYJ a prequel to NOW. Anywho, CRYJ is the story of a young man called O'Rhang Yhun sets out on a journey to find his sah-hyung (something of a "brother" who's been training alongside him) who left mysteriously. It's an incredible manhwa that adds a political, dramatic flare to a heavy-on-action story. This is a series about a powerful, highly sought after martial art, so if martial arts, action manga/manhwa aren't your thing, then you've read far enough.

If you're still interested, CRYJ, as I said, combines the martial arts action with a bit of romance, politically motivated drama, and well-developed characters to give you a real sense of what's going on. It's a constant thrill to read each volume over and over again.

It doesn't help that the volumes themselves are fantastic. Each comes with a colored cover sleeve and inside each volume is a really cool colored, folded print of one or two of the characters. It's a very nice touch that makes this set stand out from the usual manga collection, besides the fact that they also stand nearly an inch taller than typical volumes.

To keep this short and sweet, CRYJ is an excellent manhwa. It's only downside is the lack of volumes out there right now, and since it's a short series the volumes aren't released too often. But they're great to read more than once, which helps to some degree. Volume 5 was released recently and mine should arrive this week.

Gonna go ahead and move into another one that I touched on already...

NOW

That's not my declaration of action, but rather the title to the sequel of CRYJ. NOW, which as far as I know doesn't stand for anything, takes place after CRYJ, but not too far since the protagonists from CRYJ are present in NOW.

The main character here is Bi Ryu, a disciple of the same martial art that O'Rhang uses in CRYJ; a fighting style known as Sa Shin Mu. It's infamously well-known due to its extreme killing power, and many fighters have come after the manual that Bi Ryu protects; a manual that will unlock the secrets of Sa Shin Mu.

In the first volume, we're introduced to Bi Ryu, Ah Rin (one of two daughters of the protagonists from CRYJ, which for spoiler reasons I won't mention names), and Cho Ryung, a strange girl who sits and moves on all fours. As you might guess, the three of them decide to set out on a journey that they all just happen to be going the same direction, and thus the story begins.

Again, it's also published by Infinity Studios, and this is where things for this particular manhwa start to turn sour. This series was published a while back, but the previous published dropped it for unknown reasons and since then, Infinity's picked it up and has re-released volumes 1 through 3 in paperback form, again with a nice colored dust sleeve much like CRYJ. It gets a little strange after that. Follow me here for a sec --

Volume 6 was Infinity's first volume of NOW they published but...
...they went back to re-release 1 through 5, because the original prints were mostly out of stock...
...however, they've decided, as of Volume 4, to release as (!)e-books of all damn things.

There's no telling what will happen with Volume 7; whether they'll stick with physical paperback releases or e-books, but I only hope they choose paperback. So far, this e-book crap hasn't hit CRYJ, but it has hit NOW and another series published by them I like a lot, called Zero: Beginning of the Coffin.

I still highly recommend NOW, and if you don't mind the e-book stuff, definitely give it a read.

Woah, it's been quite some time. Anyways, I updated the index but left out the shorter posts that were more "just throwing it out there" recommendations/follow-ups rather than reviews. (Yeah, I do realize the title thread does say "recommendations." ='D)

So I might as well throw in a review for Gankutsuou!



http://img152.imageshack.us/img152/8...utsuou3fo0.jpg
(DVD 1 of 6) This is pretty much the style of art you'll be seeing in the series

Gankutsuou: The Count of Monte Cristo
Type: Anime
Genre: Drama, suspense, revenge, romance
Length: 24 episodes
Setting: Sci-Fi kinda...horses, carriages, swords, and grand balls plus spaceships. But mostly France.

(Click here for the ANN page.)

Plot
Basically, the story is based off the novel, The Count of Monte Cristo by Alexandre Dumas, but the directors definitely took many liberties with interpretation and artistic representation. But this aside, the anime follows the story of Albert, an innocent aristocrat, who meets a mysteriously fascinating traveler--the Count of Monte Cristo. Unbeknownst to Albert is the Count's quickly unfolding scheme of vengeance, which will soon change the lives of Paris' most renowned aristocrats as families are destroyed and lovers torn apart.
Throughout the series, the story touches upon many common themes. For example, what justification is there for revenge? How far is too far? Does cruelty and love come from the same source?


My Thoughts
Visuals: 10/10
First off, one of the most striking and unique aspects of Gankutsuou is the art. I'm not even going to explain it. Just look at the screenshots; they'll speak for themselves. The cover art for the DVDs (like the one at the top of this post) is entirely accurate to what's actually in the series. =D At first, I wasn't particularly fond of the busy layers and general "chaos," if you will. However, I soon came to appreciate the art, which was much more interesting to look at than pretty much any other series I've seen. There's never a boring frame with a plain background and just a mouth moving. Rich details and layers upon layers of art really do complement the story, which is as deep and complicated (well, if you can really say that, since the Count's intentions are pretty clear from the start) as the plot. Just try watching this on your TV in a dark room. I highly encourage it. ^_~ Simply gorgeous, rich, and vibrant. The DVD art is also to die for. Argh! I almost forgot to mention the random CG scenes. Yes, there are random 3-D CG scenes. They're pretty neat, and they really do wonders in some of the battle scenes.

http://img153.imageshack.us/img153/5...tsuou01sx4.jpg
http://img128.imageshack.us/img128/9...u021024me7.jpg


Music: 9/10
Honestly, I heard the music before I even bought the series. In fact, I only bought the series after hearing the music, which prompted me to read up on the anime. Basically, the composer really captured the mood quite well. Epic. Dark. Parisian. Great stuff. The opening theme especially captured my attention with its gorgeous melody and restless feel. And then there's that one ZOMG EPICNESS piece--you'll know it when you hear it. ='D

http://img153.imageshack.us/img153/4...utsuou6ra8.jpg
OST Cover


Plot: 9/10
Hey. It's interesting. Yeah, I knew the Count reeaallly wanted revenge from the start, but the unfolding of events was so skilfully directed that I couldn't even complain if I wanted to. The pacing is just right, and the story really does keep your interest. The themes aren't too bad either. Pride, greed, etc. clash head-on in the conclusion of the series without being overly preachy or cheesy, which is really awesome. And then there's the whole idea of revenge and all the burdens that come with it. Gankutsuou takes an interesting point of view on this topic and fairly illustrates its consequences from all angles.

Unfortunately, this anime starts out a bit slow--especially the first episode, so don't let that discourage you!

Voices! J: 7.8/10 E: 8/10
So each episode in the Japanese version starts with a quick prologue-ish type thing in FRENCH, which is quite a neat touch. *tips hat* The English dub doesn't have the French, but this isn't too much of a problem, despite the fact that I really did like the French. From there, the Japanese voice actors did a pretty good job, so I can't quite complain. Strangely enough, though, I felt that the English voice actor for the count did a better job. There was a turning point somewhere in the series where I actually enjoyed the English dub more than the Japanese one, but honestly speaking, the Japanese VAs were better in the first part of the series. After a while, I guess the English ones stepped it up a notch. AND the maybe-cheesy expressions actually worked, since most of the speech was EXTREMELY formal, considering the fact that the story does focus on aristocrats. And the last episode was tooons better in English. I watched both several times, and I found that I felt more towards the English than the Japanese. But watch it yourself and decide. But yeah. Back to the Japanese VAs...nothing spectacular, but good. =]

Characters: 8/10
With almost any series, you get some of those characters that you just can't stand. In Gankutsuou's case, the main character, Albert, is one of these GRRR people. He's hard-headed, naive, and, at times, unrealistic in his obsession with the count. Regardless, if Albert were any different, the series wouldn't be as good as it is. Aside from Albert, the rest of the characters are pretty well-rounded and agreeable. Good character depth, realism, and development are definitely a plus here. The Count definitely steals the show.



Overall Score: 9.5/10
Go watch it! Don't let the first few episodes turn you away!!! This really is a GORGEOUS, moving series, although it is a bit dark. No episodes are wasted on filler garbage, since this series screams quality from the start. And do yourself a favor and stay away from Youtube/Veoh--try to find the DVDs and watch it on a TV in order to get the full experience. Seriously, this was money well-spent.
Hey, Gankutsuou won some anime of the year award or something. Good choice =] It's a shame that Gankutsuou isn't as well-known as it should be, but then again, I can't stand rabid fanbases.

Saiunkoku Monogatari: Season One
Type: Anime
Genre: Romance, comedy, shoujo, drama
Length: 39 Episodes
Setting: Past, Chinese-ish influence

http://img253.imageshack.us/img253/2559/25142180or4.jpg

So basically, take Twelve Kingdoms, slow it down some, add some bishounen fanservice, take out some of the epicness, and you have Saiunkoku Monogatari. Essentially, you have a tale focusing on the struggles of a stubborn female in a political world dominated by men and the various guys interested in this young lady. In terms of plot, I guess Saiunkoku has some pretty interesting points, especially near the end, but for the most part, there's nothing epic that hooks you in. And each episode moves rather slowly, consisting of various pan ups and silent scenes. Also, while there are swordfights in the series, don't expect too much. There's not much movement to look at in the series as a whole. As for the art style, which utilized a lot of pastel-themed colors, I wasn't particularly impressed, although I can see why the fangirls are squealing over the male leads. The characters, also stereotypical, still manage to be charming, and my favorite, surprisingly, is the villain, who, despite his perverse and twisted ways, somehow elicited quite a bit of sympathy from me by the end of the series.

So from what I'm saying, it really does seem like Saiunkoku is pretty bad. On the contrary, it's actually not. I guess you could call it a guilty pleasure type of series that you just watch and enjoy and then forget about. So if you're bored, you just might find some charm in Saiunkoku, or at least the male leads. I'm not going to lie. By the end of the series, I was going crazy waiting for season two. At least Saiunkoku really picked up near the end, so meh~

Overall: 6/10.
Good if you don't have anything else to watch, but nothing too memorable. Light, but a bit slow.

Shion no Ou, Ghost Hunt, Skip Beat!, Piano no Mori
 

Well, nobody has recommended these series.

Title: Shion no Ou
Type: Anime, Manga (just know it exist. Have no info)
Length: 22 episodes
Genre: Drama, sport, crime
Setting: Today japan.

The story is following a 12 years old girl genius in shogi. Her parents was murdered as she was 4 and the case was never solved. However, the detective in charge did not give up even if the chance of solving it is very slim.

The story line is just like day to day drama. You'd think you know who the murderer on episode 1-3 or the motive. But it would not be until the 20th episode, that it will become clear, who the real murderer is.

Animation is okay. Not realy consistent (Studio Deen), but since there are no action, it is okay. It is the story itself that just lull you suddenly to episode 22. ^_^

In a way it is like Hikaru no Go, but with more story in it.

It may not strike many people fancy, but it is a gem in its own.

Music:

Destiny in piano solo is a good song. (It is the one that they played when they tell you who the sponsor of this anime).
Destiny in orchestra is another animal. ^_^

Tons of pretty background. OP (Lady Luck) is a rock song. Like the beginning, hate the chorus. However, ED (My best friend) is great. Can not get it out from my head.

Animation: 7/10
Music: 10/10
Enjoyment: 10


Title: Ghost Hunt
Type: Anime, Manga
Length: 25 episodes, manga: there has been conflicting information about this. US is only to book 8. I heard rumors in Japan there is a 11th book and that the author might continue to write this manga.
Genre: drama, supernatural.
Setting: Today japan

This is about a supernatural research. A narcissist Naru and a clueless, supernatural bait Mai and their gang, consist of a priest, a monk, a miko, a doll like medium, a non talking giant secretary and a know it all sarcastic student with a mask of an old wise salary man. Very enjoyable. Very funny. Sometime very scary.

There is a side story in this drama, however there is no conclusion in anime. I think it concludes in book 11th, which not being included in the anime. Why? I don't know.

First case is the most boring. Other cases are interesting, but 'Silent Christmas' episode and the mansion (not the inn near the seaside) episode are greatest.

Music:
Great music. All intrumental. Silent Christmas is the greatest though.

Animation: 7/10
Music: 10/10
Enjoyment: 10/10

Title: Skip Beat!
Type: Anime, Manga
Length: 26, but so far there is only 6 episodes in fansub and there are 15 books in US.
Genre: Drama
Setting: Today japan

The main character is Mogami Kyoko. A girl who was used by her childhood friend. She snapped after she found out and this is the story about the new and "improved" Kyoko. Hint the "improved" part. It is soooo funny.
I have to say, japanese writer know how to make a new twist of an old story to make it very enjoyable. hahahhaha.
However I do not like the voice actress of Kyoko.

Music:
Can not say a lot about this series. Don't like the OP. Too normal. ED is interesting. Background can not say much about it yet.

Animation: 7/10
Music: 6/10 might change later on
Enjoyment: 10/10

Title: Piano no Mori
Type: Anime
Length: one movie (1 hour 43 minutes)
Setting: Modern Japan
Genre: Drama, piano

The story is about a boy who came from the family full with accomplised pianists and a boy who just loved to play piano.
I can not say more to this, otherwise I would spoiled the story. However, it is very funny. Especially with those "Mozarts" and the "Bathroom Princess" and "Wendy". ^_^

Animation" 8/10. I don not like the way they drew the people, but the background is great.
Music: 10/10. A lot of classical music, especially from Mozart. But the piece I love are the ones that Ichinose played. Good ED. I don't think there is OP.
enjoyment: 10/10

I've been looking for more anime lately that has a serious tone to it. I can't stand chibi art style or when series waver between serious and silly; I crave consistency.

I recently finished Claymore, and I enjoyed it, as well as things like Berserk, Ghost in the Shell SAC, Serei No Moribito, and Record of Lodoss War, but I've been having trouble finding more fantasy/sci-fi series that don't go the humor route.

I have Twelve Kingdoms and Ergo Proxy lined up, but is there anything else I should be looking at? (Space opera is okay, but it all seems so cliche at this point.) Basilisk, possibly, Ghost Hunt, or I could give Monster another shot. Anything I'm missing?

Utawarerumono has a strange ending, but everything leading up to it is really, really good. Fate/Stay Night's also really good for a fantasy kick with lots of action and a little humor, but only to break up the seriousness a bit.

If you want something along the lines of a martial arts anime, Shura no Toki's not awful.

You might want to give Dennou Coil a look if you haven't already. Aside from that I really haven't been able to find many enjoyable fantasy/sci-fi anime these last few years.

---

On a side note I guess I will recommend some manga since I'm mostly reading stuff now as opposed to watching it.

Ongoing Series:

• Skip Beat! (10/10)

  Kyoko Mogami is the childhood friend of superstar Sho Fuwa. Kyoko was so deeply in love with Sho that she followed him to the city on his quest to become a famous singer. But she soon realizes Sho was only using her as his personal maid to take care of household chores and pay for rent. Heart-broken, Kyoko won't suffer in silence--she's going to get her sweet revenge by beating Sho in show biz!
  
  A funny and entertaining romance story of an "diamond in the rough" trying to find her place in showbiz, and the mysterious pasts of the people around her.

• Yotsubato! (10/10)

  Yotsuba, a green-haired and wide-eyed girl who doesn't have a clue...about anything! With no knowledge of the world around her, and an unnatural fear of air conditioners, Yotsuba has her new neighbors' heads spinning.

• Boku to Kanojo no XXX (9/10)

  Rude girl and effeminate boy switch bodies and find that it might be a better fit for both of them. Lots of crazy comedy. Nanako Momoi is the belle of high school... as long as she stays quiet. Once she shows her true self, guys' dreams are shattered for she is a true tomboy. Akira Uehara has the looks and brains, but, unfortunately, his personality is so dull it overcasts a shadow, and nobody notices him. One day, Nanako's grandfather comes up with a crazy invention, and Nanako and Akira trade personalities! She's him, and he's her!

• Girl Friends (9/10)

  Akko and Mari are best friends, but what if one of them discovers that her feelings are more than that of just girl friends?

• Karakuri Odetto (9/10)

  Odette is an android designed by Dr. Yoshizawa. Wanting to find the ultimate difference between humans and her, Odette decides to persuade Dr. Yoshizawa to enroll her in a local high school. Follow Odette's adventures, as she ventures through high school, in search of the true meaning of being a human!

• Marugoto Anju Gakuen (9/10)

  Kaguya is a boy in an all-girl's school for demons [fox spirit, succubus, werewolf, etc]. Being the only human was bad enough, but the added risk of his manhood being discovered makes for silly and unbelievable (yet deliciously envious) situations.

• Strawberry Shake (9/10)

  Slapstick yuri romance comedy running in Yuri Hime magazine; an experienced idol taking in new talent as part of her job, but ending falling head over heel for the younger girl. It's hillarious and cute.

Completed Series:

• Cat Street (10/10)

  The story centers around Keito Aoyama, a former famous child actor. Due to a childhood incident, she retired from her career early and withdrew from normal society. Now 16, she passes her days in boredom and without purpose. But one day she runs into a stranger who takes her to El Liston--a free school for high school students like herself, who don't have a place where they belong. Though hesitant at first, Keito decides to enter El Liston and subsequently, she begins a new stage in her life. With the help of her only remaining childhood friend, Taiyou, and her new classmates Rei, Momiji, and Kouichi, Keito slowly finds the courage to open up to others and to accept their support. Will Keito return to acting? Will she find true friends? Love?

• Magical x Miracle (9/10)

  Merleawe has left her hometown and moved to the capital city of Viegald to attend wizarding school. On her way to her first day of school, she bumps into a man who kidnaps her and takes her to the castle, where she is charged with an awesome task—impersonating the kingdom’s master wizard! Fearing war would break out if it was known the master wizard, Sylthfarn, was missing, Sylthfarn’s inner circle has decided someone must pretend to be him. Merleawe tells them that she will take the job!
  
  But not only does she lack the ability to cast more than simple magic, she also has no idea who the master wizard was! Unraveling the twisted threads of Sylthfarn’s disappearance and keeping up the appearances of both master wizard and first year wizarding student makes Merleawe’s every day challenging, magical and amazing!

• Gacha Gacha - Capsule (9/10)

  Lately, Kouhei can't get his friend Kurara out of his mind. Even though he has known her since elementary school, all of a sudden, ever since she came back from summer vacation, he has been crushing on her... hard.
  
  But something is different about Kurara--she's acting very oddly. Sometimes she seems wholesome, pure, and innocent, and at other times she is extremely forward and unabashed. Kouhei soon learns that Kurara has multiple personalities--and decides to help her keep her secret from their classmates. But Kouhei finds himself struggling between helping Kurara as a friend and trying to win her heart... which is a challenge, since she has many!

Can we ask for JDramas advice in here ? :o

In case we can, what would you guys advice to someone who loved Nodame Cantabile, Densha Otoko, My Boss my Hero and Shikaotoko Aoniyoshi ?

Maybe it's just me, but I find those all have that little plus I just can't seem to find in any other drama, especially Shikaotoko Aoniyoshi ... Basically looking for someone who'd feel the same and know about similar ones.

Subjective I know, but hey let's try !

If you liked My Boss My Hero, and specifically Tomoya Nagase's (Makio) performance, you should consider watching Tiger & Dragon.


It's very funny and very touching, and it's an excellent way to be introduced to Rakugo. This series pretty much swept the 45th television drama academy awards.

Another drama I watched recently that I really enjoyed is Kekkon Dekinai Otoko, or The Man Who Can't Get Married.



Like any good dramas, this one has plenty of moments that will make you want to laugh and cry. As a bonus, this series won a whole slew of awards at the 50th television drama academy awards, including best series, best actor, and best supporting actress.

After watching this series, I got rather interested in Hiroshi Abe (who plays Kuwano in Kekkon Dekinai Otoko) which led me to Hero:



It takes a little while to get warmed up to the cast and feel of the show as there are quite a lot of actors, but once it gets going it's a truly interesting series. There's plenty of WHODUNIT detective work, some budding romance, and lots of laughs. Incidentally, this is the single most popular drama that ever aired in Japan, with a viewership rating of 34.03.

So, I guess I don't actually know that you will like these series. I watched most of those series you listed and enjoyed them, though, so I figure if we have similar tastes you might enjoy what I enjoyed as well.

Watched a bit of those and they look much better than the ones I've been adviced so far. Tiger & Dragon doesn't have a complete French fansub yet (I'm watching those with non-english speaking people), so I'll start with Kekkon Dekinai Otoko.

Thanks sakasaka ~