[General Discussion] 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

Jam it back in, in the dark.

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. 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.





There's nowhere I can't reach.

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
....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.

This thing is sticky, and I don't like it. I don't appreciate it.

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.




Most amazing jew boots

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.

Spoiler:

I was cheering for Misuzu as she tried to reach for the dinosaur plushie at the other side of the altar. That was a very powerful scene, as it seemed that the dinosaur was the very symbol of her happiness.

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.




I was speaking idiomatically.

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.

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...)





What kind of toxic man-thing is happening now?

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.

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.

Spoiler:

While doing the generous act of helping the world, Kenshin is simultaneously selfishly leaving Kaoru to wait for him to return home. Sanosuke, who is supposed to always be with Kenshin, lets Kenshin leave on the ship alone in his weak state. I'm debating whether the Sano from the manga would do that.

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.

Spoiler:

The scene where Sano tosses the fish to Kenshin was an especially memorable scene that shows just how much Kenshin has aged from being a strong swordsman to his present state. The saddest part was the end, of course. The way that it was set up, plus the amazing music, help to make it even more powerful.

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

FELIPE NO

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

What, you don't want my bikini-clad body?

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

Jam it back in, in the dark.

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!




(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.





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


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.

There's nowhere I can't reach.

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



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.

This thing is sticky, and I don't like it. I don't appreciate it.