Hi.

Since I am having some free time, I wanted to watch few animes. There are like literally thousands of good animes and it's really difficult to pick one. So any help would be appreciated.

The anime should have strong plot/characters. While action is a good point, I don't want full episode of nonsensical action. I am not looking for gag/harem/ecchi/ or full romance anime. The ideal length would be 25-60 episodes.

Pros:

Good Characters/Plot (A must)
Genius plot line/ Mind games (if possible)
Action (Optional. Not a Dragon Ball Z though)
Fantasy/ Supernatural (Optional)
Romance (Optional. But not as the main theme unless you believe I would like a romance anime)
Space/ Time adventures (Optional and as long as they are really good)
Mystery/ Crime thriller (Optional)
Less than 60 episodes (Of course the anime should be available on net)

Cons:

Ecchi/Harem/Gag/Sports
No preaching characters/ Annoying leads
Full slice-of-life anime
Non straight couples



Animes I have watched:

Black Lagoon
Code Geass (Didn't liked it much)
Chaos;Head (Totally boring)
Death Note
Darker than Black (Found the second season annoying....sorry reid1 )
Digimon, Beyblade and some magical Card animes ( Didn't liked them ~_~)
Fullmetal Alchemist (both seasons)
Kiba (One of the best)
Kaze no Stigma
Kaiba (liked it)
Kaiketsu Zorro (Totally loved it. Would glad to have something similar)
K (Watched first two episodes)
Steins;Gate (It was good)
Spice and Wolf
Sword Art Online (The ending was dull)


Please suggest the best out of the best. As long as you think it's the best and believe I might like it, please suggest it ^^


Thanks

Last edited by strixflash at 7:05 am, Apr 10 2013

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Lodoss-tou Senki
Slayers
Majutsushi Orphen
Cowboy Bebop
Gilgamesh
Samurai 7
Seirei no Moribito(highly recommended)
Tenkuu no Escaflowne
The Big O

No, they aren't. Good anime can be counted on the fingers of your hands, but I forgive you because you mentioned some good stuff and I think our tastes are a little similar. LOL

Jokes aside,

Shinsekai Yori: the first episodes are quite hard to digest, they're hard to comprehend but if you can "resist" you get the best dystopian scenario that we've been ever blessed since Kaiba. There is genius plot line and unorthodox romance, there is also supernatural, it's definitely not for everyone but I've the impression you could like it.

and we're basically done with something that fits most of your requests, lol. As I said, you get many of my favorites already (S&W, Kaiba, S;G, FMA) so if you can settle for something that it's less specific, I'd go with:

Gosick: probably many would find this strange, but I found Gosick a very good underlooked anime. It got good characters (if you can tolerate a female character that starts totally tsundere, but she really gets better and better during the series), some mysteries are quite good and tricky, there is a bit of supernatural, there is romance but it's not annoying. I'd say it doesn't get a 10 in anything, but it gets a solid 8 in every single aspect, which is imho better that an anime that fails in some aspects. Also it's one of the rarest case (imho) in anime where the 2nd part is better than the 1st one.

Darker than Black: (2 seasons 25-12 episodes + 4 OVA): uh, it's hard to find something to write about DtB. It's more a hit or miss, you either like it or not, there is action, there is supernatural, the second season isn't at the same level of 1st. The characters are complex, it's hard to explain, so I apologize but I think it's one of those anime you should try and just see for youself.

Crest of the Stars (3 seasons, 13-13-10 episodes + 1 special and 2 "ending" OVA): for long (until I read Hakomari), this has been my favorite Japanese novel (too bad only 3 books are translated). I wasn't sure to write it or not because you didn't mentioned space opera and I don't know how you feel about it (I'm not a fan but I made an exception for this story). The novels go in more details about the background, which is amazing, but still the anime did a good job. Jinto and Lafiel have been my favorite couple since the advent of Lawrence and Craft. They got a complex and funny relationship and I'm a sucker for "interspecies" attraction. I just want to warn you: season 2 has been quite a letdown for me since it's A LOT about space wars and such, while season 3 it was amazing as the first one.


Now, I'm probably mentioning these ones just because they were last season so I'm remembering them very well, in the case you don't have much to watch:

Psycho-Pass action (good action with slow pace), an interesting dystopian scenario (but not something unheard of), sometimes this show tried to look smarter than it was, but it has been a good story and I liked characters and development. I liked the OST also, there were pieces of classical music which were very nice. Don't expect a masterpiece, just a good anime.

Zetsuen no Tempest it's from a story of Kyou Shirodaira, one of the few manga writers that can actually make a plot twist that doesn't totally revolves on deus ex machina. If you're a sucker for plot twists, there are many (maybe too many, in that apsect I'd have preferred they made an anime on Vampire Juujikai, another Kyou Shirodaira's manga). There is supernatural, romance, Shakesperian quotes, mind games, battle of wits (one extremely nice in the middle of the series), action and fantasy. Pretty much everything you could ask for, but sometimes it felt too "cramped" I don't know if I'm explaining it right, lol. Still not a bad show and I'm recommending it to you.


There are more (probably something I'm forgetting but I'm sure they're popular so I'd let the other recommend them lol).


Edit: don't pay attention to DtB then, as I said it was more a hit or miss thing and S2 was nowhere as good as S1. Hope you're still giving a chance to the other ones.
Also I realized something I forgot to mention
Mugen no Ryvius again, if you like space opera, it's a kind of "Lord of the Flies" in a space setting. There is a lot of angst and some memorable characters and a good development.
Ima, Soko ni Iru Boku a very overlooked series, but it's only 13 episodes. Good scenario/dystopia and good characters.
Boogiepop Phantom another overlooked series, but only 12 episodes. Extremely good plot but mostly one of the best direction of all time. It can maybe a bit too slow in the action department though. Also it can be a little confusing since it's just covers a small part of the novels.

Last edited by reid1 at 11:46 am, Apr 9 2013

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What I like in Trivial Pursuit style. Pick your category:

I can second quite a few of the suggestions (I might even second all of them if not for the lack of having seen them myself): Shinsekai Yori, Crest of the Stars (a personal all-time favourite in many, many ways), Zetsuen no Tempest, Lodoss-tou Senki, Seirei no Moribito (this one has a really standout main character), Tenkuu no Escaflowne, Ima, Soko ni Iru Boku

Mentioned below my post, seconded: Ergo Proxy, Puella Magi Madoka Magica, Macross Frontier, Ghost in the Shell - Stand Alone Complex (and 2nd GIG)

Fate/Zero. While a prequel to the inferior (as anime) Fate/Stay Night, Fate/Zero has quite a few things going for it. It has some pretty damn good animation, silly-rabbit idealism has no place in it, it has some very likable characters and features a rather interesting clash of ideology between the "heroes." It is is also entirely free of high-school -age characters, though one dude is more than a bit naive.

Baccano I'm bad at describing this one, but it's a weirdly functioning coctail of slapstick, very light horror, some brutal violence and other hijinks. It has a few annoying characters, but it also includes a bunch of very likable characters, not to mention a few of my all-time favorite nutcases. When you've seen Ladd Russo and Claire Stanfield in action, you've seen greatness. The narrative jumps all over the timeline, so you need to keep your wits about.

Scrapped Princess A "after-the-end" fantasy title with a smattering of sci-fi thrown in. This one can be a hit or a miss, since it features some really annoying characters at times and the main character is essentially The Load, but with a very important, inherent "support ability" which the plot is ultimately about. I liked it.

Right, none of that stuff, huh..

Since you've watched Black Lagoon and apparently liked it, let's go with Jormungand It is somewhat similar in spirit, featuring the misadventures of a international arms merchant and her unit of bodyguards. Some of the gunplay in the series is weird (seriously, try to get over the Orchestra arc near the beginning, it will never be that bad again), but otherwise it is quite solid romp in the nicely grey and black areas of moral superiority. Unlike Black Lagoon, the main character has an actual end goal, though it is kept in the dark for most of the series.

Last edited by Baalzebup at 1:04 pm, Apr 10 2013

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I highly recommend Ghost in the shell: SAC and 2Gig

Gilgamesh
Angel Hearts
Gundam00 you don't need to know anything about gundam to enjoy it.
C - Control: The Money and Soul of Possibility
Trigun
Dersert Punk
s-CRY-ed
Ergo Proxy
GunxSword
Irresponsible Captain Tyler
My Otome
Samurai Champloo
Samurai 7
Daphne in Brilliant Blue

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http://westsiders2.deviantart.com/

A large portion of good anime from ?? - '08 Check out the action, mystery, drama, space opera, psychological and sci-fi columns. Anime of interest from the list:
Legend of the Galactic Heroes - Still haven't finished it due to the length, but it is quite epic so far. It fits every pros except the bit about <60 episodes and fantasy/supernatural.
Kino no Tabi - about a traveller seeing the many aspects of human society
Serial Experiments Lain - might want to rewatch to get the whole message
Seirei no Moribito - fantastic story with one of the few strong, non-sexualized female protagonists

Not from the list because '09 onwards:
Puella Magi Madoka Magica - only mahou shoujo I will recommend to people. watch until episode 3 at least before deciding to whether to drop. try not to get the plot spoiled since this series hinges on surprises.
Phantom ~ Requiem for the Phantom - psychological series about people who were forced to be assassins.
Mawaru Penguindrum - gist of the story is brothers trying to save their dying sister but it's far more than that.

Have the expanded version of the list above as well. There's quite a bit of obscure but good manga there as well.

edit: fixed link

Last edited by Damnedman at 8:11 pm, Apr 25 2013

Try
Macross F
Gundam Seed and the original Gundam are good
Tengen Toppa Guren Lagan
Full metal alchemist
trigun
Samurai champoo
etc
many of the other suggetions are pretty good too

I'll put in a qualified second for Legend of Galactic Heroes (long and slow) and Ghost in the Shell-SAC & 2nd gig (introspective, but good), and Macross Frontier (Macross Zero, also). They're some of my favorite series.

However, skip Captain Tyler if you don't like gag anime. I likes me some Tyler, but it is ridiculous.

Not previously mentioned possibilities include:
Sword Art Online - really a V/R fantasy, and fairly well written. Also kind of a romance, but it was tolerable.
Durarara! - which is sort of... well it is good crazy fun, though the 2nd 1/2 gets a little angsty.
Seirei no Moribito (Guardian of the Sacred Spirit) - One of the best fantasy type shows in recent years that isn't all caught up in power leveling or other foolery.
Last Exile and Last Exile-Fam, the Silver Wing - sort of a steam-punk version of sci-fi, both quite good.

Also, try the Appleseed movies - they're pretty good Sci-fi, originating from the same guy who created GITS, even if they flub the story a bit, and the last two minutes of the first movie should have the script writers and director shot.

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Blackhats - good, bad, we're the ones with guns.

Transformers It's a good series.

Crime thriller? I don't know any good of them.

Don't know if you like Guilty crown but try it out.

Fantastic Children - some romance, but its more of the mystery factor. FC makes me wish its type of plot progression was more common in other anime.
Noein - romance/bonds is important, but there's something beyond that...
Bomberman Jetterz - probably one of the best/sad video game series ever made.
Dennou Coil - when digital pets become a part of RL...
Oban Star Racers - need I say more? It's Oban!!

Second Escaflowne (half romance/bromance?/FIGHT), Big O, and the first Last Exile. Recommend you to skip the Last Exile sequel.

If you like Gundam Wing, I definitely second Gundam 00.

Edit: Even though the OP saw FMA (Brotherhood), I recommend anyone who hasn't to watch it.





Last edited by tgirl at 12:39 am, Apr 11 2013

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Here's a link. Have fun.

Beware, though, that recent stuff, for some reason, is usually rated a little higher than it should be.

I'll put some comments about the other suggestions:
If you plan on playing the VN of F/SN, just a heads up that F/Z will spoil some of it.

Don't try out Guilty Crown.

Baccano! is excellent, but it takes about 3-4 episodes for it to make sense the first time around
They adapted 4-5 novels at the SAME time, so it keeps cutting between different time periods and story lines. But it's done extremely well

Don't be put off by the mahou shoujo genre for Madoka. In a way, Madoka is a total subversion of the genre. It's just so...original. This quote I read from a critic that was on wikipedia sums it up really well: "With its[...]daring approach to a dated genre, Puella Magi Madoka Magica essentially does for magical girls what Neon Genesis Evangelion did for giant robots."

Penguindrum requires some actual research if you want to understand the symbolism/references in it. A lot of is accessible only to the average Japanese rather than the average guy. There are a few blogs you can follow as you watch, like 8th Sin's.

I didn't like Scrapped Princess because the ending twist is kinda out of nowhere. Another critic shared my view saying something like 'Sci-fi is great, I just like to know when I'm watching it'. Then again, I saw it a very long time ago, perhaps I'd have appreciated it more with age. It just seemed too much like something I would write.

Legend of the Galactic Heroes is almost universally praised, but it's really freaking long.

tl;dr Check out that link.

I just realized something we've all failed to mention.

Juuni Kokki AKA Twelve Kingdoms A freaking classic fantasy title with very little in the way of proper equals. You need to deal with some annoying characters since large part of the stuff comes from gradual character development. The overall story is left incomplete, but the most prevalent storyline involving Kei-Ou does have a satisfying conclusion.



Ummm... Sure, that is one way of looking at it, but I feel that complaining about the Sci-fi is kinda absurd in that particular context. Sci-fi elements are introduced during the whole run of the series. You'd have to be pretty much blind and deaf to miss them, and the series offers a reasonable narrative to the Sci-fi parts. Edit: Scratch the ending being weak. It had both emotion and a decent conclusion. Most of the thigs beside the actual reveal at the end were foreshadowed well enough.

Last edited by Baalzebup at 3:58 pm, Apr 12 2013

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I remember close to no foreshadowing (just a couple of unexplained events) but perhaps you're right. It was a VERY long time ago and I was about 11 at the time, so maybe I just missed that stuff so at the end I was like 'wtf?'. To be honest I only remember snippets (though I remember the ending quite well).
The series offers a reasonable narrative ont he sci-fi parts, but only at the final episode, from what i remember.

So yeah. It really is introduced along the way. Beyond the spoilery stuff, there was also a lot of non-fantasy terminology like DNA, serial numbers, space-time talk and something about "calibrations" and such. Hell, even the TRON-lines that always appeared when magic is used. The only things that are not explained until the end are mostly the ultimate "why" and "who", an explanation that only the "antagonist" could give.

Last edited by Baalzebup at 12:23 pm, Apr 11 2013

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