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Help an Anime noob...

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GDJustin

stuck my tongue deep inside Atlus' cookies
I'd like to be more into anime than I am, but it's a pretty intimidating medium to get involved in, and I'd rather not make any poor purchasing decisions, as they tend to be pretty expensive (I want my collection to be legit). Here is the ENTIRITY of my anime experience:

Akira
FLCL
Cowboy Bebop


Yeah... exactly. I don't know much about anime but I know enough to know that that list is pretty much a the "usual suspects" for the anime that anyone and everyone has consumed.

So that's where YOU come in. I just finished the last eps of Cowboy Bebop tonight, so I figure its time to move onto another series, but what? Is there anything of quality that is similar in attitude/quality to Bebop I should look at next? Where is a good place to buy online? I know some anime snobs are going to come in here and reccomend some very obscure fansubs or whatever, but I'm not after shit I've never even heard of. What I basically want to know is if NGE is really THAT good and what out of all the eps and films I need to buy, whether Trigun is any good, etc. Suggestions don't HAVE to be mainstream, but I'm trying to ease my way into this, eh? I'll likely NEVER be the type of guy to complain about a bad dub or 5 seconds of censored footage, etc. I just need some guides :)

Thanks in advance, enthusiasts.
 
I won't be the first one to recommend Ghibli's movies, especially Princess Mononoke, Nausicaa, and Totoro. And if you want to see just how powerful and strong the medium can be, Grave of the Fireflies. More info on Ghibli at www.nausicaa.net

graveofthe0.jpg


I can't recommend each of these movies enough.. not to mention all the other Ghibli movies. I see them as a savior of the genre, and its ambassador to the rest of the world that still thinks 'sex, violence, ...' whenever they think of Anime.


The Rurouni Kenshin (Samurai X) movies are also one of my favourite, wonderful setting and story, and the music is awesome.. Serial Experiments: Lain is also very thought provoking and interesting, thinking man's anime. (Another interesting psychological movie is Perfect Blue)

lain-3.jpg
 
well if you liked FLCL, Neon Genesis Evangelion IS sorta required viewing. Some will Poo Poo it cause its cool to hate on the show these days, but it is a landmark series AND a rather interesting one at that. While its religious icons are everywhere, it isnt about any of that. While it offers up some of the uglier sides of what humanity can be, the themes represented are very real things, and reflective of the creator himself. The show IS angst, but it is also I think a lot of people tackle while they are growing up whether they are aware of it or not.

Plus robots hit stuff!

Technically you could get away with just watching Death and Rebirth and End of Evangelion since Death and Rebirth is basically the whole series in plot points, but I honestly think all the weird cuts and moments add to the show, in retrospect anyway. Plus the show just got re-released in platinum form. If I ever have the money I might pick it up again.

Umm id recommend slayers but I dont think thats your thing, but its my favorite :)
 
Berserk - While not anything like Bebop or anything else you've watched, and sure the animation isn't the greatest...but it has one of the best stories ever, just be sure to watch the first 2 episodes before you make your judgement as the first one doesn't give you the best impression of the series.
 
If you want to continue the Bebop trend, Samurai Champloo is directed by the same guy who directed Cowboy Bebop, and it totally and completely rocks, though it's a little looser than Bebop (you'll see what I mean when you actually watch it). It's the only other TV series he has directed. ;)

I've never seen what the big hubbub was over Evangelion. It doesn't impress me...at all.

Trigun is a pretty good series that happens to star one of the greatest all-around main character in all of anime-dom in Vash the Stampede. It's a little inconsistent as a series, but Vash is just too great a character to pass up.
 
Well as an anime Evangelion made its mark for being edgy cool blood crosses bullshit fan service. That isnt really its strength. As a show created to help the director present a theme it did a fantastic job, and while not everyone can relate I think if you can look past all the more shallow elements of the show you are left with a pretty thoughtful show.

You dont watch it for the action, that much is for sure. I watch dumb anime sometimes too, but sometimes its nice to watch a show that sorta expands beyond its medium a little.
 
BlueLegs said:
Berserk - While not anything like Bebop or anything else you've watched, and sure the animation isn't the greatest...but it has one of the best stories ever, just be sure to watch the first 2 episodes before you make your judgement as the first one doesn't give you the best impression of the series.
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Oh, yes, definitely. Berserk rocks. Its budget is almost non-existent, but that rough and old-looking animation really grows on you and really sort of works for it, though it's a bit jarring at first.
 
If you're not against fansubs, then definitely check out Bleach and Monster. Bleach is a great place to start if you want to get into anime more, IMO. The series is currently on episode 44 so it shouldn't be too hard to catch up. Monster is great as well, but a little different. If you have access to Adult swim, they just re-started Samurai Champloo. Next Saturday, they will show episode 3 and it's from Shinichiro Watananbe, the director who did Bebop. Another fansubs recommendation would be Honey & Clover. Definitely not an action based anime but the show is very clever and very well done. Definitely one of my favorites of the recent series. I'll throw in a recommendation for Berserk as well. Brilliant series, one of my favorites.

Personally, I liked Trigun. Not the best, but I enjoyed it. The English dub wasn't all that bad either. You should check out a few of Hayao Miyazaki's films as well. Princess Mononoke, Porco Rosso, Spirited Away and Nausicaä of the Valley of the Winds. IMO, these should all help you get into anime. Hope I was able to help.

Also, that last episode of Cowboy Bebop gets me everytime. At the end, when Spike points his finger at the goons and says "bang." Such an awesome ending.
 
Do you have any specific genres that you're interested in? I think that would make narrowing down choices easier.

As for buying DVDs, the cheapest place is usually deepdiscountdvd.com combined with their 20% off coupon. Unfortunately, that only comes around once or twice a year.. But in the meantime their prices are pretty solid.

Another place that tends to have great discounts is dvdpacific.com

Rightstuf.com is also good for discounts, but only when there's a weekly special, a studio coupon (This week, all releases by Bandai are 40% off), or you do preorders. They've also got a yearly "club" you can subscribe to that will give you an additional 10% off.

--

As for recommendations, I would recommend looking into all of Satoshi Kon's films (Perfect Blue, Millenium Actress, Tokyo Godfathers), as well as his TV series, "Paranoia Agent."

Studio Ghibli films are practically a given, and I would basically recommend you try all that you can get your hands on :)..

The 3 short films included in the movie, "Memories" is also a pretty nice collection.
 
I want to say Hajime no Ippo but the DVDs are only half way through the series... Maybe just rent the first few volumes and check it out. Favorite anime ever.

Some other stuff that you might like...

Rahxephon.
B000929VA4.01.LZZZZZZZ.jpg



Now and Then, Here and There.
B000063K2C.01.LZZZZZZZ.jpg



Samurai X (nothing like the series).
B00008G8PP.01.LZZZZZZZ.jpg



Last Exile.
6303133185.01.LZZZZZZZ.jpg




As for fansubs I recommend Monster and Eureka 7.

Edit: I'm not sure about Eureka 7 actually. You should definitely see Monster though.
 
Also, if you wanna break away from newbie anime id recommend Irresponsible Captain Tylor.

A lot of people like Eureka 7, but maybe im just jaded but it looks like gundams on surfboards with a rei ayanami chick flying around for the main character kid to get bonerz over.
 
PATLABOR DAMMIT! And I second Irresponsible Captain Tylor.

Also, we've had too many of these threads lately.
 
GDJustin said:
I take it I should buy the Bebop movie? All I have right now are the 6 DVDs.
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Yeah, the Bebop movie is very good. If you like the series you should enjoy it. It's basically a long, big budget episode :)
 
Uncle Dukey said:
Do you have any specific genres that you're interested in? I think that would make narrowing down choices easier.
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I dunno how anime genres are broken down. I mean... what genre is bebop? Just... action? I'm mostly looking for things similar to it.
 
GDJustin said:
I dunno how anime genres are broken down. I mean... what genre is bebop? Just... action? I'm mostly looking for things similar to it.
Click to expand...

Hmm.. so just similar to Bebop? That's rather tough, since Bebop's a pretty unique show that melds a lot of stuff together (Though some would argue it's just Lupin the III in space..). I wouldn't really classify Evangelion in the same category..

I've only seen an episode or two of it myself, but I suppose a few people's suggestions of Samurai Champloo would be the closest thing since it shares the same director. It seemed like a blend of silly and stylish in a historical setting with some well done action sequences.

For other pretty mainstream but good stuff, I would recommend giving Ghost in the Shell: Stand Alone Complex a shot. It's got some pretty solid action scenes, good characters, and a combination of episodic episodes and those that form an overall story. It's also got a great soundtrack by Yoko Kanno, who also worked on Cowboy Bebop. Personally, I didn't really care for the Ghost in the Shell movies (Though the second one certainly looked pretty), but I'm really enjoying the TV series. The DTS track sounds quite nice too.
 
Samurai Champloo
Full Metal Alchemist

I'm an anime noob myself, but you can trust me on this one- these 2 shows are pure quality, I actually watched them right through to the end.
 
Shouta said:
PATLABOR DAMMIT! And I second Irresponsible Captain Tylor.
Click to expand...

Shouta speaks the truth.

Also, we've had too many of these threads lately.
Click to expand...

Again, Shouta speaks the truth. I mean, this thread was last updated a week ago. Sheesh.

That said, to answer GDJustin's specific questions:

1) Is there anything of quality that is similar in attitude/quality to Bebop I should look at next?

Samurai Champloo awaits you. It's an anachronistic hip-hop samurai show from the Bebop director. It's showing on Adult Swim and most of it has been released on DVD in the US. Meanwhile, Bebop is heavily influenced by Lupin III. There's a ton of Lupin out there, so I'd recommend starting with The Castle of Cagliostro (as directed by Hayao "Pimp Smooth" Miyazaki) and then The Fuma Clan Conspiracy.

2) Where is a good place to buy online?

Deep Discount DVD loves you. Alterantely, get a Netflix account and get to renting.

3) I know some anime snobs are going to come in here and reccomend some very obscure fansubs or whatever, but I'm not after shit I've never even heard of.

Why not? I mean, you started your thread saying you're a newbie and wanted advice, and if the latest show that you haven't heard of is the big thing isn't that the sort of thing you'd like to know about?

So, yeah, fansubs. The following shows are great, unlicensed, and readily available via torrent:

Monster - Intense serial killer drama with production values through the rough and an utterly gripping storyline.
Yakitate!! Japan - Hysterical comedy about baking. No, seriously baking. It's a hoot and a half.
Victorian Romance Emma - Title says it all, this is a short 13 episode period drama about a Victorian maid. It's great. No, really.

There's a ton more stuff out there, but those are what come to mind off the top of my head. Check 'em out.

4) What I basically want to know is if NGE is really THAT good and what out of all the eps and films I need to buy, whether Trigun is any good, etc.

Evangelion is deeply flawed and vastly overrated. The sad thing is that Eva had the potential to be the greatest giant robot show of all time. Alas, Gainax utterly dropped the ball halfway through the series, making the second half of the series an incoherant, poorly animated mess - which is still better than the movie, which is just insultingly bad.

That said the first half or so of the TV series is pretty great and, for reasons that elude me, a lot of folks seem to love Eva. Episode 9 (catch phrase: "Dance like you want to win!") is the high point of the series - perhaps you could just rent the third volume of the anime, watch that, and be done with it.

As for Trigun, I gave up on it 10 episodes in or so, but am told it improves vastly in the second half.

While we're talking big names, Berserk is good fantasy anime that stops rather than ends, Love Hina is probably an entertaining romantic comedy if you haven't seen the many superior shows it knocks off, and One Piece/Naruto/Bleach are all following the same shounen anime formula to the hilt, so if you like one of 'em you'll probably like 'em all.

Do I sound jaded? I'm not coming across as jaded, am I?

FnordChan
 
I can't abide most fuckin' anime, but there's a few I dig. First, I'm down with the rest of the crew who recommends Irresponsible Captain Tylor -- it's well-paced, funny, and pure class. If you ever wondered what it would be like if GAF piloted a deep space battle cruiser, ICT is that show. I'll second Yakitate!! Japan, as well; while it's silly shonen fluff, it manages to merge baking and shonen fighting satire really well.

For X-Men with a Japanese flavor, Scryed is good fun, and it has the best buttrock OP theme EVAR: Reckless Fire. (The manga is an abomination in the eyes of all, so stay away from that.)

And if you love the ineffably weird, Hale Noche Guu is the bestest. It's not weird for weirdness' sake, thankfully; the show has heart and a couple really poignant moments, plus loads of bizarre plot twists. There's never really been anything comparable on Western TV.

My guilty pleasure is One Piece, because OMG FUCK YEAH PIRATES!!!! I prefer the manga, largely because it lacks the tedious filler of the series, but DAMN if the OP anime isn't one of the most affable goonball mega-series out there.


Do not listen to anything Cloudy/Konex suggests, because it will make you gay (in the swishy Elizabethan sense, not the scary Nordic sense). Also, do not listen to anything morphix/hacked suggests, because it will make you a slope-browed manchild.
 
Evangelion IS what it IS. Like I said, its not really about the show being a GREAT anime, cause it isnt. Its about what the show was for its creator, and the themes present. That is what makes it such an experience for a lot of anime fans.
 
Sorry about remaking the "anime newbie" topic again guys. I don't venture into O-T as often as I'd like ;)

Anyway, I appreciate all the advice given to me so far. It looks like Champloo is the way to go at least for now, because as it's running on adult swim I can check it out and make sure I like it before making a purchase. After that I'll most likely check out ICT, because it sounds like my kind of show. I don't have a lot of money to spend to Anime (most of my disposable income goes towards games), so the suggestions in this thread are probably gonna last me like a year ;)
 
I'll refrain from my typical "Universal Centruy for life, yo" Gundam recommendation since you don't seem to care for the giant robots, but you should really consider Vision of Escaflowne.

Evangelion is a nice show and all, but I truly believe that those of us (myself included) in the anime community have built it up to be something more than it truly is.
 
I'd avoid buying Trigun. If you can watch it for free, then it's not bad. The second half of the show is just bland although Wolfwood does rock quite a bit.
 
Points:

1) Listen to Shouta. Especially about Patlabor.

2) Listen to Shouta. Especially about retreading topics.
2a) GAF does have a search function, please use it.

3) Yes, watch all of Eva. Movies are optional, unless you don't want to be bothered to understand the TV ending. I disagree with some of the other opinions on it - it's a great show, the second half is not a drop in quality. There may be a drop in animation quality (I think the president of Gainax was nailed on stealing money from the project), but the story holds up. Yes, the last two episodes do completely ditch traditional storytelling - you have been warned.

4) Check out Crest/Banner of the Stars, Lupin III (old school), Miyazaki/Ghibli movies, Dragonball (original unedited in Japanese, screw DBZ and Funi's dubs), Paranoia Agent (and other Satoshi Kon works - Perfect Blue, Millenium Actress, Tokyo Godfathers), Giant Robo, Escaflowne. That should get you started.

5) Ignore rabid anime fans. They're annoying and disjointed from reality.

6) Oh, and watch Patlabor.
 
I have no idea what does and does not consitute anime. The only anime I've ever watched is Akira when it debuted on the SciFi Channel a few years ago. Very weird, but I loved it. For me, Japanimation of any kind = anime. That being the case, I'll recommend Appleseed. I bought it last week at Wal-Mart for like $13 and finally watched it last night. Far and away the most impressive animation I've ever seen. Blew me away. I liked the story as well, although the dialogue is a bit corny for my tastes in some spots.
 
zesty said:
I have no idea what does and does not consitute anime. The only anime I've ever watched is Akira when it debuted on the SciFi Channel a few years ago. Very weird, but I loved it. For me, Japanimation of any kind = anime. That being the case, I'll recommend Appleseed. I bought it last week at Wal-Mart for like $13 and finally watched it last night. Far and away the most impressive animation I've ever seen. Blew me away. I liked the story as well, although the dialogue is a bit corny for my tastes in some spots.
Click to expand...

Anime just means animation in Japan, so it really constitutes all forms of animation, but to those of us outside of the country, it's typically Japanese animation only.

Appleseed is actually cel-shaded CGI, so it's floating in that hazy middle ground. For some reason I cannot place CGI animation in the same category as 2D animation.
 
distantmantra said:
Appleseed is actually cel-shaded CGI, so it's floating in that hazy middle ground. For some reason I cannot place CGI animation in the same category as 2D animation.
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Well, anime or not, it was fucking sweet. :)
 
Now and Then, Here and There.
B000063K2C.01.LZZZZZZZ.jpg


Can anyone tell me more about this series? I can't seem to find ANY solid info other vague bits here and there.
 
Finaika said:
What's so special about Patlabor?
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Patlabor is chock full of wonderful characters. The rest of the show is good too, mind you - it's pleasant to see a giant robot show where the robots are essentially cop cars, the SF angle is low-key but effective, the writing is quite good, there's a lot of humor - it's all pretty great. But the characters are what really make the series.

Now and Then, Here and There drags a boy from our world into a dystopian reality where a large naval war machine (think of a sort of floating aircraft carrier) finds itself stranded in the middle of the desert. Cue our hero trying to figure out what's happening, getting drafted, and eventually coming face to face with the psychotic leader of said war machine. Overall it's quite good, and the running theme (children affected by war) provides plenty of emotional kicks in the teeth. The main flaw with the series is it's villian, who is more than a bit over the top and difficult to take seriously. Still, N&TH&T is well worth watching.

FnordChan
 
Finaika said:
What's so special about Patlabor?
Click to expand...

Just about everything. As a series, Patlabor has everything you could ever want: great characters, great story, great action, comedy, and giant robots. It does everything just right so it fits into place which is something a lot of anime series lack. The TV and OVA series are great shows with a mix of action and comedy with a touch of politics and drama. The Patlabor movies are story heavy with a lot of political wrangling with dose of action and usually a little bit of comedy (subtle most of the time). Of all the elements, the characters really are the best part though. Patlabor gets my award for "Most Respectable female cast members" in an anime too. It's a rarity to find an anime series that doesn't use some of those awful female character cliches. I could get more into it but that would be for another time.
 
Is the Patlabor TV series better than the movies? I have seen 2-3 the movies and they were sure fire cures for insomnia.
 
.hacked said:
Is the Patlabor TV series better than the movies? I have seen 2-3 the movies and they were sure fire cures for insomnia.
Click to expand...

The first Patlabor movie is fairly representative of the TV series, albeit talkier and a bit more serious. The second Patlabor movie is a very different beast from the regular series and, on top of that, you won't get much out of it if you aren't already familiar with the characters. The third Patlabor movie is set in the same universe but doesn't have much to do with the original series, both in tone and a general lack of Patlabor characters.

So, if you liked the first flick you'll probably like the series. The TV series starts a bit slow, but definately grows on you. Alternately, just jump in with the first OVA series or the recent New Files release and see what you think. In any event, as much as I love Patlabor, I recommend renting before laying down cash money.

FnordChan
 
As much as I love the concept of Patlabor... which I love to say as Paltabor...
with the use of mechas in a not too distant future with relatively practical and utilitarian uses for them...

I'd have to agree with morphix.
 
Bleach is a show for noobs although good enough for anime vets, has cool fights, likeable characters, comedy, great but simple plot with some very cool plotwists trown in for good measure. you should definitely check it out because right now the series is just amazing

I would avoid Evangelion for now, the series is very complex and there are some episodes which are plain tedious although a great show, it's not something I would sit and watch 5 or 6 episodes in a run.

definitely check out Samurai Champloo if you liked Bebop, awesome series. Fullmetal Alchemist is fucking awesome also I watch the series in like 3 days, the series is that good 51 episodes of pure awesomeness.

oh and Berserk is a must-see plain and simple I'm not even going to go into details just watch it.
 
.hacked said:
Is Appleseed a spin off of Patlabor?
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Completely unrelated. The only connection at all is that Mamoru Oshii worked on the series (and, in particular, directed the first two Patlabor movies), then went on to direct the two Ghost in the Shell movies which were based on the comic by Masamune Shirow, who also created the Appleseed manga.

As an aside, both animated incarnations of Appleseed (the OVA and the recent CG movie) are both pretty god-awful. The manga is pretty, if incoherant; Ghost in the Shell is much better. And, while we're at it, Shriow's early manga series Black Magic M-66 is particularly incoherant but was turned into a fairly decent OVA in the late 80s.

FnordChan
 
Off the top of my head:

Beserk
Last Exile
Samurai Champloo
Full Metal Alchemist
Gungrave
Vampire Hunter D: Bloodlust
Ninja Scroll
Samurai 7
Samruai Gun
Planetes
Gunslinger Girl
 
FnordChan said:
Completely unrelated. The only connection at all is that Mamoru Oshii worked on the series (and, in particular, directed the first two Patlabor movies), then went on to direct the two Ghost in the Shell movies which were based on the comic by Masamune Shirow, who also created the Appleseed manga.

As an aside, both animated incarnations of Appleseed (the OVA and the recent CG movie) are both pretty god-awful. The manga is pretty, if incoherant; Ghost in the Shell is much better. And, while we're at it, Shriow's early manga series Black Magic M-66 is particularly incoherant but was turned into a fairly decent OVA in the late 80s.

FnordChan
Click to expand...


cool, I thought they were related but it has been years since I saw Appleseed OVA (it was the 2nd anime I ever bought on VHS).
 
The Patlabor movies are a showcase of the politics to the series that has always been underneath the comedy and giant robots. It's even apparent in the TV series that the politics are there but it's never really focused on sans minor bits with Gotoh and occasionally, some of the other SVS2 members. A few of the episodes in the first OVA series are very similar to the movies in regards to the politics as well. I love both the series and movies myself, great stuff all the way around. I recently watched the first two movies again and was enthralled by it myself.

If you end up watching both the TV series, OVA series, and the movies, note that the TV and OVA/Movies are separate from each other. While they all maintain the same concept and most of the same characters, there's several characters that are unique to each a lot of the events found within those universes are different.
 
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