Anime Recommendations

[Kuja]

Alas, I digress. Cowboy Bebop advances a lifestyle that doesn't befit anyone, and its stories, IMO, are rather limited...but when it comes
to other anime I've seen, CB SHINES! Most anime flat-out SUCKS.
There IS a reason it hasn't replaced even the horrible "Raymond Blows
the Milkman" or "The Fat Fuck UPS Driver Eats a Twinke" shows on United
States prime-time television. Gundam sucks, too.

I don't know that ANY anime is worthwhile. If you speak fluent Japanese,
and you come across an unedited something-or-other, it is probably okay...but generally speaking, ANY translation of Japanese to English is
pretty fucking bad. Evidence? See Symphony of the Night: Castlevania.
The Japanese version was fucking awesome. The English version was
a JOKE.

My! Such anger! Do you have any particular REASON for trashing anime, or are you just blowing hot air?

[The Yosemite Bear]

And for trashing all anime because Cowboy Bebop takes CLASSIC Film Noir elemnets and tranfers them into a Science Fiction Medium, fuck that's like complaining that TV Sci Fi is bad just because Firefly has too bar fights and other things shown in westerns.

[Spanky The Dolphin]

seanrobertson, I hope you realise that you just wrote a four paragraph rant about smoking in an anime recommendation thread.

As for your "all anime sucks ass because I hate it" spew: Shut the fucking hell up.

And NEVER call it "japanimation" again, you racist prick. All real anime fans find that term offensive.

[VF5SS]

What's so bad about Japanimation? Its animation from Japan. Hell that's what it used to be called, right? I mean anime is just katakan from animation... yeesh.

[The Yosemite Bear]

Yeah, although some fanmags aren't that much of a help.

[Beowulf]

Here's what you do. 11pm Saturday night, turn on the TV and change the station to Cartoon Network. Stay up for 3 hours. I must admit that the dubbing on the shows sometimes sucks, but I doubt that they'll ever be showing the subtitled versions so, eh. I must say that you are seriously limiting yourself by not wanting to watch mecha anime. The Gundam series is pretty good, though I don't especially like 0079.

[Rubberanvil]

What's so bad about Japanimation? Its animation from Japan. Hell that's what it used to be called, right? I mean anime is just katakan from animation... yeesh.

The term "Japs" is derogorty(sp?) name for Japanese used in WWII and is considered a racist name today.

[The Yosemite Bear]

Or check out the "Beyond Anime" series on Showtime.

[The Yosemite Bear]

Is this why the "Japanimerica" fan mag changed it's name to "Animerica"

[Moonshadow]

btw at the Wal-Mart i work at we had an Anime called "X One" on DVD. the X is in red. does anyone know about that one. Escaflowe( i'm quite sure i screwed up on the spelling) is also on our shelf. Since this is my selection. Which one should i get to see if i like Anime or not. Since i enjoy Anime based RPGs like Grandia and Lunar , i figured i'd start watching it.

[The Yosemite Bear]

I have X, on my anime/DVD collection.

It's a mind doinking sort of flick.

[GrandMasterTerwynn]

I think you mean Adventures of the Mini-Goddesses (spin off of Ah, Megami-sama) and Grave of the Fireflies.

God, I cried for ten minutes after first watching that.

I liked Oh My Goddess! Actually, I really liked it. Though I prefer the manga to the anime myself.

But, on to the list:

Anime:

Oh My Goddes!
Cowboy Bebop
Outlaw Star
Tenchi Muyo (The OAV, then the first TV series. The second TV series is pure shit.)
Those Who Hunt Elves. (Completely pointless, but great fun.)

Others I've seen: I didn't mind Princess Mononoke. Neon Genesis Evangelion is fairly decent, but I wouldn't really recommend it. (It has good moments, but the main character is so much of a whiney little pissant that it really gets annoying at times.) Inu-yasha doesn't look too bad. I might watch more of that. And Dragonball Z . . . it has it's moments. But you have to wade through an estimated 2357265723 years of characters grunting at each other and staring stupidly at one-another to get to them.

Slayers is pretty nice. Though I want to get the original series, which I don't have yet.

I also want to get my hands on El-Hazard.

Manga:

Oh My Goddess! (I'm an otaku. Sue me . . .well, maybe not.)
Gunsmith Cats.
Battle Angel Alita
El-Hazard.

And I prefer dubs over subs. If I wanted to watch shit in a language I don't understand, I'd watch Univision or Galavision. (These are Mexican TV for the uninitiated.)

[Typhonis 1]

Note in anime circles in Japan mecha refrers to not just robots but any vehicles used in animation.The Right Stuff International is usually where I order my Anime from they have a large selection and offfer anime bricks and yes for those of you SO inclined they have an adult section.

[Spanky The Dolphin]

GrandMasterTerwynn, I'm a sub person (mostly).

Many fans like to hear how the characters originally sound.

That, and the fact that quite a few dubs are pretty lousy (Love Hina *shudder*).

[Yogi]

Only Two? Most of the good ones have been taken already, so I'll go with some rarer ones.

Anyway, I would reccomend . . . . .

1) Saishu Heiki Kanojou (aka Saikano)
This is only if you like your Anime sad and angsty. This beats the hell out of Grave of the Fireflies in terms of sadness. In particular, the Tragic Death in episode 9 should be the new archetype for all future Tragic Deaths.

2) Omishi Magic Theater Risky Safety
This is light fluff in contrast to Saikano. It's not very serious, but it is fairly humurous, and very well done, even though the episodes are a few min. long.

[Neko_Oni]

That, and the fact that quite a few dubs are pretty lousy (Love Hina *shudder*).

LOL my friend had clips of the English LH dub, he let me hear them then deleted them cause of contamination issues.

My Anime List:
Aa! Megami-sama (Ah! My Goddess)
Cowboy Bebop
Martian Successor Nadesico
Noir
Serial Experiments Lain
Rurouni Kenshin OAV

[VF5SS]

What's so bad about Japanimation? Its animation from Japan. Hell that's what it used to be called, right? I mean anime is just katakan from animation... yeesh.

The term "Japs" is derogorty(sp?) name for Japanese used in WWII and is considered a racist name today.

We're not saying Jap, we're saying Japanimation. Would you like me to call it Nihonimation?

[Dalton]

GrandMasterTerwynn, I'm a sub person (mostly).

Many fans like to hear how the characters originally sound.

That, and the fact that quite a few dubs are pretty lousy (Love Hina *shudder*).

Outlaw Star...now the dub on that was just plain shit...

[Dalton]

Alas, I digress. Cowboy Bebop advances a lifestyle that doesn't befit
anyone,

What, smoking? How whiny.

and its stories, IMO, are rather limited

What do you expect from half-hour episodes? Epics? Did you even follow the entire Spike/Vicious/Julia arc?

...but when it comes
to other anime I've seen, CB SHINES! Most anime flat-out SUCKS.
There IS a reason it hasn't replaced even the horrible "Raymond Blows
the Milkman" or "The Fat Fuck UPS Driver Eats a Twinke" shows on United
States prime-time television. Gundam sucks, too.

The reason that anime hasn't replaced any of the swill that appears on network primetime is because of two reasons: 1 is demographics. The lowest common denominator in America is the mindless middle-class corporate slave, not the above-average-intelligence geek. 2 is content. A lot of anime represents certain aspects of Japanese myth or culture which would probably not jive well with American audiences. Not only that, but the Japanese don't have as strict standards on censorship (and American audiences can't handle that, boy howdy! The kids might hear a curse word they hear thirty times daily in school!)

I don't know that ANY anime is worthwhile.

Don't make blanket statements.

If you speak fluent Japanese, and you come across an unedited something-or-other, it is probably okay...but generally speaking, ANY translation of Japanese to English is pretty fucking bad. Evidence? See Symphony of the Night: Castlevania.
The Japanese version was fucking awesome. The English version was
a JOKE.

Hey, wow, one single piece of evidence, and it's NOT EVEN ANIME, BUT A FUCKING VIDEO GAME. Can you back up your assertion? How much other anime have you actually watched?

[Utsanomiko]

What's so bad about Japanimation? Its animation from Japan. Hell that's what it used to be called, right? I mean anime is just katakan from animation... yeesh.

The term "Japs" is derogorty(sp?) name for Japanese used in WWII and is considered a racist name today.

We're not saying Jap, we're saying Japanimation. Would you like me to call it Nihonimation?

It's because it's an ignorant, 1980's pun. A damn pun deisgned to make fun of Japanese animation ("Hey Bubba, it's Jap-animation, get it? Hah ha, those silly nips and their big-eyed, inferior cartoons! They're so dumb, aren't you glad we have Disney's real cartoons?", for example).

The term anime has been around longer, and also is based on the French word for animation, not English.

Also, while I would really like to prefer dubs, most are done poorly (bad acting, innacurate translation, etc. The only dub I consider to be superior to the original is Cowboy Bebop, but I'm convinced someone sold their soul to make it that way)). The subtitles are more accurate, and the original voiceactors are better, but it does help to have some knowledge of Japanese (4 years, personally).

[Yogi]

Most anime flat-out SUCKS.
There IS a reason it hasn't replaced even the horrible "Raymond Blows
the Milkman" or "The Fat Fuck UPS Driver Eats a Twinke" shows on United
States prime-time television.

Hehehe. They don't show Willam Shakespeare on UPN either, so that means Shakespeare sucks?

Gundam sucks, too.

Gundam, you love or you hate. It should be noted purely for the record that Gundam Wing is not an example of traditional Gundam.

If you speak fluent Japanese,
and you come across an unedited something-or-other, it is probably okay...but generally speaking, ANY translation of Japanese to English is
pretty fucking bad. Evidence? See Symphony of the Night: Castlevania.
The Japanese version was fucking awesome. The English version was
a JOKE.

It depends on the translator and the dubbing company. Tenchi Muyo had a decent dub, as well as Princess Mononoke. However, you are right im that dubs are of lower quality than the original. Subtitles all the way.

I don't know that ANY anime is worthwhile.

Thank you for admitting your ignorance. This thread should go a long way in pointing you to some worthwhile titles.

Hint: Stay off Cartoon Network.

[Kelly Antilles]

Also, while I would really like to prefer dubs, most are done poorly (bad acting, innacurate translation, etc. The only dub I consider to be superior to the original is Cowboy Bebop, but I'm convinced someone sold their soul to make it that way)). The subtitles are more accurate, and the original voiceactors are better, but it does help to have some knowledge of Japanese (4 years, personally).

Or just very used to watching subtitles. Like I am.

I have a reason for liking the sub more than the dub of CB. I love Megumi Hayashibara. She is such a great voice actress. I will admit that I do have a little trouble distinguishing between Spike and Jet in the sub. But, I think once I watch it a few more times, I'll figure out the difference in pitch. (I've only seen the first DVD subtitled) I do love the dubbed version. It stays pretty true to the story.

Another series that is close on dub vs. sub is Devil Hunter Yohko. I just wish they had the movie subtitled. I've only seen it dubbed.

I also still tout The Slayers as one of the best series. But then again, I love comedies.

[Utsanomiko]

Oh, and seanrobertson, doesn't your argument about bad dubbing make a better point about American production sucking, not Japanese? It could be that your experiences with anime have simply been ruined by typical American sloppy production standards (look at what's been made over here, were responsible for Disney's Hercules!!). And it's not just movies and series, but games, action figures, model kits, and even novels (I am convinced that the guy who translated the Gunadm novelizations is either autistic or uses 'shrooms.)

Allow me to punctuate my frustrations on this aspect of domestic releases, by venting over the airing of Tenchi Muyo! on Cartoon Network:

[bottled-up rage]DIGITAL BATHING SUITS!? YOU GODDAMN FUCKING CONNIVING YANKEE BASTARDS!!!
[/bottled-up rage]

Thank you for your time.

[Kelly Antilles]

Allow me to punctuate my frustrations on this aspect of domestic releases, by venting over the airing of Tenchi Muyo! on Cartoon Network:

[bottled-up rage]DIGITAL BATHING SUITS!? YOU GODDAMN FUCKING CONNIVING YANKEE BASTARDS!!!
[/bottled-up rage]

Thank you for your time.

I have to agree with you there. That was just LAME. It's like in CB when they edit out the blood. Geez. Kids see worse on the damn news.

[Kuja]

No kidding. Compare the first two sagas of DBZ, where they weren't allowed to show blood or even say "death" with the later episodes. Big difference. And they're STILL editing out stuff.