I'm not a huge anime watcher myself, but I do like to watch a good series. My main problem is that I simply don't know what's worth the time to track down and watch. Can any of the more avid anime-philes here give any recommendations for good stuff to grab right now?
I don't think I qualify as avid, but one my favourite series is Full Metal Alchemist, which recently finished. It's licenced, so if you're interested you'd either have to wait for the dvds or track down the fansubs. ANBU subbed it before it was licenced, and since then I took to watching Shinsen and Sonchou Fansubs' releases, which were pretty good.
http://www.fullmetal-alchemist.com/synopsis.php
I don't think I could give a decent introduction without giving too much away, but the link there isn't a bad intro. It's quite a mature series, IMO, despite the main characters being quite young, and well worth a watch.
Um, I'd reccomend the Irresponsible Captain Tylor TV series. Some here will naturally disagree with me, but I liked it very much. Just make sure you don't get the OAVs by mistake, because the vast majority of them sucked bocce balls.
I'd also reccomend the first Slayers TV season if you don't mind immaturity and repeated jokes.
In the very rare possibility that you haven't already seen Neon Genesis Evangelion, you should.
Try a few episodes of Tokyo Mew Mew. You may just like it, or come back with a shotgun and a Anastasia death wish. But, y'know, worth a shot.
I'll go out on a limb here and recommend two things.
First I'll say track down Dead Leaves, as it was something I enjoyed quite a bit. Ignore the plot; that isn't the reason the movie was made. It isn't even an excuse to get from one scene to the next. What Dead Leaves is all about is the action. Sure, there's a bit of perversity here and there (the guy whose penis is a drill comes to mind. Trust me, that is one of the least strange things going on in that show. ^_-), but the action is the lifeblood of the creature. The box describes it as being like a comic book being pulled fukk firce into anime, or some such. I describe it as being like the FLCL episode with the guns, only streched an hour long and just being plain weird! Good stuff; I highly recommend renting it if you have the chance. It's out stateside.
My second recommendation would be the original three Gall Force movies. THose would be Gall Force- Eternal Story, Destrustion, and Stardust War.
It is old school Artmic at its best. Artmic, if you recall, was responsible for the original Bubblegum Crisis anime, Mospeada, and Genesis Survivor Gaiarth amongst others.
The story as its set up in the first movie is as follows.
Two race, one a race of women and another a race of creatures from a neiboring star system, have ben locked in war across the galaxy for many years. It opens to a huge space battle between the two races, and you get your first look at the crew. The characters are likeable, and you actually empathize with them and the trials they go through as they try to complete a mysterious mission from their higher ups. But all is not as it seems. . .
I won't tell more than that. Go watch it instead. ^_^
Legend of Galactic Heroes. Space opera with beautiful ship battles set to classical music.
The Tenchi Muyo OVA series is great. Just the first series, mind you. The alternate universe stuff is crap (Tenchi Universe, Tenchi in Tokyo, etc.)
Devilman. Young man turns himself into a demon in order to fight other demons. Very dark and violent.
3x3 Eyes. A girl from the race of the Triclops and her indestructable bodyguard.
Some other things that aren't a series but you should see anyway:
The Professional (Golgo 13). This movie is so classic. Beautiful art and a great story.
They Were 11. Eleven students trapped on a spaceship. Another great story.
Dragon Half. The funniest two episodes of anything you will ever see.
I beat Golgo 13 the video game.
I still don't know exactly how I did it either. All I remember was that it was odd.
Dracos
I can't believe no-one has mentioned Cowboy Bebop yet. It's the classiest series ever!
Fighting, dancing, sexy women, unbelievably good music, comedy, and tension all rolled in to one perfectly conceived package.
I must agree on the Tylor TV series too... though I can't say I share the same opinion of the OVA series. They definitely didn't hold a candle to the TV series, but were still better than three quarters of the anime out there.
Oh, and Azumanga Daioh would be the only cutesy series I've enjoyed yet, but it competes with Bebop for the best series ever to my mind. It's funny, and witty, and charming. When I watched it, I went from episode 1 to 25 in a matter of days and then refused to watch the last episode for a good couple of months because I just didn't want it to be over. It's one to see.
-Dan
Quotecan't believe no-one has mentioned Cowboy Bebop yet. It's the classiest series ever!
Perhaps because its 22 episodes of style and only four of substance?
It has a nice theme song... and that's about it.
Style is where it's at!
If more series were created with that much style, I'd be a very happy man.
-Dan
The Legend of Black Heaven (AKA, Hard Rock Save the Space).
If you're looking for style, this is the anime that has it. Witness the trials and travails of Oji, as he suffers through married life (and a child), and remembers the good old days, when he was the lead guitarist for a fairly popular band....
...and then the present, where he fights to SAVE HUMANITY from ATTACKING ALIENS~!
Trust me -- Black Heaven is awesome. It's all about the Flying V.
Oji, Oji, Oji, Oji, Oji, Oji....
Let me go... Let you go...
Dracos
Bought the dvds.
I'll definitely chime in for Cowboy Bebop (both the TV series and the movie). Ditto the Captain Tylor series. Ditto the Tenchi OAVs (the TV series and the movies don't match up).
Let me add RahXephon. It's kind of like Evangelion, only better.
Bubblegum Crisis. (Not Crash, not 2040, the original)
Escaflowne. Fantasy with mecha, but it works anyway. The movie looks better, the TV series has a better story.
Read or Die. James Bond meets X-men with an anime twist.
Vampire Princess Miyu. The OAVs are better than the TV series.
Jubei-chan the Ninja Girl. A fun little series.
Jubei-chan and Jubei-chan 2 are both a very cute series. A well done tongue in cheek parody of both samurai drama and magical girl series.
Dracos
Actually. After re-reading this thread, it looks like Hal is asking for what's availible now that he should get. I therefore suggest:
Tsukuhime. As reviewed (http://www.pishoque.net/phpBB2/viewtopic.php?t=790) by our fearless leader, and at 12 eps, not a huge investment of time.
Hmm...I'll suggest two, if we're going for Commercially Available.
Gunparade March weighs in at 12 eps, and while the story is somewhat inconsistent with switches from romantic comedy to drama, Almost all the characters are likable and amusing.
And 'Gunsmith Cats'. 3 OVA episodes. Not nearly as good as the manga, but still, not at all bad.
Well, there's always that "latest anime series" board that Shuten updates. A fair number of those series are good. I'd recommend School Rumble because of it's comedy (some people call it 'Azudai 2', but I would not), Bleach, for action, and Genshiken, for sheer weirdness (an anime about an anime club. yes.).
For classics, Record of Lodoss War. It's like watching an RPG.
Speaking of watching an RPG, you could check out Star Ocean EX, if you want.
Actually I would recommend against Star Ocean EX. It's one of the worst conversions from game to anime I've ever seen. It's a ridiculous farce at best and an insult to the viewer at the very worst.
The characters are royally butchered. Hell I think the only character, from what I remember, who actually manages to come out better than her game counterpart isn't even a playable character in the game.
A very important plot point was omitted from the anime so they could show a ghost ship story arc WHICH ADDED ABSOLUTELY NOTHING TO THE STORY! >_<
Finally the anime ends on a cliffhanger. This is probably the worst problem with the whole damned series. The only series I've seen that manages to screw the viewer over even worse is Rave which has a final episode that plays like a recap episode, except it shows you things that are coming up instead of what's already occured, and leaves the viewer thinking there's more to come when they're never will be. >_<
Ultimately I have to highly recommend against this series. There is almost nothing redeeming about it and there are so many other series which are vastly more deserving of attention than the absolute waste of time that Star Ocean EX is.
Sincerely,
Shuten
Speaking of watching an RPG, Ys comes highly recomended. You can probably pic up the collection at best buy for little more than you'd pay for a new release title. I think. >_>
Old school artwork, a story that grows more intense as it moves forward, characters you come to like, good music, nostalgic, and fight scenes that flow pretty smoothly come to gether in one of my all time favorite series. I will warn you that it stumbles a bit in the third (final) disc, but not enough to make you stop watching. Heh.