Which anime would you consider mandatory viewing?

Bloodseeker · Post by **Bloodseeker** » Thu Nov 10, 2005 12:26 pm

Like the title says, post the anime that you believe that every anime fan should see.

Neon Genesis Evangelion

This is the big one... NGE is probably the most popular anime amongst internet jockies. Two thing that you should know before going into NGE:

1. Don't buy into the hype about story depth and symbolism and all that other crap that some Eva fans try to promote... know that this NOT Serial Experiments Lain, this is Neon Genesis Evangelion. They're two completely different shows. The only similarity is that they're both dark dramas.

2. You need to keep watching. The show gets much more entertaining when Asuka and Kaji are introduced. But the dark drama that made the show so famous doesn't really come into play until about episode 15, and even then, it doesn't go into full swing until around episode 18. Keep watching, it starts off as a merely okay anime, but it keeps getting better as it goes on.

The character developement in Eva is top notch... I have yet to come across any anime that tops NGE in believable progressive character developement. If you look at Shinji, Asuka, and Misato when they're first introduced, then look at them as the story comes to a close, you'll see six characters that are completely different from each other. If you pay attention to everything in betweeen, you'll fully understand how the changes in those three characters came around.

Eva's no slouch in the story department, though I'd say that Eva's story is really overrated. Its not so much deep as it is open... a lot of events are left open to viewer interpretation, which is what makes Eva such a fun anime to debate over.

Speaking of those debates, those alone make Eva a worthwhile anime to watch. Between the debate over who killed a certain character that shall remained unnamed here, arguments over what happened at the end of the series and in the movie End of Evangelion, and the popularity wars between Asuka, Misato, and Rei, Eva gives you a lot to talk about. Even if you didn't like the series enough to join in on these debates, there's a lot of arguments between Evas fans and its haters.

And THAT is why you need to see Evangelion if you haven't already.

Great Teacher Onizuka

This show doesn't have the huge western fanbase that it deserves... its the only anime comedy that I've seen that's in the same league as The Simpsons and Family Guy. (its a different kind of humor, but I get just as much of a laugh out of GTO's jokes as I get out of Family Guy's)

It also has some very likable characters... Onizuka ties with Guts from Berserk as my favorite anime of all time, and you won't find too many female anime characters that are cooler than Kanzaki.

If you're looking for a show to redeem anime comedy after viewing the blight that is Excel Saga, or if you're just looking for an entertaining show, GTO's a safe bet.

I have two more, but I'll list them later. I've probably already dragged this post out.

imphill · Post by **imphill** » Thu Nov 10, 2005 12:52 pm

I think
Excel Saga
It contains the meaning of life....and other things

.

Malificus · Post by **Malificus** » Thu Nov 10, 2005 1:37 pm

Just about anything from Hayao Miyazaki would work.

Porco Rosso, Spirited Away, Kiki's delivery Service, your pick.

Org Profile · Post by **Otohiko** » Thu Nov 10, 2005 1:44 pm

Malificus wrote:Just about anything from Hayao Miyazaki would work.

Porco Rosso, Spirited Away, Kiki's delivery Service, your pick.

/kills self

(I may have seen them once before, but... it's been a long time now)

And come on Mal, how could you not suggest FLCL as mandatory viewing - whether you love it or hate it, you just have to see it.

Um...

...oops

***

Yes, yes, nearly it forgot about this as it.... On the whole Furi- smoke - to smoke by all. Those more even if to you it was not pleased, not to trebuyet'sya with it to suffer by 26 or is more than series - six pieces, and with the end!

bobbarker31 · Post by **bobbarker31** » Thu Nov 10, 2005 2:36 pm

imphill wrote:I think
Excel Saga
It contains the meaning of life....and other things .

It is a GREAT series, but one that has more in jokes if you have seen a lot of anime prior to 1999. Every episode is a spoof of a genre of popular culture or anime and it gets more mileage if you have some knowledge of it.

The ADV discs do come with a pop up video option that explains much of what you see since many of the jokes come with machine gun speed.

oldwrench · Post by **oldwrench** » Thu Nov 10, 2005 2:51 pm

Princess Nine: An underrated anime that is mostly about interpersonal relationships and growing up. Set around a highschool baseball team, bucking tradition and reaching for a seemingly impossible goal. Lots of interesting stories that make up a real "feel good" anime.

Voices of a Distant Star: a real lesson in how good a short story can be. Just thirty minutes but a powerfull tale of love over time and distance. A great tear jerker.

cholinms · Post by **cholinms** » Fri Nov 11, 2005 5:16 am

Grave of the Fireflies: One of the most ocmpelling stories that I've seen to date. It's got a very reallistic depiction of life for the Japanese poor during WWII. Very much a tear jerker though.

imphill · Post by **imphill** » Fri Nov 11, 2005 5:41 am

bobbarker31 wrote:
imphill wrote:I think
Excel Saga
It contains the meaning of life....and other things .
It is a GREAT series, but one that has more in jokes if you have seen a lot of anime prior to 1999. Every episode is a spoof of a genre of popular culture or anime and it gets more mileage if you have some knowledge of it.

Ok, yeah i agree.
But the final 4 eps had a plot and they must of had guts to pull off something like this. It really is worth seeing.

bum · Post by **bum** » Fri Nov 11, 2005 5:51 am

Grave of the Fireflies. Its the only anime which truely deserved a must see title, regardless of weather your an otaku or dont know what anime is. Simply one of the most moving motion pictures ever created.

doughboy · Post by **doughboy** » Fri Nov 11, 2005 8:44 am

Battle Athletes Victory: a very fun show that fluctuates between comedy, action, and drama appropriately and has one of the best endings I've experienced. There's plenty of moments that aren't so great, but lasting through the entire show is worth it just to get the payoff.

Cowboy Bebop: probably the most fun you can have watching a TV series. I can imagine some people won't like it if they're only into certain genres, but this show can pull many non-anime fans into it and act as a gateway for more interest.