Anime Thread: It's like putting salt on sweet vanilla!

[Kaneda]

Originally Posted by Eltargrim

Eureka Seven may have a lot of filler, but it's damn good filler which actually serves the purpose of developing the characters. The plot is more or less incidental when compared to the character developments that take place.

There was some good character development, and the cast was quite strong. But just because there is character development doesn't mean that much time was necessary to devote to it. The whole series was far too drawn out, which nearly killed my interest in it by the time the plot actually started up in the last fifth of the show.

I don't mean to come across as sort of ADD "hurfdurf needs moar plot tweests!" but it just felt like the show creators thought these characters could drive a show for 40something episodes, and to me they really couldn't.

[Fifthfiend]

Originally Posted by phil_

I recommend Eureka Seven if you can deal with the fuzzie wuzzies as well as the prickly wicklies. Otherwise, go with Gurren Lagann. There's really no reason not to watch it, given the criteria you've listed, beyond "it's popular and therefore must suck."

It does go a fair lot farther in the direction of silliness at points than I think Odjn particularly wants to go. I personally was cool with it cause it was passably amusing and ultimately in service to a surprisingly serious storyline (and with both ultimately subordinated to shitloads of sexy robot violence) but I could see how it could be a turnoff for some people.

[Kim]

I'll second the earlier Afro Samurai recommend. It's surprisingly awesome.

Also, Odjn, Tengen Toppa Gurren Lagann is really as good as you've heard, if not better, so I'd recommend giving it a shot. It's over-the-top and cheesy, but in a good way. Characters all have their own unique traits and flaws, but the show doesn't focus on the flaws. It also doesn't rub your face in it. For a show as flashy and all that as TTGL is, it can be surprisingly subtle in its own way. It's also a lot deeper than it'd lead you to believe.

Other recommendations? I hear Monster is good, even though I haven't seen much myself.

[Fifthfiend]

Originally Posted by NonCon

I'll second the earlier Afro Samurai recommend. It's surprisingly awesome.

You wouldn't think it would be that surprising considering it's a cartoon starring Samuel L. Jackson as a samurai in futuristic feudal quasi-Japan, but it then surprises you by being even more awesome than you'd already have expected.

[Kim]

I actually didn't think I'd like Afro Samurai that much when I bought it. It sounded like one of those fucking awesome ideas that in practice fails to live up to what you'd expect of such a thing, but it pulls it off great, and I don't care what anyone says, NinjaNinja is awesome.

EDIT: Thinking on it, one of the reasons Toradora! is so great to me is how real it feels. Taiga's father is EXACTLY like my biological father. I'm not even joking. I really identify with her.

[Odjn]

TTGL is a good anime, I'm just not into that. Black Lagoon is extremely good and I shall accordingly rep fifth for that.

Originally Posted by Regulus Tera

Okay, yeah, I guess Tengen Toppa Gurren Lagann gets way too wacky at times.

I recommend Eureka Seven and Michiko è Hatchin.

The latter is where a woman escapes from the most heavily guarded prison in the world four times and busts through a girl's window on a motorcycle. Wacky.

Let me be clearer here!

I like realism. Not like no powers no nothing realism necessarily, although that can be cool, but what I mean is when someone busts through your window you go WHAT THE FUCK or some incredulous remark and they would not be able to escape from the most heavily guarded prison in the world multiple times because it's the most heavily guarded prison in the world. If someone has a set of clearly defined powers you don't suddenly give them new ones for no reason (Avatar/Darker than Black, I'm looking at you) except in a manner that, when considered with what's happened previously has no obvious contradictions (in Evangelion, Shinji's Eva regenerates. Given the massive amount of injury it's suffered in previous episodes and the pristine condition Eva 01 is in every new fight, this makes sense.) When characters are assholes, I want other characters calling them on that.

I like serious philosophy/psychology. Spike from Cowboy Bebop has a bunch of this in his interactions with his nemesis, and from his past life, saying he's already dead. NGE has believable, if annoying sometimes, characters with various consistent flaws. Shinji can't deal with people, so he avoids them to prevent rejection. Asuka fights and shows off to get attention. They're not Random Psychological Disorder tacked on with a cliche back story.

So there you go.

[Regulus Tera]

Cowboy Bebop is realistic, but Michiko è Hatchin isn't? I think your definition of wacky is wackily off the target.

Seriously, there are tons of similarities between the two series. At least watch until episode four before dismissing it. If you want philosophical stuff, try Serial Experiments Lain.

NEW HAJIME NO IPPO TEASER

[Tev]

I suggest Noein. It has very nice art designs and while time travel/dimension hopping is a part of the plot, the technology is both fun and believable.

You get to look forward to:
- X-Files Molder and Skully rip-offs...but in a good way.
- Time Travel/ Dimensional understanding.
- Tween-age kids going through that "coming of age" thing.....some with box cutters!
- Rappelling through time and space!
- Very intricate story line.
- Very well done art work in a nice crisp style.

[Axl]

Realism and philosophy/psychology? I'd recommend both Akagi and Kaiji, both heavily deal with gambling and being pretty rad.

[Odjn]

Originally Posted by Regulus Tera

Cowboy Bebop is realistic, but Michiko è Hatchin isn't? I think your definition of wacky is wackily off the target.

Seriously, there are tons of similarities between the two series. At least watch until episode four before dismissing it. If you want philosophical stuff, try Serial Experiments Lain.

NEW HAJIME NO IPPO TEASER

Cowboy Bebop had a ton of silly stuff like blaxpoitation dudes hauling around coffins and shrooms and data dogs but when you got down to it everything had a convincing explanations except the weirdest crap like the fridge episode. Ein is a super smart dog because he was genetically engineered to be so, but can't talk or anything because he's just a smart dog. Pierrot was an experiment. I mean I could totally go on here but the point is the series has a silly side to it that's pretty much cordoned off while the one you're recommending is embracing wackiness as in wow she can ride bikes and escape prison but it makes no sense, how are they letting a woman do this four times? You're confusing realistic as in, it makes sense/has a reasonable explanation within the universe with realistic as in real life.

Whereas if you escape a super prison once it's a staggering feat, twice it's miraculous and I would , and the third time afterwards you should've been shot once you left your cell, in which you'd be bound hand and foot so you can't escape again because it's a super prison! Unless she has like strength and endurance or something.