Top 10 Animes!

[bastard_robo]

Doing this on the movie board, so i figured, why not do it here too.

What are you top ten all time favorite anime's of all time. Series or stand alone.

Mine:

10. Spriggan
9.Excel Saga
8.Teknoman
7.Princess Mononoke
6.Cowboy Bebop
5.Cutey Honey (OVA)
4. Giant Robo
3. Battle Angel
2.Voltron
1. Devil man (OVA)

[Iconoclastica]

I haven't really seen *that* many anime . . . but of course each time I've seen a series it's been done properly . . . 24 hour marathon style . . . well, of the ones I've seen, I'm only missing a couple here, so here's my order

10. Escaflowne
9. Trigun
8. Spirited Away
7. Neon Genesis Evangeleon
6. Vampire Hunter D
5. Princess Mononoke
4. Vampire Hunter D Bloodlust
3. Akira
2. Grave of the Fireflies
1. Cowboy Bebop

[nodforlife]

Series:

10. Gungrave (mainly the first half)
9. Trigun
8. Dragonball Z (gateway anime)
7. Samurai Champloo
6. Ghost in the Shell SAC
5. Naruto
4. Gundam Wing
3. Neon Genesis Evangelion
2. Fullmetal Alchemist
1. Cowboy Bebop

Films: (pretty Miyazaki heavy, but hey the guy's a genius)

10. Cowboy Bebop
9. Castle in the Sky
8. Howl's Moving Castle
7. Kiki's Delivery Service
6. My Neighbor Totoro
5. Evangelion: End of Evangelion (it makes the series even better)
4. Metropolis
3. Princess Mononoke
2. Spirited Away
1. Grave of the Fireflies

[Iconoclastica]

5. Naruto

I forgot Naruto! Damn, substitute that in mine and knock of Escaflowne . . . good shit . . . Sasuke is one hard core mofo of a 13(?) year old, that's for damn sure. The manga's good times too. I have to admit, too, that I really enjoy the cartoon network English dubs . . . especially after all of that time of only having access to fan subs (not that I'm complaining- at least it was available!)

[Logan5]

10. Grave of the Fireflies
9. Martian Successor Nadesico
8. Akira
7. Love Hina
6. Serial Experiment Lain
5. Hakkenden
4. Naruto
3. Giant Robo
2. Macross (original)
1. Berserk


Runner ups: Metropolis, StarZinger, Macross 2, Last Exile.

[DrillerKiller]

Haven't seen all that many (they're barely available here), but I'd say I've seen enough to complete this list.

10. Monster City
9. Ichi the Killer animated prequel
8. Akira
7. Street Fighter II
6. Vampire Hunter D: bloodlust
5. Ghost in the Shell
4. Fist of the North Star
3. Wicked city
2. Vampire Hunter D
1. Ninja Scroll (this film gives me eyegasms)

[Retardo_Montalban]

Most of my top ten is already in other people's list, but one. Pompoko. That movie is great. Tanuki's go flying around on their inflated testicles, fighting deforestation. This is what Ferngully should have been. I recommend it.

Oh yeah, Abenobashi Maho Shotengai. It means shopping center or something. Friggin hilarious.

[John-Locke]

10. Ulysses 31
9. Mysterious Cities of Gold
8. Thundercats
7. He-Man
6. Mask
5. The Real Ghostbusters
4. Dogtanian and the Muskahounds
3. Around the World with Willie Fog
2. Spirited Away
1. Samurai Champloo

[Vegeta]

Uh... Dragonball Z!

[jgraphix]

Nobody seen Appleseed or Howles Moving Castle?

[fried samurai]

10. Princess Mononoke
9. Millenium Actress
8. Giant Robo
7. Perfect Blue
6. Cowboy Bebop
5. Paranoia Agent
4. Akira
3. Ghost In The Shell (first film)
2. Berserk
1. Ninja Scroll

[LeFlambeur]

1. A tie between all of Miazaki's films
2. Cowboy Bebop
3. Evangelion
4. FLCL
5. Ghost in the Shell
6. Akira
7. Grave of the Fireflies
8. Samurai Champloo
9. Outlaw Star
10. Gundam Wing (I dont care what anyone says)

[Keepcoolbutcare]

Miyazaki (don't matter which)

Samurai Champloo

Akira

Ghost in the Shell

Ninja Scroll

Wicked City

Vampire Hunter D

Satoshi Kon (anything)

Wings of Honneamise

The Boondocks

[Seppuku]

These are pretty much the only animès I own, which makes them my top 10 by default.

10) Millenium Actress

9) Perfect Blue

8 ) Ghost in the Shell 1

7) Tokyo Revelation

6) Violence Jack

5) Akira

4) Blood - the Last Vampire

3) Metropolis

2) Vampire Hunter D

1) Castle in the Sky

[Brit Pop]

10) Vampire Hunter D

9) Dominion Tank Police

8) Cities Of Gold (if it counts)

7) Animatrix

6) Ghost In The Shell

5) Wicked City

4) Akira

3) Project Ako

2) Fist Of The North Star

1) Phoenix 2772 - Space Firebird (saw it when I was 10 - been looking for it ever since... with no luck)

[CthulhuKid]

LeFlambeur, Can you explain FLCL to me? I just don't get it! I want to, I really, really want to. It just escapes me!

No specific order:

Spirited Away
Princess Monoke
Cowboy Bebop
Trigun
Robotech (notalgia's sake)
Blue Gender
Full Metal Alchemist
Ghost in the Shell
Howl's Moving Castle

But the King of them all is still AKIRA!

[Ribbons]

Speaking of "don't get it": Paranoia Agent. What's that all about?

[LeFlambeur]

FLCL is easily the most dense anime I've ever watched. So much is crammed into the six episodes that encompas the series, it can be a bit overwhelming watching it for the first time. The only way really grasp it is through repeat viewings. Its amazing but (sort if like Citizen Kane) it actually gets better everytime you watch it. Now, if you dont have time for all that, Wikipedia has a pretty comprehensive analyisis posted. Hope that helps.
Btw, I'm kind of suprised FLCL didn't make more lists. FLCL exhibits more style, substance, originality, and sheer exuberence for its medium in six episodes than most series do in 24+ episodes.

[Iconoclastica]

Btw, I'm kind of suprised FLCL didn't make more lists. FLCL exhibits more style, substance, originality, and sheer exuberence for its medium in six episodes than most series do in 24+ episodes.

I'm not surprised - word doesn't get around about FLCL as much as other animes, largely because of this same issue where people would rather not watch something that takes so much effort to grasp . . . I'll admit that I've shied away from watching it from a combination of fear and laziness (and I know I've missed out because of that), as many people I know have . . . something like Cowboy Bebop or Akira is complex, but on the surface enough that you can enjoy it on a variety of levels, regardless of whether it's your first viewing or your 10th. In the case of FLCL, when you know you're going to have to put an enormous intellectual and emotional investment into something, it's only American nature to avoid it at all costs (as shamed as I am to say that).

[CthulhuKid]

the problem I have with FLCL is trying to figure out what it all means. I love the character designs, and the crazy chick with the Rickenbacher (sp) bass on the vespa is crazy cool! But... why are there robots coming out of a kid's head, and whats with the giant Iron on the horizon...?

thanks for the wikipedia lead I'll chek it out.

Oh, and I need to Add Samurai X (Rurouni Kenshin) to mine. AWESOME!

[colonel_lugz]

All of mine have been mentioned, except Shadow Skill.
And DBZ rules all!

[ZombieZoneSolutions]

Only 10? DAME DA! (Pronounced 'dah-may-dah'-- Japanese exclamation meaning "Impossible!" or "it's no good!"). Mines goes to 12, in no particular order...

- Akira

- Princess Mononoke

- Space Cruiser Yamato (aka Star Blazers)

- Space Pirate Captain Harlock (70s tv anime)

- Galaxy Express 999 (movie)

- Super Science Ninja Team GATCHAMAN (aka Battle of the Planets / G-Force)

- Speed Racer (known as Mach Go Go Go in Japan; a verbal pun on the English word 'go' and the Japanese word for '5'. Get it?!)

- Cowboy Beebop (best intro theme music EVER!)

- The Castle of Cagliostro (an early Miyazaki film about Lupin the III)

- Gundam (original series only; everything after that was lame IMHO)

- Macross The Movie: Do You Remember Love?

- Neon Genesis Evangelion

[fried samurai]

Speaking of "don't get it": Paranoia Agent. What's that all about?

Not to sure if you've seen it or are curious about it.Trying to explain it in a whole is like trying to explain a David Lynch film.Very difficult and I may end up sounding like an idiot.

First off watching it in Japanese with eng subs is a must.On the surface its about a boy with golden roller skates who goes around beating people down with a bent baseball bat.Its best not to dwell on Shonen Bat as he's more or less there to move each episode along.The first and last episode do bring everything together but theres still room for your own interpertation.

Whats facinating about the series are the individual stories themselves.One of the things I love about Satoshi Kon's work is that most of his films can be shot live action but by having them animated gives it sort of a surreal look.

In Paranoia Agent he plays with different topics and themes and even changes the style of animation from time to time.You have episodes that deal with lonliness,fear,loss of identity,socially challenged individuals and so on.Some stand out episodes include a women who is essentially leading two lives.Another involving a suicide pact with a child,old man and teenager.The way these topics are handled are what make this an incredible series IMO.

Now towards the end it does get really trippy and has some Akira-like moments.I highly recommend watching the special feature on the last disc.Satoshi Kon sits down with his writer and explains how the series evolved.Very interesting but at the same time Kon likes to leave the viewer with something to think about.

Its been awhile since I've watched it so I'm writing from memory but it did have a big impact on me.

[monorail77]

I'm looking for Anime recommendations, so I thought I'd resurrect this topic. I'm looking not for just a list, but some explanation of why you recommend. Is it for the adult, violent nature of the film, like Akira, or for its beauty, like Miyazaki films, or both (like Pricess Mononoke, another Miyazaki classic)? I want to know.

I've seen some anime, mostly Miyazaki stuff and some Battle of the Planets stuff as a kid. I saw Akira years ago, but can't remember much. And that's about it.

So, what should I check out, and why?

[Seppuku]

I'm hardly the person to go about recommending Anime, but I think if you want something just for its entertainment value, you can't go wrong with Ninja Scroll. It could be said that it's got some depth in how it represents mythology and feudal Japan, but that would be stretching it a bit- it's just straight-up entertainment. Otherwise for characterisation and plot-terms, something like Millenium Actress would be great. For the Japanese, Anime is more than just a medium, to them it's almost a type of lens, or camera, rather than a genre, it's just the world in which they choose to tell many of their stories- which go all across the board. So those are my two recommendations...

[monorail77]

Much obliged Sepp

[Brocktune]

So, what should I check out, and why?

gantz!
i could tell you why, but that would ruin it. it is an amazing series however.

[John-Locke]

I thought Anime was just a word Geeks created to justify the fact they watch Cartoons as adults.

Hey I watch Cartoons and I'm proud of it, flame away.

[monorail77]

OK, JL, do you have any, um, Japanese Cartoon recommendations then?

[monorail77]

Oh and thanks Brocktune

[John-Locke]

What I'm saying is I like Cartoons period, regardless of where they come from.

You can't beat some Samurai Champloo if you ask me but then I stay away from a lot of the sci fi stuff, gives me a headache sometimes.

[Brocktune]

I thought Anime was just a word Geeks created to justify the fact they watch Cartoons as adults.

Hey I watch Cartoons and I'm proud of it, flame away.

thats funny
on sunday i told my mom i was going to best buy this week to pick up he-man season one part two. i was not prepared for the ribbing i would recieve due to the fact that i should've outgrown that stuff years ago. aw mom. good thing you havent seen the rest of my dvds. or my laserdiscs for that matter. youd probably start buying me diapers again. but we geeks know the real truth.

[Keepcoolbutcare]

Ghost in the Shell. Relatively intelligent sci-fi, some stunning images (ya' know that now cliche shot of an airplane flying over an urban metropolis...never seen a better one than in this film), great action scenes...highly recommended.

I'll second Sparky's shout out for Millenium Actress. Satoshi Kon, bless his soul, doesn't do typical anime stories.

If you're into some sick and twisted, rapes aplenty, violence soaked crazy-ass horror, check Wicked City. 5 minutes in, when the one-night-stands turns into a spider-trap, you'll see what I mean. Not for the faint of heart, but worth it for the WTF factor alone...

[monorail77]

I'm about 1/4 of the way thru Millenium Actress (I sometimes have to watch films in spurts and starts, what with little kids, busy job, etc.) and so far I'm liking it.

GOTS seems interesting, so I'll check it out.

Thanks for the recommendations all! Keep 'em comin'.

[Eric G]

I am disgusted only one person mentioned Appleseed.

[nodforlife]

Appleseed was OK, the animation was pretty cool, but the plot didn't really knock me out. If I were to compile a list of prettiest animes, or films that I could watch on 'mute,' I'd put it on there along with 'Steamboy.'

[Ribbons]

Speaking of "don't get it": Paranoia Agent. What's that all about?

Not to sure if you've seen it or are curious about it.Trying to explain it in a whole is like trying to explain a David Lynch film.Very difficult and I may end up sounding like an idiot.

First off watching it in Japanese with eng subs is a must.On the surface its about a boy with golden roller skates who goes around beating people down with a bent baseball bat.Its best not to dwell on Shonen Bat as he's more or less there to move each episode along.The first and last episode do bring everything together but theres still room for your own interpertation.

Whats facinating about the series are the individual stories themselves.One of the things I love about Satoshi Kon's work is that most of his films can be shot live action but by having them animated gives it sort of a surreal look.

In Paranoia Agent he plays with different topics and themes and even changes the style of animation from time to time.You have episodes that deal with lonliness,fear,loss of identity,socially challenged individuals and so on.Some stand out episodes include a women who is essentially leading two lives.Another involving a suicide pact with a child,old man and teenager.The way these topics are handled are what make this an incredible series IMO.

Now towards the end it does get really trippy and has some Akira-like moments.I highly recommend watching the special feature on the last disc.Satoshi Kon sits down with his writer and explains how the series evolved.Very interesting but at the same time Kon likes to leave the viewer with something to think about.

Its been awhile since I've watched it so I'm writing from memory but it did have a big impact on me.

Oh man, I'm sorry I missed this post! Thanks for taking the time to respond to me fried samurai, your comments are much appreciated.

[Keepcoolbutcare]

I am disgusted only one person mentioned Appleseed.

and here I was disgusted that anyone mentioned Appleseed...

[Eric G]

I am disgusted only one person mentioned Appleseed.

and here I was disgusted that anyone mentioned Appleseed...

Blasphemer!

OK...maybe it's not that bigger deal really.....

Has anyone seen "The Place Promised in Our Early Days" ?
What about Ghost in a Shell 1 & 2? Or Gilgamesh? can anyone give me any views on these titles?

EDIT: kcbc; just seen your post about 'Ghost' . Have you seen number 2?

[Keepcoolbutcare]

yes. yes I have.

It's beautiful, if a bit muddled, but worth checkin' out.

The story focuses on Batou, the majors erstwhile drinkin' partner and supplier of really big guns.. He gets coupled with the n00b, mostly human partner from the first film. Stunning imagery, but I know a lot of folks had some problems with the narrative.

[Eric G]

yes. yes I have.

It's beautiful, if a bit muddled, but worth checkin' out.

The story focuses on Batou, the majors erstwhile drinkin' partner and supplier of really big guns.. He gets coupled with the welcome member of the Zone, mostly human partner from the first film. Stunning imagery, but I know a lot of folks had some problems with the narrative.

Sweet. I have both of them coming to me from my DVD supplier I do reviews for. I'll look forward to them.....
What about Giglamesh? Looks interesting; different....

[Keepcoolbutcare]

haven't heard of it 'til now, but it sounds pretty neat, give a review when you check it.

[Bean]

Two words: Samurai Champloo.

[Brocktune]

What about Giglamesh? Looks interesting; different....

gilgamesh is pretty cool. its sort of a post apocalyptic future deal, where the earth is covered by a new atmosphere that was released in bomb form by some sort of religious/scientific cult. theres like this brother and sister who are being chased, and they wind up with this sort of ragtag fugitive fleet of people. its kind of dark. good stuff.

if anyone hasnt seen "elfen lied" i really liked that one too.

[monorail77]

I hate to ask, but what is Appleseed?

Oh, and thanks all for the other recommendations.

[Eric G]

I hate to ask, but what is Appleseed?

Oh, and thanks all for the other recommendations.

Check it out:
Appleseed Review

[monorail77]

Thanks for the link. Looks very cool.

[monorail77]

Here's a dumb question? What's the difference between Manga and Anime? The Appleseed review said something like it was the reviewer's first look into the world of Manga. What's he talking about? I thought Manga were just comic books?

[fried samurai]

Here's a dumb question? What's the difference between Manga and Anime? The Appleseed review said something like it was the reviewer's first look into the world of Manga. What's he talking about? I thought Manga were just comic books?

Your right.Manga=Japanese comics Anime=Japanese animation

There is a company called Manga that releases anime in the US though.

[monorail77]

Thank you, oh Fried-San!