Posted: Tue Oct 16, 2001 12:29 am
HI guys!<P>I don't know if any of you remember an <A HREF="http://www.keenspace.com/forums/Forum11 ... 00014.html" TARGET=_blank>extrememly old anime thread</A> i had, but ever since then, when i was FIRST being exposed to the world of anime and manga, a LOT has happened, and I feel i've already started to become a bit knowledgeable in the ways of anime, at least -- it certainly helps to have a local club with one of the biggest personal private collections ion north america, i tell you what.<P>so i figured i'd offer up my current faves, for your scrutiny and comments -- let me know if you disagree or agree with my choices, and we'll go from there ^__^<P>So with that said, here is a list of some of my favorite things to date, divided into nigh-categories:<P>-----<P>FAVORITEST ANIME SERIES TO DATE:<P><B>FLCL</B> -- Man, this 6-episode series is just sooooooo packed with crazy weirdness that it takes a LOT of rewatching to actually catch even a GLIMMER of what's going on. The story is INCREDIBLY INTELLIGENT and very well executed, and the characters are ALL addictively interesting and appealing. I can;t even THINK of any bad things about this series. The soundtrack rocks, the animation is top notch and dares to play sround, etc etc. <P>Damn Fine Stuff.<P>--------------<P>FAVORITE SPY/ESPIONAGE/P.I. TITLES:<P><B>READ OR DIE</B> -- This is a VERY new title, having only come out in the last fw months. It's slated to be a three-parter; the first two are already out, and the third one is in production (unfortunately, there are production and budget problems, so who KNOWS what's gonna happen! O_o). basically, it's about a world being taken over by dead geniuses brought to life by some mysterious organization/person. The only people who can save the world? Why, the British Library Special Ops Division, of course! Wait until you see how cool <I>The Paper</I> is...<P><B>LUPIN III</B> (the movies) -- Damn, but this is funny stuff. You really have to watch ALL of the movies, since there really isn't a weak one. The original TV episodes, on the other hand, are nowhere near as good (but worth watching once, i guess, only to see how it all begins?). I personally love Lupin's VOICE, as well as how he is drawn -- like a mix of Japanese and French animation. But really, the story is there, and while filled with loads of "spy/action" stereotypes, it spoofs them well, and always leaves you laughing/craving for more...<P><B>CITY HUNTER</B> -- Heehee! A PERFECT spoof of 80's Magnum P.I.-type shows!! A private detective with a weakness for women and "mokori" who is one helluva crack shot, teamed up with a feisty female partner who is EASILY the Jedi Master of HammerSpace (all used to keep him in check when he starts chasing skirts!)... well, how could you NOT love that? This show REALLY is good at imitating and spoofing the genre, it's almost SCARY, and DAMN funny!<P><B>COWBOY BEBOP</B> -- Even though i haven't seen that many so far, I'm <I>already</I> hooked by this sci-fi bounty hunter series. The characters are all likeable, and you have an excellent mix of humour with funky action and plots, enough to keep you switching to the next tape of episodes!<P>--------------<P>FAVORITE SCI-FI SERIES:<P><B>VAN DREAD</B> -- By FAR, i am HOOKED by this series, which just came out last year, and which is just NOW starting out its second season (one of my buddies in the club already has his hands on it, but i can't wsee it until next week! O_o; <IMG SRC="http://www.keenspace.com/forums/wink.gif">. Picture a future where men and women have gone out on their own separate ways, and have become two "races" that battle each other for survival in the universe. that is... until three males end up getting captured by a band of female renegade pirates, and something BIGGER than the male-female war comes up and threatens ALL life in the universes... I can't say much else except that the coolest mech stuff happens when a male ship and a female ship "join" to become one! Heehee! Seriously, thogh -- i LOVE this series!<P><B>PHOTON</B> -- A kickass 6-part series which has tons of humour, and a neat story behind it. It may not explain all that much about our diminutive hero with the incredible strength and invulnerablity he possesses (as well as an insatiable HUNGER!), or the holy relic Magic Marker that ends up leading him and his little sister on one helluva hilarious adventure!<P><B>TRIGUN</B> -- I don;t think I have to say much about this series, since practically everyone who's watched anime in their lives has already been wowed by it. Let's just say that if you HAVEN'T checked out the adventures of Vash The Stampede, you haven't watched ANIME. Serious. Hilarious. Insane. Intelligent. Compelling. Just plain GOOD.
-------<P>FAVORITE FANTASY ANIME ("realistic-esque"):<P><B>BERSERK</B> -- Easiy my favorite series, regardless of the fact that there is a "missing episode", and that watching all 25 shows will make you ache for more and cry evil things at the creators for leaving you hanging like they did. But wow, if this isn't a WONDERFUL depiction of a medevial life, with less funny, but with more addictive compellingness. If you are a fan of sword swingers, then you will fall in love with Gatts. All hail Gatts, the TRUE kickass warrior guy (Kenshin wouldn't stand a chance!) <P><B>KAZEMAKAZE TSUKIKAGE RANE</B> -- Woohoo! How can people not LOOOOVE an anime series about a drunken Samurai woman and her Quixotic sidekick, Miao? Oh, Miao, how I <I>love</I> your naively Romantic ideals! (Have i mentioned that her style of martial arts is called "Nekkotekken?" BWAHAHAH! that's hilarious in itself!!) <IMG SRC="http://www.keenspace.com/forums/biggrin.gif"><P>
--------------<P>FAVORITE FANTASY ANIME ("RPG-esque")<P><B>VISION OF ESCAFLOWNE</B> -- okay, THIS series is amazing. It's got medeival mechs, it's got the "schoolgirl sent to another dimension" thing (but done REALLY WELL this time!), it's got tons of action, a wonderful story that is sculpted around the Epic style and flows SOOOO smoothly! And the ending made me cry. I don't cry that often, but man, i was almost flooding my room here, folks. It's the best of the best in terms of Final Fantasy-type anime, folks. But DON'T watch the dubbed version -- it's been cut to pieces. The original subs are the only way to go here, folks.<P><B>INUYASHA</B> -- Done by the same people who are responsible for <I>Ranma 1/2</I>, we find ANOTHER schoolgirl who goes back in time to ancient times, and who ends up teaming up with a half-devil dog to try to save the world from evil. Packed with funny, it's also got a nice little story behind it, and as it goes, the more we learn about all the characters, and the more that ytou get sucked in. It's not a series that rushes itself, nor is it one that stretches itself thin. It [aces itself VERY nicely, and makes for enjoyable viewing.<P><B>SLAYERS</B> -- Lina Inverse and her friends are hilarious! And the stories are funny, yet work, too! Of course, I'm a big fan of the OAVs, since those are the only place where you'll find <I>NAGA</I>, my favorite Slayers character. But there's a lot of good fantasy action, spellcasting, and humour to keep you going throughout both the OAVs and the various series (three to date!)... Another must-view, methinks.<P>------------<P>FAVORITE SILLY STUFF!<P><B>EXCEL SAGA</B> -- Just too good for words.<P><B>PUNI PUNI POEMI</B> -- By the same people responsible for Excel Saga. Makes Excel Saga look like a school documentary.<P><B>SEXY COMMANDO MASUNE</B> (sp?) -- Okay, THSI series is just too weird for words, too. I've only seen two episodes so far, but DAMN, i'm hooked.<P>-----------------<P>FAVORITE CAR ANIME (yes, it DOES exist!)<P><B>INITIAL D</B> -- Wow. I never, <I>never</I> thought that i could sit there and watch an anime series that is about people who race cars. Boy, was I wrong. I can't get enough of this series! Watch in amazement as the fastest mountain race driver in japan turns out to be... a local tofu delivery guy?!?<P>-------------<P>FAVORITE "REAL LIFE" (ROMANCE?)<P><B>KARE KANO (His and Hers Circumstances)</B> -- This was one of my first anime series to watch, and is still one of my favorites. It is an excellently-written story of a girl and a guy in high school as they grow up and discover love and stuff. Not mushy at all, it will leave you laughing and thinking deep thoughts, and wondering why there aren't more episodes yet!<P><B>LOVE HINA</B> -- HEEHEE! A love story that is never short on humour, watch in hilarious horror as poor Keitaro is made the Residence manager of an all-girl's dorm hotel! This is another excellently-plotted out story that is chock-filled with the WACKY!!! Woo! Go Keitaro! (but let me keep Otohime for myself, okay? <IMG SRC="http://www.keenspace.com/forums/biggrin.gif">) <P>-------------<P>Woo! that's a quick list of my favoritest of favorites, but that is NOT the limit of the series i love and enjoy! But i WILL stop now, since this is getting WAY longer than i thought it would be!
-------<P>FAVORITE FANTASY ANIME ("realistic-esque"):<P><B>BERSERK</B> -- Easiy my favorite series, regardless of the fact that there is a "missing episode", and that watching all 25 shows will make you ache for more and cry evil things at the creators for leaving you hanging like they did. But wow, if this isn't a WONDERFUL depiction of a medevial life, with less funny, but with more addictive compellingness. If you are a fan of sword swingers, then you will fall in love with Gatts. All hail Gatts, the TRUE kickass warrior guy (Kenshin wouldn't stand a chance!) <P><B>KAZEMAKAZE TSUKIKAGE RANE</B> -- Woohoo! How can people not LOOOOVE an anime series about a drunken Samurai woman and her Quixotic sidekick, Miao? Oh, Miao, how I <I>love</I> your naively Romantic ideals! (Have i mentioned that her style of martial arts is called "Nekkotekken?" BWAHAHAH! that's hilarious in itself!!) <IMG SRC="http://www.keenspace.com/forums/biggrin.gif"><P>
--------------<P>FAVORITE FANTASY ANIME ("RPG-esque")<P><B>VISION OF ESCAFLOWNE</B> -- okay, THIS series is amazing. It's got medeival mechs, it's got the "schoolgirl sent to another dimension" thing (but done REALLY WELL this time!), it's got tons of action, a wonderful story that is sculpted around the Epic style and flows SOOOO smoothly! And the ending made me cry. I don't cry that often, but man, i was almost flooding my room here, folks. It's the best of the best in terms of Final Fantasy-type anime, folks. But DON'T watch the dubbed version -- it's been cut to pieces. The original subs are the only way to go here, folks.<P><B>INUYASHA</B> -- Done by the same people who are responsible for <I>Ranma 1/2</I>, we find ANOTHER schoolgirl who goes back in time to ancient times, and who ends up teaming up with a half-devil dog to try to save the world from evil. Packed with funny, it's also got a nice little story behind it, and as it goes, the more we learn about all the characters, and the more that ytou get sucked in. It's not a series that rushes itself, nor is it one that stretches itself thin. It [aces itself VERY nicely, and makes for enjoyable viewing.<P><B>SLAYERS</B> -- Lina Inverse and her friends are hilarious! And the stories are funny, yet work, too! Of course, I'm a big fan of the OAVs, since those are the only place where you'll find <I>NAGA</I>, my favorite Slayers character. But there's a lot of good fantasy action, spellcasting, and humour to keep you going throughout both the OAVs and the various series (three to date!)... Another must-view, methinks.<P>------------<P>FAVORITE SILLY STUFF!<P><B>EXCEL SAGA</B> -- Just too good for words.<P><B>PUNI PUNI POEMI</B> -- By the same people responsible for Excel Saga. Makes Excel Saga look like a school documentary.<P><B>SEXY COMMANDO MASUNE</B> (sp?) -- Okay, THSI series is just too weird for words, too. I've only seen two episodes so far, but DAMN, i'm hooked.<P>-----------------<P>FAVORITE CAR ANIME (yes, it DOES exist!)<P><B>INITIAL D</B> -- Wow. I never, <I>never</I> thought that i could sit there and watch an anime series that is about people who race cars. Boy, was I wrong. I can't get enough of this series! Watch in amazement as the fastest mountain race driver in japan turns out to be... a local tofu delivery guy?!?<P>-------------<P>FAVORITE "REAL LIFE" (ROMANCE?)<P><B>KARE KANO (His and Hers Circumstances)</B> -- This was one of my first anime series to watch, and is still one of my favorites. It is an excellently-written story of a girl and a guy in high school as they grow up and discover love and stuff. Not mushy at all, it will leave you laughing and thinking deep thoughts, and wondering why there aren't more episodes yet!<P><B>LOVE HINA</B> -- HEEHEE! A love story that is never short on humour, watch in hilarious horror as poor Keitaro is made the Residence manager of an all-girl's dorm hotel! This is another excellently-plotted out story that is chock-filled with the WACKY!!! Woo! Go Keitaro! (but let me keep Otohime for myself, okay? <IMG SRC="http://www.keenspace.com/forums/biggrin.gif">) <P>-------------<P>Woo! that's a quick list of my favoritest of favorites, but that is NOT the limit of the series i love and enjoy! But i WILL stop now, since this is getting WAY longer than i thought it would be!
