Topic: Anime & Manga (NO SPOILERS PLEASE)

@JoeDiddley yeah I’m pretty sure it is. I’ve still only watched 2 episodes, because I keep on getting sidetracked watching other stuff, but from what I have seen it should be pretty sad.

I did finish Toradora, and I highly recommend it! The last two episodes were some of the best moments I’ve ever watched. The show is truly an emotional roller coaster.

I also just started Squid Girl which isn’t that popular, I don’t think, but it’s pretty good so far.

Great. I watched FLCL (it’s only 6 episodes) last night and it was brilliant and bonkers. I doubt I’ll see anything else like it.

Is anyone keeping an eye on the Re Zero game? I really like Spike Chunsoft but I’m not too sold based on the trailers. I want to be, I hope it turns out well.

@JoeDiddley They did two sequels to FLCL, Progressive and Alternative a few years ago. Which reminds me I need to actually get around to watching them.

@jump I was wondering if they will be any good. I don’t even know if they are by the same studio Gainax? I liked Evangelion and Gurren Lagann.

FLCL Progressive saved most of the best stuff for episode 4 onward, which is weird.

To this day I have really mixed feelings on both of those sequels. Like they felt both too similar and not similar enough to the original.

I’ve only started exploring anime recently, so lots of other things to try then before I potentially try the sequels. FLCL felt like such a one off, that it’s a shame if they don’t live up to it.

So I'm trying to plan out the next couple of anime I start, and I thought I could ask you guys what you thought of the ones I'm thinking of watching. For some context my favorite anime so far are Toradora, CLANNAD, Nichijou, Spice And Wolf, and Squid Girl. I also like psychological horror and somewhat disturbing things. I do not want ANY nudity or anything like that. Basically, if it's worse than SOA, I won't want to watch it.

Here's the list, I would appreciate any input!

Re:Zero
Cells At Work
Your Lie In April
Umaru-Chan
Blend-S
Anohana
The Promised Neverland
Gabriel Dropout
Lucky Star
If It's For My Daughter, I'd Even Defeat A Demon Lord
Love, Chunibyo, And Other Delusions
That Time I Got Reincarnated As A Slime
Nisekoi
K-ON!
Puella Magi Madoka Magika

@Blooper987 Puella Magi Madoka Magika I loved. Re Zero great too, although season 2 I’m not liking as much yet.

I know I’m probably about 12 years too late but does anyone have a MyAnimeList?

Starting my journey I wanted to track things (it pleases me) so I created one but now it reminds me I have no friends. It would be good to see what people here like.

I put my details in my signature just in case.

I had one for a long time but lost it via some bizarre issues from the site, because it was connected to a long gone e-mail, and that would be the only way to be able to access my stuff again, so I never did.

Shame because I had a good 200+ on there just for anime (maybe even just completed anime).

@JoeDiddley Sent a friend request. I need to get better about updating my list, though.

I recommend the mobile app.

@Blooper987 I have been watching Cells at Work the past few days. I am enjoying it alot. There's some comical parts and some action as well. It's an interesting subject to make an anime out of, but it is enjoyable.

@Ralizah thanks so much, I’m enjoying updating my list because it’s new. I had started an Excel spreadsheet so I just moved things over to MAL. My backloggery fell off years ago. But on this app it’s really easy to update as you go.

Before October I had only really watched Ghibli films, so I’m trying different things to see what I like.

@Blooper987 Madoka Magica is a modern classic. Absolutely watch it.

The Promised Neverland is a really engaging thriller as well.

Blend-S is cute, and filled with pretty decent character humor. Certain elements rub me the wrong way, but it's a decent show overall.

@Knighty_IX Anohana was emotionally manipulative to the point where I ended up laughing at it more than anything. Probably didn't help that I watched it with an even more cynical friend.

The type that gets teary-eyed while watching Clannad will eat it up, though.

@JoeDiddley Cool. There's a vast reservoir of stuff you need to watch then.

BTW, I STRONGLY recommend watching Aim for the Top! Gunbuster (the series, not the chopped up film adaptation). Its influence on subsequent Gainax super robot anime like NGE and Gurren Lagann was profound, it's filled with spectacular action sequences and dramatic set-pieces, the late 80s OAV animation style is gorgeous, and, at six episodes, it's tightly-structured from beginning to end. It begins as a fun parody of sports anime and ends as a hard sci-fi drama with one of the most emotionally resonant climaxes in the medium.

@Ralizah thanks for the tip, I will definitely do that. Mecha anime I seem to really enjoy so far, watching some Gundam as I type (chopped up film style but for the original series I heard the pacing works well, not usually the case).

@JoeDiddley The difference, I think, is that Mobile Suit Gundam is a fairly sprawling series that could probably benefit from being condensed and focused a bit (I've not seen the movies, but I've heard fans recommend them as the 'optimal' way to enjoy that arc of the story). Gunbuster is short and focused, so turning it into an hour-and-a-half movie just ends up removing the connective narrative tissue that give the "big" scenes their resonance.

I was planning on going through the entire UC Gundam catalog, but I quit midway through Zeta. That series is a fan favorite, but I really didn't take to it. I should revisit that plan someday.

Oh, one more totally unsolicited suggestion, since I've already crossed that bridge. Check out RahXephon when you get the chance. It was smeared (unfairly, IMO) as an Eva clone early on, but it's actually a really cool take on the super robot genre.

@kkslider5552000 that’s frustrating, I can see why you wouldn’t bother going back to it.

@Ralizah recommendations are what I’m here for, thank you. I’m mostly exploring Masaaki Yuasa, Gainax/Trigger and Mech stuff at the moment so that sounds up my street. It will be added to the never ending list. Less commitment each than playing an RPG I guess.

If Gundam holds my interest I’ve started at the beginning with the movie trilogy but I think I’ll burn out going through things chronologically so I’ll probably mix it up a bit between other things and see if I’m lured down the rabbit hole or not. At worst I’ll have more context when I finally get around to playing Robotic;Notes.

It sounds like effort to track things. ;p Below are some of my personal favourite anime that even after years since I first watched them I can rewatch then again and again or they will randomly pop up in my thoughts if your stuck for inspiration.

Cowboy Bebop. Glorious! It’s mix mash of genres is seamless, the dub is better than the sub, the brilliant use of music, the action sequences feeling real and the follow movie doesn’t feel empty.

The 90s Ghost In The Shell movie. Probably the first anime I saw that made me go wow! It’s does what Blade Runner does but better imo. Stand Alone Complex and Innocence were good too.

Kids On The Slope. Not very anime-ish but it’s really great coming of age story and has a great love of music which drives the show.

All of Satoshi Kon’s work, he’s like an anime Alfred Hitchcock. Paranoia Agent, Perfect Blue (Darren Aronofsky bought the movie rights so he could milk it for his own movies lol), Paprika, Tokyo Godfathers and Millennium Actress are the main ones to watch.

Code Geass and Death Note. I like these two for the same reason, it uses the gimmick of the show in clever ways and is from the point of view from the bad guy.

Rurouni Kenshin. Not the most original show but it’s does everything I want from a Samurai show almost flawlessly done.

Studio Ghibli. They are all just masterful movies but Princess Mononoke, Porco Rossi, Kiki’s Delivery Service and Spirit Away are my favourites.

Anything from Hamoru Hosoda like Summer Wars & The Girl Who Leapt Through Time.

Anything from Makoto Shinkai who did Your Name & Voices Of A Distant Star.

@JustMe Kon also worked as a writer and animator for a few other things like World Apartment Horror but non of those really feel like his work the same way Paranoia Agent does. Such a shame he died young, there was talk of getting someone to finish his last film but they decided no one was close enough to his style for it to work.

YashaHime hasn't lived up to it's potential, but it's nearing the end of it's run so hopefully the OG cast make their appearance soon.

@Ralizah, any idea where to legally watch the OVA version of Gunbuster? I've thought about buying the Blu-Ray of the movie version a couple of times since I don't think the original series is on Blu-Ray or streaming anywhere.