Gushing About Shows You Like (Sugar Wiki)/Anime and Manga

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  • This series hardly ever gets talked about, which is a true shame...but hands down one of the best animes I've ever seen is Cyborg 009. The fact they kept remaking this series three times AND a movie really shows how much Japan loved it. And I was so happy to see it hit the states back when Toonami was still around. Sadly that was short lived too...:'( And they haven't made any dvds to be released for the 2001 series, that's my biggest heart break. But you can still find episodes circulating around Youtube and other parts of the net. Cyborg009 has so many loveable characters, a great plot, a unique art style, and special mention goes to the opening and credit songs of the series, the music is downright beatiful! Look them up on youtube, "What's the Justice" and "Genesis of Next". The intro alone has beautiful and surreal images. It is a very under-rated series in the West and it deserves more attention than it gets :(
  • I don't care what anyone says, Shakugan no Shana is a wonderful series that, while flawed in quite a few ways, manages to come together brilliantly. The premise is very dark, and the action is excellent, and yet it manages to be funny and lighthearted at times as well. Most (I won't say all) of the characters are very unique and compelling, especially Shana, the greatest Tsundere of all time. Here's hoping the third season finishes the story well.
  • Shingeki no Kyojin is a great, great new series. It's filled to the brim with suspense and emotion, there are honest to god RISKS in this series. Another thing I'm very fond of is that it's the mangaka seems to have thought to himself that "If the character's aren't interesting, why should anyone care?" because he is constantly trying to improve his characters and make them more fascinating. And I'm happy to say that for the most part he's been succeeding so far. It's a LOT darker than your typical Shonen, which may understandably put some people off but I would have to say the dark tone works well with this series. Very good series that is sadly underrated in the States.
  • Rosario + Vampire is beyond awesome. It is sexy, funny, dramatic, intriguing, beautiful, compelling...absolute perfection. All the characters are lovable and they have incredible development. Akihisa Ikeda, the creator, is a saint in this troper's eyes.
    • This troper has a love/hate relationship with Rosario+Vampire. Why? Because it breaks my heart knowing what the girls, Mizore and Kurumu in particular, are going through over their unrequited love. These aren't "just characters in a manga" - they are people. And goddammit I love them all too much—especially Kurumu—to see them hurt. But I read it anyway because it's too good not to.
  • Why hasn't anybody else mentioned Inuyasha? The unique characters, the captivating art, the lovable characters, the unforgetable fight scenes and the story are all reasons why its no wonder the show remains an [Adult Swim] staple.
  • I recently started watching Yu Yu Hakusho on Youtube again, and I absolutely love the way it goes from hilarious to awesome to touching and I want to give all (Well, most) of the characters hugs.
    • Indeed! It is such a classic.
    • I loved it so much I bought the DVDs. The commentary on the last few episodes is hilarious!
  • To Aru Majutsu no Index is one of the bestest anime I ever seen, it involves Magic VS Science, Alternate Universe and features a What If of: What if the scientific advanced population encounter Magic from the same dimension? Add Chibi Index and Crowned With Awesome, and you've got yourself a must see~! Squee!
  • School Days is often said to have an Idiot Plot, but this troper appreciates the Downer Ending that he felt was deserved.
  • And don't forget the brilliant Revolutionary Girl Utena which is the deconstruction of Wake Up, Go to School, Save the World, Darker and Edgier version/ Deconstruction of magical girl series and fairytale motifs and What Do You Mean Its Not Symbolic and you've got one hyper cool show! My fave is Utena
    • The Utena Movie owns my soul. There are scenes in it that, I can say without hyperbole, will never be bested in terms of animation quality and artistic (and emotional) impact by any other film, animated or otherwise.
  • Simoun is absolutely the most brilliant thing ever. Great world-building, a huge ensemble cast with amazing voice acting, managing to make the characters memorable even with the limited screen time that a big cast affords, a well-done Jigsaw Puzzle Plot that goes in very different directions than the obvious cliched approach, a distinctive and pretty art style... and the music. Oh, the music.
    • Seconded big time. I usually watch dubs, because I feel like shades of meaning can get lost in the change to text, but this was great in the original. This is one show that proves that animation is art.
      • Thirded. Simoun is just... incredible, truly go watch it. While yes there are certain things about it that turn people off if you can just let Simoun take you away you'll be in for a story you will never forget.
    • My favorite thing about Simoun (among many) is that in a world where Darker and Edgier and Hotter and Sexier are considered legitimate stand-ins for quality, this is one series that, underneath all the fanservice and fighting, takes a stand for innocence.
      • And pulls no punches about what that requires of a person, either, which makes it that much more remarkable.
  • I'm enjoying Rose of Versailles way more than I imagined. I knew it was good, but damn...even knowing it has a Downer Ending I wanna stay with it till the end and read the manga if I can find it anywhere.
    • This troper tips his hat to you, it's by far the best shoujo/historical drama anime ever created. And I couldn't help falling in love with Lady Oscar....
    • This troper agrees, Lady Oscar is an amazing historical drama with great characters and interesting storylines. Even the Tear Jerker part is some of the saddest you'll see.
    • This troper is ridiculously happy over the fact that other people appreciate the awesome that is Rose of Versailles, because it Needs More Love. (She is also still a little bit sad about the fact that Lady Oscar is a fictional character, and thus is probably never going to turn up at her front door on a white horse and whisk her away from all this. Le sigh.)
  • Vinland Saga is one of the best manga I have ever read. Its page to page of undiluted Badass with extra servings of awesome piled on top.
    • This troper especially love the (relatively) historically accurate settings and costumes. The mangaka did his homework, alright.
      • While it might not be quite as good as Berserk, Vinland is still a worthwile read with great characters, shocking moments and art that rivals (perhaps even matches) Berserks. The intelligent plot is also nice.
        • Indeed. I can see way some circles would call Vinland Saga the Spiritual Successor of Berserk. In fact, I put Vinland Saga on a scale of how Shonen-y Berserk could possibly get. Vinland Saga would be at the extreme end (since I think that one of the more negative things about this series is how one-dimensional Thorsfinn is), then would come Claymore in the middle somewhere, and then at the opposite end, Berserk.
  • Magical Girl Lyrical Nanoha is quite possibly the best Seinen show ever animated: it's got Magical Girls who act responsibly and get into ambiguously cute relationships with each other, grand magical battles on the scale and detail of Humongous Mecha, supplemental material, Techno Babble, Power Levels... And it has Nanoha, the girl who will blast befriend you to smithereens for your own good... and you'll love it.
    • Magical Girl Lyrical Nanoha A's is definitely the best fighting-anime this dude has recently seen. You said it, grand epic fucking magical battles. And don't forget the very good soundtrack, the high quality animation and woobie antagonists, and the weapons that deliver CMoA's just by talking (or transforming). Apart from the epicness, it also had Crowning Moment of Heartwarming / Tear Jerker's. It's that brilliant. StrikerS is also awesome, though. And both Fate and Vita are wonderful!
      • Not to mention the greatest fucking opening song ever.
    • Magical Girl Lyrical Nanoha StrikerS gets even better. Some people complain about the characters getting older and new characters introduced and sometimes taking the spotlight, but it fits in perfectly with the tone of the series: People grow up, old friends sometimes grow apart, new bonds are made, people get new responsibilites. Also, more great characters, cooler and darker villains, and, coolest of all, even more epic befriendings.
      • And who could ever forget Quattro's jaw-droppingly awesome defeat?
      • Seriously, StrikerS. This troper was shocked at first when they added the new characters, but then you see the whole plot revolves around these people and where they come from. Brilliant, from the opening rescue scene (which sets up a shocking wham moment in episode 17) all the way to the very end, which even has a callback to the opening scene that made me cry.) And Quattro getting her ass kicked is still one of my most favorite moments in anime.
    • And then there's The Movie retelling of the first season. This troper (a fan of Nanoha, naturally) was rather skeptical about condensing a 12 episode series into a two-hour movie, and didn't see much point in a retelling. Then he watched it on a whim, and oh my god... They not only succeeded in condensing the story, but also IMPROVED upon it in the process. The flow and pacing is extremely smooth and feels very natural. The animation quality is incredible, even by Nanoha standards. The music is fantastic. Fate's and Precia's side of the story is expanded upon, and even given a satisfying resolution that the original series lacked. In short, this movie is nothing short of a masterpiece, and is probably Seven Arcs' crowning achievement. It reminded This Troper of why he liked Nanoha in the first place. And it gets better: There's going to be an A's movie!
  • Tezuka, just... Osamu Tezuka. He's one of the most creative comic artists I've ever seen and as far as I'm concerned deserves every bit of popularity he got. His work had a huge influence on my art style and almost singlehandedly changed how I see manga.
    • Not only do I agree with you, but I am compelled to elaborate further. Osamu Tezuka had more art styles than hairs on his head and by the end of his life he had perfect control of them all. He could write, plot, and pace as well as any of the old masters in any genre. He can draw any angle and any level of realism/abstraction in any style. He could be wacky, sad, scary, touching, and beautiful. He had infinite faith in his audience. He could talk about the cruelty of the world and the beauty of mankind without contradicting himself. He never failed to tell a story, never forgot humor in drama or drama in humor. He wasn't afraid of controversial subjects, but he was never self-consciously edgy. Words cannot describe the breadth and depth of his output. Osamu Tezuka was a great artist and is an inspiration for us all.
    • You know what I love about Tezuka? I love how incredibly deranged he was. The man essentially created the modern manga and anime industry single-handed, inventing a dozen genres because he felt like it; he is the God of All Manga. And his stories are absolutely nuts. He wrote an epic, serious drama about a disease that turns people into dog-like creatures that features a subplot with a freakshow where a woman gets dipped in batter and then deep-fried (and survives). That was Ode to Kirihito, one of his less bizarre manga. And with it all, he never sacrifices his humanistic vision or his rock-solid plotting or his fluid, intensely alive art. The man had the most unrestrained imagination I've ever had the good fortune to encounter.
      • LONG LIVE TEZUKA!!!
  • Everything everything everything by Miyazaki. Seriously, that is some of the most creative and exciting animation I've ever seen. These films are beautiful, and I could watch them over and over and over again.
    • Seconded. Spirited Away was my Gateway Series into the wide, wonderful world of anime, and oh what an introduction it was. When my mom bought it home, I said, "Huh? What's this? It's animated but it's not from Disney?" After watching it, my thoughts were running something like "Oh my god that was absolutely great and wonderful and a perfect trip of the imagination and I've never heard of this Miyazaki guy but I must find the rest of his works pronto."
      • The train ride sequence is one of the most beautiful anime sequences ever. There's just a sweet melancholy to it that touched this troper. Beautifully drawn, very moving and Joe Hisaishi's music is just. guh. gorgeous.
      • YES. Spirited Away was my favorite movie even before I knew what "anime" was. Long before. As in, every time I went to Blockbuster I wanted to rent it. My ultimate favorite song from that movie, "The Sixth Station" is my favorite "I'm so strung out I can't sleep" music. No matter what kind of mood I'm in it always relaxes me. Oh My Effing God this movie is the most Effing Gorgeous thing Ever.
    • Thirded. Princess Mononoke is one of his best works EVER. Epic music, gorgeous art, and fantastic characters. Moro and her biological sons help a lot.
    • This troper broke down into Epic Squees of Epicness when she heard that Miyafreakin'zaki was bringing one of her favorite semi-obscure children's books to gorgeous anime life. Even if it's not the most faithful adaptation, and even if it doesn't explain its ending well, it still awes this troper for the wonderful job it manages to do of bringing its characters to life—Sophie, Howl, and Calcifer are everything they should be, and everything else she considers part of a lovely Alternate Continuity. Plus, the animation is awesome as ever—she literally gasped when she saw the castle for the first time.
    • Porco Rosso is amazing. The protagonist's war flashback has the most beautiful portrayal of afterlife in any fiction This Troper has ever seen. Also, The Castle in the Sky is a great adventure film with downright gorgeous soundtrack.
    • When this troper feels down or weepy, she just picks up My Neighbor Totoro - there's something about its simplicity, its faith in what the eye can't see and the way it's made that always brings her back to the good old days of childhood. Pure magic. She would like to meet a Totoro, just once.
    • This troper isn't much of an anime fan but will heartily agree about the awesome of Miyazaki. I hear stuff like, "Well I don't like anime but Spirited Away was awesome!" a lot too, its a testament to how wonderful his works are! And since it hasn't been gushed about, Ponyo on the Cliff by the Sea is just a million different kinds of adorable. You can't help but want to hug everything in that movie.
  • Miyazaki-sensei's colleagues are wonderful, too. Honestly, Studio Ghibli can do no wrong. Isao Takahata, Ghibli's other genius, directed the amazing and heartwrenching Grave Of The Fireflies. But this troper's personal favorite is Whisper of the Heart, a charming, coming-of-age story about the trials and tribulations of adolescence, first love and finding out what you really want in life. Nothing is sugar-coated - just a collection of perfectly timed, exquisitely scripted moments that had this troper saying "that is exactly what it feels like." There's a little scene, where the main character sings that is just a pure joy to watch. Plus, it features the best use of John Denver's Take Me Home, Country Roads ever! Just a shame that director Yoshifumi Kondou died young.
    • Don't forget Only Yesterday. The ending of that movie caused this troper to burst out in spontaneous tears of joy.
    • Their more recent works are amazing as well. The Borrower Arrietty is gorgeous to levels of not being humanely possible. Every frame of that film felt like someone put at least 300 hours into making it. Scenery Porn and Awesome Art are not sufficient to describe how this movie looks. It's insane how there's realistic water, hair, clothing, and wind physics, in addition to reflection, water surface tension, and lighting. The end result? A product that is absolutely breathtaking to watch. Its slow pacing means that this troper is fully immersed into the world of the film, and that the world of the film feels real, like it could be a part of the real world. It's a portrayal of what our world could be like if it's prettier.
    • When Marnie Was There is also exactly like this. In addition to having all of the amazing visuals of The Borrower Arrietty, it also has a compelling and emotionally moving story. It's a fitting masterpiece for Ghibli's final work before their restructuring. Some parts does feel manipulative, like Ghibli is just telling you to cry, but other times genuine conflict is created. As is usual for Ghibli, almost every single character is likeable, from the enthusiastic Sayaka to the mysterious Marnie, even Anna gets her fair share after a load of character development. The only unlikeable characters are the maids who bring up Marnie, but those characters have such little time and focus dedicated to them you can just ignore them. One of the admirable qualities about Ghibli's works as a whole is how they manage to create meaningful conflict without making anyone unlikeable in the process, or shifting the blame for everything into them. This leads to authentic and genuine conflicts where you really root for every character to succeed. The film's internal based conflict revolving around character development and Anna having No Social Skills makes it even more emotionally powerful, as you know that everything that happens is coming from a character's heart. The contrast between the unlikeable and shy Anna at the start and the changed Anna at the end is insane, and props to Ghibli for being able to do this in a hour and half.
    • The Tale of the Princess Kaguya is perhaps the most powerful animated film out there. It says so much in so little time, conveying messages about Arcadia, having your path carved out in front of you and having no say, of the fake and pretentious nature of loyalty and the arranged marriages vs. the genuine relationships formed during childhood. Perhaps most importantly, it says that life will be filled with suffering and pain, but those moments are worth it for the few times where you can feel genuine joy. This film can make you feel almost every single human emotion possible after pulling you into its world and never letting go: joy, laughter, anger, and, most of all, deep and profound sorrow, all enhanced by a beautiful animation style that adapts to what is on screen. The film is creative in its use of animation, making the environments lush and green when need, or white and cold. The best segments are those that use its animation in ways live action never could, like the excellent running away scene, or the last (absolutely emotionally devastating) scene in the film. It's the kind of film that can change entire lives. The amount of things to learn from this film is insane, and huge props to Isao Takahata for pulling this off.
  • Mahou Sensei Negima. I'm still in shock that this manga is that good. Ken Akamatsu took more than thirty characters, and made every single one of them unique and interesting. Then he created an awesome setting with ridiculously awesome magic. And then he added awesome writing and fantastic humor to the mix, and combined it with absolutely beautiful art. I loved Love Hina, but Negima takes it to another level.
    • Not to mention that it does an excellent job of shifting from an Unwanted Harem in to a Shonen series. And the fights are some of the best ones out there.
    • The best part is the variety, unlike other shonen series that have only a few types of fighters, Negima has mages, swordswoman, Ninjas, Ninjas who are also mages. Also the recent chapters have put in excellent world building, and Fate has become an incredibly interesting character. Its easily the best weekly shonen series being made today, excellent art, beautiful writing, and well balanced between comedy, and drama without derailing the characters for the comedy. When comedy occurs the characters act in character, you don't feel that the comedy is being forced.
      • It's even more impressive that he manages to give every character ample development without focusing on them too much. He's currently working with 40+ major characters, and he manages to keep them all well-defined without losing the focus of the story. It's a really incredible balance of plot and characterization.
    • The entire Negi vs. Rakan battle is one of the most ridiculous and awesome fights that this troper has ever seen. It has excellent buildup, tons of character motivation, and the fight itself takes such an epic scale that it must be seen to be believed. The excellent artwork doesn't hurt either.
      • This Troper was reading it on his laptop while waiting for a plane at the airport and ended up accidentally missing _2_ flights due to losing track of time.
    • This troper didn't think he would particularly gravitate towards Negima at first and found it very difficult to get through the early chapters. But once they got to Negi's backstory he became intrigued. When they got to the Mahora Festival he found himself genuinely enjoying the series. And when they finally got to the Magical World: He was in love. So many great, great characters most notably Jack Rakan; possibly the most epic character in manga/anime history. Fantastic fights and artwork, good worldbuilding and story, and even memorable comedy and romance (at times). I do have my issues with it, but I still say it's worth checking out. It could very well become one of your favorites!
    • This is the most wonderful thing this troper has ever read. It developed in the same way a character would develop - starting off with undesirable traits (in this case, too much fanservice) before refining those traits while still keeping enough to make the individual in question recognisable as who they are. It was this troper's introduction to the world of ecchi manga, and in its later editions became the most fun, action-packed series to ever be printed, with huge, hot-blooded fights that Dragon Ball would be envious of - Negi Vs Rakan in particular. Every character (of which there are many) is well-developed and relatable with just tons of character development, the Applied Phlebotinum feels mroe like hard science than magic, and the manylocations involved are simply beautiful. Thankyou, thankyou, thankyou Ken kamatsu. It's just such a shame you're ending such a beautiful, epic story so early.
    • This troper admit that he watched it at the beginning only because of the Fan Service(it was the first manga he started reading seriously), but he started falling in love more and more with the characters, the great story and the amazing scenaries, a great work that deserves all the love it got!
  • G Gundam is the best anime when it comes to fight scenes, the thrilling battles, the Hot Blooded action as friends battle friends for the right to be named Gundam of Gundam. In particular the Master Asia vs. Domon Kasshu fight is the finest in anime history. Just a teacher and student with a father and son relationship fighting to see who was right. Countering each other's moves until the finally use Sekiha Tenkyoken, where Domon and Master Asia give a teary farewell to each other before Master Asia dies from his injuries.
    • Watching the last episode of G Gundam, I fervently believe that Yasuhiro Imagawa was to the 20th century what Hans Christian Andersen was to the 19th. It had all the merit of a great fairy tale.
  • I Entry Pimp Chrono Crusade and Princess Tutu. A lot. There's reasons for that...
    • Princess Tutu takes the Magical Girl genre and mushes it with Fairy Tale Motifs to make something greater than the sum of its parts. The great character development, the beautiful dance sequences, the excellent use of classical music as the background (and music that's not just the typical composers used!), the fact that it's not afraid to be dark in something that seems like it should be a kid's show...it's a gem of a series, one that shoujo fans really need to take the time to watch. Or even people that don't normally like shoujo.
      • Princess Tutu is a wonderful anime. The charaters are interesting and you can't help but love all four of the mains. Its makes you cry, laugh, and want to learn how to do ballet. This lurker wishs there was more merchandise for it, and thinks the dub is good too. This lurker found her favorite charater on this show too, Rue-chan. I hope more people watch this anime. Its a must see for anime fans, and you don't have to like magical girl shows to like this one.
      • Reiterating the above because it's Sugarwiki. Princess Tutu sounds like a ridiculous and highly childish show, and the adorable round-cheeked character design adds to that, but it is actually quite inherently baddass. Before I saw it I did not understand how a Magical Girl series that involved people fighting for bits of a prince's heart by ballet-ing at each other with flowers and sparkles in the background could possibly not be Narm, but Tutu proved me wrong. It's got deliciously dark themes mixed seamlessly into the lighthearted fairytail-oriented premise, the characters make you want to hug them to death constantly, it's probably one of the most original and well-executed plotlines I've seen for a long time, and the art is pretty. I am proud to like this show, and I would recc it to anyone in an instant.
      • All the meta about stories and writing makes it even more awesome. It cheerfully smirks at the foruth wall at times and yet its characters remain so thoroughly engrossing. it's like Revolutionary Girl Utena without the Mind Screw. This Troper approves!
      • Agreed. All the character arcs are well solidified and while the ending is bittersweet, you can't see it ending any way. All the foreshadowing in the beginning can't hurt. The Shipper in me squees at Fakir/Ahiru. Also, it's Abridged series is one of the best that I've seen, with delightful homages and great humor.
      • Besides the meta and amazing characters, I love the new take on The Ugly Ducking. In other stories, a girl worries about being a duckling, but inevitably turns out to be a swan. In this story, Duck really is a duck, and only looks like a swan. In the end, when Duck returns to her original state, we learn that this is perfectly OK. Being a duck doesn't mean you can't be amazing. That message just feels so much more believable and honest than what you find in other stories for girls. You may not be able to change who or what you are, but that doesn't mean you have to give up your dreams.
    • And Chrono Crusade...ahh, Chrono Crusade. Like Tutu, lots of juicy character development. An unusual setting for a manga series—1920's America. The theme of the passage of time handled expertly well. The shining idealism in the series, even when things start getting really dark. The clean, well-drawn art. The badass action sequences. The absolutely whacked-out ending and origin of the demons that still somehow makes sense when taking the whole work into account (...for the most part, it's not without its flaws). But particularly the characters—I care about those characters so much it almost hurts. (Of course, I'm talking about the manga. The anime is decent, but pales in comparison, but those complaints aren't for this page.)
  • Mononoke. Seriously. Just look at it. It's like having sex with your eyes.
  • I can't gush enough about Mushishi. A pacifist hero who doesn't come across as a preachy, naive, idealist? (And who is not afraid to Shoot the Dog and make tough decisions if the situation calls for it?) A Monster of the Week show that can avoid repetition and boredom? A lush, highly detailed world with its own rich mythology? Lack of extended plot arcs be damned, anime just doesn't get any better than this!
    • Mushishi isn't about splashy animation, giant robots, alien frogs, [insert typical anime cliche]. And yet, it's a great show and highly aesthetic. Definitely gets the "unique" brand.
    • Hear hear! I've watched up to episode 10 and it just does NOT disappoint. But what's in that box, Ginko? WHAT'S IN THE BOOOX?
      • This show is so awesome that I actually got my father (who's never truly watched anime in his 50-something years of life) to be totally into it. His favorite episode? The one with the bamboo forest family. I don't think this show can get any more metal.
    • And if you liked the anime, you're going to ADORE the manga. There are (obviously) many more stories in it, and Ginko only becomes more likeable with every passing chapter. Never changing his view of the world and life in general, he remains my favourite manga character of all time; that calm, sensible, kind, pacifistic, knowledgeable, logical, down-to-earth personality is just incredible. The mushi are so realistically and skilfully portrayed that I can almost feel them swarming all around me when I'm reading their stories. Did I mention the art? The characters (with the exception of Ginko) suffer from Only Six Faces syndrome a good deal, but I personally love how they're drawn so simply, with absolutely no deliverance of fanservice in mind. And the backgrounds are gorgeousness itself.
  • Gankutsuou. Sure it's just The Count of Monte Cristo IN SPACE!!!, but it somehow manages to do much more with the concept than you would have thought possible. Setting the story in the future could have just been an empty gimmick, but instead it allowed for the animators to do new and interesting things with the plot and the setting (and to push the Rule of Cool into new extremes!) The series also has characters who are interesting enough to not get overwhelmed by all of the Scenery Porn—the best character of all, being the Count himself who manages to be one of the most darkly fascinating MagnificentBastards in all of anime.
    • Just The Count of Monte Cristo In space? Being a (surprisingly) faithful adaptation to the original novel alone makes this anime one of the best! Having read the novel before watching the anime, I can honestly say that it captures the flavor of the book perfectly.
  • Planetes is the best anime ever. Actually no, that's wrong, Planetes is the best animated series ever. No, that's wrong. Planetes is the best TV who ever made. Impressive Character Development, an excellent Earn Your Happy Ending, and idealistic without being sappy, plus the creator did the research. Get the DVDs now.
  • This troper read the first volume of Read or Die. It's fucking awesome. Yomiko is a cute and Hot Librarian whose book fetish and occasional bouts of ditziness brought about by said book fetish make her even cuter. Not to mention her Crowning Moment of Awesome at the end of the volume. Barring the fact that she's fictional and a product of an author's imagination, she makes this troper want to give her a big hug.
  • For me, JoJo's Bizarre Adventure is everything about Shonen Action Manga gone horribly right. I love the series for the awesome fights, crazy unique stands, bizarre and interesting characters and general oddness that pervades the series. Best of all, the individual stories are largely self contained and each part manages to find ways to keep the whole thing fresh. Never change, Araki.
    • Hell yes. Very few series are original anymore, but JJBA has stayed fresh after 20 years and just keeps getting better (Steel Ball Run is nothing short of epic). And the early arcs of the series still manage to me awesome after all of this time. Either Araki is on drugs 24/7, the biggest genius on the planet, or both.
    • In how many series can you see DINOSAURS HITCHING RIDES ON THE BACKS OF DINOSAURS!? JoJo's Bizarre Adventure takes the Rule of Cool as far as it can go without any Camp.
    • Hell yes! This series is the definition of Crazy Awesome!
    • Oh god, so damn straight. Finally someone acknowledges its impact. When it comes to Shonen, THIS is one of the must-watch/read series you just CANNOT miss. When shows like Dragon Ball and Yuyu Hakusho are worldwide classics, JoJo's and Fist of the North Star were underground, cult classics that redefined the genre at the same time it was starting to become popular! There's hundreds of shonen authors, but seriously, in my opinion, people like Hirohiko Araki, Tetsuo Hara and Sho Fumimura (a.k.a. Buronson) are millions, and I mean MILLIONS of light years above everyone else.
    • Hands down, this is an EXCELLENT series; it tops every single shounen (and a good deal of seinen) action manga to date. To write 100+ volumes of supernatural battles without ever rehashing a single strategy, Stand ability or character type is something only a literary genius could do. Most people are put off by the art, but I love its bizarre style because it suits the overall mood of the plot so well. Stone Ocean and Steel Ball Run in particular have meticulously detailed and very unique illustrations that never fail to impress me. Rule of Cool + Crazy Awesome + Mind Screw + Hot-Blooded Battles + Insane Supernatural Powers + horror doesn't get any better than this.
  • 5 Centimeters Per Second is just perfect in every way, with an escalating series of sad and sweet moments that goes Up to Eleven in a way never before accomplished by a romance film. Quite simply it is the greatest romance movie ever made.
  • Vision of Escaflowne—it could have just been another Cliché Storm, but its good writing, realistic characters, and sumptuous visuals pushes this into at least one of the top 5 anime series of all time. (And the music. Ohhhh, the music... Yoko Kanno is a goddess....)
    • The Steampunk Humongous Mecha alone made it pretty awesome. The above only pushes it into "excellent" territory.
    • Folken Fanel is one of the greatest anti-villains ever. (And not just because he looks like Sting.) He's intelligent, subtle, sympathetic and, in his own way, a genuinely good person who's had to endure awful things but is actually trying to make the world a better place.
      • What this troper was amazed by was how near-perfect the series' pacing is. This series never wastes any time but also remembers to spend enough time developing its plot lines and characters. It's basically a 50/50 blend of Shonen and Shojo tropes which is very refreshing. Animation and music are stellar and the characters are a likeable and intriguing bunch. Definitely one of the best series of the 90's.
    • Even better? The series had a plot that was designed for a 39 episode anime - and that's how it was originally ordered. Yet when they only had enough funding for 26 episodes, they managed to compress the storyline PERFECTLY. Let me rephrase that - 1/3 of the run-time was chopped off, and they made the story without compromising ANYTHING important. What resulted was a superbly-paced story with an involving plot, great characters and a uniquely human exploration of themes in what might well have become just another typical fantasy/mecha anime. VoE is Awesome-Sauce.
  • The Slayers. Tons of fun. It's like a raucous, drunken D & D session with all of your favorite friends (if your friends happened to be highly attractive and likeable people....)
    • Oh dear God, seconded, seconded, seconded!!! I had almost given up on finding any good anime set in a European Fantasy Setting. But this series completely made me fall in love with it from the get-go. Massively awesome characters, cool plot twists, and above all a sense of brash, nonsensical fun that pits you against the Dark Lord of Hell one minute, and a fleet of tiny octopi the next. So much love. ^_^
  • Berserk is the best manga ever made. Gorgeous artwork, beautiful story and character development, and a badass main character who completely avoids Badass Decay.
    • Seconded. This troper has only read eight volumes so far, and every one has been enthralling. He can still clearly see Griffith's shocked expression at the end of the eighth volume when Guts defeats him and leaves. He needs more!
      • Thirded :D this troper is in love with the series. the fact that ALL the characters are grey morality makes them feel far more human than in a lot of other series. I mean the characters actually respond the way you would expect real people to, selfishly, self-centered, but will also do good things sometimes. no character is designated to be good or bad from the start, they gain those positions based off of their actions. I highly reccommend this series if you don't mind heaping ammounts of violence and other adult themes. this series is definatly not for the kiddies.
    • Fourth. Berserk is so completely fucked up (in a positive way) that the entire crapped up universe that it takes place in deserves its own nickname: hence, I have begun calling it the Berserkerverse. Let's see how far that Fan Nickname goes...
      • Guts is easily one of the best characters this troper has ever seen in manga/anime. Miura never, ever cuts him a break but Guts never gives up or even really angsts he keeps fighting on and continuing his mission. The art is some of the best in the history of manga and The Golden Age arc is one of the pinacles of manga/anime storytelling. Guts and Casca's relationship is developed very well... so what happens to them later is... heartbreaking. To say the least. After the Golden Age arc the series didn't have *QUITE* the same writing caliber but because of how well developed Guts had become it didn't matter. I'd follow his adventure for the rest of my life if I had too. It also helps that his new allies are also very interesting and likable characters and plenty of badassery is to be had! Amazing series.
        • It's my life's mission to see this series through to the end, my friend. I REFUSE to die (or, to let MIURA die), until I see this saga resolved!
      • What makes Berserk so great is that it can alternate between high brow philosophical themes, pulse pounding action sequences, soul devouring horror, exeptionally real feeling romance, slapstick comedy and sticky pornography wile also building a detailed and gritty fantasy world. With EPIC results.
  • Dragon Ball and its sequel Dragonball Z are the greatest action adventure anime/manga series of all time. It's got explosive over the top fighting scenes, cool interesting characters with unique and distinctive looks and and a storyline that is both straightforwardly simple yet surprisingly complex at the same time. There is just so much wrapped into this one series. There's aliens, robots, demons, it's like they just a smorgasboard. The series just keeps reinventing itself over and over again.
    • Seconded. What I find best about Dragonball/Z is how many unusual and unrelated elements are packed into it... and it still all works. Guilty pleasure, maybe - but still completely awesome and nostalgic.
    • It's basically Kinnikuman meets Journey to the West. It pays tribute to a huge pool of influences spanning all media (most notably Superman), and receives tribute from an equally large and diverse group (only Alien had a comparable influence on video games). Yet somehow, there's nothing quite like it.
      • Indeed, Most of modern Shonen Anime/Manga have been inspired by this series in one way or another. One could call it one of the Trope Codifiers of the genre.
    • This troper was told to read the original Dragon Ball manga but he resisted at first for despite its influence he always saw Dragon Ball as schlock. Then he began reading the manga and he couldn't believe how wrong he was. The series isn't deep BY ANY MEANS but that doesn't matter because it is in fact FUN PERSONIFIED! It doesn't matter whether you take it seriously or not, what matters is just having a good time with the adventure and with the new fun concepts Toriyama comes up with. Now granted I'm not nearly as fond of the "Z" part of the series, things kind of just got out of hand there. But still the manga is definitely worth checking out because on top of everything else: It created modern Shonen. And we all owe it a lot for that.
    • A special mention has to be given to Dragonball Z Kai. Take out all the filler (and therefore nearly all of the show's flaws) and you are left with the greatest action-adventure anime/manga of all time. Nearly 20 years since debut, no anime has ever had as much passion, adrenaline and all-around fun as this series. Its sheer originality and influence on anime/manga has yet to be duplicated by anything else since (only Evangelion rivals it in those categories.), and along with Saint Seiya it remains one the two biggest Trope Codifiers for the Shonen.
  • Legend of the Galactic Heroes is the greatest and most epic science fiction series of all time and has probably the most three-dimensional cast in all of anime.
    • Greatest science fiction series ever? Greatest anime ever? You haven’t giving this series nearly enough credit. As far as I'm concerned Legend of the Galactic Heroes is the greatest piece of fiction ever. Pretty much the entire cast is well developed and likeable. The story is a fantastic case of Grey and Grey Morality. The soundtrack is wonderful. The scale of the stetting is epic. The plot is compelling and intelligent. It's filled with awesome, sad, and sometimes funny moments. This is one of the few shows where I can honestly say that I enjoyed every single episode (yes all 110 of them). Seriously, give it a look.
  • This troper is mad, MAD for Victorian Romance Emma. The anime's pretty good, but the manga! If you're not swooning by the end of Book 7, you have no heart. Oh, it is perfect. Just perfect!
  • This troper loved Kaiba and finds it a serious shame that it's so underrated. Yes, it's a bit of a Mind Screw getting in and towards the end, but if you pay attention enough, it isn't too hard. Part of the point of the beginning being confusing for first timers is that they essentially know as much as the then-amnesiac protagonist. The first half of the series does very well in exploring the setting, getting into a borderline Crapsack World that results from the line between rich and poor being even larger from digitized memories tech. The second half then gets back to the plot and it is awesome. The series unique art style also helps it in standing out from most other modern anime, having a look resembling Astro Boy and "The Little Prince", the latter of which is very fitting considering various aspects of the plot. Seriously, give it a shot.
  • The manga version of Akira. Even though the film constantly overshadows it, the original is bigger, actually coherent, and just more epic. Katsuhiro Otomo's artwork renders everything from individual facial expressions to the psychic leveling of entire cities with meticulous, stunning perfection. And let's not forget the best thing the movie left out - Kei's aunt Chiyoko, AKA two hundred pounds of heat-packing, tank-driving Badass in an apron.
  • Eureka Seven is, bar none, the greatest mecha series This Troper has ever seen. Everything from the universe, to the characters (including one of the most compellingly detestable villains ever in Dewey Novak), to the epic plot itself is nothing short of sheer grandeur. It manages to espouse on The Power of Love repeatedly without ever degenerating into Narm territory, and ends on what may be the single greatest Crowning Moment of Heartwarming in its medium. Admittedly, it dawdles a bit in the beginning, but stick with it and you will be amazed.
    • Seconded, although for me, E7 isn't just merely the best mecha series ever, it's the best anime series ever, hands down. No anime has ever made me laugh, cry, put me on the edge of my seat, and care for its characters like E7 did.
    • Agreed, agreed, AGREED! This series gave me bad Awesomeness Withdrawal. I have yet to see any series that has had such a strong emotional effect on me, particularly in the Crowning Moment of Heartwarming department. I'm usually pretty reserved emotionally, but this series managed to evoke strong responses on a regular basis, especially toward the end. It was so powerful that I actually felt an irrational urge to...hug someone. It was weird. But it felt good. I especially liked the portrayal of relationships between characters; it's so rare to find a work these days that gives us even one portrayal of what a truly loving relationship should look like, but E7 has loads. Of course theres Renton and Eureka, then there's also the Beams (including and especially their relationship with Renton), William Baxter & his wife, Dominic & Anemone (though of course it takes Anemone a while to catch up), even Holland and Talho by the end.
  • Cowboy Bebop. This Troper's first exposure to it was in the first days of the Adult Swim lineup. After a night spent furtively watching late-night TV unbeknownst to his parents, he was feeling tired and ready to go to bed; when God himself pointed down at the TV and with a "BADDAP BADDAP BADDAP BADDAP BADOW" he was exposed to pure, undiluted awesome for the first time in his life. We could go on about the writing, the animation, the music...but honestly, we can sum it all up in one word. TANK!
    • Seconded, and hard. Bebop is one show I think anyone can enjoy, regardless of their prior experiences with anime. I defy anyone to find fault with the series on a purely objective basis.
      • ...and don't say "it was too short," either.
      • I had a similar experience, except it was Trigun that did it for me. =3
    • Also, Superlative Dubbing indeed. The dub's voice actors have done a brilliant job. Cowboy Bebop is all you could ask for in a mature anime.
    • This is what I have to say about it: it's got a jazzy soundtrack, great characters, and the voice acting of the dub is even considered superior to the sub
    • Thirded! I was completely sold on the show just from first ten seconds of opening theme. The rest of the show just gets more awesome after that.
      • Many call it the greatest anime ever made. This troper doesn't know if he'd go quite that far, but this series is still excellent on every level. The animation and (especially) the music are amazing, the story and characters are written very well and the English dub is easily one of the best ever. Many fantastic episodes such as any episode featuring Vicious, Black Dog Serenade, Ganymede Elegy and Pierot Le Fou. OH. MY. GOD. In 20 minutes Pierot Le Fou had an intensity far greater than more than 95% of Hollywood horror schlock. Whether it's the greatest anime or not, everyone interested in anime and manga needs to check this series out. And few will be unimpressed with it. Oh yeah. And I shed manly tears at the end. I don't know why anyone wouldn't.
  • X the TV is so good that I am AFRAID to read the manga and see how much was left out and shuffled around. The art, the music (well, not the opening theme, it's kind of grating), the character development... all of it is just gorgeous. The first time I watched it, I had to pause it every three or four episodes and just cry at how damned sad and beautiful it was. The clincher? The proof that it is truly one of the greatest tales of The End of the World as We Know It Because Destiny Says So? I am not a fangirl of any of the characters. Yes, you read that correctly. I watch this show for the plot. Not for the Kawaii quotient (though it does have that) but for the actual storyline. That is a powerful anime right there.
    • This Troper doesn't like the anime, but has a similar opinion on the manga. :D
  • On the subject of CLAMP, Cardcaptor Sakura may get cries of Tastes Like Diabetes from some, but its charming "day-in-the-life-of-a-Magical Girl" setup just doesn't fail to please me. Charming characters, sweet, ever-evolving relationships between the characters, and a story that doesn't rely on lots of shock value to make it interesting. Definitely worth a look. Original Japanese version, please. >.<
    • In particular, it skewers the notion that Real Women Never Wear Dresses. Sakura, Tomoyo, and Meiling are fantastic, well-developed characters despite being quite feminine.
  • The Kyoto arc of Rurouni Kenshin is how you do shonen anime. A hero, neither boring nor invincible, coming face to face with his past; several badass supporting characters; and many, many awesome fights (the best of which are Kenshin vs. Shishio and Kenshin vs. Saitou, with Hiko vs. Fuji being pretty good too). To this day, it remains the greatest thing This Troper has ever seen from any anime ever.
    • The best part about Kenshin was the fact that it subverted several shonen cliches. While Kenshin was the main fighter of Shishio it was because Saitoh was defeated by Shishio tricking him, and because Aoshi was greatly weakened by Kenshin, not because Kenshin was the only one who could fight Shishio. Also the Enishi arc is one of the finest manga arcs conceived, awesome battles, Yahiko becoming The Determinator, Sano ending up meeting his family again, and finding out where Sano got his badass behavior from, Tsubame being the one to awaken Kenshin. The fact that Aoshi and Misao returned and got character development was amazing. The scene where Aoshi revealed the answer to his meditation (become an innkeeper) was incredible. The determination by Enishi is amazing, even though his a murdering bastard you still feel sympathy because the person closest to him was killed by Kenshin. Even the epilogue is insanely well done, especially seening Yahiko becoming a total badass, the restoration of the Kamiya Kasshin-Ry?, even the listing of who was a member of the Kamiya Kasshin-Ry? was excellent, that and Tsubame does look nice in her waitress outfit.
  • Wolf's Rain needs more love. It's gritty and epic and incredibly awesome, and the one anime that rendered me mentally catatonic after its depressing but awesome ending. You can't go wrong when everyone in the main cast is a fricking badass. I'm including the humans, too—they may be obviously outshone by the wolves, but how many people have the guts to even TRY keeping up?
  • I don't watch much anime and I can't say I've read a lot of manga either, but I absolutely love Death Note. It's so well written and thought out, I love the characters, and it's one of the few things I've seen in which I truly didn't know what to expect.
    • Seriously, if mere mortals could write genius so well, fiction would be a much more awesome place.
    • Also, it's the only TV show in history to make potato chips fucking epic. That says a lot right there about how awesome Death Note is.
      • While we're talking about surprisingly epic objects, let's not forget the character who quite adeptly uses Legos to illustrate tactical matters of life and death. And that's not even getting into the finger puppets.
      • Not to mention the epic writing skills displayed by various Kiras.
    • And there's the fact that you can discuss for weeks about who is the real villain or who is the real hero, it's a great series for discussing about some serious issues, and it's technicaley a shonen
      • It's well written, the ends tie up perfectly, it makes you think about morality in a frustrating way, and each character has its faults and best features. All in all the plot is great and ti's well worth your time.
        • Though he wasn't particularly impressed with the second half this troper still considers the first half of Death Note to be near-genius in terms of writing. The intellectual battle between Light and L was constantly exciting and intriguing, the animation and manga art were both amazing and the series was genuinely thought provoking. I still wonder whether I would have done what Light would, his motivation was actually very easy to get behind at first. Of course things started to become much more complicated later on. Is it overrated? Probably if only because I feel there are more complex series out there. But this series is still intensely fascinating and definitely worth watching/reading.
  • No matter how gloomy this troper is feeling, Samurai Pizza Cats can always cheer her up. This show had the goofiest opening and closing theme songs, the most Camp villain, and one of the most cracked-out settings in any television program. You can't take it very seriously, which makes it top-quality humor.
    • Talk about Superlative Dubbing, too! With literally nothing to work with, they did a top-notch job.
    • Brad Swalie as Light was fantastic. I'm proud to say that I loved the English Dub more than the Sub, because of him and Alessandra Juliani as L was amazing.
      • Yeah, the best part of Samurai Pizza Cats was that unexpected cameo from the Death Note characters... Fitted the show's random atmosphere perfectly.
  • Ranma ½]]]]]]]]]]]]]]]]]]]]]]]]]]. What's not to love? Three's Company plots, called attacks, Wig, Dress, Accent disguises, people wielding giant spatulas and umbrellas, on and on...
    • What I love about Ranma 1/2 is that even the loads and loads of supporting characters like Ryoga, Shampoo, Mousse, Ukyo, Happosai and Pantyhose Taro are really distinct characters (several of them are quite sympathetic despite all the Comedic Sociopathy going on). A lot of them could legitimately star in their own manga series, but Takahashi manages to tie them all together in a never-boring web of love and rivalry. And for a Gender Bender comedy, the fight scenes are legitimately awesome. Who didn't get chills when Ranma reversed the Hiryuu Shoten-Ha against Herb? Or when Ryoga, seemingly pinned to the ground by Ranma, launched them both into the air one-handed and revealed just how Made of Iron he was?
    • 'Ranma ½ is one of my favourite shows. Martial Arts and Crafts left right and centre, an excellent diverse cast, an amazingly cool urban fantasy setting and some of most interesting relationships ever. The couple are also so... dynamic while being so well meant for each other, that I'm not sure any other romance could top them. People acting stupidly, destroing things and making almost all their fight both ridiculous and epic. The Gender Bender part is also well done, but there's so much else going on that this show is always fun to watch.
  • I absolutely love Yotsuba&!. The quirkiness of the characters, the excitement Yotsuba expresses when she discovers something new... it's like experiencing childlike innocence all over again.
    • Everything is the Biggest. Discovery. Ever. -- because, well, it's all new to her. The world hasn't looked so sparkly since I was that age. Only it wasn't nearly so side-splittingly hilarious back then.
    • Oh, how do you not love Yotsuba? This troper showed it to her fiance, and three volumes later he dissolved into Manly Squeeing.
    • This troper is pretty sure that if Yotsuba were a real little girl, world peace would occur right then and there, the moment she popped into existance. She would give a half-wilted dandelion to a horrible dictator, say, "Enjoy everything!" and walk off acting like an airplane and singing. He would "awwww" so deeply, his heart would grow three sizes, he'd call off every war or imposition he'd ever made, free the wrongly-imprisoned, and start giving out puppies. Air-lift her to the next country with issues, lather, rinse, repeat. In fact, I'm starting to think this is a pretty good strategy. Yotsuba Not Bombs, anyone?
      • Yotsuba & World Peace? I'd read that chapter.
    • Yotsuba (and Persona 4) MADE ME an optimist. I was a pessimist before I read Yotsuba&!, and I am now a full, cheerful, skipping optimist.
    • If someone doesn't absolutely adore Yotsuba with every cell in their body, they are a soulless husk. That is all.
      • Regarding the comment directly above; it's ridiculous, but some people dismiss Yotsuba&! as "boring lolicon crap" (yes, I seriously saw someone on a forum saying that). I have just one thing to say about this kind of thinking (using another quote from someone on the same forum) -- "If you have a perverted mind, even the most innocent event can be twisted to represent something repulsive".
    • But to get back to gushing -- Yotsuba&! is pure gold. There are no cliche tsunderes / yanderes / lolis / big-breasted girls (and the absurdly perverted men who pursue them) in this story. It's so simple, cute and innocent - full of child-like idealism and yet not the least bit sickening or annoying. 11 volumes and still going, with never a single page of dullness or cliche. I've read every chapter 3 times (I usually only read any story once, even if I like it), and all scanlated volumes are stored on my computer for another read whenever the real world gets me down and I require something to calm myself. To quote a comment from this page; "People contemplating suicide should seriously consider reading this before they do anything drastic. Because it just might cause them to change their minds".
  • Dragon ball deserves gushing, but now that I think about it, I can't put what I love about it into words...
  • Outlaw Star. This Troper grew up on Macekred dubs, and was determined to find the originals after learning that those shows I loved so much sucked compared to their original versions. It's been nearly a decade, and I'm still determined to find out what I missed.
    • One episode that explained where Gene found the legendary capsule shells that was skipped because they were given to him by gurus at a hot spring, and the price of two of the capsule shells was a video of the female guru naked. The rest was language, blood, and nudity. Outlaw Star was an excellent anime that was always well done, had nice animation, excellent ship designs, great character designs, and the characters work well together. In particular Aisha is one of the funniest characters This Troper has ever seen, how can you not love the wrestling episode, or the hot spring episode
  • Twelve Kingdoms (Juuni Kokuki). This might just be the best fantasy anime ever made. Just look at the heroine! Inspirational to the point of person-cult-founding! And the despair! And the suffering! And yet Rosseau was right! And the soundtrack to boot! And novels for more! Juuni Kokuki should include an appointment with an anti-addiction-clinic!
    • The problem with this one is that there's just not enough anime of it.
      • I KNOW :( I so wish it didnt get cancelled at 45 episodes, since it was such a great series and it needs some love :D
  • This troper really liked Darker than Black and wishes another season would be made (although difficult given the series' ending). It has competent (often Badass) and sympathetic characters and makes one of the best uses of the "X-Men" Fantastic Aesop.
    • How awesome is Darker than Black, exactly? Why, enough that the second series seems to feature a previously unheard of 13-year-old girl as the protagonist and it still looks awesome.
    • It's made up mostly of two part episodes, each focusing on some minor characters, making the shortest character arcs I've seen. But it still manages to get you to care about or understand nearly every character you come across. I also like how it's not about finding the answers to the Gate's creation/why the world is so messed up, but how people deal with how the world is.
    • I love this show with a psychotic, fangirlish passion. Amazing development of characters who appear for only a short time, a complex and intriguing plot (a little too complex in places, maybe, but the first season managed to handle the Mind Screw well enough that it doesn't detract from the story), enough unresolved mysteries to make the setting seem larger than what we see, complicated and sympathetic major characters, decidedly original takes on Stock Super Powers of all kinds, awesome fight scenes, good animation (Thank you, Studio BONES), and a soundtrack by Yoko Kanno. Squee~! The second season may not be anywhere near as good, but it's not bad either, and if they can manage to use it as a springboard for a third that's even close to as cool as the original, much will be forgiven.
    • How awesome is Darker than Black? If you do not know how to use your powers, you can GTFO. If you can reality warp the area around your body, you had better put your powers to better use than only summoning a shotgun and twin swords. If you know how to use your powers, come and stay. If you have pyrokinesis, you will use it to spontaneously ignite people. If you have ice powers, you will not use it to make the "ice block around a person" gimmick, you will use it to freeze the blood of their veins. And if you have the power to "change structures on an atomic level, you won't be changing bullets into rubber, or some of the more immediate effects that come into mind- no, you'll be altering a particle stream on your very first go.
  • The Kurosagi Corpse Delivery Service deserves to be better known,if only for reviving some old tropes and making them fresh again. The Monster of the Week, the Five-Man Band and nearly all the tropes associated with horror are passed through the Widget Series mangler to give something that's creepy,funny,squicky and uniquely Japanese. Coupled with superlative art (no Barbie Doll Anatomy here) and the best translation this troper has ever read,it's no wonder it's on his list of "Possible Gateway Manga for recommending to non-fans".
    • Hells yeah! And the fact it has the best translation EVAR is thanks to the legendary Carl Gustav Horn. It's so good you won't believe it was originally written in another language.
  • Gintama is the best damn shounen series I have ever watched.
    • Definitely seconded. It alternates perfectly between hilarity, parody, and badass action and fighting scenes - from the epic Benizakura Arc to stuff like the Yorozuya completely ruining the Shogun's haircut.
    • Thirded. I swear my stomach muscles are getting stronger because I laugh too much while watching it.
      • Gintama is just... Gold. Characters: Some of the most likable souls in all of anime. Humor: Sorachi just keeps coming up with brilliant jokes. Drama: Yes, drama. The series is very, very capable of being dramatic when it wants to be. Despite being a comedy it's actually better than many standard Shonen when it comes to drama and action. It's a fantastic series.
  • This Troper absolutely loves Genshiken, it is by far one of my favorite Manga. I have not seen the anime, but I plan to eventually.
    • How the hell is there only one entry here? Genshiken is insanely hilarious, not from over-the-top comedy, but from how realistic the characters and situations are. The episode where they make a doushinji is great, and really strikes a cord with those of us who have tried to make something and encounter creative difficulties.
  • Ghost in the Shell was an awesome movie. Beautiful visuals, intelligent characters, a world that you could actually believe was real, and an amazingly deep plot that works on many levels. Stand Alone Complex was all that and more, so beautiful that I've watched the entire series multiple times and still can't get tired of it. 2nd Gig somehow was even better, and Solid State Society blew me away. They somehow manage to bring together action, drama, philosophy and a compelling plot that never suffers from Pacing Problems or Fridge Logic. Somehow the series just gets better every time you see it. For TV writers out there: Kusanagi, Batou, Togusa and Aramaki are how you write heroes. Everything about that series is pure awesome.
    • This Troper, while not outright loving the original movie, loves Innocence to death. IT IS SO AWESOME! And so is Stand Alone Complex, although he did prefer the plot of Season 1 quite a lot.
  • Code Geass made this troper weep like a little girl, it was so awesome. Especially the ending.
    • One of my favourite guilty pleasures. the unholy lovechild of Death Note and Gundam, the twisty plot an melodramatic twists made this series an incredibly engrossing trip. Although the pacing problems and lack of logical plot twists were annoying, the series paid off with clever mind games and absolutely overblow dramatis personae in spades. Just spend a weekend with the box set and a few coupons for Pizza hut and enjoy!
    • This troper just can't put Code Geass in his Guilty Pleasures category. I mean, he watched it after listening its name around, and didn't even expect anything from it. He. Freaking. Loved it. And yes, he's aware that the anime has flaws in logic, but honestly? He didn't even notice them without overanalyzing. It's pure fun! And about being hammy and cheesy? Well, this troper loves ham, and doesn't have anything against cheese. So there you go.
      • I couldn't have said it better myself.
        • Actually, Four watches gone, i've found logic explanations of most of the unlogic facts. No one of the japanese audience makes questions about Euphy massacre turn? It was Britannia's way to annihilate The Black Knights with a trap, and they DON'T care about civilian lives.
    • So true. I was sad for quite some time after Euphie, Shirley, Rolo and, of course, Lulu died. Uwaaaaaaah!!!!! Plus I'm glad that I can read all the spoilers for at least ONE anime. ;)
    • This trooper is unashamed to admit that she cried at all the death scenes. Yes, even Rolo's death. And she hated him for killing Shirley. Talk about OTP sunk.
    • This troper ranks Code Geass as up there on the Peak of Anime Greatness alongside Brotherhood, Bebop and Evangelion.
    • Code Geass is one of my favorite works of fiction ever. Yeah, it has has a lot of flaws (gratuitous fanservice, logical inconsistencies, a few ridiculous/superfluous supporting characters...), but everything else is pulled off so well and with so much style that it kept me hooked to the very end, even as things went waaay over the top.
  • Lupin III is as funny and awesome today as it was when it was first animated. So what if the animation's a little rough? You've got a Crouching Moron, Hidden Badass kaitou Handsome Lech constantly on the receiving end of ArmorPiercingSlaps, a gruff deadly marksman sidekick, a Stoic samurai Badass who could give most of the characters of Samurai Deeper Kyo and Rurouni Kenshin a run for their money, and a hot double triple quadruple agent Ms. Fanservice! Did I mention even though she's kidnapped a lot, she's always The Lancer and never The Chick? Or that all of them get to be a Deadpan Snarker at one point or another? Or that they're chased by the original Zenigata? Hell, do I even have to mention the time they stole the statue of Christ The Redeemer??? Lupin III is, in essence, Cowboy Bebop's Bottle Fairy Cool Big Sis; all the manic fun, none of the angst. The clincher? One of the movies was directed by Miyazaki-sensei!
    • This Troper's more of a fan of the original manga. It strays away from the established formula all the time. Wildly experimental, ranging from innocent and silly, to raunchy and sexy, to dark and serious. It often breaks down the fourth wall, with the author and the freakin' reader appearing as characters at one point. Very surreal, action-packed and tons of fun.
    • This may be premature as it isn't done yet, but The Woman Called Fujiko Mine has style out the wing-wang. The music is great. It appears that there's a storyline running through the episodes.
  • How is Nodame Cantabile not on here? It has amazing characterization, realistic plot, and gorgeous music. The main couple is introduced in the beginning, and their relationship somewhat sneaks up on you. The characters are well-rounded, with everyday quirks and emotions, and the main couple is both utterly adorable and stubborn to the point you want to bash their heads against the wall. And the beta couples are always a surprise, but she does it in a way that doesn't feel like it was strangled by the red string. The plot stretches out for a realistic amount of time, and the development comes naturally enough that you don't realize years have gone by until someone mentions it. The music sucks you in and makes you enjoy it even if you don't like classical music. An addicting series that is in no way a typical manga.
  • The Suikoden 3 manga is the best video game to manga adaption ever made. Its just a damn shame it didn't get an anime adaption either.
  • Black Lagoon. Fucking Black Lagoon. It's got extremely awesome gunfights, badass characters, cool drinks and cigarettes, hilarious scenes and copious amounts of extreme insults. Above all, Rock and Revy are great, well-developed characters and Dutch is just cool. Rock is an idealist who still got enough balls to stand up to Revy and acknowledges that he's pretty crazy. Revy is a nihilistic Dark Action Girl who luckily doesn't get all "I have a tragic past, wah wah", which makes her instantly awesome. When this troper first saw Hansel & Gretel, he disliked them for being too cliché. That was, until he saw episode 15. Honestly, this show is just freaking brilliant. FUCK!
    • Black Lagoon reminds this troper of the early days of his interest in anime and the then world shattering realization that there were animated series that were violent, transgressive, profane, and fun for those reasons. Black Lagoon may not be perfect, but the fact that its a modern anime that doesn't make this troper feel infantalized while watching it makes it damn fucking special.
    • What's even better with the series is that instead of the usual Filler, the anime is just as good as the manga, prolly better at times. And Roberta is Made Of Terminator.
    • Fuck YES. Black Lagoon is simply fucking incredible. It's the only series I've seen yet that managed to take a Non-Action Guy and turn him into a Badass without removing the Non-Action Guy status. The fact that the only real weapons Rock has are his brains and his solid fucking adamantium balls just make him that much cooler. Episode 7 showcased that so well it made me want to cheer. And he's just one character. Also, Hansel and Gretel might possibly be the creepiest fucking thing I have ever seen. And if I didn't repeat it already, I second fucking everything eveyone above me said about the show.
    • Black Lagoon's greatest strenght, in This Troper's opinion at least, is it's ability to to take absurdly ludicrous, over-the-top characters and situations and make them nuanced and believable. Take, for example, the Bloodsport Fairytale arc, which centers around a pair of incestuous prepubescent pornstar-assasins attempting to hunt down a death-seeking female Russian ex-spetsnaz commander turned criminal overlord. Or the Fujiyama Gangsta Paradise arc, which centers on said death-seeking female Russian ex-spetsnaz commander turned criminal overlord starting a gang war with a Japanese Yakuza syndicate lead by a philosophic Little Miss Badass high school student with a body guard who can literally cut a bullet in half with his Katana. And yet, not only is all believably developed, it's incredibly awesome.
    • Sixthed. (We convinced everyone yet?!) Although I have to second the sheer Badass awesomeness, it's the emotional punches that keep me coming back. Unlike most action movies I've seen, it reminds you why violence like this is bad in Real Life without hitting Wangst or sacrificing the awesomeness. And the complicated process of watching Revy come to care for Rock ({{Chickification? You mean that trope that's lying in a bleeding heap over there?) Finally, the philosophical questions raised and discussed by the characters in between battles makes you think, a lot, from perspectives I at least otherwise wouldn't. Awesomeness. Emotion. Thoughtfulness. Characters you love (and characters you love). No sappiness or wangst. What else could you want? If there is anything, I'm sure I just forgot to list it.
    • Black Lagoon is everything that every anime fan hopes and wants anime to be, and that's just at the surface. Underneath the girls with guns and explosions and amazing fight sequences and incredible animation (wait, am I actually listing the parts that aren't the awesome stuff yet?) you have incredibly well-developed characters and stories that are thought out with regards to who these people are. Nobody acts out-of-character just to suit a plot point. Revy is scary good at what she does, but she's much more than just a girl with guns. We are afraid for Rock, because we like him and we don't want him to get screwed up. And we all want to know how Rock and Revy will end up supporting each other. Balalaika is well-mannered and utterly remorseless, which makes her entirely too human. Hansel and Gretel are monsters, and how do we feel about them? We feel pity and sympathy because of why they are monsters. There is no black and white in this show. It's all dirty and grimy and soot-covered, just like real life. When you put it all together, it becomes even greater than the sum of its parts, and possibly the best anime ever made.
  • I loved Ai Yori Aoshi. By turns sweet, funny, and endearing, not to mention speaking to my hidden romantic side, I really came to care about the characters and root for them to get a happy ending. The anime was Cut Short, so finishing out the series was the first time I've purchased manga. I had to know how it ended.
    • I maintain that the manga's only flaw is the excessive Fan Service. The only flaw (Mayu doesn't count).
    • There was nothing about Ai Yori Aoshi that I didn't love. From Aoi to even, yes, Mayu, I love every single one of them. If I had to complain, it's that it ended. I would happily read another 12 volumes of Tina and Aoi and Kaoru and everyone else just to be able to keep reading.
  • Ah! My Goddess will remain as a personal favorite. It's like Bewitched without the suck. I like the characters, the stories are enjoyable, and, what can I say, I like listening to Eileen Stevens channel Kikuko Inoue. Some people criticize Belldandy, but I wonder what show they're watching, or at least why being sweet and nurturing is considered a flaw. What can I say, it just hits my soft spot. Season 3 now, please!
  • Can I just put a pre-emptive Gush in for Netflix? If you love movies, especially anime, which can be hard to find some places, you have no excuse for not having a 'flix subscription. I purchased Ai Yori Aoshi, Solty Rei, Ah! My Goddess, Cowboy Bebop Remix and Samurai Seven after seeing them from Netflix, and would get even more if I had the dough. Not to mention the fact that I can quickly search for and add a series if I hear about it from the Tropers. And since I have an X Box 360, I don't even have to wait for discs sometimes. I just want to find the guy who created it and give him a big hug!
    • Just recently finished watching the entire Avatar series and Tsukihime anime (I know, I know, but I had to find out), am about to finish watching the Fate Stay Night anime (getting my father interested in the Visual Novel), and have just discovered their cache of Slayers DVDs. I will second your notion.
    • Strongly thirded. Living in a small town, finding anything besides major releases in video stores before Netflix, especially anime, was tough if not impossible. The number of great series and movies I've watched since joining Netflix has been worth it all by itself. Now with the advent of streaming... currently watching Clannad this way and just loving it.
  • This troper cannot spread the love for Haré+Guu enough—except on this Wiki, apparently, where she can never find things to Entry Pimp about it. Which is a crying shame—it's one of the funniest, most-out-and-out surreal, and shockingly... touching anime ever. It does Mood Whiplash well, going from the surreal antics of Hare and Guu to Weda's outright tragic backstory. She considers the final line of the TV run to be one of the most beautiful things in all film and TV period.
    • This troper agrees with you wholeheartedly, and adds - this was the anime that saved his vision of comedy anime in general. Actually, scratch that - this was the anime that reminded him "oh, so this is why I like this stuff". It's just too awesome to put in words.
  • This troper first saw Cyborg 009 when they were 11, and still considers it one of the best shows they've ever watched. An anime with nine main characters, all of whom are intensely likeable? An anime where everyone gets character development, not just the main character, and all of their backstories are plausible and well presented? An anime where heartwarming day-in-the-life episodes are comfortably slotted next to epic (and I mean EPIC) fights against malevolent robots without giving viewers Mood Whiplash? Yeah. It's no wonder that Cyborg 009 has stayed alive since the 70's.
  • Potemayo is like nothing else. Imagine if Yotsuba, Osaka and Shana were genetically spliced with a cat... and the result was a foot high and unbearably cute. Do the same splice again,this time using Sakaki and Asakura Ryouko as the source and giving her worm-things that fire laser beams from their mouths on the side of her head. Place them both in a Puni Plush anime series,populate it with gently parodic Anime Character Types and introduce them to the big,confusing world. Have The Stoic as the oblivious Love Interest of both the moe-blob and a Shrinking Violet. Sprinkle with Ho Yay and Parental Bonus-style humour. Strain through the pure essences of Japan. Now you're close to the twelve episodes of charm,joy and just plain "Wait,what?"-ness of Potemayo. Caveat: the last episode. Bring tissues.
  • Sonic X. The Macekre is an abomination, but the original, subtitled anime is pure awesome (you can find it on YouTube, just look for Setsna2's channel), and an excellent imagining of the characters.
    • Also, despite coming off as a fairly light-hearted series, it contains some of the saddest and most poignant moments this troper has ever seen in an anime, thus making her love certain characters more than ever. Episode 77 anyone?
  • This troper thinks Pokémon as a whole has its merits, but the first season is just...classic. The characters, world, and stories had a freshness and sense of wonder that has never been recaptured anywhere else. Long live the Indigo League!
    • This troper would like to say that the Advanced Generation series had great character interactions and he personally loved seeing May/Haruka get Rescued from the Scrappy Heap to become one of the most dynamic characters on the series. The memorable Crowning Moment of Heartwarming scenes stand firmly in this troper's mind. Diamond and Pearl also seems to have gotten a lot of praise, but alas this troper hasn't watched enough of it.
    • Best Wishes is awesome. 'Nuff said.
    • Of course, the manga Pokemon Adventures owns all of that. It just captures...everything about what this troper loves about Pokémon so very well.
      • This trooper. Is in love. With Pokemon Special/Adventures. ALL of the characters are fleshed out, the Gym Leaders having a surprising amount of backstory and plot involvement, the villians range from completely sympathetic [Giovanni] to just plain insane [Maxie and Archie]. And then the DYNAMICS and RELATIONSHIPS between our Pokedex holders is astounding. And even when they revisit old protagonists for the remakes, when you just assume that there isn't any more fleshing out they could do, BAM! Right in the face. The pokedex holders are just so completely loveable, even if they seem like the most annoying prick ever, you will eventually love them. This trooper personally has a soft spot for Ruby and Sapphire, mainly because of their interaction and adorable-ly tragic backstory. That's right folks. Tragedy. In a Pokemon Manga. PEOPLE DIE! Yeah. I know. Shocking, isn't it? It doesn't even follow the original storylines either! Well, barely. And when I say barely, I mean barely. Hell, in the first generation/arc? Half of the gym leaders are evil. That's right. Half of the gym leaders are working for team rocket. And that's just awesome! Oh. And did you know? At the end of each arc, we actually get new protagonists!! It's bloody amazing! And in later arcs, there's always references to past arcs, and old protagonists come back... it really shows how connected this world is. It's just such an amazing manga series, and to top it all off, both the artist and the story-writer are One of Us, and are complete fanboys over the pokemon series! Pokemon Special is this trooper's favourite manga series of all time, and honestly? Go read it. It's fantastic.
    • This troper loves the show and think it very well deserves all of its positive entries on this website, and no one can change my mind.
  • Remember when anime used to be entertaining before all Directors and Writers took getting control of an anime series to mean that people have to listen to their idiotic opinion on everything? Tomino did which is why he created Overman King Gainer one of the funnest anime series ever created. The idiot trio are a breath of fresh air compared to the ridiculously evil mooks of anime made after it, the animation is excellent, the mechas are varied, the overman's abilities are used brilliant;y, and the entire cast is great. The ending is also really good as all the minor members of the Yapan Exodus gets their time to shine battling the Brainwashed and Crazy leads.
  • Kirby: Right Back at Ya!, AKA the Kirby anime, is the cutest thing ever produced by human beings. I mean, just... Poyo! Also, the anime version of Dedede is so lovably evil, and his laugh is probably the second best done Evil Laugh ever.
  • Despite my doubts about where the series is heading now...what it boils down to is that nothing will ever convince me that Eyeshield21 isn't the best shounen manga currently running. The new setting, the thrilling suspense—it manages to take what's almost a Foregone Conclusion and make it dramatic and exciting, and it's full of wonderful character development. The characters really shine in this show, and it avoids being exceptionally heavy-handed. The pacing is quite good and the emotional moments really are that. It's wonderful.
    • New "robot test:" go through the entire series and try to not cry with the Devil Bats when they lose. Heck, or any team that loses. You tired of Boring Invincible Heroes? Get in on this.
    • One mustn't neglect the brilliance that is Eyeshield 21. I still don't know exactly why or how I got into it, but I feel so grateful that I clicked the first episode of this series at crunchyroll. But even if you like the anime, the manga is a definite superior; every character is entertaining and well-realized (Hiruma being a particular stand-out, which you'll know from the first moment you see him), the action sequences (as well as casual out-of-field scenes) are all beautifully drawn, and it managed to make American football an insanely hilarious and emotional ride for this non-athletic troper.
      • This troper was never that much of a sports fan... and he still absolutely LOVED Eyeshield 21. Many of Deimon's tournament matches were FANTASTIC. They were fantastic for two major reasons. One: You honestly thought they would lose in many of the games. They played against opponents so powerful and so skilled that many times Deimon had to win against a 10 or more point difference with less than 3 minutes remaining. But somehow Inagaki-sensei found a way to have them win and make it believable. The second reason is: In true Shonen fashion, Deimon won by simply never, EVER giving up. They honestly weren't the most skilled players, they were skilled but the teams they played against were just as skilled if not more. But they absolutely refused to give up no matter how hard the games became. It was beautiful. Hard to believe a sports series could be more epic and inspiring than most action series but Inagaki made it happen.
  • What, no love for Crest of the Stars and it's sequels yet? Great characters, interesting story and magnificent world building. And that's just the anime. The light novels just add extra layers of detail and information that you just can't put in an anime to make it sheer genius.
    • Motto, motto and sevenfold motto. There's something about the chemistry of the main characters that's quite unique.
  • Fruits Basket is Shojo at its absolute best. Yes, Tohru practically radiates diabetes at times. Yes, every character has an angsty past. It will still suck you into the characters' lives and hearts, make you acutely feel every Tear Jerker moment and Crowning Moment of Heartwarming, and marvel at how well the Rotating Arcs flesh out just about every major and minor character (granted, Ritsu was lost somewhere in there, but considering that there are no less than 14 Zodiac characters plus Tohru and her friends, it's incredible that there's only one neglected character in the entire cast). Who would have thought that a manga with uber-sugary covers could handle angst so beautifully, and make the angst dethronings so warm?
    • There was once a young girl, caught between childhood and adulthood, who was just learning that sometimes, friendships didn't last forever. She felt utterly alone, lost in a world where nothing ever seemed permanent. Then, one day, her mother handed her a volume of Furuba, and she rediscovered what it meant to hope. I was that girl, and despite the series's flaws, it will always have a special place in my heart.
    • This series is made of heartwarming. If you're happy when you read it, the comedy and lighter elements make you happier. If you're upset, the way the characters overcome their problems makes you a little less upset. The characters have a way of saying exactly the right thing at the right time. It's far from perfect, but it's still worthy of the attention it gets.
  • Ouran High School Host Club is funny, fluffy, shiny love, both the anime and the manga. The humour and playing with the tropes are just the beginning. It has some of the most loveable characters ever, including the minor ones, and it manages to get some really heartwarming moments in the middle of all the silliness.
    • Seconded. It's not sappy or sentimental at all, but it's so happy and warm and cheering that it always makes me smile; it's like Prozac in manga/anime form. And "Sakura Kiss" is my go-to song when I need to put something uplifting on my iPod.
  • RahXephon: Not just the Lighter and Softer version of Evangelion, but so much more than that. And has a really well-constructed Jigsaw Puzzle Plot to boot.
    • Seconded. I haven't seen a series that paid off so well. Appealingly rounded characters, crisp animations and a gorgeous soundtrack all helped sell this little winner. What maked me love it, though, was how neatly the plot resolved all of those twists and turns into one of the most satisfying finales this troper ever had the pleasure of watching. After having my mind raped by End of Evangelion, having a series both boggle my brain and cleanly tidy up all of the loose ends is a wonderful feeling.
  • Infinite Ryvius Lord of the Flies in SPACE, and yet it is so good. So incredibly good.
  • Anything by Kitoh really. The guys is delighfully depressing, and strange as it might sound Narutaru helped This Troper get OUT of a depression...
  • It took this long for Elfen Lied to end up here? But I suppose that all the gore would put some people off... It is, after all, the sickest, most blatant and gut wrenching anime this troper saw (though I didn't see that many)... and also the most impressive, well thought, character driven piece I laid eyes on. No character isn't three-dimensional, the plotlines are incredibly intriguing, and my only complaint was that it was too short.
    • Seconded. The best of Elfen Lied is probably its character interactions, which arguably take up a lot of the plot. Also something that deeply interested This Troper was the interactions of the humans vs. the Diclonii, and how individuals can either have a lot of influence on things around them or none at all, evidenced by Kohta or his various friends. In that sense it seems very life-like. In contrast to the anime, the manga has an ending which is saisfactory and which ties up its various loose ends. It will also make you cry, and remind you that while humans can be bastards and anything and everything can go horribly wrong, life goes on, and humans survive. Then again, its arguably hard find An Aesop to the story, mainly because of its dark nature. While the gore (and by extension, the Gorn) turns some people off, its worth reading/watching.
    • The art in the manga starts off a bit dodgy, and it looks like it's going to be a gorefest, but then story is ... I have no words. I couldn't stop reading and when I reached the end I thought I had been wrung completely dry of every emotion I was capable. Then I finished the last chapter and I cried. A lot. Sadly, I haven't been able to get many of my friends to read past the first issue to see why I don't stop gushing about it, for the mentioned reasons.
  • Only now is Higurashi no Naku Koro ni on here? For shame. Granted, I suppose like the Elfen Lied example above, the gore would put some people off. This troper does not like horror. At all. Still I regret not picking Higurashi up sooner. It is so much more than I thought it might be when I first read summaries on That Other Wiki. It has made me laugh, cry, and feel all warm and fuzzy inside in addition to freaking me out. Thank you, Ryuukishi07 and 07th Expansion.
    • Seconded so much. This troper loves the anime so much. It is everything the above troper said and more. It has a wonderfull cast of characters and one of the best stories I've ever heard. Once again, thank you Ryuukishi07 and 07th Expansion
    • This troper found the entire series to be mind-blowingly brilliant. Never has anything, in any form of media, put me on the edge of my seat so much.
    • This troper has just finished episode 18 of the first season and wants to say it was the best (and one of the most disturbing) stories I've seen, at least so far. I'm afraid to read the original VNs to see what was left out or shuffled around. The anime as a standalone is just amazing in every sense of the word...
    • This is certainly AMAZING at least. only one thing I hate about it is the dub, but that's irrelevant compared to the plot, characters, insanity, betrayals, and, of course, bloody murders that happen over and over that leaves you guessing—Who will survive this time?
    • This Troper absolutely loves Higurashi. The characters, the plot, the time loops, the verbal tics nano desu, hell, even the high HSQ!! He has another week off of school coming up, and he will spend it rewatching Higruashi No Naku Koro Ni.
  • Every time This Troper has finished reading Love Hina, he gets nostalgic about how the series was during book 1, even through he speedread the series in 3 days. The characters are awesome, you not only begin to fall in love with them, you even notice them developing throughout the series. And the entire series is a neverending laughter.
  • Axis Powers Hetalia, in all its flaws, is awesome. Nothing ever managed to make this troper laugh so hard. The Ho Yay is a plus, too; all the Official Couples manage to make this troper either giggle or go 'Aaaawwww, they're so cute.'
    • This troper seconds the sentiment and adds to it. Before reading Hetalia, this troper lived by the philosophy of "I don't care about news, other countries, or whatever. Who cares?" Hetalia made me realize that the rest of the world is not just hunks of land - they're people, which she had forgotten somewhere along the line. Hetalia made her more interested in history and other countries in general, and, don't ask her how, made her understand and love her own country more. Hetalia actually improved her outlook on life.
    • This Troper thinks that half the reason to why Hetalia changed her as much as it did is because she's been in the fandom for so long. The series itself not only managed to educate her, make her interested in history, and get her to start learning and researching on her own, it even gave her hope for world peace, while the fandom and it's contributions, the discussions, and how we all seem to love each other so much, made it a fantastic fandom despite the occasional wank that people forget anyway. (I'm looking at you, Anon Meme. Which is, by the way, also an awesome, fun place thanks to which this troper made some new friends.)
      • You just made This Troper cry with joy.
        • Seconded. I love this series and the fandom so much!
    • This troper never even knew about a lot of the other countries like the Baltic states, Belarus, and for goodness' sake who would've heard of Sealand? I love this series so damn much.
    • Hetalia is this troper's only anime/manga fandom, and it's just too much fun to watch. I'm sure my roommates thought I had lost it because I mainlined the entire series in about a week and was laughing like a loon for most of that time.
  • Awwww, show some love for Full Metal Panic!. Funny, awesome and often heartwarming. No need to say more.
  • I know that whenever I'm having a bad day or anything is going wrong I can pop in Azumanga Daioh and within minutes will have a huge goofy grin on my face. I think its Osaka.
    • Definitely Osaka. And Chiyo (Chiyo-chan in a penguin suit for the cute). And Sakaki. And Tomo. And Yukari. Hell, even Kimura. When a series has such a vastly varied set of characters with almost one-note personalities yet makes them all lovable, you know you have a good thing.
    • I would like to credit Azumanga Daioh for single-handedly curing my depression after a consistently miserable year.
    • I think it's partially the fact that the show is kind of simple and comfortably consistent with its setting and characters. It kind of reminds me a little of Corner Gas in that everyone always acts the same, in the same places, and very little changes between episodes. It's just relaxing and reassuring to sit and experience the stories delivered from the quirky little world it portrays. At the beginning of each episode you get an energetic, weird, happy theme song to get you ready, and the end gives you a less energetic, still happy but kind of quiet/reflective sounding (and slightly REALLY EPIC) sounding song to trick your brain into thinking that what you just watched makes perfect sense.
  • Tenchi Muyo!. All of it. Ryo-Ohki, Universe, even Tokyo. To say nothing of the two spin-offs, and the spin-off-off. It's been about 15 years or more since I first saw it and I still obsess about this show. The characters get into your heart and never leave, much like the girls do in tenchi's house. The action and scale of the superpowers are truely mind-blowing in a way I've never seen done right, before or since. And they're almost completely irrelevent since the major plots all focuses on this little house on a tiny island on an insignificant backwater little world. Love, drama, carrots, it's all here, whenever you want it, or even if you don't. And then there's Sasami. Oh good gods, Sasami... I'm sorry if lolicon squicks you out, but I absolutely love that little girl, with all my heart. She is everything that's right with the franchise. I could go on, and in my head I certainly will, but I think you get the point...
  • Everything sane in me should send red flags at the mention of Angel Sanctuary as anything but a glorified, incestuous soap opera, with Creepy Crosses and a metric ton of Ho Yay added in for flavoring. But the fact that you're forced into rooting for the characters, as over-the top and occasionally Wangsty as they end up, makes me tear up everytime I reread the last volumes. I'm not going to call the series brilliant and I'm not going to call it groundbreaking—but there is a spark to that series that pulls at your heartstrings. Even as people make melodramatic declarations of love.
  • I love Digimon. I love the heavier, more serious material in a children's show, I love the way it stays far away from Status Quo Is God, I love the Character Development and that being Big Damn Heroes actually did take its toll on the kids, many of whom had breakdowns in some form or another.
    • Digimon was amazing—it's what got me into anime as a kid. It really shows that kids can handle occasionally dark plotlines and character development. I'd love to see more children's shows on either side of the Pacific follow its example.
    • Digimon was a saving grace for this troper in his younger years. And despite the flak it receives, he liked Frontier. The characterization was something that touched him...of course the previous seasons have done it, but the members of the fourth season seemed much more...personal, to him.
    • It's funny, I hear so many bad things about the English dubs, and I can see where they're coming from, but the English dub of Tamers just feels more real to me. I suppose it's because I remember watching it as a kid, and even then, parts like Takato asking Jeri to just talk to him one more time made him cry. And while I do agree the Japanese movies were better, the English Digimon Movie still holds a special place in my heart for the same reason.
  • I also love Zoids: Chaotic Century. Again with the more serious elements [they were fighting a war the whole first season] and the Status Quo Is God aversion, plus some really cool mysteries and heaps of fucking awesome fight scenes.
    • Seconded so much. I love it, I got up early to watch it and I remember standing and watching an episode of it in a toty shop next to the model kits. It was that good.
  • Digimon Savers was epic, especially with a tough street-fighting trainer, woobie Ikuto and a masterful soundtrack.
  • Digimon X Evolution from the makers of the CGI TMNT and Astroboy in full CGI. It may look outdated, but it lacks the soundtrack of whiney humans, and has some of the most badass Digimon with close-to-saviour status in Alphamon. It also has some interesting contemplations and a heart-filled ending.
  • This troper absolutely adores Aria. After I got my new computer and needed some new anime to fill it up, I browsed the "best rated" list at Anime News Network, and stumbled across Origination. It was 13 episodes, so decided to give it a shot, not downloading the other two seasons on the mistaken impression that it was a prequel (it's called "Origination," after all...) The first episode confused me a little, and it took a while to figure out where President Aria's eyes were, but the pace was kind of refreshing. When I went on to watch the second episode, its beauty and warmth convinced me to finish watching. Then I saw episode 9. Oh. My. God. It was so incredible. I got the rest of the series off bittorrent immediately after watching that episode, and watched from the beginning. When it came time to re-watch the portion of Origination I'd already seen, it was like a completely new experience. Then I got to the ending. It was just so well-done and emotional, I cried out of happiness so much that morning. I then got the soundtrack and rewatched a few episodes after listening to it for a bit. It's even better!
    • You're by far not alone. The Internets are filled with gushing reviews of this series. Kozue Amano, the maker of the original manga, is a goddess! And she does it again with Amanchu!. So much talent should be a crime!
    • I read this is a manga series when it first came out YEARS ago before its recent re-release and even own most of the Japanese novels. I love it because with all the Wangst out there, what's wrong with something lighthearted that gives you a warm, fuzzy feeling? Absolutely nothing.
  • I've been up and down this list several times....no love for Trigun???
  • Sayonara Zetsubo Sensei is a great series, and it's amazing that such odd characters come across as fairly likable. On the other hand, I think it works because the protagonist is such a jerk. If he was the Only Sane Man, it would be tragedy, but in many ways, he is the oddest character.
    • Not to mention the fact that it manages satirize modern Japan while making no sense at all and not lose any of it's hilariousness.
    • The satire in this is pure gold. Smart, witty, scathing, and above all, so true - regardless of where you live or what you do. Oftentimes I've realized that something I regularly do or think is being made fun of and insulted, but I cannot bring myself to feel annoyed; I only find myself nodding and agreeing with the mangaka. And the characters are fun personified—hilariously twisted and mentally unstable (most of them could do with a good long stint in a psychiatry ward), but indispensable for the flawless delivery of this extremely wacky storyline. I recommend checking out the manga as well. It's even better than the anime, and of course explores a much wider range of subjects.
  • The FUNimation dub of Crayon Shin-chan is Gag Dubbing done right. Take note, Abridged Series writers.
  • Dead Leaves is quite possibly the best 45 minute movie this troper has ever watched. The crazy art style, the amazing character designs. Even the odd story line is pure crack.
  • Keroro Gunso, otherwise known as 'The Invader Zim anime' (No, they STILL haven't made a IZ anime, but this is much better) This troper loves anti heros who try to take over the world, but the strong cast, and character interactions make it my favorite. It's also pure love for those of us who are into Mars Needs Women.
    • This troper's friend got into and I followed suit. This anime is simply wonderful and just downright funny in so many ways. The charaters are so lovible and it never fails to put a smile on my face!
  • Vagabond. It looks like a historic Japanese ink painting, and has a clearly written story that doesn't lose focus in spite of its 200+ chapter run. Most of its characters are quite deep; they are flawed yet are willing to develop. And the action...wow. It also helps that Takuan the monk is an Ensemble Darkhorse, able to dispense Zen philosophy and direct the main characters without ever being a Marty Stu.
  • Monster is amazing - dark, unquestionably mature, intelligently written and totally unflinching in the way it tackles topics like bigotry, the existence of Absolute Evil and the value of human life. Although loaded with a huge cast of characters and many plot twists and turns, the story manages to make sense and come together without the need to suspend disbelief. The contrast between the heroic Kenzo Tenma and the chilling Johan is one of the best hero-villain dynamic This Troper has seen. The anime is also a completely faithful adaptation and managed to enhance this troper's understanding of the manga.
    • Yes. Yes, yes yes yes yes. One of the best manga ever written.
      • Thirded
      • Fourthed. It must be the darkest, most mature manga/anime that This Troper has ever seen, tied with Elfen Lied, and even then Monster and its story will inevitably suck you in and make you explore human nature, its ups and its downs, and several characters (which have excellent backstories) more than Elfen Lied ever did, while giving out different interpretations on a lot of things, and always leaving it open for interpretation of the viewer. Words fail This Troper.
    • Knowing full well where it falls on the Sliding Scale of Idealism Versus Cynicism, I still massively enjoy reading and watching Monster. I actually care about the characters and what happens to them—even Johan. The plot is cool, the huge amount of detail put into character design floors me every time, and I'm constantly recommending it to people.
    • This troper agrees with you, 100%. It's gritty, and the characters are all so unique in their design and in their personalities, which just backs up the amazingly complex Jigsaw Puzzle Plot.
    • I don't like Anime much, to be honest. It feels like, much of the time, when a show is bad, people judge it by different standards than they do non-anime, just because it's anime. I hate gratuitous catgirls, I hate watching shows with no understanding of anywhere other than Japan, and I hate having every single relationship loaded with gay subtext. I had nearly given up on the entire platform. This was until Monster. Clever writing, clever plotting, great characters, amazing themes, and none of the things that had irked me about other animes. It's just an amazing piece of fiction. It is, to other animes, what The Wire is to other TV series, South Park is to other Western Animation series, and Inglourious Basterds is to other movies. Truly a brilliant show.
  • No love for Devil May Cry: The Animated Series? Sure the ending sucked, but the show had absolutely amazing action sequences, which really, is the entier bloody point, and still maneged to have a couple heartwarming scenes that completely avoided Narm. Pure almighty awesome.
  • 20th Century Boys is incredible. Written by Naoki "Monster" Urasawa, it's an incredible plot that slowly unfolds, with each reveal drawing you in more and more and you never know where it'll go next. Incredible cast, such amazing tension and at times, incredibly heartwarming or completely frightening moments. A must-read, with one of the best written dystopia stories in manga history.
    • Seconded. This was the first manga that this troper actually finished, and it's pretty damn long. All in under a week. It's awesome. The twists, slowly building suspence, and Deconstruction of many manga cliches are brilliant, and the way it slowly builds in scope is great. Seriously, go to your usual scantilation site, find 20th Century Boys, get to at least chapter 20 or so, and see if you're not already hooked.
    • This troper has just finished reading 20th Century Boys. The plotting, the pacing, the mystery, the characters, the twists, the suspense! All of these things are perfectly handled and woven together to create a thrilling narrative and wonderful setting. I cannot recommend it highly enough. It ties for my favorite manga series (with One Piece, for those who want to know). If you haven't read it, please don't wait! But don't read any spoilers! There is so much cool stuff that happens, spoilers would ruin it for you!
  • Claymore is one of, if not THE best Shonen out on the market these days. Large, but totally developed and superb cast, with a well developed world and story, with some of the best written action scenes in manga today. Clare is one of the best protagonists in Shonen today as well, and one of the most awesome determinators around. Worth a read without a doubt.
    • Seconded, the series keeps getting more interesting at every turn. Even Raki, who had lots of haters early on, has become a fascinating, well-rounded and likeable individual. And yes, Clare is made of awesome.
    • I rediscovered Claymore about the same time that I finally acknowledged Berserk: both were series that I would always see floating about but I just never found the time to sit down and dive into them. I was even more surprised to see how similar the two series were, and they were right up my alley to begin with: dark, gritty, medieval fantasies. Perfect. And I'm still surprised at how different Claymore is from other Shonen series, not just the fact that damn near the entire main cast is female, but also how serious it is compared to other Shonen. I half expect for Claymore to just transform into a Seinen in coming publications, but it's still okay as it is. The plot is moving along swimmingly, and THANK THE GOOD LORD that there is no Arc Fatigue or FillerArcs! Even if it turns into a Long Runner to avoid this, who cares? Claymore is certainly one of my top picks.
  • My-HiME is simply brilliant. It suckers you in with interesting, sympathetic characters and excellent comedy, and then turns this completely on its head for the Carnival arc. That and Miyu is just plain Badass. The only downside is the (very stupid) fourth episode and the utterly mishandled last episode ;_;, but the rest of the series more than makes up for it.
    • My-HiME is the absolute pinnacle of everything a great anime should be: stunning visuals, beautiful and haunting music, excellent characters and humour, a varied and fascinating world that combines elements of familiarity and mystery, with an atmosphere of intrigue and ancient secrets... this troper was so hooked he finished it in under 72 hours. Also—it is the most emotionally powerful anime I've seen. The first Wham! Episode left me utterly reeling, I was reduced to tears more than once, and the ending of the first story arc was so full of awesome that part of me felt I might as well go home, there couldn't be any more to see. And it only got more awesome from there. When it came to the actual final ending I could hardly see the screen through my tears; no Fanon Discontinuity there for me.
  • Ga-Rei Zero. An original plot, sympathetic and likeable characters and an absolutely brilliant tragedy full of twists and turns. Add to this some excellent world building, beautiful animation and character designs and the growing sense of unease and suspense as things start to spiral... oh yes. Brilliant show. Needs More Love.
  • Macross Frontier is, bar none, my favorite Anime ever. Now, I don't exactly have the greatest amount of experience to pull from, but damn, will I be surprised if anything manages to top Frontier. Cool setting, 20-meter giants walking around like normal people, an incredibly well-balanced Love Triangle that never gets resolved, a soundtrack made up entirely of Crowning Music of Awesome, a tear-jerking Heroic Sacrifice, epic space battles with plenty of Crowning Moments Of Awesome all around, and the animation. OH MY GODS the animation. Never have giant transforming robots seemed so utterly, totally plausible. Somebody on the show page mentioned that Frontier was the Macross answer to Tengen Toppa Gurren Lagann, and I cannot think of a more fitting comparison. Hopefully Harmony Gold will find it in the place where their heart used to be to greenlight a dub and a North American release, but until then, at least I have my fansubs.
    • I, on the other hand, have a massive amount of experience to draw from. And you are quite right, Macross Frontier is amazing beyond any right. While we're on the animation... the first movie's is AMAZING. It's clean, it's colourful, it's gorgeous. It's a work of goddamn art.
  • Bokurano. The characters, the plot, the designs of the mechas, the drama. Everything was an emotional twister, with turns and moments that were simply spectacular in formation. Of course, it was quite depressing, but it was the epitome of all those solemn emotions that made it so heart-wrenching. And the ending...it could not have been better. A manga that should always be remembered, honestly.
  • The first season of Weiss Kreuz. Sure, it has it's own stupidity on occasions... but it's a living, breathing world, with characters who actually react exactly as they would react in such a situation.
    • I'll be fair: Weiss Kreuz has inconsistent and frequently low-quality animation, plot holes, and moments of sheer ridiculousness. But it does boast meticulous character development and, at least in the original Japanese, top-notch voice acting from a collection of the best seiyuu in the business, and for that alone shouldn't be dismissed out of hand. The cast members act the hell out of every scene, to the point that it can make you wonder what they're doing to those poor guys in the recording booths. Even the sequel series, often accused of Character Derailment, actually continues gradual development begun in the first season - too bad that most of it plays out in Radio Dramas not easily available to western audiences.
  • In my opinion, Yuu Watase is unfairly dismissed as a soapy, Bishonen-obsessed Ho Yay fangirl. But even 10 years after first watching it, Fushigi Yuugi still contains some of my favorite manga/anime characters of all time (Tasuki, Chichiri, Nuriko), still brings me to tears at some points (Suboshi selflessly giving Amiboshi the memory-wipe drug, knowing his twin will never recognize him again), still gives me incredible goosebumps (Yui's final wish). And the manga artwork is gorgeous, an incredibly distinct and richly realized fantasy universe.
    • Agreed. The anime absolutely blew my mind when I was 14; I'd never seen anything so emotionally intense before in my life. And now I'm 21 and I just got my hands on the manga for the first time. Needless to say, when I reached the end of volume 13, I was crying uncontrollably. Just like I did when I was 14. And the same thing happened when I read Ceres. I have a feeling the same will be true for Alice 19th. They may all have their flaws, but damned if Watase doesn't know how to quickly get you emotionally attached to characters and create the most crushing, gut-wrenching situations for them to go through.
    • And Absolute Boyfriend, even though it's mostly seen as a fluff series, legitimately kept me guessing which suitor Riiko would end up with (and normally that kind of plot bores me). The ending was an unexpected and extremely bittersweet punch in the stomach.
    • People can call Yuu Watase's works hentai all they want, but her beautifully-structured plots and well-developed characters trample on this accusation anytime. I--once I had gotten past childhood, which we all know is a period during which kids' emotions are easily controlled—never cried serious tears over anything fictional before Fushigi Yuugi, and my imagination burst at the seams when I was introduced to it. No negative comment about this series, and no anime in the past, present or future, can ever deviate me from Fushigi Yuugi.
    • Fushigi Yuugi was the first manga I read from start to finish, and even though I barely touch shoujo in favour of more action or comedy-oriented works these days, I will never, ever forget the way it made me cry- not just because of the heartbreaking moments, but also from sheer joy. Oh, and Alice 19th was pretty awesome, too. Thanks, Watase-san.- reaperangelique
      • Even I, as a hardcore Dark Fantasy Shonen and Seinen fan, will admit that Fushigi Yuugi was the first manga that I started collecting. I don't read the original series as much anymore, as I've moved onto liking Ayashi no Ceres and the prequel Genbu Gaiden a bit more (since those two a bit more mature), and I can sorta see why some people would think the way they do about the original Fushigi Yuugi series, it will always have a special place in my heart as an anime geek.
    • And this just won't finish here! Fushigi Yuugi was Watase's first early hit... and the epitome of her maturity as an author is Sakura Gari. You'd think that the "naive uke boy meets older and cynical seme" cliché can't be told in a way that is actually believable, complex and human anymore, since it has been horrifyingly botched up by so many Yaoi super series (*cough Okane ga Nai *cough* Gravitation)... and yet when it comes to Sakura Gari, it's not. The uke reacts realistically to his terrible surroundings, the seme has believable reasons to be the way he is, and the rest of the story is tragic yet beautiful. --
  • Aoi Hana. Holy schlamoly. I was already a fan of the manga, but when I started watching the anime it was as if I got plunged into an ocean of bliss. Of course, production company J.C. Staff has a reputation for coming up with quality series, as evidenced by Honey and Clover and Nodame Cantabile, but this show exceeded all of my expectations. The opening sequence, executed in the unmistakable J.C. Staff style, is a thrill. What a marvelous song! And my heart skips every time Fumi and Akira turn into little kids during their spirited, cheerful dance. My greatest fear has become true: I turned into a squealing fangirl over an anime! I can no longer be reasoned with, since I truly feel this is so great! Rawr!
    • I completely second that. I got into the manga literally right when the anime started, having no idea that there was an anime, and I literally Squeed when I found out about the anime. At least I was already a Yuri Fangirl when I started out...
  • I CANNOT believe that Sailor Moon isn't on here. Tsukino Usagi may just be the kindest character in existence and if only the world had people with hearts as large and unbreakable as hers. The other characters are all incredible as well (even Chibiusa, in this troper's humble opinion.) The Sailor Senshi are heroes in every sense of the word and we would all be so blessed to have friends like them.
    • Aww, as I neared the bottom of the page I wasn't sure whether I'd rather it be mentioned already or I be the first. But yes, you've hit the nail exactly on the head—it's the characters, above all, that make it such a wonderful series. And the way they go through so much and still keep fighting—how can that not inspire you to do the same? And I love the depth and detail given to their everyday lives; it makes them into real people and not just magical girls.
    • I still look up to the Senshi, if only because their portrayal as buttkicking Action Girls was an inspiration. And the fact that they do it all in skirts was my proof that you could beat back demons and still be feminine.
  • Soul Eater. It was this troper's Gateway Series into the world of anime obsession, the manga I picked up later was my gateway into the world of manga, and it remains an absolutely bitching series. The worldbuilding is creative and original, the plot is intriguing, and to the characters, the only thing I'm capable of saying is "als'd;asdkj'sdkasdajsdjad". Mad love for all of them. It's not a particularly well-known fandom, which is sad. It deserves more.
    • Any story that delivers such great morals about friendship and teamwork is excellent, and Soul Eater delivers it perfectly without Narm, just warm fuzzies all around. The characters of Maka and Black Star have so much determination and willpower that they are impossible not to cheer for, and the viewer gets pumped up just watching them, infused with their spirits. It really delves into the mind, and the inner psyche of the characters, what makes them tick. Plus the music is AMAZING, and the style of humor is just so hilariously awkward.
    • Thirded. It's got a charmingly bizarre sense of style in character and story, is funny, has some rather smart moments (e.g Black Star and Mifune in the manga, without question). Most of which carried over into the anime, where the combination of animation style and music made it look all the more awesome. For shounen action, it's fairly well-paced which also helps. Oh, and there's Shinigami. Third best fictional Death ever.
    • Fourth'd. I have read far far too many shonen manga, and this is THE BEST by far. For one, it actually HAS character development, and it just keeps getting better... and better. It's like Bleach was put on acid. It's just... awesome.
    • FOOL! Only Soul Eater can have characters as powerful, amazing, invincible, godlike, and modest like EXCALIBUR!!! Soul Eater is just pure awesomeness with a side of Badass. I hope that Soul Eater Not!! will add to the awesomness and show some of the lesser seen characters more.
      • A splendid series with some of the most likeable characters in recent memory. They're all so awkward and certifiable that it's impossible not to love them but when the time calls for action they're completely capable of kicking ass. Extremely dark and creepy at times, but never losing sight of its humor, this series rarely stops being entertaining. And Black Star is one of the most badass ninja ever seen.
  • Where is the love for D.Gray-man? The art, the characters, the humor, the darkness, the plot, just everything about it makes it my favorite manga ever. Especially the characters, I love all of them to pieces, especially Kanda, Allen, Lavi, Lenalee, Komui, Miranda, Krory, Tyki, Road, and, and...yeah, all of them. Even the Noah, as a family of antagonists, they're so convincing, they actually get upset when a member of their family dies, not like the typical "Oh he deserved it" response you usually see from shonen villains. That alone makes them endearing to me. It makes me so sad whenever the manga is on hiatus, but that just makes the new chapters even better for me. I don't think anything about D.Gray-man could dissapoint me.
    • D.Gray-man has the best characterization in a shounen manga I've ever seen. Everyone's personalities are fluid, and they change and act accordingly to their experiences. And their pasts and motivations are being revealed little by little as the story goes on; They're apparent in the little things, instead of the usual infodumps. Maybe now that the manga is moving to a monthly schedule, the pacing will get better and we'll move on to yet more massive awesome.
    • I too love D.Gray-man, it is has been my favorite manga since I first read it in shonen jump. I love everything about it. It influinced the way I draw and helped me develop my own style. Katsura Hoshino is THE BEST MANGA AUTHOR EVER! The artwork she draws is amazing...and she's really cute too...
    • Allen is one of the most adorable shounen protagonists I've seen. The whole thing's set up so that you cheer for him and hope that he does succeed in his mission to save everyone.
    • I LOVE the way it manages to take the old "dark ancient militaristic organization fights to save world from family of villains in a centuries-old struggle" and make it seem new and exciting. The Black Order is also surprisingly deep and realistic, with the mix of decent, working people, heroes, Complete Monsters, and religious fanatics you'd expect to find in real life. Overall, it's just a one-of-a-kind series that has this troper squeeing at the release of each new chapter.
    • The art for D.Gray-man is AMAZING. It's so dynamic and unique! And the characters are all freaking Badass!
  • I think only one other person mentioned Trigun. What the hell. Okay, maybe for everybody else out there, it was just another sci-fi western anime. But to me, it was so markedly special because it was not only my Gateway Series to anime, but it's allowed me entrance into a whole genre of other works I didn't even know about. Hell, from watching Trigun, I got interested in Firefly and then Serenity, and also Gun X Sword which VERY, VERY MUCH deserves a mention. The poster of Vash on my wall and the fact I went against my parents wishes and painted the word T.R.I.G.U.N on my wall in red paint only serves as a small testament to how much the series has changed my life.
    • Yes Yes and YES. Trigun was also a gateway series for me, and also led me to other "superhuman gunslinger"-type series, like Hellsing and most recently, Yasuhiro Nightow's lesser-known (which REALLY needs mentioning) series, Gungrave. Mafia Drama, chainsmoking, forbidden technology, love, loyalty, betrayal, family, revenge, big-ass guns...I know people are put off by the sci-fi/zombie fantasy stuff in the later half of the anime but that's how the video game was—an over-the-top zombie shoot-em-all-and-let-god-sort-em-out kind of game and while it was short, it has STYLE. Brandon/Grave is one the most interesting (and tragic) main characters, as there's really two sides to him—the relentless, unforgiving killer, but on the other hand he's an incredibly kindhearted, loyal, and selfless man who always puts his friends and loved ones first. I just want to give both Grave and Mika BIG HUGS.
    • This was the first anime I watched and I liked it... and then I read the manga and I completely fell in love with it. It is funny, dark, character-driven, and is fantastically well-told and drawn. And even now I can still enjoy the anime even if it does have a Gecko Ending because it is all just that good.
    • Trigun was a gateway series for me too, but one of many. The better part of a decade later, I watched it again, and was blown away by how much of the awesome I had missed the first time—the music, the carefully developed mood... and the characters, who in spite of being Badass are still people you'd like to have as friends. (Except of course for the ones you don't want to share a planet with.) It's kind of my anime comfort food now.
  • Hellsing OVA. One of the most over-the-top, most stylish action anime series I have ever seen. Everything in the OVA is pure, distilled awesome. Special note goes out to the Valentine brothers, who were way too cool to last more than one episode.
  • Pluto. Amazing manga written by Naoki Urasawa, is often forgotten, when, in my opinion, is better than 20th Century Boys. Some people say it's just Monster with other characters and Recycled in Space, but it's a totally different thing. This troper started reading it only because she was bored and didn't have any good manga; she didn't expected it to be so interesting and moving. With big tearjerkers and amazing ending. One of my favourite manga ever.
    • I'd say 20th Century Boys and Monster top Pluto in terms of plot, but when it comes to making me feel for something I've never nursed a smidgen of emotion towards beforehand (namely, robots/androids), nothing can top this manga. I've never been very pleased with how sci-fi series that attempt to make the reader/viewer feel for its sentient mechanical characters take the easy way out by making them fall in love (and even have sex) with humans - under the fantastically misguided view that feeling romantic love/lust towards a human being grants you "humanity". I was doubtful about starting on this series because the setup was the kind that's commonly used to exploit such cheesy concepts...but my fears were soon proven baseless. Pluto brought me close tears more times than most manga involving human characters had ever managed to. I finished all 8 volumes in one night (despite having school the next day) and while the ending was inconclusive and left too much up to imagination for my liking, I went and wrote a glowing review for it on Mangaupdates, complete with a rating of 9.5/10.
  • Hayate the Combat Butler: It's just so funny it's awesome. A very, very good Affectionate Parody of mainstream Shounen; where more than half the goodness is all of the Meta-related jokes and gags. Rie Kugimiya is still a Loli Tsundere but not as flat as Taiga or Louise, because she is (actually all of them are in the show) deliberately Genre Savvy. Lastly, it's got Norio freaking Wakamoto in it. I rest my case.
    • Seconded so hard. Even though I'm not that glorious of an anime otaku so I don't get half the stuff you said :D But yeah, Norio as the Narrator was the best thing ever. Hell, you gotta love a show THAT ACCUSES THE NARRATOR OF MURDER.
    • While the meta and parodic nature of the humor really is a good part of this series, what really attracts this troper is the incorporation of several genres to give later manga arcs more of a fleshed out feel. A bit more drama and action and tragedy when it comes to the whole Greece Arc, but it's all meshed in with the overarching lighthearted silliness that we love so much.
  • Clannad: Why is Clannad not yet here!? The story was just absofreakinglutely beautiful: two people with problems end up turning to each other for help. Other friends are roped in; they help each other, forming True Companions. The second season could only have awesomeness that changed this troper's view on life and family forever. Clannad is so much more than a non-violent version of Higurashi no Naku Koro ni (no offense to that show; incidentally, it's one of my favorite shows in the horror genre primarily because of the friendship factor) simply because of the fact that, not just does it focus on the True Companions banding together, but it has two people who really, really need each other to be whole. When Nagisa died, Ushio filled the void, and it was her doing that the Okazaki family (and everyone else) could live Happily Ever After (see Gainax Ending).
    • Seconded so hard.
    • THIRDED. Clannad is easily this troper's favorite anime. It's gorgeously animated with awesome development of Nagisa and Tomoya's characters and relationship. Seriously, they are the ultimate couple; like someone said earlier, they literally could not live without the other. Not only that, they were a cute couple that struggled through all sorts of hardships but in the end, were still standing together. They made you care about their romance and if you didn't bat an eye at Nagisa's death or Ushio and Tomoya's true reunion in the field of flowers, then you were truly a hardened person. And unlike other anime, they didn't really focus on the negative, '"emo" aspects (like bad pasts, etc.) as much, and actually worked toward making the best of things and overcoming tragedy, especially through the Power of Friendship. Finally, an anime that's positive!!
  • Fate/Stay Night. Yeah, the Anime. Not only does it feature likeable characters and the greatest Complete Monster ever to grace the world, but the fight scenes cross the Awesomeness line seventeen times. And This Troper understands that the visual novel is somehow BETTER.
  • Ame-iro Kouchakan Kandan is the most adorable and fluffy and WAFF and amazing yuri EVER. It doesn't go into Ecchi territory like one of Fujieda's other works (which is good for the unique demographic of people who love the gay but are otherwise morally conservative, like This Troper, though I liked Iono-sama well enough anyway) and Sarasa is so wonderful, I wish I was Seriho-san...
    • Totally agree. It's one of the most Squee-inducing things I have ever read. I'd go so far as to say the setting is a Sugar Bowl because everything is so idyllic and lovely. I can't wait for the next chapter, and the next, and the next...
  • Paranoia Agent: One of the best animes ever created. No, seriously.
    • Let's clarify: BRUTAL Deconstruction of common anime elements like Lolicon fanservice and Kawaiisa, character design and animation that gives a big fat middle finger to the generic anime styles most revel in, an extremely dark atmosphere with some seriously chilling moments, and some great characters. Satoshi Kon, you rock.
    • Absolutely. It deconstructs everything and it absolutely deserves the title Crazy Awesome. You want absolute Mind Screw distilled with character development and Paranoia Fuel? Voila.
    • I agree; it's very much a Mind Screw in some parts (... OK most parts), and I think that's probably one of reasons I love it so much. It really looks into psychological issues behind characters, and really shows how they can get backed into a corner far enough to pretty much have a mental breakdown. It's incredibly creepy in some parts too- even the opening was enough to give me chills! I'd definitely recommend it!
  • Katekyo Hitman Reborn: The story gets better, there's Art Evolution, and I can say that it's a very good shonen manga. Tons of hot guys, yay!
    • Seconded. Beyond the great character development, the storyline and powerups that keep evolving in logical, awesome ways, and the protagonist, who shows that there are some shounen heroes who are a bit whiny and don't actually like fighting that can still be a great character, what more do you need? The bishies are just a bonus. Kind of.
  • Basilisk. How has this not been mentioned yet? It is amazing. So amazing. It made my best guy friend cry Manly Tears. I mean twenty seriously badass ninjas engaged in a fight to the death, coupled with potentially the most beautiful soundtrack in existence (it's like the music is having sex with your ear drums). Not to mention the quality of art makes me cry tears of joy.
    • That barely begins to cover its awesomeness. Twenty badass ninja sounds like an army of Mooks, but I have never seen a show with such a large cast make you know and care about each character so fast and so effectively. Anyone who has seen this show can list every ninja and his technique; none are minor or forgettable. Their powers are all bizarre. You might expect that superhero comic books have covered every imaginable superpower at least once, if so then you haven't seen Basilisk. In an incredibly deadly ninja war, you'd expect death to be cheap, but you feel it each time one of your favorite ninja dies. It is sad, beautiful, satisfying, and will stay with you forever. On top of that, it has a very clever story, Fan Service, and three cute romances that are each special in their own way, inviting you to make comparisons and try to decide why each one ended the way it did. That's the best part: It ends. It tells a single story in an appropriate number of episodes, then it wraps everything up perfectly.
  • One year, I spent New Year's Eve watching Haibane Renmei. I could have gone to a party, but I'm glad I didn't. The combination of well-earned emotional intensity (every episode building gradually on each one that came before, right up to the devestating finale), complex layers of symbolism and meaning with no one "correct" interpretation, gorgeous animation, superb music, and a storyline that's ultimately life-affirming and optimistic without papering over the difficulties or complexities of life... I spread out the watching of the episodes as much as possible, and by the end I was in floods of tears. It remains my # 1 anime of all time.
  • The Big O. Lavishly animated! Stylish noir atmosphere! Masterfully composed soundtrack (This Troper owns both soundtracks; they set him back $60 altogether but were worth every penny)! And a main character who is, more or less, Batman plus James Bond plus GIANT ROBOT PILOT. Add in the ontological mystery, Schwartzwald, and the thought-provoking Gainax Ending and you have a winning combination. BIG O! SHOWTIME!!!
  • Last Exile. A steampunk anime that features quite possibly the most lovingly crafted and beautiful world I've seen. Epic battles (GONZO's Conspicuous CG works VERY well here), political maneuvering, and crowning moments of heartwarming and tear jerkers. DESPERATELY needs more love.
    • Agreed! I love the look, the music is incredible, it has a slow start but really builds into something incredible. Definitely one of my favourite animes.
  • I don't care what every one says, K-On!! is one of the best anime during it's season. I don't give a shit if it's story isn't engaging or "serious", this show has one purpose, and one purpose only, it doesnt try to hide it, and it does a damn good job on it's purpose! And both it's ending and openings are some of the best out there!
  • Zettai Muteki Raijin-Oh. Who says you need overly complicated government/organization/whatever conspiracies, wangsty teens and situations to make an awesome show? Not for me at least. I JUST adore the characters, how surprisingly realistic their individual personalities are, and how they interact and given the good old Character Development. And I adore giant robots with wings. And as the theme song says...."the Power of Love/dreams is absolutely invincible...." and as the TV series' ending and penultimate battle in the OVAs add, "redeems". All said and done without cheese and Narm. Character development+ excellent execution+ well-thought, fast-paced mecha action=WIN.
  • Bakemonogatari was the best series on TV summer of '09, hands down. While too much dialogue would normally be a complaint, the dialogue in Bakemonogatari is exactly what makes it so awesome. Seriously, episode 3 was nothing but the two leads having a conversation on a playground for 20 minutes and it was completely amazing. Combine that with SHAFT's visuals and the best ED ever and you have an amazing series.
    • Absolutely adore this show. The climax of episode 13 gives me goosebumbs every time I watch it. And yeah, the ED "Kimi no Shiranai Monogatari" by supercell is incredible, the best ED I've seen
  • Monster Rancher, just Monster Rancher. The plot was awesome, the characters were memorable, the story was well-paced, and unlike other Mons series of the time, the hero battled alongside his monster friends. Plus it had the guts to have a Bittersweet Ending for the second season (In This Troper's opinion, it was better than the third season's ending).
  • Baccano!, where every episode involves cuts to events taking place minutes, days, months or years before or after the scene you were just watching. Combine that with the 1930s, trains, monsters, immortal alchemists, and a whole pack of wacky, lovable characters and you're in for an awesome series. And if that doesn't make you want to check it out, the opening sure as hell will.
    • Oh, I am one of the many fans who watched Baccano! because of the OP. In fact, I first started reading the first novel (1930 novel) and just had to watch the anime. After watching the anime, I can say that I love all the characters, I love Ryogo Narita (I like Durarara!! too) , and I love everything about it. Oh, and I became a Graham Specter Fangirl.
    • This troper feels like she's in the thirties whenever she watches Baccano!. Also to this troper, the show feels so realistic that at one point she thought that she's with the cast when they're doing their crazy antics.
    • I love Baccano. Easily one of my favorite anime. It's just pure, unadulterated high-energy fun. Packed to the brim with likable and entertaining characters, it's a series where all you have to do is sit back and have a good time. And you will. You will indeed. It has great animation, a good score that fits it well and an amazing dub to go along with the hijinks. And if you're a fan of 1920's/1930's culture, this will be an excellent series. It's just got that special something to make it shine. Bright.
  • Lucky Star, anyone? Animation is good, drawing style is interesting, references are numerous, characters have some actual depth, seiyuus are awesome, opening is even crazier than in Tenshi ni Narumon, Show Within a Show is not irritating, ending is one of the best things in the whole show. Oh, and CV elaborates the main plot. Awesome!
  • Sword of the Stranger. One of the best anime films produced in recent years. Possibly ever. Certainly some of the best action in animated history, with captivating fight scenes and utterly breathtaking choreography, well written characters and so much effort put into the whole thing.
  • Despite the astounding amount of Internet Backdraft it has gotten, this troper feels the need to mention Umineko no Naku Koro ni. Yes, you heard right. The show so openly criticized by the SN readers/players, and called downright horrible by those who've watched the anime as a stand alone. I'd heard about it by one of those bashing reviews, and out of curiosity, had looked it up and started watching it. Granted, it is filled with Narm and the main character is the Largest Ham to end all Large Hams, but it really doesn't deserve the harsh critique it's getting. The characters are colorful, it takes a little unique spin on the Groundhog Day Loop setting itself apart from it's predecessor, the Narm is just so outright hilarious, and Beatrice is possibly the biggest Badass that this troper has seen by Dragging the resident Large Ham out into a crowd with Bernkastel nearby, NAKED AND ON A CHAIN, and then proceeding to whip him around by it. And this is coming from a fan of the original sound novel.
    • This troper is rather unique in that she found out about the series by stumbling on the manga by complete chance, and has never seen the anime/played the game. She loves it, and is somehow unable to explain why...She just does.
  • I am SERIOUSLY disappointed that GaoGaiGar hasn't been mentioned yet! Seriously, I can NOT get enough of that theme song. Every time the theme music starts up, you KNOW awesome is going to happen! So much manly, hotblood and GAR in this series it's insane! Always perks me up to think of the song in my head.
  • No love for S-Cry-ed? Seriously? It was just as hotblooded as Gurren Lagann and it's not mentioned yet? The opening theme song sold the series for me from the get-go. Both the anime and the manga versions of scryed were just awesome. Just so awesome, hotblooded and so full of yelling!
  • Shock. Shock. Where is Hikaru no Go? This is the series that makes the least audience-friendly board game in the world DRAMATIC. Brilliantly developed characters, extensive research on the actual game (most board positions are from actual games between pros!), and so realistic in depiction that you forget the essentially supernatural premise. Perhaps the best part is the process of character maturation, both in art and personality, as the story progresses. No series does growing up better than Hikaru no Go. Never was I more overjoyed than the day I discovered the additional manga arc—though I'd never have guessed, since the anime ends so naturally (unlike another beloved series, Rurouni Kenshin).
    • Hikaru no Go is a story about a board game, but more importantly, it is the story of those who play it. It is about growth, of love, of loss, of losing, and standing to fight again. It is about how the people in your life help you grow, and vice versa. It is about people who choose to dedicate their lives to something larger than them, to a goal they may never reach, and truly, their passion is a sight to behold. The characters are absolutely believable, and the relationships depicted were just incredible. Just...I really don't know how to explain it, be it Sai and Hikaru's relationship, Akira and Hikaru's relationship...what they mean to each other, the way they cherish each other, why they cherish each other...it all transcends the written word. You feel with them, you feel for them, I loved these characters in a way I never have again. And this troper is not exaggerating when she says that writing this made me realise just how much this series means to me, just how much it has changed my life, and even then she still feels this description is grossly inadequate. I encourage anyone who can do a better job to please step in and tell everyone why we love this series so freaking much!...so anyway, highly recommended.
  • Just wanted to throw out my love for Angelic Layer since nobody else has yet. Maybe not a mind-blowingly great show, but definitely enjoyable.
  • Sola is one of this troper's personal favorite anime. The art design and backgrounds of the show are simply gorgeous, as I watch, I constantly end up thinking that they belong in an art museum. The characters are not only memorable, but quite believable. The soundtrack, while simple, is also memorable (I re-watched the series a year after I first saw it and could recall most of the OST). Couple that with a twisting plot, and some truly heartwarming and endearing moments, in only 13 episodes, this is a little series that is truly something great. That much being said, practically no one has seen this series, and although Bandai licenced it, it sadly won't be getting a dub. I'm sure there's a lot of people who just brush it aside as a hentai game adaptation (which it's not), but I'd recommend it to anyone who's just looking for a good story with strong production values all around.
  • Munto is a great anime which needs more love here. Its only 9 episodes long and yet has such a good plot and interesting characters. The art is just beautiful and the action scenes amazing. The title character is also pretty hot and this troper is ashamed to admit she squees every time he and the heroine are together as they just go together so well. It has a bit of everything, fantasy, action, comedy, drama, and romance.
  • Vampire Princess Miyu deserves a mention. The anime is very well done with watercolor backgrounds and characters that look Japanese, but the plot is Sailor Moon meets Hellsing. The shinma keep getting darkerandedgier every episode, pulling One-Winged Angel after One-Winged Angel. The plot is episodic, so you can watch it in any order, and the English dub is extremely well done.
  • Hunter X Hunter is the greatest anime I've ever seen and the greatest manga I've ever read.
  • Martian Successor Nadesico is a great series. It manages to combine sci-fi, drama, comedy, romance, and a half-dozen other genres into a surprisingly cohesive story. It avoids the pitfalls of trying to be psychological or deeply symbolic that can ruin an otherwise great series. The cast is one of the most memorable I've ever seen. It was one of the first series I'd watched in its entirety, and years later and several (five?) times more shows than I had seen back then under my belt, this is still my absolute all-time favorite.
  • There is no doubt about it. Fairy Tail is magic. Any Shounen cliche you can think of...is either subverted, averted, or played straight so wonderfully you'll end up crying at night for ever doubting it. The word Nakama probably has never meant more, and the world is crafted so intricately that you could be convinced that even a mage with the power of "heart" could be the most glorious wizard on the field.
    • SECONDED. So hard. Fairy Tail is easily my favorite series out there. It's awesome that it doesn't take itself seriously and can make one laugh even in the serious moments without the Mood Whiplash.
  • Ninku, a vestige from an era long before the realisation that the world was a dreary all round grey. No 10 plus filler eps and some nice animation particularly on the faces and fight scenes. Set in a surreal western outback, when power levels didn't leap over 9000 every other episode.
  • Gundam SEED should be noted as well. It has all the best things in Gundam, and takes it Up to Eleven. Great characters, well created Gundams, and Lazers!
    • Seconded. Bleach and Naruto were what got me into anime, but it was Gundam SEED and Gundam SEED Destiny that made me stay. Clever plotting, sympathetic heroes and villains, Badass combat, and in—in my opinion—did the best job of any of the Gundam series of showing the effects of war on kids. And that's not getting into the characters. There isn't a character in this series I don't love in one way or another, whether for being a great person, for being a total monster I could love to hate, or something in between. The multiple points of view, the Grey and Gray Morality (and in the case of Seed Destiny, white and grey and black morality) all made both shows fascinating for me, and the reason I'm still watching anime. I've discovered many more since then, but Seed and Seed Destiny will always be my favourites.
  • Irresponsible Captain Tylor is one of the best anime I've ever seen, and has profoundly affected my life. It has two of the most fantastic Crowning Moments Of Awesome I've ever seen, and despite beginning as a totally episodic show ties everything together beautifully. The main moral of the show is "Do what you want, the way you want to," and that's really not a bad way to deal with things.
  • This troper is not at all surprised that not only has neither Crows nor Worst been mentioned yet, they don't even have their own pages on the Wiki, and only Worst has a page on The Other Wiki. Really, Crows and Worst need more love. Crows and its sequel series Worst, both by Hiroshi Takahashi, follow a group of Japanese high school delinquents as they get into street fights, form factions, and generally just try to prove they're the best fighters around. They're kind of idealized delinquents; they don't do drugs, commit crimes (exceptions: assault, of course, and the occasional kidnapping by the villians), or even bully people (in fact, it's the opposite: they're more likely to attack the best fighter around than someone who can't or won't fight back). They're pretty much good kids who just really like to get into fights. There are no mind-blowing plot twists, no incredible feats of strength/agility/whatever, no world-shaking, far-reaching events, and this troper, without a doubt, has nothing in common with the characters; yet I love the characters and I eagerly await each new chapter, which sucks me into the world of these young warriors and leaves me energetic and in a good mood. It helps that many of the characters are just dripping with awesome. Worst is tied for my favorite series (with Fullmetal Alchemist, in case you're curious) and Crows is easily a close 2nd. Please, at least check it out.
  • Spice and Wolf. It has very little Fan Service (some don't consider those scenes fanservice at all), despite one of the characters being a wolf-girl. Lawrence's business as a merchant is genuinely interesting. The romance is amazing, and the characters are realistic and mature. The character interaction is amazing, and may be the best part of the series.
    • this troper agrees fully. the banter between the two is just amazing and it is really surprising how a series about being a merchant that actually teaches you stuff can be so entertaining.
    • This Troper has to agree about very little Fan Service, but still doesn't want to sell short the appeal of Holo's feminine wiles. She's easily his favourite part of the show, but not because they feel the need to bombard us with gratuitous cleavage or panty shots (which they don't; even her nude scenes are tastefully done), but because she is a genuinely endearing character that is easy to fall for. Her personality and interaction with Lawrence are just amazing, and she does a great job being a character the audience can both be entertained by and feel sad for. And, yes, she is attractive and her teasing of Lawrence can sometimes take a sexual slant, but it all stays fairly low-key and never strays into what one would call "Fan Service". She's just such a great character; alluring, entertaining, deep and sympathetic... A definite favourite character for This Troper.
    • Agreed. The fact that it relies on neither action nor fanservice (two staples of the Shounen genre) and still manages to make an excellent impression just shows how much thought went into the characters. Some people find the "merchant speak" to be an irritating obstruction, but to this troper it added an element of fascination and intrigue. Holo is quite possibly the most charming Manic Pixie Dream Girl of all time, and one of the most memorable characters in recent memory, and Lawrence is quite likeable as well. Even the second season, which some say was not as good, provided plenty of food for thought, and if anything, the fact that Holo didn't have to turn into a Big Badass Wolf to make the story work added to the story's depth and solidified its position as a beautifully executed non-mainstream series.
  • Hyakujitsu no Bara (or Maiden Rose). Quite simply the best yaoi manga I've ever read. The art is beautiful and detailed; I have a military uniform fetish just because of this manga. The main characters are complex: deeply flawed but sympathetic, Badass yet still very human. The rape is not romanticized like in other yaoi: it's used to show how miserable the relationship of the protagonists is because of the unfortune circumstances. There are awesome side characters and great fight scenes every shonen manga would be proud of (though in this manga the fights are more realistic than most shonen battles). It's a serious and believable story with a world and a plot both captivating albeit sometimes confusing. The Flower Motifs are beautiful and meaningful, not just there to make the backgrounds prettier. The omake are truly humorous. A yaoi manga, but about so, so, so much more than just two guys getting it on.
    • Seconded so hard. Fusanosuke is probably the only yaoi mangaka who assumes Viewers Are Geniuses and will want to try and keep up with the complexity of her work, and yes, we do. The art is gorgeous and the sensitivity and balance of the panel layouts, the movement, and the intercutting of past and present scenes (some of which convey so much without even any words accompanying them) are just amazing. Look no further than the scene of Klaus aging as he pulls back from the brink of death in Volume 2 for how graceful and potent simply her craft can be, further compounded by magnificient storytelling.
  • Grenadier. I started watching it knowing I would hate it because me little brother was watching it and dribbling about Rushuna's large breasts. But then... You have to watch episode 1 to believe it. Rushuna needs to have a shoot-off with Vash to decide who is the greatest gunman in anime. It's only 13 eps, and yet manages to fill in so much backstory and so much characterization, all seamlessly. And the dub is surprisingly good.
  • I am saddened that nobody's mentioned Bomberman Jetters yet. The relationships between the team members and their family members are just plain heartwarming (especially White Bomber and his brother, I'm a sucker for brotherly love), and then the whole Jetters organization is kind of like another strange family -sometimes caring and supportive, other times hilariously violent towards one another. The bad guys are frequently funny too, although they have some moments that can and will catch you off guard. And they visit so many crazy planets! There's plenty of action, lots of adventure, a nigh-unhealthy amount of wackiness, and many moments that will make you go "aww" for many reasons. I probably sound like a rabid fangirl but I don't care.
  • How DARE nobody mention Fist of the North Star yet. It's only the manliest manga ever written! Kenshiro is one of the most Badass protaganists in Anime/Manga history, why? he can make people EXPLODE just by poking them! Bad. Ass.
    • Is that your only reason for enjoying Fist? The art style is so freaking amazing, it not only gushes out the manliness from the heroes but also makes them as diversely emotional as manga's supposed to be. I, personally, feel refreshed every time Ken cracks a smile, something that he only does upon seeing the satisfaction of the people he helps. He's a badass, yet selfless and idealistic hero, and they make sure you remember it for every frame, even when exploding Mook heads. Well, I've only been reading the manga so far, but still it conveys the message in an epic way (which I think is, even After the End, there will still be someone to come along for us in our time of need).
  • Detective Conan. From someone who grew up devouring any decent detective/mystery fiction he could get his hands on (Doyle, Christie, Mc Bain, Hammett, Queen, etc.) I was dubious about a mystery based series dealing with a teenaged detective turned kid. Then I read the manga. It's impossible to get through the stories without seeing how much the mangaka loves the genre and it's various tropes as much as I do, his knowledge and usage from countless mystery sub-genres are impressive as well. And while the filler episodes in the anime generally lack the same quality as their manga counterparts, the Non-Serial movies are surprisingly good.
    • I come not to talk about Detective Conan, but about Case Closed. This is THE anime that got me hooked. I've always been a mystery lover, and this had me staying up on a school night just so I could see the conclusion to the Axe Murder Mystery. Even though I was like 9, I still loved the show, and I really wish Funimation would step up and dub more episodes damnit!
  • Mahoromatic. This series did it for me. I was 16 when I watched this, and it was just something unreal. I spent following 2 weeks after watching this in some sort of trance-like state, and I was in all seriousness thinking about what should I do now that I've experienced the best moments in my entire life and I'm just 16. I just knew it, this was the climax, brain simply doesn't allow things to get better than this.
  • Inazuma Eleven. I never thought that I'd like an anime about football, but decided to check it out just because of some fanart I'd come across; best decision ever. In a short time, it's become my favorite anime, and I'm just waiting for the games to be exported. All the players are amazingly likable, the music is awesome and the plot is interesting. It has a good mix of comedy and drama, and it manages to keep light-hearted without seeming too silly. Each match is different and unpredictable; the main team has their fair amount of losses, and even the training episodes are fun to watch. The small bits of Ho Yay sprinkled in are nice to have too...
  • The fact that Beck hasn't yet been mentioned on this page, and is in fact woefully underdeveloped in terms of support all over the site, makes me sad. Simply put, Beck is probably my favorite series of the past five years, at least in part because it's so very, very unassuming. No giant robots, no super-deformed humor, no magic, no absurd relationships between characters that neither will ever admit, none of that crap. It does what it does, youth drama with romance and friendship and bullying all woven through with the power of great music, and does it really, really well. Slice of life anime with a great climax? Not since Kiki has it been done so well, and never since. But the characters are what really make it. Everyone acts like a normal person, and the illusion of deep characterization is so pervasive that I had to watch the anime three times to realize that, actually, it really WAS just an illusion. The coming-of-age story is masterful, the bonding of the band members and their breakup and reformation is wonderful, and... well, I think Maho and Koyuki have the single best-written romance EVER. Seriously, it's incredible. The style is nothing to scoff at either. The art is very unique, but not in a strange way like Studio Shaft or Kaiba, just in its realism and its very, very low-key nature. The atmosphere and sound effects are never anything less that functional, and that's all they ever need to be, because we have the MUSIC. Oh my dear sweet Jesus, the music... Anyway, I've gone on long enough, but the last thing I have to say is that this is one of precisely three anime (the others being Cowboy Bebop and Baccano!) that I categorically refuse to watch subtitled. The dub is just far, far too good, and it's the icing on the dense, small, incredibly tasting cake that is Beck.
    • On the art: the manga is so much more realistic than the anime. Harold Sakuishi seems to love Scenery Porn, and still it works. Also, when you finish the anime and see that there's still much more backstory to follow in the manga, you can't help but find yourself ensnared into it; the band members struggle with their day jobs to keep BECK alive, they are shown to have bad days sometimes (and not just in the plot development sense; just check in the manga and see how many of their live performances tanked, despite their collective musical badassery), and they keep going on like you'd expect from real rags-to-riches rockstars. In short: just because you're a musical genius it doesn't mean you'll be an overnight hit. There's a long, hard road to achieve it, and the manga and anime both make sure you remember that, even if you want to start a band (which you might as well, after getting through the series), life's no Guitar Hero.
    • I love both the anime and the manga, particularly Ryuthke'th exthtremely thexthy lithp when he speaks in English. (And I'm not being sarcastic. That made me crack up and love the series even more)
  • Where is the love for Kara no Kyoukai??? Not only does it have some of the most beautiful animation this troper has ever seen, but it has an engaging puzzle-of-a-story, intriguing characters, a soaring soundtrack, and the perfect mix of almost every genre you can think of. The movies are brimming with complexity yet the final movie ends with one of the most satisfying conclusions this troper has seen in any movie or anime. This is the first time this troper has loved an anime this much in a long while.
  • No love for the Rozen Maiden seasons/OVA? How could there not be love for the show that spawned the "desu" meme? The costumes are wonderful, so much so that I cosplay Sugintou. The names are even awesome. (So much so that the cat rescue I volunteer at now has a kitten named Rozen and a pretty black cat named Sugintou.) The plot is awesome, the characters are moe to the extreme, and everybody has a decent backstory. The music is just gorgeous in every way. Both the English and the Japanese versions are excellent, and I usually fall on the "sub" side of things.
    • Seconded, this troper quite enjoyed both the anime and the manga (which hasn't ended yet!). Like so many good anime, it takes a seemingly absurd concept and pulls it together into an amazing, innovative story with incredible potential. It flawlessly mixes humor and dark intensity, and every single character is intriguing and developed. This troper's personal favorite is the cool, serious Souseiseki.
  • Blame. I was with this manga ever since the first volume came out and I have loved it to death ever since. Every single page is an indulgence in awesome art and Scenery Porn, and the story distills every human-survival and cyber-punk story down to its barest elements and just shows you what it means to be human and far beyond the apocalypse. I know that it's not to everyone's tastes, but for me it is everything I have ever loved about science-fiction and it speaks to me on a universal level every single time.
    • Seconding the hell out of this.
  • Serial Experiments Lain. Like Blame! not everyone likes it, but I have loved and re-watched every episode for so long that it's practically embedded into my psyche. It was ahead of its time by so far, and it continues to speak truer to the reality of human communication and the fabric of reality than anything I have ever known. Some shows, whether they be anime, live action tv, manga, literature, film, or even video games catch you and don't let you go, and for me this was one of these.
    • I totally seconding this. Let's see...I love the intro song/sequence, the Mind Screw, the philisophical and psychological commentary, and the minimal Fan Service (which is somewhat rare for a Seinen series.)
    • Crazy as it sounds, Serial Experiments Lain and FLCL were this troper's gateway series. Both of them are deep and insane, and the Mind Screw is definitely worth it. Extra credit goes to Lain for the Genius Bonus.
    • Yes, Lain is excellent. I must admit that the very end was a bit predictable (though no less touching and effective for it), but if you're in the mood for a sci-fi series that actually makes you think about the technology and concepts being described, do yourself a favour and watch the anime. I'm not tech-savvy myself, but I was fascinated by the ideas on interpersonal communication that were put forth.
  • Demon Diary. I typically read fairly violent and graphic, bloody and Mind Screw Seinen. And I LOVE this mangwha to pieces. It is sweet, funny, and adorable. And once you've read the final volume you get absolutely fucking pissed off that there aren't any more (well at least I do)! Beautifully drawn, surreal and probably the funnest (yes, you heard me grammar nazis) manga/mangwha I have ever read.
  • Deadman Wonderland. This is one of THE most awesome mangas ever. It takes a Shonen protagonist and thrusts them into a Seinen reality. It is, by DEFINITION, Crazy Awesome. It's like someone took all the best shonen, blended them together, and then distilled the result into some alcoholic substance. I can't believe that someone hasn't mentioned it before, and it definitely needs more love. It's violent, graphic, full of enough horror to blow your brain out the other side of your head, and IT. IS. AWESOME!!! (yes, the capitals were entirely necessary).
  • Kaleido Star. Far and away one of my favourite anime. It has a nice cast of characters, good music and beautiful acrobatic sequences. Additionally, it shows you all the hard work the characters put in, something missing from quite a few shows. Finally, this series at one point made me cry at it's beauty, storywise. Altogether a fantastic series.
  • Karakuri Odette, so much. Even though it's not ambitious or particularly groundbreaking, and the art style is a tad off it captivates readers and makes you interested in everyday plights of Odette. Subtly, you can see her change from robot to a more human-like person.
  • Yokaiden. It's an OEL manga, but so, so amazing. It is hilariously funny and teaches you about Japanese yokai (or ghosts); the characters are well rounded and the art had me swooning. Give it a shot, guys!
  • The original Yu-Gi-Oh!!: Powerful messages of friendship, fights that you don't mind take more than two episodes (or chapters, the manga is even better than the (two) anime), and an unbelievable main character growth arc from start to finish. An obvious amount of research put into the Ancient Egypt segments, mythological allegories, actually portraying certain mythological figures in a way that doesn't demonize them (like the Egyptian god Set and the man and his reincarnation that (sorta) bear his name).
    • Seconded; particularly the original manga, which is one of the best shonens this troper has ever read.
    • No love for Yu-Gi-Oh! GX? The first and second seasons started out as light-hearted with serious moments, and even some minor subversions of tropes used awesomely. It got into the Mind-Screw season 3, with reincarination of one lover while the other is immortal looked at logically (even though nobody's sure if that's how he meannt it), it looked at everyone realistically. Even season four is good in returing back to its roots while still keeping the silly side.
  • Hajime no Ippo. Miyata's fight with Randy Boy Jr....wow. And now Itagaki? Man, I love me some speedsters.
    • Hajime no Ippo is one of my favorite manga ever. Great, well developed characters? Check. Hilarious (if a little crude) humor? Check. Amazing fights? CHECK. And it somehow managed to do all this without becoming stale even after 900 chapters! I just love it.
  • There are not enough good things to say about Kimi ni Todoke. The overall mood of the setting can make even the most hardened stoic melt. The characters are very lovable and entertaining, with the lead in particular having that particular shade of kindness and hope that makes you wish she were real just so you could grab her in an armlock and mess up her hair. The writing is great, and emphasizes just how special the characters are and how they're better off for it. Overall, it's just one of the most enjoyable experiences you can have with a Shojo series.
    • Seconded, I really enjoy all the characters, especially Sawako, whose various character quirks I found easy to relate to. This was my Gateway Series into Shoujo manga (which I was not expecting to enjoy, being a guy and all). It has completely surpassed my expectations and touched me in ways I'd never imagined a manga could, and I'm going to stick with it to the end.
  • I will admit that I'm NOT surprised that Bobobo-Bo Bo-bobo hasn't gotten any gushing yet. For a series that was on CN for its entire run, it's vastly underappreciated and bashed unjustly. But consider this: It an Affectionate Parody of anime ITSELF, concentrated into a 76-episode series, mocking every part of every genre. In reality, it's like the /b/ of anime, and I love it. The English VA casting is surprisingly well done, with each character's personality shining through immediately. But more than that, for me and the many fans I've spoken to, this show is escapism in hilarity, Crazy Awesome Sweet Dreams Fuel with enough utterly lovable characters to fuel my Perverse Asexual Cuddlelust into the end of time. Not to mention it has one of the friendliest fanbases I've EVER seen, probably due to the nature of the show. It's not brilliant, it's not the "greatest anime of all time", but it's genuinely bizarre and bizarrely genuine. To anyone who ever watched five minutes of the show and dismissed it (ALL SIX THOUSAND OF YOU), I suggest you give it another try.
  • I beg of you, go find and read My Lovely Ghost Kana. Right now. Stop reading this and go. Still here? You want more reasons? Ok. Do you like reading a story where the characters grow and develop? Are you a sucker for happy love stories that have realistic, unbelievably well-written plots? Do you want to read a story that is so heartwarming and touching that just reading it makes you feel good about the world? If you are feeling depressed, then empathize with the ghost of a girl who committed suicide and a guy who is ready to give up on the world who discover that life is worth living by falling in love with each other. Do you want to smile and then suddenly find yourself crying by the very next page? Do you like to look at pretty, naked girls? Then go read a story that looks at the growth of a relationship, including all the sexy parts, with a hardcore seriousness that will remind you of the first time you ever fell in love, and leave you warm and happy and glowing and completely in love with Kana and Daikichi.
    • Then go read Virgin Night and Ai-Ren by the same author, Tanaka Yutaka, and feel it all even more. When you are done with those, follow Mimia-hime for something that is quickly evolving into an epic fairy tale of transcendent beauty.
  • Pumpkin Scissors. This troper, possibly because it reminds her of Fullmetal Alchemist, LOVES this series to death. She enjoys the reversal in gender roles when concerning the main characters, Alice and Randel. Normally, the guy is very distant if he has a Dark Mysterious Past, sometimes bordering on Badass *cough*Sasuke*cough* where as the girl is very naive, weak, and far too cheerful to bear. Or it goes to the opposite extreme and the guy is rambunctious and possibly THE most annoying character on the program and the girl is a Shrinking Violet or a Tsundere. Alice is reasonably well fleshed out, she's not just there to be the Genki Girl, she's there to be the LEADER. She's not eye candy, she's very much a person with flaws and strong feelings of justice even though she sometimes is naive about it. Randel fits the idea of Dark Mysterious Past to a T, however, he doesn't let it make him bitter and angry with the world. He's a Gentle Giant and when he turns on his lantern, that's when he's the definition of Badass. He, like Alice, is also portrayed as a very human character, plagued by nightmares of his past and genuinely not taking too much pride in what he has done. Randel, unlike other anime/manga men of his kind, is the one who seems to need Alice more than Alice needs him. This is what I meant earlier by gender role reversal. They respect one another as (somewhat) equals. This troper truly appreciates that in the two core characters.
    • Also, Oreldo, Machs, Stecchin, Hunks, and Mercury, they are also wonderful parts of this misfit unit. They help display that not every anime/manga group follows a specific pattern. For example, Oreldo, though lecherous, is not disrespectful of a womans space and needs; he's actually a gentleman.
  • I'm surprised that Peach Girl isn't up here! This troper did not like realistic, slice of life schoolgirl anime until she saw this one. It's also got a great message about believing in yourself.
  • No? No Star Driver? But it's awesome! It's colourful, the characters are awesome, the fights are spectacular and best of all, it's campy beyond belief. Definately worth watching.
  • Star Blazers is an excellent anime. Even though it's a bit slow-paced, its messages ring all too true. The characters are all likable if not outright lovable. The animation is excellent even for the 70s and summons nostalgia instantly (but not in a bad way) and the dub, though censoring scenes of excessive violence, is generally excellent (it was done by actual actors). The fandom is peaceful and tolerant and supportive of new authors/fanartists. The official site is jam-packed with trivia and has not one, but two official webcomics to read for free and no advertising. The Japanese don't have it this good.
  • I like Ghost Hound. No, I LOVE Ghost Hound. I love the characters, I love the settings, I love the plot... It is an extremely interesting series that Needs More Love.
  • FLCL, FLCL, FLCL. Wild, chaotic, and incredibly fun, with tons of laugh-out-loud moments, but under its shell of absurdity is an (actually quite simple) story about growing up, told in the most unique way possible. And, the greatest part is, it never gets old. Rewatching it over and over again, if anything, makes it even better. FLCL isn't just my favorite anime, it isn't just my favorite TV show, it is, quite possibly, my favorite thing in existence.
    • This Troper thought for a moment that he had written this and forgotten about it, the above post echoes his sentiments almost perfectly. He watches FLCL almost every day, sometimes more than once a day and it never ceases to be awesome. FLCL reinvigorated This Troper's love of anime and remains the greatest thing that has happened in his life.
  • Gunslinger Girl. An absolutely brilliant work that tears apart what would be perceived as cool aspects of creating cyborg soldiers. The action sequences are incredibly well-made, the characters are highly unique, and the OP is one of the greatest songs known to man.
    • This troper came across the segment from episode 13 when the girls are singing "ode to joy" under a meteor shower. She had no idea as to the story, the characters, or even the setting. But that little clip, less than three minutes long, caused *ahem* dust to get in her eye
  • What? The list is this long and still no mention of one of the most awesome and hot-blooded anime and manga ever Getter Robo? Yeah, Gurenn Lagann is cool and all but do they have giant robots fighting demons or ancient gods? Do they have guys that can crush a dinosaur's skull WITH HIS BARE HANDS? Do they have giant robotic dinosaurs that is piloted by humanoid dinosaurs? This series just oozes awesomeness with great characters, simple plot yet have complex development and have very,very great opening themes.
  • As an MMA fan and Brazilian jiu-jitsu enthusiast/practitioner, I am deeply in love with All Rounder Meguru. It's the first realistic manga about MMA that I've found; it's also the first I've seen to incorporate my beloved BJJ, to the point where I learn about new techniques and positions by reading it (I'm still kind of a beginner, so there's still quite a bit I don't know). But that wouldn't matter if the plot and characters fell short. To my delight, that's not the case. The characters are rounded, which makes the relatively simple plot (guy likes doing MMA, trains, competes, etc.) enjoyable and engaging. Add an estranged Old Friend with serious skill and ties to the Yakuza, and you've got plenty of material to move the plot forward. New characters, when they're introduced, are also interesting and showcase new aspects of the sport. There are also plenty of comedic moments. At the time of writing, I'm 18 chapters in, and I'm hooked. If you're an MMA/Shooto fan, you owe it to yourself to check out this manga.
  • I really like Nichijou. It's the first anime in years I've been able to actually enjoy—the last one being Nanoha A's released in 2007, but that's not here nor there—due to it being:
  1. Devoid of fanservice
  2. Well-voiced all across the board
  3. Subtle in the right places (Finally!)
  4. Never dwelling too long on a single gag
  5. A glorification of real-life trolling
  • Girl Friends is defiantly a well written Girls Love series. Mari and Akko are both well written characters, the fact that you get to see things form both of their points of view really help to flesh out there relationship. While their Angst can get annoying at times its mostly done on a reasonable level. Morinaga Milk's art style really lends well to Akko and Mari's Heartwarming moments. Defiantly a most read for any Yuri Fan.
  • Mazinger Z. Though far from perfect; it's the Trope Maker for Super Robots piloted by a human being. It also helps that the manga is aware of just how absurd it is; and is full of Lampshade Hanging, and Fourth Wall Breaking.
  • Kurogane no Linebarrel, full of badasses on both sides, and has lovely character developement for it's protagonist
  • No love for Kanamemo? Want a comedy with an actual Yuri couple, amazingly good slapstick, lovable characters, along wiith some good drama, and a script that is really different from every other anime comedies to the point that it's quite quotable? This show has all that. It needs more love, attention and awareness.
  • El-Hazard: The Magnificent World. This troper first watched it dubbed on the TV at an anime convention years ago, and he absolutely fell in love with it. It's true there are some bad dubs out there, but El Hazard's was just so good, especially Jinnai and his crazy evil laugh. To this date, this troper has re-watched El Hazard's dub many times, and he has never seen it in the original Japanese. Of course, he prefers not to think about Wanderers or the series that came after it...
  • NEEDLESS. It's pure fanservice packed in pure fanservice served on pure fanservice plate. And it's fanservice of any kind.
  • No love for Bludgeoning Angel Dokurochan? This show is proof that mindless and needlessly bloody entertainment can be a work of art! I just love how this show doesn't even try to shove an Aesop down your throat and works completely on Rule of Funny. Oh, and the Superlative Dubbing is also So Cool Its Awesome.
  • Busou Renkin remains one of the shounen anime I blissfully return to every year. Terribly cliched, yes, but there's a charm to the characters that just pulls me in. It even has some Tear Jerker moments.
  • This troper thinks The World God Only Knows is made of awesome. That it manages to simultaneously parody the Unwanted Harem and Dating Sim tropes and play them completely straight gives it a unique charm, and all the characters are memorable in their own right. The Character Development is surprisingly well-written, and the fact that it doesn't rely on Fan Service like so many other series of its genre is commendable. Despite being primarily a comedy series, it knows how to be heartwarming at the right moments, and the recent arcs have actually begun to develop a fascinating underlying mythos. To seal the deal, this series might have more Shout Outs than Lucky Star, and they're actually quite well executed in a way that doesn't detract from the story.
  • Eve no Jikan was a very short series, but it resonated in this troper's heart long after the last scene had ended. It takes a fascinating new look at the possibilities of A.I., and pours a lot of heart into its surprisingly believable characters and their various circumstances. Although it does have a strong Humans Are the Real Monsters undertone, it nonetheless comes together as an optimistic and hopeful piece. It definitely deserves a sequel, because honestly, it's too good of a story to just leave hanging.
  • For having Awesomeness Withdrawal on it's page, it would be surprising not to see any love for Squid Girl on here. The hilarious hijinks of our squid girl Villain Protagonist may not be get her any close to her invasion of the surface world, but she definitely succeeds in invading the hearts of all who enjoy the series. This troper cannot be happier that Media Blasters is licensing the series, AND a second season is on the way in Japan.
  • Toriko is criminally underrated here in the States. It might not be the most intelligent manga series ever written but it's definitely one of the most MANLY!!! So manly that when the main hero's arm is bitten off, he won't hesitate to beat his opponent with his bloody stump! The world they live in is vast, packed to the brim with deadly monsters and powerful forces of nature! Just like any real Shonen; World of Badass at its fineset. I said it wasn't the most intelligent but the series does constantly use science to explain the various affects of the characters abilities. Needs More Love.
  • Nobody has mentioned Steins;Gate? What a shame. Probably the most mind-blowing anime of Spring and Summer 2011, and is a time-travel series that is extremely emotionally gripping. Together with Madoka, this anime is, to this troper, one of the best animes of the year.
  • I'm back to gush the fuck out of Tiger and Bunny. It's atop the best anime this year. Kotetsu is an Adorkable BAMF and he won me over when he tried to make friends with Defrosting Ice King Barnaby. The other heroes are also awesome, ranging from the awkwardly cute Japanophile Ivan Karelin/Origami Cyclone, Camp Gay Nathan Seymour/Fire Emblem, and aspiring Idol Singer Karina Lyle/Blue Rose, among the others. The plot started kind of slow, but soon the heartwarmingness of Kotetsu and Barnaby really made me love this series. The final episodes left me on the edge of my seat. God, please Bandai, dub this series, it deserves to be on Adult Swim!
  • Yumekui Merry is easily one of the better series to surface in the last few years. Its fights manage to be engaging without becoming overly drawn-out, and its characters, rather than being inflated anime stereotypes, are three-dimensional, believable and genuinely likeable. The world the author creates is fascinating and imaginative, the villains are unique in that they're malicious without being killers, and best of all, it's only just scraped the tip of the iceberg, with plenty of loose plot threads ready to take this story to the next level of awesome!
  • Mouryou no Hako is, sadly, very much under the radar. It's beautifully illustrated and animated (courtesy of Madhouse and CLAMP), full of horror, Mind Screw and Psychological Horror, and effectively betrays your expectations of what is supposed to be a supernatural series. Deep, thought-provoking and mysterious, this is detective anime unlike you've ever seen before.
  • One Outs is the one sports anime/manga that not only failed to put me to sleep, but actually managed to keep me on the edge of my seat at least once (and usually more than once) every single episode/chapter. It's effectively Mind Play on top of Xanatos Gambit on top of Batman Gambit on top of Xanatos Speed Chess, with the baseball-playing as a catalyst for incredibly high-stakes gambling. The protagonist, Toua, is one of the most arrogant, brilliant, Magnificent Bastard Chessmasters I've ever encountered, and he always comes up with innovative strategies to defeat his opponents...or conversely, to deceive his teammates into defeating his opponents (and yes, that last bit Makes Sense in Context, I promise).
  • Ojamajo Doremi is my favorite Magical Girl anime. It's funny and the characters are cute. All five opening themes are also incredible. It manages to twist the Magical Girl genre and the Slice of Life genre in an amazing way. I adored the aspect of music into just about everything. And the food design makes This Troper drool. I've never seen takoyaki and steak look so realistic in an incredibly cartoony anime before. Anyone who likes Slice of Life genre mixed with magic would love it. Though, good luck finding the sub for all five seasons... because I forgot to mention 4Kids seems to seriously want to prevent people from not watching their dub...
  • No love for Shaman King?! Shaman King for the longest time was my FAVORITE MANGA (and then I discovered One Piece...ahem) Shaman King is so awesome and filled with SO MANY likeable characters! I also love how the main character is so different from your usual stereotypical main heros in Shounen series! Yoh Asakura is one of a kind :D
  • Personally I consider Agent Aika as one of the best anime, for more than one reason. Other than Aika is certainly one of the best anime women out there.
  • Pandora Hearts. Just Pandora Hearts, dammit! Everything about both the anime and the manga is brilliant and amazing! From its cute but not too sugary art style to its dark, Carrol- influenced story, not forgetting, of course, the soundtrack by Kajiura Yuki in the anime, makes this troper very happy indeed. Then there is the whole matter of Vincent, too.
  • I find it terrible that Durarara!! does not have an entry. At first this troper was skeptical, but from the second the first episode aired on Adult Swim she was hooked on the highest level possible. Not long after her computer was loaded with so many Shizuo/Izaya pictures that she needed over ten folders in order to organize it.
  • Battle Royale is my favourite manga of all time. I've read the book and I've seen the movie, but the manga is the best version of the story. The art is beautiful, and all the characters have their own design, their own story and personality. It is a dark, dark story, and makes me cry every time, and I love it. Oh, and one more thing: The English Translation is wonderful. I think in fact it was that translation and the changes it did that made me love the manga so much. And I do love it a whole lot.
  • Black Butler (Particularly the manga). It has style, plot, Ho Yay, style, angst (but not Wangst) and awesome characters. Did I mention it has style? I am quite sure that Sebastian is the lovechild of Kamina and Jeeves, and that Chuck Norris was his godfather. Also, the second ending of the anime is set to Kalafina's Lacrimosa.
  • Fan Service anime with quite some heavy plot, interesting characters that develop themselves and subvert conventional harem tropes while STILL managing to play up the harem part? A whole load of Magical Girlfriend including loli twins and a Cute Ghost Girl? Nope, I'm not talking about Mahou Sensei Negima. I'm talking about To LOVE-Ru of all things. For all the bad things said about this story, you have a main character who is honestly in love with the female lead(s) and genuinely nice towards everyone, who develops from angsty brat to capable fighter, readying himself to become the new emperor of the galaxy (maybe) while one of his female friends manages the task to build his harem (indifferent of his opinion obviously). This is a story that manages to delve itself into deep questions like "Is it better to get engaged with someone and serve only society or choose for yourself even ignoring what your parents wish?" (Lala) next to having a girl Going Commando because another girl accidentially destroyed her panties. And there is a lot of Fan Service.
  • Gundam. Just, all of it. I'm perhaps one of the few fans I know that can enjoy every series in some way, and boy do I love Gundam. I've watched since Wing debuted in 2000, and have continued to delve into the series as a whole since. Here are the stand outs to me:
    • The Universal Century: Realistic humans, warts and all, believable politics, true real robot warfare, human evolution, awesome mecha designs, great if dated music, etc. I love the Universal Century for its depth and, at the same time, its simplicity of human stories. Also, Newtypes rule.
    • G Gundam: Wacky but lovable characters, kick ass fights and soundtrack, with truly emotional scenes. Shining and God Gundam are only the top of a magnificent, if eccentric, robot line-up.
    • Gundam Wing: Nearly invincible Gundams, lovably psychologically disturbed pilots, one of the best female leads in Gundam (Relena), and a Magnificent Bastard in Trieze that would make Paptimus Scirroco blush. Zechs is also a superb Char clone, and the first real heroic version as well.
    • Gundam X: It all starts with Badass Normal Garrod Ran, who takes on mobile suits with a pistol and a zip line, mobile suits with a car, and entire space fleets with one massive Satellite Cannon, just to save his girlfriend. And he's just one the many badasses of the series.
    • Turn a Gundam: Now I'm really gonna gush. Turn A to me, is beauty in Anime form. Beautiful characters, music, animation, art, choreography, story, technology, costumes, settings, etc. You name it, is a wonder to behold. This series also holds to my philosophy of accepting the series that have come before and the ones yet to come.
    • Gundam SEED: Instantly interesting characters and world, it really took off in the second half with the ultimate team up of Kira and Athrun, and their amazingly cool Gundams, Freedom and Justice. They proceeded to knock some sense into the world gone mad, and it was glorious to behold.
      • Gundam SEED Destiny: Despite later problems in the series, Destiny started out very well, with amazing mecha and action, some good character scenes, and well written mysterious men such as Durandal. Even when the series suffered quality control, it still featured some great fight scenes and phenomenal music.
    • Mobile Suit Gundam 00: A very unique Gundam series in many regards. Its has a group of heroes that are at first hard to approach, Lockon aside, but soon they grow on you as they grow into more mature characters. The fights and animation are dazzling, and the political climate of the series is full of tension and intrigue, as well as character you actually cheer on as they try to fight seemingly invincible Gundams.
  • Record of Lodoss War. Record of Fucking Lodoss War. I LOVE this series, and I don't care how many people say how cliche and Tolkien-esque it is. To some of us, it was the first taste of how the Japanese interpreted High Fantasy stories akin to The Lord of the Rings, and for me, it was THE first anime series (that wasn't Pokemon or Digimon or Dragonball or Sailor Moon or something that 4KidsTV fucked up) that they got into. The concept is awesome, the characters are memorable, and it's by far the only series in which I like ALL of the theme songs, from both the TV series and the OAV. I especially love the second story arc of the TV series. And, I must say, the opening to the TV series, "Kiseki no Umi" is probably one of the most breath-taking opening sequences that I've ever seen.
  • Seriously? No one put this one up yet? Okay, I guess I'll do it then. Mirai Nikki is one of this troper's favorite animes, EVER! It's an intense series about avoiding death as much as possible, starring an entire cast of crazy, messed-up characters, featuring the Queen of Yanderes herself! The anime is very faithful to the manga, even going down to having its art style being very uncannily similar to manga's. The music is great, the humor is subtle yet quirky, and the action scenes are intense and awesome. Fans of yanderes will love this.
  • Jeez... I don't know if it's because I'm a sucker for fanservice and zombie apocalypses, but Highschool of the Dead is definitely one of my new favorites for 2012. It's beautifully animated, especially during battle sequences, the characters are wonderful (Especially that Kohta Hirano), the story is surprisingly solid and developed when you peel back the layers of fanservice, which at times seems a bit forced, but that's just how I like it. The survivor group has a great symmetry to them, which is something that's always welcome, there's actually a few moments that have touched me personally and have made me giggle here and there. The English dub isn't that bad, either, in fact, I think it's better.
  • The Lucifer and Biscuit Hammer. This series Needs More Love. Far more. This troper would even go so far as to say this is the most touchingly-written piece of character study he's ever read. Despite the rather silly English title, this manga is a delightful inversion of the classic "save the world" motivation behind so many plots. It deconstructs things, but not in an attempt to simply be as dark as possible, a la Evangelion. The Protagonist Yuuhi decides that wants to save the world for his only love... so that she can destroy it herself. This is played to be a positive trait; a man's simple desire to fulfill a girl's final request. In fact, the whole thing is wonderfully subversive. Yuuhi doesn't want to get involved, not because he's spineless, but because he simply can't be bothered. He doesn't win because he's the good guy and he has the willpower to beat up the bad guy - he's devious and crafty and he knows it. Characters die due to their positive attributes. But they all still have hope, everyone's still optimistic, and it eventually all pays off for them. But, above all, this is simply a touching romance about coming to terms with the fact that you're not going to live long, and so you should make the most out of how you live.
  • This troper is no newbie in anime and manga, so he knows high school romance mangas very well, but no other manga has touched this troper heart as much as GE - Good Ending, lets see, it works with common tropes and stories and gives them a twist to keep you entertained? Check, it includes very human and relatable characters? Check, you can actually say: "That same thing happened to me" many times? Check, it has MANY cute and beautiful moments? Check, a great artwork? Check, I dont get tired of saying it, GE - Good Ending is simply great.
  • Violet Evergarden is one of the most emotional series ever. It has incredible animation, beautiful theme songs and a great soundtrack that all works together to pull you in. Once it does so, it never lets go, and you feel every emotion alongside the characters. The standalone episodes where Violet helps other people write letters are just as beautiful as the episodes which advance the storyline, and each episode is crafted with such care that looking away for a single frame should be considered a crime. The animation isn't the only things worth your while here; the storyline is interesting, both in the standalone episodes and the overarching plot. You get attached to almost every single character. No characters are two dimensional; everyone is hiding something underneath, and Kyoto Animation fully expoits that to deliver emotionally resounding and compelling stories. It never resorts to cheap animation tricks, cliffhangers, or fan service to generate interest, instead it chooses to retain viewers through genuine, honest work. The only cliffhanger is integrated into the story so well and delivers a punch so strong it never feels like it's trying to trick the audience. It does get dark at times, but it only makes the series more beautiful. Good luck holding back tears in episode 10.
  • Suzume is an amazing film. It's one of the rare standalone anime films not associated with a series. It blends high stakes action-adventure with quiet, cosy moments that wouldn't be out of place in a Studio Ghibli film (in fact, it pays Homage to two Ghibli films). Settings are immersive with beautiful animation that makes them feel alive, like they're a real place on Earth. The many people the Hero Protagonist Suzume encounters throughout her journey are kind and likeable, helping her in the sweetest ways. It's more than a Slice of Life flick though, and there are many engaging action sequences with real stakes and emotions that feel both out of the world and grounded. It can be a bit silly at times, though (looking at you, Sota-chair). The story has some problems here and there, but the feeling of immersion it creates is more than worth getting through some story issues.
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