Gushing About Shows You Like (Sugar Wiki)/Anime and Manga: Difference between revisions

* ''[[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.

* 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.

*** 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]] 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 [[The Woobie|woobie]] antagonists, and the weapons that deliver [[Crowning Moment of Awesome|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. [[Magical Girl Lyrical Nanoha StrikerS|StrikerS]] is also awesome, though. And both [[Dark Magical Girl|Fate]] and [[The Berserker|Vita]] are wonderful!

*** Not to mention the greatest fucking opening song ever.

*** 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. [[Big Badass Wolf|Moro and her biological sons]] help a lot.

** ''Porco Rosso'' is amazing. The protagonist's war flashback has {{spoiler|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 [[Crowning Music of Awesome|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.

*** 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 [[Princess Tutu Abridged|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 {{spoiler|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.

* ''[[Mononoke]]''. Seriously. Just look at it. It's like having sex with your eyes.

** Seconded. If the idea of [[Psychological Horror]], [[Mind Screw]], [[Deranged Animation]], [[Scenery Porn]] like you've never seen before, and one of the most [[Inexplicably Awesome]] protagonists EVER interests you, look no further!

*** 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.

** Just ''[[The Count of Monte Cristo (novel)|The Count of Monte Cristo]]'' [[Recycled in Space|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 [[Shown Their Work|did the research]]. Get the DVDs '''''now'''''.

** 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 [[Tear Jerker|sad]] and [[Crowning Moment of Heartwarming|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.

** 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.

** 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.

** 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.

* [[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 [[Crowning Moment of Awesome|awesome]], [[Tear Jerker|sad]], and sometimes [[Crowning Moment of Funny|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.

* 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.

* 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.

** But to get back to gushing -- ''Yotsubato'' 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 [http://www.mangaupdates.com/series.html?id=5 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...

** 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!

** I love this show with a psychotic, [[Fan Girl|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 [[Leave the Plot Threads Hanging|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 {{spoiler|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.}}

** 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.

** Just recently finished watching the entire [[Avatar: The Last Airbender|Avatar]] series and [[Tsukihime]] anime ([[Fanon Discontinuity|I know, I know]], but I had to find out), am about to finish watching the [[Fate/stay night|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 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.

** Seconded! It's practically diabetes on celluloid.

** Third! This series seriously [[Needs More Love]]. In particular, the episode with the [[Stylistic Suck|Dedede anime]] is a [[Crowning Moment of Funny]] in itself.

** 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.

** 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 Troper]] absolutely loves Higurashi. The characters, the plot, the time loops, the [[Verbal Tic|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.

** 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.)

** 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 [[Crowning Music of Awesome|REALLY EPIC]]) sounding song to trick your brain into thinking that what you just watched makes perfect sense.

* 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 a saving grace for [[User:Shadow Stained Sky|this troper]] in his younger years. And despite the flak it receives, he ''liked'' ''[[Digimon Frontier|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.

* ''[[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 [[Mind Screw|while making no sense at all]] and not lose any of it's hilariousness.

* The FUNimation dub of ''[[Shin Chan]]'' is [[Gag Dub|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.

*** 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 (manga)|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.

** This troper agrees with you, 100%. It's gritty, and the [[Cast of Snowflakes|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 (manga)|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.

** 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 Fantasy|dark]], [[Darker and Edgier|gritty]], [[Medieval European Fantasy|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 [[Filler Arc|FillerArcs]]! Even if it turns into a [[Long Runner]] to avoid this, who cares? ''Claymore'' is certainly one of my top picks.

* ''[[Mai-HiME]]'' is simply brilliant. It suckers you in with interesting, sympathetic characters and excellent comedy, and then {{spoiler|[[Tear Jerker|turns]] [[There Can Only Be One|this]] [[Anyone Can Die|completely]] [[Break the Cutie|on]] [[Wham! Episode|its]] [[Growing the Beard|head]] for the Carnival arc}}. That and Miyu is just plain [[Badass]]. The only downside is the (very stupid) fourth episode and {{spoiler|[[Fanon Discontinuity|the utterly mishandled last episode]] ;_;}}, but the rest of the series more than makes up for it.

* ''[[Ga-Rei Zero]]''. An original plot, sympathetic and likeable characters and an absolutely brilliant {{spoiler|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 [[It Got Worse|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''. [[Wagon Train to the Stars|Cool setting,]] [[Attack of the 50-Foot Whatever|20-meter giants]] [[Mundane Fantastic|walking around like normal people]], an incredibly well-balanced [[Love Triangle]] {{spoiler|that ''never gets resolved''}}, a soundtrack made up ''entirely'' of [[Crowning Music of Awesome]], a [[Tear Jerker|tear-jerking]] [[Heroic Sacrifice]], epic space battles with plenty of [[Crowning Moment of Awesome|Crowning Moments Of Awesome]] all around, and the ''animation''. OH MY GODS the animation. ''Never'' have [[Humongous Mecha|giant]] [[Transforming Mecha|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 [[Executive Meddling|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.

* ''[[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.

* In my opinion, [[Yuu Watase]] is unfairly dismissed as a soapy, [[Bishonen]]-obsessed [[Ho Yay]] [[Word of Gay|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 {{spoiler|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.

** [[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 [[Tear Jerker|heartbreaking]] moments, but also from [[Crowning Moment of Heartwarming|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 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.

** 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 [[Magic Skirt|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.

** 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.

** 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.

** 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.

* [[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 (manga)|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.

** 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 Business|"serious"]], this show has [[Moe Moe|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!

* ''[[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

* ''[[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.

** 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!

** 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 ''[[Kidou Tenshi Angelic Layer]]'' since nobody else has yet. Maybe not a mind-blowingly great show, but definitely enjoyable.

* [[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.

* ''[[Mobile Suit Gundam SEED|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 [[Beam Spam|Lazers!]]

* [[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 Moment of Awesome|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 [[wikipedia:Worst (manga)|The Other Wiki]]. Really, Crows and Worst [[Needs More Love|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 [[Blood Knight|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, [[Proud to Be a Geek|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 [[Badass Normal|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.

* 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 [[Mixed Martial Arts|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 Character|rounded]], which makes the relatively simple plot (guy likes doing MMA, trains, competes, etc.) enjoyable and engaging. Add an [[We Used to Be Friends|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.

# Devoid of fanservice

# Well-voiced all across the board

* [[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 [[Affectionate Parody|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-Out|Shout Outs]] than ''[[Lucky Star]]'', and they're actually quite well executed in a way that doesn't detract from the story.

* For having [[Awesomeness Withdrawal]] on it's page, it's surprising not to see any love for ''[[Shinryaku! Ika Musume]]'' 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]].

* ''[[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.

* ''[[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 [[Tropers/Super Frost|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

 

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