"Good" anime thread

[Suikama]

While stuff like PSG is fun and all, sometimes we want anime that has something more. Something that can really move us either emotionally or spiritually. Something that appears simple on the outside, but is extremely deep at it's core; telling tales of timeless plights encountered almost universally by the human race. This topic is dedicated to such anime, whose themes and characters inspire an entire generation.


But most of all I made this topic because I haven't seen any good anime lately so I looking for suggestions :3 :V :3

I've heard good things about Baccano, Honey and Clover, Princess Tutu. What other series are awesome beyond compare? Movies are fine too. :3

[Tengukami]

This of course just my humble opinion, but my favorite thinky-surius anime include Haibane Renmei, Paranoia Agent, Eden of the East and Kino no Tabi.

[JT]

Something that can really move us either emotionally or spiritually. Something that appears simple on the outside, but is extremely deep at it's core; telling tales of timeless plights encountered almost universally by the human race. This topic is dedicated to such anime, whose themes and characters inspire an entire generation.

Fucking duh, man.

[Grand Octopus]

Seconding the love for Haibane Renmei (and Paranoia Agent to a lesser extent). Serial Experiments Lain might be worth a look if you're into that kind of thing.

PS. Honey and Clover bored me into a coma.

[Kasu]

Gonna throw Seto no Hanayome out there due to hilarity.

Something that appears simple on the outside, but is extremely deep at it's core; telling tales of timeless plights encountered almost universally by the human race.

Not gonna lie, I thought of Tokyo Magnitude when I read this.

[Reddyne]

This of course just my humble opinion, but my favorite thinky-surius anime include Haibane Renmei, Paranoia Agent, Eden of the East and Kino no Tabi.

Backing Haibane Renmei and Kino no Tabi as well. Call me stupid, but I really enjoyed Haruhi, primarily the first season plus the Disappearance movie as well. The humor lightens the mood, but I think the individual character and relationship development are some of the most satisfying I've seen, plus a number of other merits. Maybe I'm just a junkie for it, though.

As for movies, Grave of the Fireflies and The Place Promised in Our Early Days. There's a very powerful overlying observation of the strength of human bonds in both. However, my memories of GotF are a bit fuzzy since I can't bear to watch it again. The Girl Who Leapt Through Time is pretty good for that as well.

One that I heard oh-so much praise about but didn't like was 5 Centimeters Per Second. I felt like I watched a movie in which absolutely nothing occurred which made me want to know what the heck I was missing.

[Moerin]

Fucking duh, man.

Gainax mecha shows in general, really.  In fact, I find that you can appreciate them a lot more if you've actually seen Gunbuster, Evangelion and Gurren Lagann.  It's like three different outcomes to a similar beginning. Mind you, the only real similarities the three all have are the starting condition of the protaganist, so.

Ahem.  Basically, you should all watch Gunbuster, for it is made of awesomely awesome awesomeness. >.> <.<  Eva, on the other hand, is... I don't wanna say "love it or hate it", as I know a few people who were neutral towards it, but... It's easily one of the most controversial anime out there, and the latter half/the movie are incredibly fascinating to watch if you happen to find things like psychology, philosophy, theology et all interesting (a love of surrealism and subversiveness also helps >.>).

Of course, Gunbuster, being... Less popular than it should be (;_;) tends to avoid the one thing about the other two that... Annoy me somewhat: Fandumb. >.> Seriously, people just like to flanderize the characters from Eva and Gurren Lagann until all meaning is stripped from their characterization (Shinji and Kamina get it the worst, although in completely opposite ways).  Sigh.  But of course, that's hardly enough to ruin the appeal of the shows, so... You should all watch them.  Especially Gunbuster.  Not enough people watch Gunbuster, and it would make me smile if more people did.

...Please~?

...My other big pick would be Excel Saga, but... If I'm going to recommend that, I'd like a little time to clear my thoughts out so I can make it clear exactly why you should be watching it. >.> <.<

[Suikama]

I wonder if it's even possible to MST3K Grave of the Fireflies...

[Ryuu]

Baccano, Princess Tutu.

yessssssssssssssssssssssssssssssss

[StainGlass]

The last thing I really enjoyed was Mushishi (if you haven't seen it already and don't mind a slow pace.)

[Suikama]

The last thing I really enjoyed was Mushishi (if you haven't seen it already and don't mind a slow pace.)

FFFFFFFFFFFFFFFF I downloaded this ages ago and forgot to watch it!

Many thanks for reminding me!

[triangles]

One that I heard oh-so much praise about but didn't like was 5 Centimeters Per Second. I felt like I watched a movie in which absolutely nothing occurred which made me want to know what the heck I was missing.

Same here - I really only liked the ending part which means sitting through the 2nd arc where I might as well have been watching paint dry  :ohdear:

Buuuuuut back on topic, in addition to lots of things mentioned here I gotta recommend Ghost in the Shell Stand Alone Complex.

[Moerin]

Actually... You want something deep, meaningful and moving?  Watch Berserk.  The first episode might fool you into thinking it's nothing more than shallow anti-heroic violence, but... It's not.  It's really, really not.  It's an epic tragedy, and the ending... Let's just say don't watch it when you're feeling down. >.> The ending alone is one of the most powerful, moving and haunting pieces of animation, of the entire visual medium even, that I have ever seen and it will stick in your mind for a long time after you watch it.  Of course, it's able to be this by the great storytelling and characterization of the episodes leading up to it, so... You really do get to feel for the characters, which makes the end... All that more powerful.

Seriously, you won't regret it.

[Drake]

Going to echo TTGL, Mushishi and 5cm/s here. Great stuff.

[Tengukami]

Adding Trapeze to this list as well.

And I have to ask:

While stuff like PSG is fun and all, sometimes we want anime that has something more. Something that can really move us either emotionally or spiritually. Something that appears simple on the outside, but is extremely deep at it's core; telling tales of timeless plights encountered almost universally by the human race. This topic is dedicated to such anime, whose themes and characters inspire an entire generation.

Gonna throw Seto no Hanayome out there due to hilarity.

I'm really not trying to be a dick here, but was this a serious suggestion to "anime that can really move us either emotionally or spiritually" and "is extremely deep at it's core; telling tales of timeless plights encountered almost universally by the human race"? Maybe I didn't watch Seto no Hanayome the right way, but it struck me as cute, funny, highly entertaining, and that's about it. What am I missing about this series?

[helvetica]

Hidamari Sketch ( X '_________' )
ARIA
Manabi Straight

And of course the best anime ever of all time:
Martian Successor Nadesico

[hyorinryu]

Monster? Seems like one of those serious types that you're looking for.

I

[Kasu]

I'm really not trying to be a dick here, but was this a serious suggestion to "anime that can really move us either emotionally or spiritually" and "is extremely deep at it's core; telling tales of timeless plights encountered almost universally by the human race"? Maybe I didn't watch Seto no Hanayome the right way, but it struck me as cute, funny, highly entertaining, and that's about it. What am I missing about this series?

I just threw it out there because I thought it was a good anime, even if it wasn't in the sense that the main post described.  I see what you mean though and I apologize.

[helvetica]

Ok if this was meant to be about emotionally invoking, I revise my list.

Now and Then, Here and There
I''s (I read the manga, dunno about the OAVs)
Kimagure Orange Road
Grave of the Fireflies
Basically any Miyazaki film (really, there's usually something deep and jarring message about them)

[Tengukami]

I just threw it out there because I thought it was a good anime, even if it wasn't in the sense that the main post described.  I see what you mean though and I apologize.

Oooh OK. No, nothing to apologize about. Just thought there was another dimension to that series that I might've missed (been meaning to finish it, actually).

[orinrin]

And of course the best anime ever of all time:
Martian Successor Nadesico

This.

[Matsuri]

Ahem.  Basically, you should all watch Gunbuster, for it is made of awesomely awesome awesomeness. >.> <.<  Eva, on the other hand, is... I don't wanna say "love it or hate it", as I know a few people who were neutral towards it, but... It's easily one of the most controversial anime out there, and the latter half/the movie are incredibly fascinating to watch if you happen to find things like psychology, philosophy, theology et all interesting (a love of surrealism and subversiveness also helps >.>).

Of course, Gunbuster, being... Less popular than it should be (;_;) tends to avoid the one thing about the other two that... Annoy me somewhat: Fandumb. >.> Seriously, people just like to flanderize the characters from Eva and Gurren Lagann until all meaning is stripped from their characterization (Shinji and Kamina get it the worst, although in completely opposite ways).  Sigh.  But of course, that's hardly enough to ruin the appeal of the shows, so... You should all watch them.  Especially Gunbuster.  Not enough people watch Gunbuster, and it would make me smile if more people did.

Seconding this. Gunbuster was fantastic. I liked Diebuster a lot, as well. :3

I can agree with a lot of these, so I don't really need to repeat them, but I'll throw in Cardcaptor Sakura, Eureka Seven, Rurouni Kenshin (okay I've only read the manga so far but still!)  and Nodame Cantabile. :3

[Vanishing Sock Puppet]

Strange, I always thought Gunbuster was VERY popular. It's consider an absolute classic that most new anime fans should watch even. Then again, I normally hang out at /m/, so my views might be skewed.

Anyway, for I'd recommend...

Pluto
Welcome to the NHK (Though I'd recommend the book over the anime and manga)
Turn A Gundam (Happy Tomino doing his thing without Sunrise shoving Gundam cliches down his throat.)
Birdy the Mighty: Decode (I will champion this show until the day I die)
Dragonball (Call it nostalgia, but the original series of this was some great fun)
Macross 7 (A lot of people hated this show. If the watched it beyond the first episode, which many of which admit they didn't, they would be singing a very different tune.)
Paranoia Agent
RahXephon

[Lloyd Dunamis]

The last thing I really enjoyed was Mushishi (if you haven't seen it already and don't mind a slow pace.)

Thirding this!
Thirding this sooooo haaarrrrrd!! >//////////////<
It's slow-pace-ness matches its story, and every episode is different, and brings relief, tears?umm??*lack of words*

???But these are all just my opinion though >_<;;. I think I haven't watch as many anime as some people have to give a proper suggestion?
Had Ouran, RomeoXJuliet, Gankutsuou, Yakitate! Japan on the list, but removed them due to not really being hardcore emotionally invoking or something...


So many shows to watch, so little time... and the fact that I believe "each anime has its own beauty in itself" or something similar does not seem to help me choose what to watch, ending up just taking suggestions :ohdear:
?Oh wait, the suggestions do help me get to it... R-right! *determination up* >w<

[hyorinryu]

Strange, I always thought Gunbuster was VERY popular. It's consider an absolute classic that most new anime fans should watch even. Then again, I normally hang out at /m/, so my views might be skewed.

Anyway, for I'd recommend...

Cromartie High School
Pluto
Welcome to the NHK (Though I'd recommend the book over the anime and manga)
Turn A Gundam (Happy Tomino doing his thing without Sunrise shoving Gundam cliches down his throat.)
Birdy the Mighty: Decode (I will champion this show until the day I die)
Dragonball (Call it nostalgia, but the original series of this was some great fun)
Macross 7 (A lot of people hated this show. If the watched it beyond the first episode, which many of which admit they didn't, they would be singing a very different tune.)
Paranoia Agent
RahXephon

I liked Cromartie, but I don't remember it being moving emotionally like what the thread wants. Was I watching it wrong?

[trancehime]

A lot of good shows I'm going to second here but there's one that hasn't been mentioned that I personally think ends the thread in my personal, narrow-minded view of things. And I watch a lot of anime.

Shinigami no Ballad.

</thread>

[Vanishing Sock Puppet]

I liked Cromartie, but I don't remember it being moving emotionally like what the thread wants. Was I watching it wrong?

Cromartie always got my mood up, and it was one of the last anime shows to get an honest, genuine laugh out of me. I found it ingenious in how it handled it's terminally retarded cast while still managing to make the writing feel, well, intelligent and witty. I adored the show something fierce, but if it doesn't fit the thread's requirements, I'll take it down.

[Suikama]

lol the real thread requirements were this:

But most of all I made this topic because I haven't seen any good anime lately so I looking for suggestions :3 :V :3

Also making you laugh technically counts as emotionally moving. :V

[_Zac_]

Since it hasn't been mentioned in this thread, I really loved The Tatami Galaxy.

[Quad City QBs]

Monster? Seems like one of those serious types that you're looking for.

I

Seconded so hard