# Recommend some good anime/manga!
**URL:** https://boards.straightdope.com/t/recommend-some-good-anime-manga/189169
**Category:** Cafe Society
**Created:** [July 17, 2003, 4:12pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/recommend-some-good-anime-manga/189169 "2003-07-17T16:12:02Z")
**Posts on this page:** 20
**Page:** 1
### Author:  [@nevermore](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/nevermore)
#### Post date: [July 17, 2003, 4:12pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/recommend-some-good-anime-manga/189169/1 "2003-07-17T16:12:02Z")
OK, I didn’t want to scare you off by putting “adult” in the title (I’m not looking for hentai, here), but what I’m really interested in is anime/manga for mature audiences. I haven’t been exposed to much anime, other than what’s on Adult Swim on Cartoon Network and a few miscellaneous films, but I like most of what I’ve seen so far, and I don’t want my experience to be confined to what they can show on TV. To give you some idea of what I’d probably like (and what I’ve already seen), I’ll rate what I’ve seen so far (1=worst, 10=best):
“Ninja Scroll”–9.5 (best I’ve ever seen), “Ninja Resurrection”–6, “Wicked City”–8.5, “Vampire Hunter D”–5.5, Trigun–8, Cowboy Bebop–8.5, Inuyasha–8, Lupin the 3rd–9, Kikaider–5, Big O–6.5
Generally, the more blood/gore/violence there is, the better, and I like the inclusion of sex too, but not overdone (ex: Ninja Scroll had it about right; Wicked City was a bit much). I also like a good romance, but not as the focus of the whole thing. Of course, it goes without saying that better animation quality makes up for deficiencies in other areas.
As for manga, I have never seriously read any, but I’d like to, and the same general guidelines apply.
PS~if anyone hasn’t seen some of the anime listed above, feel free to ask me about it, or if you want some anime/manga recommended to you, you can post your guidelines here too. =)
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### Author:  [@Kamino\_Neko](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Kamino_Neko)
#### Post date: [July 18, 2003, 3:40am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/recommend-some-good-anime-manga/189169/2 "2003-07-18T03:40:05Z")
If you like Bebop, chances are good that you’ll like Outlaw Star. (Although, IME, if you don’t, you’ll hate it with a passion.)
Naruto’s a pretty good manga, which if you like NS and Trigun, you’ll probably like. (Violence level is more Trigunish.)
VHD: Bloodlust is the sequel to Vampire Hunter D, and is generally well liked (I haven’t seen it yet.)
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### Author:  [@TeaRoses](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TeaRoses)
#### Post date: [July 18, 2003, 4:29am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/recommend-some-good-anime-manga/189169/3 "2003-07-18T04:29:39Z")
Well I loved Trigun and Bebop so maybe we have similar tastes. You might try Hellsing. The plot has certain deficiencies around the end (though I’m one of the only ones who didn’t mind) and there’s lots of well-done blood and gore. And as far as the characters go I’m infatuated with the whole cast.
My friends rave about Petshop of Horrors but I haven’t seen it yet.
In manga you might enjoy Blade of the Immortal. I only read one issue but I thought it was excellent. My favorite manga is probably Inu-Yasha but on maturity level it may be below what you are looking for.
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### Author:  [@Kamino\_Neko](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Kamino_Neko)
#### Post date: [July 18, 2003, 5:28am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/recommend-some-good-anime-manga/189169/4 "2003-07-18T05:28:21Z")
> [@](#):
>
> \*Originally posted by TeaRoses \*
> **In manga you might enjoy Blade of the Immortal. I only read one issue but I thought it was excellent.**
I can’t believe I forgot BotI. I was obsessed with it for a while. (Manji kicks much ass.) Very, very bloody.
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### Author:  [@Bedrosian\_Bixby](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bedrosian_Bixby)
#### Post date: [July 18, 2003, 5:41am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/recommend-some-good-anime-manga/189169/5 "2003-07-18T05:41:15Z")
Well…there is always the old standbys…Akira and Fist of the North Star…both I enjoyed immensly.
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### Author:  [@nevermore](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/nevermore)
#### Post date: [July 18, 2003, 3:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/recommend-some-good-anime-manga/189169/6 "2003-07-18T15:39:53Z")
Thanks for the suggestions, guys; I’ll be sure to check out everything you mentioned!
**TeaRoses** , ironically enough, Inuyasha is one of my favorite shows–it is below the maturity level I normally go for, but for some reason it sucked me in, so I’m sure I’d like the manga. There are actually a few shows I like that go against my tastes, like Kenshin and Yu Yu Hakusho and sometimes (the horror!) even Yu-Gi-Oh, although the latter often makes me sigh.
There are a couple of titles I keep seeing on the shelves at my local movie rental place that I was wondering about–has anyone seen Ghost in the Shell, any of the Evangelion series, or any of the Berserk series? They don’t usually put ratings on anime stuff so I can’t tell if they’re for kids or adults.
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### Author:  [@UnwrittenNocturne](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/UnwrittenNocturne)
#### Post date: [July 18, 2003, 3:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/recommend-some-good-anime-manga/189169/7 "2003-07-18T15:46:49Z")
Not yet seen Berserk, but GitS and Eva are classics…go watch and enjoy
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### Author:  [@Bosda\_Di\_Chi\_of\_Tricor](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bosda_Di_Chi_of_Tricor)
#### Post date: [July 18, 2003, 3:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/recommend-some-good-anime-manga/189169/8 "2003-07-18T15:58:06Z")
Lum/Urusei Yatsura.
Tenchi Muyo (in all of it’s incarnations).
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### Author:  [@Mr\_Tambo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mr_Tambo)
#### Post date: [July 18, 2003, 4:24pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/recommend-some-good-anime-manga/189169/9 "2003-07-18T16:24:30Z")
I definitely concur with _Blade of the Immortal_, one of the best graphic novel series I’ve ever read. Lots of violence, but also raises some serious moral questions.
I haven’t really read all that much manga; the only other series I’ve read is _Lone Wolf and Cub_, and only the first two books of that. It’s goood, and very evocative of feudal Japan, but it strikes me as a little cold; I don’t really relate to any of the characters or really care if Lone Wolf and Cub gets his man or not. Maybe that changes as the series goes on.
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### Author:  [@criminalcatalog](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/criminalcatalog)
#### Post date: [July 18, 2003, 5:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/recommend-some-good-anime-manga/189169/10 "2003-07-18T17:29:38Z")
I second **Akira**. My favorite. **Ghost in the Shell** too. Both are very well animated, and mature-themed.
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### Author:  [@Ura-Maru](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ura-Maru)
#### Post date: [July 19, 2003, 9:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/recommend-some-good-anime-manga/189169/11 "2003-07-19T21:17:56Z")
**Berserk** , defiantly. Despite a crappy first episode and a slowest start, it’s amazing. Very dark, very mature, very bloody. (Over the top at times) The writing is outstanding as well. Beyond the best fantasy anime out there, (Its only real competition is the also excellent **Vision of Escaflowne** ) it’s arguably the best adaptation of fantasy to screen, ever.
Escaflowne’s a terrific show as well. The beginning’s a little cutesy, but it settles in well.
The second season of **Kenshin** is considerably darker in tone than the first one. (And if you’ve only seen it on Cartoon Network, you’ve never seen it. It’s being butchered. They should have run it on Adult Swim, there’s just too much blood) The OAVs (which were just re-released in a dirt-cheap 4 episode disk, called _Betrayal and Trust_) are MUCH darker than that. There are some incredible fight scenes in them as well. I suspect you’d like them a lot. You don’t need to have seen the TV series. (It’s a prequel)
Another dirt cheap set is the oddly titled **Eat-Man ‘98**. Had a very similar ‘feel’ to Cowboy Bebop. One of those ‘wandering badass’ male fantasy shows that has minimal redeeming social value, but is fun as hell. Might be hard to find if you’re looking to rent, though. Only two of the episodes have a dub track, though, so if you don’t like subtitles, you’ll probably want to pass.
If you’re just in the mood to watch some ass being kicked stylishly, **Spriggan** ’s not a bad choice. Not much else, but it sure is animated well . . .
If you like Lupan, you might want to check out **Golden Boy**. Almost no action, but hysterical in a similar, slightly blue manner style. A freelance temp wanders around, ‘learning about life’ while engaged in a string of meaningless part-time jobs, invariably surrounded by girls, his hidden brilliance ultimately solving all problems, most of which are caused by his social ineptitude. Sort of the ultimate geek slacker fantasy.
I’d say ‘wait a bit’ on Eva. It’s sort of meant as a wrap-up on the entire giant robot genre, you’ll get more out of it if you’ve seen some of the shows it’s inspired by/borrowing from. Also, after seeing a few series and getting used to how vague and indecisive the endings tend to be, you won’t be so pissed when it refuses to resolve a single important plot thread. 🙂
Speaking of giant robots . . . It’s a bit hard to find these days, but **Macross Plus** is amazing. It was done by the same team who put out BeBop, Big O, and Escaflowne. The aerial combat scenes, of which there are many, are actually better than the ones in BeBop, believe it or not. There’s two different releases, a four episode OAV and a movie. (The movie has a better ending, but cuts out some important subplots) It’s the ‘true’ sequel to **Macross** (which formed the core of **Robotech** ) but you don’t have to have seen it.
Let me put it this way. Remember how good everyone hoped the new Star Wars movie was going to be? How it was supposed to keep everything that made the original good, but take into account how the audience had aged and the medium (science fiction, special effects) had grown more sophisticated? Well, Macross Plus actually pulled it off.
–
‘We were expecting too much’ my bio-armored butt . . .
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### Author:  [@CyberPundit](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/CyberPundit)
#### Post date: [July 20, 2003, 3:28am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/recommend-some-good-anime-manga/189169/12 "2003-07-20T03:28:56Z")
Try three animated films: Princess Mononoke, Ghost in the Shell and Jin-Roh Wolf Brigade. They all feature the kind of mature story-telling you are interested in and the animation quality is obviously better than TV. All three have been released on DVD and the first two ,especially, should be available at your local Blockbuster.
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### Author:  [@Bosda\_Di\_Chi\_of\_Tricor](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bosda_Di_Chi_of_Tricor)
#### Post date: [July 20, 2003, 11:04am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/recommend-some-good-anime-manga/189169/13 "2003-07-20T11:04:43Z")
_Star Blazers_.
That franchise has survived through about as many films/TV series as _Star Trek_, and is very good indeed.
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### Author:  [@New\_Improved\_Scott](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/New_Improved_Scott)
#### Post date: [July 20, 2003, 1:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/recommend-some-good-anime-manga/189169/14 "2003-07-20T13:45:33Z")
Some of the ones that have been named are definately must sees, like **Akira, Neon Genesis: Evangelion, Ghost in the Shell, Macross Plus, Golden Boy, and Princess Mononoke**.
Others that I would recoment highly, and shocked they haven’t been named yet are the amazing Sword and sorcery epic " **The Record of Lodoss War** ; the recently released changeling-esque **Spirited Away** ; and the funny **Ranma 1/2**.
Some new series’ I’ve enjoyed have been **Read of Die** , about a team of government investigators with super powers who work for the rare book collection agency. The main character is a mousy bookworm girl, who controls paper. (Sounds lame, but it’s a cool power.) and **Scryed** , a post apocalyptic (Sigh, I know) world where mutants (X-Men style) are either training with HOLY, a gov’t organisation, or being hunted down by them. Very cool.
Yeah, that’s all I got for now.
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### Author:  [@Maneb](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Maneb)
#### Post date: [July 20, 2003, 7:03pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/recommend-some-good-anime-manga/189169/15 "2003-07-20T19:03:28Z")
Manga:
I would strongly recommend **Lone Wolf and Cub** , but should warn you that there are many many volumes and the story takes quite a while to get anywhere. Also give **Battle Angel Alita** a try.
Anime:
I second the **Berserk** series and also suggest **3X3 Eyes** , which concerns an immortal three-eyed demon with a split personality and the hapless transvestite that she turns into her own personal undead slave.
P.S.- If you decide to start watching **Kenshin** on DVD, do not continue past the second season. The TV series really goes downhill after the Kyoto arc ends.
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### Author:  [@nevermore](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/nevermore)
#### Post date: [July 20, 2003, 7:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/recommend-some-good-anime-manga/189169/16 "2003-07-20T19:14:15Z")
Hey, thanks everybody for the responses! This is way more than I hoped for; I never thought there’d be more than 3 or 4 replies, but I’m pleasantly surprised to see that I’m one of quite a few Dopers who never grew up. 😉
Two questions: What is Princess Mononoke about? and, ( **New & Improved Scott** ,) you really think I should see Spirited Away? The animation looks good, but I thought it was supposed to be kind of a kid’s movie. Or is it so good that it doesn’t matter?
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### Author:  [@Tanaqui](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Tanaqui)
#### Post date: [July 20, 2003, 11:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/recommend-some-good-anime-manga/189169/17 "2003-07-20T23:59:06Z")
Princess Mononoke is basically about the struggle of man vs nature. You ever seen “Ferngully”? It’s kinda like that, except without the crazy-ass bat and heavy-handed Hollywood-ness.
A summary from [imdb.com](http://imdb.com), since it describes it better than I could:
> [@](#):
>
> The time and place is the Muromachi era, Japan. A prince of a small village is cursed to a slow but certain death by a Boar God turned Tatari-Gami (Cursing God). To find a possible cure to the curse, he travels westwards. Hearing of a Shishi-Gami (Deer-God) that may be his salvation, he soon comes across a village of iron miners and there finds himself in the middle of a battle between the animal gods of the forest, lead by a girl called Princess Mononoke by the villagers who was raised by the Wolf God, and the iron miners, lead by a female leader who is trying to create a sanctuary for human outcasts. Along side this battle is a mysterious group of men who are after the head of the Shishi-Gami in a quest to gain immortality. Why did the Boar God turn into a Cursing God? Can he persuade all those involved to make peace or is conflict inevitable between man and nature?
The wonderful thing about the movie is how ambiguous it is, rather than attempting to force a complex problem into black and white. It’s a sensitive and intelligent look at a problem we have to deal with every day–humanity’s constant advance on the forests of our world. It doesn’t try to point fingers or create easy villains we can blame everything on.
My opinion on Spirited Away: it’s a kids movie in that there’s no sex, nudity, and not much graphic violence. It’s also about a child. On the other hand, I’m in my late teens and enjoyed it a lot. I think it’s a good enough film that adults can also enjoy it. The plot is pretty complex, comparatively speaking. I thought it was a lot of fun.
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### Author:  [@Tanaqui](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Tanaqui)
#### Post date: [July 21, 2003, 12:18am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/recommend-some-good-anime-manga/189169/18 "2003-07-21T00:18:03Z")
PS: Anyone have thoughts on the Cowboy Bebop movie? If one hasn’t seen any of the television series, would it still make sense or be of interest? It’s one of the few anime titles my local movie store has…
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### Author:  [@JThunder](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/JThunder)
#### Post date: [July 21, 2003, 3:34am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/recommend-some-good-anime-manga/189169/19 "2003-07-21T03:34:03Z")
Say, what about that old TV show about this speedy racer guy, his racing car, and a chimp? What’s its name again?
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### Author:  [@CyberPundit](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/CyberPundit)
#### Post date: [July 21, 2003, 3:50am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/recommend-some-good-anime-manga/189169/20 "2003-07-21T03:50:39Z")
“Anyone have thoughts on the Cowboy Bebop movie?”
It’s pretty good with some of the best animation of a city I have ever see. The dub is OK but as usual the sub is better (especially the voice of the main villain). I can’t really tell you whether it’s necessary to have seen the TV series. The story should make sense but perhaps the characters won’t be quite as compelling if you don’t know them. Read a couple of reviews of the film to get a general idea of what it’s about.
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