Last year I was introduced to many new anime series that have made my favorites list: Fullmetal Alchemist, Samurai Champloo, Inuyasha, and others. Unfortunately, a friend had warned me that FMA loses steam in the second season, and it turns out he was right. I’ve watched Champloo the whole way through, and Inuyasha has worn thin (I’ve kept up with the manga past where the show left off, and I find myself impatient for some resolution).
As such I’m looking for something new, maybe in the vein of what I usually watch as an 18-35 year old male, maybe something completely different. Altogether, I’ve been into pretty conventional stuff insofar as it’s all been either released or broadcast in the states. What are the rest of you watching these days?
And even though I feel like I’m in a rut, I have been watching some other stuff recently that I recommend:
The second season of Ghost in the Shell: SAC is impressive. Not to say I didn’t enjoy the movie, but I’ve really come to like the characters from seeing them in the series.
I bought the Outlaw Star boxed set after having watched it on Cartoon Network back in the day. It’s a good series, and it’s made me appreciate just how much the look of anime has changed since computers have become so heavily involved. As far as I can tell, this one is all cel animation and it really contrasts with just about everything produced since 1999 or so.
I tend to watch the more popular stuff, but as for what I’m watching currently–
Ghost in the Shell: SAC Second Gig. I loved the first season, and even though I’ve only seen 4 episodes so far, the second season promises to be even better than the first.
Naruto. Would they PLEASE end this filler season already?
Bleach. Bit too slow paced, and a single episode never leaves me satisfied. But it’s a good show, and it manages to make fun of anime cliches at the same time as it uses them.
Blood+. Very new, and it looks to be not quite continuous with the movie. But it looks good so far, with a nice mixture of the dark parts of Blood and the brightness of conventional anime. Maybe we’ll finally learn some backstory!
Appleseed (2005). Not as good as the old movie and more of a summer Hollywood flick than a serious anime. But an alright watch, and if you don’t like how bogged down stuff like Ghost in the Shell gets with heavy questions about philosophy and such, this could be a lighter alternative.
Define “second” season. You can tell the original seasons by the ending theme music and amination. The opening theme music and animation should change also, but for some reason Cartoon Network isn’t doing that. The ones that are showing now on Adult Swim are the third season and if you ask me they’re getting better and better. Did you catch the episode a week or two back that focused solely on Mustang and his squad? Hilarious and it introduced important plot points at the same time. I almost started a thread for it.
Anyway I love FMA and Champloo. That’s about all I watch. Well, I watch Pokemon and Yu-Gi-Oh, mostly out of habit. They don’t really count.
I wish they would air the third season of Kenshin, that I do. At least the mangas are translated and available at major bookstores. The FMA series has also been translated and released, but they are releasing them more slowly (1 every 3 months as opposed to Kenshin’s once a month). Makes sense as its’ an on-going show. I highly recommend both, especially the FMA. The writer has an amazing sense of humor and the story is just different enough from the anime to keep one interested.
Good call on my “second season” comment. FMA actually had four. Color me stupid. :smack:
At any rate, I missed the Mustang episode you’re talking about but I saw all of the Izumi Curtis and Greed arcs. Something about those episodes seems to lack the impact of everything leading up to episode…was it 25 or 26 with the huge spoiler? The biggest thing for me is that, even in the Lab 5 arc, each episode in the first half or so seemed to be somewhat self-contained. When they were chasing down Greed, it seemed to me that there was very little exposition or resolution in any given episode, as if some were just bridges to the next one without very much happening in them.
That’s not to say the series still isn’t one of the best I’ve seen, though.
Also, has anyone else been following Scryed? It’s so humorously loaded with anime cliches. I used to hate it, but by the end its crappiness made it very funny to me. The whole tension between Kazuma and Ryuhou is interesting, to say the least. Is this show an example of that “impulse” stuff I’ve heard about or is that all just incidental?
Just Bleach. The later episodes are pretty good and add to the story. If you think it’s too slow-paced, then read the scanlations of the manga online. You’ll see that the anime adheres nearly perfectly to the manga.
Like a few of you have said, I’ve been watching Bleach and Naruto, although the latter is only out of habit these days.
I just finished the last Ghost in the Shell: SAC Second Gig episode, and that put a nice end to a fantastic series.
I’ve also been watching Mushishi and Paradise Kiss. Mushishi is a really nice change of pace from the shows I’ve been watching lately; it’s got a very chill and beautiful style and I’m getting pretty enthralled with the world of “mushis.” Paradise Kiss is also good, if you’re into romance-comedy anime. Also, it’s made by the folks who did Honey and Clover, which is my all time favorite romance-comedy anime.
Just the Adult Swim anime shows, at the moment. (FMA, GitS, Champloo, Evangelion (first time, for me!), etc.) I was watching Scryed, too. (Not bad—I got caught up in it. Frankly, I’m surprised as many characters did make it to the end. I probably shouldn’t get my hopes up for the other shows, should I?)
I need to get back to my Netflix list, 'see what else I haven’t gotten to, yet.
Oh, hey, as for suggestions for series’ to check out—have you tried Last Exile, yet? Great stuff, gorgeous series. Kinda like an Edwardian Crimson Skies.
Bubblegum Crisis: Tokyo 2040 is good. (It’s the remake—I haven’t seen the original, yet.)
I haven’t seen all of Hellsing, yet, but what I have seen was pretty snazzy.
Okay, I can see that. It doesn’t really phase me though. Maybe I’m used to long plot lines that may or may not go anywhere from comic books.
Too bad they aren’t re-running FMA during the weeknights anymore. You need to see the Mustang and co. episode. Its’ tension breaking filler, but it also touches upon a few important plot points. Its’ currently my second favorite FMA ever after the huge spoiler ep (I think that was #25. The first episode with Izumi was #27 and I think that it was two episodes before it.).
Can you tell me more about this? I like Naruto, and I think it’s got an interesting premise. I’ve seen the first 6-7 episodes, up to the point where they’re
[spoiler]defending the almost-completed bridge[spoiler]
Is this the filler you’re talking about? Or is that further on in the series?
Godannar: Giant robots, and… er, lots of T&A, but I’m enjoying it anyhow. It looks like a second generation Go Nagai, and it sounds like Mazinger Z’s music director.
I’m trying to find this thing, uhm, I forget the name right now. Magical Club Angel Doremi? Sick stuff, but fun.
And I’m saving up this… augh! Show about a space junk reclamation team. Till I get the fourth disc, then I’m watching it. Planetes, I think. Hard SF.
Bleach, FMA, Monster, Love Hina, and the Goddess one.
But I haven’t had a true anime fix in almost six months and I’m starting to twitch.
I’ve been settling for Adult Swim stuff. Don’t get me wrong, I’m loving that, but I need the good stuff!
I suspect the filler season is referring to the most recent episodes direct from Japan and fansubbed (or raw if you speak the language). They’re up to around episode 163, though I haven’t watched past around 150 where I lost interest because of the filler. I actually enjoyed most of the episodes up to that point so keep watching.
I only watch Bleach at the moment, though I’m going to check out some of the suggestions here.
c_goat has it right, I am referring to the current season from Japan. The section you’re referring to isn’t really filler, as it is somewhat relevant later on. There was another filler section earlier, where the kids help a guy win a race, but this season is nothing but stand-alone shows or two-three ep story arcs. It sucks because the story-line has come to an absolute stand-still, and there is nothing to look forward to in the next episodes. AFAIK, they should be getting back to the story around episode 180. It’s at 163 right now.
Anime is a strange beast. Nothing else quite has that same combination of the sublime with the idiotic. When it’s dumb, it’s really dumb, and when it’s philosophical it tends to go overboard (c.f. Reign: the Conqueror). But a select few manage to strike that balance between substance and style. Samurai Champloo, Akira, and Ghost in the Shell are a few good examples.
The biggest thing for me is that, even in the Lab 5 arc, each episode in the first half or so seemed to be somewhat self-contained. When they were chasing down Greed, it seemed to me that there was very little exposition or resolution in any given episode, as if some were just bridges to the next one without very much happening in them.
