Favorite Anime Series?Follow

What is your favorite, can be rewatched any time, love it to bits and pimp it to everyone series?

Mine is Revolutionary Girl Utena. Its 39 episodes of lesbian butt-kicking. Swords, a secret society or two, sexy cars, taboo relationships, even a cute monkey for a shoujo mascot.

This series also features the most gut-wrenching back stab in all of anime.

The ending is satisfying. It's not happy, but it's solid and has a ray of hope. The cycle ends.

The artwork is fairly stylistic, and the style has been carried over to several other anime (it was used in Fruits Basket.) Everyone is super shoujo skinny, of course. They also have gravity defying hair. Since the series is 1997 vintage, everything was done on cel, but the artwork is remarkably consistent and restrained throughout. They quality dips a little during the 3rd arc, and there is some recycled footage, but they made sure to save enough budget that the final four episodes are polished and perfect. The final episode does not roll credits in the beginning, and has a different ending.

The music is very memorable, and was released as 10 soundtracks, mostly piano (since that instrument plays a major part in one of the subplots.) The opening is catchy, and both endings are okay, if not particularly outstanding. Utena was done before the current industry standard of getting big names for op/ed music, so you will have never heard of the groups.

Grades from me:

Plot: A+
Artwork: A-
Music: A-
Occasionally naked lesbians: A++++++

Final Grade: A

Haibane Renmei

I just recently watched Utena, fulfilling a female friend's request. I wouldn't rate it as highly as you did Catwho, but it was quite enjoyable.

You ask a difficult question Catwho. There are of lot of series that contain elements that I really enjoyed: Spice & Wolf, Toward the Terra, Escaflowne, Princess Tutu, Paranoia Agent, and Juuni Kokuki. I can't say it is my favorite, but if I had to pick one series that sticks with me it would be Evangelion.

I realize the series isn't actually very good. In fact, of all those series I listed I rate Evangelion the lowest. But it suits me. Everything is a symbol, a metaphor, a piece that fits in it's proper place, even if unintentionally. The Gendo, Naoka, Yui:Kaji, Ritsuko, Misato:Shinji, Rei, Asuka parallel sates the compulsive desire for order in me, three perfect tiered structures of three. The splintered branches represent to me choice, ambivalence, indecision, and possibility. The series can be taken literally, philosophically, pragmatically, sexually, religiously, etc. Who's to say your interpretation is wrong? I often joke about the origin of evangelion being a night on the town by a couple of inexperienced writers who woke up into a shambled hotel room next to a pile of empty syringes, two dead hookers, and a script for an anime series. If anyone were to insult, dismiss, or harshly critique the series I'd agree with them whole-heartedly and suggest that is what makes Evangelion great.

Space Battleship Yamato, watched it as a kid and still enjoy tossing in the movies to watch again. Gundam Wing is a close 2nd.

Probably my second favorite series.

I would say ElHazzard the first series for my favorite watch again series.
Rurouni Renshin a close second.

That series, Lucifer.

I liked Kino's Journey. I don't like most mainstream animé (Naruto, Bleach) at all - I find it unwatchable for a number of reasons.



I'm glad you didn't make a comparison with Shakespeare here, because I probably would have had to kill you.

Saint Seiya. I first met this anime 20 years ago, it was a french version called "Les Chevaliers du Zodiaque".

My avatar is the Pegasus Saint from that series. There is a horrible translated version called The Knights of the Zodiac, which butchers the whole story/character/mythology of the anime, so it's better to find a Japanese fan subbed version and see it with the original voices.

I loved the manga books more, but that's probably true of any anime you could name, no?

I can't pick a favorite..

Wolfs Rain, Gundam Wing, Gundam Seed, Neon Genesis Evangelion, Eureka Seven, Naruto, Elfen Lied, etc.. I <3 them all!

NGE actually made me feel sick to my stomach when I finished watching it for the first time though.. not many animes are able to get that big of an emotional grip over you..

The doujin remakes of the ending completed the anime imo.. <.<;

Edited, Feb 11th 2009 8:23pm by Deadgye

Cowboy Bebop.

It doesn't matter what episode it is, they're all good.

And it's easier for non anime fans to watch, as it's cool.

Evangelion if I want something in-depth. Hellsing if I want something fun and light-hearted with some bad-*** action sequences and a protagonist I can geekily swoon over a little.

Nexa