Anime on DVD

[Wh1te Out]

Tek (and any other anime fans), could you please give me your opinions on the best anime I can buy on a shelf at somewhere like Best Buy? I don't have time for Ebay or downloading right now, so this is what I'm going to do. My question is, other than Cowboy Bebop (which looks very appealing to me) what is there? I'd like something not completely Japanese and not samurai-related.

On a sidenote, are the Cowboy Bebop Remix sets in English and are they different than the Cowboy Bebop Sessions DVDs in any way?

 

[Tek7 (Legacy)]

From TV Shows on DVD:

[...] I'd recommend the following licensed series for purchase:

• Read or Die TV
• My HiME (not sure if it's been released in the US yet)
• Nadesico
• Ghost in the Shell: Standalone Complex
• FLCL
• Full Metal Panic
• Full Metal Panic: Fumoffu?
• Samurai Champloo (WARNING: 17 and over only)
• Trigun
• Cowboy Bebop
• Jubei-chan

Now for series that people will tell you are good, but, in reality, are not:

• Dragonball Anything
• Pokemon Anything
• Love Hina
• .hack//SIGN
• Serial Experiments Lain
• Rurouni Kenshin (slideshow fighting is bad)
• Escaflowne
• Berserk

A last word of advice: learn to love subtitles. The gap between Japanese and English voice acting talent can not be overstated.

A brief review of plot priority in each of the recommended series:

• Read or Die TV: Excellent plot, fantastic characters, wonderful writing. I recommend picking up and viewing the Read or Die OVA DVD for some background first. It's not necessary, but it helps lend emotional weight to events later in the series.
• My HiME: This series is great up until episode 15 (especially episode 5) and absolutely shines in episodes 16-26. My wife and I agree that My HiME and Read of Die TV are the two best anime series ever. If you watch My HiME once, make sure you watch it again to pick up on everything you weren't aware of the first time around.
• Nadesico: This series is important if you're interested in the evolution of the "space opera" anime. If you're looking for a light-hearted and whimsical space series that doesn't take itself too seriously, I'd recommend Nadesico. There is an overreaching plot, but the series leaves several questions unanswered. Nadesico is one of my personal favorites, but I seem to be the only one among my friends who loves it.
• Ghost in the Shell: Standalone Complex: I've only watched the first 19 episodes of GitS: SAC, but so far, there is no overreaching plot. Each episode is designed to stand on its own, thus the series name.
• FLCL: People either love or hate FLCL. I adored it. Bizarre art styles, stranger characters, and hilarious humor (IMHO), FLCL is six episodes of mad fun (or, if you prefer, fun madness). There is an overreaching plot, but good luck trying to figure it out on the first viewing. This series is more about style and fun than intrapersonal reflection.
• Full Metal Panic: The cliffhangers in FMP are awful (in an oh-so-good way), so you should just buy the entire series and set aside some time to watch entire story arcs in one sitting. It isn't the deepest or most involved plot, but the series is less about plot than about character dynamics.
• Full Metal Panic: Fumoffu?: No plot whatsoever. This is a wonderful light-hearted comedy featuring the characters from FMP, but without the military action of its predecessor. A great choice if comedy is your goal.
• Samurai Champloo: Again, this is not for younger audiences. Most Samurai Champloo episodes stand alone, but they're so entertaining that it really doesn't matter. As in Cowboy Bebop, you'll be nearing the end of the series and think, "Are they going to resolve this?" The three-episode series ending is some of the greatest anime I've ever watched and helps save Champloo from repeating Cowboy Bebop's greatest mistake. If you can look past the inappropriate content, then you're in for one of the best anime series of all time. WARNING: DO NOT listen to the English dubs for this series. The English voice actors they picked for Mugen and Jin are horrible choices and sound nothing like their characters. One of the best things about this series is the voice acting; the Japanese voice actors make the two main characters come alive.
• Trigun: Good plot, great humor, good characters. Trigun and Cowboy Bebop are like the Aretha Franklin and Sam Cooke of anime: no one dislikes them and they've got style in surplus.
• Cowboy Bebop: Excellent series, but don't expect much development in regards to Spike's past or his relationship with Julia. My one complaint about the series is that it doesn't answer many of the questions it poses and the few answers it gives feel rushed. If you only watch one episode, watch "Mushroom Samba," one of the funniest episodes of anime ever.
• Jubei-chan: This is a comedy series, but there is enough of a plot holding it together to keep it interesting. There are some moving scenes in this series (watch episode seven!), but humor is the overall focus.

Which reminds me: If anyone is interested in a series with gorgeous art and doesn't mind a storyline that tries too hard to be "deep," then I wholeheartedly recommend RahXephon.

 

[ChickenSoup]

Anime is teh suxors

 

[[toj.cc]phantom]

I like Ghost in the Shell: Standalone Complex and Trigun...I've already watched all the Dragon Ball/Z/GT episodes and refuse to watch another after the GT ending...

 

[Dark Virtue]

Question: Isn't downloading copyrighted DVD's using a bitTorrent client considered illegal and thus against the TOS to discuss and/or recommend?

http://www.theregister.co.uk/2004/12/14/mpaa_vs_bittorrent/

As far as anime goes, my current favorite, which no one ever seems to bring up is Last Exile.

http://www.lastexiledvd.com/

 

[Tek7 (Legacy)]

Question: Isn't downloading copyrighted DVD's using a bitTorrent client considered illegal and thus against the TOS to discuss and/or recommend?

Yes, it is, but we're recommending anime DVDs for Mr_Slice to purchase, not download.

The mention of downloading in my first post relates to fansubs of unlicensed anime.

EDIT: Edited my first post to remove reference to download fansubbed anime. I hope this clears up any confusion.

 

[Dark Virtue]

Sweet, got it. How do you know if it's licenced or not?

 

[ChickenSoup]

You ask it I love that phrase

 

[Atown]

now wait a min tech, i love .hack//sign, i hate the chi-bi but the actual anime is freaking sweet, i really enjoyed the storyline, and if you have watched the actual japanese copies of ruouni kenshin, and watched samurai X thats when a person truely enjoys the kenshin series. i would also suggest Last Exile, Gundam Wing, and Outlaw Star. i own outlaw star as of now and have rented last exile and gundam from library. i enjoy all the ones ive listed and have watched several times.

 

[Corpfox]

I'm curious, what about the old animes that I have seen. are they any good?

Samurai Pizza Cats
Teknoman
Patlabor 1
Patlabor 2

 

[Tek7 (Legacy)]

Sweet, got it. How do you know if it's licenced or not?

AnimeSuki keeps a database of licensed anime.

 

[Atown]

srry ur out of my age group lol. the only "old" one i remember/liked was Ronin Warriors.

 

[Tek7 (Legacy)]

now wait a min tech, i love .hack//sign

Mm, to each his (or her) own, I suppose. Maybe the series makes more sense in context of other .hack series, but I felt like the series was always trying to "look smart" without delivering on its promise. Kind of like Rah Xephon. (Beautiful artwork in both series, by the way.)

and if you have watched the actual japanese copies of ruouni kenshin, and watched samurai X thats when a person truely enjoys the kenshin series.

I did enjoy "X." I think it gives the audience an idea of Kenshin could have been. Remember, though, that nothing will make me turn off an anime series sooner than "slideshow fighting."

i would also suggest Last Exile, Gundam Wing, and Outlaw Star.

Outlaw Star is a fun series, but, IMHO, not especially noteworthy. Don't get me wrong, I liked the series. It would just be low on the list of recommended anime.

As for Last Exile, I need to go through and try to watch it again. I lost interest after the fourth episode the last time I tried to watch it (a few years back).

 

[Thrawn]

now wait a min tech, i love .hack//sign, i hate the chi-bi but the actual anime is freaking sweet, i really enjoyed the storyline, and if you have watched the actual japanese copies of ruouni kenshin, and watched samurai X thats when a person truely enjoys the kenshin series. i would also suggest Last Exile, Gundam Wing, and Outlaw Star. i own outlaw star as of now and have rented last exile and gundam from library. i enjoy all the ones ive listed and have watched several times.

Last Exile is awesome. I saw it when TechTV had it on (yeah, it's been that long...), and I loved it.

I liked Kenshin too, which is the only thing I disagree with Tek on. I was so disappointed when it wasn't on Adult Swim anymore...

 

[Atown]

if u watch the japanese stuff, kenshin is much better than america

 

[Tek7 (Legacy)]

if u watch the japanese stuff, kenshin is much better than america

And that can make a big difference, too. My friends insisted on dubs rather than subs (silly friends), so I didn't get to hear the Japanese voice actors in Kenshin.

 

[Atown]

And that can make a big difference, too. My friends insisted on dubs rather than subs (silly friends), so I didn't get to hear the Japanese voice actors in Kenshin.

well it wasnt only the voice actors, but theirs alot of stuff that gets censored. in the japanese versions, theres actually alot of action that is left out, and blood too.

 

[Wh1te Out]

Tek, I need some speedy advice on anime! I've read and re-read your list a hundred times, but I guess I'm either just picky or so inexperienced that I'm nervous and don't want to buy something I'll hate. I don't have time for downloading and I need to be able to watch from my couch anyway while I recover from an upcoming vasectomy.

So, I've seen some of Full Metal Panic and loved it. I LOVE the plotlines that I've read about for .Hack and Ghost in the Shell. Is Ghost in the Shell's continuation series any good, so that if I liked GitS I could carry on watching the newest stuff? Samurai Champloo, despite being set in Japan which I normally do not like, looks and sounds amazing. I adore Cowboy Bebop but didn't really like the music. Is SC's music better? Also, SC is quite expensive compared to some of the other series. Might not be able to afford that one just yet.

I like the sci-fi, but not so much mecha. I prefer more intelligent writing to kiddy stuff and fluff. I don't mind fan service, language or violence. Witch Hunter Robin and Hellsing also caught my eye. Noir looks awesome, as well.

Anyway, I'm on a pretty short timeline and will be picking these up in the area so it's Best Buy, Circuit City, etc. for my shopping place. Can you tailor a recommendation or two based on what I've just said? I hope so. Thanks!

(Anyone else, feel free to comment, too.)

 

[vibrokatana]

.Hack GitS and full metal are all good. although .hack always seemed geared for a younger generation.

I like mecha, but I hate the millions of clones out there.

 

[Tek7 (Legacy)]

So, I've seen some of Full Metal Panic and loved it. I LOVE the plotlines that I've read about for .Hack and Ghost in the Shell.

When I watched .hack, it felt as though the show's creators were reaching for something and never took hold of it. The art is beautiful, the concept was, for its time, original, and the characters are mildly interesting. But something about the show always made me feel like there was something I was missing, so I can't recommend it to others without at least a disclaimer.

Full Metal Panic: The Second Raid was awesome, though only 13 or 14 episodes long. I don't know if it's made it to the states yet, though. DISCLAIMER: There are a few moments in FMP: TSR that aren't appropriate for younger viewers.

Is Ghost in the Shell's continuation series any good, so that if I liked GitS I could carry on watching the newest stuff?

GitS: Standalone Complex is a great series, though I admit that it didn't "fire me up" like Samurai Champloo, Mai HiME, and, more recently, Karin. (Karen is a recent series about a teenage "reverse vampire" and her first romance. It sounds absurd, but it's an excellent series.) Still, if you like GitS, yes, you will like Standalone Complex.

Samurai Champloo, despite being set in Japan which I normally do not like, looks and sounds amazing.

Samurai Champloo, while not appropriate for those 16 and under, is one of the most well-written anime series ever made. The characters, the art, the music, the dialogue, and the plot all come together to make something great.

I adore Cowboy Bebop but didn't really like the music. Is SC's music better?

There's a strong hip-hop influence in music found in several Samurai Champloo episodes. I know that sounds bizarre for an anime series, but it works very well. There are more traditional Japanese tracks as well, but most of the music is modern and, like the art, highly stylized.

Also, SC is quite expensive compared to some of the other series. Might not be able to afford that one just yet.

Aye, I saw the boxed set for $139.99 on amazon.com the other when doing researching for a post on a different thread.

I like the sci-fi, but not so much mecha. I prefer more intelligent writing to kiddy stuff and fluff.

I don't know if Noein has made it to the states yet, but that's a great sci-fi series. It has nothing to do with mecha; its main plotline is wrapped up in parallel universes and timespaces.

Witch Hunter Robin and Hellsing also caught my eye.

Eh, Witch Hunter Robin and Hellsing look as though they're trying too hard to capture the horror fan audience (Witch Hunter Robin less so). That being said, I'd recommend renting the first volume of Witch Hunter Robin when you can, as my best friend took a liking to the series (and he usually has good taste in anime).

Noir looks awesome, as well.

I never watched the second episode of NOIR, because the first episode is basically an animated music video. Seriously.

Though I did see an incredible AMV featuring NOIR clips and set to Madonna's Die Another Day that made me want to give the series another try.

Anyway, I'm on a pretty short timeline and will be picking these up in the area so it's Best Buy, Circuit City, etc. for my shopping place. Can you tailor a recommendation or two based on what I've just said?

Since I know you're over 16 and not offended by violent content, I would have to recommend Samurai Champloo as my top pick. But if Samurai Champloo is too expensive, you can't go wrong with a Ghost in the Shell series.

To be honest, I'm not familiar with what makes it to the states and what doesn't as I download all my anime from fansub groups. There might be others in the crowd who have a better idea of what's been released in the last year.