Anime Recommendations

[D.Shaffer]

If you're open to magical girl series, Pretear and Nanoha are quite good.

I'd say Nanoha is more of a mecha series disguised as a magical girl series, but it's fun. I doubt it falls into the category of something you want to watch with your SO other, though. Remember that it's target audience is 20+ otaku

That's the problem, I'm not sure what I want to watch. Genre doesn't matter much, as long as it's a quality production. Perhaps saying "something my wife would enjoy" wasn't explicit enough, so I'll rephrase: I'd prefer something family-friendly without being overly cutsey and juvenile. Language, some nudity, and violence is OK, but I don't think she'd go for graphic sex, tentacle-rape, and over-the-top gore (though she did like Saw and Saw II); Mononoke Hime would probably be about as violent as she'd enjoy.

The various Miyazaki movies are definitely quality entertainment. If they've released any new ones lately and you havent had a chance to pick them up, that'd be my first recommendations.

Haruhi gets mentioned a lot and I definitely enjoyed it, so I'll add on to the list of people recommending it.

It hasnt been licensed yet but there's a recent series called Denno Coil that is phenomenally good. I expect it to get licensed soon. If it does, get it as soon as you can. Children who act like children without being overly smarmy, cute, or annoying. A realistic near future setting. Cute without going overboard, with a lot of actual humor that isnt forced. It doesnt get much press as far as I can see, but it's quality through and through.

 

[ThirdWizard]

I shall echo Full Metal Alchemist, Mushishi, and Honey & Clover.

Monster. Odds are that this is never going to get licensed anywhere, so fansubs are the only real option for the anime. However, the manga is available and the anime is true to the source. This is, in my opinions, one of the best.

Haibane Renmei. Family friendly, deep, and by Yoshitoshi ABe, creator of Lain. Really good stuff here.

Vision of Escaflowne is a classic. Great medieval fantasy (with mechs). Not the movie, the series.

Have you watched Nausicaä? Great Miyazaki movie.

I put up some links because tastes differ, and one of the worst things someone can do is recommend a series because its what they like, not thinking about the other person's tastes. But, I think those should be good for you based on what you said. Also, you might want to check out ANN's Top 10 highest rated. And check out their reviews as well.

 

[Arnwyn]

and over-the-top gore (though she did like Saw and Saw II); Mononoke Hime would probably be about as violent as she'd enjoy.

Hmmm... this extreme inconsistency makes recommendations a tad difficult. :\

Some of my current favorites:
- Ghost in the Shell: Stand Alone Complex (and 2nd Gig)
- Fullmetal Alchemist
- Last Exile
- Melancholy of Haruhi Suzumiya

Slightly older/all-time favorites:
- Macross Plus
- Cowboy Bebop (series + movie)
- Vision of Escaflowne (not the movie)
- Neon Genesis Evangelion (+ End of Evangelion movie)

 

[Nifft]

Slayers -- if you enjoy D&D, this series should amuse you.

Mushishi -- Me, too. Very pretty fairy tales in an oddly inspiring world.

FLCL -- A spoof and send-up of many Anime tropes, but accessible and enjoyable even if you don't get any of the references.

Cheers, -- N

 

[Black Omega]

I just finished Death Note recently and would strongly recommend it. Best anime I've seen in a year or so, and probably wife safe. An excellent detective v. 'moral' criminal battle of wits with plenty of suspense and danger.

I also loved Black Lagoon, but it's more raw action and violence.

Evangelion is excellent, the only real kids in giant robots show I liked, mostly because it was alot more than that.

 

[JediSoth]

Thanks for the recommendations everybody. Other titles I've heard bandied about by friends are Ranma 1/2, Record of Lodoss War, and Bubblegum Crisis. Any opinions on those?

JediSoth

 

[Nifft]

Thanks for the recommendations everybody. Other titles I've heard bandied about by friends are Ranma 1/2, Record of Lodoss War, and Bubblegum Crisis. Any opinions on those?

They're old.

Record of Lodoss War was a decent D&D representation, but it's showing its age.

The other two I can't comment on, except to say: when I re-view something that I fondly remember from childhood, it's often not as good as I remember it. Hitchcock movies excepted.

Cheers, -- N

 

[Rackhir]

Thanks for the recommendations everybody. Other titles I've heard bandied about by friends are Ranma 1/2, Record of Lodoss War, and Bubblegum Crisis. Any opinions on those?

JediSoth

Ranma 1/2 is a Rumiko Takahashi series. So there's wacky characters aplenty. The first couple of seasons are pretty good. Definitely worth renting. If you do like it, you might want to check out Urusei Yatsura (which has a number of movies and OVAs as well as a 200+ episode TV series!).

Record of Lodoss War never pushed my buttons, but a lot of people seem to think highly of it. Until recent years it was one of the few outright fantasy (in the LotR sense) anime's which probably factors into it. Definitely a rent not a buy IMHO, unless you do like it.

Bubblegum Crisis or BCG - Well there's two series. There's the original OVA series from the late '80s, which has a terrific soundtrack, some nice powered armor suits and is frankly more memorable for the soundtrack (which is terrific). I'd definitely try to catch the first three OVAs. The original villian dies in the third episode and they never really come up with a good replacement (the series drags on for another 4 or 5 episodes of very mixed quality). There's also the BGC 2040 series from the early '00s. It is a more realistic take on things with a heavy emphasis on Nano-technology and a much better plot than the original series. But somehow it's also never really compelling. A rental.

 

[tecnowraith]

Here Are my "additions" for anime viewing:
Guyver-superhero action
Crying Freeman-crime drama
Tenchi-space romantic comedy
Fist of the North Star for martial arts mayhem
Trigun-same genre as Cowboy Bebop but as an action-comedy
Dragonball and Dragonball Z
Naruto-young ninja school action

 

[WayneLigon]

Most of the recent stuff I've watched is pretty good.

Samurai 7
Chrono Crusade - 1920's horror/occult investigation
Black Lagoon - modern day crime adventure. You could film this straight to live action and have a perfectly good action franchise.
Utawarerumon
Kyo Kara Maoh
DNAngel
When They Cry - It starts off as cutesy comedy and then takes a hard left turn into nightmarish paranoid horror.
Fate: Stay Night
Bleach
Tsubasa: Reservoir Chronicle
Tactics
Shonen Onmyoji