what anime should I start collecting?

[Uzumaki]

Fruits Basket doesn't look like it would appeal to me, especially with it's very shojo style or it's derivative-sounding plot. Of course, I originally thought that about the original Tenchi Muyo OVA series, and greatly regretted waiting so long to enjoy that series (although I never got into either TV series very much).

Yeah, it's one of those that you really have to try. The characters are deep and interesting (most of them anyhow) and even the ones that are fairly stereotypical are somehow different. Yuki, the typical beautiful, smart, and friendly "prince" of many person's affections has quite a short temper, is a lousy cook, and is kinda violent. It's a nice change.

 

[jdavis]

So the original movie doesn't have just one story in it? Like the animatrix?

It's a mishmash of loosely related stories, it is good but it has more in common with 80's metal music videos than Japanese animation. I never saw Heavy Metal 2000 but I heard it was horrible.

 

[WizarDru]

The original Heavy Metal wasn't just 'racy' for it's time, it was considered almost shocking, what with moderately realistic animated characters having sex, and violent disembowlments. For 1981, it was pretty extreme. Features a lot of voice acting from then SCTV cast members (such as John Candy, Eugene Levy, Harold Ramis and Joe Flaherty) and uses a loose framing sequence to tie together completely unrelated stories, some of which are loosely adapted from appearances in Heavy Metal magazine (such as Richard Corben's Den, Harry Canyon, the B-52 story and others).

Heavy Metal's emphasis was (and presumably still is) on reprinting lots of comics from Europe (which are of a decidely more mature content)...and boobies.

 

[Enchantress2]

[B
Heavy Metal's emphasis was (and presumably still is) on reprinting lots of comics from Europe (which are of a decidely more mature content)...and boobies. [/B]

Well, we know that they succeeded in at least one.

 

[enworldatemylogin]

One word.

FLCL

If you want your brain to melt, FLCL.

 

[Stormfalcon]

One word.

FLCL

If you want your brain to melt, FLCL.

Then wait for Abenobashi Shopping District...

 

[Ankh-Morpork Guard]

Then wait for Abenobashi Shopping District...

Has it been licensed? Ick..please no. Its too great a series to corrupt! Really, I don't think a lot of the jokes in Abenobashi would convert well...but its definatly a great series.

Ah well, I'm the extreme end of things. Things I can recommend you probably won't find in the US.

I'm also a big big mech fan...so I'll suggest Macross Zero which rules all. Great mech action and good backstory for Macross. If you like mecha, watch some UC Gundam. Preferably go through Mobile Suit Gundam-Zeta Gundam(it is licensed...but I don't think it will do well in America because its just so painfully depressing and dark)-Char's Counterattack. If you can, watch the subs. The Japanesse VAs for Gundam are some of the best ever.

 

[Stormfalcon]

ADV has Abenobashi. Hopefully, they won't toss it to Steven Foster, and that they'll use the vid-notes feature. They'll need it.

 

[Ankh-Morpork Guard]

ADV has Abenobashi. Hopefully, they won't toss it to Steven Foster, and that they'll use the vid-notes feature. They'll need it.

ADV? Ick...ADV seems to have gone down hill. And they definatly will need a LOT of notes. Its a great series...but not exactly the greatest for non-Japanese audiences.

Not that it actually matters to me anyway, I don't buy DVDs with dub tracks...but that isn't the point.

 

[WizarDru]

I like Abenobashi...but the fan-service, even blatantly in-jokey as it is, gets a little much at times.