what anime should I start collecting?

[Alzrius]

Samurai X? What's the deal with that? Is that like Rourinin Kenshin or something in an OVA version? What's the relationship between the two series?

"Samurai X" is the Rurouni Kenshin OVA series. The reason it has such a different name is because the RuroKen (that's its abbreviated name here) TV series is put out by a different company in America than the OVA series is. To avoid a legal battle, the company with the OVA rights had to drastically change the name.

That said, the content of Samurai X is to show Kenshin during the revolution, ten years before he met Kaoru and the rest, and before he had his prohibition on killing. Unlike the TV series, the OVA is very dark and gritty.

It's worth noting that this is the closest the anime of Kenshin ever comes to touching upon the manga arc where Enishi (Tomoe's younger brother) comes back to get revenge on Kenshin and his friends later. That doesn't say much though - the OVA shows the events that lead Enishi down that path, but they don't show anything after the revolution (Enishi comes for revenge in the manga shortly after Shishio's death). The TV series never mentions Enishi at all.

 

[Chun-tzu]

It's worth noting that this is the closest the anime of Kenshin ever comes to touching upon the manga arc where Enishi (Tomoe's younger brother) comes back to get revenge on Kenshin and his friends later. That doesn't say much though - the OVA shows the events that lead Enishi down that path, but they don't show anything after the revolution (Enishi comes for revenge in the manga shortly after Shishio's death). The TV series never mentions Enishi at all.

Enishi shows up in the latest (and probably last) OAV series, Rurouni Kenshin: Seisouhen ("Reflection"), which takes place after the final episode of the TV series.

 

[Alzrius]

Enishi shows up in the latest (and probably last) OAV series, Rurouni Kenshin: Seisouhen ("Reflection"), which takes place after the final episode of the TV series.

No kidding?? How long has that been out? Is it available in America? Where can I get more information? I'd like to compare it to the manga.

 

[Chun-tzu]

Yup, you can get it here in the U.S.

http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/t...ref=sr_1_1/103-5026303-8731060?v=glance&s=dvd

If you read some of the user comments, it seems they didn't really follow the manga too closely. This OAV isn't as good as the prequel, but I liked it better than the movie.

 

[Alzrius]

If you read some of the user comments, it seems they didn't really follow the manga too closely. This OAV isn't as good as the prequel, but I liked it better than the movie.

Wow, looks like they definately didn't follow the manga too closely. It might be worth looking into though. Thanks for the tip.

 

[Leareth]

I'd recomend you look up Lupin the 3rd: Castle Cagliostro. It's a movie Miyazaki did for an already esablished sieries. I personaly love Lupin and Castle Cagliostro is a good intro.

I will also recomend Fruits Basket. I love it and I admit it has made me both laugh and cry. It is also very short which sucks but is fairly easy on the pocket book.

People have already mentioned these but Big 0, Trigun, Slayers and Cowboy Bebob are good. Slayers is very silly and very D&D.

Leareth

 

[jdavis]

Wow, looks like they definately didn't follow the manga too closely. It might be worth looking into though. Thanks for the tip.

For reviews on all the Samurai X OVA's and the movie:

Trust and Betrayal
http://www.animenewsnetwork.com/encyclopedia/anime.php?id=210

Reflection
http://www.animenewsnetwork.com/encyclopedia/anime.php?id=310

The Motion Picture
http://www.animenewsnetwork.com/encyclopedia/anime.php?id=217

I've only seen the Trust and Betrayal Director's cut and it was very very good. Reflection is supposed to be depressing (and sub par storywise) but the movie is supposed to be ok. I'm sure eventually I'll pick them both up. Trust and Betrayal is definatly not one to be missed though.

By the way Full Metal Panic was very good, at one point I managed to spray a mouth full of coke all over the living room, funny stuff and some very good action right off the start.

 

[Anavel Gato]

correction

I mentioned blue gender, what i meant was Perfect Blue. It is a crazy, psychological thriller about a j-pop star making a transition to the movies. doesn't sound so great but, a lot happens, it is at least a good rental.

jdavis said,
"Reflection is supposed to be depressing (and sub par storywise) but the movie is supposed to be ok"

he's right the story is a flashback of the RK series as seen from Kauro's perspective. It is sad, the animation is good. And you get to see what happened with the support characters as well as Kenshin and Kauro after the series ended. I would recommend renting it first. But Trust and Betrayal are definite must own's. when I first bought them on VHS I watched them once a month. There is also a Samurai X--the motion picture, it is really not very good. the animation is the same as the RK series and the story is alright. There are some good flashes of Kenshin's past but nothing groundshaking.

 

[Sixchan]

Well as far as TV is concerned I don't see subtitles ever getting too popular for any type of show, there is a large portion of the audience in America that would just turn off anything with subtitles regardless of what it was. I have not seen anything on TV that was subtitled in a very long time and that was on channels like HBO then. The average television viewer just doesn't want to read his TV. If Cartoon Network started showing subtitled versions of anime it would flop in weeks, the vast majority of people are casual fans and they don't care about the minor story changes or the better voice acting involved in the original, they want simple entertainment. A subtitled Dragonball Z wouldn't of lasted 10 episodes on Cartoon Network. That's just a matter of economics there.

What on TV have you seen that was subtitled lately and what was it on? Just curious as to what I'm missing out on.

Strange as it may sound, it's been Cartoon Network mostly. Well, it's been CNX, but that's our version of Adult Swim. There's been a lot of Chinese, Korean and Japanese films on lately, all subtitled.

Last week, Sci-Fi showed Ringu, the original Japanese version of The Ring, as well.

I think there was a Bruce Lee film on BBC1 about a month ago that was Subtitled (can't remember the name).

 

[jdavis]

I've really wanted to see Ringu I guess I missed Sci Fi showing it. I tried to search the Sci Fi scheduling but they didn't have it, I wonder if they didn't show it in America?

I'm almost positive that Adult Swim hasn't shown anything subtitled here too. They are just really building up a viewership with Adult Swim, I hope they will give it a shot in the future.