Honorable Mention: Full Metal Panic
It's hard for me not to love on this series. It has a lot of humor, a lot of action, cutting edge animation, and a story that strikes me as either the most brilliant or the most stereotypical I have ever seen. I highly recommend watching it, but only if you like action.
Series not yet completed That I Still Recommend:
These series have not finished yet, but I still enjoy them immensely and I think other's might as well.
Bleach: This is a fun series, with enough twists and turns to leave me dizzy. I might recommend the manga over the actual anime, as the added scenarios in the anime (fillers) can get exhausting and confusing. However, the plot itself is compelling, with the normal shonen cast of characters that bounce between funny and serious depending on the situation at hand. The characters are varied, but most are not especially deep.
D. Gray Man: This is a funny little anime I picked up in manga form first. This anime so far has been amazing. The characters are well thought out, the action is top notch, and the plot twists keep me on a roller coaster through the whole thing.
Hellsing OVA: This is complex. There is a completed Hellsing anime that finished some time ago. However, there is a new series called Hellsing Ultimate with updated graphics, more manga-accurate storyline, and featuring a bit more in terms of character development.
Anime I have not seen but come highly recommended:
- Chrono Crusade
- Code Geass
- Fullmetal Alchemist
- Galaxy Angel
- The Girl Who Leapt Through Time
- Ranma ½
- Robotech
Anime for Fun: This section is dedicated to anime that, while not particularly deep or motivational, I still found immensely fun.
Vandread: Two planets locked in a war, one composed entirely of men, the other entirely of women. And this is the plot launcher. While it sounds like the setting for a hentai show, hold that inner critic. Yes, the show uses crude humor a lot, but the general ignorance of the characters involved just makes it that much more hilarious. Lots of action, lots of boys being boys, and girls having fun. Again, not deep, not something I would recommend to critics, but a lot of laughs.
Mahou Sensei Negima!: Allow me to say that this is a cute anime, though it can be classified nicely as a bit immature, and at worst as downright crude at times. Ignoring the fact that there is a middle school class full of girls who are a bit too eager to remove their clothes for their ten year old teacher, the series is a lot of laughs. Thirty students with quirky and funny personalities, and Negi, the titular character following in his father's footsteps makes for one fun anime.
Lucky Star: This is a cute little anime. Very funny, but I recommend watching other series first to better understand the humor that goes into it.
Azumanga Dioh!: This is a hilarious anime following the lives of a group of girls. To say the least, they are a unique bunch, keeping the teachers out of it even. The show is really quite pointless, with very episodic scenarios. It is amazingly funny and I still point people here for when they need a good laugh.
School Rumble!: This series actually rates rather high on my list, though it is really just a barrel of laughs. It is mainly a parody of...well, most everything, actually. The issue with me saying I don't like parts of it is that they may overemphasize parts that most people don't like. Amazingly good, comedic from start to finish.
Caramelldansen: Just go to youtube, enter the title, and enjoy the frames of animation these provide.
Anime to Understand Anime:
Dragonball: This is not actually high on my list of good anime, but it's hard to argue against the overall importance that the anime has had on North American audiences especially. For a quick summary, Son Goku is an alien called a Saiyen living on earth. The series follows his various fights, adventures, and more fights. If you ever wonder why some characters have glowing yellow hair, it's very likely due to this series.
Naruto: Naruto is quickly becoming the new shonen series to follow. I followed the anime up until they decided to take a year or two off from the manga's story and create their own subset. This is the inspiration for ninja-esque anime. I still continue to read the manga, though even that has begun to gradually lose appeal.
One Piece: Oh yes...the pirate anime. I find the animation a little annoying, and the fact that the cast is extensive to the point of idiocy, not helped at all by the fact that all the characters stay alive. I find it tiring to continue watching (or reading) this particular story. Still, it has mass popularity, and if you like quirky, this is it.
