Looking to get into anime

[halfacandan]

Hi. I'd like to see some good anime movies but don't really know where to start. I'm thinking that Akira is as good as any. Also had a look at appleseed but it looks like most people praise the look of it rather than the plot. Any suggestions?

Thanks
Dan

[PoochJD]

Hi,

Firstly, congratulations on choosing anime! It's a superb genre, and if you look closely at some of the best examples, I'm certain you will fall in love with it straight away.

Okay, firstly, you should be warned that the best anime DVD releases tend to be on Region 1 (USA) or NTSC Region 2 (Japan). We are getting better releases here in the UK, than a few years back, but they pale into comparison against the US and Japan. As such, I'd highly recommend you get a multi-region DVD and make sure your TV can accept NTSC-formatted pictures, for the Japanese discs.

Now, onto recommendations. Obviously, everyone is different. Some of the titles I recommend, will be deemed "crap" by others, and vice versa. However, I think the following selection will all be recommended by the vast majority of anime fans, as a good place to start. For more info on any particular title, just use the Internet Movie Database. Not every title I list is available in the UK, so please bear this in mind.


- Akira (Probably the Granddaddy of anime! Complex, but superb nonetheless!)
- Ghost In The Shell (The original 1995 movie)
- Ghost In The Shell: Stand Alone Complex (TV series)
- My Neighbour Totoro
- My Neighbours, The Yamadas
- Pom Poko
- Spirited Away
- Princess Mononoke
- Grave Of The Fireflies (aka Tombstone For Fireflies, aka Graveyard Of The Fireflies)
- Metropolis
- Perfect Blue
- Urotsukidoji: Perfect Collection
- Urusei Yatsura
- Memories
- Dominion Tank Police: Acts 1-4
- New Dominion Tank Police
- Appleseed (2004 release)
- Fist Of The North Star (1987 Toei Animation anime film)
- Kiki's Delivery Service
- Nausicaa Of The Valley Of The Wind
- Only Yesterday

That should do you, for a start!


Pooch

[MartinImber]

Spirited Away is superb!

[halfacandan]

Hi. Thanks for the comprehensive response! I've got Spirited Away and Memories already and LOVE them. I always meant to to watch some other Miyazaki films but I didn't realise they were anime. For me, like most people, I associate anime with big explosions, "caricatured women" and over-sized guns. I'm going to get appleseed and akira for now and see how I like them.

Thanks again
Dan

[MartinImber]

Princess Monomoke and Kikis Delivery Service are both well animated

I have Akira, well animated but weird.

All makes a nice change from US animation - especially all the turgid Disney stuff.

However I will state that Pixar are good, as are the Ice Age team.

Dreamworks are so variable - eg Sharks Tale is definately a poor film compared to Pixar or most Anime I have seen.

Also get Animatrix - very good!

[halfacandan]

Yeah, the animatrix is probably what made me want to see more anime. I really like the episode with the haunted house. I never took to ice-age, perhaps a bit more kid-ish than Shrek and all the pixar stuff. I don't like the look of Pixar's "Cars" but all their other stuff has been superb.

Dan

[thelordmagus]

Now don't get me wrong, but animatrix is not the best anime you can get. Britain is not well served when it comes to anime, first because we only get what the UK branches of US firms release here, and overall because the market did start very late (compared to France for example...).

I'd recommend the first two Patlabor movies. Also, Cagliostro's castle is great, if you don't mind the late 70's anime style (Miyasaki's first movie director job). Then, in terms of series, stand alone complex looks good, even though I have yet to watch it.
In terms of weird series if you like robots I'd recommend Rahxephon (and no, it's DIFFERENT from evangelion, which is good in it's own right).

I heard that paranoia agent is good, but I'm not sure if this is released in Britain... then Full metal alchemist is also good, being released end of this month, but beware, it's 51 episodes long...

I have more suggestions, but that's mostly imported stuf, etc.

[halfacandan]

I was wondering about series...I think they're probably a bit too much of an invesment for me at the mo. I liked the final fantasy film so was thinking of getting the unlimited series but its dead cheap so I'm assuming that it's a bit poo...any guidance?

Thanks
Dan

[Rummy]

Originally Posted by PoochJD

Hi,


- Akira (Probably the Granddaddy of anime! Complex, but superb nonetheless!)
- Ghost In The Shell (The original 1995 movie)
- Ghost In The Shell: Stand Alone Complex (TV series)
- My Neighbour Totoro
- My Neighbours, The Yamadas
- Pom Poko
- Spirited Away
- Princess Mononoke
- Grave Of The Fireflies (aka Tombstone For Fireflies, aka Graveyard Of The Fireflies)
- Metropolis
- Perfect Blue
- Urotsukidoji: Perfect Collection
- Urusei Yatsura
- Memories
- Dominion Tank Police: Acts 1-4
- New Dominion Tank Police
- Appleseed (2004 release)
- Fist Of The North Star (1987 Toei Animation anime film)
- Kiki's Delivery Service
- Nausicaa Of The Valley Of The Wind
- Only Yesterday

That should do you, for a start!


Pooch

Nice List Pooch!

[sh18]

Definately try and see Kite & Mezzo Forte, i still regard Kite as one of the greatest animes ive seen.
also the Berserk series is excellent!

[Scarylion]

RahXephon is good

[Decadence]

The Guyver series and Battle Angel Alita for me...highly recommended, also Wicked City is quite good too.

[dynamic turtle]

Bio Booster Armour Guyver.....

He's coming to get you!

Guyver has two of the coolest anime weapons ever - the Mega Smasher and the Gravity Cannon. Wicked.

[joe2snj]

Id also recommend

Ninja Scroll
Samurai X - Trust and Betrayal OVA
Street Fighter II

Does anyone know where i can get hold of evangelion in its entire series?

[PoochJD]

Joe,

"Evangelion" is available from any decent Region 1 or Region 2 company, in the form of DVD boxed sets.


Pooch