General anime discussion thread

[LOG]

Since we're still apparently adverse to discussing each anime individually like we do with other movies and television series (and if we did we would dominate half of the first page of this area if not more) :P

I'll start off with this: has anyone seen an anime series made more episodic in nature? Like Law and Order or NCIS or heck, even Family Guy or the Simpsons? Same characters and maybe settings, but not the traditional focused narrative that we usually get, like in story arcs in the longer ones, and instead have a story for each episode (would probably be hour-long episodes). There are some like that, but even those tend to develop multiple episode story arcs or have a habit of all their activities somehow getting back to an overarching theme.

[kuwisdelu]

Plenty. Most of the more serious ones still have an overarching narrative, but have lots of standalone episodes. I'm thinking Cowboy Bebop and Ghost in the Shell. Both still have arcs, but more than half the episodes are devoted to standalone stories.

For less-serious stuff, there's plenty in the slice-of-life genre. Stuff like K-On! and Azumanga Daioh. Pretty much anything adapted from a 4koma source.

[LOG]

Hmmmm, the reason I'm hesitant to include something like GitS is because while there are some stand-alones, the majority of it is still devoted to a single plot line, and it's still really quite short (by comparison). I wouldn't say I'm looking for Bleach/Naruto/One Piece length series, but more than the traditional 25-50.

4koma?

[kuwisdelu]

Originally Posted by LOG

Hmmmm, the reason I'm hesitant to include something like GitS is because while there are some stand-alones, the majority of it is still devoted to a single plot line, and it's still really quite short (by comparison). I wouldn't say I'm looking for Bleach/Naruto/One Piece length series, but more than the traditional 25-50.

Short? It's 2 seasons, 26 episodes a piece. That's pretty long when so many series only ever get 13 episodes.

4koma?

4-panel comic. Typically slice-of-life comedy. Slice-of-life stuff is definitely going to be the most common place you'll get single-episode stories. What kinds of genres are you looking for?

Hmm, Haruhi is pretty episodic once you get the background info.

[Dawnstorm]

So, are you looking for stuff like Mushishi? Just asking, because I know you know that one, as you guessed it in the screenshot thread.

Most episodic stuff I know has mini-arcs of two to four episodes, such as, for example, The World God Only Knows, which is currently getting a second season (although it seems like season 2 is setting up a story line; too early to tell.)

[LOG]

I only saw a few episodes of Mushishi, but it might be along the right lines.


@kuwisdelu
As for ep. number, most anime I've seen goes into the 20's at least, but you've probably seen a lot more than I have.


I just saw Appleseed, I give it a 3/5. It's okay, and pretty cool at time, but the characters come off inconsistent, and the story does as well at times.

[Shadow Dragon]

Cowboy Bebop and Samurai Champloo are very episodic. There is a recurring storyline, but most of the episodes are self contained stories.

[kuwisdelu]

Originally Posted by Dawnstorm

So, are you looking for stuff like Mushishi? Just asking, because I know you know that one, as you guessed it in the screenshot thread.

Originally Posted by LOG

I only saw a few episodes of Mushishi, but it might be along the right lines.

I haven't seen Mushishi yet, but if that's the kind of thing you're looking for, Natsume Yuujinchou is along the same lines. Episodic and laid-back.

[Dawnstorm]

This season:

Favourites:

Ano Hana (Dead girl re-unites a group of childhood friends - a bit charming, a bit tragic, a bit funny)

Hanasaku Iroha (Mom runs away with lover to leave daugher with estranged grandma - cookie cutter plot, but quirky characters and pretty visuals)

Steins;Gate (Conspiracy theory + time travel - over-the-top characters and a time-travelling banana; - way better than Chaos;Head)

Apparantly Underrated:

A-Channel (cute girls do cute things, cutely; the plot is as bland as it sounds, and their cheeks look like they've been treated with floor wax; apart from that it's just charming - nice subdued humour)

Hyouge Mono (Historical: Aesthet tries to be warrior but his love for beautiful things interferes - samurai story from an unusual perspective, both interesting and fun)

[kuwisdelu]

I'm waiting until after finals and final projects are over to catch up on any new stuff.

[Dommo]

I have hard time finding good anime. A lot of gets too preachy in dramatic moments.

Anyway, I'm definitely a huge fan of the ghost in the shell series, and of cowboy bebop. If anyone knows of any other Anime that are comparable in terms of quality, I'd greatly appreciate it.

[Aylaa]

Lol. I'm quite unbiased when it comes to anime, and i gotta admit I'm quite the opposite. There's so much anime that i know is good that i haven't been able to watch yet.

Finding good anime is somewhat restrictive to your internet impression of what constitutes piracy imo.

I'm into watching fan subs of current animes premiering every week in Japan. A lot of companies frown on internet streaming, and torrents, but there is no other way of staying current in the anime world. A wonderful streaming website animefreak.tv and just all around info I use animenewsnetwork.com

[Aylaa]

netflix and hulu have contracts with funimation so the volume of anime you have access there is amazing. Check those too.

[Aylaa]

favorite anime:

Cowboy beebop
Slayers
Bleach
One piece
Evangelion
Eureka 7


There are probably a hundred other series I loved, but the list would be a little overwhelming.

Check out myanimelist.net it'd probably solve your problem.

[defcon6000]

Originally Posted by Dommo

I have hard time finding good anime. A lot of gets too preachy in dramatic moments.

Anyway, I'm definitely a huge fan of the ghost in the shell series, and of cowboy bebop. If anyone knows of any other Anime that are comparable in terms of quality, I'd greatly appreciate it.

Outlaw Star, same makers although it's more plot heavy and less episodic.

Witch Hunter Robin is half and half. Episodic at the start, but as it progresses, it develops a plot. It's a bit dark but I enjoyed it.

There's Tenchi Muyo too, but dunno if you're more into the humor side of things. Plenty of action across the three series and great characters. The first series is the best imo - just pretend there are only two OVA seasons.

[kuwisdelu]

Originally Posted by Dommo

I have hard time finding good anime. A lot of gets too preachy in dramatic moments.

Anyway, I'm definitely a huge fan of the ghost in the shell series, and of cowboy bebop. If anyone knows of any other Anime that are comparable in terms of quality, I'd greatly appreciate it.

Eh, the biggest problem with finding good anime is that anime isn't a genre, so it's a pretty vague question.

Based on the sci-fi/philosophical nature of GiTS, I'd suggest Neon Genesis Evangelion, Texhnolyze, and Serial Experiments Lain. If you're looking more for actiony sci-fi, there's Gurren Lagann and the Macross franchise. Eden of the East is pretty good, and I think it's by the same director as GiTS.

[Dawnstorm]

Originally Posted by Dommo

I have hard time finding good anime. A lot of gets too preachy in dramatic moments.

Anyway, I'm definitely a huge fan of the ghost in the shell series, and of cowboy bebop. If anyone knows of any other Anime that are comparable in terms of quality, I'd greatly appreciate it.

Like Kuwisdelu said, there are plenty of genres. Also, not sure what "too preachy" is, and how often it can trigger before it ruins your enjoyment. For example, both Neon Genesis Evangelion and Serial Experiment Lain are brilliant anime, but I wonder whether the "philosophical" nature of the show counts as "preachy". (Anyway, in those two shows it's mostly towards the end.) Another show in that vein would be Ergo Proxy.

I hear good things about, but have not watches, Planetes. Aparently, it's about a team of space garbage men (clearing debris from planet orbits, to keep space travel save). The premis sounds promising.

The guy who did Cowboy bebop (Watanabe) (I have to share a typo: "Coyboy bebop") also did Samurai Champloo. Samurai historical meets present day American pop culture (for example, one of my fave episodes is mixing up tagging with calligraphy and literacy).

Maybe you'd like Wolf's Rain, or Basilisk. Both aren't exactly the happiest shows around, but well...

Then there's Haibane Renmei, a charming little tale about guilt and loss in an odd setting that is never explained. One of the best.

If you're willing to give romance a try, I could recommend True Tears (leaning towards drama), Toradora (leaning towards comedy), or Kimi ni Todoke (above all a feel-good story).

And so on, and so forth.

[kuwisdelu]

Originally Posted by Dawnstorm

Then there's Haibane Renmei, a charming little tale about guilt and loss in an odd setting that is never explained. One of the best.

Anything by Yoshitoshi ABe (Lain, Haibane Renmei, Texhnolyze) is extremely good. They can be a bit difficult to get into for some people, though, since they tend to be somewhat slow and dense. Haibane Renmei is probably the most straightforward of the three and a very nice little piece of magical realism.

I really hope Despera actually gets finished sometime.

[darkprincealain]

I've been a huge fan of Witch Hunter Robin for a long time. I tried House of Five Leaves because I liked the series name and the art style, but dropped it, as it felt too serious, or something. Ano Hana and Steins;Gate sound like ones I need to try out.

[amrose]

Originally Posted by kuwisdelu

Anything by Yoshitoshi ABe (Lain, Haibane Renmei, Texhnolyze) is extremely good. They can be a bit difficult to get into for some people, though, since they tend to be somewhat slow and dense. Haibane Renmei is probably the most straightforward of the three and a very nice little piece of magical realism.

Agreed. Lain and Haibane were great. I also watch Niea_7 every August but its tone is waaaaay different from Lain or Haibane.

As for episodic anime, how about Kino's Journey? There's some plot but most of the episodes are little morality/oh man's folly plays.

[Camilla Delvalle]

While watching Madoka Magica I got some new ideas for a story that I've been thinking about for a while. Can you suggest some other animes that have surreal environments? Maybe a city that is somewhat distorted so that it makes a surreal impression. The setup in my story is that there are witches that can create their own magical areas, an idea that I actually got from Steven Erikson and not from Madoka Magica. I'd also like me some eldritch abominations or really crazy monsters. I conjured up one of those on my own earlier today.

[kuwisdelu]

Originally Posted by Camilla Delvalle

While watching Madoka Magica I got some new ideas for a story that I've been thinking about for a while. Can you suggest some other animes that have surreal environments? Maybe a city that is somewhat distorted so that it makes a surreal impression. The setup in my story is that there are witches that can create their own magical areas, an idea that I actually got from Steven Erikson and not from Madoka Magica. I'd also like me some eldritch abominations or really crazy monsters. I conjured up one of those on my own earlier today.

Fullmetal Alchemist (both of them) has plenty of eldritch abominations and crazy monsters.

Neon Genesis Evangelion has plenty of screwy stuff on its own, but it's End of Evangelion that basically broke all rules and definitions surrounding the words "surreal" and "mindfuck."

Paranoia Agent would definitely qualify, particularly toward the ending, as well as Lain.

[Dawnstorm]

Originally Posted by Camilla Delvalle

While watching Madoka Magica I got some new ideas for a story that I've been thinking about for a while. Can you suggest some other animes that have surreal environments? Maybe a city that is somewhat distorted so that it makes a surreal impression. The setup in my story is that there are witches that can create their own magical areas, an idea that I actually got from Steven Erikson and not from Madoka Magica. I'd also like me some eldritch abominations or really crazy monsters. I conjured up one of those on my own earlier today.

If you have access to a playstation 2, I'd suggest you gain access to Persona 3 & 4. Jungian psychology meets tarot. You're fighting manifestations of the collective subconscious that are sometimes tailored to you're party's repressed psychological problems. There's an anime, Persona: Tryinity Soul, but I didn't get past episode 1, so I can't tell how good it is. Persona 4 is about to be turned into an anime; there are already trailers out.

[Camilla Delvalle]

Originally Posted by kuwisdelu

Fullmetal Alchemist (both of them) has plenty of eldritch abominations and crazy monsters.

Neon Genesis Evangelion has plenty of screwy stuff on its own, but it's End of Evangelion that basically broke all rules and definitions surrounding the words "surreal" and "mindfuck."

Paranoia Agent would definitely qualify, particularly toward the ending, as well as Lain.

Thank you. I watched the first episode of Fullmetal Alchemist but there was too much yelling for my taste.

Eva has some great monsters, yes.

Yes, Paranoia Agent had that cardboard world. That's a good example of what I was thinking about.

[Camilla Delvalle]

The most powerful witch will be hovering in the air up-side down, because I thought that was cool in Madoka. Another witch will merely be a motorcycle chick with leather clothes and a taste for paintings of naked males. I'm also thinking that one might be invisible, because she is shy, but with visible clothes, or someone can be an object like a porcelain doll.