Looking for a new anime to watch...

[Yurtle]

I LOVE Cowboy Bebop. I'm not a huge fan of anime. Subtitles are exhausting, especially when you're not used to actually looking at what you're watching because you're stitching or doing some other sort of craft. But Cowboy Bebop was an extreme exception. I found the characters very fascinating. I own Neon Genesis Evangelion but I haven't managed to work all the way through it yet.

[Icelandic Hitman]

I have issues with Evangelion - it's good until the pseudo-religious-prophesy-drug-trip-thingy happens.

Plus Shinji is a rather poor protagonist. He doesn't actually do anything, just reacts to stuff and goes crazy.

You mean the last 2 eps which were basically storyboards, where Shinji does the whole don't hate myself thing? The movies "End of" and "Rebirth" are the real ending, but Gianax said you can't end it like that, so they hacked the end together with no budget or time. But the rebuild is doing a real good job with it, but yes so far Shinji is still a bit of a complete and total wimp that you just want to beat up. Oh and they changed Asuka's name for some reason.

And you mention Fruits Basket, which is a good thing, because it cannot be recommended enough.

I also second the Ghost in the Shell series and Revolutionary Girl Utena (especially the movie).

I was always under the very very mistaken impression that Fruits Basket was serious, boy was I wrong! Highly recommend and its free

RGU I saw the movie at the cinema without seeing the TV series and I was like Wha? no Wha? then I bought it on DVD and watched it like 5 or 6 times( sucker for that rose dance scene ) that got me down to just Wha? Now that I have seen the TV series it make sooooo much more sense, reading the manga makes it make even more sense.

I LOVE Cowboy Bebop. I'm not a huge fan of anime. Subtitles are exhausting, especially when you're not used to actually looking at what you're watching because you're stitching or doing some other sort of craft. But Cowboy Bebop was an extreme exception. I found the characters very fascinating. I own Neon Genesis Evangelion but I haven't managed to work all the way through it yet.

This is my new problem, can't read subtitles and chart at the same time. I have taken to doing all the half stitches of a colour with the pattern, then I can just cross back the stitches with out needing to look at a pattern or much else. But I also use a scroll frame sideways ( scroll bars go up and down ) so the end rests on my leg, which brings the middle of the stitches to the top of the stitches up to about eye level allowing me to see the stitches and the tv/computer at the sametime. Or watching series that I'm not too concerned about in dubs like Romeo X Juilet, which was actually saved by the Dub for the most part. Does anybody have solutions to this dilemma?


Any Giant Robo fans?

[Ally]

My brother has a few anime watching friends, and they're saying 'Bleach' is a good one. I had a read about it and it sounds pretty cool, but with 350+ episodes it seems like a long haul, not particularly friendly on my Internet to stream it or my card to buy it. Any thoughts on this one? And I've been reading about one called 'The Melancholy Of Haruhi Suzumiya' which sounds really good. Has anyone watched this or read the manga?

[RMDC]

And I've been reading about one called 'The Melancholy Of Haruhi Suzumiya' which sounds really good. Has anyone watched this or read the manga?

Haruhi is a fun character show which uses ridiculous situations and impossible characters as a good analogue for what it is to be a teenager. Definitely worth the watch. Be forewarned - the episodes are not shown in chronological order; however, the show is more engaging to watch in the order presented.

[dorkyzyl13]

My brother has a few anime watching friends, and they're saying 'Bleach' is a good one. I had a read about it and it sounds pretty cool, but with 350+ episodes it seems like a long haul, not particularly friendly on my Internet to stream it or my card to buy it. Any thoughts on this one?

I really do love Bleach...or at least I really did. I started watching it from the start, so it was easy to keep up with the episodes. But around ep 220 or so I was hitting my last year in college and didn't keep up. Now that they've ended it, I started re-watching it with my sister, but it's taking a long time. You might be able to get away with skipping some arcs because of the filler, but I think some of the filler arcs are pretty good even though they have nothing to do with the manga. It's definitely like some other animes in that it can take forever to finish a fight. Great anime, but definitely intimidating because of the length.

A few others that haven't been mentioned:
Getbackers
Black Cat
Outlaw Star
Rurouni Kenshin
Tenjou Tenge
Full Metal Alchemist
Full Metal Panic
Elfen Lied

And just in case you are interested in the shojo Reverse Harem genre:
Fruits Basket
Fushigi Yuugi
Vampire Knight
Ouran High Host Club
Hana Yori Dango

[Ally]

Some great sounding stuff in these lists! How are the dubs? Or am I better off watching it in Japanese with the subtitles on?

[Ishtar]

Fruits Basket and Cardcaptor Sakura (NOT Cardcaptors! ... almost two different shows after US butchered) are my all time fav anime series. Anything almost by Studio Ghibli also (movies).

I love anything by CLAMP too. Their art style/character design is divine. Loved Code Geass due to their art style but a less shojo plot.

Enjoyed Haruhi, Full Metal Alchemist, Full Metal Alchemist, Nior, Slayers, Ranma 1/2.

Bleach had way too many filler episodes till it caught up with manga. Stopped watching half way through said first or second lot of 'fillers'. Was good for the 'actual' story bits though.

And subbed all the way. Most dubbed ones in my opinion are painful to listen to. Sounds more fake but maybe that is just because I am not used to Japanese and what it SHOULD should like. I do remember I was so excited when Fruits Basket was licensed in America to hear the dub.... worst experience ever after listening to in Japanese,

Check out Madman Screening Room they have the first two eps (or in a few cases more) of several series they put out here in Australia that you can watch. They also have trailers to look at =)

[Ally]

I just bought the 'Cardcaptor Sakura' DVD's, very excited for their arrival at my house! And I had a good read about 'Code Geass' and it sounds awesome, must find. I can tell I'm going to be pretty broke for a while, buying up on anime DVDs! Since pretty well everyone has had good things to say I think it'll be 'Fruits Basket' first up, then 'Haruhi'. There's a big box set of 'Fullmetal Alchemist: Brotherhood' coming out soon, but at $170 it's a little steep.

[Icelandic Hitman]

And I've been reading about one called 'The Melancholy Of Haruhi Suzumiya' which sounds really good. Has anyone watched this or read the manga?

Haruhi is a fun character show which uses ridiculous situations and impossible characters as a good analogue for what it is to be a teenager. Definitely worth the watch. Be forewarned - the episodes are not shown in chronological order; however, the show is more engaging to watch in the order presented.

Haruhi S is a fantastic series, not very serious, but great.

My brother has a few anime watching friends, and they're saying 'Bleach' is a good one. I had a read about it and it sounds pretty cool, but with 350+ episodes it seems like a long haul, not particularly friendly on my Internet to stream it or my card to buy it. Any thoughts on this one?

I really do love Bleach...or at least I really did. I started watching it from the start, so it was easy to keep up with the episodes. But around ep 220 or so I was hitting my last year in college and didn't keep up. Now that they've ended it, I started re-watching it with my sister, but it's taking a long time. You might be able to get away with skipping some arcs because of the filler, but I think some of the filler arcs are pretty good even though they have nothing to do with the manga. It's definitely like some other animes in that it can take forever to finish a fight. Great anime, but definitely intimidating because of the length.

A few others that haven't been mentioned:
Getbackers

I just bought the 'Cardcaptor Sakura' DVD's, very excited for their arrival at my house! And I had a good read about 'Code Geass' and it sounds awesome, must find. I can tell I'm going to be pretty broke for a while, buying up on anime DVDs! Since pretty well everyone has had good things to say I think it'll be 'Fruits Basket' first up, then 'Haruhi'. There's a big box set of 'Fullmetal Alchemist: Brotherhood' coming out soon, but at $170 it's a little steep.

Black Cat
Outlaw Star
Rurouni Kenshin
Tenjou Tenge
Full Metal Alchemist
Full Metal Panic
Elfen Lied

And just in case you are interested in the shojo Reverse Harem genre:
Fruits Basket
Fushigi Yuugi
Vampire Knight
Ouran High Host Club
Hana Yori Dango

Getbackers to me seemed like 2 anime, there was the first 2~3 then the middle eps and then the end eps which had a plot and then all the others were almost entirely separate from it, still enjoyed it thought.
FMA its amazing that nobody has mentioned this one yet..
FMP I mentioned it.

Fushigi Yuugi that takes me back...
Given the rest of the list I will have to check out Hana Yori Dango. Is it manga or anime or both?

Some great sounding stuff in these lists! How are the dubs? Or am I better off watching it in Japanese with the subtitles on?

Generally I say Subs because otherwise you might end up with a totally different plot. I discovered this on Gunsmith Cats, Dub, "Your Crazy", "I know", "Its always the weird guys that turn me on though" Sub "Via the Back", "Best Chance", "I guess it does gives us the tactical advantage, the front is too exposed".
That being said I do like the Anime Pioneer Dubs, Tenchi Muyo, Moldiver, Phantom Quest Corp, El-Hazard, The Evangelion dub is good, Ranma 1/2 dub is pitch perfect and I find Lupin films better in dubs.

Any Nabeshin fans? Excel Saga, Wallflower?

I just bought the 'Cardcaptor Sakura' DVD's, very excited for their arrival at my house! And I had a good read about 'Code Geass' and it sounds awesome, must find. I can tell I'm going to be pretty broke for a while, buying up on anime DVDs! Since pretty well everyone has had good things to say I think it'll be 'Fruits Basket' first up, then 'Haruhi'. There's a big box set of 'Fullmetal Alchemist: Brotherhood' coming out soon, but at $170 it's a little steep.

Find some of Fruits Basket on line to catch up the ABC3 broadcast and catch it on iView

[Ally]

iView has some cool stuff, bummer it's not all from the beginning! What's a good site to catch up with?