Anime

[the tower of albion]

Any one watching final space? Man that's a blast.

[Meera of Tarth]

On 4/26/2018 at 10:46 AM, A True Kaniggit said:

Holy Shit. I just finished episode 3.

Now  I first tried watching this some months ago, and I never even finish the opening sequence of the first episode.

But then ya'll said it gets dark, so I decided to give it another shot. You guys were not joking around.

I have just finished watching the anime, episode 12.

WOW. Really good finale. I even cried a little bit. The music is excellent, there is a new song which is great -apart from the one that appears at every episode- (I think this last one had never appeared before, I could be wrong though) that fits the ending so perfectly.

I'm not sure which episode is the one I liked the most, but certainly those from the second half. I still have to make up my mind about who is my favourite character, although after seeing her whole arc, maybe it's Kyoko. But now after the finale and the arc of a certain Magical Girl........I can't say. It's definitely not Madoka, though (not that she is not a great character with a really interesting arc). By the way, should I have just one? I don't normally have just one favourite character in the shows I watch (especially those that I've watched recently), so maybe I just leave it this way!

The best part of the anime is that you can feel the emotions of these girls, both the positive and the negative ones, and that both their backstories and what they experience at present time during the show lead to their actions afterwards in a natural way; sometimes they are more driven but their emotions, others by their brain, but what they do and how they act after each important event are (normally)  logical conclusions of what they have experienced before and how their personalities have adapted to that, and in general, nothing is gratuitous.

It has been an amazing experience, and it has not only fulfilled my expectations, but it also has been better than what I had previously thought, because the plot never felt boring. On the contrary, it was mentally stimulating. I'm glad that I finally decided to watch it!! The ending itself has a closed finale, but there is also the movie that was released after.

Oh well.....and I still have to watch this movie/sequel to get the full closure of this anime, unless they release another sequel or 2nd movie. I can't wait!

[karaddin]

Madoka Magica was amazing and beautiful and so crushing.

If you appreciate dark narratives that also have moral complexity to them, then I'd put in a plug for Shinsekai Yori/From The New World from 2012. I really mean it on being dark though, its not immediately apparent but when it hits it hits very hard.

On 16/02/2018 at 8:42 PM, JordanJH1993 said:

I don't watch any anime, but I read manga. I'm not sure if there is a manga thread, so this is probably as close as I'll get to one.

I just started One Piece the other day. I'm 77 chapters in and finally getting into it now.

I have to compare it to Naruto, in the sense that they are both extremely long mangas. At 77 chapters into Naruto, we were already in the midst of the Chunnin exams, so the story was really starting to flow as one. What I like less about One Piece is so far it's just been story after story, rather than everything happening feeling like part of one big story, as Naruto already felt like by 70-odd chapters in.

That's why I only feel like I am really getting into One Piece now, as it's finally come to a story that makes it feel like it really means something. The part I am at it is where they go to Arlong Park and we find out that Nami has been working alongside pirates all along. It feels like it's reached a point in One Piece where things are really going to take off in terms of an overall plot.

I've been watching/reading One Piece for 15 years now and its my perpetual favourite. The stories do feel disconnected early on while its establishing the characters and the world, but everything that's canon is important. Details from those early arcs still come up - for example the most recent arc heavily drew on things set up in the Baratie arc. 

The long term story slowly emerges, and the length of the arcs grows as it goes on. The anime does suffer from filler being part of the adaptation rather than separate arcs, I primarily read the manga and do the anime in infrequent binges where you can skip through that stuff.

[KingintheNorth4]

36 minutes ago, karaddin said:

Madoka Magica was amazing and beautiful and so crushing.

If you appreciate dark narratives that also have moral complexity to them, then I'd put in a plug for Shinsekai Yori/From The New World from 2012. I really mean it on being dark though, its not immediately apparent but when it hits it hits very hard.

I've been watching/reading One Piece for 15 years now and its my perpetual favourite. The stories do feel disconnected early on while its establishing the characters and the world, but everything that's canon is important. Details from those early arcs still come up - for example the most recent arc heavily drew on things set up in the Baratie arc. 

The long term story slowly emerges, and the length of the arcs grows as it goes on. The anime does suffer from filler being part of the adaptation rather than separate arcs, I primarily read the manga and do the anime in infrequent binges where you can skip through that stuff.

I'm happy to see that I'm not the only One Piece fan on here. You're absolutely right about the story and World. The Arlong Park story arc is what got me hooked to the series.

[A True Kaniggit]

jI'm just drunk enough to make a list of, and post all Animes that I've watched/ am currently watching. () is for my comments.

Tell me what I've missed so far that I will assuredly go to hell for if I don't finish before I die. (Evangelion seems to be in this category)

I put the list in spoilers to save space.

 

Durarara!!

Sword Art Online (Highly recommend Sword Art Online Abridged. Especially if you're a gamer. It's hilarious. Actually here's the first episode. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=V6kJKxvbgZ0  . Like I said, hilarious)

RWBY (I know people bitch this isn't technically an anime. F*** you, I loves it anyways)

 

Puella Magi Modaka (Just finished recently. DAAAAAMN!!!!!)

Gargantia on the Verdurous Planet

Gurren Lagann (will that escalated quickly)

Dragon Ball Z/Super (Never watched the original Dragon Ball or GT)

Soul Eater (Finished up to part 3 of 4. Will be done with soon)

Death Note

Naruto ( Little over 50 episodes in. I know I have a long ways to go)

One Piece (If you watch, look up which episodes are straight up filler and skip them. As karaddin said, this isn't foolproof since a lot of filler is worked into canon episodes. But it does help some.

 

F you foxy pirates

)

One Punch Man

The Devil is a Part Timer

Fate/stay night (Have not finished yet. Have seen episodes 3-7 maybe? I need to start over and watch the whole thing)

Knights of Sidonia

Seven Deadly Sins

Attack on Titan

Re: Zero

Blue Excoricist

Bleach (only the series. I've never seen any of the movies)

Kill La Kill (only about 25% finished)

Ajin: Demi-Human

Aldnoah zero

You're Lie in April

Robotech (only the Macross arch)

The Last Airbender

The Legend of Korra

 

There may be more that I can't recall right now. Will edit for any updates.

[felice]

1 hour ago, A True Kaniggit said:

Tell me what I've missed so far that I will assuredly go to hell for if I don't finish before I die. (Evangelion seems to be in this category)

Yep, Eva is compulsory. Princess Tutu? Revolutionary Girl Utena? Haibane Renmei? And if you're not fussy about country of origin, definitely Last Airbender and Korra.

[karaddin]

Utena is great but I can see it wouldn't be for everyone, I'd definitely give it a try but if you find aspects of it grating then I'd trust your gut response.

Cowboy Bebop is the one that's one every "must watch" pretentious list but actually is that good. Technically, narratively and emotionally its superb.

Kill la Kill is by the same guy that did Gurren Lagann and also escalates awful fast once you get further into it.

Stein's Gate is hyped up and I'd say deservedly so. Baccano! is also great and these two are in the category that actually have good dubs as well if you want to watch something that doesn't require the attention that subtitles do. The latter is a Guy Ritchie style heist story filled with zany characters and a narrative that is unclear at first. Worth watching just the title sequence if you can't be bothered watching the whole thing.

FMA: Brotherhood always comes up. I missed getting on the boat for this early as I watched and enjoyed the original one so just put off starting the adaptation, it disappeared off netflix just as I started it.

Code Geass: Lelouch of the Rebellion (along with Death Note) hit at the peak of the golden age of anime, its a mecha political thriller. I really liked it, and its a good time to get on it as there is an unexpected 3rd season on the way now.

And yes, ATLA and Korra absolutely. Even if you have country of origin misgivings, give them a go anyway.

[A True Kaniggit]

35 minutes ago, felice said:

Yep, Eva is compulsory. Princess Tutu? Revolutionary Girl Utena? Haibane Renmei? And if you're not fussy about country of origin, definitely Last Airbender and Korra.

Don't know about the other three. But of course I've totally seen The Last Airbender and Korra

 

I was among those sad SOBs who had Nickelodeon pull Korra from the lineup and had to finish it on the website

I may be ignorant, but I'm not a savage.

Edit: thanks karaddin. You replied while I was typing.

Guess I'm gonna have my work cut out for me if I want to avoid hell. I'll try not to let y'all down.

[Meera of Tarth]

8 hours ago, A True Kaniggit said:

jI'm just drunk enough to make a list of, and post all Animes that I've watched/ am currently watching. () is for my comments.

Tell me what I've missed so far that I will assuredly go to hell for if I don't finish before I die. (Evangelion seems to be in this category)

I put the list in spoilers to save space.

  Reveal hidden contents

Durarara!!

Sword Art Online (Highly recommend Sword Art Online Abridged. Especially if you're a gamer. It's hilarious)

RWBY (I know people bitch this isn't technically an anime. F*** you, I loves it anyways)

Puella Magi Modaka (Just finished recently. DAAAAAMN!!!!!)

Gargantia on the Verdurous Planet

Gurren Lagann (will that escalated quickly)

Dragon Ball Z/Super (Never watched the original Dragon Ball or GT)

Soul Eater (Finished up to part 3 of 4. Will be done with soon)

Death Note

Naruto ( Little over 50 episodes in. I know I have a long ways to go)

One Piece (If you watch, look up which episodes are straight up filler and skip them. As karaddin said, this isn't foolproof since a lot of filler is worked into canon episodes. But it does help some.

  Reveal hidden contents

F you foxy pirates

)

One Punch Man

The Devil is a Part Timer

Fate/stay night (Have not finished yet. Have seen episodes 3-7 maybe? I need to start over and watch the whole thing)

Knights of Sidonia

Seven Deadly Sins

Attack on Titan

Re: Zero

Blue Excoricist

Bleach (only the series. I've never seen any of the movies)

Kill La Kill (only about 25% finished)

Ajin: Demi-Human

Aldnoah zero

You're Lie in April

Robotech (only the Macross arch)

The Last Airbender

The Legend of Korra

 

There may be more that I can't recall right now. Will edit for any updates.

 

7 hours ago, felice said:

Yep, Eva is compulsory. Princess Tutu? Revolutionary Girl Utena? Haibane Renmei? And if you're not fussy about country of origin, definitely Last Airbender and Korra.

Yeah, I agree, Neon Genesis Evangelion is a must-watch classic!

I'd also recommend Utena!! It's completely crazy, but enjoyable!

...

As for Dragon Ball and Dragon Ball GT, I enjoyed them; in spite of being less focused on battles, and more on adventures and having a more "childish" tone. They help to have a better understading of the whole story.

Have not watched Super. In theory it's just after the events of DBZ, making GT non-canon or something like this (even if it's settled some years after), as far as I know. I watched some clips and I didn't like how they treated Videl.

[Rippounet]

Cowboy Bebop is the anime that everyone should try watching, even if they're not into anime. I'm not sure any summary can do it justice.
Edit: how about an intro?
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Z-4ImAf6qYk

Then there's the adult "action-filled" stuff that is entertaining and fun to watch but is less plot-based:
- Hellsing.
- Berserk. (yeah I know, it has a good plot but it's still an action-based one to me ; the manga has incredible art btw)
- One-punch Man.

 

Lastly there's the shônen ones... I would always recommend reading the manga... The anime take ages to watch and have fillers of random quality. Naruto and One Piece are very good and Dragon Ball is the big oldie-daddy of them all.

Evangelion is a classic - it's the series that got me into anime back when a friend lent me his VHS tapes in the early 2000s. And yet I'm not sure I would recommend it to begin anime. I'm not even sure which Evangelion I would recommend at this point. I was always a fan of the original show, but the latest one has some mind-blowing visuals.

[Toth]

1 hour ago, Rippounet said:

Cowboy Bebop is the anime that everyone should try watching, even if they're not into anime. I'm not sure any summary can do it justice.

Mmmh... I'm not sure how much of that is just the nostalgia thing. I tried to watch Bebop about a year ago, but grew bored of it after 4 episodes. It sure looks great and has a certain style to it. And maybe it's a show that needs more time to develop, I don't know. Or maybe it's just I'm not the space western kind of guy. It's just weird that everyone keeps gushing about how awesome it is in the comments while I sit there thinking "Well... an episode of headhunting happened, but yeah, that's it".

1 hour ago, Rippounet said:

Evangelion is a classic - it's the series that got me into anime back when a friend lent me his VHS tapes in the early 2000s. And yet I'm not sure I would recommend it to begin anime. I'm not even sure which Evangelion I would recommend at this point. I was always a fan of the original show, but the latest one has some mind-blowing visuals.

I'm more of an 'Original Series + End" kind of guy. Sure, the reboot looks good and I kinda like the first two reboots (despite seething in anger at how they dropped the ball by changing Asuka's backstory for no reason and not saying anything about what the new one is). The third one however is a ridiculous idiot plot if I ever saw one. What the fuck is the point of retconning the second movie's ending just so that a confused Shinji can shuffle from mistake to mistake and feel bad while everybody yells at him to feel bad instead of explaining what the hell is going on? This whole disaster just makes me worry about Hideaki Anno's mental health, nothing more. Though even despite my worries when I heard that his depression has come back to haunt him, as a hobby writer I can't help but frown about how one drastically alters the story with diabolus ex machinas to push their characters into the dirt every time you yourself feel down. That's... that's simply not how good writing works...

[Rippounet]

1 hour ago, Toth said:

Mmmh... I'm not sure how much of that is just the nostalgia thing. I tried to watch Bebop about a year ago, but grew bored of it after 4 episodes. It sure looks great and has a certain style to it. And maybe it's a show that needs more time to develop, I don't know. Or maybe it's just I'm not the space western kind of guy. It's just weird that everyone keeps gushing about how awesome it is in the comments while I sit there thinking "Well... an episode of headhunting happened, but yeah, that's it".

Certainly, nostalgia always plays its role. I rewatched it a couple of years ago and I think Cowboy Bebop is very much a product of its time, like the original Evangelion series or the first Ghost in the Shell movie. But like these two, it's one of the very best that anime had to offer at the time and it still holds the passage of time quite well. The visuals are a bit dated, but the overall atmosphere still works.
It is what I would call an "atmosphere-based" (or "style-based") anime though, which means one has to find the setting (this weird cowboy science-fiction universe with a drop of cyberpunk at times), the characters (who are supposed to be really cool, even by anime standards) and the music enjoyable. The main plot is sluggish to say the least, and the standalone episodes can be unequal in quality, depending on your tastes. Still, to this day, I haven't found many atmosphere-based animes (if any) that had this level of quality. As for the dated aspect, well, the funny thing is that it was already a bit dated when it was released and I believe it was always supposed to be part of its charm.

Anyway, it's because of all this that I added a short intro from youtube. Because if you don't like that intro then the show is probably not for you.

And although I probably shouldn't say it, I have some harsh criticism of my own for some of the shows that were recommended by others... So... I think it always boils down to a matter of taste too.

[Toth]

46 minutes ago, Rippounet said:

It is what I would call an "atmosphere-based" (or "style-based") anime though, which means one has to find the setting (this weird cowboy science-fiction universe with a drop of cyberpunk at times), the characters (who are supposed to be really cool, even by anime standards) and the music enjoyable. The main plot is sluggish to say the least, and the standalone episodes can be unequal in quality, depending on your tastes. Still, to this day, I haven't found many atmosphere-based animes (if any) that had this level of quality. As for the dated aspect, well, the funny thing is that it was already a bit dated when it was released and I believe it was always supposed to be part of its charm.

I see. That sounds like a fair assessment that makes a whole lot of sense. I actually didn't have any grave complaints I can still think of, it was just that it failed to keep me around for solely taste-based reasons. It was not bad, just not the kind of stuff I usually watch. Heck, I tend to overlook art issues when the story is good enough, and you see from my recommendations that I tend to focus on character heavy drama and stories that have a mystery component at their heart to keep you involved. Therefore also my dislike to all those long-runners where I can tell that the author doesn't really know where to go and just keeps stretching things out. Except Detective Conan. 'cause the individual cases are entertaining enough. You don't watch that for the main plot...

46 minutes ago, Rippounet said:

And although I probably shouldn't say it, I have some harsh criticism of my own for some of the shows that were recommended by others... So... I think it always boils down to a matter of taste too.

Mmh... in fact, I have a few complaints about my own recommendations, nothing wrong with that. There is no perfect show and there are different levels of complaints ranging from annoying to dealbreaking.

Steins;Gate can be rather dull and static at times and then there is of course that annoying 'Attractor Field' nonsense.

Spoiler

It's annoying how much Steins;Gate pretends to be all hard sci-fi, but its core source of drama is the grim reaper pulling a 'Final Destination' for rather arbitrary reasons.

Higurashi also has quite a few flaws, especially in regards to a certain spoiler character.

Spoiler

The way Hanyuu plays some of the moe character archetype straight that the series initially set out to deconstruct annoys the hell out of me. Especially in regards to her actually pretty decent backstory of an adult woman, shunned for her demonic mutations who got sacrificed when the villagers turned crazy for the first time, killed by her own daughter no less. That this is shoved aside in favor of her acting all cutesy and flustered bugs me a lot, because it makes so little sense for that context. And unlike Rena's behavior, it is never portrayed as a coping mechanism.

Of course there is also the rather disgusting fanservice in the fandiscs...

And Fate/Zero... well, there is a rather discomforting concentration of fridge-stuffing for many characters just to cause them pain... most of that is done in a sensible manner and makes narrative sense, but when you add it all up, you can see the pattern. But other than that it's totally fine.

[Rippounet]

48 minutes ago, Toth said:

I see. That sounds like a fair assessment that makes a whole lot of sense. I actually didn't have any grave complaints I can still think of, it was just that it failed to keep me around for solely taste-based reasons. It was not bad, just not the kind of stuff I usually watch. Heck, I tend to overlook art issues when the story is good enough, and you see from my recommendations that I tend to focus on character heavy drama and stories that have a mystery component at their heart to keep you involved. Therefore also my dislike to all those long-runners where I can tell that the author doesn't really know where to go and just keeps stretching things out. Except Detective Conan. 'cause the individual cases are entertaining enough. You don't watch that for the main plot...

I think Cowboy Bebop is the Firefly of anime. They both are one-of-a-kind shows with an almost unique atmosphere that makes them incredibly cool. They were both elevated to "mythical" status because there was something groundbreaking about them upon release. But you have to be into the "Western science-fiction" genre and they are both a bit old now.
This being said... Funnily enough, Cowboy Bebop actually has character heavy drama and a mystery component at its heart. Maybe you should give it another try. I can't remember in which episode you start having the first elements of the main plot, but it does take a bit of time.

I kinda agree with your assessment of Stein's gate btw (I watched Fate and Higurashi too long ago to say anything about them). I'm not sure I mind the "nonsense" plot device itself though, for me it's more about the fact that it is used to turn the anime into a very evolved variant of the harem genre, which I deeply dislike. IIRC, it was always going to be the actual genre of the series though.

[Toth]

45 minutes ago, Rippounet said:

I kinda agree with your assessment of Stein's gate btw (I watched Fate and Higurashi too long ago to say anything about them). I'm not sure I mind the "nonsense" plot device itself though, for me it's more about the fact that it is used to turn the anime into a very evolved variant of the harem genre, which I deeply dislike. IIRC, it was always going to be the actual genre of the series though.

Okay... I actually didn't have that impression at all.

Spoiler

I think you mean that in the end, the story forces Okabe to decide between a timeline where Mayuri lives or a timeline where Kurisu lives, right? I mean... I had the very strong impression that Mayuri isn't a love interest to him at all, she is his most important friend of childhood days. Given how much the story beats over our heads that Kurisu is his first love, it doesn't seem like there is any romantic attraction between them.

Or do you just mean how many of the people gravitating towards the lab are pretty girls (and a dude)? In that case, of course it is true. The VN tried to sell itself with that, it seems (even though I find the original character art rather creepy). But at least except for the fact that the cast is full of pretty girls, none of them except Kurisu (or possibly the dude?) show any interest in Okabe as far as I remember. Can't say whether the different routes in the VN change that, though. According the guide you can make Okabe stop undoing their changes at any point in order to see different bad endings which center around those girls. But I haven't read far enough to see whether that means that they shoe-horn other Okabe-pairings into the story as if it were a Dating Sim.

In fact, that is one aspect that bugs me now in Steins;Gate 0: The fact that Maho, a scientist who used to work with Kurisu, is kinda shipped by the narrative with Okabe. For example through the blatant teasing Amadeus, the AI she created, does with the intention to make them hook up. Or how Okabe oggled her when she appeared at a dinner party in a lab coat... But then again, if it's just Maho and it is used to make him try to move on from Kurisu, it should be fine.

In general, I guess Higurashi kind of trained me to overlook harem elements when they are not dominating the story. I am well aware that a cast of pretty girls tend to be used for fanservice, but when their entire lives don't gravitate around a tool of a protagonist (looking at you, Kinoko Nasu), I can live with it as long as the story is good. Higurashi for example played with the harem tropes, but in the end defied them to tell a story about friendship instead. I appreciated that a lot. And Steins;Gate... like I said, it might fall into the bishojou genre, but I hadn't the impression that it is a harem. The romance between Okabe and Kurisu dominated it too much.

 

[felice]

4 hours ago, Toth said:

Mmmh... I'm not sure how much of that is just the nostalgia thing. I tried to watch Bebop about a year ago, but grew bored of it after 4 episodes.

I watched it all, and it was decent, but I didn't find it as incredible as some people do. I've been vaguely intending to acquire the movie for ages, but haven't gotten round to it. I prefer Firefly!

4 hours ago, Toth said:

I'm more of an 'Original Series + End" kind of guy.

Definitely. I'm reserving judgement on the remake movies till we've seen the whole story; some of the visuals are improvements over the TV show, but the story does end up diverging a bit* by the third film, and there are elements of the films that won't have the same impact if you're not familiar with the original.

_{(* yes, that's understatement)}

[Meera of Tarth]

7 hours ago, Rippounet said:

Lastly there's the shônen ones... I would always recommend reading the manga... The anime take ages to watch and have fillers of random quality. Naruto and One Piece are very good and Dragon Ball is the big oldie-daddy of them all.

Never seen Naruto but it's very famous. What is is about? 

Quote

Evangelion is a classic - it's the series that got me into anime back when a friend lent me his VHS tapes in the early 2000s. And yet I'm not sure I would recommend it to begin anime. I'm not even sure which Evangelion I would recommend at this point. I was always a fan of the original show, but the latest one has some mind-blowing visuals.

I've not seen the new Evas, but even knowing almost nothing about the new ones, I'd recommend the original one. Or at least start with that. While I can agree with the visuals thing, although in my case I normally prefer the old style ones in all the new clips from reboots/sequels of animes I've seen on youtube except Sakura Clear Card-,  that was supposed to be the original, central one, the story that was gonna be told and as a classic I think it's better to recommend the original. And also very much because I didn't like how Asuka (my favourite character) looks there in the new one/s. I like the Asuka we see in the first show, from the start.

3 hours ago, Toth said:

 Therefore also my dislike to all those long-runners where I can tell that the author doesn't really know where to go and just keeps stretching things out. Except Detective Conan. 'cause the individual cases are entertaining enough. You don't watch that for the main plot...

And also Conan is highly recommendable to anyone who likes any series about crimes (one doesn't have to know about animes or watch any other to actually enjoy Conan). 

[Rippounet]

@Toth

 

Well, I'm no expert on Stein's Gate, but according to the internet, there were as many possible endings to the VN as there were girls (and Luka). Basically all the pairings were possible. And I did get that feeling while watching the anime (that Okabe could basically "choose" who he wanted, even if Kurisu was always clearly the one) though "harem" is a bit of an exaggeration here.

Mind you, *I* didn't care all that much, the anime was still good overall and I'm not too bothered by harem vibes (I enjoyed Love Hina at some point ^^). Nor did I care that Kurisu was something of a tsundere (in fact, I kind of like tsunderes in animes ^^). It's just that as you said I was expecting a purer sci-fi approach.

Also, for the purpose of recommending animes for "beginners" I would personally avoid shows that have such anime-like features. Just in case they're not into that kind of thing.

 

Holy shit, I just realized that by adding the intro for Cowboy Bebop, I erased most of my "recommendations list." Originally it was:
1) Cowboy Bebop
2) Full Metal Alchemist (either one of the shows). It's an amazing story though it does have a lot of shônen-like elements.
3) Attack on Titan. Though at first look it seems to be beautiful gratuitous violence, it really has an amazing plot as well.
4) Code Geass. A mix of several genres that shouldn't work but that does somehow. Crazy and awesome.
5) Death Note. Kind of a mind fuck. Almost all plot and no action. Still rated one of the best animes of all time.
6) Samurai Champloo. Less rivetting than its sister show Cowboy Bebop imho, but still great, with slightly more modern visuals too. The first episode is an absolute must-see.

It's really a recommendations list because these shows are rather light on many "classic" anime-like features that might seem odd for non-anime fans. You nerds will know what I'm talking about.
 

1 hour ago, Meera of Tarth said:

Never seen Naruto but it's very famous. What is is about?

Young boy decides to be the strongest ninja in the world to protect everyone he loves. It's a typical shônen so I would not recommend it to start  anime - at least not to anyone over 15. But it's well-made and I enjoyed it while it lasted. I'd be highly critical of the last arc though but I can't go into details without spoiling. I'd say it's best to watch the first episode to see if you like it. Avoid fillers at all cost though, most of them are terrible.

Generally speaking, my "list" above is really animes that I think anyone can enjoy. Obviously people familiar with manga/anime tropes can move on to other shows depending on their personal tastes. Quite honestly I wouldn't recommend at least half of the shows I've watched to anyone who's not already an anime fan because let's be honest, anime creators can be absolutely crazy and the tendency to add ecchi or loli elements to decent shows makes it difficult to recommend some shows to people not already familiar with Japanese cultural... eh... specificities. Like for instance, I think Gunslinger Girl is a great show, but the loli elements make it difficult to recommend to people, y'know what I mean?

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hY2eB6dl4YQ

[Meera of Tarth]

41 minutes ago, Rippounet said:

Young boy decides to be the strongest ninja in the world to protect everyone he loves. It's a typical shônen so I would not recommend it to start  anime - at least not to anyone over 15. But it's well-made and I enjoyed it while it lasted. I'd be highly critical of the last arc though but I can't go into details without spoiling. I'd say it's best to watch the first episode to see if you like it. Avoid fillers at all cost though, most of them are terrible.

Generally speaking, my "list" above is really animes that I think anyone can enjoy. Obviously people familiar with manga/anime tropes can move on to other shows depending on their personal tastes. Quite honestly I wouldn't recommend at least half of the shows I've watched to anyone who's not already an anime fan because let's be honest, anime creators can be absolutely crazy and the tendency to add ecchi or loli elements to decent shows makes it difficult to recommend some shows to people not already familiar with Japanese cultural... eh... specificities. Like for instance, I think Gunslinger Girl is a great show, but the loli elements make it difficult to recommend to people, y'know what I mean?

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hY2eB6dl4YQ

Oh thanks for the summary!

Totally agree. And this even happens in Conan,  they play a lot with language/culture but as a whole, I'd still recommend it to people who are not into animes as well! 

[Rippounet]

10 minutes ago, Meera of Tarth said:

Oh thanks for the summary!

Ok, I'm kind of under-selling it. The world building is excellent (that's why it's so popular), you've got tons of nice characters (everyone will find *their* character) and the fights are totally worth it (though in the first anime they suffer from the "dragon ball" syndrome, which is to say they can take waaaaay too long). It's just that the target audience is very obviously young boys so it shows. It's still written well enough for tons of geeks throughout the world to have loved it. I'd daresay anyone who's liked Avatar the Last Airbender is likely to enjoy Naruto as well and vice-versa.