Anime: This is what I like. Tell me what I should buy next.

I stick to the mainstream like Bleach, Inuyasha, Fairy Tail, One Piece, FMA, Ghost in the Shell, Cowboy Bebop..... I would like to get into more but tbh there is just sooooo much anime and manga out there it's really hard to keep up with it all.... Bleach and One Piece alone have sooo many episodes and mangas out already they're pretty time consuming alone....

Thanks for suggestions, folks. Great stuff here. I'm definitely going to check out some of the subbed stuff on a couple of the sites mentioned here. I generally don't buy third party subbed stuff cause you can never really be sure of the accuracy of the translation. Some of it is WAY off.

I just ordered several dubbed series, though: Elfen Lied, Ergo Proxy and FLCL. All of these seemed intriguing.

I found some pretty good deals on HK sets on atomic mall (google it).

I really want to watch Steins; Gate, but could find nothing but 3rd party subs for sale. That one sounds complicated enough that a bad translation could really screw up the story. Has anyone watched a nicely subbed version of it that they could recommend?

Have you tried watching anime online? Lots of great content.

Update, in case anyone is actually interested.

I bought Elfen Lied, FLCL and Ergo Proxy.

So far I've watched all of FLCL and nearly half of Elfen Lied.

I'm sure it's just a difference in tastes, but I can't believe Elfen Lied is so highly recommended. It is TERRIBLE. It's like the entire series is a giant excuse for cheap violence and lame fan service. The characters are utterly cookie-cutter, as are the situations... Just terrible. And don't even get me started on the terrible dub. There is nothing thought-provoking here at all so I'm not sure, based on my thorough run-down of shows that I like, why anyone would recommend this one to me. I'm disappointed that I spent money on it. I'm not sure I can even finish it.

FLCL was interesting to say the least. It was VERY artistic, and I loved this aspect of it. The story was a bit jumbled, but if ya pay attention you'll get it (now and again they'll spell it out for you in case you missed something anyway). It doesn't really have to make sense after all. I love the characters. Brilliant situations and relationships. For some reason, though, I kept periodically falling asleep. Even with all of it's interesting animation and situations, it still seemed to have some serious pacing problems, which is strange for something that was condensed into six episodes. I would have thought that it would have transitioned from one idea to another so quickly that there'd be no way I could get bored. And I don't get bored easily! Nevertheless, it was worth a buy, if not just because it's utterly unique

Ergo Proxy is next! If the atmosphere is anything like Witch Hunter Robin, I think I'll like it

Oh, and I watched 6 episodes of Hellsing Ultimate online as well. All I can say is don't bother. Over-hyped. Aside from Hellsing and the butler the rest of the characters are lame, especially the big foozle.

Elfen Lied is good but nothing amazing.

It is older but still good. I'm shocked you didn't like it although, it doesn't' have an amazing story or anything so I can see why you feel that way.

Either way, based on your first post it appears that your just really starting into anime. Looks like you've only seen much older stuff with nothing recent. Not to mention, some of the replies you've gotten are older anime.

I would suggest you try some of the top choices like One Piece, Naruto, Ao no Exorcist, Hitman reborn, Kore wa Zombie Desu ka, Deadman's Wonderland, Darker than Black, Steins Gate and one of my favorites Black Lagoon.

Also, it would probably make it even more enjoyable if you watched it in Japanese with English dubs if you need it. The amount of context lost is insane. It some cases the anime can become a cartoon depending on how bad they dumb it down.

reply to post by ConanZulu

Elfen Lied is good but nothing amazing.

It is older but still good. I'm shocked you didn't like it although, it doesn't' have an amazing story or anything so I can see why you feel that way.

Yeah, it's really just NOT good. You're right, there is no amazing story. There's no amazing animation. There are no amazing characters... I can't find a single thing to like about it. It tries to be edgy, but just throwing in gratuitous gore and sexual taboos only makes it incredibly unclassy. It really just makes me roll my eyes and sometimes want to cover my ears. It's garbage. I do realize I'm in a vast minority, though, just based on its scores on anime news network.

Either way, based on your first post it appears that your just really starting into anime. Looks like you've only seen much older stuff with nothing recent. Not to mention, some of the replies you've gotten are older anime.

Actually, I only listed anime that I particularly liked. I've seen quite a bit, but a lot of it missed my mark, so I didn't mention it.

I've been watching anime since around 1996. I can't remember what my first was, but it was either Fist of the North Star, Akira, Vampire Hunter D or Ninja Scroll. So I'm not just getting in to anime. Perhaps if I was, I would be a little more easily satisfied

I'm not sure what you consider to be older anime, but if anime from around 5 years ago seems old to you, then you're probably right. It has been a little while since I've delved into something new. Before now, the most recent anime I watched was probably Abenobashi, Witch Hunter Robin or Naruto. Still, I don't consider those particularly old...

I would suggest you try some of the top choices like One Piece, Naruto, Ao no Exorcist, Hitman reborn, Kore wa Zombie Desu ka, Deadman's Wonderland, Darker than Black, Steins Gate and one of my favorites Black Lagoon.

I've considered One Piece, as I do tend to like a more light-hearted series now and then. I've heard good things about it. I can tell you right now, though, that I have no intention of getting into a series that spans more than 500 episodes. No way. There is no way that it could possibly have kept any semblance of a good storyline after that many episodes. Unless every episode is like Dragon Ball Z in which you get about 45 seconds of content and 25 minutes of repetitive internal dialog...

I ran into the same thing with Naruto. I was REALLY enjoying the first several seasons of the show. Great characters. Great action. Fun. Then the Garo thing just began to stretch on and on. Then they got into the boring ass desert environment. Then there was an onslaught of lame characters with silly powers... That's about where I stopped. I was a little sad actually, cause the show had me hooked. It really was VERY good to begin with. Just didn't know when to stop.

I've watched the first episode of Steins Gate. Interesting so far. Lots of loose ends of course after just one episode, so it left me a little confused as to who the characters were. I would say it could have better established the characters in the first episode. I can't really judge it yet. I definitely will watch more at some point.

I'll check out reviews on your other recommendations I really appreciate your input.

Any opinions on Inuyasha? I know there are a lot of episodes there, but the setting seems like something right up my alley.

Also, it would probably make it even more enjoyable if you watched it in Japanese with English dubs if you need it. The amount of context lost is insane. It some cases the anime can become a cartoon depending on how bad they dumb it down.

Yeah, I hear ya. The only show I've ever watched that didn't lose anything with the dub was Cowboy Bebop. That was an EXCELLENT dub. The characters and situations lost nothing.

Whether I watch an anime subbed or dubbed really depends on my mood. If I'm feeling like a bump on a log, and just want to jump into another world for a little while, I'll go for the dub. Totally allowing me to sink into it mindlessly. If I'm feeling a little more energetic, I'll make the effort to watch the subbed version. It does take a little more work, and the thing that bothers me the most is the amount of art you can miss out on while you're reading. Especially in dialog heavy shows. It can detract from your immersion into a setting. I do agree that some shows almost require you to read the subs to understand, though... In the end it all comes down to the company handling the dub. Some are just irresponsible.

Thanks for your thoughts!

Ah I see.

Well let me say this about One piece. It is my favorite anime and the most popular longest running one in the world. The story indeed holds after all of these episodes and it is truly epic. If you want a story with strong characters and a insane plot, One Piece is it.

The thing about One Piece is that it manages to perfectly capture the essence of shonen manga. Adventure. Comedy. Fantastic powers. Unique characters. Epic battles. The absolute value of friendship, loyalty, and big, big dreams. One Piece takes all of this and glorifies it.

It doesn't take itself too seriously. It's hard to when everything is just so plain odd. Character designs are so stylised, weird and wonderful that it may put first readers off. Special abilities are gained by eating unusual fruits (although the tried-and-tested shonen methods of just Working Really Hard or Being Badass Enough can work wonders as well). The main character is a pirate who's made of rubber, can't swim, and has about the mental capacity of a preschool child. Gags, puns and general insanity abound.

And yet somehow in the midst of all this patent ridiculosity... it manages to be cool. In that way that only shonen manga really can, it brings on the glorious spectacle and then some. Larger-than-life characters face up to one another, shouting their ambitions and ideologies for the world to hear, in glorious confrontations that are a roller-coaster ride of emotions, fists, blades and bullets. And you'd better believe they enjoy the ride.

In fact, One Piece somehow manages to both take itself deadly seriously, and refuse to take itself seriously in the slightest, at the same time, and not only make it work, but take all the best aspects of each of these two seemingly-opposing approaches and forget to bother with any of the flaws. It's fast-moving, but never too fast-moving. It's simple, but at the same time remarkably deep. It has a huge cast of secondary characters, essentially a freakshow of crazy caricatures and archetypes, and yet manages to avoid making any of them seem one-dimensional or uninteresting. It takes that oh-so-important storytelling element – the central cast, and potential additions thereto – and glorifies it by making the assembling of that cast (the protagonist's pirate crew) a major focus of the story. Potential members are chosen in pretty much exactly the way the audience would want – for being entertaining, cool, and providing something new to the mix.

And at over five hundred episodes and counting at the time of this post it's hard to deny that One Piece is epic. It will make you laugh like a kid at the circus. It will make tears spring to your eyes. It will keep you on the edge of your seat wanting more while still leaving you with a sense of gleeful satisfaction after every chapter. In short, One Piece nails it. If you haven't seen it, then for godssakes do. It does have a lot of episodes to catch up but I assure you, its worth it.

If you want a story that will blow you away with amazing action. One Piece is your best choice.

I almost forgot. Steins Gate is a sleeper. It starts off odd and maybe even confusing but by the end, you will really witness a amazing anime story. I almost gave up on it but damn it got good, deep, and serious.

reply to post by ConanZulu


Wow man, that was quite a One Piece review. You should publish that somewhere, hehe. I think you may have sold me on it. All I really needed to hear, I think, was that it's still good after 500 episodes.

I would really prefer not to even start on something like that until it has a proper ending, though. I don't want to get to a point where I'm waiting for the next installment. Are there any plans to end it soon?

Well the story is so complex and well done, I'm sure a ending has already been completed. Just for the viewers its not there yet. If you do watch it, keep in mind, that it is older so the animation may look a bit dated. Just stick to it until Sanji joins the crew.

reply to post by SpearMint


I totally agree. I feel slightly disgusted by people who love everything that's Japanese just for the sake of it being Japanese.

I do like some anime though, such as Hunter x Hunter and a few movies by Hayao Miyazaki/Studio Ghibli.

I recommend

Darker Than Black seasons 1&2
Grenadier
Gun X Sword
Highschool of the Dead