The Gun Counter

Got the new Wii hooked up for Netflix streaming. Looking to see what's worth watching, what's trash.

Anyone know what's what?

Are you totally new to Anime or just looking for some more?

Short list if you are new:

Ghost in the Shell

Coboy Bebop

Steamboy

Death Note

Naughty Schoolgirls Love Tentacles #5

Hellsing

Black Lagoon!

There is more, I have to think though.

Pretty new. Just watched Ghost. Looks like most of the others are DVD only except for a couple. I've heard Gunslinger Girl is worth watching.

They have Gundam and Neon Genesis, but again, DVD only. I'm sticking to the streaming available stuff for now.

Dub_James wrote:Pretty new. Just watched Ghost. Looks like most of the others are DVD only except for a couple. I've heard Gunslinger Girl is worth watching.

They have Gundam and Neon Genesis, but again, DVD only. I'm sticking to the streaming available stuff for now.

I'd suggest Ping-Pong Club and Cromartie High School, but you have to be of a certain f'ed-up mindset to appreciate those.

Steven Den Beste, formerly of USS Clueless fame, has been writing about anime for several years:

http://chizumatic.mee.nu/

Since most of it has already been suggested, I'd recommend starting with Cowboy Bebop. Let me put it this way: When I first heard of Firefly, it was from a friend recommending it to me because "It's like Joss Whedon made an American version of Cowboy Bebop."

Ghost in the Shell is damned good, but the pacing can slow down a bit too much for some people.

You might consider Akira, too. Pay no attention to the upcoming, godawful, live action adaptation.

Lessee... there's also Noir, the story of an assassin and her oft-resented schoolgirl sidekick who outdoes her at anything but social interaction. Starts off extremely slow with lots of repeated flashbacks, but if you can stick with it, it gets really good.

A lot of the stuff that's appeared on Cartoon Network's "Adult Swim" is pretty good, like Witch Hunter Robin and Big O.

Stuff to avoid:

Gundam anything. The absolute worst was probably Gundam Wing. Basically, imagine a bunch of teenagers being incredibly inept at pacifism, piloting giant war machines. "Ohhh, war is so terrible! Woe is me, why won't these people stop coming and making me cut them down like grass before the sickle? I'll cry when I'm done killing."

Neon Genesis Evangelion, at least until you've got some other anime under your belt. When the studio found out that this wasn't going to be a generic giant robot anime, they yanked all funding, so the second half of the series is literally the animators throwing spare bits of scrap in for filler, and the protagonist crying like a little bitch. It only gets worse until the series ends. It's the TV equivalent to having a good, philosophical discussion with someone who then twitches, stares at you funny, and then stomps on your nuts.

Anime News Network usually has good grades they give, and you can check out what it's like or if it's any good if you search there. Its like the IMDB for Anime.

You should probably check out some of the classics as well:

-Fist of the North Star

-Evangelion
(Jericho941 is right about the whining though, and I particularly didn't care much for it as a whole, but it is a classic nonetheless among Anime fans. I'd take his advice and watch a few episodes later on to see how you like it)

-Akira

It's really going to depend on what you like, personally I like some action and most comedy, some "slice of life" stuff too. I do like some shoujo stuff too, as long as it's comedy.

If you liked Ghost In The Shell, check out Appleseed, same creator and in 3D. There are two movies IIRC, and a series about to come out soon in Japan. Also his weapon designs are still pretty popular in Japan as Airsoft.

I'm gonna second Black Lagoon and Cowboy Bebop, as well as a few other gun pron heavy anime like:

-Golgo 13

-Kino no Tabi(Sometimes translated as Kino's Travels or Kino's Journey)

-Riding Bean Probably my favorite "classic" Anime, it was the predecessor to Gunsmith Cats which is hands down my favorite Manga. Sadly the Anime for GSC was poor.

My good friend is a manga artist and hooks me up with all the good shows, definitely knows his Anime so I can ask him if you want. There's a lot of stuff out there, is there any particular genre you are looking for?

Thanks for the info. I'm looking more for stuff with strong transhumanist themes, and some decent emotional impact, while still encompassing headshots and explosions.

Been watching some Gunslinger Girl. Interesting story lines and emotional development, but man is it depressing. Does keep you watching though.

I'll check out Den Beste, haven't read much from him since his USS Clueless days.

Start with Cowboy BeBop. It's a gateway anime for a reason. Some episodes are a bit out there, but the arcing backstory and syndicate stuff is top notch. I do not have much hope for Keanu and the live action movie upcoming.

Ghost in the Shell. Anything in that franchise is worth watching. There are two seasons and two feature length films. Far and away my favorite title. Season 2 is on Netflix instant.

Full Metal Panic. Season one was better than two, but two is still worth watching at least once. FOMOFFU (sp?) explored the lighter side of bodyguarding a high school age national treasure. FMP!

Noir. I'll second others. It's good, and quite harsh in some places. The ending kind of lost me though.

Blue Sub 6. Some people didn't care for it, but I liked it. It is also one of the first (if not very first) to combine 3D CGI and traditional cel animation. Blues

Gunslinger Girl.Den Beste often commented that he didn't do reviews of "dead girl anime", thus no review from him (last I checked) on Gunslinger Girl. It's dark, depressing and downright bloody. Season 1 and 2 are on Netflix instant.

Wolf's Rain. Again, a bit dark but I enjoyed it a good bit. Wolf's Rain

Last Exile. I enjoyed it well enough, though it suffers some dubbing issues typical to anime. Available on Netflix instant.

Robotech. Animation can be crappy, but this was a massive influence of me as a kid. No one ejected at the last second, character development was a big deal and probably 80% of the main characters in the first generation didn't survive. It introduced me to anime and did away with the kid gloves that shows like G.I. Joe were hampered with. Also on Netflix instant. Robotech

Samurai Champloo- Completely anachronistic and rather enjoyable. Lots of samurai action, blood and kimonos. Samurai Champloo

Gunsmith Cats- Short, but worth looking into. Gunsmith Cats

Some of the other Adult Swim stuff- Witch Hunter Robin, Big O, Van Dread, Fooly Cooly etc. were good. I love Fooley Cooley, but save that one for last. It requires some exposure to anime to really get into.

Oh hell I forgot one, the one I have most recently seen in fact. Baccano! It's a nonlinear story with 1930's gangsters and immortals.