Top 20 - Anime Series (I've seen)
For fandomverse: Top 20 -- Anime Series (...I've seen)
This is my list of 20 Top Anime Series, I've seen. (because there are lot of anime series I haven't seen yet, and I'm pretty sure many may be even better that some listed here lol).
Some of these are very old, and the list also includes a few OVAs of two or three episodes only, but not movies (tho many of these series have movies too). I tried to list them by order of preferences, but very roughly. It's hard to say which ones I like more than other in some cases.
20.- Hellsing
I'm including Hellsing in the Top 20 because it is dark, weird and just plain insane, so it gets point for that in my book, but it can a be a bit too much crazy. I've seen most of the series and the OVAs (Hellsing Ultimate), but probably like the OVAs better.
19.- Tokyo Babylon
Tokyo Babylon isn't the best kind of anime you'll find out there, but I'm including it because I personally enjoyed it. The Ova is only two parts and probably feels a bit incomplete if you see by itself, though, but, strangely, I've never been to fond of reading Manga which are usually a lot more complete.
18.- Ninja Scroll
I started watching Ninja Scroll: The Series because I LOVED the movie, so I was a bit disappointed at first when I realized it wasn't exactly a sequel, but it has its merit as series too. It was fun, and interesting to watch. The TV series had about 13 episodes in total.
17.- Blood+
It was a similar thing with Blood+. I looked for it because of the movie (Blood: The Last Vampire), and continued watching because I liked it as series. This is one the long ones (compared to many in this list, at least), it had 4 seasons with a total of 50 episodes.
16.- Cobra
The first Cobra I ever saw was "Space Cobra", the original anime series from 1982. There's also the movie, of course, "Cobra: Space Adventure", a couple of Ovas done around 2008-2009 and "Cobra the Animation" which is the most recent. I'm including it as a whole here, no version in particular. Cobra is just awesome!
15.- Captain Future
This anime (as in Japanese animation) is actually based on a series of American short stories, instead of a Japanese manga like most, but it is so darn awesome. I watched it as a child and it was fascinating! XD The coolness, the ship, the adventures, the robot, the funny characters. It had it all. (I think the version I got to see as child was a bit "edited", though. Many Japanese shows in the early 80's were aired in Chile as show for children when they weren't meant to be originally.)
14.- Read or Die (OVA only)
This is a relatively newish anime, from early 2000 and must say I really liked it. It's adorably dorky, and still fully packed with action and paranormal stuff. Especially love the main character who is a super adorable kickass papermaster. There was a series that followed the OVAs but it had other characters and totally different setting. I didn't like too much, so it's not included.
13.- Paranoia Agent
I watched this in Cartoon Network's Adult Swim for the first time. I remember it was on very late at night, but I was curious when I heard it was directed by Satoshi Kon (I've loved a lot of his movies), so I gave it a try and wasn't disappointed. It was nothing like I've seen from Kon before, but it was different in a very good way. Paranoia Agent is unexpected, and intriguing, though it can get dark and a bit violent at parts. The only reason it isn't higher on the list is because it gets way too confusing towards the end.
12.- Vampire Princess Miyu
Vampire Princess Miyu is probably one of my guilty pleasures when talking anime. I just love it. No explanation. XD Love the concept, the traditional Japanese settings, and all the paranormal stuff going in it. And especially love the characters, both Miyu and Larva individually, and the relationship they have.
11.- Kino's Journey
I got Kino's Journey on DVD a couple of years ago simply because I thought it looked promising, and wow was I right! The series totally lacks of all the scifi/fantasy elements that usually interest me the most, but it so beautiful that simply watching is a pleasure, and the simplicity of the plot makes it really compelling and easy to follow without being boring or slow.
10.- Rurouni Kenshin (Samurai X)
Rurouni Kenshin has all of the elements of a great Samurai story, with romance and an awesome female character too. The anime series has 3 seasons with almost 100 episodes in total, 2 Ovas ("Trust & Betrayal" - 4 parts and "Reflection" - 2 parts) and a movie. I've seen then all, loved them all, and pretty much devoured the series in a couple of weeks. Couldn't let it go.
09.- Candy, Candy
"Candy, Candy" must be my earliest tv obsession. It's the oldest cheesiest drama of them all. We start with an orphaned baby girl, in a poor but homely orphanage, and follow her life as she grows. She's adopted by a rich family, but gets treated awfully, then the first boyfriend dies, and gets send to a very strict boarding school, where she's contastly getting into trouble unfairly (or sort of :P) and it doesn't get better after school either. But it's what made it so terribly addicting, specially when you're like 12 years old and the main characters is an adorable, bubbly, uplifting and adventurous girl. Doesn't mater how bad things would get in the story, it would always made you happy, and it still puts a grin in my face when I see it again.
08.- Battle Angel (Alita)
I've always been fascinated by stories that involves robots and cybernetic, so when I heard about Battle Angel, it immediately called my attention and it pleasantly surprised me. It's only a 2-part OVA of 70min, so it even shorter than a movie, but there's so much in that short time and loved the story so much I really fell in love with it, even if maybe isn't the best anime out there quality wise.
07.- Ghost In The Shell: Stand Alone Complex
If I were listing Movies in general, Ghost In The Shell would be in the top 5 for sure, maybe even in Top 3 between animated movies, but I liked Stand Alone Complex a lot too. It still kept everything I love about GITS, it just wasn't as strong.
06.- Haibane Renmei
Haibane Renmei is another anime I started watching simply because I thought it looked pretty. And not only did look really pretty, but it was all around beautiful. All the characters are lovable, deep, and well rounded; the plot is original and the story enthralling; and the setting, backgrounds and style are just gorgeous. Honestly, the only reason it doesn't get to a Top 5, is the lack of hardcore scifi in comparisons to the rest of the list. (it is more fantasy)
05.- Planetes
Talking about hard scifi, this is it. The sweet, cute side of hard scifi, because it can be done, and Planetes is the proof. It is a very sweet, simple story of a group of people who work cleaning up debris in the space, in a distant, but maybe plausible future, where humans live in both the Earth and the Moon, and are starting to expand father in space. It's a very easy to follow story, with no aliens, or action packed with laser shooting, or anything of the sort, just lovable characters, romance, friendship, and some drama, all in a very well balanced scifi setting.
04.- Macross Frontier
After the original Macross (see ahead for Super Dimension Fortress Macross) came out early 80, several other Macross series had followed, but never liked any of them much until Macross Frontier. It is devine! I'd been hoping for a Macross series that would captive me as much as the original series did and this was it. I liked it at first because it has a lot of references and similitudes to SDFM, while still original and unique enough not to feel like a poor repetition of events, and loved it at the end because the characters all grew on me and the whole story was just really fun and interesting.
03.- Serial Experiments Lain
Serial Experiments Lain is crazy beautiful and beautifully crazy. What can I say, Lain is just strange and hard to explain. Visually speaking, it is sublime, but deep down is very very techy and the plot can be really confusing at times. You'd have to see it, and either love it or hate it. I Loved it. The only reason it gets to be on a third place, it's because probably nothing would ever bit the first two in my heart. (Lain almost did, tho, but ... just almost!)
02.- Neon Genesis Evangelion
Neon Genesis Evangelion blew my mind away, but it's probably not everyone's taste. It can be really violent, even morbid at times, but I loved the intensity of the characters and the whole plot and story is really fascinating. Love the concept of these bio machines that can only be controlled by certain teens, but no one else and the connexion that's created between the Evas and its pilots. And the fights. It's rare for me to say that I enjoyed watching the fighting scenes in any kind of movie or show, but the fights between Evas and Angels are twisted and disturbing in a way I've never seen before.
01.- Super Dimension Fortress Macross
Super Dimension Fortress Macross was adapted outside japan as Robotech. That was the first series I saw and fell in loved with. Only years later I had the opportunity to see the original animation and loved it as much, but probably my heart will always stay with Robotech. It is the best there's in animation for me and I'd dare to say it's some of the best there's in scifi overall too (for me, anyways). We are talking about a huge ship with a whole city inside, ships than can transform in robots, and giant alien enemies who didn't know the power of music or love. Just awesome! I watched for the first time when I was around 13 or so, and I've seen it probably 5 or more times over the years enjoying every single time as much. It is, and it'll always be EPIC!
Anyone else likes anime too?? Recs are always welcomed ;)