Most anime fans have a few favourite series. I'm no exception. I've only really been much of an anime fan for a little over a year now, but in that time I've watched a pretty significant number of shows, and had time to develop some a list of favourites. Running the gamut from the comedic shows like All Purpose Cultural Cat Girl Nuku Nuku to the serious Starship Operators, these are some of my top anime picks.
The Top Five (In Alphabetical Order)
These are shows that I have a particular liking for. Of course, my taste is highly subjective, so these shows aren't necessarily a lot better then some of the ones that didn't make the list, but I still think that all of them have merit.
All Purpose Cultural Cat Girl Nuku Nuku (Original OVA)
Ever imagined what would happen if you had a child custody battle (in the most literal sense of the term) between a loopy scientist and a megalomaniac CEO? Ever wondered what would happen if the scientist took off with a prototype android he was working on? Ever wondered what would happen if he decided to save the life of a cat that got caught in the crossfire by transplanting it's brain into the android’s frame?
Probably not. But those questions should give you some idea what to expect from the plot of All Purpose Cultural Cat Girl Nuku Nuku, at least for the first half of the series. I probably give this six episode OVA more credit then it deserves, (being one of my early favourites, it’s kind of special to me) but nevertheless this show is very funny, and can be quite touching despite it's subject matter. The show's artwork isn't the most spectacular thing ever, but it suits the series pretty well. Just make sure you get the right version of this show -it has two spin-offs, Nuku Nuku TV and Nuku Nuku Dash!, both of which are very, very different from their progenitor and neither of which can match up to it (especially Nuku Nuku TV, which is one of the worst animes I've ever had the displeasure of watching).
Blood+
This series tells the story of Saya, a girl who can't remember anything from more then a year ago. She lives quietly with her new foster family on Okinawa, but the tranquillity of her relatively ordinary existence is shattered when her past comes back to haunt her. It seems that Saya is the only person in the world whose blood can kill a Chiropteran, a type of monster that feeds on humans, and thus she is the trump card of Red Shield, a secretive organisation that intends to wipe out the Chiroptera and which has been watching over Saya for a long time. But things are more complicated then they initially appear, and Saya soon finds that she herself may be quite closely linked to the monsters she's fighting...
Blood+ isn't the longest series I've ever watched in terms of episode count (Monster is longer), but at fifty episodes long, it's pretty darn close. Thankfully, it makes good use of its length. The show has a bit of a fall shortly after it's midpoint, but thankfully by that point it's reached such heights that it can afford a bit of a drop. Featuring great writing and excellent production values (I wouldn't be surprised if this show's budget was big enough to have made several lesser shows out of) this show is definitely not your average anime series. Just be warned that while it is generally pretty leisurely paced, when it does get into action sequences it has a bit of a tendency to live up to its title.
Full Metal Panic! (Season One)
Sometimes light heartedly comedic and sometimes deadly serious, this story of a socially inept teenage mercenary who is assigned to go undercover to protect a short tempered school girl (without her permission) was one of the first somewhat serious animes I ever got into. Very well executed, with a great cast of characters, this show is likely to be the subject of my next 'Spotlight On' post.
School Rumble (Season One)
"It's so over the top it borders on being a parody of the entire adolescent experience."
That was about how one of my friends described School Rumble, and it does a good job of explaining why this series is so good. While there are many high school comedy animes out there, School Rumble stands out from the crowd through sheer, hilarious insanity. Simply put, it's a total laugh riot. Also, it features some characters which are quite unique for it's genre, such as male lead Harima Kenji, a notorious delinquent who is head over heels in love with one of his classmates (but can't ever seem to get her to notice) and Eri Sawachika, a wealthy half-Japanese, half-European girl who quickly becomes a lot more then just the requisite 'rich snob' character.
Starship Operators
This shows got some serious flaws, and it's not to all tastes, but because of what it does do well, it's still great (at least in my opinion). There's a reason it was the subject of my first 'Spotlight On' post.
Other Good Shows (Also in Alphabetical Order)
Of course, there's a lot more then five good shows out there, and its not like I'm dead certain of all my choices. Therefore, it makes sense to give credit to some of the other good shows that are out there.
Ah! My Goddess Sorezore No Tsubasa (Season Two)
I already covered with this one in a previous post. A very good show, despite some weak episodes near the end. Unfortunately, it's the sequel to a first season which had some issues (a very slow start comes to mind).
Cowboy Bebop
Okay folks, I have some Good News and some Bad News. The Bad News: despite what others may say, Cowboy Bebop isn't God's Gift to Anime Fans. The Good News: Despite that, this sci-fi story about down on their luck bounty hunters in the year 2071 is still pretty darn good. Drawing on many different genres for inspiration, viewers can expect something different each episode. The downside of this of course is that the show doesn't exactly have a ton of continuity (though there is some).
Love Hina
I’m not generally a big fan of harem shows. This story of a down on his luck university hopeful who is asked to become the manager of his grandmother’s all girl’s dormitory is hilarious though. Sure the humour is repetitive, and the show isn’t exactly very deep (it’s rather episodic in nature), but when it comes to being amusing, it has a good record of delivering the goods, despite a few dud episodes. Just make sure you steer clear of the Love Hina Again OVAs that were made as a sequel –they suck.
Monster
Monster is incredible. Seventy-four episodes long, with a vast cast of characters and a very complex story, this well written thriller certainly left me very impressed. The plot, in simple terms, involves a Japanese neurosurgeon in Germany who saves a young boy and later finds out that the boy is a psychopath. Hunted by the police (who think he's the one responsible for the murders) he sets out to track down the now grown up boy. Add to that a huge number of characters and subplots, as well as a number of plot twists, and you've got quite a ride ahead of you. Just don't watch too many episodes at once, or you may lose interest despite how interesting the show can be. I recommend a pace of about six episodes a week.
School Rumble Nigakki (Season Two)
The sequel to the aforementioned School Rumble. It has some weak spots near the end when it moves into filler material (apparently the people who did the show didn't want to adapt the manga's Kyoto arc quite yet...) but it certainly has it's moments. People who are fans of the first season should definitely check it out.
The Melancholy of Haruhi Suzimaya
Ok, I think this show is massively overrated, but I also have to admit that it’s not completely without merit either (it did, after all, make it onto this list). The basic plot... well, Kyon, a relatively normal guy, goes to school with Haruhi, a super-eccentric girl who is actually God but doesn't know it. He inadvertently gives her the idea of starting her own club, and is soon dragged into it, along with a data alien, an esper, and a time traveller, all of whom were summoned by Haruhi's will and all of which disguise themselves as (somewhat) ordinary humans. And don’t tell Haruhi about their true nature. The big problem with all this: Haruhi must be kept from becoming bored, or she might decide to remake the world. Yeah, it’s a little weird (scratch that, a lot weird) but it’s got a certain charm to it as well.
Sousuke looks a lot happier then usual in this shot.
This shot makes it pretty obvious which one of the sisters is
