What is a good

[Nameless]

Originally Posted by WingsToDiscovery

Well the problem is because I've never watched anime, I really don't have a specific preference. On one hand I can just completely space out and enjoy something kid-friendly like My Neighbor Totoro, and on the other hand I can have a good time watching noobs get owned in Battle Royale.
I think the only way I could develop a taste is if people just threw stuff that they think anyone (who is really familiar with anime) could agree on being really good, and then once I see them, I can make a judgement on if that's a genre I'd like to explore deeper.

Monster, Ghost in the shell S.A.C., Mushishi, Legend of galactic heroes, mouryou no hako (this one is personal preference, some people dislike it because it's too complicated).

Those are all seinen, try any of those, if you can't stand then try some action series like:

Gantz ( the manga is waaay better), Blood+ or karas.

Again, try an episode of any anime of that picture.

In my case, I am an intellectualist (I give greater value to intricate things), so my personal recommendations may or may not not meet your needs, give em a try anyway and post the results.

[Nyororin]

It`s best not to take advice from huge fans - they have a tendency to get tunnel vision about their favorite shows.

I am going to second the recommendation for 蟲師 (But be sure to ignore the live action movie adaptation like it is the plague...) 図書館戦争 is also one of my personal favorites (although the novels are better - they cut the last book altogether and replaced it with something entirely different to end the series early.)

I would avoid most of the longer series, as most of the time they string them out to the point that it`s just anime for the sake of anime.

Anime based on 小野不由美`s novels are also good - 十二国記 and 屍鬼 for example.

My husband praises 放浪息子 to no end (I haven`t had the time or courage to watch it), but that may be because we`re concerned with something similar happening with our son.

[Nameless]

Originally Posted by Nyororin

It`s best not to take advice from huge fans - they have a tendency to get tunnel vision about their favorite shows.

Agreed, also the long running series, are considered by some as 'good' even after they've watched many other animes; so, I really believe that it depends on the person...

I've seen people claiming that naruto is the best thing ever, and that seinen-ish series are boring and no, those people weren't 15 years old...

[evanny]

MMM, you liked Gantz?
who would have thought...
i would say. these ones besides all the mainstream like Death Note etc.
1. Pumpkin Scissors
2. Break (Broken) blade
3. "Kino no Tabi (Kino's journey)*The beautiful world" is probably one of the best animes out there in terms of philosophy.
4. Requiem for the Phantom. cool series about a guy and a girl who both are brainwashed to be the prefect killers.

and movies...em. Panyo.
or "toki wo kakeru shoujo" meaning "girl who leapt time". just so perfect anime movie. beautiful, funny and just all around enjoyable.

also "Aoi Bungaku" which would be "blue literature". episodes are based on several famous Japanese works. it's perfect if you don't have the time. it is 12 episodes and with 4 great but different stories each taking up 3 episodes.

[steven]

I think I fall in the boat of not really being into anime even though I live in Japan. I've watched a couple though. Dragon Ball and Dragon Ball Z are good just because it's almost ingrained in the culture. I knew a little bit about it before coming to Japan... enough to understand when people would make reference to it. While it's funny and exciting most of the time, it does get boring at points. I've almost seen all of them now and am glad that I took the time to do so simply because seemingly every Japanese person knows about it.

Another one that I saw that I really liked was Urayasu tekkin kazoku. I had never heard of it before I came to Japan. Incidentally, the way I found it was by looking for glockenspiel movies on youtube. The word for glockenspiel in Japanese happens to be "tekkin". When I searched for it my wife was sitting next to me and when that anime came up she said "natsukashii". So we ended up watching all of them. It's really funny... if not a little bit vulgar. It makes some jokes that rely quite a bit on the culture though, so it might be confusing. It also has a very fast talking narrator, who is hilarious.

But ya... if anime is not your thing don't let other people force it on you. I remember anime being some-what popular at my high school. Every time I tried to watch one of the animes recommended to me it was a bore-fest. Luckily there's more to Japan than anime!

[Nameless]

Originally Posted by steven

I think I fall in the boat of not really being into anime even though I live in Japan. I've watched a couple though. Dragon Ball and Dragon Ball Z are good just because it's almost ingrained in the culture.

Beforehand I hope this isn't offensive: Dragon ball is popular, but not 'good', analyzed objectively, it's nothing but power rangers on steroids.

[evanny]

Nameless. well it is an shounen anime. they are supposed to be on steroids. it is an anime where the hero can solve all his problems in 4 steps:
1. starting to fight
2. getting his ass beat
3. remembering friends he/she wants to protect
4. screaming and winning with with the last resort ultra attack

P.S i don't watch Dragonball. don't like the animation - looks like dwarfs battling.

and what would be the objective view by which to analyse anime? anime is something that would not work in real life - animation doesn't translate to film. so...i say when it comes to anime there isn't really an objective point of view.

[Aniki]

For starters watch Death Note and ignore everything others suggest you. If you'll enjoy it then you'll have something to base on when checking for other anime.

[RealJames]

Cowboy Bebop

and

Samurai 7

those two I think are perfect for introducing a westerner to anime

[JohnBraden]

Originally Posted by Aniki

For starters watch Death Note and ignore everything others suggest you. If you'll enjoy it then you'll have something to base on when checking for other anime.

Must be one of those tunnel vision things Nyororin was warning about....