Not an Anime fan

[Seasanctuary]

The nice thing about anime is that strange, adult, or otherwise too artsy topics can be explored which we typically avoid in western animation (Heavy Metal being a prime counterexample). Plus, special effects can be woven in just as often or infrequently as the story demands without a large impact on the budget or suddenly breaking the look.

I don't consider myself an overall 'anime fan', but there are some things I've tried and liked. Maybe someone could give me recommendations based off my likes:

* Any Miyazaki, especially Mononoke. (polished mainstream goodness)

* Serial Experiments Lain (artsy modern setting)

* Paranoia Agent (artsy modern setting)

* Paprika (artsy modern setting, do I detect a pattern?)

* Elfen Lied (extreme violence and sexuality, not recommended for many)

* The Twelve Kingdoms (more mainstream cutesy, but I really dug it)

[mostlyharmless]

But every now and then I would get lucky and find something like Battle Royale,

If you liked the movie try reading the manga, its well worth it.

http://www.mangaupdates.com/series.html?id=1201

In general I will not watch anime nowdays. I do not wish to spend the time watching a series only to find out that it started out promising and then went completely to crap. So much time could be wasted. In general the manga that good anime are based on are a lot better and a lot better usage of time.

[Seasanctuary]

If you liked the movie try reading the manga, its well worth it.

I've only read the novel. You know, the kind without pictures.

(Liked it.)

[mostlyharmless]

I don't consider myself an overall 'anime fan', but there are some things I've tried and liked. Maybe someone could give me recommendations based off my likes:

Much more good manga that might suit your tastes:

Monster, Vagabond, Pluto, Sanctuary, Battle Royal, Eden, Liar Game, Drifting Classroom, Blame, Dragon Head, Shamo, Historie, Zetman, Berserk, Shin Angyo Onshi, Blue Heaven, 20th Century Boys, 21st Century Boys, Threads of Time



Couple of anime that could interest you

Monster - Modern setting in Germany about a doctor accused of serial killing and his psychological struggles with the killer (Must watch)

www.mangaupdates.com/series.html?id=1201

Monster weaves the riveting story of brilliant Dr. Kenzo Tenma, a famous surgeon with a promising career at a leading hospital. Tenma risks his reputation and promising career to save the life of a critically wounded young boy. Unbeknownst to him, this child is destined for a terrible fate. A string of strange and mysterious murders begin to occur soon afterward, ones that professionally benefit Dr. Tenma, and he emerges as the primary suspect. Conspiracies, serial murders, and a scathing depiction of the underbelly of hospital politics are all masterfully woven together in this compelling manga thriller.

© source where applicable

Gankutsuou - sci experimental artwork remake of Count of Monti Cristo

www.animenfo.com/animetitle,1465,eaehir,gankutsuoh.html

Albert was a boy who had been born in a noble family in Paris. He made a journey with Francis to escape from tedious lives. He met a millionaire called Count of Monte Cristo in the city on the Moon. He lived gorgeous lives in a rich hotel with beautiful women waiting on him and strong men guarding him. Albert was fascinated by his charm that the count seemed to know everything, and Albert invited the count to beau mond in Paris.

However, Albert didn't know Cristo's true aim yet. Albert's father had put a crime on Cristo, and he had deprived Cristo of his fiance. Cristo would revenge himself on his father, his mother who used to be Cristo's fiance, and Albert himself who was a child of them

© source where applicable

Death Note More or a mainstream title - psychological struggle

www.animenfo.com/animetitle,3755,jpxpss,death_note.html

Death Note's story is about a prodigy named Light, who happens to come across a notebook, that is owned by a Shinigami (death god) named Ryuk. This notebook, has a mysterious power. When you write a human's name in it, within 40 seconds they will die. You can choose to tell how they die, or if you leave it blank, they will die of a heart attack. Thus Light who has become disgusted of the world, decides to change it for the better. He starts a campaign to rid the world of crime. But what sacrifices will Light give to obtain his new world?

© source where applicable

PlanetES - near future modern setting space station - ordinary astronaut life

www.animenfo.com/animetitle,1244,xkqkfo,planet_es.html

It is the year 2075, and the world has become a place where travelling between Earth, space stations and the moon is now part of everyday life. However, developments in space have resulted in excessive space debris orbiting the Earth, posing a serious danger to spaceships.

Hoshino Hachirouta, nicknamed Hachimaki, works in the debris collecting section of a space station belonging to the Technora company. Everyday, he performs the overlooked but important task of collecting space debris together with his colleagues, Yuri, Fei, and the newcomer Tanabe, among others. The debris collecting section is the lowest section of a company that everyone else looks down on; however, that doesn't stop him from having the lofty dream of owning his very own spaceship someday.

This is his fourth year on the job. He will be 25 years old soon but is still getting nowhere in life, which is why he begins to fret about his future. Yet, for now, Hachimaki will do the same task he does everyday...

© source where applicable

Now and then, here and there - alternate reality 1940's technology

www.animenfo.com/animetitle,211,bhveeu,ima__sokoni_iru.html

Shu is catapulted into an alternate reality when he climbs a giant industrial smokestack and strikes up a conversation with an odd-looking girl named Lala Ru. The change happens when sinister forces come to retrieve her. Where is this alternate reality, and why does Hamdo's army want Lala Ru? Shu finds himself smack in the middle of an organization that builds up its army by invading villages, kidnapping young children, and training them. They try to recruit Shu as well, but they underestimate his spirit and his unbelievable ability to not give in to hate. Shu is brash and impulsive, but principled, clearly not what his captors expected.

© source where applicable

Jin-Roh the wolf brigade - 1960's modern setting, movie

www.animenfo.com/animetitle,218,zcvxsy,jin_roh__the_wo.html

Conceived by Mamoru Oshii (director of Ghost in the Shell), Jin-Roh is a very dark tale set in a riot-torn, alternate 1960s Tokyo. A special police force, the Capitol Police Organization (CAPO) has been formed. Within CAPO is the Special Unit, which gets the toughest jobs. Some of the men in the Special Unit, according to rumor, belong to a vigilante group called the Wolf Brigade. Fuse, a member of the Special Unit, broods obsessively over a girl-terrorist who blew herself up in front of him. Later, he meets the girl's sister, with whom he becomes emotionally involved.

© source where applicable

Perfect Blue - Movie modern setting

www.animenfo.com/animetitle,293,hsvrhw,perfect_blue.html

Pop singer Mima Kirigoe looks forward to a bright new career when she quits her chart-topping trio to become an actress. When she lands a role in a sexually-charged murder mystery, Mima's life begins to fall apart. Reality and hallucination merge into a terrifying world where innocense is lost and dreams become nightmares.

Quickly descending into a dangerous state of paranoid delusions, Mima watches as internet sites appear describing every intimate detail of her life. She is helpless and afraid as her associates are threatened and killed by a mysterious stalker.

© source where applicable

Would have to give you more sci fi or fantasy ones to continue recommendations so I'll stop here.

[Seasanctuary]

Bookmarked! I'll check some of that out, thanks.

[Matt the Bat]

I also reccomend Bible Black and Wordsworth.

[Tickle Me Mercury]

Add Millennium Actress to mostyharmless' list. It's another great one by Satoshi Kon (he did Paranoia Agent and Perfect Blue).

[Ex Nihilo]

If you liked the movie try reading the manga, its well worth it.

http://www.mangaupdates.com/series.html?id=1201

In general I will not watch anime nowdays. I do not wish to spend the time watching a series only to find out that it started out promising and then went completely to crap. So much time could be wasted. In general the manga that good anime are based on are a lot better and a lot better usage of time.

I read the book it was based on as well.

[Number Six]

I also reccomend Bible Black and Wordsworth.

I hope you're joking.

[Chaotic Void]

Personally, I never got into Anime until recently (save for the Anime video games, like Mega Man, Fire Emblem, and Lunar Knights), and the only two series I've been interested in are Hellsing and One Piece (read some of their manga, and seen the series of the former).

Just curious, but are there any good Pirate, Sci-Fi, Fantasy, and/or Western Animes/Mangas out there?

[Sheepdog]

Trigun, Cowboy Bebop, Fulmetal Alchemist, and Naruto are pretty much the ones i followed with any great regularity. Bleach looked interesting too, but I never caught it episode-by-episode, so i was always a tad confused.

[Abykale]

I utterly agree on Monster -- it's awesome, and the one anime that I'd recommend even to people who dislike the genre.

20th Century Boys is by the same author and just as great, but doesn't exist in anime form. You'd have to read the manga. (Or watch the movie[s], but though they're not bad, I'd recommend reading instead).

I personally hated Millennium Actress. I checked it out from the library thinking "Yay, anime!" and started watching with no idea what it was about, then spent most of it trying to figure out exactly what the point was. Which is not to say that you won't like it better, it's just not for everyone and I'd recommend reading a summary to see if it sounds like your kind of thing.

Miyazaki is great in general, but I never made it through Castle in the Air because it just wasn't interesting enough to hold me. Princess Mononoke and Nausicaa are good; Howl's Moving Castle is good if you like shoujo (girly stuff) mixed with kinda trippy fantasy.

For those who do consider themselves fans of the genre, the manga series I've found to be worthwhile reads are:
20th Century Boys (the last volume is called 21st Century Boys)
Monster
Fruits Basket (shoujo, with the artwork that converted me to the anime style)
Death Note (drool-worthy, realistic art)
Fullmetal Alchemist (here's your fantasy/sci-fi, Chaotic)
Eternal Sabbath (adult themes)
I.S. (Intersexual -- not to be confused with another manga called I's.)

Others have been entertaining but not particularly memorable. Rurouni Kenshin is borderline; interesting plot, but a few too many fight scenes.

[mostlyharmless]

Just curious, but are there any good Pirate, Sci-Fi, Fantasy, and/or Western Animes/Mangas out there?

That's pretty funny considering the vast majority of good Anime/Manga are scifi or fantasy. Watch Cowboy Beebop, that should be good for you to start with.

Here is some advice for anyone wanting something that is good.

Go to AnimeNfo's Top 200 anime list. This is probably the best generic top list of anime on the web. I have watched basically everything on the list and much more besides in my mispend youth and it is a reasonably accurate list. Pick something from the list that is from a genre you like or think you might like and enjoy. Just remember that if you hate a particular genre than it doesn't matter how highly rated the anime is you will probably hate it.

[gharfish]

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[Manwë Súlimo]

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