Which Anime Should I Watch?

[emma-can]

I've been kind of wanting to watch something new for a while cuz for about the last year and a half I've been mostly rewatching stuff. I've been thinking about:

Ergo Proxy

Gurren Lagann

Samurai Flamenco

Yuuki Yuuna is a Hero

Sora no Woto

Are any of these good? If they're all good are any of them better than the others? Are they all crap and I should watch something different? For reference, my favorite animes are probably Kill la Kill, Madoka Magica, FLCL, Steins;Gate, and Psycho-Pass.

[Oddball-Meo]

Gurren Lagann is a pretty decent anime and I've heard a lot about Ergo Proxy being good too. But the rest, I've never watched so I can't give you any advice regarding them.

Btw, nice avatar, where's it from?

[emma-can]

Btw, nice avatar, where's it from?

FLCL :D

[Kappamaki]

You have good taste in favorite anime! And by "good" I mean overlapping with my own.

If you liked Kill la Kill, I'd definitely recommend Gurren Lagann. It was made by the same people (Trigger was founded by former Gainax employees) and has the same over-the-top crazy aesthetic. It's an anime that repeatedly smashes through its own ceiling. When I watched Kill la Kill, from the very first episode it seemed a second coming of Gurren Lagann, so from your perspective, it might be kind of like the other way around.

I haven't seen Samurai Flamenco or Yuuki Yuuna is a Hero yet. Ergo Proxy I've seen some of, but I haven't finished the series. It's a more unusual, philosophically toned cyberpunk show and... I don't know, I don't think it was my cup of tea, but a lot of other people like it, and I'm willing to go back to it. Sora no Woto wasn't as good as I'd hoped - it was a bit too slow-paced and focused on the moe when I wanted to know more about its world. It had just enough interesting world things to get me interested without ever following up on them. It'd be good to watch for relaxation but not the greatest for story or characters or worldbuilding or action. I didn't actively dislike it, either.

As for other recommendations... Well, here are some of my favorites.

Fate/Zero is an epic heroic tragedy in which modern-day mages living in the shadows of society summon the spirits of heroes from history and legend to battle over the Holy Grail, which can grant a single world-altering wish. It's definitely the best Fate story because unlike Fate/Stay Night, it's not also trying to be a high school dating sim. If you want to see Alexander the Great and Gilgamesh fight? And if you want to see Alexander the Great and Gilgamesh discuss the nature of kingship over wine? Here's where you do both of those things. Fate/Zero was written by Gen Urobochi (technically, he wrote the original visual novel) and the soundtrack is by Kajiura Yuki, who both did the same for Puella Magi Madoka Magica.

Ghost in the Shell: Stand Alone Complex is, like PsychoPass, a highly regarded cyberpunk (or counter-terrorism) police show, and the Tachikoma are great. GITS is kind of the metric by which other cyberpunk anime can be measured. You don't need to watch the 1995 movie first; they're related but not the same universe. The current iteration of the franchise, Arise, is also related but not the same universe, or maybe it's a prequel to GITS? Anyway, GITS and PsychoPass both have got philosophy and action, with the big difference being PsychoPass' dystopic aspects.

Shinsekai Yori follows children growing up in a strange far-future fantastic society as they explore their world and the shadows beneath their seemingly utopic society. It's got good characters and an amazing setting, and it sometimes veers into creepy horror underscored by an amazing soundtrack.

Fullmetal Alchemist: Brotherhood is longer than most anime - 64 episodes - but it's highly plot-and-character driven, and unlike some longer anime its story is never directionless, and it's amazing. You've probably heard of it.

Kyousogiga is a little-known super-pretty crazy awesome piece of fantastical randomness that develops into a lovely family drama. It's twelve episodes and nobody I've met has heard of it except me and people I told about it.

Katanagatari is a dialogue-heavy ridiculous samurai show. It's twelve hour-long episodes and kind of operatic in that people can get out their entire life stories while bleeding to death. It's got a fabulous soundtrack, with the same crazy composer as Gurren Lagann.

Last Exile has a neat fantastic world and characters that have stuck with me for the last decade. It's sequel, Fam: the Silver Wing, came out more recently and wasn't nearly as good. Or maybe I've got nostalgia goggles on for the original?

Baccano! and Durarara!! are both fun stories that basically take a ton of great characters and throw them together to see what happens. They are in the same world but can be watched in either order, and involve alchemy, magic swords, cults, mafia, yakuza, unseelie fey, high schoolers, etc. Baccano! uses non-linear storytelling and takes place in 1930s America; Durarara!! is in modern-day Tokyo.

Serial Experiments Lain is... a very odd show from the 90s. It's... I'm not sure how to recommend it. I don't think it's something everyone would enjoy. It's calm. And creepy. And cyberpunk. Hmm. I personally watched it just before going to sleep, at the same hour that I'll sometimes listen to Welcome To Night Vale.

And I'm guessing you've seen FLCL already!

[emma-can]

You have good taste in favorite anime! And by "good" I mean overlapping with my own.

If you liked Kill la Kill, I'd definitely recommend Gurren Lagann. It was made by the same people (Trigger was founded by former Gainax employees) and has the same over-the-top crazy aesthetic. It's an anime that repeatedly smashes through its own ceiling. When I watched Kill la Kill, from the very first episode it seemed a second coming of Gurren Lagann, so from your perspective, it might be kind of like the other way around.

I haven't seen Samurai Flamenco or Yuuki Yuuna is a Hero yet. Ergo Proxy I've seen some of, but I haven't finished the series. It's a more unusual, philosophically toned cyberpunk show and... I don't know, I don't think it was my cup of tea, but a lot of other people like it, and I'm willing to go back to it. Sora no Woto wasn't as good as I'd hoped - it was a bit too slow-paced and focused on the moe when I wanted to know more about its world. It had just enough interesting world things to get me interested without ever following up on them. It'd be good to watch for relaxation but not the greatest for story or characters or worldbuilding or action. I didn't actively dislike it, either.

As for other recommendations... Well, here are some of my favorites.

Fate/Zero is an epic heroic tragedy in which modern-day mages living in the shadows of society summon the spirits of heroes from history and legend to battle over the Holy Grail, which can grant a single world-altering wish. It's definitely the best Fate story because unlike Fate/Stay Night, it's not also trying to be a high school dating sim. If you want to see Alexander the Great and Gilgamesh fight? And if you want to see Alexander the Great and Gilgamesh discuss the nature of kingship over wine? Here's where you do both of those things. Fate/Zero was written by Gen Urobochi (technically, he wrote the original visual novel) and the soundtrack is by Kajiura Yuki, who both did the same for Puella Magi Madoka Magica.

Ghost in the Shell: Stand Alone Complex is, like PsychoPass, a highly regarded cyberpunk (or counter-terrorism) police show, and the Tachikoma are great. GITS is kind of the metric by which other cyberpunk anime can be measured. You don't need to watch the 1995 movie first; they're related but not the same universe. The current iteration of the franchise, Arise, is also related but not the same universe, or maybe it's a prequel to GITS? Anyway, GITS and PsychoPass both have got philosophy and action, with the big difference being PsychoPass' dystopic aspects.

Shinsekai Yori follows children growing up in a strange far-future fantastic society as they explore their world and the shadows beneath their seemingly utopic society. It's got good characters and an amazing setting, and it sometimes veers into creepy horror underscored by an amazing soundtrack.

Fullmetal Alchemist: Brotherhood is longer than most anime - 64 episodes - but it's highly plot-and-character driven, and unlike some longer anime its story is never directionless, and it's amazing. You've probably heard of it.

Kyousogiga is a little-known super-pretty crazy awesome piece of fantastical randomness that develops into a lovely family drama. It's twelve episodes and nobody I've met has heard of it except me and people I told about it.

Katanagatari is a dialogue-heavy ridiculous samurai show. It's twelve hour-long episodes and kind of operatic in that people can get out their entire life stories while bleeding to death. It's got a fabulous soundtrack, with the same crazy composer as Gurren Lagann.

Last Exile has a neat fantastic world and characters that have stuck with me for the last decade. It's sequel, Fam: the Silver Wing, came out more recently and wasn't nearly as good. Or maybe I've got nostalgia goggles on for the original?

Baccano! and Durarara!! are both fun stories that basically take a ton of great characters and throw them together to see what happens. They are in the same world but can be watched in either order, and involve alchemy, magic swords, cults, mafia, yakuza, unseelie fey, high schoolers, etc. Baccano! uses non-linear storytelling and takes place in 1930s America; Durarara!! is in modern-day Tokyo.

Serial Experiments Lain is... a very odd show from the 90s. It's... I'm not sure how to recommend it. I don't think it's something everyone would enjoy. It's calm. And creepy. And cyberpunk. Hmm. I personally watched it just before going to sleep, at the same hour that I'll sometimes listen to Welcome To Night Vale.

And I'm guessing you've seen FLCL already!

I've seen FMAB and Kyousougiga. FMAB was fine and Kyousougiga was cute but there was a lot to try and follow @_@ Oh and I like Durarara!! I've heard of Serial Experiments Lain and it sounds interesting so I might watch that later too. I knew about the link b/w Lagann and Kill la Kill and that's like 90% of why I want to watch it XD

[Oddball-Meo]

Btw, nice avatar, where's it from?

FLCL :D

Ah, thank you :)

[Guest]

I've seen Samurai Flamenco. First season is very entertaining and I recommend. But by season two it becomes a sorta Power Rangers thing so if you don't mind that then it's actually pretty good. :)

[Apollonius]

I have seen so many anime.... it would take me a while to find some ...

[Marcrunk]

Cowboy Bepop is always my number 1 suggestion to watch

[Lost247365]

Tengen toppa gurren lagann is one of my all time favorite animes. I like to think of it as the anti-evangelion of mech animes. It pretty much does away with the techno-babble and revels in its own cartoonish absurdity while still finding a way to have several profound and emotional moments.

If you do give it a try, be sure to at least watch to episode 11. The real story doesn't start until episode 8 and by 11 it finally gets its true tempo.

Also, as can be seen by my avatar I am a big fan of the fate series, and would like to echo the recommendation for fate/zero and add that if see that and like it also check out fate/stay night unlimited blade works. It amazing. Though, be sure it is UBW as there is another series by studio DEEN that is okay, but not nearly as good.

[Oddball-Meo]

I would like to recommend Soul Eater if you like Kill la Kill and FLCL. Also Baccano.

[Custos]

I like ergo proxy, it's pretty intense but very unique and interesting! :)

[Jea]

Madoka Magica is great ^-^

[akanesarumara]

Seconding Madoka, it's one of my all-time favourites ^^ I saw Yuuki Yuuna is a Hero, it was pretty good.

[Nylocke]

If you like steins;gate and psycho-pass you might like chaos;head and not surprisingly enough death note which I'm kinda surprised you haven't seen by now xD Check out welcome to the NHK while you're at it.

[amysorel]

Fullmetal Alchemist and Wolf´s Rain are my favourites, so you can try them too :)

[Star Bit]

But have you seen the first series of FullMetal Alchemist? The non-brotherhood title.

[Geoff]

I would have suggested Steins;Gate if you hadn't seen it, but you have so I won't.

I also recommend Madoka Magica. It is devastating in the best possible way.

The first season of Gunslinger Girl is one of the more thoughtful and thought-provoking anime I've seen (season 2 is not). It's got amazing characters, a heartbreaking story, a soundtrack to die for. It's everything it should be.

Spice & Wolf is an anime set in a fictional alternate Middle Ages, and it's the only such anime I can immediately think of that tries to be realistic within its own parameters. One protagonist is a pagan god, sure, but the plot doesn't hinge on deus ex machina, or goofy antics, or willful exaggeration--it just is, and it's fine with it.

Mushishi has to be the most jaw-droppingly beautiful anime I've ever seen. It has a very loose plot, the supporting cast constantly changes due to the protag being a wanderer (which, as with everything else in the show, is for a reason), and it has an intensely calm ambiance about it. Have a cup of green tea or something while watching it. I'm being serious, it's a real experience.

[emma-can]

But have you seen the first series of FullMetal Alchemist? The non-brotherhood title.

Yeppers!

[Perfectly Pointless]

You should totally watch Ergo Proxy, because that's good.

I don't know about the others though.

I would recommend Death Note and Deadman Wonderland (Deadman wonderland is better if you read the manga though, the anime had to be cancelled part way through because they didn't have enough viewers, but what was made is very good. I don't get how they didn't have fans back then, because they have a lot now.)

[Guest]

I just finished watching Gurren-Lagann, myself and would highly recommend.

Robotic;Notes is by the same people as Steins;Gate and Chaos;Head, and is quite underrated. It's definitely more cutesy and less heartwrenching than Steins;Gate, but it's worth a watch.

Future Diary/Rokka of the 6 Braves/Dangan Ronpa/Akuma no Riddle are all similar. If you've seen any, then you know what to expect. If not, I'd recommend Future Diary.

RAILGUN! I've only seen Toaru Kagaku no Railgun (which was really interesting), but it's parallel is good too, from what I hear.

If you like Durarara, then season 2 just came out, and they're working on a season 3, so that's always a good idea ^_^

[Perfectly Pointless]

If you like Durarara, then season 2 just came out, and they're working on a season 3, so that's always a good idea ^_^

Agreed. Durarara is a good anime to watch. It's lighthearted and funny most of the time but it can get pretty intense. It has good characters, too. :)