Anime for someone who's given up on anime

[Micro]

Ok, so the reason I rarely write or draw anymore is that I have pretty much given up on anime. However, since I'd kind of like to get back into writing some fics for this site when I have spare time (which is almost never these days), I'm wondering if there are any new shows that would appeal to me.

Some of my favorite anime is older stuff like Lupin, Bubblegum Crisis and Project A-ko. The last show I really got into was Azumanga Daioh. What I don't like about the newer stuff I've tried to watch is that it all seems geared toward boys in their early teens--too many hormones, not enough story or character development.

Can anyone suggest anything that might inspire me to start writing again?

[Poowrite]

You might want to check out Avatar: The Last Airbender.

Officially, I suppose some would argue it's not anime since it didn't actually come from Japan. But the style is clearly anime-inspired and it's much better than any anime I've ever seen (even DBZ and if you knew how hooked I was on that show you'd know that's saying a lot coming from me )

I haven't seen any of the shows you mentioned, so I can't really draw a comparison.

Avatar is targeted at kids, but the characters are surprisingly deep, complex and very, very likable (even the villains). It's target means there isn't really any fan service, so no worries there.

The plot is simple enough for anyone to follow, but has enough twists to keep me engaged. Admittedly, season one starts a bit slow but in the end it's worth it. Avatar is outstanding, second only to Samurai Jack in my book. I highly recommend it.

[Eternal Dragon]

Yes I agree avatar is a good one to look at... my personal favorite if you haven't heard about it... is Fate/Stay Night, it's one anime that's stuck with me... and by far is isn't for kids with all the blood and stuff in it, it's kinda violent... but meh... heh... I'm just voicing a suggestion for an anime to look at if you haven't seen it already

[OrpheumZero]

All shows for their worth are gonna be found derivitive by someone. But there are some decent shows. As Poowrite pointed out, Avatar and Jack are two well made shows. But Jack has no female characters outside of whoever Jack meets for a particular episode, whereas Avatar has got a nice selection of cute well developed (I mean personality wise, perverts  ) gals.

Code Lyoko has some pretty stuff, if you can ignore the ocassional plothole from the translation and the minor repeatition, it's a good watch.

While I haven't seen much, Oban Star Racers seems to have a nice plot running for it.

One Piece has a good story and lots of character growth, so does Case Closed. Though both have a very episodic feel to their overall plots, they still grow over time. Hellsing is another good example, as it goes from beginning to end, no backtracking or anything.

Now if you're willing to throw games into the mix, there's a fair number of series worth checking. Jak and Daxter and the Ratchet and Clank series both have phenominal stories. The Legend of Zelda is a no brainer, as is the Legacy of Kain series (though the latter doesn't really have much to be used in our kinds of stories).

Hotel Dusk is a wonderful game (just finishing it right now  ;D) with well rounded characters who aren't just cardboard cutouts thrown out there for plot advancement.

That's really all I can think of. It really boils down to what tickles your fancy, some stuff be more appealing to you than other stuff is. The best thing to do is research over the net series with good reviews and sample a few episodes, see if you like 'em.

I hope to see something coming down the pipes (literally perhaps?  ) from you in the future. And who knows, maybe one blue day you'll find the passion to make another outstanding drawing.

[Micro]

One Piece has a good story and lots of character growth, so does Case Closed. Though both have a very episodic feel to their overall plots, they still grow over time. Hellsing is another good example, as it goes from beginning to end, no backtracking or anything.

I've watched both One Piece and Case Closed. I'd have to find a subbed version of One Piece before I tried to watch it again--I thought the English voice acting was the worst. Case Closed was fun--it would probably be worth trying to get back into it.

Now if you're willing to throw games into the mix, there's a fair number of series worth checking.

I'm definitely willing to consider games (but I haven't lost interest in those). Actually, Hotel Dusk is a great idea. It's an awesome game, and has a couple of attractive girls.

That's really all I can think of. It really boils down to what tickles your fancy, some stuff be more appealing to you than other stuff is. The best thing to do is research over the net series with good reviews and sample a few episodes, see if you like 'em.

It's always tough to tell what reviewers like, though. People love Naruto at the moment, but I couldn't get into it. I wouldn't say my tastes lean toward a specific genre like sci-fi or fantasy; I just want something with smart writing and characters I'll care about. I don't mind some cheesecake, but I hate when I'm watching a show and feel like the panty shots are the only reason it exists.

Thanks for your help!

[OrpheumZero]

You probably only saw the 4Kids (or 4motherfuckingretardswhoshouldbekilled) version.
The FUNImation dub of One Piece is WAY better. No 'awkward deaths'. No 'rubber swords'. Death, check. Blood, slightly toned down, but check. Original music, plus english versions of the title and credit songs? Double check.

Granted, FUNI is only allowed to cover episodes 144 and all after. It'll be a while before they can save the first 143 episodes from the scourge of Al Kahn's molesting touch.

Sabat as Zoro = totally awesome! 

Vic Micnogna singing Hikari E = FREAKING COOL!


I can't reccomand Hotel Dusk enough. While there isn't over the top humor, you could still probably fit in a nice bathroom scene here and there.

I would suggest Zone of the Enders: Dolores, i. But I only have the first 5 episodes or so I can't completely say whether it's great or not. Though it does have the same drama and unique style as Kojima's little gem of a game.

[FallenStar]

Funny.

I thought Inuyasha had a good plot with some nifty characters (I'm still waiting on a GOOD Kagome wets herself fic )...

I'd recommend Yu Yu Hakusho, but that's mostly a bunch of fighting...

I hear Neon Genesis Evangelion has some goodness in it, as well as Mahoromatic and Tenchi was kind fun... Noir had cute girls killing... 

[OrpheumZero]

Yu Yu Hakusho is basically Dragon Ball Z but with an actual plot, not "I'm stronger than the last villain muhahahahahahaha! *kaboom*"

Inuyasha is a good series, though it does kinda drag on, but if you know where to skip aroud it's good.

[Jimmy Olsen]

Do they have to be new?  Sadly all the anime I've watched date back to 2003 or 4 and earlier.

[Toasty]

Hmmmm...well, the first thing that springs to mind is Big O, but I can't really think of a way to fit in poor Dorothy without magic or some silliness. Oh well.

Probably one of my favorite series in terms of character development is Cowboy Bebop, but Faye's been done, and done well, a lot of times so it would be tough to do something original.

I think I'd recommend some Gundam. If I remember correctly, Gundam Wing in particular stays far away from the "sexually charged hyperactive teenagers save the world" conventions you seem to have grown so tired of. It's more like, "perpetually grim teenagers save the world after delivering sobering monologues on the nature of war...from atop giant robots."

Eh, that's the best I can give you, and coming from someone who's mostly given up on anime themselves, I don't think I did too badly. I mostly just stick to games nowadays.

[Anonymous_1]

I find Inuyasha to be better than what most people say about it. I heard it was really just supposed to be a practice project or something (don't remember exactly), but it ended up being a huge success and has grown to be as large as it is now. It's probably why Adult Swim likes to keep it around (although it's at the end of the lineup).

I don't know if it's new, but Death Note is really good and has gotten me hooked. It's a clever type of show, like Case Closed, but smarter IMO.

Being a huge gamer, I know of a few anime-styled games worth checking out. On the RPG front, there's Dragon Quest VIII (PS2), Mega Man Legends 1 & 2 (PS1), Legend of Legaia (PS1), Final Fantasy series (of course), Xenosaga (PS2), and Rogue Galaxy (PS2) is supposedly a good one.

Other games include Zone of the Enders 1 & 2 (you play as a super annoying, whiny kid in the 1st one , but the 2nd game is much better)(PS2), Devil May Cry (not really anime-ish though), and the title character in Malice (PS2) looks like an anime girl, but it was made in the U.S. The game is not so great to be honest, but when you stand idle, one of the things she'll do is scratch her butt. Not a bad action to implement, if I do say so myself.

That's all that comes to mind.

[Micro]

I appreciate all the suggestions I'm getting, though I should say that I'm mostly looking for new stuff (new being newer than Azumanga, anyway). I've at least sampled most of what is shown on Cartoon Network, but now that someone mentioned it, I should probably give Gundam Wing another shot. I never really gave it a fair chance.

I actually did some searching on my own and found a series called Spiral that looks promising. I watched the first episode, and would be willing to watch more. So maybe there's more stuff out there that I could get into.

[DrBones]

Hi Micro, are you sick of hearing from my yet?    I've really gone from being into anime back to mostly reading manga, easier to take with you and cheaper too, ;D but I'll try to help...

Death Note is new and pretty much the exact opposite of teenage fanservice driven shows.  It's really the most unanime like anime around, (understandable as the mange that it's closely based on was adapted from a Japanese novel.)  It gives you the choice of just sitting back and taking it in or really trying to follow and anticipate what's next, (which is very hard.)  Plus it's on Cartoon Network right now so it's free (on cable.)

I have never liked any of the "classic" Gundan stories (read as; rehashed updates of a corny drama) very much at all.  (*gets attacked by hundreds of nerds wearing cardboard boxes*)  I have watched all of Wing and liked it.  It's a relatively short story that you can enjoy without having to get into the whole "Gundum Thing".

I've also seen all of Inyasha and ended up liking it enough that I'm going to pick up the manga that continues after the anime to see how the story ends.  Plus, it would be good material for one of you signature type of stories.

If you want a show that genuinely makes you care about the characters, I would have to go with Full Metal Alchemist.  It has a lot of clever parts and really brings you into it.  You get so attached to the characters that when they die, you want to punch the writers for "killing" them.  I consider one semi-main character's murder about half-way through the most tragic death in anime, ever.  I still have to look away when I watch AMVs that use that footage...       

     

[OrpheumZero]

When it comes to Gundam, it's a hard take. Wing is by far the best and well rounded of the series.

G Gundam is bit perverted, but overly. And it did have a more unique take on the franchise than any other (the people physically move to manipulate the gundams).

Seed is kinda tough choice, the girls are cute, but nearly every character has a bit of an emotional issue that borders on more annoying than simplistic flaw.

The Original Gundam series (as far as they went on CN) was pretty good IMO. It was bit cheesy, but had a nice war timey story to it.

Death Note is pretty much Se7en, The Cage, and any other crazy supernatural style murder mixed with anime. But it's a fresh breath of air compared to the more mainstream series out there. Whereas Case Closed stays more to the level of a slightly less graphic CSI with a tinse bit of sci-fi (the whole body shrinking element).

Full Metal Alchemist is pretty good. The manga is even better, simply because it's plot goes on a totally different path and thus Ed and Al have different experiances from their anime counterparts.

There are some pretty good movies, Revenge of the Ninja Warrior was one of my favorite films. Though I haven't been able to see it for nearly 10 years. The Vampire Hunter D series has interesting character elements, though it's hard to implement certain characters due to the semi episodic style of the books and how every volume never uses the same cast aside from D.

Going back to games, it is a bit of a hard subject. Most people will argue who much growth occurs in a Final Fantasy title, though XII had the most down to earth of any entry. The problem is most games use the same caricature of 'angry teen' 'mopy teen' 'amnesiac' etc and so on. Though there is a fair number of exceptions. The Jak and Daxter games have a great story, and though Jak's sudden 180 in the second game is a bit over the top, you kinda grow to like it and he is stil the good guy at heart.

The Silent Hill usually has a good plot, but if a story involving the girl using the toilet was done, it'd more than likely would have to be done in a parody style. Meaning that everything is made more silly given that it'd be near to impossible to implement a dumping/peeing scene in the context of an on going horror moment. Resident Evil can work with this, but that's usually because those games don't really on the pychological aspects SH commonly uses.

[Poowrite]

I don't watch much anime myself. Someone here mentioned Fate/Stay Night and I can vouch for that one (though, admittedly, I though it started much, much stronger than it finished.)

The Jak and Daxter games have a great story, and though Jak's sudden 180 in the second game is a bit over the top, you kinda grow to like it and he is stil the good guy at heart.

No offense, but I'm pretty sure if I went through what Jax went through between games 1 and 2, I'd end up being a very bitter person. I though his change in personality was believable and approiate, but that's just me ^^.

Other games you might look into (assuming you've a PS2):
Grandia 1: Original a Saturn game, it was eventually ported to the PS1. The story was, IMHO, a bit predictible but you end up being so close to the characters you don't even notice.

Grandia 2: Final Fantasy gets most of the attention as far as RPG series in America goes, but honestly Grandia 2 is better than any FF game I have ever finished except maybe FF7. this game is outstanding in every aspect, there is simply nothing more to say about it.

Valkyrie Profile II:
Outstanding RPG; great stroy, characters(the main ones), graphics, music and battle system though I warn you: the game is pretty tragic, so if you don't like sad games you might want to steer clear of this one.

God of War I & II:
Admittedly, I enjoyed these games so much that I refuse to accept they are anything but perfect. Anything wrong with these games that anyone points out is mere nit-picking . Seriously, though, if you're into thrid person action games (and even if you're not) you can do much, much, much worse than these two.