General Anime/Manga Discussion 14: Second Cour

[DoctorFaust]

Also my friend swears for Bonnouji and.. there's another one but I forgot what it's called. Bonnouji is basically a romance story without much high premise, but it's very funny and cute. I can't read it because it makes me sad about my lack of romance story ;_;.

For something less serious, I find "Kaguya Want To Be Confessed" to be highly ridiculous and silly. It's a story about a girl and a guy who are totally into each others but both are first class tsundere, and consider love as war and those who confess first lose.

There's also "Tomo is a girl" which is the story about a tomboyish girl and her childhood friend who are into each others but are embarassed about it and their friends who are all pretty silly.

I'm actually already reading Tomo-chan, but I'll be giving Kaguya and Bonnouji a look.

Any suggestions you might have would be appreciated, regardless of genre or target audience, even if they don't quite fit the criteria I put forward. At this point, a good show is a good show, and there's very few types of shows that I don't generally enjoy. Though, I'll definitely give you bonus points if you can come up with something that you can't jokingly summarize as "Sad people in space". Because it seems like a large amount of older shows I should get around to fit that description to a T. You'll also get mega bonus points if you manage to mention something I haven't heard of before.

I'd just like to throw in my two cents, and recommend Macross Frontier and Mobile Suit Gundam:The 08th MS Team.

[Ibrinar]

Spice and Wolf is fantastic story, but the romance in it isn't about falling madly in love; instead, it's about a slowly growing friendship. The manga hasn't gotten far enough to get to the romance, there.

[small rant]I vastly prefer slowly growing closer instead of instant conditionless love. When the romance plot is "both are into each other but don't know yet" it's a tad boring imo, when it is "both are into each other, but there are obstacles to them being together" it can be more interesting but often it is clear that in the end it won't really stop them. I just prefer romance to be a bit more about their interactions. I guess "being awkward with each other because you don't know whether they return your feelings" is also an interaction but it shouldn't be the only one. I just want to see them actual positive interaction between them, I prefer couples to also work as friends so I like to see them actually talk like friends sometimes oh and being nice (and cute) to each other, it all being based on instant love just feels a bit weak.

[/rant]I just had a romance book reading phase and had some trouble finding relationships I really liked. Maybe it would be easier if I didn't mostly search for genre fiction (fantasy/urban fantasy/scifi+romance). Maybe I should read some more Jane Austen books I did like pride and prejudice. (Though that doesn't quite fit my small rant either.)

Edit: Bonnouji seems cute btw.

[Sith_Happens]

Wait until you're 11 episodes into Heartcatch to judge. Heartcatch's problem for me is that its really strong when its strong but that's only just over 1/10 of the episodes. But I also like monster of the week shows and understand why people would not. I also liked Heartcatch more from the first episode and even after changing my mind on the series still think its a good first episode.

Well I'm eight episodes in currently and feel incredibly safe in deeming it 1000 times better than Futari wa by virtue of

1. Not feeling like I'm just watching the same episode over and over again.

2. The protagonists not being supremely incompetent fighters up until their finishing move.

I have been reading way too much romance lately. I binged My Lovely Ghost Kana in less than 24 hours, I've been reading Kaichou wa Maid-sama as much as I have the time for between classes, I've been reading Akagami no Shirayukihime to prepare for the second season in January, and I started reading Your Lie in April just a few days ago. They're all so goddamn adorable (even if one does end pretty heartbreakingly) that I'm beginning to get a little annoyed with just how ruttin' cute I'm finding them all. I'm a man, dammit, I'm not supposed to like cute things!

That said, does anybody know any other good shoujo/romance manga to fuel my addiction?

It's not a manga but obligatory Spice and Wolf recommendation on the off chance you haven't read it already.

[Fri]

Oh I remember something else, though might be a bit... plain for some people. It's more slice of life than romance I guess? Though romance is an important part of it

One of my personal favourite manga is a manga by Masami Yuuki of Patlabor fame, titled Vicious Horse! Ja Ja Uma. I don't know what's it called in english, since I used to collect it translated into my language.

It's about... It starts with a highschool guy from tokyo who got stranded in hokkaido in the middle of winter because his bike broke down and got saved by a girl from a horse farm. It then follows his daily life in the farm, starting by working to pay for his lodging for the winter, then working part time there in summer vacation, until at the end he works there full time. He starts as highschooler, and the manga cover years of his life, at least half decade, and at the end he's fully an adult. I start to read it in high school and for some reason I find myself relate to the mc so much, for reason I cant' understand why.

The story is set in a farm, and very much show a lot of horse-farm work in realistic and down-to-earth way, similar with how Patlabor has mecha as important part of it, but it's very much mainly a manga about human and their relationship with each others, also just as Patlabor.

And the horse farm's owner has 4 daughters with various personality, which pretty much looks like a set up for a harem manga. I know that a lot of people who start reading it thought that it's going to be a harem comedy, and got turned off by it, but it's very much not a harem comedy. The 4 daughters are characters in the manga, and that's it.

It's pretty low key, not something uproaringly hillarious or tense with action or make flutter with romantic feeling, but I like it. I don't know why. Maybe it's momentum because I start reading it in high school and it end around me finishing college, exactly as the MC's life? Dunno.

[endoperez]

[small rant]I vastly prefer slowly growing closer instead of instant conditionless love.

I consider "falling in love" and "growing to love" different things. Both can make for a nice story, and the "falling in love" doesn't always need to be instant, conditionless love, but the romantic stories where a friendship deepens and grows are often much more interesting.

The thing is, the falling in love stories can be too tooth-achingly sweet to ignore. Even if they're not that good, objectively speaking, I know a few series like that which have made me squeal with joy.

[Mx.Silver]

Any suggestions you might have would be appreciated, regardless of genre or target audience, even if they don't quite fit the criteria I put forward. At this point, a good show is a good show, and there's very few types of shows that I don't generally enjoy. Though, I'll definitely give you bonus points if you can come up with something that you can't jokingly summarize as "Sad people in space". Because it seems like a large amount of older shows I should get around to fit that description to a T. You'll also get mega bonus points if you manage to mention something I haven't heard of before.

If you haven't gotten around to Kurozuka yet, this would be as good a time as any. Fits your description pretty well, and, as I mentioned back in one of the earlier threads, is very pretty. It's actually been climbing-up my 'rewatch' list a fair bit since I saw it, as since then I've become aware of the series own adaptation history - specifically, it's an anime of a manga version of a novel that itself is a semi-reworking of a several hundred year old Noh play of the same name, which is itself based on an even older folk tale, while incorporating elements of a second similarly old legends that were adapted to Noh theatre.
That may seem like an unusual thing to change the appreciation of a series, but in this case it's actually semi-relevant to a couple of thematic points.
Even if you don't get that though, it is still very pretty.


Speaking of rewatches, a couple of months ago I introduced a friend to Blast of Tempest. Since it doesn't seem to be on your completed list, you should really consider giving it a look as it really holds-up. Although it's hard to explain what makes it as good as it is without spoiling things.


On the subject of things I've watched since I last posted in the thread: Michiko E Hatchin is amazing and I would very strongly suggest seeing it to anyone who hasn't (which I would imagine is quite a lot of people). It's a bit more episodic than the above two, but I think it's got more than enough style to make-up for that. I should probably write more about when I next do I 'things I've seen post'.


Oh, and also Erin. It's longer than what you're asking for (50 episodes) but given how you rate Dennou Coil and Princess Tutu I think you should really consider making time for it. Plus it's one of the series I tend to recommend a lot anyway, so leaving it off this list would just feel wrong



In other news: it has been a long time since I've been in this thread.

[mallorean_thug]

How is that? I've read a chunk of the manga and found it interesting, but clips I've seen make it look like the anime turned the fanservice way up.

It was really good, especially if you care about action sakuga. I mean, just look at a couple of these. Ryo-chimo brought a ton of his web-gen friends on board, and they absolutely nailed it out of the park.

Honestly, I think you'd enjoy it quite a bit, and its probably going to be my go-to recommendation for anybody looking for an action show for quite a while.

I'd say that the overall amount of fanservice is pretty low, and mostly limited to when Birdy is working her cover idol job. And loli Birdy in S2 could stand to put on a little more clothing, but I can't think of any spots where the camera sexualizes that. It's definitely not nearly as bad as Ryo-chimo's next show with a ton of really cool action cuts (Yozakura Quartet). /That one/ I can't recommend to people because of its ridiculous level of fanservice.

I'd just like to throw in my two cents, and recommend Macross Frontier and Mobile Suit Gundam:The 08th MS Team.

I actually already have plans to watch The 08th MS Team with a different group of people (currently we're watching 0080). And based on reactions to Do You Remember Love, Macross isn't going to fly. Thanks for the recs though!

If you haven't gotten around to Kurozuka yet, this would be as good a time as any. Fits your description pretty well, and, as I mentioned back in one of the earlier threads, is very pretty. It's actually been climbing-up my 'rewatch' list a fair bit since I saw it, as since then I've become aware of the series own adaptation history - specifically, it's an anime of a manga version of a novel that itself is a semi-reworking of a several hundred year old Noh play of the same name, which is itself based on an even older folk tale, while incorporating elements of a second similarly old legends that were adapted to Noh theatre.
That may seem like an unusual thing to change the appreciation of a series, but in this case it's actually semi-relevant to a couple of thematic points.
Even if you don't get that though, it is still very pretty.


Speaking of rewatches, a couple of months ago I introduced a friend to Blast of Tempest. Since it doesn't seem to be on your completed list, you should really consider giving it a look as it really holds-up. Although it's hard to explain what makes it as good as it is without spoiling things.


On the subject of things I've watched since I last posted in the thread: Michiko E Hatchin is amazing and I would very strongly suggest seeing it to anyone who hasn't (which I would imagine is quite a lot of people). It's a bit more episodic than the above two, but I think it's got more than enough style to make-up for that. I should probably write more about when I next do I 'things I've seen post'.


Oh, and also Erin. It's longer than what you're asking for (50 episodes) but given how you rate Dennou Coil and Princess Tutu I think you should really consider making time for it. Plus it's one of the series I tend to recommend a lot anyway, so leaving it off this list would just feel wrong



In other news: it has been a long time since I've been in this thread.

I was actually considering Erin! I'm just always wary of trying to watch long shows with groups of people. But 50 episodes really isn't that bad. Probably my top consideration at the moment.

Michiko and Hatchin was something I actually suggested right after we finished Samurai Champloo with a somewhat facetious "Hey, do you guys want to watch that show again, but in South America this time?" The answer was "Something less episodic, please" So, maybe we'll get around to that a little bit later, but probably not next.

Blast of Tempest isn't really my kind of show, but given my friends' tastes, probably is a good suggestion. I'll keep it in mind.

And I had completely forgotten about Kurozuka again. Thanks for reminding me. I might be greedy and just watch that one by myself real quick.

Its always good to see you around. And don't worry, its not like I've been posting around here either! Not because I've been posting elsewhere, just more that I've found online discussion about my interests to be less and less fun, and just doing my interests more fun.

[CarpeGuitarrem]

BTW, is it normal for manga to update fairly irregularly, or are there any sort of predictable schedules behind them? Because the first manga I followed was FMA, while Brotherhood was wrapping up, so I suspect that was an unprecedentedly fast release schedule. I ask because some time back, I finished all the back chapters of Soredemo Machi Wa Mawatteiru and found out it was an ongoing series, at least in theory. And apparently it's been a few months since it updated...

[cobaltstarfire]

I suspect it depends on the author, and the publisher?

I've read some manga that seemed to update pretty regularly, but others that had problems and would go on hiatus or be running late. And some author inserts talk about how they're always working themselves to the bone to try to meet deadlines. So some publishers might be more lenient than others?

[Hiro Protagonest]

For the manga I've read, One Piece has updated weekly, though with lots of small breaks recommended by Oda's doctor. Akatsuki No Yona has been updating at two chapters every two weeks. Pokemon Adventures only has a few magazine chapters every story arc and I have no idea about the creation process for the volumes.

[Closet_Skeleton]

Well I'm eight episodes in currently and feel incredibly safe in deeming it 1000 times better than Futari wa by virtue of

I have no stake in arguing with your opinions. The two shows have a completely different style of characterisation that makes any opinion difference largely one of taste. I personally rank them about the same after finishing both.

1. Not feeling like I'm just watching the same episode over and over again.

That will pass.

Watching one episode a week on average helped a lot. I'd probably have the same opinion if I watched them back to back, I definitely found myself speeding through Heartcatch a lot faster.

If you do get sick of Heartcatch, I'd recommend you finish it but skip episodes.

Spoiler: Closet Skeleton's essential Heartcatch Episodes

Show

1-3 (intro)
7-9 (character development)
10 (plot)
13 (plot)
15 (skippable, but has a little Itsuki character development if you pretend Itsuki matters)
17 (plot)
18 (skippable, but has a fan favourite troubled teen of the week
19 (skippable, but the Desertrian fight was the most memorable to me)
20-24 (plot arc)
25-26 (skippable, but its an arc)
27 (backstory)
28-29 (memorable but skippable)
30 (character development but skippable if you care nothing about fairies)
31 (Yuri character development)
32-34 (major plot arc)
35-36 (school festival arc, sort of filler)
37-38 (major plot arc)
39 (essentially filler but not skippable because Erika)
40 (minor plot episode)
41-42 (pair of Yuri focused episodes)
44-49 (major plot arc)

Any episode not mentioned is skippable but not necessarily bad in any way, just didn't grab me as much as the equally skippable ones I listed.

Which is a lot more than I remember there being, so probably not worth it even though you can cut it down to about 24 episodes.

2. The protagonists not being supremely incompetent fighters up until their finishing move.

That changes a lot later on in Futari Wa, remains a problem throughout Heartcatch.

I'm a man, dammit, I'm not supposed to like cute things!

Your lie in April is a boys comic though. Its just hard to tell because it lacks the fanservice in most boy's romance comics.

If you can stand ridiculous fan-service situations Ichigo 100% is good. I stopped reading it for a year once because I cried too much, but that was back when I was young enough to be in the target audience.

I really can't wait until Sith Happens or closet skeleton to get around to giving it a try,

Which will be in 30 weeks unless I decide not to bother finishing or speed up in watching Max Heart (which would be a better show if it could make up its mind who was the main character or to actually be an ensemble like it should be).

On the subject of things I've watched since I last posted in the thread: Michiko E Hatchin is amazing and I would very strongly suggest seeing it to anyone who hasn't (which I would imagine is quite a lot of people).

I never finished it due to the fansubbing slowing to a crawl.

Sadly all I really remember is one episode where a second hand bookshop shared all its titles with one from Ergo Proxy.

[DoctorFaust]

Okay, so, this is unconfirmed as of when I post this, but I've been seeing posts on a couple of different places alleging, and I would like to stress that word, that there is more Madoka coming. Whether movies or another season, I don't know, but apparently the concept movie that's going to be screened at the Madogatari exhibit is essentially a super "image board" (their word for it, not mine) for the next Madoka project.

Spoiler: The alleged translation from 2016 Newtype, which has massive Rebellion spoilers

Show

■ニュータイプ2016年1月号より。インタビュー
From NewType January 2016; interview.

”コンセプトムービー”について
On the concept movie.

アニメの制作に入る前には、”イメージボード”と呼ばれる作品の雰囲気をつかむための
一枚絵を用意することがよくあるのですが、それと同じような位置づけのものを
今回はムービーで作ってみました。
Before entering production of an anime we usually prepare pictures called “image boards” to get a feel for the atmosphere of it, but in the same vein as before, we decided to try creating a movie instead.
[ie; they drew a picture of what they wanted when they were making the first series; and for the presumably impending production they did a short film instead for the same purpose]

言うなれば贅沢なイメージボード
Having said that, [there are now?] extravagant image boards

『こういうふうにつくる』という、現時点での作品の”核”のようなもの
映画でいうなら、限りなく”予告編”に近いものと言えます
“We’ll do it like this, [we/they] said, and it can be called the “core” of the piece at present, so we can say it’s a unlimited [open-ended?] preview for upcoming things.

・以前から”新作”のためのミーティングを重ねていた
From the previous [film], we’ve been meeting continuously on the topic of a “new production”

・MADOGATARI展は新作の情報を明かすいいタイミングだった
MADOGATARI was good timing to shed light on the new story.

・まどかがバレエを踊っているのもしっかりと新作の本編にあります
Madoka dancing ballet is firmly in this installation of the new story

・マミは三国志の関羽のような”戦いの神様”のイメージで新作ではさらに強くなる
Mami has grown even stronger in the new story, bearing an image reminiscent of Guān Yǔ from the Romance of the Three Kingdoms, like a war goddess.

・仁美やなぎさも新作で活躍します
Hitomi and Nagisa also play an active role in the new story

・コンセプトムービーだけで完結しているのではなく、ここから新しい「魔法少女まどかマギカ」が始まるんだ 、ということが皆さんに伝わるといいなと思っています
This will not end with just the concept movie, from here on out, a new Puella Magi Madoka Magica begins, and we hope that this was communicated to everyone.

[Sith_Happens]

Spoiler: MFW Kumojacky interrupts the stock footage

Show

BTW, is it normal for manga to update fairly irregularly, or are there any sort of predictable schedules behind them? Because the first manga I followed was FMA, while Brotherhood was wrapping up, so I suspect that was an unprecedentedly fast release schedule. I ask because some time back, I finished all the back chapters of Soredemo Machi Wa Mawatteiru and found out it was an ongoing series, at least in theory. And apparently it's been a few months since it updated...

Spoiler: Relevant

Show

Okay, so, this is unconfirmed as of when I post this, but I've been seeing posts on a couple of different places alleging, and I would like to stress that word, that there is more Madoka coming. Whether movies or another season, I don't know, but apparently the concept movie that's going to be screened at the Madogatari exhibit is essentially a super "image board" (their word for it, not mine) for the next Madoka project.

Spoiler: The alleged translation from 2016 Newtype, which has massive Rebellion spoilers

Show

■ニュータイプ2016年1月号より。インタビュー
From NewType January 2016; interview.

”コンセプトムービー”について
On the concept movie.

アニメの制作に入る前には、”イメージボード”と呼ばれる作品の雰囲気をつかむための
一枚絵を用意することがよくあるのですが、それと同じような位置づけのものを
今回はムービーで作ってみました。
Before entering production of an anime we usually prepare pictures called “image boards” to get a feel for the atmosphere of it, but in the same vein as before, we decided to try creating a movie instead.
[ie; they drew a picture of what they wanted when they were making the first series; and for the presumably impending production they did a short film instead for the same purpose]

言うなれば贅沢なイメージボード
Having said that, [there are now?] extravagant image boards

『こういうふうにつくる』という、現時点での作品の”核”のようなもの
映画でいうなら、限りなく”予告編”に近いものと言えます
“We’ll do it like this, [we/they] said, and it can be called the “core” of the piece at present, so we can say it’s a unlimited [open-ended?] preview for upcoming things.

・以前から”新作”のためのミーティングを重ねていた
From the previous [film], we’ve been meeting continuously on the topic of a “new production”

・MADOGATARI展は新作の情報を明かすいいタイミングだった
MADOGATARI was good timing to shed light on the new story.

・まどかがバレエを踊っているのもしっかりと新作の本編にあります
Madoka dancing ballet is firmly in this installation of the new story

・マミは三国志の関羽のような”戦いの神様”のイメージで新作ではさらに強くなる
Mami has grown even stronger in the new story, bearing an image reminiscent of Guān Yǔ from the Romance of the Three Kingdoms, like a war goddess.

・仁美やなぎさも新作で活躍します
Hitomi and Nagisa also play an active role in the new story

・コンセプトムービーだけで完結しているのではなく、ここから新しい「魔法少女まどかマギカ」が始まるんだ 、ということが皆さんに伝わるといいなと思っています
This will not end with just the concept movie, from here on out, a new Puella Magi Madoka Magica begins, and we hope that this was communicated to everyone.

...Consider me morbidly fascinated.

[DoctorFaust]

...Consider me morbidly fascinated.

**** it, I'm genuinely excited about this. Rebellion wasn't great, but it did a really good job setting up for a continuation.

Spoiler: Concept Movie

Show

And if the screenshots I've seen are to be believed, we're going to be getting Tengen Toppa Gurren Mami, and potentially witch Madoka. And more Nagisa and Hitomi, which is never a bad thing in my opinion.

[JCarter426]

Hi, everyone. I've fallen behind on anime this season due to work, and I've been caught in another situation. I could use some other opinions here.

So, my friend wants me to recommend him an anime. But this is not going to be one of those situations, not the usual kind. See, he's convinced that he doesn't like anime, despite never having seen any. And that's fine. I don't care. He doesn't have to like all the same things I do. It's unreasonable to write off an entire medium based on his misconceptions that are too ridiculous to repeat in public, and he enjoys other animation, including anime-inspired shows like Avatar and Korra, but that's fine. I don't care. I'm content to let him do whatever. But he's pretty insistent on getting a recommendation, I suspect, so he can point at it and say this is why he doesn't like anime. Now, I don't want any part in giving his unreasonable position any resemblance of credibility, nor do I want to force him to watch something he'll refuse to like, but he claims that he would be just as happy to end up enjoying it instead.

Essentially, he wants an anime that will challenge him to accept or reject the entire medium. I don't think that's fair to anyone involved, so as of yet I've refused to name names.

I've talked with another friend about the matter, and he went through more or less the same emotional process I did, from trying to pick a contender to deciding no recommendation is possible because he doesn't deserve to watch it with that flippant attitude, to being tempted to recommend something completely inappropriate out of spite (my other friend suggested Dokuro-chan).

I do know that if I were to give a proper recommendation, it would most likely be Haruhi, based on what I know of my friend's sci-fi inclinations and the series' relative lack certain anime tropes that I suspect would deter him. There are a number of others that I do believe he would enjoy if he were open to the idea, but my other friend concurred that Haruhi was the frontrunner. I'm still debating whether to say anything, though.

I have decided that, before I give any recommendation, my friend must agree to a list of terms that I believe would make the situation more reasonable. The first of which, and he has already agreed to this one, is that he must watch the entire series in full and not judge the whole series and anime in general on one episode. So, using Haruhi as an example, this would mean twenty something episodes and a movie (I'd let him skip most of Endless Eight). He's fine with that amount, but a hundred episodes might be another matter.

So, I'm open to suggestions both for other series and for other terms. Thanks in advance.

[Sith_Happens]

**** it, I'm genuinely excited about this. Rebellion wasn't great, but it did a really good job setting up for a continuation.

Spoiler: Concept Movie

Show

And if the screenshots I've seen are to be believed, we're going to be getting Tengen Toppa Gurren Mami, and potentially witch Madoka. And more Nagisa and Hitomi, which is never a bad thing in my opinion.

*finds concept movie*

...Dangit, now I'm hyped too. CURSE YOU SHAFT!

(Speaking of which, did this thread really say nothing about the fact that someone made this as an April Fools joke eight months ago? Because I just now discovered it and it's really well done.)

[Snip]

Cowboy Bebop dubbed. If that doesn't work nothing will.

[Lethologica]

I...um...what? Haruhi is troperriffic, anime-wise. What is it that your friend claims to dislike about anime? And what's his background--has he, like, seen a Miyazaki movie ever?

Some intitial thoughts on anime that lack the stereotypical 'things that are annoying about anime':
-Tokyo Godfathers
-Baccano!
-Samurai Champloo
-Ghost in the Shell (movie is enough IMO, don't need to put him through the whole franchise)
-Ping Pong The Animation
-Ergo Proxy

[mallorean_thug]

I would also anti-recommend Haruhi. Haruhi is a really great gateway show for people who /want/ to like anime. If your friend is going in wanting to hate anime, Haruhi is not going to change his mind. And the abusive Haruhi/Mikuru dynamic would reinforce his misconceptions because its awful, creepy, and brings down the rest of the show, even if you really like the rest of the show.

I think that the strongest "Show off why anime is great to somebody that has preconceived notions about it" works are (in order):

1. Hayao Miyazaki films (Porco Rosso, Princess Mononoke, Spirited Away, ect)
2. Isao Takahata films (The Tale of Princess Kaguya, Only Yesterday, Grave of the Fireflies, ect )
3. Satoshi Kon films (Millennium Actress, Perfect Blue, Paprika, ect)
4. Mamoru Hosoda films (The Girl Who Leapt Through Time, Wolf Children, Summer Wars ect)
5. Masaaki Yuasa works (Ping Pong the Animation, Mind Game, The Tatami Galaxy ect.)
6. Shinichiro Watanabe works (Cowboy Bebop, Kids on the Slope, Samurai Champloo ect.)
7. Hiroyuki Okiura films (Jin Roh: The Wolf Brigade, A Letter to Momo)
8. Mamoru Oishii films (Ghost in the Shell, The Sky Crawlers, ect.)

If you're specifically looking for a TV show rather than a movie, and would like the strongest recommendation possible, it has to be Ping Pong the Animation. Accept no substitutes.

[Kato]

Cowboy Bebop dubbed. If that doesn't work nothing will.

Basically my first thought. It's straight up the closest thing to Western animation or just Western story telling with huge critical success. If he hates it out of spite, it's not your problem. If he enjoys it, maybe easy him into "more Japanese" things slowly.

[Sallera]

While it's hard to argue with Ping Pong, I'm also of the opinion that if someone can sit through a season of Mushishi and still dislike anime by means of stereotypes, there's not much hope of convincing them.

[Chimmon]

I think the most vital aspect of recommending an anime would be matching it up with his interests. If he likes Space Operas Cowboy Bebop would probably go over well, if he doesn't then it won't be something he'd be inclined to enjoy. Some examples of what types of genres he enjoys might be helpful.

[Lethologica]

The only thing I would say about Bebop is that to a western SF fan it might feel like discount Firefly in the early going and make him feel bored. (On the other hand, if it feels like Firefly without the discount, that's a pretty strong recommendation.)

While it's hard to argue with Ping Pong, I'm also of the opinion that if someone can sit through a season of Mushishi and still dislike anime, there's not much hope of convincing them.

Certainly. I feel like Mushishi, Ping Pong, and GitS hit three different sweet spots. What are some anime we might add to cover the bases, so to speak? I might not add Haibane Renmei, for example, since it's sorta overlapping Mushishi in terms of what part of the anime spectrum it's showing; similarly for Lain and GitS. I was going to suggest Whisper of the Heart or Spice and Wolf, but I'm not well-versed in the romance genre, so I don't have a handle on what anime would be on par with the above and still avoid "anime stuff", for lack of a better term.

[Alent]

Cowboy Bebop dubbed. If that doesn't work nothing will.

I second this, I would also suggest Robotech/Macross. With Robotech you might actually be able to trick him into thinking he's not watching an Anime as he may have already seen it as a kid. FMA:Brotherhood would also be a strong choice given how good of a story it is.

If it weren't so horribly dated at this point, given his like of Avatar, I'd almost be tempted to suggest Fushigi Yuugi. I think the age and pacing might be problematic, tho'.

If you're feeling particularly evil: Seto no Hanayome. It parodies so much he's bound to see something he likes.

[BWR]

I hear so many good things about Ping Pong but I could barely make it through the first episode. Neither was I particularly impressed by the first 5 episodes of Cowboy Bebop (not bad, just not interesting).

I think Mushishi was all kinds of awesome, and I love the GitS series. Original movie or SAC really depends on whether someone wants to watch a movie or short episode for their first excursion into that 'verse. I would not use Innocence or SSS or Arise for an introduction.

[Ibrinar]

Mushi-shi might be a great choice, after all it doesn't have many features that might annoy non-anime watchers in an anime and it is a great show. But of course that doesn't mean it fits everyones taste.

As others have said about Haruhi I wouldn't give it to someone who is prejudiced against animes (also the first non chronological episode is awful as first episode but it is the better viewing order imo.)

FMA has plenty anime tropes though someone who watches the last airbender shouldn't be that bothered by its anime tropes if he isn't determined to criticize it.

Or give up and give him something weird like Bobobo-bo Bo-bobo.

Seirei no Moribito or Last Exile are decent choices if one likes their respective genres.

[DoctorFaust]

Bebop, Baccano, or FMA would be my recommendations as well. They're all all relatively western, have good dubs, and are frankly just damn good shows.

[cobaltstarfire]

I'd be careful with Mushi-shi honestly.

it's amazing yeah, but it's really easy to imagine someone getting bored with it. Still seems solid.

I have this feeling that Spice and Wolf might not be quite right, but that's just a gut feeling.



I once met someone that told me that he thought Cowboy Bebop looked stupid, and that all anime is stupid and bad looking. Except Samurai X, he liked Samurai X. So who knows how things will turn out, I've only seen Kenshin and none of the movies, but it seems a really odd choice to like from someone who hates it all and thinks it all looks bad. People are weird and unpredictable I guess.

[Ibrinar]

True Mushi-shi has no overarching story to keep someones interest, not flashy fights, no comedy to keep people entertained. I'm sure that it is boring to some. (The same goes for Haibane Renmei.)

About Spice and Wolf it is a nice show but it relies pretty much entirely on you liking the banter between the two. Oh it has it's economics and stuff but I don't think somebody who doesn't like their interaction will like the show all that much.

Baccano is great but also a bit weird so you should consider someones taste before recommending it. Well that goes for all shows of course but sometimes you can say "if the person likes the genre they will find this as least acceptable."

[ex cathedra]

i'd second solid film recommendations; i'm more of a TV-format person, myself, but film is very digestible. if someone is set on not enjoying something, making them sit through the 11 hours it takes to finish many 2-cour anime isn't productive for anyone in involved.

mononoke-hime would be my rec

[Arbane]

Am I the only person watching One-Punch Man?

Spoiler: because it's brilliant

Show