Anime budget cut. Which shows should I still buy?

[Elaniel]

I've got a lot of boxsets on order from TRSI, but I'm simply spending too much money and I need opinions on a few shows if you guys can recommend if they're my style or not based on other shows I like.

I'm asking if it's possible for you to tell me if a show is definitely worth it based on my taste of shows I enjoy or not. I have to be lethal as I really do need to cut down my budget for this summer.

Okay, shows I absolutely love: Slayers, Lodoss War, Hayate, Shana, Evangelion, Angel Beats, Bubblegum Crisis: Tokyo 2040, Nadesico, Baka & Test, Utena to name a few that pop into my head straight away. Also, for some reason any type of JC Staff show I fall instantly in love with.

The shows I'm looking at culling are:
Dance In the Vampire Bund
Arawaka: Under the Bridge
Demon King Daimo
Needless
Katanagatari
Baccano
Tales of the Abyss
Girl Who Leapt Through Space

Sorry if it sounds confusing what I'm asking for, I just need to take a tough look at my purchasing as there are lots of things in the summer I'm interested in and don't have the time right now to view a chunk of a show to see if it's worth it.

Thanks so much.

[MelancholicMariya]

Well seeing as you like Baka and Test the director of that worked on SHAFT projects such as Natsu no Arashi, Hidamari Sketch, Bakemonogatari and Pani Poni Dash so I guess you should buy Arakawa Under the Bridge. (You like Hayate too and that's a.. little similar, humor wise.)

Dance in the Vampire Bund is by SHAFT too but it's not very similar to your interests so I don't know about that.

Your tastes don't really seem to suit Demon King Daimo though, though maybe you're into ecchi stuff and just didn't list it? Though the general opinion is that it's kind of garbage so I guess you should take that as you will.

I'd personally recommend keeping Katanagatari though and definitely keep Baccano if you haven't already seen it. Hell just keep it even if you're upgrading.

[davesimmons]

Definitely keep Baccano! if you haven't seen it already, it's one of the more creative, fun and visually interesting shows I've seen in the last couple of years.

[Elaniel]

I was grabbing Daimo because of Takashi Watanabe being involved, but if it is that poor of a show.

I was apprehensive to Baccano as I don't like the art style nor the setting.
I did see the first 2 episodes of Bund and remember dropping it originally as it was interesting, it just seemed to not go anywhere.

[cress2000]

Sorry if this isn't exactly what you want, as I'm largely clueless about most of these titles, but I'm interested in most of them. If I was in your situation:

I'd make Baccano! first priority, assuming you mean Aniplex's BD box. While I have no idea how large the print run will be, once it's gone, that's it. Don't like the show, you might, at some point, be able to sell it for more than you paid or break even at worst.

I'd make Katanagatari and Arakawa second priority. NISA's LE boxes will only be receiving one--probably small--print run, with a regular edition only following in some uncertain future date.

Depending on how much money was still left, I'd have to think more carefully about the remainder of the titles, and if I really needed them day one. They'll all be available for a while to come, but Vampire Bund is the only one I'd waver over due to its limited chipboard artbox.

[chronoclast]

Keep Baccano because it's an amazing show and if you want the BD set, it will likely sell out not long after it's release. Your tastes seem varied so I think you'll like it.

I haven't seen any of the other shows you listed.

[davesimmons]

I was apprehensive to Baccano as I don't like the art style nor the setting.
It's not as much about mobsters as it might seem from ads, that's only one element of the show, and the art style works better in motion than in stills.

If you are in the US and have Netflix you can watch it there, but dubbed and in lower quality than the blu-ray box.

[One Vorlon]

. . .I was apprehensive to Baccano as I don't like the art style nor the setting.
I did see the first 2 episodes of Bund and remember dropping it originally as it was interesting, it just seemed to not go anywhere.
Based on some of the shows you listed (Eva and Utena, for example, and Bubblegum Crisis), I think you'd like Baccano. And if you happen to like the Bourne movies and Murder on the Orient Express, its a must get.

Baccano starts off with two core storylines - the Transcontinental Railroad where several well-armed groups compete to hijack it and the Streets of New York where a mob war breaks out over the Philospher's Stone - but adds in more to explain how things got to this point. Along the way, we get to see an immortal character shoved under the wheels of a train, watch a railroad ghost go mad, and witness lots of impressive fights.

I suppose an alternate way to describe Baccano would be a crossover between Fullmetal Alchemist and Ghost in the Shell, with homonculi & cyborgs mixing it up in Prohibtion era America. But if you're still concerned, the dvd singles are still floating around for cheap - I put together a set via Big Lots and Right Stuf. So give it a shot.



P.S. The first episode of Baccano may well be the weakest in the entire series (first time through). It involves two characters, years later, arguing over the best way to understand the events that happened, and who - if anyone - is the main character. So don't let it scare you off, and the characters (and events) do get proper introductions/exposition later. And on a re-watch, it makes a lot more sense.

[Otakufan]

I haven't seen most of those shows either, so I can't really help you there. But when in doubt, usually best not to.

But I did check out the first couple of episodes of Baccano on ANN. The first episode didn't exactly wow me and I probably wouldn't have picked it up. But when Rightstuff had the boxset on special, I decided to check out one more episode and was sufficiently impressed with the 2nd episode to order the complete collection.

Since most of your favourites are also mine (Nadesico, Lodoss, Slayers, Eva), judge accordingly. Especially if you'd like something a little bit different, Baccano is not your typical anime.

J. A.

[Elaniel]

Thanks for the replies. I think Baccano at least is a sure keeper for now. Arakwawa will probably as well. For some reason, i really want to buy Katanagatri purely because I want to support NISA as I really like their release pattern Blu/DVD/luxury box and book.

What about Needless? I keep going off and on about it.

[pluvia33]

Needless is a fun, dumb action show for the most part. Needless would be at the bottom in priority with everything I've seen on that list, which is all but Demon King Daimo and Tales of the Abyss. That's not to say it's bad. If you're in the mood for something like this, it is enjoyable. Just don't expect much in plot. Just over the top superpower action with a bit of fan service. And the ending is a bit rushed.

And just to emphasize, Baccano and Katanagatari are both in my top 20 and highly recommended. ^_^

[Renzo]

I would recommend Katanagatari over Baccano, but that is just me. Out of curiosity, have you seen Birdy the Mighty: Decode, Darker than Black, Ergo Proxy, Mushi-shi, Fruits Basket, etc?

[Fawul]

I highly recommend Baccano, excellent series. I've seen most of your favorites(I love Bubblegum Crisis, Evangelion, and Slayers as well) but not the others you're looking into.

[Elaniel]

I would recommend Katanagatari over Baccano, but that is just me. Out of curiosity, have you seen Birdy the Mighty: Decode, Darker than Black, Ergo Proxy, Mushi-shi, Fruits Basket, etc?

Sorry for taking so long to reply. I didn't like Birdy, Fruits Basket or Ergo Proxy. Haven't seen the other shows.

[mrsparklenoodle]

I've seen two or three episodes of Katanagatari and they impressed me enough that I plan to buy NIS America's premium editions of the show (or at least, if I don't it will be due to budgetary issues and because they will release a regular edition at some point unless the company goes under before then, I would love to have those L.E.s as the box art is gorgeous and there'll be full page pictures).

Baccano! is probably a show I won't watch to completion because of how violent it is, but I thought it was good, if it didn't make me flinch I'd be happy to watch it to the end, and the animation is very good.

Arakawa Under the Bridge didn't really wow me, and I haven't seen the rest of the shows on your list.

[sickVisionz]

I'm in a similar boat as you. My job stopped for two months (starts back up next week though) and I really cut down on my anime buying.

I chose to skip everything that isn't NISA and here's why: they will stop making boxsets. Once the money is flowing again I can go back and pick up anything that I missed. NISA's releases aren't like that though. If that Kata LE sells out, that's it. There's no more of them and I might have to wait a year or so for a standard edition. Plus, Kata is pretty great in every way imaginable.

I'd skip Arakawa though. I loved Paniponi Dash to death and I think I read that the same creators are behind Arakawa, but I watched an episode of it and didn't find anything in it to be even remotely funny.

[General Hentai]

I was grabbing Daimo because of Takashi Watanabe being involved, but if it is that poor of a show.

Yeah, it actually is. I bought it after seeing the first 3 episodes, which were pretty enjoyable. The series has a great premise, a lot of great characters and is set in what would have been a fun universe to explore.

The first 6 episodes had me giving it a solid "B" range rating. Then, alas, everything falls apart in the last half of the show. They essentially try to cram about 18 episodes worth of plot and story into the last 6 episodes, and it's an incomprensible absurd disaster. It's too much plot in too little space, plus it's a contradictory mish-mash of a plot making no sense whatsoever. I rate the 2nd half of the series to be, at best, a tenuous "D" which definitely sinks to an "F" at points.