Accidental anime

[Chloe]

Are there any shows you have stumbled into, that you never had any intention of watching, yet ended up loving them?

I would not be here on AoD today, if the Action Channel had not started doing animidnight a few years back. I'd watched anime as a child and teenager, but had long since let it fall by the wayside for other interests. They were doing some advertisements for this, and they were showing like 3 episodes from Hellsing that week. By the end of the second week I had the whole show already ordered, and others along with it. I've never looked back. I literally stumbled right into it.

Another one was Dragon Half. I was just looking for some cheap bit of fluff to pad an order to get free shipping. The cover picture looked cute, or something. This has turned out to be one of my most watched DVDs, since it is a hilarious little one-shot tha you can watch in an hour, and it never gets old.

Have you had any experiences like this?

[TnAdct1]

I wonder if I should consider Azumanga Daioh as an accidental anime for me. When the anime club that I originally attended first viewed the show in 2002, it was originally part of a sampler of three titles, with most of the fans being more interested in watching Happy Lesson first. However, once the first episode of Azumanga Daioh played, I quickly became interested in seeing more.

[Shsway]

Azumanga Daioh and Steel Angel Kurumi are the top two for me in this category. In the case of the first, I'd heard nothing but comments about the loli-ish nature of the show, and how vapid a viewer would have to be to get into it. As a rule, I tend to stay away from programs specifically aimed towards drawing in the loli fans, since this genre does absolutely nothing for me and has, at times, disturbed me.

Anywho, a co-worker lent me the first disc and I managed to rewatch it within a very short space of time. I was hooked, and quickly took advantage of whatever means to get the rest of the singles as quickly and as cheaply as possible. It's hard to believe that a show this funny could also be so very sweet and well-developed. It has one of the best scripts and season finales that I've seen in the medium.

With regards to SAK, I was honestly in it for the cheap price point, in the form of the brick, and the digital extras it came with. No way did I expect the first show and the OVAs to be that entertaining. Steven Foster's ADR script helped much, plus the loss of that aggravating "desu" of Kurumi's on the Japanese track.

I'll admit, I don't plan on watching the final disc of the series much. It totally deviates from an otherwise fun show.

Edit: OK, one more.

Maison Ikkoku. I absolutely hated the first set, and felt unaffected by anything in it, save for the episode in which <span style='color:#dddddd;background:#dddddd'>Kyoko is shown visiting Soichiro's grave for the firt time in the series</span>. I even attempted to sell it off, but a wacky occurence at the B&amp;M I went to prevented me from doing so (and I was still not selling my wares online).

Anywho, the box sat for awhile in a corner of my bedroom. I had given things a rewatch but still wasn't convinced. One evening, it occurred to me to switch on the dub and listen to the show, as I was doing some paperwork. In that context, something about the series finally spoke to me, though it sure seemed like I tried extra hard to like, or at least to understand its popularity/specialness to the fans. I was hardly aware of ordering the next box, which then hooked me, and things went on from there. Now I can't get my fix quick enough, and some of the situations presented in the show to this point feel both familiar and achingly real. It hurts to watch someone else's yearning go unfulfilled, even misunderstood, for so long.

Uh, and that's why I like Maison Ikkoku. Only one more set of episodes to go, and this will actually decide whether the show will be a permanent "keeper" for me.

Further, I didn't even stick to the dub, despite its temporary hold on me. Subtitled all the way for this one, baby. The acting is just too good, too amusing and too moving to switch it.

[EmperorBrandon]

The two for me would be Magic User's Club and Super GALS! MUC was just a show my friend picked out and ordered (cause he likes series with magic in them and it had "magic" in the title) and came across it solely because of that. Super GALS! was the first title I won Vol. 1 of in an ADV cast guessing game here on AoD. There was very little hype on it around here at this point and when I got it I frankly wasn't totally sure I'd like it (but watched because I got it for free).

Two very fortunate accidental finds for me, I'd say. I do wonder had I not stumbled upon them whether I would have gotten interested in them later (and possibly even bought them). I think the very nature of my fandom would be drastically different if I hadn't come across MUC though, since it has inspired quite a lot of choices in regard to anime (in particular, pushing me to try other Sato titles like Princess Tutu, Pretear, and Kaleido Star).

[cheezisgoooood]

I totally did not expect to love Azumanga Daioh as much as I did, ESPECIALLY after seeing the opening theme on my newly purchased DVD's. I was like "WHAT THE CRAP IS THIS?!" Then on a second viewing of the opening theme, I thought, "Hey, heh, this is pretty frikkin' random and crazy." Then the third time I watched it, I started singing along. Then the opening theme kept me awake at night, and it was a tell tale of a heart beat from then on...Lol, but I ended up loving the series thoroughly, it's one of my favorites for sure, and I'm glad I bravely chose to purchase something cutesy and charming for a change.

[Puppet Master]

Most of these are at least somewhat strange situations for accidental anime but that's how I view it just by chance.

Azumanga Daioh - Saw it OnDemand hated it and than I found out about the Best Buy 30% off coupons and after hearing so much good things about I just decided to give it a second chance and I ended up enjoying it.

Gantz - Same story as Azumanga Daioh ended up buying the thinpak of S1 and going back the next day to get V6-10.

Ghost in the Shell: Stand Alone Complex - HATED it til pretty much the end. Felt sick one night laid down and the episode where <span style='color:#dddddd;background:#dddddd'>Section 9 was dismantaled</span> it was one of the last episodes of the series. I found it to be quite good so I ended up buying the volumes that were available at the time during Deep Discount DVDs 20% off sale and throughly enjoying it.

Salaryman Kintaro - Was in Best Buy one day and I just ended up finding it and buying the first two volumes and opening the first volume before I noticed that it was sub only. But I ended up enjoying it kept the second one and bought the rest.

Witch Hunter Robin - Saw it on CN the first time hated it because it was slow. Saw it again a while later and I ended up enjoying it and just bought the series on DVD the other night.

Wolf's Rain - Just didn't like this show at all when I initally saw it but I found it on OnDemand (Comcast feature under Adult Swim and ended up enjoying the first two episodes and picking up the series on E-Bay. /images/graemlins/shy00000.gif

[Mr. Nail Bat]

Actually, just in recent days I've stumbled into one: Nanaka 6/17. I had no interest in it from trailers and so on... but I have watched the first disk at least five times now. I think I'm an addict.

[Kellory]

Doubtless there have been a few like that at least. I blind buy 99% of my anime so the real gems are very exciting to find.

The one that really sticks out most in my mind though was Super Gals. I really didnt see any point in getting that show. I so figured it was just Clueless, but asian. And I was so wrong. I was so hooked by the end of the first episode. I was actually kicking myself for waiting till half the series was out before starting it. Cant think of many shows like that.

Although, while its still early Eureka 7 is amazing me. I was expecting nothing out of it except a semi decent mecha show. So far, I'm loving the first disc. It needs more Talho though.

[Sensuifu]

Escaflowne. iirc, the main theme or the intro song piqued my interest.
Evangelion. Borrowed the first tape from a friend to see what the hype was about...found myself multidipping the series.

[LexiJ]

Sailor Moon was like that for me. My youngest sister watched the DIC version way back when, before I even knew what anime was. And I absolutely hated it. Thought it was horrible, childish dreck. So when Geneon picked up seasons 3 and 4, I didn't really pay too much attention to the excited talk about uncut versions being released, cause I really didn't think there was all that much to be changed or edited. It was a kid's show, after all. Boy, did I get a surprise. I stumbled onto talk about Haruka and Michiru. My interest was marginally piqued, since the idea of a company changing lesbians to cousins amused me. Then as I was channel surfing one day, I hit Cartoon Network, and what should they be airing? I came in halfway through "The Death of Uranus and Neptune", just as they were standing outside the cathedral and Neptune reaches down to clasp Uranus' fingers (I think this was edited, but not enough that you couldn't tell what was happening, body language is a wonderful thing). I figured those must be the cousins, and kept watching out of curiosity. And they died. I was all like, "Wow! This show has some depth to it, after all!" I immediately purchased the dvds that were available so I could get away from the horrible dub and get to the real story, and turned into a Sailor Moon addict, seeking out the rest of the series, buying as much merchandise as my wallet can afford, and even writing lots of fanfic, which is how I met my SO. Sailor Moon has been good to me. /images/graemlins/catgirl0.gif

[Johnny]

This tends to happen to me a lot with live-action movies. I'll have a case of insomnia and catch a film just as it's starting and it'll end up with me really loving it (The Breakfast Club, Ginger Snaps etc).

This has never happened with anime as none is shown on terrestrial TV here but when I was first getting into anime in a more hardcore sense than just Akira and Ghost in the Shell, I borrowed/watched stuff like Patlabor, Utena and Lain (from AoDer Cornelius no less) that I ended up loving and buying for myself and I probably wouldn't have went out of my way to hunt for them back then.

[LupusUmbrus]

The two that come to mind for me are Steel Angel Kurumi and Witch Hunter Robin.

Kurumi was an impulse buy, and was just alot of fun. It took the first few episodes to get me over the show's premiss, but really hooked me as it went along.

Witch Hunter Robin stands out as an 'accident', as it's one of the only shows where I've purchased the soundtrack without knowing anything about the anime. So, after really digging the soundtrack, I picked up the series and was not disappointed.

[tangent]

For me it was .hack//sign. When it came out I remember reading about it and I thought it sounded really lame. I thought it was a show about kids playing Dungeons and Dragons on their computers. So for a long time I didn't give it any thought.

Then a few months ago I happened to catch it on TV, and it was love at first sight. The story, characters, and music were all great. Luckily I was able to pick up the box set from TRSI during their Christmas sale. Now .hack//sign is one of my favourite Animes.

[Njr Scrawl]

Blue Seed &amp; Those Who Hunt Elves never interested me from descriptions, but their trailers (using the op. tune) made me want to try them.

Oh yes, and Debutante Detective Corps. /images/graemlins/happy.gif

[curr]

I'd have to say Figure 17 for me. Never heard of it w Without that seeing that eps on the newtype preivew disk, thinking let's check this show I woudn't have batted an eyelash at the show, if I saw it for sale at the store. Watched the first eps dubbed none the less and I was hooked.

[Herufaiya]

Two of my favorite shows, actually, are one's that I'd heard about in passing that either hadn't interested me based on premise alone or seemed like ridiculously overplayed fanservice, respectively.
Jubei-chan and Divergence Eve.
I...LOVE them.

[pathos]

At first, I bought nothing blind. Lately though I've done alot of impulse buying because I saw something on sale, or whatever.

Probably the one I was impressed with the most with a blind buy was Bandit King Jing.

I never see this one discussed, so I can only assume common consensus here it isnt very good or something. But, for whatever reason, it struck just the right chord with me. I really dig it /images/graemlins/sdsmiley.gif

It seems to be something I can pull out and rewatch whenever, and it never really gets old

[LimePie]

KaleidoStar was somewhat of an accidental anime for me. I won the first volume at the ADV panel at SakuraCon a few years ago. When I got home and watched it, I was in love. In retrospect, this really isn't too surprising, considering that I'm a huge Sato fangirl. /images/graemlins/catgirl0.gif

[jejune]

Super Gals for me, too. I had heard a few good things, and added it to the HUGE list of shows I "might check out some day." Then TRSI had the first disk on one of their Super Anime Bargain Madness specials they used to run, for $9. I ordered it, enjoyed it a lot, then picked up the rest of the singles after that. Definitely one of my favorite series.

Fighting Spirit was totally random. I had been following a few series for a long time and they had both ended. I was antsy for something new and different, so I popped open AOD and looked at whatever review had just been posted. It was FS vol 1. I skipped to the end of the review and just read the summary. Chris said it was good, Jarred said it was good in the thread about it (or was he Jarhead back then? I can't remember), so I preordered it on a whim. All in the space of about 10 minutes.

Later I kicked myself for being impulsive, thought about cancelling it, didn't, finally recieved it, and ended up watching that first disk no less than 40 times in the three months until vol 2 came out. (I watch while weight lifting, and it seemed very appropriate. Also thus was the cause of my backlog getting out of hand - I'd get new things, but just feel more like watching Ippo over again instead.) Needless to say it's my favorite series ever, and I'm glad I didn't cancel my preorder. I'd probably have caught on eventually, but I'd have missed out on a lot.

[Isuzu Inugami]

Back in the VHS days, when I had more disposeable income and fewer shows to dispose it upon, I picked up the first volume of what looked like a cute, excessivly pink, magical girl show, with swords, called Revolutionary Girl Utena.

Best blind buy ever!

[jecca-neko]

I haven't had any accidental anime for the most part. I think the only "accidental" anime I watched was when I flipped through Sci-fi channel one year and caught the beginning of one of their anime movies they were showing that week. It was toward the beginning of the week too. I saw the 2 Galaxy Express 999 movies, the Fatal Fury movie, and Project A-ko, IIRC.

[meganly_chan]

I stumbled on to Super GALS! I had some extra Christmas money and saw you could get the whole first season on DVD for cheap. Thought I'd take a chance. It took several episodes but it finally grew on me /images/graemlins/wink.gif