Knowing your roots. What'd I miss?

[M4730]

Hey everyone, I've been around here for a short while now and I've seen shows referenced time and time again that I have no idea what they are. I'm a youngin' at 20 years old, so I haven't been into collecting, or been able to for that matter for nearly as long as most of the users here have. So since I've just dived in recently (recently being within the last year and a half or so), I've missed quite a bit as far as "must have" older releases go. Though I'm not completely helpless :P. I already own:
Cowboy Bebop
Bubblegum Crisis: Tokyo 2040
Evangelion (Movies too)
Princess Mononoke
Perfect Blue
All of Makoto Shinkai's movies
Gunbuster
Crest/Banner of the Stars

So, anything out there you would recommend? Anything and everything, even common sense series that everyone "should" know. And if possible a method or link to a site I can pick them up? Most likely a majority if not all of whats recommended will be out of print I'd assume. I really wanna make up for lost time here. But if you could also warn me if a show hasn't aged well, so to speak :P.

I really love this community, everyone here has been so helpful. But I feel so lost whenever someone name-drops a character from and oldschool anime I've never heard of :shy: Thanks in advance everyone!

PS: Also random question. I see people around here import Region 2 DVD's and BluRay. I don't know Japanese (but I'm really itching to learn), but I also know that some (all?) region 2 DVD's have english subtitles. Are these accurate and worth buying if I don't know the language?

[treatment]

I recommend Bible Black.

It's a must-have.

It has aged quite very well.

And you're old enough for it, too.

get it from rightstuf.com

oh, and don't get Bible Black: New Testament. That one sucks.

[JINROH]

Too may to mention,that are 'must own' imho

Here's six:

Millenium Actress
The Girl Who Lept Through Time
RahXephon
Kamichu!
The Melancholy of Haruhi Suzumiya
Stranja (when it arrives)

[Jen526]

I'm not an expert by any means, but here's a few low-hanging fruit that spring to mind. These are largely influenced by what was "common knowledge" back when I was getting into anime in the early/mid-90's, but I think most of them continue to be part of the overall otaku-psyche for one reason or another:

Bubblegum Crisis: Original - BGC:2040 is a good start, but to really get the "roots" element, you ought to check out the original, too.

Ah! My Goddess / Tenchi Muyo - The original OVA's of these are just six episodes, so there's not a lot of investment, but both are pretty iconic of early harem and/or dweeb-guy-gets-magical-girl series. Plus, A!MG has Belldandy, who's definitely a common-knowledge character. I'd also vote for "Video Girl Ai" in this category for the roots-element... though it's *much* harder to find these days.

Ranma 1/2 - Iconic shonen.

Sailor Moon - Iconic shoujo.

Kimagure Orange Road / Maison Ikkouku - Putting these on here more because I'm curious if others still consider these to be important series in terms of "common knowledge". At one time, Madoka and Kyoko were the very definition of anime "it girls", but you don't see them come up very often anymore. Still, both series are worth checking out. There's a maturity to the characters, despite the silliness, that is quite refreshing compared to a lot of anime today. (Female characters who are *people*, not fetish objects. Imagine that! :) )

Grave of the Fireflies - No matter how much you've seen, you can't know the full range of what anime has to offer until you've seen this movie, imo. (But please, dear god, watch it subbed.)

As far as where to find OOP titles, if you don't *have* to own them, it might be worthwhile for you to go with an online rental place.

[KudosForce]

If you want to see an early Shonen Jump series, you can watch Fist of the North Star. I would recommend seeing the episodes streamed on crunchyroll, because Manga Entertainment's release is incomplete. That series doesn't adhere to its contemporaries' usual tropes by having some rather quick major battles and attack names being shouted AFTER they're performed, for example.

Also, it has exploding heads.

Watching it may be an option, considering that there are references/gags based on it in more recent series.

If you don't want to plod through the series, you can grab the movie version instead.

[LenMiyata]

Grumble Grumble Grumble

Princess Mononoke is a good start, but you need to pick up all of the other Hayao Miyazaki directed movies, (Nausicaä of the Valley of the Wind, Castle in the Sky, The Cat Returns, Kiki's Delivery Service, Lupin III: The Castle of Cagliostro, My Neighbor Totoro, Porco Rosso, Spirited Away, Whisper of the Heart) as Miyazaki has the greatest world wide influence of any living Japanese director...)

For TV series from the 'Golden Age' of Anime (late 1970s to late 1980s), some of the few classic series available on DVD are Macross TV series as well as the Dirty Pair, and Bubblegum Crisis 2038 OVA series. And for the ultimate feature of the 'Golden Age' of Anime, most anime critics agree that the movie Akira takes this honor, which was said to be influential for the Hollywood development of the Matrixfilm series

[Draneor]

I also recommend watching the original Ah My Goddess (http://www.rightstuf.com/cgi-bin/catalogmgr/HQrL=41ptiXn6oEUax/browse/item/69663/4/0/0) OVAs and Tenchi Muyo OVAs (http://www.rightstuf.com/cgi-bin/catalogmgr/ys0NoCOJuUMarv0pDN/browse/item/61396/4/0/0). Both have a very unique charm to them and helped to shape the modern, true harem genre. Other recommendations of pre-2001 anime include:

Card Captors Sakura (Unfortunately, this Clamp title is out of print in R1. Still, CCS made magical girl shows popular with males, thereby launching a new genre.)

Escaflowne (http://www.rightstuf.com/cgi-bin/catalogmgr/dAlzyyx0JaUik55F3H/browse/item/69022/4/0/0) (This is a series that hasn't stood the test of time, for me, but it's a classic and most people who watch it like it. Semi-mecha.)

Fushigi Yuugi (I'd never recommend buying it, but one needs to at least watch part of FY because it's an important shoujo title. Out of print.)

Kare Kano (http://www.rightstuf.com/cgi-bin/catalogmgr/p5c4PEyfHkZ-7B09ig/browse/item/70917/4/0/0) (His and Her Circumstances) (After watching Fushigi Yuugi, watch this to see how good shoujo can be for most of it, anyway)

Love Hina (http://www.rightstuf.com/cgi-bin/catalogmgr/ibpttpnCojnA9fnoGy/browse/item/82282/4/0/0) (A very important title in the history of true harems and one that most anime fans have seen. Any true harem made since Love Hina will inevitably be compared to it.)

Magic Knight Rayearth (http://www.rightstuf.com/cgi-bin/catalogmgr/ibpttpnCojnA9fnoGy/browse/item/71977/4/0/0) (Clamp series about three teen girls, whisked away to another world. MKR is actually a lot more interesting than I just made it sound out to be.^^U)

Maison Ikkoku (Another Takahashi series, but about an apartment building. Numerous anime have been based on this setup since Maison and many others have referenced it. It's also a touching love story, with a much more serious, adult tone than most of her other work. Partially out of print.)

Otaku no Video (http://www.rightstuf.com/cgi-bin/catalogmgr/ibpttpnCojnA9fnoGy/browse/item/56298/4/0/0) (Gainax parody of otaku culture long before Genshiken was thought of. It's also an important title because of the extensive notes AnimeEigo provided for it. Kind of a look back into how the anime industry used to be.)

Ranma 1/2 (http://www.rightstuf.com/cgi-bin/catalogmgr/ibpttpnCojnA9fnoGy/browse/item/72336/4/0/0) (A long running, comedic Takahashi series about martial arts. It was also my gateway anime and many other's too.)

Sailor Moon (Very popular title for its day. Watch at least a few episodes, if you haven't already. Out of print)

ToHeart (http://www.rightstuf.com/cgi-bin/catalogmgr/ibpttpnCojnA9fnoGy/browse/item/80290/4/0/0) (Anime based on the visual novel that launched an industry. ToHeart was also one of the first anime to made from a visual novel.)

Urusei Yatsura (http://www.rightstuf.com/cgi-bin/catalogmgr/ibpttpnCojnA9fnoGy/browse/item/74126/4/0/0) (Takahashi's first major series. The animation is dated (early 80s), but UY really influenced later otaku culture. It's quite funny, and Lum made such an impact on otaku culture that she is still commonly parodied.)

For important mecha or fighting anime, you'll need to ask someone else (well, there is Dragonball). If you want more recent selections, I can offer that too. Lastly, I only included anime licensed for release in R1.

Although you probably already know this, buy the anime you want during a studio sale at the Right Stuf International for up to 46% off the MSRP (with GotAnime). If you prefer to not wait, use DVDPacific or Deepdiscount for slightly less of a discount.

PS: Also random question. I see people around here import Region 2 DVD's and BluRay. I don't know Japanese (but I'm really itching to learn), but I also know that some (all?) region 2 DVD's have english subtitles. Are these accurate and worth buying if I don't know the language?

Actually, it's the opposite.^^ Almost all R2 DVDs and Blurays lack English subtitles. Of those that have them (mostly rereleases), there is usually a R1 release anyway. To get any use out of them, you need to know at least some Japanese, more or less. R2s are also expensive as hell, so buy all the R1s you can before you even think about importing.

[KShinjo]

Rather than specific anime titles, it might simply be easier to go by famous anime or manga creators.

Off the top of my head, these are some names you should look up and consider watching titles that they've worked on. I've add in parentheses each one's most recognizable or notable work(s).

Osamu Tezuka (Astro Boy, Black Jack)
Ishinomori Shotaro (Cyborg 009)
Go Nagai (Mazinger Z, Cutey Honey)
Leiji Matsumoto (Captain Harlock, Space Battleship Yamato, Galaxy Express 999)
Yoshiyuki Tomino (Mobile Suit Gundam)
Hayao Miyazaki (pretty much all of his works)
Rumiko Takahashi (Urusei Yatsura, Maison Ikkoku)
Adachi Mitsuru (Touch)
Naoko Takeuchi (Sailor Moon)
Shoji Kawamori (Super Dimension Fortress Macross)
Hideaki Anno (Neon Genesis Evangelion)
Mamoru Oshii (Ghost in the Shell)

Now some of the titles I mentioned are extremely old and have not aged as well as others. However, they are all important in realizing how they've influenced future works, represent a particular genre, or standout from the pack.

[Zalis]

@ Draneor: I thought it was Sailor Moon that first made Magical Girl anime popular with males, as it was much more action-oriented than CCS.

Anyway, I'd recommend starting with shows that have made it to Cartoon Network / Adult Swim over the years, since those shows have been seen by a substantial percentage of the fandom. These include:

Trigun
Outlaw Star
FLCL
Gundam Wing (can be watched completely independently of any other Gundam series)
Fullmetal Alchemist

And to a lesser extent, Witch Hunter Robin, s-CRY-ed, Wolf's Rain, Samurai Champloo, Trinity Blood, and The Big O.

1990s anime that still get some notoriety/mention:

Slayers -- classic fantasy/comedy
Record of Lodoss War (OVA) -- one of the first "high fantasy" anime
Revolutionary Girl Utena -- shoujo title once notorious for its convoluted story, taboo relationships, and bizarre artwork. Great music, though. (Out-of-print, unfortunately)
Excel Saga -- you can learn about a lot of older anime if you get the "Imperfect Collection" that has the cultural notes, since the show references/parodies a great many of them
Kodocha -- hyperactive shoujo comedy that was quite popular in the days of VHS fansubs, but only had the first half released by Funimation.
Serial Experiments Lain -- one of the most famous "mindscrew" anime, dealt with the Internet & virtual reality at a time when those concepts were just beginning to gain traction in mainstream society (it aired in Japan in 1998 and was released here in 1999)

Other 2000s anime that could be considered important:
Saikano -- depressing war/romance story that either makes people's "saddest anime ever" or "worst anime ever" lists
Chobits -- another CLAMP title, major recent entry in the "magical girlfriend" field
Azumanga Daioh -- episodic slice-of-life comedy that's well-loved in many sectors of the Internet
Elfen Lied -- landmark in violent/disturbing anime. Love-it-or-hate-it show with many diverging opinions
Genshiken -- lovesong to and satire of the hardcore fan lifestyle
Haibane Renmei -- hailed as one of the best intellectual/philosophical anime of recent times
Mahoromatic -- one of Gainax's first departures from the styles they'd established with Evangelion and FLCL. Controversial ending, of course.
Magical Shopping Arcade Abenobashi -- another Gainax title, and another pastiche parody that, like Excel Saga, can introduce a lot of other anime if you get the version with the cultural notes.
Chrono Crusade -- popular title from GONZO that makes a lot of people's saddest anime lists
Fruits Basket -- landmark shoujo anime of this decade, still quite popular with many fans
Hellsing TV & OVA -- violence and vampires, what more could you ask? (except a decent ending for the TV series)
Full Metal Panic (all 3 series) -- franchise that successfully combines mecha and military intrigue with high school romantic comedy, and thus appeals to a wide portion of the fanbase.

[Kellory]

To Draneor's list, let me add a few others:

El-Hazard. I'm not really sure how to describe El-Hazard. It has harem elements as well as fantasy adventure and comedy. But the original OVA's (Magnificent World) are about as iconic as you get in R1.

Kenshin, one of the most iconic samurai shows. Especially the second season which was probably the strongest of all 3 seasons. ADV released the OVA's/Movies under the title Samurai X.

Record of Lodoss War, especially the OVA but I enjoyed Chronicles of the Heroic Knight as well. But the OVA is what started it and you need to watch it first anyway. The TV series takes the second half of the OVA and retells it. But Parn and Deedlit, even today, are still seen at conventions and fantasy game settings as common character names. In terms of fantasy, few shows have had the impact that Lodoss has had in R1.

Utena, see the Utena thread below. It's a mind trip, and sometimes hard to follow if you are not into it. But it is also probably the shoujo show in R1.

As stated, Akira and Bubblegum Crisis (OVA) are also important. Akira was one of the first major Anime movies to make a real impact in R1. It got a lot of older people into Anime. Bubblegum Crisis isnt exactly the greatest show, but it is one of the better cyberpunk type dystopia shows. And while the animation is dated for today, the cell animation is very good, as are the songs. That is one show I'd love to see a remaster for, preferably in HD.

Macross/Robototech are also as iconic as you get in R1. Right up there with Evangelion in my opinion. Macross more so than Robotech, but that's just because Macross has a much larger storyline behind it than the first generation of Robotech. Star Blazers/Space Battleship Yamato are also old favorites of older fans, even if they dont necessarily hold up as well over time. Voltron, etc.

Your Under Arrest is a fan favorite. Well, almost anything Animego has released is a fan favorite come to think of it. Your Under Arrest is very much in line with Anime of it's time. And you see parodies of them from time to time. Last one I saw I remember was from a scene in FMP:Fumoffu.

Lupen III, is also one to look at. Although it's a pretty long running series. The gist of it can be gotten from Castle of Cagliostro which was probably the best Lupen movie, but it's harder to get a feel for the characters if you do not already know them. There are lots of references to the characters from Lupen though in anime, it might be easier just to read the Wikipedia article on the show. Well, I assume there must be one, havent checked myself.

Hmmm, we used to have an AoD Recommends section, cant seem to find it right now really. The links probably got messed up in the move and we hadnt done much with it in the last few years.

Really though, I wouldnt worry too much about it. Other than a few parody shows most Anime dont really require you to know a lot about others shows. And most, like Kyoto Animations, will likely just reference previous works of the original manga artist, director, or studio. Like how Haruhi makes FMP:Fumofu references. Or Lucky Star makes Haruhi references. Only a few shows like Excel Saga and Hayate the Combat Butler require you to have a wide range of previously viewed shows to understand all the in jokes. However, very few people (in R1 or even Japan for that matter) will get most of them.

If i had to pick a show to see as an R1 fan, you've already done it with Eva. Going forward, newer shows like Ghost in the Shell, Death Note, Last Exile, GTO, Haruhi/Lucky Star, etc are going to be more important to a new fan. As time goes on, fewer and fewer fans who saw shows like Ranma, Sailor Moon, CCS, El-Hazard, Tenchi, etc will be around. Shows like Full Metal Alchemist will be referenced instead. Just like few people reference Star Blazers/Space Battleship Yamato, and even fewer people reference Astro Boy or Speed Racer.

In the end, what is popular today will become old school within a few years. What is old school today will be ancient history and rarely talked about except by a few older fans amongst themselves in a corner at some Anime convention in between sipping their cocktails and complaining how fans today have no idea of how good Anime was back in their day. All the while missing that ancient group of guys sitting together in wheelchairs also talking about the good old days and how the newer fans dont understand how badly color changed the Anime world.

The wheel turns and changes. In another 3 or 4 years, Full Metal Alchemist will be considered old school and Sailor Moon will be remembered as something their parents watched when they were kids.

[Draneor]

@ Draneor: I thought it was Sailor Moon that first made Magical Girl anime popular with males, as it was much more action-oriented than CCS.

Good point. Although CCS was the reason series like Nanoha and Uta∽Kata came later. That's sort of what I meant by magical girl series for males. Certainly, Sailor Moon had a lot to do with it as well.

[Legion]

How far back are you willing to go? You mention you are interested in older releases, but are you interested in older anime? My top recommendation to you would be Akira. It's pretty much required viewing based on the criteria you've outlined. It's coming to Blu-Ray in February but it won't be cheap. rightstuf.com has some copies of the DVD still, but you may need to act fast. In additional to rightstuf I also buy from dvdpacific.com, but they don't seem to have any copies of it.

Since your list includes Cowboy Bebop, I'd recommend Samurai Champloo since it's by the same director. Don't go in expecting another Bebop, this show has it's own sense of style, but it's quite enjoyable.

Your list includes Perfect Blue and Princess Mononoke. Perfect Blue is directed by Satoshi Kon and I would also recommend his other films; Millenium Actress, Paranoia Agent (TV series), Tokyo Godfathers and Paprika. Princess Mononoke is a Miyazaki/Studio Ghibli film. I would also recommend films made by that director and/or studio. Nausicaa of the Valley of the Wind is the most similar to Princess Mononoke. I'd also recommend Kamichu as it is consistently (and accurately) described as what a TV series made by Miyazaki would be like.

Since your list includes Evangelion, I would also second the recommendation for RahXephon and recommend Gasaraki since both take inspiration from similar sources to Evangelion. Make no mistake though, they are not rip-offs. You may also be interested in Boogiepop Phantom as that is another show that really gets inside people's heads.

I'm not sure what else to recommend that you check out but maybe I could with more info. Your list skews toward sci-fi/action, are those the only kind of titles you are interested in or are you willing to try shows that aren't like the titles included in your list, like Azumanga Daioh? (http://www.animenewsnetwork.com/encyclopedia/anime.php?id=799) That's a beloved title around these parts that many people would consider must have, but based on your OP I'm not sure if it would be must have for you.

[Serial Experiments Nobue]

Rather than specific anime titles, it might simply be easier to go by famous anime or manga creators.

I'll add Yoshitoshi ABe to the list.

Haibane Renmei is his most personal work, but the other three wouldn't be what they are without his involvement either.



ABe related series:

Serial Experiments Lain (1998)
Non-linear cyberpunk that really plays with your perceptions.

NieA_7 (2000)
Sci-fi allegory about social classes, the plight of the poor, and the passage of time. This is the lightest series of these four in terms of overall mood, though there is a fair bit of melancholy to it as well.

Haibane Renmei (2002)
A beautiful and highly philosophical series.

Texhnolyze (2003)
Dystopias don't get much bleaker than this extremely dense series. Another highly philosophical series, and the only 26 episode show in this list (the others are all 13). Very, very dark without any sugar coating, the ending lends itself to several interpretations. I couldn't fully appreciate what I had seen here until a couple of months after I had finished it, that's how long it took for me to digest it all.

[Legion]

Texhnolyze (2003)
Dystopias don't get much bleaker than this extremely dense series. Another highly philosophical series, and the only 26 episode show in this list (the others are all 13).

Actually, Texhnolyze clocks in at a somewhat odd 23 episode length.

[Serial Experiments Nobue]

Texhnolyze (2003)
Dystopias don't get much bleaker than this extremely dense series. Another highly philosophical series, and the only 26 episode show in this list (the others are all 13).

Actually, Texhnolyze clocks in at a somewhat odd 23 episode length.

You're right. I had forgotten that somewhat odd fact, since it's been quite a while since I watched it. (and double-double checking, it was actually 22. :sd: )

[Prede]

Perfect Blue, and Paranoia Agent. An older movie, and great TV series by Kon. Everyone should watch them at least once to see what's up with them.

Kino's Journey and Now and Then, Here and There simple animation and art, but amazing breathtaking stories. Sure NTHT is a little disturbing and very mature, but everyone should see this at least once. Kino's Journey is the most thought proving anime sense NGE, yet it's extremly simple to understand, layered, and has an amazing story telling technique. Both are must owns for any anime fan, and I'm willing to bet some non-anime fans would enjoy these as well. Warning they are both very dark, and mature.

Ninja Scroll, Boogiepop Phantom, Serial Experiments Lain are other classics you should at least watch once, though not everyones cup of tea.

Give Gunslinger Girl merits a watch as well. Not as popular as the others, but still made an impact in R1. With the second season being released soon, no better time then now to check out this great show.

You see FLCL yet? Gata see that too! My favorite anime of all time. My favorite anything of all time. Also Kare Kano and Nadia: The Secret of Blue Water for more Gainax staple shows.

[M4730]

Too may to mention,that are 'must own' imho

Here's five:

The Girl Who Lept Through Time
RahXephon
Kamichu!
The Melancholy of Haruhi Suzumiya
Stranja (when it arrives)

Seen all except Kamichu! and Stranja.


Bubblegum Crisis: Original - BGC:2040 is a good start, but to really get the "roots" element, you ought to check out the original, too.

Ah! My Goddess / Tenchi Muyo - The original OVA's of these are just six episodes, so there's not a lot of investment, but both are pretty iconic of early harem and/or dweeb-guy-gets-magical-girl series. Plus, A!MG has Belldandy, who's definitely a common-knowledge character. I'd also vote for "Video Girl Ai" in this category for the roots-element... though it's *much* harder to find these days.

Ranma 1/2 - Iconic shonen.

Sailor Moon - Iconic shoujo.

Kimagure Orange Road / Maison Ikkouku - Putting these on here more because I'm curious if others still consider these to be important series in terms of "common knowledge". At one time, Madoka and Kyoko were the very definition of anime "it girls", but you don't see them come up very often anymore. Still, both series are worth checking out. There's a maturity to the characters, despite the silliness, that is quite refreshing compared to a lot of anime today. (Female characters who are *people*, not fetish objects. Imagine that! :) )

Grave of the Fireflies - No matter how much you've seen, you can't know the full range of what anime has to offer until you've seen this movie, imo. (But please, dear god, watch it subbed.)

Ah! My Goddess: I have the two full seasons of this. At this point is the OVA necessary? I figured I was fine with these.

Tenchi: Had one of the seasons at one point but never got around to watching and ebayed it, maybe I'll pick it up again.

Ranma 1/2 and Sailor Moon: For some reason I feel that these can be passed up. I know theyre iconic and I'm aware of what they are, but I feel that that's enough.

Kimagure Orange Road / Maison Ikkouku: I've seen this pop up more than enough times from other recommendation lists as well as here. They have both been promptly added to my "to buy" list. Any suggestions as to where I can find them or are they still in print?

Grave of the Fireflies: Heard nothing but good things. Have been meaning to watch it/buy it for some time now.

I also recommend watching the original Ah My Goddess (http://www.rightstuf.com/cgi-bin/catalogmgr/HQrL=41ptiXn6oEUax/browse/item/69663/4/0/0) OVAs and Tenchi Muyo OVAs (http://www.rightstuf.com/cgi-bin/catalogmgr/ys0NoCOJuUMarv0pDN/browse/item/61396/4/0/0). Both have a very unique charm to them and helped to shape the modern, true harem genre. Other recommendations of pre-2001 anime include:

Card Captors Sakura (Unfortunately, this Clamp title is out of print in R1. Still, CCS made magical girl shows popular with males, thereby launching a new genre.)

Escaflowne (http://www.rightstuf.com/cgi-bin/catalogmgr/dAlzyyx0JaUik55F3H/browse/item/69022/4/0/0) (This is a series that hasn't stood the test of time, for me, but it's a classic and most people who watch it like it. Semi-mecha.)

Fushigi Yuugi (I'd never recommend buying it, but one needs to at least watch part of FY because it's an important shoujo title. Out of print.)

Kare Kano (http://www.rightstuf.com/cgi-bin/catalogmgr/p5c4PEyfHkZ-7B09ig/browse/item/70917/4/0/0) (His and Her Circumstances) (After watching Fushigi Yuugi, watch this to see how good shoujo can be for most of it, anyway)

Love Hina (http://www.rightstuf.com/cgi-bin/catalogmgr/ibpttpnCojnA9fnoGy/browse/item/82282/4/0/0) (A very important title in the history of true harems and one that most anime fans have seen. Any true harem made since Love Hina will inevitably be compared to it.)

Magic Knight Rayearth (http://www.rightstuf.com/cgi-bin/catalogmgr/ibpttpnCojnA9fnoGy/browse/item/71977/4/0/0) (Clamp series about three teen girls, whisked away to another world. MKR is actually a lot more interesting than I just made it sound out to be.^^U)

Otaku no Video (http://www.rightstuf.com/cgi-bin/catalogmgr/ibpttpnCojnA9fnoGy/browse/item/56298/4/0/0) (Gainax parody of otaku culture long before Genshiken was thought of. It's also an important title because of the extensive notes AnimeEigo provided for it. Kind of a look back into how the anime industry used to be.)

ToHeart (http://www.rightstuf.com/cgi-bin/catalogmgr/ibpttpnCojnA9fnoGy/browse/item/80290/4/0/0) (Anime based on the visual novel that launched an industry. ToHeart was also one of the first anime to made from a visual novel.)

Urusei Yatsura (http://www.rightstuf.com/cgi-bin/catalogmgr/ibpttpnCojnA9fnoGy/browse/item/74126/4/0/0) (Takahashi's first major series. The animation is dated (early 80s), but UY really influenced later otaku culture. It's quite funny, and Lum made such an impact on otaku culture that she is still commonly parodied.)

For important mecha or fighting anime, you'll need to ask someone else (well, there is Dragonball). If you want more recent selections, I can offer that too. Lastly, I only included anime licensed for release in R1.

Although you probably already know this, buy the anime you want during a studio sale at the Right Stuf International for up to 46% off the MSRP (with GotAnime). If you prefer to not wait, use DVDPacific or Deepdiscount for slightly less of a discount.

PS: Also random question. I see people around here import Region 2 DVD's and BluRay. I don't know Japanese (but I'm really itching to learn), but I also know that some (all?) region 2 DVD's have english subtitles. Are these accurate and worth buying if I don't know the language?

Actually, it's the opposite.^^ Almost all R2 DVDs and Blurays lack English subtitles. Of those that have them (mostly rereleases), there is usually a R1 release anyway. To get any use out of them, you need to know at least some Japanese, more or less. R2s are also expensive as hell, so buy all the R1s you can before you even think about importing.

Seen and own Love Hina and Kare Kano.
Escaflowne: I've seen the movie at least, the series I have not but have been menaing to give it a shot.
Everything else recommended I've heard of and will look into a bit more, thanks!


Trigun
Outlaw Star
FLCL
Gundam Wing (can be watched completely independently of any other Gundam series)
Fullmetal Alchemist

And to a lesser extent, Witch Hunter Robin, s-CRY-ed, Wolf's Rain, Samurai Champloo, Trinity Blood, and The Big O.

1990s anime that still get some notoriety/mention:

Slayers -- classic fantasy/comedy
Record of Lodoss War (OVA) -- one of the first "high fantasy" anime
Revolutionary Girl Utena -- shoujo title once notorious for its convoluted story, taboo relationships, and bizarre artwork. Great music, though. (Out-of-print, unfortunately)
Excel Saga -- you can learn about a lot of older anime if you get the "Imperfect Collection" that has the cultural notes, since the show references/parodies a great many of them
Kodocha -- hyperactive shoujo comedy that was quite popular in the days of VHS fansubs, but only had the first half released by Funimation.
Serial Experiments Lain -- one of the most famous "mindscrew" anime, dealt with the Internet & virtual reality at a time when those concepts were just beginning to gain traction in mainstream society (it aired in Japan in 1998 and was released here in 1999)

Other 2000s anime that could be considered important:
Saikano -- depressing war/romance story that either makes people's "saddest anime ever" or "worst anime ever" lists
Chobits -- another CLAMP title, major recent entry in the "magical girlfriend" field
Azumanga Daioh -- episodic slice-of-life comedy that's well-loved in many sectors of the Internet
Elfen Lied -- landmark in violent/disturbing anime. Love-it-or-hate-it show with many diverging opinions
Genshiken -- lovesong to and satire of the hardcore fan lifestyle
Haibane Renmei -- hailed as one of the best intellectual/philosophical anime of recent times
Mahoromatic -- one of Gainax's first departures from the styles they'd established with Evangelion and FLCL. Controversial ending, of course.
Magical Shopping Arcade Abenobashi -- another Gainax title, and another pastiche parody that, like Excel Saga, can introduce a lot of other anime if you get the version with the cultural notes.
Chrono Crusade -- popular title from GONZO that makes a lot of people's saddest anime lists
Fruits Basket -- landmark shoujo anime of this decade, still quite popular with many fans
Hellsing TV & OVA -- violence and vampires, what more could you ask? (except a decent ending for the TV series)
Full Metal Panic (all 3 series) -- franchise that successfully combines mecha and military intrigue with high school romantic comedy, and thus appeals to a wide portion of the fanbase.

FLCL, Trigun, Wolf's Rain, FMP (all 3 series), Hellsing, Fruits Basket, Mahoromatic, Haibane Renmei, Azumnaga Daioh, Chobits, Saikano, Excel Saga, and Lain I've seen or own.

Chrono Crusade, Abenobashi, Genshiken, Slayers and FMA are all on my to buy list. Everything else doesn't really fit my tastes or I've seen and didn't like them. Thanks!

To Draneor's list, let me add a few others:

El-Hazard. I'm not really sure how to describe El-Hazard. It has harem elements as well as fantasy adventure and comedy. But the original OVA's (Magnificent World) are about as iconic as you get in R1.

Kenshin, one of the most iconic samurai shows. Especially the second season which was probably the strongest of all 3 seasons. ADV released the OVA's/Movies under the title Samurai X.

Record of Lodoss War, especially the OVA but I enjoyed Chronicles of the Heroic Knight as well. But the OVA is what started it and you need to watch it first anyway. The TV series takes the second half of the OVA and retells it. But Parn and Deedlit, even today, are still seen at conventions and fantasy game settings as common character names. In terms of fantasy, few shows have had the impact that Lodoss has had in R1.

Utena, see the Utena thread below. It's a mind trip, and sometimes hard to follow if you are not into it. But it is also probably the shoujo show in R1.

As stated, Akira and Bubblegum Crisis (OVA) are also important. Akira was one of the first major Anime movies to make a real impact in R1. It got a lot of older people into Anime. Bubblegum Crisis isnt exactly the greatest show, but it is one of the better cyberpunk type dystopia shows. And while the animation is dated for today, the cell animation is very good, as are the songs. That is one show I'd love to see a remaster for, preferably in HD.

Macross/Robototech are also as iconic as you get in R1. Right up there with Evangelion in my opinion. Macross more so than Robotech, but that's just because Macross has a much larger storyline behind it than the first generation of Robotech. Star Blazers/Space Battleship Yamato are also old favorites of older fans, even if they dont necessarily hold up as well over time. Voltron, etc.

Your Under Arrest is a fan favorite. Well, almost anything Animego has released is a fan favorite come to think of it. Your Under Arrest is very much in line with Anime of it's time. And you see parodies of them from time to time. Last one I saw I remember was from a scene in FMP:Fumoffu.

Lupen III, is also one to look at. Although it's a pretty long running series. The gist of it can be gotten from Castle of Cagliostro which was probably the best Lupen movie, but it's harder to get a feel for the characters if you do not already know them. There are lots of references to the characters from Lupen though in anime, it might be easier just to read the Wikipedia article on the show. Well, I assume there must be one, havent checked myself.

If i had to pick a show to see as an R1 fan, you've already done it with Eva. Going forward, newer shows like Ghost in the Shell, Death Note, Last Exile, GTO, Haruhi/Lucky Star, etc are going to be more important to a new fan. As time goes on, fewer and fewer fans who saw shows like Ranma, Sailor Moon, CCS, El-Hazard, Tenchi, etc will be around. Shows like Full Metal Alchemist will be referenced instead. Just like few people reference Star Blazers/Space Battleship Yamato, and even fewer people reference Astro Boy or Speed Racer.

Macross/Robotech: Okay, if someone can clear this one up tha would be great. Do these series coincide with each other? I see that Macross has it's own sets, and Robotech has their own as well, but if I'm not mistaken, Robotech had a season called the Macross Saga. And then I just get completely lost as to whats what. Macross has been on my to buy list anyway, but arent there a few different series/seasons? Which ones are ebtter than others and which order do they go in?

Lupin: Seen the airings on Adult Swim and loved every episode I've seen.

The rest I'll look into, thanks!


Kino's Journey and Now and Then, Here and There simple animation and art, but amazing breathtaking stories. Sure NTHT is a little disturbing and very mature, but everyone should see this at least once. Kino's Journey is the most thought proving anime sense NGE, yet it's extremly simple to understand, layered, and has an amazing story telling technique. Both are must owns for any anime fan, and I'm willing to bet some non-anime fans would enjoy these as well. Warning they are both very dark, and mature.

Ninja Scroll, Boogiepop Phantom, Serial Experiments Lain are other classics you should at least watch once, though not everyones cup of tea.

Give Gunslinger Girl merits a watch as well. Not as popular as the others, but still made an impact in R1. With the second season being released soon, no better time then now to check out this great show.

You see FLCL yet? Gata see that too! My favorite anime of all time. My favorite anything of all time. Also Kare Kano and Nadia: The Secret of Blue Water for more Gainax staple shows.

I pretty much have the Gainax works covered, for the most part.

Gunslinger Girl I've seen and own. As well as Kino's Journey.

Boogipop and NTHT are on the list.

Thanks a lot everyone! My "to buy/track down" list will be updated promptly :cool:

[Doberman]

Tenchi: Had one of the seasons at one point but never got around to watching and ebayed it, maybe I'll pick it up again.
It's important to note that the OVA is considered iconic, not the two TV seasons. And really, the first 7 episodes of the OVA are enough.


Macross/Robotech: Okay, if someone can clear this one up tha would be great. Do these series coincide with each other? I see that Macross has it's own sets, and Robotech has their own as well, but if I'm not mistaken, Robotech had a season called the Macross Saga. And then I just get completely lost as to whats what. Macross has been on my to buy list anyway, but arent there a few different series/seasons? Which ones are ebtter than others and which order do they go in?

Robotech is an English dub only "merging" of Macross, Southern Cross, and Genesis Climber Mospeada (shows that are otherwise unrelated). Robotech DVDs are really only for people who've already seen it and want it. Get the real Macross.

I didn't see Irresponsible Captain Tylor recommended yet: Classic space comedy. Right Stuf is planning a remastered version soon.

[Kellory]

I would say the Ah My Goddess (or Oh My Goddess as the OVA's are called) OVA's are very important if you are trying to relate to what some older fans are talking about. Just like when an older fan references Bubblegum Crisis, chances are we are not talking about 2040, but the original OVA's. Same thing, when we talk about AMG, we're probably more likely talking about the Manga or the OVA. Now the OVA is not canon (why this matters is beyond me, but it's a point to consider), but it was the original work as well. For me personally, I prefer the TV series because it features Lind and anything with Lind in it is godly (goddessly?). But I much prefer the music in the OVA's.

Tenchi you only really need the Geneon/Pioneer OVA's. The newest Funimation Ryo-Oki set is a continuation of the OVA's, but comes later. Basically if Kiyone is in it, it's not considered "canon". But yes, like AMG, and BGC, when an older fan talks about Tenchi they are probably talking about the original OVA's.

Same deal with Record of Lodoss War and El-Hazard. When they talk about them, they're talking about the original OVA's and not the TV series which came later.

I'm torn on the whole Macross/Robotech thing. Because, and I'm going to get flamed here probably, but neither is all that different from the other at least in terms of the start. Robotech takes 3 different (but similar looking mecha shows) and combines them into 1 long ass series. It cuts things out, does some funky video work in some cases, and wholesale changes some of the plot to make it all work out. Nevertheless, the gist of the Macross storyline (which makes up the first third of Robotech) comes across relatively intact.

Of course, there are some changes, and one can argue that these changes are game breaking and wreck the show. Mainly they change the focus of Macross from one thing to another in Robotech. Now then, how much this will affect you will generally be determined by how much more Macross you want to watch, or will watch. If you treat Macross on it's on, just as it is, then it probably will not seem like a huge change. However, if you watch more of the Macross Universe, then it will seem like a massive change and you wont necessarily even understand why they would change it.

The thing is, is that Robotech is rather iconic in terms of R1 Anime. While most people who surf boards like AoD turn their noses down at it, the average Anime fan knows only Robotech and probably does not care about Macross, even if they know about it. Thus you will see more talk about Macross on the Anime boards, but at a con or amongst friends who dont surf these boards, you may hear more about Robotech. Thus, it depends on who you want to be talking to in this case. Or just get both.

KOR and Maison Ikkoku are both hard to find, both essentially being out of print. You might be able to find KOR sets, but several of the Maison Ikkoku boxes are totally out of print. Ebay and Amazon and other auction houses are pretty much your only bet there. How important are they? Good question. Honestly, I would say not very. Both KOR and MI are very much nich fan shows. Of even a relatively hard core board like AOD, I would say less than 25% have ever seen either show, much less both. Maison Ikkoku being seen more at this point probably.

On the other hand, both shows are good. I preferred KOR to MI, but thats because the humor in MI largely fell flat for me. And it was more of a comedy show than anything else. I spent most of my time wishing the main character would grow a pair and say something than having any real sympathy or relating to him. The characters in KOR just seemed to relate to me better for some reason. It will be relatively difficult to track down legit sets of either at this point though.

Just as a note, NTHT is out of print as it is a CPM title. I would prioritize getting any CPM title first (or Geneon one that's an older one) over something like Slayers which while important is still in print and will likely remain in print for awhile. Especially with Slayers:Revolution out in Japan.

Of those on the list, NTHT, KOR, MI, are all out of print. At least from those you said you dont have. Older Geneon titles like El-Hazard: The Magnificent World and the Tenchi OVA's may get progressively harder to find as I do not believe older Geneon titles are covered under the Funimation distribution deal Geneon has. I believe Record of Lodoss War may be OOP as well.

I'd recommend visiting the Out of Print thread in Retail to get a better handle on what is and is not out of print and prioritize based off of that. There are a number of older shows out of print and thus getting increasingly harder to find.

[Villain1]

All of Ghost in the Shell should be mandatory watching: the two Mamoru Oshii-directed movies, as well as the two seasons of the Stand Alone Complex TV-series and the Solid State Society OVA by Kenji Kamiyama. The compilation OVAs are optional.

Also, other Oshii-related stuff like Jin-Roh and Patlabor are recommended.

-Villain

[Vicserr]

Macross/Robotech: Okay, if someone can clear this one up tha would be great. Do these series coincide with each other? I see that Macross has it's own sets, and Robotech has their own as well, but if I'm not mistaken, Robotech had a season called the Macross Saga. And then I just get completely lost as to whats what. Macross has been on my to buy list anyway, but arent there a few different series/seasons? Which ones are ebtter than others and which order do they go in?

Robotech is an English dub only "merging" of Macross, Southern Cross, and Genesis Climber Mospeada (shows that are otherwise unrelated). Robotech DVDs are really only for people who've already seen it and want it. Get the real Macross.


As Kellory said before, most of the ppl on AOD dismiss Robotech as an abomination made of 3 separate anime series (Super Dimension Fortress Macross, Super Dimension Calvary Southern Cross and Genesis Climber Mospeada - all available from ADV. An earlier version of Macross is available from AinEigo/Robotech.com and the Robotech sequel, the Shadow Chronicles is available from Funimation) I'm not one of them as I'm a child/teen of the 70's and 80's, those where good times. :cool:

Robotech as Battle of the Planets, StarBlazers, Force Five,Tranzor Z and Voltron among others are products of their time as US TV broadcast standars for kids tv were (and still are) more stringent than in Japan and other places in the world and Syndication at the time required 65 episodes, so Harmony Gold, who was going to do a relatively straight dub of Macross had to pick up 2 series with character and mecha designs that were close to Macross (Southern Cross and Mospeada) to fill up the episode count and make up a multi-generational tale to tie them all up.

I do not advocate watching Robotech as a replacement of the original japanese series but to be watched as a complement to them and see the diferrences between Eastern and western style storytelling and then you can make your informed choice.

[Doberman]

As Kellory said before, most of the ppl on AOD dismiss Robotech as an abomination made of 3 separate anime series (Super Dimension Fortress Macross, Super Dimension Calvary Southern Cross and Genesis Climber Mospeada - all available from ADV. An earlier version of Macross is available from AinEigo/Robotech.com and the Robotech sequel, the Shadow Chronicles is available from Funimation) I'm not one of them as I'm a child/teen of the 70's and 80's, those where good times. :cool:

Robotech as Battle of the Planets, StarBlazers, Force Five,Tranzor Z and Voltron among others are products of their time as US TV broadcast standars for kids tv were (and still are) more stringent than in Japan and other places in the world and Syndication at the time required 65 episodes, so Harmony Gold, who was going to do a relatively straight dub of Macross had to pick up 2 series with character and mecha designs that were close to Macross (Southern Cross and Mospeada) to fill up the episode count and make up a multi-generational tale to tie them all up.

I do not advocate watching Robotech as a replacement of the original japanese series but to be watched as a complement to them and see the diferrences between Eastern and western style storytelling and then you can make your informed choice.

I really wasn't trying to pass judgement on Robotech, I watched it as well as Battle of the Planets and Starblazers myself. I just can't really recommend it as a must see when Macross is available, with dub no less. Watching it as well as the original? Sure, that's great fun - I loved getting episodes of Battle of the Planets on the Gatchaman DVDs. Robotech certainly isn't torture to watch (unlike Battle of the Planets, the changes made for localization are interesting, to say the least.)

[itsuka]

When I started out collecting anime in 2000, I had the good fortune to be able to borrow a lot of anime from a friend who had started a lot earlier. Although his collection contained many 'classics', I found out many of them didn't appeal to me.

That's making me hesitate what to recommend. Just the fact that some people call it a classic, doesn't mean it works for you or has high quality all around. Everyone has areas where their main interest in. Some people are very particular about audio or video quality, some want a really good dub. Some will tend to see old-school anime as classic, others will try to point at anime that has great storyline and characters. Some people can't stand a non-happy ending, some like to be surprised. I'm also not saying that the best anime was produced years ago, some of my favourites are quite recent.

So generally, my advice would be not to buy a lot at first, but to rent (since you're in the US, you could probably used netflix). Having said that, for me the best anime is anime that transcends its genre in content and characterization. I'll name a few genre directions and some examples of each genre I think are great, but it will not nearly be a complete list, and some of the anime will not be considered good or worth watching by others - and certainly some of it is very recent to give a bit of perspective where I rate the older ones...

Magical Girl: not a genre I generally like, but there are a few that are so good, they appeal to the non-fan like me, and you should check them out
- Princess Tutu (dark fairy tale, totally amazing and unexpected)
- Cardcaptor Sakura (the original, not the butchered Cardcaptors)
- Petite Princess Yucie

A great sports anime will have you root for the protagonist and sometimes the opposition even if you usually hate watching the sport - and who cares that they'll generally win every fight to advance except the last one?
- Fighting Spirit (the great classic that everyone will recommend. It's about boxing. I used to hate boxing. Not anymore)
- Princess Nine (AoD favourite, a shoujo anime about a girl's baseball team)
- Angelic Layer - it's a shoujo piece about mostly girls fighting with dolls, but this is a great upbeat piece and fun all around.
- Initial D

Angsty teenager mecha
Evangelion started it, but it surely didn't end there. There are a lot of them about, but the ones that I really like are actually not that old, I feel the genre gets better with a bit of maturity:
- RahXephon
- Eureka Seven
There are a few more I think are great, but I like this genre, so I could easily name a few more (like Gasaraki, Fafner, Argentosoma, Escaflowne, Zegapain etc)

Other mecha
- Big O
- Full Metal Panic
- Daiguard

Shonen (tournament fighting) - not a genre I usually go for, but:
- Yu Yu Hakusho - great characters. Storylines that get better and better as the series continues
- Naruto (I love it precisely because it's so much more and better than a standard tournament fighter, though it still carries the roots of the genre)

Fantasy
- Rune Soldier (comedy)
- Kyo Kara Maoh! (comedy, now and then serious)
- Scrapped Princess (pretty serious)
- Twelve Kingdoms (quite serious crossover world series, favourite anime ever)

Psychic/apocalyptic/gothic/gloomy
- X TV (stay away from the movie, but the TV series is great
- Wolf's Rain
- Now and Then, Here and There (harsh, incredibly harsh, but too good not to mention)
- Fantastic Children

Samurai/historic
- Rurouni Kenshin/Samurai X OVA (of the TV series, only the first two seasons, stay away from the third at all costs)
- Samurai Champloo (such anachronistic Bebop type fun)
- Shura no Toki

Science Fiction/Cyberpunk - another genre I love and could name much more, but...
- Ghost in the Shell SAC and movies
- Planetes (with extra comedy, tragedy and slice of life)
- Blue Gender
- Noein (with extra slice of life)
- Trigun (with extra comedy)

Adventure/action
- Black Lagoon
- My-Hime

History/SF historic atmosphere
- Gankutsuou
- Le Chevalier D'Eon
- Last Exile
- Code Geass
- Samurai Seven

Bee-Train (it's a studio, but I see it as a genre. Slow, lots of flashbacks, good animation, atmosphere and lots of girls with guns or big swords)
- Noir
- .Hack//Sign
- Madlax

Romance-Slice of Life-Comedy
- His and Her Circumstances
- Fruits Basket
- Midori Days
- Ouran Host Club
- Paradise Kiss
- Magic User's Club

Difficult to classify but very worthwhile
- Haibane Renmei
- Revolutionary Girl Utena
- Mushishi
- Kino's Journey
- Shingu
- Fullmetal Alchemist

Gundam (a genre in itself...)
- Mobile Suit Gundam 8th MS team
- Gundam Seed

[Njr Scrawl]

This thread is making me feel old!

Gunbuster was the first anime show that made me tearful, & I related to situations emotionally.

Oh!, My Goddess OVAs had the first anime character I fell in love with (Belldandy) & the first op & ed songs I bought on CD for themselves.

Bubblegum Crisis OVAs was the first show I bought for all its BGM & songs.

Macross:Do You Remember Love (Kiseki VHS) was my first Macross.

Kimagure Orange Road OVAs (but also TV) were my first Earth-based, most-natural human drama, followed by movie 1 "I Want To Return To That Day, which is an outstanding movie rivalled only by Rumbling Hearts to this day (IMO)

Battle Angel was also a semantic anime for my early viewing, with its post-apocalyptic Earth & affected me more than Akira, as BA's characters are sympathisable.

Tenchi OVAs were my first anime DVDs, & first really Japanese culture-flavoured anime. Sasami, first anime kid I liked. Ryo Ohki first plushie!

Patlabor 1 movie was my first all-metal-robot anime, & got me hooked on the OVAs, TV show & 2nd OVA series as well as Mamoru Oshii.

Ghost in the Shell (1.0) subtitled was the first anime movie I wanted to re-watch, & re-watch, & re-watch.

Those are the 10 most influential shows that made me an anime fan. They form the cornerstone of my collection & will be upgraded with each media & improved release for that.

[HitokiriShadow]

PS: Also random question. I see people around here import Region 2 DVD's and BluRay. I don't know Japanese (but I'm really itching to learn), but I also know that some (all?) region 2 DVD's have english subtitles. Are these accurate and worth buying if I don't know the language?

Only a very few R2 DVDs have English subtitles and they are all or almost all movies (namely the Ghibli movies) or OVAs. 99% of R2 anime DVDs have no subtitles of any kind.

However, some Japanese BluRays have English dubs, like the Utawarerumono sets. But these are only for shows that already had DVD releases when the BluRays came out, they have no English subs and actually have the Japanese subtitles locked on during play so you can't turn them off.

[Mank]

Even if you feel like Ranma can be passed up, and even if it probably can, I still feel the need to push it if only because the show is for whatever reason the show is like anime crack (not that I support drug usage, but the thing is just plain addictive).