Manga & Anime Recommendations

@Hylarn Well, if you're asking me to choose a genre in particular, Urban Fantasy, I guess.

I was going more for what you like to see in a story, though I guess I can work with that. Some possibilities:

Bakemonogatari: Clever dialogue and trippy visuals
To Aru Majutsu No Index: Stupid, but creative
Shakugan No Shana: Probably best to stick to the first season. Romance-heavy
Hellsing: Not the TV anime. Highly stylized violence
Madoka Magica: Dark take on magical girls
Mai Hime: Mostly comedic towards the start, less so later

I'm considering checking out one of Osamu Tezuka's works. Any thoughts?

edited 3rd Sep '12 12:47:25 PM by TheThnikkaman

Depressing Tezuka or Hopeful Tezuka? They're the same guy, but sensei liked to switch the proportions sometimes.

Hopeful.

Have yourself some Buddha and Ribon No Kishi/Princess Knight, then. Enjoy.

edited 3rd Sep '12 7:47:08 PM by FurikoMaru

So, I marathoned all of Durarara over the course of a day and loved pretty much everything about it. Aside from Baccano (which I also loved), are there any similar series?

edited 4th Sep '12 2:49:51 PM by Yongary

In what aspect? Awesome action? Constant character vignettes? Magically mundane? I'm sad to say that I've never seen a series to equal them on all counts, though some of Tezuka's stuff comes close. But that's kind of a good thing, I think; I want writers to be like themselves, not like Narita-lite.

edited 4th Sep '12 3:02:16 PM by FurikoMaru

Well, lemmie see. I guess I'm looking for something that...

• ...has a plot that's complex but not impossible to follow, and doesn't require having multiple Wikipedia tabs open to make sense of the story.
• ...has a decent amount of action but isn't all action
• ...has a plot that involves the main characters investigating at least one mystery
• ...has interesting and well developed characters
• ...makes you think "Wow, that reminded me of Durarara!!"

The Persona 4 anime sounds like it would be the sort of thing that matches my description, but I've been holding off on watching it until the dub is released.

edited 4th Sep '12 3:14:15 PM by Yongary

I don't know about the last point but everithing else reminds me of Bakemonogatari. You might want to check it out if you haven't.

Let's see... Kara No Kyouka I is probably too much action with a slightly convoluted plot... Fullmetal Alchemist Brotherhood may have too high a ratio of action and fantasy... Serial Experiments Lain is probably too much of s mystery out of universe.

My key suggestion would be Darker Than Black. No guarantees it'll make you think it's like Durarara, I watched it first.

Muthafuckin' Steins Gate, dude.

Watch eeet.

Alternatively, if you want something (quite a bit) more grimdark and action-heavy, try Shingeki No Kyojin.

The only thing that has ever reminded me of Narita is Lackadaisy. :P

AWW YEAH KITTIES OUT THIS BIATCH!

... I'm sorry. I do that sometimes

Hello everyone I am looking for a good Anime Series to get obssesed with . (I am trying to get into anime).I love series with very well developed characters, great an epic plot with completely unexpected twists and big mysteries.

My all time favorite one is Dragonballz (love the idealism and the characters). But I also like complex stories with great archs and mysticism. I simply loved Princess Tutu and Madoka Magica (I have a secret love for Magical Girl shows) but disliked Magical Girl Lyrical Nanoha and didn't like Evangelion that much either.

I tried One Piece, Death Note, Naruto and Bleach but they aren't my kind of shows :/.

On western media I love Doctor Who, my little pony friendship is magic, Young Justice Adventure Time,Phineas And Ferb, the last airbender etc...

I think anything with an epic plot and very well developed characters will do for me :D

edited 9th Sep '12 11:33:51 AM by FallenLegend

Dude! Sailor Moon! Watch it now before the remake comes out next year and promptly becomes the only version you can find online.

Some people really like the Pretty Cure franchise, too, though it wasn't quite my cup of tea.

Give Slayers a try.

...you might also try Read Or Die, Fullmetal Alchemist Brotherhood, or Soul Eater.

^^^ What Nanoha subseries have you seen, and what didn't you like about it?

I was waiting to see how long it would take for you to recommend Baccano! there.

You know, much as I like Baccano I can't say I think that description of it really fits.

@Fallen Legend, I recommend Scrapped Princess on the basis that it's got good characters and an epic background. Jinrui Wa Suitai Shimashita is also quite interesting, plot twisty and magicky. Actually CLANNAD is the most atmospheric anime I can think of, with good characters.

If you liked Dragon Ball Z I would have suggested you try other anime like Gintama, Ranma One Half (both definitely quirky, funny well characterised) and the slightly more serious Kekkaishi, but your track record with Shounen seems far more miss than hit. That said they are different to the ones you listed as not liking.

edited 10th Sep '12 5:32:20 AM by UltimatelySubjective

It's halfway a running joke - I recommend Baccano to everyone at the slightest opportunity.

On the halfway serious side, though... (a) we can take the well-developed characters for granted as the wild and unique characterisation is practically the entire point of the stories; (b) there are three great and epic plots for the price of one, taking 'epic' in the sense of 'thematically revolves around the individual's interactions with and responsibilities for their society around them' (which I will concede is heavily buried under how RELENTLESSLY LIGHT-HEARTED the entire story is); and (c) the driving questions of what is in the liquor bottles? what happened to Dallas Genoard? how did everyone end up in the situations in which they are shown in the first episode? and the related twists of the Rail Tracer is real, half the characters became immortal in the 1700s through a Faustian Bargain, Sylvie survived, Czes is possibly the most dangerous party on the train, and Isaac and Miria are the original cause for almost every event that happens on-screen.

Good characterization is not the same thing as developed characterization.

thank you guys i will check them out!

btw I just watched Saint Tail and while super repetetive I enjoyed it :D

@Glen I saw the original series

edited 11th Sep '12 9:57:29 AM by FallenLegend