by KamiYugure on Mon Jan 05, 2009 4:19 pm
I really love Death Note, and it is one of the first things that I would recommend to anyone that, at first glance, wants to think that anime is unintelligent childish babble with lots of flashy lights, half-naked girls, and pretty colors. Death Note is the absolute antithesis of this theory from the first moment. Plus, it's one of those that transfered very well from manga to anime. So I wouldn't be worried that they lost anything from the overall experience if they chose to go to one over the other. Also the English voice cast did an amazing job with the voice overs. It's one of the best english dubs of a Japanese anime, ever.
Another VERY good anime/manga that contradicts this same stereotype is Neon Genesis Evengelion. It not only has a lot of apparent wisdom and philosophy wrapped up in the plot but it also has the same, initial appeal that other animes of that genre have. It looks normal and interesting, at first glance, and then you get a few episodes in and it's like ... wow. That got really powerful, and really thought-provoking, really quick. The only problem is that it might not appeal right away to people looking for something new and stange in an anime, and there are many times in the show where there are long drawn-out sequences of stillness and music. They're meant, I know, for dramatic effect, symbolism, realism of the tragic nature of the decision and that moment and all that, but it detracts from the experience for some viewers.
For girly-type mangas, of course, Fruits Basket is at the top of the list. Despite the fact that it is labeled a "shoujo" manga, it has a lot of appeal from a lot different angles. It is rather girly; I'll give you that, but at the same time, the show and the manga provide a lot of insight into the sufferings of others, and how some people might develop disagreeable personalities, and really leaves the watcher/reader feeling like they are special, in spite of their flaws or evils. This anime, however, is one that didn't tansfer too too well between manga and anime, seeing as how the manga wasn't even finished when the anime was completed. So there's quite a bit of the actual story missing in the series. However, I do think that the series is still worth a good watch. My advice? Watch the series then read the manga. There's a certain charm and power to the series that you can't really get out of the manga and if you read the manga first, the things that fall out of the plot between manga and anime will frustrate you. If you start with the anime, it's kind of like starting with a very nice foundation from the story and then adding little surprises and extras in the manga. Plus the manga actually has a definite ending. The series does not. So the series gives you a lot, but leaves you hanging. Then, the manga will make you complete. Also, the anime has another very nice English voice cast.
Chobits is a good manga but the anime will let you down. The anime gives nothing to you that the manga won't give you, other than sound and color, which is kind of shallow and empty in comparison to the fullness of the manga. DN Angel is kind of the same. However, these are kind of ... not the greatest anime/mangas ever so I would only suggest these to people already into romance anime/manga that hadn't found these titles, yet.
Code Geass, Eureka 7, and Naruto are some other good titles. The first two are more thought-provoking and also don't contain as many fillers as Naruto. However, they are all still quite the interesting adventure. If you want a really mind-numbing, symbolic, artistic, and intellectually enlightening experience then Ghost in the Shell, Texhnolyze and Serial Experiments Lain are great, if you don't mind watching them a few times to fully grasp the basic message behind them. They are for those who want to really stretch and explore their mental capacity.
Dragon Ball and Dragon Ball Z aren't the best anime/manga but they are classics. They seem cliche, but at the same time, they were kind two of the originators of a lot that has become cliche in anime and manga. Bleach is another title that is kind of like Dragon Ball, DBZ, and Naruto. It is up there with these others as some of the best in this genre. All four of those anime/manga also contain a large cast of very unique and colorful characters. The original English voice casts aren't the best in the world, though. For most of these, I recomend trying to find the original Japanese cast with English subtitles.
There's the top of my lists. I will probably come back with more later.
love
dani
dude
