OT, Anime recommendations?

suburbanbather · Post by **suburbanbather** » Wed Dec 22, 2004 1:09 am

I know this is a music forum but there has gotta be some anime heads on this site. I'm looking for some ultra violent and also just plain weird anime but don't know where to start. I've seen Ghost in the Shell, but it did'nt really impress me that much (saw it about 6 or 7 years so maybe I need to give it another chance) The Maxx had me glued to the screen faithfully. I've seen bits and pieces of Akira at a party.(looked interesting) I love

Horror with over the top blood and gore

and also stories with strange concepts. So lay it on me! Whats good in the animated world?

Komplex · Post by **Komplex** » Wed Dec 22, 2004 1:15 am

My fave is defintealy Ninja Scroll.

Cyber City is cool too, especially the second episode. Its more of a futuristic action/cyberpunk sort of thing.

For oldschool ultra violence try Fist of the North Star. Crudely animated head pooping stuff

Komplex · Post by **Komplex** » Wed Dec 22, 2004 1:17 am

For strange concepts, give Akira a full viewing. Some say its the best anime of all time but I don't think so. Its like saying there is a best movie or best track. It comes down to ones own tastes.

I don't know of any new or recent ones because I haven't watched this stuff for a few years now.

Are there any good new releases we should know about?

suburbanbather · Post by **suburbanbather** » Wed Dec 22, 2004 1:29 am

thx Komplex, one of my co-workers also recommended Ninja Scroll to me. Akira was muted while techno was playing so I didn't really pay much attention but kept the title in the back of my head. I agree, there is no such thing as the best ___ of all time. Favorites is more like it.

Amberience · Post by **Amberience** » Wed Dec 22, 2004 4:53 am

Ever see that one called Blood ?? I've only seen the first film, but from what I can gather there are more.

Anyway, it rocks to high hell!

hacktheplanet · Post by **hacktheplanet** » Wed Dec 22, 2004 5:00 am

Definitely check out the Evangelion series. Lots of fighting with huge fucking robots, super-nerdy technology, and an extra-convoluted story line.

Helsing was pretty good too, if you like modern technology meets fantasy. Vampire hunting organization with big guns and cool toys vs. VAMPIRES!

Amberience · Post by **Amberience** » Wed Dec 22, 2004 5:29 am

I didn't manage to get into Akira. Ever heard that track Outside World by Sunbeam? They sampled Akira... I managed to get to that part before I fell asleep.

It wasn't that it was crap, I was just really tired and I didn't manage to get around watching it fully.

Try again sometime.

logicat2001 · Post by **logicat2001** » Wed Dec 22, 2004 9:06 am

Akira's ok if you take it just on the surface. However, the story is much better suited to manga where you can develop the story over hundreds of pages. The scope is really huge and goes far beyond what they could ever conceivably fit into a two hour movie. It's not a flash-and-gash anime, but has a lot of cultural/social/philosophical threads that are easy to miss if you're not interested in digging a bit.

However, even the anime has much of the same themes - but it'll take many viewings and consideration to arrive at similar conclusions.

Personally, I absolutely love the anime; however I've seen it scores and scores of times since '88. If you're going to watch it, I'd recommend the more recent English translation (whether as subtitles or voice over). IMHO I think they did a much better job of making some of the deeper story clearer.

Regardless, the soundtrack is truly unbelievable - I don't mean just what you hear in the background while the movie plays, but the album itself. Pick that up and read through all the liner notes and give that a listen for a decade or so. It's an insane amalgam of East/West styles and musical traditions that literally were composed as a musical/thematic version of the story. It was performed by Geinoh Yamashirogumi, a musical collective with over 200 members and blends rock influences, Balinese gamelan, Noh and more.

Absolutely in my top 10 albums of all time (along with Dogbowl's Flan).

Best,
Anton

suburbanbather · Post by **suburbanbather** » Wed Dec 22, 2004 11:05 am

Yea, I like movies that require more than one or two viewings to understand. It makes owning it more worth it. This is great, now I actually have a list for my parents to use when they Xmas shop. Everything I want is too expensive. So I figured I'd get into anime, no time like the present!

rEalm · Post by **rEalm** » Wed Dec 22, 2004 1:07 pm

Ninja Scroll
Vampire hunter D
Wicked City
Princess Mononoki

udenjoe · Post by **udenjoe** » Wed Dec 22, 2004 4:17 pm

Princess Mononoke is quite good. That production studio (Ghibli?) is one of the most ambitious. They even have a park in Japan. I also suggest others like Naussica and Spirited Away. But I don't think they have good soundtracks. No robots either. They have a boxed set that will keep you occupied.

Naussica is probably my favorite. Yet it's unfinished. The books are much better.

Macross and the offshoots are old favorites also.

Oh yea, dont forget Mazinga Z and Astro Boy. Mazinga Z has some crazy sounds.

rEalm · Post by **rEalm** » Wed Dec 22, 2004 5:27 pm

I thought Spirited Away was sooooo over-rated.

AdamJay · Post by **AdamJay** » Wed Dec 22, 2004 5:45 pm

Amberience wrote:Ever see that one called Blood ?? I've only seen the first film, but from what I can gather there are more.

Anyway, it rocks to high hell!

amen, not only is the first Blood ("The Last Vampire" i believe) just great cinematically (you forget its animation at times), but the story is exceptional and it seems as though its longer than it actually is, but in a good way. it doesn't drag on, just grabs you and holds your attention and imagination for what seems like hours, when in actuality its only 50 minutes or so.
Great theatric quality, its got that extra something that alot of anime doesn't have. A quality that i didn't think was possible with animation until i saw that film.

AdamJay · Post by **AdamJay** » Wed Dec 22, 2004 5:49 pm

and of course

A E O N . F L U X !!!!

TAP1 · Post by **TAP1** » Wed Dec 22, 2004 7:05 pm

i just watched "metropolis" last night. incredible! it was by the same guy as akira. really good.

peace