Bokurano is an amazing series, doesn't everyone love a little child death now and again?

 

Is the anime actually good? I've avoided it partly because I don't like anime too much by itself, but mostly since I read that the director decided to go his own way, separate from the original story, because he didn't like it, like keeping otherwise dead characters alive and such. At that point I thought that a lot of the impact of the work would be eliminated, and that it wouldn't really be worth my time. I was especially apprehensive due to the train wreck that became of Narutaru.

The perspective of someone who's finished with it would be highly appreciated. I'm curious as to what actually happened with it, since if it does follow the original piece, then I'm certainly interested, at the least.

Based on the manga, though, I would definitely second the recommendation to at least give the series consideration. If the original poster likes it, I would also direct attention to Narutaru (abbreviation of "The Star That Died and the Jewel of a Girl", Shadow Star in English). The manga, not the anime, from which a lot of plot lines are cut and ends in the middle of nowhere. The themes of the stories are fairly similar, and although a lot of people who've read it claim it's much rougher in its presentation than Bokurano is, I personally prefer for that reason, since the story medium is a lot more direct and representative, and the concepts are left more for the reader to discover. These are both artistic works with clean, focused depiction backing a thought provoking storyline; they're pretty close to genuine literature in their depth and expression. So if you're looking for something deeper, it's definitely worth looking at these two.

It should be warned that these series aren't for everyone, however. The way they're done and the rather harsh nature of the stories may offset some, and at times the ideas behind them sometimes border on nihilism. It's realistic, the author communicates well with the reader, and it's well told, but at the same time, these traits lead to a sort of edge which isn't common in most series you find. Like Revan noted, "who doesn't like a little child death now and then?" This isn't the attitude I personally take, but the perspective you have to view the work with is similar. It's not something that grows on you. If you don't like it going in, your opinion isn't very likely to change as you plow onwards, so think it over before you do so.

 

The Shadow Star manga was great. I'm not even close to having read it all, it fell off my radar after I moved.

The drawings of the characters are surprisingly full of life. It's a pretty strange comment to make, but even the way the characters legs and feet are drawn sets this apart from anything else I've read. I haven't read enough to see where exactly the plot was going, though it obviously gets a lot darker than it was in the early volumes. It's sad to see an innocent and energetic young girl having her illusions brutally and mercilessly torn away like that. It makes for good reading though.

I was disappointed that the American publishers decided to censor some of the scenes. It felt like I was being cheated out of what I'd paid for.

Now that I've remembered about this, I'm going to go and track it down. I haven't seen the anime.

 

You had me right until you hit the magic. No anime with magic will EVER have that art style... a few samurai anime have had it. A detective one I don't remember the name of has had it. A few fighting ones had it. And the FMP where the guy faps to kittens dying had bits of it.

 

I don't see whats so good about No Bra myself... but I can wholeheartedly recommend Berserk, Trigun, Elfen Lied and Beck Mongolian Chop Squad.

 

I've yet to read the manga, so I don't know what the differences are between it and the anime. What I do know is that the anime is good, despite whatever changes the director may have done, and I highly recommend it.

I'm not surprised, that dramatic style of art is typically seen more in manga than in anime due to how annoying it can sometimes be to animate it.

 

Mushishi

It tells about a guy who helps people with problems caused by creatures that few people can see. Doesn't have any grandiose fighting but still manages to hold interest.

 

That was a weird one.

The first few chapters seemed all wholesome and innocent and cute and magical-girl-shojo-ish, until people start getting pieces of rebar shoved into them and getting exploded and eaten and raped and beaten to death and so on.

I wholeheartedly recommend it.

 

http://mangahut.com/manga/Battle+Royale #10

http://www.onemanga.com/Basilisk/1/ #9

http://mangahut.com/manga/Gantz/001 #8

http://www.onemanga.com/Air_Gear/ #7

http://www.onemanga.com/Detective_Conan/1/ #6

http://www.onemanga.com/Akumetsu/1/ #5

http://www.onemanga.com/Hayate_the_Combat_Butler/1/ #4

http://www.onemanga.com/Eyeshield_21/1/ #3

http://www.onemanga.com/Full_Metal_Alchemist/1/ #2

http://www.doujin-moe.com/main.html #1

Read em, Learn em, Love Hentai.

 

Bokurano: Well - I saw the first half of the series but I wasn't in the mood to watch the rest. As I don't know the manga I can't say anything about the differences but the anime itself was quite special. It's main theme: How do people, kids, deal with their upcoming death?

I saw Gundam was mentioned a few times, I recommend "Gundam 00". It's the actual installment - the first season ended in January I think, and the second season will start in October. It deals with a near future when the first Gundams appear as some plot of a milliardaire to unite the Earth. It deals with the problems of earth running out of resources and the fight for dominating it.

Armored Trooper Votoms Pailsen Files: It's a series of OVAs of the ATV series, and it's great in its display of mechas in warfare. Though as part of a serie you don't really know what's going on in the background. Weird is the look of the different scenes: The mechas obviously computer animated with a great looking surface, and the rest the usual anime style. I saw other parts of ATV and the drawing didn’t impress me that much.

Soul Eater: Damned by Dattebayo actually their fakesub drew me into it. It's a story about a school of Technicans and their weapons trained to rid the world of demons. So the setting is somehow like Bleach. But the weapons are actually humans transforming into skytes or swords or similar, etc. There is a background story going on, though only parts are revealed until now. The style of both anime and manga is somehow abstract and special. It’s running and planned for about 50 episodes.

Another anime I think only briefly mentioned in this thread is ‘Darker than Black’. Logrus Mage’s avatar and sig are ripped of it – it’s the main character. It describes a post apocalyptic world after a minor apocalypse. There are some supernatural humans who learned about their abilities right after the apocalypse. The main character, a person with special abilities himself, has to deal with appointments to kill other supernatural humans. The background plot is slowly revealed, but the ending is not that epic. 26 episodes.

Already mentioned: Neon Genesis Evangelion: An emo kid has to save the world with piloting a mecha. It’s great – if you like it. There are several endings, the first ending as part of the series was psychedelic, the second ending, two movies, the apocalypse. There are four new movies, redrawings of the series, which might include a new ending. Anime: 26 episodes.

Eureka Seven: I liked it as much as Evangelion, though the ending of the anime was almost a train wreck. Clearly written for fangirls. The manga ends differently. Also a mecha story, with a boy, Renton Thurston, falling in love with a girl of his age, who pilots a mecha. Later he learns that his father and grandfather are connected with the girl and her mecha. The story doesn’t take place on Earth, and it takes a while until it is revealed where it takes places. The background story has several levels and subplots going on, i.e. the girl and her mentor were once soldiers eradicating parts of the civilisation. About 50 episodes.

Rah Xephon: Another mecha series, in between Evangelion and Eureka Seven. A post apocalyptic world with two kinds of humans, one kind with blue blood hidden beneath a shield in Tokyo (?). One character is freed and helps the people outside the shield to fight those inside. It ends somehow similar to the two Evangelion movies. Music has a meaning in this series.

Es Otherwise: A supernatural anime about a boy part of an organisation which helps kids with special abilities to deal with them. He soon learns the organisation follows its own goals, so he leaves it and tries to learn more about the real world.

The rest was already mentioned in detail. Naruto still is one of my favourites, Black Lagoon was epic, Code Geass the first season, butl Bleach is in my opinion bleargh.
Look for Zero no Tsukaima and watch the first episode of the first season – it has a very straight kind of Dumbledore.

EDIT:

The English Wikipedia usually has great articles concerning most Animes and Mangas. Anyone interested might browse it.

 

Had a similar experience just now, with an anime called "Mezzo Forte".

The "friend" that dumped it on me wasn't really actively trying to trick me - except he stripped the DVD cover, gave me a copy instead of the original disc, with the title scribbled on it. >_>

I stopped around when there was this scene that graphically detailed the workings of a love android. Spermatozoa deposits being ejected is something I never ever ever ever want to see come up again ever.

And to think I had thought it was a classical music documentary, like Golden Age of the Piano. My disappointment matched yours.

 

Someone mentioned Eyeshield 21 already, which is damn good in anime form as well as manga. Even if you're not a sports fan, its still win.

If you're looking for something a little less mainstream, I'd suggest Golden Boy. Its short, perverse, and funny as hell.

 

Oh, hell yes! I'd forgotten all about Golden Boy. It's perfectly suited to DLP's tastes. An intelligent, erotic comedy that borders on porn? Joy.

It's about an incredibly gifted and horny 25yo, who's dropped out of a prestigious university before graduting. He travels around Japan doing odd jobs to earn money and learn new skills. Lots of attractive girls cross his path with mixed consequences. It's a classic.

Here's an old music video of Golden Boy clips set to Limp Bizkit's, 'Faith': http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-t1sineUgSw

 

If anybody hasn't already said this, I say watch One Piece and of course the classics.
The Classics:
Cowboy BeBop
Ghost In The Shell
Samaria Champloo
Trigun

Edit: The list on animenewsnetwork is good if you have time.

 

Black Lagoon

http://www.blacklagoon.jp/

 

teh awesomenesssss

 

fan girl scream....

 

Ohmygod, wonder which quarter... summer, I guess?

 

One of the few universally awesome animes. Can. Not. Wait.