Anime Recommendations Thread

[Mike123123]

hi again, thanks for all the anime's your recommended for me last time, ive only finished one so far. but this time i am looking for something for my younger brother. ive seen him recently watching random anime and thought i'd watch something with him. hes 10 years old but he doesn't mind violence or gore at all (he actually wants to be in the army later on in life) but what does trouble him is nudity. he closes his eyes at even the sight of someone wearing a bathing suit (trunks, bikini, etc) so anyone got some good recommendations for him?

[TheSubtleDoctor]

hi again, thanks for all the anime's your recommended for me last time, ive only finished one so far. but this time i am looking for something for my younger brother. ive seen him recently watching random anime and thought i'd watch something with him. hes 10 years old but he doesn't mind violence or gore at all (he actually wants to be in the army later on in life) but what does trouble him is nudity. he closes his eyes at even the sight of someone wearing a bathing suit (trunks, bikini, etc) so anyone got some good recommendations for him?

The Rurouni Kenshin TV series comes to mind, but what sorts of shows does he like? Specific titles or genres? Serious or funny or both at once? Plot elements or character types? Any details will help.

[MightiMidget]

I have been on the hunt for a new series for a while that is darker (see favorites list below), very solid, and relatively low on fanservice (Guilty Crown levels preferably, though I haven't finished that iether so might be a poor comparison). Here is my MAL for rating comparisons --> http://myanimelist.net/animelist/MightiMidget

At the moment I'm looking for something, perhaps, like Claymore in terms of general atmosphere (I'm not necessarily looking for something action-packed or gory? But if it's not fast-paced it has to be very, very solid).

Some favorites:
Darker Than Black
Phantom: Requiem for a Phantom
Mystic Archives of Dantalian
Gosick (watching with someone else, thus why it's not finished)
UN-GO
Star Driver
Baccano!
Pandora Hearts (for the trippy aspects, I didn't like the "humor")
Legend of Legendary heroes (Densetsu no Yuusha Densetsu)

Some I've been considering are:
Blassreiter
Devil May Cry
Persona: Trinity Soul
Natsume's Book of Friends

I will also go for something light-hearted as long as it is solid and fairly clean and not too, too hackneyed. =)

EDIT: Oh, and I have no interest in FMA: B for the time being. I'll finish it someday, but it's not on my preference list for the moment.

[Mr. Hat'n'Clogs]

Natsumeeeeeeee is great but it is certainly not dark.
Denpateki na Kanojo is an excellent two part horror OVA by Brain's Base, which is the best studio.
Kure-nai is flips between dark and charming pretty well, and it is also by Brain's Base and written by the same person as Denpateki na Kanojo.
Kemonozume is very grim but is also trippy and very sexually explicit, though not for fanservice, but since you've dropped Yuasa's other (cleaner) TV series (Tatami Galaxy and Kaiba) it probably should get a pass.
Sword of the Stranger is a fantastic and wonderful action movie.
Xam'd can be pretty grim on occasion, and is also very excellent.

[Neane]

In addition to what Mr. Hat'n'Clogs has said: Try also:


Rurouni Kenshin: Tsuiokuhen

Oh, and there is no such thing as a "Persona: Trinity Soul" anime.

[MightiMidget]

Thank you! Denpateki na Kanojo looks interesting, I may check into that tonight!

@Neane -- do I need to have any prior knowledge of the Rurouni Kenshin story/anime/manga/general-franchise before watching that?

And there is a Persona: Trinity Soul anime right here --> http://myanimelist.net/anime/3366/Persona:_Trinity_Soul

[Mr. Hat'n'Clogs]

Tsukiokuhen is a prequel that establishes a lot about Kenshin's motivations and backstory, so it can definitely be watched by itself, and is typically considered the pinnacle of Kenshin, or at least the anime.

[Neane]

Thank you! Denpateki na Kanojo looks interesting, I may check into that tonight!

@Neane -- do I need to have any prior knowledge of the Rurouni Kenshin story/anime/manga/general-franchise before watching that?

And there is a Persona: Trinity Soul anime right here --> http://myanimelist.net/anime/3366/Persona:_Trinity_Soul

There is no Persona: Trinity Soul anime. That Page is a lie.
And no, you don't need to. Also, it does not spoil any of Rurouni Kenshin for you. It is also one of the best movies [Not only of anime, but also of all movies] ever made.

[Maokun]

If you want something dark and grim and psychological, try Boogiepop Phantom. A very, very underrated anime.

[AngelicTotoro]

The Rurouni Kenshin TV series comes to mind, but what sorts of shows does he like? Specific titles or genres? Serious or funny or both at once? Plot elements or character types? Any details will help.

Wait a moment, Doc, Mike's brother is ten. And I know that he said that his lil' bro can handle violence, but Rurouni Kenshin should probably wait until the kid is older.
(It has some pretty heavy stuff, like Soujiro's back story. I wouldn't want my brother watching that and he's 12.)
I'm not trying to offend you, I'm just making sure that we don't cause Mike to accidentally traumatize(sp?) his brother.

@Mike123123:
*Ahem* Moving on, I've looked over my MAL and found a couple of things that a boy his age might like. (But, like TheSubtleDoctor said, telling us what your little brother likes and is interested in would help muchly.)

[color="Red"]TV series:[/color]
Detective Conan. Bad content: It does involve murder or something like that in every episode.
In the begining of the series, there is quite a bit of blood and some of the bodies are a bit bloody.
(As the show goes on, this becomes less and less frequent.)
There is a little bit of fanservice here and there, but it's mostly pretty mild with that stuff. There is one instance where Ran takes Conan in the bath with her, but that's because she treats Conan like he's her little brother and in japan its common for family's to bathe together.
Ran's dad, Kogoro, drinks quite a lot, and he does try and 'hit' on woman if they're pretty enough.
(But he's really silly, so I don't think that matters much.) Also there is some swearing in each episode.
There's also a bit of adultish talk here and there, but that's pretty rare and would probably go over his head. (Meaning, he won't get it. ]However[/I], if you go to either DCTP (Thats the site that subs it) or the wikipedia list for 'case closed'. (Thats the dub, which isn't very good. D: ) You'll find a list of episodes, read it and you'll notice that some are 'anime originals' and others are 'manga based'. If you skip the anime originals, you'll be able to watch it, enjoy it and still catch up much quicker.
(The AO's for DC aren't very good anyway. Only the early ones are really worth watching.)

My little brother loves Detective Conan, (He started watching when he was 9 and 1/2) so if your brother is willing to put in the time and if he likes mysteries with really cool main characters, then I'm sure he'll like this.

Notes: The animation is really dated for the first 4 or 5 seasons but then it gradually gets better and better.

Watch: Subbed.

Sherlock Hound:
Bad content: None!
Length: 26 episodes.
Sherlock Hound is a wonderful children's show based loosely on Sherlock Holmes. (No duh. xD)
It has cool steampunk elements, and of course, everyone is a dog.
(Hound, fox, wolf, they're all some type of dog-like animal.)
It's very clever, funny and the dub is fantastic!
I highly recommend this one for boys.

Watch: Dubbed.

Mysterious Cities of Gold:
Bad content: Some people die, battles take place. (No blood shown.) Mayan people worship a sun god, but it's not really in your face or anything.
Length: 39 episodes.
It aired on nickelodeon in the late 80s, so watching it dubbed would be best.
There are a few engrishy moments, but the cast of characters are really great irregardless.
Taken from Wikipedia:
'In 1532 a Spanish orphan named Esteban joins Mendoza, a navigator, and his associates Sancho and Pedro, in their search for one of The Seven Cities of Gold in the New World, hoping to find his father. They are joined on their quest by Zia, an Incan girl (who was kidnapped by Mendoza), and Tao, the last descendant of the sunken empire of Hiva.'
My brothers all love this show, and have rewatched it I think like eight times, so I think your brother will like this one.

Watch: Dubbed.

Sonic X:
Bad content: Rouge flirts with Knuckles, (What a shock.) some characters die and one of the deaths is sad enough to make you cry. (I know I did.)
Length: 78 episodes.
If you've watched or heard of this show in the states, forget what you've seen and heard. Cause' I'm not talking about the brain dead, stupid dubbed version. I'm talking about the surprisingly good, shockingly enjoyable subbed version.
Plot: Back on Sonic's home planet, Doctor Robotnik (Eggman ), has collected all 7 of the Chaos Emeralds, and is about to have absolute power when Sonic interferes, causing an explosion that sends everyone from their world to Earth. Stuck on a strange planet, Sonic and his friends team up with 12 year old Christopher Thorndyke (Who isn't super annoying in the sub! Yay!) to collect all the Chaos Emeralds and defeat the evil Dr. Robotnik.

Notes: Even if your little brother doesn't really know of Sonic or like the games, on it's own, it's a good anime for kids. The show gets a little repetitive at one point but after they collect the chaos emeralds the first time, it stays really good. (The final season is great.) Again, it's something my younger brother enjoyed, so yours might too.

Watch: Subbed.

[color="DeepSkyBlue"]Movies:[/color]

These are all Studio Ghibli films that boys would like:
Porco Rosso.
Nausicaä of the Valley of the Wind.
My Neighbor Totoro.
Howl's Moving Castle.
Castle in The Sky.
The Cat Returns.
I'm undecided on Princess Mononoke. I think you'll have to figure out for yourself if your parents would be okay with him watching it. (It's rather bloody.) Oh, and he might find Ponyo too childish, it really depends on what your brother likes.

Watch: All of them Dubbed. Disney did a good job.

Detective Conan Movies 1 - 16.
All of these are very good movies, apparently that's unusual for a Shonen series. While the movies don't really effect the main plot, there are worth watching if you like the characters and their relationships.

Watch: Subbed. Only. The english version makes no sense, Funi tried changing it so that it takes place in America and made all the characters Americans... But DC has so much japanese culture, places and references. I don't get how they thought they could change it to the USA. 0_o
(Did I mention that Detective Conan is educational? He'll learn a lot about Japan watching it! )

Anime is really wonderful to watch, but there is a lot out there that would be bad for a child to see. So even if we recommend it to you, check it out first to make sure for yourself. Safety First!

[Atria35]

hi again, thanks for all the anime's your recommended for me last time, ive only finished one so far. but this time i am looking for something for my younger brother. ive seen him recently watching random anime and thought i'd watch something with him. hes 10 years old but he doesn't mind violence or gore at all (he actually wants to be in the army later on in life) but what does trouble him is nudity. he closes his eyes at even the sight of someone wearing a bathing suit (trunks, bikini, etc) so anyone got some good recommendations for him?

Allison and Lillia is pretty good for the first generation, with lots of aerial fights and some non-graphic death.

Kemono no Souja Erin is pretty awesome. It's not action-heavy, but does have it. It's mainly about a girl who's trying to raise animals in a kingdom that uses them as beats of war. The war does factor in pretty heavily into the plot. Two non-graphic deaths onscreen, some blood, and you do see injured men.

Seirei no Moribito is another possible choice. It's about a woman and a prince who have to work together in order for the Prince to survive, since the kingdom thinks he could cause a drought that could destroy the kingdom and are out to kill him. The only thing that might be bothersome is one throwaway line at the end of the series where the prince tells a guy who's in love with the woman to just get her pregnant so she'll stay with him. Other than that, one guy does die onscreen (again, not graphic)

I'll second Porco Rosso, and perhaps Castle in the Sky

[Maokun]

I watched Saint Seiya which is far, far, far more brutal than Rurouni Kenshin when I was 11 and I like to believe I grew up a decent, non-traumatized person. Sometimes we treat kids as though they were much younger, impressionable and delicate than they actually are. I personally think that around 8 years old Kenshin going berserk stops being a frightening thing to become a "that's SO cool!" thing.

That being said, your recommendations are quite good too (with the probable exception of Sonic, especially if we're talking of the horribly dubbed, heavily edited version.)

My personal recommendation for a 10 year old? definitely, One Piece.

[Falx]

I have been on the hunt for a new series for a while that is darker (see favorites list below), very solid, and relatively low on fanservice (Guilty Crown levels preferably, though I haven't finished that iether so might be a poor comparison). Here is my MAL for rating comparisons --> http://myanimelist.net/animelist/MightiMidget

At the moment I'm looking for something, perhaps, like Claymore in terms of general atmosphere (I'm not necessarily looking for something action-packed or gory? But if it's not fast-paced it has to be very, very solid).

Some favorites:
Darker Than Black
Phantom: Requiem for a Phantom
Mystic Archives of Dantalian
Gosick (watching with someone else, thus why it's not finished)
UN-GO
Star Driver
Baccano!
Pandora Hearts (for the trippy aspects, I didn't like the "humor")
Legend of Legendary heroes (Densetsu no Yuusha Densetsu)

Some I've been considering are:
Blassreiter
Devil May Cry
Persona: Trinity Soul
Natsume's Book of Friends

I will also go for something light-hearted as long as it is solid and fairly clean and not too, too hackneyed. =)

EDIT: Oh, and I have no interest in FMA: B for the time being. I'll finish it someday, but it's not on my preference list for the moment.

I can't see Puella Magi Madoka Magika on your MAL so I'm recommending that.

Also Kino's Journey and Gun X Sword. Gun X Sword is a hugely underrated show and is fairly clean until the end with a very brief flash of a scene which is undetailed but you can clearly tell what they're doing. Also one of the villains pilots her robot by swinging on a stripper pole... fully clothed, but still.

[MightiMidget]

@Maokun -- Thank you! Been thinking about Boogiepop Phantom for a while.

@Falx -- I have seen Madoka and Kino, and I loved both of them. Kino is another favorite I forgot about. *blink* Thank you for the Gun x Sword recommendation! I'll be sure to check it out.

[TheSubtleDoctor]

MM, here are some dark'uns:

Casshern Sins is super dark and only has one episode with undetailed nudity.

Gungrave fits the same bill, except no nudity.

Fantastic Children is squeaky clean but an hugely underrated mystery/psychological thriller. Most people cannot get past the character designs.

I found Akagi to be hugely entertaining, and it's the sort of show I wouldn't recommend to everyone; however, you're the kind of person who I think would enjoy it.

A couple of not mega grimdarks

Mchiko to Hatchin is one of the seminal works of anime and should be seen by everyone. You would love it.

Hikaru no Go is classic bait and switch. You're thinking that it's shounen sports/game fare, but then you find yourself emotionally invested and eventually impacted.

[Neane]

Truth be told, MightiMidget: You have some really dark and awesome anime on your list. (Bokurano [Great Sci-Fi Horror anime] , Boogiepop Phantom, Aoi Bungaku Series [God-Tier Horror], Casshern Sins, Welcome to the NHK! [This is the Anime already on your list that you should watch as soon as possible.] etc.....)

I second ALL of TheSubtleDoctor's recommendations.

I also see that you are planning on watching the Dogs: Bullets & Carnage OVA. It's good, but not as good as the manga. [This comes from a fan of the manga.]
Go with the Gungrave anime instead.


Also, another consideration for a new anime to add to your list is Texhnolyze. It's the Trippest and weirdest, Darkest, est anime ever made. [I believe that the makers were on drugs when making it.]
If you're worried about content: Implied sexual scenes, some brief nudity, and some quite extreme violence by the last 6 episodes.
There are two ways to watch this anime: One: Watch from Episode 1 to the end. [The First 11 episodes are extremely slow.]
Two: Start with episode 12 and then watch to the end. [This is when the Plot becomes quite awesome.]

[steenajack]

I have a question, I'm interested in watching Kaliedo Star. I read the old review and apparently the reviewer said there was some lesbian subtext. The reviewer also mentioned it was only there if you were looking for it, but I'm curious about other people's interpretations. Are the relationships between the girls really simply platonic? Or is it left to interpretation like Kurogane and Fai? Or is there fanservice that sort of "hints" that way?

I'm a bit confused. ^^;

[MightiMidget]

Yay! More suggestions! Thank you everyone! =) I wrote down a bunch of the titles on a sticky note. So excited to try them! Will probably start with Fantastic Children because Doc has been suggesting that for at least over a year. *whistle* Just need to track it down! =)

@Neane -- I've been tempted about Texhnolyze for a while, so thank you for the recommendation! I'll add it to my list. =)

@Steenajack -- I have not seen Kaleido Star, but I know someone who has and she loved it. I'll try to get her to post here and answer your question. =)

[steenajack]

Thank you so much!

[airichan623]

I have been on the hunt for a new series for a while that is darker (see favorites list below), very solid, and relatively low on fanservice (Guilty Crown levels preferably, though I haven't finished that iether so might be a poor comparison). Here is my MAL for rating comparisons --> http://myanimelist.net/animelist/MightiMidget

At the moment I'm looking for something, perhaps, like Claymore in terms of general atmosphere (I'm not necessarily looking for something action-packed or gory? But if it's not fast-paced it has to be very, very solid).

Some favorites:
Darker Than Black
Phantom: Requiem for a Phantom
Mystic Archives of Dantalian
Gosick (watching with someone else, thus why it's not finished)
UN-GO
Star Driver
Baccano!
Pandora Hearts (for the trippy aspects, I didn't like the "humor")
Legend of Legendary heroes (Densetsu no Yuusha Densetsu)

Some I've been considering are:
Blassreiter
Devil May Cry
Persona: Trinity Soul
Natsume's Book of Friends

I will also go for something light-hearted as long as it is solid and fairly clean and not too, too hackneyed. =)

EDIT: Oh, and I have no interest in FMA: B for the time being. I'll finish it someday, but it's not on my preference list for the moment.

I haven't seen it myself, but I've heard Hellsing Ultimate isn't too bad, and apparently has an awesome villain. I haven't watched it becasue of the gore, but if thats what you want, have at it.

And one of the first things that came to mind was... No. 6. Unfortunately, I will warn you that the main characters' relationship borderlines yaoi (kisses included). However, they weren't very long, and the plot is very engaging.

[Neane]

And one of the first things that came to mind was... No. 6. Unfortunately, I will warn you that the main characters' relationship borderlines yaoi (kisses included). However, they weren't very long, and the plot is very engaging.

Hey, airichan623: MightiMidget does not like No.6.

[Atria35]

[quote="steenajack (post: 1526659)"]I have a question, I'm interested in watching Kaliedo Star. I read the old review and apparently the reviewer said there was some lesbian subtext. The reviewer also mentioned it was only there if you were looking for it, but I'm curious about other people's interpretations. Are the relationships between the girls really simply platonic? Or is it left to interpretation like Kurogane and Fai? Or is there fanservice that sort of "hints" that way?

I'm a bit confused. ^^]

Saw it, saw no lesbian text either blatant or subtext. There was mentorship, plain and simple. It's a sad, sad state when people read into things that just plain aren't there.

[steenajack]

Thank you so much Atria! I really appreciate it. I'll be adding Kaliedo Star to my "To Watch" list.

I agree with you. :/ It is sad when people do that.

[AdriTan]

Spiral is a very short but good one. They didn't last long, but I quite enjoyed them myself. Currently I find myself in a bit of a brain-fart scenario and am unable to remember the name of one of my favorites......... Honestly it's been a while Haha!

[Falx]

Thank you so much Atria! I really appreciate it. I'll be adding Kaliedo Star to my "To Watch" list.

I agree with you. :/ It is sad when people do that.

It's like reverse shipping.

[Mike123123]

These are all Studio Ghibli films that boys would like:
Porco Rosso.
Nausicaä of the Valley of the Wind.
My Neighbor Totoro.
Howl's Moving Castle.
Castle in The Sky.
The Cat Returns.
I'm undecided on Princess Mononoke. I think you'll have to figure out for yourself if your parents would be okay with him watching it. (It's rather bloody.) Oh, and he might find Ponyo too childish, it really depends on what your brother likes.

Watch: All of them Dubbed. Disney did a good job.

Ive seen all Studio Ghibli films and he has too except
Grave of the fireflies (ive seen Clannad and Kanon, and somehow i think this movie is sadder then those animes)
and Princess Mononoke just like you said, but ive heard allot on Detective Conan and i haven't seen it before but mysteries is something that my brother likes best so i guess ill watch it with him

Allison and Lillia is pretty good for the first generation, with lots of aerial fights and some non-graphic death.

Ill check it out and see if he would like it

also the things he's watched and liked before.....only two come to mind:
Naruto
and Full Metal Alchemist
he also watches Pokemon from time to time (is that an anime?) but he says its too childish (he says that, but still watches scooby-doo....)

[AngelicTotoro]

@MaoKun: I was talking about the subbed version of Sonic X, the dub is awful. (I have seen both versions so I know what I'm talkin' about.)

@Everyone else on CAA

Anyhoo, I'd like to know about all the bad content in The Melancholy of Haruhi Suzumiya series. Seasons 1 and 2 + the movie.

I actually was going to watch this a couple of years ago, but I watched the opening and saw bouncing boobs... Which scared me away.
However, I hear that the fanservice actually isn't that bad in it, so I'm thinking of giving it a try.

Thanks for your help!

[MasterDias]

Anyhoo, I'd like to know about all the bad content in The Melancholy of Haruhi Suzumiya series. Seasons 1 and 2 + the movie.

I actually was going to watch this a couple of years ago, but I watched the opening and saw bouncing boobs... Which scared me away.
However, I hear that the fanservice actually isn't that bad in it, so I'm thinking of giving it a try.

The fanservice itself is not very extreme, mostly just a handful of underwear/swimsuit/etc. scenes scattered across the series. I could potentially see some people being more bothered by the innuendo/actual situations however(Haruhi groping and force-stripping Mikuru and forcing her to wear fetishy outfits,etc.)

That said, from what I remember, most of the worst of it is in the first several episodes of the first season. If you watch those and are fine with it, nothing in the rest of the series should really bother you.

[Maokun]

Hmm... since this question has been asked a few times, I'll spell out exactly the contents of the fanservice that potentially could drive away some watchers from TMoHS:

There's a character in it with very large boobs for her age. She's very innocent and normally dresses prudishly. However, the title character (who's a girl too, with "normal" boobs) has no concept of shame nor personal space and makes a big deal of that girl's chest size, often forcing her into revealing costumes and a few times actually fondling her just for the fun of it (she clearly enjoys her shyness and discomfort.) It happens few times, it's played really lightly for comedic effect and it's all over in a matter of seconds. Also, in one occasion, the other main character actually told her off quite harshly for doing that, so it's definitely portrayed as improper behavior.

However, it's there. I strongly believe it's not enough a deal to prevent anyone to see what's otherwise an excellent series, but I respect anyone who may chose not to based on it.

[AngelicTotoro]

The fanservice doesn't sound so terrible, and I'll just have to see for myself if I can handle it or not, I'm definitely going to give TMoHS a shot.
Thank you, Maokun and MasterDias for your help!