Recommend me some anime!

I've been trying to watch more anime lately, but I'm kinda overwhelmed. I seem to be enjoying slice-of-life comedies the most, but I'm willing to watch other stuff as well (except Hentai, LOL).

What I have watched in their entirety:

Cromartie High School
Amagi Brilliant Park

What I have that I still need to finish:

Cowboy Bebop (I've only watched random episodes of this on Adult Swim)
Excel Saga (Watched 4 episodes so far)
Boku wa Tomodachi ga Sukunai (3 episodes so far)
Kiniro Mosaic (4 episodes watched so far)
Suisei No Gargantia
Monthly Girls' Nozaki-kun (only one episode so far, not sure what I think of this one)
YuruYuri
Seitokai Yakuindomo

Movies I've watched:

Princess Mononoke
Spirited Away
Ponyo
Nausicaa of the Valley of the Wind
Wolf Children

I also need to get FLCL and finish that. I did watch an episode of Sword Art Online when it was on Adult Swim, but I didn't like it so I'm not sure if it gets better after that.

Mushishi

Admittingly I haven't gotten around to watching The Devil Is a Part-Timer! yet but the premise is amazeballs.

Based from your liking of comedic slice of lifes

Silver Spoon
Working
Non Non Biyori
Daily Lives of High School Boys
seconding Sui's Devil is a Part Timer

Watch more Nozaki. It's a solid comedy.

You should be watching Boku ga Tomodachi ga Sukunai dubbed BTW, it's so good.

Seconding The Devil is a Part Timer, even though I haven't seen it either. I've got it on order but it's delayed due to pre-order stuff. Check out some of FUNimation's clips and you'll see why we're recommending it:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rMLXq_5UkSQ
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dY6GdkbBUQU
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6hf_NIImnH4

My three favourite anime series' include Sword Art Online (adventure/video game simulation, get on the train now before it's too late, I have no preference, the dub is solid but only covers up to the second season)
Natsume Yuujinchou (not primarily a comedy, but a beautiful slice of life series with spiritual elements,)
and then the double threat of Kino's Journey (watch the TV series dubbed, but keep in mind that there's an episode 0, an OVA and a movie that are not localized) and Allison and Lillia. (KJ is a subdued slice of life series about a traveler who experiences strange countries, and Allison and Lillia is like anime Tintin and it's so fucking good.)

I would have mentioned Haganai had you not already, Hyakko is another good comedy series.

Yugo the Negotiator is an oldie, but it's really interesting. It's basically about a hostage negotiator who tends to deal with unusual or international cases. The style of the series changes half-way through as the production company changes, the anime series is comprised of two story arcs from the manga.

Bacccano! is a classic, and it's got a dub filled with prohibition-era accents. Durarara!!, its successor, is harder to recommend. The first half of series one is better than Baccano! but the second half of series one is just nonsense.

Black Lagoon and Jormungand are up your alley if you want something action-packed with gunplay. The latter is more politically-inclined as the protagonist is an arms dealer, where-as the cast of Black Lagoon are modern-day pirates.

Busou Renkin is a solid shounen series by the creator of Rurouni Kenshin. It's also mercifully short for a Shounen Jump series.

Steins;Gate is your go-to sci-fi series involving time travel, and it's not actually super confusing when it comes to the time travel BS.

Eden of the East. Really good premise, it's a thriller where a group of people are each given 1 million yen in attempt to "save" Japan and they will be killed if they are not successful by the time their money runs out, it's a short TV series ending in two movies, unfortunately the ending kind of peters out, but I think the show has a good message.

Higurashi no Naku Koro ni, an interesting psychological murder mystery. Very gory. Involves a time loop.

Inukami! is probably my favourite comedy series. It's got a lot of nudity, but that's part of the humour, it's basically about a womanizer who is working with a dog spirit to stop magically-infused crimes, many of the criminals being insane perverts in their own right. The nudity goes both ways BTW, it's not as exploitative as you'd expect. There's a movie follow-up too.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Wd3-AfK7RkU#t=13m22s this point onward will set your expectations.

Jing: King of Bandits. Another solid shounen series with a unique sense of humour. There's an OVA sequel/prequel too.

Kenichi: The Mightiest Disciple/History's Strongest Disciple: Kenichi. Martial arts shounen comedy series, one of my favourites.

Minami-ke, this is probably the best slice of life comedy I can recommend to you.

s-CRY-ed, classic shounen action series. Super hot-blooded. Solid dub BTW, classic Bang Zoom and Bandai.

School Rumble, the classic school comedy series. It's above average, not super crazy, but always feel-good.

Tonari no Seki-kun, bokke and tsukomi shorts. It's almost entirely an internal monologue from a girl who sits beside Seki-kun: The Master of Killing Time, who basically creates little games to play during class, and she tends to get caught up in his mischief more than she'd like. HIGHLY recommended.

Mahoraba: Heartful Days. This is a series I ignored for years until a friend insisted I watch it (again this was years back.) Probably the greatest slice of life comedy at its time, IMO.

Thanks for the suggestions. Now that I think about it, I did see an episode of Durarara!!, Big O, and s-Cry-ed when they were on Adult Swim. They were okay I guess, but I could track them down and watch them again.

Boku ga Tomodachi ga Sukunai (aka Haganai) seems to be a lot better in English. I'll keep watching it that way.

Here are some that I highly recommend:

Ouran:
This is one of those anime titles that lives up to the hype.
It is quite possibly the Sgt. Pepper of anime Teen Comedy. It is masterfully written from start to finish and has one of those casts of characters that you easily attach to. Even though there isn't much story and most of the episodes are total randomness (in this series, it doesn't need a lot of story), you get to know the characters very well and the humor is so unique and ingenious.

Hetalia:
This is one of the easiest anime titles to watch because the episodes are only four minutes long. They're written that way as comic format because the series is based on a web comic. It has a unique premise where it's about various countries around the world, only the countries are people. It also teaches the viewers about world history in creative ways and there are some fans who would recommend history teachers to show it in their classes.

Soul Eater:
If you do decide to watch this show, be sure that you finish it if you don't want your soul taken.
In almost every episode preview that the lead female Maka is in (and she's in a lot of them), she'll threaten to take your soul if you don't watch the next episode. But it's not something I'd worry about because it has a very addictive story that'll make make you anxious to see what the next episode will offer. Like Ouran, Soul Eater has a unique cast of characters that you'll really attach to and it has a great blend of comedy, suspense and adventure along with one of the most unique running gags you'll ever see.

D.N. Angel:
One of the more underrated anime gems to come out in the past fifteen years. Has a great protagonist with a genetic condition that turns him into thief known as Phantom Dark, which becomes his alter ego. The two characters have great chemistry together and Dark is one of Vic Mignogna's sleeper roles.

Princess Nine:
Another great title that doesn't get the respect it deserves. It was a big hit in Japan, but strangely didn't do very well in North America. It's a well-written story about a girls baseball team with one of the best main characters you'll see in a sports anime. It has a great dub with a few popular voice actors who were unknowns at the time.

Full Metal Panic:
While not quite as big as Fullmetal Alchemist, it's still a great watch. It's like a cross between Gundam Wing and School Rumble. It mixes sci-fi action with teen comedy with some unique humor (especially involving the main character) and is very well cast.

Suzuka:
If you like Todd Haberkorn's work, this series features one of his most underrated roles. It was the first lead role he got and he made the most of it. He plays a character named Yamato who develops a love interest and it's about his attempts to win her over. There are a few holes in the plot, but overall it's a very entertaining story and the main character will frequently make you laugh and tug at your heart.

Baka and Test:
Although it's not the masterpiece that is Ouran, I don't know how it didn't get more popular in North America. It's a teen comedy similar to School Rumble and it features so much brilliant humor, especially in the first part of season two. There are some episodes that are so brilliantly funny, you just don't want to see them end and although you'd like the series continue by the time it's finished, what you do see makes it worth watching.

Panty and Stocking with Garterbelt:
This show is absolutely positively not for the easily offended, but if you're not an easy person to offend, I recommend it. Although I felt there were some moments here and there that crossed the line, even for the shows standards, it's overall an entertaining watch.

BECK Mongolian Chop Squad:
By far the Citizen Kane of music anime. I haven't watched a lot of music-related anime series, but after seeing this one, I can guarantee that it's a hard act to follow. This is a series that any anime fan should watch, regardless of their taste in music. It's about a Japanese rock band that is just ingeniously and masterfully written from start to finish. Although there isn't as much character development as other anime titles, it still has an amazing cast, and the main characters you'll get to know and love and find yourself rooting for.
In practically every way this series can be ingenious it is and it's such an amazing and believable portrayal of what it's like being in a rock band. There is so much story crammed into practically every episode and I finished it in two days, rarely leaving the room during that time. If you like rock music, it's definitely for you but if you're more into other musical genres, it's still worth seeing because it'll really open your mind on rock itself.
The writing is as sharp as an icepick from beginning to end and it'll leave you wondering what's going to happen next with each episode. Often times it's very funny and clever, while at other times it'll really grip you and it has one of best climaxes you'll see in any anime. I won't give anything away, but although it's a fictional story, what happens in it is so well-done that it'll you feel like you're witnessing something special.
Of all the anime titles I've seen (and I've seen a decent number), this is the one that left me satisfied the most and is one where you can't stay in a bad mood after finishing.

The problem with Baka and Test is the core concept is too anime for a lot of people. The concept of fighting with test scores...

Also America was never truly ready for Hideyoshi.

I'm really not a big fan of Haberkorn's casting. I find that FUNimation routinely miscasted him. He knocked Firo out of the park, and he was great as Kaito in Akiba's Trip, but I find he's generally cast as super dynamic characters while his voice mostly remains the same (Death the Kid...)


BECK is a fantastic series. Not sure if I'd really recommend it as a general show just because it didn't stick with me, I do agree that any anime fan could enjoy it a lot, but if you're a fan of music definitely check it out. Watch the dub. DUB ONLY

Taiyz wrote:

The problem with Baka and Test is the core concept is too anime for a lot of people. The concept of fighting with test scores...

Also America was never truly ready for Hideyoshi.

I'm really not a big fan of Haberkorn's casting. I find that FUNimation routinely miscasted him. He knocked Firo out of the park, and he was great as Kaito in Akiba's Trip, but I find he's generally cast as super dynamic characters while his voice mostly remains the same (Death the Kid...)


BECK is a fantastic series. Not sure if I'd really recommend it as a general show just because it didn't stick with me, I do agree that any anime fan could enjoy it a lot, but if you're a fan of music definitely check it out. Watch the dub. DUB ONLY

Did they cross over Baka and Test with Hetalia?
I don't think America and Hideyoshi would make a good pairing.

Regarding Todd Haberkorn, when voice actors try out for anime roles, they only get cast if both the dub casting director and the Japanese approve. I'm not saying you have a bad perspective on the roles Todd's cast in and there are quite a few times where I've felt animated characters were miscast too, but of all the ones Todd's gotten, it's been over the approval of the Japanese.
Regarding Death the Kid, his voice for that character is actually a lot different from many of his other roles. There are a lot of his characters that I still have yet to see, but Kid's voice does differ largely from other names he played like Yamato, Tajima and Hikaru (Italy and Keroro's voices are very different, too).

I agree that BECK has an awesome dub. Since I watched it in '09, the number of voice actors I wanted to meet skyrocketed.

I finished Haganai. The ending was a little underwhelming, especially after the buildup to Kodaka finally figuring out who Yozora was this whole frigging time (I figured it out pretty early on). Part of me kinda wishes the ending was episode 11. It was kinda nice to see Yozora not be so bitchy for once. She's so focused on not giving Sena an edge on her that she has to hide her friendship with Kodaka. I understand they kinda have to start over a bit because he took so long to figure it out, but still.

Hopefully Haganai NEXT will be a bit better.

Don't consider Haganai as the ending. I never considered that to be the case, and I agree that they kind of ruined it by having an extra 15-20 minutes beyond the scene during roll call (which was amazing in the dub IMO.) PS make sure to watch the OVA that acts as episode 13.

I do agree that it was pretty underwhelming because they totally let the impact peter out and ultimately not much really changed, but that's Yozora in general!

Haganai NEXT's ending is more satisfying when it comes to feeling like an actual conclusion. Be prepared for NEXT to be a lot crazier out of the gate though, it really makes Sena out to be a lot more fucked up than she was in the first series.

Full Metal Alchemist is a must!

Death Note is a really nice one.

Taiyz wrote:

Don't consider Haganai as the ending. I never considered that to be the case, and I agree that they kind of ruined it by having an extra 15-20 minutes beyond the scene during roll call (which was amazing in the dub IMO.) PS make sure to watch the OVA that acts as episode 13.

I do agree that it was pretty underwhelming because they totally let the impact peter out and ultimately not much really changed, but that's Yozora in general!

Haganai NEXT's ending is more satisfying when it comes to feeling like an actual conclusion. Be prepared for NEXT to be a lot crazier out of the gate though, it really makes Sena out to be a lot more fucked up than she was in the first series.

I realized this today because the manga doesn't actually end right when the show does.

Is the OVA that acts as episode 13 the one where they write a story round-robin style? I only watched a few minutes of it because I wasn't sure if I needed to watch it or not.

I did watch the first episode of Haganai NEXT. Sena is pretty crazy now. Yozora and Rika trolling her with that wild hair style was pretty great, though.

Well you don't NEED to watch the OVA, but it's good. And yes that's the round robin story episode.

I wish OVAs weren't becoming such a pain to manage though. FUNimation and Sentai have skipped a few OVAs for series' (some of which I didn't even realize HAD OVAs, like Senran Kagura) due to release timing or licensing restrictions (reverse importation being a major problem, and the reason why some things, such as the Highschool of the Dead OVA, occasionally get released as separate products. The Japanese creators don't see them as bonuses, they seem them as half of a $60-70 product.)

It was nice that Haganai's OVA was just included as episode 13 in the first season.

Love Live!



My work here is done.

I'm not really a fan of JPop so I will probably have to pass on that.

At the very least Love Live looks to be the best in its genre.

Mind you, The Idolmaster Cinderella Girls could take back its crown...or it could be a trainwreck. It's a shame that Ryou never got a chance to be in an anime.

I think I'll just use this thread like a blog as I go through people's recommendations. I've stopped watching Haganai  for now and jumped around a bit. I watched some Kiniro Mosaic (I think I have 3 or 4 episodes of that left, I'll talk about it when I'm done), and I also started watching My Ordinary Life. Why haven't I watched this sooner? I couldn't stop laughing for most of the first episode. Its surprisingly well-animated, too.

Also, I'm seriously considering watching Good Luck Girl! because friggin Masashi Hamauzu did the soundtrack for it, and its awesome.

Prinny wrote:

Also, I'm seriously considering watching Good Luck Girl! because friggin Masashi Hamauzu did the soundtrack for it, and its awesome.

Definitely watch it. And if you get interested, read the manga (Binbougami Ga!). It's a really enjoyable series that managed to entertain me, and care for the characters as well.