Any Good Anime Recommendations?

[EnigmaCanada]

Anyone know any cool anime? I'm not a diehard fan or anything, but does anyone know any good movies that would appeal to a guy who generally watches North American movies? I like good action and drawings, but I hate cheesy Japanese plots and the sappy love stories they throw in.

I've watched the Fatal Fury movies, and I liked those, but I didn't like Appleseed.

[Dominic]

have you seen Akira? If not, that's the one you should start with.

[maltaille]

I'm not a big fan of anime - mostly because I can't get past the writing, I think - but there are a couple that I love.

Dominic's right, start with Akira. This is the first anime that made a big crossover into the US market.

Second, and my personal favourite, Ghost in the Shell. Despite being 15 years old now, it still has some of the best animation you'll see anywhere, and even if the dialogue is clumsy, the story isn't. I wish James Cameron had done something with the option to do a live action version he had for a while. There is no love story, despite the heroine being the hottest thing since Jessica Rabbit. Forget the sequel and the tv series.

Third, Grave of the Fireflies. Unlike the other two, which are action films, this is a drama. It's about two children trying to survive during WWII in a bombed out Japanese city. Don't expect to have fun, do expect to see one of the saddest films of any sort you've subjected yourself to.

Additional suggestions if you don't want to go with the drama: Ninja Scroll, Perfect Blue, and Metropolis (this is an anime version of the Fritz Lang film).

[EnigmaCanada]

I also remember seeing Guyver twelve years ago. I don't remember much about it, except I remember it was horrible, and I was waiting for it to end. That is the kind of experience I'm trying to avoid.

In an unrelated note: I also watched The Hulk today. The only thing good about that was the Hulk animation. What a terrible story/movie.

[EnigmaCanada]

Update: I'm currently downloading Ninja Scroll, Akira, and the Fatal Fury movies

[yoshi86]

If you're into cars you should get the Initial D series. There's a real life movie out too

[Blarg]

Akira and Ghost in the Shell are ones I would skip at first. They don't have as easy and broad an appeal as things like Spirited Away, Castles in the Sky, Howl's Moving Castle, Kiki's Delivery Service, and others by Miyazaki. Other series, like Full Metal Jacket and Cowboy Bebop, are also easier to get into and have likeable characters(for the most part).

[tarheeljks]

i second cowboy bebop/ghost in the shell sac

[Allinlife]

Death note
A death god drops a death note to the mortal world, a genius student picks it up/ finds out what it does (you write people's name on the note, and they die) and starts cleansing the world, by killing criminals. Another genius who is on very top hierarchy of world wide CIA like organization, investigates the mysterious death of these criminals, and tries to find out who is behind all the deaths, by using some crazy logic/deduction skills.

I think all poker players will love the anime because there is so much logical/deductive reasoning exercised by both characters trying to get the upper hand.

[EnigmaCanada]

[ QUOTE ]
Death note
A death god drops a death note to the mortal world, a genius student picks it up/ finds out what it does (you write people's name on the note, and they die) and starts cleansing the world, by killing criminals. Another genius who is on very top hierarchy of world wide CIA like organization, investigates the mysterious death of these criminals, and tries to find out who is behind all the deaths, by using some crazy logic/deduction skills.

I think all poker players will love the anime because there is so much logical/deductive reasoning exercised by both characters trying to get the upper hand.

[/ QUOTE ]

Is Death Note a movie? Or is it a series?