Anime Recommendations?

How much do you guys actually know about American animation?
Does anyone else feel the exact same way I do about stuff like 'Neon Genesis Evangelion', 'The Matrix', 'Akira', 'Appleseed' (the 3D one), 'Vampire Hunter D', 'Princess Mononoke', and all that kind of thing? It's just... I don't know, I guess I'm just really into it.

A Van Helsing?

I might be wrong here, but I don't think that's actually an anime. Isn't it more like a live-action movie and a comic book series?

Honestly, I find anime pretty easy to forget—it’s hard for me to really wrap my head around them or make them stick
I've checked out a few things like
Akira
The Matrix
Metropolis
Vampire Hunter D
Princess Mononoke
and some other stuff

😢

how could you possibly forget Akira? 😕

To me, *The Matrix* is the only true masterpiece out there—at least among everything I’ve ever watched, and believe me, I’ve seen plenty. Don't get me wrong, there are some decent flicks out there, but only one movie left such an impression on me that the first three times I sat through it, I couldn't even begin to grasp the plot because I was too busy staring at the breathtaking animation.

And just so you know, I am currently downloading *Cyberpunk 2077*... oh wait, I mean the sequel to that movie—and if any of you try to tell me it's garbage or that I shouldn't bother watching it, I swear I'll lose my cool! 😎

I’m feeling cautiously optimistic at this stage! I’ve been diving into *The Matrix*, *Cyberpunk 2077*, and *Spawn*. I even caught a few episodes of *Neon Genesis Evangelion*—though the audio keeps cutting out on the later ones for some reason 🙂 😠—plus a bit of *Star Wars Squadron*, which I remember seeing back in the day on *Disney Channel*.

It’s all pretty great.

quietdriver3 said:How could you possibly forget Akira? 😕

It’s pretty simple, really—
I don't know any Japanese
I can't keep any of the names straight
And I just can't seem to connect with the characters...

I'm not saying they're bad, per se... it's just not my thing.😢

Lawrence Booth2 said:I don't know any Japanese, I guess

there are subtitles, anyway

🤔 ... Naruto?

It looks like a few of my buddies from the gym...

I haven't watched a ton of anime... I actually found Akira, The Matrix, and Alice in Wonderland a bit dull—especially Alice in Wonderland, which was the first time in my life I actually wanted to walk out of a movie theater. Now, Ninja Assassin? That was good.
I recently downloaded Rurouni Kenshin, so I really need to give that a watch. But for a newcomer like me, the absolute peak of the genre has to be Dragon Ball Z. It’s such a shame you can't find versions online with the original Japanese audio; the American dub completely ruins the vibe for me.

Lawrence Booth2 said:It's quite simple, really.
I don't know Japanese,
I can't memorize any names,
and I just can't seem to connect with the characters...

You aren't going to get anywhere if you don't at least give it a shot. It's all about getting used to it. I'm speaking from experience here.

After spending years watching American movies and TV shows, I was actually a bit overwhelmed trying to watch an animated film where I couldn't understand a single word being said; I had to rely entirely on following the subtitles. It also took me some time to pick up on the internal jokes and the mindset of the creators living halfway across the world, though they aren't actually that different from us.

When I read my first manga, "Oh, My Little Pony," I was honestly intimidated because I expected some incomprehensible piece of art filled with niche references I wouldn't grasp. I felt a bit like Bill Murray in "Lost in Translation."

Then, after the first episode, I realized I was just reading a standard comedy strip. And a funny one at that.

"Awesome! This is great!" I thought to myself. "See? These creators aren't so bad after all."

Later, I started reading "The Matrix." And okay, that *actually was* a strange piece of work with internal jargon that I barely understood.

But hey, I survived it and lived to tell the tale. I went through the exact same thing with animated films. But once I got acclimated and stumbled upon a few good series, I realized that the language barrier didn't bother me at all. In fact, the more you watch, the more you start to understand their specific style and humor.

My advice: try starting with "Cowboy Bebop." To this day, it remains my favorite. It has action, it has humor, and the soundtrack is incredible... Of course, you have to be willing to sit through some Sci-Fi for it, but that's on you. If you can't handle that, there isn't much I can do to help.

Zachary Thompson2 said:I found Alice in Wonderland kind of boring, especially during the theater run where I actually wanted to walk out halfway through.

🙂

Zachary Thompson2 said:But for an anime newbie like me, the absolute peak has to be Dragon Ball Z.

That explains it.

Zachary Thompson2 said:It’s such a bummer that I can’t find versions online with the original Japanese audio; the American dub just totally ruins the vibe for me.

What do you mean you can't? I managed to track down all 291 episodes in Japanese with subtitles.

If you're talking about DBZ.

If you mean the original Dragon Ball, then yeah, that’s actually pretty tough—almost impossible to find.

I feel like American sci-fi fantasy just doesn't have the same reach as Japanese stuff; it feels kind of banal, overly rational, cliché, predictable, commercial, and honestly... maybe just a bit dull and mindless...
Japanese anime, on the other hand, is like this total explosion of imagination—brilliant futurism, mysticism, surrealism—it just doesn't follow that Western pattern of being too simple, too stuck in logic, or too grounded in reality. I guess that's why the slow, rigid imagination of Americans struggles to navigate all the endless possibilities you find in anime.

forget Hollywood!

Brandon Martin7 said:Compared to Japanese animation, American sci-fi fantasy is incredibly short-sighted—banally rational, cliché-ridden, predictable, commercialized, dull, and frankly, just plain stupid.
Japanese anime is an absolute explosion of imagination; it's brilliant futurism, mysticism, and surrealism. It refuses to follow the Western playbook of simplicity, rational limits, and sheer mediocrity. That’s why the sluggish, unimaginative approach of Western creators fails to navigate the infinite possibilities that anime provides.

You really have to admire the deadpan seriousness of someone calling it an "explosion of imagination."😍 When I was watching "Half-Dragon" and "Slayers," I certainly wasn't under the impression I was witnessing "brilliant futurism."😬

Adam Wright56 said:🙂

That explains it.

Feel free to drop some recommendations. 😉
Dragon Ball is fantastic to me. Mostly because of the humor, the wacky characters, and those edgy jokes. 😬 Dragon Ball Z is okay too, but it misses that sense of humor and character depth. Everything just boils down to: a super strong villain shows up, beats up Goku, he goes off to train, comes back, destroys the villain, and accidentally wrecks half the planet in the process—repeat. 😁
I only watched two episodes of GT and it just wasn't my thing.

Adam Wright56 said:What do you mean "how not"??? I managed to get all 291 episodes in Japanese with subtitles.

If you're talking about Dragon Ball Z.

If you're talking about the original Dragon Ball, then it's incredibly hard—almost impossible—to find. [/B]

I was thinking of Dragon Ball. All I could find were American dubs (and not even good ones—just poorly synced voiceovers, not actual subtitles). Same with Dragon Ball Z. Just American dubbing. Where did you download yours from?

Zachary Thompson2> Feel free to recommend something.

Well, I guess that really just depends on what you're into...

GNN made a solid point about checking out Cowboy Bebop.

Then, if you're into samurai stuff and all that nonsense, maybe try the Rurouni Kenshin OVA 1.

If you want some actual comedy, I'd suggest Ferris Bueller, but if you're looking for something with a weirder sense of humor, then Jungle wa Itsumo... and Azumanga Daioh are probably right up your alley.

If you prefer ecchi-style humor—you know, the kind based on sexual innuendo or just sex in general—you can't go wrong with Goldenboy, and I’d probably suggest Ebich - The Housekeeping Hamster too.

Now, if you're big on parodies, especially fantasy ones, then Slayers is the way to go, as is Dragon-Half. (Though, I suppose Slayers might draw some minor parallels to Dragon Ball Z... but honestly, not many).

So, yeah, those are some titles that are mostly easy on the brain and have relatively smart humor.

On the other hand, if you just want pure action, I'd recommend Last EXILE or Film Noir, but if you want action with a supernatural twist, maybe look at Chrono Crusade or the Read or Die OVA.

If you want a long-running series that isn't total garbage like Dragon Ball Z, then there's Naruto. Or, if that feels like too much of a commitment, just watch Tenja Tenga (it's only 24 episodes).

Hmm... for mecha, check out Gundam or Macross, though if you want "trash" robots, anything by Go Nagai works (like Great Mazinger, Mazinkaiser, etc.).

For a total mind-fuck, try Serial Experiments Lain, Haibane Renmei, or Boogiepop Phantom.

As far as decent dramas or thrillers go, I'd suggest Monster, Planetes, or Paranoia Agent.

Anyway, these are all series... as for movies, I think I already posted some recommendations in some older threads.

quietdriver3 said:subtitles exist

you know exactly what I meant

I’ve sat through a ton of Asian cinema—and honestly, most of it is phenomenal
but just... everything in the world of anime I've watched so far has been way too confusing for me 😳

it's just not my thing... maybe I'll give it another shot 👋 someday

Lawrence Booth2 said:you know exactly what I meant

haha, yeah, I'm just messing with you 🙂

but, honestly, knowing what you're into, maybe give Legend of the Overfiend a shot? I have a feeling you might actually dig it 👍

👋
that one's been sitting on my watchlist for ages now 🙏