Anime & Manga

[Alabaster]

I'm reading Beelzebub right now xD (and watching Eyeshield 21 °-°)

[1st Mate Bob]

I'm a bit too lazy to try and recall everything I've read/watched, so instead I give you this.

Currently watching/reading: Fairy Tail

Just finished watching: Deadman Wonderland, Spice and Wolf (1&2)

Last manga read: BECK: Mongolian Chop Squad

Others I'm (slowly) reading: Fate/Stay Night, Sword of the Dark Ones

[I.M. Gei]

Just got back into D.Gray-man, and holy fucking shit. Poor Allen, the kid never gets a break...

[Magical CC]

D.gray-man? How funny, I have just returned from an anime convention, a cool looking with just right figure asian girl was cosplaying Kanda Yuu (or whatever they call him in the manga), I mean, in that clothes and with that hair style, it's as if she was his genderswap version.

Edited July 24, 2011 by Rathalos Sulley

[I.M. Gei]

Kanda? The guy who just died in other words... Man, the Black Order is something. If you die they don't even let you die...

[Catnip]

I'm not much of an anime fan myself, but I'm a huge fan of the card game and show Yu-Gi-Oh, although I have to admit only the original (second series) is worth watching.

[Original Alear]

Seen:

Kino's Journey

Naruto

Death Note

Evangelion

Evangelion Rebuilds

NOEIN

Lain

Some Bleach

Rurouni Kenshin

Black Cat

All of Ghibli

Origin

Sky Crawlers

Hellsing

Hellsing Ultimate

Higurashi

Elemental Gelade

Noir

Starship Operators

Ghost in the shell (1,2,3)

Ghost in the shell: Stand alone complex

FLCL

Visions of Escaflowne

Eureka Seven

Basilisk

Haruhi Suzumiya

Black Lagoon

Slayers: All the seasons

Sailer Moon

Code Geass

Cowboy Bebop (series and movie)

Elfin Lied

Soul Eater

She: The ultimate Weapon

Yu-Gi-Oh (all seasons)

Love Hina

Buso Renkin

Cardcaptors

Chrono Crusade

Dragon Ball Z

Darker then Black

xxx Holic

Read:

One Piece

Death Note

naruto

Bleach

Rurouni kenshin

Welcome to the N.H.K

Fullmetal Alchemist

Vampire Knight

Black Cat

Air Gear!!!!!

Bitter Virgin

666 Satan

Blazer Drive

Basilisk

Black Lagoon

D.Gray-Man

Fairy Tail

Elfin Lied

21st Century Boys

Hayate the Combat Butler

Absolute Boyfriend

Whistle

Prince of Tennis

Slam Dunk

Yu-Gi-Oh

Bakuman

Love Hina

Berserk

Trigun

Buso Renkin

Burst Angel

Battle Vixens

Dragon Ball

Dragon Ball Z

Eyeshield 21 (sadly)

Fate/Stay Night

Zatch Bell

Gintama

Hunter x Hunter

Hoshin Enji

Strawberry 100%

JoJo's Bizarre Adventure (some)

DearS

Nana

Ral Grad

Romario + Vampire (1 and 2)

Zombiepowder

Of course some of these mangas arent finished so I'm still reading

Currently watching:

Puella Magi Madoka Magica

I thought you might like to know, just in case you don't, that there is a site called My Anime List which allows you to track and rate your anime in an interface other fans can easily view etc, there's also additional categories besides seen and read.

[Higurashi_K1]

Re-watching Higurashi no Naku Koro Ni and Kai. Might watch Rei later this week but I'm gonna avoid Kira like the plague.

Also, am I the only one who think the anime version of Higurashi is better than the visual novels?

[phokingbeast]

im watching fairy tail and im about to start legend of galactic heroes

[Aurabolt]

You guys are in for a Treat: Here's a list of every Anime I've ever seen!

A # denotes I've read the Manga as well while for the sake of courtesy to those who might to see 'em for themselves, a ^ denotes the Anime is geared towards mature audiences for one reason or another (Language, Gore, Profanity, etc.).

Ok, here we go:

- Pokemon# (This is for the entire series from Kanto to Present)

- Digimon (All Variations)

- Monster Rancher

- Heroic Age

- Yu-Gi-Oh! (All Variations)#

- Dragonball/Dragoball Z#/Dragonball GT/DBZ Kai# (I consider DBZ and DBZ Kai one in the same)

- Tales of Phantasia OVA (have on DVD; Localized by Geneon)

- Tales of Symphonia OVA

- Tales of The Abyss OVA

- Star Ocean II OVA

- Xenosaga

- Gungrave

- Clannad and After Story

- Kaze no Stigma^

- Claymore^

- Fruits Basket

- Spice and Wolf (Seasons 1 and 2)

- Bleach

- Canaan

- The Sacred Blacksmith

- Kekkaishi

- Angelic Layer

- Angel Beats

- Death Note#^ (As well as all three live-action movies)

- Noein ^

- Elfen Lied

- Witchblade ^

- Ah! My Goddess!/Ah! My Goddess 2: Flights of Fancy/Ah! My Goddess The Movie ^

- Mushi Shi

- El Cazador de la Bruja

- Ghost in the Shell

- Shuffle

- Noir

- School Rumble

- Linebarrels of Iron + OVA

- Inuyasha

- Cowboy Beebop (As well as two movies)

- Baka and Test

- Burst Angel ^

- Fullmetal Alchemist + Conqueror of Shambala

- Fullmetal Alchemist: Brotherhood

- Code Geass: Lelouch of the Rebellion

- Blue Gender

- Shuffle!

- Big O

- Tears of Tiara

- Fooly Cooly

- Samurai Champioo

- Gundam Wing (All Variations)

- Shin Chan ^

And now: My Top 10 Favorite Anime of all time:

Just in time for the New Year, here is my list of my 10 favorite Anime of all time. The list might change down the road but I don't see that happening anytime soon. Except Bleach I've seen all the Animes listed in their entirety from start to finish. Note the list is counting down from ten (10) Like my Video Game lists. That is intentional xD

Also: As a matter of disclosure these are for the Official English Dubs. If you don't like the dubs you can pretend you didn't read that.

10. Bleach: Honestly, IMO the series was boring until the Visords Arc. My problem with it up to then was the end result of each Arc and movie was too damned predictable. In the U.S. it seems Funimation found itself in the situation where it has two incomplete Arcs. The first is of course the ongoing battle between Kisuke Aizen and the Soul Society. At present, Head Captain Yamamoto was about to join the fight. The other is the new Renegage Zanpakto Arc in which the Soul Reapers' Zanpakto turn on their masters. This makes it hard to watch stateside consistently because you don't know if you're going to get the next episode or a reboot of the season to buy time. This problem is easy to solve by making Bleach an hour long. They wrapped up Kekkaishi earlier this year and Full Metal Alchemist: Brotherhood a few weeks back so...yeah.

You can only find the English dub at an Online Retailer or Hulu as well as Xbox Live and iTunes. For some reason the dub was never released on Netflix...

9. Fullmetal Alchemist: Brotherhood: I admit I love FMA:B exponentially more than the original Anime series. As I'd been told at Anime Boston 2011, FMA:B drew more from the Manga than the first Anime. It leads me to believe FMA:B was made because Square-Enix wasn't happy with the original series like much of the Fanbase. Given the lame ending the original had, I have to agree there. FMA:B focuses more on character development than the original series. Not only that's it's far less predictable. The final episode aired on Adult Swim two months ago but I watched the final 6 episodes via Zune Market Place. Awesome ending overall. It felt complete compared to the first Anime.

8. School Rumble: When I first started watching this Anime I didn't think I'd like it. by the 6th Episode of Season 1 I was in. There's just something about Harima that makes you want him to hook up with Tenma. Almost every episode will have you laughing to tears and the best part is there's little to no Fan Service. It's a down to earth watch that focuses on the reverse love triangle involving Tenma, Harima and Karasuma.

Explaining would be grounds for Major Spoilers so we'll leave it at that. You can catch both seasons of School Rumble on Netflix. It's lengthy (52 Episodes total) but well worth watching from beginning to end.

7. Spice and Wolf: Like another Anime on this list (Death Note), this one doesn't stray too far from the Manga it's based on. They keep it short, sweet and to the point. The hit manga turned anime follows the adventure of Kraft Lawrence and Holo, a Harvest Goddess in human form. Simply watching either season's OP will tell you why despite its runoff popularity Adult Swim said NO to airing it: Holo has a nude scene in almost every episode of Season 1. It wasn't Fan Service, it was more or less because technically she doesn't need clothes in her Wolf Form (which is, in a word AWESOME) and doesn't usually wear clothes unless she's with humans. Unlike many of the older Animes out there, each season is only 13 episodes long. I watched both seasons this year--the second before it was available on DVD. Relax, I didn't "steal" it. I bought it (and later Season 1) via Xbox Live.

I've been hearing rumors there will be a Season 3 sometime next year. Considering I found out about Season 2 purely by accident I hope it's true. I'm hoping I can learn a bit more at Anime Boston 2012. For the time being, you can watch both Seasons on Netflix. You only see Holo's true form in a brief flashback in Season 2 but she and Lawrence start behaving like a couple. Like the #1 Anime in this list you can't help but think of when the world was a simpler place watching this. It's a very down to earth Anime I have enjoyed.

6. Code Geass: Lelouch of the Rebellion: In my opinion, this was Johnny Bosch Young's best work as a Voice Actor for an Anime (Overall Honors going to Tales of Symphonia: Dawn of the New World for the Wii where he played two main characters at the same time). There's no doubt his work with Bleach will ensure he'll never have to worry about money for the rest of his life but I digress. Code Geass asks a very sugestive question: If you had the power to command anyone to do whatever you want, would you use it to take it a step further, how would you use it? The banished Prince Lelouch Vi Brittania decides to use the power of Geass to change the world. Adopting the alter ego Zero, Lelouch leads a ragtag group of Japanese resistance fighters in a war against the Holy Brittanian Empire. Using the power of Geass, Lelouch leads his forces to victory and ultimatly becomes Emperor of Brittania.

Going any further would be major spoilers so we'll leave it at that. Throughout the anime, other Geass users are revealed. Each Geass works differently depending on the person and what they desire. I can't name the others due to spoilers so I'll stop there. Code Geass is a solid Anime and at last check can be watched on Hulu.com.

5. Shuffle!: This is definitely one of those animes that falls into the category of not judging the book by its cover. I had to watch it all the way through from start to finish to fully appreciate it. I bought the entire series via Zune Marketplace after watching it on Netflix. It was the first Anime I bought after getting my new Computer and thus that makes it extra special to me. Like any Anime with a largely female cast there there is some Fan Service (Perverted fan clubs, bath house scene, revealing waitress outfits, etc.). Fortunately it doesn't take away from the Anime. Nerine's English Voice Actor also voiced Winry in both Fullmetal Alchemist Animes.

The major draw for me with this anime is despite watching it a couple times already, advancement is hard to predict. For example, you'd have never guessed Asa's mother was from the Demon World until the reveal--more so when everyone assumed she died years before. Even though the plot is mostly about Rin being "forced" to chose between Sia and Nerine, once Rin and Kaede's dark past is revealed suddenly it's not just a choice between the two otherworldly girls. Nerine's past seemed more like a convenient plot hole at first until Primula's part in the equation is fully revealed. Sia's, on the other hand (without spoiling of course) was obviously forced--more so since you were given no indicators from her father before, during or after the reveal.

This Anime is available on Netflix so if you haven't yet, go check it out =D

4. Tears of Tiara: I recently watched it on Netflix and like the Anime in the #3 Spot I took a liking to it on after the first Episode. Several elements I usually see in an RPG or Visual Novel: Misunderstood "Demon King", Evil Empire, etc. Overall it's a solid Anime I've enjoyed. A variety of other Anime could have easily taken this spot but this one fills a certain niche. The battle scenes are stylized but not over the top. The main characters are nicely balanced and are pretty down to earth. You can catch it on Netflix currently.

3. Ah! My Goddess!: Currently the only Anime listed I took a liking to after just the first episode. I've gone out of my way to flaunt my love of this Anime so I'll leave it at that. Having recently read almost two dozen volumes I can say for sure they were choosy what what they drew from the Manga. For example Velsper, Lind's Angels and Keiichi's parents appear in the Manga but are absent in the Anime. A few things were changed as well. For starters we'll go with Hild's first official appearance. In the Manga she visits the temple to help Peorth, who was turned into a child by Velsper. The problem is Velsper was turned into a cat and can't change herself back. In the Anime she's called by Urd after her Goddess and Demon selves are improperly fused back together. Hild was an important character so naturally they'd change how she's introduced.

I'm hoping there will be a Season 3. The movie actually preceeds the TV series and although Season 2 was done more than 5 years ago, perhaps renewed interest will spawn one more season!

2. Death Note: Until July 15 2011, Death Note held the #1 spot on my all-time favorite Anime List. Seeing as its fanbase stateside is as big (if not more big) as its Japanese fanbase I'll assume you either know of it or have at least checked out the Death Note Forum. Suffice to say Death Note more than earned the right to hold the #1 spot on my list for almost 5 years. I bought most of the episodes and Manga in the last 2 years despite having a limited budget at the time. I actually finally bought the first two movies (original storyline based on the Manga) and am still in the hunt for a replica Death Note. Maximum the Hormone's What's Up People?! is my most played Japanese Song in my Music Collection (despite having listened to Stereo Pony for almost 5 months straight!) and in fact, it's what got me into Japanese Rock.

1. Clannad/After Story: Technically, After Story is simply a continuation of Clannad. Well, except for the last six episodes, which are all set in Alternate Timelines (See the new Clannad Forum for the details). Anyways, After Story exists thanks to the HUGE following Clannad has and it was more or less a no-brainer to continue the series. I literally watched all 25 episodes in succession non-stop. After Episode 15 (which I won't get into due to the MAJOR spoilers), Clannad officially became my all-time favorite Anime. See the new Clannad board for the long version of how I decided that. To keep it short here, I'll say the Anime did everything right to tell a beautiful story. The few cliches in the Anime were appropriate and well-timed. To further sweeten the deal, every genre is represented from beginning to end.

The first half of the series (pre-After Story) focused heavily on Tomoyo's relationship with his new friends and how he helped them with their problems. I admit I didn't fully understand why so much emphasis was made on that until I watched After Story. Tomoyo is pushed to the very brink of despair after tragedy strikes not once but twice and in a short amount of time. I can't say any more than that without spoiling things and as you know, I like spoiling stuff. If you really want to know, either watch it yourself or be prepared to read my synopsis on the entire series at the Clannad Forum.

Other notable Animes I highly reccommend:

- Kenichi The Mightiest Disciple

- Samurai Champioo

- Noir

- Elfin Lied

- Cowboy Beebop

[Schlafo Zobeni]

I just watched "Higurashi no naku koro ni Kira" Episode 1 and half of 2

About the first episode : At first i thought it was like Rei :

Having 1-2 "funny" episodes that doesn't have a Storyline

that are just there for the sake of being well, funny .

But Higurashi was never good at being funny it was merely "good" at telling intresting Storys .

About ep 2:... Rika as a Magical Card captor Sakura like Girl ? I could not watch it completely .

The whole time i had this weird facial expression...

sort of a mixture of this : this and this .

What did they do to Higurashi !?!

What did they do to this series i once loved ?!?

WHY ?

WHY ?!?

*melodramatic mode of*

Edited January 2, 2012 by Stachlingo

[shadowofchaos]

About ep 2:... Rika as a Magical Card captor Sakura like Girl ? I could not watch it completely .

Well... just another reason to add for me not to watch that series.

[Severin]

I have so many anime so i dont feel like writing them down. but i do my top 5 atm. :)

1. Mai-HiME (i recomend watching it if you havent)

2. Fullmetal Alchemis Brotherhood

3. Fairy Tail

4. One peice

5. Naruto Shippuden.

Edited January 24, 2012 by Severin

[Blademaster!]

Bleach is entering its final arc: http://www.animenewsnetwork.com/news/2012-02-01/tite-kubo-bleach-manga-to-enter-final-arc

Considering the manga lost Big 3 status this year and has been in a general decline, it's not surprising.

[Original Alear]

Bleach is entering its final arc: http://www.animenews...enter-final-arc

Considering the manga lost Big 3 status this year and has been in a general decline, it's not surprising.

I hope for the author's sake that he didn't decide to end the manga early because of a decline in fans.

[Aizenberg]

I hope for the author's sake that he didn't decide to end the manga early because of a decline in fans.

i thought he wanted to carry bleach on for another 10 years. Well good riddance. Bleach sucks so much now.

[lancerusso]

i thought he wanted to carry bleach on for another 10 years. Well good riddance. Bleach sucks so much now.

I gave up on bleach at around the bount arc... I think it was episode 63 or something. The filler just became intolerable.

My top five anime, in no apparent order: (Well, in the order they pop into my head, so probably something to do with my preference and recency)

Baccano!,

Mawaru Penguindrum,

Planates,

Outlaw Star,

Durarara!!

Actually, I can't remember a single other anime that I consider worth buying the DVD boxed set of... There probably is one, undoubtedly.

Code Geass maybe? I'm also watching my way through Fate/staynight, which I'm told is good.

I have such a soft spot for Baccano!. I just think it's brilliant, premise and all. If only there was a second series, and a third, and a fourth... the light novels have so much potential.

[Blademaster!]

I'm also watching my way through Fate/staynight, which I'm told is good.

Most people would tell you to read the VN and not watch the anime, since it is the VN that most people consider good, not the anime. I've only seen the UBW movie though so I can't say much about the anime.

[Fala]

A short list of manga and anime that I like:

Pokemon Adventures- This series is one of three things got me back into Pokemon. It's a shonen manga and the fights are really good.

Hokuto no Ken- I love this series.

Naruto- Part I only. Part 2 is meh and 3 can go die.

[Esau of Isaac]

i thought he wanted to carry bleach on for another 10 years. Well good riddance. Bleach sucks so much now.

It was so good around the Rescue Rukia arc. Easily some of the best manga chapters out there. Great rivalries, interesting power mechanisms, and just enough messing around with power creep to be interesting but not completely broken.

Everything Hueco Mundo and after was pitiable it was so bad. Every once in a while it looks for a chapter or two like it might get back to the awesomeness it once was, then degenerates into the craptasticness it is.

[BrightBow]

Personally I think the Soul Society Arc is overrated. After rereading the books I must say that there was a lot of idiocy going on. It just was a lot easier to miss then the nonsense occurring later. It might be the pinnacle of the series but that's not saying much.

I wish that I stopped reading the books after volume 6. Tite Kubo didn't resolve any of the implications of the then occurring conflict. I should have realized that the Author was somebody who likes to make stuff up and then just ignores it when it's inconvenient rather then allowing it a proper resolution or conclusion. But back then I was more ready to think that if something didn't add up, that I missed something or that it would be important later.

As a result Volume 6 is the first book to really bug me and as the series went on there came more and more elephants into the room that the smell was unbearable, things didn't add up and the characters behaved like idiots for the sake of railroading the plot to a destination that turned out not to be interesting anyway.

Well, I might actually be too harsh to the author. Tite Kubo has to create a chapter on a weekly schedule after all. It is probably very hard to keep track of anything when you have so little time. Especially if your series runs so long. I wonder how the series would look like if he could work with his own schedule.

Edited February 22, 2012 by BrightBow

[Blademaster!]

The Bleach anime is ending now too. Too lazy to post the article, just find it on ANN; it came out today.

[Narga_Rocks]

Anyone read Superior and Superior Cross? Sadly the last volume still isn't translated, though.

[Blademaster!]

Read Superior and I am waiting for the final volume of cross to be translated before starting it. I enjoyed it.

[phokingbeast]

im currently watching toradora blue exorcist and bakemonogatari