The List

Now I’m not one to presume to tell people what to do, but I’ll tell you what I like, and I get really excited about recommending things that I like. So don’t take it the wrong way. I’m hoping someday to create a good resource for the uninitiated as well as some half-decent reading for the hardcore. So here it is, the List. This is not meant to be the “best things,” only a few of my favorite things, as it were. It’s a personal list, except for the first part. Hopefully all of these will eventually link to writeups.

The “Come Back To Me After You’ve Seen These” list

Mostly movies, these are the essential entry points into the dastardly world of cartoons that get most westerners going — even mainstream western press. You watch these if all the anime you know is Robotech (aka fucked-up Macross), Voltron, and Speed Racer. That doesn’t necessarily mean they’re “layman’s” movies, in fact one of the reasons why they are well known can be their challenging nature (Akira) but if anime were a class these would be required reading. And much like school, some of them put me to sleep (Akira).

  • Anything by Hayao Miyazaki (especially Spirited Away)
  • Ghost in the Shell
  • Wings of Honneamise
  • Ninja Scroll
  • Akira

The “Meat and Potatoes”

I consider these essential as well, and there probably aren’t a lot of people who’ll argue — it’s not a very adventurous bunch of choices after all. But when I take a step back, these (all of them TV series) are for anime fans.

  • Neon Genesis Evangelion (and its movies)
  • Fullmetal Alchemist
  • Cowboy Bebop
  • Love Hina
  • Cardcaptor Sakura
  • Azumanga Daioh!
  • Full Metal Panic!

The “New Classics”

In spite of being newer 21st-century shows, these deserve a place alongside the previous list.

  • RahXephon
  • Paranoia Agent (and Paprika)
  • Eureka Seven
  • The Melancholy of Haruhi Suzumiya
  • Death Note
  • True Tears

Know Your Roots

You probably have to be pretty hardcore to really get into some older series, but for me it’s nice on an appreciation level, just to see where the “meat and potatoes” list got its start. But especially with Lupin III and the seminal Macross, they can be just as enjoyable as anything current. I realize this list involves a lot of robots.

  • Mobile Suit Gundam
  • Space Battleship Yamato
  • The Super Dimension Fortress Macross
  • Tenchi Muyo!
  • Lupin III

Acquired Taste

These may have something questionable about them — maybe they’re depressing, maybe they’re a little “H,” or maybe they’re aimed at fandom. But I think they’re great in their ways as well.

  • Now and Then, Here and There
  • Urotsukidoji (I swear to god I can justify this)
  • Lucky Star

The Stuff I Just Can’t Watch

What’s a good list without some hatin’? I don’t just hate these players, I hate their game, aka shonen/action. Some people dig it, I know. But the closest I ever got to this genre was Shakugan No Shana, which admittedly I am still stuck watching on my own volition.

  • InuYasha
  • Bleach
  • Dragonball
  • You… get the idea.