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[Lucumo]

Hello there,

since there is no proper general anime/manga recommendations thread, I thought I would just create my own, as other people have done so before. Considering the diversity of the users on this forum, I'm sure you will be able to help me out.

So, what I'm not looking for:

- Moe
- Harem
- Ecchi
- Slice of Life
- RomCom (proper romance is fine but not this childish one)
- terrible CGI

What I like:

- story and characters with depth
- thought-provoking anime

How old the anime is doesn't matter, I can deal with older animation without problems.

You can take this as a reference point as it lists all that which I've seen and how I rated it: http://myanimelist.net/animelist/Lucumo


Mentioned anime that look interesting:

Ping Pong: The Animation
Steins;Gate
Nodame Cantabile
Shiki
Another (waiting for more feedback)
Spice and Wolf (trying at least)
Space Battleship Yamato 2199 (or rather, the whole franchise)
Mushi-shi
Pale Cocoon
Night Raid 1931 (hm)
Rainbow: Nisha Rokubou no Shichinin
Shinsekai yori
Hunter x Hunter
Ashita no Joe (thanks Saizen <3)
Gunbuster
Millennium Actress
Flowers of Evil
Giant Robo
Madoka Magica (I'll try eventually)
Higurashi sequels (eventually)
Durarara
Dennou Coil
Figure 17 (hoping for a positive surprise)
Patlabor (all, need subs)
Princess Tutu
Tatami Galaxy (maybe)
Zankyou No Terror (+1-1?)
KimiKiss Pure Rouge (will try)
Slam Dunk (proper subs, why do you elude me?)
Psycho Pass
Beck
Shingeki no Kyojin (guess I have to at some point)
Astro Fighter Sunred (not completely sure)
Black Lagoon: Roberta's Blood Trail
Boogiepop Phantom (been waiting to be watched for a while now, actually)
Megazone 23
Welcome to NHK ( I guess)

 

[ponpo]

Was going to help but then saw you rated Haibane a 6 so GOOD BYE.

 

[Moonlight]

- Hyouka
- Tsuritama
- Flowers of Evil
- Ping Pong: The Animation

 

[meijiko]

Based on your highest-rated anime, I think you'd really like Steins;Gate.

 

[Xe4]

I'd recommend Dirty pair, but seeing as you gave Lupin III a 5, I won't. I will recommend Mushishi.

I don't mean to be harsh, but given the amount of anime you've seen, I don't think you need a recommendation list. They're great for beginners, or someone who just discovered a genre, but I almost feel like you can just look up anime similar to your favorites, or look on a top 100 anime list for your recommendations. There won't be TOO much anime that people on NeoGAF have seen that you haven't.

 

[Moral Panic]

Dude you've seen everything. You should be giving other people recommendations. In any case heres some cool stuff that are missing from your MAL.

Nodame Cantabile - Animation is poor but is about music college students and a favourite of mine. Some comedy and romance but college students so not asinine.
Shiki - Great show with slow start and weird character designs. If you make it to episode 15 you'll be singing it's praises.
Another - A horrror/suspense kind of show which gets hilarious if you dont take it too seriously
Spice and Wolf - Medieval economics with a bit of unecessary otaku bait

 

[FelixOrion]

Your MAL is pretty fleshed out already but here's what I can suggest

Space Battleship Yamato 2199 - AnimeGAF's 2013 Anime Series of the Year. Amazing and fantastically crafted space opera.
Mushi-shi - It's slow and there's no overarching story, but it's a beautiful, mysterious, sometimes dark, but ultimately peaceful ride.
Pale Cocoon - Interesting little SciFi OVA. Worth a watch and it won't take much of your rime.
Night Raid 1931 - I found it kinda dry but you might like it. Basically film-noir-meets-James-Bond-meets-Xmen show set in Japan and China pre-WWII.

Also, I know you said no RomComs, but you should check out Toradora. It's probably one of the best out there, period, and the characters have a lot of depth to them.

 

[The Silver]

I see Legend of the Galactic Heroes is on hold, you have the GOAT anime waiting for you right there, rectify that.

Here are some stuff I didn't see on your list
http://myanimelist.net/anime/6114/Rainbow:_Nisha_Rokubou_no_Shichinin
http://myanimelist.net/anime/7724/Shiki
http://myanimelist.net/anime/13125/Shinsekai_yori
http://myanimelist.net/anime/11061/Hunter_x_Hunter_(2011)
http://myanimelist.net/anime/9253/Steins;Gate
http://myanimelist.net/anime/12029/Uchuu_Senkan_Yamato_2199

Oh yeah and start watching Parasyte

you've kind of seen almost everything friend.

 

[Memento_Mori15]

From your list:
You seemed to like Paprika so watch Paranoia Agent and Millennium Actress.

Not on your list:
Steins;Gate-Didn't see this and this is one of the few really well made anime.
Flower of Evil-Pick up the manga after you finish the anime, it's really good.
Welcome to the NHK

If I have to pick one from what I recommended, I would go with Steins;Gate.

 

[Lucumo]

Was going to help but then saw you rated Haibane a 6 so GOOD BYE.

Sorry, it was more like a 6.4 but yeah, pretty hard to rate in general. Slice of Life aren't really my genre either. It lacked the special something for me.

- Hyouka
- Tsuritama
- Flowers of Evil
- Ping Pong: The Animation

The fourth one seems interesting, I even looked this one up before. Guess I can't really dodge it then. Not sure about number one, slice of life and romance with school setting while the characters looks rather generic. But then again, a quick glance doesn't tell everything.

Based on your highest-rated anime, I think you'd really like Steins;Gate.

Pondered about that one as well. Was initially kinda put off because it seemed like so many other anime. The ratings are quite high though. Have you played the visual novel that looks like it comes from the mid-nineties? This is actually how the anime adaption came to my attention since I don't care about the newest anime that are airing (only watch them once all episodes are released).

 

[Imperial Bishop]

Watch Parasyte.


Why aren't you watching Parasyte yet?


Did I mention Parasyte?

 

[NoCryingUntilTheEnd]

I see Legend of the Galactic Heroes is on hold, you have the GOAT anime waiting for you right there, rectify that.

This. And Gunbuster.

 

[The Silver]

I'd also like to mention I hate MAL for changing everything to the japanese name, no good jerks.

 

[CreeperBlocks]

Monster.You need to Watch Monster.

Nice Darker Than Black Avatar Btw

Oh you watched Monster... WATCH IT AGAIN

 

[Witchfinder General]

Natsume's Book of Friends

Easily the best anime (and manga) of the last ten years.

 

[Lucumo]

I'd recommend Dirty pair, but seeing as you gave Lupin III a 5, I won't. I will recommend Mushishi.

I don't mean to be harsh, but given the amount of anime you've seen, I don't think you need a recommendation list. They're great for beginners, or someone who just discovered a genre, but I almost feel like you can just look up anime similar to your favorites, or look on a top 100 anime list for your recommendations. There won't be TOO much anime that people on NeoGAF have seen that you haven't.

I have actually seen it dubbed when I was a kid. Maybe it sits better with me nowadays. Mushishi is actually on my list and I'm about to watch it in the near future. But SoL is always such a thing, that's why I have shied away from it so far.

I need one because it's hard to find good anime. Like, there have to be gems hidden somewhere, especially from the 90s and 80s.

Nodame Cantabile - Animation is poor but is about music college students and a favourite of mine. Some comedy and romance but college students so not asinine.
Shiki - Great show with slow start and weird character designs. If you make it to episode 15 you'll be singing it's praises.
Another - A horrror/suspense kind of show which gets hilarious if you dont take it too seriously
Spice and Wolf - Medieval economics with a bit of unecessary otaku bait

The romance/comedy has kept me away from it so far. Is it mature or just not asinine? Rurouni Kenshin: Meiji Kenkaku Romantan - Tsuiokuhen is how romance is done right. This silly blushing and dicking around, I just can't stand it.
Haha, I was actually interested in Shiki at first. That hair though...surely an anime can't be good because of that, right? I guess I have to check it out then.
Shouldn't be hilarious though. I've looked at it before. The character design is super generic...and just look at that eye-patch. Add to that the school as setting. Is it really worth it?
Another one that troubled me. I mean, ears, blushing, crooked tooth? Is it really about proper economics without being silly?

Your MAL is pretty fleshed out already but here's what I can suggest

Space Battleship Yamato 2199 - AnimeGAF's 2013 Anime Series of the Year. Amazing and fantastically crafted space opera.
Mushi-shi - It's slow and there's no overarching story, but it's a beautiful, mysterious, sometimes dark, but ultimately peaceful ride.
Pale Cocoon - Interesting little SciFi OVA. Worth a watch and it won't take much of your rime.
Night Raid 1931 - I found it kinda dry but you might like it. Basically film-noir-meets-James-Bond-meets-Xmen show set in Japan and China pre-WWII.

Also, I know you said no RomComs, but you should check out Toradora. It's probably one of the best out there, period, and the characters have a lot of depth to them.

Will definitely watch that. Actually, I plan to watch everything of that "franchise". The problem is, it's hard to find subs for the original series. I am someone who watches the original first and then everything after. I did that with Gundam UC, Macross and also with Major and others.
Slow pace doesn't matter in the slightest, I liked Monster quite a lot and it was rather slow as well.
I started watching the movie but dropped it at some point because of something. So I guess I'm gonna pick it up again.
The rating is pretty low but that's the only thing which strikes me as negative at a first glance. Hm, this might be something.

Uff, it takes forever to check the anime on several websites. And it doesn't help that a certain one has removed their tag system which was perfect since you were able to see what the anime was about or whether it included "bad CGI"...

 

[Extollere]

What I like:

- story and characters with depth
- thought-provoking anime

Berserk (must see)
Giant Robo
From the New World
Flowers of Evil
Ping Pong
Madoka Magica (don't ask questions just watch it)

 

[Tacitus_]

Panty & Stocking with Garterbelt is not exactly thought provoking, but everyone should watch it. Weird as hell, awesome as hell. And the best Gainax ending they've done.

 

[Mature]

Just keep watching Detective Conan.

 

[ShinRPGamer]

Your list is pretty fleshed out but here's a couple of shows I can recommend from what you specified.

On your list:
Higurashi Kai followed by watching Higurashi Rei aferwards.

Not on list:
Durarara: The author is the same person who wrote Baccano.

 

[Lucumo]

I see Legend of the Galactic Heroes is on hold, you have the GOAT anime waiting for you right there, rectify that.

Here are some stuff I didn't see on your list
http://myanimelist.net/anime/6114/Rainbow:_Nisha_Rokubou_no_Shichinin
http://myanimelist.net/anime/7724/Shiki
http://myanimelist.net/anime/13125/Shinsekai_yori
http://myanimelist.net/anime/11061/Hunter_x_Hunter_(2011)
http://myanimelist.net/anime/9253/Steins;Gate
http://myanimelist.net/anime/12029/Uchuu_Senkan_Yamato_2199

Oh yeah and start watching Parasyte

you've kind of seen almost everything friend.

It's been on hold for over two years now. The anime is definitely good and Kaiser Reinhardt is the best, but something about Yang Wen-li annoys me. I guess that's the reason why I stopped at a point...hm.

I have Rainbow on my list, actually(not my PTW list though). So I guess it's really worth it, then.
Shinsekai yori could be good. Not ideal character design but eh, I can try it at least.
Is it better than your typical shounen? I mean, not something like Naruto but more like Yu Yu Hakusho. It falls into the era when pretty much all the shounen were rather bad. Would be great if that was an exception though.

It has just started but I guess I will keep it in mind when it's finished. Though, looking at screenshots...it does seem rather weird, at least the arm or hand of some guy.

Which is funny, considering I haven't watched much these past 2-3 years.

Ashita no Joe I think Joe is one of the best character developments in the history of anime.

I'm in the same boat as you
http://myanimelist.net/animelist/bonifide

Yeah, I looked at that one some years ago and apparently Saizen have finished subbing it. Awesome, I'm gonna watch that for sure.

Gonna browse through your list afterwards. Too bad you haven't rated anything. Is Golgo 13 worth it by the way? The premise is so promising but the rating is mediocre.

From your list:
You seemed to like Paprika so watch Paranoia Agent and Millennium Actress.

Not on your list:
Steins;Gate-Didn't see this and this is one of the few really well made anime.
Flower of Evil-Pick up the manga after you finish the anime, it's really good.
Welcome to the NHK

If I have to pick one from what I recommended, I would go with Steins;Gate.

I watched the former, it's listed as Mousou Dairinin. Didn't really like it though which is weird, considering those type of anime are usually appealing to me. Yep, the latter might be something for me. Papika has it as a movie poster in their anime which is why I know it (this is also how I came to watch Perfect Blue).

Hm, the second recommendation. The anime has a rating of 4.56 out of 10 which is usually really bad. Is the manga just better, or...?
That's the thing, comedy and slice of life...and characters with cat ears. Has it anything worthwhile apart from that?

 

[The Silver]

It's been on hold for over two years now. The anime is definitely good and Kaiser Reinhardt is the best, but something about Yang Wen-li annoys me. I guess that's the reason why I stopped at a point...hm.

I have Rainbow on my list, actually(not my PTW list though). So I guess it's really worth it, then.
Shinsekai yori could be good. Not ideal character design but eh, I can try it at least.
Is it better than your typical shounen? I mean, not something like Naruto but more like Yu Yu Hakusho. It falls into the era when pretty much all the shounen were rather bad. Would be great if that was an exception though.

It has just started but I guess I will keep it in mind when it's finished. Though, looking at screenshots...it does seem rather weird, at least the arm or hand of some guy.

Which is funny, considering I haven't watched much these past 2-3 years.


Yeah, I looked at that one some years ago and apparently Saizen have finished subbing it. Awesome, I'm gonna watch that for sure.

Gonna browse through your list afterwards. Too bad you haven't rated anything. Is Golgo 13 worth it by the way? The premise is so promising but the rating is mediocre.


I watched the former, it's listed as Mousou Dairinin. Didn't really like it though which is weird, considering those type of anime are usually appealing to me. Yep, the latter might be something for me. Papika has it as a movie poster in their anime which is why I know it (this is also how I came to watch Perfect Blue).

Hm, the second recommendation. The anime has a rating of 4.56 out of 10 which is usually really bad. Is the manga just better, or...?
That's the thing, comedy and slice of life...and characters with cat ears. Has it anything worthwhile apart from that?

Hunter x Hunter is made by the same guy as Yu Yu Hakusho(HxH is superior IMO), it's also old, the anime is a remake from a 1999 one.

And yeah there really hasn't been much that's been great lately, I've only watched a handful of new anime the past few years.(rather I should say only a handful I've actually completed) Parasyte is the 1st new anime I've really gotten into in almost a year.

 

[Kuro]

I don't want to be that guy but YOU GAVE DEEN'S FS/N AN 8?????

 

[studyguy]

Fuck all of this bullshit homie, listen here.
You have to sit down and watch some Musashi Gundoh, I mean look at this motherfucking animation.
Madhouse wishes Redline looked this good. Ghibli wishes it had this kind of art style.

Step it up, watch some Gundoh.

 

[javac]

Giant Robo

OP has seen Berserk but I'm glad you mentioned GR, one of my favorite shows of all time. A must watch for sure.

 

[Yuuichi]

Based on your highest-rated anime, I think you'd really like Steins;Gate.

I couldn't find it in his list and was shocked, you need some S;G in your life pal.

 

[Lucumo]

This. And Gunbuster.

OK, will do that. I have actually noticed it before but I'm not sure why I haven't bothered with it so far.

I'd also like to mention I hate MAL for changing everything to the japanese name, no good jerks.

I don't mind that. MAL is a terrible place though and I'm only there for the list and to spam the forum once in a while.

Monster.You need to Watch Monster.

Spoiler

Nice Darker Than Black Avatar Btw

Oh you watched Monster... WATCH IT AGAIN

I usually only watch anime once since I then know them and there is rarely something gained from rewatching it. Long-running ones are the exception though and anime which are shown on TV. Detective Conan is probably the best example for that.

Thank you.

Natsume's Book of Friends

Easily the best anime (and manga) of the last ten years.

Why is there a girl with cat ears, a tail and clothes on fishing in the water? This usually already indicates an anime I wouldn't like. Comedy is pretty much always a no-go. Detroit Metal City and Cromartie High School (it has Freddie Mercury in it) are very rare exceptions.

 

[Moral Panic]

The romance/comedy has kept me away from it so far. Is it mature or just not asinine? Rurouni Kenshin: Meiji Kenkaku Romantan - Tsuiokuhen is how romance is done right. This silly blushing and dicking around, I just can't stand it.
Haha, I was actually interested in Shiki at first. That hair though...surely an anime can't be good because of that, right? I guess I have to check it out then.
Shouldn't be hilarious though. I've looked at it before. The character design is super generic...and just look at that eye-patch. Add to that the school as setting. Is it really worth it?
Another one that troubled me. I mean, ears, blushing, crooked tooth? Is it really about proper economics without being silly?

Definitely try the first episode of Nodame. It's still very Japanese with all it's trappings which can definitely be a turn off if the comedy doesn't click but I definitely found it more than agreeable since they can actually make references to sex. If you love classical music though it's a complete joy to watch.
Shiki's designs are lolworthy but after a while they grow on you. The show isn't perfect but I think the show's use of tension to be superb at times and when it hits it's mid point it's on fire. The extra epsiode 20.5 is a must watch. Can be quite Gory though, with real violence (no cutaways etc. you're gonna see it)

Another and Spice are bottom barrell scrapings. Another is like one of those old horror movies where people start dying and theres some tension as they try to find out and stop the curse etc. Spice and Wolf is better written and can be quite thoughtful to it's subject matter but as I said contains quite a bit of otaku bait so it's up to you to decide whether you can stomach it when it shows up.

Another person recommended Ping Pong which I think is also great (although I'm not a fan of the ending).

 

[omlet]

At least I see you rated Texhnolyze and Monster high so your taste can't be that bad. And you've also seen some more obscure good shows like Aoi Bungaku and Noein, so you're making it easy for me to narrow down to a small list. Some have already been mentioned so seconding some of these and mentioning a few more that I didn't see listed. Frankly, considering how much you've watched, I'm surprised you haven't seen any of the following:

Dennou Coil
Figure 17 (the music is bad but give it a fair shake, it's a good story)
Flowers of Evil
Mawaru Penguindrum
Mushi-shi (watch episode 2, then episode 1, then the rest, because episode 1 gives you the impression it's a "ghost" show but it's really not)
Patlabor 2
Princess Tutu
Puella Magi Madoka Magica (look, I know it looks "wut" but trust us just watch it, it fits both your criteria)
Shiki (yes the character designs are a bit weird but the story is great)
Shinsekai yori (From the New World)
Tatami Galaxy

 

[Lucumo]

Berserk (must see)
Giant Robo
From the New World
Flowers of Evil
Ping Pong
Madoka Magica (don't ask questions just watch it)

I know Berserk already. Haven't bothered with the movies though because...CGI and the character design of Griffith. It looks terrifying. Would have loved a complete (up to the point of the manga) adaptation in the old style.
Sigh...if only this one had subs.
Second, third and second recommendation. Why do you guys like Flowers of Evil so much? The premise seems somewhat meh but I guess it can go in different directions?
Ugh, moe, character design. I don't think I would be able to watch that without my eyeballs falling out. It got mostly praise and the reason for its existence may be a good one but the style...the style.

Panty & Stocking with Garterbelt is not exactly thought provoking, but everyone should watch it. Weird as hell, awesome as hell. And the best Gainax ending they've done.

Err, it's probably not up my alley. Sorry.

Just keep watching Detective Conan.

I will do that. Problem is that DCTP got pretty much shut down and at that point I stopped watching the series because they were the best group by far and no one really stepped up. Apparently that has changed by now as I just checked and there is M-L which seems do be doing fine?

Your list is pretty fleshed out but here's a couple of shows I can recommend from what you specified.

On your list:
Higurashi Kai followed by watching Higurashi Rei aferwards.

Not on list:
Durarara: The author is the same person who wrote Baccano.

I didn't bother with the sequels so far because of the character design (again). I was able to watch it back then, when moe wasn't so prevalent and I gave it a chance. I thought about it several times but yep, it's actually really hard to force myself into watching it.

Looked at it before and part of it seemed pretty weird/questionable. Is it worth it...as in, does it come close to Baccano?

 

[hosannainexcelsis]

Forgive the long list, but I used MAL's handy comparison feature (one of the few things MAL is really good at) to select a list of anime you haven't seen that I think are worth watching:

Angel's Egg
Anne of Green Gables
Asura (CG, but the art direction makes up for it)
Barefoot Gen
Blood-C (don't watch Another; this is the real deal)
Blue Exorcist movie (breathtaking art direction)
Bunny Drop
Cat Soup
Code:Breaker
Colorful (movie)
Death Billiards
Dennou Coil
Dirty Pair (at least watch Project Eden)
Doraemon: Nobita's Dinosaur 2006
Eccentric Family
Emma: A Victorian Romance
Fantastic Children
Flowers of Evil
Gauche the Cellist
Genius Party
Gintama (try episode 25, try the first movie)
Giovanni's Island
Girls und Panzer
Gundam Build Fighters
Hunter X Hunter (either 1999 version or 2011 version)
Hyouka
Jojo's Bizarre Adventure
Kaiji S2
Kiki's Delivery Service
Kyousougiga
Little Witch Academia
Lupin III: The Castle of Cagliostro
Master Keaton
Memories
Millennium Actress
Mononoke
Moyashimon
Mushishi
Nana
Natsume's Book of Friends
Noragami
One Piece Movie 6
Oniisama e...
Patlabor (especially films 1 and 2)
Porco Rosso
Pupipo! (seriously, this is out of this world fantastic)
Roujin Z
Rozen Maiden (2013)
Saint Young Men
Silver Spoon
Skull Man
Soredemo Machi wa Mawatteiru
Space Battleship Yamato 2199 (the original series is unwatchable today; stick to this remake)
Space Brothers
Space Dandy (hit or miss, but the hits are fantastic)
Tatami Galaxy
The Wind Rises
Time of Eve
Trapeze
Urusei Yatsura Movie 2: Beautiful Dreamer
Wandering Son
You Are Umasou

I've thrown a few annotations on, but not much. If you have more questions about a particular title, just ask!

 

[Imperial Bishop]

I will do that. Problem is that DCTP got pretty much shut down and at that point I stopped watching the series because they were the best group by far and no one really stepped up. Apparently that has changed by now as I just checked and there is M-L which seems do be doing fine?

Just letting you know, Crunchyroll has the streaming rights to Conan.

 

[Antiwhippy]

Nodame cantabile is great.

 

[DonMigs85]

Space Dandy, Wolf's Rain and Ghost in the Shell SAC

 

[Wolfgunblood Garopa]

Hunter x Hunter is incredible. I wish there was more out there on that level.

 

[Lucumo]

Hunter x Hunter is made by the same guy as Yu Yu Hakusho(HxH is superior IMO), it's also old, the anime is a remake from a 1999 one.

And yeah there really hasn't been much that's been great lately, I've only watched a handful of new anime the past few years.(rather I should say only a handful I've actually completed) Parasyte is the 1st new anime I've really gotten into in almost a year.

Ok, Mr. Laughing Man. I guess you sold me on HxH.

I used to try most anime back in 2006/2007 but stopped after that. These past few years, I could tell at a glance which anime I would like and which I wouldn't. It's made easy thanks to most of them being pretty much the same garbage over and over again.

Hm, we will see. It just started, so I wouldn't be so quick on that call. A terrible ending or second half can ruin an otherwise awesome anime.

I don't want to be that guy but YOU GAVE DEEN'S FS/N AN 8?????

It was before I played the visual novel, same with Tsukihime. I haven't rewatched it and thus have not re-rated it. It was different with Fate/Zero though. There, I read the light novel beforehand. But god, I love Type Moon. I even imported the games (Tsukihime being the exception since a new one costs a fortune) and the novels.

Fuck all of this bullshit homie, listen here.
You have to sit down and watch some Musashi Gundoh, I mean look at this motherfucking animation.
Madhouse wishes Redline looked this good. Ghibli wishes it had this kind of art style.

Step it up, watch some Gundoh.

It has a rating of a whopping 1.56, seems pretty legit.

OP has seen Berserk but I'm glad you mentioned GR, one of my favorite shows of all time. A must watch for sure.

Ah, I thought you were talking about the TV series from the 2007 which is named GR -Giant Robo-. Your one has subs at least.

I couldn't find it in his list and was shocked, you need some S;G in your life pal.

This here was actually how I came to know of the existence of an anime of this (I mentioned I saw a visual novel in an earlier post).

 

[Extollere]

I know Berserk already. Haven't bothered with the movies though because...CGI and the character design of Griffith. It looks terrifying. Would have loved a complete (up to the point of the manga) adaptation in the old style.
Sigh...if only this one had subs.
Second, third and second recommendation. Why do you guys like Flowers of Evil so much? The premise seems somewhat meh but I guess it can go in different directions?
Ugh, moe, character design. I don't think I would be able to watch that without my eyeballs falling out. It got mostly praise and the reason for its existence may be a good one but the style...the style.

Yeah, sorry. I didn't see your MAL in the OP when I made my post. Don't watch the Berserk movies. Despite what anyone says, they can't come close to the original series. Neither in tone, nor character. The pacing and scope also suffer from the compressed run time of the movies.

Flowers of Evil is a fantastic look at the often awkward and nerve-wracking teenage experience. It tackles issues such as social anxiety, peer-pressure, depression, rebellion, confusion and infatuation in a very harsh (maybe even nostalgic?) light. All this with deft pacing, and the know-how to let some scenes breathe just a little bit longer. It's probably a lot more relevant if you found your own adolescence to be equally blown out of proportion. It's a good show, and it captures the right kind of feelings. It made me nervous as hell. It also has an absolutely incredible soundtrack to fit the mood.

What's your last comment referring to? Madoka? Yes, the style is weird, and definitely moe. Don't let that fool you however, the show is an experience. Broaden your horizons and you will be rewarded. I'm serious. This is my serious face.

I'm also going to second (triple, quadruple, whatever), the recommendations for Ping Pong one more time. Character arcs don't get better than this.

 

[ShinRPGamer]

I didn't bother with the sequels so far because of the character design (again). I was able to watch it back then, when moe wasn't so prevalent and I gave it a chance. I thought about it several times but yep, it's actually really hard to force myself into watching it.

Looked at it before and part of it seemed pretty weird/questionable. Is it worth it...as in, does it come close to Baccano?

That's a shame becuase Kai is really good (and becuase S1 by itself feels incomplete). In the event you do get decide to watch it and Rei, avoid Higurashi Kira because it is nothing but "moe."

As for DRRR, I haven't seen Baccano yet but Durarara is a pretty damn good show and it's getting a second season this winter.

 

[Witchfinder General]

O

Why is there a girl with cat ears, a tail and clothes on fishing in the water? This usually already indicates an anime I wouldn't like. Comedy is pretty much always a no-go. Detroit Metal City and Cromartie High School (it has Freddie Mercury in it) are very rare exceptions.

Although the show has some humorous elements it's actually about isolation, rejection and learning to reconnect to a world that for a long time didn't want you. The main protagonist can see yokai (Japanese spirits from folklore) and as he helps each one with what they need he is exposed to much tragedy and sadness but also learns to slowly let people in to his life.

It's a beautiful show that will make you cry a lot but will also make you smile.

Also, it has Nyanko Sensei.

 

[Lucumo]

Definitely try the first episode of Nodame. It's still very Japanese with all it's trappings which can definitely be a turn off if the comedy doesn't click but I definitely found it more than agreeable since they can actually make references to sex. If you love classical music though it's a complete joy to watch.
Shiki's designs are lolworthy but after a while they grow on you. The show isn't perfect but I think the show's use of tension to be superb at times and when it hits it's mid point it's on fire. The extra epsiode 20.5 is a must watch. Can be quite Gory though, with real violence (no cutaways etc. you're gonna see it)

Another and Spice are bottom barrell scrapings. Another is like one of those old horror movies where people start dying and theres some tension as they try to find out and stop the curse etc. Spice and Wolf is better written and can be quite thoughtful to it's subject matter but as I said contains quite a bit of otaku bait so it's up to you to decide whether you can stomach it when it shows up.

Another person recommended Ping Pong which I think is also great (although I'm not a fan of the ending).

I'm open to most things, so classical music is fine. Well, I can try at least. Comedy is always hit or miss and the problem I have is that comedy and a serious topic don't go well together. It's one of the reasons I didn't really like Tengen Toppa Gurren Lagann.
I have no problems with gore, I watched Shigurui, Gantz, Higurashi etc. Though, Higurashi was probably the most painful of them all. I don't mind characters getting cut, sliced or shredded but torture, like ripping out the finger nails...ouch. I doubt the design will grow on me but I will give it a chance.

Hm, I rarely ever watch movies or TV series, so...hm. I guess I have nothing really to compare it to. I like horror the old way, you know, suspension and such. Never been a fan of slasher movies or those that just make it more and more gory. I guess I can at least try Spice and Wolf. It's gonna be at the bottom of my list then though.

At least I see you rated Texhnolyze and Monster high so your taste can't be that bad. And you've also seen some more obscure good shows like Aoi Bungaku and Noein, so you're making it easy for me to narrow down to a small list. Some have already been mentioned so seconding some of these and mentioning a few more that I didn't see listed. Frankly, considering how much you've watched, I'm surprised you haven't seen any of the following:

Dennou Coil
Figure 17 (the music is bad but give it a fair shake, it's a good story)
Flowers of Evil
Mawaru Penguindrum
Mushi-shi (watch episode 2, then episode 1, then the rest, because episode 1 gives you the impression it's a "ghost" show but it's really not)
Patlabor 2
Princess Tutu
Puella Magi Madoka Magica (look, I know it looks "wut" but trust us just watch it, it fits both your criteria)
Shiki (yes the character designs are a bit weird but the story is great)
Shinsekai yori (From the New World)
Tatami Galaxy

Seen this one several times but I guess I just always somehow overlooked it? Will add that and try not to forget.
Haha, on one picture it looks almost like a lolicon hentai. Never seen the name before. The synopsis is weird but I guess I can give it a shot. Music can usually only make an anime better. I doubt I have watched...ok, actually, the Macross series had bad music which made it worse.
Another Flowers of Evil mention. Can the ratings really be that wrong?
Doesn't look like my type of thing from the pictures.
I usually don't drop a series after watching one episode, so no worries.
Wanted to actually watch all of the movies and series. Here it's the problem with no/terrible subs. I really need to learn Japanese...
A female friend of mine recommended this as well. I've also seen an awesome AMV of it, so I guess I will give it a shot.
I know what Madoka is about. Sigh, I guess I have to try when several people say it's worth it, despite that awful design.
Tatami Galaxy, comedy and romance, done right, I guess? Otherwise you wouldn't be recommending it, I hope.

 

[Captainbojanglesiii]

Wow. You really have seen everything.

I see you've seen my go to 3:

Monster
Code Geass
Death Note

So those sadly are not options.

I have heard nothing, but positive things about Hunter x Hunter and I think that it may be something you'd like

In terms of recently aired anime I can point out three that I found to be possible reccomendations:

Zankyou No Terror (About agroup of teenage terrorists, Beautiful art and OST, made by Watanabe, Decent story and characters)

Akame Ga Kill (Still airing, This is a bit of a stretch, Characters seem to be developing well and the story seems to be quite good as of yet, Focused on a group of assassins)

Tokyo Ghoul (Darker theme, Good character development, Likely will be picked up for a season 2 if I had to guess, Plot is good as of yet, focusing on a boy gaining sudden powers and being forced to fit in with another group)

I also notice that you dropped FullMetal Alchemist and simply based upon my own opinion and assuming that was the original, I can not reccomend enough that you give. Brotherhood a second try.

 

[phoenix296]

The Tatami Galaxy
Madoka Magica
Welcome to the NHK
Log Horizon

On your list that I've seen and can recommend:
Ping Pong the Animation
Steins;Gate
Rainbow: Nisha Rokubou no Shichinin
Space Battleship Yamato 2199


Don't watch Another if you're looking for story and charaters with depth or thought provoking anime. It's a dumb slasher flick dragged out into 12 episodes.

 

[Amibguous Cad]

Spice and Wolf is indeed excellent!

 

[cardinalmind]

Kimikiss ~pure rouge~ (spelled something like that) is like watching a Spanish telenovelas. Go watch it if you want an actually good teenage love story (compared to the ones airing right now).

Spice and Wolf
Ai yori Aoshi

 

[Lucumo]

Forgive the long list, but I used MAL's handy comparison feature (one of the few things MAL is really good at) to select a list of anime you haven't seen that I think are worth watching:

~snip~

I've thrown a few annotations on, but not much. If you have more questions about a particular title, just ask!

Long list. Will have to take a closer look later. I don't know why you would ever recommend Blood-C though? Blood+ was decent and this anime just destroyed the name. Heck, it's rated 3.06 out of 10 which is terrible. Even Yugioh 5D`s has a higher one...

Just letting you know, Crunchyroll has the streaming rights to Conan.

Hm, not in the region where I live. This is also what bothered me when they shut down DCTP. Them subbing for me was perfectly fine.

Nodame cantabile is great.

Duly noted, another voice for that anime.

Space Dandy, Wolf's Rain and Ghost in the Shell SAC

It's comedy though. Is there anything, that makes it special, apart from the design? I've seen the other two.

Hunter x Hunter is incredible. I wish there was more out there on that level.

Didn't know it was regarded that well since usually people talk about the big three + Fairy Tale with someone sometimes mentioning Katekyo Hitman Reborn! (which apparently already ended...four years ago).

 

[hosannainexcelsis]

Another Flowers of Evil mention. Can the ratings really be that wrong?

MAL ratings are BS; the masses have no taste. Especially when it comes to an unconventionally directed and produced show such as Flowers of Evil, which uses rotoscoping and a deliberate style of filmmaking akin to some sort of live-action indie film. If you can get into the rhythm of its storytelling, you'll find a real treasure.

Long list. Will have to take a closer look later. I don't know why you would ever recommend Blood-C though? Blood+ was decent and this anime just destroyed the name. Heck, it's rated 3.06 out of 10 which is terrible. Even Yugioh 5D`s has a higher one...

Blood-C is a well-made black comedy with good action; the climax is highly entertaining. As I said above, MAL ratings are BS.

 

[hipbabboom]

List in the OP makes me feel like I'm reading scripture. There needs to be more irreverent things put in there.

 

[Lexxism]

It seems like you quite enjoyed watching sports anime. Try watching slam dunk (though I recommend the manga more) and big windup.

 

[omlet]

Seen this one several times but I guess I just always somehow overlooked it? Will add that and try not to forget.
Haha, on one picture it looks almost like a lolicon hentai. Never seen the name before. The synopsis is weird but I guess I can give it a shot. Music can usually only make an anime better. I doubt I have watched...ok, actually, the Macross series had bad music which made it worse.
Another Flowers of Evil mention. Can the ratings really be that wrong?
Doesn't look like my type of thing from the pictures.
I usually don't drop a series after watching one episode, so no worries.
Wanted to actually watch all of the movies and series. Here it's the problem with no/terrible subs. I really need to learn Japanese...
A female friend of mine recommended this as well. I've also seen an awesome AMV of it, so I guess I will give it a shot.
I know what Madoka is about. Sigh, I guess I have to try when several people say it's worth it, despite that awful design.
Tatami Galaxy, comedy and romance, done right, I guess? Otherwise you wouldn't be recommending it, I hope.

Mawaru Penguindrum is a very good character-driven story with a good sense of humor. It's very dense, has a ton to think about, and is just really good. What about pictures turned you away?

Patlabor 2 stands pretty well on its own and you don't need to see the series or first movie to appreciate it. It's an excellent movie and its still incredibly relevant. It also has an English DVD release.

Madoka's designs are there to fool you into thinking the show is a standard cutsey moe magical girl show. I'm not a huge fan of the character designs, either, but they just highlight the dissonance between the designs and the actual story.

Tatami Galaxy, yes, but it's not really even a romance, it's more a satire comedy about college. If you don't like it after a few episodes you can stop since it doesn't really vary that much in its delivery, just its content (it's episodic).

 

[Envelope]

Penguindrum is shit don't try to fool the OP