Anime Revolutionary Anime

[Pumpkin]

[COLOR=#333333][SIZE=1]Ever saw an anime which left you thinking or shocked at the ending? One that broke the stereotypes of the typical ecchi or harem story with the innocent cutsie girl leading as head characters with the common punns and nosebleeds from perverted old men? Well then list atleast three here and please state why and what reasons you still remember why they seem to have changed how you view anime. [/COLOR][/SIZE]

[b][COLOR=#CC3366][SIZE=1]Paradise Kiss[/b][/COLOR]:[/SIZE][COLOR=#333333][SIZE=1]It was obviously the first time I heard about an anime being about a fashion company and model for me. I decided to check it out, the opening song was definately gorgeous so I went for it. At first, I instantly didn't favor the artistic style of the characters, they seemed too choppy in some parts and the beginning where they added in real life objects seemed tasteless to me. Once I watched the first four episodes though, I really fell in love with the struggle of the main character Yukari "Caroline" and her plight to make it somewhere in her life.

I especially love the scene [SPOILER]where Caroline decides to run away from home and drop out of highschool, since I've never seen that in an anime before where family is derived as extremely important (atleast from what I know of asian countries it is) and school is seen as something very serious. This shows someone very human and not the typical obsessive happy or depressed character. [/SPOILER] At first I began thinking, what would she do then? But then I remembered that people given the chance, will find a way to survive on their own. This was very ground breaking for me because I felt Caroline acted like an actual human in her situation, that life is not [SPOILER]doing what society tells you is right for you, such as going to school and going to college. College is not for everybody. Another amazing thing was, for once, the couple Yukari and George did not end up together. She decided to stay for her career, which normally it usually is as Isabella says "A woman's happiness is giving up everything for love".[/SPOILER][/COLOR][/SIZE]

[b][COLOR=#CC3366][SIZE=1]Neon Genesis Evangelion[/COLOR][/B]: [/SIZE][COLOR=#333333][SIZE=1]I know this is an older anime that almost everyone has seen already but it doesn't hide the fact that this anime has broken a lot of standards in mecha for me. First, [SPOILER]Shinji is a depressed boy, the idea of him being the one to save humanity is ironic.[/SPOILER] Second, [SPOILER]there is actually not a very clear ending, seeing as how there was a movie made (even though I technically haven't seen it, yet), but from what I hear it doesn't give you an actual clear ending on what happens to humanity. [/SPOILER] This could be due that it was written by a man suffering from depression himself. However, [SPOILER]I love how there were many secrets kept from the children and even Misato herself until almost the end. [/SPOILER] It might be old today, but for back when it was made I think it definately was one of a kind. [/COLOR][/SIZE]

[b][COLOR=#CC3366][SIZE=1]Scrapped Princess[/b][/COLOR]:[/SIZE][COLOR=#333333][SIZE=1]While I don't think its one of the biggest "revolutionary" animes or most popular, I definately think that it really helped make it unpredictable especially when [SPOILER]you find out that she is going to be killed simply so that people do not find out the truth. The fact that they are living in only a small piece of the world and being controlled, kind of reminds me of the matrix.[/SPOILER]While it could be viewed as a copy of that particular movie, I still love the concept of humans not knowing what is happening to them and only by a prodigy will they ever find out. While its not the most creative idea, it was the first type I've seen in an anime before. That's what stood out for me.[/COLOR][/SIZE]

[Dagger]

This thread is awesome. :love:

[b]Revolutionary Girl Utena:[/b] Utena is the one anime that significantly altered my way of thinking, the way I look at other anime series, other forms of entertainment and other manifestations of popular culture--and even my life, if that isn't too corny.

I like shows that compell you to think about a particular issue without being preachy or immediately selecting sides. Despite outward appearances, Utena avoids the typical Girl Power approach and offers a much more nuanced, ambiguous examination of gender issues. Its over-the-top surrealism and layers upon layers of symbols gave me a very different viewing experience from what I was accustomed to.

[b]Koi Kaze:[/b] This series is about the incestuous relationship between a twenty-eight year old man and his formerly estranged, fifteen year old sister. It could have been cheap and sensationalistic. Instead, it turned out to be a profoudly moving, sickening, riveting show that kept me watching and forced me to care for the characters even when their actions made me feel ill. It lends a different meaning to the idea of what makes a series mature.

Koi Kaze is a tremendously emotional and well-directed anime. I didn't think it would have much replay value, but I was wrong. The English dub is also one of the absolute best dubs I've ever heard; some of the acting sent chills up my spine.

[b]Brother, Dear Brother:[/b] Another member here persuaded me to watch Brother, Dear Brother (Oniisama E), and I'm still thankful for it. I just wish I had the courage--and the time--to watch the series again. It took some serious adjusting, what with the unexpected character designs and the incessant triple-panning, but it also taught me to appreciate the beauty of Riyoko Ikeda's original artwork and to have a lot more patience when trying out older anime.

It's an extraordinarily lovely and stirring show, in terms of its character development as well as its visuals... and for some reason, when I think about it, I feel as if it was made at exactly the right time, as if a bunch of different factors converged to make it become as good as it could possibly be. I have no clear basis for stating this--it's just something that vaguely began to occur to me as I watched Rose of Versailles, which is also very good but (at least for me) doesn't hit the spot in quite the same way as Brother, Dear Brother.

And one last quickie...

[b]AIR TV:[/b] The show that instantly turned me into a Key & Kyoto Animation maniac. When I learned that KyoAni would be producing a remake of Kanon, it was as if manna had fallen from the heavens. After taking 2+ years to struggle my way through Full Metal Panic, I bought Fumoffu out of blind faith in KyoAni. And it was so, so worth it.

~Dagger~

[Panache]

Well I have a few but two might technically be considered harem anime.

[B]Saber Marionette J[/B]-This anime looked really stupid when I saw it at the store. But it was on sale so I bought it anyway. I had no xpectations what so ever. WOW what a difference 3 days make. After the series was over I was in shock of how my expection were blown to peices. The story was not just some lets go watch the main character look akward plot. There was action sorrow and raw emotion. Also in the end when the [spoiler] Girls show up as a baby was one of the top five happiest moments of my life.[/spoiler]

[B]Mohoromatic: Maiden[/B]-Yes another "harem" anime. If you see the whole series you will know that is not all it is.[spoiler] In the end when the main character was on a different planet killing those guys I was stunned.[/spoiler] That seriously blew my mind that was the biggest twist I have seen in any show.

[B]Kare Kano[/B]- This is the first anime where I actually related to the characters and underdstood(somewhat) how they felt. For example [spoiler]when that boy's mother was going to marry that rich guy[/spoiler] he reacted almot exactly as I would in that situation. Also it show true love at it's purest. This is why it is my favorite of all time(this week :D )