Anime Your 5 Absolute Favorite Anime

[2010DigitalBoy]

[COLOR=DarkOrange]I figure, what better way to find out what anime is good then to ask everyone their favorite? and with 5 anime being named, it will be easier to know what kind of fan you are to like said anime.

[SIZE=3][B]YOU MUST TELL WHY THEY ARE YOUR FAVORITES!!![/SIZE][/B]

As for myself...

[B]Neon Genesis Evangelion [/B] - NGE is the tale of a boy named Shinji Ikari who begins the story getting roped into piloting the mysterious mech EVA by his father, the president of the organization NERV. EVA was constructed for fighting the Angels, a group of giant aliens of all sorts who threaten the safety of mankind. The series begins as the story of Shinji's life as he is led along by the people around him and fighting the invading angels, and turns into a dark, crazy battle between massive forces.

This anime amazed me to no end. It's got the things I expect from anime - relationships, battles, teenage characters ([spoiler]seen naked often[/spoiler], lol), and giant robots. Not only that, but it handles them all well. The battles are out of this world and a few of them were so maddeningly crazy I remember being shocked and breathless.

the thing that takes it beyond other anime though is of course the psychological stuff. This anime goes DEEP within it's characters' minds and psyche and gets really crazy. I don't want to spoil anything, so just go watch it and see.

[B]FLCL[/B] - When vespa-riding loonatic Haruhara Haruko comes flying in from nowhere and bashes 12-year old Naota on the head with a guitar, his entire life is turned upside down. First a huge horn sprouts from his head and if that weren't enough, the crazy girl has decided to start living with him. Between the vespa woman and the ex-girlfriend of his brother who went to America to play baseball, Naota is having a hard time holding everything in his head. Literally - because not long after getting hit, a TV-headed robot emerges from the horn on his head and beginf living with him as well. All sorts of confusing things are going on and Naota has to sort through what is truth and what is lies in this 6-episode OVA.

A lot of people don't like this show because of it's insanity and general weidness. It was these things that pulled me in, though. FLCL is deeper than a lot of people give it credit for, and I absolutely love the story and the style. Yes, the craziness was out there and totally over-the-top, but I don't think it was ever done poorly.

---

I'll add the others a little later, I didn't expect his to take so long XD[/COLOR]

[Guest Obelisk Girl]

[COLOR=BLUE]1. First and foremost is Yu-Gi-Oh! GX. Duel Academy is EXACTLY the kind of school I wished I could have gone too when I was still in school. (I'm nineteen now so even if such a school really existed it would be too late) It would be so cool to learn how to play Duel Monsters better instead of the things regular schools teach. Anyway, I'm in love with Dr. Vellian Crowler. I know he's not exatly the most popular character, but I can't help having feelings for him. :blush: He's my one and only actually. ^_^

2. Fullmetal Alchemist. I didn't used to like it but after a while I got into it and I would watch it from time to time. And lately I can't bring myself to miss it ever since I joined a Next Generation Homunculus RP at Gaia Online.

3. Bobobo-Bo Bo-Bobo. Its random. Its insane. I need my random insanity at least once a week! No other show is near as capable of making me laugh through the whole thing as this one is.

4. Slayers. I used to watch it whenever I got the chance but then I hadn't watched the series in a long time and only had two of the movies. Last night I watched the series again on Colours TV and Its moved back into my favorites because I was reminded of how funny and cool it was.

5. Star Ocean EX. Its hilarious, its based on an awesome video game, and Ashton has so many chibi moments its almost ridiculous. What other reasons do I need?[/COLOR]

[AnimeHeroX]

[COLOR=RoyalBlue]Girls Bravo- this one is one of my all time favorites because the plot was unique the characters were funny and it was story itself that got me more interested in manga and after i read the 1st volume i was more hooked on manga then ever Girls Bravo will always have a place in my anime heart. :animeblus

Yugioh- the original series pretty much angst from the start with yugi fighting kaiba in the 1st episode and saving his grandpa from peagesus and then their was the battle city series. But the fight against Dartz will make Yugioh a favorite. and call this cliche but it a little guy doing big thing story.

Maburaho- the basic loser story Kazuki Shikimori who can only use magic 8 times in his life and then will die but what makes this such a great Anime is the fact the kazuki will help out the people around him reguradless of his fate you have to always respect someone willing to make such a sacrifice.

Eiken- A fanservice classic with big boobs aplenty and no real storyline... or i should say thier is a story but with all that's going on you won't really care. :catgirl: anyone that love comedy mixed with lots and lots of fanserivce will love this one i know i do.

Tenchi muyo series- and last but not least the tenchi muyo series with over 6 movies 64 episode and a 13 episode OVA series tenchi muyo is at the forefront of love comedy and even thought i'm a guy and not really into that lovey dovey stuff :animesigh I have to wonder who tenchi will end up with of course i reliezed that in those anime cases they never make a final ending where the star falls for one girl and in that make tenchi muyo series one of my all time favorites.[/COLOR]


[U]Honorable Mentions[/U]
Outlaw star
Pokemon
Digimon
Dirty Pair Flash
Serial experiments lain
!Shuffle!
Happy Lesson
Tenchi muyo GXP
Neon genesis evangelion
Comic party series
Naruto
Sonic X
Mon colle knights
Flint the time dective
Galaxy Angels
DnAngel
Monster Rancher

[inactive]

Well, here are my favorites (in no particular order).

1. [B]FullMetal Alchemist[/B] ? Ahh? What praise is there to give to FMA that hasn't already been given? What can I say; it's an absolute masterpiece that will go down in Anime history. The story is incredibly engaging and unique, the characters are excellent, and very likeable? I think one of the main reasons why these characters are so likeable is because they're?well?human. The emotions they experience are REAL. They make mistakes, feel pain, struggle with their own internal demons? None of them are perfect. One can't help but be drawn to them because they're so true to reality? So like US. I find that this anime is one of the best that I've seen in the sense that it portrays the human mind very well. That is to say, the character development is excellent. While other shows I've seen have overlooked the impact of the ?killing factor?, this show seems to place a lot of value on life. When someone dies, it's a big deal, even if the one being killed is a [spoiler]greedy homunculus[/spoiler]. The plot is amazing. It has just the right amount of action, comedy and seriousness, and the animation is unbelievable. It invokes so many emotions, and I think that's a pretty great feat. An anime like this comes around but once in a blue moon. :D

2. [B]Vision of Escaflowne[/B] ? I am in LOVE with this anime. I know it's actually a pretty old series, but I'm still in the process of watching the episodes. I am nearing the end though, which is somewhat bitter-sweet. While I really want to know how the story ends, I think I will be slightly dismayed when I don't have any more episodes to watch. Oh well. All good things must come to an end, right? Anyway, the thing I REALLY love about this show is the plot. I'm really into this kind of mystical fantasy type of story, and this plot is particularly appealing to me. It's one of the most engaging plots I've ever come across, out of all the anime I've seen. I also really love the characters. I feel like they're all my close friends! :animesmil The character development in this show is remarkable. The characters all have unique personalities, and it just feels like you get to know them really well throughout the series. The romantic aspect of the story is also fairly appealing to me. There's nothing quite like a good love story. ;) Gah, I don't usually express things like this, but I think Van is SO HOT. Wow. Sorry about that. :animeswea The action aspect of it is quite good. Not too much, not too little. It also has several very powerful scenes, which can either make my heart race or stop. So, I guess I'll see how it ends? :p

3. [B]Gundam SEED Destiny[/B] ? The Gundam SEED saga is one of my favorites (which is why it's on my list, duh). I watched the original SEED, and I loved it, but I?m now a good way into the SEED Destiny series, and I think it's quite superior to its predecessor. I find that the character development, among other aspects, is a great deal better in Destiny. The new characters that are introduced are very good, likable characters, although the characters that come back from SEED are still excellent. The plot (which I suppose applies to both SEED and SEED Destiny) is BRILLIANT. I'm really enthusiastic about this since its Sci-Fi. I really love Sci-Fi (I'll admit that I absolutely adore STAR WARS). It's just such a fantastic story. It really addresses a lot of issues about our world today, and it shows how terrible war is.

4. [B]AIR[/B] ? Well, I've seen both the TV series and the movie of this anime, and although I prefer the movie to the TV series, both are magnificent! One of the best things about this anime are the characters. They're so great! They're really funny, and really lovable. It's a fairly short series with a really sad ending, but the plot is remarkable; really great story. Although it has hardly any action worth mentioning, its other qualities more than make up for the lack thereof. The comedy is fantastic, the character development is brilliant (its kind of the main theme of the series), and its really moving and powerful.

5. [B]Death Note[/B] ? Well, this show has only been on for a little while, and I've been following the episodes as they've been subbed, but I can say quite surely that this series has already made its way onto my top 5 list. :D I've never read the Manga, but that's okay, because I think I'm really going to enjoy watching the plot unfold in the anime. The plot is one of the most imaginative, and controversial, stories I've ever heard. Its great ground for discussion though, and its great in the sense that it really makes you think. The story is so engaging that it always keeps you on the edge of your seat, and, once the episode is done, it leaves you yearning for more. The animation is superb; one of the best things about this anime. I also find the characters really intriguing. They're very deep, intellectual types, and, although they're not always particularly likable, they're VERY interesting.

[Guest Gun Preacher]

number 1 gundam wing i pick this because it got into the whole anime thing and what anime is so you can say it took my anime verginity

2 fullmmetal alchemist was one of my favs because of the story line,action suspense, etc. it was just a good show

3 cowboy bebop cause it was on of the first mature animes i had ever seen

4 naruto is one of them because its action packed and funny

5 i finally got my last one is yu yu hakusho cause its and oldie but a goodie mainly cause it was funny,violent,action packed and had an ok story line and i really just liked it.

[Aaryanna]

[COLOR=DarkOrchid]I can say that these five are my current favorites, but absolute? That tends to change on a regular basis depending on what I?ve watched recently. ^_^

1 ? Would be Fruits Basket. I just re-watched it the other week and I loved it as much the second time through as I did the first time. I just love how Kyo and Yuki argue and the way Shigure is so perverted with his little [spoiler] high school girl?s song [/spoiler] just cracks me up every time I hear it. ^_^ And Haru when he goes black is a complete and total riot. I just love the episodes with him in it. Those are my favorites. The whole series is something that I feel like I could watch again and again and never get tired of it.

2 ? Would be DNAngel. The biggest reason I like this show is I just love the music to it. And to have an engaging storyline and lovable characters in both Daisuke and Dark just makes it even more enjoyable. I also like the whole Daisuke [spoiler]turning into Dark aspect as the two of them are in many ways the same person. [/spoiler] It?s cute and funny and yet has a bit of a more serious side to it as well. I just wish there was more to it as there is a lot in the manga that was not included in the actual series.

3 ? Would be Detective Conan/Case Closed. This one will probably always be one of my favorites. I am not a huge mystery fan and yet this show manages to catch my interest. I especially love how even the very details in the whole show are the key to solving the mystery. So by paying careful attention you can figure out what?s going on. The only drawback is I?ve noticed that a few of the translations don?t match up with the original thus making it nearly impossible to figure out the case. It?s also fun with how Shinichi has been turned into [spoiler] a kid and must search for the men in black. [/spoiler] The way he has to attend grade school and has new tag along friends of that age just keep the whole story from being boring as they add a much needed humor and lighter side to the series. ^_^

4 ? Would be Wedding Peach. It?s silly, it?s ditzy and yet I still love it. The idea of love angels defending the love wave from the devils just appeals to me. It reminds me of sailor moon only I like it better since the main heroine isn?t a huge crybaby. Some of the English voices are over the top, like the fake British accent for one of the villains, but I still enjoy it just the same. What I like best is the further along it goes, the better it gets. Sometimes it seems like they tend to drag things out endlessly ruining the fun and they didn?t with this show. Or it could just be me since I like it and I think they didn't. ^_~

5 ? Would be Pretear. It?s like an anime version of Snow White, with a number of interesting twists to it. And like Wedding Peach, the heroine isn?t some silly crybaby. (I really hate the crybaby type deal) And the seven Knights of Leafe are wonderfully cute. And the antics between some of them are downright funny. I almost wish it was more than thirteen episodes, but they did such a good job with it, it?s probably for the best as they would have been producing filler episodes which usually aren?t any good. [/COLOR]

[dranixe]

1. Chobits - The anime that started my love for anime. I like it because of the story and the art and Chii-chan is so kawaii...

2. Elfen Lied -The anime which greatly affected my life especially that music box!!! and also Nyuu is Kawaii!!!

3. Jigoku Shoujo - ITs so cute, yet i dont think its scary at all! and also Ai-chan is Kawaii!!!

4 .Hack//DUSK - It reminded me of the old times... long story and also all are so cute !!!

5. Sugar The Tiny Snow Fairy - Sugar is soo irritating and i want to eat her alive.. just joking ... haha I dont know... ITs just she's so irresistable... haha

This is still subjected to change but its rarely to happen... So in general these are my top five! Still very dense but i really cant explain a little further... Ill just edit this.. later on :D

[theiceisfrozen]

this is going to be difficult for me to just pick 5 but here it goes...

1) Fruits Basket~ It was my very first anime, and I think was the best one to start with. Beautiful animation, characters and story. Its a feel good anime that brings to light the changes that we go through growing up and we can all relate to some of the characters on the show. From being sad and lonely, happy, deluded, estranged, angry, hopeful or just plain grumpy all of the characters portray a feeling and emotion that everyone goes through. Not to mention the fact that the whole show is just about fitting in and finding people that can accept you for who you are. I believe this show is more than just a lighthearted cutesy anime, I think that in its fine points it truly tells a story that is about all humans (yes, including those who turn into strange animals) that just want to be accepted and loved.

2) Witch Hunter Robin~ This is one of the animes that I feel the urge to watch year after year in the Fall. I don't know why, it just seems like the show has an air about it of things ending and new beginning. Its one of those animes that just has a quality about it that feels destined for something tragic, but not depressing. its dark, and light at the same time, the perfect blend of outward adventure and self discovery that makes for a rich entertaining watch that encompasses the viewer.

3) Fushigi Yugi~ Yuu Watase's creation had me sucked in quite like Miaka into the storyline. The moment she stepped foot into the universe of the four gods I was hooked. I absolutely love historical china animes like this one. The adventure that ensued captivated my sister and I, whom was watching with me at the time. The imminent Shojo theme throughout it is the main factor that kept me watching. I am just such a sap for animes that have a romance and adventure. The weaving of the four gods into the story was also a point of fascination with me. I loved all the characters and thought they completely complimented each other to make a nice cast of celestial warriors that kept me riveted to the television for all 52 episodes.

4) Boys Over Flowers (Hana Yori Dango) ~ There was just something about this anime that had me hooked. It could have been the hilarious characters, love torn girl, or outright frustration that all combined had me sunk from the moment I watched the first dvd. This show turned out to be utterly frustrating and I found myself yelling at the tv more than once...I guess that is a signal of a good anime, to illicit such emotion and feelings from its audience.

5) Gankutsuo~ I really loved the style and art n this anime. It was beautiful. As a designer I absolutely love innovative techniques and new art forms and I think this anime personifies that! The beautiful use of textures, patterns and color mixed with cell shading and traditional art form all blend into an extravagant and beautiful masterpiece of art.

[Chiyo Chan Fan]

1. Azumanga Daioh - It's just one of those unique animes where you can just watch one episode and get a good laugh and you don't have to watch all of the previous one's in order to understand the plot. It's funny and down to earth. I can just relate to all of the characters through my own personal experiences.

2. Yotsuba - This isn't exactly an anime, but it's from the guy who created Azumanga Daioh. I can just read a book and get a good laugh from all of the cute and silly things that Yotsuba does on a regular bases.

3. Chobits - This is a very funny anime. I love these kind of animes where there is a little bit of romance mixed in but it isn't the main genre of the anime. I love Chii. She is so adorable when she always copies the dude (I forgot his name).

4. A. I. Love You - This is yet again another "not an anime" favorite of mine. It's got comedy, romance, and suspense. I like the whole technology part of it. I can understand all that stuff so I don't have to look in a dictionary everytime I read a manga to understand what something is.

5. Rurouni Kenshin - This one is totally different from the other ones but I love it so much. It used to be on during the day (like when the sun is up) but now it's on in the middle of the night. I catch up with it by reading the manga. I think it's so funny when Kenshin does the oro thing. I crack up hysterically. I like the whole martial arts part of it (because I'm involved with karate). The little bit of romance in it makes it even more better.

^ These are my favorites! If you took a really close look you will all find that they are under the genre of comedy. That's what I look for in an anime/manga all the time. If it isn't funny, it won't grab my attention at all.

[Humaru]

[FONT=Fixedsys][SIZE=2][COLOR=Red]I have to say that my 5 five favorite animes are going to have to be 1. Yu Yu Hakusho, 2. Gundam Wing, 3. Fullmetal Alchemist, 4. Trigun, and 5. Outlaw Star.

Yu Yu Hakusho is in-your-face and crammed full of action. Well at least the dark tournament saga and the pyschic saga. Yusuke's spirit gun is sheer power and makes you want to control that power as well.
Gundam Wing is one of my favorites for one reason, the Deathsythe Gundam. Duo Maxwell is the best pilot ever. When he [spoiler]blew up his gundam [/spoiler]I was crushed but excited as well.
Fullmetal Alchemist gives me the sense of an alternate reality where you can shape your destiny with the clapping of the hands or the drawing of the circle. Scar and Hughs were my favorites. Hughs because he was cut-throat, literally. I wouldn't have fought him. Scar would rip your arm off if you made him angry and the way he killed made him like an assassin but also a brute.
Trigun also was a thriller because of the cool gunpoint action. Vash was a a gentle person but could of become te deadliest man in the entire world. I also wished I had a gun like his or one like Wolfwood's as well. I crieed when he [spoiler]died[/spoiler] and I mean that one.
Outlaw Star made me jump out of my seat when I saw it. Jean Starwind had to be the greatest character from Toonami during the day. When took command, it seemed like nothing could stop him. He made everybody look cool.[/COLOR][/SIZE][/FONT]
[COLOR=Darkorange][SIZE=1][INDENT][B]Humaru[/B], I added spoiler tags to your post. When discussing aspects of a show that could spoil it for someone who has yet to see it, always use spoiler tags. Just check out the sticky at the top of the section titled How to post in Anime Lounge for quick and easy instructions on how to use them. ~indifference[/INDENT][/SIZE][/COLOR]

[mangamaniack21]

I have a long list but here arer my absolute top 5

1- megaman nt warrior. It's soo awesome but no one agreees with me. I got hooked on it ever since i started watching it.
2- cardcaptors. I know, people are constantly griping about how the dub was badly butchered but it was my first anime and i still like it a lot.
3-sailor moon. Another anime that i watched when i was young and i didn't remember it untill i got a couple dvds.
4- Maburaho. This one's great, but there's way too much fanservice in the two dvds that i own.
5- Galaxy angel. This one's really funny, i haven't watched the anime yet but i've read a lot of the manga vloumes.
Those are my favorite animes ^_^.

[Fasteriskhead]

[SIZE=1]Okay, here we go. I'm limiting myself to TV and OVA anime here, as including movies would have made this way too long. Also, no rankings (I'm just sort of putting them up as I think of them).

[b]Neon Genesis Evangelion[/b] - This could have been the best mecha show of all time. I would go so far as to say that it really [i]was[/i], from a period starting around ep. 7 and ending around 12. Had it followed through on this and done a conventional ending, it would have been an instant "classic" up there with Gundam. Obviously this didn't happen. But what is constantly misunderstood about NGE is that the rest of the series, where the darkness and anxiety overwhelms everything, [i]only[/i] works because it started as an extraordinarily good mecha series before it made the turn. What's unique about NGE is the [i]how[/i], not the what.

[b]Maria-sama ga Miteru[/b] -Despite reasonable experience with shoujo, I've [i]never[/i] seen anything else like Marimite. For a genre stereotyped as being about melodramatic romance, Marimite is incredibly underspoken: In a set of 26 episodes, I can count the number of kisses on one hand. It's certainly [i]there[/i], but rarely shown. What I love about Marimite is the enormous weight given to the tiniest of moments: a glance, a smile, an off-the-cuff remark - the thing kicks itself off with what would elsewhere be a triviality, one girl straightening the bow on another's seifuku. It moves within the small, the petite, the tiny gestures that mean everything - it's a show about subtlety and mystery, the play of shadows and implications. What humanizes it is that Yumi, the adorable and constantly frazzled lead, is usually as mystified as we are.

[b]Saikano (Saishuu Heiki Kanojo)[/b] - Saikano's a masterpiece. It's a rare and wonderful event where the right artists and directors got together with the best possible group of actors, and they all set out to tackle one of the best stories to ever come out of manga. And it's about love, all of it. Every moment of this thing obsesses over love - it never manages to pull itself away from that one theme, however much it might want to.

[b]Superdimensional Fortress Macross[/b] - It happens on occasion that someone sets out to make a parody of something, and in the process manages to completely reinvent it. For god's sake, Macross is a space opera (originally intended as a cynical Gundam cash-in) about transforming robots, pop music, and love triangles. Several of the episodes are farmed out to other studios that couldn't [I]draw[/I] much less maintain continuity, the last third of the series is completely superfluous - and yet it still ends up one of the best animes ever made. I don't really get it, but there it is. And, I might add: one of the great shortcomings of domestic anime fandom is that it has not really entered into the great Misa v. Minmay debate.

[b]Azumanga Daioh[/b] - Good god, what a breath of fresh air this was. In a period crowded with harem shows and (bad) post-Evangelion plot-driven psychological fiestas, what should show up but this modest, incredibly cute and frequently hilarious series about seven mutually incomprehensible girls, their teachers, and their adventures in high school. No driving "arc" to be found: the show simply creates a space where all the characters can go in their own directions and occasionally encounter one another. The miracle is that all of them can be [i]so[/i] completely idiosyncratic, [i]so[/i] completely unique in terms of how they think, and yet still have their friendship. The folks who constantly complain that AD "has no plot" misunderstand: the friendship IS the plot.

ALSO REQUIRING MENTION (BUT NOT IN THE TOP 5):

[b]Tekkaman Blade[/b] - Not only a really good transforming hero/mecha series, but extremely thoughtful in terms of its themes. Especially in the second half of the series, questions of past, origins, family, and memory are brought up in ways that no other anime has really tried.

[b]Top wo Nerae (Gunbuster) I and II[/b] - It's fitting that two really good shows sharing a name and separated by nearly two decades should, in fact, both be approaching problems of separation. The same energy that Gainax elsewhere puts into a crushing sense of loneliness here goes into rabid optimism and an unshakeable faith in EFFORT AND GUTS. And, I should add, these shows cheer me up like nothing else.

[b]Kamichu[/b] - The first show after Azumanga to really be able to take the same idea and send it off in a new direction (Petopeto-san tries, but can't quite pull it off). Plus, being a religion geek, I'm kind of required to like this.

[b]Cowboy Bebop[/b] - Hasn't held up over time as well as I'd hoped, but still an absolutely incredible series with a great set of final episodes (one thing you may notice about all of the shows on this list, with perhaps the exception of Macross and the still-ongoing Marimite, is that they all have fantastic endings).

[b]RE: Cutie Honey[/b] - Leave it to Anno & pals to drag a masterpiece out of Go Nagai's highly questionable transforming girl series circa 1974. Hell, if I was really honest with myself this entire list would probably just be nothing but Anno shows (notice the lack of Kare Kano? I had to make the cut somewhere).

[b]Eureka Seven[/b] - Probably the best mecha series in recent memory. In many ways it takes its cue, if not really its questions, from Rahxephon (another very good series), but manages to be somewhat more surefooted. Its only flaw is that it's just too long: what would have been a lean gut-puncher of a 26 (or even 39) episode set feels stretched out and Wagnerian at 50.

[b]Jungle wa itsumo Hare nochi Guu[/b] - Some people will swear that the best slapstick anime of all time is Excel Saga, but I hold that it's actually Guu. Right from the beginning, Guu is pretty much one of the most unique characters in anime. And then there's the fun of slowly watching Hale lose his mind. Also cf Dokuro-chan and Dai Mahou Touge.[/SIZE]

[Nony]

I don't know if I'll be able to make a long enough explanation for each, but I shall try my best.

[B].hack//Roots[/B] - Currently my favorite anime; there's something about it that really grabbed my attention. The story is set before the .hack//G.U. game(s) and follows what happens with Haseo, and [spoiler]how he later goes insane when Shino dies[/spoiler]. I think it has something to do with the characters, just how much I connected with them, especially Shino. She's my favorite character, so I won't go on about her since it would take forever. lol

[B]Jubei-chan: The Ninja Girl[/B] - I really wish more people would watch this anime. The dubbing is pretty bad, but the series is so worth it. I actually wrote a review for it once, and planned on submitting it to theOtaku, but never got the chance. I would post the review, but it's kind of long.
Jubei-chan is just plain funny, even when it gets a little more serious later on. It's not that kind of crazy-funny, but more subtle I think. Either way, it's one of the funniest animes I've seen.

[B]Record of Lodoss War[/B] - I'm including both the OVA and the TV series, 'cause I've come to love 'em both. It's not necessarily great because of the characters, but the overall effort that Ryo Mizuno put into the history of Lodoss and the whole land. He even wrote another series that's set in the same world, [i]Rune Soldier[/i] (which I do plan to see someday). If you want me to pick one out of the two animated shows, I'd say start with the OVA. Although I do prefer the TV series, I'll admit that the OVA was better.

[B]Ranma 1/2[/B] - To be technical, I've only read the manga. But either way, it's hilarious. Takahashi truly has a gift at creating lovable characters. I don't know what else to say about this; just that every anime/manga fan needs to see/read it!

[B].hack//SIGN[/B] - Yes, I already had one .hack anime up there, but SIGN is a completely different anime from Roots, although they both come before their video game counterparts.
.hack//SIGN was great to me because of it's character development, moreso than it's story. Of course, the overall story of .hack is fantastic, but that part depicted in .hack//SIGN is not as great as its characters. This is what made me into the .hack fan I am today. If it weren't for Tsukasa, I would've never come to see .hack//Roots. And for that, I am thankful.

Also, one other honorable mention is [b]InuYasha[/b]. I can't say it's an all-time favorite of mine at the moment, but Takahashi has created some great characters for this story as well. Even though the anime's ending is not satisfactory at all, the show is worth watching. Plus, Inuyasha is what really got me into anime, so it would be wrong of me not to at least mention it.

[shadowmovement]

1. Tenchi Muyo: my all time favorite anime. I love the characters my favorite character would be Washu.

2. Outlaw Star: again the characters and how they interacted with each other

3. Inuyasha: this one I liked the plot more then the characters. the fight scenes were my favorite parts.

4. Oruan High School Host Club: I love the characters and the stupid stuff they did, especially Tamaki.

5. Fruit Baskets: the characters Kyo is hilarious. I love it when he gets mad and he gets the cat ears and tail.

[Magus]

[size=1][color=darkblue] Let's see. It's been a while since I've seen any new animes, mainly because I still don't have my satellite back >_>. And I haven't bought anything.

In any case.

[b]Ghost in the Shell: SAC[/b] - I also like the movie, but I enjoy the series a lot more. I wanna get my hands on the 2nd movie as well as take a look the SAC movie, that is whenever it hits the states. From all the animes I've seen, I don't really consider any of them as good as this. Music, characters, voice work, animation, story.... all of it is superb.

[b]Cowboy Bebop[/b] - Uhh.. what can I say about this that hasn't been said before? Nothing really. But I guess I'll repeat what Fasteriskhead already said. This anime really has a nice ending. Whole cast is likeable IMO. Music is nice as well as the animation. Knockin on Heavens Door was also a great movie.

[b]IGPX[/b] - Honestly, I consider this to be the best mecha anime out there, but then again, that's just me. To me this anime is a pure adrenaline rush. Top notch action, a decent storyline, nice character development. (although our main character pisses me off in his little depression stage.) It's too bad that this anime wasn't given the credit it deserves "shrugs"

[b]Hellsing[/b] - Alucard. XD For real though, if you took Alucard out of this anime, this anime wouldn't even be worth looking at. Sure you have Walter and what's her name.... Integra, but Alucard brings life to the program IMO.

[b]Yu Yu Hakusho[/b] - There are 3 characters in this anime that really get on my nerves, and even so, the anime is still nice. When I 1st seen this anime, I would've told you that this was a DBZ ripoff. But of course this was near the beginning of the series. In the beginning of the series, it had crummy animation, but what I liked was how the story progressed / got better, so did the animation.

Some other favorites

Trigun
Samurai Champloo
Rurouni Kenshin
Samurai 7
Big O[/color][/size]

[ChibiHorsewoman]

[color=#9933ff][font=lucida calligraphy]I haven't watched anime in a while... I know shock and more shock. I hope no one dies from that shock. But I will share with everyone my five top picks of all time.

[b]1.) [U]Bishoujo Senshi Sailor Moon[/U] [/b]- This is the first anime I ever watched knowing it was anime. I unfortunately first watched it not knowing how badly it was dubbed and wondered why everything was written in Japanese. It wasn't until college when I learned about crappy dubbing and editing and sought to get the subtitles and become a purist. SailorMoon was how I ended up bonding with a friend of mine and it was strangely reminiscent of the super girl cartoons I grew up with in the eighties like She'Ra Princess of Power and Jem and the Holograms. This anime will always be a favorite.

[B]2.) [U]Slayers[/U] [/B]- Lina Inverse has got to be one of the funniest anime heroins of all time. And the jokes about her breast size will never cease to make me laugh. I actually can watch either the dub or sub of this anime which makes me love it even more. Even if in the English dub Gourry sounds even dumber than he already is. Plus the songs are really catchy and Filia is comical as well.

[B]3.) [U]Fushigi Yugi (The Mysterious Play) [/U] [/B] - Alternately dark and funny. This is the second anime I ever watched and the second Manga I read. This one was done very well. I loved it and I still do. I just haven't watched it in a while. But some of the stuff that happened in that anime was down right creepy. And again the dub was watchable.

[B]4.) [U]InuYasha a Fuedal Fairytale[/U] [/B] - I was first exposed to this anime thanks to an old friend of mine. This was before it was released in the US as an anime and all we had were the Manga. Honestly when I was reading it back in 2001 I had no idea that Inu Yasha was an anime as well, I just knew that it was written by Rumiko Takahashi and she had also created Ranma 1/2. I remember when I first saw the anime. I was at Poxon Guest house on Ft. Hood in Central Texas. I had just moved down there and there was nothing to do because I didn't have a vehicle. I flipped through the channels until I found Cartoon Network. And back in 2002 they actually played the opening and closings for the anime! It was so cool.

[B]5.) [U]Magic Knight Rayearth[/U] [/B]- this last one was hard to choose. But I did it. I like MKR because it reminds me of Sailor Moon and the dub is still bearable. Plus when Pioneer translated the opening and closing songs they translated them accurately.

Man now I need to start watching anime again.[/color][/font]

[Panache]

Well im going to use more than 5 but i will group them with importance.

1.(7) Things I cried about! And changed slightly for
Chobits-made me fall in love with anime again. Also this hada plot that makes you think alot if you concentrate.

Mahoromatic maiden- Sick animation style, catchy music, and excellent story that damn near changed my thought process.

Kare Kano-Unique love story with suprisingly good animation and cool ideas. It focuses on both peopel equally with is very cool to me.

Saber Marionette J- Well this would be honerable mention if it wasn't fro ozzy ousborne. I was at a time in my life where a certain song fro mhim and this anime made me rethink some things. So I selected thsi one purely out of respect for what it did for me.

Berserk-EXCELLENT music,beautiful animation, action packed,gory, very human emotion, great idea for the story, and last but not least gutsu is badass.

Please Teacher!- Awsome story. Made losers look cool. Actually had someone have to get hurt at the end.

Please Twins-NAKED GIRLS IN THE BATH WOOT! Oh and great story and even though it had bordered on inscest the love scenes were very well done.

2.(3)

Haibanei Renmei-Cool animation,cute cahracters, and a very depressing story near the end. I also loved the relationships between the characters.

Boys over Flowers-Made me feel liek a woman for a whole week(the week after I watched it :p ). Solid story suprisingly human emotion makethis a winner.

Dnangel-Rikku is so cute!!!! Also the end of the anime made it a winner

3.(4)

Ninja scroll-Made me watch anime for real this time! Also made me realize that titties were allowed in R rated movies.

R.O.D- A year ago this would be no.1 but with time it has lsot it's thunder for me a bit. It still has an excellent story, intense violence, and Suprised the crap out of me near the end.

Pokemon- Some hate it many love it. The reason why I watch friggin tv,play video games, and talk to strangers. Lovable characters,cool animations(foe me when I was 7) and very intersting for a youngster.

Ranma 1/2-MAde me get a boner for the first few seasons,and made me cry when it was over. I loved those characters like real peopel for a while.

4.(1)

1. Edens bowy-It makes me happy. Also the story is top of the line.

5.(2)
Ai Yori aioshi-Finally a non loser protaganist! Thank jesus!

Chrono Crusade-made me sad enough to almost stop watching anime. But it was worth it.

[Eureka]

Mine are:

01.) [B]Neon Genesis Evangelion[/B]- My all time favorite, there's no beating teh Evangelion.
02.)[B] Fullmetal Alchemist[/B]- I LOVE this anime!! FMA's a great story with beautiful art and awesome music!
03.)[B]Eureka Seven[/B]- My newest obessesion. Eureka Seven's amazing. It's a perfect mix of a love story, with meca, fighting and the destruction of earth, what more could you ask for?
04.)[B]Trigun[/B]- Because this world IS made of Love and Peace!!! ^_^
05.)[B]Serial Experiments: Lain [/B]- So amazingly trippy it'll blow your mind.

[KatanaViolet]

Holy cannoli, this is my first post in FOREVER!!!

In no particular order:

[I]Naruto[/I] Even in the english version the dubs are well done, I love the characters, the story line, even the filler in between makes me giggle. One of the best ones out there.

[I]Hellsing[/I] Alucard kicks butt... and scares the crap out of me. Plus I love the animation, and the story kind of appeals to my morbid side. Can't wait for Hellsing Ultimate to come my way.

[I]Rurouni Kenshin[/I] I love how it's based on the Meiji Period, which I find very interesting. It has that funny side but also it's awesome fight scenes as well. The dubs for the cartoon were awesome too.

[I]Inu Yasha[/I] Inu Yasha got me back into anime, so I can't exclude it. Although I wasn't too happy with the way the series ended. :animedepr

[I]Gundam Seed[/I] Love the fight scenes, loved the plot, love the characters, and an awesome ending.

And one more:

[i]Fullmetal Alchemist[/i] We're a little behind up in Canada, still only on the first season, but it's amazing. I can't wait to see what happens next.

[Japan]

[COLOR=DarkRed]It's been a while since I've been into anime really all that much, however I will list the five that I will more than likely want to see again and again.

Gundam 08th MS Team - This is a rather short anime, about seven or so episodes I think. It's a delightful little love story with some humor in the midst of war. I guess that I really like this anime because of the love story. I think I almost cried at the end.

Gravitation - Who would not love this anime. It is yaoi so that is a major plus. But there is also a love story in this with GREAT music. Plus Yuki is hot, and Shuuichi a drama queen, lol.

SuperGALS - Yeah yeah. This is more of a guilty pleasure of mine than anything. It is one of those really girly kind of anime and I typically hate that stuff, but I can't help it. It is hilarious and great to make fun of.

Outlaw star - <3<3<3 Gene Starwind, nuff said.[/COLOR]

[Madarame2]

Woah! Boy, let me think... Well...Okay! These are my favourite Anime!
They aren´t in any order, which means Number 1 in the list is not my alltime fav!
I like them all!

1. Ranma 1/2: It was the first Anime I really loved! Crazy charas everywhere!
These transformation gags are awesome and could never bore me! They relatinship between all of the characters, especialy between Ranma and Akane, are veerrry funny...You just have to love this Anime!

2. Dragon Ball Z:Ahhh, Dragon Ball... Who doesn´t know it? It´s the classical Shonen-Anime! Exciting fights, cool charas(Well, not all), rivalry, some violence...
The eternal struggel for power and peace is displayed here very clear. There are always some evil guys, who need to learn a lesson! We want to live on Earth in peace ;) ! So we´ll show you what happens if you don´t let us!

3.Genshiken: In my opinion, THIS is an Anime every Otaku should like. Well, it shows the normal life of an japanese Otaku. If you are Otaku(you are aren´t you?) you should take a look! It´s funny and also realistic...

4. Samurai Champloo: Samurai fights and HipHop Soundtrack?! Yes, it´s possible.
To say the truth, I hate HipHop!!! But it makes Samurai Champloo unique!
Fuu, accompanied by Jin and Mugen...interesting Main-charas, which couldn´t be more different! Very intersting Anime! Take a look if you don´t know it! You won´t regret it!

5.It´s hard to say, because I like more than 5....
Well, let´s take Gantz for now(because of the episode I´ve seen yesterday): Buja! Gantz is weird!!! Full of Violence!!! Adult contents!!!And it´s just WEIRD!!! But also totaly cool! The most intersting thing about it is the character development: At first weak and shy, Kei becomes a couraged and strong fighter! These overalls are very great! Might look strang, but they are awesome!

I also like Azumanga Daioh, GITS-SAC, Hellsing and Lupin the 3rd...
But it´s enough now...

[Anime Dreamer00]

My top five anime are as ranked:

1.BoBoBo-Bo Bo-BoBo: A very funny anime thgat makes you think "WTF?!?!?!?!?" & bust open a gut at the same time.

2. Naruto: Fights are cool,love the story but they didn't let Zabuza live long enough.

3. Yu-gi-oh GX: this is my kind of school.fun & Dueli ng.Now if only it had a ramen shop....;)

4.Yu Yu Hakaso: Good story & fights but needs something more.

5. FLCL: WEhen i first wacthed it i was thing WTF?It's per verted but that adds to the funnyness.

[xmystic_silverx]

Wow, this is going to be incredibly hard. Okay, here goes...

1. [B]Yu Yu Hakusho[/B] - Yu Yu Hakusho was my first anime that I saw and stuck with until the very end. There was a marathon on Adult Swim and I just happened to catch it and I thought it was the funniest thing! Sure the animation isn't as good as most animes out there now but just something about it captures me. The characters are very likable and memorable (atleast, in my opinion). Another thing I like about it is the wonderful dubbing by Funimation. Yu Yu Hakusho, to me, could be described as one of the decent old-school animes. Heh, old-school. I feel like a gangster saying that.

2. [B].Hack//Sign[/B] - My brother got me into .Hack and I admit that when I first saw it I had absolutely no idea what was going on and I still couldn't tell you today. I like this anime because, at the time, I was into online computer RPGs and that is exactly what it is (more or less) so it automatically caught my attention. The detail is simply amazing and the thing I enjoy most about watching an episode of .Hack is listening to the music. The dub is certainly one of the best that I've seen. You should all check this one out and hopefully you won't get as confused as I did.

3. [B]Naruto[/B] - I'll admit it, I'm a Narutard, and being one consequently makes me add Naruto to my list of favorites. This show was the first EVER, out of all the animes that I've seen, that I've actually liked the main character. A lot. It teaches a lot of lessons and shows us that putting a lot of hard work and effort into something will usually help us achieve our goals and overcome any obstacle. I guess it makes me think "Hey, just be thankful that you weren't born with some creature inside you that caused you to be shunned by society" or "Be thankful your brother isn't a psycho maniac who goes on a killing spree just to, ya know, test his power." The characters are original and go through their own problems that they eventually overcome. There is one set back about this anime and that would be the fillers. 'nuff said.

4. [B]Death Note[/B] - This has got to be one of the best animes of the year. Everything is done so well and it doesn't stray from the manga at all. The animation, the music, the plot, the voice acting... it's just amazing. It's definitely different from everything else that's out there. It keeps you on the edge of your seat so you just have to watch the next episode. Raito and L are without a doubt the smartest anime characters that I've seen. They're two sides of the same coin and they're so close to each other and yet so far. You MUST watch this anime, or read the manga. At least do one of the two. You won't be disappointed.

For my fifth choice I was going to but Avatar: TLA but I don't think that it's even considered an anime. That being the case, I don't have a fifth favorite, yet.

[Azarath]

1. Fullmetal Alchemist- I love all the action.PLus it doesn't bore me to death like a lot of others.

2. BLEACH-Well the fact that it's got all those creepy things in it is one reason.It's pretty funny to see Rukia get mad at Ichigo.

3. Fooly Cooly-It's just stupid!

4. Negima-I like the fact that it has magic and stuff.

5. Naruto-As I said about my first choice I like all the action.Yes at times it can seem pretty stupid but it's pretty awesome.

And those are my top 5 anime.

[2010DigitalBoy]

[quote name='DBzach77']My Top 5 Anime Are Dbz,gt,af,yugioh,and Naruto[/quote]

[COLOR=DarkOrange]*puts on cape* time to save my thread!!!

3. Serial Experiments Lain: Firstly, I'd like to get it out of the way that I have no idea how people found this show so hard to understand. Just like with Eva I was constantly waiting for the confusion to start, but it never did. [spoiler](except maybe when Lain's sister saw herself in the doorway and went crazy.)[/spoiler]

This anime is great because it stays fucused. Never once does it give to violence or nudity -- in fact it almost rubs it's intelligence in your face which can get a little annoying but I didn't really mind it. the context, idea, and execution of this show are what drove me in and I really enjoyed a lot of the characters and their interactions.

My favorite moments were 1. When Lain [spoiler]enters the wired and is talking to the giant lips and calls the user a "stupid chesire cat wannabe"[/spoiler] and 2. Near the end when [spoiler]Lain is all covered in wires and talking to the creeped-out Alice and then finally destroying god.[/spoiler]

This anime almost made me cry a lot because the things that happen to Lain were downright painful to watch and I really liked her character.[/COLOR]