Anime Series you never thought you'd love but wound up loving anyway.

[Starwind]

Great Teacher Onizuka. I don't know why, but this story just grabbed me. I started watching and I just couldn't stop.

[SarahPatricia]

Hmm, Gurren lagann.

I didn't like the first few episodes so I discontinued watching. Then one time, I was watching animax. I wasn't really sure what was airing so I kept watching. Then I was surprised that it was Gurren Lagann. So then, when it aired again, I watched from beginning to end and it once became one of the top animes in MY list. [size="1"]And it still is.[/size]

It was epic. 

[Magus]

[b]Fairy Tail[/b] (Anime) - I won't say that I "love" the series but I do like it now. At first I started out not caring for the series one bit because there were only 2 characters in the series that I actually liked and they weren't enough to hold the manga up, especially with all the similarities to One Piece (which I refuse to watch because it's too ugly and I don't really like the series that much anymore) but I was bored one day and decided to check out the anime, and it actually felt like a new experience. 1st 12 episodes the fights and animation were crap, but afterwards, I won't say it spiked up to like Rurouni Kenshin-like quality but it did get better. Anyway, in the manga the one area that really felt dry were the characters themselves. Outside of Natsu there wasn't anyone that I really hated, but at the same time there was no one that I really liked either (Outside of Erza). Just a boring bunch of characters. In the anime they feel a lot more lively (duh, they have voices lol). You can feel for the characters a lot more in the anime.

[b]Death Note[/b] - If you were to check all the series I've seen (and listed as favorites) you'd notice they all have one thing in common. They all have action in them. I'm an action first kind of guy. Story is probably the last thing I look for. The battle of wits is what got me to like this series so much. And I think at the time when I saw this on adult swim I was getting to the point of being fed up with a lot of these series having idiotic characters as main leads. To see people actually use their brain was a breath of fresh air and 1 thing led to another and I was pretty much hooked afterwards. However, the anime is still a disappointment compared to the manga. Anyway, this will probably be the only series without action I'd watch/read.

[ItalyBros_PASTA!]

As a few have said already, Ouran High School Host Club, I didn't think I'd like it, especially since it's kind of a spoof of the otaku lifestyle, but I really liked it!! It's one of my favorites now, lol!

[Dragon Warrior]

Here's the big one, guys...

[size="4"][b]Hamtaro.[/b][/size]

I can't count on two hands how many times I ended up watching this on Cartoon Network back in the day. I'd be flipping channels and I always seem to watch television when it was on, so when I landed on it I'd have a gander... and actually [i]stayed[/i]. I dunno if I liked it or if there was simply nothing better on, but either way those damn rodents kept me entertained more often than most anime I see on TV these days. The boss hampster was pretty amusing... and their damn "kush kush" catchphrases or whatever...

... needless to say, it's been many, many years since I've seen it. I should remedy that... ya know... for experimentation *cough*

[fujyoshi]

Didn't think I'd like rozen maiden but I loved it :D Even though I don't keep up wit it I didn't think I'd like one piece but I have one 'a the movies for it now xD Its kinda difficult to keep up wit a 300+ series but funi did do a good job :O I didn't think I'd like deadman wonderland but thats another good series as well xD

[jayburnt]

Hell Girl (Jigoku Shoujo)... the second season was the best in my opinion
ps: i love you Ai Enma; if i am to go to hell when i die, i hope that you are the one to take me there lol

Noein: one of those unique shows that just takes your heart away: good story, good characters (it was the character design that made me start watching it... i was looking for something different at the time)

Spice and Wolf: my first initial image of the show and what the show is actually about are 2 totally different things lol; who know intellect could be sexy

[Drysi]

[b]Rosario+Vampire:[/b]
Oh My God, Rosario+Vampire. Honestly, I [i]still [/i]don't have a clue why I like this series so much. The characters are largely shallow, bumbling excuses for human/humanoid representations, the story is pretty standard harem with a cute-but-not-really-clever excuse for one dude being asphyxiated by boobs on a regular basis, and some of the plot points annoy the crap out of me, but GodDAMN if the directional quirks and the occasional original thing it brought to the table didn't get to me. As an ecchi anime, it was the first I'd watched (inb4 [b]everything [/b]done by SHAFT) to be openly self-conscious of itself, where it broke the fourth wall regularly towards the later end of its first season. And the art, particularly in the clothing and scenery design department, could at times be downright beautiful; the episode where Ruby was introduced with the sunflower-field backdrop was gooorgeous.
The manga is purported to be 10x better regarding story and character development, but I... Kind of like how bad-depraved the anime is. Guilty pleasure to the MAX0RZ.


[b]Oniisama E/Brother, Dear Brother:[/b]
...Don't you make me cry, Riyoko Ikeda. Don't you dare make me cry ;A; Edited April 15, 2012 by Drysi

[erain0135]

[b]To Aru Majutsu No Index[/b]
Slow start and mediocre action cuts.
But it made up with a good plot and sound character development.
yeah, i can say that Index is one of the best series i have seen.
still waiting for season 3 though. >.>

[PancakeSyrup]

[quote name='AirOfTheSky' timestamp='1287071001' post='701087']
[b]Clannad[/b]-Because of the genre drama and romance Thought i would hate it but after i watched season 2 It became the best anime i watched.

[b]Air-[/b]Because it seemed very boring did not have high ratings First couple episodes seemed bad but turned out to be a great anime.
[/quote]

I just finished watching Clannad and Clannad: After Story. I am more into sci-fi and action when it comes to anime, so I really wasn't interested based on the description, but there was nothing else on. I was blown away by this show. It has some very funny moments, but also some interesting themes, such as family and dealing with change. It makes you think about what's really important to you.

[AceOfHearts]

Gundam Seed: I figured it to be just another generic mecha on mecha combat. Which don't get me wrong. I love good fight scenes and just the general energy of the combat, but at the time; I wanted a good storyline and a great love interest. The series surprised me how in depth the world was even on a psychological level. The love interests varied, but the conflict between them was great.

Princess Lover: I thought it would be a generic shojo/harem. Highschool student falls in love with girl and many other girls come into his life and fall in love as well. This one generally surprised me by how instead of it being the average student, it was a kid who came into his grandfather's massive organization. It brought people out of the normal life and into the life of the rich and glamerous. It was a double surprise at the main character wasn't a weak simpleton. He actually had social intelligents as well as being an amazing swordsman. I highly recommend this series.

[rweinstein6]

I've gotten flack for this, but I love High School of the Dead. With all the panty shots and gratuitous boob-bouncing, I didn't think I'd like it. But come on. Anime AND zombies? That's the best combination. Ever.

[Desbreko]

[color=#4B0082]I guess the closest thing for me would be [b]Higurashi no Naku Koro ni[/b] (aka When They Cry). I usually don't sit down to watch an anime with the thought that I'll dislike it, because why would I watch it in the first place then? (inb4 Sister Princess.) I've watched at least a little from every genre and mostly know what I'll like and what I won't. So, I went into Higurashi not being a fan of horror but still interested in its story, and I was surprised by how much I enjoyed it.[/color]

[seed28]

an anime i never thought id like was Fullmetal Alchemist but i watched it any way since my cousin watched it....and thus my 1st crush....(dont u dare laugh) Edward..:)

[gaetzan]

[b]Mahou Shoujo Madoka Magica[/b]- At first i thought that it was an anime only for children because of the name and the first episode. but after watching 2-3 episode i found out that it is much darker than i first thought,

[kokorookaikasuru]

Ouran High School Host Club. Before that, I only watched or read things like One Piece, Naruto, and Inuyasha. I was into adventure and battles and ninjas, but OHHHC opened me up to other anime and manga that I never would've watched otherwise, and it's more comedy that romance much of the time. I even got my brother to watch it with me and enjoy it (at least the Alice In Wonderland episode). My favorite way to watch it is while eating Sweet Tarts. :biggrin:

[Break]

"One Piece - Let's be honest, it's a very ugly series."

Yes. One Piece is something that I kind of caught when I was younger, but never again for many years until a few months ago. My brother absolutely loves One Piece and although, yes as you say, it is a little "ugly" and all that (and can drag out sometimes longer than a saga of Dragonball Z and I know that's saying something), it is at the same time amazing in terms of characterisation. Everything about the One Piece world makes me want to live there (not forever, you know, that's crazy) or play a videogame based there (all those based on it so far have been terribly anticlimactic).

 

Shame there's like 500 episodes to get through. I can't find the time!

[リス-ちゃん]

Mahou Shoujo Madoka Magica- At first i thought that it was an anime only for children because of the name and the first episode. but after watching 2-3 episode i found out that it is much darker than i first thought,

 

Same, but everyone told me...watch the first three episodes! I enjoyed the art work, and though I liked Card Captor Sakura and Sailor Moon when I was younger, a lot of magical girl anime seemed repetitive and my tastes had matured. Glad I watched this one.

 

Also, Tiger & Bunny...sounded weird but during student appreciation day my Anime & Gaming Club set up shop to recruit and we left the first two episodes playing over and over again of Tiger & Bunny. I got hooked on it and continued watching it after that. :D

[AmbyCakes]

Save Me! Lollipop lol! Well, most parts. I also loved Fruits Basket. 

[Suuin]

Well i love a few but here is three.

 

Sword art online: Well Sword art online was the first anime i watched and i didnt know after i watched it, i wanted to watch it again and again. Oh im still watching it im at 8 times now.

 

fullmetal alchemist brotherhood: The action and plot is nice, this anime is so good i had to watch it more then four times!

 

ugly yet beautiful world: Well i love the way takeru gat powers

[CaNz]

I could tell SAO was gonna be great from the first episode. I was hooked just by the premise.

Now .hack//Sign on the other hand I wasn't even sure what I was watching half the time, but ended up loving it. I don't think their has been an anime like it since... though Roots was close.

[Maully]

I enjoyed SOA, but it went too long for my liking. I understand where they went, but I didn't like the last part and how [spoiler]they moved to a completely different game. I wish they would have tackled difficult transitions back into real life and physical degeneration and such instead.[/spoiler]

 

Ouran HS Host Club was my big surprise. I'm more of an action/fantasy/sci-fi person. I loved this series, though. I have watched it several times. 

 

I also finally watched some Naruto. It only took me ten years to do it. Too much filler and too many flashback, but deal with or navigate around that and it's actually a pretty sound series. I intended to hate watch a bit just to say I'd tried and it sucked me in. 

[CaNz]

Ouran High School Host Club-- I love that show, and it's totally not my thing. I am way more of a scifi/action girl.

Almost 5 years ago! also you picked my Naruto, which just keeps getting better. :]

[Maully]

Damn,it's almost verbatim...

[CaNz]

Some things never change. I keep hearing how good it is, but when I watched the first three episodes I didn't see anything that stood out. I doubt I am the demographic they were going for, but that doesn't typically stop me.