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[AzureNightmare]

OP fails for not mentioning my alltime favorite anime, Onegai Teacher.

 

[Igo]

I really enjoyed Yugo the Negotiator back in 04 I think. That really was an incredible year for anime.

Some of my favorite sports series of decade are Capeta, Ookiku Ffurikabutte, Cross Game, and the first few seasons of Major.

Now and Then, Here and There is technically from 99 but it's essential watching for anyone who likes anime as far as i'm concerned.

 

[Jex]

[Updating]

After writing this thread for about 12 hours I decided to post it, which is why there aren't write ups of perfectly good shows like FLAG (oh wait, no-one mentioned FLAG? Poor FLAG...), Requiem for the Darkness and Kino's Journey which deserve their own sections.

As fas as other shows people have mentioned - If I haven't seen it I didn't write a piece about it, obviously because I don't know whether it was good or not.

I pulled some recommendations from the seasonal anime thread because people there were generous enough to write up about some shows I have not seen.

In retrospect I possibly should have reserved a third post under the OP.
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[Kemono No Souja Erin]

It's a good show, but it's still hugely flawed and hard to recommend. It was really slow, long, low budget and aimed at a really young audience. Basically it's the modern equivalent of those world masterpiece theater anime they use to make. It clearly had excellent source material and the core story alone makes it worth watching, but it wasn't a very good adaptation. If it got the same treatment Moribito did it would have been amazing.

It's the best every version of a realistic Nausicaa character, and I still really like it but it's still flawed, as you say.
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[X'amd]

Only if you warn people that it does not go anywhere, or do anything, ever.

Harsh but true.
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I approve of the technicality employed to get the series starting with Crest of the Stars listed.

It's all about finagling the list.
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This is a great idea for a thread, and I agree with pretty much every show listed that I've seen (and I hope to watch more of them in the future), but the lack of both Nana and Paradise Kiss is criminal. These shows should be compulsory viewing for anyone who likes serious anime with characters who behave like real people. Not to mention mature plot lines and sexual situations that are written for adults, and not horny teenagers.

Cross Game should also be mentioned somewhere as well. Such a beautifully put together series (like pretty much everything Adachi touches).

I would totally add these shows if someone provided a short, paragraph length summary of them.
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Ctrl-F "Airmaster"

:\

That does need to be somewhere, you're right. Love that show.
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Decent Thread but I see no Akagi.

Akagi is a poor man's Kaiji. But I should put it in in the second list, as they are similar.
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Honey and Clover
A series about the lives and tribulations of 5 college students:

.

Honey and clover is awesome, but it did seem fairly well known on GAF after checking out the threads on it. Then again, that was years ago. Might update the OP just because it's a great show.

 

[Hitokage]

I really enjoyed Yugo the Negotiator back in 04 I think. That really was an incredible year for anime.

Yugo is definitely worth watching, at least for the first half.

 

[Apath]

Honey and Clover is bad man, retarded midget and some indecisive fucks the anime.

I agree. Awful show.


Gankutsuou on the other hand is amazing. Fantastic visuals, pacing, and characters.

 

[Branduil]

To the OP and others:

As a regular, live action TV junkie, what anime TV series would you recommend that is most similar to shows like Battlestar Galactica, The Wire, Mad Men, Breaking Bad, etc.? I'm referring to shows that are mature, intense, with authority and gravitas. Shows dripping quality and the it factor that they may even be eligible to compete with the above mentioned titles. There are a gargantuan amount in the list the OP posted, and since I'm a utter newbie, I would appreciate some guidance.

Cowboy Bebop

Monster

Now and Then, Here and There

Infinite Ryvius

Kino's Journey

Baccano!

 

[Lafiel]

After writing this thread for about 12 hours I decided to post it, which is why there aren't write ups of perfectly good shows like FLAG (oh wait, no-one mentioned FLAG? Poor FLAG...), Requiem for the Darkness and Kino's Journey which deserve their own sections.

I wish i was hardcore enough to spend that much time on a thread. I get annoyed enough when i take 2-3 hours to write a post.:lol

 

[Jex]

Cowboy Bebop

Monster

Now and Then, Here and There

Infinite Ryvius

Kino's Journey

Baccano!

I officially support this list. Ghost in the Shell: Stand Alone Complex is fantastic too.

Master Keaton is one I would definitely endorse for starting out folks - here's a thread I made earlier on it http://www.neogaf.com/forum/showthread.php?t=398716.

I would also add Legend of the Galactic Heroes but that's pretty hardcore and rather too long for a newcomer (110 episodes, not counting all the other stuff!) so I wouldn't really start there.

 

[firehawk12]

I do find it interesting that anime doesn't really have any shows set in contemporary Japan featuring adults and made for adults. :lol

I was struggling to think of something with "gravitas" and couldn't come up with it. Why aren't Japanese people obsessed with cops like we are?

 

[Dresden]

I do find it interesting that anime doesn't really have any shows set in contemporary Japan featuring adults and made for adults. :lol

I was struggling to think of something with "gravitas" and couldn't come up with it. Why aren't Japanese people obsessed with cops like we are?

cops are boring when you got ninjas, man. although the delinquent/yakuza stuff probably fill the same void.

 

[firehawk12]

cops are boring when you got ninjas, man. although the delinquent/yakuza stuff probably fill the same void.

You know, if the Yakuza games are any indication, people should be eating up shit with realistic Yakuza. I mean, The Sopranos was the big thing here for a while after all.
Maybe all the adult fair is reserved for J-dramas.

 

[Aad]

Great thread Jexhius, many I still need to watch.

I'd like to add Legendary Gambler Tetsuya

 

[smurfx]

Akagi is a poor man's Kaiji. But I should put it in in the second list, as they are similar.

as long as you are posting similar animes why not look into one outs? great anime.

 

[Jex]

as long as you are posting similar animes why not look into one outs? great anime.

My insanity is way, wayyyy ahead of you http://www.neogaf.com/forum/showthread.php?t=400717

 

[leroy hacker]

Crest / Banner of the stars for something like Battlestar galactica. Also maybe towards the terra? but i have no idea about the quality of the series since i haven't watched it, but it's a another space opera anime series.

I've only read the To Terra manga (in the three slickly presented volumes published by Vertical), and not seen either adaption. Based on that I can say that though it is a high quality and very dramatic space opera series, being a shonen manga it simply can't be compared with the adult-oriented shows Antiochus listed in terms of character or plot depth.

To the OP and others:

As a regular, live action TV junkie, what anime TV series would you recommend that is most similar to shows like Battlestar Galactica, The Wire, Mad Men, Breaking Bad, etc.? I'm referring to shows that are mature, intense, with authority and gravitas. Shows dripping quality and the it factor that they may even be eligible to compete with the above mentioned titles. There are a gargantuan amount in the list the OP posted, and since I'm a utter newbie, I would appreciate some guidance.

 

[Android18a]

I want to put a good word in for "Working!!".

It's great Like School Rumble, but in a restaurant.

 

[trejo]

To the OP and others:

As a regular, live action TV junkie, what anime TV series would you recommend that is most similar to shows like Battlestar Galactica, The Wire, Mad Men, Breaking Bad, etc.? I'm referring to shows that are mature, intense, with authority and gravitas. Shows dripping quality and the it factor that they may even be eligible to compete with the above mentioned titles. There are a gargantuan amount in the list the OP posted, and since I'm a utter newbie, I would appreciate some guidance.

You should check out Planetes. It's just an all-around great show with some enjoyable characters and a really well grounded story. Can't go wrong there.

 

[Justin Timberlake]

Great thread. Bookmarked. I don't watch nearly as much anime as I should. I should say that Gantz and Genshiken would be valuable additions to the list.

 

[Cosmic Schwung]

Huh, no one mentioned Gungrave yet?

A show that really surprised me was Heat Guy J. Went in not expecting much (I think I was put off by some of the designs, especially for J) and then ended up watching it all in the space of a few days. Definitely worth checking out.

 

[Finaika]

Huh, no one mentioned Gungrave yet?

Oh yeah. It's like the Godfather of anime.

 

[cosmicblizzard]

I do find it interesting that anime doesn't really have any shows set in contemporary Japan featuring adults and made for adults. :lol

There's several. Even a few in the OP (Hataraki Man).

 

[DieH@rd]

Gankutsuou is really really awesome.

 

[Kers]

I really enjoyed Welcome to the NHK!

Satou Tatsuhiro, 22 years old, thinks that everything that happens around him is a conspiracy. He even figured out who is behind it all: The NHK, an evil secret company. "When you think anime, you think otaku. When you think otaku, you think people that dislike other people. Those people become hikikomori (people who shut themselves in)". So Satou manages to uncover the plot of The NHK (stands for Nihon Hikikomori Kyokai), after three years of shutting himself in (and rapidly approaching the fourth). In reality, he is nothing more than a NEET (Not in Employment, Education or Training), desperately in need of a cure from that "disease". He wants to break out from the curse, but going out and getting a job is frightening enough for him. That is until he gets selected for a "project"; it is a plan to help hikikomori like him in facing the reality of this world.

 

[bloke]

Nice list, I will have to check a few of these out.

I'd throw Yukikaze onto the OVA list.

The plot is a little hard to follow at times but it still quite interesting. The action is some of the best aerial combat I've ever seen.

And great music: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iVwV_M55iMw&feature=related

Yukikaze \o/ ...I thought I was the only one that liked it, first OVA was really good...


Some other semi-forgotten shows from the first half of 00's that maybe weren't classics or even that good but I liked them anyway...

Gilgamesh

I remember this show being so ugly it was aesthetically pleasing in a way :lol , dark, slow-paced, nice music, probably had some pretentious nonsense ending, don't remember it that well ...it had strange Eastern European feel to it I think, well anyway it sticked in my mind for some reason


Texhnolyze

Talking about pretentious nonsense :lol ...well in other hand too bad nobody makes shows like that these days...


Soul Taker

Could be Shinbo's finest show, well unlike his Shaft stuff it had right amount of oldschool overthetop action along with all the moe and stylish visuals


Narutaru - Shadow Star

I remember watching it not knowing what was it all about, I mean it was almost pokemon-like show at start only to gone creepy and totally wtf wrong later on...manga is even "better" though...


Windy Tales

Surreal slice-of-life show, really liked the atmosphere and overall feel even though it was bit dull at moments I admit...


Hitsuji no Uta OVA

It was kinda like Gilgamesh, moody, dark, slow, notmuch happens, but still overall atmosphere clicked with me... though it didn't really transmit manga artstyle that well


Kita he -Diamond Dust Drops-

Yeah it was bishoujo show, but it was more about (realistic) drama than some moe and/or ecchi nonsense, really liked it at the time...


Requiem from the Darkness or whatever was called in japanese

I think it was already mentioned but here it is again... thought this had really genuine surreal nightmare atmosphere throughout the series...


Gunparade March

Basically romance show masked as a mecha anime, kinda mediocre I know, but again for some reason it stayed in my mind...


Tiny Snow Fairy Sugar

I'm not joking, it was actually good, good if you can stomach kiddy mahou shoujo stuff that is....they even made my cry in last episode, bastards :lol

 

[flawfuls]

I had no idea there was a Hitsuji no Uta anime. I will check that out.

 

[Enron]

Most of the shows i see discussed in this thread are pretty well known. Thanks to the internets and overzealous licensing by North American companies, its tough to find an actual "little-known" show from the 2000s.

 

[firehawk12]

There's several. Even a few in the OP (Hataraki Man).

Yeah, but in the vein of The Wire though?

 

[Lafiel]

Yeah, but in the vein of The Wire though?

There was a manga that revolved around police officers in contemporary japan. Not so sure if it's any good though, or has the sense of realism that the wire aimed for.

 

[Jex]

I've updated the OP with pictures for the rather well known shows, just because pictures are perrtty.

I've completely filled both posts. I really should have reserved a third and fourth spot. Ah well.

Most of the shows i see discussed in this thread are pretty well known. Thanks to the internets and overzealous licensing by North American companies, its tough to find an actual "little-known" show from the 2000s.

That really depends on your definition of "well known", even licensed shows like Fantastic Children have very little discussion.

Sure, if you do quite a bit of research you can find out about all these shows, but I imagine the majority of viewers won't be that "hardcore".

Yeah, but in the vein of The Wire though?

To be fair, there's very few TV shows in the vein of The Wire. It's only thanks to this amazing age of television that such shows are getting made.

But apart from that, anime is obviously "made for kids" and, at this point, otaku, so it's not surprising that it doesn't focus on those kinds of areas.

 

[vocab]

----------------------

Akagi is a poor man's Kaiji. But I should put it in in the second list, as they are similar.

Akagi is more bad ass than Kaiji anyday. Akagi is straight up Mahjong, while Kaiji is straight up gambling. They are both good on their own merit, and if TEN were to be animated, it would only Akagi look better.

 

[firehawk12]

There was a manga that revolved around police officers in contemporary japan. Not so sure if it's any good though, or has the sense of realism that the wire aimed for.

Really, the only cop show I can think of is You're Under Arrest. :lol
I would imagine the manga space is "better" just because of its broader appeal anyway.

To be fair, there's very few TV shows in the vein of The Wire. It's only thanks to this amazing age of television that such shows are getting made.

But apart from that, anime is obviously "made for kids" and, at this point, otaku, so it's not surprising that it doesn't focus on those kinds of areas.

Oh yeah, it's to be expected - which is why I expect the more adult fair to be in the realm of J-dramas than of anime.
Although, with the whole "idol" system, J-dramas can be just as absurd (Bloooooooody Monday).

 

[vocab]

Really, the only cop show I can think of is You're Under Arrest.

Kochira Katsushika-ku Kameari Kōen Mae Hashutsujo is what he's probably talking about. Not very known outside of Japan just like Sazae and Doraemon. There's no realistic police anime series. The closest I can think of would be MPD Psycho, but that's pretty much batshit insane.

Oh yeah. It's like the Godfather of anime.

 

[KuwabaraTheMan]

[Updating]

I would totally add these shows if someone provided a short, paragraph length summary of them.

Cross Game:
Cross GAme is a sports romance which follows the story of a boy and girl who grew up around baseball. It also follows the plight of a group of misfits trying to bring together a baseball team and make their dreams come true on the field. The story mixes together a well written and tender romance with the perseverance and determination of a sports series, and brings it all together into a cohesive whole. The emotional highs and lows are executed brilliantly, but one of the best elements of the series is how reserved everything is, never resorting to melodrama or characters overreacting to situations to tell the audience what to feel.

Length: 50 episodes

NANA:
Based on the manga by Ai Yazawa, and directed by Morio Asaka (Cardcaptor Sakura), NANA features the story of two young women moving to Tokyo at the same time, and the story of two bands with an intermingled history, NANA is a real story about human drama, relationships and loss. The characters all feel like real people, the subject matter is written with a mature audience in mind, and there are no easy resolutions to the problems that characters face. It can be an intense series which can leave you feeling emotionally wrecked at time, but that is just one of many reasons why it is worth watch. The show also features an amazing soundrack, which is fitting given the focus the story has on music.

Length: 47 episodes

Paradise Kiss:
Paradise Kiss is the story of a high school girl who decides to leave her typical life of studying and trying to fit in to what society says she should do behind, and gets wrapped up in the world of fashion and modeling. The series subverts typical Japanese views of how people should integrate themselves into society, and approaches the subject matter with a heavy focus on realism and accuracy to detail.

Length: 12 episodes

 

[firehawk12]

Kochira Katsushika-ku Kameari Kōen Mae Hashutsujo is what he's probably talking about. Not very known outside of Japan just like Sazae and Doraemon. There's no realistic police anime series. The closest I can think of would be MPD Psycho, but that's pretty much batshit insane.

Oh yeah, I asked about the anime in the anime thread, because it's one of those long running comedies... but no one seems to have seen it. I think on the Wikipedia entry, it was compared to The Simpsons.

 

[vocab]

Oh yeah, I asked about the anime in the anime thread, because it's one of those long running comedies... but no one seems to have seen it.

Stuff like that doesn't get subbed. No one likes to commit. Same reason why Ashita no Joe isn't completely subbed.

 

[Aegus]

I really enjoyed Scrapped Princess back in the day.

 

[firehawk12]

Stuff like that doesn't get subbed. No one likes to commit. Same reason why Ashita no Joe isn't completely subbed.

And no one is stupid enough to license it I suppose. :lol
It's too bad Crunchy Roll won't go back and pick up these longer running shows, but I guess there's not much interest over here.

 

[vocab]

Also, CTRL + F "Hikaru no Go" not found.

SMH.

 

[Lard]

This is an excellent thread, thanks.

 

[vocab]

And no one is stupid enough to license it I suppose. :lol
It's too bad Crunchy Roll won't go back and pick up these longer running shows, but I guess there's not much interest over here.

There's an interest for older shows, but man really long stuff that's over 150 episodes isn't worth the time for most series (episodic stuff in general). Galaxy Express 999 being fully subbed was a dream come true though.

 

[Jex]

Stuff like that doesn't get subbed. No one likes to commit. Same reason why Ashita no Joe isn't completely subbed.

Poor Joe

Also, CTRL + F "Hikaru no Go" not found.

SMH.

I apologise profusely for not watching every anime ever made!

 

[vocab]

Poor Joe

56 or so episodes to go!

 

[Lafiel]

56 or so episodes to go!

I don't know why it isn't fully subtitled. Considering it's acclaim in japan.

 

[charsace]

Great list, bookmarked.

And Crest/Banner of the Stars is fantastic.

LotGH>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>otS series.

 

[Dresden]

I don't know why it isn't fully subtitled. Considering it's acclaim in japan.

It's been what, four decades? Not to mention the lack of interest.

 

[firehawk12]

There's an interest for older shows, but man really long stuff that's over 150 episodes isn't worth the time for most series (episodic stuff in general). Galaxy Express 999 being fully subbed was a dream come true though.

The CR guy has said it really costs them almost nothing to do subs in batch. It's why they'll try to license as much as possible. They are doing one long running series, "Kassan", that I know nothing about... so it's not like they're averse to the idea.

Of course, you can argue about the quality of the subs because it's all lowest bidder stuff, but bad subs are better than no subs I guess.

 

[charsace]

Genesis Climber Mospeada. So damn good. They said there was supposed to be a sequel, but it never came. Truly a head of its time.

 

[Hachimaki]

I highly recommend Planetes. I have the boxset around here somewhere... it's about time to watch that series again.

 

[Jex]

It's been what, four decades? Not to mention the lack of interest.

Hey, were getting the original Gundam!

Alright, that's a terrible comparison, Gundam is huge.

But still, I want my original boxing show dammit!

 

[Mirimar]

WTF at no Cross Game or Last Exile?!?!? Seriously? Last Exile should be a no brainer for its art/animation and amazing musical scores, not to mention an engaging story.

And no disrespect to that other baseball anime that was listed, but I feel that Cross Game was the better of the two in keeping a good pace throughout the series. Adachi is a master story teller.