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Oi. This is now the official and apparently final Favorites thread, soon to be easily accessible through the Anime Lounge directory. I stress that you take my example to heart when you write your favorites out.

Top Tier

1. NHK ni Youkuso (Welcome to the NHK) - Utterly dark humor spliced with harsh reality and drama that really accentuates the horrors of society and the brutality of social awkwardness. For someone like me, it’s not only a bit reflective, but almost an outlook onto my future.

The show creates the perfect atmosphere of madness to the point that it’s like watching Hell itself. From the freaky and trippy imagery to the winding music and even Satou’s voice actor (this guy needs ore roles!) everything fits utterly perfectly. The entire show carries the feeling of total hopelessness that sinks deep into your soul.

2. Suzumiya Haruhi no Yuutsu (The Melancholy of Haruhi Suzumiya) - What’s there not to love about Haruhi? First of all, it’s absolutely hilarious. Second, it’s a damn good time no matter how many times you watch it and so strange that it’s hard to compare to anything out there. The show has some really deep plots that you couldn’t possibly see coming around the show’s utterly lightheartedness.

Haruhi knows when to take itself seriously and when to be funny and alternates between them nearly flawlessly to create some really epic moments. I think the last episode in broadcast order makes for one of my favorite anime endings of all time. Lets not forget the memorable awesomeness that is episode 12 either.

The best part of Haruhi, though, is the characters. Kyon is my favorite male lead or narrator ever, and the whole cast is memorable (I actually remember their names!) and fun.

3. Shin Seiki Evangelion (Neon Genesis Evangelion) - It’s been a very long time since I watched this show, which makes me question my own opinion of it, but from what I recall it was brilliant. An excellent blend of drama and action with the perfect dosage of psychology. End of Evangelion was pure excellency.

4. Serial Experiments Lain - In some ways, I feel like Lain is a little forced, because it almost exists just to show you it’s world-view, but at least the show is consistent and focused. From the beginning you know you’re dealing with a psychological journey that transcends just what you see and hear and forces you to honestly think if you want to understand.

I think that episode 5 exists just to show you this. I understood most of what I saw in Lain the first time around, but I didn’t figure this one out until I read something about it in the art book which finally explained it. What I find interesting about Lain is that it is dark and deep without being a thriller in any way. The show doesn’t ever try to be cheap or thrill you - as I said, it’s very concentrated.

Aside from the well-portrayed themes and way of making you think, Lain also tells a great story. Lain is one of the most human characters I’ve ever seen in anime, and she is so pathetic and pitiable that it’s sad just to watch her even from the very beginning, and her sorrows only grow and grow. It’s rare that I’ve ever cared for a character as much as Lain. I’d have to say this series has my favorite ending of all time, just beating the last 2 episodes of eva (but not EOE)

5. Mai-HiME - Easily one of the most impressive anime I’ve seen and my favorite since Welcome to the NHK. I’d lie to start by saying that, pacing wise, this anime was absolutely superb. In most anime there might be a certain part of the show that was slower or faster that didn’t feel right with the rest, or just an episode or two that were out of place or uninteresting. Mai-HiME never had any parts like that. 100% of the way through it was an awesome, eventful, fun, crazy thrill ride which could compete with s-CRY-ed in the world of over-the-top action/drama that leaves ou glued to the seat and begging for more.

My favorite part of this show was most definitely it’s share of ‘holy ****ing ****!’ surprises. Starting from episode 8(?) and the instant realization that this show isn’t playing around, the action was constantly building and never ceased to amaze or become monotonous. Surprises waited around every corner and even things that you kinda see coming are twisted into something crazy and thrown back at you.

High Tier

1. Kino no Tabi (Kino’s Journey) - this is an anime for relaxation, reflection, and deep thoughts. This is the kind of anime that makes you think, but keeps you entertained without overdoing it. I find it to be increadibly humble at all times and has an air of realism that you just don’t see in dramatic stories. Kino is a great character, and her dynamic with Hermes is always fun. This is one of the rare shows that plays well on all sides of the field. The calmer episodes are all done well, and the fighting scenes are equally great. Almost every episode catches you off-guard at some point with some kind of unexpected twist - some more expected, but others that make you full of shock and surprise. The last 2 episodes are some of the most heavy-hitting I think I’ve ever seen.

2. FLCL - Over the top, flashy, full of references and wacky comedy and absurdity… but simultaneously telling a coming-of-age tale of a young boy and his growth as well as an interesting world-view that keeps the scholars dancing. The ultimate soundtrack and the coolest visual effects, all packed into under 3 hours of high-octane madness. What’s not to love?

3. Shoujo Kakumei Utena (Revolutionary Girl Utena) - The things that will stick with me after watching Utena are the characters, the imagery, and the ending. And, of course, that everyone ****s everyone in this show. Seriously. The chicks did the dudes, the chicks did the chicks, the dudes did the dudes. I’ve never seen such a hive of STDs in my life XD Nevertheless, the show had some great characters, detestable as many of them were. I find it funny that I ended up feeling a little sorry for Saionji and Nanami, despite both being such utter pricks at times. In the end, there wasn’t really any character who I absolutel hated… okay, I hate Akio, but then again, he’s the bad guy, you’re supposed to. The show showed all the characters in their serious and goofy moments, so that ou really got to know all of them in every way. I like that each of their individual stories is left open almost entirely, leaving you only with the knowlege of how the characters have grown. In that way, I feel there was a spectacular effort in focusing completely on the characters and not the story itself.

What amazes me about Utena is that it can be cheesy, totally formulaic, repeat itself, waste time, and do it all with such utter skill and awesome that I don’t even mind it. That’s what makes the show endearing - while you know what to expect from each episode in that season (a bunch of duels and random Nanami adventures) you still want to see how they’re going to portray it. I also think that the formulaic nature of the series is what strengthened the final saga in a lot of ways. At that point, the plot is all coming together, but it keeps you in total suspense and only reveals it’s hand at the very last minute. There was really no way to predict how it was going to end.

And when it did end, it did so with the sort of epic flair I was hoping for. The ultimate sacrifice of Utena and everything about the final stage, namely when the swords came down and destroyed the entire structure was simply awesome. It even had a nice conclusive aftermath that leaves enough to the imagination but still tells you what’s happening.

4. Kanon 2006 - It’s hard for me to talk about this show, since the best impressions are ones first given, and it’ been a while since I saw it. Just go here and read the individual parts.

Lower Tier

1. Air TV - I found this series to be immensely strange and intriguing. I didn’t really like how each character had their own arc and then basically never appeared again, but it gave them time to flesh out each character individually (curse of a game with multiple endings >_<)

the Air arc is what truly got me though. I’ll tell you, the second half of the series was nothing I could have expected, as can be said about most of this anime.

I like that the characters were very human. just like in real life, you don’t always get the climactic ending where she gets to play on the beach — and thus she dies early. Instead of the ending everyone expects (Yukito returns, whisks her off, happily ever after. Instead we get Yukito is a crow, she dies. As far as dramatic effect goes, it’s harsh, but that’s what makes it so touching and unique.

2. Hitohira - If I were to liken this anime to anything, it would be Simoun. Not just for the yuri hints, since Hitohira was far less extreme, but with the overall theme and eventual impact of the series.

Like Simoun, the series is a very mature drama that comes close to seinen but contains shoujo elements that combine into a gem of a show for anyone.

I have to say, like every one of my favorite anime, I hated the ending at first, and even still a little. Mostly because when I care about the characters too much, I can’t stand to see them go. But it’s like Nono-senpai said, ‘there isn’t a play that lasts forever.’ In fact, the general theme of the show, just like Simoun, is that things won’t last forever, and that you have to move on.

3. Simoun - Not just for the yuri! This show is an excellent portrayal of a completely unique universe and a deep, character driven story being played together. The two biggest reasons I dislike sci-fi and fantasy stories is that they tend to focus on the expansive universe while leaving shallow characters about, and all to often they are overly similar. While it’s themes are familiar, I’ve really never seen anything quite like Simoun in terms of setting.

It’s got a very steam-punk feel with the fact that it appears to be low-tech and high-tech at once, but the machines and their secrets as well as the way they are operated sets it apart. Rather than fight with guns, the Simoun draw giant figures in the sky that cause different kinds of attacks or shields. Plus the story combines religious and political elements in as well, which is not uncommon, but done particularly well in the sense that in most of these stories it’s got that whole ‘everyone is evil but the party’ feel while this one is more wide-scale.

The best part, though, is of course the character relations, and this show’s got a big cast to show off. Really, it’s amazing how much they accomplish in just 26 episodes, and the relationships have the sort of realistic complications that you don’t see too much - the characters feel very human. It’s also very maure.

Oh. and did I mention the yuri?

4. Boogiepop Phantom - Before I begin, I should let you know that the origional novel, Boogiepop and Others, is my favorite piece of media ever created. I would argue the books perfection to my own grave, and it has inspried everything I do in some way. The anime in no way lives up to the books absurd greatness, but it’s still a damn fine program to be sure.

The biggest thing about Boogiepop Phantom is the dark atmosphere. The whole time it seems to be closing in on you, and you’re always shrouded in the night. There are some really, really messed up things that go on in this show, all of which wer amazing. When the kid blew up the cat, I had to pause the show just to give me time to freak out properly. Streaming this all night while in the dark is downright creepy.

I loved seeing some of my favorite characters from the novel appear in the anime, and all around it’s just a great watch that will give you nightmares for sure.

5. Manabi Straight - Click Here

Honorable Mentions

1. Paranoia Agent - Like Boogiepop, PA is a dark, psychological series, only this one is on a larger scale and isn’t closed-in like Boogiepop. PA brings to life the darker parts of the human mind and society’s evils. This series has great suspense and some really cool, trippy stuff. By the end, everything gets so wild you can’t help but wonder what will happen and it does not disappoint.
2. Genshiken - I love this show because of the way it porttrays otaku culture. It’s very relatable since the characters are realistic (except maybe Ohno) and they act like otaku do in real life. My favorite parts of this show are the ones that show the purist nature of the characters. Like when they discuss strategies for buying doujin and stuff, it sounds really rediculous, but that’s what otaku really do. Also, Madarame is king of the cosmos!
3. Trigun - Trigun was just really cool in every way. Vash and Wolfwood are some of the coolest heroes ever, and the show was epecially awesome because of the bad guys. There were a whole ton of villains and they were all really cool. Great plot.
4. Samurai X (Trust and Betrayal) - No matter how you look at it, this is just a damn good anime. It’s got a story that’s surprisingly deep for just 4 episodes, and despite the general lack of speach by either of them, I grew attached to Tomoe and Kenshin.
But this isn’t the real reason anyone likes this movie. It’s bloody, action-packed, and gratifying (Instead of sparing everyone, we get to see Kenshin doing something cool! Yay!) and it’s got one of my alltime favorite kills; the guy with the chains who Kenshin cuts in half vertically

Great thread.

Top Tier

1.Gundam Series (Honostly ALL of them except for maybe SD Gundam haha) How can I put this. The scene the way of the Gundam world how everything happens, I love it. It's basically a futuristic way of our world it's war 1 major side vs another with maybe a few neutral "countries". It's a futuristic reality, instead of using tanks they are using giant robots known as Mobile Suits and war ships and people live in colonies, I can go on about their advanced technology all day, but that's not the only reason why.

As much as I love Sayajins, Nameks, Ninjas with super powers and all that good stuff but, I love the fact that the Gundam Anime series are more realistic, kept within humanity, it's a war between sides, nations, people, it isn't people in giant robots fighting off aliens from Mars or hell another galaxy, it's kept withing Earth and by that I don't mean on Earth's floor I'm also counting the moon and possible things floating around it.

Next is the art, it's alwa ys amazing to me how beautiful the art of Gundam is, the scenery, the characters, everything just looks good, even the first Gundam which obviously isn't very good looking if you ever seen it but for an anime developed in 1979 it's amazing in my honest opinion.

Character personality = outstanding to me, the way they are, the characters, they go through hardships and difficulties and build upon them. The characters change, they evolve, they all have their own personality.

I had such a hard time deciding which Gundam was my favorite I put it all at the top, Gundam is the top of my anime list. I absolutely LOVE mecha anime I've seen quite a few if anybody wants to recommend a mecha anime that you think I would like PM me I would appreciate it.

2. Naruto Sorry for being so boring. I started up Naruto very late, I always heard people talking about it, how great it was and what not so I had to see it for myself. I'm going to have to say there were 200 episodes already out when I just began watching Naruto and let me tell you, I got so hooked on this anime that the last filler arc didn't even start by the time I caught up. It was just amazing to me, this show had it all, the action, the romance, the comedy, I just couldn't get over it. Each and every individual character had their own purpose whether they were minor or main characters, the development, the growth the change of everyone just was amazing to me.

I like how they all have their own societies(villages) with different cultures and different people with different abilities. The tasks they are put through, and there is this huge plot behind another plot and a plot behind that one, it's just amazing.

I was hooked on Naruto like it was a drug or something, I couldn't wait to see what happened next.........until I hit fillers. And now I'm waiting every week or 2 weeks for an episode to come out

It's much better when it's all out and you don't have to wait.

3.Rurouni Kenshin(Samurai X) Wonderful anime. Evolved around a time where Samurai and Ninja were a "rare specie" of course, not at all in Kenshin's life. Again not to repeat myself like I did about Naruto but Kenshin just about has it all, the romance, the action, the comedy...you get the picture and again going back to the thing I said about Gundam, it's realistic, so they exaggerate with the speed and power of a man, but hey? what anime doesn't? I called Gundam realistic but there are 16 year old kids riding giant mechs.

Kenshin is great an all, it has the awesome art and the sweet action but one thing I think it lacked was a little story which is important to me, don't get me wrong it's a great show that is why I have it on my top tier list, but there is only 1 major "saga" and that's the Shishio saga, the rest are minor, sure they matter but nothing too drastic happens. Another thing that kind of bugged me is it went DBZish, everyone was strong at the beginning but as time passes, Kenshin gets super strong (Goku) and there is only another that keeps up, Saitou(Vegeta).

Speaking of characters, Saitou has to be my absolute favorite Kenshin character, I always liked Sanosuke the most but when I finally got the anime and watched it all Saitou is my favorite, by far. His attitude, he's like the mean good guy, he's tough and funny. Also explains why Vegeta was my favorite DBZ character.

4.Fullmetal Alchemist I can't stress enough how speechless this show had me. It is an amazing show, and for all anime fans out there I really recommend watching this it is for everybody to see. The whole idea of the alchemy, the army, the homunculi, just piles and piles of questions that will all be answered by the end of the show. Remarkable anime.

5.Hajime No Ippo Amazing. Simply amazing. This anime is by far one of my favorites. Though exaggerated, the realism of this anime was so good, and they were so on the dot with the anatomy, the exercises and all the science of boxing. The development of characters and the different hardships they went through. Let alone how funny it was. Just a great show, plain and simple.

Mid Tier

1.Fist of the North Star/Hokuto No Ken It has been a very long time since I have seen this anime. This was the first anime I watched, at the time I was outside of the States, my older brother used to watch it when I was young and some other anime like Ronin Warriors, Tiger Man, Holly and Benji etc and me being young I watched it all. It eventually grew on me. The plot basically is that it's the aftermath of a nuclear war, somehow humanity was able to survive, humans weren't extinct, I would have to say an endangered species. Basically it's anarchy, there are gangs running around, people are desperate, they believe what they hear etc, you get the point.

I still can't get over the fact that unlike most anime the main character, you know he is your usual good guy, helps out who he can makes friends etc, but he doesn't ALWAYS lose then come back and beat them later, he is just straight up strong. Kenshiro (or Ken) is a strong martial artist, he rarely is defeated in the show, which I like some of you may think well that's dumb, no it's not, doesn't it get repetitive when the character fights the "boss" loses goes trains comes back beats him, sometimes it gets annoying.

For the record my favorite character is Rei, he had this cool fighting style which gives him the ability to literally cut with his fingers. I just thought it was cool.

2.Escaflowne Some of you are like what? Like I said I LOVE Mecha anime, unfortunately Escaflowne wasn't good enough to be my top tier. Basically it's based around a girl named Hitomi that is transfered to a parallel planet to Earth that you can't see from Earth but you can see Earth from it. It is very different from her own world and she ends up meeting a guy named Vaan that accompanies her along with others in her journey while she tries to get back home.

3.Zoids I've only seen New Century Zero so far and I LOVED it. I haven't seen the other Zoids but I hear they are even better, as I said before PM to let me know which other Zoids are worth seeing. The way the show is, it's kind of unique, yea I know it's kind of like G Gundam, but not in story line. It's some sort of tournament where contenders pilot a mechanical type creature known as a Zoid, and of course there is always some sort of bad people but they don't have a diabolical plan to destroy they world or something, they are just cheap during the tournament. Bit Cloud and his Blitz team just contend in the tournament, and of course there is always something special about the main character. Over all a good anime I used to watch it on Toonami when I was younger, HAD to see the ending, worth watching it.

4.Case Closed I cannot talk much about this anime I haven't seen very much of it. I want to see it all, simple as that, I love the mystery and I like playing along with it trying to guess who the villain is in the end of the episode, I really want to watch the whole thing it's hard to find. I would say it's one of my favorite anime, but this is a one time thing, if you see an episode more then once for as much as I know, there is no point in watching it, all the suspense is gone and the mystery that is why it's in my mid tier.

5.Trigun Quoted from 2007DigitalBoy the creator of this topic.

Trigun was just really cool in every way. Vash and Wolfwood are some of the coolest heroes ever, and the show was especially awesome because of the bad guys. There were a whole ton of villains and they were all really cool. Great plot.

I couldn't have said it better myself. Sorry for stealing it for you but you phrased it perfectly.

Low Tier

1.Monster Rancher Make fun all you want. When I was young I used to wake up SO early on Saturdays to watch this show and they kept switching the channel on me and I went through hell just to see the ending and they just stopped showing it out of nowhere I never got to see it I was broken, and that was like 7 years ago, after 7 long years I came across it and found it and watched it all from beginning till end, and boy it was a good feeling, I HAVE to put it on my list even if it's low tier.

2.Dragon Ball/Z/GT We all know what happens in this anime, everyone has seen it thousands of times, I just had to put it because, I know I said before that I watched anime when I was little (Dragon Ball was one of the btw) but not until I started watching DBZ. It was the reason I like anime so much now, I just liked DBZ so much I just spent hours on the computer researching about it and eventually I got fed up with waiting for episodes and I downloaded everything starting passed Cell and Pikkon or whatever and saw DBGT, and that was the beginning of anime for me, also the first anime I watched dub.

3.Inuyasha Just another anime from my prime, I used to stay up to watch late night adult swim to see this show, and man was I pissed when school came around and I couldn't do that anymore and when summer came again everything was different so I gave up on that until recently, some guy at the mess hall at my college that hangs out there ALL the time knew I liked anime and said he found the 2nd season box set of Inuyasha and it was sitting there for hours nobody claimed it so he gave it to me, and I do plan on seeing all of Inuyasha.


Honorable Mentions

1.Yu-Gi-Oh! It was one of my addictions for a while, I was into the card game and what not, I no longer watch it, I left off at season 2 of GX you never know I might go back and pick the show up again just to see it, definitely not the cards though. I just think it was worth putting as an honorable mention, we all know what it's about.

2.Berzerk You know, the first 5 minutes of the show when I first saw Guts I was like, what happened to this guy...wouldn't you know the whole series is a flashback about what happened to him up until that very moment. I need to pick up the manga and read it, Berzerk is just amazing.

I know I'm missing more, there is still anime I want to and need to watch, again like I said before, you see what I like and if you have recommendations just PM me.

I'm more of the girly type shows, so get ready to be ambushed by girliness!


PEACH GIRL

Thoughts-This lovely shoujo series was first shown in manga form and of course my fisrt ever insight of anime/manga life. The series itself gives out this intense déjà vu emotion and wraps you in the characters point of views. Peach Girl is a story that most females in high school can relate too. I'm also very sure that there is always a Sae Kashiwagi to make our love life a roll coaster!

Art- The art is a bit out of the usuall extra pretty drawn characters, but it's still very nice and unique. There's always a lot of warm colors and a decent sense of modern fashion.

Characters- Each one is someone you can relate too. That about sums it out...really that's it.
Prefer- Japanese voices over English for sure. Basically I had the whole series even before it aired over here in the US. But when I got a sneak peak of the english version...the voices were so choppy and out of character..

Yamato Nadesico Shichi Henge

Thoughts-This show is also known as Perfect Girl Evolution and The Wallflower. This show is so hilarious that it had me shedding tears of joy! PGE has both humor and real life relation when it comes to emotions.

Art- I simply love the chibi mode and stick figurines! The art for the males were like a comedy to how bishie men are drawn to look like chicks. The females are the usaull well drawn long legs type.

Azumanga Daioh

Thoughts- This show was beyond randomness and so freakin' hilarious! This is the type of show, that if your having a mellow day; just pop in Azu and enjoy a night of laughter and awwww's.

Art- It's nice drawn in the bubbly sense of way.

Well I recently gotten into the anime world, so I don't know much else to say upon what's my favorites. ut the others listed above sounds pretty good.

Hmm well

Kino's Journey is my favorite series. Every mini arc is really unique and no idea is used twice. The art and animation is great. The main characters Kino and Hermes are a pretty good team. Character development wasn't all that necessary but it was there which was nice. The dub fit the series. All the deep philosophical stuff I have forgotten but I remember really enjoying that too.


Metropolis is my favorite movie. Amazing animation and unique art are big here. The dub was perfect. Top 3 for sure. The overall story kept changing and it had a lot of going on. It really kept me entertained. They had a lot of metaphors and ideas behind the story which was cool to. Then the characters were all well rounded and interesting. They really didn't pull any punches in this one.


I didn't wanna write too too much here because It would be a pain to read(I couldn't get through the first too posts..). So if you are curious enough to care about what else I like pm me...

Well, I'm new so I'll just start off by saying i'll only post my top three favorites for now, because I'm too lazy right now and wanna scour the net for the next few hours looking for nothing in particular. =P

RANK ONE: Ghost in the Shell (The movies and Stand Alone Complex, including Solid State Society) S.A.C. is the most brilliantly planned, animated, and dubbed anime i've ever seen. THE ONLY anime that I'll actually refuse to watch the subbed version of. The english dub's voice actors were well picked and fit the characters well. It's not the voice acting that makes it the best crime drama of both worlds (The anime and the regular), rather its intelligent philosophies, plotlines, and great use of characters who seem realistic and cases that keep you guessing. The philosophical elements keep the viewer interested while proposing perplexing questions about life itself. As for the plot, the main cases of both seasons as well as the movies are complex cases of criminal genius never before seen. Truly worth watching if you enjoy action packed shootouts, mind boggling mysteries, and cases that'll keep you guessing until the very end.

RANK TWO: Lucky Star Lucky Star, the most amazing, colorful, hap-hap-pi high school drama ever. Definately by far the best 24 minutes you'll ever spend watching a drama. The 24 episode series follows a group of four girls through three years of high school. The main character, Konata Izumi, is an Otaku with a silly little habit of playing tricks on her friends Kagami, Tsukasa, and Miyuki. Her obsession with anime, manga, and video games carries over into her real life experiences, and she often talks about things from games or anime. YouTube the first episode and just wait and see if you get hooked.

RANK THREE: Elfen Lied Elfen Lied: Often looked over as just another splatter/fan service anime, it is far more than that. Elfen Lied goes into the depths of human society to show just how dark the world of man truly is. It explores the dificulties of diversity, acceptance, and hate, with characters who keep the story interesting. Only thirteen episodes long, each episode is packed full of energy and entertainment for every fan. The story is extremely emotionally driven, with emotional depth that will have you draw tears at least once. It will take you for an emotional roller coaster ride. A true five out of five anime.

I have more than 140 anime titles watched in my entire life and I have to take my pick for these animes and I gonna explain these briefly. Some may have disadvantages and it is hard for me to choose among these 140+ animes...

As of now, my random top faves are:

1. Rurouni Kenshin/Samurai X - The best sword-fighting technique goes to this one! I like this anime because of Kenshin Himura, a samurai with the cross mark on his cheek. Instead of killing innocent lives in his past, he rewrites his present by no bloodshed fights, using his sword technique. In this OAVs, it reveals his past encounters with Tomoe and his future life with Kaoru.

2. Naruto - Ninja techniques are making this anime better than some of the action anime titles. Unfortunately, because of the series takes too long in television, I have to read the manga instead! The difference, some extra humors are not in the manga when I read this one!

3. Bleach - Shinigamis are awesome, especially Ichigo himself. One of the best sword fighting animes released, Bleach had showcase the better visual effects, and a good story flow.

4. Mobile Suit Gundam Series - Specifically, I watched more than 5 of these (Gundam Wing Endless Waltz, Gundam G, Gundam X After War, Gundam Z, Gundam Seed, Gundam Seed Destiny, SD Gundam Generation) and I find it very different from some robot animes. Most of the pilots here are young and high-spirited.
There are some disadvantages on watching some of the Gundam Series like:
a. The graphics of SD Gundam is a 3D type, I like the chibi robots but I hate the visual effects.
b. In both Gundam Seed & Gundam Seed Destiny, the characters I hated most are Flay Allster & Shin Asuka, they're overacting themselves!

5. Black Jack - This unlicensed surgeon had come to make a miracle for the sick, given a second chance. I really like Pinocco's bloopers and Black Jack's hand of God; this anime had touched the lives of all viewers, young or old alike.

The Hall of Famers:

1. Astro Boy - this Osamu Tezuka masterpiece had started the anime more than 40 years ago. This robot boy had admired the people, either young or old. There are many adventures of Astro Boy, connecting robots and humans together on Earth. Eventhough I don't remember this anime, I had some clues watching the US colored version & the latest Astro Boy releases.

2. Voltes V - the five-man team composed of three brothers and two cohorts had took advantage of being one of the best robots known worldwide. I kinda grew up watching this all over again.

3. Dragon Ball series - I really admired this anime because of the Martial Arts. It all evolves to this man, Son Gokou, from the Dragon Balls to the enemies encountered. I had to watch this one all over again, due to its popular demand in Asia!

Ja ne.

FIRST- Ayashi no ceres. The story revolves around a teenage girl named Aya and her twin brother Aki, members of the wealthy and powerful Mikage family.

On their sixteenth birthday, they are called to gather in their family home to be given a special present. The present was actually some sort of test -- which Aya failed. She is proven to be a reincarnation of a tennyō (celestial maiden), and when her hidden memory is jogged, she will transform into Ceres, the tennyō. According to the legend, if left to live, the reincarnation of Ceres will bring ruin upon the Mikage family. Aya quickly finds she is being hunted by her own family who plans to kill her. She is saved by Suzumi Aogiri, another tennyo descendant, Yūhi, a very energetic teenager and Suzumi's brother-in-law, and Tōya, a mysterious man with whom Aya soon falls in love.

Events escalate as Aya struggles to control Ceres and her brother gains the ability to manifest as the "Progenitor", the ancestor of the Mikage family who happen to have stolen Ceres' hagoromo (celestial robe) that will help her open the gate of heaven.

As Aya's allies increase, which include two tennyo like herself and the Aogiri family, and Tōya, she manages to reach a compromise with Ceres such that Ceres will not manifest herself without Aya's approval so long as Aya manages to recover Ceres' lost hagoromo.

Aya's quest to find Ceres' hagoromo wavers as she attempts to avoid her family, the advances of the Progenitor, and forces that threaten to tear her apart from Tōya, whose lost memory may be the key to finding Ceres' hagoromo. Toya soon learns that he was the organism that was created from the "hagoromo" or mana and his purpose was to return the mana back to Ceres. His love for Aya set him apart from everyone else.

SECOND- Fushigi Yuugi. About miaka,a girl in the real worls who happened to read a book "tha universe of the four Gods" and went inside it. in the book she became the priestest of suzaku and fall in love of in one of the character in the story. and as the story continues, Miaka and her best friend became enemies.

THIRD- Inuyasha. The story centers around a time-traveling middle school student, a half-demon, a lecherous monk, a young fox demon, a demon slayer, and a nekomata during the Sengoku period who seek to restore the Jewel of Four Souls (Shikon no Tama) and to keep it out of the hands of the evil Naraku. This series also displays the hardships and chaos in that Japanese era.

FOURTH- Samutrai x
FIFTH- Full metal panic

I sorta want to make this short as possible
(by rank of course)

1.Ah! my Goddess-Ah my Goddess is definatly a hearttaker for me the story is a tradinal love story of Keiichi Morisato a man thats always taken advantage of until he meets Belldandy the scenes of confessiong his love to her always got me & the final episode was greatly inspering to me as you can get the love you want I am a boy falling for a romance anime but it really unique in everyway possible plus beliving to have the most beatiful girl in anime *Belldandy* well that's just me anyway so that series will remain #1 for mr forever

2.Fullmetal Alchemist-Nearly got to #1 but #2 is just as good as it had the same feel as Ah! my Goddess Ed was born into the world of alchemy to use it along with his brother Alphonse but after a series of problems come the boys lose them selves some what Ed is right arm & left leg Al his entire body & with a series of charcters intrieging moments & a heartfelt movie to end it all who not to say Fullmetal Alchemist is one of the greatest animes out there

3.The Melancholy of Haruhi Suzumiya-Who can do whatever they want & get away with it? apperently it's Haruhi Suzumiya as she & SoS Brigade members, Yuki Nagato, Mikuru Asahina, Kyon, & Itsuki Koizumi go about into wierd phanomeon all I can say is she is literally pawning our world so get ready that's why she's #3

4.Beck-Want to rock? then cheak Beck yo Koyuki lies a dead end street of being 14 utile he meets Ryusuke, Saito-san, & the freaky mutt Beck Im a guitarist & been playin for 11/2 yrs & this enspires me also my frineds say I look like Taira *the Bassist of Beck* all I need to do is dye my hair white lol

5..hack//SIGN-[The World] is not what is seems but what is the true world said by Tsukasa he travel the online game [The World] unable to logout to find out awnser on his questions & meets great friends & allies like Crim the red lighting, Mimiru, Subaru, Bear, Sora & alot more plus it's series to mess with you mind love it & the games were great especially G.U.

& Sorry wasn't short at all huh?
-----------------------------------------------------------------------
Other recomandation's
Higurashi no Naku Koro ni
Evangelion
Lucky Star
Death Note
DrangonBall Z
etc.

When there's a new number one, you know it's time to update your list, lol. I'll first post the full revised list, then note which were removed and give reviews of those added. Note that rather than 3 tiers, it is now in many tiers.

1. Tengen Toppa Gurren Lagann

2. Neon Genesis Evangelion
3. Welcome to the NHK
4. The Melancholy of Haruhi Suzumiya

5. Serial Experiments Lain

6. Mai-HiME
7. Fooly Cooly

8. Revolutionary Girl Utena

9. Kino’s Journey
10. The Soultaker
11. Kanon 2006

12. Air
13. Simoun

14. Manabi Straight
15. Ichigo Mashimaro

Honorable Mentions
16. Hitohira
17. Boogiepop Phantom
18. R.O.D. the TV
19. Maria-sama ga Miteru

REMOVED: The old honorable mentions since they were BS anyway, and moved Hitohira and Boogiepop down into them because I don't think they are quite deserving of favorite status.

ADDED:

1. Tengen Toppa Gurren-Lagann - I could write a novel about Gurren-Lagann and why it's amazing, but I don't need to, because I can sum it all up with one phrase - Gurren Lagann is Gurren Lagann. There's nothing else comperable.

10. The Soultaker - My shinbo fanboyism at it's best, lol. The Soultaker is stylized genius. It doesn't brag about itself or anything - it tells a straightforward story as interesting as any interesting anime, however it does so with as much uniqueness overlayed as humanly possible. The way this show was so utterly thoroughly dark was simply amazing - it's one of the most downright gothic shows around. The symbolism is perfect, striking the balance between blatant and withdrawn. The show gives you a beginning to end journey and lets you detail it as you please.

15. Ichigo Mashimaro - This show is just downright cute. It's my favorite slice-of-life comedy and is obscure enough to make it not quite like anything you've seen before, but familiar enough that it's wam to the heart. The characters are all memorably unique and work expertly together. it really stands out in my memory as one of the most warmhearted shows around.

18. R.O.D. the TV: This show is great for the drama and slice-of-life elements being strong enough to make for a fun ride. While it's not perfect, it is still entertaining and endearing. What makes it worty of honorable mention, though, is the fights and the yuri, lol. Okay, I try not to count the yuri too much, but it really was done very damn well. The scene between Anita and her would-be lover is one of my favorite anime scenes, period. The fights were some of the most clever things imaginable - perfectly directed, fully animated, but most importantly, utterly unique. The writers really take advantage of the powers to the fullest.

19. Maria-sama ga Miteru - I think FasteriskHead explained it much better than I can in the old-*** 5 Absolute Favorite thread if you feel like hunting it down.

EDIT: dug it up for you anyway, since it's worth reading the post. After all, I've read it so many times I can practically recite it. http://otakuboards.com/showpost.php?...4&postcount=12

Right now .... I'd have to say my favs are ...

1. Welcome to the NHK - Funny and thought provoking at times. The more I think about this show the more layers and facets I see taking shape. Can't wait to see more.

2. FLCL - Great music, cool characters and lots of bizare action.

3. Last Exile - I like the story. I usually look for character depth and development as the main hook (aside from mechaand cool imagery) .. I like the characters here and the way the story moves along at a decent clip.

4. Naruto - I got totally sucked into the Fan Subs on this and the first Shippuden story arc was pretty darn good. I've got a lot of catching up to do on the first series ... but that's what weekends are for.

5. Death Note - Another great character driven story. The battle of wits between Light and L keeps me coing back for more ...

Honorable mentions - Ergo Proxy, Neo Genesis Evangelion, Macross ...

I love these lists .. you all have pretty good taste and I'm always finding something interesting in the anime that you watch. Keep up the great work.

Laz

FAV ANIME

(Not in any particular order)

1) Full Moon: I just love how they show the emotions and made me cry all the way! it's like really devastating and sometimes I'd look at reruns and say "I can't believe how much I love this." The anime are drawn perfectly, not deformed like that of Kanon 2002.

2) Inuyasha: Even though it has almost 200 episodes, there is a lot of details and it doesn't rush into things. For example, it was pretty obvious that Kagome liked Inuyasha, but they didn't come straight out and say it! It kept me on the edge of my seat, all the action and stuff. I loved how they drew it with such precision.

3) Pretear: I had thought about writing a book like this one. The characters fit the plot perfectly. Best part is that the pairs in this story made a lot of sense AND the characters aren't made to be a perfect person. There's also sadness, which I really love.

4) Kirarin Revolution: Not many people know of its existence! But I love the chibi use! It makes the anime just more enjoyable to watch!

5) Unoccupied.

At this point, I'm considering all favorites lists of mine null and void over the past month my top 5 has changed to include Baccano! and Eureka Seven and I've seen so much great stuff.... maybe a year or so from now when I've seen a lot more I can give a safer judgement.

That's part of the fun of getting deeper into a hobby... seeing how your tastes shift. Every time I think my favorites have stabilized, some new (or old) show jumps onto the list. (ef and Mononoke are the latest intruders, I think). I especially like keeping track of this kind of thing for video games & manga and such, since I've spent less time with them than I have with anime, and it leaves me more prone to getting swept off my feet.

~Dagger~

Originally Posted by Dagger

That's part of the fun of getting deeper into a hobby... seeing how your tastes shift. Every time I think my favorites have stabilized, some new (or old) show jumps onto the list. (ef and Mononoke are the latest intruders, I think). I especially like keeping track of this kind of thing for video games & manga and such, since I've spent less time with them than I have with anime, and it leaves me more prone to getting swept off my feet.

~Dagger~

There's a part of me that finds it exciting and great, but an equally large part that makes me feel like I definitely haven't seen enough for my opinion to sway so easily. Adding to this is how shows like Neon Genesis Evangelion and Haruhi which were my two alltime favorites until about 4 months ago are barely clinging to my top 5 lol.

Top Tier

1. Death Note - I found out about this Anime about 3 months before it came to the US and began watching fansubs until it started playing on [as]. The story of how a brilliant mind comes into possesion of a book of unimaginable power and is then the focus of a manhunt.. It was a briilliant one indeed.

2. Fullmetal Alchemist - One of the best rounded Anime's out there. When an Anime can make you cry (i.e. Hughes Death), you know you have something right there. I'm usually not the fan of overly powered teenagers/youth much anymore, but this one I can say I will always love for the deep story.

3. Shippuden - I really disliked the first part of Naruto for the simple fact, like I said, kids being overly powered. Yes, I know their still youngsters, but at least their older. It has an interesting story but there are way too many fillers.. At least that's my only complaint, lol. Great series nontheless.

4. Outlaw Star - It's hard to pass up the older Anime. In fact, I own the entire series on DVD. It had an interesting story and I really couldn't find anything wrong with it. C'mon.. Ctarl Ctarl? Cat women are shmexy. =3

5. Neon Genisis Evangalion - Giant fighting biological robots.. How can you argue with the traditional Anime? Yes, I know that giant robots are played out, but with an Anime like this you hardly notice it. Also.. Wait, people would call me a pedophile so I won't say a word about Asuka, lmao.

Honorable Mention

Elven Lied - First Aniem to ever make me squimish and I've seen a few. The first time I saw a battle I nearly got sick. I suppose the only part that really got me was the fight where there were fingers sliced off.. I don't take that kind of violence very well.