I mean, just look at the difference of quality between S2 and S3 of RWBY. All of it was better in S2: the lighting, the choreography, the animation in general... e.g. Torchwick vs Blake/Sun or the train scene, VS any fight in S3. The only interesting battle in S3 was Mercury vs Yang. And the little bits of glimpses we got of Ironwood fighting.

The S4 teaser didn't seem like anything spectacular but I hope they will at least have more interesting action than the previous season.

So, as far as anime goes I sigh and roll my eyes at a lot of it, but I'm a fan of Deathnote, I've seen the first few episodes of Tokyo Ghoul and liked that. I love the Steins;gate anime a lot, and I've been getting into Rurouni Kenshin and enjoying that. Of course I've seen a good number of Studio Ghibli films and enjoyed those.
I don't mind original Pokemon (Indigo league?) but don't like any series since then. I like original Digimon a fair amount.
So if anyone can recommend anything for me to check out based off of these I'd be appreciative.

If you liked Death Note, the TV series a lot of people pair it with is Code Geass because of its similar sense of grandiosity and theme. Other works by Death Note's director might be up your alley. so check out an episode or two of Guilty Crown, Highschool of the Dead, Attack on Titan, and Kabaneri of the Iron Fortress and see if any of them pique your interest; none of them are as thematically interesting as Death Note, but if you want some good old-fashioned Hollywood spectacle action, you can't go wrong with any of them. If you enjoyed the more gothic visual style of Death Note and want something that also looks at the nature of humanity, Death Parade should be right up your alley!

Tokyo Ghoul is far outside of my interest zone (zombies/vampires/etc.), so I can't reliably give you any recommendations based on my own personal experience. MAL users recommend Parasyte -the maxim-, Deadman Wonderland, and Shiki for similar titles, with a ton of recs for the first one. So there's that.

Steins;Gate is a bit of a unique fish, in that there aren't many anime out there like it. The closest I can think of is Puella Magi Madoka Magica, which is similar in both directing style and a certain other way that I can't give away because holy shit spoilers. The currently-airing Re:Zero is also touted as a similar title by the anime community, so there's another option.

Anime similar to Rurouni Kenshin are a bit odd, because they're definitely similar in tone and directing, but next to none of them involve samurai. But if that's not a problem, then you can add Trigun, Noragami, Samurai Champloo, and the long-running gag series Gintama to your list.

As for the Studio Ghibli films, if you haven't yet seen them all, some of the most essential titles include Castle in the Sky, On Your Mark, Nausicaa of the Valley of Wind, Porco Rosso, Whisper of the Heart, Kiki's Delivery Service, Grave of the Fireflies, Princess Mononoke, Ocean Waves, Only Yesterday, Spirited Away, The Secret World of Arrietty, When Marnie was There, The Wind Rises, and The Tale of Princess Kaguya. I would also recommend checking out the Lupin III material Miyazaki did, such as the '71 TV series and Castle of Cagliostro.

There are also a few excellent anime films similar to the works of Studio Ghibli, and these include Children Who Chase Lost Voices, Junkers Come Here, Summer Wars, and The Girl Who Leapt Through Time.

And if you're somehow screaming for more anime, you can always check out my MyAnimeList list! And read my reviews over on my blogging site as shown in my signature!

The Girl Who Leapt Through Time. What a movie, cheers Zelkiiro.

Holy fudgecicles that is a useful list you've got there. Will be using that as reference for sure. Just finished Psycho-Pass, I liked it a whole freaking lot. Is Fate/Zero really as good as I've heard?

It's my favorite anime of all time, but to be as impartial as I can be, it's certainly not for everyone. Some possible hitches include...

- While not absolutely essential, knowing about the Fate/Stay Night universe and the events of that story can make things easier to digest upon your initial viewing.
- The first half of the series is very, very slow. It builds a lot of dread and tension, but it can also test your patience.
- The show is fuckin' bleak. Like, no hope whatsoever. If you're rooting for someone or waiting for something hopeful to happen, don't--only death awaits...just about everybody.
- The first episode is an hour long, and it's a huge info-dump. This can really turn people off.
- The last episode has the series unfortunately remembering that it's shackled to Fate/Stay Night, and so it's a bit of an anticlimactic bummer. Still good, but it could've been so much more (full of suffering).
- Lots of discussions about philosophy. I love that shit, and you might too, if you liked Psycho-Pass (same writer, by the way), but action-hounds might find themselves tapping their feet impatiently.
- Gen Urobuchi really assumes you already know everything about the various Servants' backstories, so he doesn't dwell on them. Be sure to refresh your memory about Gilgamesh, Alexander the Great, Diarmuid Ua Duibhne, King Arthur, Gilles de Rais, Hassan al-Sabbah, and I can't tell you who #7 is, so you're just kinda boned with him.

But if none of that bothers you, then yeah. It's fuckin' amazing.

Cool, thanks for that. I'd be willing to check out Fate/Stay Night too, I'll give it a shot then go for Zero. Everything you described sounds very appealing to me, so I'm so up for it. You wouldn't actually recommend skipping Fate/Stay Night, would you?

Fate/Stay Night is a strange animal. The 2006 anime series is straight-up dogshit, and the 2014 anime series was actually made 3 years after Fate/Zero by the same studio, and they added a lot of winks and nods to it, making it odd to watch it BEFORE Fate/Zero. The typical recommendation is to read the Fate/Stay Night visual novel first, but I don't think it's all that necessary. I mean, you can if you want to, but you don't need to.

I did watch the first 8-9 episodes of Fate/Stay Night 2006 back when it was airing before dumping it and promptly forgetting about it, so I technically had insight into the franchise, but for all intents and purposes, I just went into Fate/Zero blind. There were a couple things that threw me off--like what the hell "the Root" was, and Zouken saying his goal was "the 3rd Magic, Heaven's Feel" was really confusing--but those were the main ones, and I can help you out by explaining what those are right now! :'D

"The Root" is, well, the root of all knowledge. The Akashic Record. Tokiomi Tohsaka wants to use the Holy Grail to reach it because he's a scholar, and so of course he wants all knowledge, but only the Holy Grail can give him enough magic power to enter the alternate dimension where it resides. Then there's the "3rd Magic" line--it's a bit of an odd translation, and I prefer the visual novel's term "3rd Sorcery" instead. According to Fate/Stay Night, a Sorcery is an incredibly complex magic that is almost godlike. It's not always something destructive, because the 3rd Sorcery in question, "Heaven's Feel," is a magic spell that can flawlessly rejuvenate the soul, restore it to its prime, and even transfer it to another vessel. Zouken is an extremely old man--over 400 years old--and he uses his worm magic (yes, that's a thing) to devour people, eat their souls, and gain a bit of longevity from assimilating their flesh. But his own soul festers and ages, and his vampirism can't keep him alive much longer, so of course he's after a godlike spell that can fully heal his soul and allow him to assume a new form without decaying.

Boom! Now, everything else you need to know about the story's universe will be explained to you in the series! So my recommendation is to just dive cold into Fate/Zero, and then check out the 2014 Fate/Stay Night series.

Awesome! I'll probably start it tonight. Thanks again.

Now, I know that the Fate/Shabadaba stories are connected to Tsukihime in some way right? I think it's the same writer but do they take place in the same universe or am I misremembering? I've gone through a few of the paths in that visual novel and loved it a lot but never went to the Fate/Stuff so I'm curious if my knowledge and adoration of Tsukihime is going to help me understand how everything works there (do people die when they are killed?) or will it be a bonus or will it have precisely zero effect and I'm a big dumb goober?

They're in the same universe, yes, but almost none of the concepts that Tsukihime revolves around (demons, vampires, the Church) play that big of a role in Fate/Stay Night (except that Zouken is a kinda-sorta vampire and Kirei is an inquisitor). You'll notice a few familiar terms here and there, and there are some minor shout-outs every once in a while (the mage Alba from Garden of Sinners makes a brief cameo in the Big Flashback Sequence of Fate/Zero), but otherwise, the two franchises have very little overlap. It's a minor treat for observant fans every now and again, but nothing that affects the story at large.

Starting second season. I'm really enjoying it so far.

It gets better. Oh, lawd, does it get better. You'll find out why Gen Urobuchi's nickname is "The Butcher." :3

Episode 16 was BADASS. I love the way Kiritsugu did the thing and the stuff with the spell and Maiya did the thing and the stuff with the gun - so darn wicked and clever.

"Sorry. I just signed a contract forbidding me from doing so."

YES. Consider me hooked. I can tell I'm in for a treat with these following episodes. I was unsure about the set up that lasted for, well, most of the first season but now it's getting REALLY good. I'm glad I decided to give this series a shot.

Yo Zelk, I see that NHK ni Youkoso! is on your plan to watch list. That's my favorite anime (followed closely by Steins;Gate and Shirobako), so I'd be interested to see what you think of it. Based on your other scores/viewing habits, I have no idea whether you'll like it or not, though.

Slice of life is my favorite genre, so sometimes I have to force myself to watch the more popular shows that land outside that box. Usually when I do, it doesn't end well (see Re:Zero or the particularly heinous Future Diary), but every once in a while there's a show like Kill la Kill that makes all the chance-taking worth it. Prominent series I plan on finally getting to soon include Angel Beats and Shinsekai Yori.

^ not to interrupt and go off topic, but what would be some of the best slice of lifes? I've been enjoying those as much as the more involved ones.

And I loved Shinsekai Yori. I've only seen like ~30 series total but that one ranks among my personal favorites.

My time is precious to me, so I wouldn't add something to my PTW list if I didn't already think I'd enjoy it. I tend to enjoy dramedies, and the premise sounds very promising, so the future's looking up. ;D

If we define slice-of-life as a series that lacks a singularly-focused main continuous plot, and that focuses on the daily lives of its characters almost exclusively, then some of my personal favorites and acknowledged greats include...

Fruits Basket, Azumanga Daioh, His and Her Circumstances, Clannad ~After Story~, The Melancholy/Disappearance of Haruhi Suzumiya, Cowboy Bebop (it fits!), Midori Days, Great Teacher Onizuka, Astro Fighter Sunred, Haibane Renmei, AnoHana, Black Lagoon (it does, too!), Usagi Drop, Planetes, Chihayafuru, Kino's Journey, NANA, Bamboo Blade, WataMote, BECK, Angel Beats!, Ore Monogatari!!, Hibike! Euphonium, One Punch Man, Death Parade, Hajime no Ippo, Insufficient Direction, Princess Nine, and Seraphim Call! And that's not including essential slice-of-life films like Whispers of the Heart, Kiki's Delivery Service, Junkers Come Here, and 5 Centimeters Per Second!

Yes, I am aware some of those titles cross genre boundaries, but! But! They all conform to my rules--no dominant central plot, and complete focus on characters' daily lives. And they're all great.

Well, I'll stretch beyond Zelkiiro's (admittedly accurate) limits of SOL and say that the aforementioned NHK ni Youkoso! and Shirobako are probably the best I've seen--though, yeah, there's probably a little bit more to those than the average slice of life series. I very much doubt NHK's categorization as an SOL series in particular, but hey, most people call it one so I'm rolling with it!

NHK is about a guy who had a mental breakdown on his first day of college and decides to never leave his apartment. That is, until a mysterious girl shows up at his door and decides to "fix" him. It's a blend of light-hearted hilarity and heavy-hitting, existentialist drama. The protagonists' psychological demons manifest in pretty stylish ways, and the black humor, particularly in one amazing scenario I won't spoil, is on point. It's a little uneven at times, but overall it's an amazing ride and had a deep effect on me. Be wary, though; if you identify with the main character as much as I do, it could leave you with a serious case of soul-crushing depression.

Shirobako has sort of the opposite effect, I guess; it's about people who make anime, and despite the light aesthetics, it's a fairly realistic portrayal of the intensive, hellish routine they go through to do what they love. It parodies certain aspects of the industry very well and doesn't resort to cheap melodrama like so many similar shows do. It's full of characters you want to see succeed, so much so that I broke out crying from sheer happiness near the end. Now that's a rarity! Overall, inspiring stuff, even if it took me a little while to get into.

I'd say give Shirobako a little time if you don't dig it at first (maybe four or five episodes), but pass on NHK if you aren't feeling it by episode two.

I also love Flying Witch (an essentially plotless heartwarmer) and really like Isshukan Friends (a super cute 'amnesia' romance). I won't even bother recommending some of the moe-trash anime I like, as I'm pretty sure no one here is interested lol. I'm still exploring, too, so I haven't seen it all, but those are my faves.

Thank you very much, again! I'm quite surprised at myself in that I've seen a decent chunk of those! Death Parade was easily one of my favorites, and I loved Beck and AnoHana.



Thank you as well, I think I'll enjoy NHK and Shirobako sounds quite interesting.

Few episodes left, holy fudge muffins this is really good. Also, Berserker's identity - that's badass. I guessed it would be him, but wasn't sure. This is building up to be one of my favorites already.

Speaking of slice of life, the very recently ended Amaama to Inazuma was extremely enjoyable, although



I'm hoping for a second season!

It's not just you. Apparently in the manga it was made even more clear (in thought bubbles), though I don't think the characters have ever talked about it openly. And yes, I would have enjoyed it more too!

As for the series, I thought it was well-written and well-executed, but it didn't resonate with me very deeply. It got pretty formulaic, and that took away from it for me. Still a pleasant and occasionally heart-warming experience, though.

Huh, I wonder where the manga will take things from here.

Yeah, Amaama is about as formulaic as you can get while still maintaining some sort of a plot, but that's also why I liked the show so much. They took a very specific idea (cooking and its effects on emotions) and really explored it. They were actually very creative within the confines they set for themselves. That, and it reminds me of cooking with my boyfriend

Yeah, it's really no fault of the show's own; I guess I should have anticipated some indifference since I'm not really a food/cooking guy. If was into that, I probably would have had a blast with it.

Here's a taste of the bits I mentioned before from a random MAL post (*spoilers*):

She's so cute in the manga! That's basically where I was hoping the show would go, so here's hoping for season two! If only my cooking attempts would turn out as well as theirs.

I'd probably watch a second season just to find out if it goes there. It'd be cool to see Tsumugi slowly grow up, too.

I started watching Akagami no Shirayuki-hime (four episodes in) and I'm really liking it so far. Kinda gives me a Spice and Wolf feel with the 'romance in a realistic fantasy world' vibes. I like that while the series acknowledges that its protagonist is beautiful, it also shows that she's a total badass who earns people's admiration beyond that superficial first impression. I do think she may be a little too perfect, though, and a specific weakness somewhere could add more depth and realism to the character, but I'll see where it goes.

Volume 3 introduced more detailed environments, as well as more complex camera angles and panning shots. Unfortunately, the side-effect to this is that the fight choreography and fluidity took a hit--a big one in some fights (Weiss & Yang v. Flynt & Neon, especially). The environments in volume 2 and earlier were bland by comparison, and the quality of the animation remained consistent arguably because most of the best fights were rarely depicted from more than one or two vantage points. You could say that volume 3 was trying to expand beyond this and overextended itself in the process--growing pains, in other words. I'd take it over volume 2, though, for all the reasons I mentioned earlier.

Volume 4 looks clean as hell compared to its predecessors. The environments and character models have less of a poor-quality-and-contrast, cell-shaded video gamey feel to them. Hopefully, Rooster Teeth are ironing out the knots seen in volume 3 and this whole thing doesn't fall on its face.

Hibike Euphonium season 2 will be airing very soon! I just hope KyoAni decides to stop teasing me and actually lets Kumiko and Reina be canon instead of the BS we got last season:

I just hope season two is as glorious as the first one was.

Finished with Fate/Zero. I must say it was fantastic. It makes me wanna check out Stay Night just because. Kiritsugu is definitely one of the coolest character I've ever seen. That anti-magic pistol was fuckin' badass. That was definitely the best show of that style I've seen, unless you count Death Parade, because I personally love that one.

After Fate/Zero, I started watching Stay Night out of curiosity. That didn't last long. (I don't know how the remake holds up though. All I know is that the original Stay Night's story was pitiful compared to Fate/Zero's.)

Yeah I think I'm content with Zero. I might end up watching Stay Night way later, but I have so much other stuff to watch. Don't really know what to watch next though.

I've never heard about Fate/Zero, i think i'll give it a shot.

My anime favorites :

- Kaiji (both seasons are awesome)
- Death Note
- Monster
- PsychoPass
- Fullmetal Alchemist Brotherhood
- Gungrave
- GTO
- Saint Seiya (my childhood memories)
- Dragon Ball (and NOT Dragon Ball Z)
- Soul Eater
- City Hunter


Cool ones (but no masterpieces IMO) :

- Gundam Seed
- Darker Than Black
- Naruto (without fillers and NOT Naruto Shippuden)
- Hokuto No Ken
- Macross
- Captain Harlock
- Escaflowne
- Gintama
- Code Geass (actually i just liked the 1st season)


Meh :

- Samurai Champloo
- Black Butler
- Noir
- Code Geass (2nd season)


I hated :

I didn't hate any anime, except this stinking and smoking turd that is Evangelion.

I have a feeling it's been talked about a lot here, but One Punch Man is fantastic in every way. I love the hell out of those scribbly moments during action scenes and, in my opinion, it also has the smoothest body motion I've seen in anime, excluding most Studio Ghibli stuff. Humour's (relatively) tasteful and quick-witted, and especially a breath of fresh air in a world where OMG AWKWARRDDD jokes appear constantly (I like a lot of anime, but even in good stuff I've always found that kind of humour kinda irksome). I have to mention the Japanese voice actors' impeccable timing, in addition, though I can't say the same for the English dub. Overall, thoroughly entertaining, and an anime I'd definitely choose as an introduction to those new to the medium.

I tried OPM, couldn't get into it at all.

We can all hope, but I wouldn't bet on it. Slowly but very surely, they're pushing their hetero agenda on us with the pairing, as well. Either way, the first season was pleasant (especially the second half), so I'm also looking forward to the second.

I thought it was ok but massively overrated. Couldn't understand why it was heralded as more than what it really was. Entertaining sure, but not the be-all-end-all anime.