New to Anime. What to buy?

R

redneon

Completely Average High School Student
I'm fairly new to anime. I've always liked the style and I'm a huge gamer so I've been around it quit a bit, I've just never bothered to actually watch much. That's probably because I hardly watch TV, though. I tend to spend my spare time just playing games.

The only anime that I've had a lot of contact with has been Japanese games (and a lot of them). I've got a few manga movies on DVD, the obligatory Akira, Ghost in the Shell, Ninja Scrolls etc. But I've always shied away from the series' because the sheer volume of them is so daunting. Plus, each series seems to have about seven or eight DVDs, each at £15. It can be quite expensive.

I graduated from Uni and started working as a games programmer a few months ago and now I'm earning money I want to start investing in some decent anime stuff. Am I too old? I'm 24 =o) I've already bought some nice Final Fantasy and Capcom figures for my desk at work but I'm yet to watch much.

I'm sure these questions are asked a lot but I'm hoping that they wont be too annoying. Basically, I'm wondering what anime stuff to buy? One of my friends is a huge Cowboy Bebop and Samurai Champloo fan so he's lending me his DVDs of those. I was contemplating buying the first DVD of Neon Genesis Evangelion or Full Metal Alchemist from Play. Perhaps even Trigun, because I've heard a lot of good things about that.

Also, where's the best place to buy DVDs and stuff from? I've been getting my figures from Forbidden Planet's website and www.tokyotoys.com. I would like to start reading some mangas too but the problem there is that most of them are already established and there'd be so much back story to catch up on, I imagine. Plus, I haven't got a clue where I'd buy them and if they're weekly (as I imagine) they'd be pretty hard to keep up with.

It all seems a bit daunting to me at the minute. It's probably just because I'm overwhelmed at the amount available. It can't be possible to keep track of it all =o)
 
Welcome to fandom.

Being a huge Evangelion fan I'd obviously recommend that especially since you are older. That might not be the best choice as an introduction however. Cowboy Beebop was one of the first series I saw and it's not a personal favourite but I think it would be good as an introduction. I haven't watched all of Trigun or Samurai Champloo but from what I've seen they seemed too light hearted which may or may not be a problem for you.
 
Trigun and Samurai Champloo are some of my fave animes and ones I would recommend, if you want humour then Genshiken is brilliant and one of my all time fave series in both anime and manga.

If you like sports style stuff Air Gear is about in line skating but with more fights and speed, I really recommend this.

For mechs and sky surfing, with a light hearted approach go for Eureka 7 or for more humour and space style mech action my personal fave is Vandread
 
Old?! 24?! Don’t talk rubbish!!

Any, yes, welcome to fandom.

If you’re into gaming I guess you’d prefer something with an action theme. But, I’d also advise starting with a 13 episode series (usually spread over 3 or 4 DVD’s) as that is obviously cheaper than a 26 episode series and lets you get a series under your belt a bit sooner. I started with Elfen Lied and that got me hooked, but my recommendation would have to be Gunslinger Girl. It’s just three discs (plus there’s a box set due out soon) and it offers quite a nice introduction to anime. It has action, emotion, gentle comedy, gorgeous animation and a superb soundtrack.

But the best advice would have to be to hang around on this site. That way you’ll learn lots about many different series and genres and be able to make your own decisions. I’ve bought a lot of my anime from indirect recommendations from the users of this site.

Where to buy from? Well Play and Amazon are great on-line retailers for anime (the high street is nearly always dearer). http://www.up1.co.uk/ are also good if you ever want to import your DVD’s. Series are released over there (the US) first, but thankfully the gap is now closing.

As for manga, I don’t know too much but I do know that they don’t come out weekly.

But whatever you buy, enjoy it!
 
Welcome to the wallet busting world of anime.

First off i would like to recommend Tenchi Muyo! this is one of my favourite animes and it has a huge fanbase, I think you would like it as it has a bit of everything and it can be picked up for pennies. If your into action then i would also recommend Macross Plus, It comes in a box set with the 4 episodes and movie which can be had from HMV online for £7.99

Lots of places are now doing Anime and many have sales on my shortlist consists of,

http://anime-on-line.com
http://play.com
http://amazon.co.uk
http://hmv.co.uk

These places have lots of offers and clearence items and i would recommend you take the time to read through all of their anime sections. I would also recommend reading through this forum as there are a bunch of reviews and thread about almost every anime.
 
harkins said:
Old?! 24?! Don’t talk rubbish!!

Any, yes, welcome to fandom.

If you’re into gaming I guess you’d prefer something with an action theme. But, I’d also advise starting with a 13 episode series (usually spread over 3 or 4 DVD’s) as that is obviously cheaper than a 26 episode series and lets you get a series under your belt a bit sooner. I started with Elfen Lied and that got me hooked, but my recommendation would have to be Gunslinger Girl. It’s just three discs (plus there’s a box set due out soon) and it offers quite a nice introduction to anime. It has action, emotion, gentle comedy, gorgeous animation and a superb soundtrack.

But the best advice would have to be to hang around on this site. That way you’ll learn lots about many different series and genres and be able to make your own decisions. I’ve bought a lot of my anime from indirect recommendations from the users of this site.

Where to buy from? Well Play and Amazon are great on-line retailers for anime (the high street is nearly always dearer). http://www.up1.co.uk/ are also good if you ever want to import your DVD’s. Series are released over there (the US) first, but thankfully the gap is now closing.

As for manga, I don’t know too much but I do know that they don’t come out weekly.

But whatever you buy, enjoy it!
Click to expand...

Just to add to that you can also get a lot of American dvds on Amazon.co.uk from Amazon Marketplace Sellers based in the UK. I've bought entire series that probably won't be released in the UK plus I got them quickly and at low prices.
 
Cool. Thanks a lot for your help, guys. I'll have a browse through some sites and see what I can pick up. Is it more popular/cheaper to get anime DVD from across the pond? I tend to get games and consoles from the US because we get right royally screwed over in this country =o)

Where would be a good place to get mangas from? More to the point, is it worth me bothering to get some? If they're anything like the comics in the US they'll have been running for years and might be hard to pick up.
 
redneon said:
Cool. Thanks a lot for your help, guys. I'll have a browse through some sites and see what I can pick up. Is it more popular/cheaper to get anime DVD from across the pond? I tend to get games and consoles from the US because we get right royally screwed over in this country =o)

Where would be a good place to get mangas from? More to the point, is it worth me bothering to get some? If they're anything like the comics in the US they'll have been running for years and might be hard to pick up.
Click to expand...

I would only recommend importing if it's a title or special edition that wont be released here, the price you will pay for shipping isn't worth it.

Many companies release manga in thier original right to left format now and to be honest i haven't seen any comic series in a long time. Most mangas retail in the £4.99 to £7.99 region.

Some good places for manga,

http://amazon.co.uk
http://www.bookdepository.co.uk/

and obviously theres waterstones etc that have offers on. I would also recommend ebay as you can sometimes pick up a full series on the cheap.
 
Ah, I'm obviously getting confused. I thought mangas were like comics are in the US. You know, release weekly, cheap and not reprinted. Like weekly magazines, effectively. Are they just like books, or graphics novels? Typically how many books/comics/whatever are there in a series? And the all important question: can you recommend any good mangas? ;)
 
Ebay is good for cheap mangas, I buy loads of them from there and then if I like the series I track down the rest of the volumes or I just resell them..... unfortunately I have yet to resell anything and usually end up with too many series to collect
 
redneon said:
I've got a few manga movies on DVD [...] Ghost in the Shell [...] But I've always shied away from the series' because the sheer volume of them is so daunting.
Click to expand...
So, you haven't got the Ghost in the Shell Stand Alone Complex TV series? It's probably the closest Anime comes to some kind of credible pricing scheme considering that you can pick up the two 26 episode, 7 DVD series for £30 each online. Personally, the movies are hateful things which made me very surprised when the series hit the right notes. I've just been watching the 2nd Gig over the last few days, and I think I'd actually count it among my favourite series.

Try a Studio Ghibli movie or two (Princess Mononoke, Spirited Away, Grave of the Fireflies etc.). Opinion is divided among the less mainstream anime watching community, and they don't specifically cater to your needs, but they are internationally renowned examples of anime and certainly worth a look. And frequently in DVD retailer sales to boot.

For a smaller series recommendation, try Paranoia Agent. It's not too expensive, quite fun, but very weird and unsettling. Same for Serial Experiments Lain, though I don't think it's quite of the same standard.

edit: this post was brought to you by: Sting.
 
redneon said:
Ah, I'm obviously getting confused. I thought mangas were like comics are in the US. You know, release weekly, cheap and not reprinted. Like weekly magazines, effectively. Are they just like books, or graphics novels? Typically how many books/comics/whatever are there in a series? And the all important question: can you recommend any good mangas? ;)
Click to expand...

I would recommend No Need For Tenchi and All New Tenchi Muyo! about 12/10 books per series and each book has roughly 6 chapters. But i would recommend the anime first.

It depends on what series you like. They are graphic novels with more pictuers than text and they are very simple to read.
 
Nyu said:
redneon said:
Ah, I'm obviously getting confused. I thought mangas were like comics are in the US. You know, release weekly, cheap and not reprinted. Like weekly magazines, effectively. Are they just like books, or graphics novels? Typically how many books/comics/whatever are there in a series? And the all important question: can you recommend any good mangas? ;)
Click to expand...

I would recommend No Need For Tenchi and All New Tenchi Muyo! about 12/10 books per series and each book has roughly 6 chapters. But i would recommend the anime first.

It depends on what series you like. They are graphic novels with more pictuers than text and they are very simple to read.
Click to expand...

though if u go for no need for tenchi, wait a few more months, they're currently re-releasing all the volumes, i have 6 original vols and 3 new and it just doesn't look right lol
 
Ryo Chan said:
though if u go for no need for tenchi, wait a few more months, they're currently re-releasing all the volumes, i have 6 original vols and 3 new and it just doesn't look right lol
Click to expand...

They have released upto volum ten, only 11 and 12 to go. Though i prefer the new right to left than the older left to right format, but the artwork on the old covers looks better.
 
I've just been reading on Wikipedia about Tenchi Muyo. Would I be best off watching the anime and movies before the manga? Does the story follow on? That would probably be the expensive option though, as it looks like there's lots :)

I've just returned from my lunch break at work, during which I bought Neo. I only had a quick flick through it but it looks like a pretty cool magazine.
 
redneon said:
Ah, I'm obviously getting confused. I thought mangas were like comics are in the US. You know, release weekly, cheap and not reprinted. Like weekly magazines, effectively. Are they just like books, or graphics novels? Typically how many books/comics/whatever are there in a series? And the all important question: can you recommend any good mangas? ;)
Click to expand...


They're not like that. In Japan, some manga will released chapters weekly, like comics in America, but that's now how they're sold here. Here they will be sold in volumes, with each volume containing around 8-12 chapters. They're not released once a week, more like once a month or so. And there's hardly any series' with the same level of depth as American comics, and there's certainly nothing with as many spin offs as say X-Men or Superman.

Typically there should be about 8 volumes in a series, meaning if you can get each volume for around £5 each, that's £40 per series. Anime is more expensive because of the higher production costs and whatnot, but personally I prefer anime over manga.
 
A while back a made a huge post about all the cheaper and easy to get anime in the UK. Can't find it right now but if somebody else can I guess that could help him.

Nevermind, I found it.
All of the below can be bought for around £9.99 or less.

Perfect Blue
Psycological Thriller/Horror by Satoshi Kon. Contains nudity and violence but it isn't without a point and rather than detracting from the story it adds to it. One of my personal favourites.

Cowboy Bebop: The Movie
Sci-Fi Action at it's best. Based on the series of the same name but no knowlege of the series is needed to enjoy this movie.

Millennium Actress
Romantic Drama with a mind bending twist. Told through the memorys of a woman being interviewed it's a very well constructed and moving movie. Another by Satoshi Kon, proof he is a versatile director.

Ghost in the Shell
Considered a classic by many and is included on many essential lists. Interesting story but can get to philosophical for it's own good while the characters are not developed strongly enough. Regardless, still a very good watch.

Ghost in the Shell 2: Innocence
A great improvement from the first film. The philosophical elements remain but are backed up with stronger presented characters and a more down to earth detective story to hold it all together. I highly recommened this and it stands alone from the first film even though they are connected.

R.O.D: Read or Die
This is an OAV containing 3 episodes. Very entertaining action adventure. Fast moving, fast action, though the 3 episodes follow a formula. Don't expect anything too deep here, it's just some good fun with some likeable characters.

Tokyo Godfathers
Comedy/Drama. Another by Satoshi Kon further proving he can adapt his style. Compared to his other works this is a rather simple story about three homeless people looking after a baby. Very funny with some very likeable characters who you don't really want to leave by the end of the movie. Highly recommended.

Memories
Three Sci-Fi movies in one. In my opinion 2 of them are worth the money while the third is just tacked on at the end. The first, 'Stamina Rose', with a fantastic soundtrack, beautiful animation and a solid Sci-Fi story make this the best on the disk. The next, 'Stink Bomb', is a very funny comedy and is very watchable. The third however is a mixed bag. It has a interesting concept but falls short in other areas. The first two alone are worth the price of this DVD though.

Karas: The Prophecy
This is part one of a two parter and combines 3 episodes into a movie. High on action with some likeable(albeit rather flat) characters, some interesting story ideas and great atmosphere though it lacks depth and just seems like a showcase for the action. This however may change in part 2.

Ah My Goddess: The Movie
Lighthearted fantasy, romantic comedy/drama. A good fantasy tale with a good slice of action and romance. Very watchable and in my opinion the best of all the AMG series, possibly because Belldandy isn't presented as a total doorstop.

Oh My Goddess
A five part OAV spanned over two disks. This is rather compressed and seems rather rushed through but it is still somewhat watchable. The new extended full series takes more of a breezy walk around things rather than rushing from place to place like this seems to though.

Voices of a Distant Star
Created almost entirely by one person this is regarded highly in anime circles. I however thought this was a tretcherous bore, at only 20 or so minutes long I had to watch it in two sittings. Places Promised in Our Early Days is very similar in this respect, very slow moving ending with little care about what's happening to the characters. The movie however is visually stunning but for me that doesn't hold enough water with the other flaws.

The End Of Evengelion
An excellent and much deserved conclusion to the Neon Genesis Evangelion series but this must not be watched without having seen the series beforehand otherwise it would probably seem like a pointless mess of visuals and half a story. Very recommended after having seen the series.

Puni Puni Poemy
This OAV takes everything to it's limits in just two episodes. It's offensive and incredibly crude but it's also one of the funniest anime I have ever seen. Definitely not for everybody but if you're a fan of the randomist of random humour then this could hit the spot.

Neon Genesis Evangelion: Death & Rebirth
A compliation of the series. A pointless and pretentious mess. It tries to be clever in it's arrangement but just falls flat in so many ways and becomes confusing visual garbage that even somebody who has seen the series will find difficult to follow. The second part of the movie is also the first part of End of Eva. A complete waste of time, avoid at all costs and if you want to seeEva then just watch the series.

Blood: The Last Vampire
Visually stunning with a fantastic atmosphere and some good action sequences but has no depth, a pretty bog standard plot and is pretty short. Apparently this is expanded on in novels but I haven't been bothered to look out for them yet. Nothing really mind blowing but watchable at it's length.
Click to expand...

Then there's also Ninja Scroll (very popular, violent action movie), Macross Plus (good Mecha action movie and OAV), Akira (Widely considered a classic cyberpunk movie, high class animation and action) and the Studio Ghibli films (These vary in quality and I can't say I'm a fan but many are highly regarded in and out of anime circles. Somebody else might be able to tell you more about these because I don't care to write about them myself).

I personally recommend Haibane Renmei as one of the best series I have seen thus far. So far nothing i've seen can top the realistic presentation of the characters in this series a must watch. You can read my thoughts on it here.
 
redneon said:
I've just been reading on Wikipedia about Tenchi Muyo. Would I be best off watching the anime and movies before the manga? Does the story follow on? That would probably be the expensive option though, as it looks like there's lots :)

I've just returned from my lunch break at work, during which I bought Neo. I only had a quick flick through it but it looks like a pretty cool magazine.
Click to expand...

There are two main series to Tenchi Muyo, There are the OAV's and then Universe. The prices vary and with a little shopping you can get them very cheap. The 3 movies are released this month on a dvd set by MVM for £20 which is a bargain.

The manga is a continuation of the OAV's as Tenchi Universe uses a different storyline.

It's a good series and one i would recommend to anyone just starting out in anime. You could youtube the episodes but it really is worth it to go and buy them.
 
Cowboy Bebop is definitely one to see. I would recommend taking a look at berserk as well, its quite gory and violent but it is a good series both in manga and anime. Haibane Renmei also i would recommend.
Depending on if you like a bit of Comedy. Azumanga Daioh is pretty funny, that and Full Metal Panic? FUMOFFU. Thankfully with FUMOFFU you don't have to have seen Full Metal Panic! to understand it, but the original series i found is one to watch as well and if you are willing to import, the sequel, Full Metal Panic! The Second Raid is good. Its got some mecha in it so if you don't like mecha, you may not like FMP.
 
Back
Top