OVA recommendations?

[Aion]

OVAs are higher quality visually than TV series and have more time given to them than films get to develop stories and characters - OVAs are the perfect middle ground. And, since these days I prefer short series to long ones, I enjoy watching OVAs more than some of the overly long series out there.

After fairly recently watching Macross Plus and Zero for the first time, not too long after watching the Tales of Symphonia OVA, I find myself wanting to watch more high quality OVA series. Any suggestions?

 

[ayase]

Gunbuster & Diebuster (Gunbuster 2)
You've just seen the film so you might enjoy seeing the full Gunbuster universe.

Urusei Yatsura OVA Collection
3 discs of cheap and cheerful hilarity which can seemingly always be had for £9.99 at anime-on-line. Each ep. is standalone though.

Original Patlabor OVA Series
Serves as a good introduction to Patlabor, but can be enjoyed in it's own right. Mecha with good character driven situational comedy. Not an angsty teenager in sight.

 

[fabio de lunatico]

I'll make the obligatory Giant Robo recommendation, for it's the greatest OVA ever created. And, yes, it's supposed to look retro. If you don't want to watch it after listening to the enthusiastic AWO review, then bother not.

Area 88 is about a young hotshot pilot tricked by his best friend (lol), a dastardly cad who wants his woman, into signing up to a Foreign Legion in the Middle East. To earn his freedom he either has to serve for a number of years or buy out his contract by killing enough enemy pilots. Bear in mind that only a small part of the manga was animated and the story was sadly never finished. Also, it's from 1985 and the hair is hideous.

Orguss 02 is supposed to be good but I haven't watched my copy yet.

 

[Martin]

R.O.D. is every bit as awesome as the TV series but it's only 3 episodes long. The visuals are fantastic too.

It's actually better to watch it before the TV series actually.

If you want old school from the old OAV golden age there's the old Bubblegum Crisis and of course Riding Bean.

 

[Just Passing Through]

If you want to go old school, Cyber City Oedo 808. Only you'll have to import from Australia. It's what got me into anime, back in the old Manga Video days. AD Police isn't bad cyberpunk either.

EDIT Had a look over my OVA collection and found some other interesting titles.

Gunsmith Cats: Bulletproof is even better than Riding Bean IMO, with a stronger story and slightly more realistic characters.

Le Portrait De Petite Cossette - If you really like creepy, spooky, atmospheric horror. Great visuals but weak story and characters.

Oh My Goddess - The original 5 ep OVA is still the best IMO, it distils the story down to its essentials.

Strait Jacket was good this year, although it feels like a pilot for a much larger and longer show.

There's the original 2-series 13 episode Tenchi Muyo OVA, again the best that the franchise ever delivered. The more recent third series, not so much

I'm probably alone in liking Submarine 707R, but there's something twee and old-fashioned about it, a little cheesy that I do enjoy. It's one big cliche, but one that I like.

You're Under Arrest OVA is yet another where the subsequent series was less satisfying. I've only seen the movie and the Specials mind, but the first four OVA episodes that became the pilot for the series fulfil your remit of tighter stories, and seriously good animation.

Finally I have a liking for the comedies Gestalt and Twin Signal, probably because they are so typically anime.

 

[Aion]

Gunbuster & Diebuster (Gunbuster 2)
You've just seen the film so you might enjoy seeing the full Gunbuster universe.

I've been planning to watch them for a few days, ever since I watched the movie version of Gunbuster and it impressed me. I have both waiting to be watched. Once I'm done with Spice and Wolf I'll most likely move into them.

Original Patlabor OVA Series
Serves as a good introduction to Patlabor, but can be enjoyed in it's own right. Mecha with good character driven situational comedy. Not an angsty teenager in sight.

I have the first film sitting on HDD. Depending on what I think of that, I might give more of Patlabor a look, starting with the second Patlabor film.

R.O.D. is every bit as awesome as the TV series but it's only 3 episodes long. The visuals are fantastic too.

It looked nice but was far too stupid, with too little in the way of explanations. I rated it 7/10. I can't see how it's better to watch before the TV series when so little was explained?

and of course Riding Bean.

Riding Bean is a very special anime, so special that it received my lowest ever score of 1/10. Unless I was threatened with being confined in a room with The Geek, I wouldn't watch it again and deeply regret the 99p spent on the DVD.

Le Portrait De Petite Cossette - If you really like creepy, spooky, atmospheric horror. Great visuals but weak story and characters.

I thought it was a film...

The Geneon trailers I've seen of it made it look quite good, although not good enough for me to rush to download it. I'll get around to hunting it down at some stage.

Mod Edit: to remove naming of fansub groups*

 

[Nyu]

Since you've already seen the excellent Macross Plus.

Tenchi Muyo and Dominion Tank Police are all that come to mind at the moment.

Both are cheap and a good watch.

 

[Just Passing Through]

Le Portrait De Petite Cossette - If you really like creepy, spooky, atmospheric horror. Great visuals but weak story and characters.

I thought it was a film...

The Geneon trailers I've seen of it made it look quite good, although not good enough for me to rush to download it. I'll get around to hunting it down at some stage.

It's a three part OVA that MVM, bless their hearts, kept as a three part OVA on the disc. It's not like Manga that are contractually obliged to turn their OVA's into movies to stop reverse importation. Hence Karas (just watched that this past week, it gets worse with each viewing, badly wants to be Batman but never gets close), and Strait Jacket.

*facepalm* How can I forget Hellsing Ultimate!?!

Watch. Enjoy.

I saw the Read Or Die OVA first and loved it. I found it really smart and well put together. I didn't mind the feeling of starting the story in the middle and missing out on the larger universe, as it was for me one of those old 60's spy series, very Prisoner & The Saint type thing. The TV series just builds the context for the OVA, but for me it worked just fine without it. I do love the TV series though.

 

[ayase]

Original Patlabor OVA Series
Serves as a good introduction to Patlabor, but can be enjoyed in it's own right. Mecha with good character driven situational comedy. Not an angsty teenager in sight.

I have the first film sitting on HDD. Depending on what I think of that, I might give more of Patlabor a look, starting with the second Patlabor film.

I've always thought it's a mistake to watch the films before the OVA (though plenty of people seem to and still enjoy it) as they were made the other way around and as such, the films kinda presume you know the characters already. The films are brilliant IMO but they are a fair bit more serious than either the OVA's or the TV series (especially the second).

 

[Aion]

As some people will remember, I was very impressed with the first episode of the Hellsing OVA, describing it is one of the best things I'd ever seen. I rated it 9/10.

I've been waiting to get Vol. 2-3 of the Hellsing OVA before continuing. Since it's unlikely I'll be getting the LE R1 releases to go with my copies of Vol. 1 & 4, I might just cheat and get the remaining episodes via the net.


Karas was fairly entertaining. The first half was only decent due to nothing being explained, but the last half was far better since explanations were offered and the main character received a fair amount of development. I was torn between 7 and 8 out of ten, eventually giving it 8 for its visuals.

 

[fabio de lunatico]

I've always thought it's a mistake to watch the films before the OVA (though plenty of people seem to and still enjoy it)

I am one of those people. I first saw the Patlabor movie in 1995, and I believe it was the first Patlabor anime to be officially released in the West. Even though I was unfamiliar with the characters it still ended up becoming one of my favourite films. I do, however, wish I'd picked up CPM's release of the original OVAs when I had the chance. It seems to be out of print now.

 

[BlackWolf]

Karas was fairly entertaining. The first half was only decent due to nothing being explained, but the last half was far better since explanations were offered and the main character received a fair amount of development. I was torn between 7 and 8 out of ten, eventually giving it 8 for its visuals.

So Karas does get better then? I put off watching the second halve after being disappointed with the first part. I thought it looked pretty but was too confusing and hence i wondered why i should care.

Orguss 02 is supposed to be good but I haven't watched my copy yet.

I can vouch for its quality. It's a pretty good OVA and despite the 2 in the name there is really, very, very little connection to the main Orguss series (even what connection there is, it's explained quite plainly). The plot was pretty good and for the most part the characters are believable. It does had a fair amount of action it but then it is a mecha show still so that's to be expected.

 

[Diz]

I also liked maccross plus, despite never watching maccross before.

I don't believe it's possible not to have seen it but just in case I reccommend my faviourate show...... FLCL. It's only six episodes long but the animation is brilliant, the characters quirky, the story ... imaginative and the pacing is hyperactive. Worth a watch if people are looking for a short OVA or not. It's top.

 

[kupocake]

Gundam 0080: War in the Pocket is pretty good. Self contained in the way that the Macross OVAs are, though very clearly a project of the 80s. Ear-Splitting Opening Theme and all.

 

[Aion]

Gundam 0080: War in the Pocket is pretty good. Self contained in the way that the Macross OVAs are, though very clearly a project of the 80s. Ear-Splitting Opening Theme and all.

Fabio recommended this to me awhile ago - when there was an auction on eBay for both DVDs. I won it, watched it and rated it 8/10 (8.5/10 really). It was more about people than mindless robots fighting and, like you say, was a self-contained story like the Macross OVAs. Probably the best Gundam series I've seen.

 

[Wildcard]

Karas was fairly entertaining. The first half was only decent due to nothing being explained, but the last half was far better since explanations were offered and the main character received a fair amount of development. I was torn between 7 and 8 out of ten, eventually giving it 8 for its visuals.

As visually nice as Karas was, I found myself wondering what the hell the scripters were on at times (or perhaps what they weren't). It had the odd nice action sequence such as the opening scene, but the story really was all over the place. Felt like an attempt at grand ambition, executed with no real care or subtlety. Probably worth watching, but only once.

Anyone seen the OVA 'Comedy'(Kigeki)? Just a short single OVA, but excellent all the same.

 

[kupocake]

1337

Fabio recommended this to me awhile ago - when there was an auction on eBay for both DVDs. I won it, watched it and rated it 8/10 (8.5/10 really).

The 08th MS Team is the next logical step if you haven't already seen that. It's as much of a 'people' story with a little more mecha for good measure. Shame it's basically the end of Gundam UC. The MS Igloo OAVs aren't worth the trouble.

edit: 1337 POSTS

 

[Aion]

After reading your recommendation on the other page, I had a look on MAL for other interesting sounding, highly rated and short Gundam series. 08th MS Team caught my eyes, it being very highly rated (something like 8.2/10) and only 12 episodes long. I was already downloading a remastered torrent by the time you recommended it to me. The question now is when I'll find the motivation to start it...laziness is a pain.

I don't tend to like anime that focus on robots fighting more than on the characters. The reason I enjoyed the Macross OVAs so much was because the aerial battles were never more important than the cast. Like I only ever get anything from fights that have feeling, I don't get off seeing robots doing the man dance for the fun of it.

 

[Otaku-san]

it's funny but the first season of tenchi muyo:ryo Ohki was an OVA and that's about 13 ep long.
but i wouldn't have considered that their better quality to a TV series. i would have more seen it dependent on the studio that works on the animation.

 

[Nyu]

it's funny but the first season of tenchi muyo:ryo Ohki was an OVA and that's about 13 ep long.
but i wouldn't have considered that their better quality to a TV series. i would have more seen it dependent on the studio that works on the animation.

It's actually two seperate OVA's. OVA 1 is episodes 1-6 and OVA 2 is 7-13