Please help me choose

H

harkins

Adventurer
I’m terribly indecisive so I thought I’d ask you learned types which of the following series I should watch next.

I’ve just about finished watching Cowboy Bebop and Noir (both great) and I now have to decide between Burn Up Excess, Martian Successor Nadesico and Najica Blitz Tactics.

To be honest I’m a little embarrassed about the first and last of them due to the ‘fan service’ factor. So I guess you’ll say Nadesico.

Maybe you could also suggest something else to buy next? As a guide I’ve really enjoyed Elfen Lied and Noir.

ps. sorry if this kind of post is a bit common and repetitive.
 
Well, it's a common progression, but Cowboy Bebop shares a lot in common with Samurai Champloo (including director). If you liked Bebop, you'll feel right at home with Champloo, only a few hundred years beforehand.
 
The whole hip hop look and feel to Sam Cham does give it a decent twist although it is not completely in your face all the time. (Some of the times it is though but usually in a humorous way.)

Madlax is probably not a bad choice if you liked Noir.

Najica was okay but nothing spectacular, fairly serious with the fanservice aspect of it being slightly out of place really.

If you liked the thoughtful side of anime such as Noir then Paranoia Agent is probably a good choice (especially with the boxed set imminent) although it is not one for out-and-out action.
 
harkins said:
I was thinking of trying that but wasn't so sure about the hip hop sound track.
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heh! I thought that too - but, surprisingly, it adds to the series. Think it might be because it doesn't take itself too seriously and hip-hop music mixed with samurai is just a bit of fun. :)
 
I'd say go with Nadesico and it's got nothing to do with the fact that I'm currently re-watching it for the 8th or 9th time :wink: (That's over a period of as many years mind you!).
It's great series and one of the first to incorporate the Otaku feature within the realms of the anime story (I can't think of anything that came before Nadesico?!).
 
harkins said:
To be honest I’m a little embarrassed about the first and last of them due to the ‘fan service’ factor. So I guess you’ll say Nadesico.
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All of them have a degree of fanservice. Nadesico included.
 
kupoartist said:
harkins said:
To be honest I’m a little embarrassed about the first and last of them due to the ‘fan service’ factor. So I guess you’ll say Nadesico.
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All of them have a degree of fanservice. Nadesico included.
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Hardly on the same level as the other two though.
 
Thanks for all the advice everyone. I’ve decided that Samurai Champloo has got to be my next purchase. Then given that I like westerns I might check out Trigun.

But before that I’m going to very quickly make my way through Burn Up and then Najica (as I have already bought them). Once they’re out the way I’ll watch Nadesico (saving the best till last you see) at a pace where I can soak it up.

I should be an expert on ‘fanservice’ by then!
 
harkins said:
I’ve just about finished watching Cowboy Bebop and Noir (both great) and I now have to decide between Burn Up Excess, Martian Successor Nadesico and Najica Blitz Tactics.
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Burn Up Excess & Najica aren't bad, but really they are titles I bought because there was nothing else out that I didn't have at the time. I prefer Burn Up Excess to Najica though. The best thing about Najica was the voice commentary on the first disc with Monica Rial & Kira Vincent Davies.

However Nadesico is an all time classic. Its a title you can actually rewatch a lot.

For fanservicey anime there are simply better stuff than either Burn Up Excess & Najica. Like Mahoromatic that is way superiour to either, and while Mezzo DSA eventually became only OK after a great start, I would consider it superior to BUX or Najica. Apparently there are people who actually like Divergence Eve too, but I have never found somebody who would admit to watching it .... I never got into Love Hina or Kiddy Grade much but they have their fans.

harkins said:
ps. sorry if this kind of post is a bit common and repetitive.
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(I will restrict my further recommendations to UK-available-only DVDs)

It isn't - its interesting when somebody offers enough information in a request like this, that some of us well-watched fans can give you a tailored response. While Cowboy Bebop is one of the most famously popular anime titles in the west, there is almost nothing else in anime that tried to recreate it (and I am including fansubs - theres almost nothing else). Samurai Champloo is a spiritual successor made by the same creators.

Also Crest of the Stars is one of the best space anime ever made, and we are lucky enough to have it here. While not quite as ludicrous as the parody behind Nadesico, Full Metal Panic is a really good action/comedy hybrid with great characters and production. Also check out its sequel Fumoffu. While not totally similar to Elfen Lied, there is a heavily tragic/horror element in Saikano: She the Ultimate Weapon. Also Gunslinger Girls is a good anime to follow Noir with.
 
Laughing Manji said:
Apparently there are people who actually like Divergence Eve too, but I have never found somebody who would admit to watching it .... I never got into Love Hina or Kiddy Grade much but they have their fans.
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I happened to like Divergence Eve although the character designs were absolutely terrible in context of the show itself. Far too comedic for a show that wasn't particularly a comedy. Love Hina is a bit of harmless fun and Kiddy Grade has hidden depths to it, which makes it more than it seems.
 
harkins said:
To be honest I’m a little embarrassed about the first and last of them due to the ‘fan service’ factor. So I guess you’ll say Nadesico.

Maybe you could also suggest something else to buy next? As a guide I’ve really enjoyed Elfen Lied and Noir.
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You watch Elfen Lied, and complain about Fan-Service?! XD
Nah that's ok. Burn Up Excess is fan-service, but it's don't be embarassed about it. It was the 1st anime I bought, so I was like "OMG!" Now it's like, "Kool... :)"

Nadesico and Burn Up Excess are good for comedy, but I'd say Nadesico has the better storyline. Kiddy Grade is the better all-rounder though. So I say they're all worth it, just pick one which you like to see 1st and get the rest later. :)
 
Laughing Manji said:
Apparently there are people who actually like Divergence Eve too, but I have never found somebody who would admit to watching it ....
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I really enoyed it myself! Once I stopped being hypnotised by those HUGE boobies, I was able to really enjoy the anime for what it was :wink: I think the best bit was pausing the OP credits and reading the characters statistics and I remember something like the boob sizes ranging from a 34B to a 36D and I thought "yeah right!" more like 38E to 46FF :lol:
 
Chaz said:
You watch Elfen Lied, and complain about Fan-Service?! XD
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Fair point!

Yet again cheers for all the tips! After what I thought was a good start with EL and Bebop I have gone careering off all over the show buying all sorts with little or no thought.

For example I have recently bought the first volumes of Excel Saga, which seems worth watching through, Divergence Eve (there, I admitted watching it too) which I'm not so sure about for may reasons and Gravion. Gravion is bloody awful! I picked it up for £4 second hand thinking it'd be useful for some mecha experience prior to watching Nadesico. Now you see why I need guiding around the world of anime!!

This new intrest could well bankrupt me though. Thanks to all your recommendations I've now got a long list of titles to see including NGE, Champloo, FMA, Nadesico, Gunslinger Girls, Paranoia Agent, Trigun, the rest of Excel Saga and Ikki Tousen. No forget the last one I didn't mean that!

Oh another thing, I can't bring myself to watch the last episodes of Noir. Does anyone else have a problem with watching the end of a series they really like just because they don't want it to end?

I think it's because I felt a bit ill at the end of Elfen Lied. I got a feeling a bit like the one you get when you break up with someone. Kind of numb and confused.
 
harkins said:
Oh another thing, I can't bring myself to watch the last episodes of Noir. Does anyone else have a problem with watching the end of a series they really like just because they don't want it to end?
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Ha, yeah. The last disk of Wolf's Rain sits untouched on my shelf. I'm saving it until around christmas so I can watch the series through. :)
 
Miaka-chan said:
Laughing Manji said:
Apparently there are people who actually like Divergence Eve too, but I have never found somebody who would admit to watching it ....
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I really enoyed it myself! Once I stopped being hypnotised by those HUGE boobies, I was able to really enjoy the anime for what it was :wink: I think the best bit was pausing the OP credits and reading the characters statistics and I remember something like the boob sizes ranging from a 34B to a 36D and I thought "yeah right!" more like 38E to 46FF :lol:
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lol, I don't think animators get out much.

Every now and then an anime series can really make the anime collective shitlist. Usually a fanservicey/harem anime. I think Divergence Eve was an example of this too. Many people just get to the ridiculous boobs and hit delete. Despite the fact that I rather like that kind of anime (I like Dirty Pair and Galaxy Angel for instance). I saw the intro and that was about it.
 
Miaka-chan said:
Laughing Manji said:
Apparently there are people who actually like Divergence Eve too, but I have never found somebody who would admit to watching it ....
Click to expand...
I really enoyed it myself! Once I stopped being hypnotised by those HUGE boobies, I was able to really enjoy the anime for what it was :wink: I think the best bit was pausing the OP credits and reading the characters statistics and I remember something like the boob sizes ranging from a 34B to a 36D and I thought "yeah right!" more like 38E to 46FF :lol:
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Miaka-chan have you also seen the 2nd series of DE? Divergence Eve: Misaki Chronicles, the first one or two episodes are total fanservice, but after that the series took a new direction and gave up on the T&A and turns into into a very complex sci-fi show. It's a little head scrathing at times and totally different from the previous show and episodes.
 
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