Best Anime Ever

[VFTF1]

I hope that the closing of the 25 best anime thread was a sign that I should just open this thread

Anyways - yeah; not much wiggle room here. This will probably just become a "my favorite Anime thread" - but I would prefer it if people tried to pick the best anime ever, meaning that rather than giving arguments like "because I really love x, y and z" they should try to pick an anime that, compared to all others, is truly special and try to give reasons as to why it deserves to be called the best. Obviously no poll in this subject because it would have to be helluva long poll and therefore would be - IMO - beside the point.

But - we'll see how it goes.

My pick is Gurren Lagann.

Here are my reasons:

I think that Gurren Lagann has a freshness and excitement that is comparable to what many people might have felt when they were kids and got to watch, say, Transformers for the first time. It's not a nostalgic kind of excitement, and it's not the excitement of a well done re-make or re-imaging - unless you go out on a limb and say that Gurren Lagann re-makes and re-images anime as such.

There have been shows that were darker, and lighter. Shows that have been campier and more serious. Shows that have been more realistic and more super-robot oriented, more emo or less emo. But no show, to my mind, has managed to be everything all at once - and Gurren Lagann is just that. It blends together everything that is great in anime, but does so in the context of a fast paced story that is pretty much seamless. There's nothing I can see - plot wise - that is wrong with this story. And this is largely due to how well the story takes advantage of the various genres/possibilities of anime when it needs to.

I dunno - I don't want to go on and on, since this isn't a scientific disertation of mathematical proof. I'm sure there are holes in my view, but I've tried to give some arguments that might stand a chance of surviving on their own merit, rather than just being "my personal feelings."

I'm curious what people think, and what their pick is.

Pete

[MilSpex]

^ I really disliked Gurren Lagan and its goofy designs and dumb humor.

I think SDF Macross is the best anime ever created. Thats why I`m here. It has everything.

Edited April 2, 2009 by MilSpex

[Keith]

GUNBUSTER! tied with Galaxy Express 999

Edited April 2, 2009 by Keith

[taksraven]

I think that deciding a best anime EVER is a very tough call, especially when it is so diverse. You can choose between OAV's TV Series and Movies, you can choose anime genre's and you can also go by era's/decades that they were made in and on top of all that it is simply easy to forget shows.

If I HAD to choose I would normally go by decades, and even then I could never pick just one.

Starting with the 1970's, I would choose Gatchaman (original series) and Space Cruiser Yamato/Star Blazers.

Going into the 1980s, I would give that decade to the original SDF:Macross no probs. (Akira gets an honourable mention too)

The 90's would be a tie between Macross Plus, Neon Genesis Evangelion and Mobile Suit Gundam 0083: Stardust Memory.

And the 00's I would choose Macross Zero and Macross Frontier.

I generally prefer SF anime so there is nothing else really represented here and I am still omitting a lot even then.

Its a tough call.

Taksraven

Edited April 2, 2009 by taksraven

[boota]

Gunbuster:- Has good art, strong story, bouncy titties & mecha designs that I like. Win.

Macross:- Has strong story, mecha designs that I like, but inconsistent art and no bouncy titties. Ambivalence.

Macross Plus:- Has mecha designs that I like, consistent art, has titties but no bounce with half-baked story*. Ambivalence.

Gurren Lagann:- Has good art, strong story, bouncy titties & mecha designs that I like. Also has GAR. Sure Win.

So, if I have to pick only one anime that I like so far, that would be Tengen Toppa Gurren Lagann.

*Half-baked story because I don't buy into the crap that a person, even for an alien half breed or sumting... can block out a bad memory that happened as recent as 7 years ago... especially if I saw the pair of titties of the girl I like for the first time. Yeah maybe my memory could be hazy abit, but it's still a hazy looking titty. And that I, as a third person viewer, was not allowed to look at that pair of titties, when the protagonist is looking at them, is a nail in that anime's coffin. Nuff said.

[REbirth]

No best anime ever for me, because honestly I enjoyed everything I have seen so far, mostly mecha anime.

But the show I really, really admire is probably Giant Robot OVA: The day the Earth Stood Still. That series was a pure work of art!

[VFTF1]

block out a bad memory that happened as recent as 7 years ago

Wow.

Not to off-topic my own topic, but I just realized that even Ranka's blocked out bad memory of the Vajra attack was an homage - to Macross Plus and another Green haired fellow with bad memories.

We now return to your regularly scheduled Topic thread

Pete

[Scream Man]

Cowboy Bebop. not my favourite ever, but an excellent series with great art, strong characters, great cisual design and a compelling story.

[Dynaman]

I'd have to go with Akira.

Strong runner up for "Averiderci Yamato" (Yeah, I butchered the spelling - and I've heard at least 2 other possible English titles for it)

[areaseven]

The best anime would be Figure 17, as it has great animation, an excellent storyline and outstanding characters.

[Gubaba]

No one's mentioned Studio Ghibli yet? FOR SHAME!!

Although I have a touch time picked among Nausicaa, Laputa, Totoro, and Grave of the Fireflies.

[m0n5t3r]

can't really choose just one... but my fave ones are the ones i can watch over and over and over again...

- any Macross Series (including some good eps of Mac7 )... but the one's i keep watching over and over are DYRL? and Mac+.

- TTGL

- Eureka 7

- Gunbuster

[boota]

Wow.

Not to off-topic my own topic, but I just realized that even Ranka's blocked out bad memory of the Vajra attack was an homage - to Macross Plus and another Green haired fellow with bad memories.

We now return to your regularly scheduled Topic thread

Pete

Which is precisely why I didn't mention Frontier. In fact, nothing about Frontier is worth mentioning.

[m0n5t3r]

some of the first few eps of MacF are worth watching again... like 1, 4 & 7...

[sketchley]

Ghost in the Shell - (original, unedited/upgraded/whatever movie) for the thoughts it provokes

tied with

Porco Rosso - because it's everything that a good (anime) movie should be, and more.

[REbirth]

Which is precisely why I didn't mention Frontier. In fact, nothing about Frontier is worth mentioning.

Not even the Macross Quarter, the beautiful architecture of Island 1 and Sheryl's songs eh?

Oh well, I guess some people just have different taste than mine.

Edited April 2, 2009 by REbirth

[Duke Togo]

I don't like these sorts of threads, because what they really are asking is "what's your favorite 'x' ever?" Its based solely on personal opinion, there are no facts involved.

My favorite anime?

TV Series: Macross

OAV: Gunbuster

Movie: Nausicaa

Honorable mention: The first 27 episodes of Euerka Seven is probably the best anime I have ever had the pleasure of watching.

[Bri]

Pretty much an impossible question. Especially as I haven't seen that much outside of mecha and scifi to make a fair comparison with the other anime genres but lets give it a shot:

Few series have had a larger impact then NGE, but its far from perfect and quite controversial.

Rahxephon is amazingly well done plot and artwise but it's quite pretentious and relatively unknown outside of mecha and hardcore anime fans.

Sazae-san has been on air since 1969 but has no impressive animation and is very family oriented.

Guess studio Ghibli has the right mix between visuals and story telling, though it suffers a tad from the needs of a mainstream title.

I'd go for Grave of the fire flies or Spirited Away for movies and SDFM for series. The latter is not even an attempt at objectivity but can't be objective about Macross.

Edited April 2, 2009 by Bri

[VFTF1]

I kind of agree with Duke Togo - as you see in my opening thread I tried to sort of acknowledge this problem.

Maybe what we really need is a criteria for what makes an anime "the best?" Of course it will always be necessary to leave room for personal preferences - this isn't an exact science - but in general:

1. Mecha Design

Gurren Lagann has the most innovative Mecha Design ever. It's not "boxy retro" it's not sleek post-NGE, it's not "alien," it's not "goofy" it's not "Real robot" and it's not "super robot." It's all of them PLUS. When I first saw Gurren Lagann (the robot), I didn't know what the hell was going on with him. I didn't even know it was a robot - it looked so organic due to all those teeth and faces. I hated the crest and totally didn't undestand why it was necessary. But, if you watch the anime and see how his looks evolve as the heroes go through their adventures, you suddenly see that there is a twisted logic to what he looks like - his whole body is, in a way, a story - not just the result of a story, but a story in and of itself.

As for the other mecha - I just love the phalic symbolism on many of the larger deluxe "ship" mecha. I also like the childish look of many of the robots - it's a really mismatched bunch. I like the combination of elements of real and super robot insofar as the "credibility" of the mecha is concerned.

2. Character Design (both in terms of look and personality - which are very intertwined)

Nia is a fairy princess, Yoko is a porno slurm with a sniper rifle and soft heart, Kamina is a Samurai Surfer, Simon is an Emo nutjob who grows into Hikaru Ichijo, Viral is honorable to the point of being heroic, Ron is an explicit pedophile who chases kids and pushes the homosexual lifestyle... I could go on here - but the point is that these characters are rich, lively, burning with interesting qualities. Heck, I love the Clown who is in charge of firing the cannons. There's just so much wackiness in them. I like the anarchy combined with the thoughtfullness of the character designs. It really looks like they are NOT cut from the same branch.

3. What an enemy! Basically, the enemy is every feeling that is anti-thetical to the will to live. I LOVE not only how the Anti-Spirals are portrayed, but how they are drawn. Just a bunch of squiggly black loopy lines. It's great. There's no enemy that's even remotely similar to that in any other anime. They aren't "demonic" or "hellish" or "evil" - they are something worse - they are the "give up" people. Speaking of which...

4. The Art Style. I love the retro feel to the art style - the almost comic book feel. Heavy inking, grainy thick black lines, dizzying colors and lots of splat, kapow! and boom! tossed at the viewer from all sides.

5. Music? Gurren Lagann has the widest music score we've ever heard.

There's just so much good stuff to say about this anime. It bowels me over.

As for Macross Frontier - do I detect a bit of a cooling off of the enthusiasm for MF? If so - I don't share it. Sheryl and Ranka are to die for and the more time passes, the more I adore Sheryl, which just helps even out my adoration of Frontier. The fact that it also pays homage to past Macross series is not a problem because hey - it is the 25th anniversary series.

Pete

[eriku]

My vote goes to that one from several years back about the ping pong club. Really terrible animation, gross situations, testicles frequently taking the stage. I forget what it was called, but my god it was brilliant!

In reality it's hard for me to pick a favorite because I find myself loving shows differently at different times. For a time Evangelion was OMG BEST EVAR to me, then it was Bebop. Mospeada and Votoms were edging for the top for a while. I even got pretty into Love Hina for a while and still think it had a really great structure, regardless of all the mindless boobage. Frontier is my current favorite. SDFM is always the solid concrete base favorite because it features my favorite designs and also has more nostalgia going for it than any other.

Ultimately I think I have to go with Evangelion. Even though it doesn't feature my favorite mech designs it is the series that made me use my brain the most, and I always appreciate giving that grey blob some excercise, even if it is just a quick jog (NGE isn't exactly high philosophy or anything). It is the series that affected my emotions the most and actually made me feel a little depressed at the end. It's the only anime that has invaded my dreams.

As for films, it's a tie between a few Miyazaki titles. Primarily it's Nausicaa and Spirited Away that are duking it out for 'favorite'. Sometimes Totoro and Mononoke and Laputa jump up there, but it almost always comes out with Nausicaa on top.

Oh, and I was only kidding about the Ping Pong anime. It's a real show and I was sort of entertained for a couple of episodes, but overall it was a little too disturbing for me.

Edited April 2, 2009 by eriku

[sketchley]

I kind of agree with Duke Togo - as you see in my opening thread I tried to sort of acknowledge this problem.

(...)

Puh-lease...

Even with additional criteria, it is still entirely opinion based. People will still post there personal justifications, but making things requirements will not only reduce the number of people willing to voice their opinion, but also it's impossible to create critera that fit every anime (are there mecha in Grave of the Fireflies? Totoro??? etc.) and anything that could possibly be in an anime (where's the bouncing bustline? Factual accuracy??? etc).

Keep it simple, and you'll get the exact results that you're curious of.

[azrael]

No one's mentioned Studio Ghibli yet? FOR SHAME!!

Although I have a touch time picked among Nausicaa, Laputa, Totoro, and Grave of the Fireflies.

People these days have no love for the timeless classics. Didn't you know that?

[Roy Focker]

Strange, place is called Macross World. You'd think it would be on everyone's list of being the Best here.

I can't blame you not for picking Macross. Totally suxs. Best Anime ever has got to be Robotech the Shadow Chronicles.

[Ghost Train]

My picks, based on what I've seen, in categories:

Best Mecha Pr0n: Macross Plus

Runner Up: Gundam 0083

Best Long Film: The Wings of Honneamise

Runner Up: Akira (yea... sue me)

Best Harem Mess : Fate Stay Night (Saber-chan ... <3)

Runner Up: Tenchi Muyo ... pick one

Best "Western": Cowboy Bebop

Runner Up: Trigun

Best SciFi Meta-Science/WTF philosphical Category: NG Evangelion

Runner Up: RahXephon

Edited April 2, 2009 by Ghost Train

[Noyhauser]

TV series: Legend of the Galactic Heroes

Movie: Nausicaa, Laputa or Porco (I can't decide but I enjoy all three more than most)

Macross is up there and is my childhood favorite, but LOGH brings so much beauty and forethought, that its the best TV series in my mind. The three Miyazaki movies speak for themselves.

Edited April 2, 2009 by Noyhauser

[boota]

Puh-lease...

Even with additional criteria, it is still entirely opinion based. People will still post there personal justifications, but making things requirements will not only reduce the number of people willing to voice their opinion, but also it's impossible to create critera that fit every anime (are there mecha in Grave of the Fireflies? Totoro??? etc.) and anything that could possibly be in an anime (where's the bouncing bustline? Factual accuracy??? etc).

Keep it simple, and you'll get the exact results that you're curious of.

That's right cuz anime is so diverse!

I can never find any particular anime title that has everything in it that I like... that is until Gurren Lagann. But then again, GL is far from perfect... the mechs in Gurren Lagann are pretty blah compared to the mechs in Macross Plus, whose story I find the most blah in all of anime history. Yeah, Macross Plus probably more blah than Robotech the Shadow Chronicles... I know the latter sux, at least it didn't try to pretend to be intelligent.

That all being said, I always go with boobies. Bounce or not, I consistently get my satisfaction.

[505thAirborne]

Best Anime ever.

Movie: MACROSS DYRL and AKIRA. Best Animations, in depth characters, Mecha and Masterpiece art work.

OVA: GUNBUSTER, GUNDAM 0083 Stardust memories and Bubble Gum Crisis (The original 8 part series, The Music is awesome!!).

SERIES: SDF-1 TV, Mospeada and Macross Frontier.

Runner up choices are: Wings of Honneamise, Project A-KO (Yeah I went there) and Kiki's Delivery service!!

[Dante74]

Series:

1. Patlabor
2. SDF Macross
3. Planetes
4. Mobile Suit Gundam: The 08th MS Team

Movies:

1. Macross DYRL
2. Grave of the Fireflies
3. 5 centimeters per second
4. Patlabor

[RD Blade]

OVA: Ninja Scroll

Series: The Macross Saga

Honorable mention:

Megazone 23 Parts 1&2

Baoh

Black Lion

Highlander: The Search for Vengeance

Best Looking:

Karas

Edit:

Forgot to include Megazone!!!

Edited April 2, 2009 by RD Blade

[Bri]

With the new criteria we'd be better off calling the thread "What is your favourite mecha show".

[Totoro242]

My fav is the original Area 88 OVA series. Absolutley brilliant.

It has awesome action, plenty of violence, a "modern samuari" main character, beautiful animation, classic 80's soundtrack, angsty characters, and intrigue.

[Ghost Train]

My fav is the original Area 88 OVA series. Absolutley brilliant.

It has awesome action, plenty of violence, a "modern samuari" main character, beautiful animation, classic 80's soundtrack, angsty characters, and intrigue.

I loved the original too... the remake was bleh, rather unremarkable. F-20 Tigershark ftw!

[VFTF1]

With the new criteria

Oh - sorry if it sounded as if I was trying to lay some kind of stiff groundwork. I would much rather everyone just answered what they thought was best than get scared off by my rigorous criteria. I guess I just didn't want people to give simple one line answers like "X because it rocks!"

Pete

[danth]

This is a tough call. I do really love Macross and DYRL, so those would be my pick. But for non-Macross stuff, I'd pick Project A-ko, Golden Boy, or Tenchi Muyo (the original OAV).

I would like to register my distaste for Gurren Laggan. I just don't get what there is to like about it. It's a lot like the dumb kid's cartoons I used to hate after I found anime.

Edited April 2, 2009 by danth

[eriku]

I would like to register my distaste for Gurren Laggan. I just don't get what there is to like about it. It's a lot like the dumb kid's cartoons I used to hate after I found anime.

I think I gave GL a fair shot. I watched the first 6 or 7 episodes and by that point I had so little interest left that I didn't bother to watch anymore. I have no reasons to bash it or hate on it, but for various reasons it's just not my kind of show I guess. I don't even like the mechs enough to track down a toy. I do see where the appeal is, but it's just not for me.