50 "Best Anime Ever"

[Winnow]

I really don't watch much Anime but it looks like I've seen two of the top four all time best Anime series (According to Anime Insider Magazine)

Cowboy Bebop and FLCL. Might have to check out Porco Rosso and Millennium Actress since the other two series I've seen at the top of that list were definately worth watching. I did try watching Samurai Champloo since it was directed by Shinichirō Watanabe (same director as Cowboy Bebop) and while it was OK, it didn't capture my attention.

Issue 50 "Best Anime Ever"

1. Cowboy Bebop
2. Porco Rosso
3. Millennium Actress
4. FLCL
5. Revolutionary Girl Utena
6. Neon Genesis Evangelion
7. Jin-Roh: The Wolf Brigade
8. Castle of Cagliostro
9. Akira
10. Macross Plus
11. Fullmetal Alchemist
12. Now and Then, Here and There
13. Nausicaa of the Valley of the Wind
14. Ghost in the Shell (movie and TV series)
15. Haibane Renmei
16. Grave of the Fireflies
17. Paranoia Agent
18. Boogiepop Phantom
19. My Neighbour Totoro
20. Gankutsuou
21. Tokyo Godfathers
22. Mobile Police Patlabor: the Movie 2
23. Galaxy Express 999
24. Serial Experiments Lain
25. Princess Tutu
26. Mobile Suit Gundam 0080: War in the Pocket
27. Samurai Champloo
28. Planetes
29. The Place Promised in Our Early Days
30. Samurai X: Trust and Betrayal
31: Gunbuster
32. Princess Mononoke
33. Read or Die!
34. Trigun
35. Excel Saga
36. Night on the Galactic Railroad
37. Fruits Basket
38. Vampire Hunter D: Bloodlust
39. Astro Boy (1960's)
40. Urusei Yatsura
41. Azumanga Daioh
42. Twelve Kingdoms
43. Giant Robo
44. Irresponsible Captain Tylor
45. Fantastic Children
46. Card Captor Sakura
47. Kino's Journey
48. Berserk
49. Saikano
50. Vision of Escaflowne

[Fairweather Pure]

I'm not sure what thier criteria is, but Akira would easily make my #1 because of how it affected the market. That was an extremely influential film, bringing anime to mainstream American audiences like nothing before it. It also broke a lot of "traditional" anime rules at the time. It's the poster child of anime.

My #2 would be Ghost in the Shell for much the same reason. It was the right movie at the right time, blending all the right things in all the right ways. Ghost in the Shell is to anime like Blade Runner is to Sci Fi.

I have yet to see another anime that has upped the benchmark of the genre like either of those 2 films has done.

I'm not an anime nut, but I do own a handful of titles. Of them, I would consider Grave of the Fireflies to be the best film of the choices listed above that I have seen.

Perhaps I should check out more anime. I tend to go through phases while collecting DVDs. I just got over a huge horror movie phase, which came right on the heels of a gangster phase. Lots of DVD collectors are heavily into that stuff. That alone makes me a little more curious to check anime than I otherwise would be.

EDIT: Out of all the films by Hayao Miyazaki, I would place Spirited Away, Howl's Moving Castle, and Kiki's Delivery Service well before his more recognized Princess Mononoke. That man is an absolute master of his craft. The fact that Mononoke is the only one of his films mentioned makes the list a tad suspect IMO.

[Winnow]

this scene is what got me hooked on Cowboy Bebop. I happened to watch this episode first

Spike meets Vicious in a church. The song they play as Spike is falling is outstanding (the second song, not the one the video opens up with) as the events that lead up to the confrontation flash before him.

The grenade he leaves behind is also key! : )

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LzFSsZo7rfA

(skip to around the 2 minute mark)

Anyway, the scene won't mean much to first time viewer since you have no idea what leads up to this but it does show the unique style Bebop had.

Cowboy Bebop had the right mix of humor and tragedy. Spike is a very memorable character and you are genuinely bummed out when he bites it in the end. (not in this scene, he actually survives the fall : ) Faye's battle to regain her memory throughout the series and her childhood flashback episode were pretty powerful as well.

[Zaelath]

Can't talk to all of em, FLCL is awesome though.

[Spang]

I've never watched Anime before.

[Ashur]

Never watched Anime, except I remember I got dragged to Ghost in the Shell at the local independent movie house many years ago when drinking one weekend.

It always amazes me at GenCon they'll have these Anime viewing rooms setup and they'll be packed, like "Hey you travelled across the country to a convention and you're spending it in a packed room watching anime? Can't you find that locally?"

I think the ones that shows the game trailers more interesting.

[Kluden]

There are a lot of shit piles in that list...so watch out!

Its hard to take these lists seriously, when they leave off some great series like Ruruoni Kenshin (the have one of the OVA movies on the list, but not the series), and rate others so highly/poorly like Escaflowne...how that's 50th and not 20th, I'll never know. No Eureka Seven too, that one is huge around the world because of the writing and music. And lastly, to have the shitty Vampire Hunter D REMAKE film instead of the original on the list is just a fucken insult.

Foolly Cooollllly was great, but that is just because its something so completely different, and fun.


edit: Ashur, I go to GenCon every year to meet up with friends...and I always *want* to goto the anime viewing theatre...but the selection usually sucks, or the times are terrible, and the people there smell of onions and old bacon...I'm not sure how anyone sits through that! I consider it, because anime and video games are the only draw for me at Gencon...I could give a fuck about card games and dice games.

[Funkmasterr]

There are a lot of shit piles in that list...so watch out!

Its hard to take these lists seriously, when they leave off some great series like Ruruoni Kenshin (the have one of the OVA movies on the list, but not the series), and rate others so highly/poorly like Escaflowne...how that's 50th and not 20th, I'll never know. No Eureka Seven too, that one is huge around the world because of the writing and music. And lastly, to have the shitty Vampire Hunter D REMAKE film instead of the original on the list is just a fucken insult.

Foolly Cooollllly was great, but that is just because its something so completely different, and fun.


edit: Ashur, I go to GenCon every year to meat up with friends...and I always *want* to goto the anime viewing theatre...but the selection usually sucks, or the times are terrible, and the people there smell of onions and old bacon...I'm not sure how anyone sits through that! I consider it, because anime and video games are the only draw for me at Gencon...I could give a fuck about card games and dice games.

thats sick dude

[Bubba Grizz]

Bahahah that made me laugh out loud enough for my boss to give me the eye. You know the look. "What the fuck is he laughing about? He must need more work"!

[Kluden]

I edited my post to remove the ghey inherent to the word "meat" when misused!

[Xyphir]

I've watched several of the Samarai Champloo shows. It's a different format than movies. It's more like a soap opera, with a running plot. I didn't think the story line was very compelling, but the animation was awesome and the music was great. Another title I didn't see on this list was Afro Samarai, which I watched recently. I'd put it along the same lines as Samarai Champloo since the format was the same, and the story line was also weak. It was very quirky though.

Here's a clip from the first episode.

I also recognized #13. Nausicaa of the Valley of the Wind. It's currently in my queue and I'm looking forward to seeing it again. I haven't seen it since I was a pre-teen. I'll have to check some of those other ones out. I'm somewhat a fan of the genre. I agree that Akira should be in a class by itself.

[Kwonryu DragonFist]

Hokuto No Ken was my favorite Anime and Manga in the 80's.

Kenshiro VS Souther

Kenshiro VS Raoh

Hokuto No Ken Gaiden 2

[Fairweather Pure]

And lastly, to have the shitty Vampire Hunter D REMAKE film instead of the original on the list is just a fucken insult.

I agree 100%.

[redeemed]

berserk is number 48?
that's bullshit man, that one's my favorite ;p

[Aardor]

THIS LIST IS MISSING DRAGONBALL Z

[cadalano]

the cowboy bebop episode with the lobster in the refridgerator is the best

[Momopi]

Akira was visually nice but it was boring beyond words. At least them managed to get azumanga daioh on the list. Personally it should be number 1!

[Jice Virago]

Its hard to take that list seriously, beyond Bebop being the top dog. I mean, no Fist of the North Star or Death Note? There are also a lot of pedospank Anime on that list, which makes it suspect to me. Its also missing the two Amines that broke the genre into the US, DBZ and (back in the 80s) Battle of the Planets.

For my money, the five best:

1) Cowboy Bebop
2) Deathnote
3) Ghost in the Shell: Stand Alone Complex
4) Trigun
5) Samuri Champloo

[Pherr the Dorf]

Ghost in the Shell ftw... own it all, my kids have grown up on it

[Drinsic Darkwood]

I remember owning the VHS of Nausicaa when it was bastardized and released as Warriors of the Wind (or something similar) in America. I loved that movie, and watched it countless times as a child. Got around to watching the full version on dvd a year ago or so, and it's even better. It's one of my favorite films.

[Fairweather Pure]

I remember owning the VHS of Nausicaa when it was bastardized and released as Warriors of the Wind (or something similar) in America. I loved that movie, and watched it countless times as a child. Got around to watching the full version on dvd a year ago or so, and it's even better. It's one of my favorite films.

I've never seen that before. I'll keep an eye out for it based on your recommendation. Like I said earlier in this thread, I've been meaning to check out more anime.

[Kelgar]

Hokuto No Ken was my favorite Anime and Manga in the 80's.

Kenshiro VS Souther

Kenshiro VS Raoh

Hokuto No Ken Gaiden 2

You left out Toki vs Raoh.