Sredni Vashtar's Master List of Anime You Should Watch

Sredni Vashtar

• Alien Nine
• Angel's Egg
  
• Bakemonogatari et al
  
• Cat Soup
  
• Garzey's Wing
• Haibane Renmei
• Kaiba
  
• Mononoke
• My Neighbour Totoro
• Paranoia Agent
  
• RahXephon
  
• Revolutionary Girl Utena
• The Tatami Galaxy
  
• Texhnolyze
• Yona of the Dawn
  

Yarrun XIX

Paranoia Agent was certainly something.

It was something when I watched it, and even now, I'm kind of floored by how something it was.

Tatterhood

I really need to get around to Utena

Section42L

No Kill La Kill?

Huh.

Sredni Vashtar

I've tried to keep everything on the list more obscure than Utena for the simple reason that I already expect most anime fans to have either seen or made plans to see, say, Neon Genesis Evangelion. I've also not included shows that I have yet to complete (Kyousougiga, etc.) or shows that I enjoyed and think are important but which aren't the sort of thing I spit coffee for hearing people haven't seen (Wolf's Rain, etc.), although I certainly could do more niche or specific addenda.

^ Kill La Kill is on the borderline of "too popular to put here," as noted, although I might add it retroactively thinking about it now, as it is a bit... odd, in reputation.

Section42L

Kyousougiga is near the top on my to watch list.

Klinotaxis

i have watched just over half of these, which means i am legally allowed to sign my name as sredni vashtar on some contracts

Tatterhood

I have seen one of these, which means very little

Sredni Vashtar

I have also mainly included Yona of the Dawn because it is The Good Reverse Harem Show, and Korean-inflected high fantasy is very rare in the West indeed. It probably doesn't qualify as a "YOU HAVEN'T SEEN IT?!" show, but more people should watch it because it's pretty much guaranteed to get *really fucking good* as it goes on and, uhhh, at least two of the characters are so my type it's not even funny and I am soooo gross.

Crystal

Sredni Vashtar said:

I have also mainly included Yona of the Dawn because it is The Good Reverse Harem Show, and Korean-inflected high fantasy is very rare in the West indeed. It probably doesn't qualify as a "YOU HAVEN'T SEEN IT?!" show, but more people should watch it because it's pretty much guaranteed to get *really fucking good* as it goes on and, uhhh, at least two of the characters are so my type it's not even funny and I am soooo gross.

Not gonna lie, that bit about two characters being your type is one reason, albeit a ways down, as to why I'm checking it out.

Sredni Vashtar

One of the characters is just the most moe of dudes and the other is Literally Naney.

glennmagusharvey

I've actually managed to have not seen almost any of these, though half an ep of RahXephon and an ep of Paranoia Agent are in there somewhere.

Imipolex G

No Teekyu? 0/10

glennmagusharvey

Is it wrong that I get the impression that a lot of these give off an air of noticeably "weirdness" in their styling?

Sredni Vashtar

glennmagusharvey said:

I've actually managed to have not seen almost any of these, though half an ep of RahXephon and an ep of Paranoia Agent are in there somewhere.

YOU CONTINUE TO TRY ME, PLEBEIAN SCUM.

Imipolex G said:

No Teekyu? 0/10

That would be on a different kind of list, although fair point that it should be here given the presence of Garzey's Wing.

Sredni Vashtar

glennmagusharvey said:

Is it wrong that I get the impression that a lot of these give off an air of noticeably "weirdness" in their styling?

Most of these are fairly atypical, yes, although some are just here because I have to restrain my outrage at the universe when people haven't seen them, such as Totoro.

glennmagusharvey

Totoro and Yona seem to be noticeably non-weird when on this list, at least from the impressions of them I got.

Oddly though I'm probably closer to watching RahXephon and Yona than Totoro.

Sredni Vashtar

You need to watch Totoro, though. It's actually direly important that you watch Totoro if you at all want to understand me as a human being.

Specifically either the sub or the original Streamline dub.

Tatterhood

oh I somehow missed totoro, I guess I've seen two of em

Sredni Vashtar

Good.

Tatterhood

according to my dad totoro was the first movie I ever watched

Sredni Vashtar

^w^ !!!

Crystal

Totoro is not my favorite Miyazaki film but it is definitely a gift I am glad to have received, and intend on watching again later on.

Sredni Vashtar

I just find it severely underrated.

In terms of Miyazaki films everyone already knows and should see, Mononoke-hime and Spirited Away are the obvious choices, although I do feel like Howl's Moving Castle is one of the more *interesting* Miyazaki movies and thus worth recommending in its own right.

Klinotaxis

still can't believe how different the book was

Sredni Vashtar

I mean, yeah.

Klinotaxis

not that one is better or whatever

the book had wales and some kinda fucked up desert, while the movie had the demon dance scene

Crystal

Sredni Vashtar said:

I just find it severely underrated.

In terms of Miyazaki films everyone already knows and should see, Mononoke-hime and Spirited Away are the obvious choices, although I do feel like Howl's Moving Castle is one of the more *interesting* Miyazaki movies and thus worth recommending in its own right.

It's almost-impossible for me to conceive of a fandom in which most any Studio Ghibli film, particularly Totoro, would be "underrated," let alone severely. Not as talked about probably? But like, it's something I've seen everywhere from the randos just getting into anime (including growing up around the folks getting into it), an honorary mention in various blog-style places for anime films and anime in general, outright favorites, a warm reception among the critics... so on.

I recall not being as hot on Howl's Moving Castle on first blush compared to others, but warmed up to it. Should rewatch and read the book though.

glennmagusharvey

Klinotaxis said:

not that one is better or whatever

the book had wales and some kinda fucked up desert, while the movie had the demon dance scene

that is apparently more than one demon, which would make it a demons dance

not sure if it is one free demons dance though

Sredni Vashtar

I've met a distressing number of fans with mostly OK taste who have admitted to finding Totoro "boring," which has maybe coloured my thoughts on it being underrated insofar as any Ghibli film (that isn't Ocean Waves or something) can be. I've also met an alarming number of younger and even older fans who've just never seen it, which doesn't *happen* with something like Spirited Away or Kiki's Delivery Service.

Klinotaxis

totoro just seems like way more of a kids movie. i watched it after watching several other ghibli movies and it was just like, yeah, if i had watched this when i was younger i'm sure i'd love it.

glennmagusharvey

Kiki's is directly on my to-watch list and what I've seen of it seems rather interesting.

Oddly, I'm not a huge fan of Spirited Away.  It's fun and enjoyable, and easily recommendable to a wide audience, and it was better on the second watch, but still not something I got really into.

Sredni Vashtar

I feel like Totoro and Kiki's respectively really capture different phases of childhood in a way that a lot of children's movies don't, including the sad and scary parts, without any real forced conflicts.

thenamelesssamurai

Sredni Vashtar said:

• Angel's Egg
  

:D

Still glad I decided to add this to the end of the Garzey stream.

Sredni Vashtar

It's one of my favourite short-ish anime films, along with Cat Soup. It also gains points for being a classic in the Obligatory Mind Screw category.