Help I need some Anime.

[Yokillernick]

Hello there. As you might have realized from the title I would like to start watching some Anime but I would like it to include some specific things.

First of all I would like the Anime to be something with maybe some mature themes which also happens to include ninjas and people fighting monsters. Preferably if it didn't have any guns as I don't want it to be set in the future. Please don't say Naruto because I couldn't bear to watch that it seemed too childish.

Oh and as a bonus could you try and tell me the name of an anime which had a gang of around 6 people one of which was a tall man with red Elvis like hair, another one was able to shoot blue lightning out of his finger when he held it like a gun and another one I can remember was dressed in a red outfit and could conjure plants I think. I remember he carried a sort of rose.

 

[sextus the crazy]

Ninja Scroll. It's older, but it;s still a very good movie.

Also, Berserk. Very dated, but if you can get passed the older VA and animation, it's a compelling story.

Also, as you are new to anime I recommend checking out:

Neon Genesis Evangelion (sub or dub, your preference)
Trigun (dub)
Cowboy Bebop (dub, very very much)
Full Metal Alchemist (dub)
Akira (probably sub)

I can't guarantee you'll like them all, but they are classics of the Genre and give you a good indication of the kind of stuff that anime can do.

Also if you are feeling particularly adventurous, watch the japanese subtitled version of Puella Magi Madoka Magica (also known as Mahou shoujo Madoka Magica). If you can get past the moe (very cute) character designs, you'll be enjoy a beautiful faustian tragedy with excellent artwork. And yes, the advertising makes no reference to this. Then again, any such reference would spoil much of the series as it is one of those series which has plot twists every episode. give it a try, its only 12 episodes and its worth the time.

Yeah, only one of those has ninjas though

 

[Scrustle]

Ninja Scroll. It's older, but it;s still a very good movie.

Ninja'd in the first post! In a thread about ninjas!

I guess if you like Ninja Scroll then Afro Samurai is something with a similar tone. It's dark, brutal and gory, but it doesn't really take itself very seriously. I guess it's slightly different to Ninja Scroll in that aspect, but it's a similar genre.

It also has Samuel L. Jackson playing the main character and his wise cracking ninja sidekick. He does a real good job. Although it's mostly themed around your usual Japanese samurai/ninja fantasy setting there's a bit of hip hop influence in there as well. People also inexplicably have modern technology too. I think it's supposed to be because it's actually set far in the future where everyone decided to go back to the old way of doing things, but kept technology.

There seems to be a lot of anime threads appearing recently, more than usual.

 

[Jonluw]

Katanagatari and Samurai Champloo are my recommendations.

There's not a lot of monsters, but whatever.

 

[sextus the crazy]

Ninja Scroll. It's older, but it;s still a very good movie.

Ninja'd in the first post! In a thread about ninjas!

Only a ninja can quote a ninja. ninja ninja ninja ninja.

There seems to be a lot of anime threads appearing recently, more than usual.

Very much so.

Not that I mind. I love recommending stuff I like to others so I'm happy to help.

 

[Smertnik]

Thank you for actually knowing what you want to watch. Recommendation threads without any kind of specification are tiresome.

Katanagatari and Samurai Champloo are my recommendations.

That'd be my picks as well.

If you don't mind more unique art styles I would recommend Kemonozume, which is a love story about swordsmen who fight demons in a (mostly) contemporary setting.

There seems to be a lot of anime threads appearing recently, more than usual.

I wouldn't say more than usual, there's always at least one anime thread floating around in OT and at least one "recommend me some anime" thread is being made in a week.

 

[Lonely Swordsman]

You know that this is basically like asking "Guys, I need some movies to watch, what would you recommend?"
At least give us a sense of what genres or stories you're into.

Also the show you are looking for is called Yu Yu Hakusho and is pretty kick-ass up to the final arc, then it goes down the shitter real quickly.

 

[Ultress]

Now and Then,Here and There,has a decent bit of fighting,amidst dark musing on humans and war.What fights there are are very tense and nerve-wrecking.

Berserk:A shit ton of fun with a shit ton of killing and a very big epic feel,though this is going off the manga.However both the anime/manga are considered classics and they are redoing it in series of movies adapting the rest of the series.

Raxehphon: NGE's musically inclined little brother.It eventually comes into it's own and is an excellent mecha show.It's a more alternate history then future in setting.

Claymore:Women with big swords fighting monsters,full of tragic characters and some really great fights

 

[sextus the crazy]

Neon Genesis Evangelion (sub or dub, your preference)

Nononono, there is no "preference" here. You watch it subbed, or you're watching some god awful butchered crap that will lower your IQ by ten points and make your ears bleed.

I thought Shinji and Asuka were okay. Also, some people prefer worse dub over good sub. That said, the guy who looked like a brown haired james from team rocket was really wooden.

 

[Agent Larkin]

If you can put up with some convoluted Melodrama I would suggest Code Geass.

It's good but just can get melodramatic some times.

Also i reinforce any recommendations of Cowboy Bebop. Mostly because it was my gateway Anime and is awesomeballs.

 

[sextus the crazy]

Berserk:A shit ton of fun with a shit ton of killing and a very big epic feel,though this is going off the manga.However both the anime/manga are considered classics and they are redoing it in series of movies adapting the rest of the series.

The manga is far superior. The anime only does the gold age arc with the original band of the hawk. The voice acting is pretty meh outside of Griffith's actor and the animation is pretty dated. Still fun though, especially with the bloopers.

Fairy Tail is one of my favorites (although I do prefer the manga, the anime is VERY faithful)

Would count as "kiddie" under the OP's definition. Baccano! is fucking awesome though.

 

[Toy Yota]

REBORN!: Has funny moments, has some action, and smart jokes.
Angel Beats: Very sad anime, great plot, lots of action, very good music, and deceptive storyline
Gintama: Really funny, has a lots of episodes, actually switches arcs every now and then, and mixes the past and future.
Spice & Wolf: Takes place in the past, doesn't have action, but it has a very interesting plot.
SKET Dance: Something you will laugh a lot every time you watch an episode
Humanity has Declined: It's funny, very unpredictable twists, and very creative episodes.
Blue Exorcist: Lots of suspense, lots of action, very gory at first, but it doesn't have a good ending.
Puella Madoka Magica: Looks happy first, but it's very grim and depressing. The story is slow at first but it's worth it to watch all the episodes.
The World God Only Knows: Probably the only anime that doesn't put off the kiss scene for the last episode. Very funny anime

 

[roushutsu]

Off the top of my head, here are some that kinda match what you listed...

Baccano!: Not exactly monster fighting, but it does have immortals, takes place during Prohibition-era America, lots of guns, blood, the whole shebang. And I highly recommend watching the English dub, it's phenomenal.

Gankutsuo The Count of Monte Cristo: If you're into some classic literature (or not), then check this one out. It's a re-imagining of the Count of Monte Cristo, but it's futuristic sci-fi with a classical feel to it. There are aliens, mechas, and the count himself is a demon/vampire thing. Be warned, the art direction is not for everyone. It uses wallpaper patterns for coloring. I love it, but I can understand if others don't.

Paranoia Agent: If you like psychological thrillers, this is a good one. I manage to pick up new things every time I watch it, and it covers various aspects of paranoia and psychological trauma. Lots of weird creatures and images. Actually I recommend anything by Satoshi Kon (the creator), as he tends to make anime shows and movies like this, but Paranoia Agent is probably my favorite work of his.

Hellsing Ultimate: If you like action and vampires, this is a good one. Do note that this is the OVA series I'm referring to. There was a regular TV series (just called "Hellsing), but about half-way through it goes downhill and I wouldn't recommend it. The OVA series stays truer to the original source material. Vampires, werewolves, nazis, knife-wielding priests...it's pretty badass.

 

[ZehMadScientist]

Samurai Champloo comes to mind. Mature themes, and samurai are close enough to ninja's right?

Katanagatari is a visually stunning action/adventure about collecting demon swords. Very wordy, but very much worth the time.

Monster is gonna get you your fix of 'Mature themes', oh very much so. No ninja's or samurai, unfortunately, but give this a spin anyway. 'twas fuckin' brilliant.

 

[Tanis]

Your post is weird and you should feel weird...

OT:
Bastard!! - Short OVA-type series, but loads of fun.

Negami - Both series are decent, magical stuff, but they're kind of cheese and not as good as their manga.

 

[xXGeckoXx]

wsnip

Tell us what you want damn it. Ninja scroll fits your bizarre criterion set. However if you want something mature about samurai, brace yourself and give Shigurui a try. Be warned this is the most gory show I have ever seen by a looong shot and deals with mature themes (sex and violence).

A little more light hearted but dealing with samurai and mature themes is Samurai Champloo, this is a masterpiece.

If I ignore your request for samurai and ninjas there is an unbelievable ammount of mature anime out there, Paranoia Agent, Ghost in the Shell, Ergo Proxy, Serial Experiments Lain, Texhnolyze, Kaiba, Mind Game, Kemonozume (already recommended above, bonus of having monster fighting and swordplay and maturity, one of my favorite anime), and on and beyond to infinite...

 

[NinjaSocks333]

Hellsing Ultimate. I just hope that Funimation gets of their asses and finishes it.

 

[deathbydeath]

Something different and mature: Claymore (Dark and about monster-women) and Eyeshield 21 (Comedy/drama about football). Both are fantastic narratives with wonderful casts of characters, with Claymore being about the inevitability of death and some great moments about actual love (not in the romantic sense), and Eyeshield 21 being about earned vs. natural talent, and it handles it with surprising depth and realism, not the sunshine/rainbows "If you work hard, you can do anything!" mentality that many sports pieces fall into. I support some other recommendations (Ghost in the Shell and Cowboy Bebop), but the aforementioned two are ones you don't normally see recommended on a nerd forum like this.