I can't find an anime good enough for me since Ghost in the Shell.

[NvrPhazed]

I need help. I can't seem to find an anime with near enough quality as Ghost in the Shell. I watched everything from the old movies to the tv shows, and I can't find anything even close to as good as it. Do any of you have suggestions? I prefer heavy intensive plot and character development, and I'm not really into the whole middle and high-school camp that seems to be everywhere.

 

[Kopikatsu]

Did you actually understand what was being said?

Because they went into REALLY freakin' deep philosophical debates at the drop of a hat. But of course, if your mind is basically connected to the internet 24/7, I imagine everyone would be doing that.

Anyway, what you're looking for are Seinen manga/anime. Google it. The only one I remember by name is Death Note, but that's pseudo-Seinen. Predominately Shonen with some Seinen undertones.

Edit: I suppose you could try Durarara!!. But that's also shonen.

Monster and Shuffle might be up your alley, too.

 

[applesandoranges]

edit

 

[badmunky64]

I haven't watched anime in a while but Baccano! has been the best one ive seen in recent memory. Also give AMC's Breaking Bad a try. It's the best show I've seen in the a long while.

 

[Andrew_Waltfeld]

Code geass isn't half bad but it does delve into the high-school scene at times. If you like tons of chess analogies and mind games much like death note, might be worth a shot.

 

[Kenami]

I enjoy some anime but oddly enough the title to this thread describes me quite accurately on my current standing with anime.

 

[NvrPhazed]

Ok thanks for the idea with Seinen style. I already have read Ruroni Kenshin actually. I'll see about Baccano. More opinions r welcome.

 

[Alakaizer]

I liked Moribito: Guardian of the Spirit, and of course there's the perennial favorite Cowboy Bebop.

Guess I don't know very much about anime. Oh, well, I love my games!

 

[bluepotatosack]

I'mma throw One Piece out there. It's art style is cartoonish, but it manages some intense drama.

 

[NvrPhazed]

4kids ruined one piece for me even trying to read it, I couldn't get those bad dubbed voices out of my head.

 

[bluepotatosack]

Ugh. Yeah, that's horrible. Luckily I saw the 4kids version after I saw episodes with the original Japanese. The original casting is spot-on for every character.

 

[Raso719]

I'd suggest the following if you want deep stuff.

"Ghost Hound"
"Serial Experiments Lain"
"Death Note" (not a fan myself but I acknowledge it's fandom and significance)
"Welcome to the NHK" (a personal favorite in this area)
Anything by the late, great Satoshi Kon.

For a more balanced approach to heavy stuff with more action and character development that touches on heavy themes though out the show but doesn't fixate on them I'd reccomend the following.

Old School Gundam (especially Zeta). If you see CGI robots and huge bright eyes walk away for now.
"Glass Fleet"
"Last Exile" (awesome as sin)
"Gunslinger Girl"
"Trigun"
"Rurouni Kenshin"
"Heroic Age"
"XXXolic"

Now if you're into slice of life there are some out there (believe it or not) that are more than just moe blobs and fan service. These ones are more cerebral or emotionally engaging and can be enjoyed by people who aren't looking for a 25 minute commercial for perverted, 1/6th scale PVC figurines of 12 year old girls in bikinis.

"Welcome to the NHK" actually fits in here kinda well.
"Kanon"
"Clannad" and "Clannad After Story" (these will make you cry so much)
From what I've heard from friends "Honey and Clover" seems alright.
"Princess Jellyfish"



Now luckily you can't watch most anime of the action verity with some sort of psudo-philosophical or psudo-intellectual message or commentary about love, war, morality, zealots or some other bit on the human condition, even if it's half assed and halfhearted, so I'd say if you have netflix feel free to look around. "Vandread" at first seems like a cheesy super robot and fan service shot but it actually has a pretty cool message that comes with it, as does "Gurren Lagann". I mean the end of action anime read like a self help book: "pick yourself up and control your destiny" and all that jive then some one gets rocket punched, pretty basic stuff, but it's usually there at some level or another. That's the difference between American TV and anime: American TV doesn't take sides (except against the terrorists because America) in order to not offend people and have a larger base demographic while Anime will flat out tell you that war is messed up, God doesn't give a crap about you and you have to do it yourself or some other stuff crap that for some reason is considered controversial around here.

 

[DragonFae]

I'm not sure I can be of much help as I'm not into the mind bending animes. But Black Cat was intense at times and D.Gray Man has a good story line.

 

[Kpt._Rob]

What you NEED to check out is Ghost Hound. It was written by Masamune Shirow (who wrote the manga from which the films were inspired, the films in turn inspiring the anime series, as well as the later film Solid State Society). So you've got his credentials to start off with, and then you add in the guy who directed both Kino's Journey and Serial Experiments Lain. What you have is the ingredients for a masterpiece.

It is a change of pace in some ways from GITS, in that it's not as action heavy. It makes up for that with a group of really well developed characters, a seemingly supernatural and beyond intriguing mystery, some of the most beautiful imagery you've ever seen, and a crazy huge helping of psychology (particularly some more fringe ideas in the psychological community) and quantum theory (in this case looking suspiciously like the theoretical physics of one Amit Goswami).

The end result is the sort of experience which is so clearly a diamond in the rough. Amidst the many cookie cutter animes today, with predictable narratives and tired characters, Ghost Hound is one of those series that has the balls to actually be about something. Not just that, but what it's about is such a complex concept, that not everyone is going to be able to figure out the mystery even by the end. They don't spoon feed it to you, they assume that you've got the intelligence to appreciate just how incredible a series it is.

Spoiler: a screen which might give you the slightest taste for the sort of strangeness you're in for if you opt to watch Ghost Hound

 

[Gali]

Maybe you should try Ergo Proxy. It's some kind of Cyberpunk/Mystery/Science Fiction Anime, with some references to myths and European philosophy. Sometimes it can be really weird and the plot hard to follow, but I really enjoyed it.

 

[Dagnius]

Might I suggest you try Black Lagoon? I will admit, I have not watched much of Ghost in the Shell (due to personal preferences)so I'm not sure if Black Lagoon is in the same category as what you're looking for. I might give it another try some time. Black Lagoon is in my top 5 and I found it to have a good story, great animation and art, likable characters, and manages to keep consistency throughout. I cannot say anything about the voice acting, though, as I have only ever watched the Japanese version with English subtitles. Give it a shot, you might like it as well as I did.

 

[Grospoliner]

I need help. I can't seem to find an anime with near enough quality as Ghost in the Shell. I watched everything from the old movies to the tv shows, and I can't find anything even close to as good as it. Do any of you have suggestions? I prefer heavy intensive plot and character development, and I'm not really into the whole middle and high-school camp that seems to be everywhere.

Try:

Ergo Proxy
Blame
Noein
Texhnolyze
Pale Cocoon
Boogiepop Phantom
Darker than Black
Mnemosyne
Key the Metal Idol
Haibane Renmei
Denpa Teki na Kanojo
Comedy

Maybe:

Witch Hunter Robin
Speed Grapher
RahXephon
Argento Soma
King of Thorn
Kurozuka
Soul Taker

 

[Archangel768]

Ergo Proxy. I'd say that out of all of the anime I've seen the one you'd probably most likely enjoy is Ergo Proxy. Adult characters etc etc. Interesting storyline etc

I definitely recommend it.

 

[NoTroll]

My Little Pony: Friendship is Magic. C'mon. Duh.

 

[NvrPhazed]

as much as i like Foster's, I can't get into MLP:FiM because I feel like I'd have to give up my man card. Thanks for all the suggestions guys.