Recommend an Anime for my Boyfriend

[PurpleSky]

Spoiler

[HEADING=1]DEATH NOTE[/HEADING]

It should be ilegal to not watch this.

 

[Souplex]

Death Note and Fullmetal Alchemist (The original, not the crappy remake) appeal to us people who dislike most of the awful trends in Japanese Cartoons (I refuse to call it "Anime" why should one country's animation get it's own name but not other countries? The phrase is the work of weeaboo scum who don't like associating it with a western invention.) that turn us people with good taste away from most. Go for dubs. American voice actors for Japanese cartoons are decent, the Japanese ones all sound the same and you don't want to have to read while watching them.

 

[snowman6251]

Give him Howl's Moving Castle. If he doesn't like that then he's obviously broken and you may have to trade him in.
Also get him to try Grave of the Fireflies and Death Note.

A riskier choice is the thoroughly mindfuckingly weird Ghost in the Shell.

Am I the only one who did NOT like Howl's Moving Castle. It is easily my least favorite Miyazaki movie of the ones I've seen.

I'd think Princess Mononoke would be a much better choice. I think its a vastly superior movie and also for someone who doesn't like anime I think it's got enough of an action hook to draw him in.

 

[Irridium]

He may like Afro Samurai. Its a pretty short anime that focuses on action.
Plus it has Samuel L. Jackson in it.

If you want to show him a movie, go with Princess Mononoke.

And as suggested above, Samurai Champloo and Code Geass. would be good.

Just for the love of all that is holy don't show him FLCL. No way he'd be able to handle it.

 

[Meemaimoh]

I know he'd love Cowboy Bebop, but I'm worried that Ed would scare him off for being the bundle of anime-ish-ness that she is. I also think he'd quite like Fullmetal Alchemist, but I think the whole show is just a touch too anime-ish for him to get into just yet.

That's the trick. Because Trigun has some way rad action and shooting, but then sometimes Vash goes all Wiggly and the show becomes a silly cartoon. FMA, too. There's a new version of Fullmetal Alchemist (available for free on hulu.com!) that's even MORE anime-crazy than the other one, which is a huge bummer, because it's also way more compelling with no filler at all.

The first 9 episodes of Cowboy Bebop are completely Ed-free, though. And by the time Ed comes around Faye is there, and how can you complain at that point? Oh, I shouldn't say that, it's your boyfriend after all.

Berserk doesn't have any of that cutesy cartoon part, but then it doesn't have much at all except for blood and muscles.
Gundam Wing worked on me when I was younger, but I don't know if that's any good either.
Try a movie, is the best idea. Miyazaki counts as anime, and he's amazing all the time. Castle in the Sky or Howl's Moving Castle maybe. and then you can treat that as a foot in the door and move on to FMA, because by then he'll be used to big eyes containing compelling stories.

Samurai Champloo has some of the coolest fight scenes I've ever seen, and aside from the squirrel thing, the only 'cartoon stylized' stuff they do is more absurd than 'chibi.'

That's my reco: Samurai Champloo. Especially because it's basically Cowboy Bebop, but instead of space it's old Japan, and instead of jazz, it's hip-hop. How can you go wrong?

I wish I could get Hulu. I'd really love to see the new FMA.

Gah, it's clearly been far too long since I've seen Cowboy Bebop. Does it really take that long for her to arrive? I'll definitely need to show it to him asap.

Samurai Champloo, eh? I've never even looked into it before. That sounds pretty good - he does like hip-hop. Thanks!

 

[Blue Musician]

Death Note, Hellsing Ultimate, The Rebuild of Evangelion, Samurai Champloo, although I've only got into the 14th episode, Elfen Lied, but I'd guess it'll have too much nudity and gore for you and/or him, and some more I cannot remember.

 

[LRT]

He might like:
Monster
Lupin III
Kara no Kyoukai

 

[Meemaimoh]

Death Note and Fullmetal Alchemist (The original, not the crappy remake) appeal to us people who dislike most of the awful trends in Japanese Cartoons (I refuse to call it "Anime" why should one country's animation get it's own name but not other countries? The phrase is the work of weeaboo scum who don't like associating it with a western invention.) that turn us people with good taste away from most. Go for dubs. American voice actors for Japanese cartoons are decent, the Japanese ones all sound the same and you don't want to have to read while watching them.

I call anime anime and manga manga only because it's a quick and easily recognised name for the asian counterparts to western cartoons and comics. I'd never call them such around people who wouldn't know what I was talking about - I'm definitely no weeaboo. I personally find it hilarious that some people get so worked up about calling it "manga" when every Japanese bookstore I've ever stepped into calls it "komikku".

He may like Afro Samurai. Its a pretty short anime that focuses on action.
Plus it has Samuel L. Jackson in it.

If you want to show him a movie, go with Princess Mononoke.

And as suggested above, Samurai Champloo and Code Geass. would be good.

Just for the love of all that is holy don't show him FLCL. No way he'd be able to handle it.

Samuel L. Jackson is definitely a winner in his books. Will check it out.

And yeah, there's no way in hell I'm showing him FLCL. I personally can't overcome the cultural barrier to appreciate the Japanese style of wacky humour, so I couldn't stand the show. If he becomes enamoured enough with anime to watch that one of his own accord, he'll be watching it alone.

 

[Sworm]

I wouldn't recommend any "long" animes, go with something like Death note or Code Geass as few here have already suggested.

Go with Code Geass first and since you haven't watched ti either, you can watch it together.

win-win I guess

 

[xavi]

I (not being an anime fan either) found one that I really enjoyed -->tenjho tenge.
Freakin love that stuff. or you could be really stereotypical and say deathnote.
While you're at it go buy a deathnote poster/shirt/wristband for him at fye

EDIT: If he is a Sonic the Hedgehog fan, Sonic X is pretty decent

 

[Meemaimoh]

Corrupting his brains with stuff he doesn't like. Sounds you are going to force him to like it.

One girl suggested I should at least watch one show and that'd be final.

Randomely I picked up Full Metal Panic. Has awesome mech battles and a story, no buttury love stuff that bores me to hell. I watched every show and it will remain my only anime.

I like how the guy with the anime avatar calls anime appreciation a corruption. Seriously though, I'd never force him to like anything. I personally really liked Fruits Basket, but I know that there's no way in hell he will ever, ever like anything remotely similar to that. I'd never try. But what Star Wars fanboy should go through his life without trying a sci fi anime?

I just find it sad that he can't get past an art style in order to enjoy a good story, and would like to try to help him past that prejudice. Don't you worry. We've been a couple for three years, so I'm not trying to change him. And yes, I do have his consent.

 

[Dango]

I just finished up a fantastic anime called Bokurano. It ditches things like big anime eyes and exaggerated expressions, ad instead goes for a more realistic art style. It's only 24 episodes so there's no filler. It's very sci-fi-ish and at times pretty emotional. I really recommend to anyone, but for this situation I think it's perfect.

 

[Vianyte]

I hear Queen's Blade has acid spitting nipples

 

[Benefactor]

I'd love to get him into some anime. I know he'd love Cowboy Bebop, but I'm worried that Ed would scare him off for being the bundle of anime-ish-ness that she is. I also think he'd quite like Fullmetal Alchemist, but I think the whole show is just a touch too anime-ish for him to get into just yet.

Some other things he likes, for inspiration:

- Star Wars
- A Song of Ice and Fire
- Pulp Fiction
- The Sopranos
- WoW

I feel like I've been in a very similar situation as your boyfriend. I'm currently dating a girl who isn't obsessed with anime, but certainly enjoys it a lot. My initial reaction to her love of anime was... reserved. I don't like to dismiss things before I experience them, but what I had seen of Inuyasha and some anime one of my other friends likes called "Fruits Basket" gave me a slightly negative view towards anime.

That being said, Fullmetal, Champloo, Trigun, Afro Samurai, and Death Note all are good with me.

Cowboy Bebop is interesting in a different way. Getting it out of the way, I love it. Many of my friends do as well, and I can attest that many of those friends will never say they like anime or willingly watch any other anime.

It may have been my influence (and owning the series on DVD), but I would say that you cannot go wrong with Bebop. Ed COULD throw him off, but start him from the beginning and he'll be fine.

 

[William Dickbringer]

This might be something of a challenge.

My boyfriend does not like anime. He has never seen even one episode*, but he's adamant that he can't stand it, anyway. He says he finds it too weird, with the big eyes and exaggerated expressions. He also knows that many of them suffer from a lot of filler, and this is a HUGE deterrant.

I'd love to get him into some anime. I know he'd love Cowboy Bebop, but I'm worried that Ed would scare him off for being the bundle of anime-ish-ness that she is. I also think he'd quite like Fullmetal Alchemist, but I think the whole show is just a touch too anime-ish for him to get into just yet.

So basically, I'm looking for intelligent, exciting anime that are low on filler. They need to have an artstyle that is maybe just a little more western, or that at least has eyes that aren't two-thirds of the characters' faces. Ideally, they'd be well dubbed, too.

Some other things he likes, for inspiration:

- Star Wars
- A Song of Ice and Fire
- Pulp Fiction
- The Sopranos
- WoW

Any help would be greatly appreciated!


*We watched Grave of the Fireflies together, and I don't think he minded it.

my suggestion baccano! set up just like pulp fiction where everything introduced in the beginning and it all ties together in the end

 

[Darknacht]

Hellsing. Show him the old one not the new one, its good but too anime for a first timer.

 

[CancerDog]

Battle Angel Alita. yeaaaaaa

 

[Shoqiyqa]

When I saw the topic, I was going to say Cowboy Bebop.

I still do, actually. By the time you get to Ed, you've already had "So long, Gaucho," or whatever she said and picked up Ein and Faye. There's time to get him hooked. There's Faye. Isn't she a big enough hook?

You could also try films: Princess Mononoke and Spirited Away are both good. It's interesting that they both feature lack of respect for nature as a big problem and in both cases the problems are basically solved by a kid being polite to everyone.

Some also like Vampire Hunter D and I don't remember it having the Big Eyes Small Mouth thing, but I do remember it having a scene in which the few frames before something should have happened got repeated backwards then forwards then backwards again for a long time rather than anything actually happening, and I hate that.