Currently Accepting Anime/Manga/VN Recs

The title of the post is self-explanatory.

For the last couple of weeks, I’ve been really busy with various RL-related matters, so I haven’t had the time to watch anime or anything. But good news! I have a long holiday ahead of me. So now you can bully me to watch your favourite anime. Rejoice! I might even write a post about it.

If you want to know the full list of anime I’ve watched and manga I’ve read, here is my anime list and here is my manga list. I don’t have a VN list, but I probably haven’t played whatever game you’re thinking of. I mean, Christ, I’m STILL stuck on Grisaia.

You can recommend other things, too, like video games, books, films, TV shows. You can even recommend I jump off a cliff. I probably wouldn’t do that last thing, though. Also, please no Boku no Pico.

Other than that, fire away!

[Mazui]_Boku_Ha_Tomodachi_Ga_Sukunai_-_09_[D8813B74].mkv_snapshot_00.50_[2011.12.01_21.30.49]
Go on. I’m listening.

53 comments

  1. You might want to try the new stuff this season. Personally, I’d recommend Amagi Brilliant Park, Parasyte or Yuuki Yuuna wa Yuusha de Aru.

  2. Not sure if you’ve seen it before, but I have a film recommendation! It’s American Psycho. I’m trying to spread the love. It’s a very unique dark comedy :-D

  3. I think I mentioned this before in connection with Oregairu, but you should definitely read the Welcome to the NHK manga. The anime is good too, but focuses a little more on the comedy, and also doesn’t cover the full story arc, if I recall correctly.

  4. I would totally recommend you to finish Zankyou no Terror and then start watching Fate/Zero and Welcome to the NHK :)
    My personal favourites right now on the current stuff are Akame ga Kill and Shigatsu wa Kimi no Uso

  5. I don’t think I could recommend you an anime since it looks like you’ve seen everything I’ve seen already.. Though this season, my favourites are Bahamut, Shirobako, Garo, Yona and Amagi.. And Inou battle.

    There are a couple of manga rec’s I can throw your way though! I’ll start with Yamada-kun and the Witches. It’s very funny, and it’s kind of neat comparing it to Nisekoi, since they’re both high school comedies, but go about themselves in very different ways.

    Majo No Shinzou has some of the prettiest artwork I’ve seen in manga. It’s fairly episodic too, so if one chapter doesn’t work for you, the next might.

    I’d also consider Ran To Haiiro no Sekai one of the best manga around these days, but it does have a few problematic elements holding it back. Definitely worth checking out though.

  6. I’m not sure if you’ll be able to fully understand the Japanese in these, but I’ll recommend them just in case, since you can at least try: The visual novel Cross Channel and the light novel series Jinrui wa Suitai Shimashita, both by Tanaka Romeo.

      • Seconding the Immortal Rain rec (a.k.a. Meteor Methuselah)! Reading it atm, and it’s beautiful! Shoujo action/adventure :-) A photoset that first intrigued my sister and me into reading it: http://shina-chii.tumblr.com/post/97306338585

        Additional manga I would recommend are Koe no Katachi by Ooima Yoshitoki (another link to persuade you since images speak louder than words: http://mayakyaa.tumblr.com/post/44889143326/bossies) and Orange by Takano Ichigo (couldn’t find a link that didn’t give too much away). Both are powerful, heartfelt dramas: the former artfully handles the sensitive topic of bullying, and the latter is shoujo with a desperate, emotional urgency.

        Also, I haven’t seen this yet, but I feel like you’d really enjoy the movie Big Hero 6 since you may or may not have a soft spot for narratives involving brotherhood. :) Hope you enjoy!

  7. My favorites from this season are Parasyte, Shingeki no Bahamut, Garo, and Shirobako. I don’t really recommend watching Shigatsu wa Kimi no Uso because of how you may interpret its content, but I find the current discussions about the show fascinating from a cultural perspective.

    As for manga, well, you probably need to read Great Teacher Onizuka. And Beck. And Bokurano. And finishing Chikan Otoko. And Monster. And Aku no Hana. And, and, and, an-

  8. From this season: Garo and Parasyte.
    Tokusatsu: I would give Kamen Rider Gaim (by Urobutcher) a try. It’s very good.
    Also from looking at your “To Watch” list, highly, highly recommend Shiki.
    Are you a Kuroshitsuji fan? Season 2 was a mixed bag but the Book of Circus adaptation was most excellent.

  9. Manga recs!

    You should definitely read Hoshi no Samidare (aka The Lucifer and Biscuit Hammer), it’s a beautiful story with some of the best characters I’ve ever read.

    Memories of Emanon and Wandering Emanon make up a wonderful adaptation of a sci-fi story with great Mushishi-style art, and overall the feel is similar to that series (low-key, as deep as you feel like letting it be, etc. [I suppose I’m recommending Mushishi while I’m at it, haha]).

    Gintama might be the best thing I’m reading currently, from an overall point-of-view. It’s a great shounen action series and gag comedy, but it does not falter when going through serious arcs. It also manages to be didactic without being preachy or dull.

    I see Chikan Otoko is on your “To-Read” list, go for it! Very entertaining and will probably inspire a blog post or two, or at least be useful as an example.

    Sakigake!! Cromartie Koukou is… humorous.

    Finally, Nickelodeon by Douman Seiman is an amazing short-ish collection of more-or-less unrelated one-shots. The art style is very unique (cute in a bizarre abstract/cubist/horror-shoujo-manga sort of way) and the stories never quite end up as one might expect. Oftentimes touching.

  10. I’m going to plug Shirobako for you, since I have a feeling you like SOL’s with relatively realistic and amusing characters. Bakuman was a story from the perspective of creating manga; Shirobako raises the bar by depicting the the chaotic frenzy animation studios go through to push out a 13-episode anime under strict deadlines and short timespans.

    It’s a surprisingly exhilarating and stressful experience to watch.

    I think it resonates with people our age in particular, because the protagonists are graduates fresh-out-of-school and plunging into an intense working industry, sometimes fumbling their way through.

    Anyhow, I personally think every serious anime fan should watch shirobako sooner or later, if at the very least to gain a better understanding of how anime is made.

  11. Shameless plug for my VN recommendations list =P

    For individual recommendations though, I have to go with G-Senjou no Maou and the Muv-Luv series. While the original Muv-Luv is mainly an over-the-top slice of life comedy (which i’m not ashamed to admit I enjoyed) the rest of it is an absolutely fantastic experience that shouldn’t be missed by anyone ever (but will be, naturally). Muv-Luv Alternative is the one you’ll want to check out the review for if you’re so inclined.

    I could go on and on but I won’t overload your comments section. If you have any questions about particular VNs i’d be happy to do my best to answer them.

  12. I’m going to limit myself to one rec per—

    Manga: Lucifer and the Biscuit Hammer (I really think you would like this one).
    Anime: Kill Me Baby (One of my all-time favorite comedies, like Nichijou except more character-based)

  13. My favorite anime of the season are Bahamut, Parasyte, Garo, Akatsuki no Yona, Shirobako, and the sequels to Psycho-Pass and Chaika. I don’t think I have a firm enough grasp on your taste to recommend too much to you specifically, but the only thing that’s one of my favorite anime which you haven’t seen some part of is Aquarion Evol. So maybe check that out.

  14. Anime: I think you might like Wandering Son and Uchouten Kazoku among past shows. I loved them. Actually, have you checked out any of Masaaki Yuasa’s work? I couldn’t find any in your anime list.

    You’ve probably heard all the spam about Shirobako and Bahamut on the anitwittersphere, and you already know I love them to bits, so I needn’t remind you of them. I think if you enjoyed PoTC, you’d enjoy Bahamut.

    Manga: What aspects of March Comes In Like a Lion, KimiUso and OreGairu did you enjoy? Because if it’s the character writing and the drama surrounding teens, then I think you’ll adore Koe no Katachi (it’s ending soon, two more chapters left). And IIRC you’ve already planned to read the works of Satoshi Mizukami (Biscuit Hammer, etc.) so I don’t need to sell you on those.

    If you want something more romantic, I would also check out Ashita Dorobou and Bounnouji.

    VNs: I can only recommend Katawa Shoujo; no others I’ve read had the same level of quality writing, although the demo for Work in Progress is extremely promising.

    • Gonna second Garlock here with Wandering Son. Didn’t realise you hadn’t watched it! That is definitely one you should check out. Considering your expanding interest in feminism and sexuality, I’d guess you’re nearly at the perfect point in your life for it to speak to you! Definitely make it a priority

  15. I was going to recommend some, but your list surpasses mine so that’s going to be hard to do. Nobunaga Concerto ended up being a sleeper hit this year, so maybe check out that? If you can get over the art style, you might enjoy it.

    If you’re into dramas, maybe check out Yuusha Yoshihiko To Maou No Shiro. Since you’re a gamer, you might appreciate the story more, plus it’s really funny.

  16. Oops, I accidentally a word vomit

    Anime

    Kure-Nai: Miyuki Sawashiro voices a dude with a harem, taking care of a little girl voiced by Aoi Yuuki doing her best Kugimiya Rie voice. Miyuki-dude is also basically working for Balalaika from Black Lagoon. It’s awesome.

    Glass no Kamen (2005): Everything is worth it for the mentor figure being the biggest ham there ever was. CHEW THAT SCENERY. CHEW ITTTTTT

    ——
    TV

    Orphan Black: pure addicting goodness. I dare you not to binge-watch it by season. The first season might actually be perfect. Imho, the writing for the second season is not quite as good, but it’s fascinating as a study of how greater interactions between creators and their fandom may influence their writing for subsequent seasons.

    Leverage: Solid heist show, but the real draw here is that the episode commentaries (available on the DVDs, as well as ripped as mp3s online) are a treasure trove of insight into how every decision in writing, directing, and production reflects on the storytelling effect of the product viewers see. This show and these commentaries have ruined me for how bad anime tends to be at exposition.

    Young Justice: The action cartoon with relatively realistic human bodies is dying out in western animation, and Legend of Korra might be its last hurrah outside of direct-to-DVD releases. (See also how the Sailor Moon reanimate project encouraged each animator to focus on their unique style, and how the majority of those styles were pure cartoon, elastic and gooey, even more than Imaishi products, since Adventure Time serves as the flagship for western animation now.) Both shows were animated by South Koreans, but written by Americans. Young Justice might be fascinating as a comparison to the Marvel anime, or the likes of Darker than Black, Tokyo ESP, or Tiger and Bunny.


    Jdramas

    Love Shuffle: My favorite Jdrama of all time. Delicious romance and friendships.

    Gokusen: Never seen the anime, but the drama is pretty iconic as far as seeing what a live-action cast full of prettyboys can offer compared to anime reverse harems. (As far as other manga adaptation dramas go, Nodame, Hana Yori Dango, and GTO are pretty good, too. I liked the Beck movie as conventional popcorn fare, but others found that insulting.)

    Majisuka Gakuen is a shameless idol vehicle drama, but it’s a cast full of young(ish) girls beating each other up. What more could you ask for!? (The AKB48 vehicle dramas tend to be pretty cracktastic camp, but since I’m a fan of the group I don’t know how much non-fans can enjoy them. But I enjoyed Mendol and Saba Doll immensely, and these dramas all demonstrate the otaku database as applied to idols really well. of course, Gokusen does as well, as applied to pretty boys.)

    Kisaragi (2007 Japanese film) is amazing, and I’m not just saying that as an idol fan. It stands on its own merits. But its exploration of some fandom issues is a great bonus.

    ——
    Blogs

    Since the comment system won’t like url spam, the terms in quotes will give you the intended site as the first result on Google. (Don’t search with the quotation marks)

    “japaneselit.net” Blog title: Contemporary Japanese Literature

    “Ogiue Maniax” WordPress blog

    “Anipages Daily” focuses on the visual aspects of the medium, which is something most anibloggers don’t, so it’s a great place to learn some perspectives on what constitutes great imagery, as well as how much staff that aren’t the directors/series composers can affect the quality and creativity of a production.
    “Hearts of Furious Fancies” WordPress blog (ALL OF THE PHILOSOPHICAL ANALYSIS. SO MUCH POMO, with academic expertise and citations, to boot! Lots of Saito Tamaki in their most recent post.)

    “The Official Schoolgirl Milky Crisis Blog” Most analysis in the english aniblogosphere is necessarily from strictly the international fan point of view. It does mean that we can lack the capability to truly evaluate the industry, since we don’t have boots on the ground. This blog is one that can provide that “insider” perspective.

    “Ray Mescallado Archives” More specifically, check out under the Cult of Pop 1.0 archive for the Why Jpop series. Parts 4 and 5 provide insight that I believe can extend beyond idol fandom into the appeal of anime, as well. Not sure how much non-idol-fans can enjoy the other posts. The Pleasure Principled section has some good ones with broader applications: The Annette Funicello post under Volume 3 examines how moe was lifted from feelings towards real people, and is really an old concept. The entirety of Volume 5 might also be of interest. And finally, in Volume 6, the No Boys Allowed post explores how the treatment of males in Cute Girls Doing Cute Things extends into idolling. (As a bonus western opposite-gender application, see how in One Direction’s Best Song Ever MV, they don’t have 1D singing to any particular girl. Instead, they play up slash pairings by having one of the members cross-dress.)

  17. Haibane Renmei is at #9 on your plan to watch list? Seriously?

    It’s one of THREE shows that I’ve completed full episodic reviews for, and I only do that for shows that I still like that much at least 10 years after initial release.

    Having ARIA the ANIMATION at #2 is also one that should promote.

  18. I won’t rec every single title I think you should watch that isn’t listed on your MAL profile, but I thoroughly recommend Michiko to Hatchin, Bokurano, and Eve no Jikan for anime TV shows. And for a shorter watch, I also don’t see the Ookami Kodomo no Ame to Yuki film on your list – by far the best Hosoda Mamoru title in my opinion.

  19. Frog-kun, I’m surprised you’re not watching Inou-Battle! You should give that a try, since it seems like it’d be right up your alley.

    There’s a lot of great shows on your plan to watch list. You’d probably be good to just go through those; there’s at least ten or so that are favorites of mine in there. Shiki is fantastic horror, Nichijou and Zetsubou-sensei are great for comedy, and you definitely have to give Lain and Haibane Renmei a go some day. Those were two of the biggest shows that actually pushed me into this whole anime thing. =P
    I’ll give a plug for Gosick as well while I’m at it though. I feel that one was really underrated–people focused a lot more on the mystery aspect of the show rather than the characterization, which is where it really shined (for me, anyways).

    I haven’t read too many manga, but some of my favorites not on your list: the Higurashi adaptation (likely my favorite take on the franchise), and a bunch of shoujo… I liked Hana to Akuma, Koko ni Iru yo, Mixed Vegetables, for examples. And then my #1 favorite of course is Pandora Hearts–that series is wrapping up now, so it’s a good time to give that a read through.

    I’ve only read a few visual novels, but I’m a big fan of Dangan Ronpa, and suggest that if you haven’t played it. I’m in the middle of the second title right now… If you ever want a cute all-ages otome though, I rather liked Sweet Fuse: At Your Side.

    If you want more light novels to read, I’ve been trying to write reviews for as many as I can on my site. For a random suggestion of an overlooked series though, I’ll give a plug for Tsukumodo Antique Shop.

  20. Hi, it looks to me that you enjoy shows with a dash of fantasy element to it. Going by that judgement, this manga here, http://bato.to/comic/_/comics/mahou-tsukai-no-yome-r10801 is a pretty good catch. It has well thought out world building and all that delicious goodness to it. There’s only 10 translated chapters though, but I reckon it’d be a fun read. :)

    As for anime, I’d recommend http://myanimelist.net/anime/1946/Ashita_no_Nadja. It’s shoujou, but I hope that you won’t dismiss it based on that. It’s really good, and while the romance plays a central part throughout the show, the main charm of it is the adventure and people the main character meets along the way that really makes the show stand out from the rest of it’s genre. It’s like a throwback to all the classic shoujou adventure shows out there and is a fun, light hearted, heart-warming show. :)

  21. Anime: Detroit Metal City. Dude how have you not watched it. Funniest thing ever. And it’s short. Also watch Oh! Edo Rocket. Also, most of your to watch list is pretty great. I *think* you would especially enjoy Welcome to the NHK, and probably Katanagatari and Hourou Musuko as well.

    For manga:

    Molester man. Hoshi no Samidare. Narutaru. OYASUMI PUNPUN. Seriously, read Oyasumi Punpun.

    For ongoing ones, you should check out Spirit Circle, Boku Dake ga Inai Machi, Koe no Kitachi, and Watashi ni xx Shinasai.

    Pleas let me know when you’re done how I have the best taste ever.

  22. Took a look at your PTW and found a nice block of good anime(or, rather, stuff I liked) in there.

    Anime:

    Honey and Clover – Starts off slow and it’s kinda bipolar(it switches between serious and comedy very often), but it has some excellent moments of both romance and comedy. I didn’t like Season 2 as much, but it’s worth watching as well.

    Haibane Renmei – A sort of mysterious implied low fantasy drama. Very similar to Kino’s Journey in that respect, actually.

    Hourou Musuko – This is the show that I once described as having “perfect characters”. I actually still stand by that opinion, but the characters were so perfect that I became sort of disillusioned with it by the end. Also, the anime tells an incomplete story. Those are the only two reasons it’s a 9 instead of a 10 on my list.

    As for manga, I only started reading manga again last week, so there’s not much I know about the medium. However, some of the stuff I’ve been reading is pretty good.

    Manga:

    Prison School(Kangoku Gakuen): If you don’t like the BDSM aspects, it’s still worth reading just for the art.

    Shokugeki no Soma: An “extreme” cooking manga that is actually more like a sports manga(or maybe all cooking manga are like that). Pretty fun, thought it does make you very hungry.

  23. You don’t seem to have Paranoia Agent (Mousou Dairinin) in your MAL. Really, you should fix this. That anime is the stuff of masterpieces. It’s an incredibly trippy story about a boy on rollerblades going around bludgeoning people with a golden baseball bat, except it’s really a metaphor on alienation and escapism in modern society, except… you’ll see. One of those things that only anime can give us, and thank the kamis for that!

    Oh, by the way, it’s the only TV series by Satoshi Kon. Of which you should check out also every movie – they’re all very good, with Millennium Actress and Paprika being tips of excellence.

    ALSO YOU DROPPED THE TWINTAIL SHOW MAN WTF IS WRONG WITH YOU THAT SHOW IS GOLD.

  24. Anime:
    I’ll second Hourou Musuko and Michiko to Hatchin but from Masaaki Yuasa I’ll recommend not Tatami but Kaiba. Since you have a soft spot for romances, I think you’ll find yourself deeply touched.

    You haven’t watched Mononoke? The one with the Medicine Seller I mean. You should when you want to watch something both really unique visually and if you want some psychological scare.
    I think you’ll also highly enjoy Uta Koi, which is romance with whimsical comedy at parts and I really miss it. It’s amazing how the stories are about romance in the past and yet the female characters aren’t pathetic doormats or the men aggressive playboys -not all of them at least.
    Lastly, I’m watching this period Kazemakaze Tsukikage Ran, which is has a female samurai as MC and she’s totally my new waifu <3 I'm head over heels with her, her badassery, her looks and her voice! The series is very light hearted!
    All of these are episodic (Mononoke has arcs of 2-4 eps though) and 13 episodes long.

    Manga:
    I'll also second Koe no Katachi -it's a masterpiece.

    Since you're interested in gender, you'll find Bokura no Hentai really engrossing and I think that it does even better job than Hourou Musuko.
    Witches/Majou by Daisuke Igarashi is a recommendation I do based on your love for Mushishi and it's also very short (2vols).
    I can't believe no one recommended you yuri or yaoi!
    Yuri: Kase-san (fluff-2vols ongoing), MAKA MAKA (communicative sex- 2 vols), Octave (adult romance/drama-6vols), Heartpoundng Excitement at Mononoke Girls' Academy (sweet and sexy- 2vols) and almost anything by Amano Shuninta but especially Sweet Guilty Love Bites (delicious and tender smut-1vol). As asexual you might be interested in The Feelings Which We Must All Endure (see 2nd volume in particular) but it hasn't been fully scanlated (3vols long).
    Yaoi: The Rule of Standing at Tiptoe (fluff-1vol), Seven Days (romance/drama-2vols), Doukyuusei-Soutsugyousei (fluff 3vols), Otona no Mondai (comedy 1-vol) Ookami Shounen to Hamu no Hito (coming out sex-1vol), Sorenari ni Shinken Nandesu (gay dads <3 -2vols), and almost anything by est em -I'd suggest Tableau no 20 or Age Called Blue.

  25. You should try ace attorney game it’s a very good game about lawyer. It’s very funny and over the top and got some good story check it out!

  26. Naoki Urasawa’s Monster- psychological thriller with great story, atmosphere and etc. One of my favorite animes(and favorite manga), but for some reason not very popular.

  27. Planetes needs to come off your “to-watch” list. It isn’t perfect in it’s execution, and suffers from a lack of sustained drama of a high intensity, but it’s my fave sci-fi anime to date. It is one of select few anime set in space that kindles a sense of awe for the vast cosmos itself. Not many sci-fi anime can get you excited about the empty void of space, but after watching Planetes, it’s almost certain that you’ll look up at the night sky and just think: “Wow”. Then again, my experience with this show probably won’t be the same as yours since I’m a massive sucker for sci-fi romances anyway. This show’s DVD has really poor availability here in the UK, but It’s not so hard to get hold of in Australia. Here’s a link to Madman’s release: http://www.madman.com.au/catalogue/view/11949/planetes-collection-fatpack I don’t think there’s any legal stream, so it’ll have to be fansubs unless you want to get the DVD.

    I don’t know what console(s) you’ve got, but I’m playing “shadow of the colossus” at the moment and it’s superb. I’ve never felt so emotionally torn after defeating a boss battle :'(

    For a book recommendation, I’ve just listened to “behind the beautiful forevers” as an audiobook and found it to be nothing short of enthralling, but more importantly, thought-provoking and informative. It gives you an insightful and alarming view into poverty and corruption in an Indian slum which is seemingly glossed over in most other forms of media that attempt to cover the subject.

    As far as films go, I was thoroughly impressed by “the lego movie”. It is fantastically entertaining for every age group, and not just a 100 minute advert for lego as I initially expected.

    Anyways, have fun during your holiday! And don’t watch too much to the point where you get the dreaded “anime-burnout”…

  28. I may be the only one to recommend it, but I didn’t spot Aku no Hana on your anime list and it’s one of my favorites, so I strongly recommend it. I find most of the backlash against it to be the result knee-jerk reactions.

    As for stuff on your list, I noticed you didn’t finish neither Ping Pong or Silver Spoon and I love both of those as well. I’d say those are both shows worth finishing.

    And for film, go out and see Interstellar! Even if you end up thinking the writing is flawed it’s still going to be an entertaining experience, and a visual feat no less. I’d see it in imax, and better yet in 70mm film, if that sort of thing suits your fancy. Granted, you gotta find a theater near you airing it in 70mm first. Don Jon is also a good, underrated film from last year, another one of my favorites.

  29. I’m not sure what tastes you would like in VNs, but Hatoful Boyfriend seems right up your alley, lol.

    If you want VNs for just some simple fun, Osananajimi wa Daitoryou is great-and Ell, despite not being an imouto, her characterization can pretty be counted as one, so you would love it, I think. And for more imouto, Yosuga no Sora :p Hoshizora no Memoria is a visual novel where you can easily play just for fun, but can be also thought-provoking depending on the reader.

    I could also recommend some AAA titles like Steins;Gate, G-Senjou, Muv-luv and stuffs but once again, I’m not sure if those are right up your alley. You can probably just check out my VN favorite list on my blog for those.

    Also, this -> https://vndb.org/v53

  30. I remember you said somewhere that you were interested in studying feminism and/or fujoshi culture and mindsets (I may be wrong about this). Why don’t you try reading a few BL mangas, or mangas that are really popular with fujoshi communities (like Kuroshitsuji or revisiting the sports anime that you’ve put on hold)?

    By the way, love your tags on MAL. Made me snort when I wasn’t supposed to be doing something entertaining.

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