What Have You Watched in Anime Lately?

[DanekJovax]

Minna san,

I am posting this as a little experiment in a ways, to see what people have been watching lately (like, in the last 3 months), and to view any recommendations (or warnings) that people have generated from that viewing.

Anyways, I'll start.

In the last 3 months, I've seen the following (as far as I can remember):

Hajime no Ippo: The Fighting (finished the series, 76 eps plus a movie)
Last Exile (thru ep 23)
Nanaka 6/17 (all 12 eps)
Legend of Condor Hero (thru ep 12)
Rumic Theater (ep 1)
Neko no Ongaishi (The Cat Returns) Movie
Violinist of Hamelin (eps 1-17)
Great Teacher Onizuka (thru ep 35)
Read or Die the TV (eps 1-2)
Nadia: The Secret of Blue Water (re-watched eps 1-4)
Saiyuki (re-watched eps 1-2)
Onegai Twins (eps 1-9)
Grappler Baki (eps 1-3)
One Piece (eps 1-5)
Wolf's Rain (eps 1-5)
His & Her Circumstances (re-watched eps 1-2)
Slayers TRY (3rd season) (re-watched eps 1-4)
Initial D (1st season) (re-watched eps 1-4)
Pata Pata Hikosen no Boken (Secret of Cerulean Sand) (all 26 eps)
Hanada Shounen Shi (eps 1-5)
Prince of Tennis (eps 1-7)
Sumeba Miyako no Cosmos-sou Suttoko Taisen Dokkoida (eps 1-7)

Well, I think I've seen a little more than that in the last 3 months, but I'll stop there. If you hadn't guessed, I like to watch a LOT of anime! :2D


Anyways, my real recommendations in this list are:

Hajime no Ippo - Sports (Boxing) - Lots of humor, action, and pugilistic know-how. Great watch every time - a real gem! I love this one so much, I'm currently making an AMV with it!

Last Exile - Epic Adventure/Action/Drama - Gonzo made this one, if that explains anything. Great storyline, visuals, and animation quality is very good! Currently in fansubs, though licensed by Pioneer - release still pending last I heard.

Legend of Condor Hero - Action/Adventure/Romance - a retelling of a classic & popular Chinese novel (though 1st time in anime), a great watch for those into classic chinese drama and love to watch martial arts.

Nanaka 6/17 - Comedy/Romance - A real pleasant surprise to watch this one! For anyone who loves a few twists in their romance watching, this one's to see! For those who enjoy an interesting study on relationships and a touch of comedy, this one's not to miss!

Neko no Ongaishi (The Cat Returns) - Adventure/Drama - Well, it's from Studio Ghibli (though not directed by Hayao Miazaki), and if you know me at all, that's all that I need to say to recommend it to you. Great animated story, despite its apparent parallels to Alice in Wonderland.

Great Teacher Onizuka - Comedy/Action/Drama - Well, it was a #1 hit in Japan in both its animated and live-action (drama) form when it was first released, and it's a #1 recommendation from me as well. Even though GTO has its fanservice/ecchi appearances, don't let that foil you - this one's a rel gem, for those who like to see a teacher actually try to help his students by literally going that extra mile to show them that they're special, even though his methods aren't that orthodox. Because of this positive theme, I own this whole series (at least what's currently out) in DVD, and I love re-watching any episode!

His & Her Circumstances - Drama/Romance - If the word Gainax means anything to you, then you know this one's not your typical schoolkid romance, and after seeing about half of this series in the DVDs that I own, I know that for a fact. This is one first-rate romance story, seen from the perspectives of both the guy and the girl, and their immediate friends. As the story gets more complex as the series progresses, it still doesn't fail to charm, entertain, and warm your heart to see these people interact and work through one of life's tough spots - first love. A gem in my DVD collection, and a great recommendation to make it yours.

Rumic Theater - For those of you who've seen Ranma 1/2, Maison Ikkoku, Inu Yasha, and this series' predessor Rumic World, this is a new mixture of animated shorts from Rumiko Takahashi, probably the Bill Gates of Japanese Anime/Manga. So far I like this one a lot, and hope you can too!


Honrable mentions:

Nadia: Secret of Blue Water - A Gainax classic with a Jules Verne touch!

One Piece - A great adventure showing how people can change to the better when love is added to their life!

Dokkoida - This slapstick satire holds no punches against anything that's hit the anime/sci-fi/mecha genre! There is a S&M duo in here, but you need to see it to know it's totally in humor and more or less a slap against its real representation. A nice belly laugher!

Initial D - If you liked Fast & Furious, then you'll like this one even more!

Onegai Twins - Don't let the Onegai label stop you from seeing this 'sequel'. It's not really that much a sequel as another storyline, and I think a better made one than its predessor. Situational in nature, though fun and warming to watch.

Hanada Shounen Shi - An animated equivalent to "Touched by an Angel"... though I'll call it "Bugged by many Ghosts" ;2) Nice positive theme in it, as it delves into the various relationships around a brash and rough-edged boy, with a 'gift.'

Well, there's so much more to talk about here, but I'll spare you the yammering and let you check these out for now.

If you'd like to read more about these series, check them out at this wonderful anime resource site (if you haven't used this place already):

http://www.animenfo.com/

Enjoy!

[Ashley]

What about some of the more negative themes present; like I know in Kare Kano (His & Her Circumstances) they had premarital sex. Is there anything else similiar we should know about these titles?

[DanekJovax]

Good point, Ashley.

Kare Kano (or His & Her Curcumstances), there is that pre-marital sex scene towards the end of the story, and that does need to be taken into account. I haven't seen that particular episode, but I suspected it was there (from a couple AMVs and from someone else telling me it was there from the fansubs they watched).

Hmm... let me think...

Well, in Hajime no Ippo there is occasional snippet scenes of what I can basically call "Locker Room Humor" between the men, with them comparing the sizes of certain body parts (though nothing is actually shown). I didn't take that as really negative... just something that anyone would likely do in that situation, and it was executed with good humor in mind.

Hmm, another part I think would make one think a second is the questionable circumstance of a single guy living with two single (and wanting to be available) girls in the same house, in Onegai Twins. This is despite the fact that they think there is a possibility that they may be related to one another.

Hmm...other than that, there's the above average profanity that can be found in GTO, and Hanada Shounen Shi, though I didn't take this profanity as gratutious, just part of the 'environment' that the story is set in.

I hope that helps, M'lady. :2)

[Trelos]

Recently I've only watched two or three anime's, but here they are:

Full Metal Panic
Noir
Armitage - Dual and Poly Matrix

Recommendations:

Full Metal Panic - All around it is pretty clean. Some panty shots, a bit of offensive langauge, but nothing too terrible. In the intro, mind you, you do see Kaname Chidori spinning naked, but that is the last and only nudity scene I have seen so far (I have watched through 12). The story is good, the mecha battles are not overdrawn, and even though mech's are used so much, it's fresh and new the way it is utilized. The story is centered around Souseke and his friends, and a girl named Kaname Chidori. All in all, it's very good, with only a few things to be cautious about.

Honorable Mention:

Noir - Though I've heard some bad stuff from some people about Noir, I have found nothing to complain about yet. I have only watched through ep. 9, but their has been no lesbian love scene, only a weird kiss that I have yet to really understand why... It centers around two assassins who both have lost their memory. They go around killing under the assassin name Noir (it means black in French, I believe). The killing can be a bit disturbing, especially the way they do it so easily (not always, but most of the time), but so far I have really enjoyed the series. Not for everyone though.

You Might Want To Stay Away From:

Armitage - I actually really liked the story, and the idea behind it, but the blood and nudity kinda threw me. I'm not going to say don't see it, but be cautious if you do.

[Heaven's Cloud]

I just recentally saw Hajime no Ippo. I would recomend it.

I also just say the Trigun series. Now I am aware that almost everybody here likes Trigun, but I'll sum it up for you all.

In the western times there lives a man named Vash, Vash the Stampede. Everybody feared Vash, and that was because he could blow up a town in the blink of an eye. hat's where he got the name Humanoid Typhoon. He is really trying to be a peacemaker. Along the way he meets two insurance girls, his brother, and a traveling priest. It's a weird world out there...

I also just recentally saw Mononoke Hime. Well not recentaly but about 2 months ago. I must say that is my favorite anime movie of all time. I highly recommend it.

In acient times, there lived a boy who was name Ashitaka. He lived in a small village, with his ancestors, and brothers and sisters. One day, a giant Bor infected came and attacked his village. Prince Ashitaka killed the bor, and the stone that infected the bor, went inside of Prince Ashitaka. He then had to enbark on a journey to release the stone. I wonder if he ever get's back...

[Razgriz]

Visions of Escaflowne the Movie. I saw it before, but this time I actually bought it. It's all around a great story, but do be warned that it's real bloody.

[DanekJovax]

Minna,

Well, since I posted last, I can add these titles to my "Have Seen a Little Of":

Human Scramble (1st ep)
Future Boy Conan (re-viewed eps 1-9)
Jungle wa Itsumo no Hale Nochi Guu "The Jungle was Always Sunny Until Guu Came" (eps 1-5)

Initial Impressions:

Human Scramble - Seems to be a collection of single-episode shorts focused on a personalized theme; an excercise in drama. Very poignant and touching. I'll only plug a mild spoiler here: A respected world-class boxer faces the reality of why he started the pugilistic way of life, leading him to an internal search of himself and his love for his mother. It was a nice surprise to watch, and I look forward to seeing the next. Lastly, it seems a particular voice actor showcases the main voice in each story, to make it more appealing to VA fans (I guess).

Future Boy Conan - It's an EARLY Miyazaki Production (pre-Ghibli), but it's Miyazaki-sama nonetheless, so that should tell you where I'm about to go with this title. Yes, it's old-school style animation quality, but the story is so charming, fun, and captivating, that you'll feel like a little giddy kid again watching it (at least I did hehe). Very mild language and violence, with an obvious "for kids" feel for the storyline that it can easily fit into a 9+ category.

Jungle Wa Itsumo Hale Nochi Guu - Just saw this earlier this evening at the weekly local anime meeting. Has some language and adult situations, though no nudity to speak of (so far) and there is the occasional *gasp* scene where you're wondering "did that really happen?", though none of it is hentai or gory at all in nature...just surreal! You're usually wondering "What/Who in the heck is Guu??" Basically a fantasy story about a young boy, Hale, who grows up with his single Mom in a jungle setting (though they have technological things like TV, toasters, and the like) and is beset (or eaten) by some mysterious jungle spirit, and the next day Hale sees Mom introduce a new 'girl' into the house, Guu. The advetures then begin... Very comedic in nature, though there is an occasional dramatic insight into Hale's background and you see some interesting by-play with Hale coping with his feelings and starting to grow up. An interesting series thus far, though I'm still holding out for a final rating.

Hope this helps a little.. ;2)

[BrianC]

Visions of Escaflowne the Movie. I saw it before, but this time I actually bought it. It's all around a great story, but do be warned that it's real bloody.

Why do I keep seeing recommendations of the Escaflowne movie here when the TV series is supposed to be MUCH better and less violent too (and I'm not talking about the Fox version)?

I watched the first disc of the Sakura Wars TV series recently. It seemed pretty fun, but everyone is mean to poor Sakura at first and, other than Sakura and Oghami (sp?), the cast isn't immediatly likable. Sumire is especially unlikable at first.

I also watched the second Ranma 1/2 movie and I was very disappointed. Lots of fanservice, a lame plot, and not enough actual humor.

[true_noir_chloe]

I just watched the fourth episode of Jungle wa Itsumo No Hale Nochi Guu. It's a crack up! My son downloads from animesuki all the time. We watched:
Tokyo Mew Mew
The Scrapped Princess (Looks good so far) 2 ep.
We're up to ep. 49 or 50 on Naruto

Now, for the ones I own:
Inuyasha 1st and 2nd movie
AzuManga Daioh
Nanaka 6/17
Digi Charat
Final Fantasy: Unlimited
.hack, Legend of the Twilight

The most recent available in U.S.:
Noir 6 (my favorite show)
Saiyuki, Neo Ranga, Full Metal Panic, Little Snow Fairy Sugar, Samurai Deeper Kyo, Scryed, Haibane Renmei (yah, the best!) and ABe's Neaia_7, Mahoromatic (?themes), Ai Yori Aoishi (sweet), Dolores i, Trouble Chocolate(?theme), K.O. Beast (don't waste your time), Najica Blitz and Steel Angel Kurumi, 2nd season (both are not suitable for kids, but the commentarys are very humorous. Again, NOT suitable for kids), Sakura Wars the Movie, King of Bandit Jing, on ep. 68 of Cardcaptor Sakura (she's so kawaii!), Chobits (no kids allowed), Rahxephon (great music), Rune Soldier ( a must-see), I'm waiting on ep. 105+ of One Piece at my local anime store. Love Hina Again (?themes), Ken Akamatsu is just so good, though. Geneshaft, Gatekeepers 21, Alien Nine (bummer ending), .hack Sign, Furi Kuri (I love this show, but it is definitely for the older audience), Super Gals (Ran gets irritating, but my daughter watches it over and over again - also, it has very bad language - the ADV gals went overboard. Watch it in Japanese.)

This was for the last three months?

[Saint]

well i am gonna list the ones i like that i have watched lately.
RahXephon. i like it, but could have some issues... what i have seen reminds me of early NGEvangelion.
Wolf's Rain. first couple of episodes... i am really not much of a sub fan so... you know.. but animation, story both seem good... some blood, unsure of how the dub will be?
MS Nadesico. it really is a great anime. i have seen up to like ep. 12. action, drama, and mainly humor. i really have enjoyed it so far.
(GTO is funny too, need to catch up on those, i have seen thru like dvd 7).
Blue Seed. finished this up, its pretty good. i think the plus is that it is based on Japanese "legend." (or however that review put it... ) so many are based on western or Chinese legends its action with some laughs.

[valdrianth]

Hmmm,

I the last three months I have seen
Fruits Basket
Ayashi no Ceres
Inu Yasha
Rurouni Kenshin
Trigun
Spirited Away
Orphan
Yu-gi-oh (the originals)

there are all in all very great series/movies.
There's a review for Fruits Basket and Trigun already so go read those for the goodies and the baddies.

Inu Yasha is a great sereies with references of Shinto and Buddism. But nothing offensive in that matter. There is some mild nudity, but nothing pornographic. Miroku is always ask people to have their babies for some reason.

Ceres is good, but very depressing. There are things in Ceres you may want to watch out. There is casual nudity, an implied premaritial sex scene, an implied rape scene, and there's a little possession and incest involved. I'm gonna have to watch the entire series to make a good review of it again. Like some said before about Armitage. I'm not saying don't watch, just watch out for it. (and if you watch it, make sure you have kleenex).

Rurouni Kenshin
Hey it's my favorite anime what can I say. Great morals, great character developement, and awesome story line. There may be some offense in the last season about Christian oppression, it's actually reflects the Nagasaki martyrs. (go read on them, brave people). Kenshin is a historical fiction so it's based on the history over there.

Spirited Away
Monemoke was better, enough said.

Orphan
Very cute sereies. I haven't found anything offense yet. There is the use of magic and there's a woman that was turned into a dragon, but a really funny series. No nudity from what I've remembered, and if it was, it was mild and instanteously. A good, funny fantasy anime that I'm sure anyone could enjoy.

Yu-gi-oh
I got to watch the original compared to the CN version. It's really an awesome series. Of course i don't know how people feel about the whole dueling monsters things. There are mixxed opinions on that. But the originals don't start with the cards but shadow games. Which were started by Yami Yugi. Based on a lot of Egyptian mythology so it's a mythlogy anime. If it doesn't bother you, then it's a recommendation. There are many times when some characters (Yugi, Malik, Bakura) when they get "possessed" by their Yami's (dark side) through their millium items. Personally I think their all skitsofrinics! lol. There are a few gory part, most of them envoving Yami Bakura. He likes to stab his own arm and tip peoples metel eyes out.
If you ever noticed in the editing how sometimes people threaten the characters with their fingers? Well they edit the guns out and just have their fingers pointing at the people. Usually this person does something like jump out the window, because we know you're doomed once you have a finger pointed at you so you just assume get it over with.

[Gypsy]

Hmm, I've been watching some St. Tail, KKJ, Maison Ikkoku, Aura Battler Dunbine, Robotech, and ... Alien Nine *tries to think happy thoughts.*

[shooraijin]

> a lame plot, and not enough actual humor.

Oh, I beg to differ. I thought the second Ranma movie had a much better plot than the first, and I rather enjoyed Ranma's obssessive attempt to win the bridal competition. Plus, it was a rare chance for Ryoga and Mousse to shine.

I will agree that the fanservice was a bit over the top in places, though, which was not true of the first flick.

[Spiritsword]

In the last three months, I have watched parts of:
.Hack//SIGN--Highly recommend it, already on my Top 10 list.
Rahxephon--The first volume looks good, I like the music angle.
Wild Arms--Slayers meets Trigun? But not as good as either.
Mahoromatic--A few interesting bits, but lots of ecchi humor--this one comes with an advisory.
Card Captor Sakura--Wonderful show for anyone. Another Top 10.
Argentosoma--Okay. Tough to tell after one volume.
Eden's Bowy--Babylonian themes? This one might offend some people--the main character is a "god hunter". Just OK in terms of quality.
Neo Ranga--Short episode format. An island god character. Just OK.

I have watched all of Fruits Basket--I highly recommend it to anyone. On my Top 10 list.

So in other words Card Captor Sakura, Fruits Basket, and .Hack//SIGN are the three I'd recommend.

Spiritsword

[Shao Feng-Li]

I don't watch a lot of anime because I know that you have to be real cearful about it (like swearing...) But i Like DBZ but it's not so good on video. I can only watch it on tv. I love Rurouni Kenshin -on tv- but Mother doesn't. Zoids is cool. Yu-Gi-Oh is pretty much awsome... But I can't figure out why Mother FORBIDS Pokemon! *oro* The Haiyoa Miyazaki films are awsome!
And can I please get a content rating on Trigun?

[Bobtheduck]

My most recent anime was the first part of Haibane Renmei. The wings thing was a bit nasty but it is looking to be a really great show.

[Rev. Doc]

Finishing up Fancy LaLa
Starting on Princess Nine
Reliving Maison Ikkoku
Tiny Snow Fairy Sugar
and
Boys Over Flowers

There are several others but I can't think of them right off the top of my head. Old age...

[MasterDias]

But I can't figure out why Mother FORBIDS Pokemon!
And can I please get a content rating on Trigun?

Pokemon. *sigh* Well, there were several anti-Pokemon articles floating around the internet which were full of misinformation and illogical reasoning. Some people unfortunately got their information on Pokemon from those.

As for Trigun, well, I haven't actually seen the series(although it's high on my priority list) so I'm not the best source of information. It's thought highly of by a lot of the members here however. From what I know about the series content, there is violence and mild profanity as well as a priest named Wolfwood who isn't a particularly good example of Christianity. There is some positive themes in the show as well, at least, from what I heard here. Someone more knowledgeable about it then I should be able to give you a better answer.

[Ashley]

On episode 13 of fruits basket. Shugure is the best evah, but I love Yuki and Kyo-Kyo too. ^^

[VashTheStampede]

And can I please get a content rating on Trigun?

Content rating on Trigun is probably a PG-13, because of some language and violence.

[Haibane Shadsie]

Aside from re-runs of stuff on TV (YuYu Hakusho is on my TV in the background right now), just...

Haibane Renemei (first four eps) and The Animatrix. Oh, yeah, and I got to see FLCL... I saw the first two episodes subbed while at Anime Expo, then watched the dub series as it aired on Cartoon Network.

Haibane Renemei (Good!)

The Animatrix (A must for fans of "The Matrix", but like the Matrix movies, this should be R rated for violence, language and sexuality).

FLCL (Um... spaztically funny, but because of perverted humor, only for older audiences)

[EireWolf]

I have recently watched Kiki's Delivery Service, Princess Mononoke, and Cowboy Bebop, the Movie.

Kiki's Delivery Service: very cute. I recommend it highly, especially for artists. (Any of you artists that have seen it will know why.) The only possible objectionable content that I can think of is that Kiki is a witch. She has a (very cute and funny) black cat and flies around (rather badly) on a broom. But there are no chanting of spells or anything like that involved, so I don't see it as a problem. It seems to have a decent overall message.

I cannot recommend Princess Mononoke to younger or sensitive viewers. I liked it, personally, but there's plenty of reasons not to show it to your kids. Some pretty nasty violence, scary demons, people and animals becoming demons... Vengefulness, attempted murder... actual murder... umm... Other than that, it's really good! If you can handle this kind of thing and it doesn't bother you at all... the art is breathtaking in parts, and there are a couple of really sweet scenes.

Cowboy Bebop Movie: not for younger or sensitive viewers either. Bioterrorism, violence, blood, disturbing scenes, language, etc.

[Michael]

Blue Gender (CN cut)
Despite what's been said, it's decent. Fairly good plot and plenty of action. It's extremely violent and their is some nudity and bad langauge.

Nadesico
Really good. Some perverted humor, but not much.

[DanekJovax]

Wow... nice micro-reviews here! My mental hats-off to everyone! ;2)

Anyways, Here's some more titles I've seen lately, along with some microreviews:

- Avenger (1st ep) - Seems to be a drama adventure set in the future, about a woman who has fighting skills, wandering around the land with an android. Can't tell much from the 1st ep, but there's some violence and mild fanservice thus far. The story seems slow, so expect to watch several eps before figuring out what's going on.

- Bottle Fairy (1st ep) - for a 12-minute short, I don't think I've seen a higher concentration of sugar-heluim-crack-coated-kawaii in a long time! Four fairies, each from a small bottle, have adventures and 'imagination plays', learning about being human with their high school student 'sensei'. Cute is not quite a word I can place here... something stronger is needed. ;2)

- Full Metal Alchemist (1st ep) - two young brothers dabble with an alchemy experiment in 1910, leaving the younger brother trapped in a body of metal armor and the older brother less one arm and leg. Seems to be an interesting action/adventure, but beware that a strong "God is fake; science reigns" theme exists throughout the storyline.

- Galaxy Railways (1st ep) - Wow! A Leiji Matsumoto-esque story and characters reminiscent of Galaxy Express 999, but with modern animation and a more 'understandable' story! Two young brothers experience the death of their father during a train rescue mission, and each make the decision to follow in their father's footsteps. Lots of action and drama, all a-la-Matsumoto. ;2)

- Gilgamesh (1st ep) - Different art and a storyline just as different. Seems to be based on Babylonian legend, where a futuristic Earth is 'changed' by a science experiment gone awry(?) and the awakening of the fabled "Gilgamesh" is at hand... but who is it? Very intriguing...

- Gunslinger Girl (1st ep) - Well, all I can say about this one is Drama, and "Noir Revisited". Also throw in a lot of bloody violence and the occasional (and almost as-an-aside) drama scene, and you get young girls with lots of guns, and lots of people gushing blood from bullet wounds. Did I say it was bloody?

- Kimi ga Nozomu Eien ("The Eternity You Desire") (1st ep) - Basically a nice romance/drama. Not sure if it's a longer story or a lot of shorts, but it the first ep was a heart-warning story between a close group of high school friends. {ed: I removed the term "Shounen Ai", as there's no 'boy love' going on here. My bad.}

- Mermaid's Forest (1st ep) - Seemingly a second-season continuation of the famous Rumic Theater series, this one seems to center around a storyline Takahashi-sama has been working with for a long time (I believe this story already has been around in manga for several years though I've never owned any). Basically about a young (?) man who is in search of mermaids to help him, and runs into a rural village filled with nothing but women. Moderate violence, but a typical fantasy/adventure of Takahashi... I will be following this one.

- Peacemaker Kurogane (1st ep) - Set in the late 19th century Japan, a young boy desires to become part of the infamous Shinsengumi group, and goes though various trials to test his mettle and will. Some very violent scenes reminiscent of Kenshin OVAs, though not overly gratuitous, along with decent drama and occasional humor... something I wouldn't mind seeing more of.

- Planetes (1st ep) - Though at first glance yet another space story, this one seems very interesting, as it focuses on the human spirit in seemingly mundane circumstances like cleaning up space garbage. Focused around a 20-year old new-rookie spacewalker in the "Hann" department, this story is very colorfully animated and with sufficient drama elements that I look forward to the next episodes.

- Hajime no Ippo OVA "Kimura vs. Mashiba" - Classic Action boxing anime, this is a continuation of the popular Hajime no Ippo TV series. Depicting a story around some secondary characters in a champion boxing match, it still has the 'magic' that makes for enjoyable action series' watching, and a worthy addition to the Hajime no Ippo universe! My ojiisan stamp of approval is on this one!

- Future Boy Conan (eps 1-22) - An early Miyazaki classic, the main characters, Conan and Lana, are often considered prototypes for the Laputa characters Pazu and Lusheeta. This series has all the classical Miyazaki characteristics that quickly make it a big hit with Miyazaki fans (read: ME!!): great animation (for a '78-'79 anime title) and artwork, a gripping and deep storyline, funny scenes and dialogue, a "save the Earth from technology" theme, and a typical cadre of flying machinery. If this ever got a US release, I'd be first in line to buy copies, as this is a great series!! A big Ojiisan's thumbs up on this one!!

- Dr. Slump (1st ep) - An older animated series from the mid-late '80's in the same artwork style as Dragonball(and DBZ) about an inventor "doctor" who makes an android. Full of comedy and witty action, this one quickly proves its classic status as an old-school "wacky" serial. This series sports the wierd crows flying by saying "A-ho! A-ho!" ;2)

- Prince of Tennis (through ep 30) - Continuing the series following the Tennis prodigy Ryoma Echizen in his junior high tennis career. Very entertaining, for tennis at least (I'm not a huge tennis fan but neither was I a big Go fan and I LOVED Hikaru no Go!), but I'm warming to the series. I think there's at least 95+ eps out in fansub right now and it's still going.... well, I'd better get watching! Oh yeah... I can't think of any real bad language (other than the occasional cussword) or sexual situations, so this one's pretty clean.

Well, that's all I can think of that I watched recently. Have fun!

[MasterDias]

I don't think I've heard of half of those. They haven't been brought to America yet, have they DanekJovax?

[DanekJovax]

Most of the anime that I 'deal' with is not (yet) licensed in the US. Given that, I'll forward any interested parties to the nearest torrent links (or P2P app).

Anyways, to answer your question, none of the above titles are currently licensed in the US. If you'd like to check out the licensing status of most current titles, here's a good place to start:

http://www.animeondvd.com/licenselist/

My 3 yen. ;2)

{ed: I forgot to mention that the "1st ep" titles are ones that just got released from fansubbers in the last week, so they're brand-spankin' new! A whole lot of new series got released in the last 2 weeks... my is there a LOT to watch! :2)}