Help me start an Anime collection

[The Burgomaster]

My DVD collection is seriously lacking in one area.

I have ZERO . . . yes, ZERO . . . anime DVDs!

I have not ventured into this sacred world, and I know almost nothing about it.

Someone help me.

Which titles should I start with to "break me in?" I wouldn't know one from another, and I don't want to start off buying crap.

[Andrew]

Everything by Miyazaki, that would be:
Princess Mononoke
Spirited Away
Nausicaa (not out on Region 1 DVD yet)
Castle in the Sky
The Castle of Cagliostro
Kiki's Delivery Service
My Neighbor Totoro

Grave of the Fireflies
Akira
Fist of the North Star
The original Macross movie (usually called "Clash of the Bionoids")
Metropolis
Black Magic M-66
Baoh

Also cool and worth seeing:

Perfect Blue
Appleseed
Battle Angel
Lupin the 3rd - series, "Castle of Cagliostro" was pretty much the movie version
Gunbuster, episode #6
Ninja Scroll
Neon Genesis Evangelion - a big series
Bubblegum Crisis - always liked the orginal series, especially #5

[Fearless Freep]

--singles--
Perfect Blue
Ghost In The Shell
Akira
Vampire Hunter D
Battle Angel
Iria: Zeiram the Animation
Ninja Scroll

--series--
Bubblegum Crisis
Ranma 1/2

[Cullen]

Among the excellent choices already mentioned, I recommend:

the series Urusei Yatsura - Funny as hell.  About the world's biggest lech, his electrifing alien fiancee, and the weird things that happen around him.  This sucker is a MAJOR influence on a lot of other anime, such as Tenchi Muyoand Saber marrionette J[/u] (both of which I also recommend.).   Urusei Yatsura is also a LONG series.  And an old one; the animation is quite dated

the series Cowboy Bebop - An excellent sci fi series about space bounty hunters.  Funny, exciting, and a whole lot more.  Some episodes are more style over substance, but it's definately worth watching.

the series Escaflowne - The story of a girl who journies to a magical world where sword duels sometimes takes place using giant robots.  This one's really entertaining
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[ErikJ]

For me my favorite was always Crying Freemen.
I believe Star Blazers is also out on DVD now. I have season 2 on video would love to have it on DVD

[Wycked Nick]

The best ones I can think of are
Vampire hunter d:Blood lust.the year 2000 version
princess mononokee
spirited away
escaflwone(not sure how its spelled)
Robot carnival
Ghost in the shell
Metropolis
Perfect blue

[Jim Hepler]

Trigun is the only one I have.  It's pretty much the only anime (well, partial exception for Vampire Hunter D) I've had a strong urge to rewatch.  Movies/TV shows I know I'll watch again are what I buy.

Trigun is fantastic, but its occasionally very Japanese sensibilities might be confusing.  I suggest getting the Chinese set, which is 4 discs in a case as thick as two DVD boxes.  The box set has the advantage of awful dubbing and better subtitles, and the subtitles are indeed sometimes weak, but the Chinese release is $120 cheapear.

[Brock]

Blue Seed.  Definitely Blue Seed.

I'm pretty sure that "Kodocha no Omocha" aka "Child's Toy" is only available through fan-subtitled internet bootlegs, but it's so worth it.  It's little kid anime, but it's absolutely hilarious.  I'm pretty sure that this was the show that got the rep for giving kids seizures a while back.

[Evan3]

Seriously man, do NOT get Princess Mononoke, while well drawn, the plot drags and the movie is so ridiculous.

I would say Vampire Hunter D is pretty fun. A

As for series, I reccomend Tenchi Muyo, Dragon Ball Z (the Cell saga and/or the Vegeta saga, there is not so much posing in these) and the best anime ever....

Inuyasha

[Cullen]

Evan3 wrote:

> Seriously man, do NOT get Princess Mononoke, while well drawn,
> the plot drags and the movie is so ridiculous.
>
> I would say Vampire Hunter D is pretty fun. A
>
> As for series, I reccomend Tenchi Muyo, Dragon Ball Z (the Cell
> saga and/or the Vegeta saga, there is not so much posing in
> these) and the best anime ever....
>
> Inuyasha

Princess Mononoke's plot drags and is ridiculous... and yet you recommend Dragon Ball Z, even though one of the character's battles (though supposedly only three minutes or so long) covers the better part of four episodes...

A-huh.

This isn't to say I think Dragon Ball Z is a bad choice; I like it.  I just can't accept it as being better than Mononkoe.

(But then again, who's asking me too, right?)

Back on topic - Another couple of good picks would be:

Project A-ko - The story of three high school girls.  The first has super powers, the second is frightening to the extreme (in an allegedly cute sort of way), and the third is a demented super genius with far too much money and time on her hands.  Add a rivalry between the first and third over the second, mix with alien invaders, and you have one of the best Animes.  Ever.

Record of Lodoss War - What the movie Dungeons and Dragons should have been.  I can only speak for the original series here, but this fantasy adventure is one of the best.  It's the story of a young warrior trying to find his place in a war against various Evil powers.
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[NiGHTS]

I'll the my two cents in here, lurker though I am I'm a big anime geek.  I'm going to add another movie to the Miyazaki list, one called Porco Russo.  It's about a man during WWI italy who just happens to be an anthropomorphic pig.  Trust me, it's not as dumb as it sounds, and it's actually probably one of the better movies that I've seen.  It's probably number three in the list of Miyazaki movies.  Also, little known, Miyazaki and his longtime collaborator Isao Takahata (Grave of the Fireflies, whisper of the heart, co-founder of Studio Ghibli) had their hands ALL OVER the Lupin III series, and made the Castle of Cagliostro movie with essentially the staff that would become Studio Ghibli.   In terms of other movies...

I'm going to suggest..Metropolis, for one.  Imagine what would happen if you took a Max Fleischer cartoon and set it in a universe verysimilar to Lang's movie of the same name.  Then anime-ize it.

Secondly, a four-episode miniseries, Macross Plus. Probably one of the best anime miniseries ever, breathtaking animation, simple but gripping plot, and even a decent dub!  Whoo!

Finally, a request: If anyone can find a few things from my childhood, I'm willing to pay top dollar.  1- A movie called Phoenix 2772.  2- Movie called 'Unico: To the Magic Island'.  3- Dance for me.  Not a movie, just do it, please. 4-Finally, a collection of anime shorts entitled 'Memories'.  Whew.

--NiGHTS

[Fearless Freep]

Forgot to add "Galaxy Express 999", as well as "Arcadia In My Youth" and any related title you can find.

[Brother Ragnarok]

The thing I find with anime is, if it's good it's really really good.  If it's even a little bit not good, it sucks mercilessly.  Dragon Ball Z is one of the worst things I have ever watched.  The stories are retarded, the animation is awful, no redeeming qualities at all.
I'm glad to see someone mentioned Iria.  While the live-action Zeram movies are cool, that is one of my all-time favorite animes.
But I am ASHAMED of all of you because no one mentioned Evangelion.  This is probably the coolest anime I have ever seen, some of the stuff in the later episodes is truly jolting and disturbing, and the animation is excellent.  You need to pick up the Perfect Collection box set (because if you don't watch all the eps in order from start to finish it makes NO sense at all), and then pick up the End of Eva movie.  Ignore Death and Rebirth, as it's just a rehash of the last few episodes of the series with most of the action cut out and rearranged.
The battle between Unit 2 and the defense force in End of Eva just makes me itch for some good Godzilla anime.  Imagine all the cool s**t they could have the monsters do (without blue spiky hair) that isn't possible with practical effects.

Brother R

[Tuck]

you need

VIOLENCE JACK
TOKYO REVELATION
LEGEND OF THE OVERFIEND
LEGEND OF THE DEMON WOMB
VAMPIRE WARS
BLACKJACK
MACROSS PLUS
PERFECT BLUE
SWORD FOR TRUTH
AKIRA
GHOST IN THE SHELL (dare you try and understand it?)
GOLGO 13
MAD BULL 34
BLOOD THE LAST VAMPIRE
STREET FIGHTER 2
STREET FIGHTER ALPHA
FRITZ THE CAT (dosent count but worth having anyway)
REI REI
VAMPIRE HUNTER D
FIST OF THE NORTH STAR
NINJA SCROLL
THE CYBERPUNK COLLEC TION
NEON GENESIS EVANGELION , DEATH AND REBIRTH

cant think of any more right now you know how it is when youre put on the

[Fearless Freep]

But I am ASHAMED of all of you because no one mentioned Evangelion.

Andrew did in the very first reply.

I've heard great things about it but haven't had a chance to see it