• erik [he/him]
    ·
    1 month ago

    I never really watched anime until Cowboy Bebop came on adult swim. I was like "whoa, is this what I've been missing out on?" The answer is no, it is a a unicorn. One of one. Basically nothing I've watched since has been even remotely as engaging for me. I've had a couple OK ones (Berserk) and guilty pleasures (Baki), but overall the medium as a whole just doesn't seem targeted toward me. And that's fine, I'm not litmus test for the universe. I enjoy other stuff.

    • BashfulBob [none/use name]
      ·
      edit-2
      1 month ago

      The answer is no, it is a a unicorn.

      Plenty of good anime on par with Cowboy Bebop. Samurai Champloo leaps immediately to mind. Anything by Satoshi Kon also very good - Tokyo Godfathers, Perfect Blue, Paprika...

      There's a bunch of crap, sure. But that's true in every medium. People just like to pick on anime.

      • erik [he/him]
        ·
        1 month ago

        Champloo was fine. I made it through the whole run, which is more than I can say for most series.

    • Bureaucrat
      ·
      edit-2
      1 month ago

      I feel like Fullmetal Alchemist gets up there, if you're into shonen stuff. If we're not doing a strict interpretation of "anime = animation from japan" but rather the vibes/storytelling style then I'd argue for Samurai Jack and Avatar: The Last Airbender too.
      I have also thoroughly enjoyed Hellsing Abridged though it is incredibly cringe and incredibly late 00's humor. The first two episodes especially suck ass, but the ending is pretty good.

      • erik [he/him]
        ·
        1 month ago

        Full Metal Alchemist is definitely one of the few I've actually found some enjoyment in along with titles like the original Berserk.

        I missed Avatar on its original run, didn't have cable at that time. My child showed interest in it so we sat down and watched it, but it didn't really hold my attention (nor his actually, but he stuck with it longer than me I think). Samurai Jack definitely has something interesting happening with it, but it doesn't really call to me to keep watching it. However, when I worked at a video store (showing my age here), I can remember it being one of the better things we were allowed to play over the TVs in the store.

        • Bureaucrat
          ·
          1 month ago

          You should give Primal a go if the story of a guy and his dog (the dog is a dinosaur) against the world sounds appealing. The violence can get a little graphic but it's definitely Genndy Tartakovsky's most impressive show to date.

          • erik [he/him]
            ·
            1 month ago

            I don't know if this will 100% grab me, but I think my son would love this. Thanks.