Thursday, October 09, 2008

Anime Bleg

A buddy's 15 year old niece has had her interest piqued by anime, and he's dinged me as a source. Although I have a few recommendations, I open the floor to recommendations of age-appropriate anime. Apparently, fantasy genre elements are a plus.

I am doing this on my blog, because walking into my local video store and saying "I'd like to buy some anime for a fifteen year old girl," is just not going to end well.

96 comments:

Jonathan said...

Escaflowne maybe?

Unknown said...

I'm thinking Last Exile.

mbuckbee said...

I'd recommend checking out the iFanboy (Comics Podcast) episode on Manga and Anime:

http://revision3.com/ifanboy/ifanboy-episode-89/

KitsuneStudios said...

"Scrapped Princess" is a good one if you can find it. Princess is sentenced to death because of a prophesy that she is the "Poison that destroys the world" before the nightfall of her 16th birthday. Clarke's 3rd law style fantasy.

Seirei no Moribito is another incredible fantasy one along the same line; wandering female bodyguard protects a prince possessed by a water fiend. Another excellent anime with relatively mild violence tempered by themes of the sanctity of life and nonviolence.

Last Exile is another good one. :) FLCL might also work, but the plot is so heavily layered in metaphor than wackiness that a lot of folks find it incomprehensible.

Anonymous said...

A friend passed along your request to me...and since my tastes in anime run about what you're looking for, here are my recommendations:

-Fruits Basket (my absolute fav)
-Aquarion (another big fav)
-Mythical Detective Loki Ragnarok
-Kyo Kara Mayoh (not sure on that spelling)
-Tactics
-Story of Saiunkoku
-Fushigi Yugi
-Inuyasha
-Shounen Onmyoji
-Glass Fleet

I've read Chibi Vampire but I'm just getting the first disc of Karin this week - if they are at all similar, that would be good. Also, Ghost Hunt is coming out this month and I'm looking forward to that.

Escaflowne was good, yes, that would be good too.

Anonymous said...

Inuyasha, definitely.

Unknown said...

Anything by Miyazaki.

Anonymous said...

DVDs: The Cat Returns
Kiki's Delivery Service
Nausicaa of the Valley of the Wind
Porco Rosso
Princess Mononoke
Spirited Away
Howl's Moving Castle

All of these are good for young/middle teens.

Anonymous said...

Somebody else already said Escaflowne, but I'll second (third?) that.

Let's see...

Fushigi YĆ«gi (the Mysterious Play) is a good one.  Well, the original 52 episodes are -- the OVAs that came after are mostly disappointing when not downright terrible.

Wolf's Rain is probably a good choice, though a bit further from the genre aspect, or at least a very traditional version of it.  Episodes 13-16 (conveniently all on one disc) are totally worthless recap episodes which can and should be skipped completely.

It's more mind-bending sci-fi, but still appropriate for a smart girl of that age (or a boy, or older), so I can't not recommend Serial Experiments: Lain.

As far as one person's FLCL recommendation -- no.  That's a great series for people who already love some anime and have seen at least a fair bit of it, but it would be so insanely disjointed and over the head of a relative newcomer as to be confusing at best.

nick said...

I will second the obvious vote - anything by Miyazaki. Genius.

Anonymous said...

Oh, and as Vicki implied above, Miazaki is freaking awesome, though a 15-year-old may be in that age range where they will dismiss a lot of it as "kid stuff."  Most teens need a few years to mellow out again before they can watch My Neighbor Totoro without being afraid their peers will find out.

Anonymous said...

Princess Tutu.

Anonymous said...

Definitely second the Miyazaki, though Inuyasha is a definite option as well. It gets kind of a bad rap among adult anime fans, most of the time, but it's a lot of good fluffy fun.

just some guy trying to write said...

I really like Avatar, The Last Airbender. It's first season is geared to a younger age range, but its last two seasons really kick it up. And I know it's not technically anime because its made right here in the old US of A, but Avatar is really quality and the anime influences in it are quite heavy.

The Constructivist said...

Nothing that new to pass along: anything by Miyazaki, Inu Yasha, Princess Tutu fer shure.

I don't see why she wouldn't get into Full Metal Alchemist, either. If she has a younger sister, finding some subtitled eps of Chibi Maruko-chan on youtube could be fun. And she might be the right age to appreciate both Azumanga Daioh and Tokyo Godfathers.

She's probably too old for kids' stuff like Ojamajo Doremi (multiple seasons) and Pretty Cure (multiple seasons), but Akazukin Chacha and Onegai My Melody are teh funny.

Save FLCL for college--and probably, for that matter, Millennium Actress. But anyone can get into Framy and Juppon Anime if there's not something seriously wrong with them. If she once liked or still like Powerpuff Girls, the Japanese anime version is worth a look, too.

Anonymous said...

Thirding the Miyazaki, but I think that, of all his works, "Princess Mononoke" may be the most appealing to a 15 year old.

And, to add something to the list, Saiyuki is an entertaining fantasy-adventure series.

Theliel said...

second escaflone, also magic knight rayerth

she might like techi, and there's always the ninja photographer one, can't think of the name. as long as she doesn't watch the movies (i watched them at 16. you need to watch them as a pair, they're a radical deviation from the show (they basically show what happens when everyone leaves highschool and the massivly unstable love triangle implodes and then explodes in dram) and are good just...really really downer)

and of course, because jini and the bugrom RULE! i put a vote in for el-hazard.

more classic: dragon half (short series) and a longer running series: SLAYERS!

as for specific stuff: i'm thinking laputa: castle in the sky and nausica in the valley of the wind will be 'adult' enough, though kiki's delivery service and totoro are 100% win.

slayers - light fluffy fun with wierdness
el-hazard magical people story (the teacher gets super strength, but only when sober)
escaflowne (steampunk mecha! now with catgirls)

inuyasha which seems to have a bigger following than twilight and HP put together, if only for the rampant bishi, so it may be an excellent gateway drug, so to speak

but the suggestions above i watched 10-15 years ago my 30ish year old self STILL thinks they're as nifty as my 16 year old self did.

for some non-fantasy
patlabor - law and order, only they happen to have mecha
city hunter - wild slapstick comedy meets magnum pi
lupin the thrid - heist show, now with xxxtra letchery

Anonymous said...

I'm not really sure what appeals to 15 yr old girls, but this is some of the anime I've enjoyed that shouldn't be age inappropriate:

- any of the aforementioned Miyazaki stuff.
- Samurai 7
- Read or Die (R.O.D.), the TV series
- Samurai Jack
- Clone Wars animated (the Genndy Tartovsky stuff, not the new dreck)
- Rurouni Kenshin/Samurai X
- Cowboy Bebop
- Samurai Champloo
- Inuyasha
- Fullmetal Alchemist
- Last Exile
- Love Hina
- Lain

In general, I would also recommend watching in the original Japanese with subtitles since the English dubs usually, though not always, leave much to be desired.

Zed said...

Fruits Basket is excellent, I'd also have to agree with anything by Miyazaki. Any of the series by Rumiko Takehashi are good choices as well: Urusei Yatsura, Ranma 1/2, Inuyasha.

jacques du'loque said...

Mahou-Shoujotai, Mahou Shoujotai, Mahou Shoujo Tai!

It's non as well known as the other anime series listed here, but it's by far one of the best I've ever seen.

Each episode is only 8 minutes long, but in those 8 minutes, they have fun characters (that seem real!), an original and wonderful fantasy world, and an engrossing and always entertaining plotline.

Seriously.

Mahou-Shoujotai!

Plus, it's recent and has pretty animation and kids can really enjoy it, as well as teenagers, as well as parents.

Plus it's one of the best anime series to come out in recent years.

Did I get my enthusiasm across? =P

Anonymous said...

Ouran High School Host Club is one of the best shows I've seen in quite some time.

Jason said...

Record of Lodoss War is excellent. Very Lord-of-the-Rings-ish.

On a side note... I haven't seen much mainstream anime that's inappropriate for a 15 year old. I think that's kind of the target audience for most series.

Unknown said...

I second the Cowboy Bebop. The movie is a good intro and the TV series is short enough not to suck up your life but still rewarding.

Plus it's got the whole Doomed Romance bit. I'd say it's a teen-appropriate level of gritty.

Anonymous said...

Fullmetal Alchemist is great, but it's pretty bloody and _bad_ things happen to nice people all through that series. Not for younger kids, IMO.

KitsuneStudios said...

As far as one person's FLCL recommendation -- no. That's a great series for people who already love some anime and have seen at least a fair bit of it, but it would be so insanely disjointed and over the head of a relative newcomer as to be confusing at best.


True, but I've also known people who don't usually like anime enjoy it immensely just because it is so disjointed and insane. Anyways, suggestion withdrawn.

By the same token, I wouldn't suggest Wolf's Rain for a 15 year old without knowing their preferences already. Wolf's Rain is very violent, and trends heavily towards the depressing in the storytelling. It's great if you like a bittersweet apocalypse tale (and boy, I sure do), but that's very much an acquired taste. I'd personally see if they liked Full Metal Alchemist first.

Anyways, very yes on Miyazaki's films.

Anonymous said...

The thing that causes me to hesitate before I recommend ANY anime for a fifteen year old girl is the generally shitty roles that pretty much all anime heroines are stuck in.

Maybe it's just the stuff I've seen, but I can't think of a single strong, independent female character in anime that's aimed at kids. Motoko Kusanagi from Ghost In The Shell, maybe, but I wouldn't consider that kid's stuff.

That's not to say that a girl needs a strong female character to enjoy a show, but I do know quite a few women who have been turned away from anime because they're tired of the girls ALWAYS being the weaker ones, the healers, the ones needing to get saved, the ones who triumph through devotion and luck instead of skill and courage, et cetera.

Of course, my knowledge of the genre is far from encyclopedic, and I would be happy to be proven wrong.

Mike Cane said...

I see no one mentioned Soul Eater.

I don't know that it's on in the US, but that challenge might add to its appeal!

Cunningham said...

Death Note?

(Currently screening on Hulu.com)

Anonymous said...

By the way, the music from Cowboy Bebop is genuinely outstanding. Some amazing stuff.

Unknown said...

I agree with Cowboy Bebop (my personal favorite) and Full Metal Alchemist (and Miyazaki without question).

Aside from some minor language and nudity issues, Paprika might be a decent recommendation. I also thought Appleseed: Ex Machina was a lot of fun.

DJMooreTX said...

Let me introduce to you, the best anime series ever made, bar none:

Haibane Renmei.

So good, it probably shouldn't be your first anime, because it will spoil you for all the others.

It is not without flaws, mind. It was a rush job on a very tight budget, even for a medium which is all about rush jobs on tight budgets, and it shows.

And fair warning: there are no giant robots, huge explosions, space aliens, firearms, lasers, panty shots, beaches, hot springs, sex, or even romance. No chibis, huge eyes or unnatural hair colors. (One lead character even has distinctly oriental eyes! And long, straight black hair! I believe there are actual laws against this in Japan.)

There are simply human beings in a very strange place trying to understand who -- and what -- they are.

And with that, I've already given away too much. Do not make the mistake of reading reviews and summaries before watching this. Part of its beauty is the extraordinary way the story unfolds, and the fewer hints you have, the more powerful it will be.

Thirteen episodes on four discs. Some people find the first two discs a bit slowly paced, and they are not wrong; if, however, you enjoy fantasy generally but are not thoroughly engaged here by the end of the second disc you have no soul, no heart, and you are dead to me.

One of the very few series with an English dub nearly as good as the original Japanese. I recommend the English on first viewing, so you are not distracted by the subtitles, then savor the Japanese performances the second time around.

(And do watch it at least twice. Things will pass by unnoticed the first time that will later glow and hum with meaning.)

The soundtrack is ethereal and unique. My favorite opening and ending title sequences ever. (The partial nudity in the OP and ED is not at all typical for the series.)

One of my favorite stories in any medium, on screen or off.

===

Tier two:

Someday's Dreamers
A student witch's internship to earn her professional license. Coherent, somewhat futuristic setting. Very appealing character.

Planetes
Trash collectors in space save the planet, and, yes, find themselves. Good blend of humor and action. Little to no fan service; limited violence in service to the plot. Interesting space setting; not perfect, mind, but well done for the medium.

Angelic Layer
Your basic sports story, but brilliantly done. The sport involves controlling robotic dolls in arena fights, and most of the players are girls. Nice day-after-tomorrow SFnal setting.

Kaleido Star
Girl joins a circus in the Circue du Soleil mode, and must prove herself. Like Layer, a classic (which is to say, almost cliche) storyline, but very well done.

Third tier:
Twelve Kingdoms
A depressed, withdrawn high school student is transported to a magical land where she finds her destiny. (Yes, yes, "and finds out who she is". Sue me.) Although it's terribly whiny for long stretches, it has a stand up and cheer out loud ending. Good art and appealing character designs. Well thought out fantasy setting. Even the politics are interesting. Worth the slog, in my opinion. (And the music in the closer ties for second-favorite with that of Cowboy Bebop.)

Cowboy Bebop
Bounty hunters in space. Well-thought out setting, and a stunning jazz soundtrack. The series is very, very good, but a downer series ending, and I'm not sure it would appeal to a 15 year-old-girl. Still, a must see for every anime fan sooner or later. Dub note: Melissa Fahn, the English voice actress for Radical Edward, just beats Ed's Japanese seiyuu all to hell and gone. The rest of the English cast is also excellent.

Kino's Journey
Road trip featuring a girl on a talking motorcycle. Each more-or-less standalone episode features a different, oddly twisted town.

Azumanga Daio
A group of high school girls (including a genius who would otherwise be in grade school) become best friends. That's pretty much it. Slice-of-life comedy. Episodic with only the loosest of story arcs, uneven, and plagued with an extremely creepy male teacher, but when it works, it is finest kind.

Sugar, A Little Snow Fairy
Weather Fairies control the weather by playing musical instruments. Sugar is a Weather Fairy child who attaches herself to a human girl, Saga, as part of her training. Saga is a budding pianist herself, living with her grandmother. She starts out the most perfect little girl ever -- but Sugar thoroughly disrupts her life. The problem here is that it's aimed at a somewhat younger audience, and is almost unbearably sweet, particularly in the first half -- but if the diabetes doesn't get you, the story turns out to have real teeth.

Noir
Two contract killers, young women, meet each other under very suspicious circumstances, and work against a worldwide conspiracy to understand their pasts, knowing that eventually they will probably have to try to kill each other. Possibly a bit too dark for the target age -- but a very fine story nevertheless. The ending is one of the most suspenseful in all anime. "Gripping", I believe, is the most appropriate word.

Again, this is a top notch series -- but might not be appropriate for or appreciated by a 15 y.o. girl. It's so good, though, that it's worth the chance.

R.O.D. Read or Die (Original series.)
Bookworm Yomiko Readman can make even the smallest twist of paper do her bidding. She belongs to a secret organization housed in the British Library. She is teamed with another magic user, Miss Deep, who can walk through walls, to defeat a mad scientist who plans to take over the world with an evil performance of Beethoven.

The first episode is brilliantly summarized in this fan-made music video, featuring Sum 41's "In Too Deep". Which is a pun, yes.

Ninja Nonsense
The story of Shinobu, girl ninja-in-training, who...ah, nevermind. Just watch it. Complete total nonsense, hilarious send-up of the ninja genre, just like the title promises. Fun stop-motion closer.

Petite Princess Yucie
Like Sugar, this is aimed at a younger audience, but so well done, older kids and adults will enjoy it too. Also lacks Sugar's extreme sweetness. Yucie is 17, but a curse has kept her from aging since she was 10. If she can beat her competitors in a magical contest, she will win the Platinum Tiara, and become a (very powerful) adult.

Tons of fun, good art, appealing characters, and a very satisfying ending.

Seconding prior recommendations:
Spirited Away
Gorgeous, simply gorgeous, and a wonderful story with great characters. Feature length, not a series. My favorite Miyazaki, by far.

Scrapped Princess
A fine show, although I lost interest a few episodes before the ending. Nice mix of fantasy and SF. Clarkeian, as noted.

Inuyasha
At least the first three seasons (out of five, plus three features). There's some great stuff here, but it suffers from not having a clear-cut story arc. It just basically dragged on until the creators got tired of it. The two romances, and the stories involving Shippo, the fox demon child, are wonderful. I never tire of watching Sesshomaru learning how to be human with his human mascot, Rin.

Naraku, the villain, is pure evil incarnate. After all these years, his deceit still shocks me. Unfortunately, it's not in service to any real goal -- Naraku just delights in causing misery.

Would that Inuyasha had only run for three well-planned seasons and maybe one feature for the ending, with two seasons and two features of goo, dribble, and needlessly repetitive battles cut away.

Oh, and too bad they didn't get a better English dub actor for Inuyasha himself. I'm sorry, but Richard Cox is very annoying. Everyone else does a fine job. Lady Kaede's weirdly archaic English is not Pam Hyatt's fault.

FLCL
Great fun -- but as noted, it's full of in-jokes that won't make sense to a new-comer. Probably rings more strongly with male viewers. Mercifully short -- only six episodes.

Eugene said...

Dude. You don't have to make up a buddy's 15 year-old niece to ask this stuff. We're all friends here. Who are we to judge?

I asked a buddy who works in anime. His suggestions-

Escaflowne
Ranma 1/2
Inayusha
Rurouni Kenshin
Marmalade Boy
Kare Kano (His & Her Circumstances)

Jason said...

Second the Avatar recommendation. I've been getting into Code Geass lately too, they've been showing the dubbed version on Adult Swim Saturdays. Heavy on intrigue, but a surprising amount of humor. Plus, 15 year old girls like fancy outfits, so I've been told.

Anonymous said...

I consulted my SME, and received the following list. Some of these are out of print or hard to find, but therefore cheap when you do find them.

Death Note, Fruits Basket, Card Captor Sakura, Kino's Journey, Twelve Kingdoms.

Good luck!

Unknown said...

She would totally go for Slayers (especially if she happens to be tomboyish).

Unknown said...

Oh, another of my favorites is GTO: Great Teacher Onizuka. i think it would be perfect for a 15 year old.

Veruka2 said...

what? how has no one mentioned neon genesis evangelion? its incredible, and totally habit forming, as its a series of 24 tv episodes (give or take for the final movie)

the plot is a dystopian future where giant beings fight with guns and spears and follows several young teens as the main characters. it's like the transformers meet enders game and beautifully rendered.

Anonymous said...

Hmm fantasy genre anime for a 15 yo? I'm not a huge anime guy, but here's what I suggest:

-Fullmetal Alchemist. It's more steampunk than medieval, but it's definitely got fantastic elements. Theme is excellent and timely (if somewhat depressing), and the english voice acting is quite good. The main characters are all male, though, so that might be a turnoff.

-Howl's Moving Castle. While I didn't like Princess Mononoke nearly as much as some of the other posters here, I loved this Miazaki film.

-Avatar: The Last Airbender. I've heard very good things about this series from people whose opinions I trust. It's actually American, which I consider a plus but she might not.

buzz said...

The only anime I can recommend in good faith is Planetes, but it is not fantasy; it's hardish SF. You would prolly like it, but not her. Sorry.

Anonymous said...

I like anime.

Theliel said...

GTO: Great Teacher Onizuka
DOH! how could i forget the inspiration for two of the best vampire larp characters EVER!

as for evengelion, ghost in the shell, hellsing and some others: warning. these are good. but they're good like casino or godfather. They are pretty much would be R or NC-17 if live action and evengelion especically is 100% down. I mean, elfen lied is pretty good, but i wouldn't hit a 15 year old anything with it.

speaking of, if she's into vampires at all and is mature enough to handle it, Hellsing Ultimate OVA is highly reccammended for the english voice acting and quality in general.
the original ova series wildly deviates from the manga but is still pretty fun.
the new version (ultimate) otoh, is just...wow.

it's 100% OTT pulp POWAH! and it has nazis.

as for lain, again another downer. same with key the metal idol.

i'll have to dig out my old animania flyers to remember the names of some shows. they didn't stick enough to stay in the head but they were pretty fun while i was watching them.

Geoff Thorne said...

Read or Die
Naussica in the Valley of the Wind
Laputa
Avatar (not true Anime but close enough)
Full Metal Alchemist
Inuyasha
FLCL
Howl's Moving Castle
Battle Angel Aleta

Kallah said...

Seconding on Princess Tutu, Escaflowne and Scrapped Princess.

Witch Hunter Robin might be a little much, depending on what kind of 15-year-old she is; it tends to be dark and a bit violent, and with a somewhat unresolved (read: possibly aiming for OVAs/second season) ending. OTOH, the female characters are generally well-written.

Le Chevalier d'Eon might work - historical fantasy in the immediate pre-French Revolution period. Tends to be a bit on the bloody and heavy side, fairly depressing by the end.

Ayashi no Ceres - this one's probably aimed more directly at 15 and 16-year-olds. The heroine is possessed by the spirit of a heavenly maiden (or a reincarnation, it's never quite clear), who wants to destroy the man who took her hagoromo and get said hagoromo back. That man happens to have been reincarnated as the heroine's twin brother. (Based on a manga series by Yuu Watase, who also wrote Fushigi Yugi.)

Anonymous said...

Fantasy stuff that's more recent:

The Melancholy of Haruhi Suzumiya: high school dramedy that mixes in sci-fi and fantasy elements.

Claymore: Fantasy/horror series about female warriors raised by a secret order to slay demons. High on the blood quotient in that over the top Ninja Scroll kinda way though, so filter that through what you know of her boundaries.

non fantasy, but highly recommended as one of the best series from last year:
Gurren Lagann - Over the top robot action from the wonderful folks at Gainax. Currently about half way though the series Mondays on sci-fi.

Anonymous said...

GTO: Great Teacher Onizuka

While amusing, GTO is probably a better fit for a 15 year old boy than a girl given that the titular character is a first order perv...

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Unknown said...

I would heartily recommend Fullmetal Alchemist. Escaflowne would be good too. And if she's really into fantasy, Princess Tutu is utterly charming, and frequently very moving.

I wouldn't recommend Inuyasha, mainly because of what someone else said above -- that it goes on forever and doesn't really land anywhere. The three I mentioned above have real plots, and come to a conclusion.

Unknown said...

I'm late to this party, but I concur with the Miyazaki. Thrills you at ages 11-18, breaks your heart from 18-28, will inspire uncontrollable weeping between the ages of 28 to, I imagine, 35.

I know the manga of "Fruits Basket" and find it a little slow-moving and light on atmosphere, but the characters are winning and there are some genius story moves pulled where one least expects it. It inspires addiction in its readers.

"Karin," published here as "Chibi Vampire" is pretty great (not just because I do the English version of the book). Warning: Like all vampire stories, this one has a pre-occupation with sexuality, though an emerging one and mostly shrouded in the innocent love for (guess!) a mortal. I like the manga, I LOVE the anime.

My editors will get on my case for this, but I still love "Yami no Matsuei" ("Descendants of Darkness"). Weepy, pretty boys act as chaperons to lost dead souls. Angst aplenty--and there are magic fights.

There are also wicked spell battles in "Loveless," (manga and anime--yes, I do the American version of the manga, no I don't get any money if you buy it) though the sexuality could be borderline too much. Depends on what that particular viewer and her family deem appropriate though, as in Karin, it's often implied rather than explicit.

If she's into a little speculative space fiction, I'd second the recommendation of "Planetes." Very forward-thinking and intelligent, without losing points for heart and humor.

Of course, when I was that age I was watching "Akira," "Fist of the North Star" and the original "Vampire Hunter D." Over and over again. Because that's what we could find at the video store on Long Island. Yes, I said video store. Oh, I love you, Internets.

Anonymous said...

My first suggestion isn't commercially available in the USA, but there are plenty of subbed bittorrents available for it, as it has a devoted fanbase here.

It's called LEGEND OF THE GALACTIC HEROES.

Made in the late 80's (I believe), this is Epic Space Opera done very well. Humanity is alone in space, and has seperated into two camps, spread out over a huge area of space. An empire with an entrenched aristocracy, and a supposed democracy that is actually rather corrupt. Both sides have their faults, both sides have saints and sinners, and the War between the two has been going on for decades with no end in sight.

Until a new generation of charismatic and talented leaders on both sides starts making waves and acquiring rank and power.

Many of the main characters are VERY pretty young men (which a 15 year old girl might appreciate), although it's not overdone. The space battles are huge and awe-inspiring.

Download the movie first, and if she likes that, there's a whole episodic saga that follows. The movie climaxes with a starfleet battle containing literally tens of thousands of ships, and is set very wonderfully to one of the best arrangements of Ravel's "Bolero" that I've ever heard.

My other suggestion is available in the states, but I warn you to avoid the english dub for this one, and stick to subtitles. I LIKE dubs, but this one is insultingly bad, and also gets major plot points wrong. it's called: GIANT ROBO

Giant Robo is a love letter to retro anime. It's got giant robots, double-breasted suits, chinese warlords, taoist priests, world domination, some of the coolest "mook"-level henchmen (good and evil) ever, superpowers, and more sheer AWESOME than anyone can easily compare. Also, the soundtrack takes the awesome and turns it up to 11. Opera, epic symphonic pieces, and perfect thematic usage.

The action is fantastic, best described as Wuxia Meets Golden Age Superheroes, with some Giant Robot action thrown in, of course.

Of special note in Giant Robo, for the 15 year old girl, are the female characters. One is a cheongsam-wearing sharpshooter named Ginrei (who is a central character), and the other is Youshi of the Blue Face (a supporting character, but has some very important scenes). Ginrei adds some obvious sex appeal to the show, but is also a complex character, and very, very sharp witted. Not a simpering hostage by any means. Youshi, on the other hand, is a big strong woman (who happens to have blue skin) who not only avoids being rescued, but does much of the RESCUING herself in the course of the show, and is one of the story's moral pillars. Both are great characters for a young girl to see.

Andrew Cunningham said...

Twelve Kingdoms is usually the first name mentioned when people start recommending fantasy anime, but the source novels - which Tokyopop is bringing out - are much better. It makes some textbook adaption mistakes - adding additional characters that you are expected to despise and who serve absolutely not function.

Honestly, the best fantasy anime out there is Moribito: Guardian of the Spirit, which is airing on the Cartoon Network at some ungodly hour, and comes out on DVD in November. Based, again, on an incredible novel (which Scholastic published in English earlier this year) this adaption gets everything right; turns one novel into a 26 episode story, expands the narrative to work all the novel's world building into the story without ever exposition dumping, and maintains ridiculously beautiful production values. Same staff as the Ghost in the Shell TV series - and the spear fight in episode 3 may well be the best fight scene ever animated.

Also, Baccano! is unmissable; the novels were absolutely the thing I'd been trying unsuccessfully to write for years, and the anime absolutely nailed their appeal. Set in 1930s New York, with Mafia run speakeasies, gentlemen thieves, train hijackers, and immortal alchemists, it goes so wildly over the top that I can't honestly think of anything I've loved more.

Anonymous said...

For 15-year-old girls of all ages & genders, anime (& manga) by the CLAMP collective cannot be beat!
Angelic Layer, Cardcaptor Sakura & Magic Knights Rayearth may be "too babyish" right now, but Angelic Layer in particular has great HUMAN characters as well as humor & costumes (basically, a neglected 12-year-old becomes a sort of wargame-puppeteer, and eventually reconnects with her long-lost mother, who has her own reasons for hiding). Chobits is about a world where 'persocoms' (personal computers) are humanoid; it's an inprobable love story between an 18-year-old loser & the pretty-girl persocom he rescues from the trash, but the individual episodes are wonderful meditations on love in all its variety (can a human love an invented 'person'? can a persocom be sued for alienation of affection? what happens when a mourning human tries to create a perfect simulacra of their lost loved one?). Tsubasa and X are more straightforward, teen-oriented fantasy (or fantasy-horror) epics, and full of amazing costumes and pretty teenage boys.

Crest of the Stars has a teenage male hero who becomes, literally, the supportive second-in-command to a kickass teenage female alien. It's the one anime in the several dozen series I've watched that most reminds me of Star Trek, but with better roles for women. Not quite fantasy, but very enticing. The various Sakura Wars (or Sakura Taisen) series are steampunk, not fantasy, but most of the main characters are teenage girls & they totally kick ass, using ancient Japanese martial arts & pastel-colored robot suits to destroy the ravening aliens!

Kami Chu! is the story of an ordinary middle-schooler who wakes up one morning and discovers she's a god... a minor god, but with actual god-powers and god-responsibilities. The artwork & general feeling of the series is very Miyazawa-esque, although I'm not sure Studio Ghibli would ever come up with a teenage male deity who wants to be a rockstar in the worst way. Shrine of the Morning Mist, Kurogane Communications, and Stellvia also have unusually good female characters and coherent storylines, as does Sol Bianca, if you can find a copy.

Finally, some non-fantasies that are well worth watching: Ai Yori Ayoshi is the best of the "Romeo-and-Juliet" teenage romances, despite the inevitable fanservice & slapstick. Princess Nine is about the first *all-girl* baseball team at a very prestigious high school with a top-ranked boys' team in besu-baru-crazy Japan; I have less than no interest in sports, but the development of the characters kept me awaiting each new episode with glee. And Tsukikage Ran (Carried Away by the Wind) is a Kurasawa-esque anime about a wandering FEMALE samuri in medieval Japan... with all the heartbreak, as well as the broad humor, of Seven Samuri or Yojimbo.

Jason said...

Since you're thinking Last Exile, I'll second it.

That said, if you like Last Exile, then Fullmetal Alchemist is a natural.

Barb Steele said...

No one's mentioned Full Moon wo Sagashite (Searching For The Full Moon) yet? I even got my non-anime-fan college roommate addicted to that show, to the point where she was sneaking into my room to watch more episodes when I wasn't home, heh. We both bawled like babies at the end. The first few episodes seem a bit young and cutesy, but you definitely warm up to the characters fast.

Hana Yori Dango (Boys Over Flowers) is another good one. It's got a very strong female protagonist and some great ever-popular love triangles.

Unknown said...

Bagi anda penderita Wasir atau ambeien mulai dari Stadium 1, Stadium 2, Stadium 3 bahkan Stadium 4 yang ingin mengobati penyakit tersebut dengan cara alami atau dengan pengobatan alternatif yaitu dengan obat herbal Ambeclear dan Salep Salwa adalah pilihan yang tepat karena obat herbal ini telah terbukti ampuh mengatasi penyakit wasir atau ambeien mulai dari stadium awal hingga stadium lanjut selain itu
obat ini murni dari tanaman herbal sehingga tidak menimbulkan efek samping apapun bagi pengggunanya dan bahkan obat herbal kami ini aman dikonsumsi oleh
wanita yang sedang hamil maupun ibu menyusui. obat kami telah terbukti khasiatnya telah banyak pasien kami yang sembuh baik yang wasir dalam hingga wasir luar baik yang baru gejala wasir atau ambeien maupun yang telah stadium lanjut bahkan yangA pernah operasi wasir pun beralih ke obat ambeienherbal kami ini.

Unknown said...

Wasir atau ambeien adalah penyakit yang terjadi pada bagian anus, jenis wasir atau ambeien sendiri ada dua yaitu wasir atau ambeien dalam dan wasir atau ambeien luar. Dalam penangananya sendiri wasir atau ambeien dapat disembuhkan dengan dua jalan yaitu pengobatan medis dan pengobatan non medis atau pengobatan alternatif. Pengobatan alternatif disini salah satu pilihanya adalah dengan menggunakan tanaman herbal atau dengan ramuan tradisional. Ambeclear dan Salep Salwa adalah hasil pengolahan tanaman herbal daun ungu, kunyit putih, dan mahkota dewa yang telah terbukti ampuh mengatasi wasir atau ambeien baik wasir stadium satu, stadium dua, stadium tiga maupun stadium akhir atau stadium empat. Wasir berdarah, wasir yang telah kronis, semua dapat diatasi dengan menggunakan obat ini selain ampuh obat ini juga aman dan tidak menimbulkan efek samping apapun bagi penggunanya sehingga obat ambeclear ini aman dikonsumsi oleh penderita wasir yang sedang hamil maupun menyusui.

fazrieherbal said...

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Anonymous said...

Penyakit ini umumnya muncul karena penderita mengejan terlalu keras pada saat buang air besar. Dengan mengejan terlalu keras, maka pembuluh darah di sekitar anus dapat melebar dan pecah menimbulkan infeksi dan pembengkakan yang berakhir pada masalah wasir atau ambeien tersebut.

Unknown said...

Penderita Penyakit kondiloma atau Kutil Kelamin yang telah terinveksi disarankan untuk segera melakukan pengobatan secepat mungkin sebelum Virus HPV penyebab kutil kelamin makin banyak berkembang biak di dalam sel darah makin lama dibiarkan akan memperparah kondisi organ vital karena kutil kelamin akan terus membesar sehingga terlihat seperti jengger ayam untuk penderita yang baru tertular kurang dari satu bulan biasanya akan lebih cepat ditanggulangi obat kutil kelamin Paling ampuh dari De Nature dan terbaik ada hanya di http://obatkutildikemaluan.blogdetik.com/ untuk mendapatkan informasi yang lebih jelas mengenai pengobatan kutil pada kelamin silahkan kontak langsung di nomer 0852 808 77 999 atau 0859 7373 5656 Bagaimana mengobati Ambeien itu sendiri. pengobatan yang terbaik untuk Ambeien adalah dari luar dan dalam sehingga Ambeien benar benar tuntas dan tidak akan kambuh lagi. obat Ambeien terbaik "Ambeclear dari De Nature" AlamiAdalah obat Ambeien herbal yang memang terbaik untuk mengobati Ambeien, dan sudah terdaftar di badan obat dan makanan (BPOM) dengan nomer registrasi POM TR: 133 374 041. terbuat dari bahan alami antara lain terdiri Daung Ungu, Mahkota Dewa dan Kunyit Putih.

Unknown said...

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Unknown said...

cara mengobati kutil kelamin pada wanita tanpa harus menggunakan operasi cukup dengan menggunakan obat khusus kutil kelamin paling manjur dari klinik de nature manjurserta sangat aman untuk ibu hamil

Unknown said...

Apabila anda sedang mencari pengobatan kutil kelamin untuk pria maupun wanita segera kunjungi kami http://obatkutilkelaminwanita.blogdetik.com cara mengobati kutil kelamin pada wanita tanpa harus menggunakan operasi cukup dengan menggunakan obat khusus kutil kelamin paling manjur dari klinik de nature manjurserta sangat aman untuk ibu hamil

Unknown said...

Berhati-hatilah anda yang suka berganti-ganti pasangan seks, karena sangat besar sekali kemungkinannya untuk terkena penyakit kencing nanah atau gonore maupun yang lainnya.



Unknown said...

Bagi anda yang sedang mencari obat herbal buat kencing nanah atau gonore, kami sarankan untuk memilih obat herba dari De Nature dengan nama Gang jie dan Gho Siah sebagai pengobatan alternatif tradisional alami untuk kencing nanah atau gonore.

Unknown said...

Obat Kencing Nanah atau Gonore. Jika penyakit kencing nanah ini sudah parah atau kronis, biasanya terjadi selama 6 bulan. Penyakit biasanya sudah bersarang masuk ke dalam alat reproduksi yang lebih dalam.Untuk Pemesanan Obat Penyakit Kelamin Kencing Nanah di 0812-2854-1999 atau Pin BB 53E87F23

Cara Mengobati Wasir Ambeien said...

MANTAB * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *

obar herbal manjur alami said...

MANTAB * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *******

Unknown said...

Cara yang sering di lakukan untuk menghilangkan kutil kelamin adalah dengan cara pembedahah atau operasi, cara ini tentu memerlukan dana yang tidak sedikit. metode Pilihan pembedahan yang dapat Anda lakukan

Unknown said...

MANTAB * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * **********

Unknown said...

Kenali penyebab penyakit kencing bernanah sehingga cara mengobati
penyakit kencing nanah dan infeksi saluran kencing nanah dapat dilakukan
dengan benar.

Pengobatan Ambeien Wasir said...

wkwkwkwkwkwkwkwkwkwkwkwkwkwkwkwkwkwkwkwkwk

kLINIK oBAT mANJUR said...

Bismillaahirrohmaanirrokhiim ???????????????????????????????????

Unknown said...

Bukan hanya pengobatan medis saja tapi ada juga pengobatan rumah alami yang dapat digunakan untuk menyingkirkan penyakit kencing bernanah ini. Maka anda harus mencari pengobatan yang terbaik pada penyakit Anda dan jika diperlukan juga dibantu dengan tenaga medis yang professional.

kLINIK oBAT mANJUR said...

Bismillahhirrohmaanirrokhim.... *************************

Unknown said...

Kadang disertai
dengan sakit saat kencing, perih, organ intim terasa panas menyiksa,
gatal,..

kLINIK oBAT mANJUR said...

Bismillahhirrohmaanirrokhim.... *********************************

Unknown said...

Sekitar Vagina Tumbuh Daging, Berbahayakah? Kutil Pada Kepala Penis mirip bunga kol atau jengger ayam, Merupakan Penyakit Yang diakibatkan Oleh Virus.Kutil kelamin, atau disebut juga condyloma acuminata, adalah kutil atau daging berwarna kulit atau keabuan yang tumbuh di sekitar alat kelamin dan

Unknown said...

penyakit yang ditularkan melalui hubungan seks : vaginal, oral dan anal. Juga dapat menular melalui persentuhan kulit dengan daerah yang terinfeksi.

Unknown said...

Obat Ambeien Resep Dokter Ambeclear dari De Nature Ampuh Tuntaskan Ambeien Sampai Tuntas

Cara Mengobati Wasir Ambeien said...

Bismillahirrohmannirrokhim ........................

Unknown said...

Ambeien bisa mengeluarkan darah(seperti invander salim yang terkena ambeien dan mengeluarkan darah)

Unknown said...

Sebelum kita membahas tentang pengobatan ambeien, dalam kesempatan ini
saya ingin menjelaskan sekilas tentang ambeien, agar kita semua bisa
memahami benar apa itu penyakit ambeien

Unknown said...

obat wasir, Adalah  Obat alami berkhasiat dalam bentuk kapsul yang berasal dari tanaman herbal seperti daun ungu, mahkota dewa dan kunyit putih, diberikan pada penderita jika penyakit masih dalam tingkatan stadium ringan

kLINIK oBAT mANJUR said...

Bismillahirrohmannirrokhim ......................................

obar herbal manjur alami said...

???????????????????????????????????????

Unknown said...

MANTAB???????????????????????????????

obar herbal manjur alami said...

111111111111111111111111111111

kLINIK oBAT mANJUR said...

111111111111111111111

Obat Keputihan Herbal Alami said...

1111111111111111111111111111111111111111

Unknown said...

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obar herbal manjur alami said...

alami alami alami alami alami alami alami alami alami alami alami alami alami alami alami alami alami alami alami alami alami alami alami alami alami alami alami alami alami alami alami

Unknown said...

cara mengobati wasir ambeien tanpa harus operasi aman paling jos . !

kLINIK oBAT mANJUR said...

obat ambeien wasir paling manjur mengobati penyakit wasir ambeien tanpa efek samping terbuat dari bahan alami herbal seperti daun ungu mahkota dewa kunyit putih

Anonymous said...

Assalamualaikum wr.wb, Salam Sehat semuanya. numpang komen ya gan.

Anonymous said...

Assalamualaikum wr.wb, Salam Sehat semuanya. numpang komen ya gan.

Unknown said...

 Apabila menemukan ada daging atau seperti Kutil yang tumbuh di area kemaluan atau alat ...

Unknown said...

Orang yang mampu belajar dari kegagalan adalah pemenang, namun orang yang selalu menutupi kegagalan adalah pecundang