AKIRA

[The Unseen]

best. movie. ever.

I think it's safe to say that every one here has seen it, if not go get it now

[Skulhedface]

Yea, but I debate whether it's the number one movie of ALL time.

Number one anime? Tough to say. Tied with Ninja Scroll, I'd say.

[Spectre X]

Evil Dead 2 and the Martrix are the best movies I have ever seen.

[Protoclown]

Akira has excellent animation, but the story is somewhat lacking. I've yet to read the comics, but I hear that the movie pales in comparison to them.

Ninja Scroll is another one that's light on story, but fun to watch. Good animation, but the story is actually pretty fucking cheesy.

My vote for best anime stand-alone movie goes to either Princess Mononoke or Grave of the Fireflies (though I've yet to see Spirited Away).

[James]

If we're talking about actual movies, I still have to say one of my more favorite ones would be Vampire Hunter D (though Bloodlust seemed kind of lacking).

But if I can include a series, I'd say that Lodoss War (that means the OVA AND Chronicles, as they're both part of the same story) is the best anime I've ever seen.

[whoreable]

vapire hunter d blood lust was fuckin ridiculous. I mean they fuckin flew to the moon in a castles for christs sakes. but then again that alone made it worth watching :lol

[James]

I just hated that it had no relation to the original,a nd they just introduced his handful of zombie hunters or whatever the fuck they were.

Also, the DVD had no original audio track, which was very gay. I like my anime subtitiled, for the most part.

[Protoclown]

I thought the old and new Vampire Hunter D's were a sack of crap. Hated them both.

As for Record of Lodoss War, I've seen the OVAs (and own them) and only part of the TV series. I have to say that I enjoy and appreciate the OVAs, but I also recognize that they're pretty cheesy and weak as far as the story goes (for example, the "Forest of No Return" is really nothing more than a "Forest of Mild Inconvenience"). The animation isn't very good either (i.e. still pictures of dragons with a wildly moving camera to make you think they are flying). I still enjoy watching them for a good laugh though.

My all-time favorite series are The Vision of Escaflowne (not the bastardized American TV version), Cowboy Bebop, and the El Hazard OVAs.

[CaptainBubba]

I got Grave of the Fireflies last summer, and it was probably the best, though not most entertaining, anime I've ever seen. An adorable little girl dying from starvation is a superb way to make an anti-war statement. :) :(

I got Akira for Christmas because I wanted to see what all the hype was about. It was interesting, but it seemed like there was a more involved plot that was being left out, which makes sense now that I know there are comics.

What exactly was the message/moral of Akira? I couldn't make out a definite one because there were too many issues involved in the movie.

[James]

The animation isn't very good either (i.e. still pictures of dragons with a wildly moving camera to make you think they are flying). I still enjoy watching them for a good laugh though.

Boo >:

[Ninjavenom]

. It was interesting, but it seemed like there was a more involved plot that was being left out, which makes sense now that I know there are comics

You better read those fucking books, too. They're totally kickass, i love everything about Otomo's style, and it's really a great set of books.

Best anime movie? Akira has my vote. Tetsuo's mutation alone is enough to warrant my vote, because it was just so... COOL.

Best series? Berserk.

[The Unseen]

The Akira movie ends where Book 2 of 6 ends, so yes, the plot is much more complex and awesome. They also left out Lady Miyako who is the shit. I have yet to see Ninja Scrool or Vampire Hunter D Bloodlust but Pincess Mononoke is really good. You will apreciate Akira much more if you read the comics

[Skulhedface]

Well, to everyone that's saying that story is lacking in animes, well, it seems like that's half the point. :lol The Japanese seem to understand that animation allows more flexibility than traditional cinema, and well, even if you had a great subject to play with, aren't the funnier drawings and the bizarre stories what make it fun? I bet you'd see a lot more bland animes like the Americanized Ranma if you had parental watchdogs over in Japan that were HALF as militant as American parents.

[James]

Pincess Mononoke is really good.

I can't get past the animation. :/

[timrpgland]

Akira is real good. There is alot of "fluff" though.

[Rongi]

Princess Mononoke and X(well...at least I thought it was pretty good :/) are my favorite anime movies. I liked X basically because I've never seen the series or read the manga (or read any for that matter), so I wasn't expecting to see all my "favorite" anime heros in one jammed back movie adventure...or something :/

As for anime series, Cowboy Bebop(not the butchered adult swim version) and Trigun(same thing) are my favorites (at the moment at least...).

[Ninjavenom]

It's another case where "the book is better". Tetsuo's mutation is much more in depth in the books, and that was the best part of the whole movie.

[Rongi]

I liked it when the naked lady pulled a sword out of her stomach :)

[Protoclown]

Pincess Mononoke is really good.

I can't get past the animation. :/

Why, is it too good for you? Not enough shaking cameras over still images of "flying" dragons?

Princess Mononoke has some of the best animation I've ever seen, hands down.

[James]

As a matter of fact, that is the problem. I don't really like Mononoke's bright and clear animation. It just seems so untraditional. I like my animes to have that slightly gritty look about them.

[pjalne]

Many of you may know this, but the guys who are bringing us the League of Extraordinary Gentlemen movie are doing a script for an American live-action remake of Akira as we speak. In an interview the head writer said that it will keep the original spirit while making the story more accessible to Western audiences.

In other words, they're making it for morons and in a form that CAN NOT keep the spirit of the original intact. And Jon Peters is producing, so expect gay robots.

[Skulhedface]

Anyone that has any respect for these movies would shit on that live action version the day it came out. If it comes out at all.

Smells like the almighty dollar has struck again!

[Ninjavenom]

Yes, it will indeed suck tremendous ass, pj. As for gritty, shitty anime, James, try the M. D. Geist series. the first was OK, but the second was so awfully animated i had to stop watching it. Now that i remember it, Genocyber was a really good OVA series, too. X the movie had such crappy art that i quit watching it fifteen minutes in. I had no idea whoi was who or what the fuck was going on.

[Rongi]

X the movie had such crappy art that i quit watching it fifteen minutes in.

It did have really shitty art. The main character's eyes where the size of a dinner plates and the other characters where rather bland looking :/

[MrAdventure]

HATE ANIME

BUT I LOVE THE GOLDEN BOY :(

[Jebus]

It was good but lacking in the finish. They did a GREAT job of portraying williams as a very disturbed man I beleived him capable of killign the hsuband, and i still think he should have for the movie to have concluded better. The ending is too sudden and too perfect. Nothing bad actually happens to anyone but Cy, and that is kinda stupid as it completely ruins the aura of evil/menace he had.