Goatboy said:
Also, here's an idea for newbies like BlackMoonDoll and myself: Can some of you post either some of your favorite movies/series with a short description, or just a short list of the seminal works that beginners should check out (things like Akira, that reach a wide range of fans.) Thanks for all the info guys!
Yay, a chance to shamelessly promote my favorite anime series'.
😀
My favorite anime is probably Tenchi Muyo. It was the second anime I ever knowingly saw (I watched a bunch of anime as a kid but never realized they were from Japan) and no matter how much time goes by I always seem to get back into it. I'm going to pretty much describe the first episode here, so anyone who doesn't want to see
spoilers should uh...not look.
The story is about Tenchi Masaki, a seemingly normal 17 year old boy living in Okayama, Japan. He lives with his father most of the time, but stays with his grandpa at the family shrine during summer, 'training'. Tenchi's one of the nicest, least corrupt guys ever. Like Keitaro (Love Hina), but less worried about girls n such. Unfortunately(?), his life is about to be changed upsidedown (hence the title 'Tenchi Muyo', 'Don't make things upsidedown' (or 'No Need for Tenchi', many ways of translating it)).
Tenchi had been told about a sleeping demon, sealed by his ansestor Yosho 700 years ago in a nearby cave. Being curious, Tenchi 'steals' (his grandpa let him get them) the keys to the cave from his grandpa and goes in there. Inside he finds an old wooden sword hilt, with 3 red gems embeded in it. After removing it, the seal is broken and withered, mummy of a demon is awakend. Tenchi escapes and manages to seal the entrance, but still has the sword (hilt).
Some time later when Tenchi's back in school, he's remembering about the demon and such while playing with the sword, and falls asleep on the school roof. When he wakes up it's night, and he realizes he's not alone. Sitting nearby is a girl with yellow cat-like eyes and blue spikey hair. She tells him her name is Ryoko, and Tenchi quickly realizes she's the mummy from the cave. Ryoko needs to vent some frustration, and so attacks Tenchi.
Long story short, Tenchi's school is soon demolished. Ryoko forms an energy sword (one of her many powers) and attacks Tenchi one last time. It seems like the end for him, but suddenly he is protected by a glowing barrier. Out of his schoolbag rises the strange wooden sword-hilt, projecting this barrier -- and as Tenchi grabs it a blue energy blade appears from it, blocking Ryoko's next attack. The sword basically fights back on its own, dragging Tenchi along for the ride, and finally manages to cut off Ryoko's right hand, along with a gem similar to those in Tenchi's sword, which explodes when seperated from her.
Ryoko doesn't seem too upset, and grows a new hand out of nowhere. She then phases into the ground and is gone.
Tenchi thinks that's the end of it, but when he gets home that night, he finds Ryoko asleep in his bed (much to his dismay).
After watching the first episode you might think this is a supernatural kind of anime, but the episode is actually quite misleading. Ryoko isn't really a demon, she's a space pirate. Tenchi Muyo is sci-fi/comedy/shounen action/romance. By episode 6 Tenchi's house will be filled with different alien girls of different shapes and sizes. Two of these girls love Tenchi for their own reasons, and are bitter rivals. This series has many spin-offs, and it can get rather confusing because each Tenchi series is self-contained, not relating back to the original (which is what I've been describing, by the way). My advice is to stick to the original (Tenchi Muyo! Ryo-ohki), since that has the best plot/character developement.
I also described anime genres in some detail
here if you'd like to read it. It might be helpful.
