Learn Japanese - JapanesePod101.com

Wow! Now I've got quite a list of anime! I must look for them

Natsuko(奈津子),
Team JapanesePod101.com

Here are my favourites, and I've included a short description to explain what it is that I like about them. Starting at the top:-

Mysterious Girlfriend X　・　謎の彼女X　・　なぞのかのじょえくす
2012, 13 episodes
Romance about a boy falling in love for the first time. The series tries to explore the boy's emotions and to that end uses allegory, metaphor and unlikely storylines. If the allegory, metaphor and unlikely storylines don’t work for you, this series will probably just seem like it's being deliberately weird; but if it does work for you, it's all rather lovely and--if you're old enough, anyway--very nostalgic. I'm especially fond of the voice that seiyuu Ayako Yoshitani gives to Urabe, the mysterious girlfriend of the title.

Wandering Son　・　放浪息子　・　ほうろうむすこ
2011, 12 episodes
Drama about a young boy who wants to be a girl. Transgendered characters occur regularly in anime, but this series gives the subject serious treatment rather than using it as a quirky plot device. This is a sensitive and thoughtful production, with beautiful animation and a great theme song (For You by Rie Fu).

You and Me　・　君と僕　・　きみとぼく
2011, 12 episodes; 2012, 13 episodes
Comedy about everyday life for a group of five boys who have hung around together since kindergarten. Nothing very extraordinary happens and the story remains rooted in reality: the boys hang around together, try to think of ways to entertain themselves and bicker constantly. Funny, with plenty of deadpan humour.

Durarara　・　デュラララ
2010, 26 episodes
Fantasy about various improbable characters living in modern day Ikebukuro, following how their lives get drawn together and intertwine largely as a result of the scheming of a manipulative information broker. Each episode tends to focus on how the unfolding plot appears from a single character's point-of-view, a potentially convoluted and ponderous way of telling the story that actually works very well. The biggest drawback of this series is that it doesn't have a very satisfying ending, but this is easily forgiven as the twenty-odd episodes leading there are inventive and very entertaining.

HanaSaku Iroha　・　花咲くいろは　・　はなさくいろは
2011, 26 episodes
Drama about a teenage girl who moves out of Tokyo to live with her grandmother at the traditional hot-spring inn that she runs. The first two or three episodes are a bit shaky, but then it finds its feet and settles down into an upbeat, slice-of-life story. It can drag a little at times, and the series would have benefited from being a little shorter; but the traditional setting is very appealing and, for me anyway, made up for the occasional slowness.

マイケル

konichiwa mina-san
I think my favorite Anime are:

Naruto —ナルト—

Slayers スレイヤーズ

Bleach ブリーチ

Sword Art Online ソードアート・オンライン

Wolf's Rain ウルフズレイン

Blue Exorcist 青の祓魔師

InuYasha 犬夜叉

Kamisama Kiss 神様はじめました

Bodacious Space Pirates モーレツ宇宙海賊

Nara: Rise of the yokai clan ぬらりひょんの孫 (Nurarihyon no Mago)

Black Butler 黒執事

I watch a lot of anime
Samu

I don't think I watch nearly as much anime as some people here.


Micheal, those all sound really interesting. They are going on my list of anime to watch one day, when I have the time (it's a long list though).


Okay, although I haven't watched a lot, these are the ones I've watched all the way through and liked:

Puella Magi Madoka Magica a.k.a. Mahou Shoujo Madoka Magica
This was the first anime series I watched all the way from beginning to end, and it was the series that really got me hooked on anime. It's magical girls! It's probably best if you don't know any more than that, since there are potential spoilers.

K-On!
I've only watched the first series. It's about a group of girls who attempt to form a rock band. It's funny and cute.

Ore no Imouto ga Konna ni Kawaii Wake ga Nai
The title means "There's no way my little sister can be this cute"! Er . . . I don't think I'll describe the plot here . . . I'll just say: it is not for kids; it is better than it sounds; and if you're the sort of person who would describe yourself as an otaku you might find it very funny. The novels are also very good (I've been reading fan-translations).

The Melancholy of Haruhi Suzumiya
Funny ha-ha and funny-peculiar series about 15-year old cynic Kyon and his relationship with a strange girl called Haruhi. Like Madoka, I think the less you know about it before watching it the better.

Hmm . . . so basically, everything I like is about 14 and 15 year old girls . . . well, you know, that's just a reflection on the state of the anime industry at the moment, right? Right?

And I'm currently watching . . . another series about 14 year old girls . . . Taishou Yakyuu Musume (Taisho Baseball Girls). It's about girls, playing baseball, in the Taisho era (specifically 1925). I've watched the first two episodes and I'm really enjoying it! It has a similar feeling to K-On! but possibly even more charming!


I wonder if Nastuko ever watched any of the anime people mentioned here? Actually, Natsuko, if you are around, I think it would be interesting to know your favorite anime. Or do you not watch anime?


I'm thinking maybe if I watch an episode of an anime reading the subtitles, and then watch the same episode without looking at the subtitles to see how much I understand, and then watch the episode again, reading the subtitles, but slowly this time, making a note of any words, phrases or sentences I want to remember, and then watch it again not looking at the subtitles and hopefully understanding a bit more, maybe that would be a good way to learn Japanese, or at least the sort of Japanese one needs to know in order to watch anime without subtitles.

Of course that method would basically mean I'd be spending all my time watching anime . . .


Martin

Anything by Satoshi Kon. From his works, I think Paranoia Agent stands out the most for me honestly. I wish he hadn't died so soon, and I had just learned about his death a week ago. Left me mopey for a few days, but I'm good now.

I think my absolute favorite anime would have to be FullMetal Alchemist.

Full metal alchemist was alright. Have you noticed that nearly all anime protagonists are schoolkids? It was awesome when i was at school, but now I'm at uni, i kinda wish they would include more characters who were 18,19+. That being said my favorite anime would have to be rahxephon. Bleach was good at first, but now i use it as toilet paper. One piece as always is good.

minasan, kon'nichiwa!

> rupenpatel702727-san,
I thought many characters in manga are anyway teenagers.
Or am I focusing only on what I've read when I was child?

Natsuko(奈津子),
Team JapanesePod101.com

Some of my favorite anime is:

Cowboy Bebop
Samurai Champloo
Gungrave
Bakemonogatari
Nisemonogatari
Code Geass
Death Note
Baccano
Durarara
Stein's;Gate
Kara no Kyoukai
Black Lagoon
Toki wo Kakeru Shoujo

I work nights and on my weekends I still stay up all night so I don't throw off my sleeping schedule. To pass the time, I watch a lot of anime usually. I'm sure that sounds pretty boring to most people. I have close to 2TB of anime. A lot of it is 1080p.

richardws19845296-san,
at least it doesn't sound boring to me
I do the similar thing and the only difference is what we watch. We can learn whilst relaxing, right? My favourite way of study....

Natsuko(奈津子),
Team JapanesePod101.com

I like Attack on Titan most.

shyerychen8350-san,
thank you for sharing the info! I've never watched that anime, but the title sounds already interesting

Natsuko(奈津子),
Team JapanesePod101.com

Yay! Anime! Okay... my favorites would be...
1. Pandora Hearts
2. Kagerou Days
2. Higurashi No Naku Koro Ni
4. Kuroshitsuji
5. Puella Magi Madoka Magica

Yes... Higurashi.... I know creepy... I like the manga better but it's still in my top 5 even though the noises... ugh... the noises

Katiemingaling san,

Thank you for the post.
They are popular manga.

Yuki 由紀
Team JapanesePod101.com

I love :
Ah! Megami-sama
Fate Stay Night
Love Hina
Fruit Basket
Fairy Tail
...the list never ends

Acristianedalva san,

Thank you for the information.
I haven’t seen them yet.
Thank you.

Yuki 由紀
Team JapanesePod101.com