Don't really watch much anime lately, at least new ones. I'll list some older and not so older stuff that I've enjoyed outside of the obvious.
Mobile Suit Gundam
I'm not talking about Builders or Seeds or what have you. I'm not even talking about Wing. I'm talking about classic, ass Gundam from1979. The granddaddy that started the whole damn thing. Watch that, because it's damn good with interesting characters and politics that don't feel eye rolling. Even better is that you can then hop right into the sequel, Zeta Gundam, which is arguably just as good. Then you have an entire UC Gundam timeline you can explore, both forwards and backwards and 90% of it is ultra quality anime. If you're looking for anime that treats you like you're an adult, and not a horny otaku looking for panties and little girls, then this is the anime series for you.
Ping Pong
Want something different? Want something that looks kinda ugly, but beautiful and unlike the homogenized anime look that has saturated the medium? Look no further. Ping Pong is a fantastic sports drama that treats the characters as human beings with believable drama and problems that don't just eek out every single drop of melodrama that the Japanese pen can manage. It's a super cool and unique sort of anime that I highly suggest to anyone looking for something that's a bit different.
Megalobox Seasons 1 and 2
Misty eyed for the long gone days of 90's anime? A period where hand-painted cells flashed across your screen at twenty-something frames per second and gave you the sort of grit and atmosphere that anime used to give you? Then this is your ticket back home. It's a really neat sports drama about guys that box each other while wearing these exoskeletons that make the fights outright deadly. Not only that but it has some good characterization, which really blossoms in the second season. Some of the best anime I've seen in a long time.
Mob Psycho 100
Most anime is about that weird loser that gains incredible strength, and in doing so, becomes accepted by others. They get the girls, the guys, and the everything inbetweens. Mob Psycho is about a kid, named Mob, who is already the most powerful psychic in the world. The twist? He doesn't really like the fact. He wants people to like him for him. Experience a story about a kid that uses his powers to protect others while improving himself in ways that have nothing to do with his powers, so he can better integrate into the society he has always felt ostracized from. Also... some of dem fights be fucking nuts looking. Like wowza.
Perfect Blue
I personally cannot thin of a better psychological drama put to animation. A film directed by the masterful Satoshi Kon, Perfect Blue will have you sucked into a world where you're questioning what is and isn't real as much as the protagonist. A surreal and dark look at society and the isolation that we build around ourselves by immersing ourselves in media and living to achieve dreams built upon those very same things. It's creepy, it's confusing, and it's everything you'll love if you like a good introspective story.
Beck: Mongolian Chop Squad
You like music? You like indie rock even more? Then this is the anime for you. A mostly grounded and realistic anime adaptation of the fantastic manga by Harold Sakuishi. It takes a look at a seemingly ordinary high school boy, who discovers that he has a passion for music. Through trial and error, and a whole lot of time, he becomes a capable musician with the voice of an angel. You'll become engrossed as you watch the triumphs and failures of the protagonist and the characters he meets along the way. Nothing comes easy in this anime, and that makes the high moments all the sweeter.
Michiko and Hatchin
A long and winding tale about a terrible, selfish woman and the little girl she gets stuck lugging around. They both are interested in the same man, Michiko wanting to find her ex-boyfriend, and Hatchin looking for her father. They travel far and wide in search of him, and along the way discover hard truths about themselves and the man they idolize. A really touching and hilarious tale of two polar opposites with the same goal, all set upon a lush and incredible South American backdrop. It's a gorgeous anime with wonderful animation and a soundtrack that will have you tapping your toes for days to come. Give this one a chance and you will NOT be disappointed.
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