consulting the oracle

[timeripple]

O flist, I turn to you for help and advice!

cadragongirl and I, being friends and roommates, have occasionally been known to sit down and share a meal together. When that meal is a dinner that we have cooked ourselves, on the rare occasion that our schedules match, we like to watch dramas and things as we eat. Now, back in the day when I didn't have crazy hours, we could watch a drama episode. Now-in-the-present, we don't really have time for a full hour-or-45-minute-long episode.

But! we said to each other. Anime episodes are only 22 minutes long! We should watch some more anime!

Then we realized that neither of us knows enough about anime to actually pick a good one. We have watched (and loved):

- Ranma 1/2
- Skip Beat
- Ouran High School Host Club
- Yamato Nadeshiko Shichi Henge/Perfect Girl Evolution/The Wallflower
- Special A

Each of us has individually watched a few more, but those are the ones subjected to communal viewing.

We started and sort of gave up on Fruits Basket, Seirei no Moribito, and Hikaru no Go as not quite fitting both our anime moods at the time. (Yes, we've also seen Avatar. Not just the bee's knees, my friends, but all the joints below the hip belonging to the bee.)

So I turn to you, O flist. What do you recommend?

Comments

[idiosyncreant.livejournal.com]

...that would have been my list, except "Wallflower" is still on my to-dos. (watched the drama, tho)

I really, really enjoyed Love Con/Lovely Complex, though I'm not sure how much of that was enjoying the Kansai accents involved...it's a pretty cute one, but I'm not sure whether it's on the same level? The hilarity is mostly tied up in two bicker-twin friends (their jokes may also not be awesome in subtitles, I missed a bunch of them) where the tall girl and the short boy are destined to fall for each other but are too aware how funny it would look.

Not anime, but I adored Batman Beyond. (And it's short!) I don't often enjoy non-Japanese cartoons, either.

I say that, but I also haven't watched much anime at all. X)

Witch Hunter Robin is on the opposite side of my recommendations list--it's dark, more horror-like, with more serious art-style to match. It has an ambiguous ending, but I was surprised to like it despite it probably being a tragedy.

[timeripple.livejournal.com]

Lovely Complex sounds cute! I might check out Witch Hunter Robin on my own. Thanks for the recs!

[idiosyncreant.livejournal.com]

I do not let my lack of knowledge stand in the way of a good recommending binge! And I am also following the comments with interest, as I have a Howl-like cold and need to change it up in my pass-the-hours amusement programme...

[timeripple.livejournal.com]

The Wallflower anime is much better than the drama (aside from Kame getting headbutted every five minutes, which is, I admit, appealing)! I think it will entertain you mightily in your wizardy cold.

[mousapelli.livejournal.com]

Fullmetal Alchemist? The new one is awesome (Brotherhood), but does the first part very very quickly on the grounds that you will have watched the first anime series.

I guess the question is, what do you want to watch? Short things? long things? Shounen action things? Girly romantic things? Realistic things? You've got to give a little more info if you want real recommendations.

Loveless is short and I adore it, but it stops just as shit is getting good, and the manga is awesome afterwards.

Kyou Kara Maou is a touch longer but not insanity (50-some eps maybe? I can't remember honestly), and lots of fun, a little cracked out at times but never totally off the wall. Since you liked Ouran, you might dig it. Long enough to get really involved with characters but not 400+ eps like Bleach or Naruto or One Piece (omg i love One Piece with my entire souuuuuuuul)

I'm watching Kaze no Stigma on Netflix and enjoying it? Action-packed, strong female characters, cute little brother, ridiculous American side-characters.

For pure action I still love Inuyasha (plus Ranma's VA), but it's the first anime I ever really liked, so maybe that's part of it.

Samurai Champloo is short and totally amazing nearly all the time, although it can be violent and a little wtf at the end of some eps. It's made by the Cowboy Bebop people and it shows, but overall I enjoyed it a lot more than CB.

so...idk, I'm happy to keep suggesting things, if you guys narrow down a bit more what type of thing you're looking for.

[timeripple.livejournal.com]

Thanks for these suggestions! We'll check 'em out.

Hah, I'm pretty sure Rachel made us both watch bits of Kyou Kara Maou in college. Maybe we'll give it another shot...

Let's see if I can narrow it down a bit. I guess... shoujo-ish comedy? I was going to say not *too* cracked out, but looking at our history, crack is actually not a problem. XD Awesome ladies are required. We seem to do pretty well with things set in high school; not so much fantasy epics (but supernatural stuff is fine). Mid-length would be nice--say up to around 50 eps--in that we might actually finish it some day. An overarching story is nice, but individual episodes need to be satisfying too because we don't have time to watch five in a row.

Does that help at all? *l*

[darkeyedwolf.livejournal.com]

I'm guessing you're going for funny and full of awesome ladies?

Arakawa Under The Bridge
Jungle wa Itsumo Hale Nochi Guu
Angel Beats
Kyou Kara Maou
Tenshi ni Narumon

If you don't mind more serious/action-themed stuff, I think you'd like Michiko to Hatchin (amazing lady duo!) and Durarara (HEADLESS LADY BADASS ON A MOTORCYCLE... and that's just the beginning). I also really want to recommend Puella Magi Madoka Magica (seriously one of the best, most genre-defying anime ever) but that one is pretty heavy viewing and not exactly light lunch fare.

Oh, and if you've never seen Utena, that's a total must. ♥____♥ And if you feel up for shounen, One Piece is my absolute favorite always and of all time. >___>

[timeripple.livejournal.com]

You have guessed correctly! (Says the girl who thinks Shikaotoko Aoniyoshi would have made SO MUCH MORE SENSE as an anime, but would not have been half as glorious!) Funny and full of awesome ladies are two great tastes that... you know what, I don't like where this metaphor is going. XD

I have not seen Utena! We may give it a try; we both adore Rose of Versailles. Thanks for the other suggestions as well. :)

We'd also be open to any dramas that are short...er. The Ouran live-action was perfect. Maybe what we really need is a jdrama. *shifty eyes*

[mousapelli.livejournal.com]

is ouran subbed the whole way? I'm thinking about doing it for drama night next.

[timeripple.livejournal.com]

Yes it is! Well, at least streaming it is, because I'm not allowed to dl much any more or Ovid the Macbook gets cranky. I'm sure there are subs around somewhere though.

YES YOU SHOULD.

[darkeyedwolf.livejournal.com]

Ever watched any toku? :D

[timeripple.livejournal.com]

...nooooo? but keep talking. Wait, what even is that? Maybe I have watched it and simply don't know? IT COULD BE!