Well, it was a great run, but I don’t know now if I’ll have time to blog anymore… This time tomorrow, I’ll actually be in boot camp to join the US Navy! So I have a parting gift for you all. 

I was originally going to make a glorious chart with my personal favorites from each genre, but my photoshop skills are mediocre and I have no time, so I’ve just set them apart by category. I’ll admit my categories are a bit arbitrary, but this is how I viewed them, and therefore enjoyed them.. Anyway, here they are - my three favorite shows of each ‘genre’ (according to me):

Action:

  • Cowboy Bebop - Definitely one of the defining anime of the late ‘90’s. No stereotypical characters or situations, no Japanese high school setting, amazing story and legendary characters make for one of the best shows ever made.
  • Baccano! - Cool 1930’s setting with great intertwining storytelling told very differently from what you’re normally used to. Great action (of course) as well.
  • Durarara!! - Basically like Baccano in present day Japan… which is definitely not a bad thing. Made by the creators of Baccano!.

Alternate Art Style:

  • Kemonozume - Sketchy, unique art style with tons of action, gore and romance. One of my favorite shows of all.
  • Katanagatari - Retro-modern art style telling a story about collecting 12 treasured swords across rural Japan. Amazing quality and production value. My favorite show of ‘10.
  • Panty & Stocking with Garterbelt - A crazy cross between typical American cartoon style (think PPG) and Gainax’s anime style. Hilarious commentary on Japanese society and parodies/references countless popular fictional works.

Comedy:

  • Sayonara Zetsubou Sensei - Funny comedy with quick and witty jokes that generally need a basic understanding of Japanese culture to get. Also, amazing OPs and EDs for all of its different seasons.
  • Cromartie High School - Comedy so random in a setting you wouldn’t expect: a delinquent school for high school boys.
  • Seto no Hanayome - Ridiculous situations of a middle school boy who becomes engaged to a mermaid who’s family is part of the yakuza.

Ecchi:

  • Golden Boy - One of the classics of ecchi with a perverted guy who travels across Japan on a bike doing random oddjobs. And excels at everything he does, winning the hearts of every woman he meets.
  • Kiss x Sis (OAD) - The craziest non h ecchi I’ve ever seen. haha.
  • Highschool of the Dead - What plot? I watched this for the oppai and pantsu.

(Harem) Romance:

  • Clannad (first season) - If you want a feel good harem romance the first season is great. I honestly tried to avoid this show because of the art but the story just took me in. Second season isn’t a harem really, so I can’t reccommend it in this genre.
  • Bakemonogatari - Yes, this is a harem, in my opinion. And yes, it has romance. And, it’s pretty uniqe. Very memorable characters with some amazing music.
  • Amagami SS - Truly an adaptation from a dating sim game. Great because every girl gets her own arc with a “happy” ending, therefore satisfying (almost all) of the different girls’ fanbase. Also, Kaoru!!!!!!

(Not so Typical) High School Life:

  • The Melancholy of Haruhi Suzumiya (season 1) - This show did not turn out anything like I was expecting, and for that, I am thankful. Also, Hare Hare Yukai.
  • Onegai Teacher - Married secretly to your hot alien teacher? Yes, not typical.
  • Kannagi - Two magical girls and a childhood friend. The show was definitely a lot of fun, even if it might not have been that amazing.

Mecha:

  • Gunbuster + Diebuster (OVAs) - I highly recommend these over the movie versions which leave far too much out. Beyond epic. I cried when finishing Gunbuster and Diebuster ties everything in. Make sure to watch them in that order or else you’re not getting the full value of those productions. My favorite Super Robot series.
  • Macross Frontier - Easily my favorite OST to any anime I’ve ever watched. It’s especially great if you’ve seen the older Macross series because it pays homage to just about each and every one of them. Oh, and it has a great story, too, and realistic mechs.
  • Macross: Do You Remember Love? - If you choose to watch Macross Frontier, I’d highly recommend watching this before it at least, to get a good feel for the Macross series as a whole. This movie is easier to watch than the original SDF Macross, and the production value is amazing for a show so old. Great quality and of course, great music.

Delicious Moeblobs! (aka Slice of Life):

  • Lucky Star - The series that defined moeblob anime, and brought me back into enjoying it once again. Cute girls doing cute (and funny) things. Mostly funny. 
  • K-On! - Mostly cute girls eating tea and cake after school. The first season definitely has more music in the actual show, and has a great OP and ED. I prefer this over season 2 which just felt like it was dragged out too long.
  • Working!! - I wouldn’t typically call this a moeblob show but it’s definitely slice of life, and has cute girls… and a scary androphobic one too. Has many funny moments, and is pretty great watching with Durarara!! because of the common seiyuu playing similar characters.

Stand-alone Movies (no OVA or anime adaptation):

  • Akira - THE anime that brought anime to America. And there is good reason for that too. Amazing (though sometimes guro) art, but an amazing story and the coolest motorcycle you’ll see in any anime.
  • The Girl Who Leapt Through Time - I just fell in love with this movie after watching it because it was SOOO GOOD. Great story telling you about the repercussions of messing with timelines!
  • Summer Wars - Like Digimon: Bokura no War Game, but 10 times more epic. The ridiculousness just kept adding layer after layer until I found it so unbearable I was yelling at my screen for the second half of the movie. That’s a good thing.

Popular for Good Reason:

  • Death Note - Like chess, but with human lives.And it gets pretty epic. Amazing OP’s.
  • Tengen Toppa Gurren Lagann - It’s amazing just how much the show advances in those 26 episodes. Great music throughout, along with epic characters.
  • Code Geass + R2 - I honestly avoided this show like cancer originally when it came out just because of the FABULOUS-ness. About 3 years later I finally gave in, and ended up marathoning the show 12 episodes at a time just because the story and characters were just that great. Also, kinda like Death Note but just on a larger scale… and with mechas. Definitely watch both seasons.

True Romance:

  • Kare Kano - Non-pussyass lead male? Check. Non-quiet lead female? Check. ACTUAL PROGRESSION throughout the show? Check. Actual conflicts that aren’t forced or ridiculous? Check. Though incomplete, this will probably always be my favorite romance because it wasn’t a harem one, and that it’s actually PLAUSIBLE AND REALISTIC. I love this show.
  • True Tears - Heart-wrenching plot twists. Even though this could probably be categorized under harem, it really didn’t feel like one, hence my placing it away from my “harem romance” section, which I take less seriously.
  • Toradora! - Though it kind of ventures into typical anime stereotypes, it is a lot of fun. It was also a bit confusing to me in my first watch through because the romance hardly seems there, but it all gets tied in, in the end. I also take this show a bit more seriously than the other ones I categorized as “harem romance”… It’s kind of hard to explain why, but if you’ve watched them, you’ll know what I mean.

Awesome for Just Being Awesome:

  • Inter5tella 5555 - A feature length film set to Daft Punk’s amazing album, Discovery. It has cool, retro-modern designs by the legendary Leiji Matsumoto, the creator of Galaxy Express 999 and Space Pirate Harlock. It’s seriously a must-see for any Daft Punk fan. Especially if you’re a fan of anime.

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And… that’s about it, guys! I might not be gone completely, but this is going to be on a serious hiatus once I leave for the military tomorrow. It was fun while it lasted, but it’s about time for me to leave my escapism, and face real life now! I wish you all luck in keeping up with the current and future seasons coming for anime.

Also, if you’re interested, feel free to message me if you want to keep in touch over facebook. I could add you if you are so interested in my real name. haha. I have an actual profile, but I try to keep my anime and real life separate, hence this blog.

A little about me:

  • I’m a 21 year old, American Pinoy living in the Bay Area, California
  • Soon, leaving for the Navy
  • And my name is Jonathan. 
  • Feel free to message me here if you want to add me on facebook, I’m not, however going to post my last name here on tumblr. haha.

Good bye!