Anime Fest

[vagabond]

I was kinda between games so I decided to take advantage of the 15 buck blockbuster movie pass and watch all the movies, mostly anime that I can watch in the next month. So far grave of the fireflies was truly awesome. Record of lodoss war was really good too. Ghost in the shell, Evangelion were good. Any others I should seek out? Any thoughts on any of these titles or anime in general?

[Thin_J]

Cowboy Bebop is my favorite anime series ever. The movie is excellent, and is done in the form of one long episode of the show. You owe it to yourself to watch this one.

Ninja Scroll is either excellent or terrible depending on who you ask, but I think it's excellent. It's a little perverse in a couple of short moments, but in general it's a good movie and it's fun to watch.

[Gratch]

I love Ninja Scroll as well.  If you can handle a bit of the ultra-violence, NS is awesome.  Avoid the series though, it's pretty awful.  Here's a couple other recommendations...

Must see:
-  Spirited Away (if you only see one anime, see this one)
-  The Cowboy Bebop series
-  Princess Mononoke
-  Akira
-  Vampire Hunter D (& Vampire Hunter D:  Bloodlust)

Fun, but not superb:
-  Trigun series
-  Vampire Princess Miyu
-  Ranma 1/2 (more of a comedy series)
-  Metropolis (amazing artwork, weak story)
-  Castle in the Sky
-  Last Exile

[vagabond]

I have seen spirited away and princess mononoke both being rather mainstream movies in the anime genre. I enjoyed both. Castle in the sky is one I am interested in but not one they have. They do have Bebop, Vampire princess and Metropolis all of which I will see.  No ninja scroll either.

[Floyd Walker]

I heartily agree  -  Cowboy Bebop is excellent.
One other I will add is Patlabor ... excellent movies that just happen to be anime

[Kevin Grey]

I love, love, love Last Exile.

Escaflowne (series not movie) is excellent too.

[warning]

I totally agree that Cowboy Bebop is amazing.  It was the first anime I watched and it set the bar pretty high.  Watanabe's new series Samurai Champloo looks very good also.

I've seen the following:
Escaflowne never did it for me.
Trigun - loved it.  Starts off silly but gets very serious by the end.  Excellent.
Blue Gender - very fun robot vs. alien bug story.  The first 10 episodes in particular are superb.
Serial Experiments Lain - its a love it or hate it series.  I loved it.  Very trippy and thought-provoking.  The Matrix seems like a cheap rip-off after seeing this.
Neon Genesis Evangelion - absolute crap.  Hated it.
RahXephon - what NGE should have been.  Very fun "big robot" story with characters who are not annoying and a clear, gripping storyline with a defined ending.  Great series.
Miyazaki's movies - Spirited Away, Princess Mononoke, Castle in the Sky, Kiki's Delivery Service and my favorite My Neighbor Totoro.  All are wonderful.
Ninja Scroll - it was fun but got old quickly.  Didn't enjoy it as much as some.
Vampire Hunter D Bloodlust - also quite fun.  Recommended.
I tried to watch FLCL - my head exploded and I never recovered.  Not recommended.
I liked the original Ghost in the Shell movie.  Haven't seen the series but I will.
Akira never did it for me.

There are a couple series that have not been licensed for US distribution yet that are worth checking out.  Macross Zero is the first and I think just about anyone will enjoy this.  Definitely watch it when it comes out.
Gankutsuou is the second.  This is quickly becoming one of my favorite series.  It's basically a retelling of The Count of Monte Cristo set in the far future.  There are no giant robots, almost no fighting, just suspense and very strong characterizations.  I can't wait till this one is released.

[Thin_J]

I totally forgot about Vampire Hunter D: Bloodlust. That one was awesome. The original Vampire Hunter D movie is just alright. Not nearly as well done as the second one, but still a good story.

I'll also second Akira (Don't know how the heck I forgot that one, it was the first anime I ever owned!) and Princess Mononoke as well, as both are also really good.

I liked Patlabor, but really have to be in the mood to watch it. Don't be deceived by the giant robot covers, 80% of the show is a detective show, with some giant robot action tossed in on occasion. And don't bother with the third Patlabor movie, it's terrible and feels awfully disconnected from the first two.

I haven't seen enough of Last Exile to give any really detailed impressions other than it's a very visually appealing series.

Macross Plus is another really good one, it's split across two DVD's but they're more than worth watching. I still don't own them, but I do plan to pick them up someday.

The old Ghost in the Shell has already been mentioned at least twice, but I will say that the second movie shows up on DVD in a week or two, I can't remember how long I just know it's soon. I'm psyched to finally see that one. And also, what I've seen of Ghost in the Shell: Stand-Alone Complex is also very very good. I want to pick that up someday too, but my plan is to wait until it shows up in the box set so I can pick it up for less money.

[Kevin Grey]

Macross Plus is another really good one, it's split across two DVD's but they're more than worth watching. I still don't own them, but I do plan to pick them up someday.

Ooh, forgot about that one.  Macross Plus is awesome with one of the most amazing soundtracks I've ever heard.  

I also second warning's recommendation of Macross Zero- hopefully it gets licensed here but, if not, its well worth the minimal effort to track it down fan-subbed.  

I own Bloodlust and while its beautiful visually I have a hard time staying away from it.

For pure visual porn (not *that* kind of porn) it doesn't get much better than Blood: The Last Vampire.  Not worth a purchase for most (its only 40 minutes long and not exactly deep) but I think its pretty damn cool and I'm dying for a sequel.

[vagabond]

I love, love, love Last Exile.

Escaflowne (series not movie) is excellent too.

Starting at 11am central on christmas day they are showing every episode of the last exile on g4techtv. I have never seen it but plan to watch the marathon.