Truly epic animated series... Recommendations?

Avatar is really really good, nevermind that it's a nicktoon. It's very fleshed-out, with a whole map of cultures, characters, and plenty of history. It's about a world about to be taken over by a dominating nation that can control or "bend" fire. Throughout the world there are other benders who can also bend water, earth, and air. To keep the world in order, there is always one who can affect all the elements with great power: this person is known as the avatar. The show follows Aang, the newest reincarnation of the avatar, and is about how he and his friends travel so he can learn to master bending and stop the fire nation.
 
I'm really sorry to say that I think Naruto was terrible. I'm rather surprised to see so many folks following it here. But then maybe you guys are like I was with Harry Potter at the end of the books "Well I've already dug myself a hole, may as well stick it out and see how it ends."

But that follows my general rule that any animated anything over 100 episodes has at least a 50% chance of not being worth the time.

I didn't like Eureka 7 at all either. As a mech guy, I just couldn't get over the "mechs on surfboards" goofiness.


Things I would second.

1. Akira (classic, and you'll like it if you liked GitS)
2. GitS SAC (fantastic music, old school cyberpunk style, better than the original movie)
3. Avatar (like Reboot, seems like a kids show that grows some teeth later)
4. Trigun (episodic with some greater arcs like Beebop)
5. Reboot (WHO IS NUMBER ONE?, sorry was just rewatching that the other day)
6. Beast Wars (Mainframe Entertainment made some good stuff, what can I say)
7. Starship Troopers: RC (better than the movie, closer to the book's view)
8. Death Note (Good if you like a show like Dexter or Columbo)
9. Evangelion. Series+Movies (The characters may have some problems but the logistics and the music are awesome.)
10. FMA: Brotherhood. (Worth watching the first twenty or so episodes of the first one too to get more detail on the parts they gloss over in the first 12 episodes of Brotherhood.)
11. WoH: Royal Space Force, beautiful animation and touching

Now lists of new stuff.

You like mechs at all (Transformers, Beast Wars, etc.?)

The UC Gundam stuff is great. Start with the 08th MS Team.
Patlabor is fantastic, series, OVA's everything. Patlabor the Movie is up there with some super pretty stuff.
Martian Successor Nadesico. Funny, interesting, and actually bothers with trying to make it's psuedoscience make more sense than Trek.


Super Robot stuff.

Gurren Lagann
Mazinger Z
GaoGaiGar
etc.


Space stuff.

The Magnetic Rose. Excellent space horror movie. Think Beebop mixed with Alien.
Planetes. This one needs no introduction.
Outlaw Star. If you like Beebop, if you like Trigun, you have to see this. Basically it was Firefly before there was Firefly.


Currently Airing shows worth checking out.

Thundercats 2011. Has a real Avatar vibe to it while keeping a lot of what made the old Thundercats cool as a kid.
Wakfu. An interesting take on a unique high fantasy.
Venture Brothers. How Johnny Quest would have realistically turned out when he grew up.


I can keep going but all the recommendations people have been making should keep you occupied for a bit I'm guessing.
 
You're gonna laugh, but Afro Samurai and the old Marshall Bravestarr (if you want something more lighthearted. It's surprisingly well done for an 80s Filmation show) are two things I'm enjoying lately.

But without a doubt my biggest vote goes to the 2002 He-man and the Masters of the Universe reboot. You can get all 39 episodes for like 12 bucks, too :)
 
Wolf's rain.

Great story. Great character development and a beautiful score of music

I extremely hate anime but fell in love with this particular series.
 
Second votes for Death Note, Planetes, Trigun, Vexille and Appleseed (first CG movie, second one looks prettier but has no story).

Things that aren't epic (no sweeping majestic action, more introspective character pieces) but are standouts for beautiful design and direction - Haibane Renmei and Mushi Shi. They're both just gob-smackingly beautiful series, and HR was written and designed by the designer of Lain.

No love for Macross...the original is dated but still watchable and DEFINITELY epic, as was DYRL. Macross Frontier was pretty good, I thought? And Macross Plus goes without saying...
 
Stuff I'd recommend that hasn't been mentioned yet:
  • Guyver: The Bioboosted Armor (This is the new adaptation from 2007, one season of 26 episodes, most complete adaptation of the manga yet, totally awesome! A little disappointing only because it ends at around the beginning of manga Volume 10, leaving at least 2/3rds of the story still untold. And despite STELLAR DVD sales, the producers refused to do a continuation of the series. :()
  • Yukikaze (A short OVA, only 5 episodes long, adapting a sci-fi novel about a fighter pilot and his AI fighter jet, caught up in a war with an alien race. Good stuff.)
 
Here's my list.

Avatar: The Last Airbender. I don't know of an animated series with more universal appeal. I have friends who generally hate animated stuff that love this show.
Hand Maid May. It's short (11 episodes), and full of fan service, but you'll find yourself emotionally attached to the characters by the end, which has an awesome climax.
Outlaw Star. Like at least one other person has said, this is epic. It's better than Cowboy Bebop (imo) and has a ton of great lore.
Reboot. Very little captured my imagination as much as this show did when I was a kid. The premise, the characters, the stories. It's sad that it was never finished, but it's still an awesome show to watch.
Samurai Jack. Nobody's mentioned this one yet. It's got an overarching story, and like Reboot, was never finished, but was awesome.
Venture Brothers. This one almost never has cliffhangers from one episode to the next, but the characters definitely change over the course of the seasons. It's a favorite among my friends, and it's not hard to see why.
 
I'm surprised no one's mentioned Dragon Ball Z yet. Yes, it's dated and cliched by today's standards (not to mention LONG and drawn out) but it's a definite classic that's well worth watching through at least once.

And I'm talking about the original, uncut Japanese version, not the neutered American TV cuts.

Also, if you don't have the patience to sit through nearly 300 episodes, you can always pick up Dragon Ball Z Kai, which is a recut and tightened-up version (think it's 150 episodes or so) that more closely follows the original manga. But I don't like Kai simply because nostalgia makes me love the overly-long battle sequences.
 
The almighty Batman:The Animated Series.

some fantastic character development, atmosphere and story telling.

Sorry, its at the top for me.

However, Reboot is a close second
 
try STAR BLAZERS!

KidL said:
I'm a true fan of animation and it's ability to tell compelling stories in it's own unique way. I've long been enamored with 'epic' animated television series and am hoping to be introduced to some new properties.

In a nutshell, by 'epic' I mean:

-involved character development
-sweeping story arcs
-engaging lore
-memorable scores

Some series that immediately come to mind:

-Gargoyles
-Pirates of Dark Water
-Cowboy Bebop

And as much as I love Ducktales and Batman TAS, I'm really looking for series with more emphasis on continuity and long-lasting consequences.

So, any suggestions? Or if not, any other fans of the above mentioned series?
Click to expand...
 
Ghost In The Shell: Stand Alone Complex seasons 1 and 2. Hopefully they make more after the Solid State Society movie.
 
nwjedidave said:
try STAR BLAZERS!
Click to expand...

Finally! :lol


I was going to say, "No love for 'Star Blazers'?" Am I that old? :confused :lol


It was definitely my initiation into Anime. Pretty adult for a kid's cartoon. Apparently paved the way for episodic animation (as opposed to regular cartoons that didn't have arching storylines). Haven't watched it in... oh... maybe 30 years. :wacko

Maybe it hasn't stood the test of time. However I'd love to revisit the series. :thumbsup

Just wish the boxsets weren't so expensive for a late 70s/early 80s cartoon. :unsure


Kevin
 
My picks have all been mentioned, but I'll post them anyway.

Full Metal Alchemist & FMA: Brotherhood.
Brotherhood follows the Manga more closely whereas the original FMA Anime was more of a broad strokes version, and the writers used a LOT of artistic license. It's still a very good story though, and it's worth watching both versions.

Afro Samurai
I love this one for it's style factor. It's just too damned cool, and it sticks with you.

Dragonball & DragonballZ
These are one Manga split between two series. Most of the inappropriate stuff was left behind in the transition to Anime, leaving it as just plain fun, and I found myself caring about the characters, which is a bit surprising for a lighthearted series.

Avatar: The Last Airbender
Forget that stupid movie. This show was engaging from start to finish. Well written, compelling story, and well rounded characters that ALL experience personal growth. Not your usual cartoon fare by any stretch.

I'd like to add:

Jyu-Oh-Sei: Planet of the Beast King
More of a mini series at 11 episodes. I found this series very engaging. While it had the elements and atmosphere of traditional Anime, it lacked the usual pitfalls of the genre ie. Too many 'Main' characters that you forget as soon as the DVD stops, and grand stories spread so thin that you lose interest. All in all, a concise and interesting show.

I can NOT recommend the legendary Akira to anyone who isn't a die hard Anime fan already though. That film, and indeed the Manga on which it was based, is the epitome of what is 'bad' about Anime. It's good, but it's good for Anime, not so much good for a movie, and that's a pretty important distinction I think.
 
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