Anime Recommendation

[Guild_Premier_Ghaleon]

I had a thread similar to this one on a forum I shortly hosted for my local anime posse. I know we have a, “Favorite Anime” thread, but a lot of that is just people listing what they are into and not really stating much of why they are interested in it. This thread on the other hand is for those who want to show others the depth of the series they know and love, and will hopefully be helpful to others who are looking for a good flick to spark their interest. So, I’ll start it off for the masses, and if you guys have series you would like to describe and recommend, please do. Maybe I’ll even spot a couple I haven’t seen yet!(I’m revered locally for my extensive anime knowledge, a.k.a my massive amounts of nerdiness which I enthusiastically embrace thank you very much!)

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Ayashi no Ceres –

This is for those of you who watched and loved Fushigi Yuugi and never had the opportunity to delve into Watase Yuu’s other great works. For those of you who are not familiar with any of her manga, she is a master of romance, but still manages to appeal to those who crave a bit of action amongst it all. Ayashi no Ceres follows this plot pattern, telling the tale of a young girl named Aya and her twin brother, Aki. The series begins the day before their sixteenth birthday, and a fortune teller tells Aya that her life will soon be thrown into upheaval, and the infrastructure she has relied so heavily upon will begin to crack and erode until it crumbles away entirely. Despite her friends trying to convince her that the fortune teller was just some crazy old lady, she is unsettled, but pushes it into the back of her mind and tries to enjoy herself on her special day.

That evening, their parents inform them that they are going to their grandfather’s house the next day to celebrate. The two are a bit disappointed at first, because their friends had promised them a party and they haven’t seen their Grandfather in quite a few years. Regardless, they are forced to go, and when they arrive something happens that changes their lives forever. Their grandfather as well as the rest of their family greet them and present the two with a gift. When they open it however, they discover that the contents are the mummified remains of a human hand. Aya is shocked beyond words, and suddenly, without warning, Aki is covered from head to toe with deep lacerations, and collapses. Aya is horrified, but the rest of the family is unphased, and quickly remove him from the room to tend to his wounds, ignoring Aya despite her frantic pleas to know exactly what is going on.

After Aki is removed from the room, the family turns their attention to Aya, their former warmth gone entirely as they stare at her with hatred and malice. Aya’s grandfather informs her that she is actually a shell which holds the reincarnated spirit of an ancient tennyo(Divine Maiden) who descended from the heavens centuries ago. When a member of their clan foolishly stole her hagaroma, an artifact which only tennyo are presented, she cursed his family, the Mikage bloodline, and has been reborn time and time again to bring ruin to the clan until the hagaroma is returned to her. Aya listens in disbelief, refusing to accept this new reality, but when the family attempts to erase the threat before them, she lashes out at them with the powers latent inside of her and escapes…

The series goes on with Aya desperately trying to burry the powers present inside of her while fleeing from her clan and their attempts to destroy her. Along her journey, she obtains many allies who swear to protect her, in the process forming a vicious love triangle between her and two men, Yuuhi and Touya. Will she be able to endure the emotional maelstrom which consumes her, and how will she cope with the murderous intent that resides within? I highly recommend this series, the emotional development of each character stunning to say the least. The plot twists and contorts along the way taking you on a violent rollercoaster ride of events, but levels out in the end for a spectacular finale that will leave you disappointed that it had to end at all. The only con I would have to bring up is the work on the dubbing. I’m not one of those die hard fanboys that is against dubbing mind you, but the effort that went into this series was a bit disappointing considering it’s amazing potential, so if you do watch this series and are given the chance, definitely what it subbed with it’s original Japanese voice acting.

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Berserk –

This series is a turn away from the romantic theme from before. This title is for the more malicious minded viewers amongst you guys and gals, because it will definitely peak that blood lust you carry inside of yourselves. While the series doesn’t go as far as say, Gantz or Elfen Lied, the manga is much more violent and grotesque for those of you who aren’t getting your fill.

Anyways, this series was created by a man named Kentaro Miura and the manga started back in 1990, and is still in production, currently on the thrity-first volume. It is about a fierce swordsman named Gatts, and his pursuit of a demonic organization known as the “God Hand”. The anime series mainly focuses around Gatts and his days as a member of a fierce mercenary group known as the Band of the Hawk, while in the manga that stretch of the story is completed within ten or so volumes.

Gatt’s was born from the womb of a corpse, his mother lying dead on the bloodied battlements. He was lucky enough to be spared the same fate… Or at least it seemed that way initially. He was found by the wife of a mercenary named Gambino. The woman had recently lost her own child, so she took Gatts in as her own, but died shortly after, beginning the extensive chain of death that would compose Gatt’s entire life. Because of this, Gambino was forced to raise the boy, hating him and blaming him for his lover’s death. Gatt’s was trained to fight and kill, working vigilantly to please Gambino, but never gaining any such recognition, his father of sorts pressing horrible things upon the boy. Later, after Gambino was wounded in battle and was unable to fight, he saw Gatts growing, both physically and in skill. This drove Gambino mad, and one evening he went to Gatts tent to murder the young boy, but Gatts fought back and slew the only father he had ever known.

The others in the mercenary group discovered Gatts beside the corpse of Gambino and quickly drew their own swords to kill the boy for taking the life of one of their comrades, but Gatts fled and escaped after falling down a steep cliff. After that, Gatts fought as a solo mercenary, picking up jobs, receiving his pay, and then moving on to the next. One day however, he gained the recognition of a man named Griffith after slaying a monstrous man on the battlefield, and after an odd series of events was recruited as a member of the Band of the Hawk. With his and Griffith’s inhuman skills, the Band of the Hawk was soon feared as the most powerful mercenary organization in the world. Griffith however was not content with his life as a mercenary. He wanted to rule, and he used Gatts strength to do just that, waging a war for the king of one nation, obtaining victory, and gaining noble status shortly afterwards.

Gatt’s saw how great Griffith was becoming, and became distraught. He knew he could never be a friend of Griffith’s when he was so much greater than Gatts. Because of this, Gatts set off on his own to build himself up so that he and the only man he ever considered a true friend could be equals. When Gatt’s left however, Griffith went insane, the Band of the Hawk falling to waste. The God Hand was watching these events through an item Griffith possessed known as a behilit. This item was said to promise him greatness, and after Griffith had fallen to his lowest level, the demonic forces approached him, promising him immeasurable power. This came with a price however, and Gatt’s as well as his comrades were marked for sacrifice. With this brand placed upon them they were violently murdered and eaten by the demons that Griffith as one of the five members of the God Hand controlled. Only two escaped this fate with the brand placed upon them… Gatt’s and the woman he had fallen in love with, Caska. The two did not escape unharmed however, both physically, as well as mentally…

The series then goes on, telling the epic tale of Gatt’s,, the Black Swordsmen in his pursuit for revenge, desperately working to avenge his fallen comrades. This series is magnificent, though mentally straining as the characters you learn and love are forced into such dire situations that make you cringe. Definitely not for the weak of heart.