FSOA Anime/Manga Recommendations Thread

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Oct 2022

198

How about some Manhwa:
Her Summon (Fantasy/Isekai) 7.5/10 Great art, story is decent COMPLETE STORY
The World After the Fall (Fantasy/Isekai) 7/10 Amazing art, story is ok
The Beginning After the End (Fantasy/Isekai) 8/10 Very good art, 180 chapters released, may never be completed as the studio stopped adapting the story
The Knight King Who Returned with a God (Fantasy/Reverse Isekai/Isekai) 9/10 Great art, good story, lots of action, funny
Standard of Reincarnation (Fantasy/Regressor) 8/10 Solid art, interesting story.
Boundless Necromancer (Fantasy with Game elements (status board, etc). 7/10 Superb art. Story and setting are mid. Bit of a Solo Leveling rip-off
Pick Me Up, Infinite Gatcha (Fantasy/Protagonist drawn into game Isekai). 8/10 Great art, interesting story.
Priest of Corruption (Fantasy/Sci-fi (maybe Isekai? I think the protagonist is reincarnated but it's not really mentioned after the beginning) 9/10 great art, fun story. MURDER!!!!!
Return of the Mount Hua Sect (Martial Arts/Comedy/Action) 8.5/10 Solid art, great story.
Reincarnated Escort Warrior (Martial Arts/Regressor) 8/10 Solid art, strong story.
Legend of the Northern Blade (Martial Arts/Action) 9/10 Great art, great story.
Sword Fanatic Wanders Through the Night (Martial Arts) 8.5/10 Good art and strong story. Not generally a comedy but one arc made me repeatedly spit coffee over my desk from laughing so hard.
Revenge of the Iron Blooded Sword Hound (Fantasy/Regressor) 9.5/10 Amazing art, strong story.
Heavenly Grand Archive's Young Master (Martial Arts/Body Swap) 8/10 Very strong art and story.
I Reincarnated as the Crazed Heir (Martial Arts/Reincarnation in same world) 8/10 solid art and interesting story
SSS Class Suicide Hunter (Fantasy/Reincarnation/Drama/Romance). 9/10 Don't let the beginning fool you, this story has some truly great parts.
Reaper of the Drifting Moon (Martial Arts/Edgy as Hell) 8/10 Beautiful art, strong story. Some of the characters are utterly detestable.
Return of the Crazy Demon (Martial Arts) 8/10 strong art, violent, very funny at points.
Absolute Sword Sense (Martial Arts/Regressor) 8.5/10 great art, good story.
Infinite Mage (Fantasy/Magic School) 8/10 Korean Harry Potter but not quite. The magic system is kind of interesting.
Return of the 8th Class Magician (Fantasy/Regressor) 7.5/10 Average art, very good story. COMPLETE STORY
Mookyang Dark Lady (Martial Arts/Fantasy/Isekai/Gender Swap/Mecha) 9/10. Strong art, great story. Protagonist is isekai'd from the Murim (martial arts) world into a fantasy world which has Knights (basically magical mecha).

Feb 15, 2024 12:45 PM

runec

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Apr 2017

3006

Reply to Astral_Iguana

@Astral_Iguana (grumbles and bookmarks some things to read)

Feb 16, 2024 7:02 AM

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Aug 2018

2432

I'll ask! Can anyone recommend a GOOD romcom? Remarks:

My favorite romcom is Bunny Girl Senpai
Other favorites: Pet Girl of Sakurasou, Lovely Complex, ReLIFE, Working!!
Just Because! was OK, as were Skip & Loafer, Dress Up Darling and Sing Yesterday for Me
I've seen Toradora! and the 1st season of Oregairu, but didn't much care for either
Would like a show where the protags talk to each other like normal human beings and don't turn beet red and start stammering when they're within 50 feet of each other
Adult cast is preferable, but school is OK too
Shows with a good romantic subplot are OK also (e.g. 86). I just want something I can feel invested in, if that makes sense.

Thanks!

boldulyssesFeb 16, 2024 7:11 AM

Away from the things of man, my love, away from the things of man.

Feb 16, 2024 1:51 PM

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Oct 2022

198

Reply to boldulysses

I'll ask! Can anyone recommend a GOOD romcom? Remarks:

My favorite romcom is Bunny Girl Senpai
Other favorites: Pet Girl of Sakurasou, Lovely Complex, ReLIFE, Working!!
Just Because! was OK, as were Skip & Loafer, Dress Up Darling and Sing Yesterday for Me
I've seen Toradora! and the 1st season of Oregairu, but didn't much care for either
Would like a show where the protags talk to each other like normal human beings and don't turn beet red and start stammering when they're within 50 feet of each other
Adult cast is preferable, but school is OK too
Shows with a good romantic subplot are OK also (e.g. 86). I just want something I can feel invested in, if that makes sense.

Thanks!

@boldulysses Maybe 'Net-juu no Susume (Recovery of an MMO Junkie)?' The main character is a 30-year old NEET lady who used to work in an office.

Not actually a comedy, but 'Bakemonagatori' is a supernatural romance story with great dialogue and visual direction along with a number of sequel series.

Feb 16, 2024 1:56 PM

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Oct 2022

198

Reply to runec

@Astral_Iguana (grumbles and bookmarks some things to read)

@runec I have a whole bunch of others that didn't make the list, and probably 5 or 6 more that should have but I thought I'd made it too long already!

Let me know if there's any on here you enjoy and I'll try to think of others that might be similar. I find I'm reading far more manhwa than manga these days, there are still some good Manga out there but there is so much not-so-good stuff to filter through to find it!

Feb 16, 2024 3:00 PM

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Aug 2018

2432

Astral_Iguana said:
@boldulysses Maybe 'Net-juu no Susume (Recovery of an MMO Junkie)?' The main character is a 30-year old NEET lady who used to work in an office.

Not actually a comedy, but 'Bakemonogatari' is a supernatural romance story with great dialogue and visual direction along with a number of sequel series.

Good suggestions! I've actually seen them both though. :( MMO Junkie was cute, but didn't do enough with the premise or the characters. And I've watched Bake- and Nisemonogatari and I'm about halfway through Bake- 2nd Season. I like them, but it's definite work to keep up with the dialogue and situations. I have to be in the right mood to watch them. :)

Thanks for weighing in!

Away from the things of man, my love, away from the things of man.

Feb 17, 2024 12:53 AM

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Oct 2022

198

Reply to boldulysses

@boldulysses I agree about Junkie, it's just difficult to think of many romcoms with adult characters! How about 'Wotakoi: Love is Hard for an Otaku' or 'Servant x Service'? I remember both being watchable, but also thinking they could be better.

Feb 17, 2024 10:01 AM

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2432

Astral_Iguana said:
@boldulysses I agree about Junkie, it's just difficult to think of many romcoms with adult characters! How about 'Wotakoi: Love is Hard for an Otaku' or 'Servant x Service'? I remember both being watchable, but also thinking they could be better.

(doesn't have to be adult cast)

I've seen Wotakoi, and again, thought it was OK, but that it could've done more with the material it had. I've not seen Servant x Service though. A-1 Pictures is pretty solid, and the art style reminds me of Working!! (one of my favorites). I'll check it out. Thanks!

Away from the things of man, my love, away from the things of man.

Feb 19, 2024 5:54 AM

#10

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Aug 2018

2432

Astral_Iguana said:
'Servant x Service'

Just wanted to thank you again for the rec. I'm 3 eps. in and this is EXACTLY the kind of anime I was looking for. Sitcom-y, with quirky characters and great production values. It's just charming.

Away from the things of man, my love, away from the things of man.

Feb 19, 2024 8:37 PM

#11

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boldulysses said:
I'll ask! Can anyone recommend a GOOD romcom?

While not exactly romcoms persay, they do have a moderately primary romantic plot.

My suggestions are:
Midori Days (If you don't mind the fanservice)
Elemental Gelade (Fantasy action romance with semi likeable characters and loads of cutesy moments and gags)
Saikano (If you don't mind copious amounts of heartbreak)
Ah! My Goddess (For the reason of classic)
Love Hina (For the awkward romantic fumblings, but you have to end with the OVAs for the true ending)
Please Teacher (Just don't watch the last episode,cause it ruins everything the show set up)
Haganai and My Teen Romantic Comedy Snafu (Probably the most recommend romcoms)
MayoChiki (High School comedy hijinks)
The World is Still Beautiful (The romance is slow but it's there)
Uzaki-chan Wants to Hang Out! (But unfortunately I don't really recommend season 2, it's not as enjoyable as season 1 if you liked the comedy in S1)
Myself, Yourself (One of my personal all time favourites on Crunchyroll, but be warned, it gets hella dark)
Ai Yori Aoshi (Another one of my all time favourites)

Now if you aren't averse to fanservice there's:
Cat Planet Cuties
MonMusu
Dragonar Academy
Heaven's Lost Property

And honourable mentions:
Pretty much any mecha show (they all have a romance subplot inserted in there)
Any of the Tenchi Muyo shows (- Ai Tenchi Muyo, but despite being harem comedies very little actual romance happens, but I personally recommend the original OVA series)
Clannad (I find it hard to seriously recommend because it's a feels train and the ending feels so damn cheap)
Kannon (Because Key works are well known for their heartbreaking romance stories)
Cardcaptor Sakura (Romance is slow but it's an enjoyable watch)
Fruits Basket (I haven't watched it yet so I dunno how good it actually is)
Vampire Hunter D: Bloodlust (Not a romance but has a tragic romantic subplot and it's a movie so it's short to boot)
His and Her Circumstances (Also haven't watched, it's been sitting in my collection for over 6 years)

As for Manga, I don't have many in my collection that are romance.
Ai Yori Aoshi (Better than the anime in most regards)
Ai Love You (Author of Love Hina and if I remember correctly his first work)
Love Hina (Superior to the anime for detail reasons, but pretty silly and slow)
Dragonar Academy (Fanservice heavy but it's complete, unlike the anime)
Omamori Himari (Extremely fanservice heavy but superior to the anime in every way)
Elfen Lied (It's a tragedy and romance is a tiny fraction of it and frankly speaking, it has a lot of super disgusting moments in it, but it's not as bad as Parallel Paradise)

The majority of my anime collection is romance, but a lot of them are pretty trashy because New Zealand doesn't really get much in the way of quality series releases.

Feb 19, 2024 10:12 PM

#12

Jozuwa-_-

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Apr 2020

3710

I'll 2nd with the Elemental Galade and Ah! My Goddess recommendations. I don't remember much from those stories but I do remember enjoying those.

Elemental Galade if looking for Romance in a Fantasy-Action Anime. IIRC, It's the usual "unlikely-hero troublemaker boy meets a damsel in distress (hunted?) girl". It has a Shaman King-like concept of having someone as a weapon/lending powers.
Ah! My Godess for a Slice-of-Life, with different episodic shenanigans for the most part. It has light-hearted, wholesome, fairly mature, and sad moments relating to the romantic subtext (can't remember if it was just a subtext or a clear relationship).

And here are some "Romance" I found on my Completed list:

Soul Link for some Sci-fi with Romance. It was somewhat like a dollar-store Gundam story. I don't think there were mechs, but pretty sure there were people at war, and romancing MCs caught in the middle of it or something. Kind of a Sci-fi visual novel-level story, I think.
DN Angel. It has a "Yugi" situation where an entity takes over the boy's body, with the boy's love interest falling for that entity. The main plot I believe is a Dark-vs-Light kind of thing, but I don't remember it having much action. I remember it having a few pretty depressing romantic situations which was a bit much to grasp for the young me.

Feb 20, 2024 7:38 AM

#13

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Aug 2018

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Thanks for the recommendations, guys! Once I finish Servant x Service, I'll thumb through these and see what's next.

Away from the things of man, my love, away from the things of man.

Feb 20, 2024 8:32 AM

#14

Ohayotaku

Chuuni Ojisan

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Oct 2018

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@boldulysses I’ll recommend season 1 of Science Fell in Love, So I Tried to Prove It https://myanimelist.net/anime/38992/Rikei_ga_Koi_ni_Ochita_no_de_Shoumei_shitemita
But I recommend skipping season 2. Not as good/charming as season 1 & the final 2 eps completely went off the rails (not in an entertaining/enjoyable way).

Feb 20, 2024 10:15 AM

#15

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Oct 2022

198

Reply to boldulysses

Astral_Iguana said:
'Servant x Service'

Just wanted to thank you again for the rec. I'm 3 eps. in and this is EXACTLY the kind of anime I was looking for. Sitcom-y, with quirky characters and great production values. It's just charming.

@boldulysses Glad you're enjoying it! It's been a long time since I watched it so I couldn't remember many details (other than the long name revenge quest)!

Feb 22, 2024 8:48 AM

#16

Rivka44

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Jul 2020

260

This thread is a great idea! I'm not looking for anything at present - I'll be working on the yearly challenge for at least a few more months - but I'm available to provide recs :).

I generally watch, and can rec, the following: slice of life, iyashikei, fantasy, supernatural, sci-fi, historical, minimal-fanservice romance. I dabble in a few favorite tropes like time travel and steampunk as well. Mostly I stick in the PG and PG-13 levels, although I do watch some R rated violence.

EDIT: I have time, so here's some recs! Probably quite a few well-known anime, but I did try to mix in a few obscure ones.
*for ones that feel complete/even if there's more in another medium the anime is satisfying as is

Slice of Life & Iyashikei: Monthly Girls' Nozaki-kun*, Hyouka, Sweetness & Lightning*, Yotsuiro Biyori*, Natsume's Book of Friends, Mushi-shi*, Time of Eve*, Polar Bear Cafe*, Encouragement of Climb, Tanaka-kun is Always Listless*, Shounen Maid*, Laid-Back Camp (with the caveat that it should NOT be binged but is better in small doses), My Roommate is a Cat*, Let's Make a Mug Too!, Do It Yourself*, Play it Cool Guys*, My New Boss is Goofy*, Wakako-zake*

Fantasy/Supernatural: Moribito Guardian of the Spirit*, Kyousougiga*, Blood Blockade Battlefront, Yona of the Dawn, Mo Dao Zu Shi*, Princess Connect! Re:Dive, Welcome to Demon School Iruma-kun!, Humanity Has Declined, The Eccentric Family, Hoozuki's Coolheadedness*, Sleepy Princess in the Demon Castle, Heaven's Design Team, All Saint's Street

Historical & Quasi-Historical (it feels like but isn't a real historical place/time): The Story of Saiunkoku, Spice & Wolf, Maria the Virgin Witch, Saga of Tanya the Evil, Woodpecker Detective's Office*, Vinland Saga, Samurai Champloo*, Baccano!*, 91 Days, Golden Kamuy, Case Study of Vanitas, Kids on the Slope*, My Happy Marriage, Taisho Otome Fairy Tale, The Royal Tutor*, The Heike Story*, The House of Five Leaves, Emma

Low-Key Romance: This Boy is a Professional Wizard, Given, Skip & Loafer, My Love Story!*, A Whisker Away*, Night is Young Walk on Girl*, Nodame Cantabile*, Ristorante Paradiso*, Love After World Domination*, Ride Your Wave*, ReLIFE*, Kamisama Kiss

Rivka44Feb 23, 2024 3:40 PM

30+ Anime Fan, And Just Happy To Be Here

Mar 4, 2024 3:49 AM

#17

SocUrb

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Sep 2020

Can anyone suggest anything like

Uninhabited Planet Survive?

Or

A Place Further Than The Universe?

Mar 4, 2024 10:56 AM

#18

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Aug 2018

2432

SocUrb said:
A Place Further Than The Universe

Welcome! APFTTU is a fantastic anime, and there's not a whole lot that's directly comparable, at least to my knowledge. Definitely some other good 4-character "cute girls doing cute things" (CGDCT) shows:

- K-On!
- Bocchi the Rock!
- Yuru Camp

Away from the things of man, my love, away from the things of man.

Mar 4, 2024 11:23 AM

#19

Ohayotaku

Chuuni Ojisan

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Oct 2018

2692

Reply to SocUrb

Can anyone suggest anything like

Uninhabited Planet Survive?

Or

A Place Further Than The Universe?

SocUrb said:
Uninhabited Planet Survive

Maybe try Astra: Lost in Space & Orbital Children

Mar 6, 2024 4:32 AM

#20

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May 2016

941

@boldulysses I forgot to mention Familiar of Zero for romance.

SocUrb said:
Can anyone suggest anything like

Uninhabited Planet Survive?

Hmm I don't know how I interpret the synopsis of that show.
But if you want people stuck on a deserted island/stuck in space I'd recommend:

Heroic Age
Starship Operators.

I'm sure I had more but I honestly can't remember any of the names and my watched list is a godawful mess.

EDIT: Jyu-oh-sei: Planet of the Beast King, but if I remember rightly I didn't enjoy it that much.

Mar 29, 2024 12:40 PM

#21

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Aug 2018

2432

Dosantsu said:
@boldulysses I forgot to mention Familiar of Zero for romance.

Just finished S1 based on your recommendation, and it was actually pretty good! Held my interest. It was pretty lightweight and trope-heavy, but the leads have good chemistry, and the plot was reasonably engaging. It punched above its weight, I think. I started with the dub, and while Louise's VA was the ever-reliable Cristina Valenzuela, Saito's English VA had a really off-putting whiny edge to his voice, so I switched over to the sub, and while Louise was more shrill, it gelled better.

Gonna continue with the sequels. Thanks for the rec!

Away from the things of man, my love, away from the things of man.

Mar 29, 2024 11:13 PM

#22

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May 2016

941

boldulysses said:
Just finished S1 based on your recommendation, and it was actually pretty good!

That's great to hear, I was a bit worried the overly gag-centric style would put you off.
If you enjoy the remainder of the series I would recommend Shakugan no Shana.
Same seiyu for the main female lead and overall the same kinda plot other than it not entirely being focused on magic but spiritual entities and balance.
Only problem with both series is that it tends to drag on towards the obvious conclusion, but the plot twists in Shana are a little more entertaining.
But if Louse's overly tsun nature grates on you, I would probably give Shana a miss because she overplays it way more than Louise and Taiga do.

Mar 30, 2024 9:02 AM

#23

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Aug 2018

2432

Dosantsu said:
That's great to hear, I was a bit worried the overly gag-centric style would put you off.
If you enjoy the remainder of the series I would recommend Shakugan no Shana.

It doesn't seem too gag-centric, but it is very trope-y. It moves along at a pretty brisk pace and doesn't labor any one gag for too long, though. One really noteworthy thing I appreciated was

I might have to pass on Shana; Louise's tsun side is right at my limit, and it's one of things I disliked about Toradora (Kitamura being the main thing).

Started S2 of Zero no Tsukaima last night, and they clearly had a bit more money this time around. Production values are better, and the OP is actually good (S1's is unbearable). Saito seems like more of a horndog though; I hope that doesn't persist.

boldulyssesMar 30, 2024 9:15 AM

Away from the things of man, my love, away from the things of man.

Mar 30, 2024 10:23 PM

#24

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May 2016

941

boldulysses said:
One really noteworthy thing I appreciated was

It's one of the many reasons why I prefer pre 2000's and early 2000's anime.

boldulysses said:

I might have to pass on Shana; Louise's tsun side is right at my limit, and it's one of things I disliked about Toradora (Kitamura being the main thing).

I thought as much.

But if I'm understanding right, you seem to prefer romance shows with a fair amount of humour.
Am I correct?
If so I can look through my collection and see how many other romcoms I have that focus primarily on humour.

Apr 13, 2024 3:56 PM

#25

Zonflux

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Nov 2023

Anyone has some recomendations on some drama stuff ?
It can be light novel or manga aswell if it is really good. I loved 10 days of happiness, my favorite one.(manga)
You lie in april/ violet evergardeen/ silent voice I guess can be used as reference

Apr 13, 2024 9:30 PM

#26

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Aug 2018

2432

Zonflux said:
Anyone has some recomendations on some drama stuff ?
It can be light novel or manga aswell if it is really good. I loved 10 days of happiness, my favorite one.(manga)
You lie in april/ violet evergardeen/ silent voice I guess can be used as reference

Have you seen any early Makoto Shinkai films? Heavy on the drama. Voices of a Distant Star, 5 Centimeters per Second, and especially The Garden of Words.

Away from the things of man, my love, away from the things of man.

Apr 13, 2024 10:50 PM

#27

Ohayotaku

Chuuni Ojisan

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Oct 2018

2692

@Zonflux
Fruits Basket (2019-21 version)
Arte
Carole & Tuesday
Kageki Shoujo
Rascal Does Not Dream of Bunnygirl-senpai & it’s sequel films
ReLife (make sure to watch the OVA episodes as well)
The Apothecary Diaries

Apr 14, 2024 12:37 AM

#28

Jozuwa-_-

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Apr 2020

3710

Reply to Zonflux

@Zonflux You may have seen these ones already. I can only find a few from my 'Watched' list: Anohana, Air, Kimi no Na Wa/Your Name, Maboroshi, and Kobato.

Kobato and Air has a similar show structure to Violet Evergarden, where the MCs episodically interact with random people who are dealing with some kind of situation.

Anohana is a story revolving around a group of friends who have been keeping individual regrets, guilt, and self-blame relating to... reasons (Avoiding Spoilers :P).
And while we're in the "group of friends" drama stuff, you might also want to check out Orange. I personally don't want to recommend it but, it might be worth the shot.

Your Name and Maboroshi for movies.

May 17, 2024 4:33 PM

#29

Calabre006

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Feb 2021

1486

I'm at 799 completed anime on MAL right now. Could anyone recommend me a movie or short series to watch for my 800th? If it helps, here's my list.

Preferably, I'd like to watch something lighthearted, though I'll watch just about anything you guys recommend! :)

cryptic

and

Squab

May 17, 2024 5:07 PM

#30

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Aug 2018

2432

Calabre006 said:
Could anyone recommend me a movie or short series to watch for my 800th?

How about The Garden of Words? Only 46 min. long, and beautiful. Make sure you watch the sub, though, the dub is cringeworthy.

Away from the things of man, my love, away from the things of man.

May 19, 2024 12:07 AM

#31

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May 2016

941

Calabre006 said:
I'm at 799 completed anime on MAL right now. Could anyone recommend me a movie or short series to watch for my 800th?

Why would you want a short series or a movie to mark a milestone?
Honestly you'd be better off picking something you have been looking forward to watching for a long time.
I regret having TrashSekai as my 1000th watch.
If I had of known that milestone was coming up I would have gone through my to watch list and picked something I've been wanting to watch for ages.

As far as short series or movies, I don't really have much in the way of OVAs or Movies that are light hearted that I'd recommend watching.
But I would recommend the Tenchi Muyo Ryo-Ohki OVA (At least the first one) for the funnies.
Or maybe R.O.D Read or Die ova but it's bordering a little on serious.
And Origin: Spirits of the Past touches a little too much on environmentalism and La Portrait de Petite Cossette is a bit too dark.

Ya'know, now that I think about it, I don't really have any ovas or movies that aren't super serious or hella dark.

But if you haven't watched them already, I'd put Miss Kobayashi's Dragon Maid S Shorts forward for the silliness and cuteness.

May 19, 2024 3:47 PM

#32

Calabre006

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Feb 2021

1486

@boldulysses

Thanks for your suggestion! I've made Garden of Words my 800th anime, along with another milestone! It's also my 11,000th episode!

@Dosantsu, getting two milestones at once was my reason for picking a short series or movie! I think this is the only time total anime completed and episode count will ever both be round numbers on my profile. That said, you do make a good point! If I had timed it better, I could've had Gundam Seed Freedom as my 800th anime, which would've been extra special since I saw that film in theaters. If I get to my 900th anime, I'll try and do something like that!

cryptic

and

Squab

May 19, 2024 8:58 PM

#33

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Aug 2018

2432

^Hey, very cool! Congrats on 800! I've got less than a 4th of your total so far... Quality over quantity though, right? Haha.

Away from the things of man, my love, away from the things of man.

May 19, 2024 11:18 PM

#34

Jozuwa-_-

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Apr 2020

3710

Congrats on the milestone Calabre! Mad respect to you! o7

Jun 30, 2024 10:21 AM

#35

zkeleton

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Oct 2022

2739

So I've been wanting to watch some of the Fate stuff, but don't know where to start. Or does it even matter?

Cursive is the future. - Nate Bargatze

Jun 30, 2024 2:04 PM

#36

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Aug 2018

2432

zkeleton said:
So I've been wanting to watch some of the Fate stuff, but don't know where to start. Or does it even matter?

I think the consensus is that there's no consensus on an entry point, lol.

I watched the more recent Fate/Grand Order: Babylonia first and was able to pick up on the general premise pretty quickly. Once you've got the basic mechanics down, it's not hard to get into sequels/prequels/side stories. I watched UBW (Fate/Stay Night: Unlimited Blade Works) last year and would recommend that as a good starting point. It does bog a bit in the 2nd half, but the fight scenes are great and the production values are strong.

Away from the things of man, my love, away from the things of man.

Jul 5, 2024 8:01 AM

#37

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May 2016

941

zkeleton said:
So I've been wanting to watch some of the Fate stuff, but don't know where to start. Or does it even matter?

That depends on how deep down the rabbit hole you want to go.
If you care about chronological order (Not airing order) I think it goes something like, Apochrypha, Zero, Lord El Melloi Case Files, Stay Night,Extra(?Not sure about watching Extra,haven't seen it) Grand Order(Also not sure because I tried playing the game but I'm allergic to Gacha Games so i don't know how they pair other than being Moon Cell related).
They are all based off VNs and Gacha games so honestly they are pretty much mostly alternate realities rather than chronological events other than Apochrypha, Zero, Case Files and Stay Night.

Fate/Deen Night, Unlimited Blade Works (Movie), Unlimited Blade Works (TV) and Heaven's Feel are all the same War just in the whole Waifu route.
Fate/Deen focuses on Sabre, Blade Works (Both movie and TV series) focus on Rin and Heaven's Feel focuses on Sakura and Ilyasviel (More so Sakura than Ilyasviel) but Heaven's Feel will break your heart, and potentially disturb you.
The Heaven's Feel movies are glorious, but they are fucking dark.
And bear in mind the series is based of an Eroge so some of the elements will seem weird to you.

But in my honest personal opinion I only really care about Zero, all the Stay Nights and Case Files as a little bit of a break from typical Fate/Stay.
There's also that cooking show which is adorable.
Apochrypha pisses me off because of animation during the fight scenes and the utter pointlessness of both Berserker class Servants and Loli Jack the Ripper.

There's also the magical girl spinoff Kaleid, which has an awesome Sabre Alter fight but it's super heavy on the pointless fanservice.

TLDR: The Fate series is LONG if you wanna 'officially' watch it.
And a chronological/relevance watch is super tedious because all fans have their own opinions of where you should start and end.
But if you wanna watch it for the action and less the 'story', then go Zero, Stay Night, Unlimited Blade Works and then Heaven's Feel.
Can watch Apochrypha and Case Files, but the action in Apochrypha is undone by the stupid Homunculus arc which wasn't in the original work but exists just to give you a main character and Case Files is a Mystery detective show.
The cooking show is nice for a little slice of life breather.

Jul 5, 2024 7:42 PM

#38

zkeleton

Offline

Oct 2022

2739

boldulysses said:
I think the consensus is that there's no consensus on an entry point, lol.

Dosantsu said:
That depends on how deep down the rabbit hole you want to go.

OK, thanks for the input!

Cursive is the future. - Nate Bargatze

Dec 11, 2024 3:59 PM

#39

HOOfan_1

Offline

Feb 2019

4231

Reply to zkeleton

boldulysses said:
I think the consensus is that there's no consensus on an entry point, lol.

Dosantsu said:
That depends on how deep down the rabbit hole you want to go.

OK, thanks for the input!

@zkeleton IMO, I would just start with Fate Stay Night..the Studio Deen or go to the ufotable Unlimited Blade Works...they are the OG anyway.

you could always read the VN ;0)

Dec 18, 2024 1:23 PM

#40