Some anime I've seen:
Serial Experiments Lain
Last Exile
Now and Then, Here and There
Haibane Renmei[/li]
Just listing those is pain wrong without giving a bit information on each:
Serial Experiments Lain; 13 episodes. I'd describe this as "weird", it's some cyberpunk, psychological and sience fiction anime that makes you think. It aired between July 6 1998 and September 28 1998 and deals with topics like the definition of reality, what God is, networked society (player killing, friends online vs. offline, etc). There are long scenes featuring unusual camera work, and scenes with little or no dialogue. Nice battles, action, fanservice and lovely couples isn't what you'll see. If this all doesn't scare you away or even sounds interesting, you may want to try it. I completly love the show.
Last Exile (26 episodes) is some steampunk, sience fiction and andventure anime. It aired between April 8 2003 and September 29 2003 and revolves around a young courier pilot, his navigator and vanship (some wingless aircraft). It has some nice looking battles, featuring a rather unique mix of elements; musketeers, flying battleships and vanships. Sometimes the action with those vanships gave me a "starwars deja vu". Although people die here and there (and sometimes it really feels a bit random), there's like no adult content, romance or fanservice. If you're looking for some nice clean entertaining show, that isn't too predictable, having a rather unique setting, this may be it. Just don't get scared away by the opening song, the ending song will compensate for it.
Now and Then, Here and There; 13 episodes. It's some Military, Sience Fiction anime that focuses on what happens in war times. Aired from October 14 1999 to January 20 2000. The first episode starts off as if this is just another anime using the standard and overused themes, having a brat as main character, fighting at school for a girl with an opponent who's better than himself. In episode 2, that brat gets dropped into a completly different world, where water is rare. The world also features a crazy guy that happens to lead a faction and a girl with the power to make water. With those 2 things driving the plot, many different people are show, catched in a war, doing "wrong" things, each for his/her own reasons/ideas. Realistic reasons/ideas, leading to -wrong- actions, including actions that often are condsidered taboo. It's a bit as if some fight-happy "Naruto" or "Ichigo Kurosaki" gets dropped in some sick wrong war where they aren't the powerfull and get to see why fighting isn't as cool as most media shows. If you don't want to be confronted with certain wrong/sick things, stay far far away from this anime.
Haibane Renmei; 13 episodes. Slice of life fantasy anime. Aired between 9 October 2002 and 18 December 2002. Most anime from this type start off with some school scenario, a love triangle and some supernatural stuff to spice up things. First you get to see here is a bunch of "orphan-angel-looking-girls with too-small-wings-to-fly" cause the character designer found it pretty (including halo above their head). You also get a 100% lack of fanservice, romance, violence, speed and fighting. But if the previous sentences don't scare you away, and if you can stand slice of life, then you'll want to watch this piece of art. If you get past the first 4 episodes, you'll be hooked up on it. Because it gets better and better.
Maybe I'll add some later, if I got nothing to do.
- Mel
