Top Ten Anime Series Part 1 | HERETICPRIME, Misc.

Beauty and the Best

Top Ten Anime Series Part 1

I'm an old school Anime Lover.  Ironically, a lot of otaku  think I don't know anime because I don't like a lot of the newer stuff.  The reason I don't watch much of the newer stuff is that since anime has become mainstream, most anime feels like it comes from corporate templates.  It's either the "Loli Little Girl Panty Shot High School," "Monster and Wizard High School," or "Big Breasted Robo-Assassins." I prefer to remember the days when anime stories were captivating, the art breathtaking and painstakingly made, and the premises were unique.   Because of this, I thought I'd share my Top 10 Anime Series of all time.  This is just my opinion and not being submitted as law.  It's  just a suggestion of some great older anime  and well-written newer anime to watch if you're feeling bored.
Number 10:  Crying Freeman
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Crying Freeman is about a very unlikely assassin, named Yo.  Yo was a famous Japanese artist whose skill with his hands in both sculpture and painting is so splendid that it catches the eyes of the 108 Dragons, a powerful Chinese crime syndicate.  They kidnap him, and through a combination of ancient and cutting edge mind control, memory editing, and reprogramming techniques, make Yo into their greatest assassin.  Despite all of the manipulation, his will and spirit remain strong, and his psyche gives release to his juxtaposition by streams of silent tears that stream down his face every time he makes a hit.  This gives him his codename:  Crying Freeman.  His true destiny is sparked when he is spotted during an assassination by a beautiful, yet modest, young artist, named Emu.  His assassin's code dictates that he kill her under penalty of death, but he falls for her.  Yo and Emu's lives are never the same.  The series has beautiful classic anime art, and Crying Freeman's fighting style is unconventional and clever. 
Other anime like Crying Freeman are Grappler Baki, Golgo13, and Rei-Lan:  Orchid Emblem.
Number 9:  Voltron (Go Lions!)
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This series is about as classic as it gets.  Voltron was not as Astroboy or Gigantor, but it was old enough to not only to influence anime, but endear itself to a lot of people that helped to make anime the juggernaut that it is.  Voltron is the story of the worlds protected by a planetary alliance.  Various teams are sent to the worlds and defend them using giant robots.  For the purpose of this article, I am only going to refer to the superior "Lions" Voltron Team, and not the "Cars" or "Gladiator" Teams.  In Voltron,  a team of adventurers from The Alliance go to the planet Arus to find one of the Voltron robots, who used to defend that galaxy.  Voltron was tricked by a witch named Haggar, who was not powerful enough to destroy him, but separate him into five elemental robot lions.  The Voltron Force must find the hidden lions and learn to pilot them.  If found, The Lions can be united to reform Voltron, and protect the galaxy again.  Voltron had great stories, but some otaku might consider it lacking because of the art style and lack of intensity.  Like I said, this is an old anime series, and just how movies in the 1940's might be considered tamer by some, others love them for the stories and nostalgia; it is the same for me and Voltron.  I think the thing that I, and many classic otaku have loved about Voltron is that Voltron is a synergy of technology and magic with a soul.
If you think you might like Voltron, cheque out Robotech, which also encompasses Macross, and Speed Racer.
Number 8:  FLCL
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I cannot express the joy I get thinking about the insanity that is FLCL. without giving away plot twists, but I will do my best.  The story is about a boy name Naota whose older brother, Tasuku, is a pro baseball player that lives in the USA.  Naota's life was already abnormal enough considering his father and grandfather are quite eccentric, and his brother's ex-girlfriend, Mamimi uses him as a proxy for his brother, to molest.  The story picks the weirdness up a notch when Haruka, a girl on a Vespa runs Naota over.  After this, Naota and Haruka find out that when she hits him in the head with her bass guitar, things come out of it.  This story covers love triangles, coming of age, conspiracy theories, inter-dimensional portals, philosophy, humor, and action packed into a 12 episode series...each episode only about 15 minutes!  I know it might seem unbelievable that such a short series could make my top 10, but it really is that good!
Another series that you might want to check out is Soul Eater, which, like FLCL, one of the better recent series that shares the same kind of insanity of FLCL.
Number 7:  Full Metal Alchemist:  Brotherhood
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Full Metal Alchemist:  Brotherhood is a more manga accurate remake of Full Metal Alchemist.  It is about two brothers, Edward and Alphonse Elric, who live on a world where alchemy is a developed and well respected central science of their society.  There are only two taboos:  human creative and re-creative alchemy, and attempts to create a Philosophers' Stone.  Both actions attempt to ignore the central rule of alchemy, "The Law of Equivalent Exchange:" in order for something to be gained, something equal must be lost.  While the elements in a human body are cheap, what is the value of a human being, and what must be lost for the alchemic production of one?  The Philosopher's Stone is a perversion of The Law because it seeks to bypass it altogether, and what must be lost to achieve that?  The Elric brothers attempted to resurrect their mother using alchemy when they are small children.  The result was gruesome, and costs Edward an arm and a leg, and Alphonse his entire body.  Edward binds Alphonse's body to a suit of armor.   The two become State Alchemists in order to unlock the secrets of both taboos, and find their father.  Edward and Alphonse meet some colorful characters in their travels, and learn truths that seem to link the two taboos.  Most of you reading this have probably watched at least one episode.
Case Closed sort of reminds of Brotherhood because of the pursuit of truth.
Number 6:  The Dragon Ball Series
This had to end up somewhere on the list.  This series spans not just
Dragon Ball Z, but Dragon Ball GT, the original Dragon Ball, and the re-edited and restored Dragon Ball Z Kai.  For any of you that do not know about this series, it centers around a very virtuous and kind martial artist named Goku.  He is taught martial arts by an old martial arts master named Gohan.  Training from the legendary fighter combined with the child's extraordinary origins make Goku one of the strongest warriors on Earth.  This series has some of the most diverse and remarkable cast of characters in all of anime, most of which are enemies of Goku, and most of them become his allies and trusted friends.  Aiding Goku and his friends are the seven Dragon Balls, which can be brought together every year to grant a wish, before scattering all over the Earth again.  While the Dragon Balls are powerful enough to resurrect the dead in multitudes, they are not omnipotent, and there are rules affecting the wishes.
Other favorite anime with fighting spirit include
Yu Yu Hakusho, Rurouni Kenshin, and Kenichi:  The Mightiest Disciple.
How do you like the Top 10 so far?  Have any of mine been any of yours?  Well, I'm only half-way through, and there is still a good chance that some of yours may make my list.  Stay tuned to All Good Things TV to find out, and keep the comments coming!
By:
HERETICPRIME of Otaku no Baka

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