Recommend an Anime!

[Michikyou]

Firstly, let me say i don't actually watch a lot of anime. I think the last anime I watched was Ano Hana-, and that this thread is made solely for the sharing and recommendations of your favorite anime.

 

Please state the genre of your amines as well as (as much spoiler free as possible) the features of the show you enjoyed the most.

 

let us begin!

 

[align=center]

[align=center]My favorite anime of all time, is the 4 season long series called Natsume Yuujinchou. It is listed as a Josei or Shoujo manga but is not heavily invested in romantic plot lines.

I will forever couch for this anime. It is perfect for a rainy day and the characters are so likable and down to earth they always seem to make you smile. [/align]

[/align]

[align=center]It follows the life of a young boy named Natusme who has been living with some relatives in the country side. However Natsume has a special power and is able to see 'ghosts, monsters' and other Japanese mythological things. He soon gains a mysterious book from his late grandmothers things full of strange names - this is where the story begins.[/align]

 

[align=center]This anime is very sentimental and every episode does have a thread of continuity through them however mostly after the first few, they can be mostly watched in any order as every one (unless stated otherwise) is an independent story. [/align]

 

[align=center]The score is amazing and the first season had me go through a box of tissues every few episodes.[/align]

 

 

[align=center]The order of seasons goes:

Natsume Yuujinchou

Zoku Natsume Yuujinchou[/align]

[align=center]Natsume Yuujinchou [/align]

[align=center]Natsume Yuujinchou San[/align]

[align=center]Natsume Yuujinchou Shi[/align]

 

[align=center]I would recommend watching them in that order. [/align]

[align=center]rsjC-PXLF6w [/align]

[Mikh'a]

I actually don't watch a lot of anime either. I used to when I was younger but I've kind of just grown away from it. It's not even that I don't like it, I'm just disconnected from the community.

 

That being said I still think that Haibane Renmei was one of my favorite anime ever when I was younger, and I highly recommend it to people.

 

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It's kind of just a journey of self discovery anime, it's not action-y and the story takes place in day to day life, save for the usual anime aspects of it. The main character is reborn after a dream that she's falling. The series follows her as she tries to find out who she is, and why she's in this strange little town that she can't leave for any reason what so ever. There are ups and downs, little drama things here and there, but for the most part the story is pretty zen. Describing it in too much detail would give away a lot of the plot, but suffice it to say if you're looking for something to chill out to this is nice.

 

I do warn you though, there is a point in the story that's incredibly depressing.

 

That being said, they make their halos with a doughnut maker. That has to count for something.

 

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[Kage]

Natsume Yuujinchou is amazing.

 

I'm going to make this as easy as I possibly can...

 

As an all-around recommendation I -love-

Toshokan Sensou, better known as Library War.

The physical media distribution rights have only just been acquired by Discotek Media but as an anime it has er about 1 cour (12 episodes) + 1 BD special and 1 movie. It is originally a light novel but the anime, special and movie pretty much covers all of it.

 

Summary: Japan has experienced a time where there is heavy censoring of media (books, literature, tv etc) similar to that in Fahrenheit 451 (it actually gets featured in one of the episodes). Two forces are at play, the Japanese government's sponsored force that heavily regulates the media and the Librarian Task Force who protect libraries and works from being lost. With guns.

 

So you get librarians with guns. Librarians with guns protecting their libraries from forces wanting to raid libraries.

 

It's an action rom-com and I love it. 11/10 always recommend.

 

FOR THOSE WHO LIKE MAHOU SHOUJO AKA THAT MAGICAL GIRL STUFF

Nanoha. I prefer the second season As but Nanoha as a series is a wonderful wonderful series barring StrikerS which does not exist.

 

The below image is taken from Nanoha the Movie 1st which is a re-telling of the first season.

Mahou Shoujo Lyrical Girl Nanoha better known as Magical Girl Lyrical Nanoha is essentially a girl finds a magician from out of the earth world who is in danger and needs help. She finds it in herself the magical power to help and she does so. While befriending people by blasting them in their face.

Anime OPs and EDs of the series are usually sung by the titular main characters' seiyuu. Nanoha's Tamura Yukari and Fate Testarossa's Mizuki Nana.

... might be hard to find legally. Can import the movies, i know for a fact the 2nd movie has ENG subs

 

Dark/Horror/Body horror/psychological series YOU SAY YOU WANT?

Parasyte -the maxim- is a recent anime based off of an older manga series.

Summary: Over night, a series of alien life forms invade the earth. These parasitic life forms fuse with the brain and convert their hosts into their own bodies, allowing the parasyte's full control to manipulate the bodies into whatever they wish. In order to "live" with being in control of whole bodies, these parasites must then eat, usually things as big as their new host bodies. Most of these parasites have now taken over humans. One boy finds himself with his own....

 

Should still be on Crunchyroll

 

SPORTS ANIME~!

I'm a big sports anime nut. Prince of Tennis? I was into it. Slam Dunk? Hell yeah. Go Eyeshield 21. Go Inazuma Eleven. Yep I watch KuroBasuke too. However, there's a recent series I've really dug and it's about VOLLEYBALL.

Haikyuu!! is about a very short volleyball player who dreams of being like a former nationals champion school's ace dubbed the "Small Giant" who was short as well but was able to score over other towering teams' defenders. He joins the school to find its volleyball club is not doing well but with new talent and new drive, the club hopes to soar once more.

Currently on Crunchyroll if you use it.

[Maril]

This one is on netflix and exists in a dubbed version, I stumbled over it and.. Fell completely in love. 

 

Ouran Highschool Host Club

 

 

 

 

I do not usually watch anime, so I was quite surprised when I took a shining to this one. It's centered around a highschool where there is a so-called host club. There's drama, intrigue and surprisingly deep moments and themes in it. I believe it's what is referred to as a girl-anime, because the target audience is female. 

My favorite characters from it is of course the twins. Oh my word the twins. 

 

Go watch it, and on a side-note if anyone knows any anime similar to this.. Please let me know it's name. The downside to my enjoyment of animes is that I rely on them being dubbed, I am not good at keeping focus on watching things and so I rely on audio I can understand so I do not get lost in the plot.

[DeathGodSkeith]

B5JMZm5m1o8

 

 

Kara no Kyoukai. My favorite anime and character of all time

[ChewableMorphine]

I have a thing for crossover era-type things. It's hard to explain but something like

 

 

and

 

 

Blend the samurai/old Japanese theme with hip-hop/urban aesthetic reeeeaaallly well.

 

Otherwise I'm more for the mecha. Currently watching:

 

[Titor]

Steins;gate! 

 

I am not a huge anime fan, but I LOVE steins;gate.

Mad scientists, catgirls, science, time-travel, plot twists, and more SCIENCE.

 

It is a great combination of slice of life, humor, as well as some really intense action.

 

 

 

 

10000/10 would recommend to everyone.

[ShoggMommy]

Currently watching Log Horizon. I've gotten away from watching a lot of anime lately, just been really busy for it. But I ended up watching this and I'm about halfway through season two. 

 

Basic premise is that a game named Elder Tale sucked a bunch of MMO nerds from Japan (and all over) into the game one day during an expansion release. It's a bit of slice-of-life sort of thing going on. It's quite interesting to see the stylistic change between the "in-game" and "out-of-game" characters. 

 

 

I also have "older" series and other series that I enjoyed a lot; 

 

Sailor Moon (of course for me lol)

Ranma 1/2

Elfin Lied

Fate Stay/Night

Princess Mononoke (Mononoke Hime)

 

Others too but I can't remember right off hand. I used to watch a lot years ago not so much now.

[ShoggMommy]

and on a side-note if anyone knows any anime similar to this.. Please let me know it's name.

 

You might like Fruits Basket. It's an otome as well, and has quite a bit of 'feels' as it were at times. But it's also funny and in general quite cute. It's based on the Chinese Zodiac. I enjoyed it when I saw it and my sister adores it. The dubbing isn't -that- bad compared to many. I usually watch subs myself.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fruits_Basket

 

Also, I don't know if you like shojo-ai or girl-love, but you might like Maria-sama ga Miteru. The Virgin Mary is Watching or Maria Watches Over Us It's about a catholic school /sorority/school council setting, it's not vulgar or anything like that. It's very sweet and fluffy like. I think it's geared heavily toward female audience. 

 

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Maria-sama_ga_Miteru

[Yssen]

Mm. Just a couple.

 

1. Speed Grapher - Very messed up, but also very good and full of noir bits. Sadly, the original opening to "Girls on Film" is something we do not get to have. (Stupid song rights for jerks.) A very nice Conspiracy/Horror/Supernatural anime. Slight warning, you will probably have a couple moments when the logic behind how people get their powers comes to like. It is just a tad bit disturbing.

 

 

2. Hero Tales - The other project done by the artist behind Full Metal Alchemist. A pretty spiffy fantasy anime. Especially good if you are a fan of Kung Fu movies.

 

 

I watch more of this stuff than I care to admit sometimes, but these are two series I occasionally re-watch and have not be disappointed for doing so. Yar.

[Orphean]

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It's been around for awhile, but it is among the 'classics', as far as I am concerned. X-1999 has to be my all time favorite. The TV episodes, not the movie. A CLAMP project, the main theme is two opposing forces that decide the fate of the world, the Dragons of Heaven, and Dragons of Earth.

 

That being said, it follows the fate bestowed to the two leaders of these factions: Shiro Kamui and Monou Fuuma, two friends and initially unwilling puppets in the end of the world...until Kamui unwittingly chooses his side and sets Fuuma spinning full tilt into the opposing path.

 

That is all I will say regarding the series, as it will give plot away.

[Harmonixer]

Throwing in a vote for Log Horizon. It's really dialogue heavy and expect some filler, but it covers some pretty interesting subjects and handles itself well. A lot of people make comparisons between it and Sword Art Online (which I do -not- recommend) but they are very different from one another and I'd argue that Log Horizon is much better for people who actually play MMOs and generally understand what online communities are actually like.

 

Lots of it is drawn from the writers real experiences and are based on people you might even know in your current social circle. Season 2 has far more filler but much more 'heavy' episodes towards the end. The visuals are really budget, cept for large fights so expect to listen more than to watch. It's still a favorite of mine though.

 

Another vote for Samurai Champloo, if for no other reason than it's music. Nujabes, rip. But honestly it's a very solid animation that will likely stand the test of time. The presentation is understated and focuses on delivering emotions through music and 'movement'.

 

Ouran Highschool Host Club somewhat challenged my ideas on what could be considered 'silly' and actually outright impressed me sometimes. It also features a few episodes that stand out in my memory as being much better than any other series. It possible stems from my love for jaded romances, but I think certain aspects in the story really stand out and earned my respect.

 

Speed Grapher is pretty solid, but like Yssen mentioned it's got some mature subject material that might not be for everyone.

 

 

Yondemasuyo Azazel-san! is the series I'm going to recommend because it's different. Even people who don't normally watch it anime. All you need is a sense of humor and a strong stomach. So long as you don't mind incredibly vulgar humor and it even helps if you hate certain tropes in anime. It's violent, it's gross and it's really funny and you might even cry a little.

 

It's about demons, the people who summon them and why angels are actually awful and how stuffed animals shouldn't be fucked with. There's OAVs and some short series. Watch them in release order and curb any expectations. It's just going to throw you for a ride anyway. I went into this expecting a bunch of fan service and dick jokes and came out with orbital sides. Highly recommended.

 

Ghost in the Shell: Stand Alone Complex and it's 2nd Gig is pretty excellent. You've likely heard a lot about it and maybe even seen an episode or two. A lot of people find it pretty boring but I'm a fan of the cyberpunk genre and things related to it. The stories are all tropes of such and do them very well. I find it to be one of my favorites and I don't think that will ever change.

 

Following that up, Psycho Pass is another you may want to try.

 

A cyberpunk world in which all emotions and criminal activity is monitored by the Sibyl System. The color of your 'psycho pass' determines your level of danger to yourself and others around you and a special police force is employed to enforce this.

 

Just remember that they are trying very hard to 'replace' GitS in a lot of ways. The promotional art features the female lead in the same style as the Major and sometimes plots of episodes are outright references. It's the same studio unless I'm mistaken and tries a little harder to 'shock' the audience but I think it has real shining moments and can sometimes make a good point. The characters are sometimes overly stiff and constantly contradict themselves but the setting and villains are really compelling.

 

One thing can't be denied, it has some of my absolute favorite intros for any show ever.

 

 

 

And...

 

Space Dandy.

 

Just watch, it doesn't need to be explained. Most people either hate it or love it, but it also has one particular episode that stands out above all anime I've ever seen.

 

It's a spoiler to watch this, but this scene sold me on the series. I could never speak ill of it, even if I tried.

 

[Kage]

Time for a shounen anime. No it's Naruto, Bleach, One Piece, or even Log Horizon or Sword Art Online.

 

I shall now recommend you to the "other" big series. And no it's not Yu Yu Hakusho BUT YOU ARE CLOSE.

WELCOME TO HUNTER X HUNTER.

The wonderful work by Togashi Yoshihiro, also known as the man behind Yu Yu Hakusho but also known as the man who married Sailor Moon's creator, Takeuchi Naoko. Unfortunately the stress of the conditions he was under when putting out YYH has made him take frequent breaks on HxH (and possibly paternity leave).

Summary: A young boy embarks on the journey to become a great Hunter, whom he has learned that his absent father was one as well. Hunters are the elite people tasked with all sorts of things but the biggest thing of all is that they must be in the hunt for something. Knowledge, Money, Crime, world "wonders", ruins, civilizations, etc.

 

I have nostalgia goggles for the 1999 anime, but the recent one is available on Crunchyroll as well last i saw.

[TheLastCandle]

A few often overlooked gems.

 

 

1.) Record of Lodoss War - Classic sword and sorcery. The OVA differs quite drastically from the novels/mangas, but there's very little not to like here. The main characters are a fairly standard tabletop RPG party, with your fighter, your cleric, a thief, the token dwarf, and an elf. It's no coincidence, either; you can practically hear the dice being rolled as the party's adventure continues from episode to episode. The novels themselves were based on a 1st Edition D&D campaign.

 

2.) Tenchi Universe - There are a number of series in the Tenchi Muyo! multiverse at this point, but this TV series was my favorite. Fairly representative of the classic "harem comedy" genre but offers plenty of self-aware humor.

 

3.) Space Brothers - Nnngh, so many feels. This anime spoke to me on so many levels. It's currently on hiatus, hopefully only waiting for the manga to gain more volumes before continuing, but has all 100 episodes currently available on Crunchyroll. It's a seinen, following the story of Nanba Mutta, a recently unemployed 30-something who decides to join his younger brother in pursuing his childhood dream of becoming an astronaut and landing on the moon.

[Aaron]

Guilty Crown. 

 

The story is meh but the action and arts top notch.

 

Matter of fact tbh I liked the story.

 

Also recommend Tokyo Ghoul and Parasyte.

[Erik Mynhier]

Old timer chiming in with some classics.

 

Record of Lodoss War

 

Shadow Skill

 

Project A Ko

 

Samuri Troopers

[Aaron]

Old timer chiming in with some classics.

 

Record of Lodoss War

 

Shadow Skill

 

Project A Ko

 

Samuri Troopers

OMFG SAMURAI TROOPERS THAT WAS THE NAME OF IT, IVE BEEN TRYING TO REMEMBER THE NAME OF THE ANIME WITH ALL THE DIFFERENT COLORED SAMURAI FOR THE LONGEST.

[Michikyou]

I'm going to recommend another!

 

 

 

[align=center]AnoHana, We Still Don't Know the Name of the Flower We Saw That Day.[/align]

[align=center]あの日見た花の名前を僕達はまだ知らない。[/align]

[align=center][/align]

[align=center]Slice of Life, Super natural, Drama

 

Anohana follows the life of a boy who has stopped going to school and a group of friends who were once close around the age of ten. This all changed and their friendships drifted apart when their friend Menma died over the summer.[/align]

 

[align=center]This is a story dealing with grief, resolution and rediscovery as they all once more reunite to deal with Jint's unbelievable predicament.  [/align]

 

 

 

[align=center][[ Ani lists's synop:[/align]

[align=center]Jinta Yadomi and his group of childhood friends have become estranged after a tragic accident split them apart. Now in their high school years, a sudden surprise forces each of them to confront their guilt over what happened that day and come to terms with the ghosts of their past. ]][/align]

 

 

[align=center]Soundtrack: ****

[/align]

[align=center]Animation: ***(and a half)

[/align]

[align=center]Story: *****[/align]

[TheLastCandle]

Everyone needs to see Fullmetal Alchemist: Brotherhood if you haven't already. It's by far the better of the two FMA series, no matter what anyone else has told you.

[Desu Nee]

I really suck at recommending stuff, because my arguments are crap, but if you don't mind like twenty decades of catching up, a series I strongly recommend is Jojo's Bizarre Adventure. Intricate, creative fights, lots of western music reference, fun story, and each part is self-contained in a way, so it doesn't matter much where you start. Sure, you miss some references but overrall you could start anywhere if you so wished. It's extremely good and popular, and overrall very fun if you like creativity in your Shounen/Seinen

 

Also extremely fabulous/manly.

 

[Enla]

Hmm... I'll probably have to recommend three that I don't think will ever make this forum otherwise - as much as I'm tempted to recommend Berserk or Cowboy Bebop they're pretty much guaranteed to appear at least once.

 

Therefore, I present to you three anime that are essential for anyone who loves character driven narratives and ESPECIALLY strong female protagonists. Juuni Kokki/Twelve Kingdoms, Saiunkoku Monogatari, and the newest one Akatsuki no Yona.

 

[align=center]

Twelve Kingdoms[/align]

 

[align=center]This story actually handles the trope of 'girl and friends' being pulled into another world and turns it completely on it's head, showing exactly what would happen if such a thing were to occur. You will HATE every single character in the beginning, save Rakashun, and that's because each of them must do horrible things to simply survive in a world they do not understand and the mental stress that comes from being hunted due to their status as outsiders. However if you can make it through the first eight episodes, you'll find a series that isn't afraid to break it's characters in order to force them to grow - and Youko, once a whiny pill of a girl, slowly develops into one of the strongest protagonists I've ever seen regardless of gender. It's well worth the 'break the cutie' moments in the beginning to see what they set up for the rest of the series.[/align]

 

[align=center]

Saiunkoku Monogatari[/align]

 

Less 'break them and then watch as they develop' than the above series, this one none the less deals with politics in a setting similar to ancient China and a lone woman doing her utmost to become a government official in a society where such a thing is outright frowned upon. I loved this series, though the romance could be a tad... Cloying at times. Shuurei isn't nearly as beloved as Youko is in my book, but this little series is a fun diversion if you're looking for historical romances where the main heroine isn't a completely helpless twit.

 

[align=center]

Akatsuki no Yona[/align]

 

[align=center]The newest, though a definite favorite that I know I'll still be watching for years to come. It's currently unfinished, it's first season just ending on Crunchyroll a few weeks ago, but with the manga still ongoing. Like Twelve Kingdoms, the main characters are not very likeable in the beginning and much like it as well this entire anime is primarily character driven. It does have smatterings of romance, but at all times the development of Yona and the people around her are paramount. It's also really damn funny, so it'd be a fun diversion when you're looking for story driven content with additional comedy. [/align]

 

Can you tell I like historical series yet...?

[Steel Wolf]

I have been out of the anime game for a while...and apparently if you don't like Attack on Titan or Madoka Magica you're a shithead.

 

So here's some anime that I like, bearing in mind that these are the recommendations of a shithead.

 

[align=center]SPICE AND WOLF[/align]

[align=center][/align]

 

This anime is probably one of the more fascinating stories I've seen. It follows a trader by the name of Kraft, who is suddenly accosted by a harvest wolf spirit named Holo. The village where she used to be worshipped has begun to learn the ways of engineering to improve its agricultural yield, and she pretty much forces Kraft to take her to the northern woods of Yoitzu.

 

The anime itself is mostly about exposition and dialogue, with a heavy dose of explanation of trade, the strangeness of a world in flux as it moves towards industry and secular religion, and even a blossoming romance between the two main characters. It's not action packed, but it is a well-crafted world that isn't a setting or a theme I've seen in anime before.

 

Also, its theme song is mystifyingly lovely.

 

 

[align=center]NINJA NONSENSE[/align]

[align=center][/align]

 

Good lord this show is just...so stupid. But SO much fun. The show basically follows the misadventures of ninja-in-training Shinobu, her best friend drawn into the madness, Kaede, and the incredibly spastic and lecherous master Onsokumaru (whose name translates to "sonic speed ball" which should give you a clue about his personality). Coincidentally, Onsokumaru is voiced by Sean Schemmel, which makes me happy to hear him doing something that's NOT Goku.

 

The show is unflinchingly idiotic, unapologetically pervy (without being porn) and laugh until your lungs empty hilarious. If you like hyper Japanese comedic madness, look nowhere else.

 

 

[align=center]COWBOY BEBOP[/align]

[align=center][/align]

 

I'm...not...really sure I should explain this one, and if you've not seen this show we probably can't be friends. Or at least, we can't be friends if you don't like this show.

 

This show chronicles the spacefaring adventures of Spike Spiegel, Jet Black and a motley crew as they try to make their living as bounty hunters. The show meshes comedy, action and drama to the tune of some fantastic blues and jazz. It oozes character and style, and invests you in characters so quickly I've yet to find an anime that does that better.

 

Personal favorite episode is "Ganymede Elegy". Best way to gauge if the show is to your liking, and probably one of my favorite stories of the whole set.

 

 

There are a few others that I like, but those are definitely my top selections. I'll probably line out a few more Recommendations from an Anime Shithead if the thread trundles on.

[Shizuno]

As a somewhat monstrous consumer of anime myself, I'm going to try to get some more unusual and unheard of series out there in this thread that people may not have heard of but are still totally worth a watch. 

 

Also just to get it out of the way, Spice and Wolf was mentioned by Steel Wolf above - infinite +1's on that, it's my favorite series of all time. The novels though, if you can find them, beat the anime into the dust.

 

 

Ok, so to start I need to recommend Gekkan Shoujo Nozaki-kun (Monthly Girls' Nozaki-kun) and absolutely can't recommend it enough. It's absolutely hilarious, and is available on crunchyroll and hulu, too. The story basically follows around Sakura Chiyo and her crush Nozaki throughout the series as well as their absolutely zany friends. Tons of trope subversion and lampshading abound here and it is GLORIOUS.

(1 Season right now)

 

 

_XB097_IZ_4

(Yes, I realize it's hard to take that seriously )

My second recommendation is a bit...odd - Saki. It's vaguely a sports anime, but it's centered on Mahjong. It's very weird, but if you're even a little bit interested, give it a go. There's super powers everywhere, and some are just...insane (like looking a few turns into the future, for example.) This series is as fun as a sports anime gets, and it's what got me started playing Riichi Mahjong. Just a small word of warning, it's lots of girls and very lightly implied yuri...kinda ecchi too.

(Season progression: Saki -> Saki: Achiga-hen -> Saki: The Nationals)

 

 

https://vocevaientender.files.wordpress.com/2012/10/zetsuen-no-tempest-01-large-17.jpg[/img]

Third of is Zetsuen no Tempest ~The Civilization Blaster~ (or Blast of Tempest). I honestly don't even know how to really explain this one as a single main genre, but it goes from an intense mind game and craziness in the first 12 episodes to an almost pseudo-comedy and RomCom in the second half, with just as much insanity as the first half. It's also based upon Shakespeare's Hamlet and The Tempest. It's awesome, I promise. Give it a try.

(1 Season)

 

Lastly for my recommendations this go around (I'll contribute more if the thread goes for a while) is The World God Only Knows. The absolute ultimate exercise in making fun of tropes, TWGOK sees dating sim master Katsuragi Keima enter a contract with a devil to capture runaway souls; the catch? They bury themselves in the hearts of people and must be forced out by a stronger feeling - in this case, love. So, Keima, who more or less detests real girls must now use his dating sim skills to 'conquer' real girls. It's hilarious.

(Season progression: 1 -> 2 -> Goddess Arc)

 

 

Oh hey! All the recommendations I made actually are on crunchyroll or hulu, with the exception of TWGOK...I don't remember if they have the first two seasons anymore.

 

Enjoy!

 

Quick Edit: Forgot to make a call out for Fate/Stay Night: Unlimited Blade Works which is currently ongoing this season and is absolutely amazing. IF you like action, it's DEFINITELY worth checking out. And is features some of the best animation I've seen ever. It tops theatrical releases, even.

[ChewableMorphine]

I really suck at recommending stuff, because my arguments are crap, but if you don't mind like twenty decades of catching up, a series I strongly recommend is Jojo's Bizarre Adventure. Intricate, creative fights, lots of western music reference, fun story, and each part is self-contained in a way, so it doesn't matter much where you start. Sure, you miss some references but overrall you could start anywhere if you so wished. It's extremely good and popular, and overrall very fun if you like creativity in your Shounen/Seinen

 

Also extremely fabulous/manly.

 

 

JOJO NO KIMYEN NO BOKEN: BATTARU TENDENCY 

 

YOU KNOW IM ALL ABOUT THAT JOJO

[Verad]

Here, have a long, dry military history with a huge ensemble cast, lots of character development, and rumination on the distinction between autocracy and democracy:

 

Legend of the Galactic Heroes

 

It's also really old, and the animation doesn't benefit from the OVA animation bubble in terms of quality. A must-watch!

 

Or you can watch a political thriller set in post-unification Germany, also with an ensemble cast (I am a sucker for ensembles):

 

Monster

 

This is especially interesting if you think "Good man does the right thing, and many people die" is a good story.