Lets talk Anime/Manga/Visual Novels/Light Novels

[cerealkiller]

So I figured I would bring this back. This thread is for the discussion of Anime, Manga, Visual Novels, and Light Novels. I doubt anime and manga need much explanation (Japanese animation and comics). Visual Novels are video games that have very little interaction overall. Its very much a choose your own adventure story. Light Novels are like novellas with periodic pictures. I think Sentai/Kamen Rider/ Toku would be appropriate here.

Some more basic information: The vast majority of anime do not last more than 26 episodes. Most are only 13 episodes. Anime airs in seasons and rarely is the same show aired back to back (Valverave is an exception, there are some others but its very rare). A common misconception is that all anime is perverted tentacle rape porn or Dragon Ball Z. That's not the case. Anime, Manga, Light Novels and Visual Novels are all just another art medium. The average show is not a 300+ episode monster full of filler and sweaty oily dudes fighting.

Visual Novels tend to be 18+. They often do have sex scenes in them but many also allow for those to be skipped completely.

Some Basic Anime Recommendations:
Shounen Battle/Adventire -- Fist of the North Star, JoJo's Bizarre Adventure, Medaka Box, Dog Days, Accel World, Fate/Stay Night, Fate/Zero, Record of Lodoss War (Note that I left off ALL Cartoon Network/Toonami shows)
Comedy -- Lucky Star, Azumanga Daioh, Nichijou, Everyday Lives of Highschool Boys, Genshiken, Lupin III, Maria Holic, Mayo chiki, Melancholy of Haruhi Suzumiya, Haiyoru! Nyaruko-san, The World God Only Knows, Kamen no Maid Guy
Horror -- Gantz, Another, Monster, Kurozuka
Space Opera/Mecha -- Galaxy 999, Space Pirate Captain Harlock, Space Battleship Yamato 2199, Mobile Suit Gundam (Universal Century stuff), Mouretsu Pirates, Legend of the Galactic Heroes, Giant Robo, Getter Robo, Muv Luv Alternative: Total Eclipse, Ghost in the Shell, Five Star Stories, Neon Genesis Evangelion, Mazinger, Mazinkaiser, Rinne No Lagrange, Macross (Everything ever), AKB0048, Ozma, Zoids
Drama -- Ano Hana, Clannad, Ano Natsu de Materu, Welcome to the NHK, Da Capo, Chobits, Sukitte Ii Na Yo, Kamisama Hajememashita, Inu x Boku SS, Toradora
Seinen -- Berserk, C: The Money of Soul and Possibility, Akira, Spice and Wolf, Bartender, Jormungand, Lupin III, Paranoia Agent, Bakemonogatari, Nisemonogatari, Nekomonogatari, Monogatari S2, Kisemonogatari, Redline, Sankarea, Usagi Drop
Cute Girls/high school/Harem (the only shows that matter) -- Haganai, High School DXD (NSFW), K-On!, Girls und Panzer, Mayo Chiki!, Hyouka, Strike Witches, Tari Tari, Raildex, Upotte!

Why isn't X on the list? Either I forgot it, haven't seen it, dislike it or its common enough that I don't view it as necessary to add.

Visual Novel recommendation: Muv Luv, Muv Luv Alternative, Demonbane, Saya no Uta, Chaos;Head, Steins;Gate, Robotic;Notes, Higurashi, Rose Guns Days, Grisai no Kajitsu, Kara no Shoujo, School Days, Da Capo, Otoboku, Little Busters, Clannad, Air,Tsukihime, Fate/Stay Night

If there is anything I can expand on let me know.

EDIT: I'm not opposed to Avatar the Last Airrbender or RWBY appearing here but Western Cartoons (Adventure Time, Regular Show, Rugrats, Courage the Cowardly Dog, etc) should get their own thread. Otherwise there will be too much in one thread. I would've left this as just Anime/Manga but VNs and LNs are talked about so rarely here that I didn't see the point in making their own thread so it would just die every few weeks.

[Dataweaver]

Can we talk about animesque subjects as well? “Animesque” is a term used to describe Western animation that feels like anime: RWBY and Cartoon Network's Avatar (the Last Airbender and the Legend of Korra) are particularly strong examples: the former is so animesque that when it was first shown on CrunchyRoll (a streaming site that specializes in anime, manga, and Japanese entertainment in general), there were requests that it be released in “the original Japanese” instead of “the English dub”.

Which brings up another point central to this topic: almost by definition, Anime, manga, Visual Novels, and Light Novels are Japanese. As such, nearly all dialog was originally in Japanese. Exceptions include individual characters who speak various foreign languages (such as English), the occasional use of English loan-words (you'll occasionally hear anime characters say things like "OK" and "Thank you", much like you'll hear English speakers say "Sayonara"), and sometimes "Engrish" (that is, dialog that sounds like English to the average Japanese speaker, but sounds like gibberish to the average English-speaker). This means that most Japanese entertainment needs to be translated into English for consumption in English-speaking countries such as America, which in turn means that most anime tends to be either subbed (that is, subtitles) or dubbed (replacing the original voice actors with English-speaking counterparts). Manga, Visual Novels, and Light Novels, being things that you read rather than listen to, merely need to be translated.

[The Revenge of TV Head]

Why isn't X on the list? Either I forgot it, haven't seen it, dislike it or its common enough that I don't view it as necessary to add.

It's funny, because X is the title of an actual Anime.

[Siven]

I see a distinct lack of Type Moon VNs.

Also Now and Then, Here and There.

Also concerning School Days. Yeah, that one's...a bit. It's when you put it in context of the other VNs of that universe, it's brain bleach territory. And I'm not talking about Summer Days.

[AkatsukiLeader13]

...RWBY and Cartoon Network's Avatar (the Last Airbender and the Legend of Korra) are particularly strong examples: the former is so animesque that when it was first shown on CrunchyRoll (a streaming site that specializes in anime, manga, and Japanese entertainment in general), there were requests that it be released in “the original Japanese” instead of “the English dub”.

Ha! Somehow I'm not surprised.

[cerealkiller]

I see a distinct lack of Type Moon VNs.

Also Now and Then, Here and There.

Also concerning School Days. Yeah, that one's...a bit. It's when you put it in context of the other VNs of that universe, it's brain bleach territory. And I'm not talking about Summer Days.

I'm not a fan of Type Moon. Nasu's writingg doesn't do it for me but I understand the influence he's had on VNs so I'll add Tsukihime and FSN to the list for VNs.

[Darker Days Mike]

I tend to prefer more thought provoking anime, such as Evangelion, Ghost in the Shell, and Shoujo Kakumei Utena.

Also, giant robots.

[cerealkiller]

well if you like the psychological stuff I would highly recommend Serial Experiments Lain.

[Isator Levi]

I'm enjoying some light hearted Magical Girl stuff like Sailor Moon and Cardcaptor Sakura at the moment, to contrast with the bleed off from Attack on Titan*.

Hmm, I've got to remember to keep up with Kill la Kill as well...

I'm also trying to consider which of my previously watched anime to revisit; at the moment, Code Geass (at least R1) is the main contender.

* Which I still need to put that review together for.

[Cinder]

I have just discovered Magi: the Labyrinth of Magic and I have to say that I'm enjoying it. Like, a lot.

It's surprising because I have a complicate relationship with the Shounen genre, as my friends constantly talk of of Naruto, Bleach, Dragon Ball and similar series as if they are absolute masterworks and the ultimate expression of the Anime/Manga art. For such reason, I've probably become overly critical of Shounen in general. I honestly can't say if that's because I can't stand the hype, the conventions of the genre don't suit my tastes or other reasons I can't fathom, but finding a Shounen I really like has become quite difficult nowadays, like some sort of Holy Grail.

It seems the search has finally ended with Magi, and I'm quite happy with that.

[Cielle]

Someone suggested Watamote to me yesterday. I don't really know much of anything about it, other than that it apparently covers the adventures of a misanthropic high school girl, and from that description, it could really go either way. Oh, and it seems that at least one episode has a rather impressive intro: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xmtkbo2QJ7Y

I won't be able to give it a look until this weekend either way, but I'd be interested to hear anyone's take on the series.

[cerealkiller]

the manga is excellent for watamote. The show is pretty good too. That's the OP for all the episode IIRC. She's not really misanthropic as much as she is an awkward pervert otaku with no friends. It can get hard to read and watch. A lot of people on /a/ (the anime/manga board on 4chan) actually kept the manga alive by buying 20 and 30 copies of the manga volumes because they loved it that much.

[Ryoga84]

Space Opera/Mecha -- Galaxy 999, Space Pirate Captain Harlock, Space Battleship Yamato 2199, Mobile Suit Gundam (Universal Century stuff), Mouretsu Pirates, Legend of the Galactic Heroes, Giant Robo, Getter Robo, Muv Luv Alternative: Total Eclipse, Ghost in the Shell, Five Star Stories, Neon Genesis Evangelion, Mazinger, Mazinkaiser, Rinne No Lagrange, Macross (Everything ever), AKB0048, Ozma, Zoids

Can I suggest the Sekai no Senki series?

[cerealkiller]

Can I suggest the Sekai no Senki series?

I'll add that to my watch list and check it out on my long weekend.

[Ryoga84]

See MAL for the exact watching order