vivaldiscool wrote:1. Baccano
Episodes: 13
Genre: Action\Adventure, drama, comedy
Reasons: there's several, It has Imo, a very intreguing plot, that, while it won't blow your mind away, is extremly well produced and executed. The voice acting it superb. One of the biggest things for me was the Brilliant atmosphere. It captured the feel of gangland America circa 1930s very well. Also, there's a huge cast of interesting charecters, and that said, I think they crammed about as much charecter development as was possible into 13 episodes.
How good:Brilliant, not one of my favorites for various reasons, but extreamly well done 8-9/10
Note: it's a fairly (read, very
) dark themed anime, and can be quite gory, though you don't seem to mind that
To this end, there were actually three more bonus episodes included on the DVD release in Japan that are now available subbed (only gotten to seeing 14 myself, but it helps give a little more closure, as well as introducing another small arc involving Graham Spectre...a man almost as insane as Ladd.)
That said...for a recommendation...
Since you want 'em short
Giant Robo: The Animation.
Episodes, 7 (although the eps are closer to an hour than a half hour each. The series is an OVA.)
Genre - Action/Adventure, mecha (more the former than the latter.)
Reasons to see it -
First off, I realize, both in title and some of the art, this show probably looks a little goofy. I admit, when I first started watching it, I was just expecting a light ride.
In and of itself, however, the OVA is surprisingly well done, and plays itself (relatively) seriously as it progresses.
Initially starting off as a standard 'heroes vs villains' story, the series shifts gears fairly early on (perhaps the best guage for how to describe the story's playout goes to the often referred to event known as 'The Tragedy of Bashtarle'. In the first episode, we're shown this to be a horrible accident brought about by the actions of one madman. As the series progresses and more of the truth is revealed, however, the entire perception of the event is turned completely on end.) Similarly, the simple story of good vs evil gets thrown for a loop in many regards...heroes fail (quite often, actually), there's questions within the evil organization of their current operation's true agenda, and the mysterious newcomer, Genya, who's setting everything in motion...and what of the devices he brings with him, which seem to be capable of plunging the world into total darkness and chaos.
OK...that's a bit much for the story, but I'm trying to figure out how to sell the plot without spoiling it for you. Sadly, some of the best stuff is rather spoiler-heavy.
In other aspects, this OVA is a great highlight for two things director Yashuiro Imagawa does best...great characters (even with only seven episodes to get to build these people up, the show does a great job at making them all rather likable, which is surprising when one considers the fact some of these people are seemingly superhuman) and the action sequences (both for their time, and by today's standards, several of the fights in this OVA are well animated...especially impressive considering much of this was made in the early 90s. The battle for Ryo-zenpaku in the final episode is still one of the best mass-battles scene done in an anime 10 years after it was made.)
As one final bonus, the orchestral music used in this is, at times, incredible. Composed by Masamichi Amano and performed by the Warsaw Philharmonic, it really helps take some of the already impressive visual moments, and enhance them just THAT much more.
...sorry if that was a bit rambling, but hopefully there was at least enough here to interest you in looking this one up. It's well worth the ride...
Honestly, the only drawback to it is the fact there's not more to it (the director has notes for several other installments he'd written to have take place within the OVA's continuity that sadly have yet to be officially carried out in any form.)
