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Looking for recommendation for my wife

KilarneyKilarney
edited September 2006 in Anime
I'm looking for some some anime that my wife might like. I'm trying to "expose" her to the genre in the hopes that she and I can watch some together. By coincidence, she has stayed in a hotel that was hosting an anime convention. Needless to say, she has developed an opinion as to the "average" anime fan - and it isn't pretty.

She likes:
- Star Trek, Doctor Who, Charmed, Lost, etc.
We both like hard or semi-hard sci-fi. We also like animation that is not "juvenile" for lack of a better word. Basically, neither of us like to be reminded that we are watching an animation. We like to forget that we are. Since she is a philosophy major, she like shows that involve some thinking and/or a philosophical aspect.

Any thoughts?

Comments

  • baltmatrixbaltmatrix
    Gundam Seed, Gundam Wing, Gundam 08th MS are all good Gundam shows. I highly recommend Evangelion...but we don't want to break her brain. Scrapped Princess is also really good.
  • HMTKSteveHMTKSteve
    edited September 2006
    Nana (chick-flick with good dialogue) <- I don't mean that in an insulting way. The characters are very well developed and believable.
    Sprigan (high body count)
    Record of Lodoss War (high fantasy)
    Cowboy Be-Bop (If she likes Firefly she should enjoy this)
    Post edited by HMTKSteve on
  • RymRym
    Eva is very good, but she'd have to get past the first several episodes and have an open mind. Once the show gets going, it's a complex narrative exploring existentialism and human identity. If you choose to try this one, you have to make her agree to watch it all the way through before she judges it.

    Tenkuu no Escaflowne is a good, very deep sci-fi/fantasy series. It deals heavily with ideas of fate, destiny, identity, and self-motivation, not to mention war, bonds of family, love, and politics. I'd highly recommend it. Of course, I suggest that you get her to agree to watch the entire series (or, in this case, at least the first several episodes) before passing any sort of jugdement.

    A lot of shows appear cliche or stereotypically "anime" at the start, especially to people who aren't familiar with the medium or are distracted by the animation. You have to let a show hit its stride, and very often they'll sweep you away.
  • baltmatrixbaltmatrix
    Crap. I completely forgot about Escaflowne. Yes it is very good. As Rym said the first few episodes are a little cliche but then it really picks up.
  • AprecheApreche
    Whispers of the Heart - gets you laid every time.
  • KilarneyKilarney
    Whispers of the Heart - gets you laid every time.
    I'm married. Those worries disappeared a long time ago. ;-)
  • HMTKSteveHMTKSteve
    edited September 2006
    Whispers of the Heart - gets you laid every time.
    I'm married. Those words stopped having meaning in my life a long time ago. ;-)
    I fixed it for you.
    Post edited by Rym on
  • KiteKite
    One of the best scifi animes of all time is PLANETES if you are looking for a more mature drama series that will also excite any true NASA geek.
  • fuurinfuurin
    I'm surprised no one has mentioned Ghost in the Shell yet. It's futuristic, has an adult and serious-looking animation style and pretty deep content.
    Actually, it's so well known that you've probably heard about it already... XD
    I can't say I liked it that much since I've only watched it once and didn't quite get it... I think you might need to rewatch it a few times, but if she is a philosophy major she might enjoy it.
  • RymRym
    edited September 2006
    Fuurin: Frankly, it entirely slipped my mind. I can't imagine why... ^_^*

    Ghost in the Shell: Stand Alone Complex is absolutely amazing. You can get it all on Netflix, and I highly recommend it.
    Post edited by Rym on
  • KilarneyKilarney
    edited September 2006
    Is it just me, or is Planetes not available through Netflix?
    Post edited by Kilarney on
  • HMTKSteveHMTKSteve
    I did not mention GitS as I figured many on here might consider it to provincial...
  • Dr. Zibbelcoot PhDDr. Zibbelcoot PhD
    I'd have to agree with everyone else's suggestion of Escaflowne. Focus on the series first, if she likes that you could try showing her the movie.
  • RymRym
    Esca is easily in my personal top 5 anime series list. In fact, I like it enough that I've been hankering to re-watch it recently. Perhaps a marathon is in order... ^_~
  • baltmatrixbaltmatrix
    We are forgetting Robotech/Macross. That has to be one of the most human shows ever. Not only that but it really is a mature show.
  • RymRym
    There's also Gasaraki. It's a hard sci-fi/political drama with a very realistic take on how mechs would integrate into modern militaries. You just have to get past what is perhaps the slowest first episode in the history of anime.
  • JasonJason
    I'm married. The word "begging" has reshaped my life. :-(

    And I think Gungrave is among the most accessible shows.
  • SymmetrySymmetry
    edited September 2006
    As a possible alternative to Eva I'd recommend RahXephon. Its sort of like Eva but with better animation, better music, less angst, a more likable protagonist, Mayan instead of Christian religious symbolism, and an ending that isn't rushed to the point that its incomprehensible. I wouldn't really say that either RahXephon or Eva is all that heavy on philosophy in the end, at least not in the sense that Ghost in the Shell is. Mostly the interesting parts are all either psychology or theology.

    Last Exile I'd also highly recommend. Lots of serious plot in a well realized steampunk seeming universe, and with a nice hard SF explanation for everything. I really enjoyed it because I was able to figure out the nature of the universe they were in before it was all officially revealed at the last episode, and your wife might really enjoy that sort of challenge too.

    Scrapped Princess, which has already been mentioned, also had a very nice element for me of trying to figure out the nature of the universe that everything is taking place in.

    Oh, another thing she might really like would be something that's labeled in the US as "Place Promised in our Early Days." Its a movie so its pretty short, I'm pretty sure its available in the US already,
    Post edited by Rym on
  • KiteKite
    edited September 2006
    You could try a two pronged attack: hit her with the GitS tv series and the PlanetES manga. Both are excellent scifi series and are guaranteed hits. Her defences will crumble and a new anime geek will be born muhahaa :p

    Actually I think Rym and Scott should check out the PlanetES manga and do a show on it, I'm sure you guys will like it
    Post edited by Rym on
  • NinjaNedNinjaNed
    edited September 2006
    Azumanga Daioh. It's not science fiction or anything, but it's so good that everyone should like it.
    Post edited by Rym on
  • chibiyusachibiyusa
    We are forgetting Robotech/Macross. That has to be one of the most human shows ever. Not only that but it really is a mature show.
    The Robotech... not so much. Stick with Macross.
  • AprecheApreche
    We are forgetting Robotech/Macross. That has to be one of the most human shows ever. Not only that but it really is a mature show.
    The Robotech... not so much. Stick with Macross.
    I concur.
  • AmettoAmetto
    edited September 2006
    Don't show her Spriggan unless she likes movies with awesome violent animation and poor plot.

    Most of the other things here are good.
    Post edited by Apreche on
  • La Petit MortLa Petit Mort
    Well if you want to make her think then make her watch Serial Experiments: Lain.
  • HMTKSteveHMTKSteve
    Yup, Spriggan had a piss-poor plot... But it had a high body count!
  • Johannes Uglyfred IIJohannes Uglyfred II
    I'd recommend Gankutsuou, especially if she's already read the Count of Monte Cristo. It's been referred to as a "space opera" - it takes place in the future, so there's ships and outer space meshed with the trappings of historical France. The animation is very, well, artsy... it may take an episode or so to get used to, but it isn't "childish" by any standard; both the animation and subject matter are mature. As for philosophical contemplation, she can watch it and ponder the human cost of revenge :) It's exciting, eye-catching, and emotionally stirring (if you've seen it, you know what I mean ;_;), so I think you'd do well to steer her towards Gankutsuou and away from all that BleachinBallNarutoZ kinda stuff.
  • KilarneyKilarney
    Thanks for all of the awesome recommendations. I'll be sure to check some of these out.
  • MarTWMarTW
    Late as I am, an older stlye, but very awesome short OVA series is 3X3 Eyes. It's gorey and complex, 6 OVAs or something, I need to make my friend return it to me. It's a pretty decent one to site down to with people. Entertaining if you like meta-fantasy series
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