Anime: Noob Primer

I've said it before but, as far as otoku-ism goes, I'm far from the epitome. I'm actually jealous of those that have committed themselves to every aspect of anime, manga, dorama and Japanese-culture-in-general. I wish I were as dedicated to something as those I've been relying on for my inspiration. That said, I propose a challenge: 5 Anime for Noobs. What would my Otaku Life Coach recommend for the anime newcomer? The following are my choices.

1. Eureka Seven

This is probably my all-time favorite. The story isn't as cookie cutter as so many others, the visuals are amazing, and it is just the right length at 52 episodes; not too short but not unnecessarily long.

I don't typically watch anything dubbed in English because of the habit of the voice actors to overact. However, this is one of the (very) few series I've seen of which I like the English dub. I haven't seen it in Japanese with subtitles so I don't have anything to compare it to, though. I'm going to pick up the complete collection when it is released so I'll be able to do so then.

2. Last Exile

This is another which has an English dub that I like. It is also one of my favorites. The character designs were done by Range Murata. It is a steampunk anime. As such, it takes place in an alternate universe which makes great use of steam technology.

3. Jubei-chan

I can see myself being alone with this one but I found it to be very entertaining. It had a nice mix of comedy and action. There is a part 2 but it isn't as good. I don't recommend the English dub with this.

4. Gunbuster

This is a six-episode OAV from 1988. Another giant-robot-fights-giant-space-aliens anime. What I like about it though, is that it brings into account Einstein's Theory of Relativity. In order to get to their targets Noriko Hidaka and Rei Sakuma must travel near the speed of light. As a result, time passes differently for them and they have to deal with the results of this when they get back to Earth. It makes for a great story.

In my opinion, the final scene of the final episode is one of the best in anime. At least, it's one of the best out of the relatively small sample I've seen.

There is a second part which was released by GAINAX in 2004. It is good in its own right but pales when compared to the original.

5. Read or Die

This is another OAV but only 3 episodes long. I found it to be rather short but the story is interesting. There is a series which acts as a sequel but I find it somewhat lacking when compared to this. That isn't to say it isn't good, though.

So there you go. Those are 5 animes I can highly recommend for anyone that hasn't seen much if any and would like to see more. They only represent my opinion on what would make a good introduction to anime and with the exception of Eureka Seven and Last Exile don't necessarily make up my Top 5.