Anime Recs

Set in a world where cat ears indicate virginity and a Name binds individuals together, Loveless is a beautiful, dark story with beautiful art and gorgeous character design. It's the story of 12-year-old Aoyagi Ritsuka, whose life has been tragically altered by the death of his older brother, Seimei. But when he meets Seimei's former "Sentouki" (fighter unit), the mysterious Agatsuma Soubi, he is thrown into a world of fighting teams, spell battles, and mystery. As he attempts to unravel the mystery of Seimei's death with the sometimes unhelpful assistance of Soubi, he comes closer to solving the riddle of his true name, Loveless.

A fun, colorful, and crazy anime about the Tokyo band scene, music, and "tough love". It focuses on the high-strung vocalist of the up-and-coming band Bad Luck, Shindou Shuichi, who, along with struggling with his musical career, has fallen head-over-heels for the cold and enigmatic romance novelist Yuki Eiri. Hilarity, drama, fast-paced addictive music, and colorful, addictive characters fill this unspeakably awesome shounen-ai series. You will laugh. You will cry. You will want to buy merchandise.

Set in present-day Britain, this anime is definately worth a watch. It's the epic story of the Hellsing Organization, an enitity dedicated to fighting vampires and ghouls, and employs several vampires to do this job as well. It focuses on Seras Victoria, a newly turned vampire, and her master, Alucard, the original vampire of the organization. Darkness, mayhem, and a wonderfully rhythmic storyline create a stunning atmosphere and an anime that definately can't be missed.

Sukisyo is, from the very beginning, the kind of show you watch for its characters, though it has a lovely plot as well. It begins with Hashiba Sora, one of the protagonists, returning to school after being hospitalized for a period of time because he fell from a classroom window. There, he finds a new roommate, Fujimori Sunao, who was a childhood friend of Sora's, but Sora can't seem to remember him (Sora's loss of memory is a recurring theme in the plot). Both Sora and Sunao have dual personalities, which makes for some wonderful humor, as their other sides, Yoru and Ran, are involved in a "physical relationship". Tee hee. It is also revealed that Sunao and Sora were both lab experiments when they were younger, worked on by a mysterious man known as Aizawa. Drama, humor, intrigue, and irresitible cuteness make this definately an anime you need to see. The characters are all the kind you get attached to, and the odd combination of lighthearted zaniness and heartwrenching angst will keep you irrevocably hooked.

Princess Princess is, at first glance, a typical shounen-ai anime, but a closer looks reveals a deeper truth; it isn't shounen-ai at all. It is the story of Kouno Toru, an attractive student who tranfers to an all-boys boarding school. Soon after he arrives, he discovers the "Princess System". At the school, this system is used to bring enrichment into the dull lives of the students. Basically, this means that the most attractive of the first-year boys dress up as "Princesses" and pretend to be girls to add a bit of excitement to a dull all-male life. Toru eventually joins when he learns of the advantages, and so embarks on a hilarious journey with fellow Princesses Yukata Mikoto and Shihoudani Yuujirou where he must dress up, act, sing, and dance his way through his school life. However, the job of a Princess isn't an easy one, as he and the others soon learn.

This anime had me laughing out loud on many occasions. The situations are perfectly timed, the characters priceless, the the individual, somewhat dysfunctional personalities really help it become a notable anime. Stuffed full of inside jokes and gorgeous animation, this anime truly creates its own world. Another must-see.

What can one really say about Bleach? The media sensation that so many know and love. Fun, heartbreaking anime goodness. The story of Kurosaki Ichigo, a 15-year-old boy whose life is forever changed when he meets Kuchiki Rukia, a young Soul Reaper. Rukia belongs to the Soul Society, and fights Hollows, or evil ghosts. When she is wounded, she passes her powers on to Ichigo so he can save his family, and then when she realizes she can't just automatically take them back, she becomes stranded in the human world. Achingly beautiful, unspeakably fun, and full of the wonderful gift of God we all know as bishounen. This anime is hilarious, heartwrenching, and created in a way that never gets old.

To be honest, almost everyone knows Bleach, so I don't know why I'm even bothering to add it to a recommendations list. I'm just going to say that if you haven't seen it yet, you definately should. You don't know what wonderful things you're missing.

This is probably the sweetest manga I have ever read. It's the story of Kojima Yuki, a friendly, popular boy in high school whose life collides with Nakahara Atsushi, a shy and lonely classmate. Nakahara is a depressed, abused loner, and the ever-sweet Kojima wants nothing more than to help him. As their friendship grows and they become closer, Nakahara shocks Kojima with a sudden love confession. From there, their relationship grows... clumsily and slowly, but always with adorable twists and sweet moments. This is the kind of manga that makes you want to sing at the top of your lungs, cry, and hug someone.

The sweetness and closeness of Nakahara and Kojima's friendship makes you want to squeal, and as it progresses to a romantic relationship, expect to have to fight urger to scream at the top of yours lungs and embrace stangers. It's the kind of delicate, emotionally-charged story to make you fall in love with the characters and come out of it with goosebumps. And the art and character design is breathtaking. When Little Butterfly spreads its wings, you can NOT look away. It will make you sob, smile, and want to help someone. And it will make you believe in love.

This manga is, to put it simply, incredible. It has the same basic plot as the anime above, which was based on the manga, and yet the differences are striking. The characters are allowed even more room to grow and change, and the delicate, sensitive beauty of the art and story almost make you want to weep. It portrays a fragile, seamless world where true love and following your heart are not as easy as they should be, and trust is the only way to ever be really happy. Mystery, intrigue, and a pulse pounding plot that extends far beyond its animated companion truly set this manga apart. The characters are phenomenally drawn and portrayed, and Kouga Yun's gorgeous art makes it even more wonderful.

Two words: robot pandas. Gravitation is a manga that inspired an anime, a line of merchandise, and a fanbase the size of Saturn. Crazy, fun, heartbreaking, and completely insane. If you're looking for a manga that will make you laugh until you cry, Gravitation is your ideal choice. Loaded with inside jokes, chibi insanity, and sweet yet brutal romance... you need to read this.

Like the anime, only better. Sexy, wonderful, masterfully drawn. Multiply "Interview with the Vampire" by a thousand, and you get a little manga called Hellsing. Haunting. Gorgeous. Enthralling. Read it or forever weep at your own incompetence.