#doesthedogdie is a good site for the former. reddit will usually help with the latter. make sure to take care bc some of these shows

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hi! i'm kinda bored these days because i've just been rewatching shows but i've got an itch to start some new ones and expand my media palate; i was told to ask you because a friend of mine said you had really good taste in anime ^_^ any recs? just list off your favorites! thanks and have a happy new year!

OH... ANON <3 you speak words that sound like birdsong to me. happy new year to you, too!

i'll list the ones i find the very best in no particular order, and i'll attempt to give a "short" description of why they might be worth your time! it'll obviously depend on several things like your own tastes and whether you've ever actually seen any anime etc., but it should cover a range of themes/genres at least :)

Hunter x Hunter (2011) 148 eps

hxh is an action-adventure story that starts out deceptively simple, but is structured in a way where each 'arc' has a wildly different theme/genre influences, meaning you really would never guess where it goes from its somewhat slow start. incredible character writing with emotional highpoints that feel like fantastic pay-off. a real journey, and one that pretty much everyone who's ever touched this show (and There Are Many) will vouch for! best of its genre, hands down.

Cardcaptor Sakura (1998) 70 eps + two films

if you're looking for something very sweet and relaxing, then this is the best pick! css is an episodic type of show you'd most enjoy taking slowly; it's a look into the seemingly idyllic daily life of this lovely cast of characters who are dealing with magic and mystery. this show feels like marshmallows, and with its intrigue captures the feeling of childlike wonder supremely well. a great take on light fantasy set in the modern world, with beautiful animation to boot!

Legend of the Galactic Heroes (1988) 110 eps + two films

if i could force people to watch anything ever, it would be this show. logh is a brilliant epic (in the literary sense) (also in the gamer sense) space opera that at a surface level seems to be about politics and spaceship battles, when it really has character-driven appeal at its core. if you just love wondering why that general looked at his right hand man like that when that other admiral made that clearly philosophically-dubious remark... well. it's genuinely a masterpiece, poses interesting political & philosophical questions about systems of rulership and domestic life and our roles in society, is funny, and has what maybe is the best character of all time. i could not recommend this more!

Jojo's Bizarre Adventure (2011)

chances are you know of jjba! it's unlike any other anime in presentation and style, for which it is super well-known. jjba has the rather unique appeal of consisting of 'parts', with different casts & settings for each part, while still being a story that ultimately follows one bloodline. this means you start off enjoying a shakespearean tragedy set in 1880s england at some point, and a mafia storyline set in italy in the 2000s at another. jjba does very ridiculous and flashy things, but does them so convincingly and takes itself so seriously that you end up buying every strange twist it throws at you! jjba is just super fun.

The Melancholy of Haruhi Suzumiya (2006) 28 eps + 'The Disappearance of Haruhi Suzumiya' film

haruhi is an eccentric show with an equally eccentric cast, refusing loyalty to any genre despite an overfamiliar setting. it's... seriously hard to describe what exactly is going on in this show. it plays into the meta of certain anime tropes, and presents characters as being prime examples of those tropes... before you learn they're acting the part knowingly. it dabbles in philosophy, drama, and sci-fi, and yet saying that doesn't represent its appeal accurately at all. it's very non-traditional, yet very easy to get into. it has the best anime film of all time. this is one where you really should check out the first episode, or a trailer, because words aren't going to do it any justice!

Revolutionary Girl Utena (1997) 39 eps + 'Adolescence' film

ourgh... this story. rgu seems like it's going to be a fun story about sword-duels, before hitting you with a genuinely harrowing examination of (gender) roles we're forced to play, systems of control and oppression, and so much dense symbolism you could write fifteen essays after one watch. it's flowery and artistic, and the type of show that requires active input from the viewer in the form of analysis and interpretation. it has a greek chorus! it's not at all hard to care for the (very mentally ill) cast of characters, and you might find yourself fundamentally changed as a person after watching this. especially if you're queer, this show will likely poke hard into your soul.

Berserk (1997) 25 eps

many recommend skipping ep1 for spoiler reasons. i recommend skipping it because it's not interesting. we r not the same. it is a story set in horses-and-knights-and-such era europe, which i generally despise, but this show is SO beautifully atmospheric in its dreamy colours and out-of-this-world soundtrack that it ends up feeling like a hazy and hope-filled memory by the time berserk reveals itself to be... a tragedy. a story that fundamentally is about two people who long for connection with the other so badly, but whose formative experiences were always irrevocably going to contort their fate. additional shout-out to the soundtrack for being completely unlike anything else, and certainly not what you imagine a show set in that era to sound like!

Neon Genesis Evangelion (1995) 26 eps + 'End of Evangelion' film

another very famous show, nge is all about the psychological profiles of some very disturbed characters! they have SO many issues and the show loves to make them go on introspective little journeys of suffering. packed full with symbolism (again), nge loves invoking biblical themes/symbols especially. this story is about the Human Condition and about the pain of trying to get closer to others, all wrapped up alongside some good old action.

91 Days (2016) 12 eps

finally, this is a relatively underground choice here! a very easy show to enjoy, especially for those who haven't watched anime before, 91 days offers a relatively short but well-bounded mafia revenge story. what this show sets out to do, it does quite perfectly, and so it's probably the most straightforward entry in this list. it nails its narrative well, has a fun setting (1920s america), and is really good at sticking the landing when it comes to delivering on emotions and storylines that build throughout the show!

if anyone reads this far, have a great day/evening! :)

#NOTE: look up both trigger warning lists AND watch guides/watch orders for these !!! #doesthedogdie is a good site for the former. reddit will usually help with the latter. make sure to take care bc some of these shows #contain very heavy topics! #i am so utterly incapable of keeping things short i do apologise anon this isnt what u were bargaining for LMAO 😭 #BUT ALSO. THANK YOU FOR HUMOURING ME LIKE THIS. I LOVE YOU ! AND YOUR FRIEND TOO?? who on earth is this friend im so suspicious #also rapidfire handful of other good anime: mob psycho 100. yuri on ice. sailor moon. promare. 80s devilman ovas.