Full Metal Alchemist: Brotherhood
Religion, death, racism, genocide, war, politics... and alchemy? Yes, these are the key aspects of the show Full Metal Alchemist: Brotherhood. Centred around the Elric Brothers - Edward and Alphonse - and their quest to regain their bodies after using the power of alchemy to try and bring back their dead mother, this show starts one way and is in a completely different place by the end of it. Although it's certainly a beautiful thing to watch, the real strength is in its fantastic storyline that takes you on a breathtaking 64 episode journey, dealing with way more social issues then you could ever dream of. The writer of the show, Hiroshi Onagi, crafts a well woven tapestry of plot twists for his characters which sucks audiences right in from the get go. Don't worry though, it has plenty of action too, with some of the most epic battle sequences you'll find on any show. You may get a little bit confused when you're searching for it - there are two options titled Full Metal Alchemist and Full Metal Alchemist: Brotherhood, but you're best going for the latter. Both are magnificent in their own ways, but Brotherhood hits the heart just a little bit more.
Bleach
Ichigo Kurosaki is an ordinary high schooler—until his family is attacked by a Hollow, a corrupt spirit that seeks to devour human souls. It is then that he meets a Soul Reaper named Rukia Kuchiki, who gets injured while protecting Ichigo's family from the assailant. To save his family, Ichigo accepts Rukia's offer of taking her powers and becomes a Soul Reaper as a result.
However, as Rukia is unable to regain her powers, Ichigo is given the daunting task of hunting down the Hollows that plague their town. However, he is not alone in his fight, as he is later joined by his friends—classmates Orihime Inoue, Yasutora Sado, and Uryuu Ishida—who each have their own unique abilities. As Ichigo and his comrades get used to their new duties and support each other on and off the battlefield, the young Soul Reaper soon learns that the Hollows are not the only real threat to the human world.
Aside from Dragon Ball Z and Attack On Titan (more on that later), no show has translated over to western audiences quite as well as Naruto. It's one of those shows that, when it's airing, with clog up for Facebook/Twitter feed with fans reacting to the latest development. And while it might not make sense at first glance - what do people mean when they make reference to a Hokage or how awesome Sakura Uchiha is? - it's well worth finding out. Without spoiling too much - because it really is worth a watch without knowing too much - you follow the exploits of a young ninja called Naruto Uzumaki on the numerous missions he and his comrades go on. With 220-plus episodes of Naruto and 339 and counting episodes of its sequel show, it's hard to even scratch the surface of this action-packed ninja thriller.
Though it was a modest success in Japan when it premiered in 1995, Mobile Suit Gundam Wing truly broke ground in the United States when it aired on the Cartoon Network in 2000. The series capitalized on the popularity of anime imports like Pokémon and Dragon Ball Z to introduce American audiences to the genre of “mecha-anime” – basically, giant robots (in this case, “Gundams”) fighting each other. With the mecha and kaiju-inspired Pacific Rim finally getting the big-budget sequel that fans have been clamoring for, it’s a good time to take a look at this inspirational series from the drama.
Death Note
Outlaw Star
Cowboy Bebop
If you want to watch an anime but you're slightly worried about retaining your cool and not going completely nerdy then Cowboy Bebop should be the one for you. You might've heard Keanu Reeves mention its name over the years as he's struggled to get the anime made into a flick and onto Hollywood screens. It's a shame those efforts have proved fruitless - clearly Mr. Reeves knows a good property when he see's one. This is another show about a bounty hunter, one called Spike Spiegel and his motley crew of associates as they go about trying to earn money and, possibly, do some good while they're at it. However, while Outlaw Star feels more like sort of film Guy Ritchie might make if he fancied stretching his skills and doing space opera western (try and wrap your head around that), then Cowboy Bebop would be Quentin Taratino's stab at the spaceship bounty hunter culture. With its amazing jazz soundtrack and old school, noir-esque vibe Cowboy Bebop is an anime experience you won't forget any time soon. In fact, if this does ever make it to Hollywood the person playing Spike Spiegel might be in for career-defining role if they can pull it off. Sorry Keanu.
Sengoku Basara: Samurai Kings
Fancy something with a hint of feudal Japan mixed with the type of action scenes that would send a child ADHD child with an over-active imagination wild, then Sengoku Basara might be the one for you. Based on a successfull video game series, Sengoku Basara follows a group of Samurai Kings and their clans as they fight for power and even join together to defeat the Devil King. Sounds a bit crazy, but if you want something that has the type of visuals that will stun you and an interesting plot that will have you invested in all the characters on the show then it's certainly something you should be searching for. Plus, who doesn't like watching samurai fight?
Attack On Titan
Firstly, if you plan on watching Attack On Titan then bring a box of Kleenex with you because something might conveniently fall into your eye a few times during the first few episodes. Also, if you have heart problems you probably want to stay away from this show - it will put you on an emotional rollercoaster that'll leave you gasping for air throughout. You know how Game Of Thrones doesn't give a damn about killing off characters or whe they decide to do it, regardless of how important they are to the storyline? Well, Attack On Titan is exactly like that, only more extreme. No punch is pulled and every heart string you have will be plucked. The story follows Eren Yaeger, Mikasa Ackerman and Armin Ariert who have grown up in a city behind a wall which protects them from some very peckish and very naked giants who like nothing more than eating some fleshy humans. What starts off as a tasty, action romp becomes something really weird and depressing yet perversely entertaining at the same time.
Although this show is set in Feudal Japan, don't think this is anything like Sengoku Basara. Sengoku Basara is good, but Ninja Scroll is one of the most critically acclaimed pieces of anime that has ever been created. In fact, it's probably even a little bit more than just a mere anime; it's more like a work of art. Ninja Scroll follows Dean Elliot (or Koichi Yamadera if you're watching it with subtitles) as a ronin ninja who battle demon ninjas and all sorts of dastardly foes. Without giving too much a way, this is a swashbuckling action flick that is effortlessly cool in its execution, with stunning graphics and brilliant voicework. The fact that it came out over 20 years ago and is better than a lot of today's anime is a testament to amount of work writer and director Yoshiaki Kawajiri put into this. If you're looking for the gateway drug into world of serious animated violence then hurry up and watch Ninja Scroll. You won't regret it.
