crush wrote:First off, thanks for the suggestions. Black Butler seems like something i might be able to understand but is probably more on the difficult side. The anime about the maid cafe seems more along what I can follow, but not sure that it's something I'd enjoy. It may have just enough "seriousness" in it for me to enjoy it, though. The Melancholy of Haruhi Suzumiya one sounds like something that would be interesting but again probably out of my comfort range. Hetalia also might be interesting, I'm not sure, I'll see if I can find it and watch an episode or two to see.
I started watching anime at the same time i started learning Japanese (since last August). I haven't read much manga, I tried but it didn't do much for me, so I've been reading translated books i'm familiar with for now.
Sure thing. I'm only recommending things I've enjoyed in the past hoping something will stick.
Black Butler is a bit complicated because it deals with the underworld and English politics. You have words for specialized teas, weapons, etc. popping up all the time. But forever ingrained in my mind is "jou-heika," (excuse my poor romanization skills) meaning "highness" or "Her majesty." The beauty of repetition, my bro! If you get a chance, read the manga up to where the unofficial "season three" (Book of Circus) kicks off and save yourself the troublesome mess that is the first two seasons, where all sorts of different producers mashed things together like a pre-school art project. (I say this, but I still love those adaptions... which side of me do you want to believe?
)Maid-sama is a slice-of-life that I enjoyed in 2010 as an 8th grader, but it may not have aged well. It certainly had its moments for me as a younger girl looking for a character to understand from another culture, and Misaki was a good mold since up to that point I'd only seen timid Japanese girls.
Touching on what @golyplot said, I don't think Mikuru is as helpless as she'd have you believe. Yes, Haruhi's behavior is appalling in many ways, but some episodes in the series prove that she doesn't just take it like a rag doll. She has her reasons, and at the time I first watched it and again when I re-watched a bit of it this past year, it all seemed to make sense. I don't want to give away too much of the plot, though, so I'll stop there. If you should have any questions regarding my opinion, just ask. (Also, watch out for the "endless eight"! Yeek!)
Hetalia is fun, and the episodes are just long enough so you don't get bored. There are a lot of clips of the anime on YouTube not only from passionate fans but from the company that officially licensed it in America, Funimation. My favorite character is Iceland.
Some other ones I might recommend:
Wolf's Rain (ウルフズレイン): Old but gold. This series follows a set of "humans" in a post-apocalyptic world on the search for a better life. In reality, these people are wolves that have two forms and they are considered dangerous by the government, enough to be pursued by hunters. Danger lies in every corner where a peaceful world once stood. Maybe the flower they search for can help them resurrect what was lost.
Nura! Rise of the Yokai Clan (ぬらりひょんの孫): This one's about a person with two forms as well. He remains in human form during the day, but reveals his demon form at night. He's the young heir to a yokai (demon) clan, and this is his adventures as far as becoming mature and fighting off his enemies.
Durarara!! (デュラララ!!): Oh man, oh man. This is a good one. Action-packed, serious, comedic. It even includes a headless woman! This anime has at least a dozen (to me, interesting) characters with interconnected plots, and it constantly leaves you guessing where the lines it's laid will lead.
Baccano! (バッカーノ!): By the same author as above, with many of the same conceits, only this time we're fighting over immortality (thanks to a drink) and homunculi.
Soul Eater (ソウルイーター): Typical shounen anime about a school for supernatural creatures, including grim reapers (ahem, Death the Kid). More collecting souls!
Anohana (あの日見た花の名前を僕達はまだ知らない): This one's on Netflix, I believe! It covers death, recovery from loss, friendship, and making amends. Its genre is slice-of-life.
Summer Wars (サマーウォーズ) [movie]: Basically a commentary on technology in the modern era, but when I watched it about 8 years ago, it didn't feel forced or too "back in '33, we didn't have no technology like you darn kids..." and I was 15. If my stamp of approval counts for anything, go 'head and have it.
