Anime Recommendations

Titles in bold are absolute "must watch" recommendations, an asterisk indicates a review is available.

Amagami SS
Angel Beats!
B Gata H Kei
Clannad
Clannad ~After Story~
Cowboy Bebop
Cowboy Bebop The Movie
Dance in the Vampire Bund
Death Note
Fairy Tail
Gosick
Haibane Renmei*
Ichiban Ushiro no Daimaou
K-On!
K-On!!
Kaichou wa Maid-sama
Kimi ni Todoke
Sora no Woto
Spice and Wolf
Summer Wars
Toaru Kagaku no Railgun
Toaru Majutsu no Index*
Toradora!

Amagami SS
Type: Series
Number of episodes: 25
Genres: Comedy, High School, Romance, School Life
Synopsis:
Tachibana Jun'ichi, a 2nd year high school student, always feels depressed around Christmas time due to a certain past experience. Due to his fear of opening his heart to love, his school life is rather lonely. One day, Tachibana asks himself if he is really satisfied with ending his high school life thus? Setting aside his fears, Tachibana determines that he will spend the coming Christmas with a girl. Thus resolved, he goes on to meet many different girls. In the end, what will Christmas hold for Tachibana?
Recommended Release: UTW
Comments: Extremely funny and overall lighthearted romance story. It is told in an omnibus format, meaning each girl gets her own "route", in seperate space-time from the others (basically the opposite of a harem format).
Review: Not yet.

Angel Beats!
Type: Series
Number of episodes: 13
Genres: Action, Afterlife, Highschool, Comedy
Synopsis:
In a world after death, angels fight for their fate and their future. Yuri, the leader of the Shinda Sekai Sensen, rebels against the god who destined her to have an unreasonable life. On the otherhand, Tenshi, the chairperson of the student council for the world after death, battles against the SSS members. SSS members utilize armed weaponry to battle it out against the angels harnessing supernatural powers.
Recommended Release: Coalgirls
Comments: Good mix of humour with a serious undertone. Good art and memorable characters. The buildup in this series is superb, but the ending somewhat lets it down.
Review: Not yet.

B Gata H Kei
Type: Series
Number of episodes: 12
Genres: Comedy, Romance, Ecchi
Synopsis:
The story revolves around a sexually inexperienced schoolgirl who is aiming to get 100 sex-friends after entering High-School. But she always freaks out, because she thinks she would be laughed at for her virginity. That's why she searches for a virgin-guy as well, he would be inexperienced as well, so he wouldn't look down on her. One day, by chance, she met such a guy, whom she later realizes is sitting next to her in school! Fate? So her seductions begin...
Recommended Release: Unlimited Translation Works
Comments: Unbelievably funny, with a delighfully random plot. That said, it lacks a certain amount of depth (but that is to be expected with this kind of show).
Review: Not yet.

Clannad
Type: Series
Number of episodes: 24
Genres: Daily Life, Harem, Highschool, Romance, Tragedy
Synopsis:
Set in a high school located in some Japanese town. Okazaki Tomoya is a third-year student who does not take his studies seriously. Always late for class, he is seen as a delinquent by the rest of his classmates who are busy preparing for their college entrance examinations. Needless to say, he does not have too many close friends either. Tomoya does not seem to mind either — until one day he meets a girl, Furukawa Nagisa, who is left alone without friends in the school because everybody she knew already graduated. "What a clumsy girl", he thinks at first. But he can not leave her alone and so, while helping her, he meets a few other girls from his school. Although he does not care much about them at first, he soon opens his heart to them as they get to know each other better.
Recommended Release: MII/SS-Eclipse/THORA
Comments: Strikes a perfect balance between comedy and drama. Great art, characters, voicework and animation, although the eyes annoy the crap out of me.
Review: Not yet.

Clannad ~After Story~
Type: Series
Number of episodes: 25
Genres: Angst, Daily Life, Highschool, Romance, Tragedy
Synopsis:
Continues the story from the end of Clannad. No further synopsis given to avoid major spoilers.
Recommended Release: Coalgirls
Comments: Equally good as its prequel, but for totally different reasons. The atmosphere is a lot darker at times.
Review: Not yet.

Cowboy Bebop
Type: Series
Number of episodes: 26
Genres: Action, Bounty Hunters, Gunfights, SciFi, Space Travel
Synopsis:
The year is 2071 AD. With the systematic collapse of the old nation-states, a mixed jumble of races and peoples were driven out of their terrestrial Eden and spread to the stars, taking with them the now confused concepts of justice, freedom, violence, and love. New rules were established, and a new generation of bounty hunters came into being. People referred to these bounty hunters as "cowboys". Meet Spike Spiegel and Jet Black, a drifter and a retired cyborg cop who have started a bounty hunting partnership. In the converted ship The Bebop, Spike and Jet search the galaxy for criminals with bounties on their heads. They meet a lot of interesting characters, including the unusually intelligent dog Ein, the bizarre hacker child prodigy Ed, and the voluptuous and vexing femme fatale, Faye Valentine.
Recommended Release: niizk
Comments: First off, FUCKING AMAZING MUSIC. Great art, great animation, great voicework, great atmosphere. A really laid-back, slow-paced series, where most of the episodes are not concerned with furthering the main storyline. A true masterpiece.
Review: Not yet.

Cowboy Bebop The Movie
Type: Film
Genres: Action, Bounty Hunters, Gunfights, SciFi, Space Travel
Synopsis:
The mismatched crew of the Bebop are back, and this time they're on the silver screen. The movie takes place between (in the time period of) the Cowboy Bebop episodes 22 and 23. Mars is under siege! Just before Halloween 2071, a terrorist bomb destroys a tanker truck on Highway One, close to a densely-populated crater city. There are casualties up to half a mile from the blast — 500 killed or injured by what appears to be a biochemical weapon. The reward for the bomber's capture is a massive 300,000,000 woolongs... and there are four humans and a dog who really need the money. Down on their luck as usual, the crew of the Bebop get on the case.
Recommended Release: OZC-Anime
Comments: The best art and animation I have ever seen. Compared to the series, it's a bit "more of the same", like a normal episode, only much lengthier.
Review: Not yet.
Note: I strongly recommend watching this after the series. There are no real spoilers, but it does contain characters not present at the start of the series.

Dance in the Vampire Bund
Type: Series
Number of episodes: 12
Genres: Action, Vampires
Synopsis:
After millennia in hiding, Mina Tepes, the Princess of the ancient covenant and ruler of all vampires, wants change. Using the vast wealth of the Tepes line, she has paid off the entire gross national debt of Japan and in so doing, gained the authority to create a special district off the coast of Japan that is to become the future haven to vampires the world over! Now, on the eve of the landmark press conference announcing the existence of vampires to the world, terrorists and rival factions are plotting to assassinate Mina Tepes before she has a chance to make her world-changing announcement.
Recommended Release: Chihiro
Comments: A very interesting premise, and a generally well-developed story. The art is good and the cinematography is quite unique, so watching it felt really refreshing. Great voicework, too.
Review: Not yet.

Death Note
Type: Series
Number of episodes: 37
Genres: Detective, Thriller
Synopsis:
Bored with his deteriorating world and the laconic way of his fellows, shinigami Ryuuk drops his Death Note on Earth and watches to see if it stirs up anything interesting. His plan succeeds beyond his wildest expectations when the Death Note is found by brilliant high school senior Light Yagami, who is also bored with a world he considers rotten. Although initially he regards the book as a prank, Light soon discovers, through experimentation, that the book's claim is true: picture a person in your mind as you write the person's name in the Death Note, and that person dies 40 seconds later of of a heart attack (although a different time frame and manner of death can be specified). Armed with that power, Light sets out on a quest he sees as noble: make the world a better place by eliminating all its criminals using the Death Note. Soon cast as the mysterious “Kira” (a Japanese pronunciation of the English “killer”) in the media and on the Internet, some take exception to his playing god, most notably the police and the enigmatic master detective L, who resolves to do everything in his power to stop Kira. Light counters by doing everything in his power to prevent people from identifying or interfering with him, even if that means getting rid of people investigating him.
Recommended Release: Virus123
Comments: The "intellectual battles" between Light and L are a welcome change from the physical battles seen in most of this type of anime. The first 15 episodes or so are especially good. After episode 25, however, it kind of drags on.
Review: Not yet.

Fairy Tail
Type: Series
Number of episodes: 100+ (still airing)
Genres: Action, Adventure, Comedy, Fantasy, Magic
Synopsis:
Story follows a teenaged girl named Lucy Heartfilia who aims to join the world's most notorious mage guild, Fairy Tail. During a daring rescue, Lucy encounters Natsu "Salamander" Dragneel, a quirky Fairy Tail member and a teenaged practitioner of the ancient Dragon Slayer magic. Lucy is eventually welcomed into the Fairy Tail guild as she, Natsu, and other members go on various quests together.
Recommended Release: Ryugan (available from their home page, see Kyuubi for episodes after 65)
Comments: A series with a very high entertainment value. A bit slow in places, but the art is good and the battles are epic.
Review: Not yet.
Note: Not recommended for people who aren't into shounen series (Bleach, Naruto, Dragonball, etc).

Gosick
Type: Series
Number of episodes: 24
Genres: Mystery, Drama
Synopsis:
Gosick takes place in 1924 in a small, made-up European country of Saubure. The story centres on Kujou Kazuya, the third son of a Japanese Imperial soldier, who is a transfer student to St. Marguerite Academy, where urban legends and horror stories are all the rage. There he meets Victorique, a mysterious yet beautiful and brilliant girl who never comes to class and spends her days reading the entire content of the library or solving mysteries that even detectives can't solve. The series mostly focuses on Kazuya and Victorique getting involved in different mystery cases and their struggle to solve them, at the same time forming important bonds with different people.
Recommended Release: UTW (will update once Blu-Rays are available, currently at 12/24)
Comments: A great series with interesting characters and intriguing mysteries. Lovely art and good plot.
Review: Not yet.

Haibane Renmei
Type: Series
Number of episodes: 13
Genres: Angels, Contemporary Fantasy, Daily Life
Synopsis:
A dream of falling from the sky...and then birth. Rakka is born from a large cocoon into the Old Home, greeted by a group of females with small wings on their backs and shining halos above their heads. Soon Rakka’s own wings grow, a halo is placed on her head and she is told that she must work in the nearby town of Grie. She soon realizes that the town and the entire world they live in are confined behind the Wall, a tall, impenetrable wall that none except the mysterious Toga are allowed to exit.
Recommended Release: DmonHiro (working on my own release for this)
Comments: Hands down the best series I've ever seen. Nothing even comes close in terms of character development and immersion.
Review: Here

Ichiban Ushiro no Daimaou
Type: Series
Number of episodes: 12
Genres: Action, Comedy, Ecchi, Fantasy, Harem
Synopsis:
The story of "love, magic, and battles" revolves around Sai Akuto, a boy who aims to become part of his country's highest order of magicians and contribute to society as one of its clergy. On the day he is admitted into the Constan Magical Academy, his aptitude test predicts the following: "Future Occupation … Devil King." Thus begins his difficult school life in which he is resented by his studious female class head, desired by a girl with mysterious powers, and guarded by a beautiful female android.
Recommended Release: YSAnime
Comments: A fairly intriguing plot with good humour, epic battles and cute girls. Plot consistency and pacing are a bit of an issue though, so it's quite confusing at times.
Review: Not yet.

K-On!
Type: Series
Number of episodes: 14
Genres: Band, Comedy, Highschool, Music
Synopsis:
The healthy and energetic Tainaka Ritsu (club president, drums) decides to join the school's Light Music Club, only to find out that the club is about to be closed — due to the lack of members. Without much ado she drags along her childhood friend, the shy, mature, and sensitive Akiyama Mio (bass). That leaves only two more members, required to keep club from closing. Luckily the gentle, calm, warm, and cute Kotobuki Tsumugi (keyboard) stumbles into the club, only to be "convinced" by the pleading Ritsu to stay. The last member, the easily distracted klutz Hirasawa Yui, can only play castanets, even though the club needs someone on the guitar, but she is "bribed" — with cake — to stay anyway. Will Yui be able to learn to play the guitar — the special one she just bought and loves so much — before the four girls graduate?
Recommended Release: Chihiro
Comments: Very funny and laid-back. The music was actually mildly enjoyable, much to my surprise. The only thing that annoyed me is that they hardly ever actually play music.
Review: Not yet.

K-On!!
Type: Series
Number of episodes: 26
Genres: Band, Comedy, Highschool, Music
Synopsis:
It's the final year of high school for Hirasawa Yui (guitar), Tainaka Ritsu (drums), Akiyama Mio (bass), and Kotobuki Tsumugi (keyboard); the founding members of the Light Music Club. Together with their junior member Nakano Azusa (guitar), they spend their days after school in the music room enjoying tea and sweets, and practicing music. Amidst band practice, preparations for the new student orientation performance, scouting for new members, and student responsibilities they still have time for After School Tea Time.
Recommended Release: Chihiro (will update once Blu-Rays are available, currently at 2/26)
Comments: Unfortunately, when compared to K-On!, it's just more of the same, but with even less performances spread over more episodes. You'll still enjoy it if you liked the first season, though.
Review: Not yet.

Kaichou wa Maid-sama!
Type: Series
Number of episodes: 26
Genres: Comedy, High School, Maids, Romance
Synopsis:
The romantic comedy centres on the student council head named Ayuzawa Misaki, who despises the mostly male, slovenly population at her school, which was once an all-boys school. However, Misaki's quite handsome schoolmate, Usui Takumi, just discovered her secret - that she works after school at a maid cafe.
Recommended Release: Coalgirls
Comments: Good mix between humour and more serious scenes. Usui's voice annoys me at times though.
Review: Not yet.

Kimi ni Todoke
Type: Series
Number of episodes: 25
Genres: Comedy, Coming of Age, Daily Life, Highschool, Romance
Synopsis:
Kuronuma Sawako is the perfect heroine... for a horror movie. With her jet-black hair, sinister smile and silent demeanor, she's often mistaken for the haunting movie character Sadako. But behind her scary facade is a very misunderstood teenager. Too shy to fit in, all she wants to do is make some friends. But when a popular boy in class befriends her, she's sure to make more than just that--she's about to make some enemies too!
Recommended Release: Eclipse
Comments: This series strikes a delicate balance between comedy and drama, while maintaining realistic characters. The only two things that let this series down are the fact that the drama is sometimes a bit over the top, and the ending. I don't want to spoil anything, but suffice to say there will be a second season.
Review: Not yet.

Sora no Woto
Type: Series
Number of episodes: 12
Genres: Daily Life, Military, Music, Post-Apocalyptic
Synopsis:
Set in the future on a land that, after being marred by long-lasting wars, has settled into a quiet cycle of decline. Sorami Kanata is a 15-year-old girl who fulfills her dream of enlisting in the army and joins a unit of five girls who protect a fortress that looms over a little village. The girls also play music that reverberates across the skies over towns without people and seas without fish. This title is reported as using the Spanish city of Cuenca and its nearby Alarcón Fortress as a model for the storyline.
Recommended Release: Coalgirls
Comments: Another laid-back series except for the last two episodes, which causes a somewhat unnatural contrast. In many ways it reminds me of K-On!, so this series is not recommended for those who didn't like that.
Review: Not yet.

Spice and Wolf
Type: Series
Number of episodes: 13
Genres: Adventure, Fantasy, Goddesses, Juujin
Synopsis:
Lawrence is a traveling merchant who finds a 600 year old pagan deity/wolf girl named Holo in his wagon one night. She begins traveling with him, and her wisdom helps increase his profits. But her true nature draws unwanted attention from the church...
Based on a light novel series about the travels of a medieval merchant (Spice) who encounters and befriends a pagan harvest deity named Holo (Wolf). The story forgoes the traditional sword-&-sorcery adventure element to focus on how people lived and did business during the Middle Ages. The novel series (written by Isuna Hasekura) won the Silver Prize in the 12th Dengeki Novel Awards.
Recommended Release: THORA
Comments: A rather unique series, focusing on medieval trading rather than knights and armies. The characters are quite well developed, and the art is beautiful. The "trading theory" is sometimes a bit too fast to follow though.
Review: Not yet.

Summer Wars
Type: Film
Genres: Action, Comedy, Virtual Reality
Synopsis:
Koiso Kenji, a eleventh-grader math genius who works in the summer as a part time computer technician for the virtual world of Oz (imagine facebook a handful of decades in the future), is invited by the most popular girl at his high school to her expansive family’s home for a summer job. In the middle of their trip, a hacker infiltrates the network and takes control of Oz, plunging humanity into absolute chaos.
Recommended Release: Unlimited Translation Works/Tomodachi
Comments: Beautiful art, interesting characters, great action and an interesting perspective on the future. What more can you ask for?
Review: Not yet.

Toaru Kagaku no Railgun
Type: Series
Number of episodes: 24
Genres: Action, Comedy, Highschool, Super Power
Synopsis:
The plot, set before and during the same time of the events of the Toaru Majutsu no Index light novels, deals with the adventures of electromaster Misaka Mikoto, one of the Level 5 espers and the third most strongest in Academy City, and her friends, Shirai Kuroko, a Teleporter and Mikoto's roommate, Uiharu Kazari, Kuroko's partner in Judgment, the city's public safety committee and Kazari's friend, Saten Ruiko. The anime tells the lives of these four friends and their adventures in Academy City.
Recommended Release: Chihiro
Comments: Great art and animation, interesting characters and a well developed plot. I didn't like it as much as Index, mainly because of the lighter atmosphere and because I think Misaka Mikoto is not as interesting a lead role as Kamijou Touma.
Review: Not yet.

Toaru Majutsu no Index
Type: Series
Number of episodes: 24
Genres: Action, Comedy, Highschool, Magic, Super Power
Synopsis:
Kamijou Touma is the weakest of the weak in Academy City, a place where people with paranormal abilities, so-called espers, study to increase their power. One day he finds a girl hanging over the railing of his balcony. She says her name is Index, and claims to be a magician. She is being chased by other magicians, who wish to obtain the 103,000 grimoires locked away in her head - all the volumes on magic that have been outlawed. Touma takes it upon himself to protect her, and in doing so involves himself in the ancient struggle between science and magic.
Recommended Release: Coalgirls
Comments: Quite fast paced and action packed, with a somewhat dark atmosphere, but brilliantly mixed with great humour and delightful characters. Not the best anime I've ever seen, but probably the one that is most fun watching.
Review: Here

Toradora!
Type: Series
Number of episodes: 24
Genres: Comedy, Coming of Age, High School, Love Polygon, Romance, School Life, Slapstick
Synopsis:
It's a new school year and Ryuuji Takasu discovers that not only is he in the same class as his best friend, Yuusaku Kitamura, but also Minori Kushieda whom he's had an undisclosed crush on for quite some time. Along with the two of them comes the "Palmtop Tiger", tiny Taiga Aisaka and Minori's best friend. Despite her small stature, Taiga takes nothing from anybody and is secretly in love with Kitamura. Ryuuji and Taiga, despite their oil and water relationship, agree to mutually support each other in their quests for their hearts' desire.
Recommended Release: Coalgirls (BD has been announced)
Comments: Once again a good mix between romance and humour, with some unexpected twists to boot. Has some great bittersweet moments, and generally doesn't follow the expected storyline.
Review: Not yet.