Anime That Survived

Since a while back (suspiciously near the time I started reading Homestuck), my interest in manga and anime has waned considerably. On the other hand, I suppose you can say my standards have gone up, and I no longer buy any low-quality, high-price crap just for the sake of "starting a new series!!1!1!1!"

It's not as if I've completely disowned my old favorites, though. Here's one of those nifty lists!


DOGS: Bullets and Carnage - Favorite no. 1 right now. Still buying the manga. Still looking forward to the manga. Still crying tears of blood because new volumes of the manga are released so seldom. This is really great, I promise. Quick plot summary: The lives of four individuals are intertwined in the frightening underbelly of a dystopian city. Lots of gunfights, fantastic characters, unsettling, intriguing. Genetic manipulation. Mob themes. Augh. It's amazing. 7 volumes are out so far. There are 4 OVA:s that tell the same stories as the oneshots in the prequel volume. GOGOGO!!! I'm creating a massive anticlimax here for anyone who won't like it

DOGS's Badou Nails and Heine Rammsteiner

Durarara!! - Originally a light novel series, which I haven't read since it's not translated. I've only seen the anime, but dang is it a good anime. Heavy urban atmosphere and a broad cast of wonderful characters are Durarara's strengths. Add to that some flying vending machines and a headless motorcyclist and you've got some great surrealism right there. Open ending due to the series being ongoing, but that's a small problem in the great scheme of things. Bonus: I think I have most of the opening and ending themes on my iPod.

Godchild (Earl Cain series) - The twisted, tragic tale of a young Victorian earl and those closest to him, Godchild was an early favorite - dark shoujo at its best. Psychologically gruesome, bloody, and based heavily on fairy tales altered for the worse, it's morbid but piquant, and very, very touching. The prequel series, which is much older, isn't as good and can be recommended mostly for the story gaps it fills in. The eight volumes of Godchild, though, are lovely.

HE is WAS THE PERFECT MAN

D.Gray-man - One of the more generic series I used to love, and one of the most flawed. The manga is constantly changing its art style, the anime is chock full of fillers, and none of the characters have very much depth. But I really adored it, have some great memories from it, cosplayed Road at a convention, and even considered making an Exorcist coat (I never sew. Well, except for parts of that Road cosplay). And then there's the story of my crush on Lavi. Even as I mercilessly shipped him with Kanda, even as I knew that he would never exist on a physical plane, I was unconditionally, irrevocably, and very sugoilly in love with him. You think I'm joking but I'm not.

Black Butler (Kuroshitsuji) - I'm considering buying the published volumes of this that I don't have, because Black Butler really is a good series. Similarly to Godchild, it revolves around a young(er) earl in Victorian England and his butler, but it's funnier and has more demons. Literally. As you may know, the title's über-butler is actually a ... devilish sort of creature, and the goal of his service is to eat his master's soul. The anime has a different storyline, and watching it was lots of fun - especially the controversial second season. There were a lot of feelings about that.

Legal Drug - A discontinued CLAMP series that ... that seems to be continuing again??? (BRB, finding a reliable source for scans!!!) With the exception of the annoying storyline of the third volume, which was 90% putting the cute male lead in a dress, Legal Drug is a lovely series both art- and storywise. Two young men with supernatural gifts work at a drug store, whose owner sends them out on missions that only they can complete. Atmospheric little oneshots and hints to a greater backstory combined with massive amounts of gay subtext quickly made this one of my favorites. Pity there are only 3 volumes. CLAMP, y u no consistent.

Fujoshi Rumi - Ahahahaha, oh lord. This comedy about a crazy yaoi fangirl, her best friend, and two hapless boys who somehow got roped into hanging out with them, is Better Than It Sounds. Besides great art, giggly parody, and a high definite relatability factor, Fujoshi Rumi was (ironically) home to some of the only het love stories that I've really, truly rooted for in years. Publishing stopped after volume 3, as did scanlation, and the rest are available only in French. I'm actually really upset about this.

Hahaha seriously she's really cute

There are other series I've liked a lot (Fullmetal Alchemist, Hetalia, xxxHOLiC, Death Note, Skip Beat!), but this list has included the ones that have been near to my throbbing bloodpumper muscle. All the hat-tips.

OK, now to plan the order of rereads...