Best serious non emo teen angst anime?

[pwnagesarus]

+1 for Gungrave

Samurai Champloo is also very entertaining... similar to Cowboy Bebop, with good music (IMO), lots of style and a mediocre story.

 

[DominionSeraph]

I personally like shows that are strange and transport you to a completely different world. Think Mononoke.

Is Puella Magi Madoka Magica anything like that?

No. And I ain't gonna be able to explain it.

If there's nothing in the magical girl genre for you, forget about Madoka. But if you could watch (with even passing interest) two or three episodes of little girls going about their lives, then WATCH IT.

Seriously the best show I've seen in years, and that is by no means limiting to "cute." (or even in fact referencing it).

 

[dawp]

Rin: Daughters of Mnemosyne
Black Butler
Blood+
Mushi-Shi
Claymore
Witchblade
Samurai 7 (based on the '50s flick 7 Samurai, which is considered one of the best films of all time)
Heroic Age is pretty good, based on greek mythology, tho it does have some elements that you listed as 'no'.

 

[Zorander]

No. And I ain't gonna be able to explain it.

If there's nothing in the magical girl genre for you, forget about Madoka. But if you could watch (with even passing interest) two or three episodes of little girls going about their lives, then WATCH IT.

Seriously the best show I've seen in years, and that is by no means limiting to "cute." (or even in fact referencing it).

Madoka was pretty good but not what I consider an all-time classic material (Princess Tutu is far better in this regard). And yeah, it's nothing like Princess Mononoke either.

I'm watching Hanasaku Iroha and I'm growing into it more than I have for Madoka.

 

[sdifox]

Appleseed?

hollyshit, the whole Trigun series is now 23 dollars? I paid more for each dvd...

http://www.amazon.com/Trigun-Complet...5911150&sr=8-4

gungrave BRD

29...


http://www.amazon.com/Gungrave-Comp...PM/ref=sr_1_62?ie=UTF8&qid=1315911522&sr=8-62

 

[DrunkenSano]

Cowboy Bebop
Afro Samurai
Samurai Champloo

 

[Malak]

Trigun or Cowboy Bebop. Is Ghost in the Shell somehow ruled out?

 

[sdifox]

Trigun or Cowboy Bebop. Is Ghost in the Shell somehow ruled out?

*NOT serious as in over the top philosophical mumbo jumbo why are we here are we all robots, we are all gia gia is we hippie acid trip wet dream stuff. There is a lot of this shallow shit out there and I hate it.

 

[rasczak]

better idea, as much as I love anime, you need to do the following:

1. Put shoes on
2. open door
3. step outside said door
4. take a hike

 

[Malak]

*NOT serious as in over the top philosophical mumbo jumbo why are we here are we all robots, we are all gia gia is we hippie acid trip wet dream stuff. There is a lot of this shallow shit out there and I hate it.

Trigun isn't shallow shit.

 

[sdifox]

Trigun isn't shallow shit.

I was referring to Ghost in the Shell. and op's dislike of pseudo-philosophical mumbo jambo

 

[Liet]

Ghost in the Shell: Stand Alone Complex is great, and while thoughtful, it's layered and full of rich complex storylines. It works on quite a few levels and is probably the most "adult" anime I've seen.

 

[dawp]

Ghost in the Shell: Stand Alone Complex is great, and while thoughtful, it's layered and full of rich complex storylines. It works on quite a few levels and is probably the most "adult" anime I've seen.

the whole Ghost in the shell Franchise is excellent, including SAC:2nd Gig

 

[Maleficus]

Mushi Shi
Berserk (Violence but amazing)

 

[Wordplay]

Highschool of the dead

 

[Terzo]

I recommend House of Five Leaves. I watched it streaming on Hulu, but I'm not sure if they still have it (or if it's part of Hulu plus), as that was around a year ago. Maybe two, I can't remember.

Anyways, going off memory, the art style is atypical anime. The setting is feudal Japan, but it's mostly centered in one village, with a relatively small main cast (around five or six characters, I think). Technically the main character is recruited by a gang of thieves, but there is very little focus on fighting.
I'd say the focus of the show is character development and interaction, but that's only because I suck at description. I don't think the show is everyone's cup of tea, but it certainly is unique.

12 episodes, by the way, so it's not that large of a time sink...I don't know if that's something you want or not though.

 

[Aikouka]

Highschool of the dead

I wouldn't expect that the op wants an ecchi fap-fest. Although, the best part of that anime is when they played John Murphy's song at the end of episode 1! If you don't know which song I'm talking about, then you must have never seen any of the movies that he's done music for as it's used in about every one.

 

[bfdd]

Best part of that anime is the scene in the elevator... "Buuuuuuuuurandon!!!"

That shit is tight as hell.

Seraph, Azumanga Daioh! is the only anime about little girls worth watching.

 

[Spikesoldier]

i think Welcome to the NHK will be a good eye-opener to you and relevence to your life.

 

[M0oG0oGaiPan]

bible black

 

[Fayd]

Bakemonogatari
Eden of the East
FMA Brotherhood
Gankutsuou
Gosick
Katanagatari
Spice and Wolf
Steins;Gate
Fractale

annoying that you only want serious anime.. i rather like nonsensical stuff.

you just ruled out excellent stuff like

Sayonara Zetsubou Sensei
Arakawa Under the Bridge
Baka Test
Hayate no Gotoku
Maria Holic

etc...

 

[torpid]

Fullmetal Alchemist is a good recommendation; just one caveat: stick with it. At first, it seems like a collection of random nonsense, but it does become more inter-woven.

 

[QuantumPion]

Cowboy Bebop

 

[Duder1no]

Kaiji: Ultimate Survivor

I'm no anime fan by any means but I just saw the 2 different series and I was hooked right from the start, watch it you won't be disapointed.

 

[Malak]

Claymore?