I am a hardcore anime fan. For those of you unfamiliar with anime, it is animation from Japan. This is one technology Japan is way in the forefront of, and I look forward to new shows with insatiable lust. A great percentage of anime has extremely high quality graphics, plot lines with depth, and incredibly original material. If you are one of those people that thinks animation is for kids, think again! Though a lot of anime is geared for children, a good percentage of it is directed at teens and adults. The Japanese seem more liberal than Americans in many ways, so even the shows targeted at teens can be quite satisfying for adults. Here are 5 of my top favorites:

*FullMetal Alchemist: This show is considered by most anime fans to be the best anime show ever made, and I concur. Though the show’s main characters start out as children, I do not recommend you let your little one’s watch it. The show is about two young boys who inherit their father’s alchemical powers. After their mother dies, they attempt to bring her back to life from the dead. This forbidden act has it’s penalties though, and changes their lives forever. This show has it all…excellent plot line, philosophical depth, and very cool fight scenes.

*Trigun: In this space western, Vash the Stampede is one of the most likable anime characters you will ever encounter. Humorous, honorable, and an awesome gunman…Vash rocks! You will truly enjoy following Vash’s storyline, as he constantly is on the run from a sixty billion “double dollars” reward. Everyone in the world is after him, yet it doesn’t seem theres a bullet out there that can pin him down.

*Samurai Jack:This show has a very unusual animation style, but leaves you riveted from beginning to end. It is the tale of an honorable Samurai who was raised to fight his evil nemesis Aku, and save the world from Aku’s evil tyranny.

*Cowboy Bebop: Join 4 bounty hunters is this post apocalyptic space travel series. Humor, action, and a good storyline will keep your interest in this anime show.

*Yuyu Hakusho: If you are really into fight scenes, this is definitely the anime you want to get. This show was created for teenagers, but it has a good plot line, and a decent amount of depth. The demographic on this one is geared for males in almost every way, but don’t be surprised if even your girlfriend gets hooked.

If any of these shows have peaked your interests, you can find some of them on veoh.com(medium quality), stage6.divx.com(high quality), or order them through Netflix. You may find reruns on Cartoon Network or Anime Network, just be sure you catch them in order. Anime shows are almost always epic, so you will want to start from the beginning to really get a grasp for what is going on.

What is your favorite anime?

[tags]anime, Trigun, FullMetal Alchemist, Cowboy Bebop, Samurai Jack, YuYu Hakusho, TV, animation, ShadowMyth, Lockergnome[/tags]