McHawkson

To be fair, the anime was created in late 1990s which most animes looked like that way - same with Berserk.

I thought Cowboy Bebop series too short and ended aduptly. If they continue couple more episodes, it should be better series.

mordaane

I probably seen about 50% of what you listed. I have lot of Anime ready to watch and it will be interesting to see how much my Top 10 list changes.

mordaane

So...? Kenshin was created around the same time period and I love it. It would take a miracle for that series to ever drop out of my top 10. It comes down to enjoyment and I can't honestly say I enjoyed Cowboy Bebop. Berserk was nothing special but it was watchable for the most part. I seriously doubt I would have any interest in ever watching Cowboy Bebop or Berserk again. I couldn't honestly recommend either series if someone asked me...but that is just me. There are too many other Anime series out there that I have enjoyed more.

Seriously, if at least 10 years of Anime has been made since Cowboy was released...Do you honestly believe it to still be one of the better Anime series out there?....I don't think so...I don't honestly see how most could still believe it...Shrug. I don't see how Cowboy Bebop is Top 10 worthy...or even Top 25. I honestly could name 25 Anime Series I enjoyed more easily. I might be crazy but I challenge everyone to take their copy off the shelf and wipe the dust off and watch it again and honestly tell me they can't name at least 10 series that they enjoyed more than that...Its overrated to me...call me crazy.

VamPirateXXX

I'm not trying to pick on you at all or anything, as everyone is entitled to their own opinions, but most of your overrated list would fall on my favorites list. I've never actually sat down and thought about a Top 10, but Bebop would definitely be at the top of such a list. Evangelion is definitely up there as well, though I had to watch it a few times to fully appreciate it. I liked Trigun a lot though I doubt it would make my Top 10, and Escaflowne is definitely one of my favorites. Outlaw Star is also one of my most enjoyable shows. Lain took some getting used to, and I almost gave up on it, but ended up liking it in the end. Hell, I even liked Neo Ranga, and I think I'm in a minority on that one, though it slipped a lot towards the end.

And then there's Rahxephon which I can't even understand how I made it through. I didn't care for it from the start and I kept telling myself it would get better, but that never happened. I've tried twice to watch Berserk, since the premise appeals to me, and a lot of people have told me I'd like it, but I don't think I've made it past the fifth episode.

I also know our tastes aren't all that different, since I too really like Samurai Champloo, Death Note, Azumanga Daioh, Last Exile, Ghost in the Shell, and what I've seen of Bleach.

A couple you didn't mention that I'm sure would fall somewhere on my list are Kino's Journey and Boogiepop Phantom, though neither one has all that much action, so I don't know if I could actually recommend them to you.

mordaane

Overrated does not mean its bad in every case. It just did not live up to the hype for me. As for Cowboy Bebop I did watch the whole thing and go this is it? I get more entertainment value from a Bleach filler then I ever will from Cowboy Bebop. It just didn't work me and doubt very much that I will watch it again any time soon. I haven't enjoyed one Spaced based Anime so far. Maybe I hold them a step higher than the rest because of Lensman. Who knows but outlaw star and cowboy bebop just did not work for me. I was able to at least finish cowboy bebop...outlaw star...no such luck.

Evangelion...this series is honestly overrated and might even fall under my horrible category. I have no problems arguing about it too. Every aspect of this show is overrated...the humor, the love, the fighting...heck even the penguin etc. In fact, its because of this series is why I can't stand most Anime involving Mecha/Giant Robots. It didn't make much sense on top of that to me. Fortunately, a series like Gun Sword has given me some signs of hope for this type of Anime.

Lain...I will be honest. I was going WTH is going on the whole time. It was too hard to follow for me to enjoy. My sister claims its great and I am convinced she is personally nuts. She tried to explain it to me but I have this blank stare with drool coming out the side of my mouth.

Trigun...I couldn't get over the main character. Always acting goofy and lacked any sense of realism. The guy reminded me of a looney toon. How I am suppose to believe he is the real bad @$$ when he could of been extra on roger rabbit. Seriously, he might as well used that toon gun...it might of been watchable then...hehe . I honestly believe Gungrave put this series to shame and actually enjoyed something as ridiculous as Grenadier over Trigun too.

To be honest anything in my top 10 and honorable mention list is a series that I personally enjoyed. Those on the overrated list...not so much. If I had to pick the one I enjoyed the most it was probably Escaflowne but I felt it didn't have any replay value and the main character lacked confidence and it never seemed like he had the upper hand in any battle. The great and mysterious powerful Escaflowne getting handed to it every time...and the repair service that mysteriously appeared in the sky....well every show has a flaw or two.

Boogiepop Phantom is on the to watch list but my sister has already warned me that I would likely not enjoy it since it is made by the same person who made several other series that I haven't enjoyed but I like to give every show a shot.

Kino's Journey...I honestly can't comment on it. I don't own a copy of it...yet!

McHawkson

No, I don't think you're crazy. As you see, I didn't put Cowboy Bebop in my top 5 - however, I would recommend to anyone with certain taste.

Really, it's no problem that you feel that Cowboy Bebop is overrated. I was under attack by several anime fans when I labeled Nadia is overrated.

McHawkson

Interesting... I thought Neon Gensis Evangelion is stupidest and mind-fucking series I have ever seen. People thought it was best, but not to me.

Lain is interesting, also a mind-fucking series - I gave it a OK series, but not a replay value.

mordaane

I couldn't have said it better on this one. lol

Abe.

I felt the exact same way until the show started to get serious and extremely dark. Vash is goofy for a reason, and it's worth the wait to get to it.

Boogiepop is another show that's worth the price of admission if you have the patience to wait for it.

I haven't seen Grave of the Fireflies or Now and Then, Here and There get mentioned. I don't care who you are, Grave of the Fireflies will make anyone break down, no matter what.

McHawkson

Grave of the Fireflies is pretty good movie and very touching and very sad at same time.

Abe.

Opps, I meant to say that I no one's mentioned the movie in this thread... I've seen it

The ending really got me, even-though they tell you what happens in the end, right in the beginning of the movie.

Krelyan

As someone who would probably rate Cowboy Bebop as one of the top anime series I've seen, I feel somewhat inclined to defend it. No, it doesn't have a sweeping, epic narrative, but the show has oodles of style, is well-animated , has interesting characters and a fantastic musical score. All of these factors meshed well that the sheer entertainment level is through the roof in my view. I also found the episodic nature lends itself to a high replay value and a more mainstream appeal; a refreshing contrast to most anime which seem to relish their niche status.

I actually prefer the old cel-animation to the current digital techniques. I'm not sure if it's nostalgia or whatnot, but there's just something that I find more... charming? I'm not sure what show's age has anything to do with its quality.

But what the hell do I know... I also thought Evangelion and Berserk were top-tier. ;P

Maxflier

Guess i'll throw some lists up as well.

Favorite shows:

1) Cowboy Bebop
2) .Hack//Sign
3) Initial D
4) Najica: Blitz Tactics
5) Samurai 7
6) GTO

Favorite movies:

Kite
Cowboy Bebop:The Movie


Most overrated This list isn't going to win me any friends, but here goes:

1) Akira
This was actually my introduction to anime, I fucking hated it then and i fucking hate it to this day. I find it to be very uninteresting and just plain retarded to be honest.
2)Grave of the Fireflies
People always bring this one up and talk about how sad it is or whatever but it honestly did nothing for me. And I have gotten emotional watching anime before, just not this one.
3) Trigun
I only actually only made it about 5 episodes in to this one, it was just goofy and could not hold my interest at all.
4) Rurouni Kenshin
It was an ok series, but wayyyy too drawn out, should have been a lot less episodes instead of stretching battles across several episodes.
5) Last Exile
Thought this show was ok at best, no idea why it gets so much praise.

Currently watching:
Peach Girl & Master Keaton

There are tons of series I own but haven't watched yet, but here are some of the ones at the top of my queue to watch next:
Black Lagoon, Le Chevalier D'Eon, The Count of Monte Cristo, .Hack//Roots, Hell Girl, Scrapped Princess.

mordaane

That is your call. Defend Cowboy all you want. I honestly can not even remember the Music from Cowboy Bebop. Interesting characters? Outside of Ed there was not anyone remotely interesting to me.

The age reference is referring to the massive amount of Anime that has been released since Cowboy Bebop...and how a lot it is just flat more entertaining then Cowboy Bebop is...to me at least. I don't believe this anime lives up to the hype. To me its like its living off its reputation of its old days.

Sweet Baby James

You gave up on the show before one of the best characters in all of anime first appears. You should continue the show just to watch the episodes that feature Nicholas D. Wolfwood.

I'm a little surprised about some of the hate for some of the milestone shows of anime, but I guess one man's treasure is another man's trash. I'll have to go through my collection and post an updated best/worst list.

Sweet Baby James

I must say that I find this most surprising. You honestly cannot remember Tank! or The Real Folk Blues. IMO, Yoko Kanno is the finest composer in anime.

McHawkson

So, you don't have the list/DVD Profiler? I kept tracking on what I have seen (anime only) on Excel.

Sweet Baby James

I do it old school style, I look and see what I have on the shelf.

McHawkson

True... however, I rented lot of animes through Netflix - it would be harder to remember which I have seen. Plus, I got over 700 DVDs and roughly 1% of them are anime series.

Krelyan

The fact that people still talk about it is a testament to the show’s “evergreen” status. I think the notion that many only enjoy Bebop because they think they are supposed to or because it’s a classic is disingenuous at best.

fujishig

Yes, when Vash gets serious later in the series, it picks up quite a bit.

I'm curious why someone would list Trigun as overrated because the main character is too goofy yet secretly a really good fighter, when they list Kenshin as a favorite, and the premise is very very similar.

Of course, I also loved Rahxephon, so what do I know?

I thought .Hack//Sign was pretty boring (barely made it through). Samurai 7 was also a bit lackluster after a certain point... just seemed to plod along.

However, I think sometimes my opinion of certain series depends on the time and mood I'm in while watching it, and also how "new" it is. It may not make any sense, but when I get really behind on a series I'm collecting or behind enough to just go ahead and pick up the boxset, I tend to marathon them all at once, and sometimes that lessens my enjoyment of it because I'm just trying to get through it.

Also, the nostalgia factor plays a big part, as does watching something in light of where the anime industry (and the domestic anime industry) was at at the time it was released.

One series that I love that hasn't been mentioned yet is Giant Robo. It took FOREVER for the last few eps to come out back when it was originally being released, but it's still one of my favorites. There are many, many series that I have yet to watch again (so why do I buy them then? I dunno), but that one I can watch over and over.

Maxflier

I can certainly see how people would find it to be boring. I think a big part of why I love that series is because i'm a long time MMORPG player and I think that helps relate to it more if that makes any sense.

McHawkson

^I'm starting watching .hack//Sign via Netflix.

They're made by same company that made Madlax and Noir, correct?

Liontamer

I felt exactly the opposite about Trigun. I enjoyed the more light-hearted earlier episodes. I thought it disappointed toward the end when they started focusing on the big story and it got convoluted and much less interesting. But then again, I feel that a lot of anime tend to fall apart or fizzle out toward the end, especially when they start to focus on a "big story" for the show.
As for favorites, mine has long been Ronin Warriors.

Maxflier

Yeah, Bee Train.