The Rough Guide to Anime's top 50

Irresponsible Captain Tylor, Ranma 1/2 (season 1), Captain Harlock, Blood the Last Vampire (so many movies and they didnt mention this) GTO, Kimagure Orange Road, Trigun. Theres seven anime series right there that completely and utterly destory Lain and Champloo. Paranoia Agent is badass but I wouldnt put it on a top 50 list, you can easily put any of the series I mentioned above it.
Eh, no one gets hot and bothered, its more face palm, or at least for me it is. I like it when people make top 50 lists cause its always interesting to see what others think qualify as some of the best in something so expanisve as japanese animation. This list is werid cause its just a lot of Miyazaki films and OVAs (some of them not even that great). In the future if anyone does a top 50 list they should just have the word Miyazaki's films scribbled in the top 5 ^^, no point in cramming all his movies in a short list.
 
The Trigun and GTO anime series, better than Samurai Champloo? Arguable, especially in the case of GTO, which ended fairly poorly. And I like both of those shows, a lot. In fact before the animated series fell apart near the end, I probably would have agreed with you, Ajax. Utterly destroy Samurai Champloo? Hardly. The fact that none of us can agree with the list or each other further proves how subjective it all is.

Lain, I haven't seen, along with several of the series you mentioned. I'm in the middle of Captain Tylor, however, so I'll get back to you on that.
 
I think it's a perfectly respectable list and while I argee with others on the sentiment that certain anime like One Piece, Dragonball, Sailor Moon and Gurren Lagann and Death Note should be on there and don't hold it against this list for not being on there.
 
Yeah, Id have to agree with you, its way to subjective. But I still say the list is bad, all are good shows/movies listed no doubt but I could easily replace at least half of those titles listed with better ones.
 
I'll consider DBZ a contradiction but it has a far more important place in anime's history than FMA or Evangelion. FLCL isn't as significant as Evangelion but I find it to be a considerably more intriging show. If any "hip with America" anime should make the list I'm all for FLCL over EVA.

I just love One Piece, I realize it has flaws but I still my favorite show and I'd put it on any top 50 anime list, heck I'd put it on any top 50 cartoon list. In Japan it's considered one of the best in the US it got a raw deal.

BECK, Gurren Lagann and Baccano may or may not have been well exposed to the otaku in America but to the general audience they are often overlooked. Gurren at least got on Sci-Fi but that didn't really help it stay on DVD shelves so while otaku might praise it I'd consider it not very visible to the public eye in America. Not to the extent that Bebop, Evangelion, FMA or even Champloo have been. Mind you I didn't scoff at Ghost in the Shell despite it being in the same boat because I respect that series' (movie's) quality. Bebop I respect but never really cared for. Evangelion I clearly do not respect on the same level as the majority but I do understand it's popular and will remain so. From a quality aspect... I think it's tripe, entertaining tripe perhaps but tripe none the less.

I used to have a great deal more admiration for Fullmetal Alchemist but it didn't hold up for me. It deals with relgiion and racism in a unique way but I get more emotional value out of One Piece. I cried when the freak'n boat burned in that show. That speaks volumes for the atmosphere it can portray. I thought FMA was pretty awesome when I saw it the first time but for me to consider a show worthy of a top 50 list it's got to have more replayability. I really don't feel it has that.

I've never seen Mind Game or Night on the Galatic Railroad so I haven't and wont comment on them.

Of course these lists are subjective. I'm just sick of seeing the same shows all the time. While Japan hasn't been putting out many really fantastic new shows lately they have put out some and I'd like to see them get some spotlight for once but they'll always play second fiddle to Evangelion and Cowboy Bebop on American top anime lists. What I see on this list is the usual all time classic movies (and a few modern ones which I appreciate), some old school shows which may or may not truely deserve to be considered top 50 material anymore and what I call "Adult Swim" anime (EVA, FMA, Bebop, Champloo) of which I find a lack of FLCL surprsing. At least Bleach isn't on the list... or Naruto. I'd have to break something if that were the case.
 
Perhaps. But from the looks of this list they weren't going for just importance in anime history, but also western critical acclaim. Quality is completely subjective, but generally I see Eva and FMA getting more critical acclaim than DBZ (though Eva of course has it's fair share of detractors, so I'm speaking generally here). And despite DBZ being a popular and beloved series in Japan and America, the reception has always been really mixed.

I think FLCL is fascinating, too; I'm actually suprised it didn't get a place on thel list. But I don't think FLCL would ever make a top 50 anime list over Eva. It hasn't had the impact that Eva has had.

I'm sure to a "general audience" that, yeah, Beck and Gurren Lagann don't ring a bell, but, then again, I don't think Lain or Gankutsuou would either. They're not anymore overlooked than a bunch of series on the list if we're considering the general audience. And general audience aside, BECK, Gurren Lagaan, and to a lesser extent Baccano aren't the best examples of truly underappreciated series in the American anime fandom. Just look at the glowing reviews of BECK and Baccano at ANN and the pages of feedback that generally agree with the praise. And I still don't understand why you're trying to peg as Gurren Lagann as underrated. It's practically hinging on overrated right about now.

So...you're being a bit hypocritical here. You like GitS, so you didn't scoff at it. You don't like/care about Bebop or Eva, so you do scoff at them, despite them having as much reason to be on the list as GitS. And your favoring of One Piece over FMA...well, you really can't expect lists to play to your personal tastes, can you? It seems like you expect some anime to be on the list just because you're fan of them.

That's understandable. The thing is, though, that despite you agreeing with the choices or not, there's certainly a lot of reason behind them being on there. I don't agree with every choice on the list and certainly have some series I'd suggest, but I can understand (and respect) just about every show's reason for being on the list-- whether I like them or not. Expecting new Japanese anime to get on an American anime list is kinda a stretch, though I don't necessarily disagree with you.

Well, here's something we can agree on!
 
I think the book's author is from the UK - FLCL may be hip with America, but it only got its British release last year. Eva, though, that's been available since the cro-magnon era.
 
Oh it's a UK author?

Then that makes a lot more sense. Much of what I would have liked to see on the list hasn't even aired in the UK.

Well yeah... when I like shows and think they're incredible I often enough do expect them to be on top lists.

And yes if I don't care for certain shows (whether I still respect them or not) then I don't think they should be on a top list but I can understand why they're there. I just want to see some different stuff. Since this is a UK author I see why more of those would have fallen through the cracks.

Now as far as critically acclaimed goes. How many times was DBZ hailed as the greatest action cartoon ever made? That should count for something if FMA, Champloo and EVA make the list.
 
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