I have been reading Manga and watching Anime for as long as I can remember. I am not even sure when I officially started. I do know that I have grown to love Anime as much as any genre of television. When I am not absorbed in my latest Role Playing Game conquest you can usually find me watching Anime. The following list of Anime shows are my personal favorites.
Dragon Ball Saga (Original, Z, GT)
I know, I know it's probably cliché at this point to including Dragon Ball anything on any list related to Anime or Manga but I can't help it. The story of Goku is likely one we have all seen a million times by now but it remains the most popular Shonen property for a reason. The action was edge of your seat type stuff, and although nobody died for long (except Krillin and Yamcha) you wanted each character to shine.
Full Metal Alchemist: Brotherhood
The first Full Metal Alchemist Anime started before the Manga had wrapped up so at around the half way point it completely diverged from the source material and gave us something less than the sum of its parts. Full Metal Alchemist: Brotherhood was something rare. A complete Manga retelling without compromising anything. Better than the first Anime adaptation in every way, the story of 2 young state alchemists is told without flaw.
Maison Ikkoku
By far my favorite romance Anime of All time. In a nutshell it's a story about a loser who meets the love of his life and the story of a female manager who tries to forget the love of her life. With a unique (and somewhat crazy) cast of characters around them, it was a complete Manga adaptation that I think was even better due to some stellar orchestrated music.
Mushi-Shi
Unlike most Anime who tell a complete story through arcs, Mushi-Shi was very episodic. Not that it was a bad thing, just different. The story of a doctor who heals (or tries to) the ailments of people suffering from paranormal beings is one I won't soon forget. Not only was the animation quality top notch but the art direction really inspired the music to be chilling, somber, and exciting all at the same time.
Martian Successor Nadesico
Started the Anime inside an Anime Concept to great success. Not your average Mech anime it combined humor and drama with great effect. The story has many twists and turns but what seems consistent is everyone loves the main character, Akito.
Neon Genesis Evangelion
This anime probably gave me more WTF moments than any other Anime I have seen ( and I have seen a lot). Truly an innovator and groundbreaker in the field of sci fi Anime, those who watch it are never quite sure what they watched. It takes 2-3 Watching's to really understand everything. While the last 2 episodes of the anime are terrible and confusing due to budget constraints, the movies do a good job of connecting the dots.
One Piece
A grand adventure with super human pirates. What could go wrong? Over 600 episodes now with no signs of slowing down, this show melds humor, sadness, action together in such an amazing package. I really hope the show goes past 1000 episodes. Of course some arcs are better than others but the characters are so different, the straw-hat crew being the standouts, it's hard not to want to join them on the quest for One Piece.
RahXephon
Probably the most under rated on my list, but I just loved it. The art, the story, the characters, everything was in balance. The story of a world incomplete, we are taken to the farthest reaches of the human spirit ( or lack thereof).
Ranma 1/2
The Anime was a pretty poor adaptation of the Manga, so why would I put it on this list? It was just fun. The martial arts aspects were so wacky and weird, and then there was the whole transformation aspect of the show. But it's the ensemble cast that really breathes life into the show.
Kuroko No Basket
My newest obsession. Anime can make any sport seem good to me IE Prince of tennis and Hajime No Ippo. However it is Kuroko no Basket that has addicted me to no end lately. Its combination of traditional basketball with Shonen super moves seems odd at first, but the show is really fast pace and well done. Season 2 is about to start up.
What are your favorites? Please let me know in either the comment section or my personal twitter @Stealth____ .
Happy Viewing,
Stealth