1/25/09 - 5 most original anime

[Cetonis]

We did the 5 most cliche anime some time back; let's try out the opposite this week and go with the 5 most original anime.

A couple things here - first, we should probably think in terms of the present; if we were going to vote for, say, the very first harem anime because it was original at the time, then it'd be a fairly simple matter to just try and list the earliest series of any given genre and be done with it. No fun in that.

Also, let's try and limit the voting to series only. By my experience, movies & oavs (that aren't tied to a series anyway) tend to be artistic/unique/original the better majority of the time. At the very least, originality is far from an uncommon feature to have. If we just wanted to effectively list the most popular movies/oavs, it could be done another time.

Keeping those things in mind, Happy Voting ^_^

**Voting Closed**

The top 5:

Koi Kaze
Gantz
Death Note
Kemonozume
Princess Tutu

Thanks for voting!

[samshadow999]

Ok well hopefully these are quite original, i could be talkin ****, but this is what i think

1. Higurashi no Koro Ni

2. Monster

3. Death Note

4. Tengen Toppa Gurren Lagann

5. Elfen Lied

[valondar]

Originally Posted by Cetonis

A couple things here - first, we should probably think in terms of the present; if we were going to vote for, say, the very first harem anime because it was original at the time, then it'd be a fairly simple matter to just try and list the earliest series of any given genre and be done with it. No fun in that.

That would kind of leave us with the original anime whose example wasn't followed, though, wouldn't it? There's practically a genre of psychological robot shows, but there likely wouldn't be if not for Neon Genesis Evangelion.

Also this is indeed hard to do without movies or OVAs for the reasons you so obviously stated. Everything that immediately came to mind for me was a movie, an OVA, or a short.

Gankutsuou: The Count of Monte Cristo - A sumptuously animated version of a classic French novel set in a space opera future which is somewhat more faithful than that sounds and also adds a more obviously tragic twist to the proceedings. Oh yeah and there's mecha!

Cowboy Bebop - There's a pick sure to elicit near universal groans. I'm thin on ideas but on the other hand it is basically a jazz session / western / science fiction / noir series. 'The work which has become a genre unto itself', indeed.

Kemonozume - A black comedy which is also sometimes light slapstick or just random absurdities, whenever it isn't actually taking its plot about elite samurai monster warriors seriously (and it does do so on occasion). And what distinguishes it from many, many weird things - including the rest of Yuasa's ouevre - is that it's just as happy outlining the serious business of the plot as it is just throwing random stuff on the screen for the heck of it. So maybe its originality isn't really the show's greatest strength but there you have it.

Koi Kaze - Take incest. Treat it as a matter of serious emotive and completely unjudgemental drama. And you're good to go.

NieA_7 - You have a slice-of-life about a money-strapped college student living in an equally impoverished bath-house and having to deal with a loafer. Also the loafer is an alien. Also there's some existentialist whatnot themes. And it's a slapstick comedy. So we're beaten over the head with silliness before reverting to soulfully introspective slice-of-life stuff and so on. Again perhaps original because it has a mixture that doesn't really fit.

[Cetonis]

Originally Posted by valondar

That would kind of leave us with the original anime whose example wasn't followed, though, wouldn't it? There's practically a genre of psychological robot shows, but there likely wouldn't be if not for Neon Genesis Evangelion.

Very true, but once again if we just wanted to list the anime that started their genres, there wouldn't be any real need for a vote. And I'm sure you know that not every good idea (rather few of them, actually) reaps enough raw popularity for others to decide to mimic it down the road.

[alexander]

If the anime is an adaption, can it count as original? Most mentioned so far are, and I say save them for "most original light novel" or something.

[Lyzl]

Death Note: I know this one is going to be strikingly popular, but no other anime gives off the same vibe to me as death note, it's one of a kind and strikingly original in plot line compared to the average shonen anime.

Paranoia Agent: The themes and style of this anime are quite original imo, and there aren't many anime out there quite like it. I think in it's entirety it's quite the original experience.

The melancholy of haruhi suzumiya: I know, I know, so popular, but haruhi's charm is unparalleled, and it's an experience no one can forget. The only anime I know to use a non chronological order as well.

Higurashi no naku koro ni: If you've seen this, you know what I'm talking about when I say that this is original. The use of the arcs, the brutality of the show, and the overarching mystery create a new experience for the viewer.

GANTZ: How many main characters can die in one episode and it not seem ridiculous, normally 2-3 would be quite high, but GANTZ brings this number to epic proportions. The structure of this show is one to remember, and there is little out there that follow it's unique path.

[sarwor248]

Honey and Clover It follows the characters for several years, and unlike other romantic comedies, there are no wacky coincidences keeping the plot going.
The Melancholy of Haruhi Suzumiya For obvious reasons.
Revolutionary Girl Utena It's hard for me to think of something to compare this to.
Princess Tutu Ballet, faity tales, and a duck.
Welcome to the NHK! Never seen anything else like it. An anime about the kind of people who are obsessed with anime.

Edit: I can't believe I didn't vote for Princess Tutu initially.

[ParaParaJMo]

1. The original Mobile Suit Gundam

2. Jojo's Bizarre Adventure

3. Death Note

4. Aura Battler Dunbine

5. Wangan Midnight

[Pidjiken]

Higurashi no Naku Koro Ni

Mobile Suit Gundam

Melancholy of Haruhi Suzumiya

Gantz

Paranoia Agent

[valondar]

Originally Posted by alexander

If the anime is an adaption, can it count as original? Most mentioned so far are, and I say save them for "most original light novel" or something.

Bah, the only straight anime adaptation I mentioned was Koi Kaze. Gankutsuou was original by virtue of the odd manner of its adaptation. None of them were light novels anyway.

You're entirely right, of course, using anime which is a faithful adaptation of another source can be seen as spurious. But since I can only use non-imitated anime series for the 'original' moniker, I tried to stick to stuff that is at least original in the anime world. Otherwise I couldn't come up with five titles, it's a very cannibalistic thing.