This is a masterful survival anime that really plays with the thought of What would you do if that will happen to you? And the moral choices that are needed to make in order to survive, or would you choose death in order to retain your values?

It's also great at showing what happens to people when they are brainwashed from childhood to have a mentality of servitude and really don't know any better. How can you find freedom when being a slave is all you know from childhood? How can you find freedom when you don't think you deserve it due to the sins you committed?

'Disguising itself as a typical mafia-related action anime, this series was actually an in-depth, close-to-the-heart story about the loss of identity and its psychological consequences on people. While not as dark and explicit as Gantz in its portrayal of human nature, it was an emotional roller-coaster witnessing the main character's life and his pursuit of freedom.' -TeHP1nkSh33p

'...amazing series I consider it one of the best 8 hours and 40 minutes I have ever spent with an anime series. The story is one of the most well written I have seen in a while...' -white21962

The dub is great!

This is a great series that has remained at the top of the charts due to their amazing story that has managed to perfectly balance action, comedy, a meaningful plot with great character development. It is also one of the very few animes that actually has an ending, and one of the best endings of any story!

If you are wondering if you should watch  FMA or  FMAB, or both, well, the truth is that in order to get the full manga story you'll need to watch both for the best experience, especially if this is your first time watching. Just follow the watching guide below:

Fullmetal Alchemist - Watching Guide

FMA story is about redemption, trying to fix their mistakes while FMAB is about learning to stand by yourself and don't depend on magic or miracles to fix your problems.

FMA is better at the first part, which FMAB, condenses too much to get the same emotional immersion. FMA ending is ok, FMAB ending is outstanding, but in my opinion, both stories are worth watching. FMAB closely follows the manga.

Both stories have themes of war, crime, scientific progress, the real value of life, and taking responsibility for your actions. These series are a must-watch and I think everyone will enjoy them.

Differences with Brotherhood (Contains Spoilers)

The dub is excellent for both series.

Watch at the end of Brotherhood. These are good side stories, some expand on events that were not shown in the series, including backstories of 'The Teacher' Izumi, Mustang's & Hughes' past.

The dub is good.

Side story, not in the main timeline, but its an ok watch. It's best to leave at the end of the Brotherhood series and consider it independent of the main story, since it takes what we knew about the way philosopher's stones worked, and rewrites it, rather than adding to it. Is for this reason some people don't like the movie at all.

The dub is good.

This is a series like no other, it's truly a masterpiece with the capacity to turn the mundane into extraordinary thanks to the clever witty dialog. The storytelling plays with the timeline jumping back and forth, this is intentional to keep you wondering what kind of events transpire before and increase your curiosity. The art of the animation is on a class of its own, bombarding you with visual information and is really something to be seen. You may need to keep a finger on the 'pause' button to watch this one and that is part of the experience, lol.

The events are presented from the perspective of one character, and just with the information that you need to focus on the story that is being told. Each chapter focuses on a different character, causing the events to overlap and you learn a little more of the 'big picture' that really happened during these events, piecing the timeline together. This will be more evident as you progress through the series since Bakemonogatari is almost chronological, but you'll still wonder how did all begun. if you enjoy Bakemonogatari you'll love the rest of the series for sure.

However, I should say that it does have a good amount of perverted jokes, violence & gore, don't let that dissuade you from watching this great series, but it's definitely not for kids.

There are many orders you can potentially watch this series, but Release Order is recommended for maximum enjoyment, as it builds the tension better (although Kizumonogatari was released much later I prefer the order on this graphic). I also found it has great rewatching value in Chronological Order.

This anime deserves a Dub!

Next Chapter of the Story.

Next Chapter of the Story.

Next Chapter of the Story and one of the best, if you don't mind a little violence & gore.

This is the prequel to Bakemonogatari and chronologically the first chapter of the whole series. It could be left to watch in release order, after Koyomimonogatari, but it was originally released earlier, after Bakemonogatari in the novels, so this is a good place to watch it based on this graphic, as this is the end of the first season, and the events of Kizumonogatari have been constantly referred to in the past chapters but they won't be referenced as much in the upcoming chapters. I'm also sure that at this point you are dying to know what happened!

Next Chapter of the Story.

Next Chapter of the Story.

Next Chapter of the Story and one of the best seasons, here is where the timeline really starts to get scrambled but that is also part of the greatness of its storytelling.

Next Chapter of the Story.

Next Chapter of the Story.

Next Chapter of the Story.

Next Chapter of the Story.

This contains small side stories that will convey context for what's to come and help you understand some of the ideas behind the series. The last 2 chapters are a must watch, as they are part of the main story.

Next Chapter of the Story.

Next Chapter of the Story.

I recommend you to watch it without fillers for a better experience:

Fairy Tail - Watching Guide

Fairy Tail story is all about friendship, spiced with good comedy and action fights that are often based on opposing ideologies or different ways to achieve the same outcome, which is often contrasted as they fight to find the better path, but nothing too philosophical in that regard, the message is simple and as easy going as the series itself. Forgiveness & atonement also play a big role throughout the series. It has many likable characters and even secondary characters get their moment to shine, which is a testament to the friendship theme as not many series can keep a balance with 15-20 characters that feel as relevant to the series to the main cast, really bringing the Fairy Tail Family into fruition. That is its mastery!

I read some bad reviews from people that don't seem to like shounen but still want to see a shounen anime...? So, stating the obvious, if you don't like shounen then this series is probably not for you. Like most shows, it has its flaws, but the good parts make you forget them right away. Do yourself a favor and give it a chance!

Definitely watch the Sub! The dub is barely ok, the JP version is way superior, especially in the voices of Lucy & Happy. The Latin dub is not good either.

Continuation of the story.

However, I strongly suggest you skip the pointless filler episodes 202-226 (27-51 of the second season)

Fairy Tail - Watching Guide

Continuation of the story.

Extra Mission best placed between episodes 201 and 202 (26-27 of the second season), but like most anime movies, it's probably best to watch at the end of the main story.

This anime was a little bit ahead of its time as evident by the use of flip phones behaving as if they were smartphones and the way they use Social Networks. It's a good suspense adventure with an easy going feeling, comedy & romance. The story is always moving forward with a clever progression of events and perhaps the best part is the creativity they use to solve the problems coming to them from different angles while keeping a cool head, always looking for an alternative approach that will make them successful with what they want.

The dub is good.

Continuation of the story.

Continuation of the story.

This anime has an amazing over the top art-style that is a feast to the eyes with the use of bright colors and wild camera angles, this alone is reason enough to give it a try, furthermore, the story is well executed, even if is something we have seen before.

'Redline promises you 100 straight minutes of awesomeness. Redline's ultimate objective is to entertain you. It's common senses - entertainment should be enjoyable, and yet we often see series or movies that fall flat. Redline aims high, and it succeedes.' -sacchi

The dub is good.

This is by far one of the best anime music videos from the 2000s with amazing visuals that go in an eternal loop from screen to screen, telling the different character's stories, and a story from different perspectives, all mixed together with awesome music. They really embraced the anime format and use it to its full potential.

This is an excellent music video with instrumental music that perfectly matches the abstract story, the visuals are amazing and entertaining.

Summer Wars has a clever plotline that mixes family matters with sci-fi-game action, using collaboration as its glue to overcome all obstacles and treats, as well to try to bring together a broken family.

'For a movie of about two hours, the time flies by, just like a summer vacation. At the end, you’re left thinking, “Aww, it’s over?” and yet you feel satisfied. The story exemplifies the good old beauty of linear storytelling, intertwining two parallel narratives into a durable, multi-colored piece of fabric. The substance of one adventure strengthens the other.

Summer Wars revels in its paradoxical glory. I didn’t know it was possible for me, as I was watching, to be wringing my hands in nervous curiosity yet at the same time feel such a sense of warmth. If I could choose any anime work that could be more appropriate for the twenty-first century, it would be this one: The film is at once both pertinent to the times and resplendently nostalgic.' -babyeinstein12

The dub is good.

This is a good Sci-Fi anime with lots of mystery, and somehow you get the feeling the answers to many of these mysteries are givien within the story through many clues. However, its not a complete story and a sequel may not be made, as it departed the manga. Even so, the journey is worth watching and the anime has a good balance of comedy, romance, action, mystery and sci-fi.

The dub is barely ok. I prefer the sub.

This is a great adventure that takes you to a really creative and imaginative world, reminiscent of Spirited Away.

'One of the nice things about Oblivion Island is that its based on a concept that is both very simple and very familiar. Everyone has, or knows of, something that may have been treasured during childhood, something that has become lost or forgotten along the way, and everyone who has lost something will wonder where it went. It's to the credit of writers Adachi Hirotaka and Sato Shinsuke (who also directed the movie), that they were able to use this premise to create a tale that is both charming and wondrous.

Oblivion Island is also no slouch when it comes to animation. The characters move well, and possess some of the most emotive features and faces I have seen in 3D animation - ever. Creatures and vehicles also move in a very fluid manner, and while there are moments when the action is nothing short of dizzying in its complexity, the quality of the visuals is nothing short of superb.' -Archaeon

The dub is ok.

This story uses 'Synesthesia', which is the ability to use more than one sense to understand the world a little better; as a possibility for human evolution. However, it also points out the darker aspects of being weaponized and human experimentation to develop it. This makes for an interesting plot with good action, suspense, conspiracy theories and some comedy in between to lighten the plot. Another interesting aspect is the rivalry between the main protagonist and the villain who keeps asking how Canaan will use her power to stop her, but you'll have to watch the series for the answer.

The dub is no good, the sub is far superior.

Everyone has objects that are meaningful to us, objects that have a story behind it, what if we have a way to 'view' that story? This is the premise that forms the base of the story in this world and the execution of this idea it's much better than what it sounds.

However, the anime is not free of faults with some plot inconsistencies and although the arc concludes on the second season the main story is still incomplete. Also, some people may not like the excessive sentimentality of the characters, but at the very least, the series is a nice departure from the classic anime setting and plots.

The story deteriorates greatly due to filler episodes, so I would suggest watching without them:

• Watch Episodes 1-11 (To be honest, this is the best part of the whole series, it won't get better after this, but it will retain a decent level of quality)
• Skip Episodes 12-13 (Episode 13 may be canon but it's not that good)
• Watch Episode 14 (this is mostly filler, but its also an introduction to a new character and it has a good piece of classical music)
• Skip 15-20 (These are single deliveries of low quality)
• Instead of Episode 17, I recommend watching Letter Bee: Light and Blue Night Fantasy, which is the same story but it was done better on the OVA.
• Watch Episodes 21-25
• I'm not sure how much is filler on the second season, but the story is part of each episode.

This anime deserves a Dub!

This is the same story as Episode 17 of the First Season, however, it was done much better on this OVA. You can watch instead of that episode or at the end of the season since its a stand-alone story.

Continuation of the story.

'Tokyo Magnitude 8.0 examines both extremes of human nature, from selfishness and utter panic, to unfathomable kindness and generosity. Very rarely can one series invoke such despair at the state of mankind only for it to be quickly restored with the smallest of actions. Without a doubt the show’s central theme is that of individual strength' -cassiesheepgirl

The dub is good.

Knights of the Zodiac (Saint Seiya) - Watching Guide

This is a well-deserved prequel to the popular 80's epic-saga Knights of the Zodiac (Saint Seiya), if you haven't watched that you'll probably want to start there as it's the better story and still worth watching today, despite the age. Furthermore, this show kind of expects you to know the world and what's going on. You'll enjoy it better that way as you can watch this with a fresh mind and still enjoy it but it can potentially spoil the original series in some respective aspects. Follow the watching guide above.

'Obviously in comparison to the original series, Lost Canvas cuts right to the last story arc. Not only is it a prequel, it's a very excellent addition and extension to the original source material.' -ParaParaJMo

The story includes lots of mythology, but it's mostly about human endurance, not just physically, but from the heart. How do you keep the focus on your goals, how do you reach them, how far will you go for something you believe in? These are some of the questions the characters try to answer as they fight and what gruesome, tough fights they have.

Continuation of the story.

This story is from Nahoko Uehashi, the author of Seirei no Moribito, among other works, and as such it has the same feeling and setting of slice-of-life in a fantasy world. The story takes us on a journey with themes of the interdependence between nature and humans, the love of animals, cultural & race discrimination and lots of curiosity from the main protagonist that let us learn about her world.

'There is certainly a strong environmentalist message here and of course the language is pitched mainly at children, but despite that, Kemon no Souja Erin never becomes a trite pro-animal rights show. By tying in human conflict with animal welfare, the series controversially implies that true social harmony means not just forming bonds of understanding between humans, but between humans and the natural world as well. Perpetual peace amongst people remains a mere theory without the security and happiness of the beasts. While not new, this argument is far rarer than the one that simply says 'harming the environment is bad' or 'harming the environment is bad because it causes natural disasters', which is about as far as Moribito goes.' -VivisQueen

'Kemono no Souja Erin is a wonderful, wonderful anime for those of us looking for stories about conquering overwhelming odds, joy through sorrow and meeting the hardships of life head on. If you agree then do not hesitate to get your hands on this show. Well worth it.' -OnLittleFeet

This anime deserves a Dub!

On the surface, this underrated anime has the same composition as many fantasy stories, but at a deeper level, is a story that invites us to re-evaluate our laws, our values, the work of people in power and even the preconceptions given to us by ancient religions. It does so by making it clear that the laws not always serve its purpose and need to be adjusted, by showing we cannot follow authority blindly, and by swapping words that usually mean good & evil to show those concepts cannot be defined by words alone, but we instead need to understand those concepts in order to create proper laws, put the right people in charge and construct a fair future.

The story mixes different mythologies including the Ages of Man, the Legend of King Arthur, the Bible, and elves, fairies, and dragons, twists them a bit and makes a retelling of the history of humanity from the times we were given fire.

'By far one of the best anime shows that I have ever been fortunate enough to watch. All aspects of the series were outstanding the story, the animation, and characters all played a vital role in making this anime great. I could see no negative part to mention in the show and therefore gave it a perfect 10/10.' -iamanimelover2

The dub is terrible, watch the sub if you really want to appreciate this show.

More than a sports anime, this is a romance anime in a baseball setting. Its slow pace but surprisingly good and entertaining and well worth its length of 50 episodes.

'Without spoiling too much, the other thing that makes Cross Game so spectacular is the two people above. Complex, flawed, not entirely honest with themselves or each other. They become incredibly real as the story slowly progresses. Kou, especially, is Adachi's greatest creation - a seemingly normal kid dealing with unusually harsh circumstances, his intelligence, courage and competitive spirit is slowly revealed over the course of the story.' -GuardianEnzo

This anime deserves a Dub!

First off, if you haven't watched any Dragon Ball series then you may want to start at the beginning with the original Dragon Ball, which is the prequel to this one, however, the mood of the original show was more light-hearted, with lots of comedy. Z it's more serious and about fighting, it's a classic show that changed the whole anime industry for the better and inspired several manga artists.

I still recommend the Original Z over Kai, I think the initial fillers help expand the story and create more suspense. However, I recommend you end it right after the Cell Arc and move to the new and improved 'Dragon Ball Z Kai: The Final Chapters (2014)'. This is the Majin Buu Arc, the Original Z just go crazy with the fillers and the quality of the story decreases considerably. It is way more comprehensible on the new version as it follows the manga.

Kai is essentially a re-edit of Dragon Ball Z. The major changes are:

• Follows the Manga more closely
• No fillers :)
• Its censored with lots of violence tone down
• High Definition Format, however, the frames were not expanded, so depending on the version you watch will be either widescreen but cropped, or in the old TV format 3:2 (not widescreen)
• A Better Dub
• New Musical Score (Some may say this was not for the better)
• Here is a more complete list of the differences

A good reason to watch Kai is if you already watched the original series, then Kai becomes a condensed version that goes straight to the best moments if you can forgive the violence tone down.

The dub is great!

Continuation of the story.

I'm not a fan of the genre but decided to give this one a try for the popularity and high rankings, it is indeed a great romance-comedy, although it may have been better with fewer episodes and can't recommend the second season which just drags on. I'm sure many will disagree with those statements. It also gives many insights by contrasting the introverted and lively personalities of the main characters.

'Only rarely does a series break the mold its genre has cast for it and even more uncommonly does it set itself apart from all others. Such is the case with Kimi ni Todoke. It takes all the classic shoujo romance stereotypes and plot devices and flips them on its head leaving us with a thoroughly rewarding and groundbreaking romance.

...This is how more romance shows should be done and is not to be missed by anyone who likes the genre in even the slightest bit. It really doesn’t get much better than this one.' -EDFF

This anime deserves a Dub!

This is not perfect, but still good. Is mostly a survival story with a 'wake up in a new world' kind of format and a video game feel. It's the type of movie you watch for the non-stop action more than the plot.

'Overall, this movie is a pretty good post-apocalyptic sci-fi thriller. While rushed and some of the characters fall flat, the story and idea itself are creative and gripping for at least two thirds of the film. With partially great animation, great twists, surprising action, interesting characters and stunning vocal tracks, this movie is pretty memorable and appealing. Once you get past its flaws, it shines a bit more than once thought.' -LizardLaw974

The dub is ok.

This underrated anime is a typical shounen anime but with a clever setting and a surprisingly good ending. The animation is good and the action is almost non-stop as the events unfold fairly quickly.

It's not perfect though, a lot of people seem to get lost on the intricates of the world, hence the low reviews.

The dub is ok.

'Guin Saga is the longest continuing single-writer's work in the world with total circulation exceeding 28 million worldwide.' -Wikipedia

And has served as inspiration for Berserk and very likely Utawarerumono. This is perhaps not the best adaptation, but its the only adaptation to date in anime format. The anime only adapted the first sixteen volumes of the novels, and by being just the first act, the story feels inconclusive at the end.

'Guin Saga is not the sort of anime you would expect to see with modern storytelling. And this is no surprise as it is based on a story format of the 70’s epic fantasy way of showing things. This is why it has a retro appeal to it very reminiscent of old epic movies like Conan the Barbarian or Krull. If I could describe this series in game terms, I would say it’s like a standard 2nd edition D&D campaign, with rather stereotypical characters, kingdoms at war, armies of thousands clashing, random encounters with monsters and full of the cheesiest dialogues you can probably think of. Still, it can still be entertaining besides a nostalgic trip to times past as the artwork is good and the flow of the story feels compelling on a basic level. 

...it has the best looking pseudo medieval western fantasy of all anime to date. The feeling of epicness is all over the place, fitting a marvelous (albeit generic)fantasy/adventure world.' -roriconfan

So to summarize, this anime is not perfect and its storytelling & personalities are dated, but still offers great value, especially for Fantasy & Adventure Fans.

The dub is great!

This is a smart anime that takes a look into crazy dangerous people and instead of making them realize they are crazy, they make them see their mistakes in reasoning within the confines of their craziness. It's pretty good.

'Overall, Denpa Teki na Kanojo is an excellent OVA for suspense lovers, and viewers who like series with a darker mood. The engaging plot, pacing, and character development stand out, making this an OVA certainly worth sampling.' -Wanginator

This anime deserves a Dub!

This is a decent slice of life OVA with themes of connecting with people and healing loneliness.

This anime deserves a Dub!

This will be good for fantasy-medieval fans, for everyone else I'll say to give it a try but it may be just an ok show. It has a message of family, civic responsibility, redemption, and letting go of a painful past. Unfortunately, the story is left somewhat inconclusive and a second season hasn't happened yet. Overall, its an easy fun show to watch. 

The dub is ok.

The film is set between the Thriller Bark Arc and the Sabaody Archipelago Arcs, you should watch after episode 429, or anytime afterward.

This is a good movie if you like One Piece, not part of the main timeline, hence it's not canon. Oda personally supervised the production, created the film's original story and over 120 pages of rough drawings, so the quality is quite good. Even so, if you consider it from the point of view of the main story it creates many plotholes and discrepancies, so it's not more than a filler arc after all. However, it does convey the feeling of friendship & trust from the series.

Little East Blue Arc: A special filler-arc consisting of four episodes: 426-429, that was made to lead up to the movie. It's only ok at best and it's not necessary to watch this before the movie as the connection is weak.

Episode 0: This adapts the manga's special "Strong World Chapter 0", which shows how things were before & after the death of Roger. It's not too great but offers more information about the villain. Although its a prequel to the movie, featuring the events that lead into the movie and giving a backstory for the villain, I recommend you watch it after the movie, as it may be a little boring if you watch first, and the beginning contains some battle spoilers for the movie.