[Aether]

I'll list the anime that I enjoy and some of them I don't like so much. If people think they are interesting they can look into them.

Favorites
FLCL
First up, FLCL. Definitely one of my favorites by far. This anime is able carries such a strong story, great music, and so much meaning which can be found throughout it. One of the greatest things about this anime is the wonderful script in it; some lines just amaze me by how well thought out they are and how wonderfully they fit into this show. Every time I watch this, it is like a scavenger hunt to see what I missed before. It just keeps pulling me back. And that is saying a lot in itself being that I rarely watch anime series more than once.

Now, there are many people out there who will tell you this anime is just randomness thrown together without a purpose, but there is reason to the madness. Everything has a purpose in this anime, things just aren't put in for the purpose of taking up space and that is why it is so great. When watching this anime I constantly find myself searching for what is the meaning behind a particular object, a particular line, a particular scene. This anime is by far my favorite to analyze, and even though it only has 6 episodes it has so much more meaning than countless other animes out there that last for 20+ episodes. This anime is filled with so many great morales, is wonderfully produced, and best of all it is extremely entertaining. This is a must watch for those who haven't seen it, and a must rewatch for those who didn't understand it the first time.

Kino's Journey
The next anime on my list is Kino's Journey. For those who don't know what it is about, or haven't heard about it before it is the story of an adventurer who travels to countless countries in a strange world. Each country is like a city, possessing its own unique culture, customs, and technology. Each city Kino stays in gives the viewer a new perspective on the world. It is wonderfully well made and just like FLCL, so many meanings exist in this story although they may be slightly more evident for the purpose of the story. This is great anime to watch if you are one searching to be able to see the world from a myriad of view points, and also which to obtain a short lesson of philosophy on life. I highly recommend this series.

Haibane Renmei
Next up, Haibaine Renmei. This anime also follow suit to the type of animes I like being that it is so unique and fun to contemplate. It tells the story of a world where angel like humans mysteriously appear and disappear without reason, living their own unique of life. When I watch it, I find myself faced with so many of the questions the daunt us all. It asks the eternal questions of where does one come from, and I'm not referring to a biology lecture either, more so where does one's essence, being, soul originate from. Why is it that we are we? And what is there to meet us when we finally disappear? Once again, this is another great anime for one who likes to analyze and contemplate. It is wonderfully made as well, and although the plot moves at a rather slow rate, it keeps you entertained. I highly recommend this anime.

Mushi-shi
After seeing just the first episode, I could tell this was a fantastic anime. The first thing I noticed was the art. It has some of the best art I have seen in any anime series. It truly draws one into the world of the anime. Also, even though the plot was very laid-back or easy going so to speak, it keeps one's interest. This anime is able to successfully create a believable alternate earth. The explanations for why the mushi do certain things are very understandable and so are the ways to resolve the problems they cause. This show also is able to successfully portray humans as they truly are; imperfect. Nobody in this anime does everything right, even the main character has made a few mistakes. This anime also touches on many physiological issues, such as right vs wrong and why people do certain things in general. All in all, even though this anime moves slowly, it does it in an almost peaceful or tranquil manner that is highly acceptable. I regret not seeing this till recently.

Lets see now, some other animes I really like include:
Honey and Clover(Both Seasons)
This anime is truly the best slice of life anime I have seen. It really is amazingly good at characterization. Each character you come to know, and their personalities come to life. It is also really funny while Morita is there. It can become kinda dull and slow when he goes he isn't in a few episodes, but keep watching. I guarantee you won't regret it. When I had finished watching this series it really felt like I had learned, so many of the life experiences which the characters learned. Anyone looking for a great slice of life anime, with some great morales needs to look no further. Honey and Clover is the best you will find.

Tengen Toppa Gurren Lagann
When I finished watching this anime I was truly amazed by how much they fit into this series. It is really epic in proportions. It is a great story of human will and perseverance, and how one can truly accomplish anything if they put their mind to it. Everyone should give it at least one watch. While the mechas may look strange, I guarantee it is truly a great anime.

Miyazaki's Films
I think these deserve their own place is my list for Miyazaki is truly a genius of story telling, and each one of his movies stand above the norm. Some of my favorite movies of his include:

Princess Mononoke
A great story of Man vs Nature, with a great morale that follows suit. It is truly inspirational, and gives one greater appreciation for the world around them.

Spirited Away
Another one of my favorite Miyazaki films. While it may not provide the morales and meanings which Princess Mononoke, it is still good in its own right by having an excellent story.

Shinkai's Films
Another great anime director whose films are truly great. While Miyazaki is more well known to western audiences, I see Shinkai as somewhat of a hidden gem. I list my take on some of his films.

5 Centimeters Per Second
This anime tells the story of a boy and his relationship with a girl, and how they slowly become more and more seperated as time goes on. It does a really great job of showing the affects that time has upon our lives. In addition to plot, it also has some of the most amazing art I have ever seen in an anime, truly awe-inspiring.

The Place Promised In Our Early Days
I saw this one after learning it was also done by Makoto Shinkai, the director of Byousoku 5 Centimeters, and I was not dissapointed. I was very glad to see the fantastic art remaining in this anime as well. A great story, and an all around very well made anime.

Some honorable mentions go to:
Death Note
A really great story, and I believe it was able to show that the line between right and wrong isn't always so clear.

Full Metal Alchemist
This is another one of my favorite animes. I felt that it had a really unique and interesting story and character development was also very good. A great watch.

The Melancholy of Haruhi Suzumiya
I'm not really sure what made me like this anime. It just found it unique and enjoyable in its' own sort of way. (The music on episode 12 was a big plus also)

Serial Experiments Lain
This is one of my favorite anime. And I wish to say more, but I could find myself typing up a short paper explaining the complex themes found in the story. It is truly a must watch for fans of psychological and philosophical
shows.

As for anime I dislike:
I really think the worst animes are those that fail to have a point or take far too long to make one.

Naruto(Both Series)
After watching through so many Naruto episodes, one comes to realize that they really don't have the quality that so many other anime possess. Like the saying goes, quality over quantity. I can understand people not wanting a series to end, but the best stories are those which are told without the added fluff. Where everything is important and things aren't dragged on forever, and ever, and ever... I do find the characters in Naruto interesting; however, it's just that it takes forever for anything to happen. I think of Naruto Shippuden as an example. I was hoping it would be a little better compared to the first series, but with that first story arc and the amount of time it took for Naruto to play leap frog with trees chasing after people, for everyone to have staring contests and never ending conversations, and to have battles which drag on for far too long, I could have found much better anime to watch and gotten a lot more out of them.

Bleach
Bleach is about the same as Naruto. I find the characters, well most of them, interesting and all, but everything just drags on and on and on. What is the point!?

In conclusion, I'm not saying animes like Naruto and Bleach are horrible, they just truly take far too long for anything meaningful to happen. Time could be much better spent. I'm sure there are a lot worse anime out there too, but if I truly come to hate an anime from a first episode, I don't watch any further.