Anime, simply stated, is animation that comes from Japan. As mentioned above, most, if not all, anime is weird in some form or another. Like a lot of the other things I've discussed so far, it's gotten a somewhat bad rap from mainstream culture(interesting sort of pattern developing here, don't you think?). A lot of people have spoken out against it, citing that it's violent and pornographic. I won't lie, there are some anime that are like that. However, that's just one small part of it. It's like saying all American movies are pornographic and violent. Those who oppose anime are really only looking at one facet of the medium. In Japan, animation is not looked at the same way as it is over here. In Japan, animation is for everyone, and as such, there is anime to suit anyone's taste. There are comedies, romances, action, sci-fi, anything you can think of. Over here, it's more or less considered to be for children only. We're slowly, painfully moving away from this view, but it'll probably be a while before we see anything other than children's anime on western TV. Anyway, what follows is a list of various anime, and what I have to say about each of them. My tastes and opinions may not be shared by you, but since this is my page, we'll talk about what I like. ^_^

Record of Lodoss War
    One of the first anime I ever watched(I'm not counting Astro Boy or Kimba the White Lion here), This 12-part OVA(Original Video Animation) was one of the things that originally got me hooked. It's the story of a young warrior named Parn, and those who join him along the way, and their attempts to save their homeland, the island of Lodoss, from destruction. The plot takes a few twists and turns, and will sometimes surprise you, but it's an excellent fantasy adventure. I highly reccomend it to anyone who enjoys high fantasy. And they say you can't amount to anything from playing Dungeons & Dragons....

Slayers
    Another fantasy-type anime, though where Lodoss War is Tolkien, Slayers is Pratchett. It stars a petite, fireball-lobbing sorceress named Lina, who steals from bandits and pretty much keeps their treasure for herself(What were you expecting? Giving to the poor? As Lina would say, "That's so stock fairy-tale."). She's joined by the mercenary swordsman Gourry, who, while a very skilled warrior, is blisteringly naive, as well as a few others. This series switches between serious and silly frequently and suddenly, which only adds to its humor value. Whether they're fighting demon lords or just trying to get a decent meal, the Slayers are always good for a laugh.

The Guyver
    A bit older than some of the titles mentioned, though still good, is The Guyver. It deals with ordinary high-school student, Sho Fukamachi, and his not-so-ordinary discovery. One night, Sho discovered a strange disk-like object, a Guyver unit. The unit merged with Sho(There's no other way to describe it, really), and became the Guyver. What this means, basically, is that when Sho calls for the Guyver, he becomes a nearly-idestructable armored warrior, with superhuman abilities, and all kinds of cool weapons. The downside of all this is that the Guyver units are being tracked down by an evil corporation known as Chronos, who have an army of genetically engineered monsters called Zoanoids at their disposal, and they'll stop at nothing to get their hands on the Guyver units. Sho, as the Guyver, can handle most kinds of Zoanoids with no problem, but unfortunately, Chronos is not above using Sho's friends to get to him. This story is pretty dark, mostly, but it's a good story, and one you should check out if you're into the modern-day sci-fi sort of thing.

Bubblegum Crisis
    First, an explanation of the title. What it basically refers to is the point when a problem becomes so large, things will either collapse or explode, much like a bubblegum bubble. Set in 2033, in a city called MegaTokyo, it deals with the problem of androids known as Boomers, which sometimes go berserk and start tearing up the city. There are basically two groups who deal with this threat. The AD Police, who are often bogged down by the bureaucracy and are not well-liked by the general public because of the property damage caused by their fights with the boomers. The other is a group of four female mercenaries, called the Knight Sabers, who have access to technology which allows them to take down boomers more easily than the AD Police. The public doesn't really like them either, as they're quite secretive. The Knight Sabers are the main protagonists of the story, though a few members of the AD Police figure rather prominently. They fight the boomers, and more importantly, the company that builds them, Genom. Another evil corporation, they've got their own agenda and pretty much run the show in MegaTokyo. The AD Police and the Knight Sabers know that Genom is corrupt, but their PR is too good for them to be able to prove anything conclusively. It's a good sci-fi, cyberpunk story though, and comes reccomended to anyone who likes that, and especially to fans of the movie Blade Runner, which it borrows from, so I hear.

Ranma 1/2
    Here's a strange, but funny, little show. It's star is a teenaged martial artist, Ranma Saotome, who, due to a weird Chinese curse, turns into a woman when splashed with cold water, requiring hot water to become male again. As if this weren't bad enough, his life is further complicated by four girls who want to marry him, and three guys who want to kill him. Add to this meddling fathers, a perverted old man, a large number of people who perform any number of bizarre martial arts styles, spirits, spells, curses, magical items, princes, and a whole bunch of other general weirdness, and you're starting to get the picture. It's a sort of romantic action-comedy which manages to be quite charming and very funny. There is true love in the midst of all this chaos, though whether or not the protagonists will ever find it is anyone's guess. I can't really say for certain what type of fan this will appeal to, so I'll just say that if any of what I've just said appeals to you, check it out.

Rurouni Kenshin
    This story takes place in Meiji Era(1800's) Japan, and stars a Rurouni(wandering Samurai) named Himura Kenshin. Kenshin fought in the civil war called the Bakamatsu, and was instrumental in bringing about the age of peace that came with the Meiji Era. But Kenshin, who was then known as the Hitokiri Battousai(first among assassins) was tired of killing. In fact, he swore never to kill again, to simply use his skills to protect himself and others. He took up a sakabato(reversed blade), which was made to fight without killing, and became a wanderer. Until he met Kamiya Kaoru, the head of a sword school that held similar beliefs, and agreed to stay at her dojo for a while. This is where the story of Rurouni Kenshin begins, and many adventures are had from there. By turns funny, dark, sweet, and action-packed, this is one of my most-loved titles. Kenshin is a very likeable hero, who neither looks nor acts much like a master swordsman, until you cross him. The supporting cast is just as good, and the villains are well-written and very interesting. I highly reccomend this to any fan of the samurai genre, or any anime fan in general.