Board Thread:Off Topic/@comment-2A02:C7D:B40D:1800:C075:E5E6:C882:23C4-20180113163746/@comment-4010415-20180313184626

RaijinRising wrote: 1. SAO's pitfall is that it's character driven in the wrong ways. [...] But the "Getting to Floor 100" or "Getting to the top of the tree" stuff is secondary to a bunch of poor characters. I'll admit that the second season 1 arc was pretty focused on getting to the tree, but it had, again, poor character moments.

2. I'd recommend Fullmetal Alchemist: Brotherhood (though it's rather long. If you can stay in it, it's really worth it.)

3. Ouran High School Host Club wasn't really for me. The conflicts and characters aren't engaging, but if the lightheartedness is for you, it's for you. 1. I actually dropped SAO.

What it promised me: An epic fantasy adventure in a VR MMO where everyone fights to escape, with their lives on the line.

What I got: Lots of timeskipping in the adventures of Marty Stu, as he tells himself he's a lone wolf and meets several girls who fall in love with him because he's a Marty Stu. The fight to escape a VR MMO is just a backdrop.

No thank you.

2. Yes! Personally, I'd suggest Fullmetal Alchemist: Brotherhood over the original 2003 anime Fullmetal Alchemist! Then again, I read the manga and absolutely loved it, so of course I prefer the anime that actually followed that story (Brotherhood).

I actually watched a video where someone compared Brotherhood and the 2003 anime. Unlike the 2003 anime, Brotherhood actually gives more characters more attention, thus letting the viewer get to know them better and care more about them. It also did the Shou Tucker arc better (I agree) by letting us get to see more of Ed and Al playing with Nina and actually seeing for ourselves the relationship they have with her. And the comedy was a bit better set up in Brotherhood. Besides, Brotherhood has Ling Yao, and Greed actually gets more of a role.

3. Ouran High School Host Club is meant to be a comedy that makes fun of harem and reverse harem anime. That was its purpose first and foremost. I actually very much enjoyed Ouran. It's delightfully goofy.

I'd suggest Durarara.

It's a pretty entertaining anime. One of the main characters, Mikado, moves to the Ikebukuro area of Tokyo to go to high school with his childhood friend, Masaomi, who had moved away before they started middle school. He finds out there are some weird and interesting things going on there, such as a mysterious gang called the Dollars and a strange person referred to as the Black Rider who has become an urban legend.

The second season came out years after the first one, due to fans demanding it, and unfortunately, the second season was animated by a different company, so it looks a little bit different. The second season is split into three seconds: Sho, Ten, and Ketsu, in that order.

I'd also suggest Baccano.

It was written by the same person who wrote Durarara (both of which originated as light novels instead of manga, btw!). This one does a better job of "No one is the main character; it's just a group of characters."

Basically, in Baccano, some of the characters are immortal, and as you watch, you find out how they gained that immortality. There are also a few different plot threads that cross each other, and it's really fun to see these groups of characters cross paths.

Though, it's an anime that you have to actually pay close attention to, due to the way that it's set up. It bounces between three different years and doesn't tell the story in order. In fact, the very beginning shows you the ends of the plot threads without any context, so it doesn't really spoil anything.

If you do watch it, I suggest also watching the three special episodes that come after the main episodes because the special episodes help tie everything up and give it more of an ending.