Shounen-ai anime advice? [Archive]

DazzleKitty

July 27th, 2006, 12:48 PM

Loveless and Gravitation are both awesome, in my opinion. Loveless is a more serious story, while Gravitation is more of a comedy.
Sukisho was okay. Some of the episodes were very....stupid. The last few episodes were worth waiting through all the crappy ones.

I would also highly recommend Yami no Matsuei (aka Descendants of Darkness). It's not blatant shounen-ai, but it's very heavily implied and has lots of fanservice for the fangirls. I like it the best out of all the ones mentioned. If you get a chance, you should definently see it.

Kyo Kara Maoh is another one. It's a lot longer though (I think around 70 episodes). It's not officially shounen-ai, but it does have some one-sided loves. It's more of an action-adventure and comedy that's very good and has lots of hints between the fellas.

I haven't seen Gakuen Heaven, so I can't comment on that one. I intend to see it soon.

Mikadzuki Tatsu

July 27th, 2006, 01:17 PM

I second the recommendation for Kyou Kara Maoh. It's not officially shounen-ai--according to ANN, it's classified under adventure, comedy, fantasy, and shoujo--but there are plenty of hints, both subtle and not-so-subtle, of unrequited and requited love between boys. One could say romance (both heterosexual and homosexual) feeds into the backbone of the story.

Loveless was actually the first true shounen-ai anime I ever watched, and while it's not on my list of top shounen-ai series, I still think it's pretty good. (I've a feeling the manga is better than the anime; the end of the anime didn't really feel like an ending.) It definitely has a serious story, though.

oOAllyOo

July 27th, 2006, 03:02 PM

Hm, so Loveless is worth a shot than huh? I was kinda iffy about the show, I had the DVD in my hand the other day, and I decided not to get it because I figured it might suck XD Gakuen Heaven looks interesting though. Ill definately give Kyou Kara Maoh a try, it looks interesting enough, even though its not an official shounen-ai XD; But I thought about decendents of darkness and it seems like a kinda, dark, show. Hm.

So I guess I should be asking than, what should I stay away from, because it sounds all is great except sukisho XP

Milky Mixer

July 27th, 2006, 03:13 PM

I'd go with Yami no Matsuei... it's got comedy and drama and I love the pairing of Tsuzuki and Hisoka. Yeah, it's not blatant BL (or shonen ai), but there's definitely some tension going on between the characters... not to mention Muraki trying to win Tsuzuki's body in a poker game, heh! It's a supernatural series about "agents of death" who are in charge of bringing wandering souls to the afterlife. Hardly a premise for a comedic BL series, but it works! There are 13 episodes, and while I enjoyed the manga, I liked the anime more.

I'd also recommend Mirage of Blaze... it's a beautiful story about two men who are the reinarnations of noblemen from Japan's feudal era, fighting supernatural spirits and the reinarnations of their enemies and so on. Kinda hard to keep up with all of the names in the series, but it's a good one with lots of angst and drama. There are 13 episodes plus a 3-part OAV.

I'll third (or forth... did everyone say this title?) Loveless. Again, fantastic supernaturalish story. I don't know if I quite consider this shonen ai, since the characters in the pairing are a college student and a 6th grader (which weirds some people out... but it's anime, so to me, the age thing really just blurs and to me it seems more like Ritsuka is in high school rather than junior high). The fighting scenes are cool, but there's also some serious drama in this one like Ritsuka's mother abusing him and so forth. It's a really good series and I'd recommend the anime and the manga.

Also, check out Earthian, an OAV and manga series by the same creator as Loveless. It's about angels from another planet sent to earth to judge whether mankind should be destroyed. One of the angels has black wings, which only happens to fallen angels, but he seems to be more of a mutation so there's lots of angst about this and lots of romantic tension between the two partners.

I'm in the minority, but I don't really think Gravitation is deserving of all the hype it gets.

DazzleKitty

July 27th, 2006, 05:51 PM

But I thought about decendents of darkness and it seems like a kinda, dark, show. Hm.

So I guess I should be asking than, what should I stay away from, because it sounds all is great except sukisho XP

DoD isn't really that dark. Yes, some parts are a little depressing, but it has cute and funny moments too. It's not one of those totally unhappy anime series.

Sukisho isn't all that bad. I liked it, just not nearly as good as the others. If you ever get the opportunity to see it in the future, I think it would be a a nice idea.

I forgot Mirage of Blaze. I wasn't all that crazy about it. It's very confusing and near the end it gets to be very boring. The OVA was pretty nice for the shounen-ai part....not for the story, IMO.

I haven't seen the Earthian anime, but I've read the manga and liked it. I wonder how the OAV compares to it?

Milky Mixer

July 28th, 2006, 06:51 AM

I haven't seen the Earthian anime, but I've read the manga and liked it. I wonder how the OAV compares to it?

If you've seen the Tokyo Babylon OAV, you'll have an idea about how the Earthian OAV works, in that it's set within the series but isn't actually an adaptation of anything in the manga - it's more like "new adventures" that take place within the framework of the manga story.

The Earthian OAV has 4 parts... the first two episodes have Chihiya and Kagetsuya getting mixed up in the problems of people they meet (well, actually it's just impulsive Chihiya throwing himself into these situations with Kagetsuya saving his butt and crabbing him out the whole time, heh! I love their relationship). The first episodes involves Taki, the protohuman created by that evil scientist doctor guy from the manga, and the second involves one of the black angels who has been living as a human rock singer in London.

The third and forth episodes are a single story with that evil scientist doctor guy capturing some of the black angels (Elvira's children) and using them to create his own proto-black angel, who of course sweeps Chihiya off of his feet but is also bad news. So there's a bit of a jump in the timeline between the first two and the last two episodes.

I personally really like the Earthian anime and it's what made me scream and hollar for someone to license the manga, but I can see how if you hadn't read the manga just watching this would feel disjointed. It also has a very late 80s/early 90s feel about it, from the clothes to the music, but hey, that's cool with me too. I think if you like the manga, you'll dig the anime. Just watch out for the dub. While I personally like it, except for the tacky attempt at British accents for the London episode, I think others have posted complaints about the dub acting.

Oh, and thee's also a VERY brief bed scene with Chihiya and Kagetsuya... nothing really nasty or anything, but it adds an extra dimension to their relationship, I think.

Plue

July 28th, 2006, 09:30 AM

Gakuen Heaven wasn't that great in my opinon. The artwork and animation was great but there didn't seem to be a plot that could be followed through.

I would recommend Loveless and Gravitation.

Manafairy

July 28th, 2006, 10:31 AM

I'd definately say avoid Sukisho. There's a lot of really stupid mindless fluff, and the characters are way too feminine to the point that it doesn't really feel like you're watching shounen-ai. The actual story isn't original or interesting enough to merit wading through the filler, and the fanservice just isn't sexy

I'll second the reccomendation for Mirage of Blaze, although, if you watch it purely for the shounen-ai, you may be a bit disappointed. The story is excellent and the characters are strong, but there's not a lot in the way of fanservice (although the little there is is awesome). Naoe and Takaya's relationship is more complex than most, and the devotion to actually telling a story outside of "guy meets guy, fall in love, obstacle, make-up, falling out, make-up again, true love, the end" really impressed me (especially being the story is quite good), so if you want an excellent show with a little shounen-ai as an added perk, then you should check it out.

Loveless is great in just about every way, with the exception of the ending and the loose ends. Ritsuka's a bit emo, but all in all, the characters are really likeable (including Yuiko, who I find oddly adorable despite her archetype :wub: ) and the story has plenty of mystery and intrigue.

Gravitation's pretty good if you don't mind the comedy being a bit over the top. The musics great and most of the characters decently likeable, but it's nothing amazing. Shuishi's a bit too girly for my taste (although he's not nearly as bad as the Sukisho dudes), but the fanservice isn't bad. My only real gripe was the silliness being a bit excessive at times, but if that's not a problem, then you'll probably love it.

Yami no Matsuei is awesome ^_^ The characters are great, the fanservice is steamy, and it pulls off its horror/detective/comedy-ness quite well. My only gripe is the lack of an actual kiss, but there's enough fanservice and slashiness to satisfy regardless.

The only other title I can think to mention is Fake, which is pretty decent. The fanservice isn't bad and the story is passable, but I don't know how entertaining it would be if you haven't read the manga, as the OAV simply animates the second volume.

There's not much else I can think to reccomend until you move on to the hard stuff (It happens to everyone eventually ;) ), so hopefully that was at least vaguelly helpful ^_^

DazzleKitty

July 28th, 2006, 10:36 AM

If you've seen the Tokyo Babylon OAV, you'll have an idea about how the Earthian OAV works, in that it's set within the series but isn't actually an adaptation of anything in the manga - it's more like "new adventures" that take place within the framework of the manga story.

I want to thank you for posting all that info. It was quite helpful!

I did see the Tokyo Babylon OAV, and I must say I didn't like it very much. :P However, I think if I would have read the manga first, I would have gotten more out of it. I haven't actually read any of the manga. Since I read the Earthian manga first, maybe I'll get more out of the anime.

FAKE was also another good one, but I think whoever sees it should read the manga beforehand.

Milky Mixer

July 28th, 2006, 10:51 AM

I want to thank you for posting all that info. It was quite helpful!

I did see the Tokyo Babylon OAV, and I must say I didn't like it very much. :P However, I think if I would have read the manga first, I would have gotten more out of it. I haven't actually read any of the manga. Since I read the Earthian manga first, maybe I'll get more out of the anime.

FAKE was also another good one, but I think whoever sees it should read the manga beforehand.

Ironically, I also saw the Tokyo Babylon OAV before I read the manga and I rather enjoyed it, especially Hakuto who was delightfully fun, abrasive, arrogant, and cute. And I really liked the shonen ai element between Subaru and Seishirou. So I was pretty excited to read the manga, loved it, and then got up to - what, volume 5 or 6, and was totally stunned. By the end of volume 7, I found myself holding a real grudge against CLAMP which I still carry to this day... For those who know what I'm talking about, man, that was a major pisser-offer! Fortunately, Earthian doesn't have that kind of betrayal to the characters (and to my emotions, heh!). I say if you've been enjoying the Earthian manga, watch the anime - you'll enjoy it.

My biggest problem with Gravitation (and I admit, I've only seen one episode of the anime and read the first two volumes of the manga) is that the seme novelist guy is such a jerk and the uke singer guy is such a girly geek. I never got why people thought their relationship was so fantastic. It seemed to me like the one guy was just walking all over the other guy and he was so naive and dumb that he just took it. At least when Kagetsuya is calling Chihiya an idiot in Earthian, he's doing it while he's protecting him from crazy gunmen! -_-; I don't know, I just always got the feeling that even though Chihiya got on Kagetsuya's nerves, they had a real bond and a love and Kagetsuya would do anything to protect Chihiya. With Gravitation, I just didn't feel empathetic toward either of the characters... neither seemed very likable. But I know I am in the minority in not caring for this series. Most seem to love it.

oOAllyOo

July 28th, 2006, 01:20 PM

So its an all thumbs up for loveless! XD Thanks for all those suggestions!! :dance: Ill be googling them so I can get a better idea of what theyre about and such. I havnt herd of most of those really.

333jeffery

July 28th, 2006, 05:06 PM

Mirage of Blaze is currently on the Starz!/Plex cable channel, every Sunday at 5pm.....

Yakura Shima

July 28th, 2006, 06:25 PM

Okay, im kinda new to the shounen-ai genre, but its really starting to grow on me. I was wondering if anyone (girls most likely) would give me any advice for good shounen-ai shows out there? Please, no Yaoi! XD Heh.

Like, is Loveless worth it? Sukisho? Gravitation? Or something out there that I may not know about? Any help would be appreciated! :teehee:
loveless!
its wonderful!
it makes me so happy!

Yukito Kunisaki

July 28th, 2006, 10:31 PM

Shouldn't suggestions for homosexual anime be directed towards the Yaoi/Yuri forums? Anywho, I hear alot with Loveless, Gravitation (Saw it, it was ok I suppose), Sukisho, Kyo Kara Maoh, and FAKE. Due to the fact that I follow the complete opposite genre, I am not sure how much it is liked, but there is the Finder series I think. I recall seeing something on demand about upcoming manga and they brought up Target in the Finder. Thats about all I can say, everything else is a blank screen for me.

sykotiq

July 24th, 2008, 12:13 AM

I actually was quite fond of Sukisyo, ep 2 and 3 (around there) REALLY got on my nerves but the story line is actually preety cute and once it starts getting serious it really pays off.

Gakuen Heaven I loved. (especially the twins) It was a little weird and all but what anime isn't. It's deffinatly worth your time.

Yami no Matsui is actually my favorite anime of all time...but it's not very into it really......only implied stuff. My Onee-San has all of the manga in the original languge and all (I think it was actually Korean and not Japaness o.O)
But DEFINITLY worth time....

Loveless was hard to figure out some, but I like it. (I own it on DVD)
The only thing that I could complain of is thatit was not really finished....the manga goes way deeper into it than the anime and me (who has all of the manga out-still missing a book-) Wanted to see how it ended.

Gravitation is part of my wall shrine! (I have a giant poster on my wall) It is weird and annoying sometimes but over-all it's still got the cutest story line (but once again it's an anime that is a desgrace compared to the manga)

I tried watching Earthian and couldn't make myself, I don't know why....
And I'm on harsh search for anouther kawaii shonen-ai to suck my soul into the vast computer screen, but that's all I can think of off the top of my head...;)

That's all I can tell you,

~the Sykotiq otaku <3

fujyoshi

July 24th, 2008, 04:25 AM

you SHOULD check out gakuen heaven its garanteed you will pheel yourself atleast once /no1

Levon

July 24th, 2008, 05:06 AM

you SHOULD check out gakuen heaven its garanteed you will pheel yourself atleast once /no1

That person hasn't even logged in AN in over a year;)

KatayokuのTenshi

July 24th, 2008, 05:29 AM

you SHOULD check out gakuen heaven its garanteed you will pheel yourself atleast once /no1

Is that "feel" or "peel"…?

fujyoshi

July 24th, 2008, 07:17 AM

That person hasn't even logged in AN in over a year;)

what are you tawking about I log in everyday O-o

and thats "feel" to you people :p

Levon

July 24th, 2008, 07:41 AM

what are you tawking about I log in everyday O-o

and thats "feel" to you people :p

:huh:

"That person" as in the original thread starter asking for recommendations "hasn't even logged in AN in over a year". -_-;

KatayokuのTenshi

July 24th, 2008, 08:34 AM

what are you tawking about I log in everyday O-o

and thats "feel" to you people :p

OK, now explain the rest of the sentence. :P

fujyoshi

July 24th, 2008, 08:36 AM

I asked levon what he meant because I thought he said I didn't log in for a year and I come on everyday :P

Ken-Ohki

July 24th, 2008, 08:47 AM

I encourage people to use the search button whenever possible and that's a good thing. I don't mind people resurrecting threads at all either but in this case we do have a shounen-ai/shoujo-ai forums where this would be easier to discuss.

I guess I can move it to said forums. I don't want to close the topic because that seemed extreme, please continue.

KatayokuのTenshi

July 24th, 2008, 08:51 AM

I asked levon what he meant because I thought he said I didn't log in for a year and I come on everyday :P

No,

you SHOULD check out gakuen heaven its garanteed you will pheel yourself atleast once /no1

that one. Especially the bolded part, but especially the underlined part. :lol:

GokuMew2

July 24th, 2008, 10:34 AM

I could get into the whole "shounen ai" and "yaoi" thing again but I guess I'll spare you guys. You've heard me say it too many times already.

I'd suggest Mirage of Blaze. One of my favorites. LOVELESS is a really good series too. Gravitation is good but I think it's overrated. Yami no Matsuei is another excellent series and Gakuen Heaven is pretty fun too. There's lots to choose from. You can try looking up on boysonboysonfilm.com for more, but they do list more hardcore titles there so if that's not your cup of tea, be careful.

Milky Mixer

July 24th, 2008, 08:05 PM

:w00t: Where the heck did this old thread come from?

What's funny... reading over comments I posted 2 years ago and thinking "Did I say that?" I still stand by the things I wrote about the shows I commented on. And after reading those comments, I reminded myself how much I love Earthian. Now I'm in the mood to read it again.

What's not so funny... this thread is 2 years old and I can't think of a BL or yaoi anime or manga series that's been released in the US since this discussion that I actually read/watched/bought/cared about... not the way I loved stuff like Earthian, Descendants of Darkness, Eerie Queerie, and Mirage of Blaze. Even Loveless was "new" forever ago, and I think that's the last BLish SERIES I picked up. A one shot manga here or there maybe, but man, how come there hasn't been anything new that's been really great?

same_animefan

July 24th, 2008, 10:47 PM

What's not so funny... this thread is 2 years old and I can't think of a BL or yaoi anime or manga series that's been released in the US since this discussion that I actually read/watched/bought/cared about... how come there hasn't been anything new that's been really great?

If you don't mind fansubs, because it ISN'T licensed, though hopefully it will be. Check out the Junjou Romantica anime. It's actually got a good plot that follows the manga release for 12 episodes. Really, it's one of my favorite yaoi animes now that is actually yaoi, and not just hinted or some fluffY 1/2 pointless last 1/2 plot series like Gakuen Heaven and Sukisyo.

As far as graphic-ness(which I don't think I've ever noticed you really look for Milky...correct me if I'm wrong.) it is extremely tamed down from the manga version.

I still suggest picking up the manga though. The anime does have a decent conclusion and doesn't leave you hanging like Loveless, but the manga does finish the story and is still going. Worth at least picking up the first volume to try if nothing else.

SuperSailorMoon

July 27th, 2008, 01:39 PM

Yami no Matsuei- is one of my two faves they other one is Loveless

Love is good anime, but the manga is better. Because the manga goes deeper ands has more info then the anime. The anime is good if you like to see, a beautiful sexy sad with spell battles with very little pilot advancement . Also the ending was not very will done. It was very hard to understand , like it left a big hole in the end. Lastly is might be saying that there is more to come.

Gravitation I like it. But I like the manga better because in the manga Yuki and Shuichi relationship
more seriously. Also the manga is overall better then the anime. But I do like the anime too because it is cute. And they focus more at times, on Bad luck singing unlike the manga.

Fake I like the manga better then the anime. But the anime I still like it. The manga in every way shape and form is better then the anime. I think should at least read the first two vols of the manga before watching the ova.

Lessons xx ova- I like that one too.

Earthian ova- I like it but it is my least, fave of all my faves.

Milky Mixer

July 27th, 2008, 01:58 PM

If you don't mind fansubs, because it ISN'T licensed, though hopefully it will be. Check out the Junjou Romantica anime. It's actually got a good plot that follows the manga release for 12 episodes. Really, it's one of my favorite yaoi animes now that is actually yaoi, and not just hinted or some fluffY 1/2 pointless last 1/2 plot series like Gakuen Heaven and Sukisyo.

As far as graphic-ness(which I don't think I've ever noticed you really look for Milky...correct me if I'm wrong.) it is extremely tamed down from the manga version.

I still suggest picking up the manga though. The anime does have a decent conclusion and doesn't leave you hanging like Loveless, but the manga does finish the story and is still going. Worth at least picking up the first volume to try if nothing else.

Graphic-ness isn't a big deal to me one way or the other. You're right, I don't intentionally pick up the smuttier titles just for the sake of them being smutty... though sure, I can also enjoy the smut. But to me, a good story/plot is most important. Good characterization and romance are definitely more important to me in a BL or yaoi title than if we get to see the clothes come off. Which is probably why I pick up so few of the single volume titles that DMP puts out. So many of them just seem so generic and lame.