Good anime

[TTYT]

Sparked by the conversation in the Last Airbender section, I'm gonna list the anime I've watched that I've deemed to be of good quality, and invite all of you on the board to do the same. My comparison is to, in my opinion, the shit anime like Naruto, Bleach, Inuyasha (although Miroku will always be an awesome character), Dragonball Z, Sailor Moon, etc...Basically, anything involved with Shounen Jump magazine I hate with a passion. And please, don't make this thread a flame war over whether you deem something on someone's list of anime to be good or crap. Let people make their own decisions.

And of course, this is using the definition of anime we've come to know as meaning "animation from Japan," to clarify (seeing as 'anime' is actually just a shortening of the loanword animeshun, which encompasses all animation - meaning in Japan, Looney Tunes is anime...but whatever.)

I tend to prefer the more serious or more mature-oriented animes, so this list won't have many wacky-crazy harem comedies or high school dramas (most of which I can't stand either, although what I saw of Fruits Basket wasn't too bad, honestly.)

First off:

-Anything directed by Satoshi Kon (R.I.P.) - Perfect Blue, Millenium Actress, Tokyo Godfathers, Paranoia Agent, Paprika and (posthumously) his last film which just restarted production
-Pretty much anything by Hayao Miyazaki

Movies
-Grave of the Fireflies (in my opinion one of the best movies ever made, period)
-Barefoot Gen
-Vampire Hunter D: Bloodlust (the first Vampire Hunter D movie was actually pretty cool, too, but its story wasn't so hot - this sequel is just so much better in every way)
-Jin-Roh
-Ninja Scroll
-Akira
-Steamboy
-Mind Game
-The Venus Wars
-The Wings of Honneamise

Franchises
-Ghost in the Shell; Ghost in the Shell Standalone Complex, Ghost in the Shell Standalone Complex: 2nd Gig and Ghost in the Shell Standalone Complex: Solid State Society (Ghost in the Shell II: Innocence, the official sequel to the original movie, is decent - the animation on Batou's dog is great - but not spectacular)

-Cowboy Bebop and Cowboy Bebop: The Movie

-Blood: The Last Vampire & BLOOD+

-Fullmetal Alchemist & Fullmetal Alchemist: Conqueror of Shamballa; the more-accurate-to-the-manga Fullmetal Alchemist: Brotherhood (all are good)

-Read or Die & R.O.D. The TV

Series
-FLCL (Watch it subbed - the dub tries, but just can't reach the same level of insanity that's in the original language)
-Tokyo Magnitude 8.0
-Now and Then, Here and There (don't let the over-the-top-hyperactive-funny opening of the first episode fool you - it's just a mislead to make how dark this series gets feel even darker when it arrives.)
-Haibane Renmei
-Boogiepop Phantom
-Serial Experiments Lain
-Black Lagoon
-Planetes
-Big O
-Witchblade (yes, this actually was a good series, much to my surprise. Get the uncensored version, though.)
-Witch Hunter Robin
-Wolf's Rain

There's more, but I can't remember anything else off the top of my head - and as it's 2AM here, so if I remember anything else, I'll pit it in a new post, as I'd like to go to bed now.

Remember, these lists will be all one person's opinions. Please, let's not get into flame wars over people's opinions. Please.

[mrbasehart]

-Pretty much anything by Hayao Miyazaki

Yes, but really, it's anything by Studio Ghibli too.  Miyazaki hasn't directed everything they've done (though a lot of the highlights, admittedly)

I hardly watch any anime, but I remember really loving Taisho Baseball Girls, about a group of schoolgirls who start a baseball team in the 1920s in Japan.  It's sweet, subtle, and doesn't resort to creepy upskirt pantie shots every 5 seconds. 

Ninja Scroll's a bad movie. 

[Invader_quirk]

Series in order of greatness:
Planetes - A realistic space drama all about character development.
Mushi-Shi - An incredibly imaginative series about a man who travels around, studying the effects of almost ghost-like creatures known as mushi and their effects on humans. Very calming.
Paranoia Agent - From Satoshi Kon. A crazy and confusing series about, well, you don't really know until the end. Suspenseful and mind-blowing.
Cowboy Bebop - Probably the coolest series there is.
Samurai 7 - A retelling of Seven Samurai with steampunk robots and giant mechs. Yes, samurai fight mechs, which is dumb, but for some reason it's OK.
Serial Experiments Lain - I'm not sure I can actually recommend this weird-as-all-hell series, but it is interesting. Paranoia Agent is a better weird-as-all-hell series.
The Irresponsible Captain Tylor - Not amazing, but a step above the typical goofy anime IMO.

The best thing about all these shows is that they END. Unlike something like One Piece, these are planned out and end when they need to.

Movies in no particular order
All Satoshi Kon
All Studio Ghibli EXCEPT for the godawful Pom Poko
The Girl Who Leapt Through Time
The Cowboy Bebop movie

[Henry88]

Naruto

Bleach

kekkaishi

blueseed

bluegender

eruka seven

the guyver

Silent Mobius

nadesico

Gundam

robotech

[Pak-Man]

I'll third or fourth or whatever-we're-up-to-th Cowboy Bebop, and would add Trigun to the list when it comes to mostly-serious Anime, but I actually enjoy the more comical Anime (Even though it seldom makes it up here because comedy is hard to localize).

Let's hear it for:
Slayers
Excel Saga
Tokyo Pig (Is anyone ever going to do a more straight-up translation of that show?)
Sgt. Frog
Dragon Half

And my Guiltiest Pleasure: I have watched and completely enjoyed more than one episode of Hamtaro.

[sgtbon]

Some good stuff that hasn't been mentioned:

Neon Genesis Evangelion
Aim for the Top! Gunbuster
Dead Leaves
Hare + Guu (very underappreciated comedy)

[TTYT]

Shit, I knew I forgot Dead Leaves...Yes, that is an awesome-crazy movie.

[Henry88]

Some good stuff that hasn't been mentioned:

Neon Genesis Evangelion
Aim for the Top! Gunbuster
Dead Leaves
Hare + Guu (very underappreciated comedy)

Aim for the Top! Gunbuster's ending was good but who turns on the lights at the end

[TTYT]

Oh yeah, don't forget the original Lupin III series from 1971, along with the Castle of Cogliostro movie from 1979. It's still amusing to me that the guy now nearly-synonymous in the west with "family-friendly anime" (Myazaki) got his start with that series...

[Zeether]

FLCL (Watch it subbed - the dub tries, but just can't reach the same level of insanity that's in the original language)

Really? I've heard the complete opposite on this (the dub is usually ranked up there with Cowboy Bebop in terms of being on par or better with the original Japanese version). In fact that's one of the reasons why I want the rerelease Funimation is doing (the Bandai volumes are expensive as sin now)

[spaceforarent]

I've only seen one, and only because it was recommended to me by someone that can 9 times out of 10 be right about me liking something, but I really liked Tekkonkinkreet.

[gbeenie]

Twilight of The Cockroaches.

[Zeether]

I enjoyed SHAFT's take on Negima although your mileage may vary (especially if you swear by the manga)

[stansimpson]

Movies in no particular order
All Satoshi Kon
All Studio Ghibli EXCEPT for the godawful Pom Poko
The Girl Who Leapt Through Time
The Cowboy Bebop movie

That's just crazy.  Cuz that's nearly identical to what I was gonna say... except I haven't seen the Cowboy Bebop movie (guess I'm gonna have to after those recommendations).  Only thing I'd add is Grave of the Fireflies and Ghost In the Shell.  The Girl Who Leapt Through Time is one of those few I took a freakishly wild chance on and hit a small fortune. Seeing how I love time travel movies tho, I don't see how I could miss.    Glad I don't hafta be the one to mention it first.

Oh!  Also, Robot Carnival.


EDIT:  One more thing to add about TGWLTT. Just found out it was the first film to win Best Animated Movie at the Japanese Oscars, and the director's follow-up film (Summer Wars) won this past year.  Neat!  Anyone seen that one?

[Invader_quirk]

Only thing I'd add is Grave of the Fireflies and Ghost In the Shell. 

EDIT:  One more thing to add about TGWLTT. Just found out it was the first film to win Best Animated Movie at the Japanese Oscars, and the director's follow-up film (Summer Wars) won this past year.  Neat!  Anyone seen that one?

Grave of the Fireflies is a Ghibli film, so I had that one as well. I have not seen Ghost in the Shell. I actually have a copy of Summer Wars on my computer, but it's too big for my laptop to handle so I haven't seen it. I did hear that Funimation is bringing it to theaters stateside.