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Apr 21, 2014 3:00 AM
#1
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Feb 2014
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I'm looking for anime that stand out from the rest spectacularly. It doesn't matter HOW they stand out, but it should do it in an absolutely unparallelled way. Here's a few to start things off:

1. Cowboy Bebop -- Music. I have never heard a better score, or heard one so much a 'part of' the episode itself. Most songs only used once for a specific scene, and the stylistic range is incredible.

2. Space Dandy -- Subject matter and presentation. A completely over the top, yet scientifically serious comedic exploration of quantum string theory. With boobies.

3. Serial Experiments Lain -- Atmosphere. It seems to be all around you while you watch it, and you can feel reality itself pushing in on the characters. You share their confusion as she (or they...) evolve... or become one...or... huh? Exactly.

4. Higurashi (still watching) -- This one keeps you on your guard ALL the time, like no other anime I've seen can. School kids, murder, and alternate timelines.

5. Welcome to the NHK! -- Down to earth, regular and real themes of depression and isolation. It does such an amazing job at it that it really stands apart from other anime IMO.
RimmerDallApr 21, 2014 3:04 AM
Apr 21, 2014 3:03 AM
#2
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Oct 2013
2207
Steins Gate is quite unique and rare imo. It's hard to find a time-themed plot anime as interesting and good as Steins Gate.
Apr 21, 2014 3:15 AM
#3

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Jan 2013
230
Is it a recommendation thread or listing thread ?
Apr 21, 2014 3:22 AM
#4
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Dec 2013
59
well he does say he is looking for anime in the brief so its a recommendation thing I guess
Apr 21, 2014 3:30 AM
#5

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Jul 2013
197
+1 Steins;Gate

-Zetsuen no Tempest

-Guilty Crown

-Hyouka
Apr 21, 2014 3:34 AM
#6

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Oct 2013
1190
Baccano!
Durarara!!
Apr 21, 2014 4:01 AM
#7

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Nov 2008
7012
Might as well have a go at this.

- Masaaki Yuasa: Not an anime, but a director. Basically everything he directs ends up standing out in one way or another. For a fan of NHK and Higurashi, Yojouhan Shinwa Taikei (The Tatami Galaxy) is probably the best place to start, but be sure to check out his other works at some point too.

- Flag: What makes Flag stand out from other anime is that everything is shown through the lens of a camera, which I haven't seen in any other anime. It also has and almost documentary-like way of storytelling.

- Tenshi no Tamago: What makes Tenshi no Tamago stand out, like the Lain example you gave, is the atmosphere. It is very minimalistic in terms of dialogue and generally goes at an extremely slow pace for a film, so it's not for everyone. But if you can get past that, then you may very well come to enjoy it.

- Fuyu no Hi: This is based off a 17th century Haiku Renga by Basho, so it almost goes without saying that it is one of the most unique anime I have seen. It showcases a wide variety of different animation styles based off the words of the original poem.

- Inferno Cop: Well, I was only one away from naming five anime (well, 4 anime and a director) anyway, so I might as well fill the last slot with something. Why is Inferno Cop unique, you ask? Well, the episodes are only three minutes long (apart from the final episode), and all of them are available on Youtube, so why don't you go and see for yourself? You won't regret it.
Current FAL Ranking + Previous best::
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Apr 21, 2014 4:12 AM
#8

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Feb 2013
10123
durarara (unique in so many ways)

shinsekai yori (because of the atmosphere.. its the most atmospheric anime i have ever seen, dark thrilling atmosphere after a certain point till the end. And the beside this, it has an awesome plot and very unique story)

katanagatari (every character in this anime has different eyes + its similar to monogatari , well same author, its a dialogue driven anime)

monogatari series (dialogue driven animes are often unique, and the art in monogatari is also very special)

ef a tale of memories (in story telling, 50% 1 story 50% the other 1)
My favorite quotes from animes:

Those who seek miracles will never experience one. The hand of salvation only extends to people
who try to make miracles happen. - Ef a tale of melodies.
I destroy worlds. I create worlds. - Code geass
We are humans. - Shinsekai yori
100 push-ups, 100 sit-ups, 100 squats, and a 10km run EVERY SINGLE DAY!!! - One punch man
Apr 21, 2014 4:49 AM
#9

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Dec 2012
1096
Truly unique forms within any medium is pretty hard to come by, and I see this term thrown around here quite often. So I'll suggest some that I've found to be rather unusual (and unusually good) that are outside the norm:

Kino no Tabi
Humanity Has Declined
Seirei no Moribito + Kemono no Souja Erin (same creator)
Tokyo Magnitude 8.0
Eve no Jikan

These anime 'specialise' so they were a difference experience for me:

Chihayafuru
Gin no Saji
Tsuritama
Spice and Wolf
Nodame Cantabile

Shorts:

Cat Soup
Aquatic Language
Pale Cocoon
Death Billiards
Tsumiki no Ie

And lastly +1 Steins;Gate because it's cool.
Anime List

↳ click profile for recommendations

✨☆✨

Apr 21, 2014 5:38 AM

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Apr 2014
17
I agree with people mentioning Steins Gate, it's really unique. Some other anime (I cannot remember the name), attempted to make a series like Steins Gate, but it didn't go as well.

It also puts time travel (and the way to do it?), into a whole new perspective.

Of the animes I have watched, Black Lagoon was also pretty special. At least the character development for the main character, holy..
Apr 21, 2014 9:39 AM

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Jan 2011
9895
Legend of the Galactic Heroes
Tsumiki no Ie
Now and Then, Here and There
Barefoot Gen
Apr 21, 2014 10:27 AM

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Jan 2014
50
I haven't really watched that much anime (YET), but Jojo's Bizarre Adventure is something I found quite unique. It does get more and more unique, and better, the more you watch.
Apr 21, 2014 11:01 AM

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Apr 2013
84
Durarara!! +12432135241234778354678319284
His weakness is a kind heart that doesn't match with a killer.
His strength is the strength to live on bearing the pain of the sorrowful heart worse than death.
Apr 21, 2014 11:04 AM

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Oct 2011
56
Mononoke
Aoi Bungaku Series
Aku no Hana
Dead Leaves
Genius Party
Apr 21, 2014 12:26 PM

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Jan 2014
668
Top 5 Uniuqe Anime in random order, IMO, so far :

Ergo Proxy
Gankutsuou
Monogatari Series
Death Note / Code Geass
Berserk
Zapraszam POLSKOJĘZYCZNYCH - www.payhip.com/KacperAlgierskiTalesPL
K A T - Legenda Zza Światów - wstęp:
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a także zaklęte stwory i złowrogie, nieokiełznane bestie
zamieszkiwały Zza Światy, pomiędzy którymi można było odbywać podróże.
Wiedza na ten temat była jednak przekazywana wyłącznie nielicznym wybrańcom.
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by przezwyciężyć zagrażające równowadze mroczne widmo ciemności i chaosu
i zaprowadzić niezbędny wszem wobec praworządny ład i porządek.
Oto legenda jednego z nich…
Apr 21, 2014 12:27 PM

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Jan 2013
12227
lmfao at this op
Apr 21, 2014 12:30 PM

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Jul 2013
112
death note
zetsuen no tempest
steins gate
monogatari
durara
Apr 21, 2014 12:33 PM

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Nov 2013
448
Mononoke
I've yet to see an anime with an art style like this one. It also has an interesting way of slaying the monsters the MC comes across. Just wish it ended on a better note.
Apr 21, 2014 12:37 PM

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Mar 2013
117
Madoka Magica
Monogatari series
Higurashi no Naku Koro Ni
Death Note
"I believe in panties" ~ Shiina Mashiro
Apr 21, 2014 12:42 PM

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Jan 2013
3368
I would have to say Death Note and Durarara
Apr 21, 2014 2:55 PM
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Apr 2014
57
I found "Shiki" to be a pretty interesting anime with a original story ( i don't wanna spoil to much but in my personal opinion this anime was great! Just wish the ending was a little different ). The soundtrack is also very creepy and at the same time quite beautiful.

Berserk is pretty unique.

Baccano is like... WOW! That anime is amazing! Anyone who has seen it knows how special this anime is.
"Only one thing is equal for all, and that is death."
Apr 21, 2014 3:05 PM

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Feb 2014
34
1. Shinsekai Yori
2. Psycho-Pass
3. Durarara!!

They are pretty unique and very satisfying to watch
Apr 21, 2014 3:15 PM

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Aug 2013
14394
Gankutsuou
Kuuchuu Buranko
Witch Craft Works
Black Jack
Dragon Ball Z ( one of the few anime that has a perfect mix of sci fi and fantasy elements)
Apr 21, 2014 4:48 PM

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Sep 2013
152
Lupe said:
+1 Steins;Gate

-Zetsuen no Tempest

-Guilty Crown

-Hyouka


Guilty crown most unique lmao. No way it's a Code Geass ripoff, legit shit right there.
Apr 21, 2014 4:58 PM

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Jan 2014
130
I need to say :
Sakurasou no Pet na Kanojo
Ao no Exorcist
Nisekoi
Guilty Crown
Mirai Nikki
Deadman Wonderland
Clannad : After Story

EDIT: Almost forget the anime 'School Days', that's thr most unique anime that I've ever seen...
Just-A-DutchmenApr 21, 2014 5:02 PM
Apr 21, 2014 5:01 PM
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Aug 2013
500
Soul Eater
Apr 21, 2014 8:16 PM
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Feb 2014
316
Katanagatari - unique art, great story, great villains, great ending

http://myanimelist.net/anime/5958/Sora_no_Otoshimono the way it combines ridiculous comedy with touching romance and interesting background story that could have been used for non-comedy anime on its own

Nana one of very few romances where characters are adults and setting is not high school or college

http://myanimelist.net/anime/8861/Yosuga_no_Sora:_In_Solitude_Where_We_Are_Least_Alone. Manages the balance of staying artsy erotic work without crossing into porn.
BarnCapeApr 21, 2014 8:21 PM
Apr 21, 2014 8:33 PM

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Jan 2013
2385
The anime that most of you are listing are cliche as fuck.
Apr 21, 2014 8:35 PM

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Dec 2013
681
1. Shinsekai Yori

2. Paranoia Agent

the only two i can think of

having an updated anime list makes life easier for everyone
Apr 21, 2014 10:19 PM

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May 2012
1795
Uchuu Kyoudai
Steins; Gate
Shingeki no Kyojin
Tiger & Bunny
One Outs

This is from my own point of view :))
Apr 21, 2014 10:23 PM

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Feb 2014
116
+100 Monogatari Series
+100 Aku No Hana
Fake people have an image to maintain. Real people just don't care.
-Hikki
May 5, 2014 10:48 PM
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Feb 2014
23
Wow everyone, thanks for the great recs! I can't wait to start investigating and watching them all!
May 5, 2014 11:03 PM

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Feb 2014
3745
death note
Full metal alchemist brotherhood
steins gate
bakemonogatari
and maybe code geass

also I;m laughing at experiments lain->masterpiece. that shouldn't even be in anyone's top list
May 5, 2014 11:17 PM

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Apr 2013
1174
Unique?

1) Aria series (the most relaxing anime I've seen)
2) Mushishi and Kino no Tabi (both are great thought-provoking series)
3) Shinsekai Yori
4) Rainbow: nisha rokubou no shichinin
5) Natsume Yuuchinjou

Worthy mentions:
Hotarubi no Mori e
JoJo Bizarre Adventures 2012 and its sequel Stardust Crusaders
Uchouten Kazoku
Monogatari Series
Noragami
Oregairu
May 5, 2014 11:36 PM

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Dec 2009
231
Can't believe no one has mentioned Texhnolyze - http://myanimelist.net/anime/26/Texhnolyze. I've never seen another anime where there was no dialog for the first 10 minutes of the show.

Some others:

House of Five Leaves - http://myanimelist.net/anime/7588/Saraiya_Goyou. While the setting/story are not especially unique, the way the story was told felt very unique.

Samurai Champloo - http://myanimelist.net/anime/205/Samurai_Champloo. Hip hop + Samurai? Need I say more?

Shinsekai Yori - http://myanimelist.net/anime/13125/Shinsekai_yori/

Gankutsuou - http://myanimelist.net/anime/239/Gankutsuou
May 5, 2014 11:41 PM
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Jul 2011
230
Mushishi ( dat atmosphere)
steins gate +1
ef fairy tale of two +1 (shafts finest work tbh)
howls moving castle (elderly woman as a protagonist)
5cm per second ( something so mundane that can be so painful)


I still havent seen alot of hidden gems yet this 5 can easily turn into a top 100 over time plus i hate limiting myself to a number
May 5, 2014 11:53 PM

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Apr 2008
225
1) Gintama - This is the only Anime I've ever watched that has everything and more.. there is nothing like it. Although there is of course the idea that the entire show is mocking every other Anime, but it's by far the most unique Anime of all time. And of course my favorite.

These others I guess are unique in their own ways, but nothing compared to the first
2) Arakawa Under the Bridge
3) Gantz (although basing it obviously more on the manga)
4) Monster
5) Mushishi
Music & Anime > Everything Else
May 11, 2014 4:20 PM

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Apr 2013
84
Kirie_Himuro said:
No anime is unique in my eyes since everything takes from something else in some way with it's ideas/ themes and so forth.


I wouldn't expect less from someone who didn't see Bakemonogatari. Art and presentation of monogatari seies are definitely more than enough to make it "UNIQUE" and any further objections are denied
His weakness is a kind heart that doesn't match with a killer.
His strength is the strength to live on bearing the pain of the sorrowful heart worse than death.
May 11, 2014 4:36 PM

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May 2012
4852
aku no hana
tsumiki no ie
inferno cop

thats my top three cant think of two more
save all the cute girls from ntr manga
May 11, 2014 5:27 PM

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Nov 2013
2607
gankutsuou

mushishi

easily two of the most unique anime ever

EDIT: also Rainbow, steins;gate and great teacher onizuka
May 11, 2014 5:35 PM

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Jun 2012
12244
This is pretty much a post your favorite cartoon thread, huh.

Not doin it.
sk8erbyern said:
Kirie_Himuro said:
No anime is unique in my eyes since everything takes from something else in some way with it's ideas/ themes and so forth.


I wouldn't expect less from someone who didn't see Bakemonogatari. Art and presentation of monogatari seies are definitely more than enough to make it "UNIQUE" and any further objections are denied
That's funny.
SolviteSekai said:
lmfao at this op
I thought you loved his #1 pick?
May 11, 2014 5:44 PM

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Sep 2011
4149
Different sort of ones would be
Mushishi
Hagashi no Eden
Seirei no Moribito

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It’s time to ditch the text file.
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