Genre is located after the title in the [ ].

Title	One-Line Description	Studio
Toki wo Kakeru Shoujo (The Girl who Leapt through time)  [adventure/well-rounded]	A high school girl gains the power to time travel, and rather enjoys it.  Only later does she find out that it comes with consequence.  The character designer is the same for Neon Genesis Evangelion and FLCL.	Kadokawa Shoten, Madhouse
Princess Mononoke  [adventure]	Cursed by a demon god trying to destroy his village, Ashitaka leaves his village to find a cure.  His journey pulls him into a battle of man versus the forest gods.	Studio Ghibli
Nausicaa, Valley of the Wind  [adventure]	Archetypical story of a warrior princess from a small kingdom who opposes the armies of would-be conquerors, for the sake of the plants and animals that lie between them.	Studio Ghibli
Ghost in the Shell / Ghost in the Shell: Innocence  [action/pshycological]	In the future, humans cast aside their physical bodies for cyborg ones, where their 'ghost' is copied into a cyber brain and they can directly access the net.  Brain hacking has become a problem, and a group known as Section 9 are sent to investicate a series of political brain hacks by an individual known as the Puppetmaster.	Production I.G., Bandai Visual
My Neighbor Totoro  [adventure/kids]	Two girls move with thier father to the country side to be closer to the hospital where their mother is staying.  In their back yard is a giant tree, protected by the forest gods known as Totoro.	Studio Ghibli
Neko no Ongaeshi (The Cat Returns) [adventure/kids]	Upon saving a seemingly stray cat from traffic, Haru receives the reward of becoming the bride of the Cat Kingdom's prince.  She seeks out a mysterious and suave cat known as the Baron to help her cancel her engagement.	Studio Ghibli
Sword of the Stranger  [action]	A nameless samurai stumbles upon 'a boy and his dog' who are being pursued by the Mings from China.  Among them is a strong Western fighter who only wishes to seek out strong opponents.  Very very beautiful (bloody) animation from Bones, but I must say that the Chinese dialogue is funny!	Bones
Spitited Away (Sen to Chihiro no Kamikakushi  [adventure/kids]	Upon moving to a new town, Chihiro and her parents stop at what appears to be a deserted theme park but is really a bath house for the gods.  Mistakeningly eating the gods food, Chihiro's parents are turned into pigs, and she must find a way to rescue them.	Studio Ghibli
Howl's Moving Castle  [adventure/kids]	In a time when magician's are used in warfare, a young girl named Sophie meets a young man named Howl by chance.  She is targeted by a jealous witch, and turned into an old woman.  Now she must find a way to break the spell.	Studio Ghibli
Beyond the Clouds, A Place Promised In Our Early Days  [romance/adventure]	A beautiful movie by Makoto Shinkai.  The scenery in all of his movies is amazing (Voices of a Distant Star, 5cm Per Second).  Of his three movie's I've seen, I like this one the best.	CoMix Wave Inc.
Whister of the Heart  [romance/kids]	A young girl notices that the same person has been reading all of the library books before she reads them.  By meeting this person she learns more about herself and what she plans to do in the future.  More of a slice-of-life movie.  This is technically the prequel to The Cat Returns, but the Baron character is the only thing in common.	Studio Ghibli
Vampire Hunter D: Bloodlust  [action]	A handsome young vampire hunter is contracted to retreive a kidnapped woman from the hands of Meyer Link, a fearsome vampire with evil connections.	Madhouse
Perfect Blue  [scary/pshycological]	A pop star trying to break into the actng world meets a lot of resistance from her fans and a crazed stalker.  As the people around her are killed, she starts to lose her sanity and can no longer tell what's real and what isn't.  This one is along the lines of a pshyco-thriller.  Same creators as Paprika and Paranoia Agent.	Madhouse
Laputa, Castle in the Sky  [adventure/kids]	Pirates and shady people are after a young girl named Sheeta.  With Pazu's help the two embark on a journey of adventure, insearch of a castle belonging to an ancient race of people.	Studio Ghibli
Kiki's Delivery Service  [adventure/kids]	When a young witch turns 13, she must leave her home to hone her craft.  Kiki's best skill is broom flying so she established a delivery service in a seaside town.	Studio Ghibli
Spriggan  [action]	Action packed James Bond type movie about what Noah's Ark REALLY is.  Lots of guns and explosions - it's great!	Bandai Visual, Shogakukan, TBS, TOHO
Paprika  [scary/pshycological]	A new dream therapy device is being developed, but it the prototype is stolen before the government can approve it for use.  In the wrong hands the device can be used to destroy a person's mental state, so one of the head research developers uses her online alter ego to retreive it.  The first 5 minutes of this movie are awesome (opening and title credits).  The rest is ok, but not as good as Perfect Blue.  Same creators as Perfect Blue and Paranoia Agent.	Madhouse

Title	One-Line Description	Studio
Mushishi	A mushishi travels the world helping people with their seemingly supernatural mushi problems.  Mushi are beings that most humans can not see, but are similar to the gods of nature.  I completely love this anime - a nice mellow change of pace with an interesting concept and seperate by linked stories to keep you thinking.	Artland
Natsume Yuujinchou / Zoku Natsume Yuujinchou	Like Mushishi meets Kekkaishi.  Natsume is usually a target for spirits and is troubled by them.  After moving to a new home, he finds the 'Book of Friends' amongst items he inherited from his grandmother, which has the power to command the spirits whose names are in the book.  Natsume is determined to return all the names to their rightful owners, but not all the spirits are nice ones. Seasons 1 and 2.	Brains Base
Top wo Nerae 2 / Aim for the Top 2 / Gunbuster 2	A young runaway aims to become a member of 'Topless', and elite group of pilots who protect their world from space monsters while piloting mech suits.	Gainax
Noein ~ towards another you	A young girl is caught up in the fight with people from the future who have returned to the past in order to save the world from a terrible fate.  Haruka finds out that she has a direct effect on this future, but that there are a multitude of parallel worlds spanning from each decision she may or may not make.	Bandai, Lantis, Satelite
Mai Otome / Mai Otome Zwei	Kind of the sequel to Mai Hime, using some of the same characters in a different setting.  This time students have 'robes' instead of 'children' and are caught up in a war between nations and insurgent groups.  It's funny to see some of the characters in a different light, but this one seems to appeal more to the fan service crowd.	Sunrise
Mai Otome ~0S.ifr~	The prequel to Mai Otome, involving Arika's mother.  Doesn't come out very often.	Sunrise, Bandai
Revolutionary Girl Utena	Tom boy Utena enters high school unknowing she is about to be pulled into a fight for the Rose Bride, one who will bring about change before the end of the world.  Gets into the 'villan of the week' mode, but overall sets itself apart from the rest of them.  The movie (retelling) is artsy and interesting too.	JC Staff, TV Tokyo, SoftX
FLCL / Furi Kuri	Naota's life is drastically altered when a crazy woman on a Vespa knocks him senseless, and causes a strange bump to sprout from his head.  Kind of a coming-of-age story except with crazy space pirates, an shady public organization, and a homeless pyromaniac of a girl friend.	Gainax
Sayonara Zetsubou Sensei	An artsy and very strange story about a teacher who is in despair from everything in the world, and is bent on killing himself.	Starchild

Title	One-Line Description	Studio
Shigofumi	A shinigami who delivers the last words from the dead has a unique situation in that she is the only shinigami that ages.  She also has mysterious past that comes to light when a high school student recognizes her.	JC Staff, Bandai, Genco
Kara no Kyoukai ~ Garden of Sinners	A string of supernatural suicides baffle police requires an individual with her own super natural powers.  Intriguing cinematrography and beautiful art.  Music by Yuki Kajiura (Mai Hime, Noir, Tsubasa, Aquarian Age).	ufotable, Aniplex, Kodansha, Notes
Ghost Hunt	A supernatural detective agency picks up an unlikely assisstant who is unaware of her own powers.  By the same author as Twelve Kingdoms.	JC Staff
Shion no Ou	A family is brutally murdered, with the only survivor a young girl who loses the ability to talk.  Now in high school, Shion is a rising star in the world of shougi whose past is starting to resurface.	Studio Deen
Paranoia Agent	A string of attacks by a boy with a bent golden bat, known as 'shounen bat' proves to be not just a simple open and shut case.  Weird and interesting, the opening is particularly ...disturbing!	Madhouse
Ergo Proxy	Similar to Aeon Flux and Bubblegum Crisis.  In the future, humans are aided by androids, some of which exhibit beserk symptoms and start killing humans.  Real Meyer is a detective for the dome city on Romdeau and is attacked by something neither human nor android, which kickstarts an investigation leading her to question her own reality.	Manglobe

Title	One-Line Description	Studio
Moyashimon - Tales of Agriculture	A college entrance student had the ability to see and talk to microbes - and they are soooo cute (and a little  mischievous)! (Pictured above)	Shirogumi, Dentsu, Fuji
Lucky Star	Similar to Azumanga Daioh, this one follows a group of high school girls, and the main one is a game playing otaku.	Kyoto Animation
Azumanga Daioh	A group of high school girls, one a child prodigy and another in desperate need of Ritalin.  Give it a few episodes and it will grow on you.	Genco, J.C. Staff

Title	One-Line Description	Studio
Nodame Cantible / Nodame Cantible: Paris Hen	College students attending a music school, and a genius pianist and violionist aspires to become a world famous conductor though he can't leave Japan.	J.C. Staff, Genco
Fruits Basket	An orphaned high-school girl decides to live on her own in the wilderness (which is actually on someone elses property) and stumbles upon the family secret of the mosrt popular boy in school.	Studio Deen
Honey & Clover I / Honey & Clover II	College students attending art school, and their daily issues.	Genco, Dentsu, Fuji TV
Ouran High School Host Club	A group of high school girls, one a child prodigy and another in desperate need of Ritalin.  Give it a few episodes and it will grow on you.	Genco, J.C. Staff
Nana	The story of two roommates in Tokyo whose only thing in common is their name.  One is an aspiring rock star, the other is a timid art graduate trying to make it on her own. Slice of life, comedy, punk bands, and dramatic relationships run rampant in this series.  This has a little bit more drama.	Madhouse
Skip Beat	A girl who followed her childhood love turned pop-star to Tokyo finds out he was only using her.  To get revenge, she promises to surpass him in show business.	Hal Film Maker
Paradise Kiss	A smart high school girl studying for college entrance exams is taken in by a group of fashsion designer students who want her to be their model.  Artsy style and modern themes. Franz Ferdinand does the ending song.	Aniplex, Dentsu, Madhouse, Fuji TV, Shodensha
Vampire Knight	Cross University is seperated into two seperate classes, the Day Class and the Night Class.  What the Day Class doesn't know is that the Night Class consists only of Vampires.  Yuki Cross and Zero Kiryuu are tasked with keeping the peace between the two.	NAS, Studio Deen

This page is temporary until I can create a post for each recommended series.

Titles are 'approximately' ordered by favorite to less favorite, but don't let that throw you off, I recommend all the anime on this page.
Organized in table format with info links, descriptions, and studio info; because it's interesting to see a trend in the good studios.

Title	One-Line Description	Studio
Code Geass / Code Geass R2	The country of Japan is conquered by Brittania, spawning a wave of revolution, where a young man make a contract with a strange woman to gain the power of suggestion.  Like Death Note meets Gundam with CLAMP as the character designers.	Mainichi, Sunrise
Mai Hime	A group of girls with the ability to see the red star next to the moon are thrown into battles with their 'children' - mechanized weapons that respons to their commands.	Sunrise
Soul Eater	Young students at the Shibusen Academy aim to make their weapons into Death Scythes by obtaining 99 Kishin souls and one witch's soul.  Could have ended better - but all is well till the last 10 minutes....	Bones, Dentsu
Hunter X Hunter	A boy goes in search of his father, who is a well-known Hunter.  Gon must become a Hunter himself in order to find him.	Nippon Animation
Claymore	Women fused with the blood of youma are used by an organization for hire to kill youma.	Madhouse
Kekkaishi	Two feuding families with the ability to see ayakashi are sworn to protect the land of Karasumori, a land overflowing with power which attracts evil ayakashi.  And this sacred / cursed land resides underneath a school.	Sunrise, Yomiuri
Kure-nai	A high school boy working as a negotiator is given the task of protecting a young girl of a wealthy family, from her own family.	Brains Base
Gundam 00 / Gundam 00 S2	A group of young pilots aim to end all war with their superior mobile suits.  Supposed to be the 'first' Gundam installment.  Season 2 occurs 4 years after the first.	Sunrise
Neon Genesis Evangelion	"The classic mecha anime."	Gainax
Bakumatsu Kikansetsu Irohanihoheto	A samurai with the fate of the 'eternal assassin' must seek out and destroy an evil energy bent on leading the world to ruin.	Bandai, Sunrise
X TV	Two sides with supernational powers fight over the end of the world, story by CLAMP.	Madhouse
Witch Hunter Robin	Secret organization who hunts down and prosecutes 'witches', with the help of their own fire witch.	Bandai, Sunrise
Eureka Seven	"Evangelion for kids", mechs that ride on trappar currents flowing over the world, and a mercenary ship fights against the military.	Bones, Bandai
Gunslinger Girl	Young girls who are at the edge of death are taken in by the Social Welfare Agency, given cybernetic bodies, and trained to be assassins for the government.	Madhouse, Bandai
Chevalier d'Eon	During the time of the French Revolution, a young man seeks to find his sister's killers.	Production I.G.
One Piece	A young boy named Luffy sets out to become the Pirate King.	Fuji TV, Toei
Toward the Terra (Terra e)	Similar to X-men. Humans with supernatural powers known as Mu, are discriminated against and chased to the ends of the universe.  But what the Mu are really are looking for is a way to coexist with the humans.	Aniplex, Mainichi

This page is temporary until I can create a post for each recommended series.

Titles are 'approximately' ordered by favorite to less favorite, but don't let that throw you off, I recommend all the anime on this page.

Organized in table format with info links, descriptions, and studio info; because it's interesting to see a trend in the good studios.

Title	One-Line Description	Studio
Dennou Coil: A Circle of Children	Story of kids with glasses that allow them to see a digital world mapped on to of reality, and trying to discover the truth behind a virus that emerges from corrupted spaces.	Madhouse, Bandai
Xam'd: Lost Memories	Like Eureka Seven and Nausicaa put into one!  This one comes out on the US Playstation network before it comes out on the one in Japan.  Update: releasing again!	Bones
Full Metal Alchemist	Two young boys attempt to bring their mother back to life, but pay a heavy price. Now they travel the world to regain the bodies that they have lost.	Bones, Aniplex, Square-Enix
The Twelve Kingdoms (Juuni Kokki)	Epic story of a high school girl who receives allegiance from a mysterious man, is chased by large monsters, and is taken away to another world with two of her friends.	Studio Pierrot
Rahxephon	Story of a high school boy unaware of the world outside Tokyo and the blue-blooded aliens who live next to him. Similar to the Truman Show and the Matrix, but with mechas and beautiful art.  "Evangelion done right."	Bones
Scrapped Princess	A princess deemed as the 'poison that will destroy the world' by the followers of God Mauser, struggles to stay alive with the help of her siblings.	Bones, Kadokawa
Darker Than Black	With the appearance of an impentrable field came a rise in individuals posessing supernatual powers at the expense of their conscience.	Bones, Aniplex
Ghost in the Shell SAC / 2nd Gig	In the future where there is little difference between man and machine, a secret orginazation known as Section 9 is established to deal wth cyber terrorism and international conspiracy.	Production I.G.
Seirei no Moribito	Epic story of female bodygard protecting a young prince posessed by a spirit, who is being targeted for assassination by the king.	Production I.G.
Kare Kano (His and her Circumstances)	The two top students at high school find their rivalry may be love instead.	Gainax
Full Metal Panic! / FMP! TSR / Fumoffu?	A teenage military specialist is assigned to protect a high school girl suspected of becoming the next target of an organization after kids  possessing the 'whispered' knowledge.	Kadokawa
Vision of Escaflowne	A high school girls gets thrown into a world where the Earth appears as a second moon.  She travels with a young king to unite the countries against the Zaibach empire which is trying to obtain them all.	Sunrise
Last Exile	Two young pilots take on the mission of protecting a mysterious girl when they pull her from a plane crash.	Gonzo
Read or Die / Read or Die TV	A klutzy secret operative for the British Library posessing the ability to control paper seeks to obtain a stolen book which could be used to end the world. / A trio of sisters for hire, all who have the ability to control paper.	Studio Deen, Aniplex, Studio Orphee, JC Staff
Cowboy Bebop	Bounty hunters in space! A crew of mismatched characters take down wanted criminals and come to terms with their own pasts.	Bandai , Sunrise
Rurouni Kenshin TV / OVA1 / OVA2	Near the end of the Meiji restoration, the most feared assassin disappeared without a trace.  Ten years later he returns as a cheery vagabond who vows not to kill, trying to escape his past.  The first OVA of this series is the one of the best anime I've ever seen (Kenshin's past). The second takes place after everything and was a let down.	SME Visual, Fuji TV, Aniplex
Bamboo Blade	A high school girls kendo club aims for the nationals, led by an elite freshman who would rather watch anime.	AIC
RD Sennou Chousashitsu (Real Dive)	In the future, humans are connected directly to the internet or 'the Metal'.  A young man is put into a coma during a diving accident only to wake up 50 years later and find that the world has drastically changed.	Production I.G.
Michiko & Hatchin	In Brazil a woman escapes from a high security prision, and further away a foster child deals with the abuse from her foster family. What happens when the two get together? By the people of Cowboy Bebop, Ergo Proxy, and Samurai Champloo, this one looks interesting with a high production value. :D	Manglobe
Baccano!	A pulp-fuction style of individual stories congregating into 1920's story of the mafia and immortality.	Brains Base
Kurau: Phantom Memory	A scientist researching a new form of energy loses his daughter when an experiment goes awry and a pair of energy life forms take over her body.  One of the pair goes dormant, and the other promises to return the girl's body when her pair awakens.	Bones
Samurai Champloo	A deliquent, a samurai, and a waitress go in search of a samurai that smells like sunflowers. Random, crazy, and fun!	Manglobe, Fuji TV
Toshokan Sensou (Library Wars)	A young woman strives to become a member of an elite library task force in the fight against government supression of free media.	Production I.G.
Rideback	After losing her ability to dance, a dance prodigy joins a rideback club (specialized motorcycles) at her college.  Little does she know her abilities will be targeted by government and terrorist organizations.  A little like Full Metal Panic and Toshokan Sensou.	Madhouse
Haibane Renmei	People with charcoal wings born from coccons are forced to live as second class citizens to the normal humans.	Kadokawa, Fuji TV