Welcome to the Ghibli Tavern Anime Guide! This thread will be updated with recommendations made in the discussion thread. Please go there if you want to submit anything new to this list.

The idea of this is to help people who are newcomers to anime or just want something new to watch, by listing anime recommended by Ghibli Tavern members. Information is given about the content and who it is most suitable for. I hope you find this useful!

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Title: Darker than Black
Alternative titles: Kuro no Keiyakusha
Genre(s): Action, Thriller, Science Fiction
Intended Demographic: n/a
Studio/Director: Bones/Tensai Okamura
# Episodes: 25
Year of Release: 2007
Short Review: Set ten years after the emergence of a strange phenomenon that produced numerous people with supernatural powers, known as Contractors. They are often employed as agents to carry out assassinations and espionage. Generally, each story takes place over two episodes, revolving around the mysterious protagonist Hei, who is a Contractor.
Content warnings: Strong violence, often with a lot of blood.
Other notes: The story contains a lot of twists, with an overarching plot running throughout the individual stories. Many fans regard the second season (Darker than Black: Gemini of the Meteor) as inferior, but this entry refers only to the original series.
For fans of: Neon Genesis Evangelion, Monster
Recommenders: arren18, saviour2012


Title: Kare Kano
Alternative titles: Kareshi Kanojo no Jijō, His and Her Circumstances
Genre(s): High School, Romance, Comedy
Intended Demographic: Shoujo
Studio/Director: Gainax / Hideaki Anno
# Episodes: 26
Year of Release: 1998
Short Review: The main focus of the story is the romance between "perfect" student Yukino Miyazawa and her academic rival Soichiro Arima, and the relationships of several of their friends. We find out that everyone wears a mask and has things they hide from others. Based on a 24-volume manga by Masami Tsuda, the anime covers only the few volumes and ends with the conclusion of the "Yukino arc" the story of the first character in the manga series. There are serious and tender moments between the main characters and on the whole it's a very endearing and rewarding story.
Content warnings: None. One very abstracted scene of heterosexual lovemaking, some kissing, mild cartoon violence
Other notes: Due to running heavily over-budget and the departure of the director after episode 11 the quality of animation and content suffers severely later in the series with several 're-cap' episodes that go over old material. There is a lot of slapstick comedy and extreme 'manga' style violence and 'over-action' something apparently the manga author was not happy with.
For fans of:
Recommenders: Saddletank


Title: Revolutionary Girl Utena
Alternative titles: Shoujo Kakumei Utena
Genre(s): Drama, Fantasy
Intended Demographic: Shoujo
Studio/Director: JC Staff/Kunihiko Ikuhara
# Episodes: 39
Year of Release: 1997
Short Review: This series is about Utena Tenjou, a school girl with a dream of becoming a prince, and the many relationships and events that take place at Ohtori Academy. It is episodic, with many episodes ending in a sword fight, and contains various other recurring features. It contains a great deal of symbolism which is largely left to viewer interpretation, and despite the dramatic situations there is often humour as well. It is exciting and intriguing, and features a memorable soundtrack.
Content warnings: Sexual themes including nudity and off-screen intercourse. Some violence, generally mild. Themes of abuse.
Other notes: It is often considered an important example of shoujo anime. There are a few filler episodes and three recap episodes, though these can also contain new plot-relevant information at times. The story of the anime and the manga (produced at the same time) diverge greatly, and the anime film also follows a different direction.
For fans of: Neon Genesis Evangelion
Recommenders: arren18

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