So.. Anime

[machomuu]

Dragon Ball Z
Yu Yu Hakusho
Rurouni Kenshin

Those are 3 really popular shonen/shounen that have nothing to do with "being the best". There are a bunch of others I could list, such as Speed Grapher, Hetalia, Mushi-shi, HunterXHunter, Persona 4, but the point is it's really not that hard to find "non-I want to be the very best anime", shonen or otherwise.

 

[Cyan]

Currently aired one without winning power, or achieving something to become better :
Ikoku meiro no Croisée
Usagi drop

And well, many (if not all?) other Shoujo.
If you watched only Shounen anime, of course it's about winning/achieving something.

Some of non shoujo I watched without achieving anything:
Arakawa Under the Bridge
Eve no Jikan (maybe)
Iblard Jikan
Ippatsu Kikimusume
Kino no Tabi: the Beautiful World
Kujira no Chouyaku
Mushishi
Out of sight
Rain Town
Tenshi no Tamago
Zettai Shounen (maybe not a shounen, even if the title mention it)

 

[tajio]

Check out My Anime List, you'll find lot's of suggestions for anime over there.

Now since you've been watching mostly shounen anime, I'll suggest you a few different genre anime.

Death Note - 37 Episodes (Mystery, Supernatural, Police, Psychological, Thriller)
Cowboy Bebop - 26 Episodes (Action, Adventure, Comedy, Drama, Sci-Fi, Space)
Welcome to NHK! - 24 Episodes (Comedy, Romance, Slice of Life, Psychological)
Zombie Loan - 11 Episodes (Action, Horror, Shounen, Supernatural)
High School of the Dead - 12 Episodes (Action, Ecchi, Horror, Supernatural)

I've personally watched about 150 different animes you can check out my anime list for some more sugestions

EDIT: Are you watching your anime in English dub?

EDIT: Shounen basically means boys thus shounen anime is primarily aimed at males.

 

[machomuu]

Check out My Anime List, you'll find lot's of suggestions for anime over there.

Now since you've been watching mostly shounen anime, I'll suggest you a few different genre anime.

Death Note - 37 Episodes (Mystery, Supernatural, Police, Psychological, Thriller)
Cowboy Bebop - 26 Episodes (Action, Adventure, Comedy, Drama, Sci-Fi, Space)
Welcome to NHK! - 24 Episodes (Comedy, Romance, Slice of Life, Psychological)
Zombie Loan - 11 Episodes (Action, Horror, Shounen, Supernatural)
High School of the Dead - 12 Episodes (Action, Ecchi, Horror, Supernatural)

I've personally watched about 150 different animes you can check out my anime list for some more sugestions

EDIT: Are you watching your anime in English dub?

EDIT: Shounen basically means boys thus shounen anime is primarily aimed at males.

Technically Death Note doesn't count as Light is striving to be God. But again, that's just a technicality.

 

[Gundam Eclipse]

Elfen Lied
Chobits

^Both great animes, that have no correlation to people "becoming, or wanting to be the best". Power/Winning is a pretty widely used goal in animes.

I thought Elfen Lied was hentai o.o

-Fate/stay night (god yes, watch this)

[MAJORNASUFAG] THE VISUAL NOVEL IS FAR BETTER WHY WOULD YOU SUGGEST THE TERRIBAD ANIME [/ENDNASURANT]

 

[Hells Malice]

-Tokyo Magnitude 8.0Oh God, thanks for reminding me of this.
The ending made me cry. You probably know what I'm going on about without needing to type it.
I'm normally disappointed at endings but this man, this was a different level ;____;

-Toradora!Ending was pretty shit but it's alright.
and lastlyQUOTE(Hells Malice @ Aug 12 2011, 04:46 PM)

-Angel Beats! (yeah not a lot of action...but still)

If you want to watch Angel Beats on a happy note (meaning not angry at the shitfest they ended with), don't watch episode 13 or the OVA.

Toradora had a rushed ending, yeah. I didn't hate it since it ended the way it started, comedic. But it would have been way better to to have stretched it out.

What was so bad about Angel Beats! ending? Almost every anime has an abrupt ending. It's really rare not to see one. I can name TM8.0, WTC, Fate/SN and Utawarerumono that had non-rushed endings.
If anything, i think Angel Beats could have been longer in the middle, and kept the ending the exact same. It did a good job, but it would have been nice to get more info on everyone else besides just a select few people.
and what the hell, the OVA was hilarious.

@Gundam Eclipse

The anime was fantastic, but of course the VN was better. The VN had all the time in the world to unfold and give as much detail as it possibly good. The anime probably had time constraints, but it still did a good job.

 

[ojsinnerz.]

It's not really an "observation" when everything you've watched is mainly the mainstream shows aimed at CHILDREN. Except Sekirei, which is just porn for teens, and I suppose Inuyasha, which is just a show aimed entirely at teenage girls. I mean really. Try watching something else.

Good entry level shows would be
Cowboy Bebop
Tengen Toppa Gurren Lagann
Ghost in the Shell: Stand Alone Complex (2nd gig is the second season)
Samurai Champloo
Chromartie Highschool
FLCL
Black Lagoon
Darker Than Black: The Black Contractor (DtB:TBC Gaiden is a sequel to the first season, and Gemini of the Meteor is the second season)
Baccano!

 

[matt1freek]

Deadman Wonderland is a newer anime series (think it just ended with 12 eps?)

absolutely fantastic anime. I cannot reccomend it enough, especially if you like your anime slightly twisted ala Hellsing, Elfin Lied, XXXholic, Highschool of the Dead
Another good anime I watched that is a few years old is Chaos; Head
its another one of those harem anime's but imo it actually has a decent plot.

 

[Schlupi]

WHY has nobody suggested Haruhi? My top picks, off the top of my head:

*Fullmetal Alchemist: Brotherhood (Up there until the end of time)

*Fullmetal Alchemist (two COMPLETELY different series)

*Clannad/ Clannad Afterstory (BEST. GOD DAMN series OMG)

*Code Geass/ Code Geass R2 (ONLY THE GREATEST)

*Melancholy of Haruhi Suzumiya (mindfucking, fanservicey a little, suspenseful, clevar, it's a good series, and the movie is TOP NOTCH)

*Nodame Cantible (Shojo but holy hell is the first season amazing. Ignore Paris and Finale)

*Shakugan No Shana/ Shakugan No Shana II (great, action, slightly fan-servicey series)

*Higurashi: When the Cicadas Cry

*FLCL

*GURREN LAGANN (WHY has nobody said this one? One the BEST)

*Yu Yu Hakusho (One of my favorites too, my top pick "90s Anime")

*Neon Genesis Evangelion

*Cowboy Bebop (forever classic)

*Death Note (Masterfrigginpiece)

*ANYTHING by Hayao Miyazaki! i.e. Howl's Moving Castle, Spirited Away, Castle in the Sky, Princess Mononoke, and so many more.

*Lupin the 3rd (lulzy)

* DETECTIVE CONAN/Case Closed (So awesome)

*Outlaw Star (EPIC ending lol)

*Read or Die (sweet OVA)

*Read or Die The TV (great series, goes last in the timeline after Manga, and then after OVA)

*Rurouni Kenshin

*Trigun


Just a starting list.

 

[Cyan]

Schlupi, he said he doesn't know anime which is not about "gaining power, becoming the best, or winning some sort of "game".."

Fullmetal is about gaining alchemy power. (if not the hero, the humunculi)
Code geass is power axed too,
Suzumiya, I classed it into "shoujo", as I said I think most shoujo (if not all) are not about gaining a power or becoming the best. It's just their lives (normal to very weird, but it's their lives lol)
Nodame : good shoujo too, it's about winning a competition. (Then, not all shoujo

)
etc.

I don't know
*Clannad/ Clannad Afterstory (BEST. GOD DAMN series OMG)
*Shakugan No Shana/ Shakugan No Shana II (great, action, slightly fan-servicey series)
*Higurashi: When the Cicadas Cry
*Outlaw Star (EPIC ending lol)
*Read or Die (sweet OVA)
*Read or Die The TV (great series, goes last in the timeline after Manga, and then after OVA)

But most of them seems to be shounen/power related

I think in your list only FLCL fit the subject and had already been said by someone else.

 

[YetoJesse]

p.s. sekirei is about fighting, but not purely about being the best...

 

[Hells Malice]

I don't know
*Clannad/ Clannad Afterstory (BEST. GOD DAMN series OMG)

Wait wait wait...wait wait wait....wait.

You don't know Clannad as in, you've never seen it?
As in...never watched it, as in never fulfilled your life with Clannad super awesomeness?

Good sir, watch it now.
Like, right now. Non stop till you finish.




or i'll find you.

 

[machomuu]

Schlupi, he said he doesn't know anime which is not about "gaining power, becoming the best, or winning some sort of "game".."

Fullmetal is about gaining alchemy power. (if not the hero, the humunculi)
Code geass is power axed too,
Suzumiya, I classed it into "shoujo", as I said I think most shoujo (if not all) are not about gaining a power or becoming the best. It's just their lives (normal to very weird, but it's their lives lol)
Nodame : good shoujo too, it's about winning a competition. (Then, not all shoujo

)
etc.

I don't know
*Clannad/ Clannad Afterstory (BEST. GOD DAMN series OMG)
*Shakugan No Shana/ Shakugan No Shana II (great, action, slightly fan-servicey series)
*Higurashi: When the Cicadas Cry
*Outlaw Star (EPIC ending lol)
*Read or Die (sweet OVA)
*Read or Die The TV (great series, goes last in the timeline after Manga, and then after OVA)

But most of them seems to be shounen/power related

I think in your list only FLCL fit the subject and had already been said by someone else.

Actually most of the things are exactly what Hell's asking for barring Fullmetal Alchemist/Brotherhod, but that's about getting their bodies back and at least in Brotherhood that is no longer a huge goal half way through. Kind of like Dragon Ball, only at the beginning are they really important.

BTW, great list Schlupi, but I'll hunt you down for not listing Dragon Ball/Z.

 

[Cyan]

Wait wait wait...wait wait wait....wait.

You don't know Clannad as in, you've never seen it?
As in...never watched it, as in never fulfilled your life with Clannad super awesomeness?

Good sir, watch it now.
Like, right now. Non stop till you finish.

or i'll find you.

Hu, wait..Yes ...but, I'm watching Cross game now (I'm at ep26), I'm registering Clannad for my next anime. (found Doki 10GB 720p pack, 15day left

).

 

[Twiffles]

Doki

What the heck are you doing.

 

[Sora de Eclaune]

Why do you think this is? Is Japan just really obsessed with gaining power & winning games?

No..

Azumanga Daioh isn't about gaining power and winning games. It's about a group of girls and their teachers and how life.
Lucky Star isn't about gaining power and winning games. It's about a group of girls who do stuff.
Higurashi no Naku Koro ni isn't about gaining power and winning games. It's about...OH GOD, DID HE JUST PUMMEL THEM TO DEATH WITH A BAT?!
Haibane Renmei isn't about gaining power and winning games. It's about a girl who wants to understand herself and why she exists.
Pokemon isn't about gaining power and winning ga... Oh wait, yes it is.

 

[Schlupi]

Schlupi, he said he doesn't know anime which is not about "gaining power, becoming the best, or winning some sort of "game".."

Fullmetal is about gaining alchemy power. (if not the hero, the humunculi)
Code geass is power axed too,
Suzumiya, I classed it into "shoujo", as I said I think most shoujo (if not all) are not about gaining a power or becoming the best. It's just their lives (normal to very weird, but it's their lives lol)
Nodame : good shoujo too, it's about winning a competition. (Then, not all shoujo

)
etc.

I don't know
*Clannad/ Clannad Afterstory (BEST. GOD DAMN series OMG)
*Shakugan No Shana/ Shakugan No Shana II (great, action, slightly fan-servicey series)
*Higurashi: When the Cicadas Cry
*Outlaw Star (EPIC ending lol)
*Read or Die (sweet OVA)
*Read or Die The TV (great series, goes last in the timeline after Manga, and then after OVA)

But most of them seems to be shounen/power related

I think in your list only FLCL fit the subject and had already been said by someone else.

Actually most of the things are exactly what Hell's asking for barring Fullmetal Alchemist/Brotherhod, but that's about getting their bodies back and at least in Brotherhood that is no longer a huge goal half way through. Kind of like Dragon Ball, only at the beginning are they really important.

BTW, great list Schlupi, but I'll hunt you down for not listing Dragon Ball/Z.

I hope you know I didn't list it solely to troll you.

I know the OP sia dhe didn't want "Power" Anime, but I just listed everything that came to mind. I didn't want to debate with myself what was and wasn't.

 

[Mangofett]

Higurashi no Naku Koro ni isn't about gaining power and winning games. It's about...OH GOD, DID HE JUST PUMMEL THEM TO DEATH WITH A BAT?!

You did not just say that about Higurashi. I will eat you.

Maybe on the surface but it's a much deeper show than that. It's my favorite anime basically.

 

[machomuu]

Higurashi no Naku Koro ni isn't about gaining power and winning games. It's about...OH GOD, DID HE JUST PUMMEL THEM TO DEATH WITH A BAT?!

You did not just say that about Higurashi. I will eat you.

Maybe on the surface but it's a much deeper show than that. It's my favorite anime basically.

She didn't say anything bad about it.

 

[gamefreak94]

& One other similarity between Anime's is, they're all in the format where each episode is part of a story, unlike western cartoons where each episode is it's own story....


Why do you think this is? Is Japan just really obsessed with gaining power & winning games?
Lucky Star or Gintama, both have random episodes. Although Gintama has some arcs here and there but they're always good and nice to watch ;3

QUOTE(Sora de Eclaune @ Aug 14 2011, 05:29 PM) Higurashi no Naku Koro ni isn't about gaining power and winning games. It's about...OH GOD, DID HE JUST PUMMEL THEM TO DEATH WITH A BAT?!

You did not just say that about Higurashi. I will eat you.

Maybe on the surface but it's a much deeper show than that. It's my favorite anime basically.

She didn't say anything bad about it.

She/He means it's not just about a couple of people killing each other and i think she/he doesn't want people to think that's what the show is all about.