a title of anime in recent 4 years that was completely original, one that didn't use any cliche moment, rule, or whatnot, come on now cptjanvier, don't be shy, surprise me please.
Fine. Of course, I can only list the ones I've seen, starting date I've taken as 2007, although that does leave out some of my very favorites. Not all of them are top-rate, but that's not the question here.
Overall originality:
Aoi Bungaku - an anime about famous modern Japanese works of literature, that's pretty original in anime.
Durarara - for its interweaving of European and Japanese mythology, urban culture, digital isolation ... and keeping all characters likeable
Himitsu - cop shows are rare in anime and this is a modern cop show with an interesting premise that raises all kinds of issues
Hourou Musuko - unique to find gender and transgender issues discussed seriously and not as comic relief
Kuragehime - otaku girls over 16. Anime's unicorns. And yet here are 6 or so in one anime
Moyashimon - sure, there are tons of anime now about the unseen things around us, but usually those unseen things are spirits or ghosts or yokai or whatever. This is science! Real science in anime is rare.
Rainbow - unique (in anime) - jail escape hard knock youth sob story has been done in American life action movies. There aren't too many anime about this time period, either.
Seirei no Moribito - the original anime to beat all original anime. You have a 30-year-old female warrior, a male nurturer/healer, ok, the old prince-turned-commoner bit, but the scope, the animation, the linking of myth and science (historical research saves the world!), the extremely well-portrayed growth of emotion, if there were more anime like this I'd never complain again.
Taishou Yakyuu Musume - little portrayed historical period. Girls playing baseball. No magic. No fanservice. Hard work and feminism. Dang, there are only about 2 or 3 anime that come close to the significance of this one.
Tegami Bachi - yes, the first season seems mostly innocent. But right from the start, a completely original world, completely unique color palette and the story in season 2 gets more and more interesting. Since the manga is still publishing, they had to invent their own end, which still doesn't resolve everything, but for setting and coloring alone, it's far more original than many other fantasy anime.
Tokyo Magnitue 8.0 - setting because the "survive catastrophic event" storyline is pretty strong in Hollywood movies and
the twist at the end has been done
- yes, there's Fahrenheit 451 (it's a book by Ray Bradbury). But this anime has a strong female lead who goes against the usual notions of femininity (Japanese and Western) and dammit, armed librarians! There aren't all that many anime that deal with censorship this prominently, either.
These anime have at least one original thing about them that makes them stand out from the rest:
Baccano! - its extremely dynamic flow, Western setting (train!), and its non-linear narration.
Bakemonogatari - its style of animation
First Squad - pseudohistorian documentary of the Russian side of WW2 - very original perspective for anime, even if its pieces aren't original in the larger world of film tropes
Lovely Complex - a far more realistic love story than many I've seen, where people actually ask each other out, tell each other their feelings, go out and kiss. Like normal human beings.
Mononoke - for the animation style
Nodame Cantabile - I'd put this one in the list above, but the "successful career path" anime isn't that original and neither is the "crazy girl, uptight guy" story. What's original here is the setting (conservatory students over 20, omg!) You could also say that the animation of the classical music is a bit of a nod to Disney's Fantasia, but classical music as
diegetic sound in such variety is original in anime.
Spice and Wolf - European Middle Ages and TRADE. That alone beats the unoriginality of mythological creature, sudden girlfriend appearance, bla bla bla. Is there another anime about trade (no matter how confusingly and ham-handedly they portray trade in this)? No, there isn't.
Phantom: Requiem for the Phantom - there are a few shows out there that are kind of like this. Darker than Black, Blassreiter, Witch Hunter Robin, all very similar. None is as good or as original or as painful as this one.
Ristorante Paradiso - I hated it. Bleh! But an unusual pairing (for anime).
House of Five Leaves - animation style, grown-ups, samurai-ish slice of life
Senkou no Night Raid - simply for the period it's set in. 1930s China? Damn, that's a political hot potato and they manage to keep it so very neutral ... superpowers, plot twists ... less original, except for the last.
Shiki - original simply for putting an end to cuddly sparkly vampires.
Shows that I've only partially seen for some reason but which show great promise of being original:
Dennou CoilKatanagatari (the format alone)
There you go.
