If any of you have the time for it, I would reccomend The Diary of Tortov Roddle. It's sort of like Kino's Journey in a way... the main character, Tortov Roddle is seen going on various adventures and takes pleasure in each one.
If after watching that, you feel like watching more of the same, there is another anime, La Maison en Petits Cubes. By 'more of the same', I'm simply refering to the art. The story however is entirely different, involving a man who lives in a place where all the houses are surrounded by water.
The art in the above two is interesting in that it abandons the conventional character designs that so many watchers are used to seeing. In fact, one might say that they seem European in nature. That said, Kunio Kato, the writer and artist, certainly brings something new and refreshing to the table.
Another series I would reccomend is Cross Game. While I'm not all that into sports anime, I figured this one should get a shout out as it seems to show itself off as a good, character-driven story with Baseball taking the background.
Fantastic Children isn't a show that should be judged by title alone. After watching a few episodes, the story draws its viewers in with its main characters, The Children of Belfort, and surrounds them with this air of mystery that keeps pulling those viewers deeper into the story. The art is reminiscent of the 60's, opting for something simple, while more attention is paid to the backgrounds and animation. The music compliments the backgrounds, evoking emotions in the viewer, or reflecting those in the characters. In short, it's quite a ride with its mystery and sadness but becomes a worthy watch by the end.
My only complaint is the dub cast, which all hail from Singapore. Bandai failed to do this show justice when they pushed for this move, so watching it subbed is highly reccomended.
