Action

[TheThing]

General Rules

Post a reply here with your favorite Action anime titles along with a short description (and pictures ). Remember to read the Guidelines and tips before continuing.

Thread rules

Shows that revolve around action belong here. If you are looking for a show that is exciting (not in the ecchi sense), or a title with a lot of action, then this is the place to post or find a new favorite.


Anime titles

• Black Lagoon
• Cowboy Bebop
• Full Metal Panic
• Ghost in the Shell
• Gunslinger Girl
• Infinite Stratos (by TheThing)
• Kaze no Stigma (by TheThing)
• Nabari No Ou (by InfinityStream)
• Psycho-Pass
• Read or Die/R.O.D. the TV
• To Aru Kagaku no Railgun
• To Aru Majutsu no Index (by Chadwicke)
• Vandread

Anime titles in other threads

• Asobi ni Iku Yo (by TheThing)
• High School of the Dead
• Kiseijuu/Parasyte
• Last Exile (by TheThing)
• Millennium Actress
• Ookami-san to Shichinin no Nakama-tachi (by Krozam)
• Otome Youkai Zakuro
• Soul Eater
• Zettai Karen Children (by TheThing)

[TheThing]

Infinite Stratos
Action, Comedy, Sci-Fi, Shounen, Harem, Ecchi
MAL - Series: 720p BD, OVA: 720p

Infinite Stratos is a kick ass show. It has great animation, the CG are really well done and it has fluid animation in all the fight scene and it has a fight in almost every episode.

The show starts with an epic battle, just to give you a little taste on what is to come. From there we learn more about the Infinite Stratos (or IS as they like to call it), get to know the girls and we are introduced to the main character. Slowly, we see our main character training on the IS as well as interacting with the girls, slowly becoming stronger and stronger, all building up to one epic final battle. IS is many times being classified as mecha, but I would not call them mecha, as the IS are more of battle suits that they use.

I really liked this show and the battles are quite fun to watch as well as engaging not to mention the comedy they add in for added flavor :3.

Pictures

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[TheThing]

Kaze no Stigma
Action, Fantasy, Magic, Romance, Shounen
MAL - Download

Kaze no Stigma is by far, my favorite action anime. Kaze no Stigma is an anime title, that will forever hold the most bad-ass main character. When you search on google for bad-ass anime main character , you will find post containing Kaze no Stigma at the top. Not only is the main character awesome, but Kaze no Stigma has surprisingly many good support characters and extras. If it's one thing Kaze no Stigma is good at, it's having great characters. What also sets Kaze no Stigma apart from other anime titles, is the fact that the main lead starts being strong. You don't see him training the whole show, only to see it being used in one fight and thats it, you see him from the start, after all the training has been done.

The show tells about Kazuma, who was expelled from his family of fire magic users for being afraid of fire. He comes back years later after becoming a really strong wind user. I won't spoil the show so I won't go more into the details but let's just say he's kick-ass and really interesting to watch (not to mention his laid back attitude and more). The show is split in arcs, with each one exploring more of the characters in depth and such.

Pictures

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[Hanover Fist]

Cowboy Bebop

Action, Adventure, Comedy, Drama, Sci-Fi, Space
Series: MAL - Downloads: 720p BD, 480p DVD
Movie: MAL - Downloads: 720p, 400p

In a future where Mars is colonized and travel through the solar system is commonplace, Cowboys are bounty hunters. Two of these operate the ship Bebop looking for criminals to collect. Through a series of misadventures, Spike and Jet pick up some odd (if sexy, in the case of Faye Valentine) drifters while trying to get enough money to make ends meet from bounties.

Aside from Star Blazers ~ 30 years ago, this was the first anime series I watched and I still love it to this day. Yoko Kanno delivers an amazing soundtrack somehow fusing diverse blues, jazz, and rock elements into a smooth whole that beautifully fits the show. Even the dub is great.

The story and characters have incredible depth as the show progresses and their pasts catch up with them. The setting is an excellent piece of world system building. The story is told at a good pace without being dragged down by exposition. This is a classic and a must-see (at least in my eyes). I've given it to everyone I can in my assorted anime inflictions to friends and acquaintances. Now it's your turn. >:3

There was also a feature film made a couple years after the series, set somewhere around ep.22 of the series' timeline. The film was also excellent with better production values and a darker storyline than the rest.

Pictures

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[InfinityStream]

Nabari No Ou

Action, Adventure, Drama, Supernatural

MAL - Downloads: [Arigatou] 480p DVD (dual audio), [CBM] 400p DVD (dual audio)

Miharu Rokujo is pretty apathetic to the world around him. Little does he know that he holds the greatest power in Japan within him, the Shinra Banshou. Soon, he's pulled into the world of Nabari, the underground of modern day Japan. There he meets the secret lives of people who already 'knew': those who want him for his power, those who want to destroy it, and those who want to make him King. The Nabari No Ou.

I felt highly disappointed when that horrible Naruto sequel came out and almost shunned Ninja shows for life. I then discovered Nabari No Ou, and the rest is merely history.

The characters are outstanding and unique. One may have even been inspiration for Natsu Dragneel's inability to ride in vehicles,  a main point of ridicule for one of the characters. You don't find a cast that somehow stays allies even as they come and go in the different underground clans of Nabari. The character stories themselves are mixed together, instead of one arc about this guy and the next about that guy as in a norm with many shows. Miharu himself is one of the most enjoyable characters to watch as he grows to accept his strange power.

Pictures
Give a big thanks to HanoFist for the pictures!

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[Hanover Fist]

Full Metal Panic

Full Metal Panic! -	MAL	- Action, Comedy, Mecha, Sci-Fi
Full Metal Panic? Fumoffu -	MAL	- Action, Comedy
Full Metal Panic! The Second Raid -	MAL	- Action, Mecha, Military

Downloads: All three series batches 1080p BD (dual audio), 720p BD (dual audio)

Full Metal Panic!

Fumoffu

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TSR

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Sagara Sosuke is a talented and ruthless young paramilitary sergeant with the secret counter-terrorist organization MITHRIL. He and two of his collegues are given a covert assignment to guard Chidori Kaname. Military and high school worlds collide when Sosuke goes to school with her. They experience hilarious and extreme culture shock with one another as this show takes off. After the serious first season, Fumoffu is a humorous side story. The Second Raid continues the first season's plotline.

The first season did an great job alternating between the culture shock comedy and the serious mecha/sci-fi story. It maintains an excellent balancing act while you get to know the characters before diving into the heavier plot. Fumoffu was a fun humor break from the seriousness and it kept me laughing constantly. The action-packed Second Raid brings you back to the main story on a serious note: MITHRIL ends Chidori's protective detail and the bad guys close in. This pattern might have been an inspiration for some other shows (serious Index s1, light Railgun spinoff, serious Index s2).

I loved this one enough to buy all three shows on DVD. It's another of my all-time favorites I've inflicted upon many friends. I'm not sure what else to say other than GO WATCH IT NAO!

Pictures  (60)

Full Metal Panic!  (20)

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Full Metal Panic? Fumoffu  (20)

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Full Metal Panic! The Second Raid  (20)

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[Hanover Fist]

Ghost in the Shell

Action, Mecha, Sci-Fi, Psychological
Ghost in the Shell (movie 1) - MAL - Download
Ghost in the Shell 2: Innocence (movie 2) - MAL - Download
Ghost in the Shell: Stand Alone Complex (series s1) - MAL - Download
Ghost in the Shell: S.A.C. 2nd Gig (series s2) - MAL - Download
Ghost in the Shell: S.A.C. - Solid State Society (series-based movie) - MAL - Download

Ghost in the Shell

GitS 2-Innocence

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GitS-Stand Alone Complex

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GitS-SAC 2nd Gig

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GitS-SAC Solid State Society

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In 2029, the lines between the real and digital worlds have become blurry and faded. Cybernetic bodies, brain transplants and intelligence uploads have become commonplace. Section 9 is a counter-terrorist branch of the Japanese government, whose primary focus is on brain hacking. The entire body of work regularly questions where the dividing line is between man and machine.

Based on a manga by Shirow Masamune, the Ghost in the Shell franchise branches into two universes/plotlines: The first is composed of the two films Ghost in the Shell and Innocence. The other is the Stand Alone Complex series, which rebooted the universe to something a bit closer to the manga, followed by the 2nd Gig and finally Solid State Society.

The plotlines are intricate and complex - expecially in the series - when the stand alone episodes are balanced by those that weave into the larger continuing story of the season. Small details have significance and there is nothing wasted. The GitS universe has great action, deep and intriguing storylines in an exquisitely crafted world.

The music is excellent throughout. Kenji Kawai used a haunting Japanese folk soundtrack in the movies. Yoko Kanno did an amazing job in the series with vocals ranging through Russian, English, Italian and Latin with catchy and fitting music. Tracks from the many OSTs have been in constant rotation on my car CDs for years.

The animation is beautiful through all the different branches of the story. The film was my first exposure to Production I.G. and the animation has held up surprisingly well for over 15 years. All the other pieces of the story have been equally shiny and I'm willing to give nearly any show a chance if Production I.G. is doing it. Even the voice actors have colored my perceptions of anime to this day (Tanaka Atsuko was the first seiyuu I started recognizing).

Overall, it's top notch - a series well worth its expanse of DVD shelf space.

A new four part prequel OVA is in the works - Ghost in the Shell: Arise. So far, only one of the four hour-long episodes has been released.

Pictures (50)

Ghost in the Shell (10)

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GitS 2-Innocence (10)

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Also, one of my favorite AMVs of all time uses footage from Innocence with wonderful results:

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<a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0zxfVCVgC08" target="_blank">http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0zxfVCVgC08</a>

GitS-Stand Alone Complex (10)

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GitS-SAC 2nd Gig (10)

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GitS-SAC Solid State Society (10)

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[Hanover Fist]

R.O.D.
(Read or Die and Read or Dream)

R.O.D. - MAL - Download - Action, Adventure, Mystery, Sci-Fi
R.O.D. the TV - MAL - Download - Action, Adventure, Comedy, Drama, Sci-Fi

Read or Die

R.O.D. the TV

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The three episode OVA follows Yomiko Readman: On the surface, she's a clumsy, nearsighted book addict. This cover persona hides "The Paper," a secret agent for the British Library's secret service department. She has near-magical powers over paper, morphing it to do anything she needs. She and other British Library agents battle cloned historical figures in the search for rare books like weapons of mass destruction.

The 26 episode series starts five years after the OVA. It follows three members of a Hong Kong private detective agency, who each have more limited powers over paper than Yomiko. They are hired as bodyguards for author Nenene Sumiregawa in a plot that begins seemingly unrelated to the OVA. In quiet moments they do side jobs for the Chinese equivalent of the British Library superpower.

The OVA hooks you with the great action, the lush visuals and a steampunk-Ian-Fleming feel to the spy intrigue. The TV series is more character driven and takes it's time establishing things before diving in to the action-packed storyline that explains Yomiko's disappearance. These have been a favorite of mine for years and I envy you the treat of enjoying them for the first time.

Pictures

Read or Die

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R.O.D. the TV

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This AMV will give you a much better (if spoilerific) feel for the series than my words can:

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<a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sGiEo4ITZ20" target="_blank">http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sGiEo4ITZ20</a>

[Chadwicke]

To Aru Majutsu no Index
<A Certain Magical Index>

Action, Adventure, Comedy, Fantasy

To Aru Majutsu no Index -	MAL -	Torrent: 720p TV, 480p DVD (dual audio)
To Aru Majutsu no Index II -	MAL -	Torrents: 720p BD, XviD TV

XDCC: Index is on A|OtakuBot in #NEWS and Index II is still on Ginpachi-Sensei as of July 2013.

Toaru Majutsu no Index and Toaru Majutsu no Index II are set in Academy City, wherein students can enroll in schools which uses science as the center of study. Through a certain training program, the students themselves can become espers, basically humans with powers which was brought about and developed through science. Every student strives to hone and improve their esper powers, which are measured and categorized into levels, the highest of which is level 5. Our protagonist, whose power is to negate any supernatural power using his right hand, is a Level 0 Esper, which means he is not considered by the school to have any esper power at all. He gets to meet Index, the titular character, during season 1. Index brings into the series the religion/magic side, of which she has one of the greatest assets—the 103,000 forbidden magical books stored and hidden in her brain. Since the protagonist is a Level 0 esper and pretty much a borderline flunker at school, and since his right hand can negate both esper and magic powers, let's consider him a mediator between espers and magicians. It is then up to another heroine, Mikoto Misaka, to bring us deeper into the science/esper side, of which she herself is one of the most powerful. Dubbed as the Electric Princess, she is the third strongest of the seven Level 5 espers. She is also the protagonist of her own 24-episode side story, Toaru Kagaku no Railgun.

One thing I personally dislike for an anime series to have is an overpowered character. I like protagonists that has powers and yet have to use it properly for it to be useful. I like seeing potential for character improvement, and that’s exactly what Index and Index II have. ...many characters in this series just has so much potential to be cool. The series itself has a buffet of interesting aspects including the true origin of esper and magic powers, the present “science vs. religion” and the future possibility of a third faction...

Yes, the potential never stops for this anime series. However, for now, that’s all there is to it (the manga is still on-going actually, the light novels are completed, so if you want spoilers, go ahead). ...the cast of characters alone is definitely worth your time. Don’t expect too much closure (yet) and you’re definitely going to enjoy this one.

* Summary taken from my blog. Some phrases were modified/omitted to follow the guidelines.

Pictures
Thanks to Random Curiosity for the screencaps

To Aru Majutsu no Index

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To Aru Majutsu no Index II

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[Hanover Fist]

To Aru Kagaku no Railgun
<A Certain Scientific Railgun>

Action, Comedy, Sci-Fi, Fantasy
To Aru Kagaku no Railgun - MAL - Torrents: 1-24 720p BD, OVA 720p BD
To Aru Kagaku no Railgun S - MAL - Downloads: Doki release posts
XDCC: Search for "railgun" on Ginpachi-Sensei for [Mazui] S1 packs, links in release posts for [Doki] S2.

Railgun is also set in Academy City, the scientific focus of the cold war between magic and science so central to Index's plot: Nearly two million students are in the esper development program ranked from 0 to 5. Misaka Mikoto, whose talent is based on electromagnetic powers, is one of the seven Level 5 espers. She can accelerate small metal objects to supersonic speeds with a railgun made from her power. Her roommate Kuroko is in the student watch force - Judgement. Mikoto spends her time outside of school fending off Kuroko's constant romantic advances along with investigating small and large problems with their friends Uiharu (Kuroko's colleague in Judgement) and Saten (Uiharu's roommate).

The tone of this series is lighter than that of Index and it aired between the two seasons like a comedy break. The episodes alternate between long and short story lines and every episode is filled with hilarious moments. Kuroko's seiyuu, Satomi Arai, did such a wonderful job that all of her subsequent roles have been colored by Kuroko's personality in my mind. Admittedly some jokes get used a lot (perhaps overused), but I still loved the show and impatiently waited for each episode until it aired. The first season concludes well, tying up threads from many plot lines.

Now there is a second season - a spinoff series airing now that focuses on the Sisters Arc.

Pictures
Thanks again to Random Curiosity for the screencaps.

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[Hanover Fist]

Gunslinger Girl

Action, Drama, Sci-Fi, Military

Gunslinger Girl (s1) -	MAL	- Torrents: 1080p BD, DVD (dual audio)
Gunslinger Girl: Il Teatrino (s2) -	MAL	- Torrents: 1080p BD, DVD (dual audio)

The Social Welfare Agency in the Italian government takes in girls with nearly fatal injuries and gives them a second chance at life - but at what cost? They are rebuilt from the ground up into cyborg assassins: Enhanced skeletons, artificial organs and heavy brainwashing round out the modifications. Each girl is under the supervision of an adult agent, the pairs called Fratellos. The conditioning induces a chemical loyalty and perhaps love. The agency performs assassinations, counter-terrorist operations, witness protection in criminal mafia trials and sometimes bodyguard services. Each agent walks a delicate line keeping his girl balanced between going out of control and being brainwashed into oblivion. The girls struggle for recognition and affection from those they love, even if that love is chemically induced.

This is a strong and compelling show and despite the sci fi elements is quite realistic. There are no perfect heroes or villians, just varying shades of grey. When the action happens it is great but the focus is on the relationships between the girls living together and the Fratello pairs. It's a heavy show but all of the pieces come together wonderfully making it one of my all-time favorites.

Be warned, you'll get spoiled by Madhouse in the first season: The budget and artwork in the second season took a big hit in the switch to ArtLand. However, the story is just as strong with even more input from the mangaka.

Pictures

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[Hanover Fist]

Vandread

Action, Ecchi, Mecha, Comedy, Sci-Fi
MAL: 1st stage, 2nd stage - Torrent

Men prepare for war against the evil female race: In this part of the galaxy, the sexes have separated to different planets, each demonizing the other. A factory worker named Hibiki with a short fuse and big mouth stows away on the men's flagship for a bet gone wrong. He agreed to steal a Vanguard, a complex war-mech. The flagship is then captured by female pirates. Dita, a girl with a fascination for aliens (in this case men) meets and chases Hibiki.

After an explosion and a burst of unknown technology, the men and women's ships are merged by a strange crystal and catapulted far from known space. Hibiki and two other men are made prisoners of the women. When hostile aliens attack, the humans make an alliance of necessity. During the attack, Hibiki and Dita's fighters merge into a powered-up super-weapon. A funny story of culture shock and developing tolerance takes off.

The show has it's ecchi moments and the funny plot and unique background make for an excellent series. Over the two seasons there is a lot of good character development with hilarious male to female interactions as they find their way back to home space. With a 2000-2002 vintage, Gonzo blends the 3D CGI and the 2D character animation very well.

Pictures

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[Hanover Fist]

Black Lagoon

Action

Black Lagoon (1-24):	MAL s1,s2 -	Torrents: 1080p, 720p, 480p
Black Lagoon omake:	MAL -	Torrents: 1080p, 720p
Black Lagoon-Roberta's Blood Trail (25-29):	MAL -	Torrents: 1080p, 720p, 480p

Okajima Rokuro is an average Japanese salaryman given a big chance by his company to deliver a top secret disc. In the South China Sea his boat is hijacked by a gang of pirates operating out of Thailand hired to acquire this disc. As an afterthought Rokuro (soon nicknamed "Rock") is kidnapped for ransom and taken aboard their ship - the Black Lagoon. His company not only refuses to pay any ransom, they write him off for dead and hire mercenaries to sink the Lagoon and their dirty secret. Rock decides that the pirate life might not be so bad - assuming they survive.

In the anime industry's field full of pretty moe and loli flowers, Black Lagoon is a hungry Venus flytrap. This is the show most action anime want to be when they grow up. Dirty, gritty, sexy and violent - it's packed full of awesome. The art and animation are top notch with beautiful and gritty details everywhere - whether calm or fighting. The music is very diverse but always suits the mood. The plot keeps you on your toes with its two to six episode arcs exploring different and dangerous themes. The characters are the probably the strongest part of this show. Never static, they constantly and slowly change, exploring new facets and making (sometimes arguing about) their own decisions about what is right and appropriate.

There were 24 episodes in the first two 2006 seasons, seven silly little omake skits and a shiny five episode OAV from 2010-'11 - a new arc/season 3 free from the bounds of TV censorship.

Pictures

Black Lagoon (Thanks to aztec for the 'caps.)

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Roberta's Blood Trail (Thanks to Random Curiosity for the 'caps.)

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[Hanover Fist]

Psycho-Pass

Action, Sci-Fi
MyAnimeList overview - Torrents: 720p BD, 1080p BD
XDCC: Search for "psycho" on Ginpachi-Sensei for packlist.

In a dark and gritty future, the Sybyl supercomputer system watches over all of Japan. Scanners on every street corner and Dominator handguns measure one's latent capacity for crime. These quantify the crime coefficient, or psycho-pass. Above one threshold, the offender is captured by the Criminal Investigation Division and taken in for therapy. Above another threshold, the Dominators reconfigure themselves to lethal weapons and the cancer of society is excised. The CID inspectors use enforcers - latent criminals themselves - as hunting dogs for individuals with high psycho-passes. Inspector Tsunemori Akane is fresh out of school and dropped into a case on her first day on the job ...

The dystopian setting is fascinating and Psycho-Pass has a very well-built world. The plot is paced smoothly and the story delves into many thorny issues, including: What is justice and how far do you go to enforce it? The cast is well balanced, all with depths of their own. I like how they change over time, suffering the consequences of their actions. The action, animation and background are beautiful and Production I.G. lived up to their name once again. Overall, it's not a perfect show, but it is excellent and well worth the time to watch it. Say a 9/10.

Pictures
Screencaps courtesy of RandomC as usual.

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