I'll say I prefer anime with main female characters who don't annoy me. I also prefer an active romance somewhere within it. The idea behind the Harem romance takes a dive if there is just friendship all around and no tension.
Saiunkoku Monogatari:
I enjoyed all of the characters in this anime, including the main. I am still searching for the rest of the series in novelizations and I can only hope I eventually find it. I love the story and I never thought a story centered around so much politics could be so amazing. Hands down the best, most in-depth cast of a series. This puts Fushigi Yuugi and Ayashi no Ceres to shame.
Hanasakeru Seishounen:
I did not expect the major twists and turns this anime takes. From where I stood, I expected something just outright laughable, only to be swept along by the great story-telling, intrigue and a match-making game of epic proportions... Kajika turns out to be an amazing girl and her suitors were drop-dead gorgeous.
Neo-Angelique Abyss:
I watched a lot of Angelique but while the characters were wonderful, none of the series offered anything much of a solid story. In comes Abyss, with a wonderful cast of guys and a heart-wrenchingly beautiful story... I can't get enough of it. I wish there was more.
Hakuoki:
There isn't enough words in the vocabulary to define how amazing the guys look in this anime. I -hate- the main female. She's too weak for words and frustrated me beyond belief. However, the redeeming quality lies in the male characters. I think, knowing the game backgrounds of this anime helps a great deal in my love for the series and that may make my choice very, very biased.
La Corda/ Kiniro no Corda:
This one was a toss-up. It feels like only the main character is so completely oblivious to the fact of love while everyone else looks at her like she's their everything. It annoys me to a certain extent that the series didn't go as far as to include a full blow romance, but the supporting cast of males make it too good to ignore.
Harukanaru Toki no Naka de:
I will stop all thoughts on this and tell you that I absolutely hated the series. I loved the guys, but I hated the main girl in the first 2-3 series. In comes *Maihito*, the movie, and I was absolutely blown away... now that single movie managed to add so much more substance to all the characters than a 26+ series.
Also, on the same note, I happen to LOVE the cast and main character in 3rd of the series, Kurenai no Tsuki and its sequel, Owarinaki Unmei. While I loove the way the characters look in the 3rd series, what won me over was the surprisingly strong and capable female lead. Not only was she a miko, she was a rather engaged swodrswoman. I wish the 3rd series elaborated more and included additional stories to expand on the gorgeous characters but unfortunately, it looks like the series got canned.
In the non-romance group:
Uta no Prince-Sama
Starry Sky
Ouran High(No romance you say? Well, it didn't get anywhere. :c)
Fruits Basket |