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The Collectionist: 11 Essential Anime DVDs

New to Anime? Here are the 11 essentials to help get you started.

March 26, 2010

For the anime novice, it can be difficult to pick out the winners within the sea of mediocrity washing across the shelves of DVD stores. While by no means a comprehensive list, here are 11 of Japan's best anime series, ones that would grace any collector's shelf.

Wolf's Rain
Credit: Bandai Entertainment

Wolf’s Rain

Wolves have been hunted into extinction...or so the humans think. There are still a few left who have the ability to appear human, a gift they use constantly in their effort to leave the ravaged human world and find Paradise. Kiba leads a band of wolves following a faint clue into a secret laboratory, where they will find the first whisper of hope for Paradise.

Hellsing Ultimate
Credit: Gonzo

Hellsing Ultimate

Not the original series, but the more recent, high-quality remake. Alucard is a delightfully insane and unbelievably powerful vampire in the employ of a secret British organization dedicated to fighting Nazis, vampires, and Nazi vampires. God Save the Queen!

Rurouni Kenshin
Credit: Studio Gallop

Rurouni Kenshin

In the wake of the Tokugawa revolutions, Kenshin is a wandering, masterless samurai trying desperately to forget about his past. Unfortunately, his past refuses to forget about him, and returns time and time again to test his vow to never again take a life.

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