So I originally was under the impression that once something got on hulu, it stayed on hulu, but it seems that it runs monthly/seasonal, like HBO or any other network programing.

So anyway, all 16 episodes of Baccano are on till the end of October, and Robotech is on till the end of winter (till like april or some such).

Baccano: it's fun to watch a Japanese interpretation of 1930s America. It's a bit hard to keep all the time lines straight (there's one for 1930, 31, and 32, with the odd skip way back and way forward in time) as they tend to have 2 3 stories running each episode. I'd rate it as just shy of Cowboy Bebop Quality.

Robotech. Love it or hate it, it's what got me into anime back in the day. Having all 88 episodes on tap is a nice wastage of time.

HOLY SHIT! all 88 epsiodes are on HULU??? Robotech is my fav anime of all time... Hell I got all 88 on VHS from there original American run wya back in like 85.. THere is HOward the Duck trailer commercials in there.. funny stuff... Ok good bye off to hulu..

A random aside, is there a way to rip video from hulu to save as a video file?

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Baccano: it's fun to watch a Japanese interpretation of 1930s America. It's a bit hard to keep all the time lines straight (there's one for 1930, 31, and 32, with the odd skip way back and way forward in time) as they tend to have 2 3 stories running each episode. I'd rate it as just shy of Cowboy Bebop Quality.

Robotech. Love it or hate it, it's what got me into anime back in the day. Having all 88 episodes on tap is a nice wastage of time.

That is a bold statement sir. I just might have to check this out.

A random aside, is there a way to rip video from hulu to save as a video file?

If you care about legality, iTunes is probably your best bet for downloading TV to go. There are Hulu download utilities out there, but that's really biting the hand that feeds.

@chanur
It's an ensemble piece, with the time skipping making it feel a bit like Momento to me in that, if they put everything in chronological order, it wouldn't have been as good a story. One of the philisophical questions it asks is how come you feel empathy towards some law breakers but not others?

They're hopefully gonna release a new Robotech movie soon. It's a follow up to the Shadow Chronicles. Now that they have the new story down, I'm hoping this one will have more action.

Heh, I never realized how sexist the original Robotech was, along with obnoxious dialogue. At least with Hulu it's much easier to skip the worst of it. Thanks for posting, I missed the episodes being listed and it's fun to go back and watch some of these older shows. iTunes has apparently decided to finally list them as well. A while back I looked at purchasing them, but couldn't find them anywhere for cheap.

What? You don't want to hear Lynn Mynmae(sp) sing To Be In Love 5 brajillion times?

I actually bought the complete set on dvd a while ago, which had a dvd about why the second season died a hot flaming death.

The only thing that pisses me off about Harmony gold is that they own the licenses to the best looking Battletech mechs (which have since vanished because of the dispute): The Maurader, the Rifleman, and the Warhammer and 9 others I don't care as much about.

The Phoenix Hawk :(

Agreed! Marauder was one of my all time favorites.

For me its always been the Valkyrie. I didnt even know why I loved Jetfire (Transformers) until I realized his toy was identical to a Macross Saga Valkyrie. Of course I was very young when the series were released, but I rewatch them every once in a while, keeping the entire series in HD format on my harddrive. They're a staple on my childhood (and I'm still indebted to Barnard for teaching me how the hell the series worked japanese->american market).

Yes, the dialogue is bloody annoying at times. And sure its outdated.

But its Robotech!


To be in love, my hero he must take me where no other can. Dududu...

It'll be interesting to see how Toby McGuire and company reboot this into a movie.

Just finished the first war in my spare time... Man the memories... I Love Robotech.

For other anime series check out www.crunchyroll.com (http://www.crunchyroll.com)

Cool ty........

So, anime fans, educate the uneducated here. What other mech/RBR shows are worth watching?

Star Blazers FTW!

Man I feel old.

I always like the original Dragonball series, where Goku was a kid. The original Japanese versions with the off color humor are much better than the watered down American versions, of course.

Kanyli,
Cowboy Bebop is my standard of excellence in anime. It's only one season, but that season is good, and best of all, most stories are one shots so you can see one and enjoy it without all that much backstory. The makers then made Samauri Champloo, which has nothing to do with mechs, space ships, or science fiction, but is similarly awesome.
Seriously, most mech anime sucks. Eureka 7 is barely gets a passing grade in my book, and that only because of the coming of age story, not the mech fights. Heh, right. Starblazers for the win.
Now if you can FIND any "dirty pair" stuff, that's 80's anime that's full of win--Cops who always get their target...usually AFTER he's completed his diabolical plan, and hilarity ensues.
Dragonball, unfortunately, is the epitome of the "two people stare at each other while they yell really loud to power up" fighting anime. :(
Ghost in the Shell: Stand Alone Complex has two seasons and (i think) two movies, as well as two original Ghost in the Shell movies which aren't in the same canon. They tend to be more cerebral, and also kind of require watching entire seasons. Good stuff, but I don't find myself rewatching them as much as bebop or:
Black Lagoon is my current favorite anime of all time. It is just full of win, period. It's all about what it takes, emotionally, to live in the semi-criminal underworld.

So, my top 3 anime recommendations:
Black Lagoon
Cowboy Bebop
Samauri Champloo

I think I just tend to like scifi stuff. I've been watching Ghost in the Shell Stand Alone Complex, and enjoying it, especially once the main story arc started moving.

of the stuff i mentioned, these are sci fi:

Star Blazers
Dirty Pair
Ghost in the Shell
Cowboy Bebop
Eureka 7

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Black Lagoon is current day south china sea skullduggery.
Samurai Champloo is 16 century Japan.
Dragonball Z is, um, Fantasy. :)

Dragonball, unfortunately, is the epitome of the "two people stare at each other while they yell really loud to power up" fighting anime. :(


You are obviously thinking of the later Dragonball Z series.

Try the original Dragonball series, where Goku first learns about girls, Yamcha is actually a good fighter, and you learn why it's not cool to let Sayans out during a full moon.

Is there a site simlur to crunchyroll there that plays complete movies? I miss my old fav like Kaze no tani no Naushika/Warriors of the Winds, Vampire Hunter D, DOminion: Tank Police and NEw Tank Police.. Hell Anything Masamune Shirow; Appleseed, Black Magic-m66 and of course Ghost in the shell....

Neo-Genisis Evangelion

I dont know what "RBR" stands for but here's a breakdown of awesomesauce animes in order of importance.

Fullmetal Alchemist - Action/Dark/Pulp/Fantasy
- This is the favorite anime of many. Its set in a magical/steampunk world where a form of magic translated as "alchemy" exists. The series follows the journey of two brothers trying to regain their bodies which they gambled away in a rogue magical experiment.

Cowboy Bebop - Action/Adventure/Sci-Fi
- Also a favorite for many. Its an action with an american twist, in other words its not tailored for the japanophiles. You'll see less japanese references and more western styled action. The show excels primarilly in its soundtrack and its down to earth lack of pretense.

Death Note - Mystery/Drama
- Probably the only non-action oriented anime I've ever enjoyed. This one can keep you on the edge of your seat and pretty much every episode is a cliffhanger. The scripting is well thought out, even if it does get a little emo at times.

Mecha-oriented animes:
Code GEASS / Code GEASS Lelouch of the Rebellion - Action/Drama/Sci Fi.
- Probably the best mecha series I've seen in a long time. It's got a good story element and doesn't wholly revolve around metal on metal combat.

Rah Xephon - Action/Drama/Mystery
- More or less an adult version of Neon Genesis Evangelion. Unlike EVA this one actually has a proper ending. In my opinion a much better alternative, and a good show to boot. This is not to insult EVA, it did make a hell of an impact on the anime market at the time of its release.

Full Metal Panic! - Action/Comedy
- Just another mecha series. But its good. Quirky cast dynamics. Very amusing at times.

These are all series. There are plenty of good movies to watch out there. Two names to look out for are Miyazaki and Shirow.
Other than that, maybe this link may be of assistance: http://animenfo.com/statistic/top.php?type=anime

RBR -Really Big Robots, might be a dated video game term.

Not that I've watched a ton of anime, but I'm constantly surprised at how much seems to have a western slant to it. I haven't checked out Cowboy Bebop yet, but it is on my list.

Looks like Hulu may start charging next year, and looks like it's big content pushing them to do so.

http://scitech.blogs.cnn.com/2009/10/23/hulu-to-charge-subscription-fee/

Popular online video service Hulu will start charging subscription fees sometime next year, says News Corp. Deputy Chairman Chase Carey.

While speaking at a recent Broadcasting & Cable summit (http://www.broadcastingcable.com/blog/ADverse_Atkinson_on_Advertising/23941-Chase_Carey_Hulu_to_Charge_in_2010.php?nid=2228&source=title&rid=6454445) Carey announced his plans for Hulu: “I think a free model is a very difficult way to capture the value of our content. I think what we need to do is deliver that content to consumers in a way where they will appreciate the value. Hulu concurs with that, it needs to evolve to have a meaningful subscription model as part of its business.”

Hulu.com has attracted a large online audience by offering commercial-supported TV shows and movies from NBC, ABC, Fox, and other networks since 2007. However, the addition of a subscription fee may send most of Hulu's users searching for alternatives.

I use Hulu frequently to watch everything from Comedy Central's "Daily Show" to Fox's "Family Guy." I stomach the commercial interruptions in exchange for the high-quality streaming content, but I certainly won't be pulling out my credit card if the service puts up a subscription pay wall. And I doubt many other customers will be happy to start paying money for a service they previously received for free.

The move to a fee-based business model is a decision that will still have to be approved by the Hulu board, and I hope someone has the sense to blackball this idea. But common sense doesn't always prevail in the entertainment industry – if it did, we might still have "Arrested Development."

The Hulu thing may just be blown out of proportion: http://mediamemo.allthingsd.com/20091023/how-much-will-you-have-to-pay-for-hulu-nothing-how-much-will-you-pay-for-hulu-plus-good-question/

Is Hulu putting up a pay wall around its Web TV site? Nope.

Does Hulu want to charge people to watch Web TV? Yes.

Confused? Don’t be.

It’s pretty straightforward: Hulu, the joint venture between News Corp.’s (NWS) Fox, GE’s (GE) NBC Universal and Disney’s (DIS) ABC, doesn’t plan on charging people to watch the stuff it’s currently airing on the site–a mix of first-run shows from broadcast TV, a limited number of cable TV shows and a smattering of movies. But Hulu is trying to figure out how to create some kind of premium offering where you’ll pay for stuff that isn’t on the site right now.

If they do charge a fee, I want to skip commercials. Charging me and forcing me to sit through adverts is not so cool.