Anime/Manga which you think changed you a bit or taught you something?

[*Latias]

Good day everyone!
I guess most of the people have been once amazed following a manga/anime by its story, or by the deep and complex personality of some characters, or some values expressed into the plot.

Then, if yes, what manga/anime really meant something to you?

Personally, I haven't got that great knowledge of mangas/animes, but I must say that my favourite one, even if that sounds common, is Naruto. It's got many values, like friendship, love, forgiveness, isolation, hatred, revenge. When I started following the manga, I've never expected it to become so deep and psychological, and I liked this fact very much, especially in the Shiippuden series. My favourite character ever is Sasuke, but since the beginning of the Shiippuden I got to like much more some characters who I didn't like that much before, for example Naruto himself.

What about you? what anime/manga is it that you especially liked and you think changed you? Why?

[brane]

I'd definitely have to say Neon Genesis Evangelion. Probably one of the most psychologically devastating and harsh series I have ever seen. I don't know why but I guess it opened me to so much more in life and really got me thinking in a much more critical way. I'd say that series alone destroyed what childishness I had left in me. Though I'd have to say it also probably tormented me for the next few months :>

I guess a plus was using the soundtrack while studying for my final year exams, and then before I would walk into the exams I would play a certain song and it'd all just bring it back to me. Fair to say, I got A's and A+'s in all of them. So it did well for me.

[Ash493]

It's hard to pick just one... every manga or anime somehow affects me...
But maybe Death Note would get the vote... after I saw the anime some part of me really changed...

[LadyAyeka]

xxxHolic probably taught me more about Japanese culture than any other manga/anime. That series is saturated in it. And it doesn't hurt that it's by CLAMP, who I love.

In terms of series that affected me, I think Sailor Moon is probably one. I guess because of the themes. It has a lot of great themes about love, friendship, sacrifice, and more.

Chobits was like that for me too. I've only read the manga of it though. It definitely has themes relating to how humans interact with technology that are very poignant.

Magic Knight Rayearth is my favorite manga series (and one of my favorite anime series) and I think it has great lessons on just what our own willpower can accomplish, and the dangers of leaving the fate of a country dependent on the will of a single, imperfect person.

One manga series I started reading a while ago but have just recently gotten back to is The Good Witch of the West. (I also watched the 13-episode anime a while ago). That series has a fantasy setting but is also really deep and eerily realistic in terms of all the crazy political intrigue and the world itself which is clearly not what it seems. I've never read a manga before that was like that. Crazy.

Basically, I flat out just love CLAMP. Their series are very well written and drawn, and they have stories that make you think (though maybe less so in lighter series like CLAMP School Detectives and its two sequels). They're my favorite manga-kas besides Naoko Takeuchi (author of Sailor Moon).

On a lighter note, there's also Kitchen Princess, a manga which I recently started getting from the library. I'm learning about all sorts of foods from that one; it helps that they include recipes in the back of each volume!

[Fuyu]

Manga that changed me:... the When they Cry series, it taught me that you can't defy fate by yourself, but no one can help you unless you let them. It also reaffirmed that sometimes truth isn't the most important thing and that having it and being alone isn't really living. Living happily despite sadness is more important than the truth. I know it seems rather common sense but the way it was presented made you think of that and feel it really strongly.

Puella Magi Madoka Magica is another one. Say what you like about cutesy shows like that, the fact that it's okay to have hope is wonderful. Hope does lead to despair but despair leads to hope as well. It's good to remind people of that.

Um...Digimon. Then again that's the nostalgia in me and that's because they remind you that before you love someone, you need to become friends with them and that even the most evil people deserve a second chance. (except with what happened in Hunters but I get the suspicion Toei is getting letters and that will get fixed. Hopefully.)

Um... I'm also gonna say... on a happier anime, Love So Life, technically a manga but I'm waiting for the fluffy animation. It's a really sweet, earnest manga that helps make some kids happy and shows that everyone isn't completely over their pasts... and it's not a big deal that they aren't and that you aren't supposed to completely move away from your past, but live with it.

[Nemesis51]

Angel Beats at the most emotional effect on me. I became really attached to the characters and the ending was both extremely happy and sad at the same time. You definitely become a different person and feel different after watching it. Hard to describe without spoiling it.. just go watch it

[Graceful]

I'm shocked no one's mentioned Clannad yet. XD
Clannad - It's made me realise how much I take my family and friends for granted, in a way. Also, it shows a real perspective to life which you don't really see. It shows how we all live for something.
Ano Hana - A few of us go "I wish I was dead" sometimes and after watching this anime, I really don't want to. It changed a perspective to life and how to cherish it before it's too late.
When they Cry 1/2/3 - It shows us how again, we see death and how much we cherish our friends and family. Keiichi shows how his friends are important and Battler shows how his family is important and therefore, fights with death at the end of it all.

[J-Money808]

Naruto for the same reasons *Latias posted, plus learning about your inner chakra, which not only Japanese culture follows but the Chinese do too, and also to never give up.

DragonBallZ tho introduced me to anime, so that opened my eyes to how serious and humorous anime can be. From there I've watched/read Naruto(Shippuden), Bleach, Inuyasha, Yu Yu Hakusho, and for nostalgia Digimon, Pokemon and Baki the Grappler

[greenmoon1996]

When They Cry- Makes me want to kill people... ON MINECRAFT! Seriously though that show would make a psychopath want to murder an entire neighborhood.

[J]

f/sn has taught me that when you kill people, they will die.
welcome to the nhk! has taught me that if i don't get my act together, i will die
gantz has taught me that even if you get your act together, you're still going to die

[Aisu]

Dragon Ball Z, 'nuff said.

But also Clannad. It's... Wow.

[Khawill]

Clannad After story is the only one I saw, but it was a pretty decent impact
Angel Beats led me to Clannad.

I liked the idea of balance in XXXholic and I generally follow it.

Baka and test showed me, anyone can be an idiot

[AresTheAwesome]

Tengen Toppa Gurren Lagann was a gate way anime for me.

But ToraDora! Was the anime that taught me to appreciate the subbed versions.

[voltianqueen]

Revolutionary Girl Utena. It makes some statements about gender roles and sex and growing up and such things. I love the story and the way the themes are handled, and of course the characters, who all have their own problems. My favorite anime of all.

[Pokemon_Geek]

Neon Genesis Evangelion forced to completely re-examine myself and look at some ugly truths about myself(I think that's why Shinji is so controversial here in the west). I also learned that people are more messed up mentally than you think; I think twice when I see person that seems happy, confident, and/or well-adjusted.

Death Note forced me to rethink morality and that not everything in life is black and white(I already knew that, but I never let it truly sink in). I didn't know whether I should root for Light(before he became corrupted) or the Task Force, and I had wanted to see L as a hero until he made it perfectly clear that he wasn't.

[AlexOzzyCake]

The Melancholy of Haruhi Suzumiya taught me that life doesn't have to be boring and that if you want life to be exciting, you have to make it happen. I now live by this principle and whenever I'm bored or have nothing to do, I'll make a point to be extremely happy/cheerful around those near me so that they get in the mood for something exciting n.n Other than that, I can't really think of any anime that's changed how I see things, but a lot of anime does have some great messages to take away.

[SinisterEternity]

I remember when I watched some Pokémon episodes baaaack then, it taught me a lil bit about friendship, how it's important to support friends and the people you care for, and maybe to never give up ?

Then there was Tokyo Magnitude 8.0, confirmed that we should keep in mind that no matter if our siblings are annoying at times, no matter if our parents authority is pestering us, if they care for us and love us, that's all that should matter and we should be able to move on. And also that, it's best to question ourselves at times, so that we won't regret the way we behaved once these people are gone, and it's too late to say "Sorry". Talking about not neglecting those who care for us, here.

Code Geass (both seasons) turned me into someone more tolerant to other people, and just made me want to insist everytime I tell someone that if they really want something, they are never going to get any results if they do not try to get what they want. But it also made me a bit more aware of how "powerful" words can be, not necessarily the "Controlling people" aspect, but also that they are far from being just words, they can be a weapon, too. That's why we should be careful and think twice before saying anything.

My god I could go on forever, but I'm going to stop here, else the post will never come to an end. xD

[Kura]

DBZ, Digimon, and Fruits basket were some of the most impactful for me. Taught me a lot about teamwork, relationships, and standing up for what you feel.

[BinaryPeaches]

Any manga or anime that I did more than just read and moved on to, really. This would include Pokemon, Digimon, Beyblade, Naruto, Fruits Basket, Inuyasha, Detective Conan, etc etc. I can't really say which ones have impacted me the most though. They all did in some way shape or word. Whether it was a lesson that they caught me, a change in a relationship, or something else.