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A series consisting of just two episodes, Dragon Half deserves far more.

Based on a Manga that is unavailable here, Dragon Half is one of the most bizarre and hilarious series you'll see.  Packed with gags from the start to end of each episode, it succeeds in keeping some semblance of a plot despite the absolute insanity.  An obvious precursor to Slayers and featuring the fantastic Mitsuishi Kotono as the titular Dragon Half (she later played a similar role in the equally off the wall Excel Saga), you will find yourself crying with laughter at the random mix of dragon slaying pop idols, sinister villains who carry their own dry ice buckets and half human, half slime princesses.  And to cap all this the end theme is a song about an Omelette sang to the tune of several of Beethoven's symphonies.  Insane comedy just doesn't get better than this.  

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Developed as part of a multimedia project that saw console games, manga and anime OAVs also produced, the .Hack://SIGN series has quickly established itself as a fan favourite.

Combining an excellent score with excellent visuals and boasting input from such luminaries as Yoshiyuki Sadamoto (Neon Genesis Evangelion character designer) and Kazunori Ito (Ghost in the Shell), the series is also driven by a powerful and intriguing plot that continues to keep you guessing throughout.  Packed with great ideas, particularly the World (the virtual reality game the series takes place in), and brimming with interesting characters - made more intriguing by the fact that their World personas may not be anything like their real life ones - .Hack://SIGN is one of the best new series currently available.

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Turning a Doujinshi (fan made manga) into an anime series would usually be a big risk for any production company, but when the Doujinshi - named Charcoal Feathers in Old Home - is by Serial Experiments Lain designer Yoshitoshi ABe the risk is somewhat lessened.

Seemingly combining the best aspects of his previous projects, Haibane Renmei is intelligent, intriguing and involving, and not afraid to lighten the tone with moments of innocent humour.  The animation and artwork is stunning throughout, using soft lines and earthy colours to create an almost sepia tone which provides a strangely realistic feel to proceedings.  The characterisation is superb, introducing a large cast that you care about from the outset, and the music is cleverly understated and suitably sedate.  Successfully dealing with difficult issues such as loss and fitting in to a new society, Haibane Renmei is an intelligent and original fantasy that eschews the trappings of the genre.

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After completely revolutionising the entire mech and sci-fi anime genres with Neon Genesis Evangelion, Hideaki Anno decided to turn his attention to the equally turgid world of romantic comedy.

And what he came up with is equally as revolutionary.  His & Her Circumstances (or Kare Kano, the abbreviated version of the Japanese title by which it is more commonly known) is a madcap mix of drama, romance and comedy, linked together with some of the most surreal and bizarre devices in anime.  Frequent and hilarious use of cartoonish visuals, subtitling, visualisation of feelings, different drawing styles, sound effects and just about everything else under the sun make this one of the funniest anime series ever made.  It doesn't slouch on the romance either, the central storyline is excellent and the characters are superb.  There is no other series like this.  It has to be seen.

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What can you say about Neon Genesis Evangelion?  The series that turned Gainax Studios into a major force, and established the reputations of director Hideaki Anno and character designer Yoshiyuki Sadamoto, Evangelion has everything a classic should have.

Packed with action, superb visuals, an amazing voice cast and a powerful story, it manages to turn a clichéd premise (youngsters piloting giant robots to save the earth) on its head.  Engrossing, amusing, fun, moving, shocking, the series is all of these and more, with excellent characterisation and a plot that keeps you enthralled.  One of the most influential anime of all time, Evangelion almost single handedly revitalised the medium on television, and defied expectations at every turn. Eventually spawning the awesome End of Evangelion film, the series is probably the best anime available in the UK.  You have no excuses.  Buy it.

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Every now and again something truly original comes along, something that defies convention.  Serial Experiments Lain is one of those things.

Combining the superb art of Yoshitoshi ABe with a deep and involving plot and superbly creepy music, Lain is an extremely unique series.  Rising above a low budget with a great use of unusual visual styles, the series is absolutely stunning.  With some truly abstract art and a mix of various drawing styles and angles, Lain is the closest to an art house film that mainstream anime has produced, the extremely philosophical plot adds to this feel as the viewer is drawn further into the character's psyche.  Throwing up questions at every turn, the plot is one of the most thought provoking in anime, and at the end of the thirteen episode series there are still questions unanswered.  Although possibly not to everybody's taste, Lain is one of the most original series available and one of the most intelligent, a must see.

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Based on Yasuhiro Nightow's popular manga, Trigun's mix of wild west stylings with futuristic elements has proved to be extremely popular in the US.

Extremely stylish and action packed, Trigun's fun exterior surrounds a complex and engrossing plot that soon has you desperate to know what will happen next.  But despite this deep storyline and the frequent shootouts, the series manages to keep its sense of humour throughout, and, unusually for a comedy drama, a good balance is struck between these elements.  The characterisation is excellent and several of the principal characters are very enigmatic, which only adds to the intrigue, the visuals and music are excellent too.  The frequent gun battles are excellently done and the main character remains likeable and cool despite his non-violent stance in a violent world.  Moving in places and great fun in others, Trigun also has the power to shock, particularly as the series progresses.  Head and shoulders above many comedies because of its intelligent story, and head and shoulders above many dramas because of its sense of fun, Trigun is a classic series that deserves to be seen.