Vandread

Vandread a story about two distant worlds where society has split into two groups, the Men and the Woman. Both sides hate each other, and come up with stories so scary people cower in the corners at the mere mention of their enemy. Vandread out starts with Hibiki Tokai, a young, wannabe pilot, though his position is in parts manufacturing. He takes a dare to steal a Bangata (The Men's newest mecha, that nobody knows how to pilot), and is instead launched into space on the christening of the ship that had brought them to their planet. When the ship is attacked by Women Pirates, he is one of the three men captured.

Through a freak accident, however, the ship, along with the Pirate Ship, had been connected and made compatible by a crystal originating from the Plexus, considered to be an ideal energy source. When Hibiki is captured, the plot begins to thicken, as the Pirates are attacked by an unknown enemy. This leads to one of the best story lines I've heard in a while.

Through fate or not, Hibiki, Bart, and Duero befriend the Pirates, and they become a team as they try to return to their home planets. Along the way, they discover secrets which make the storyline phenomenal to the point where its considered awe-inspiring, even to the viewer.

I loved Vandread this is definitely now one of my favorite series and I definitely enjoyed it. Its got a great storyline, and the characters develop perfectly. Hibiki is definitely my favorite, though even though he can be a bit of an idiot at times. He is constantly trying to prove himself to the point that he almost gets himself killed multiple times. Also the fight scenes were new and refreshing with the CG animation playing a big part in its attractiveness. The storyline is definitely the best part of this anime. The storyline is perfectly laid out in the anime, and it's worth the $20 or whatever you pay for it a DVD. Alos the great thing about Vandread is you can watch it again and again. I've watched it twice now and I could watch it again.

~Cyn1c

I would have to agree with the majority of the other commenters. Vandread is a great anime, with some neat CG'ing and some of the best CG/animation mix I've ever seen. I thought Titan A.E. did a good job. There are quite a few good surprises in the series that I had no idea were coming. I would recommend this anime to any beginner or long time watcher of anime.

This is a Great Anime! It's the BEST Anime I've seen in a long time! Vandread First Stage and Second Stage is funny and is filled with so many interesting characters. (Hibiki, Rabat, Dita, Pyoro, Pexis, etc.) I really hope they continue this series! The Story arc is also quite amusing and fun to see unfold!

Ja ne!

I picked up the first three tapes on VHS on a whim. I'm an avid anime fan, and after watching those three tapes, I knew I had to have the rest of the series. At first, I thought it might be a little ecchi, but it turns out to have a deep, and very thought-provoking storyline, and simply amazing battle sequences and character interactions. This series is a MUST for any anime fan. The 2nd stage was difficult for me to find, as I had to end up purchasing it on online, since no local vendors had it. However, it was well-worth the time and effort, as the finale of the series is simply stunning. Hibiki's trials through the series makes him as realistic and lovable as any character.

I thought this might be another kiddish shoot-em-up anime, and like others here, I also mistook it for a feminist series early on. Well, it ain't either.

Allow me to make a toast to a team of writers who actually seem to understand human emotions! Unlike too many soulless anime series these days, Vandread's actually funny (both the physical and written humor) and its characters have personalities and chemistry. For that reason, the drama works, too, and the series is thankfully free of those forced incidents engineered to conveniently create melodrama. Heck, even the dorky premise that the show rests on -- males and females literally being from different worlds -- is used to good effect.

I'm also a fan of the artwork, and the hot/cute female characters make the fanservice welcome. The mecha action scenes are pretty invigorating, too (even if things move a bit fast to see what's going on). Cinching the deal, both the intro and ending theme songs kick ass.

The second season ("Vandread 2nd Stage") was a bit of a disappointment, regressing to the typical repetitive clichéd humor that defines all too many anime comedies, but to me the first season ranks right up there with Neon Genesis Evangelion in sheer awesomeness.