Here you will find a large library of titles, series, and links to anime information databases. I have personally watched each and every title listed here, and while some are more popular than others, I recommend them all. The reason for this is that anime is not typically categorized into any single genre; most are a mix of two or more and allow a viewer the option of being able to branch into the other existing genre, without a great deal of difficulty or annoyance. Although a particular series may focus on one genre as it's foundation, the mixture of types allow a continuous stream of originality and creativity that will always bring a new look, feel, and texture, years and decades down the line.
Currently there are 100+ titles here and although some are obviously more popular than others, the rest will be descent-mediocre. My goal is not to give you the links and names of the best damn anime you will ever see. Since everyone has their own opinion, I have merely supplied what I consider, descent anime of every genre so that it will give you the starting point and direction for where you wish to go.
The second post in this thread should supply the basic genre names and descriptions for each title, along with the color scheme key, allowing you to know what color represents what exactly. Every title should show a list of two or more [Categories] and although the genre names will be listed, so should a couple of details as well. Hopefully this will make finding what interests you, a fairly easy task. Be sure to follow the links to each database and read the summaries carefully. Although they can include what you may be looking for, the aspects you enjoy may only appear in very minimal quantities.
The third post should be [The Anime List]. I have seen and come across thousands of titles. Here, I have merely named off a couple hundred and it was through a specific process. I went through a previous list far larger than this one and whittled down what I believe is a good starting point.
When [The Anime List] has been completed, any posts afterwards would be a good area to list any particular series of interest. I am sure no one is looking for another huge thread, so try to keep in minimal with only the ones you feel are truly worthy of acknowledgement.
Also, if you happen to enjoy the anime, I would certainly suggest checking out the manga as well. Although a series may have ended on television, it's career could very well be ongoing in the manga.
Action - Thrilling action-packed stories for example high-speed car chases, fierce battles, people running around a lot, and gun-shooting.
Adventure – Daring tales of people having adventures, journeying to far off and exotic places.
Comedy - This genre tends to make you laugh. However absurd and insider jokes will sometimes just confuse you.
Cooking - Anime series that mostly revolve around cooking.
Drama - Anime with emotional and dramatic story, conveys a wide range of emotion.
Ecchi - Ecchi anime contains very light sexual themes, such as sexual comedy, transvestites, lecherous grandparents, the occasional bare breast, but never any actual sex. Lots of nosebleeds and potty humor.
Fantasy - Many anime creators draw ideas from the folklore and mythology of many different cultures, using everything from unicorns to umbrella monsters, from the great cosmic sea turtle to Santa Claus.
Game - Anime series based on a game.
Harem - The anime whose main male character is surrounded by three or more female characters who love him.
Historical - A look back at stories and events that just might have taken place during the Edo period of Japan, the French Revolution, or other times past. But probably not with total historical accuracy.
Horror - Creepy tales of ghosts, demons, vengeful ex-girlfriends and other frightening creatures.
Love-Romance - Romantic story about boys falls in love with girls or vice versa.
Magic - Evil sorcerers bent on world conquest, fairies from another world seeking the magic gems to save humanity, flying unicorns, enchanted swords, there's magic on the air.
Martial Arts - Anime that falls into this category has a lot of bare hand fightings, from normal kicking and punching to awesome finishing moves.
Mecha - From fifty-foot robots to form-fitting battlesuits with high heels, anime is probably best known in the United State for mecha.
Music - From the hardcore heavy metal band to the sweetly tinkling melody of a fairy song, music can often play an integral role in anime. Even a few of the stories about singing idols contain music.
Mystery - Cops, private detectives, and troubleshooters searching for the clues to solve the great puzzles. Lots of intrigue and conspiracy.
Novel - Anime based on general novels from light novels to pure literature.
Parody - As a well-established field, anime has earned its share of parody. From titles which parody the common themes to titles which use well-known anime characters from other titles in humorous guest cameos.
School Life - Story revolves around school life. From kindergarden to college kids, with all the adventures, it's a wonder they ever have time for classes.
Science-Fiction -From the whimsical adventures of a boy and his robot to the dramatic plight of a race of cyborg slaves, science fiction plays a common role in anime.
Shounen Ai - Relationships dealing with male & male
Slice of Life – Ordinary life with an unordinary twist.
Sports - This genre conveys a wide range of sports from traditional martial arts like judo to western style sports like baseball or even fictional sports.
War – This genre deals with actual war, especially World War II.
Yuri - Relationships dealing with female & female. Also known as Shojo-ai
[Important Message (WARNING)] = Red
[Policy Notice] = Lavender
[Title of Series/OVA/Movie] = Green
[Categories/Genres] = Light Blue
[Secondary Categories] = Orange
[Anime Database Link] = White
Final Fantasy: Advent Children -
[Categories] RPG, People, Action, Other Worlds, Earth, Mirror World, Game, Static, Episodic, Swordplay, Beasts, Future, Martial Arts, Fantasy, Magic, Guns, SciFi, Contemporary Fantasy, Violence, Evolving
[Secondary Categories] Movie
[Website Link] http://anidb.net/perl-bin/animedb.pl...anime&aid=1208
Final Fantasy: Unlimited -
[Categories] Action, Adventure, Fantasy, Mecha, Parallel Universe, SciFi, Seinen
[Secondary Categories] Television Show, 25 Episodes
[Website Link] http://anidb.net/perl-bin/animedb.pl?show=anime&aid=156
First of the North Star -
[Categories] Horror, Shounen, Action, Martial Arts, Plot Continuity, Post-apocalyptic, Future, Manga, Earth, Violence, Super Power, SciFi, Tragedy
[Secondary Categories] Television Show, 2 Seasons, 152 Episodes
[Website Link] http://anidb.net/perl-bin/animedb.pl?show=anime&aid=386