Right, the 2nd movie is wonderful to look at as animation but really dense to follow.

The two TV series and the 3rd movie (Solid State Society) are really good for SR.
No magic or metas but lots of sami and deckers. (maybe some riggers hard to say with those combat suits) and yes, they are very good for cyber punk. They show the real quality of writing in anime not rushing to tie up neat little points in 1 episode.

Each of the two series has an over all theme spread over the season with individual adventures inside the season. The first season has only a very broad theme-investigating some hacker leads to a case of corp corruption.

Season 2 (aka 2nd Gig) is more tightly written. Its starts with a group of political radicals and moves into a leader of a quasi revolutionary group among illegal aliens/refugees.

Solid State Society is like the TV series in that it is a long episode/short adventure, dealing with children being kidnapped and mercenaries committing suicide.

No really, don't read this unless you've finished watching the second season, as it will ruin 33% of the ending.

Right. SAC is full of inspiration for cool "I can do that?" ideas for AR in SR, for players and GMs alike.

Alright, will do.

You just have to differentiate between the original bugglegum crisis and ad police files of the 80's and the bubblegum crisis 2040 and its respective ad police series... And then there's this other series that's kinda in the bubblegum crisis world that I have the dvd to which was horrid so I will not name it (actually I forgot the name so it shall remain unnamed).

Dennou coil is okay, the AR aspect really is the best part, especially the hacker fight in episode 4 or so. That and the nice aspect of red tape and bureaucracy shown such as the administrative enforcement programs that cannot enter homes, schools or temples, the schools being part of the department of education turf, and the temples being part of the department of ministry (IIRC) turf. That can be kinda used in shadowrun between the government administration bots roaming around the city proper itself but can't go into corp territory, etc...

reading it is so totally worth it . . even if it ain't worth it for Shadowrun purposes *g*
but the movie in itself is good enough too, even if most of the books is missing in there . .

depends on what you like.
I felt that the Bubblegum Crisis 2037 is great for the 80's feel.
The AD Police files is great for the one shot stories of the bleakness feel of living in that world.

The newer Bubblegum Crisis series, it took me a bit to get used to it, but what I like about it is well... they actually got into the story concerning what's going on and the character history. Stuff that 2037 never got to because of it being canceled too early.

I liked the mecha design better in 2037, the newer ones I personally found a bit hideous in terms of the technology/design feel. The character designs, well, I do like that the 2040 version of Linna actually had a larger part than the 2037 version. Overall, watch both, and then in your memories substitute the 2040 series with the look and feel of the 2037 series and you're good to go.

In regards to the new AD Police series, I still havent' finished it... judge that as you will.

As for the series that I didn't name earlier, it's known as Parasite Dolls, it's a three episode OAV of a secret group in the AD police and its definitely set in the 2037 universe. Not so good really, I got it because I was a completist and wanted to get my hands on it. The one thing this series does show is...
Which works for Shadowrun.

One of my favorites from the patlabor series is the movie, WXIII. Very far removed from the patlabors other than its in the background and at the end when they need to call in the labors. I just love the style there and the change from the usual mecha movies.

Except for that last episode of the first season of Stand Alone Complex. Quite a bit of referencing to different philosophies in under a five minute span. I had to rewatch it a few times and then look up stuff to appreciate it a bit more. *sigh* They're putting thinking stuff into my bang-bang action entertainment... the horrors!!!

I'm going to second that. Considering it is set after a significant change in the world with 2 world wars, one nuclear one not I do not see why you needed a history class. That is like saying you need a history class before you play SR.

feels like it often enough *g*

The sight of an intelligent, mature, competent woman in a leadership role both frightens, and intimidates me to the 25th power! Gimmie the ultra hot, vapid, naive, buxom babe any day O the week! They should fill the ranks with those instead of the all male supporting cast. That'd definately draw my interest and many others ta boot lemme tell ya.

If you have to ask, then you probably weren't paying close enough attention to the story.

Well, because of it I knew who the Individualist Eleven were based on, and therefore had a grasp on the entire plot of Section 9 trying to figure out who and what was going on.

So why it mattered to me, and was crucial to following the show, was because history and politics were so obviously important to the writers.

I'm terrified of the patron saint of lesbian stripper ninja characters.

hots, but I think if I was very lucky she'd test ALL my limits!

well, no, of course not O.o
i watch such stuff for the action . . heck, the way i watched NGE only took about 2 hours for the complete series *g*