[merylsilverburg]

The age thing is a bit difficult for me...because, personally, I feel that it depends on the person if they enjoy watching a certain genre and can handle what goes on in the anime. But I'll try my best to categorize it. These are my favorite series: (some are mainstream)

1) Rurouni Kenshin TV Series//Action//16+//95 Episodes//DVD
This is a samurai series and the best one out there, IMO. There's a great blend of comedy, action, drama and the story is pretty damn interesting (with the exception of a few side stories). It is long and pricey, but if you can manage it, I highly recommend this series. (There's also the OVA1 which is a bit more mature and extremely dramatic (I would say 18+ age group...there's no comedic qualities at all), but if you find yourself interested after watching the TV, I'd say check these out. Be sure to get "Samurai X: Trust" and "Samurai X: Betrayal")

2) Cowboy Bebop//Action/Drama//16+//26 Episodes//DVD
An incredibly popular series, it's a favorite among many people. It's a futuristic story about 4 bounty hunters and the story of their lives and past but ultimately focuses on the main character, Spike Spiegel. There's plenty of action and a huge dose of drama (at least to me) and comedic parts here and there. Characters are deep and well developed and probably the most "realistic" out there.

3) HeatGuy-J//Action//16+//?? Episodes//DVD
Okay, I know there's question marks on the episodes, but I am not sure how many there are. This series recently got released in the states, but I'm currently left off on episode 11 and I'm not sure if there's a second season or if there's only 13 episodes. I must check. However, this series is terrific, IMO. It's similar to Cowboy Bebop, but I'm sure it won't amount to it. It's a futuristic detective story involving androids, a clan who runs the city, and just side stories here and there. It's almost like "Blade Runner", but not as dark.

4) Hellsing//Action//18+//13 Episodes//DVD
It's a vampire action series and a great one, IMO, but the story could use some tweaking. It's a little on the bloodier side (not too bad though...it's about vampires, so how can there not be blood ) but the story is about a secret organization that rids the streets of London of impure vampires, demons/ghouls (close to Witch Hunter Robin which you've seen). It leaves off at a semi-cliffhanger which can be frustrating especially with the blotchy storyline. But, if you don't mind, check this series out.

5) GadGuard//Action//16+//?? Episodes//Download
Again, not sure how many episodes there are because this series is stilll running in Japan, but so far, this series is highly appealing and pretty cool. It involves retro/old school robots (or Gads, as they're called) who are assigned to the specific person meant to control them. The animation is very nice, the story is pretty interesting (the first 2 episodes pick up pretty well) and character designs are unique (though they look similar to those of FF:Unlimited).

6) L/R: Licensed by Royal//Action/Spy//16+//13 Episodes//Download
This series may be "cheesy" to some, but if you like James Bond films or any other spy/gadget films, you'll enjoy this series. It's about two agents who are part of the "Cloud 9" Organization in London, designed to handle cases (bomb threats, thieves, etc. and protect London/Queen). There is more to the series, but overall, the action is balanced out with the comedy and mixed with dramatic elements. It's not a very strong series, I admit, but it's enough to be a loose/light-hearted series which you can watch and not be forced to continue to the next episode.

These are just a few to start off with. I hope this helps a little.