Starting point for large franchises

[Clement Rage]

Sup. So, have you ever found it hard to get into franchises because you don't know where to start, because they have loads of instalments that you're not sure are connected or not? Like, I watched half of Fate/Zero
, but then started wondering if it would be better to watch Fate/Stay Night before finishing it.

There are other examples, like Full Metal Alchemist or Ghost in the Shell, et cetera, so would anyone like to give me the right or best viewing order? Anyone else with a similar question feel free to jump in.

 

[Octo]

Ghost in the Shell. Personally I don't think it matters all that much what order you watch stuff in, cos most of it isn't exactly chronological and/or the tone is different. The two movies are more or less their own thing. And I haven't seen Arise but I don't know how well it gels with Stand Alone Complex. Stand Alone Complex is the most watchable/least oblique.

Like, er you know that Matrix movie (can't remember I think it was the second one) where there was the guy in the white room with all the tv's talking blathering crap for 9000 hours? If you liked that then save the films for pudding.

This is just my opinion ofc.

 

[Tashasaurous]

Sup. So, have you ever found it hard to get into franchises because you don't know where to start, because they have loads of instalments that you're not sure are connected or not? Like, I watched half of Fate/Zero
, but then started wondering if it would be better to watch Fate/Stay Night before finishing it.

There are other examples, like Full Metal Alchemist or Ghost in the Shell, et cetera, so would anyone like to give me the right or best viewing order? Anyone else with a similar question feel free to jump in.

It depends on the releases of installments through out the years, especially since people decided to create remakes to give audiences a back story of the main story.

I think here's the good example.

I've watched Walking with Dinosaurs first, then it's sequel series, Walking with Beasts, and then came the prequel, Walking with Monsters which leds directly into the second episode of Walking with Dinosaurs, which back then was confusing. But it really depends on what people feel like they would like to watch franchises and sequels/prequels.

Another thing, is the Hobbit Trilogy which is set 60 years before the events of the Lord of the Rings Trilogy.

Then there's the Star Wars Episodes 1, 2 and 3 Trilogy, set before the original trilogy Episodes 4, 5 and 6, and then just recently, Episode 7-The Force Awakens.

But I think the main confusing franchise so far is the X-Men franchise, since, after (spoilers here, so watch out) X-Men...can't remember the last title that was released, last year I think, that the time-line is practically now messed up after the original trilogy.

 

[Ghost X]

With GitS, you can basically view each (manga, movies, the video game (), SAC series, Arise series) in any order, as they are separate universes. Stories are often regurgitated too.

 

[JBedford]

Fate/Zero is best avoided unless you've experienced the third route of Fate/stay night, which itself is best experienced after you've at least viewed the first route (and I'd still strongly recommend the second route).

So to anyone who wants to watch Fate/Zero, I would either recommend reading the Fate/stay night visual novel, OR alternatively read the Fate route of Fate/stay night, then watch the Unlimited Blade Works anime, then wait for the Heaven's Feel film trilogy to come out, and then watch Fate/Zero.

Reading the Fate route of the visual novel is recommended and NOT the original Fate/stay night anime. While it is true the original anime was mostly based on the Fate route, it also spoils things for UBW and Heaven's Feel.

This may be useful. It isn't really recommended that you watch the first Fate/stay night anime because it mostly follows the first route while spoiling the other two, but not giving the full context that Fate/Zero is best viewed with.

With Fullmetal Alchemist, the first series (FMA) and second series (Brotherhood) start off [mostly] the same and deviate after a certain amount of episodes. However Brotherhood rushes through the stuff already covered in Fullmetal Alchemist. Brotherhood was based on the manga in its entirety, while FMA was based on the manga while it was an still ongoing and so went with an original continuation when it caught up.

The first 28 episodes of FMA correspond to the first 12 episodes of Brotherhood. However there are slight differences in the plot before it. So any of these three options are fine:
-Watch FMA then watch Brotherhood. There are things I like and prefer about the original series even if it didn't follow the manga.
-Watch the first 28 episodes of FMA, then watch Brotherhood. Although you'll be re-covering some stuff you'll get more detailed episodes and additional storylines that still make sense within Brotherhood's events.
-Watch Brotherhood. Brotherhood makes sense without you needing to see anything in Fullmetal Alchemist.

For the films, watch Conqueoror of Shamballa after FMA, it's not worth watching unless you've seen that series. I would watch Sacred Star of Milos after Brotherhood. Sacred Star takes place somewhere in the middle of Broterhood -- I've seen one recommendation say you can watch it any time after episode 24.