I recently got a cover-disc with some sample episodes from shows I haven't seen before. Unfortunately they were dub only (grrr):
Melancholy of Haruhi Suzumiya - After all the hype I've finally seen it. I wasn't overwhelmed by it, but then, it does have one of the most mediocre dubs I've heard in a while (admittedly I haven't heard any dubs in a while, as I avoid them like the plague). And if they're going to the trouble of translating it, why keep the Japanese word "moe" when, in this context, "sexy" would be a good-enough translation? I'll have to wait till I get access to a sub version to assess this show.
Mushi-shi - Haven't heard of this one before. A real nice surprise - slow, gentle, atmospheric, well-crafted. About a "mushi master" who wanders old Japan dealing with hauntings by "mushi", strange shapeshifting ghost-like lifeforms. Maybe a sort-of supernatural Kino's Journey? I'll definitely be looking for more of this.
School rumble - I felt pretty dubious at the start, but I must admit I have a soft spot for dumb school comedies, and I quickly started enjoying it. This is pretty dumb. Certainly all the characters are. Dumb tough guy loves dumb klutz, who in turn loves a complete pin-head. Disaster ensues. May be worth it if you're into this kind of thing. (No fan service to speak of.)
Boogiepop update:
I liked the anime, so I got the movie, and now I've read the book (ordered the sequel) and started watching the anime again.
The book is a fast read, and pretty good, although the translation felt crude, and some of the dialogue in the final battle was cheesy. Interesting how the book doesn't tell you what happened to Naoko - the film adaptation showed her death, though being an adaptation I'm not sure how accurate it was.
Rewatching the anime, I have to say that I think it's better than the book. Obviously the sound and visuals are very atmospheric, whereas the book is not very descriptive. The sound and vision "fill out" the scenes and make them more involving and believable, IMO. The anime has also done well replicating the book's multiple limited viewpoints, and has added more cross-referenced detail to the individuals stories.
Now I've read the book I understand what's happening in the anime better, but in a way I miss the confusion I felt when I was ignorant of the back story!
But if you liked the anime, you should get the book, and vice versa.