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Another bad top 10 list....May 20 '01 Write an essay on this topic.The Bottom Line My choices would be good for the uninitiated. I watched several anime shows in my time, but I do not like series. I don't like going to my favorite rental place to spend $21 on a seven part series (which they are missing two of the seven). That's why my movies will either be only feature length movies or Perfect Collections (amalgamation of series onto one tape). These are personal favs and have affected my tastes and I'm sure that newer viewers of anime may laugh at my old choices. 10. Metal Skin Panic Madox-01 (1987) This is a goofy movie that I found to be pretty hilarious. When I grew up watching shows like Grandizer and Gaiking, I wanted to pilot one of those mechas. Well, an university student's home is crushed when a mecha is literally dropped on to his home. Upon investigation, he is strapped to the unit and literally goes out of control on the streets of Toyko. This movie is pretty light hearted and much too short (45 minutes) but I thought it was good fun and threw out any notion of wanting to operate a mech. 9. Roujin-Z (1991) This was a very satirical movie that exposes the treatment of elderly and provides a funny "revenge" like twist against those who would hide the issues of ageism in Japan. A large corporation devises a "do-it-all hospital bed" that will take care of the elderly, alleviating the responsibility from their children. Of course, this is perfect for those modern children who don't like the hard work that comes with their confusionistic thoughts. However, the device, called Z-001, is possessed by the spirit of the recipient's dead wife and wishes to visit the ocean. They do so and begin a touching, if not tragic journey towards fufilling one of their life goals. The anime is excellent, as is the acting but the ideals that are explored put it in my top 10 list. 8. Fist of the North Star (1984) This was the first real violent Anime that I had ever seen. It was pretty crude (in the same sense as Vampire Hunter D.) and had very little meaning. But it did have something that I had never seen in a cartoon: Violent kung-fu fighting. In the distant future, man lives in some sort of post apocalyptic wasteland where anarchy rules. The main character Ken (or Kenshiro depending on what version you watch) is a Martial arts master in the Hokuto Shinken style of fighting. He is after a guy named Shin, a master in the Nanto Seiken. Shin beats Ken silly and steals his girlfriend Julia (or Yuria). Ken recovers and hunts Shin down and he picks up a girl (Lynne) whose magic abilities to reproduce plant-life represents the future. Oh yeah, don't forget the megalo-maniac emporor Roah, who is evil on top of Shin's Evil. However, if you want a plot, you really won't get one, but if you like Mad Max, Sam Peckinpah movies and Chop-socky flicks, with a little Spaghetti Western thrown in, then Fist of the North Star will fill your plate. 7. Kite (1998) This is a very moody, disparate and controversial movie because it involves sexual abuse. The story revolves around Sawa, a young college student who was recruited by a renegade policeman named Akai, who is also her lover. She is caught in a world where she is forced to fight against cases the police deem untouchable by the law, mostly through assassination, yet she is under the control (and sexual bondage) of Akai and is not permitted to find her parents killers. Salvation comes in the form of a second "recruit" called Oburi, her male counterpart. They decide to leave the business and confront Akai, but the policeman will not let both of them go and a confrontation ensues. This movie is taken from "The Professional", a live action film with Jean Reno, who plays an assasin in bondage, with no hope on life until he is shown freedom and happiness from an outside source. Kite is in the same grim situation and is forced to assassinate people after people and after each time, it continually eats at her soul. Everything about this movie is stylish and well, even the miserable ending had me thinking about the melancholy that director Yasuomi Umetsu paints on the screen. The animation is some of the best I have ever seen, even better than Ghost in the Shell, which was my previous standard in animation. 6. THE WINGS OF HONNEAMISE (1987) This movie is not about action, but about story and imagery. This pre-Akira movie was considered on of the best animated film of all time and it is not suprising why. The film looks gorgeous and has not dated at all. One of the reason is the complex story and the political back drop in which the main characters must operate under. Shiro joins the Royal Space Force, unlike many young kids must have because he wants to be the first to fly into outer space, but because of his poor grades. The Royal Space Force is considered a joke in their politics. However, the Royal Kingdom sets it to high priority an plans to launch it near another country whom they are near war with. Suddenly the Royal Space force is put under a large microscope where failure is not an option while their success will ensure war between the two countries. It is a complex issue that deals with several issues. One is the conflict between Religion and Science, the other is how such a magnificent achievement like leaving the planets atmosphere transcends petty politics, but is also a puppet of it as well. And this movies studies society itself and how people are becoming less of a community and more isolated in their lives. While it has little action, it is one of the most ambitious Anime features I have ever seen. 5. Ghost in the Shell (1995) This is a mystery/thriller that incorporates the right amount of life philosophy that tends to accompany most Anime movies. It centers in the near future, where man and machine work (but not live) in harmony. There is a brillant hacker that is infiltrating and causing a problem for the Anti-Terrorist police force. They put Major Motoko Kusanagi and her partner on the case. However, as the major get's closer to the hacker, she begines to realize that it is not a person at all, but a being that rose up from the terraquads of information that pass through the web every second. It roams cybernetic shells and gives them ghosts to become independent life forms. The hacker also wishes to free the Major (who is an artificial lifeform) by mating with her ghost as well. This movie has a thinking man's plot and delves into complex thesis on what is life and what isn't life. However, it cannot answer these questions because they are open ended and makes the reader ponder such thoughts. The animation is the second best I have ever seen and it outclassed my previous standard Akira. There is some action and a really nifty sub-plot about inter-governmental agency interference but the themes mentioned above are the true story. 4. Princess Mononoke (1997) This movie should be seen in Japanese. No matter how well Billy Crudup does, he cannot give it justice. The story is about Asitaka's (Intentionally mispelled due to the fact that the actual name has the "sh*t" word in it) journey from boyhood to manhood in a sense. The Prince lives in a relatively peaceful area, where his father is the ruler. One day, a demon crashes into the town and infects the young prince with a disease that will kill him unless he can find the source of the sickness. The Prince goes out to save himself and to find the nature of the world he has been protected from. He finds that the world outside his own is cruel and predatory, but he finds solitude in Iron City, a safe haven for slaves, prostitutes and lepers run by wise spirit Lady Eboshi. However, The Prince finds out that Eboshi is upsetting the balance between Man and Nature and that Nature is fighting back with the help of San (aka Princess Mononoke), a female version of Apu from the Jungle book. The movie is written and told in a manner that is rare even Japanese Anime. It is silent in critical points and does not have any real evil badguys. Hayao Miyazaki allows imagery to speak and at times the symbolism could overpower any words that could have been said. Miyazaki tells his story of environmentalism in such vivid images, that it is nearly awe inspiring. There is some action, but it is overshadowed easily by the stories, the legends and the animation that is some of the best out there. 3. Ninja Scroll (1995) Jubei is a Ronin type character (a samurai like warrior with no master). He wanders the country side like a mercenary, offering his services for good, when it suits him. However, when the 7 Devils of Kimon appear and alliance themselves with the Shogun of the Dark, it could topple the current Towagawa government and so government agent Dakuan is forced to recruit Jubei to fight against the Demons, including his old nemesis, Lord Gemma. While this movie does not provide any type of moral dilemmas or thought provoking ideas, it pleasures the senses like no other movie does. There are fantastic badguys, intense fight scenes and beautiful backdrops. Even the internal politics between the 7 Devils of Kimon are fun to watch. However, the movie is not about mindless violence. While it is bloody and visceral, it also serves to continue the plot. When Jubei is forced to deal with another Devil, he does it because it is a test to reach the end, where Gemma awaits. The plot is not complicated, but if you want a movie that is richly visual, then Ninja Scroll is one of the best. Akira (1988) This one was almost my favorite, but Miyazaki cannot be beat. Akira takes place in the near future, after the Akira even in a huge metropolitan called Neo-Tokyo. The main characters are life long buddies (Kaneda and Tetsuo) who are in a motorcycle gang. One night, Tetsuo is hurt avoiding a small child who was freed by an organization out to prove that the military is trying to recreate (and control) the akira incident. The child is not what he seems and has the "akira" psycho-kinetic abilities. The military re-capture the child and also take Tetsuo. In testing, they discover that Tetsuo has Akira abilities much greater than anything they have ever seen and are out to exploit him. Kaneda joins the organization to find his buddy, but Tetsuo has become "drunk with power" after discovering the potential of his new powers and threatens to unleash Akira once again in the new megatropolis. The movie was one of the first mass market "high art" anime released. It used abstract concepts that may have confused many and made perfect sense to many others. It is complicated but ultimately rewarding at the end if you can follow the plot and understand the message Katsuhiro Ôtomo is trying to convey. Akira has little to do with messages and morals, but more to do with understanding a complex mind. The animation was groundbreaking and still breathless today, even though it has been overtaken. However, the city shots are unparallel. If you want to be mesmerized, confused and inspired at the same time, no anime does it better than Akira. ps: Watch the Subtitled version if you can. It's much better. 1. Warriors of the Wind (Nausicaa of the Valley of Wind)(1984) I have never seen the original Miyazaki version, yet this butchered (as it was said) version by Anime Hack Carl Macek still tops my list. I think I will be in Anime Heaven when Disney finally releases the full version. Nausicaa (Princess Zandra in the US version) is the heir to the Throne in her Valley of Wind, one of the last Human territories left after the 7 days of fire destroyed nearly everything 1000 years ago. Man inability to live in harmony also caused Nature to react and toxified her wildernesses. Now the Toxic Jungle continues to spread and is slowly engulfing the entire planet. However, life in the Valley is good because the winds protect it from the deadly spores that are poisonous to humans. However, all that is lost when a transport carrying prisoners lands in their valley. The country that owns the transport comes to collect their ship and captures the valley in the process. At the same time, another country that is soon to fall plans to lead an army of creatures from the toxic jungle to destroy the Valley of wind, including their enemies who have set up base there. The greatness of Warriors of the Wind is the naivety that Miyazaki put into his main protagonist (Nausicaa). We see the world through eyes, as she ponders man's inability to live together and other heady topics. Everything from the animation to the storyline is followed in a way that inspires creativity and respect. This is a movie that I feel that I cannot express rightly in words. I just recommend that you watch this movie and decide for yourself. I also have to say this is a first love movie. This is the first Anime film I have ever seen and I am dying to see Nausicaa of the Valley of Wind when it is released. Special Lifetime achivement award: Robotech--US Series (1985-1986) This includes around 80 half hour episodes of a show that introduced (and addicted) me to Anime. It showed me the first thing I have ever seen in a cartoon : Death. It was showing at the same time as the original G.I. Joe series and everyone on that show would always parachute before the rocket hit the ship, hundreds of humans could be killed in one of those great space battles. Robotech consists of 3 different series that were amalgamated and is presented in 3 different chapters. I liked the Macross series the best, which included that great honking cruiser that could turn into a large Mecha and the most memorable characters Rick Hunter and Min May (the annoying singer). The appeal of Robotech was that it introduced much of America to Anime. Most avid fans now could probably list Robotech as a major influence if they were between 24~35 years of age and it influenced many other mecha shows like Neon Genesis Evangelion and Mobile Suit Gundam Wing decades later. However, it was also the soap opera addictiveness of the character's personalities that kept many viewers watching. This TV series opened our little innocent minds up for more mature and sophisticated anime media that was yet to come from the Land of the Rising Sun. I hope you liked my choices. They are somewhat mainstream, but when it comes to anime, I'm pretty mainstream as well (no Legend of the Overfiend for me!).  |
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by George_Chabot
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