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| IN RECENT YEARS, AMERICAN POPULAR CULTURE HAS EXPERIENCED A MASSIVE INFLUX OF JAPANESE ANIMATION, REMINISCENT OF THE "BRITISH INVASION" IN THE 1960S (KIDS, ASK YOUR PARENTS). EVERY SLACK-JAWED CLOWN WALKING DOWN THE STREET HAS A KANJI TATTOO (WHICH HE/SHE CAN'T ACTUALLY READ), AND A DBZ T-SHIRT. UNFORTUNATELY, MUCH OF WHAT IS OUT THERE TODAY IS LOW QUALITY TRASH MARKETED TOWARDS KIDS BY SOME GET-RICH-QUICK SUPPLIER. EVERYTHING FROM SOUTH-AMERICAN RIP-OFFS TO GRATUITOUS HENTAI IS FLOODING THE MASS MARKET. HOWEVER, A DEDICATED (AND EVER GROWING) GROUP OF FANS APPRECIATES QUALITY. ITS MEMBERS ARE AMONG THE MOST VOCAL SUPPORTERS AND LOYAL VIEWERS OF "REAL" ANIME. IT IS TO YOU WHOM I HUMBLY SUBMIT MY VIEWS: TO ME, ANIME IS MORE THAN A FEW FUNNY LOOKING TOONS. ANIME IS A MEDIUM RICH IN PATHOS. GOOD ANIME IS DESIGNED FOR THE REFLECTIVE VIEWER, AS IT IS ALWAYS A COMMENTARY ON THE HUMAN CONDITION. I THINK IT ELICITS AN EMOTIONAL RESPONSE AS WELL AS ANY LIVE ACTION FILM. GOOD ANIME IS CLEVER, AND ALWAYS OPEN TO INTERPRETATION. LIKE A GOOD BOOK, YOU CAN REVISIT IT MANY TIMES, AND ALWAYS SEE SOMETHING NEW OR DIFFERENT. 1. TENCHI MUYO: A CLEVER OVA WITH A LARGE FOLLOWING. THE TENCHI PLOT IS REFRESHINGLY DIFFERENT. THE OVA IS OFTEN LIGHTHEARTED, BUT DEFINITELY RUNS THE EMOTIONAL SPECTRUM. TO ME, THIS OVA IS ABOUT FINDING ONE'S IDENTITY IN LIFE. IT IS A SORT OF COMING-OF-AGE STORY. SEVERAL CHARACTERS STRUGGLE WITH ISSUES OF IDENTITY AND RESPONSIBILITY. A SORT OF CONFLICT ARISES BETWEEN THE FREEDOM AND INNOCENCE OF YOUTH VS THE RIGID ROLES OF ADULTHOOD. THIS OVA HAS SPAWNED TV SHOWS, SPIN OFFS, AND MORE OVAS (WITH MORE IN THE WORKS). TENCHI FANS ARE AMONG THE MOST FEROCIOUSLY DEDICATED AND OPINIONATED I'VE EVER MET. GOOD PEOPLE, THOUGH. (PS-TENCHI GIF "BORROWED" FROM T.E.N. SITE) 2. DBZ: ALRIGHT, I WAS WATCHING THIS BEFORE IT WAS RUINED BY TOONAMI PLAYING IT 14 HOURS A DAY. I THINK IF YOU GET PAST THE OVER-MARKETING AND HYPE, IT'S AN ENTERTAINING PROGRAM. DEFINITELY RESPONSIBLE FOR DESENSITIZING ME TO VIOLENCE. A CLASSIC GOOD VS EVIL PLOTLINE, YOU CAN'T HELP BUT ROOT FOR GOKU. THE DIFFERENT PROTAGONISTS REPRESENT DIFFERENT HUMAN QUALITIES, AND HOW THEY INTERACT IS OFTEN KEY TO THE PLOT. CHARACTERS HAVE EVOLVED THROUGH THE SERIES, BOTH PHYSICALLY AND EMOTIONALLY. AFTER SO MANY EPISODES OF DB AND DBZ, I FEEL LIKE ONE OF THEM (MINUS ANY COOL POWERS). IT WILL BE INTERESTING TO SEE IF CARTOON NETWORK PICKS UP THE SHORT FOLLOW-ON SERIES (DRAGONBALL GT). I DON'T KNOW IF I CAN STAND TOO MANY MORE YEARS OF DRAGONBALL TOYS, UNDERWEAR, TRADING CARDS, ETC... 3. COWBOY BEBOP: ONE OF MY ALL-TIME FAVORITES! STYLE, WIT, HUMOR-CB HAS IT ALL. EVERY DETAIL THOUGHT OUT, FROM MUSIC TO WARDROBE. THE STORY IS CLEVER, THE MESSAGES RUN DEEP, AND THE CHARACTERS ARE SOME OF THE MOST "HUMAN" I'VE SEEN. TO ME, ITS A CLASSIC "CAN'T ESCAPE YOUR PAST" STORY. THE FATAL FLAW FOR EACH CHARACTER IS THE INABILITY TO MOVE ON, WITH HEAVY EMPHASIS ON A FEAR OF ABANDONMENT. CHARACTERS ARE PLAGUED BY A DESIRE TO BELONG VS A FEAR OF REJECTION. DEFINITELY A CLASSIC. I CAN'T WAIT FOR THE MOVIE. 4. GHOST IN THE SHELL: YOU HARD-CORE FANS PROBABLY RECOGNIZED THE GHOST QUOTE ON MY "INTERESTS" PAGE. IT WAS THE LAST LINE FROM THIS MOVIE. A GROUNDBREAKING ANIMATED EPIC, GITS COMBINES TECHNOLOGY AND HUMAN FORM A LA JAPAN . HOWEVER, THIS TIME THE CYBORGS ARE THE GOOD GUYS. A THOUGHFUL LOOK AT WHAT MAKES US HUMAN AND UNIQUE. PROVOCATIVE AND COMPELLING, IT EXPLORES THE CLASSIC PHILOSOPHICAL QUESTION SEMI-ANSWERED BY DECARTES' FAMOUS LINE: COGITA ERGO SUM (I THINK THEREFOR I AM). 5. NINJA SCROLL: ANOTHER MOVIE ACHIEVING CULT STATUS BEFORE THE RECENT ANIME EXPLOSION. A BIT GRAPHIC, BUT DEFINITELY WORTH SEEING. I THINK THIS IS THE CLASSIC TRAGEDY-AS ONLY THE JAPANESE CAN DO IT. IF YOU SQUINT REAL HARD, YOU CAN EVEN DRAW PARALLELS WITH ROMEO & JULIET; ALTHOUGH, NS DEFINITELY HAS MORE GRATUITOUS KILLING. CONTAINING QUALITY ARTWORK, AND WELL EXECUTED ACTION SEQUENCES, THIS FILM IS BEST SEEN IN ITS SUBTITLED FORM. SOME OTHER ANIME I WOULD RECOMMEND: BUBBLEGUM CRISIS 2040, PERFECT BLUE, AND BLUE SUBMARINE #6. SOME LINKS TO GET YOU STARTED: CLICK HERE FOR MANGA HOMEPAGE CLICK HERE FOR AIC ANIME HOMEPAGE CLICK HERE FOR CARTOON NETWORK HOMEPAGE CLICK HERE FOR ANIMERICA MAGAZINE HOMEPAGE CLICK HERE FOR SAM GOODY HOMEPAGE (A+ SUPPLIER. CHECK UPCOMING RELEASES) |
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