Damn Write! My Anime Essentials

My ideas of anime cinema required viewing

Happy Armistice/Veterans day to you all. As someone whose grandfather and two of his uncles served in the U.S. military during war I hope all of you take time to think of those who willingly defend.

This week I got to thinking about what i was going to write about thanks to a blackout of most of the Turner network cable stations for Dish Network. Going on 3 weeks I hope i’m able to watch my Toonami again soon, but also Turner Classic Movies. I’m not a huge film buff like many other Internet critics are, but I love watching the movie trailers, the intros from Jack Osbourne and some of the more quirkier entries into their programming (the one reel wonders are a favorite) so, what the hell does this have to do with anime? The Essentials. Every movie buff always has an essentials list of some sort. Those movies that to them are the utmost in cinema, either movies in general or a specific style or genre. So, being an anime fan, why couldn’t I? So I got to thinking about anime movies and what I would consider my anime essentials list. Those animated movies from Japan that I think best represent the genre to me. I didn’t keep to a hard set of rules, but did try to focus on actual movies, and tended to steer clear of movies connected to TV shows since most often than not you had to be a fan of the show to really enjoy it. Of course this is totally subjective, in no real order, and by no means a list of the Best Anime Ever, but if I were to put together a set of movies for a new anime fan, these would be it.

– Project A-ko (1986): A quirky sci fi movie that started life as part of an adult series. This movie had a large release on video in the U.S. in the early 90’s and became an anime staple. It features great art for its time, irreverent characters (The super strong A-ko, the whiney B-ko, the spoiled rich C-ko, and the manish D), and references to many past anime movies and shows. Spawned 3 movie sequels and a few OAVs, but the original is by far the best. Just a goofy movie that doesn’t take itself too seriously but at the same time is an amazing movie none the less. Shows what a well done comedy anime movie can really do.

-Otaku No Video (1991): An obscure movie outside of the otaku circles but is the inspiration for many conventions and anime clubs around the world. It’s part comedy part drama about a high schooler who is introduced to an anime clubs and his desire to be the “Otaking”. Inspired by the creation of Gainex in Japan, The anime is interplayed with live action mockumentary style interviews showing the darker sides of being an obsessed fan in Japan, but at the same time the animated parts tell a compelling and touching story. This was the movie that inspired the Otakon convention in Baltimore (It’s literally the last thing shown every year as tradition) as well as the full length fan parody “This is Otakudom”.

-Akira (1988):  Considered one of the greatest animated movies of all time it’s influence was far reaching for it’s story and it’s incredible animation. Is the textbook example of Cyberpunk anime that tells the story of a member of a biker gang who gets caught up in an ESP experiment that goes wrong, and how his friends try to save him. This movie spawned a lot of American otaku in the late 80’s/early 90’s when it was given a review by Roger Ebert who gave is a favorable grade.

-Magic Boy (1959): I’ve mentioned this movie before of how good I think this is. It represents Japanese animation’s early days as well as early anime dubbing as well. When otaku talk about anime being influenced by Disney, this is what they have in mind. A must for both anime fans and animation fans in general as a seeing where animation had come from, and how much influence it has now.

-Urusei Yatsura 2: Beautiful Dreamer (1984): The exception to my rule as this is based off the Urusei Yatsura TV series from Rumiko Takahashi. However this is a big departure from the series, and I have never watched the full TV series and still enjoyed the movie greatly, so you can get by without it. It was dubbed into English in the mid 1990’s (largely from Rumiko Takahashi’s growing popularity from Ranma 1/2) and was part of the Sci Fi Channel’s rotation of anime back in the day. The story follows a cast of characters including the alien girl Lum, lecherous Ataru, and their classmates as they get stuck in an dimensional loop that will not let them escape the general facility of their school. It shows off the way that anime movies use old folktales as a base to tell a great story without talking down to its audience (like a lot of American films tend to do).

-Galaxy Express 999 (1979):  A classic film from Leiji Matsumoto and what I think is the best representation of anime in the 70’s.  It’s about a homeless street kid, Tetsuro and his adventure on a train that travels through space along with the beautiful Maetell. It’s based off a comic and TV series, but you do not have to know either to enjoy this movie as it’s pretty self contained. A great story and a showcase for an art style that once was huge, but largely isn’t seen anymore.

-Summer Wars (2009): The newest movie on the list. This really stood out to me as it made me harken back to the days when not all anime movies coming to the US had to be tied to a TV series or Studio Ghibli. A tale about a large family coming together for a reunion and how the main character accidently plays a part in an attempt to destroy Japan using an all encompassing computer program. It has both humorous and emotional moments and is a gripping movie all the way through.  Still widely available too at media stores and online.

-Perfect Blue (1997): A real mind fuck of a movie. Was a big inspiration for the movie The Black Swan. Tells the story of Mima, an idol singer who goes off on her own to become and actress. As she gets deeper into it, she is stalked by a serial killer. This movie has haunting imagery and storytelling and really shows that a film can be animated and still mess with your head. I saw this in a theater during my first anime convention and it really wowed me then and still does now.

-Grave of the Fireflies (1988): I still say that this movie is the saddest anime movie ever made. A movie made by the famed Studio Ghibli, it tells the story of two orphaned children surviving in the later days of World War II. It’s a realistic style movie without the usual over the top bells and whistle that anime can be known for in the general audience. It’s not the type of war movie with bombs and explosions, but emotions and feelings that really make a punch on your heartstrings. I still can’t get through this movie without crying.

-Spirited Away/My Neighbor Totoro/Princess Mononoke: Miyazaki is a must, but didn’t want this list to be filled with his movies so I’m lumping them together. Out of all his movies I put these three as his best. Mononoke is the more serious of these movies, while Totoro represents the childlike tale aspect of his work, with Spirited Away representing a mix of both perfectly. These movies give the best look of Miyazaki’s vision and the stories he wanted to tell. If you ever wanted to know what all the talk about him is about, start with these three movies and spread out from there.

So, if you are a grizzled Otaku like me, or just getting your feet wet with animation from Japan, I’d give all of these a look if you haven’t seen them. They are all available legally in one form or another and you will really enjoy yourself with at least some of these offerings.

I also want to say that I will be that the AniMaine convention in South Portland, Maine November 21-23rd. You can check out my AWESOME home con HERE.

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