Anime worth watching
Anime that goes beyond the surface.
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23 titles
- DirectorHayao MiyazakiStarsDaveigh ChaseSuzanne PleshetteMiyu IrinoDuring her family's move to the suburbs, a sullen 10-year-old girl wanders into a world ruled by gods, witches and spirits, and where humans are changed into beasts.Oscar winning, money making. A masterpiece of the genre that gives us another trip down the rabbit hole.
- DirectorHayao MiyazakiStarsYôji MatsudaYuriko IshidaYûko TanakaOn a journey to find the cure for a Tatarigami's curse, Ashitaka finds himself in the middle of a war between the forest gods and Tatara, a mining colony. In this quest he also meets San, the Mononoke Hime.An environmental tale that speaks of man's lust for development and the contradictory nature of man's perception of nature. The fantasy allows the viewer to lose themselves in the piece, yet its message is handled perfectly.
- DirectorIsao TakahataStarsTsutomu TatsumiAyano ShiraishiAkemi YamaguchiA young boy and his little sister struggle to survive in Japan during World War II.War makes victims of us all and history books play good vs bad, but no matter the villain of the piece either side is filled with victims. This movie allows us to look past those patriotic catchalls and see humanity at its most horrific and most brilliant.
- DirectorHayao MiyazakiStarsHitoshi TakagiNoriko HidakaChika SakamotoWhen two girls move to the country to be near their ailing mother, they have adventures with the wondrous forest spirits who live nearby.A kid's movie with such heart and humanity that one's age matters not. It works for adults without the need to throw in a hundred adult orientated jokes that only cheapen the overall work.
No cheap jokes for children either it is not a film looking to fill an afternoon, but a film that is trying to fill the heart. - StarsYutaka KoizumiYui MakinoMichael C. PizzutoThis surreal dramedy follows Satou Tatsuhiro as he attempts to escape the evil machinations of the NHK.A realistic look at the disenfranchised young adults of society and how they slide through the cracks. Its more fantastical elements allow the viewer to see the dark reality of it all. Quirky and cultish.
Recommend for those still young in spirit or lost on their way. - CreatorNaoki UrasawaStarsHidenobu KiuchiLiam O'BrienMamiko NotoTenma, a brilliant neurosurgeon with a promising future, risks his career to save the life of a critically wounded young boy. The boy, now a charismatic young man, reappears 9 years later in the midst of a string of unusual serial murders.If this were a drama on HBO everyone in western cultures would have heard of it, but it is an anime so it is cast aside simply for being animated. Wonderfully paced this mystery will have even non-anime fans looking forward to the next episode
- DirectorHayao MiyazakiStarsChieko BaishôTakuya KimuraTatsuya GashûinWhen an unconfident young woman is cursed with an old body by a spiteful witch, her only chance of breaking the spell lies with a self-indulgent yet insecure young wizard and his companions in his legged, walking castle.Another epic world by Miyazaki, another message held up beautifully amidst the fantastical chaos. A commentary on war and its barbaric nature rests at the heart of this exceptional work.
- DirectorMori MasakiStarsIssei MiyazakiCatherine BattistoneYoshie ShimamuraA powerful statement against war, Barefoot Gen is a disturbing story about the effect of the atomic bomb on a boy's life and the lives of the Japanese people.A semi-autobiographical work that gets left out in the cold for being animated. It is a piece that shines and pushes hard to show you the tragedies that came from the nuclear bombs dropped on Japan. To make a point that it was not simply a statistic that must be remembered but flesh and blood as well.
- StarsYûto NakanoTravis WillinghamKôjun ItôGinko is an expert travelling around to investigate a primeval life-form, the "Mushi," and helping people with Mushi-related supernatural problems.Beautiful, weak on story, not on heart. This piece is all about the characters, the atmosphere, the ambiance. While pushing a fantastical element it simply shows the hearts and souls of humans in lovely vignettes that do not need hours of dedication or focus. A soup for the soul hidden under a simple premise.
- DirectorSatoshi KonStarsJunko IwaoRica MatsumotoShinpachi TsujiA pop singer gives up her career to become an actress, but she slowly goes insane when she starts being stalked by an obsessed fan and what seems to be a ghost of her past.A Hitchcockian, early Christopher Nolan type piece that is centered on confusion. This anime is not for kids in any realm or world, this is a piece meant for mature audiences yet pushed aside because it is animated. It is a touch better than many of the contemporary psychological thrillers out there.
- DirectorKatsuhiro ÔtomoStarsMitsuo IwataNozomu SasakiMami KoyamaA secret military project endangers Neo-Tokyo when it turns a biker gang member into a rampaging psychic psychopath who can only be stopped by a teenager, his gang of biker friends and a group of psychics.The anime that it is ok to like, the one that does not get you labelled as a nerd, no judgement it is Akira.
Akira is a marvel of its time and is a great addition to the annals of sci-fi, but it is just an action flick plain and simple and that is why it is liked by non-anime fans it is a simple action movie.
It is also a nice gateway into the realm of anime I nice starting place if you do not mind violence. - CreatorShin'ichirô WatanabeHajime YatateStarsKôichi YamaderaUnshô IshizukaMegumi HayashibaraThe futuristic misadventures and tragedies of an easygoing bounty hunter and his partners.A meshing of genres blasts this space opera into its own category. While not heavy on message it is stylistically special and shows that genres are often a disservice in the world of cinema and that creative is meant to be the driving force. Jazz is the best to describe it and a love of the eclectic is a must.
- StarsKazunari TanakaSatsuki YukinoAi OrikasaAi Tanabe joins the Debris Section of the Technora Corporation as they work to remove the debris left around Earth. As Ai tries to accommodate to space life, she learns more about her crew on the dilapidated 'Toy Box'.Human, sci-fi, yet ultimately human. Even live action struggles to be able to produce something of this quality without coming off as either a melodrama or to lost in itself to actually be worthwhile.
Planetes shows that anime is not solely about blood, boobs and boorish humor it has depth and humanity like one never thought possible. - DirectorHayao MiyazakiStarsSumi ShimamotoMahito TsujimuraHisako KyôdaWarrior and pacifist Princess Nausicaä desperately struggles to prevent two warring nations from destroying themselves and their dying planet.The opening salvo in Miyazaki's genius, not his greatest work but the beginning of a legacy. Its anti-war, pro environment themes weigh heavy on the piece and the message almost overshadows the tale at points, but the work shines and the tale stands tall as the epic it is.
- StarsJessie James GrelleBryce PapenbrookTrina NishimuraAfter his hometown is destroyed and get traumatized, young Eren Jaeger vows to cleanse the earth of the giant humanoid Titans that have brought humanity to the brink of extinction.Violent and bloody and a main character you could slap, but it keeps you on your toes and follows a solid premise that boasts a decent array of supporting characters, while never letting its youthful leaps of faith hinder the overall development of the piece.
Not recommend for non-anime fans. - CreatorHiromu ArakawaStarsKent WilliamsIemasa KayumiMatthew LeonhartTwo brothers search for a Philosopher's Stone after an attempt to revive their deceased mother goes awry and leaves them in damaged physical forms.A typical young man saving the world premise, so nothing original there and as it plays out there is nothing that seems to feel original. That is until you realize that these characters have depth, emotion and the rest of the gambit and that is the difference. There is a sense of humanity behind these animated eyes and it gives rise to something a little more, something that feels worth spending time on.
- CreatorYoshihiro TogashiStarsIssei FutamataMegumi HanCristina ValenzuelaGon Freecss aspires to become a Hunter, an exceptional being capable of greatness. With his friends and his potential, he seeks out his father, who left him when he was younger.Want to watch a kid's cartoon? No? Not surprised and you could watch the first 13 episodes and your opinion would be validated and as you would watch this kids show would jump from one genre to the next, never letting itself get bogged down and then episode 76 hits and this kid's show just went dark and that is what is endearing about this anime is that it defies the stereotypes, while being a kid's show it does not settle for just being a repetitive nonsense instead it strives to be so much more and that is rare, but be warned it takes a lot of time to get through it all.
Not recommended for non-anime fans. - CreatorUme AokiAtsuhiro IwakamiAkiyuki ShinbôStarsAoi YûkiChiwa SaitôEmiri KatoA creature named Kyubey offers Madoka and Sayaka a wish if they agree to become 'magical girls' and fight abstract beings called 'witches'. However, a magical girl named Homura is, for uncertain reasons, determined to stop this agreement.A deconstruction of a genre done in such a manner that it does not feel overdone or too much like a parody (while the money grabs and tie ins later hurt it) this series defies the world of anime and instead removes those rose tinted glasses showing us that anime has depth beyond what we see in programming that is suppose to be "for adults"
A love of fantasy is a must.
Not recommended for non-anime fans. - StarsMamoru MiyanoAsami ImaiKana HanazawaAfter discovering time travel, a university student and his colleagues must use their knowledge of it to stop an evil organization and their diabolical plans.A tale of simplistic complexity, there is very little story, but it still plums the depths of the thin piece and gives rise to something more. At any moment this work could have fallen into the annals of stereotypical anime nonsense, but it balances the tightrope just right and leaves the viewer with a sense of what sacrifice is.
- CreatorYuichi MatsushitaTatsuya ShishikuraStarsSayaka ÔharaPete SepenukRyôta ÔsakaA thousand years after the destruction of Earth by gigantic aliens called Gauna, mankind is living on massive spaceships. One of these space ships is Sidonia, which is protected by large pilot controlled exosuits called Gardes.From a man who is famous for making cult works, comes something mainstream that still screams I do not care. Sci-fi heavy and plays out as a melding of comics for young boys and ones for young girls, but then throws in the notion of what is love and questions every notion of sexuality that one can ever have.
Not recommended for non-anime fans. - CreatorKazuya TsurumakiStarsJun MizukiMayumi ShintaniIzumi KasagiMysterious things start happening when 12-year-old Naota meets a strange woman on a Vespa wielding a big guitar.FLCL is cult, but it knows its cult and it does not need your approval. It is weird and twisted and does not care if anyone likes it and it is on that level that it becomes appealing. It has the raw quality of a film makers first piece unlike the overly polished nature that can stem from anime. Definitely for the hipsters (or this generations equal)
- CreatorShin'ichirô WatanabeStarsKazuya NakaiGinpei SatoAyako KawasumiFuu, a waitress who works in a teahouse, rescues two master swordsmen, Mugen and Jin, from their execution to help her find the "samurai who smells of sunflowers."A fusion of the past and a modern concept allows this tale to shine. The characters are in no way outstanding nor the tale an amazing one, but it is the blending of all the smaller elements that inspire this to be something a little more. It has heart but does not flaunt it, it has soul but hides it. It wants to be itself and does not try to be a money making scheme it simply just wants to be.
- CreatorGen UrobuchiStarsKana HanazawaMiyuki SawashiroNoriko HidakaBelieving in humanity and order, policewoman Akane Tsunemori obeys the ruling, computerized, precognitive Sibyl System. But when she faces a criminal mastermind who can elude this perfect system, she questions both Sibyl and herself.Sherlock meets Minority Report in this tale that rides the line between mainstream filler and genuinely decent series.
The characters are a little too archetypal, thankfully the story plays out well enough that these traits can be forgiven and its more youthful indiscretions left by the wayside.