Top 10 Essential Anime?
Philip Yff
In article <347EA9...@geocities.com>, Alex says...
>What are the TOP 10 essential animes of all time so far? AKIRA is no
>doubt among them, as are THE PROFESSIONAL, CRYING FREEMAN and the new
>sensation in Japan, which is the current craze right now
We could start the list of top ten essential anime beginning with
some of the experimental works done as far back as 1917.
However, unless you're really into the history of anime, I
will begin with the first commercial US theatrical release in 1958.
Here then, is my list.
1. Hakuja Den, or The White Snake Enchantress. Released in
the US under the title Panda and the Magic Serpent. Notable for
being the first wide-scale theatrical release in the US. (1958)
2. I've got to include Yabushita Taiji's the 1960 release of
Alakazam the Great (1960) since that was the first Japanese
animation I saw. At the time, though, I didn't realize it was
originally produced in Japan.
3. Astro Boy, the TV series. This marked the beginning of
Tezuka's profound influence on the anime scene. He had done
some previous work, but Astro Boy was the first commercial
success and initiated the popularity of anime on Japanese TV.
4. A discussion of essential anime would be deficient if it
did not include the mecha genre. For this, I include
Mazinger Z which debuted inJapan in December 72 and ran
to the latter part of 74. It spawned two sequels bearing the
name Mazinger: (1) Great Mazinger which debuted in
September of 1974 right after Mazinger Z concluded and
ran for a year. (2) God Mazinger (Apr 84- Sep 84).
Some might also include UFO Robo Grandizer in that series
(even though it does not bear the Mazinger name. It ran
from October 1975 to February of 1977.
5. Very inflential in both Japan and the US was the series that
began with Matsumoto Leiji's Space Cruiser Yamato (Uchu
Senkan Yamato) which ran initially from October 74 to March
of 75. There were numerous other Yamato offerings--Space
Cruiser Yamato 2 (78-79), Space Cruiser Yamato: New
Departure (79), Space Cruiser Yamato 3 (80-81), Yamato
Takeru (1994). Yamato is available in English dub under the
name of Star Blazers. Some editing was performed during on
the Star Blazers series. However, Uchu Senkan Yamato
Kanketsuhen (Final Space Cruiser Yamato) was released in
the States intact as Farewell to Space Battleship Yamato--in
the Name of Love. Matsumoto, the Yamato creator is also
responsible for the well-known Space Pirate Captain Harlock
and Galaxy Express 999.
6. Nausicaä of the Valley of the Wind--Kaze no Tani no
Nausicaä (1984) first indicated that Miyazaki would have a
prestigious career in anime. Today, everybody is talking about
Princess Mononoke (Mononoke Hime) which has just been
released. For the essential anime list, that's probably too recent
to include. However, an essential anime list would be incomplete
without reference to Miyazaki and his influence on the art form.
My Neighbor Totoro--Tonari no Totoro (1988), Castle
of the Sky Laputa--Tenkuu no Shiro Laputa (1986), and Porco
Rosso (Kurenai no Buta) (1992). All the above films were scored
by Hisaishi Jo, who is one of the most respected musical influences
in anime.
7. Anime can be very serious also. My representative selection
is Takahata Isao's Hotaru no Haka or Grave of the Fireflies (1988).
Some might prefer Barefoot Gen but I prefer this story of
courage. War is a backdrop that provides the adversity against
which two innocent souls must face. These two children, Setsuko
and Seita, could have been any nationality. That is why the movie
affects all who see it equally. And the symbol of the fireflies appeals
to the child in all of us that has been enamored by the mysterious
flickering on a dark night.
8. I guess before I run out of numbers I've got to include Akira.
Released in Japan in 1988 it was a collaborative effort among
Japanese animation companies of unprecedented magnitude. The
attention to detail was astonishing. For example, a computer
program was used to shape the lip movements of the animated
characters to the Japanese vowel sounds. This is of particular
note, since the industry generally pays comparatively little attention
to lip synching. In 1990, Akira was released theatrically in the US
and is one of the best known anime titles to mainstream audiences.
9. Since the magical girl sub-genre must be mentioned, I'll nominate
the relatively recent Sailor Moon series. Continuing the tradition
of Runrun the Flower Child (79-80) Magical Princess Minky Momo
(82-83), and Angel Creamy Mami (83-84) to name a few, Sailor
Moon has pushed the magical girl sub-genre to unprecedented
levels of popularity and has had considerable impact on the
international scene. Another recent magical girl series worthy of
note is Clamp's Magic Knight Rayearth which I, personally,
prefer to Sailor Moon. Clamp, as a studio, has certainly made
a profound impact on today's manga and anime.
10. To wrap things up, I think we have to delve into the modern
TV era. My choice is Neon Genesis Evangelion. It was
thought provoking and controversial and demonstrated that
Japanese anime was willing to challenge conventional
thinking of TV audiences. Other TV series that push the
barriers are Escaflowne, for the quality of its work, Blue Seed
for its thematic content and consistency of purpose,
Fushigi Yuugi for bringing a literary quality of plot
development, Rurouni Kenshin for its historical context, and
there are others.
There are many I've neglected to mention. I hate not to
include some of my favorites, Bubblegum Crisis, Armitage,
Kimagure Orange Road (especially the TV series),etc. Crying
Freeman mentioned in the original post has a place in its
depiction of adult themes in the animated medium without
crossing the barrier into the hentai realm. There are other
Gainax productions I could mention, works by Takahashi Rumiko,
and so on. However, I'll leave it up to you to decide if I'm
in the ballpark.
And what of my personal favorite? Vampire [Princess] Miyu
for its insane greatness--plot, character, action, BGM, and
cinemetography all have a craftsmanship quality to them. The
dialog, in the original Japanese, is poetic in quality and in my
estimate is the best in all of anime. Point of view adds an additional
dimension to the plot. The plot unfolds through the eyes of Himiko.
As Himiko finds out more, so do we. The revelations cause her character
to develop. This adds additional texture to an already incredibly rich
backdrop.
Mata ato de,
Phil Yff
Hito wa so iuu wa kumotte me de yowarutte chibiru de
People always talk like that with clouded eyes and tainted lips.
Itsu datte shinjitsu wa ningen no naka ni aru no ni!
Even though the truth is always within them.
--Miyu--Vampire Princess Miyu (OAV)
Kevin Wayne Williams
Philip Yff wrote:
>
>
> And what of my personal favorite? Vampire [Princess] Miyu
> for its insane greatness--plot, character, action, BGM, and
> cinemetography all have a craftsmanship quality to them.
Have to agree here. VPM is probably the best piece of anime I have
watched.
I do wince a little when I see the character designs for the new VPM TV
series. Has anyone seen any of it? I just get frightened whenever I see
a bunch of school-girls in miniature sailor skirts ... tends to make me
think the the original atmosphere may be lost.
Kevin Wayne Williams
Isaac Kuo
In article <65mrvg$d...@drn.zippo.com>, Philip Yff <yf...@wizard.net> wrote:
>In article <347EA9...@geocities.com>, Alex says...
>>What are the TOP 10 essential animes of all time so far? AKIRA is no
>Here then, is my list.
>1. Hakuja Den, or The White Snake Enchantress. Released in
>2. Yabushita Taiji's the 1960 release of Alakazam the Great (1960)
>3. Astro Boy, the TV series.
>4. Mazinger Z
>5. Space Cruiser Yamato (Uchu Senkan Yamato)
>6. Nausicaä of the Valley of the Wind ...(1984) first
> indicated that Miyazaki would have a prestigious career in anime.
IMO, Castle Cagliostro should be on the list instead of Nausicaa.
While Nausicaa is more representative of Miyazaki's work, Castle
Cagliostro knocks down two birds with one stone by including one
of the few truly legendarily long-lived anime, Lupin III.
>7. Takahata Isao's Hotaru no Haka or Grave of the Fireflies (1988).
>8. I guess before I run out of numbers I've got to include Akira.
>9. Sailor Moon
>10. I think we have to delve into the modern TV era. My choice
> is Neon Genesis Evangelion. It was
Eva is essentially another mecha show. Given the omissions in
your list, if you absolutely needed to include another mecha
show it would obviously have to be Gundam, easily the most
influential and successful series since Mazinger Z.
Notable omissions are:
1. Sazae-san. Occasionally people here ask "what's the most popular
anime?", or "what's the longest anime series?" The answer is
Sazae-san, which blows away _any_ other animated series in both
respects. The manga predates TV!
2. Not a single romantic comedy, which is one of the major genres
of anime. Probably the best single candidate from this genre
would be Urusei Yatsura.
3. No shounen fight-of-the-week show, typified by Dragonball Z.
This is another major genre of anime.
Given the wide range of anime, I don't think 10 "essentials" is
enough. If you needed to stick with just 10, I say abandon
everything before Astro Boy and abandon the "modern era".
--
_____ Isaac Kuo k...@bit.csc.lsu.edu http://www.csc.lsu.edu/~kuo
__|_)o(_|__
/___________\ "Mari-san... Yokatta...
\=\)-----(/=/ ...Yokatta go-buji de..." - Karigari Hiroshi
David Zehder
Kevin Wayne Williams <k...@gte.net> wrote in article
<65n3nq$omp$1...@gte2.gte.net>...
> Philip Yff wrote:
> >
>
> >
> > And what of my personal favorite? Vampire [Princess] Miyu
> > for its insane greatness--plot, character, action, BGM, and
> > cinemetography all have a craftsmanship quality to them.
>
> Have to agree here. VPM is probably the best piece of anime I have
> watched.
>
> I do wince a little when I see the character designs for the new VPM TV
> series. Has anyone seen any of it? I just get frightened whenever I see
> a bunch of school-girls in miniature sailor skirts ... tends to make me
> think the the original atmosphere may be lost.
>
> Kevin Wayne Williams
>
Ug, i saw the first tape of VPM, and was very turned off. Dont remember
why, it was a long time ago. Maybee I'll give it another try.
Personally I think blue Seed is the one anime EVERYONE should watch, but
well...thats just MHO.
Arnold Kim
A major omission here is Gundam. Sure, it did not invent the Mecha
genre, but really revolutionized it, and the way that the mecha istelf is
regarded. No longer is it some kind of super-robot, piloted by some kid and
is the savior of the world. Gundam made us look at the mecha as a tool of
war, and concentrated mroe on character and plot. Without Gundam,
anime like Votoms, Patlabor, and the Macross series would likely not have
happened.
Arnold Kim
just Saw Patlabor 1 again
Philip Yff
In article <65nbol$13si$1...@its1.ocs.lsu.edu>, k...@mouse.csc.lsu.edu says...
[snip]
I think I'll stick by my original list. I realized at the time that
I would leave a lot out. And my choice to include Alakhazam the
Great was largely out of nostalgia.
However, many good points are raised in this point.
;>IMO, Castle Cagliostro should be on the list instead of Nausicaa.
;>While Nausicaa is more representative of Miyazaki's work, Castle
;>Cagliostro knocks down two birds with one stone by including one
;>of the few truly legendarily long-lived anime, Lupin III.
I did feel badly about leaving out Lupin III.
;>Eva is essentially another mecha show. Given the omissions in
;>your list, if you absolutely needed to include another mecha
;>show it would obviously have to be Gundam, easily the most
;>influential and successful series since Mazinger Z.
I actually was torn between Gundam and Mazinger Z. I decided on
Mazinger Z because of its historical impact, but Gundam endures
today with videogames currently being produced for the 32 bit
systems.
>Notable omissions are:
>1. Sazae-san. Occasionally people here ask "what's the most popular
> anime?", or "what's the longest anime series?" The answer is
> Sazae-san, which blows away _any_ other animated series in both
> respects. The manga predates TV!
>2. Not a single romantic comedy, which is one of the major genres
> of anime. Probably the best single candidate from this genre
> would be Urusei Yatsura.
Good point.
>3. No shounen fight-of-the-week show, typified by Dragonball Z.
> This is another major genre of anime.
Not to mention DBZ's popularity in the US.
>Given the wide range of anime, I don't think 10 "essentials" is
>enough. If you needed to stick with just 10, I say abandon
>everything before Astro Boy and abandon the "modern era".
And, even so, it's hard.
Philip Yff
[snip]
I think I'll stick by my original list. I realized at the time that
I would leave a lot out. And my choice to include Alakhazam the
Great was largely out of nostalgia.
However, many good points are raised in this post.
>Notable omissions are:
Good point.
Mata ato de,
Phil Yff
Soufron
Hey I am actually writing a story of SF-Japanese animation and SF
animation, I can tell you about if you want :-)
Alex Crouvier
Soufron wrote:
>
> Hey I am actually writing a story of SF-Japanese animation and SF
> animation, I can tell you about if you want :-)
Sure, shoot, my Gallic friend.
Alex
Isaac Kuo
In article <65pt40$v...@drn.zippo.com>, Philip Yff <yf...@wizard.net> wrote:
>In article <65nbol$13si$1...@its1.ocs.lsu.edu>, k...@mouse.csc.lsu.edu says...
>;>Eva is essentially another mecha show. Given the omissions in
>;>your list, if you absolutely needed to include another mecha
>;>show it would obviously have to be Gundam, easily the most
>;>influential and successful series since Mazinger Z.
>I actually was torn between Gundam and Mazinger Z. I decided on
>Mazinger Z because of its historical impact, but Gundam endures
>today with videogames currently being produced for the 32 bit
>systems.
You had a total of 3 mecha shows! Mazinger Z, Yamato, and Eva.
Mazinger Z is obviously worth putting on the list, and Yamato
is justifiable as the best choice to represent Matsumoto Reiji.
However Eva just isn't one of the "greats". Not yet.
>>Notable omissions are:
>>1. Sazae-san. Occasionally people here ask "what's the most popular
>> anime?", or "what's the longest anime series?" The answer is
>> Sazae-san, which blows away _any_ other animated series in both
>> respects. The manga predates TV!
>>2. Not a single romantic comedy, which is one of the major genres
>> of anime. Probably the best single candidate from this genre
>> would be Urusei Yatsura.
>Good point.
>>3. No shounen fight-of-the-week show, typified by Dragonball Z.
>> This is another major genre of anime.
>Not to mention DBZ's popularity in the US.
Frankly, who the hell cares about popularity in the US? So
far, it hasn't had any significant effect on the evolution
and history of anime, other than the notable _absense_ of
any effect.
Dragonball Z's effect on anime had entirely nothing to do with
its recent popularity in the US.
>>Given the wide range of anime, I don't think 10 "essentials" is
>>enough. If you needed to stick with just 10, I say abandon
>>everything before Astro Boy and abandon the "modern era".
Soufron
allright...
gallic... pfff... pfff...
ah these americans :-*
Philip Yff
In article <65qla4$11ai$1...@its1.ocs.lsu.edu>, k...@bit.csc.lsu.edu says...
[snip]
>You had a total of 3 mecha shows! Mazinger Z, Yamato, and Eva.
>Mazinger Z is obviously worth putting on the list, and Yamato
>is justifiable as the best choice to represent Matsumoto Reiji.
Consider Yamato to be more in the space opera genre rather than
mecha. And Eva just uses the trappings of mecha to weave a plot
of psychological/philosophical machinations. Eva was included in
the list as an indication of Japan's willingness in the 90's to
attack controversial themes on TV.
Philip Yff
In article <19971130195...@ladder02.news.aol.com>, dami...@aol.com
says...
[snip]
>>Jungle Taitei/Kimba the White Lion
>Question, tho: how influencial has it been on Anime?
Well, it's cerainly had some influence on Disney <grin>.
Also, if you're looking at the history of Anime from a North American
perspective, Kimba was one of the earliest influences on the American
public.
William Geoffrey Miller
Just thought that I would add my two cents by giving my top 10 list of
essential anime. I suppose it's more of my favourite anime, but most of
it I consider to be essential anime.
1. Akira
2. Ninja Scroll
3. Ghost in the Shell
4. Macross Plu(movie an the series)
5. Patlabor (movies and the series)
6. Vampire Hunter - D
7. Crying Freeman
8. Cyber City Oedo 808
9. Tenchi Muyo! (the tv series, OVAs, and movie)
10.Riding Bean
* Sorry, I'm not a big fan of Blue Seed or Vampire Princess Miyu (too
incoherent - maybe I'll have to watch it a second time)
------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Jeff Miller
Tsurugi: Shinku na Ken
[shrug] What the hell, I'll give my list of the anime I think are
essential. I'm not sure how many people will agree though... ^_^;;
These are in the order that they come to mind, not of essentiality.
1. VS Knight Lamune & 40 Fire
2. NG Knight Lamune & 40
3. Master Mosquiton
4. Rurouni Kenshin
5. Nausicaa
6. Evangelion
7. Weathering Continent.
8. Dirty Pair (Original TV)
9. 3X3 Eyes
10. Dragon Half! ^_^
Note: These are subject to change at any given moment and may also
change depending on how long it has been since I have viewed said
anime. ^_^
Tsurugi
Devilot
Whee!
I'm going to give my list of top ten essential anime too!
1. Dragon Ball Z
2. Tenchi Muyo!
3. Giant Robo (great example of retro style in anime)
4. Kimagure Orange Road
5. Evangelion
6. Dirty Pair Flash
7. Macross Plus
8. Irresponsible Captain Tylor
9. Sailor Moon
10. Mazinger Z
I would have included El-Hazard, but I already put Tenchi in there...
--
There is no gene for the human spirit.
Alistair Chiu
Your llist is great, but in addition to leaving out romantic comedy(for
which I'd probably place Maison Ikkoku as the ultimate one - good on
romance, good on comedy, good on entwining the two, and the most
realistic to boot), you left out Megazone 23!! Has it been mentioned at
all??
It's one of the all-time great OAVs, and an inspiration to many, I'd
hazard a guess. More than that, wasn't it the _first_ truly great OAV
that set the way for all the other greats?
I personally only really like Ep 1. Oh, alright, 3 is probably the best
stand-alone video, but I can't believe what they did to the main
character! How sad! :(
Alistair.
--
"Chance and luck are simply words to describe
that which is unforeseeable by us." -- D.B. Knox
Tenchi Muyo
Ok, here are my top 10 Animes (as they come to mind):
1. Sailor Moon
2. Slayers
3. LUM - Urusei Yatsura
4. Oh my Goddess!
5. Neon Genesis Evangelion
6. Dirty Pair
7. Tenchi Muyo!
8. 3x3 Eyes
9. Ranma ½
10. all from Masamune Shirow
--
Tenchi (remove the stars before e-mailing)
Manga Buddha O:-)
Proud owner of a kooky imploding mango
"Bellae Hoplitae Nautae Lunae" amandae sunt!
("Pretty Soldiers Sailor Moon" must be loved!)
"Rollicking Red Rural Rodents Rushing Really Rapid Rapture Rambunctiously
Roaring Rabid Raja Raul's Rare Royal Rufous Refrigerator" Me ^_^
Omino240
Here's my list
1. Fushigi Yuugi
2. Ranma 1/2
3. Bubblegum Crisis ( this one got me started)
4. Record of Lodoss War (favorite op and end theme of all time)
5. Project Ako
6. Riding Bean (the car is the shit)
7. Neon Genesis Evangelion
8. Macross: Do You Remember Love?
9. Ninja Scroll (a bloody good time)
10. La Blue Girl (I know you like it too but are ashamed to admit it)
Since this list was for Essential Anime and not 10 best I threw in a bit of
each genre and yes even a Hentai title.
just my opinion, e-mail me if you agree or disagree
Anthony
RG11855
Okay, now here's my list of 10 most essential anime:
1. Blue Seed
2. 3x3 eyes
3. Urotsukidoji
4. Tenchi Muyo
5. Akira
6. Vampire Hunter D
7. Ghost in the Shell
8. Gunsmith Cats
9. Iczer-one
10. The Dirty Pair
Please let me know if you agree or disagree with my selections.
Johannes Climacus
Devilot
RG11855 wrote:
>
> Okay, now here's my list of 10 most essential anime:
>
> 1. Blue Seed
Excellent series.
> 2. 3x3 eyes
If you have Blue Seed, don't put in 3X3 Eyes. This isn't a list of your
favorite manga, just a list of top ten essential anime, which means you
should put valid examples of each genre...
> 3. Urotsukidoji
Another horror title? Then again, I guess this could also be classified
as pornography.
> 4. Tenchi Muyo
Excellent title, I agree with you completely.
> 5. Akira
A very influential film, though I personally hated it.
> 6. Vampire Hunter D
Yet another horror title? And one that wasn't very good plotwise at
that.
> 7. Ghost in the Shell
Excellent choice.
> 8. Gunsmith Cats
*yawn* I don't see what all the fuss is about regarding this series. I
found it rather boring.
> 9. Iczer-one
I saw something called Iczelion, is this related?
> 10. The Dirty Pair
>
I would have put in the much cuter and better animated Dirty Pair Flash.
> Please let me know if you agree or disagree with my selections.
>
> Johannes Climacus
--
Philip Yff
In article <66nvnv$2...@bgtnsc02.worldnet.att.net>, Devilot says...
[snip]
>> 9. Iczer-one
>I saw something called Iczelion, is this related?
Only peripherally. The protagonist, Nagisa Kai is related to Nagisa
Kano who helped Iczer 1 fight the Cthulhu. She is a reluctant
inheritor of the Iczelion technology. The two episodes that comprise
the story show how she overcomes her fears and reticence.
It's a lot lighter in tone than the various Iczer series. I believe it
started as a radio drama. It's directed by Toshihiro Hirano who is
responsible for Iczer (and of course directed Vampire Princess Miyu which
IMHO is his best work). It's pleasant, but I would recommend the Iczer
series over Iczelion. Only pick up Iczelion if you don't mind a little
fluff (and fan service).
Philip Yff
In article <66s79e$bcr$3...@newbabylon.rs.itd.umich.edu>, zgu...@umich.edu says...
[snip]
>An anime about cute girls from Rome occupied France? What would Asterix
>say? :p
Iiiirrraaaasshhaimaaasseee! Biiieeeenvuuueee! Weeellllcoommme!
Philip Yff
In article <19971216012...@ladder02.news.aol.com>, dami...@aol.com
says...
>>>An anime about cute girls from Rome occupied France? What would Asterix
>>>say? :p
>>Iiiirrraaaasshhaimaaasseee! Biiieeeenvuuueee! Weeellllcoommme!
>Is that an official quote?
Probably. Since Asterisk is one of the most prolifically translated
comics in the world. But you'd have to buy Japanese, French, and English
versions to get the three parts of the quote. <grin> Also, the real
versions might not be so exhuberant in how they spell the welcomes.
Ares6666
>Subject: Re: Top 10 Essential Anime?
>From: "Tenchi Muyo" <*Tench...@msn.com*>
>Date: Thu, Dec 4, 1997 19:10 EST
>Message-id: <#AJktXRA9GA.217@upnetnews03>
Very good tastes :) I just recently finished watching the Oh my Goddess! series
(been too busy watching other great series!) and I must say that its one of the
best series around..I just wish that the producers could have made it for more
than 5 volumes..it was WAY too short...now im gonna have to get the manga