So, I changed this post being about music to this post being about MY top ten favorite anime and OVAs. This isn't really an in depth analysis of the stories as if it were a legit list, nor do they reflect the "real" best of the industry. Most of you probably won't agree with me if I were to say these were the best the industry has to offer, because they aren't and it's really a question of preference. Some of you may say that Bleach (yech!) or Fist of the North Star is the best. I don't really care, cuz this is my list. Make your own if you don't like it. ;)
(WARNING: Here thar be spoilaaaars!... Did you like my Fail Pirate?)
10. Berserk - Berserk is one of those anime that seems your standard run of the mill anime... until the shit starts going down. Demons, women getting raped, unborn children becoming corrupted, and the god awfulness that is politics becomes interwoven into the plot in question. In the middle of all this is Guts, a sword for hire who just happened to have joined the Band of the Hawk as a way of making money and a living. If you couldn't tell, he's the main character. What I liked about Berserk was the fact that it didn't sugar coat things, it showed you what happens in plain, and non metaphorical images, such as sex, death, violence, and just what greed can do to people. (talking about the Manga now) You KNOW Casca was raped. You KNOW Griffith is a total douche bag who "becomes" a God Hand and rapes Casca IN FRONT OF GUTS. It doesn't get more douche-bagger-y than that. Anyway, Guts goes on a quest for revenge, and it is awesome. For once, the good guys don't win. Which is also just as awesome. I like a story that deviates from the norm. Just be forewarned, the anime is pretty depressing.
(Original Pilot Cover)
9. Black Rock Shooter - This is my favorite OVA, not gonna lie. In the "Human World" it follows two young girls just starting out in middle school. Yomi has moved, and very shy at first, surprisingly makes friends with the more outgoing Mato. The two of them join different sports teams, volleyball and basketball, respectively, and their friendship grows. However, the next year they are moved to different classes, and Yomi becomes jealous of Mato's new relationship with the basketball club manager, Yuu. She disappears, and Mato and the police cannot find her. Receiving a blank message from Yomi, Mato goes to their meeting place, and finds a star shaped charm she'd given the other girl. It begins to glow, and that's when Black Rock Shooter (as shown on the cover) shows up out of no where and offers Mato help. If Mato "merges" with BRS, she'll be able to find Yomi, in the "Other World." From there, I'm not going to reveal any more. Suffice to say, it was really good. The OVA is based off of an illustration by Huke, and later a music video by the group Supercell, sung by Vocaloid synthesizer Hatsune Miku. A manga has begun, and a video game is also in the works. Needless to say, I am excite.
(some of the girls of Vandread)
8. Vandread - One of the few mecha anime I'll watch, and it's pretty over the top with the sexual references and jokes, but it has an awesome plot. The story takes place some time in the distant future, where men and women have separated and live on separate planets (Taraak for men, Majere for women). Hibiki, being the idiot he is, decides to smuggle a vanguard from Taraak's military forces by smuggling himself on a battleship. The battleship however, is attacked by female pirates, and from there, things for Hibiki aren't exactly looking up. He gets caught up in a Strange Love Square, the war between the sexes, and some pretty big Surprises. The visual effects of this anime were awesome when they came out, and are still kind of impressive. I enjoy the story, and the individual character backgrounds, especially Meia's (pictured with the blue hair). Just be prepared for some weird sexual references.
(First Japanese DVD Cover)
7. Puella Magi Madoka Magica - I've already covered this anime in a previous blog post, but it's quickly become one of my favorites. For those of you who have not read my blog about it, it's about a group of girls - and one in particular, named Madoka, who have sold their souls to a little cat thing (it's really an alien) called Kyubey (or Incubator, whichever you prefer), in return however, they have their greatest wish granted. In exchange, they must fight Witches, beings that destroy lives and eventually (it seems) destroys the world if given the chance. One problem is that these girls eventually become Witches themselves. All of this is to halt the dying of the Universe. Which totally sucks. Anyway, it's really good, and I cried during Episode 10, and yeah. It's awesome. Watch it. I don't want to give too much away. If you want to learn more, go read my blog about it.
(Cover of the First Volume OVA)
6. Hellsing Ultimate - This IS NOT about the Anime. Which totally sucks. Ugh. Anyway, this is about the OVA, which, sadly, I have not finished cuz I can't find a good quality episode 6. D: (Again) Anyway, the basic plot consists of Vampires, the Catholic Church, the Protestant Church, and Nazis. Pretty straightforward, right? It more or less is. Alucard (Dracula if you can't process that backwards) is now a "dog" of the Protestant Church, killing vampires, partly because it's his job, and also cuz he really likes doing it. He once upon a time made some Nazis really mad so now they want to make themselves vampires like him, and probably kill him. Good luck with that, you crazy Nazis. The only thing you need to know going in is that it's very gory.
(Logo of Ef - A Fairy Tale of the Two)
5. Ef - A Tale of Melodies - Originally a Visual Novel series by Minori, and another one of my favorite series. The first series(Memories) follows 3 different love stories, with the stories rarely intersecting. You also meet most of the characters of the second series in the first series. In the second series(Melodies), it follows two love stories, one of which is happening in the past. It may seem to just follow love stories, but there is also friendship dynamics, and an underlying plot about the destruction of one of the cities the series takes place in. It's extremely emotionally engaging, and for the sake of not revealing too much, I'll only say that things get tense. Seriously, watch it. It's ridiculously good.
(Original Japanese Manga Cover)
4. Angel Sanctuary - Ok, the thing about Angel Sanctuary anyone ever remembers is the incest. There's more to the story than simply that. The story follows the overriding conflict between God's Angels and the Demons of Hell, and in the OVA, it leads up to the Awakening of Alexiel and Setsuna's decision to go to Hell to find the soul of his sister/beloved, Sarah. The THING about the incest, and why it's even there, is the fact that every reincarnation of Alexiel leads a tragic and short life, and Setsuna's is rife with the forbidden desire for his sister. He knows it's wrong, but he still desires her. It's one of my favorites because of the religious conflict. I like that Angels are shown with flaws, similar to Humans, and the fate of the war rests on the shoulders of a young man that just wants to live normally. I truly adore Angel Sanctuary.
(Original Japanese Manga Cover)
3. Hetalia -Whenever I think about World History now, I immediately think of THIS show. The show takes place between World War I and World War II, with the personifications of the the different countries of the world as main characters. It primarily follows Italy, Germany, and Japan (the Axis Powers during WWII) and their... escapades, but it also shows the dynamic relationships between America, France, and England (some of the Allied Forces during WWII). A lot of fan-girls love this show simply for it's yaoi potential (there's very few female countries). It doesn't help that France runs around naked and tries to marry England (both of them are male). What makes it so fun really is how completely out there the show is, but it still manages to educate the viewer about various events that happened in the world in this specific time frame. You DO actually learn some things, which is kinda awesome. I know someone who didn't study at all for their World History exam and used Hetalia as a reference and actually PASSED the exam. Anyway, you should watch it. It's very funny, if a little racist. But really, everyone's a little bit racist.
(Original Japanese Manga Cover)
2. Ouran High School Host Club - Ouran is one of those shows that affectionately parodies it's own genre, which makes it automatically awesome. The show follows Haruhi, who's a "Special" student (she's poor) who's been allowed into an Elite Academy for the Rich and Famous. On like, her first day she manages to make herself confused for a male, and breaks a very, very expensive vase. Because she broke the very expensive vase (that was owned by the Host Club of the school) she becomes the Host Club's lap dog and veritable slave to pay them back. Once they find out she's female however, things get a little wacky. They decide to make her a Host so she'll have a better chance to pay back the Host Club for the vase, but she has to pretend to be male. Really the best part of this show is really the other characters, in particular the twins and Tamaki; they're hilarious. It has legit shoujo moments, but even those are done tastefully.
(Original Manga Cover)
1. Loveless - Loveless is one of those anime that people have heard of, but probably haven't watched. A lot of fan-girls love the yaoi potential with this show. It really straddles the line between harmless Shonen - Ai and Yaoi. What I enjoy about it is the artwork and the plot line. Ritsuka's brother was found burnt to death in Ritsuka's class room, and it's been some time since that really occurred. Since then, Ritsuka is abused by his mother daily and has undergone a complete personality change - in fact, he suffers from multiple personalities, part of the reason his mother abuses him so much. One day, out of the blue, a tall, blond man shows up out of nowhere, and claims he loves Ritsuka. His name is Soubi, and he claims to be Ritsuka's Fighter Unit, and once was Seimei's Fighter Unit. Ritsuka, however, knows nothing about Fighter Units. Over time, Ritsuka becomes obsessed with finding out why his brother died, and he and Soubi are relentlessly pursued but the "Powers That Be" who happen to be in charge of Fighter and Sacrifice Units, and the ones responsible for Seimei's death. This show is one of my all time favorites, even if the anime deviates from the plot of the manga.
Well, it took me a lot longer than I wanted to write this, and I'm kind of drained. Next time I'll be going over western animated films, some of the best ones released from the industry, from companies like Disney and Dreamworks. Anywho, let me know what you think, please. Ciao!
