If you thought the first five parts of this series were good, you ain't seen nothing yet! Now that we've reached the second half of this Top 50 list, we're really starting to get to the real cream of the crop now -- where it really started to become increasingly difficult for me to place them in order.
At #25 is relatively unknown writer/director Yasuhiro Yoshiura's most accessible work: Eve no Jikan.
Plot Summary (from ANN): In the not too distant future androids have come into common usage. Taking the androids for granted, humans treat them as if they were common everyday tools, while on the other hand, some people empathize with androids due to their human-like appearance (save for a digital ring floating above their heads). This has become a social problem and these people are frowned upon as a result. Rikuo, one who has taken androids for granted for his entire life, one day discovers that Sammy, his home android, has been acting strangely and finds a strange phrase recorded in her activity log. He, along with his friend Masaki, traces Sammy's footsteps and come upon an unusual cafe. This cafe's main rule is to not discriminate between humans and androids.
This six-episode ONA is one of the best sci-fi anime to come out in recent years, and it is another one of my highly-desired licenses. Now, it's not the most original work, as stories dealing with robots/androids have been done countless times, and even Isaac Asimov's Three Laws of Robotics have been incorporated many times before. So why is this series so great?
Well, for starters it's incredibly clever. The stories Yoshiura come up with in each of these six short episodes amaze me in just how inventive they actually are. Take the first episode for instance. Rikuo and Masaki meet a young girl in the cafe and Yoshiura does an outstanding job of making you think she's human. She acts so much like a normal hyperactive girl, that when it was revealed that she's actually an android, I was completely taken aback. Moments like this happen throughout the series. Secondly, the series is very playful. There are lots of little touches here and there that make the viewing experience all the more fun, and some of the episodes even get pretty crazy. Finally, Eve no Jikan doesn't lack any of the intelligence of Yoshiura's prior works either. Aside from all the fun, Yoshiura interweaves social commentary and other excellent questions about what it really means to be human into the mix. All of this adds up to a series that ends up achieving more than one might expect from the initial premise. If you haven't checked out anything from Yoshiura yet, I strongly recommend that you start with this before tackling his somber, yet powerful work Pale Cocoon and the quirky Mizu no Kotoba.
At #24 is Goro Taniguchi's only true success (and also the anime featured in the logo!). Everything else he's done pales terribly when compared to Planetes.
Plot Summary (from ANN): In the year 2075, mankind has reached a point where journeying between Earth, the moon and the space stations is part of daily life. However, the progression of technology in space has also resulted in the problem of the space debris, which can cause excessive and even catastrophic damage to spacecrafts and equipment. This is the story of Technora's Debris Collecting section, its EVA worker, Hachirota "Hachimaki" Hoshino, and the newcomer to the group, Ai Tanabe.
I'm a sucker for good sci-fi, and Planetes definitely fits the bill with its brilliant premise. I can potentially see mankind facing this very problem in the future. However, what really makes this series truly great is the characters and storytelling -- it's really not just about the space trash collecting. This is one of those series that you should watch if you know where you want to go in life, or are unsure and need some inspiration. There is a big caveat, however.
Hachimaki's goal is essentially to get out of debris collection and go farther (in space) than he ever has before, but along the way, however, Hachimaki struggles with his human relationships to the point of nearly destroying everything on that front before realizing how foolish he really was. This is a stark criticism and strong warning regarding society today. Many people try to climb the ladder of power without regard for anything or anyone else. Planetes' message is that you can't close yourself in like that. Human connections are the most important aspect of mankind; because without them, many people will ultimately find themselves lost and alone. Planetes tells us that we shouldn't be ruthless inconsiderate of others when trying to reach the top. Instead, you should embrace and cherish what relationships you have and create; because in the long run, you'll be much better off when you finally reach your goal. There are many other aspects of Planetes that make it such a great series, but this particular one is what resonated with me in the most harmonious fashion.
The #23 entry has finally been brought to the United States after several years of waiting: the animated adaptation of Naoki Urasawa's Monster. It is currently airing on Syfy, and the first box set is due out next week!
Plot Summary (from ANN): Kenzou Tenma, a Japanese brain surgeon in Germany, had it all: incredible skill at his work, a rich and beautiful fiancee, and a promising career at his hospital. However, after becoming disenchanted by hospital politics, he chose to save the life of a young boy who got shot in the head over the life of the mayor. As a result he lost the support of the hospital director, as well as his position in the hospital and his fiance. A short time later, the hospital director and the doctors that replaced him were murdered, and once again he was catapulted back onto the top. But as the chief suspect of the murders, Tenma did not get a easy life. As a matter of fact, it seems that the boy he saved was much more than he had appeared to be... Now to clear his name and to correct his past mistake, Tenma must get to the bottom of these and other murders, and investigate the truth of the Monster who is behind all of this.
Man, oh man, is this series compelling or what? Right from the get-go, you know you're in for an interesting series. The passage from the Book of Revelation that you read during the opening seconds of episode one sets the tone for the entire series. Watching the series again on Syfy brought to light some flaws (in the original storytelling, not the anime itself) that forced it down this list a little bit, but overall it is still an excellent, excellent series.
Urasawa is terrific at writing suspense stories filled with twist and turn after twist and turn. Though he does play things up a bit too much at times and also fills Monster with some side stories that don't really push the overall plot forward (many of them are really only there to elevate the virtue of Tenma), but the actual main storyline itself is just so good that you'll have a hard time tearing yourself away from it. I mean, if you were a neurosurgeon who ended up saving a child who ended up being a horrible monster, how would YOU feel? What would YOU do? Tenma's journey is a rough one indeed, if a bit too lengthy.
The anime is a panel-for-panel reproduction of the manga, but there are so many things about it that make it a better experience. The biggest element is the music and sound. The opening theme "Grain" is still one of my all-time favorites, as is Kuniaki Haishima's spine-tingling score. The production values aren't Madhouse's absolute best, but that's understandable, given the 74-episode length of the anime. That doesn't mean that it doesn't look good though -- it looks great, especially the backgrounds. The Japanese voice acting is what really makes it superb though. Monster is one of the most well-acted anime you'll ever find when it comes to watching it subtitled. The English dub is good, but it fails to match the intensity of the Japanese during key moments.
I am so glad Viz Media is finally bringing us the anime after publishing the original manga. It's one of those anime that sticks with you for the rest of your life.
#22 is the Kino's Journey television series. If you remember, I also have one the movies at #36 on this list.
Plot Summary (from ANN): The story follows the travels of Kino, a young adventurer who rides a talking motorcycle named Hermes. They explore the people and cultures of different places throughout their adventures, spending only three days at each location.
What amazes me about Kino's Journey is how it takes such a simple premise and turns it into something far more substantial. Based upon a series of novels by Keiichi Sigsawa, Kino's Journey is an excellent exploration of human nature. As Kino and Hermes travel from place to place, we get many different stories traversing many different aspects of the human spirit. The storytelling is just so good, that even despite a lack of truly happy stories, this is series that should definitely have a profound impact on anyone who watches it. We even get Kino's tragic origin story. Go pick this series up if you haven't seen it yet. The series was re-released as a complete set earlier this year, so it should still be out there somewhere.
And here it is. At #21 is the first Fullmetal Alchemist television series, which is one of the most popular anime of all time. Fullmetal Alchemist is also one of the first anime I sampled back in 2006 when I first became a fan of the medium, and it while it has slipped from among my favorites over the years, it is still a series that holds a special place in my heart.
Plot Summary (from ANN): After losing their mother, Alphonse and Edward Elric attempt to bring her back using the forbidden science of human alchemy. However, alchemy operates on the theory of equivalent trade, and breaking the human alchemy taboo carries a heavy price. Ed loses his leg, and Al loses his body. Ed is able to seal Al's soul inside of a huge suit of armor, at the cost of his arm. Years later, Ed (now with two mechanical limbs) and Al (still trapped in the armor) leave their childhood home, each brother concerned with the others' happiness. Ed, who has a natural talent and skill for alchemy, becomes nationally certified and is soon known everywhere as the "Fullmetal Alchemist." Their true objective is to search for any information on the fabled Philosopher's Stone, hoping it will allow them to regain their old bodies. All of their hopes rest with this mythical stone, which may not even exist at all. However, the brothers soon learn that they are not the only ones after the powerful stone.
The writers of this series and director Seiji Mizushima have and should always be commended for putting together such a well thought out adaptation of a manga that wasn't complete at the time. Its alternate take on the story, its re-ordering of certain events and many other additions and changes turned the first TV series into a story that stands very well on its own. You'll still may want to read the original manga (or watch Fullmetal Alchemist: Brotherhood) to get Hiromu Arakawa's original vision, but you could very well simply watch the first anime series and be done with Fullmetal Alchemist. Not that I'd personally recommend that you do that, but still. My point is, that the first Fullmetal Alchemist series is required viewing for any anime fan. If by any chance you have not watched this yet, you need to do so immediately. You can skip the unnecessary movie sequel though. Oh, and Michuru Oshima, the composer for Fullmetal Alchemist, is one of the greatest modern composers of all time. It's really a shame they didn't bring her back for Fullmetal Alchemist: Brotherhood.
Nono from Gunbuster 2 (Diebuster) implores you to continue the reading next week! You just can't resist such an adorable face, now can you?
1 comments:
Hurray for FMA!! :D Of course knowing me you know I would have put this up in the top 5 (partly because of biasness, yes ^_^' ) but yeah, that's me. ;) Definitely a series that will always have a special place in my heart as well, and probably won't be toppled at that #1 all time favorite spot any time soon.
What a very star studded 5 for this week though. This is where the list starts getting dang epic. It's just too unfortunate that Fullmetal as well as Kino's Journey are the only series I've finished on this list! ;_; But with only 5 more episodes of Monster to go, Eve no Jikan being only 6 episodes long at 15 minutes each, and the long break coming up pretty soon, it should be no problem taking care of that. Also wanting to look into checking out Planets durring that time as well. It's been on my long list of series I want to see for at least a few years now.
I think I also completely agree with knocking Monster's rating down. If just based on the actual central plotline it'd probably make the top 10 for me, but draging it out for 75 episodes with those unecessary side stories hit it pretty hard, unfortunately. Still a very masterfully well done series nonetheless though.
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