It's here. With two weeks to go in the decade (and in this Top 50 list), the Top 10 are all set to begin. Merry Christmas to those of you who celebrate that holiday and a "Happy Holidays" to everyone else. In the mean time, let's reveal the bottom half of my Top 10 anime of the decade.
#10 - Mushi-Shi
Mushi-Shi, one of the must beautiful anime ever produced is settled in at #10.
Plot Summary (from ANN): They are neither plants nor animals. They differ from other forms of life such as the micro-organisms and the fungi. Instead they resemble the primeval body of life and are generally known as "Mushi". Their existence and appearance are unknown to many and only a limited number of humans are aware of them. Ginko is a "Mushi-shi" who travels around to investigate and find out more about the "Mushi". In the process, he also lends a helping hand to people who face problems with supernatural occurances which may be related to the "Mushi".
Ah, Mushi-Shi, how I love thee. This show is a lot like the #22 series on this list, Kino's Journey, only much, much better. While Kino's Journey is an exploration of human nature, Mushi-Shi is an exploration of life itself. Each and every episode of this series tells a wonderfully creative self-contained story about Ginko's numerous encounters with mushi. This really is one of those series where you just need to watch the first episode to understand. Being an episodic series, one could probably watch the episodes in random order and not lose a thing. Of course, this series will bore many people to death, countless others will become absolutely fascinated with this world Yuki Urushibara created in her original manga.
In addition to being quite the fascinating series, it has some of the prettiest artistry and music you'll ever find in an anime. Studio Artland definitely put everything they had into producing this series. Hopefully they'll be able to put together enough resources to create another season sometime in the future, now that the manga has been completed.
#9 - Baccano!
The positively delightful Baccano! is #9.
Plot Summary (from ANN): Each of the stories in the series involves several unrelated plots intersecting and crossing each other as events spiral farther and farther out of control. Immortal alchemists, mafia operated speakeasies, and many other elements of pulp fiction mashed together for a world straight out of the movies.
This series is just so much fun! It blew my mind when I first watched this just how entertaining Baccano! actually is. It has such a great cast of characters (especially Isaac and Miria) and the story itself is quite interesting, if a bit challenging to follow. Thankfully director Takahiro Omori and writer Noboru Takagi are up to the challenge, as Baccano! is one of the most tightly written, cleverly scripted, and expertly directed anime ever produced and one of the best television anime to be produced in the last couple of years.
This series has it all: comedy, drama, violence, and even a supernatural element to boot. Not to mention it is set in the United States during the late 1920s/early 1930s, adding another layer of intrigue onto the pile. Couple all of this with excellent character dynamics and confident writing and you've got a winner. Would be very nice if more of the Ryohgo Narita's original Baccano! novels were to be adapted to anime, though the upcoming adaptation of his Durarara!!/Dulalala!! series should still be great. That series is being adapted by Baccano! staff after all.
#8 - Haibane Renmei
At #8 is one of Yoshitoshi ABe's finest works: Haibane Renmei.
Plot Summary (from ANN): Rakka, a newly born Haibane (Angel) awakens into an unfamiliar world with only a strange dream of falling from the sky as her only memory. Alone and scared of who and what she is, she is cared for by fellow Haibane as they try and search for the meaning of their existence as well as what lies beyond their town's imprisoning walls.
If you were to look up the world "special" in a dictionary, there'd be a picture of Haibane Renmei there, because this is one of those special anime that you'll never forget as long as you live.
For one, it is very unique. The concept of the Haibane and the world they live in was very new to me when I first watched this series. That alone was enough to keep me going, plus the fact that the series is so mysterious, as it slowly answers questions over the course of 13 episodes. Plus, the series is full of symbolism and other mystical elements, which all adds up to one of the most well-thought-out and also uplifting mature anime ever produced. Writing about Haibane Renmei makes me eager to see ABe's next project, Despera.
#7 - Millennium Actress
Millennium Actress is arguably Satoshi Kon's best work, and sure enough, it is the highest-ranked of his highly accomplished output on my list at #7
Plot Summary (from ANN): When Studio Gin'ei commissions filmmaker Gen'ya Tachibana to make a documentary in commemoration of its 70th anniversary, he travels to a secluded mountain lodge to interview the idol of his youth, the enigmatic Chiyoko Fujiwara, who was the studio's leading lady from the 1930s until the 1960s. As Chiyoko reminisces about her life, Tachibana and his cameraman suddenly find themselves on a rich and dazzling journey through time. Chiyoko's films and personal memories intertwine with present events and stretch the boundaries of reality.
This was the first Satoshi Kon film I ever watched. Because of this (just like with Spirited Away, which was my first Hayao Miyazaki film), it will always hold a special place in my heart.
This film is very inventive. I especially love how Chiyoko's life story was told, as the filmmaker and his camera man come along for a journey through time itself, even interacting with certain events of Chiyoko's life!
The story is essentially all about Chiyoko's life as an actress with the added bit of her chasing after the man she loves. Watching her as she tries and fails to find this man is both compelling and depressing to watch, as she just can't seem to find him again. The killer is the ending, however. I won't spoil it for folks who have not seen the film, but the ending is definitely one of the saddest you will find in anime. Oh man, how I cried after watching Millennium Actress for the first time. The ending is just so brutally heart wrenching indeed.
#6 - Mind Game
Falling just short of the top 5 is Mind Game at #6.
Plot Summary (from ANN): Nishi has always loved Myon since they were little. And now as adults, he wants to pursue his dream of becoming a manga artist and marrying his childhood sweetheart. There's one problem, though. She's already been proposed to and she thinks Nishi is too much of a wimp. But upon meeting the fiancé while at her family's diner and accepting him as a good guy, they encounter a couple Yakuza (Japanese mafia), only to have Nishi grasp a certain revelation. And, with his newly aquired look on life, adventures abound as he, Myon, and her sister, Yan, escape the Yakuza into a most unlikely location where they meet an old man...
Mind Game is probably the most visually amazing anime film ever produced to date. The film is filled with experimental, even surrealistic animation, but the entire film is such a feast for the eyes -- quite the spectacle to behold. It is easily Masaaki Yuasa's finest work to date.
The story itself doesn't quite match the visuals in terms of overall quality; but boy is it ever fun! The movie is just so playful and unapologetically silly and over-the-top that I couldn't help but enjoy it. The film is filled with numerous clever moments, such as when Nishi first meets God and can't decide what God looks (and sounds) like, and the message itself is surprisingly down-to-earth for a film that is so self-aware and even borderline stupid at times. Still, despite its flaws, the incredible visuals, its sense of fun and message supersede all of that, making it one of the finest anime films ever made.
Renton and Eureka eagerly await the final installment of ArizUtaku's "Top 50 Anime of the 2000s!" What will be number 1? Check back next week and you'll find out!
2 comments:
Nice. Can't wait to see the last installment, which is also the last post of the year, right?
You got it; the final installment will be up on December 31st.
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