Anime is the cartoon version of Japanese Manga, or graphic novels. Whilst the artwork is extremely appealing it can be a bit daunting knowing what anime is a good place to start for a novice. Therefore an anime reviewer may be just the ticket.
In 2015, this genre of animation has become mainstream as Tokyo based Studio Ghibli and their production of The Tale of Princess Kaguya has been nominated for an Academy Award (Oscar) for the Best Animated Feature. Princess Kaguya won't be released until March 20 in the UK, but this could be a great place to start. The voices for the movie are mostly provided by American actors including James Marsden and Lucy Liu.
Tokyo based, Studio Ghibli is a great starting point for anime, as they produce Japanese style animation but catered for the Western audience. There are so many cute movies from this studio, including My Neighbour Totoro (1988), a personal favourite, which tells the story of two sisters Satsuki and Mei who move to a new house and are entertained by wood spirits, one of which, Totoro is a large, bear-type creature who you will wish was real.
A more recent SG contribution is Ponyo, released in 2008, which follows the adventures of a little gold fish who wants to become a human girl. She befriends a little boy, Sosuke, who takes care of her. It is a truly heart-warming tale, with some super-cute animation.
Not all animation is cute, and a real classic supernatural series is Death Note. This series was televised in 2006-7 and is now available on DVD, and narrates the tale of college student, Light Yagami. He discovers a notebook which belongs to a Shinigami, god of death, which enables him to kill by writing the name down. He sets himself as a vigilante executing criminals. The series was completed in 37 episodes which was inspired by a 12-book manga series.
Another crime fighting series is Ghost in the Shell, which is in itself a major franchise which a manga books, a movie with the same title in 1996 and two spin off series'. The spin-offs started with Stand Alone Complex in 2002 and then Arise in 2013. This year Arise will have another instalment released.
There is therefore a lot of catching up with this franchise. In one form or another the story-lines follow the work of Public Security Section 9, a specialised task force of police and military men. Each series or movie has a different crime to solve including corruption and cyber crime, and the inevitable complications.
For an anime fan in England it is difficult to follow the new releases, although some websites like www.wnimenewsnetwork.com provide a regular sweep of new movies and series, but gaining access to these is challenging. Most people are reliant on the DVDs available to buy, and the Studio Ghibli general releases which does not appeal to all. But don't give up; the hard work is worth the effort.
In 2015, this genre of animation has become mainstream as Tokyo based Studio Ghibli and their production of The Tale of Princess Kaguya has been nominated for an Academy Award (Oscar) for the Best Animated Feature. Princess Kaguya won't be released until March 20 in the UK, but this could be a great place to start. The voices for the movie are mostly provided by American actors including James Marsden and Lucy Liu.
Tokyo based, Studio Ghibli is a great starting point for anime, as they produce Japanese style animation but catered for the Western audience. There are so many cute movies from this studio, including My Neighbour Totoro (1988), a personal favourite, which tells the story of two sisters Satsuki and Mei who move to a new house and are entertained by wood spirits, one of which, Totoro is a large, bear-type creature who you will wish was real.
A more recent SG contribution is Ponyo, released in 2008, which follows the adventures of a little gold fish who wants to become a human girl. She befriends a little boy, Sosuke, who takes care of her. It is a truly heart-warming tale, with some super-cute animation.
Not all animation is cute, and a real classic supernatural series is Death Note. This series was televised in 2006-7 and is now available on DVD, and narrates the tale of college student, Light Yagami. He discovers a notebook which belongs to a Shinigami, god of death, which enables him to kill by writing the name down. He sets himself as a vigilante executing criminals. The series was completed in 37 episodes which was inspired by a 12-book manga series.
Another crime fighting series is Ghost in the Shell, which is in itself a major franchise which a manga books, a movie with the same title in 1996 and two spin off series'. The spin-offs started with Stand Alone Complex in 2002 and then Arise in 2013. This year Arise will have another instalment released.
There is therefore a lot of catching up with this franchise. In one form or another the story-lines follow the work of Public Security Section 9, a specialised task force of police and military men. Each series or movie has a different crime to solve including corruption and cyber crime, and the inevitable complications.
For an anime fan in England it is difficult to follow the new releases, although some websites like www.wnimenewsnetwork.com provide a regular sweep of new movies and series, but gaining access to these is challenging. Most people are reliant on the DVDs available to buy, and the Studio Ghibli general releases which does not appeal to all. But don't give up; the hard work is worth the effort.
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