Posts Tagged ‘anime’

Great Features of Anime Series

Japanese animation is wildly popular all over the world, and for many good reasons. One might think that animation is animation, and that most differences would be merely visual. Yes, anime portrays its characters with exaggerated features, most particularly the eyes, but surely that’s just a matter of a stylistic artistic difference. That may sound logical, but anime series are actually quite different from their North American counterparts. Rather than keeping plots simple and a bit goofy, as American animations frequently do, a large proportion of anime creates complex characters and presents plots that can sometimes be quite dark.

What’s different about many of the best anime series though, is that they often combine scenes that are almost ridiculously silly with plots and episodes that are dramatic or even tragic. So for example, in the Inu-Yasha series, the title character is torn between the unnatural reanimation of his dead lover and the light-hearted high school girl who may be her partial reincarnation. This Japanese animation follows its characters through Japan’s violent past, alternating moments of schoolgirl drama with the drama encircling the tragic life of the dead woman.

Characters in series like the Bleach anime or Naruto (probably the most popular title in the world) have their silly moments too, but these are fewer. In each of these series, the main character learns new martial arts skills, such as Ichigo in Bleach acquiring supernatural fighting skills, while Naruto is learning Ninja powers. But while they might have ridiculous moments in the middle of an episode, these anime series concentrate more on the battles and quests each character must undergo, either to save a comrade, save a village or grow as a person.

Fullmetal Alchemist is another of the anime series with lighter moments, yet the thrust of this popular title is sober and dramatic. Two young brothers must undo the results of committing a terrible taboo of alchemy, while becoming involved with saving their country from destruction at the hands of unnatural alchemical forces. Series like this and others are among the top anime titles precisely because they know how to balance the lighter, more ridiculous moments with more complex and dramatic plot elements. This intensity and complexity sets much anime apart from other styles of animation.

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The Many Choices of Anime Movies

When thinking of anime movies, one must recall the two different kinds. The first, created as an accompaniment or supplement to an anime series, might be of the very best quality, but still unable to stand on its own without the series that inspired it. However, the favorite anime films of the critics are the ones created specifically as works of art themselves. These are judged by somewhat different and usually higher standards. And many of these films measure up to these standards, no matter how high they are.

Some anime movies are disappointing because they play upon fan devotion to the original series. The final episode of the popular Fullmetal Alchemist anime left many things hanging. It was clear that the creators simply expected fans to fork over money for the anime DVD of Fullmetal Alchemist the Movie: Conquerer of Shamballa, for the resolution of these issues. Most fans did so, but there was a lot of grumbling. On the other hand, movies like the ones based on the Naruto anime, while not spectacular, have been enjoyed because they feel more “honest,” fitting in well with the ongoing series itself.

The real jewels among anime movies, however, are those not necessarily connected to an anime television series, but which stand on their own. The earliest well-known film of this sort was Akira, from 1988. It brought the anime art style to North America, and told an intense, sometimes violent story that demonstrated that anime was not merely a children’s cartoon genre. In more recent years, with the appearance of the top anime films of Hayao Miyazaki, the power of the anime form has taken the movie world by storm. His film, Spirited Away, was the first anime film that won an Academy Award.

Anime movies run the gamut from silly to sublime. The ones associated with actual anime series can rarely stand on their own, plot-wise, yet they often demonstrate great beauty and skill in their creation. But the ones created as standalone works of art are the real exemplars, and exhibit all the beauty of the anime art form, frequently combined with a depth of plot and characterization. Whether one thinks of Vexille, recently acclaimed at several major film festivals, or Miyazaki’s Academy Award, it’s clear that the top anime films can stand on their own, right alongside some of the other great works on film.

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