The Everyman's Guide to Anime
Introduction
“Anime” is a three-syllable word pronounced a-nih-may (i.e.,"a" as in "cat", "i" as in "tin", and ''e" as in "hey") Although in Japan, "anime" is used to refer to any kind of animation produced anywhere, people in the West typically use the term only when refering to animation produced in Japan. This article will concentrate on anime from Japan, where people of all ages watch a great deal more animation than North Americans.
Anime characters are often drawn with unlikely hair colours and especially large eyes. The eye techniques can be attributed to the influence of Disney as well as centuries-old Japanese theatre traditions wherein the actors applied outrageous makeup around their eyes to highlight their expressions. In anime, a petite, elegant-looking mouth can suddenly become crazy big, depending on what it needs to do. Many anime feature battles fought with martial arts, swords, robots, or magic. Most accord with "traditional" Japanese values and sensibilities. Depending on its popularity, a particular series may have more than one story arc, that is, several episodes are necessary to complete a story.
When people in North America think of Japanese cartoons, they often think of such titles as Sailor Moon, Dragon Ball Z, or Inuyasha, serial anime produced for television that has made its way onto American and Canadian television networks. Yet there exist many feature-length anime, epics even. One really great thing about anime on DVD is the availability of language options. Personally, I enjoy listening to the Japanese language while reading subtitles written in English. I believe the written translation is sometimes more accurate than the oral; one need only set the controls for English sound with English subtitles to see the difference. For those who want to experience more of the director's vision as well as the differences in culture, spoken Japanese with English subtitles is definitely the way to go.
While it is true that most anime is created for children, Western and Far Eastern cultures are sufficiently different in that Western adults cannot always predict how a situation will turn out for the characters or how a response to a seemingly mundane event might be articulated. The biggest barrier to enjoying anime is their availability. Many towns and even smaller cities at present cannot sustain specialty shops wherein a good selection of anime can be made available and updated. Usually, a regular video shop will carry some of the bigger releases, for example, from Studio Ghibli (Kiki's Delivery Service, Princess Mononoke, Spirited Away).
Japan alone has over 400 anime production companies; most produce made-for-television cartoons. In 2001, 346 feature-length anime films were produced in Japan. This is a labour intensive industry: Wings Of Honneamise (1987) was produced at a cost of about US$8 million; over 3000 animators worked on it. A shortage of animators has forced the industry to outsource to places like South Korea, the Philippines, China, and most recently, India.
According to the Japan External Trade Organization, anime sales in 2002, including rentals and box office revenue, exceeded US$1.9 billion. Merchandising added another US$16 billion. However, international sales can increase revenues substantially. The Pokemon franchise, for example, has earned over US$27 billion since 1998--not at all a bad investment that began with a video game! Also in 1998, Ghost in the Shell made it to the top of the U.S. video sales charts. Hayao Miyazaki's Spirited Away (2003) won an Oscar for Best Animated Film. Industry specialists admit that domestic and international distribution and licensing practices are "visibly lacking", but in Japan, anime characters are known well enough to be adopted as corporate mascots.
Manga
To understand anime better, a brief primer in manga is in order. Essentially, manga are Japanese comic books or graphic novels. Although some claim that manga grew out of giga (funny pictures) that were first created in the 12th century, the earliest examples of contemporary manga are usually found in the 18th. In Japan, Manga is generally regarded as being more of a mainstream enterprise than anime. In fact, manga represents a $5 billion global market. One source I found claims that the number of comics sold annually by the comic industries of the U.S. do not add up to the number of comics sold in Japan in a single week. In the states, the market for manga tripled in a three-year period beginning in 2003. By 2005, it was worth an estimated US$180 million. Part of this success may be attributable to females comprising up to 60% of the manga readership there.
Manga anthologies in Japan are printed on inexpensive newsprint and typically run from 200 to nearly 900 pages. These relatively inexpensive periodicals are usually only collected by cleaners on mass transit vehicles wherein they are left for trash. Still, manga cafes can be found throughout the large cities of Japan. Manga enthusiasts frequent these establishments to drink coffee, read, and discuss manga with other patrons.
The most popular manga in Japan have sci-fi, action, fantasy, and comedy themes, but some also feature starring characters who are corporate businessman and Chinese chefs. Stories of military politics can be very popular as are criminal thrillers. Very often, an anime franchise begins as manga, but sometimes manga is developed from anime. You can learn more about manga by visiting HowToDrawManga.com.
Franchises
An anime franchise may include feature-length films, one or more television series, manga, and video games as well as various licensing agreements for goods and services such as action figures and corporate logos. A franchise might begin in one particular type of medium then branch out into others, depending on the level of interest it attracts
A typical anime franchise is Record of Lodoss War, which had a very unusual beginning. It began in 1986 when session logs from the Dungeons and Dragons role-playing game were organized into three volumes of prose fiction by one of the players: Ryo Mizuno. The result was a new genre called "replays." These were reworked into four graphic novels: The Grey Witch, The Demon of Flame, and The Demon Dragon of Fire Dragon Mountain, Parts 1 & 2. The Demon of Flame was also made available in audio, as a a four-CD set suitable for radio broadcast.
Franchise manga include The Grey Witch, The Demon of Flame, The Lady of Pharis Yamada, Chronicles of the Heroic Knight Natsumoto, Welcome to Lodoss Island, Deedlit's Tale, and Legend of Crystania. Between 1992 and 2000, six video games based on Lodoss War appeared. Two additional stories set in the same time, but on different continents are Rune Soldier and Legend of Crystania.
A 13-episode Original Video Animation (OVA) was released in 1990. The OVA claims the highest degree of loyalty among Lodoss fans, but not to the original story. (NOTE: OVAs are series that go direct to tape or DVD and are not created for television.) This was followed up with a feature-length version of Crystania, as well as a three-episode OVA of the same story. A twenty-seven-part, two-arc television series called Record of Lodoss War: Chronicles of the Heroic Knight which began in 1998. These arcs remained true to the original. Each episode of this series includes a brief short at the end called Welcome to Lodoss Island! These feature smallish, child-like versions of the characters in the main story. "The second part of the show", as it calls itself, provides comic relief. Lodoss Island episodes associated with the first arc are typically didactic in that they re-hash the corresponding plot development and work through similar-sounding Japanese phrasings, probably both for the benefit of younger viewers. The Lodoss Island bits in the second arc have their own storyline.
Original Lodoss action figures run in the neighbourhood of US$200 on ebay. A handful of anime cels are available online and fetch upwards of US$600.
Genres
The popularity of anime in Japan has supported the development of a wide variety of anime genres. Pretty much every genre and sub-genre available in popular film is represented, some more frequently than others. Attempts to provide absolute categories are difficult because of the overlap between them. For example, to suggest that there is an action genre approaches the ridiculous because most amine have plenty of action. There have also been attempts to classify anime by the audience for which it is intended, say, young girls, teenage boys, children, or adults, but a definitive categorization process becomes problematic, especially when some attempt to fudge it by using an audience classification to categorize hard-to-place subjects. That is, if a title doesn't quite fit sci-fi or comedy, it might get placed into an age category instead.
Still, I examined the available resources, created a list, and headed to an independent video rental store that had an anime room, probably to accommodate the interests of local university students. If you live in a small community, you may not have access to such a collection, but don't let that stop you; most anime is available online, new and used, and for less money than you'd think. Here are my reviews of select titles of anime, in alphabetical order.
Berserk (1998)
Wikipedia categorizes Berserk as dark fantasy with a setting "inspired by medieval Europe". Correlations to historical figures have been made. Berserk is heavy on the violence--plenty of red paint is used--and sells well outside of Japan, especially in Italy, Germany, Spain, France, South Korea, and Brazil. There is also some nudity and traces of homo-eroticism, or "Boys Love" as it is called, but this is one-sided. The primary themes of the anime are Friendship and Ambition; whereas, the manga focuses on Causality. Berserk is a wildly popular manga, having sold over 29 million volumes.
The manga is still being published, but the two arcs in the anime did not cover everything found in the manga to that point. The series follows the exploits of Guts, an independent warrior who becomes bound to a mercenary, the effeminate, ambitious Griffith, leader of the Band of the Hawk. At the end of the series, the frustration of his unrealized enamorment with beefcake Guts becomes compounded by Griffiths' year-long imprisonment and torture as well as Guts' romance with the previously Griffith-infatuated Casca, the Hawk's only female warrior. The emaciated and mentally unstable Griffith totally loses it just in time for a surprise ending; well, at least I would never have expected a twisted finale like this. The echoes of Berserk fans ranting and raving about it is probably still circling the globe. Several Berserk video games were produced.
Cowboy Bebop (1998)
The jazzy Cowboy Bebop franchise began as a series and evolved into a movie before being published as manga. Its first run on Japanese television began in 1998. Cowboy Bebop placed second in a Newtype USA poll to determine the 25 greatest anime of all time. Many allusions to various aspects of American and Chinese culture can be noted. The g-force of Mars is handled nicely.
The "Bebop" is a spaceship that carts around a particular group of bounty hunters ("Cowboys") whose primary weapon is hand-to-hand martial arts. The fight sequences are realistic and timed to cool tunes. Indeed, the episodes are called "sessions" and are themed around a song that also contributes a title to each one. While "the bounty" is what propels each session forward, character development is provided through an exploration of events from each character's past. The thread of a possible future involving a decimated Earth, inter-planetary colonization, and rapid transportation throughout the solar system binds the series together.
Yoko Kanno and The Seatbelts provide much of the series' music, which has contributed greatly to Bebop's success. Several jazzy CDs have been released, selling well. Given the effort in this department, in addition to the realism of the combat and the general aloofness of the main character, I'd have to say that this series was developed for young adults. The writing is exceptional and great to just be around.
Fushigi Yuugi (1998)
Bishonen is the term Japanese use to describe anime and manga populated by dreamy-looking, young males that are probably directed at even younger females. Fushigi Yuugi (Mystery Game) is about two high school juniors, both girls, who are mysteriously drawn to an ancient volume in their local library. As they begin to read it, they are magically whisked off to ancient China and another fifty-one episodes, two television specials, and thirteen OVAs of adventure.
As is true with many anime characters, the stars of this series have extremely well-developed personalities. The creators provide birthdates for everyone and seem to use the standard zodiac profiles for character development. The Scorpios seem to dominate things here, so I guess you can expect to see changeable, independent types with powerful egos running around with the typical hangers-on. Challenges are mostly personal and do not involve what most would call leadership. The franchise has enjoyed a limited success.
Grave of the Fireflies (1988)
This historical fiction is easily one of the saddest movies I have ever watched. According to Roger Ebert, it "belongs on any list of the greatest war films ever made." Grave of the Fireflies follows two orphaned, homeless children as they try to survive the bombings of Japan and their aftermath at the end of World War Two. I tried really hard to come to terms with this story; the best I could do was a Paul Maud'dib quote from Frank Herbert's Dune: "There are no innocents". But this film is just a complete heart wrencher, so trying to reason away the toll of war on the innocent depicted here is hopeless.
Grave of the Fireflies was produced by Studio Ghibli and directed by Isao Takahata, who also wrote the screenplay. Fireflies is a screen adaptation of Akiyuki Nosaka' semi-autobiographical novel, Hotaru no Haka (1967). In 1994, the film won the U.N. Rights of the Child Award as well as Best Animated Feature Film at the Chicago International Childrens' Film Festival. A live-action version was released in 2005.
Hellsing: Impure Souls (2001)
Hellsing was produced by Kouta Hirano of Studio Gonzo in 2001. It tells the contemporary story of the (intentionally misspelled) Hellsing Organization, established in Britain several centuries earlier by Abraham van Helsing to combat vampirism there. The organization employs several genuine, yet conservative, vampires who have volunteered to reduce the growing numbers of undisciplined and indiscrete vampires living a death of abandonment. As if rampant vampires weren't enough to manage, the Hellsing Organization must also deal with interference from a Vatican-controlled, anti-vampire force--special section Iscariot--and its secret weapon, Alexander Anderson, whose re-appearance is as constant and inconvenient as are his holy weapons and ability to regenerate. The twists and turns of the storyline maintained my interest and the jazzy soundtrack was very enjoyable.
Magic Knight Rayearth (1997)
The Japanese sometimes categorize this anime as Bishojo, the counterpart to Bishonen. Bishojo features dreamy-looking females in stories that are usually intended for males. Others categorize it as Maho shojo: stories intended for young girls about magical girls. It began as manga and was developed into a two-arc television series, a three-part OVA, and several video games.
Rayearth (OVA) begins with three friends--nearly finished high school and about to go their separate ways--who make a wish, under a blossoming cherry tree, that they will always be friends. Hikaru later sees a furry, troll-like creature (trolls seem to be fun, furry, and friendly in Japan) hopping out of the tree and tries to tell her disbelieving friends. Sometime in the following week, the others do see the creature, and then all hell breaks loose: the tokyo crowds disappear and large structures rise from the earth.The girls are given magic powers and told they have been selected to save the world. I didn't see that one coming. I guess when the story is all magical anyway, the writer has no need for reason.
To be fair, I should have probably watched more; Rayearth is supposed to get more interesting than that, but I couldn't help think that I was watching "creativity by committee," rather than a collaboration of visions...sort of like Sailor Moon for the next age group or perhaps reverse-engineered and then refabricated into something for young males, without all the bubbliness, but with the largest eyeballs of all the anime I have seen--the size of grapefruits!.
Metropolis (2001)
The inspiration for the anime Metropolis is a manga first published in 1949 by Osamu Tezuka, which is to say that the anime differs significantly from the manga, mostly in respect to the intended audience. The anime is oriented to a decidedly adult audience. A young boy rescues a young girl from a fire and finds himself being chased by a group of elite law enforcers. Lucky for the girl, the boy is the nephew of, and assistant to, a famous private detective. Unfortunately for the boy, the girl is actually the world's most advanced robot, designed as the master chip for the world's most powerful military device. Themes of apartheid abound in this flick; many of the city-state's inhabitants are robots, who are not allowed to have human names, not allowed to cross certain boundaries, but are given sufficient AI to understand human emotion and reason.
The backgrounds are vivid and very interesting. The detail in virtually every scene is extraordinary. I noticed quite a bit of parallax infused into the motion, giving the entire piece an unusually high level of three-dimensionality. Although some of the drops and falls were clearly unsurvivable, the film handled the technology it introduced extremely well. The socio-economic ideas were complex, but I don't think they would impede Metropolis' ability to entertain younger viewers.
Mobile Suit Gundam (1981)
What impressed me most about MSG were the physics. With the exception of the orbitting colonies and slightly exaggerated ability of the mobile suit pilots to absorb g-forces, everything seemed to conform perfectly to the laws of physics. In fact, MSG spawned a new sub-genre of Mecha: "real robots" as opposed to "super robots". The series' first release in 1979 was not a commercial success and was cancelled nine episodes short of the originally intended fifty-two. These forty-three were later edited down to three novels and three feature-length movies, both of which were aimed at a more adult audience than the original series was. (MSG's re-emergence as a viable concern, however, began with the licensing of action figures.) The novels were re-translated into English in 2004 and bound into a single volume. Numerous MSG video games have been released, primarily on the PS platform.
At the time of the story, the earth has become overpopulated, so phenomenally large colonies, called "sides," are put into orbit around the planet. These things are so big they have mountains and rivers, so life goes on as usual for every one--until the dome-like enclosure cracks or something. A mobile suit is a four-storey, four-limbed battle system piloted by a single human. The battles are between the World Federation and members of the rebel clan Zeon, who imagine they are a superior race, "the chosen." The women on the side of the good guys are portrayed as responsible, strong, and very capable; whereas the women of Zeon are depicted as ornaments for the manly men of their clan.
I enjoyed watching the first movie in the trilogy (and plan to watch the other two shortly). I imagine that most of the filler was removed because the plot moves along very quickly. The first film was exceptionally long at two hours, but there is plenty of subtlety that would make subsequent viewings enjoyable. Once again, the realism is the strong suit here, especially for young inquisitive minds who can only suspend their disbelief for so long. The lack of gaping holes of possibility allows viewers to focus in on some of the anime's socio-political nuances, instead of spending time between battles agonizing over potential impossibilities. Mecha is the most popular genre of anime in Japan
My Neighbour Totoro (1981)
Totoro is a very large, furry, pillow-like forest spirit inhabiting a stand of ancient camphor trees in a rural district outside of Tokyo. He can fly through the air, play a flute, and can be seen only by children who believe in him; he can also make seeds sprout and plants grow. Directed by Hayao Miyazaki, Totoro was the first feature-length anime I ever watched. It is endearing to young and old alike.
One of the film's biggest appeals is its depiction of life in rural Japan. Apparently, it shows what an area of Japan 40 kilometres from the center of Tokyo would have been like in the 1950s. In fact, Japanese environmentalists have started the Totoro Fund, which has been buying wooded areas in the Sayama Hills outside of Tokyo, not only for posterity, but also as a laboratory to educate the public about the environment.
Night On The Galactic Railroad (1985)
Galactic Railroad is clearly the most surreal of all the anime I watched for this article. The artwork is very simple, the dialogue is intermittent, and the story is very slow. At first glance, it looks like it might be great for very young children, but unless someone were to sit down with them to watch and do some interpreting, youngsters might get bored very quickly. The entire story has a pronounced dream-like quality to it, as well as a plethora of imagery taken from Christian and Buddhist sources. The lack of dialogue facilitates contemplation, however. When protagonist Giovanni stops to observe something, the viewer is also given time to wonder.
Giovanni spends nights working to support his mother and gets behind in school. When he finally catches up on his sleep, at the top of a hill, he has a wondrous, semi-prophetic dream about taking a magic train across the sky. He interacts with passengers, passes strange things, and leaves the train for a brief stopover. The main setting appears to be an Italian village; the writing on the blackboards and signs is in Esperanto, a language that fascinated the author.
Minoru Betsuyaku wrote the screenplay, adapting it from Kenji Miyazawa's 1934 classic novel, Ginga Tetsudo no Yoru, which can also be translated to Milky Way Railroad or Night Train to the Stars. The novel has been approved for academic study by the Ministry of Education in Japan. The story has been adapted for the stage and has also been touring Japan as a musical since 2004.
Perfect Blue (1998)
Yoshikazu Takeuchi had approached Rex Entertainment with his concept in 1993, but he did not complete the suspense novel until 1997, apparently. One story has it that the project was downgraded from a live-action feature to an OVA following budget cuts made to absorb the costs of rebuilding the studio after the 1995 Kobe earthquake. Other sources claim the budget cuts were a direct result of several investors backing out during pre-production.
The leader of a pop group abandons her companions to take work as an actress on a soap opera. In the name of her career, she agrees to be photographed nude and appear in a sexual assault scene in a movie. She discovers a website claiming to be her own, with regularly updated photographs and a daily blog discussing what she did over the course of her day. She remains remarkably calm about this, but I guess she isn't supposed to be "the brightest bulb on the tree." The film keeps you guessing: Is she dreaming? Is she in the studio acting? Is she hallucinating? Is it really happening? But that doesn't seem to be a terribly difficult or original thing to do. Still, it's a pretty good psychological thriller, if you are into that sort of thing. The sexuality could have been easily replaced with something else without affecting the outcome. The film is rated "18A" in Ontario, "R" in the U.S., but it isn't hentai. (NOTE: Just because the films are animated doesn't mean they are suitable for children.You'll need to keep an eye on the ratings if youngsters will be watching. Keep them clear of anything categorized as “hentai”, Japanese for "triple-x and demented." In fact, minors should be accompanied into any store that handles this category.)
Princess Mononoke (1997)
The guy in the video store called this one "the Star Wars of anime". It is the second-highest-grossing movie in Japan and the third most popular anime there. Mononoke is a Jidaigeki or period piece set in approximately the 15th century. This story, steeped in traditional Japanese lore, is sometimes an ill-defined struggle between good and evil, which is to say that while who I was cheering for was clear from the beginning, writer Miyazaki was still able to make me question my allegiances.
At one end of the spectrum are the forest and its spirits--at the other, the emperor, and his empowered. In between are the inhabitants of the forest and of Irontown; both dependent on the resources of the forest. The apes and gigantic wolves of the forest argue against an all-out attack on the humans, but the race of humungasoidal boars are too afraid to be dissuaded. Irontown is populated mostly by outcasts from society who have found refuge and respect there; the end of wood fuel would mean the end of their redemption. A samurai lord plans to invade and pillage Irontown and well, the small, monk-led group from the emperor's court are more than happy to promote the confusion to realize their own diabolical ends.
What begins as a seemingly straightforward tale becomes increasingly complex as the story develops. The artwork and music are also excellent. This title should be available in most video shops, so don't miss it.
Record Of Lodoss War: Chronicles of the Heroic Knight (1990 & 1998)
I began my foray into the world of Lodoss with the television series and was hooked. If you like dragons and knights, sorcerors and kings, elves and sorcerors, you'll love Record of Lodoss War. I had always been curious about Dungeons and Dragons, so when I heard that this franchise was originally intended as a D & D scenario, I quickly added the title to my list.
The first arc of Lodoss War follows Parn the free knight and his party of warriors on their quest to stop the dark sorceror Wagnard from obtaining the Sceptre of Domination. No one in the series is depicted as being invincible, but success is always at hand when everyone works together. The skirmishes and battles involve some sword play, but magic plays a large role here. Spirits are invoked, elementals are summoned, and gods are asked to intercede. Essentially, the story is about dark versus light, so for every good character, there is a corresponding bad one: dark elves, dark knights, and so on. The good guys talk about their frustrations, feelings, and responsibilities. They make mistakes and are forgiven; moreover, they respect each others' differences and can handle some light teasing.
The second arc is considerably longer than the first. Most of the main characters from the first arc are there, but several years have passed, and Wagnard is up to his old tricks again. The protagonist role shifts to a knight-in-training, Spark, who persists towards his goals even after failing miserably at mostly every responsibility he is given throughout the arc. The theme song used for the two arcs of theTV series, "Kiseki No Umi"--sung by Sakamoto Maaya and penned by Kanno Yoko--is quite a lavish production and reminds me a bit of a horn-challenged James Bond theme.
The OVA is quite a bit different from the television series, which adheres more to the original novels, yet the OVA and TV productions share many of the same characters, and both are enhanced with images from the print versions of the story. Perhaps the producers tried to make the OVA different from the novels to increase interest in the franchise. How some of the characters meet is shown, along with other events that are mentioned only in passing on TV and in the novels.
On the downside, the writing in the franchise has some painfully weak spots. As it stands, these are a bit too simplistic for me, probably more suitable for a younger audience--"It's time you told us." "You're right; if I don't tell you, you won't understand."
Record of Lodoss War continues to generate a great deal of interest around the world, particularly in Asia, North America, and Europe. This is good clean fun that teaches values such as faith, hope, love, and service, with interesting characters and timeless archetypes.
Sailor Moon Super S: The Movie, Magic Dream Hole (1995)
While Sailor Moon appears to be a hybrid of Maho shojo (magical girls) and Sentai (fighting teams), many categorize it as Bishôjo (pretty girls). Originally a manga created by mangaka Naoko Takeuchi, the franchise evolved into a television series, feature-length anime, musicals, video games, and a live-action series. Five story arcs comprise the TV series. The Sailor Scouts, led by Sailor Moon, are named after planets in the solar system. There is a male character, Tuxedo Mask, who roughly corresponds to the Sun. Part of the franchise's appeal resides in the sailor suits worn by the heroes--they are also worn by Japanese school girls
Episodes, and the films, begin with the scouts in very normal situations. When some big problem arises, and it's time for them to get serious, they transform into their alter egos. While these tranformations are played to the hilt, they really amount to little more than how, in the West, we are told to put on our thinking caps. And although there is definitely some merchandising going on in Sailor Moon, I found that many of the scenes would be easily replicated using props found in the domains of watching youngsters. As the credits roll, in fact, there are even explicit depictions of children in front of their televisions acting out what they are seeing.
Magic Dream Hole has elements from the Pied Piper of Hamelin story. Sleeping children are led to a ship full of candy and transported to Queen Badiane's castle in the sky, where they will provide dream energy for her Magical Dream Vortex.
Sumurai X: The Motion Picture (1997)
Samurai X is based on the legendary Rurouni Kenshin, a samurai and Hitokiri Battousai (sword-drawing master assassin). These masters are skilled in the art of predicting opponents' cutting strategies by the manner in which they draw their swords. The setting is 19th century Japan, when the real Ruruoni-san found himself caught between the political struggle of those who wished to retain traditional Japanese traditions and others who wanted to Westernize. The franchise began as a set of short stories by Marvel Comics–fan Nobuhiro Watsuki and evolved into 28 volumes of manga, one television series, a feature-length movie, and two OVAs.
The Motion Picture was co-written by Watsuki and Yukiyoshi Ohashi. Many Samurai X fans had expected something of a historical epic when it was announced but were disappointed. In this anime, Kenshin discovers a conspiracy to overthrow the government, so he intercedes to prevent a mass slaughter. Samurai X should appeal to highly systematic people who appreciate a straight-forward tale.
Steamboy (2004)
When it premiered in Japan, Steamboy was the most expensive anime ever made. It was directed by Katsuhiro Otomo, whose directorial debut was for the film adaptation of his manga, Akira (1988). Akira's meticulous artwork is largely recognized as responsible for breaking the barrier to Western anime fandom. Steamboy belongs to the Steampunk sub-genre of Science Fiction. Steampunk is centered around an alternative history wherein existing technologies of the period are used to fashion fantastical devices. One of the best-known Steampunk live-action films is The Wild, Wild West (1999), starring Will Smith. In it, Kenneth Branagh's character uses steam power to create a motorized wheel chair and a giant spider-like vehicle.
The main conflict in Steamboy is for the possession of "the steamball," a mysterious invention sent to the inventor's grandson. The foundation responsible for funding this research is actually run by war profiteers who want to use the steamball to power a gargantuan flying fortress (everyone else thinks the structure is a futuristic amusement park). While some of the inventions are fantastical, it was interesting to see steam coming out of everywhere, as it must have been back then but is also usually absent from most films set in the same era. The detail was incredible, especially the scene atop the "glass-tower" and the accompanying reflections of the panorama. Steamboy is another must-see major release that should be available in better video shops.
Trigun (1998)
Trigun is a post-apocalyptic western comedy. I throughly enjoyed what I saw and plan to watch the entire series soon; it is absolutely hilarious. The action centers around one Vash the Stampede: the Humanoid Typhoon, a man with a price on his head. "How much?" you ask... sixty billion double dollars. "Why?" you ask...the insurance companies figure it's a bargain given the destruction that accompanies his appearance. Actually, the destruction is caused by the bounty hunters trying to capture him. Somewhere along the line, there was an entire city destroyed that initiated the pursuit, but Vash just can't seem to remember what happened, and he's really quite a nice guy.
The best thing about Vash is that he is completely disarming and fights only to defend himself and others who accidentally come between him and the continuous onslaught of bounty hunters coming after him from across the galaxy. He sometimes drinks a bit too much and is a sucker for a femme fatale. Additional comedy is added by two young female insurance investigators searching for Vash.
I'm not exactly sure why it's called "Trigun", perhaps it's because there seem to be triple the guns of most other anime that have them. Apparently, the series turns into a serious discussion of morality. I can hardly wait. Originally a manga begun in 1995 by Yasuhiro Nightow, Trigun will have you howling. Watch it with a friend.
Witch Hunter Robin (2004)
Robin is a "craft user" employed by an organization devoted to capturing witches. She was born in Japan, raised in a convent in Italy, and trained by the Vatican to hunt down witches. Apparently the series uses half of its 26 episodes to develop its characters and establish the relationships between them.
The television series is the entire franchise. I found the action a bit slow with some repetition of scenes. I also grew a little tired of listening to footsteps and watching people praying silently. Robin's partner reminded me a lot of Keanu Reeves' character in The Matrix (1999). The series began its life in Japan in July 2002 and ended in Canada, early in 2005.
Soundtracks
While many anime soundtracks have enjoyed commercial success, the belief that they enjoy a great deal of radio airplay or that they are gobbled up regularly by the Japanese is mistaken. Sure, there are a good number of collectors, but these are the exception and not the rule. It is true that many soundtracks are expertly arranged and delivered and that some songs may make their way onto the charts occasionally. It is also true that business is brisk for individuals and groups who specialize in compiling or writing the soundtracks. In fact, there is plenty of work to keep many Japanese musicians busy. The Recording Industry Association of Japan says that by the end of 2003, well over 4000 anime soundtracks had been catalogued, with 600 new ones in that year alone.
If a soundtrack shows signs of popularity among the masses, recording companies in Japan may even produce multiple CDs for a given anime. For example, several CDs have been released with music from Princess Mononoke. New arrangements were created, and a symphonic adaptation was made. Neon Genesis Evangelion includes excerpts from Beethoven's Ninth Symphony and Handel's Messiah. In addition to the pop, jazz, and symphony music already mentioned in this article, anime music directors like to experiment, some combining contemporary Japanese pop songs with traditional Asian music, some of which, in turn, has been fused with African and European influences. Original music abounds. And when the music director gets it right, as he or she often does, the results are spectacular.
Conventions
Anime conventions are popular around the world. The largest of these can expect more than 100,000 visitors. The convention listings on Anime-cons.com show that there are, on average, two per week being held every week across the planet. Toronto alone is hosting three in 2007. By far the most popular of these is Anime North, marketed as "Canada's premier fan-run anime convention". This three-day event is both fun and educational, featuring several contests and many special guests from Japan and North America. Anime North has enough activities to keep you busy for several weeks, if everything was placed back-to-back, that is. There are far too many events to even list here, but if you're interested, the 2006 schedule is still on line at the website, so check it out.
Cosplay
Something you will see in abundance at the conventions is cosplay. Many people attend the conventions to participate in the cosplay or just see others doing so. Cosplay takes the anime experience to the next level, and some would say that it separates the true fans from the posers. Cosplay is dressing up as a character from anime, manga, or a video game. In Japan, the cosplayers don't need a convention to dress-up; they will head downtown looking like Linaly Klauser (Final Fantasy) or Sailor Mars (Sailor Moon).
Some people in Japan have begun to celebrate Halloween, but this is something new. As well, they do not have a festival that corresponds to Mardi Gras, so donning a costume is something that has been traditionally left to actors. This may explain the widespread popularity of cosplay in Japan. In other parts of the world where an appreciation for cosplay has taken hold, participants are more accustomed to dressing up in costumes; anime and manga have simply extended the possibilties and opportunities.
Anime Cel Collecting
Anime cels are the typically hand-drawn transparencies used to create the motion in the film. Many are approximately ten inches squared, but not all are coloured or complete. Serious collectors often purchase black and white cels, backgrounds and foregrounds, or studies that have found their way onto the medium. Key scenes or characters can cost substantially more than others. Nick Dombkowski, the owner of Anime Chaos and long-time collector of anime cels, says Lodoss War cels are "extremely popular, extremely rare, and extremely expensive".
Some collectors buy cels as an investment, but many others buy them strictly for their ability to please. They may also have a particular theme in mind, such as smiling girls or clashing swords. Fake cels are common, especially since some animation studios have put hand-painted reproductions on the market. Sequence numbers written on cels are not a reliable indication of authenticity because these can be added easily with a marker. The best way to identify a fake is to compare it with known originals that are close by in the sequence or by simply comparing the questionable cel to the source material. Shadowing is a good place to begin comparisons. Some collectors don't mind fakes, as long as they are not paying for the real thing, but if you want the genuine article, your best bet is to buy from reputable dealers, in person.
Anime continues to grow in popularity. At the same time, the catalog continues to expand in leaps and bounds. If you are fortunate enough to live near a video store that stocks high-quality anime, stopping in to browse the available titles is definitely worth your while.
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