Anime (aka, Japanamation), like most other art forms simply does not get the respect it deserves. Cheap thrills ("adult" anime) and cheaply done psuedo Fox Box anime like "One Piece" as well as scads of awful direct videos available at Dollar Tree harm the reputation of this otherwise venerable artform. It is often relegated to the upper escalon of sci-fi/comic nerds (like people whose favorite game is still Battle Toads) or worse, the pervs who Google naked drawings of Sailor Moon.
As such, the unfortunate consequence is that some fantastic films get overlooked. Allow me to insert a disclaimer, I do not maen to say that the following films are up to par spititually, simply that as art goes they are staggering for their message and their media.
My first exposure to anime was, like any 80's kid, Vultron and Transformers (oh yeah, and the Snorks and Smurfs, Go-Bots, M.A.S.K., and the ever lame Thundercats...) . However, over time I lost most of my interest. One movie (that I can't even track down), called Orion, kept my interest though and the original Transformers movie, which I have probably seen over fifty times is still a perpetual favorite.
in high school, I rented what is one of my all time favorite movies on a whim, it is called Akira. If you do not know what this movie is then you are not a nerd. For some, this is good, for the others, you should be ashamed of yourself. The movie is stunningly animated and the message incredible, "if you play God, you will get what's coming to you." A message as intensely relevant to me as a Christian as it ever was as a sci-fi geek hiding out in my room.
Another classic anime is actually a collection of short films called Neo-Tokyo. One of these shorts, "The Running Man" was propelled into pop culture thanks to MTV. It features a man driving in an F-Zero style contest tormented by the spirits of those he has crushed to get to the top. Again, a rich and relevant theme.
So, finally, to my final recommendation. Vicki and I watched one of the most incredible movies I have ever seen last night. It is called Spirited Away. The film made such an impression on the founders of Pixar that they begged Disney to make release an English version and thankfully they did. Man, what a feast for the eyes! The film also, as you guessed, has a driving plot and powerful message. I hope you will take time to see it.
Hear this, anime also has its dark side. Many of the films are loaded with gore and perverted sexual theme (and I am not using those terms lightly). Yet there are a few nuggets in the mine. A few others you might check out are Castle in the Sky, Metropolis, and, if you are feeling dopey, The Last Unicorn.
Anyhow, hope you will enjoy some of these movies. They can be provocative, even disturbing at times. They are not for kids to be sure. But they can be truly riveting.
Rev.
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