Anime!! and YOU!

GIANT ROBO

Time to wax lyrical (or as lyrical as my writing skills permit) about the greatest anime ever.

I bought the first episode on VHS back in 1996, primarily because it was released at a budget price. Not a huge fan of giant robots, I was pleasantly surprised to discover that it wasn't really a giant robot anime at all; rather, it's more accurately described as superhero show.

It's the very definition of epic. It took years to produce, went obscenely over budget, and the result was a genuine spectacle that matched its ambition. Fluid animation, kinetic action scenes, crazy characters with even crazier powers. Creative retro-futuristic design that's like so little else I've ever seen. Heroism, sacrifice, and tragedy. What keeps me coming back for more viewings even after all these years, though, is the epic scope: this is a show set against the backdrop of a tragedy that claimed the lives of billions, and it's not long before cities are torn apart and the world is on the brink of annihilation. Then there's Masamichi Amano’s magnificent orchestral score, performed by the Warsaw Philharmonic, which is as bombastic and dynamic and heartbreaking as the incredible scenes it accompanies. This show sends chills up my spine every time I watch it, even after all these years.

My Favourite character is probably Tylor, the Irresponsible Captain. The man's a hero to all lazy, careless, unsophisticated slobs the universe over.
 
The Giant Robo economy DVD set is ridiculously cheap. I should note, however, that the last person to whom I recommended GR hated it. But he adores Love Hina, so make of that what you will. Have a listen to the ramblings of Daryl Surat, the only person who loves GR more than me.
 
Favourite Anime - One Piece

For one, it's a story about Pirates combined with crazy Devil-Fruit abilities. Meaning that ANYTHING can happen and it always keeps you surprised (in a good way).
I love the character's voices, especially Zoro + Luffy's and I like how the story line isn't changed from the manga. Overall, it's one of the few anime series that I love watching almost as much as I love reading the Manga.

Favourite Anime character: ... There are way too many I like to say.
 
Favourite Anime: Undetermined :p But since it generally revolves around two series and one film, I shall make a stand on them all.

Haibane Renmei. A outwardly calm, collected and generally peaceful tale with almost no action to speak of. It shows the centre piece of the human condition in the question 'What are we and where do we come from?' which it ponders in great detail, but always results in you having to make your own answers to that, and in doing so goes above something which could be overly preachy and gives you the tools to make your own answer. A dark streak runs through it, giving it more depth and posing more questions, resulting in the possibility of many different theories about what the show is truly about. A wonderful series, one of few where it seems more like a '6 hour movie' than a disjointed series. Absolutely amazing at just about every level, with only a handful of moments where things slip from brilliant to great.

Serial Experiments Lain: Sharing more than just the same visionary in ABe, this series shares many of the same themes and situations as Haibane, but throws them at you in a completely different, and perhaps much more experimental way. Certainly a much more conflicted and darker series than Haibane, and perhaps a lot more personal as well. While it uses technology as its handle, it is really much more about the human mind and what humanity is or can do. In many ways Lain shares a lot more with The Matrix than Ghost in the Shell ever did, and equally, I believe it covers similar ground in a much better, and much more mature way than it. The ending, while leaving as many questions as answers, is extremely moving, and as someone interested in history, one can only recall the Roman Emperor Vespasian's final words of: 'Oh, I think I am becoming a god!'

Princess Mononoke: While many Miyazaki films are extremely 'eco' in tone, Mononoke differs from the others in giving it a much more 'epic' feel (matched only by Laputa perhaps) and equally, giving it a spiritual one. For Miyazaki that is pretty strong - the once self declared communist, and still declared Atheist, really explored deep inside himself here, taking the ideas of the Nausicaa film (and much more importantly, the Manga) a massive step forward. The sheer epic tale of hubris on a massive scale, combined with Miyazaki's sympathetic view even of 'villians' results in a distinctly human film, showing that human views are never black and white, but full of a great many shades of grey. While one always wants to know what happens next, especially here, one is left with the feeling that through all the horrible things that humans do and have previously done, right in the middle of it all, there is a little good to be found.

Favourite Character: An extremely difficult question! I was contemplating Rekki from Haibane, or Lain of course, and even San from Mononoke, but I could not give it to any of them. In the end, I knew one of Miyazaki's female hero's would probably be my choice, but I was as surprised as I expect anyone would be when I chose Dola from Laputa!
Dola is, if nothing else, extremely fun. Quite aside from being a Pirate of course, she is a great laugh almost all the time, never really slipping from that sense and seeming sinister. Secondly, she is extremely strong willed, what with three kids and all, and a ship to run, she does not seem afraid of anything. Yet despite that, she is genuinely a nice character - She is the type of person who would be great to have at a party! Perhaps most of all, she is human, she is not all good, she is not all bad, she slips to both sides of the line now and then, but that is what human's are like. So, Dola it is, though this one proved more difficult than any of the others! :roll:

(Honourable mention to Osaka from Azumanga - for being completely unique and great fun at the same time!)
 
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Well as anyone who reads the forum regularly will tell you
Favourite anime = Rahxephon- Why, well at the time I picked it up my second favourite anime was Eva (1st was Macross Saga). Thing is that I there was always something missing from the series (like a coherent ending). Rahxephon was recomended as I like eva. While most people coment on the similarities it was the differences that struck me. It was like some one had taken all the things I didn't like about Eva and fixed them, then added a whole lot of other things l liked. Foreshadowing, characters who have both strengths and weaknesses, pacing, a mix of twists you can see coming and those that blind side you at twelve on a idle Thursday.
Could also type for hours about the humour, the character interactions, growth, the artwork, music, animation and so on have been writing this over a day so will shut up.

Character is much more difficult decision. Honourable mentions go to Ki'ichi Gotoh (Patlabor) for being a manipulative git of the highest order, yet wise enough to not rise to high. Likewise Lelouch Vi Brittiania (Code Geass) for having the former but replacing the latter withn iron will, the ability to make scarifices and taking responsiblity for them. Also to Batou (GitS) and Dutch (Black Lagoon) for being hard asses but still human,
Runner up- Haruka Shitow (Rahxephon) for sucessfully doing a Dave Lister (romance across time, space, death and reality) and having the right attitude to coffee, "Not as sweet as love and darker than the devils hooves, but as long as it's coffee I'll drink it."
Winner Megumi Shitow.- Lost in love to both her best friend and sister. Cheered them both. Good sense of humour, sweet tooth, Stared amegendon in the face.
 
I guess I have like a few favorite Anime shows. Death Note, Bleach, Ghost In The Shell and the newly added Witch Hunter Robin. All of which to me are awesome.

To save retyping heres a link to my MAL blog post earlier on WHR;

http://myanimelist.net/blog.php?eid=20417

Now as of tommoro theres gonna be a new one up cause il finish the series tommoro.

Favorite Character: Mikami Teru - I just think he's freakin awesome. Him and Light were the best things in Death Note. Not only that; he has a badass jacket.
 
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