My top 30 is a continuous project. There’s always more great anime out there I haven’t watched, and more great anime getting made. However a comment by Janette pointed out that it would be a shame to lose what I’ve written about those anime that drop off the top 30 list. So that’s what this post is for. So that I may never lose a single fanboyish ramble about some of my favourite series.
Hellsing
No, not Hellsing Ultimate. The original, 2001 version of Hellsing that butchered the manga. It took away the overkill and left us with pure style. It’s so devilishly stylish, with its brutal sense of humour and its animation style that doesn’t so much animate characters as it animates shadows. The brilliant brilliant character dynamics between Integra, Victoria and Alucard. It’s just such a fun and and it damn well knows it is.
Moyashimon
Fiction never quite portrays life realistically. In my experience, real life is a lot weirder with more wilder characters with more unusual thoughts going through their head. It may be an odd to call Moyashimon a realistic look at university life when there are cute bacteria flying all over the place, but it’s the acceptance of the unusual in Moyashimon that really drew me in. That, and it’s really, really funny.
Roujin Z
Why do more people not know about this movie? This is far and away the most criminally underrated piece in my modest knowledge of anime. It’s witty, clever and all round brilliantly written ‘what-if’ situation of the ageing population in Japan. It’s also surprisingly accessible and light-hearted amongst some of the greatest black humour you’ll ever see. Just watch this movie. It desperately needs more love.
Detroit Metal City
Goddam you DMC. You do realise that you’ve ruined music for me forever? I mean, it’s understandable why I can no longer take heavy metal music seriously, and any rock music by association, but now I can’t take that happy music seriously either. I’m expecting halfway through the chorus for the main singer to suddenly stop jiggling his tambourine and start raping it. GO TO DMC!
Durarara
While not as good as its spiritual predecessor, Baccano, Durarara is still a massive romp and huge fun throughout. The way the city of Ikebukero is portrayed is fantastic. We have several different demi-gods, deities and demons wandering around as humans, interacting and competing with one another as mere humans walk amongst them. Heaven forbid should these humans get ideas above their station and compete with them on level terms.
Nodame Cantabile (first season)
Mukya~! The whole series is such fun but what I love about it is the way Nodame and Chiaki are drawn to each other despite being total opposites…no, because they’re total opposites. The total honesty and goofing about of Nodame contrasting with the hardworking tsundere attitude of Chiaki. They play off each other fantastically. I love ‘em to bits, Gyabo~!
Bakemonogatari
Easily the greatest anime for that quick, sharp and witty dialogue that I crave, Bakemonogatari remains the only time I’ve seen Shafts bizarre stlye of animation and directing work. Genuinely intelligent writing and arc construction are what drive the show but we all know who the real star is. I fully support any plans for the rebirth of the Senjogahara Fascination Movement.
Kino’s Journey
For what often acts like a very simple Aesop’s Fables style storytelling, there’s a scary level of harsh critique of society when you look at the message with a bit more detail. Democracy is hopelessly flawed, the utter stupidity that is the basis behind most religions, the oppressed being just as violent as the oppressors. Do not twist this shows message to suit your own ideals. Be like Kino. Be calm and removed and only then will you see the real message.
Pale Cocoon
Normally when it comes to anime shorts, I’m a harsh grader. Unless they do something truly unique and mindblowing then I’ll give it a crap score. Maybe part of that reason why is because of Pale Cocoon. Every short I watch from now on always get that unfortunate label of being ‘nowhere near as good as Pale Cocoon’. Holds the record for the single best shot in anime history. That very last frame as the realisation sets in. Just…watch it.
Seto no Hanayome
So long as you go suitably over the top, anything can be made worthwhile. Girl saves guy and then has to be married to them? Snore, even if they are the Mermaid Yakuza. But go wild enough and crazy enough and the whole premise of the show can be totally worth it. This is comedy, anime style. Many don’t seem to like it. I bloody love it. So screw you guys.
19 Comments
Thumbs up for preserving Nodame for all eternity.
Thumbs down for dropping Nodame from the top 30.
Why ? Its total crap. Live action is 100 miles ahead in every aspect.
Animation is basically non-existant. When characters try describe music it sounds completely false and insincere. Sometimes it even feels like shounen fighting anime, he used this musical jutsu and she used that musical jutsu…yeah.
At the very least in live action we can see actual people play actual instruments. Oh, and Nodame in live action is clearly clinically retarded, which gives entire thing a new meaning.
I didn’t want to start an argument, since you’re dissing one of my favorite series, I can’t let this slide!
It’s funny that you mention music jutsu, since Live-Action Chiaki knows nothing about actual conducting and just waves his arms around awkwardly. I’d prefer stills than looking like a flailing idiot.
Live-Action Stresemann isn’t Caucasian and instead looks like a crazy hobo with a wig. He also doesn´t know how to conduct.
Lastly, slapstick humor doesn’t really work in a Live-Action show. When you see a man physically abusing a woman, you can’t say you love her and pretend nothing has happened. That’s insincere.
I still didn’t watch the 3rd season, of Nodame Cantabile. But I’m still going to post about it, cause the setting of the 3rd season ist totally different, which makes it lots harder for the producers(/mangaka) to keep the plothappenings as close to reality as possible.
(Partly @Karry)
I can’t see why you are not satisfied with Nodame Contabile. I always prefer action anime, but this is different. Nodame Contabile is the first anime that made me feel rofl like One Piece, happy like Code Geass, love like Chobits and relax like Bakemonogatari.
It’s the first anime that made a live-action maniac like me, put every anime he is watching aside and concentrate on every aspect of one anime.
MOOD, mood, MOod, moOD, MoOd, mOoD, .…
This is the strongest and best point this anime has, not the only strong point tough. This anime knows how to play with the mood, while keeping the main musical romance mood in motion.
To hell with live-action!*I can’t believe, I just typed this sentence.* Code Geas picture dramas are naturaly still pictures. They were as good as any other anime OVA, maybe better.
I mostly agree on the rest of the anime with Scamp, but it still pains me to see Nodame in the backstage. >.< Muki~!
Btw, the moral of the story (only first and second season) was also realy great to:
’At times, memories…
Restricts our minds.
But the mind…
Can be freed…
With new encounters.
And now,
They spread their wings.
To the future.’
Kino’s Journey bored me. I don’t know why, honestly.
It’s a funny old anime really, so I won’t begrudge anyone who couldn’t get into it. It doesn’t work the same way a typical anime would, searching for characterisation, plot etc. It’s all about the messages behind the tales
The only reason why I started watching it was because I watched Mushishi, which is widely considered Kino’s “Sister Anime.”
Ether way, Mushishi > Kino’s Journey.
Them’s fightin’ words! D:
I probably should have done this when I last updated my top 32 list, but fuck it, too lazy.
WordPress saves your old renditions of a post so you’ll still have the earlier versions
oh wow i just realized that you had a top 30 link in the corner o_o
/clearly no attention span
Is been a long time since I wanted to watch Kino’s journey but I always forget. Pale cocoon looks interesting I’ll save that for later.
My issue here is that now you are gonna make my first ever amazing review of Tokyo Godfathers look lame. ¬_¬ Tssss I’ll forgive you just because is such an amazing film. Satoshi Kon your works may live forever.
Want to see my first ever review?
http://www.anime-source.com/banzai/modules.php?name=Anime&rop=showcontent&id=1017
Second review down
It’s nice that Tokyo Godfathers are now in your top 30, but what about the other wonderful works by Satoshi Kon? Do you like those too? Like Millenium Actress, Perfect Blue, Paranoia Agent, Paprika.…
(And poor Nodame… >__>)
I liked Paranoia Agent and Paprika, but in both cases the endings severly let them down. Both a long way off my top 30. Really though, I’ve seen tons of great anime that will never reach the top 30. Spice and Wolf, Crest of the Stars, Haibane Remnei, FLCL, Casshern Sins, One Outs, Redline, Grave of the Fireflies, Castle of Cagliostro etc.
It’s a shame not to indclude them all, but I have to have a cutoff point somewhere. 30 is enough for me
Over a certain number (like 5) it’s very hard for me to rank favorites, partly because my feelings about them are too varied and complex to measure one against another, and partly because there really are way too many that are deserving. Maybe I’ll get to updating my favorites, someday…
Since this is your list and you can’t help how you feel, I’ll just bite my lip about Seto no Hanayome and save what I have to say when the time’s appropriate.
It’s hard enough to keep my Top 10 straight, let alone a Top 30. I am impressed that Durarara!! made your Top 30, even for just a little bit. There are so many good classic and legacy anime out there that I almost feel guilt over keeping up with so many new anime.
Oh, and you dropped Bakemonogatari from your Top 30? “Boooo! Hisssss!”
lol nooo. bakemonogatari was the only time i actually wanted to hear someone talk more than actually do something epic in the show. I could watch that over chobits all day xD –which i still dont understand how it made the cut–but hey cant help how u feel right?
Kino was a silent beast–which sometimes annoys me in other anime–but the show wasnt really about kino and once u understand that, it makes it that much better.