storytelling from the far east - the BEST of japanese animated series

I have a wide variety of friends and it's sometimes quite unfortunate that we can't all share the same interests. However, if I could persuade all of the peers and relatives I knew to embrace a hobby that I have enjoyed for many years, it would be Japanese animation. What many Americans fail to understand is that the animated series and movies produced in Japan far transcends the likes of He-Man, Popeye, and Looney Toons. Behind these Japanese "cartoons" is a masterful storytelling with depth, emotion, and imagination beyond anything I've seen on American television.  Anime is, in many cases, stories told in a way that exceeds what live actors and actresses can do in front of a camera. Many of my beliefs, understandings, and outlooks on life stem from what I've learned from watching countless episodes of these works of art. I truly believe that the Japanese are able to tell the most epic of tales and the saddest of tragedies through a new medium that is billions of miles ahead of what American cartoons are sitting at. I'm not sure if it's ignorance or fear that keeps people from indulging in anime, but to all those who scoff at it: you are sorely mistaken and I feel sorry that you are missing out on such a wonderful thing.

CHRIS'S TOP 5 ANIME SERIES

The criteria for ranking my anime selections is pretty much just based on overall impressions and cohesiveness. I look for everything: animation quality, character development, storytelling, soundtrack, motifs, mood, and presentation. There is a lot of anime out there, and I won't lie, just like in anything else, only a select few stand out each season, and only a handful ever rise above the timeline and entire the realm of an eternal masterpiece. I tend to choose the ones that are the most grand and accomplish the greatest storytelling. I don't believe I can give numbers to each series because each one is powerful in its own unique way. 

CODE GEASS: LELOUCH OF THE REBELLION

Nothing makes your heart beat faster than finding out what grand surprise awaits around the corner. Code Geass is the epitome of anime in this era, providing explosive storytelling, extreme character growth, stunning visuals, constant fanservice, and cliffhangers of a whole different level. Those who followed the series on a weekly basis would know: Code Geass was an unbearable wait from start to finish. Without spoiling too much, the story is about a high school boy living in an alternate future where Britannia has taken over two-thirds of the world. He vows vengeance to destroy the emperor and his regime, and is granted the power to control a person's actions to his bidding. The catch? He can only use it once per person. This creates an infinite number of unique uses and plot twists that lead up to Lelouch's rebellion, the friends he loses, and the friends he gains. From beginning to end, Code Geass will have you immersed in one of the most dramatic series of events, as you root for the rise and fall of a prince's struggle to rebuild the world.

TENGEN TOPPA GURREN LAGANN

Can not be described with words. If I were to say one thing about this anime, it is that you will feel like shouting at the top of a mountain after every episode. The epicness that is so thorougly forged throughout this anime resounds in your chest even months after you've seen it. My jaw dropped more times than I could remember as I marvelled at some of the greatest moments in anime history.

FLCL

Not every story is meant to be understood or well-thought out. However, some stories are nothing but a jumble of feelings and shreds of stories that are left to be interpreted on the other end. FLCL personifies many things: adolescence, the immaturity of adults, the cultural clash between Japan and the United States, and the possibility of life beyond earth. FLCL is no ordinary series, spanning a short 6 episodes, but in that short amount of time you will experience what goes on in the mind of a boy growing up amidst chaos in his every-day life.

SAMURAI CHAMPLOO

Samurai Champloo is, simply put, perfect. There is not a single flaw in this anime nor a single aspect that I would even think of changing. The story follows three strangers, bound by unspoken friendship, and their journey to find the 'samurai who smells like sunflowers' in feudal Japan. What may seem like aimless episodes quickly becomes a cumulation of excellent storytelling, attachment to powerful characters, and a climax greater than a hundred orgasms (you'll know what I mean if you've seen it lol). The mood set by the anime and its music is unlike any in it's genre, and I challenge any anime to pass the bar that Samurai Champloo has set.

SAMURAI X: TRUST AND BETRAYAL

Drama. This emotionally draining anime will have you dredging through the tragic life of an orphan boy who would eventually become the legendary Battousai (manslayer) of the Meiji Era. The pacing and the music set the groundwork for a masterpiece drenched in Japanese culture: a bittersweet and lonesome tale that will have you near tears by the end. What enriches this 4-episode OVA even more is the fact that it is the prequel to the popular shonen: Ruroni Kenshin, which is nothing like Samurai X, full of cheerful moments and shy of heavy violence. The story that Samurai X tells is a heavy one and will always leave a haunting memory.

RUNNER UPS:

I really couldn't give any of these a slot in the top 5 because they technically aren't completed. However, in their current state and age, I could easily drag my top 5 to a top 10 and include these in there. DEATH NOTE and Cowboy Bebop are classics that would probably be seen in any other avid anime-watcher's top 5.

If you don't currently watch anime, I would strongly suggest you give one of these series a try. Go ahead an IM or e-mail me if you're not sure what to start with, I have a huge list of recommendations!

Next blog! The position of women in the mind of a Japanese man! 

(and hopefully something about my new phone - assuming I get it) 

I also apologize for the length of some of these posts. Don't worry, they're just my introductory ones. You'll see less of me ranting and more of my sarcasm/black humor in the future, I promise.