Mono no aware

While it was relatively easy to whittle it down to fifty the individual order was a last-minute hurried effort so don’t read too far beyond the general place they have relative to the others. I know certain names are cropping up a lot but that’s more to do with my admiration for certain directors and writers than studios and genre boundaries.

I hope the short descriptions speak for themselves; the awesomeness of the titles themselves certainly ought to. Before the word count becomes too excessive then, here’s the final ‘cut’…

25. Tokyo Marble Chocolate

I’ve voiced my affinity for stories about grown-up characters, and my soft spot for a tale that appeals to my half-buried dere-dere sentimental streak. This two-parter ticks all those boxes really, with a whimsical approach to showing how relationships work (or not) in today’s world. It has all the hallmarks of a slushy also-ran but the vibrancy of the characters and its visual panache make it a prime candidate for a rewatch around mid-February.

24. Rebuild of Evangelion: 1.0

Say what you like about how deserving the franchise is of the hype and sickening levels of marketing that surrounds it, but I still have an attachment to the first proper anime show I enjoyed. In fairness it does improve on the story by streamlining the narrative, placing emphasis more appropriately and generally looking prettier. The only downside? This is the only Hideaki Anno-directed production on this list. Not that is a shame.

23. Le Portrait de Petit Cossette

Why do they have to mangle French grammar like this? Anyway. This was my first encounter with Akiyuki Shinbo’s unique directorial style, and although it’s a case of making the simple obtuse from a narrative standpoint it’s still an impressive visual tour-de-force (who’s misusing French now?). The gothic aesthetic, porcelain doll heroine and that goosebump-inducing Yuki Kajiura music score really make it worthwhile for me.

22. RahXephon

The ‘Evangelion rip-off’ reaction was so misplaced. Granted, it takes itself very seriously and challenges the viewer but I’d rather my intelligence were challenged than insulted. If nothing else this one deserves a special mention for pushing the envelope in what to expect from a mecha show, and has excellent characterisation as well as looking lovely. As for the movie…let’s move on, shall we?

21. Denno Coil

While a lot of anime really is for kids, it’s rare that a kids’ show knocks the spots off its po-faced, made-for-grown-ups competition. It’s so ahead of its time that even the latest tech is only just beginning to catch up…the re-imagining of childhood issues – and beyond – in the Information Age has never looked this good, or tugged the heartstrings so hard.

20. Ghost in the Shell 2: Innocence

Almost a decade after the landmark movie that gave Western anime fans something other than Akira to rave about, Headscratcher-In-Chief Mamoru Oshii picked the story back up with even more philosophical musing and even more impressive CG artwork. It’s pretentious as hell but the pure cinematic experience cannot be ignored. Anime is Serious Fucking Business. Seriously.

19. Monster

The fact that it follows its source material scene-for-scene is as much a testament to Naoki Urasawa’s genius as a manga-ka as it is an indicator of how effective an adaptation it proved to be. Whether I’d physically have the time to watch a series of this length in my current lifestyle I’m not sure, but at the time it was a revelation to see an animated show sustain itself across more than seventy episodes with not a single episode of filler whatsoever.

18. Aria

I’m a cynical kind of guy. I like holidays though. This is a holiday from all cynicism, doubt and general down-heartedness; I’ve never seen a series so unashamedly upbeat, optimistic and calming. A cheery spiritual younger sibling to Yokahama Shopping Trip in some ways, it has memorable characters, easygoing comedy and an infectious feelgood sense of EPIC HAPPY.

17. Ghost in the Shell: Stand-alone Complex

This is where I might ruffle a few feathers: a made-for TV alternate retelling that deviates further from its source manga rates higher than it’s big cinematic counterpart. Except, this really is more enjoyable for me: it has all the intelligence, social commentary and cyberpunk shininess but it’s more character-driven and accessible. It also has the tachikomas, and who doesn’t love them?

16. Pale Cocoon

While people were hyping Shinkai as the new Miyazaki, I was looking upon Yoshiura as the new Shinkai. While the themes and storytelling differ, this short piece had sci-fi underpinnings and an impressive indie CG sheen that was as welcome as it was familiar. Nevertheless Yoshiura’s effort was striking in its gloomy atmospherics and with a great Clarkian twist at the end; a dazzling early effort.

15. Macross Frontier

As a general rule, Macross OAVs and movies look great while the TV series…don’t. While this did suffer from budgetry constraints and hence lacked the visual consistency of its cinematic and straight-to-video predecessors, a new Macross is always an important event and it did reunite Shoji Kawamori with Yoko Kanno again. I know it’s self-indulgent but I’m including it here because it was such fun for that reason. DECULTURE!

14. The Girl Who Leapt Through Time

Mamoru Hosoda broke away from the Totoro-shaped shadow of Ghibli, took on a well-known (at least in Japan) franchise and added his own individual stamp on the result. Perhaps surprisingly it was imaginative, moving and crucially entertaining while capturing the profound in the everyday. One of the most pleasant surprises of recent years, it even featured Yoshiyuki Sadamoto’s expressive character designs. Win.

13. Paprika

Not quite the most deep and meaningful Kon effort, this was nevertheless an adaptation that captured the essence and imagination of another Yasutaka Tsutsui novel. It really allowed Kon and his team at Madhouse to let their imaginations run riot; the maniacal Susumu Hirasawa soundtrack also gave one of the most exhilarating and arresting (as in, inducing cardiac arrest) opening credit sequences of recent memory.

12. Eureka Seven

Bones somehow breathed new life into a crowded mecha genre with Kawamori mecha designs and a keen sense of youthful cool but didn’t pull its narrative punches when the gravity of the situation demanded it. The sharp characterisation, with a genuinely sweet and moving romance at its heart, ultimately made it work but a soundtrack featuring the likes of Supercar and Denki Groove didn’t hurt either. And yes, it did need to be as long as it did.

11. Darker than Black

Funny how Bones and Yoko Kanno crop up so often, but there you go. As long as it works as it does here, doesn’t that speak for itself? Tensai Okamura’s dry humour and penchant for old-school sci-fi clashed with film noir sensibilities and a novel approach to character dynamics with a sense of constant suspense and layers of hidden meaning. Watch it twice, it helps.

Take a deep breath folks, almost there! ^_^

10. The Place Promised in our Early Days

I wanted to place this higher, but in interests of fairness on everything else I reined my enthusiasm in a bit. What’s to say? The Comix Wave Sky Shots? Haruki Murakami-esque parallel universe metaphysics and a sense of inner loneliness? Clarkian science fiction (the Tower reminds me SO MUCH of The Fountains of Paradise)? No matter: it looks and sounds spectacular, and even after numerous rewatches the ending still has me crying buckets.

9. Gunslinger Girl

This was a case of why you shouldn’t judge a book by its cover. On paper the idea of teen girl assassins sounded like moe-ified Luc Besson but in reality the gunplay and mystery-thriller aspects took a back seat to a heart-rending character study. I’ve rarely experienced such painful empathy but it’s handled with such a tender and sympathetic touch…the Mediterranian locations are stunning, the animation is smooth as silk and the soundtrack is breathtaking too.

8. Eve no Jikan

After Pale Cocoon Yasuhiro Yoshiura and Studio Rikka proved that they could; here, they proved how well they could do it. Picking the well-trodden concept of robots and A.I. in everyday society was a risky move but the surprise of how much comedy, drama and morality could be wrung out from this tired premise was half the fun. The CGI was nigh-on flawless, the comic timing impeccable and the pacing head and shoulders above humble made-for TV efforts.

7. FLCL

“What the fuck was that?” was my first impression of this, at a time when I’d seen very little anime at all – showing it to other people is fun in itself, just to see the looks on their faces. Shinkichi Mitsumune’s score, buoyed up by classic tunes from The Pillows, adds to the edgy sense of teen energy that almost, but not quite, pushes it over the edge. The good news: it was the thematic and artistic high water mark for Gainax. The bad news: it still is.

6. Summer Wars

Madhouse know how to nurture talent, don’t they? A reunion of Hosoda, Sadamoto and co inevitably led to comparisons but as both pure visual escapism and a love letter to the trials and tribulations of family life it’s hard to beat. The emotion is genuine, the deeper meanings are numerous and profound but overall it’s a testament to what animation can do with the will and the talent to do so.

5. Millennium Actress

This is my personal Kon fave, even though it lacks his dark humour and satirical eye. It’s purely because as a cinematic experience it’s almost unparalleled: the multiple layers of meaning that colour the life of Chiyoko Fujiwara make it not just the life of her but that of a film industry that Kon obviously loves, and an entire country. Fundamentally it’s a tale of lost love and looks beautiful.

4. Kara no Kyoukai

Less sprawling than Tsukihime and more personal Fate/Stay Night, the act of bringing Nasu’s early novels to the screen was so dazzling I don’t know why it hadn’t been attempted sooner. In any case the dark, immersive world of the Nasuverse is effectively captured by Ufotable’s attention to detail and Yuki Kajiura’s finest soundtrack to date. Repeated viewings allow you to appreciate the complexity of its study into morality, inner turmoil and, ultimately, an unconventional yet convincing romance subplot that devastates the competition with a graceful flick of the knife.

3. 5cm per Second

From here on it gets tough. Is this one deserving of #3, given the quality of the last few listed above? Purely for personal reasons, this movie holds a special place in my heart for its ability to tap into universal sentiments, build on themes explored in Shinkai’s earlier work, only to take on deeper relevance with the viewer as he or she moves on in his or her own life. It’s beatiful to the point of hyper-realism, but matures like a fine wine.

2. Mushishi

The series that got me blogging, even though I gave up on episodic commentary. In turns dark, bright, suspenseful, restful but always with a keen eye on both humanity’s relationship with  the natural world and our relationships with each other, it was a timeless journey that offered moments that I swear will stay with me for life. This transcends mere animated TV entertainment: with every episode it transported me to another place and for that I love it.

1. Haibane Renmei

The most contentious position of all, perhaps, but very few stories have spoken to me as profoundly and clearly as this one has. The Murakami-inspired setting was masterful but its memorable imagery was spiritual without pinning the philosophy on anything other than the viewer’s individual interpretation. Kou Otani’s score was spellbinding and it felt like a genuine labour of love for Yoshitoshi ABe too; his distinctive character designs bring life into a haunting yet stunningly rendered other-world. Not everything was answered but that’s part of its unique charm: talking in riddles with a thoughtful sense of melancholy, it’s one of those stories that allows you to connect with the characters by encouraging you to look within yourself for answers.

And there you go. I somehow exceeded the wordcount of even my KnK fanboy rave but these 25 titles deserve it I think. I can forgive you for disagreeing with the order here: even I changed my mind several times during the draft stage. I recommend you all should watch all of them, anyway. Happy 2010!

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