Anime is the cartoon version of Japanese Manga, or graphic novels. Whilst the artwork is extremely appealing it can be a bit daunting knowing what anime is a good place to start for a novice. Therefore an anime reviewer may be just the ticket.
There is no better time to get into this movie genre as Studio Ghibli's The Tale of Princess Kaguya has just been nominated for an Oscar for Best Animated Feature. This movie is due for general release in the cinemas on March 20th 2015 in the United Kingdom. As a reflection of the popularity of anime in the West, Lucy Liu and James Marsden are amongst some of the actors doing the voices for the animation.
Studio Ghibli is a great foundation for a novice in anime, as they produce Japanese inspired animation but catered for a specifically Western market. Over the years SG have produced numerous movies, all of which are charming in different. My personal favourite, and a uber-feel-good movie is My Neighbour Totoro which was released in 1988. It is set in post-war Japan and we learn of two young girls who in their new home discover there are strange soot mites in the house and wood sprites in the garden. The sprite in charge is Totoro; a loveable, cuddly creature which I for one would like to meet. The Totoru theme music is ridiculously catchy and you will be humming it for ages after the movie has finished.
In 2008 SG released the movie Ponyo; a tale about a cute goldfish, who wants to be a little girl. With the help of her young friend Sosuke, she has lots of adventures which are cute and highly amusing.
Not all animation is cute, and a real classic supernatural series is Death Note. This series was televised in 2006-7 and is now available on DVD, and narrates the tale of college student, Light Yagami. He discovers a notebook which belongs to a Shinigami, god of death, which enables him to kill by writing the name down. He sets himself as a vigilante executing criminals. The series was completed in 37 episodes which was inspired by a 12-book manga series.
Another on-going series is Ghost in the Shell, with a new instalment of GS Arise due in the Spring 2015. A complex franchise, Ghost in the Shell started as a Manga and was made into a movie in 1995, and then a television series, with the subtitle, Stand Alone Complex, in 2002, followed in 2013 with the Arise series which is ongoing. A further movie is to be released in 2015.
There is therefore a lot of catching up with this franchise. In one form or another the story-lines follow the work of Public Security Section 9, a specialised task force of police and military men. Each series or movie has a different crime to solve including corruption and cyber crime, and the inevitable complications.
It can be difficult in the United Kingdom to identify anime movies or TV series to watch as they are not on general cinema release; other than Studio Ghibli which is not everyone's cup of tea. There are websites that provide a round up all the latest releases, like the www.animenewsnetwork.com but whether these will be available in your area is something you will have to check. However, the effort you put in will be repaid in entertainment hours.
There is no better time to get into this movie genre as Studio Ghibli's The Tale of Princess Kaguya has just been nominated for an Oscar for Best Animated Feature. This movie is due for general release in the cinemas on March 20th 2015 in the United Kingdom. As a reflection of the popularity of anime in the West, Lucy Liu and James Marsden are amongst some of the actors doing the voices for the animation.
Studio Ghibli is a great foundation for a novice in anime, as they produce Japanese inspired animation but catered for a specifically Western market. Over the years SG have produced numerous movies, all of which are charming in different. My personal favourite, and a uber-feel-good movie is My Neighbour Totoro which was released in 1988. It is set in post-war Japan and we learn of two young girls who in their new home discover there are strange soot mites in the house and wood sprites in the garden. The sprite in charge is Totoro; a loveable, cuddly creature which I for one would like to meet. The Totoru theme music is ridiculously catchy and you will be humming it for ages after the movie has finished.
In 2008 SG released the movie Ponyo; a tale about a cute goldfish, who wants to be a little girl. With the help of her young friend Sosuke, she has lots of adventures which are cute and highly amusing.
Not all animation is cute, and a real classic supernatural series is Death Note. This series was televised in 2006-7 and is now available on DVD, and narrates the tale of college student, Light Yagami. He discovers a notebook which belongs to a Shinigami, god of death, which enables him to kill by writing the name down. He sets himself as a vigilante executing criminals. The series was completed in 37 episodes which was inspired by a 12-book manga series.
Another on-going series is Ghost in the Shell, with a new instalment of GS Arise due in the Spring 2015. A complex franchise, Ghost in the Shell started as a Manga and was made into a movie in 1995, and then a television series, with the subtitle, Stand Alone Complex, in 2002, followed in 2013 with the Arise series which is ongoing. A further movie is to be released in 2015.
There is therefore a lot of catching up with this franchise. In one form or another the story-lines follow the work of Public Security Section 9, a specialised task force of police and military men. Each series or movie has a different crime to solve including corruption and cyber crime, and the inevitable complications.
It can be difficult in the United Kingdom to identify anime movies or TV series to watch as they are not on general cinema release; other than Studio Ghibli which is not everyone's cup of tea. There are websites that provide a round up all the latest releases, like the www.animenewsnetwork.com but whether these will be available in your area is something you will have to check. However, the effort you put in will be repaid in entertainment hours.
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