Animanga Month: A. Air, Appleseed, Axis Powers Hetalia and more!
Air
Directed by Tatsuya Ishihara, this 13 episode anime series was based on an adult visual novel by Key. It follows the story of a wandering showman named Yukito who wants to find "the girl who flew in the sky", a legend he heard from childhood.
Air is moe. Very very moe. And honestly, I don't think that I am the right audience for it because, three episodes in, I just wanted to fall asleep. There was nothing at stake. Nothing too interesting. Misuzu, the main girl of the series, is kind and trusting and seems like she is hiding something but even that is not interesting enough to keep me watching. Though she does say "Gao" when she is frustrated. (Gao is a dinosaur noise) which is a habit I've picked up IRL so that's probably the only reason I'm mentioning this at all. If you like the sweetly cute psuedo harem moe fluff, then you will probably like this.
Appleseed
In this case I am talking about the film, directed by Shinji Aramaki basied of the manga by Masamune Shirow. The plot follows Deunan Knute, and to use the wikipedia summary: "Deunan Knute is a young highly skilled female soldier and is one of the last survivors of the Global War. During a battle, she is rescued by Hitomi, a Second Generation Bioroid. Deunan attempts to escape from a hospital and takes Hitomi hostage, but is stopped by Briareos Hecatonchires, her former lover, who is now a cyborg. She learns that the war had ended and she is in a Utopian city called Olympus. Its population is half-human and half-clone, a genetically-engineered species called Bioroids..."
I watched this anime based on a recommendation in a shojo panel at an anime convention all the way back in 2001. Though there is nothing Shojo about this and I can't remember the context of why it was brought up.
But essentially, a year ago, I sat down to watch it. The animation is CG, which takes a bit of getting used to if you're not expecting it, but good overall. As for the movie itself, I can barely remember any details of it but it's the kind of movie that leaves a good aftertaste. I enjoyed what I saw. I was even impressed by some of the plot decisions. Nothing was quite how I expected it to turn out. Plus, Deunan is a kickass female hero who is strongly written and kickass while still being a woman. Like they didn't just replace her entire personality with deathbabe. It's refreshing to see that kind of thing in anime and I quite enjoyed it.
So if you like scifi/Gundam elements (though there are no mech as such) or strong female characters, than you should give it a watch.
Axis Powers Hetalia
Based on a web comic turned manga by Hidekaz Himaruya, and made into an anime by Studio Deen (Deeaaaan! Supernatural joooke) thiis is probably the most controversial one on my list. It's basically a satire, personifying countries during WWII and is full of stereotypes and sounds like the worst thing ever and a bad idea all around. In fact, it probably IS the worst thing ever and a bad idea all around.
But
well
the thing is....
It's hilarious and soo shippy. You can ship anything. Though I don't think the characters represents the people so much as the stereotypes...and...and stereotypes are so bad but it's so funny. And one of my favorites is Germany.
I have no excuses. It's just a guilty pleasure. -sob sob-
Ayashi no Ceres
Ayashi no Ceres is based on a manga series by Yuu Watase and released by Studio Pierrot and, my freinds, it's as shoujo as shoujo can get. And also very Watase.
I used to be a rabid fan of Fushigi Yuugi, another Watase work, and when this came out I devoured it--bought most of the VHS. (None of the manga, I don't think). Watase has a great great head for tragedy and loss and seperation and though the characters are similar in personality in some ways to the ones of FY, they are different enough to be very much their own. The plot is very good as well, though the anime cuts corners that probably shouldn't be cut. Still, this is a dark dark story and dark dark shoujo with an overtone of onesided (and supernaturally driven) twincest.
It's been a while since I've looked at it and I would watch it again--though I'd want to read the manga first. It has some flaws but I can't seem to remember them so for now, if you like dark shoujo and UST oozing all over the place, this is a great watch. Also the opening song is gorgeous.
Azumanga Daioh
Azumanga Daioh is based on the manga by Kiyohiko Azuma and produced by J.C. Staff. I don't know what to say about this really because there isn't much that people haven't said. In short, I feel it's popular enough to defy description, at least for my flist. XD Also, it's freaking hard to describe. The Wikipedia summary goes like this: "Azumanga Daioh chronicles the everyday life in an unnamed Japanese high school of six girls and two of their teachers" annd it's 9/10 pretty freaking hilarious. There is one teacher who is a total creepster and everyone knows he is a creepster and he gives me the creeps. But otherwise, this shit is funny as hell and worth a watch.
Stuff I Want To Watch
Ai no Kusabi- Basically, I have heard, this was the yaoi. Like, at least in my day, everyone said if you liked anime at all you had to watch Evangaleon. So I suppose this was also my days (you're not that old! D:<) yaoi version of that-- that classic. I've seen some AMVs of it and bydamn is it hot. (Though I suppose these days it would be Gravitation or Loveless?)
Antique Bakery-Another yaoi tale that was recced somewhere and I've seen it peering at me in the YA section of the library. One of these days I'll be tempted to peer back.
Comments? Questions? A recs? Lay them on me!
Directed by Tatsuya Ishihara, this 13 episode anime series was based on an adult visual novel by Key. It follows the story of a wandering showman named Yukito who wants to find "the girl who flew in the sky", a legend he heard from childhood.
Air is moe. Very very moe. And honestly, I don't think that I am the right audience for it because, three episodes in, I just wanted to fall asleep. There was nothing at stake. Nothing too interesting. Misuzu, the main girl of the series, is kind and trusting and seems like she is hiding something but even that is not interesting enough to keep me watching. Though she does say "Gao" when she is frustrated. (Gao is a dinosaur noise) which is a habit I've picked up IRL so that's probably the only reason I'm mentioning this at all. If you like the sweetly cute psuedo harem moe fluff, then you will probably like this.
Appleseed
In this case I am talking about the film, directed by Shinji Aramaki basied of the manga by Masamune Shirow. The plot follows Deunan Knute, and to use the wikipedia summary: "Deunan Knute is a young highly skilled female soldier and is one of the last survivors of the Global War. During a battle, she is rescued by Hitomi, a Second Generation Bioroid. Deunan attempts to escape from a hospital and takes Hitomi hostage, but is stopped by Briareos Hecatonchires, her former lover, who is now a cyborg. She learns that the war had ended and she is in a Utopian city called Olympus. Its population is half-human and half-clone, a genetically-engineered species called Bioroids..."
I watched this anime based on a recommendation in a shojo panel at an anime convention all the way back in 2001. Though there is nothing Shojo about this and I can't remember the context of why it was brought up.
But essentially, a year ago, I sat down to watch it. The animation is CG, which takes a bit of getting used to if you're not expecting it, but good overall. As for the movie itself, I can barely remember any details of it but it's the kind of movie that leaves a good aftertaste. I enjoyed what I saw. I was even impressed by some of the plot decisions. Nothing was quite how I expected it to turn out. Plus, Deunan is a kickass female hero who is strongly written and kickass while still being a woman. Like they didn't just replace her entire personality with deathbabe. It's refreshing to see that kind of thing in anime and I quite enjoyed it.
So if you like scifi/Gundam elements (though there are no mech as such) or strong female characters, than you should give it a watch.
Axis Powers Hetalia
Based on a web comic turned manga by Hidekaz Himaruya, and made into an anime by Studio Deen (Deeaaaan! Supernatural joooke) thiis is probably the most controversial one on my list. It's basically a satire, personifying countries during WWII and is full of stereotypes and sounds like the worst thing ever and a bad idea all around. In fact, it probably IS the worst thing ever and a bad idea all around.
But
well
the thing is....
It's hilarious and soo shippy. You can ship anything. Though I don't think the characters represents the people so much as the stereotypes...and...and stereotypes are so bad but it's so funny. And one of my favorites is Germany.
I have no excuses. It's just a guilty pleasure. -sob sob-
Ayashi no Ceres
Ayashi no Ceres is based on a manga series by Yuu Watase and released by Studio Pierrot and, my freinds, it's as shoujo as shoujo can get. And also very Watase.
I used to be a rabid fan of Fushigi Yuugi, another Watase work, and when this came out I devoured it--bought most of the VHS. (None of the manga, I don't think). Watase has a great great head for tragedy and loss and seperation and though the characters are similar in personality in some ways to the ones of FY, they are different enough to be very much their own. The plot is very good as well, though the anime cuts corners that probably shouldn't be cut. Still, this is a dark dark story and dark dark shoujo with an overtone of onesided (and supernaturally driven) twincest.
It's been a while since I've looked at it and I would watch it again--though I'd want to read the manga first. It has some flaws but I can't seem to remember them so for now, if you like dark shoujo and UST oozing all over the place, this is a great watch. Also the opening song is gorgeous.
Click to viewAzumanga Daioh
Azumanga Daioh is based on the manga by Kiyohiko Azuma and produced by J.C. Staff. I don't know what to say about this really because there isn't much that people haven't said. In short, I feel it's popular enough to defy description, at least for my flist. XD Also, it's freaking hard to describe. The Wikipedia summary goes like this: "Azumanga Daioh chronicles the everyday life in an unnamed Japanese high school of six girls and two of their teachers" annd it's 9/10 pretty freaking hilarious. There is one teacher who is a total creepster and everyone knows he is a creepster and he gives me the creeps. But otherwise, this shit is funny as hell and worth a watch.
Stuff I Want To Watch
Ai no Kusabi- Basically, I have heard, this was the yaoi. Like, at least in my day, everyone said if you liked anime at all you had to watch Evangaleon. So I suppose this was also my days (you're not that old! D:<) yaoi version of that-- that classic. I've seen some AMVs of it and bydamn is it hot. (Though I suppose these days it would be Gravitation or Loveless?)
Antique Bakery-Another yaoi tale that was recced somewhere and I've seen it peering at me in the YA section of the library. One of these days I'll be tempted to peer back.
Comments? Questions? A recs? Lay them on me!