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 good spring board for the anime novice, as producers of Japanese-style animation catered for a Western market. They have produced a number of movies which are all charming in their own way. A personal highpoint has to be My Neighbour Totoro released in 1988, which tells the post-war adventures of sisters Mei and Satsuki who after moving to their new home discover there are wood-sprites in their garden the leader of which is Totoro; a loveable creature we all wish was real. The theme tune is super-catchy as well, although this may not be seen as a plus.
More recently SG released Ponyo, (2008), a story about a cute goldfish, who desperately want to be a little girl. Her new friend, the young boy Sosuke, care for her and helps her on her quest. It is super-cute story with endearing animation.
However, never fear, it's not all cute and girly. A classic supernatural anime is the 37 episode series, Death Note. This was available on TV in 2006-7 and is now on DVD. We follow the adventures of over achieving student Light Yagami who discovers a supernatural notebook dropped by a Shinigami, a god of death. By writing a name in the book and a method of death in the book, Light is able to execute criminals as well as anyone else who gets in his way of creating a utopian world. This series inspired by manga book series, and has even resulted in a live-action movie.
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 good spring board for the anime novice, as producers of Japanese-style animation catered for a Western market. They have produced a number of movies which are all charming in their own way. A personal highpoint has to be My Neighbour Totoro released in 1988, which tells the post-war adventures of sisters Mei and Satsuki who after moving to their new home discover there are wood-sprites in their garden the leader of which is Totoro; a loveable creature we all wish was real. The theme tune is super-catchy as well, although this may not be seen as a plus.
More recently SG released Ponyo, (2008), a story about a cute goldfish, who desperately want to be a little girl. Her new friend, the young boy Sosuke, care for her and helps her on her quest. It is super-cute story with endearing animation.
However, never fear, it's not all cute and girly. A classic supernatural anime is the 37 episode series, Death Note. This was available on TV in 2006-7 and is now on DVD. We follow the adventures of over achieving student Light Yagami who discovers a supernatural notebook dropped by a Shinigami, a god of death. By writing a name in the book and a method of death in the book, Light is able to execute criminals as well as anyone else who gets in his way of creating a utopian world. This series inspired by manga book series, and has even resulted in a live-action movie.
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.
About the Author:
The Animerica website is a well respected anime reviewer site. To find out the latest happenings in anime, visit us on the Web today at http://www.animericashow.com.
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