Sorry for the delay everyone, my new computer broke and I had to ship it off to Texas and pay to have it fixed. Before I start with my top 25 anime list I thought it would be fun to give a list of ten shows that didn’t quite make the cut (including a number of famous works) and I felt were worthy of acknowledged.
10. Yu Yu Hakusho: Let me start this runner’s up list with a real bang. Yu Yu Hakusho is an excellent example of a good modern shonen series. I love how well this work combines elements of shonen with a deeper sense of character than usual, and also gives a clear and detail system of how power works in the universe. To be honest this work is on this list mostly because of how cool it is and how much I love the dub cast. This work still has plenty of shonen clichés and probably there are a number of other series that I should have on this list instead of this one (it barely edged out another one of my favorite shonen series Ruroni Kenshin), but since this is my list here it will remain.
9. Neon Genisis Evangelion: Oh EVA you’d be so much higher on my list if it weren’t for your original conclusion. Besides this problem EVA does has a great concept, contains some really realistic handling of dark Sci-fi subject matter for a mech show. The music and the opening and closing for EVA are great, and I love the hand drawn style of presented in the animation. This series combines a great blend of a mech theme with a science fiction dooms story, and creates a situation that is too perfectly grim to maintain. While at times Shinji is too much like an anti-hero, his realistic obstinacy and fear really make him feel like a real kid with emotional troubles and abusive father. I might enjoyed EVA a lot more if it originally had a stronger ending and if it were shorter (it is hard to maintain the initial scenario and tone), but currently due to its ending puts it lower on my runners up list (especially since I have yet to see The End of Evangelion film).
8. Trigun: Many fans consider Trigun one of the best anime series ever (or at least science fiction anime series). While I really do love Trigun (which is why it gets mentioned here) I feel as though I do not like it quite as much as many other people do. None the less it is definitely a worthy addition to my honorable mentions. While the change in tone is jarring, and I do feel like Legato is much more effective as a villain then Vash’s brother Knives (they only really interact outside of flash backs in a single episode) this is definitely a great series. Trigun as a series is fun, and at times a thought provoking and clever work. It is also excellent when it comes to presenting darkness or humor, though usually not in the same space. Combine these elements with a rocking guitar based score, some creative villains and secondary characters, and some excellent voice work (both in the sub or both) you get a great show.
7. Outlaw star: This series is a really fun combination of a number of fun space opera tropes. Somehow Outlaw star is able to throw in just about every trope of the genre, while making it all work well together. This remains one of those shows from the Cartoon Network I am really thankful I was able to be exposed to when I was younger. It is truly a cool classic, and has really stuck with me as a special show. I starting watching this show at about the same time as another anime that will be appearing on my top list was also showing. While I enjoyed both series I definitely enjoyed Outlaw star less, which is why it is only honorable mention.
6. Lupin season 1: What happens when you combine one of the most raunchy slapstick manga’s with Miyazaki? You get an excellent classic of an anime or it obviously wouldn’t be on this list. Lupin the 3rd practically invented the concept of the phantom thief, and its treatment in the first season by Miyazaki is truly a classic in every sense of the word. It blends a beautiful the sense of action, comedy, classiness and of course heists together with a real 1960’s vibe. This series tones down a lot the really raunchy tone, and some of the slapstick from the manga, in favor for more character depth. While the animation in places has not aged the best, it still remains almost one of my favorites. I feel, however that there have been better works in its genre then Lupin and done by Miyazaki, but this is certainly still a strong and deserving template worth noting.
5. Ouran highschool host club: If you are looking for a slapstick anime to have a good time with then this is probably the show for you. Ouran is without a doubt one of the most humorous of all slapstick anime series, and offers up a wonderful parody/homage to shojo reserve harems. Combine this with an excellent voice cast in both languages and you have a great mixture worthy of praise. While Ouran doesn’t carry much depth, when it does offer up drama it doesn’t feel forced and often this drama leads to a hilarious and heartwarming pay off. I would have included it on my top anime list, but the animation for it is not as impressive as with some other shows (despite still being very good) and its content are not as weighty or unique as some others that made it on my list.
4. Daughter of twenty faces: Sadly this anime is not well known by many anime fans within the US, which is a real shame. Daughter of Twenty Faces is a series that takes an excellent and complex look at domestic abuse and childhood, and is also an unusual take on the phantom thief genre. The music is good, but again it is Bone’s stellar animation and character designs that make this work so appealing. This anime also has some shocking surprises plot wise that will keep the viewer guessing. I would have added this to the main list, but there are a number of Bone’s shows already on this runner’s up list and on the actual list to make up for its absence.
3. Paranoia agent: Paranoia Agent is a very unusual and interesting show indeed. The only anime series created by the acclaimed director Satoshi Kon; this is a series that focuses on surrealism and the nature of reality. This work is both a mixture of the scary and the humorous, as it explores its member cast inner selves and the terms of reality with the personification of insanity. The music (especially the opening) is memorable, and the dub and sub do this show definitely good service. It is the imagery and character design of this work that really make this show stand out. While I love Satoshi Kon this work didn’t make the final cut mostly because I have only really seen it once in its entirety and honestly if I watched it again it might have actually made the main list.
2. Fullmetal alchemist: This is another one of those shows on this list that it pains me not to be on my official list, and that I feel others might like more than me. Fullmetal Alchemist is one of those most see anime series, and features one of the best dub voice casts ever to grace an anime series (along with at least three others that are on this list). The plot combines fun and intellectualism, it can be easy going or face the cast with difficult moral quandaries. While I realize that many fans are more attached to Brotherhood, which has the plot that mirrors the manga, I felt that this anime has many more surprises and a more satisfying and ambiguous conclusion (not including the movie).The main problem I had with Alchemist is that besides some good introductory episodes it takes a bit for it to find it’s pace, and at time can be slow when setting up for the bombastic ending part of the show.
1. Darker than black: It was so hard for me to leave Darker than Black off my list of favorite animes. The animation by Bones is truly stellar, the music by Yahko Kanno is excellent, and the plot is a creative mix of the fun and the thought provoking. Darker Then Black feels like a clever mixture of the supernatural, science fiction and superheroes all into one fluid and neat package. To be honest though the reason why this doesn’t make my actual top list is that while it excels in a number of areas, it is far from the strongest work in any of these features. There are a number of shows where I liked the animation slightly better, the score isn’t really one of Kanno’s best despite being excellent, and subject and style wise there are better shows. None the less as a whole package it is definitely worth seeing and only just barely didn’t make the list.
Stay tune for the first five on the official list in the next few weeks ^>^
Hats' House 