Japanese anime is the name for animated movies, often based on Manga the Japanese graphic novel. The artwork for both animation and books is terribly appealing but it can be daunting when approaching anime for the first time. Therefore it is not surprising you have turned to an anime reviewer.
In 2015, this genre of animation has become mainstream as Tokyo based Studio Ghibli and their production of The Tale of Princess Kaguya has been nominated for an Academy Award (Oscar) for the Best Animated Feature. Princess Kaguya won't be released until March 20 in the UK, but this could be a great place to start. The voices for the movie are mostly provided by American actors including James Marsden and Lucy Liu.
Tokyo based, Studio Ghibli is a great starting point for anime, as they produce Japanese style animation but catered for the Western audience. There are so many cute movies from this studio, including My Neighbour Totoro (1988), a personal favourite, which tells the story of two sisters Satsuki and Mei who move to a new house and are entertained by wood spirits, one of which, Totoro is a large, bear-type creature who you will wish was real.
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.
For those who want to avoid the super-cute may want to turn to a classic anime series; Death Note. This was a TV series in 2006-7 which follows Light Yagami, who when he encounters a Death Notebook belonging to a God of Death is able to kill people by simply writing their name. He starts a one man campaign to eliminate the world's criminals. Based on 12 manga books the series ran to 37 episodes.
Another crime fighting series is Ghost in the Shell, which is in itself a major franchise which a manga books, a movie with the same title in 1996 and two spin off series'. The spin-offs started with Stand Alone Complex in 2002 and then Arise in 2013. This year Arise will have another instalment released.
A novice interested in Ghost in the Shell has a lot of back story to catch up on. But essentially the franchise follows a specialised police force, known as Public Security Section 9, who solve a number of crimes exacerbated by cyber criminals, corruption and all the expected complications.
For an anime fan in England it is difficult to follow the new releases, although some websites like www.wnimenewsnetwork.com provide a regular sweep of new movies and series, but gaining access to these is challenging. Most people are reliant on the DVDs available to buy, and the Studio Ghibli general releases which does not appeal to all. But don't give up; the hard work is worth the effort.
In 2015, this genre of animation has become mainstream as Tokyo based Studio Ghibli and their production of The Tale of Princess Kaguya has been nominated for an Academy Award (Oscar) for the Best Animated Feature. Princess Kaguya won't be released until March 20 in the UK, but this could be a great place to start. The voices for the movie are mostly provided by American actors including James Marsden and Lucy Liu.
Tokyo based, Studio Ghibli is a great starting point for anime, as they produce Japanese style animation but catered for the Western audience. There are so many cute movies from this studio, including My Neighbour Totoro (1988), a personal favourite, which tells the story of two sisters Satsuki and Mei who move to a new house and are entertained by wood spirits, one of which, Totoro is a large, bear-type creature who you will wish was real.
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.
For those who want to avoid the super-cute may want to turn to a classic anime series; Death Note. This was a TV series in 2006-7 which follows Light Yagami, who when he encounters a Death Notebook belonging to a God of Death is able to kill people by simply writing their name. He starts a one man campaign to eliminate the world's criminals. Based on 12 manga books the series ran to 37 episodes.
Another crime fighting series is Ghost in the Shell, which is in itself a major franchise which a manga books, a movie with the same title in 1996 and two spin off series'. The spin-offs started with Stand Alone Complex in 2002 and then Arise in 2013. This year Arise will have another instalment released.
A novice interested in Ghost in the Shell has a lot of back story to catch up on. But essentially the franchise follows a specialised police force, known as Public Security Section 9, who solve a number of crimes exacerbated by cyber criminals, corruption and all the expected complications.
For an anime fan in England it is difficult to follow the new releases, although some websites like www.wnimenewsnetwork.com provide a regular sweep of new movies and series, but gaining access to these is challenging. Most people are reliant on the DVDs available to buy, and the Studio Ghibli general releases which does not appeal to all. But don't give up; the hard work is worth the effort.