In my teens, I watched a lot of anime online, and read quite a lot of manga. While I have lost interest in the medium overtime - and been met with more duds and disappointments than anything - here is a list of anime that have stuck with me - anime I seriously enjoyed, that I could re-watch and never get tired of. Anime I can truly say I love. This is my personal favourite anime countdown: 12 I can pick.
12. 'Lovely Complex (aka Love Com)'
The first anime to make me cry. One of the better, more underrated slice-of-life high school romance series out there - set in Osaka for added originality. 'Lovely Complex' centers on the comedic and heartfelt ups and downs of the relationship between a tall girl and a short boy, Risa Koizumi and Atsushi Ōtani respectively. I could actually relate to the high school misadventures and first-crush miseries depicted in this anime. The animation is bright and shiny, making the more emotional moments profound rather than out of place. Very funny, romantic, sweet, packed with likable characters, and the annoying-as-hell misunderstandings common in this genre happen only near the end of the series run, and they're not enough to destroy my enjoyment of 'Lovely Complex' (hell, the couple get together in the middle of the series, not the end, so there's less the frustration and predictability!) I cannot recommend it enough.
11. 'Ouran High School Host Club'
A colourful, funny and cleverly-written reverse-harem anime. It gets incredibly silly and even questionable in its gender-and-sexuality depictions sometimes, but it's a fun tongue-and-cheek parody of high school romance anime. One which effortlessly manages to stand on its own merits. Self-aware and one of the first "meta" things introduced to the popular consciousness (a fourth wall only semi-exists), 'Ouran' also has its share of heartwarming and dramatic episodes centering on brilliant character development, especially towards the end of the series. All the characters have their moments to shine, and break out of their assigned, limited, fangirl-fantasy stereotypes, with surprising subtlety. It knows when to be fast-paced and over-the-top for comedy, and when to set a slower-pace for dramatic scenes, seamlessly. 'Ouran High School Host Club' - a charming, irresistible treat.
10. 'Gankutsuou'
This is on my list mainly because the original novel is one of my favourites. But 'Gankutsuo' is a visual masterpiece - a feat in different uses of animation styles in every frame. 3D, photoshop, digital - 'Gankutsuou' incorporates all quilt-like textures in a wondrously-flowing effect. Haunting and dramatic. The story, both faithful to the book and doing its own thing entirely, is very good for the most part. The supernatural elements do feel unneeded, but damn it's a 'The Count of Monte Cristo' adaptation with a giant robot fight - it's the most glorious spectacle ever! The characters aren't very likable or consistent, some are annoying like the self-righteous pipsqueak Albert de Morcerf. But I suppose it's to show how human they are, at least in contrast to the demonic Count of Monte Cristo himself. 'Gankutsuou' - a sci-fi and royale epic; a haunting pleasure.
9. 'Attack on Titan'
Yeah I know, a more recent and predictable entry, but I can't help it. 'Attack on Titan' is an epic shonen action anime series - the only shonen series on this list. I love the music, I love the characters, I love the scale of its animation, and I love that it really isn't afraid to kill off characters. No cop-outs, no fake-outs (except the one time) - people do die in this series - likable people who grow on you in the course of several episodes. Mikasa Akerman is one of the best female anime characters I've seen in a long time. No fanservice or pandering, she is strong all on her own - genuinely strong, competent and capable. The male characters are also complex, and challenge a lot of typical shonen cliches in anime. The large cast each feels like a scared, over-endured, stretched-to-the-limit, and brave human being. A terrifying dystopic world full of fantastic, kickass characters, both male and female. 'Attack on Titan' is a must-see to be sure.
8. 'Kaleido Star'
An anime that makes me feel like a little kid watching cartoons again. 'Kaleido Star' is a colourful and sweet series about an American circus and acrobatics theatre, rehearsals and putting on the best stage shows worthy of Cirque de Solei and Stomp. An inspiring, soul-soaring and vastly underrated little anime starring one of the most positive and bright shojo heroines, Sora Naegino. No sugarcoating here; the anime depicts just how hard a lot of performers work, and what they sacrifice, in order to achieve their dreams. The relationships Sora has with each of her female colleagues, friends and rivals - especially with the famed Layla Hamilton - are well-developed; a magical wonder to behold. So enchanting and cute, and grounded enough in reality to not seem saccharine or trite. 'Kaleido Star' - guaranteed to cheer up even the most cynical of people. I am spellbound and stargazed!
7. 'Kare Kano (His and Her Circumstances)'
Another underrated slice-of-life high school romance anime (what a mouthful!). But 'Kare Kano' is the mature and sophisticated older sister of 'Love Complex'. The animation is mid-nineties 2D colouring penciling; and that just adds to its charm. It's nostalgic and challenging at the same time - portraying a high school couple who are together at the beginning of the series rather than the end, and the struggles they have to face to stay that way. Both are model students with hidden depths and quirks. They are very likable, warm and relatable - different yet similar, and are effing adorable together. Dark sides and pasts emerge; how will they cope with so many changes in their "stable" lives? The rest of the cast of characters are also memorable and positively shine with abundance of personality. 'Kare Kano' - funny, dramatic, beautiful. This manga and anime series is proof that the slice-of-life genre isn't all fake, stupid, predictable and boring. It can leave you with a full, loving heart. See my review of the manga for further input on the lovely creation.
6. 'Princess Tutu'
A fairy tale Magical Girl anime - an original deconstruction of European fairy tales for children, all set to various classical scores and ballet dancing. One of the most unique Magical Girl anime out there - no fighting, just dancing for the duck-turned-girl ballet performer stuck in a story she isn't even meant to be the hero of. 'Princess Tutu' has gorgeous, cartoony but masterfully-crafted animation, clever symbolism, a memorable cast, each with their own arc, and far more dark elements than lighthearted ones. It's more scary than funny. But even with the series' significantly darker second half, it doesn't lose its charm. 'Princess Tutu' is a romance in every sense of the word. And Drosselmeyer is a bastard. Just thought I'd mention that. 'Princess Tutu' - an epic, magical, sparkling, substantial storybook anime about a little duck, but there is so much more to it than that. A pretty craft.
5. 'Occult Academy'
Probably the most underrated and obscure anime on this list. Many have never heard of it (it doesn't even have a dub). 'Occult Academy' is a 2010 thirteen-episode paranormal boarding school series. There are supernatural creatures, demons, and witches amok. And aliens and time travel. It's a drama - with grey areas - but includes a lot of comedic set pieces and character moments. The animation is expertly done, like an anime movie, and it's similar to any supernatural TV show in America you can name. But 'Occult Academy' stands on its own with its likable, relatable and weird cast of characters. The protagonist Maya Kumashiro is a complex puzzle - a stoic, a cynic, a closet-supernatural buff, but she's also funny in her own bizarre way. She's a teenager who's the headmistress in the academy she's also a student of. Because anime! Friendships are tested, and partnerships shift and change overtime. 'Occult Academy' is very entertaining, indeed,
4. 'Chobits'
See my review of the 'Chobits' manga for an in-depth analysis into this series and its themes and characters. All I'll say here is that it is THE sweetest, loveliest, overall charming and insightful sci-fi anime featuring robots built to look like overly-sexualised women and girls. Fanservice isn't used for the sake of it; for stupid cheesecake with no substance - it miraculously didn't ruin the whole thing for me. One of the best romance anime I've ever seen as well - between a robot and a human, with very real, well-written chemistry. Nowadays, with the saddening decline and general, violent rejection of feminism in the media, I can see the world of 'Chobits' being the future. Preferred by MRA members. But 'Chobits' is smarter than that, I assure you. A subversion and observation into humanity's reliance on machines as a substitute for every aspect in life. Sad and funny, the 'Chobits' manga and anime are a delight, despite the sexism.
3. 'Sailor Moon'
I really don't need to say anything, do I? I have written to death about 'Sailor Moon' before. It's my nostalgia baby, the anime that first got me into anime, and kindled my love for the Magical Girl genre, the themes of love and friendship I'm attached to, and for girl power in the media. In the name of the (crescent) moon, I love Sailor Moon!
2. 'Madoka Magica'
Another anime I've talked extensively about. 'Puella Magi Madoka Magica' is a Magical Girl deconstruction - the darkest of tragedies, a philosophical look at life and hope itself. A Rorschach test, where every framing device is subtly symbolic. A Faustian tale; harrowing and depressing, with a bittersweet yet barely-hopeful ending. A glimmering masterpiece, with brilliant pastel-coloured-and-drawn animation - deceiving in its childlike appearance, like everything else in 'Madoka Magica'. It is the only anime from a genre I grew up with and love that I can unhesitatingly call perfect. Perfect animation, perfect music, perfect storytelling, and perfect characterization. I could go on for days describing how everything about 'Madoka Magica' is perfect. It is my kind of anime.
So, what can be better? I think anyone who knows me knows what my number 1 favourite anime of all time is:
1. 'Fruits Basket'
Again, see my review of the manga series for more detailed information. 'Fruits Basket' is life-changing. It's a slice-of-life, fantasy masterpiece starring a large family of human-turned-animals-sometimes, cursed by the Chinese Zodiac. There isn't a single character I dislike; a noteworthy feat considering how most of them are often mean, and physically and psychologically abusive towards each other. They manage to change for the better over the course of the series, thanks to the saint of all saints, Tohru Honda, one of my all-time favourite characters in fiction. She can help anyone without even trying that hard. 'Fruits Basket' has everything: Animals (not much shown, for a very human series), a big heart, friendships, different family values and dynamics, romance, an ugly dark side, a mirror into humanity and love, different, conflicting character personalities, and a helping sweetness to go along the sad journey. A great amount of the ethics I hold dear to me are based on those demonstrated in 'Fruits Basket' - it contains many, many life lessons for all of us to learn, particularly in kindness and compassion. It's a seemingly simple and sweet creation that's in fact so deep and richly detailed, it's scary. I'll never forget the impact it had on me as a sixteen-year-old lost and isolated girl in a cruel world, looking for kindred spirits. And hope.
Hope you enjoyed another of my lists!
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