Well, with all that out of the way, let's have a look at my adored anime babies, my animated insights into Japanese culture, for various reasons.
13. 'Tenchi Muyo!'
Technically an OVA and not a series, but 'Tenchi Muyo!' did start off the fairly-beloved nostalgic franchise, and on viewing it again since childhood, I find more merit, heart and charm to it than in the subsequent anime series's (though some of those are also enjoyable). 'Tenchi' was the first anime I had seen, first aired on the legendary Toonami channel, that made me realize that anime is not just kids' stuff. I was captivated by the variety of female characters, the mythology, and the complex relationships everybody has with each other. Add in an unforgettable voice cast for the dub as the icing on the cake (you have to love an English anime dub from the nineties that unabashedly has fun with the material when it's warranted), and you've got a recipe for a classic. 'Tenchi', as one of the first harem anime of the nineties, could arguably be considered the best of the genre (not that there is much in the way of competition). But the whole ever-changing franchise is not just a harem, or a silly slapstick romp. It's a space opera, a fantasy, an action show, a power-up shonen action show, a drama, a smart comedy, a buddy comedy, an over-the-top and ambitious sci-fi anime (a known winning combination), a shoujo romance parody, and a number of other genres, I'm sure. There's no containing 'Tenchi'; there are no limits to which it sets itself, with no idea too big, too outrageous, or too ridiculous, and that is awesome. That is anime. A lot of the adult sci-fi humour of the 'Tenchi' shows and movies would fit in with Western TV, such as 'Rick and Morty'. I was genuinely surprised by how funny 'Tenchi Muyo!' is, being both cleverly mature and immature simultaneously. It is next to impossible for me to pick a favourite character - the ruthless, arrogant and sublimely confident space pirate Ryoko; the snobby yet sweet and kind and equally-ruthless princess Ayeka; the cute, warmhearted child cook and housekeeper, princess Sasami; the teen-sized 20,000-year-old mad scientist who knows even less about the concept of boundaries than Ryoko (and is even more ego-maniacal, as the greatest genius in the universe), Washu; the blonde ditzy galaxy police detective (who is best when bouncing off of her long-suffering straight man partner, Kiyone, who is perhaps the closest to being my number one favourite character, from 'Tenchi Universe'), Mihoshi; and hell, Ryo-oh-ki the cat-rabbit spaceship could be included in Tenchi's harem as well, and no matter what form she's in, she's irresistibly adorable. So, 'Tenchi Muyo!' - an inclusion on this list for almost purely nostalgic reasons, but will always hold a special place in my heart.
12. 'Little Witch Academia'
What started off as an OVA project, and then an OVA short film funded through Kickstarter, launches into a full anime TV series which began this year. Harking back to 'Harry Potter', 'The Worst Witch', and other English/Western witchy fantasy series I loved as a child and teenager, 'Little Witch Academia' is a treat, full of colourful characters - all nearly exclusively female. I enjoyed it like a kid enjoying Saturday morning cartoons, and Magical Girl shows - those centering on female friendships, and are set in boarding schools, like 'Winx Club'. The protagonist Akko Kagari is a more-of-the-same typical anime lead who is an underdog fighting towards the top to make her dream come true as the best of the best at whatever. But the other characters bounce off of her perfectly, and their roles are written to great potential ad infinitum, especially the not-at-all typical alpha witch and "rival" Diana Cavendish. It contains obvious and subtle humour in layering strides, and is over-the-top, colourful and creative, in a modern time when any kind of originality in this type of children's fantasy genre was thought impossible; that the "magic" of them is now overdone, and dead and gone. I like the worldbuilding of the series, showing how magic would work in the modern world where technology and other human advances have taken over everyday living. Not to mention politics. Magic is a dying art in 'Little Witch Academia' - a sad revelation slowly making itself known as the witch boarding school series progresses. Magic is widely considered archaic and therefore unnecessary in political and social circles. But as always, there is hope on the horizon. Thankfully there is nothing cynical about 'Little Witch Academia'. However, I am wary that the "muggle" politicians seen are all male, in contrast to the all-female magic users. The anime could have gone further to explore the implications of this, which would have made it truly spectacular in our current political climate. But alas, no. Still, 'Little Witch Academia' is a magical series in more ways than one, and intriguing in more ways than one. There are some cliches, and predictable plot points, but it's charming all the way through nonetheless, with one of the best endings to an anime I have seen. I adore the characters, the relationships (friends over love interests FTW), and the mythology. It is rather Miyazaki in its animation and themes, with similarities to 'Kiki's Delivery Service' and even 'Princess Mononoke' to a slight extent, referring to its old-versus-new cultural war thematic going on. I think that anyone who couldn't quite get into 'My Little Pony: Friendship is Magic', might want to give 'Little Witch Academia' a try. For a fantasy feminist like myself, it's like candy.
11. 'Lovely Complex (aka Love Com)'
I should inform you that at this point this list will be largely unchanged from my previous Favourite Anime list. But I will try to include new things I like about these entries. As I've stated in the past, 'Lovely Complex' was the first anime to make me cry. It is a hilarious yet sweet and heartfelt high school slice-of-life series which contains a lot of things that real confused and heartbroken adolescents can relate to all too well. There is bitterness, bittersweetness and frustration, but a shining optimism to break through the grey clouds. There are far too many anime set in high school, and in my opinion 'Lovely Complex' sets itself apart by its fantastically-bright and colourful animation, its unconventional female and male leads (a tall girl and a short boy, Risa Koizumi and Atsushi Ōtani, called a comedy duo by their peers due to their polar opposite sizes and personalities, yet working later on as a romantic pair), its realistic themes of what it is like growing up and dropping smack dab in the middle of harsh, complicated humanity (growing pains, indeed), its silly sense of humour that feels genuine and mostly innocent (plus showing that a girl protagonist can fit into a Looney Tunes skit no problem), and by the fact that it is set in Osaka. It's so sweet and funny that even the anime cliches in it that I hate, like the clingy jealous girl, and the school teacher crush bordering on creepy, cannot detract from my praising it overall. Underrated and underappreciated, if I can love a slice-of-life anime like 'Lovely Complex', than anyone can. Like everything on the list, I highly recommend it.
10. 'Attack on Titan'
A mixture of old and new, this list. After a few years, 'Attack on Titan' and its popularity haven't died down. No wonder, since its hype is honestly well deserved. It isn't another shonen fad, but a refreshing action shonen franchise for the new generation of anime fans. Fans who are desperate for more action shows, and less of the disturbing trend of indistinguishable moe wank of the last ten years. 'Attack on Titan' has fantastic animation and music, a terrifying and thrilling premise, and truly unforgettable characters going through the worst that internal and external struggles hit them with in a world that is ending all around them, where humans are an endangered species at the bottom of the food chain. Are humans the last hope, or the last dying animals on earth in the rise of something bigger (and more uncontrollable) than they are? Mikasa Ackerman is one of my girls; one of my favourite anime heroines. The manga and anime are worth everything just for her. As I've mentioned on my previous anime list: "No fanservice or pandering, [Mikasa] 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." I've talked about Mikasa to death before so I won't repeat myself, but she is an awesome, unstoppable force of nature; a metaphorical giantess in a world full of real giants. Size doesn't matter, indeed. Humanity is both awful and amazing, as 'Attack on Titan' can attest to. I admit that I haven't seen the second season yet, but maybe I will in time. It is a thrill ride of an action show, where I do care about who's in it. And no romance! Soulful, and not too cynical, and definitely not limited to a black-and-white morality. Fearless.
9. 'Kaleido Star'
Not the first favourite children's anime on here, and not the last. Set in San Francisco (I think?), 'Kaleido Star' is a marvel at showing the hard work of the athletic female leads, performing acrobatic circus stunts at the Kaleido Star theater. The physical, emotional and mental struggles are refreshingly honest in this cute magical show, aimed primarily at girls. Sora Naegino (she soars! What a fitting name) remains one of my all-time favourite characters. She is, intentional or not, a sort of deconstruction of the typical shoujo heroine fighting to achieve her dreams. She really isn't a clueless airhead or a romantic; her only love is the Kaleido Star, and she will try anything to get her body and mind ready for whatever it throws at her, not because of any competition, but simply because she loves what she does. The dangers are real, and so is she. Not everything about the anime is wholesome - Sora's magical spirit "mentor", Fool, is perverted - and the dub does leave a lot to be desired. But 'Kaleido Star' is an adorable, lovable and triumphant series. There is more to the childlike sparkles and music, its magic curtain surface - behind it lies genuine emotion, and life-and-death situations, in how far one can go to reach for the sky in their professions and test one's limits until there is nothing left but self-destruction. Inspirational, bold and enchanting, yet easy to understand for its target audience, this colourful, funny, intense tearjerker of a series marks itself as another underrated recommendation by yours truly. Also no romance!
8. 'Kare Kano (His and Her Circumstances)'
One of the first anime classics I fell in love with, and hold in high regard to this day. 'Kare Kano' is like a precursor to 'Lovely Complex', as a slice-of-life high school romance anime featuring subversive leads, who are altogether funny, complex and even tragic, whether alone or with each other. Here the girl-meets-boy scenario takes surprising turns, and the two, as model students, are smart and straightforward enough to become a couple very early on in the series, avoiding the will-they-won't-they cliches and trappings of so many series' like it. They face real challenges of what it's like to be a couple in adolescence, notably in school, with high expectations placed on them by adults. It is not about will-they-won't-they, but about how-will-they-stay-together. It is also about friendships and family connections, not just romance, which is a relief even though I love this particular couple. To again quote my old list: "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." I don't even care that there isn't an exact plot to the series (there are overarching themes, at least), and that it ends prematurely due to the mangaka's dissatisfaction with the anime. 'Kare Kano' is psychological in a light way, and it takes it audience seriously. The cheap nineties animation works to its advantage in how it manages to convey the characters' thoughts and feelings using abstract techniques, in a few cases without dialogue. It's beautiful in its simplicity, with more going on than one thinks. Understated yet ambitious, talkative about relationships yet unpretentious. 'Kare Kano' is about complicated, multilayered people and understanding them. It is a quiet little underrated songbird trilling universal and timeless themes. How I miss the charm of old animation like this.
7. 'Occult Academy'
A more recent anime (2010) that hardly anyone has heard of. Which is sad, not to mention stunning, since 'Occult Academy' is one of the most original and best-animated series I've seen in years. Not a lot to add that I haven't already in the past anime list. All I'll say is: great characters, great twists, great supernatural elements, great craziness, and a nice, effortless emphasis on friendships. 'Occult Academy' is a dark teen show with touches of humour throughout, but I wouldn't compare it to any popular Western TV show. For one thing, 'Occult Academy' is short at thirteen episodes. It's a dark horse of a paranormal anime, featuring unique and unforgettable female characters. I have a soft spot for the obscure, don't I? Well, I try not to be part of the crowd, for the most part.
"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." - previously on the old list!
6. 'Princess Tutu'
Children's art has never been so classy, at least not since Disney, and Studio Ghibli. Practically everybody who has seen 'Princess Tutu' agrees that it is much better than it has any right to be, from its title and fairy tale premise. I know I was initially skeptical about it, one of the reasons being that in my experience any anime with the word "princess" in the title leads to a one-way ticket towards bitter disappointment. From light to dark, it is a beautiful, silk, nightlight masterpiece. Colourful and kiddie on the surface, this Magical Girl series is an original children's fairy tale that respects its audience of universal appeal. Well-plotted and animated in its storytelling structure, its themes, and its fitting of classical European music and ballet for certain scenes. It deconstructs stories and character roles. Duck is an ordinary little duck given the gift of becoming a human girl who is a ballet student, tasked with finding the shattered pieces of a prince's heart, each representing an emotion. The prince was the hero of an unfinished story called 'The Prince and the Raven' via the death of the author. Duck is in love with the boy prince with sad eyes, but she can never be with him, and she knows it. But she will do anything to help him, regardless. She will return him to normal, because it is the right thing to do, to help finish his story that is also her story. One she will make as her own, no matter what the dead storyteller and puppetmaster Drosselmeyer says. She, a little duck, a clumsy and mediocre ballet dancer, is a true hero, with or without her magic tutu. Funny, mystical, thrilling and exciting, blessing a superb English dub it rightfully and respectfully deserves, I love 'Princess Tutu'.
5. 'Chobits'
I know, a light ecchi series eclipses 'Princess Tutu' on my list. But I can't help it. Against my better judgement, I love 'Chobits'. It's science fiction (well, not so fictional nowadays, of course. I fear for our future) where there's hardly any progression in terms of gender roles. Like, why are the androids in sci-fi stories (and real life) always female sex toys? It is deeply, deeply disturbing. Some writers (virtually always male) of this genre have serious issues to sort out, and 'Chobits' was written by the all-female mangaka team of CLAMP! But it does explore the relationship between humanity and technology in a subtle and even sweet way, not losing its ethereal edge in times when it gets dramatic as well as romantic. The romance between the human male lead and the female-formed android character is surprisingly lovely, containing no signs of abuse or a power struggle whatsoever. It's a beautiful relationship to behold, as it gradually develops. It shows how humans can and should live healthily as technology evolves to the point of almost replacing humans as the dominant race on earth (again, the future we have chosen is a scary one). It is about love, and who is perceived as having the "right" to give and receive it. Should non-humans have human emotions, which are beautiful but dangerous when taken for granted? At its most basic, like any other sci-fi story, what makes us human? Chi might just be the most adorable fanservice anime robot ever. She's not merely a fanservice pot device, in any regard. 'Chobits' is neither anti- nor pro-technology; it simply looks into all possibilities without being all doom and gloom. It is CLAMP's best work, in my opinion; simple but astonishingly, shockingly effective.
"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." - old quote.
4. 'Revolutionary Girl Utena'
I started watching 'Revolutionary Girl Utena' when I was eighteen, and I had just started university. Yeah, there was a lot that I missed. Literally. Bored and confused, I gave up on it over halfway through, and moved on to other anime series'. However, nearly ten years later, I finally decided to give it another chance now that I am older and more "learned" and "experienced". By the Sword of Dios am I glad I did. Because, as it turns out, 'RGU' is a combination of all things I love in fiction: it's a girl's coming-of-age story, containing great diversity for an anime that's now twenty-years-old. It's a deconstruction of fairy tales, a deconstruction of gender roles and conventions, a psychological study, a mythological study, an abuse study, and an emphasis on female relationships rather than the same old "traditional" heterosexual romance. One could write a dissertation - or two or three! - about the entire series' themes and symbols present in every beautiful frame of animation in this work of art. Because animation is art, and Be-Papas utilize this to a T, wasting no cell for their low budget nineties anime. 'RGU' knows every meaning to the colours it uses, and every layer. 'RGU' is a series where the double meanings have double meanings. Definitely not to be viewed only once. It can get overwhelming, but not too much, and it respects its audience's intelligence enough to not explain everything to them. If you pay close attention, you can find subtle meanings to any still frame you happen to capture in any episode, all 39 of them presented like a painting, even the comedic ones. A magnum opus from the director of the 'Sailor Moon' anime, Kunihiko Ikuhara. Utena Tenjoin is an exceptional anime heroine, representing the strengths of masculine and feminine traits whilst being restrained by neither; for she is who she is, never a girl to be contained in an assigned gender role that is socially damaging and only the stuff of fairy tales. These roles are harmful and stun an adolescence's growth, literally and symbolically. 'Revolutionary Girl Utena' becomes a dark, disturbing and frightening show towards the end - just how I like it! It's risky, and breaks every storytelling tradition for children in the book. Such a fantastic ending, as well - both epic and subtly simple and sublime. The cycle of fairy tales, of the patriarchy, and abuse, ends. Preconceived notions of gender, and the rules that preserve and shape them (like in terms of uniform, notably skirts), end. The illusion of gender and what it means to be an adult breaks. It even shows how toxic masculinity hurts men and boys as well as girls and women. Abuse of power gets in the way of healthy, honest relationships. I could go on and on; a testament to this anime's triumph is that there is so much to discuss about it; so much to dissect. There so much about it that is progressive and feminist, for a Japanese product of the nineties, no less. That such hard work, care and attention was made for a work of art with a female protagonist is itself revolutionary. After all these years, I can finally consider myself a fan.
3. 'Sailor Moon'
Enough said. Really, I've written about this franchise all over the place already. Check out my manga reviews and character analyses, for there is nothing new I can say about this number one anime of my childhood. What I will say is that, embarrassingly, I haven't seen 'Sailor Moon Crystal' yet. I'm waiting for that series to end before I view it and give it my overall thoughts. Maybe it will replace this spot on my list in the future, since I've heard that since 'Crystal' stays closer to the manga, Sailor Moon herself is not such a damsel in distress in need of saving by Tuxedo Mask all the time. Hopefully she is better friends with her fellow Sailor Soldiers, too. The nineties anime is dated and a product of its time - not to mention a monster-of-the-week filler paradise in its 200 episode run - but there is a charm to it, needing to be seen unedited and uncensored. 'Sailor Moon' is my original Magical Girl, and always will be.
"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!" - another old quote.
2. 'Puella Magi Madoka Magica'
Same as above, I can't say what I haven't already said a million times about this series. Like 'Attack on Titan', 'Madoka Magica' is a recent anime that continues to be universally beloved, even by non-anime fans, and is destined to become a classic. It is a dark, subversive, and depressing adult deconstruction of the Magical Girl genre with Faustian themes, awash in deceptively-pretty colours and symbolic and stylistic animation choices. The more I think about it, the more 'Madoka Magica' shares more in common with 'Revolutionary Girl Utena' than any other show. Full of tragic young heroines who are as complex as can be, 'Madoka Magica' is a perfectly told story - structurally, and in solid characterization. Any subsequent movies and shows and manga series' are due to the anime's popularity; their resulting controversial decisions not on par with the originality and perfection of the series which shocked and captivated us all are more our fault than the writers'. It should have ended when it ended, like pretty much all long-running franchises. Not only a great Magical Girl show, 'Madoka Magica' is a flowing, beautifully-told masterpiece, through and through. A Rorschach test, a philosophical fairy tale with its wings torn off, and a starry, bittersweet tragedy.
And my favourite anime of all time is...
1. 'Fruits Basket'
Some things never change, and 'Fruits Basket' remains my fave anime. Anybody who knows me at all knows this particular fact about me. I've written about it in my manga review and when writing about the incomparable best friend in all of anime, Tohru Honda, in the past. It is first and foremost a story about love and relationships. Then it is a slice-of-life. Then an abuse study. Then a tragedy. Then a fantasy centering on the animals of the Chinese Zodiac. Then a 'Beauty and the Beast' retelling. It is both shades adorable, funny and lovely, and heartwrenchingly dark. A new thing I will mention is that 'Fruits Basket' is a tale about abuse which amazingly, miraculously manages to garner sympathy for all parties involved, at the expense of no one. Well, if not sympathy, then an understanding in how abuse is a cycle, especially in families. And it can end. Nobody, in the huge cast of characters (none I dislike), is particularly special in 'Fruits Basket' (not in a positive way, in any case), and nobody is told they are so. But they can make themselves special, and help make others feel special, and show that life is worth living for the good people in it. 'Fruits Basket' is about people, and all aspects of humanity, in an anime where people turn into animals sometimes. I do prefer the manga, which is finished, with a satisfactory ending, but my point stands. 'Furuba' is my favourite anime - one of my first exposures to the medium, and it will guide and encourage me forever in life; reminding me that no matter how hard and unbearable things get, there will always be good things to work hard for.
" '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."
Looking back at my list, I guess that the kind of anime I like are mostly "female-friendly', or where I like the wide array of female characters better than the males. But this is mainly why I was attracted to the animation medium in the first place: it has variety. It has something for everyone, for better or worse, for kids and adults, for females and males, for anyone who likes one colour better than the others, etc. Every genre imaginable, anime has got it. It's weird, colourful and layered, and it can be smart and psychological, containing complex, human themes. Anime in Japan is animation as a recognized art form (to varying degrees of success, like in every other medium) - and it gets experimented on greatly. Constantly. What results is a vastness of creative choices.
On that food for thought, have a nice day.
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