Anime for Adults

No, I'm not talking about tentacle pr0n!

I have been watching anime since the end of high school and I have yet to find a definitive review site I trust. For the most part I have relied on box art, trailers and imdb descriptions to make my choices. Needless to say I don't always end up with the cream of the crop. I have seen the good, the bad and the ugly and might be able to share some insight.

Anime is an art form that is primarily derived from manga. In the US it is often presumed to be for children as the last animated film or show most American's watched was from their childhood. While some anime deserves such a label, there is a large amount that doesn't. A lot of anime has adult themes, heady concepts and morale struggle. This type of anime should not be missed or mislabeled. The following is a short list of titles that any adult should not be embarrassed or hesitant to enjoy.

Ghost in the Shell
The first GITS movie is outstanding. Over the top procedural action, the philosophical ramifications of artificial intelligence and political intrigue set in postcyberpunk Tokyo. The television series is much of the same, but tends to dive even deeper into the ethical issues to the point of confusion and convolution at times. The first film is a must see with sub titles, but I cheated on the series and watched it in dubs because of the overly complex dialogue.

Akira
The film that brought anime to the US, it was was shown in art houses across the country during the 80s and gave many viewers a taste for more. The film is based in a post apocalyptic neo Tokyo and focuses on a biker gang that gets mixed up in a military experiment. I didn't see this film until well after its original release, but I caught the same anime fever from it.

Cowboy BeBop
This series the pinnacle of anime for me. Film noir meets American jazz meets space bounty hunter saga. The art direction, music and writing are on par with any feature film I have seen. This is by far Shinichirō Watanabe's best work, although I am a huge fan of all that he has done.

Samurai Champloo
Another series by Watanabe that also evokes a strong musical presence coupled with fantastic animation. It is essentially a ronin story set in Edo period of futile Japan. The musical back drop is hip hop, fight scenes are timed to rhythms and set changes are transitioned through scratching.

Fullmetal Alchemist
Probably one of the most misleading titles listed here. It is a series about two kid brothers who attempt to bring back there dead mother and lose their bodies in the process. While the main plot seems to point to more mature concepts the series also is about two kids. Steampunk is the cats ass too, so check this one out.

Berserk
This is the hardest series for me to recommend because it ends in such a poor way. Every episode in the series is spectacular until the last two to three where the plot and series completely unravel. Due to financial constraints the 26 episode series end at 25 episodes. So whether or not the ill fated 26th episode would have wrapped everything up is unknown. It is a great series at its core though, based in medieval Europe with a focus on the super natural.

Ninja Scroll
This was the first anime I ever watched after hearing about it from friends at school. It had ninjas, violence, sex and beautiful art. I was hooked. Yoshiaki Kawajiri directed this film, but had no part in the crappy TV series that carries the same name. Be warned there are a few unnevering scenes that are not for the feint of heart.

The Animatrix
This is the most americanized film of the bunch. It was created to cross promote the Matrix trilogy and in my opinion is better than any of the three films. It is a series of shorts done by an allstar cast of anime directors. Watanabe, Kawajiri and Chung to name a few.

Site Watch
Merlin Mann is by far my favorite personality from Mac Break Weekly and his site 43 folders is something I check on a regular basis. It is a site about personal productivity, life hacks, and simple ways to make your life a little better. Good stuff, so czech it out!

New Love
We picked up a second DS (yes it is pink) for Crystal over weekend. For an added bonus I snapped a shot with the new skin I created for the M3DS Real we procured for our bundle of joy!