Post by elchevalier on Aug 20, 2011 23:12:22 GMT -5
I'll write here about anime and manga i think everyone should check, stuff i consider essential for anyone, newcomer or veteran fans. Don't worry, there will be no moe, high school soap opera drama, or any other bullshit/jerk off material for weirdos. You will trust my judgment, i know what i'm talking about, feel free to recommend anything you feel it should be here too. I will separate the list in manga, and anime, with anime being anything from series (long or short) and movies. Some stuff might also exist in the other format, but for the most part if i mention a series and tell you the manga is better, or the anime show, it's because it is.
Lets begin:
Manga
Strain
With art by one of the greatest in the business, Ryoichi Ikegami, and written by a man who goes by the pen-name of Buronson (japanese pronunciation of Bronson, in honor of Charles Bronson that is). A japanese hitman in Malasya who charges 5 dollars to kill anyone. The more we know about him it becomes more clear why he has adopted such an extremist view of human life. Pesimistic and violent, my kind of story.
Sanctuary
Another hit from the Buronson/Ikegami team. Two men, who survived the massacres in Cambodia as kids, have promised each other that they will conquer Japan. To accomplish this they get into the two driving forces of the country: politics and the yakuza, each one starts pulling the right strings from their side, and eventually together, since both the yakuza and the goverment pretty much work together for many things. Complex, intriguing, the struggles of power can take many shapes, most of them quite ugly
Blade of the Immortal
Pretty much a mandatory step for anyone, an action-packed story, but also a meditation on morality, what is doing the "right" thing, and so on. The anime adaptation is decent, but why would you want to avoid watching some of the best art ever put into paper?
Even a Monkey Can Draw Manga
Satirical take on the manga industry, with actual helpful tips to any aspiring comic book artist, regardless of the style or region of the world you might live in. The jokes are great, and anyone can get them, long-time fans or just casual readers.
Me and the Devil Blues
Now, this is what a bio-pic is suppose to be. A reimagining of the life of a man that has always been more myth and legend than anything else: blues guitar player Robert Johnson. A look at the america of the 30s: the depression, the racism, and the music of course, all this with a supernatural touch, and with the right balance between all these subjects. Fantastic art, good story, no reason not to check this one.
Anime
Cromartie High School
So, this one would be perfectly fine to read the manga, but the anime series is a great start. Every episode lasts usually 15 minutes, so it makes for a very quick and accesible watch. The show is heavy on the deadpan humor and absurdist humor, very very heavy into it, so, if that's not your style you won't like it. There are many jokes making references to yakuza movies, and some old school japanese shows, everything from Hokuto no Ken to Queen, to shoujo (shows made for girls) and what not. Worry not, this is no "Family guy hur derp let's make references to everything!" show. It's a lot of fun, plain and simple.
Golgo 13
Created in 1969, Duke Togo is pure old school bad ass greatness. A professional hitman that always gets the job done, old school character design, no comic relief characters, no bs. The 2008 tv series is pretty damn good, most of the episodes are self-contained, with great pacing and easy to follow. Of course, Mr Golgo might pull some outrageously impossible hits from time to time, but everything remains quite plaussible, thanks to the show's attention to the socio-political backgrounds of many of the hits. Politics, money and power come into play in many of Duke's missions.
Satoshi Kon's work
Mr Kon left this world recently, he left a short but very substantial body of work. Several movies and a tv show, i'll say any of them are a good to start, but for practical purposes, go for Tokyo Godfathers, then move to the others.
Get the anime and/or manga
Berserk
Now, in this case going for the manga will be the priority, but the tv show is a good option too. Don't listen to the fanbase moaning about not being "true" to the manga, it's a decent summary of the first one. It's fantasy action done very much righ, the manga is still going by the way.
Lets begin:
Manga
Strain
With art by one of the greatest in the business, Ryoichi Ikegami, and written by a man who goes by the pen-name of Buronson (japanese pronunciation of Bronson, in honor of Charles Bronson that is). A japanese hitman in Malasya who charges 5 dollars to kill anyone. The more we know about him it becomes more clear why he has adopted such an extremist view of human life. Pesimistic and violent, my kind of story.
Sanctuary
Another hit from the Buronson/Ikegami team. Two men, who survived the massacres in Cambodia as kids, have promised each other that they will conquer Japan. To accomplish this they get into the two driving forces of the country: politics and the yakuza, each one starts pulling the right strings from their side, and eventually together, since both the yakuza and the goverment pretty much work together for many things. Complex, intriguing, the struggles of power can take many shapes, most of them quite ugly
Blade of the Immortal
Pretty much a mandatory step for anyone, an action-packed story, but also a meditation on morality, what is doing the "right" thing, and so on. The anime adaptation is decent, but why would you want to avoid watching some of the best art ever put into paper?
Even a Monkey Can Draw Manga
Satirical take on the manga industry, with actual helpful tips to any aspiring comic book artist, regardless of the style or region of the world you might live in. The jokes are great, and anyone can get them, long-time fans or just casual readers.
Me and the Devil Blues
Now, this is what a bio-pic is suppose to be. A reimagining of the life of a man that has always been more myth and legend than anything else: blues guitar player Robert Johnson. A look at the america of the 30s: the depression, the racism, and the music of course, all this with a supernatural touch, and with the right balance between all these subjects. Fantastic art, good story, no reason not to check this one.
Anime
Cromartie High School
So, this one would be perfectly fine to read the manga, but the anime series is a great start. Every episode lasts usually 15 minutes, so it makes for a very quick and accesible watch. The show is heavy on the deadpan humor and absurdist humor, very very heavy into it, so, if that's not your style you won't like it. There are many jokes making references to yakuza movies, and some old school japanese shows, everything from Hokuto no Ken to Queen, to shoujo (shows made for girls) and what not. Worry not, this is no "Family guy hur derp let's make references to everything!" show. It's a lot of fun, plain and simple.
Golgo 13
Created in 1969, Duke Togo is pure old school bad ass greatness. A professional hitman that always gets the job done, old school character design, no comic relief characters, no bs. The 2008 tv series is pretty damn good, most of the episodes are self-contained, with great pacing and easy to follow. Of course, Mr Golgo might pull some outrageously impossible hits from time to time, but everything remains quite plaussible, thanks to the show's attention to the socio-political backgrounds of many of the hits. Politics, money and power come into play in many of Duke's missions.
Satoshi Kon's work
Mr Kon left this world recently, he left a short but very substantial body of work. Several movies and a tv show, i'll say any of them are a good to start, but for practical purposes, go for Tokyo Godfathers, then move to the others.
Get the anime and/or manga
Berserk
Now, in this case going for the manga will be the priority, but the tv show is a good option too. Don't listen to the fanbase moaning about not being "true" to the manga, it's a decent summary of the first one. It's fantasy action done very much righ, the manga is still going by the way.
