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Anime movies

post #1 of 26
1/29/02 at 1:30pm
Thread Starter 
I am getting into Anime movies, any recommendations on which movies you guys enjoyed. Thanks.
Mike
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post #2 of 26
1/29/02 at 2:12pm
Well, since you didn't say which ones you have seen or liked, here are a few choices:

Vampire Hunter D
Princess Mononoke
Akira
Ninja Scroll
Ghost in the Shell

Some series I enjoy:

Slayers
Lodoss
Serial Experiments Lain
Vampire Princess Miyu

Enjoy.

Kenneth
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post #3 of 26
1/29/02 at 2:45pm
I agree with the movies mentioned. I also recommend Black Jack. I have the movies mentioned, plus Grave of the Fireflies and Perfect Blue. I have yet to see Grave of the Fireflies and Perfect Blue though.
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post #4 of 26
1/29/02 at 3:00pm
Kenneth summed the big ones up real well. Another one I loved that he didn't mention was Fist of the North Star . There are many others that are good, but start with those.
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post #5 of 26
1/29/02 at 3:01pm
Perfect Blue is great! You should watch it soon.

I'll also recommend Kite. Pretty dark and disturbing, but a good flick none the less

I'm also mostly into series/OVAs. Out of my 50-or-so+ Anime DVDs, I think only about 5 are actual, theatrical films, heh.
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post #6 of 26
1/29/02 at 10:05pm
This topic comes up quite frequently (and I always seem to have the same responses )

For feature-length animations, I'd recommend

Akira
Perfect Blue; while not for everybody (some of the material contains deeply shocking scenes of rape), the story is solid...worth watching at least once.
Ghost in the Shell (moreso based on others' recommendations than mine; I haven't watched it completely yet)
Grave of the Fireflies
Mononoke Hime (Princess Mononoke)
(and my favorite film of all-time, not just anime) Kaze no tani no Nausicaa (Nausicaa of the Valley of Wind), done by the same director as Mononoke Hime, Miyazaki Hayao.

For series, I'd recommend:
Serial Experiments: Lain -- easily my favorite series of all of them. Weird, heady, psychedelic...some of the themes explored in here have been done before, but the style of the series is wholly unique, the conclusion satisfying but thought-provoking (not to mention quite a tear-jerker, at least for me).
Cowboy Bebop -- each episode is self-contained, but builds more upon the character and stories of each of the players. Set in Earth's future, its surface plots about a bounty hunter tracking down bad guys seem at times shallow, but it's the introspection and the character development that truly shine; almost every episode left a lump in the throat at the end.
If you like fantasy role-playing games, check out Record of Lodoss War, probably the best thing ever put on video or film in that genre until Lord of the Rings came out this past year.
And for the fun of it, Dominion: Tank Police -- I laughed my *ass* off in so many scenes...a genuinely hilarious short set of skits well worth checking out.
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post #7 of 26
1/29/02 at 10:28pm
If you don't mind watching something a little philosophical try "Night on the Galactic Railroad".

Also you could try "Wings of Honneamise" AKA "Royal Space Force", however, if you own a set capable of taking advantage of anamorphic transfers, this disc is disappointing quality wise. A really poor transfer renders it almost unwatchable on a large screen set.

Two movies considered anime classics are "Galaxy Express 999 and "Adieu, Galaxy Express 999", however, if you don't like melodrama avoid them. I don't think these two have been released on DVD yet.
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post #8 of 26
1/29/02 at 11:25pm
I also highly recommend Ghost in the shell The vampire hunter D , and Cowboy bebop I've watched every episode of Cowboy Bepop on the Cartoon Networks "Adult Swim". My friend told me it is now a DVD set. Definantly worth looking into IMHO.
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post #9 of 26
1/30/02 at 12:56am
In addition to all of the above, I would like to recommend the following OVA's:

Tenchi Muyo: Ryo Oki. (fantasy/romance/comedy) Boxset.
El Hazard: The Magnificent World. (same as Tenchi) Boxset.
Samurai X. 2 discs.
Macross Plus. 2 discs.

The abovementioned are superb OVA's with great production value and story. Highly recommended!
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post #10 of 26
1/30/02 at 2:48pm
I suggest someone put together a list of the anime movies/shows that have been recommended so that nobody has to search through tons of posts to find all the recommendations.

I STRONGLY suggest Neon Genesis Evangelion. Its the BEST anime series (and has 2 movies) EVER, IMO, of course.
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post #11 of 26
1/30/02 at 4:28pm
Quote:
Also you could try "Wings of Honneamise" AKA "Royal Space Force", however, if you own a set capable of taking advantage of anamorphic transfers, this disc is disappointing quality wise. A really poor transfer renders it almost unwatchable on a large screen set.

If you have an HTPC, you can use DVDSubber to watch the stunning Japanese DVD. Look around Ebay for the legit R0 version. Supposedly when Manga renews their Honneamise license next month they are getting this transfer as part of the deal, but I'll believe it when I see it.

Two movies considered anime classics are "Galaxy Express 999 and "Adieu, Galaxy Express 999", however, if you don't like melodrama avoid them. I don't think these two have been released on DVD yet.

Galaxy Express is out in Korea with English subs and a stunning anamorphic transfer, identical, and much cheaper than the Japanese version.
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post #12 of 26
1/30/02 at 5:25pm
Galaxy Express is out in Korea with English subs and a stunning anamorphic transfer, identical, and much cheaper than the Japanese version.
------------------------------------------------------------

How would a person go about ordering it? Is there a reputable outfit to order from and is it a legit licensed product?

It is probably Region 2 and unfortunately I don't have an HTPC or Region 2 capable player. I was looking in to the possibility of ordering a multi-region player from the States but finances are a little pinched right now for that luxury....especially since the Canuck buck is worth almost as much as a Mexican Peso right now.

The Honneamise disc would have been good too. I will just have to hope that Manga really does get the proper master and does a do over of the film. I won't hold my breath though.....I'm not into passing out.
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post #13 of 26
1/30/02 at 8:30pm
>>(and my favorite film of all-time, not just anime) Kaze no tani no Nausicaa (Nausicaa of the Valley of Wind), done by the same director as Mononoke Hime, Miyazaki Hayao.<<

I got "slap around" a little here for recommending Warrior of the Wind, which was supposed to be the butchered version. I saw that on VHS many years ago and really liked it, I AM aware of the history of the movie, but i don't know where can one get a "full" uncut verion.
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post #14 of 26
1/30/02 at 10:24pm
I have a full, uncut fansub of Kaze no Tani no Nausicaa (the original that the butchered Warriors of the Wind was made from). It is a fantastic movie, I prefer it to Mononoke-hime despite its more simplistic message. Unfortunately, Disney now owns the rights and therefore fansubs cannot be distributed. University anime club archives would be a good place to look (I know UT's anime club has two tapes of it in their archive).

But remember, Disney owns the rights so fansub copying is a no-no.


Mark
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post #15 of 26
1/31/02 at 9:59am
Perfect Blue is practically a tribute to Alfred Hitchcock- if you like him, you'll dig it! (And IIRC, the rape scene is actually a scene of actors FILMING a rape scene- still pretty nasty, though.)

And I (once again) will second Morgan's assessment of Evangelion as the BEST EVER.

Lord, let the Mouse treat us right with ol' Nausicaa. . .
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post #16 of 26
1/31/02 at 12:51pm
I recommend Metropolis which is out right now in limited theater run from Sony Pictures. The anime movie is scripted by Katsuhiro Otomo (director of Akira and Robot Carnival) but the anime is based off the manga created by Osamu Tezuka, the god and originator of the anime genre in Japan.

Great movie.

I also recommend the new Cowboy Bebop movie. Good movie. It does take place between episode 22 & 23 of the series though, but it does hold well as a standalone.


KC
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post #17 of 26
1/31/02 at 12:56pm
The's a bunch of Metropolis as well as FFX (2 DVD version) over at EBay now, has anybody seen those? Opinions?
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post #18 of 26
1/31/02 at 2:13pm
FFX is a videogame. The Japanese version came with a DVD of extras.
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post #19 of 26
2/3/02 at 8:10am
Thread Starter 
thank you for all your recommendations.
Mike
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post #20 of 26
2/3/02 at 12:51pm
There's also several threads devoted to this exact same topic. Dana's right, this comes up quite frequently...at least several times a month.

My choices are on the first page of this thread:

http://www.hometheaterforum.com/htfo...threadid=19309
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post #21 of 26
2/3/02 at 12:54pm
Quote:
(And IIRC, the rape scene is actually a scene of actors FILMING a rape scene- still pretty nasty, though.)
I was always under the impression that...
Warning: Spoiler! (Click to show)
she was actually "raped", in the sense that there's real penetration, not that she was forcibly pinned down without her consent. Otherwise, without that I don't see how her psyche could become as damaged as it was. I don't know, I may be wrong. Somebody else care to chime in on this?
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post #22 of 26
2/4/02 at 12:26pm
In Perfect Blue, the fake rape scene does signify and turning point in the character's life where reality and fantasy is indistinguishable. It's a darker life than her pop singing days. But she must abide if she wants to become popular again. Her mental anguish and stress has caused her to blur the fine lines between reality and dreams.

Warning: Spoiler! (Click to show)

If you remember when they were shooting this scene, her manager was shocked and horrified by the experience and left immediately. The rape scene was repeated twice in her mind. My guess is that first one was the character's and the other one was her manager's interpretation of the rape scene.


In addition...

Warning: Spoiler! (Click to show)

the triple cut scenes of repeated events should be represented as 1) reality, 2) dream/fantasy and 3) the manager's interpretation of these events. That is why these events, although occured in triplicate, seemed to occur with different viewpoints and angles.


Anyway, that's my take on it...very well done movie. First time for an animated movie to delve into psychotic-thriller.
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post #23 of 26
9/6/02 at 4:19pm
Ninja Scroll is the best anime ever made. Anyone is wrong if they say differently. I really liked the Bebop series, a must see. You can skip Metropolis unless you need the sleep. The movie is beautifully made but the story is BORING.

What I don't understand is why isn't Battle Angel on everyone's top 5 list? I loved that movie.

Kind of a side note: The animation on the video game "Ico" was great. I was really impressed.
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post #24 of 26
9/6/02 at 4:54pm
um I loved Metropolis I sat there gobsmacked thru the whole anime, brilliant visual design and well integrated CGI that puts last years Disney animation
Atlantis:The Lost Empire to shame.
Based on a 50 year old comic by "God of manga" Osamu Tezuka.

Ninja Scroll is a classic of anime, its superb.

Katsuhiro Otomo's Akira remains the greatest anime ever IMO, absolutely incredible.
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post #25 of 26
9/6/02 at 10:22pm
Definately check out Cowboy Bebop: Knockin' on Heaven's Door whenever Columbia decides to release it over here. I recently had the chance to see it and it now ranks up there with Princess Mononoke and Akira as one of my favorite anime movies. Also check out the entire Bebop series (6 DVD volumes, 26 episodes)... it is the BEST

If you are into something "weird, but good"... check out Angel Sanctuary... it is actually 3 episodes of a show, but it tells one story.

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post #26 of 26
9/7/02 at 4:34am
Quote:
I STRONGLY suggest Neon Genesis Evangelion. Its the BEST anime series (and has 2 movies) EVER


Absolutely, I agree 1000%. This series is pretty much what sold me on anime. It showed me what the genre was capable of.

Still, there is tons of anime titles out there that can hold their own. Such as Trigun, Gundam Wing and one of my personal favorites, Escaflowne.

Bruce
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