Ask John: What Are John’s Favorite Contemporary Anime?

Question:
What are some of your personal favorite anime that have been released recently (after 2000, I suppose)?

Answer:
If you’ll indulge me, I’m grateful for the opportunity to address this personal question. Most every year I seem to compile a list of the previous year’s anime which I think were the most technically accomplished, but I have fewer opportunities to obviously discuss the anime titles that I happen to like for personal reasons. Hopefully by doing this I’ll be able to bring some attention to a few relatively forgotten anime series. I do want to emphasize that these are my personal favorites, so they’re not necessarily the very best anime available. They’re shows which appeal to me. I’ll also try to concentrate my list as much as I can, limiting discussion to only the shows which are personal favorites – not just the massive list of anime which I happen to have liked or enjoyed.

2001 was a particularly good year for anime. Shouji Kawamori’s adventure drama Earth Girl Arjuna was amazing looking, and impressed me tremendously with its lush visual design and its complex, philosophical themes. The Jungle wa Itsumo Hare Nochi Guu anime also premiered in 2001, eventually developing into an international cult hit. (I’m also very proud to have been involved in the American translation and release of the series.) The Noir television series struck me like a bolt of lightning. Its deliberately paced style and highly choreographed action was unlike anything I’d ever seen in anime before or since. The characters Mireille and Kirika were complex characters with individual personalities and motivations, and they were intelligent, competent, and mature young women rather than stereotypes. And speaking of intelligent, independent women, 2001 also saw the premier of director Satoshi Kon’s brilliant film Millennium Actress. The movie remains my favorite Kon film because it deftly combines amazingly creative visual cinema, a sense of whimsical playfulness, and an underlying melancholy and sense of resolute purpose.

Director Makoto Shinkai’s independent short film Hoshi no Koe, released in 2002, instantly became one of my very favorite anime because it’s a moving, emotional work; it illustrates the wondrous potential of anime by building a haunting and elegiac love story with greater thematic significance into a sci-fi story filled with battling aliens and giant robots; and it represents the creative and artistic nature of anime. Completely opposite but likewise an instant favorite was the Azumanga Daioh television series. This great looking show did an exceptional job of being effortlessly, completely charming, absorbing, and wonderfully funny.

The 2003 action anime Air Master won me over from its very first episode with its intense and brutal martial arts action presented with humor and exceptional technical skill. There have been many girl fighting anime since Air Master – Tenjho Tenge, Ikkitousen, Fighting Beauty Wulong, History’s Strongest Disciple Kenichi – yet none have matched the excitement of Air Master’s fluidly and fully animated fight sequences. On the totally opposite end of the spectrum from Air Master, 2003’s ero game turned anime Popotan continually surprised and impressed me with its warmth, its charm, and its bittersweet story. Popotan is often dismissed as insignificant, or criticized for its gratuitous nudity, but even its critics regularly admit that the show’s characters and story have more depth than normally expected from this sort of anime. The surprising plot twists, and the emotional pain that the characters have to endure throughout the series make Popotan a much more rewarding and impactful anime than casual observers give it credit for being.

My affection for the original Pretty Cure is pretty well known. The first Futari wa Precure series started in 2004 and was continued in the 2005 Futari wa Precure Max Heart. Pretty Cure kept fans enthralled for two long seasons with its involving characters, constant “will they or won’t they” hint of blossoming lesbian love, and unique mixture of magical girl action with intense Dragon Ball Z style martial arts (not surprising, considering that Pretty Cure was directed by Dragon Ball Z and Air Master director Daisuke Nishio.) Every episode in both series included an action scene, but it’s a credit to the show’s quality that many episodes had enough interesting story and character development to make the obligitary action scenes unnecessary. A different type of fighting girl appeared in 2004’s “Hyper Shinobi Animation” OAV series Shadow. The 4 episode Shadow series featured gorgeous character design and beautiful color design and background art. And Shadow was the first anime since 1993’s Jubei Ninpucho to be an unapologetic, adult oriented ninja action anime. Shadow was intensely and graphically bloody and sexual. It’s also one of the very best serious ninja action anime ever made.

In 2005 I loved two different anime about supernatural schoolgirls. Kamichu had exceptional animation quality, charming characters, and a very interesting, unique view of Japanese belief rarely seen in anime. While Kamichu told a story about a schoolgirl who turned into a goddess, Petopeto-san was a story about adorable humanoid monsters living in harmony with humans. Traditional Japanese ghosts and monsters like the kappa and nurikabe got a cute make-over courtesy of character designs by artist YUG, and the entire show exhibited a heartwarming and naturalistic feel of a relaxing and enchanting slice of life drama with a twist.

The spirit of peacefulness, nature, and the tranquility of natural Japan carried over into 2006’s sweet little anime television series Binchoutan. I was a Binchoutan fan long before the premier of the anime, but the anime solidified my affection for the franchise. The soft, warm look of the show, its good animation quality, and its languid pace and slow introduction of new characters all made the series feel like viewers were really getting a peek into Binchoutan’s life rather than watching a story designed to unfold for viewers’ amusement.

There have been a number of excellent anime released so far this year, but compiling them is a different list. I’m hesitant to make a conclusive list of personal favorites from this year because there’s still another season of new anime to come this year. But there’s definitely two titles so far this year that I’ve developed a special fondness for. The Gakuen Utopia Manabi Straight television series may turn out to be one of 2007’s overlooked treasures. Apart from the show’s adorable visual design including super cute characters and a soothing color scheme, the show does an excellent job of making its characters very empathetic. Without being manipulative or condescending, Manabi Straight pulls viewers into its characters’ fears, hopes, and dreams. Viewers can feel unique attachments to each character, and appreciate the bond that develops between them. Considering the competition that it will face from shows including Seirei no Moribito, Oh! Edo Rocket, and Denno Coil, I’m not certain that Manabi Straight will break into my personal best of the year list.

While Potemayo is especially unlikely for inclusion on any “best of the year” lists, it’s already definitely a personal favorite anime. Paralleling Risky from Risky Safety, another personal favorite anime, I can’t resist an anime that includes a small, cute, violence prone girl with a scythe. Potemayo is also adorably whimsical and endlessly entertaining.