Ask John: What Recent Anime Are Overlooked Gems?

Question:
In your opinion, what anime series/OVAs/movies are there that have been released within the past couple of years (or farther back if you care to entertain the question) that you believe are gems that have been sadly overlooked by the majority of anime fans?

Answer:
I have the feeling that I’ve previously given some recommendations for exceptional but little known or often overlooked anime, so this time I’ll concentrate on relatively recent releases that will be fairly easily obtainable for those who want them. I’ll also cover both domestic and import releases in order to give balanced coverage. Naturally there are countless noteworthy anime titles available only in Japan, but there are also shows commonly available here in America that deserve more attention than they recieve.

Director Koji Masunari may be best known in America for his work on the Read or Die anime, but he’s also very adept at directing heartwarming, sweet natured, and charming stories like Kokoro Toshokan, Risky Safety, and Kamichu. A seemingly small minority of America’s fan community is highly enamoured with Kamichu, for good reason, but I suspect that the show remains off the radar for many more of America’s anime fans. Kamichu exhibits exceptionally fluid animation, exceptionally detailed art that focuses on bringing the scenery to life with small details, a wonderfully playful sense of visual and narrative creativity, and a touching, heartwarming story. The daily life of a Japanese schoolgirl who does double duty as a local goddess may seem uneventful, trivial, or easily dismissed, but viewers who immerse themselves in the show are rewarded with its charming, whimsical, and very Japanese atmosphere and attitude. The way protagonist Yurie is simply accepted and respected as a god, without disbelief or derision, reflects a spirituality that’s very foreign to American sensibilities. The way the show depicts “kami,” Japanese gods and spirits, as a routine part of daily life is likewise very different from conventional anime, and also very different from the conventions that Americans are used to. Some of Kamichu’s charms are very subtle, which is why the show may be so overlooked among American anime fans used to shows which are more action oriented and more easily categorized.

The military drama Zipang has been relatively unceremoniously dropped on America, resulting in it not getting the respect that it deserves. But I can’t entirely blame distributor Geneon because the show is one that doesn’t fall into the conventional realm of anime that’s popular with American viewers. Apart from the fact that Zipang exhibits impressive depictions of modern military equipment, personnel, and discipline, Zipang is a thoroughly fascinating moral drama that poses difficult questions and offers no answers. The show places viewers alongside modern Japanese soldiers mysteriously transported back to the midst of WWII. Their modern technology, and more importantly their knowledge and their perspective on peace and the world order, as they know it, conflict with their loyalties and their instincts as human beings. Their anxiety, outright fear, and conflicted morality and loyalties are compelling becase the viewer feels the same emotions. Zipang is an intelligent and challenging drama because it doesn’t lead the viewer or manipulate the viewer’s perception or the events that affect the cast. The show is a rare one that forces viewers to consider their own principles.

Moving on, now, to a few import titles that I think are worth mentioning, perhaps the most criminally unknown and unappreciated recent anime I know of is last year’s television series Mahjong Legend Akagi: The Genius Who Descended Into the Darkness. Given that the show is about mahjong, and the character designs are unusual, to say the least, I can easily see why so many American anime fans seem to have ignored this series. But in doing so, they’re missing one of the most addicting and psychologically stunning anime thrillers ever. The show may be filled with references and explanations of confusing majhong tactics, rules, and jargon, but it’s the character thoughts, actions, and reactions that are the true focus of the series. Protagonist Akagi Shigeru is a ruthlessly evil monster, even though he doesn’t overtly do anything harmful, because he literally preys upon other people’s psychological weaknesses. Akagi is the ultimate gambler, fully and psychologically prepared to bet everything. That absolute confidence and determination is seductive and also terrifying; it probably constitutes literally calculated madness. The show consists largely of mahjong sessions that steadily become more and more intense as the psychological pressure mounts. The players play mind games that strain not only their lives, but also their sanity. Akagi’s coolly calculated intensity, always teetering on the razor’s edge of utter calamity and death, is totally engrossing. The show is literally a case of watching a game in which every move could mean utter ruin or even a painful death, and the secret to winning lies in reading and accurately exploiting opponents’ psychology, habits, and unconscious quirks.

Presently the current television series 009-1 is still relatively new, but although it’s been on the air in Japan for over a month, there seems to be no significant interest in it within America’s hardcore fan community, which is quite unfortunate. 009-1 is an action show with a mature and confident tone that I haven’t felt in an anime since Cowboy Bebop. Similar to a female version of James Bond, 009-1 is a story about an elegant and expert secret agent. Unlike anime that seem to target an audience of young boys with humor and a flawed or novice protagonist that viewers can relate to and cheer for, the mature and sexy 009-1 anime avoids slapstick humor and deals frankly with adult violence and sexuality. Unlike typical contemporary anime that features cute teen girls, 009-1 emphasizes the sensual charm of refined, adult women typical of artists like creator Shotaro Ishinomori and Leiji Matsumoto. American viewers used to the flashy conventional look of current anime may ignore the dated look of 009-1, but in doing so they miss seeing the kinetic and highly stylistic cinematography and editing at work in the show, and the show’s unusually fluid animation. 009-1 doesn’t feel like a mainstream action comedy for Japanese teens like Fullmetal Alchemist, Rurouni Kenshin, or Naruto. It doesn’t have the heavy handed style of shows like Samurai Champloo and Heat Guy J that struggle to be taken seriously. 009-1 genuinely feels like an anime adventure series for adult viewers: one that avoids the pratfalls of anime for adolescents and also avoids feeling pretentious or artificial.

Finally, the brilliant 2005 series Mushishi should be considered mandatory viewing for every serious anime connoisseur. This amazing story about a traveling scholar who researches and collects “mushi,” primal, ethereal life forms that exist in nature but which most human beings can’t percieve, exudes a haunting, often tragic tone of melancholy and magical wonder. The earthy, physical feel of the show is virtually palpable, and its mythology so fully formed and convincing that it’s difficult to believe that it’s all fiction. In addition to the series’ incisive ability to delve deeply into the emotions and personalities of its characters and tell moving stories, Mushishi exhibits possibly the most impressive animation quality I’ve ever seen in a television anime. Mushishi is a subtle, atmospheric series. Its goal isn’t to push a point or provoke thought. Its goal is to create a mood that lingers with the viewer. And this hauntingly beautiful show accomplishes that goal exceptionally well.